For Zen students, a weed is a treasure.
Shunryu SuzukiRead
People say that practicing Zen is difficult, but there is a misunderstanding as to why. It is not difficult because it is hard to sit in the cross- legged position, or to attain enlightenment. It is difficult because it is hard to keep our mind pure and our practice pure in its fundamental sense.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Zen practice is challenging not due to physical difficulty, but because of the mental purity required.
This quote by Shunryu Suzuki highlights the common misconception that the difficulty of Zen practice lies in the physical aspects, such as sitting in a specific posture, or achieving enlightenment. Instead, he emphasizes that the true challenge lies within maintaining a clear and untainted mind during the practice, which is essential for genuine spiritual growth and understanding.
Themes
ZenPracticeMindfulnessPurityEnlightenment
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could inspire a discussion during a meditation retreat about the true nature of Zen practice.
More from Shunryu Suzuki
All quotes →If you take pride in your attainment or become discouraged because of your idealistic effort, your practice will confine you by a thick wall.
Shunryu SuzukiRead
As long as you seek for something, you will get the shadow of reality and not reality itself.
Shunryu SuzukiRead
No teaching could be more direct than just to sit down.
Shunryu SuzukiRead
Everything is perfect, but there is a lot of room for improvement.
Shunryu SuzukiRead
When you do not realize that you are one with the river, or one with the universe, you have fear. Whether it is separated into drops or not, water is water. Our life and death are the same thing. When we realize this fact, we have no fear of death anymore.
Shunryu SuzukiRead
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