For Zen students, a weed is a treasure.
Shunryu SuzukiRead
When we become truly ourselves, we just become a swinging door, and we are purely independent of, and at the same time, dependent upon everything.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True self-awareness leads to a balance between independence and connection with the world.
This quote by Shunryu Suzuki suggests that when we fully embrace our true selves, we achieve a state of being that allows us to be both free and interconnected with the world around us. The metaphor of a 'swinging door' illustrates the idea that while we may act independently, we are always influenced by and dependent on our surroundings and relationships.
Themes
Self-AwarenessIndependenceInterconnectednessPhilosophyPersonal Growth
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about self-discovery.
More from Shunryu Suzuki
All quotes βIf you take pride in your attainment or become discouraged because of your idealistic effort, your practice will confine you by a thick wall.
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As long as you seek for something, you will get the shadow of reality and not reality itself.
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No teaching could be more direct than just to sit down.
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Everything is perfect, but there is a lot of room for improvement.
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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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