Quotes About Mindfulness

Kawajiri Hogin classifies those who sit for wrong reasons as: 1) those who sit in order to tranquilize their minds; 2) those who sit to be empty in their minds; 3) those who solve koan as if they were guessing games; 4) those who start sitting, motivated by their wish for escape from this disturbing world.

those who are inclined to tranquil meditation are apt to think that they have sat long enough as soon as disturbing thoughts within them subside during meditation. But thinking that they have sat long enough in itself is dualistic. As long as they are captured by such a thought, they cannot be liberated from dualism however long they may wait.

think that the essential point of Zen lies in "proof," which is variously called "right awareness of no-self," "seeing one's original self-nature," and so on.

When all are seated, the jikijitsu claps the taku (wooden clappers) once, followed by the four successive rings of the small metal bell called inkin at measured intervals. This is the sign of shijo, which means the beginning of samadhi or zazen. In the ensuing period of quietness, the slightest movement of our bodies, even coughing, is forbidden.

After the passage of a given length of time, the jikijitsu again rings his bell once and claps his clappers twice. Then comes a short break of about ten minutes. Sometimes during this break kinhin (meditative walking) takes place in the meditation hall.

It goes without saying that the method of melting the ice of our egos into water, as they originally are, lies in samadhi.

there are large number of people—so-called believers—who misunderstand the concept of "no-thought and no-thinking" (Jpn. munen muso).

Further, to have concentration without wisdom is to idly come to a standstill in an empty world.

Therefore, in Zen one awakens to one's True Self and takes firm hold of it. To give life to one's True Self sufficiently in all the affairs of daily life and to practice living as a human being while purifying the entire world is perhaps the most complete way of saying it.

Thinking that a koan is something to be thought about and solved objectively is out of keeping with Zen teachings.

Wisdom originates in samadhi is what this sutra teaches us.

kufu means, as I have already explained, being without any suki (opening or flaw in terms of swordsmanship) or yudan (carelessness) and to become the thing itself.

Just as in the phrase jyo-e enmyo (full and clear perception in the wisdom of concentration), jyo (concentration) necessarily gives birth to e (wisdom) and e (wisdom) must be based on jyo (concentration).

Where were you facing yesterday?" "Well, my nose doesn't hurt a bit today." This answer must have highly pleased Baso. He praised Hyakujo, saying, "Now you understand. You know about today very well." He meant that Hyakujo truly realized the whereabouts of life.

Some of you may practice zazen all alone at home with this book of mine as a guide. If you do, you must be well prepared for suffering. If there is no suffering, your sitting will be futile and you will find it difficult to continue zazen.

Seeing one's true self-nature in itself is samadhi, and samadhi in itself is seeing one's true self-nature.

shikan means that the sitter must be totally integrated with sitting itself and sit in a commanding manner.

Ashikaga Takauji41 had an evil reputation as a traitor, but it is said that he sat zazen for some time every night and never failed to engage in this daily practice even when he became intoxicated. I think this should be a lesson to students of Zen.

It is especially desirable to let the concentrated state of mind, samadhi, operate in our everyday activities.

Talking, laughing, quarreling, and moving the limbs should all be integrated into the one and the same samadhi.

nirvana, which is another name for samadhi.

As for those of us who breathe with the tanden, the frequency of our breathing ranges from two or three to five or six times per minute.

At first the power of concentration nurtured during sitting for thirty minutes may be lost in an instant as soon as we stop sitting. But later we will be able to retain it for five or ten minutes by means of hoben and kufu.

As long as you are conscious of your wish to be empty, you will never succeed in becoming empty.