Quotes from Shunryu Suzuki

Each one of us must make his own true way, and when we do, that way will express the universal way.

When we have our body and mind in order, everything else will exist in the right place, in the right way.

To give your sheep or cow a large, spacious meadow is the way to control him.

When the restrictions you have do not limit you, this is what we mean by practice.

We should not attach to some fancy ideas or to some beautiful things. We should not seek for something good. The truth is always near at hand, within your reach.

When you are practicing zazen, do not try to stop your thinking. Let it stop by itself. If something comes into your mind, let it come in, and let it go out. It will not stay long. When you try to stop your thinking, it means you are bothered by it. Do not be bothered by anything... if you are not bothered by the waves, gradually they will become calmer and calmer.

Just continue in your calm, ordinary practice and your character will be built up.

To die is more important than trying to be alive. When we try to be alive, we have trouble. Rather than trying to be alive or active, if we can be calm and die or fade away into emptiness, then naturally we will be all right.

You should rather be grateful for the weeds, because eventually they will enrich your practice.

Whether you have a problem in your life or not depends upon your own attitude, your own understanding.

You do not say, "This is enlightenment," or "That is not right practice." Even in wrong practice, when you realize it and continue, there is right practice.

Moment after moment, everyone comes out from nothingness. This is the true joy of life.

If you think you will get something from practicing zazen, already you are involved in impure practice.

Building character is like making bread—you have to mix it little by little, step by step, and moderate temperature is needed. You know yourself quite well, and you know how much temperature you need. You know exactly what you need. But if you get too excited, you will forget how much temperature is good for you, and you will lose your own way. This is very dangerous.

Not to be attached to something is to be aware of its absolute value. Everything you do should be based on such an awareness, and not on material or self-centered ideas of value.

We must have beginner's mind, free from possessing anything, a mind that knows everything is in flowing change. Nothing exists but momentarily in its present form and color. One thing flows into another and cannot be grasped. Before the rain stops we hear a bird. Even under the heavy snow we see snowdrops and some new growth. In the East I saw rhubarb already. In Japan in the spring we eat cucumbers.

True communication depends upon our being straightforward with one another... But the best way to communicate may be just to sit without saying anything.

Actually we do not have any particular name for our practice; when we practice zazen we just practice it, and whether we find joy in our practice or not, we just do it.

It is when your practice is rather greedy that you become discouraged with it.

There is no particular way in true practice. You should find your own way, and you should know what kind of practice you have right now.

You should not have any remains after you do something. But this does not mean to forget all about it. In order not to leave any traces, when you do something, you should do it with your whole body and mind; you should be concentrated on what you do. You should do it completely, like a good bonfire. You should not be a smoky fire. You should burn yourself completely. If you do not burn yourself completely, a trace of yourself will be left in what you do.

you will find the worst horse is the most valuable one. In your very imperfections you will find the basis for your firm, way-seeking mind... But those who find great difficulties in practicing Zen will find more meaning in it. So I think that sometimes the best horse may be the worst horse, and the worst horse can be the best one.

In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the experts mind, there are few.

When we realize the everlasting truth of "everything changes" and find our composure in it, we find ourselves in Nirvana.