A Pity to Say So

Once upon a time there was a Zen student who
quoted an old Buddhist poem to his teacher which says,
"The voices of torrents are from one great tongue,
the lines of the hills are the pure body of Buddha."
"Isn't that right?" he said to the teacher.
"It is," said the teacher, "but it is a pity to say so."

Alan Watts

Practice is Always a Battle

Practice is always a battle between
what we want and what life wants.

Charlotte (Joko) Beck

Be the Buddha

Don't quote the Buddha,

be the Buddha.

Eckhart Tolle

Don't Move

Don't move. Just die over and over.
Don't anticipate. Nothing can save you now,
because this is your last moment.
Not even enlightenment will help you now,
because you have no other moments.
With no future, be true to yourself - 
and don't move.

Shunryu Suzuki Roshi

This Kind of Understanding

We should practice zazen
like someone who is dying.
For him, there is nothing to rely on.
When you reach this kind of understanding,
you will not be fooled by anything.

Shunryu Suzuki

You Will Always Exist

You will always exist
in the universe
in some form.

Shunryu Suzuki 

Zen is Right Here

Zen is everywhere.
But for you,
Zen is right here.

Shunryu Suzuki