The intuitive recognition of the instant, thus reality is the highest act of wisdom.
Interpretation
True wisdom comes from understanding and recognizing the present moment as it is.
D.T. Suzuki's quote emphasizes that the essence of wisdom lies in the ability to perceive and appreciate the present moment, or 'the instant.' This recognition allows individuals to grasp reality in its truest form, rather than being distracted by past regrets or future anxieties, thereby elevating their understanding and interaction with life.
In practice
In a mindfulness workshop, the facilitator shared this quote to encourage participants to focus on the present.
Zen, in its essence is the art of seeing into the nature of one's own being, and it points the way from bondage to freedom. By making us drink right from the fountain of life it liberates us from all the yokes under which we finite beings are usually suffering in this world.
The basic idea of Zen is to come in touch with the inner workings of our being, and to do this in the most direct way possible, without resorting to anything external or superadded. Therefore, anything that has the semblance of an external authority is rejected by Zen. Absolute faith is placed in a man's own inner being. For whatever authority there is in Zen, all comes from within.
Who would then deny that when I am sipping tea in my tearoom I am swallowing the whole universe with it and that this very moment of my lifting the bowl to my lips is eternity itself transcending time and space?
The rocks are where they are- and this is their will. The rivers flow- and this is their will. The birds fly- this is their will. Human beings talk- this is their will. The seasons change, heaven sends down rain or snow, the earth occasionally shakes, the waves roll, the stars shine- each of them follows its own will. To be is to will and so is to become.
Enlightenment is like everyday consciousness but two inches above the ground.
We teach ourselves; Zen merely points the way.
I would rather a thousand times be five minutes at the feet of Christ than listen a lifetime to all the wise men in the world.
True wisdom consists of tracing effects to their causes.
None of us can know what we are capable of until we are tested.
In idleness there is a perpetual despair.
It is not the drinker, but the man who has just stopped drinking, who thinks the world is going to the dogs.
If people find that controversial then I would just refer them to the Sermon on the Mount.
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