Quotes About Mindfulness

Wisdom is something which will come out of your mindfulness. So the point is to be ready for observing things, and to be ready for thinking. This is called emptiness of your mind.

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.

This is also the real secret of the arts: always be a beginner. Be very very careful about this point. If you start to practice zazen, you will begin to appreciate your beginner's mind. It is the secret of Zen practice.

When your mind is wandering about elsewhere you have no chance to express yourself. But if you limit your activity to what you can do just now, in this moment, then you can express fully your true nature, which is the universal Buddha nature.

To be aware of the meaning of your life, you practice zazen.

There is no need to have a deep understanding of Zen.

When you sit in the full lotus position, your left foot is on your right thigh, and your right foot is on your left thigh. When we cross our legs like this, even though we have a right leg and a left leg, they have become one. The position expresses the oneness of duality: not two, and not one. This is the most important teaching: not two, and not one.

After some years we will die. If we just think that it is the end of our life, this will be the wrong understanding. But, on the other hand, if we think that we do not die, this is also wrong. We die, and we do not die. This is the right understanding.

When you feel disagreeable it is better for you to sit. There is no other way to accept your problem and work on it.

Knowing that your life is short, to enjoy it day after day, moment after moment, is the life of "form is form and emptiness is emptiness.

Zazen practice and everyday activity are one thing. We call zazen everyday life, and everyday life zazen.

Dogen-zenji said, "To give is nonattachment." That is, just not to attach to anything is to give.

Our Soto way puts an emphasis on shikan taza , or "just sitting." 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. Even though we are sleepy, and we are tired of practicing zazen, of repeating the same thing day after day; even so, we continue our practice. Whether or not someone encourages our practice, we just do it.

The purpose of studying Buddhism is not to study Buddhism, but to study ourselves.

Bodhidharma said, "In order to see a fish you must watch the water.

are aware of this movement. You should not be absent-minded. But to be aware of the movement does not mean to be aware of your small self, but rather of your universal nature

In other restless positions you have no power to accept your difficulties, but in the zazen posture which you have acquired by long, hard practice, your mind and body have great power to accept things as they are, whether they are agreeable or disagreeable.

You should not be surprised at whatever you see or hear...If you are ready to accept things as they are, you will receive them as old friends.

You know how to rest physically. You do not know how to rest mentally.

In your practice you should accept everything as it is, giving to each thing the same respect given to a Buddha.

But as long as you think you are practicing zazen for the sake of something, that is not true practice.

Try always to keep the right posture, not only when you practice zazen, but in all your activities.

TRANSIENCY    ââ'¬Å"We should find perfect existence through imperfect existence.

Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as an enlightened person. There is only enlightened activity.