No matter how many years you sit doing zazen, you will never become anything special.
Kodo SawakiRead
To be born as a human being is a rare thing, something to be grateful for. But being born as a human being is worthless if you spend your whole life in a mental hospital. It is worthless if you worry about not having money. It is worthless if you become neurotic because you cannot get a prestigious job. It is worthless if you weep because you lose your girlfriend.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Being human is valuable, but it loses significance if one becomes consumed by worries and societal expectations.
This quote emphasizes the importance of appreciating the gift of human existence while also highlighting that such existence can become meaningless if one is trapped in negative thoughts and societal pressures. Kodo Sawaki points out that numerous worries—ranging from financial concerns to relationship issues—can lead to a life devoid of true fulfillment, suggesting that a mindful and grateful approach to life is crucial for genuine happiness.
Themes
GratitudeHuman ExistenceMindfulnessHappinessWorry
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about mental health awareness, this quote could emphasize the importance of a positive mindset.
More from Kodo Sawaki
All quotes →Similar quotes
Please don't settle for happiness. It's not good enough. Of course you deserve it, but if that's all you have in mind - happiness - I want to suggest to you that personal success devoid of meaningfulness, free of a steady commitment to social justice - that's more than a barren life. It's a trivial one.
Toni MorrisonRead
When I was fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have him around. When I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years. See what happens when you "know it all", at any stage of life? Farther down the track you may see clearly how certain personal opinions, held onto too tightly, could be fogging up the view, and providing incorrect insight. Prosperity is the best protector of principle.
Mark TwainRead
Unless you're involved with thinking about what you're doing, you end up doing the same thing over and over, and that becomes tedious and, in the end, defeating.
Sol LewittRead
O soul, be patient: thou shalt find A little matter mend all this; Some strain of music to thy mind, Some praise for skill not spent amiss.
Robert BridgesRead
Are you thankful for not being young?' 'Yes, sir. If I was young, it would all have to be gone through again, and the end would be a weary way off, don't you see?
Charles DickensRead
Youth is not a time of life - it is a state of mind.
Samuel UllmanRead