⛩️Week 2022-38: Pao-chih - Collected Quotes

"Buddha-nature is natural and spontaneous; it is not caused, conditioned, or fabricated." (Pao-chih, "Twelve Hours of the Day", cca. 5th century) 

"Do not hold to the intellectual understanding of others; turn the light of awareness back to the root, and it is not there at all." (Pao-chih)

"If you place your mind in the midst of grasping and rejecting, you will be under the influence of those two states." (Pao-chih)

"If you realize the original mind is empty some day, the fullness of reality as is will not leave you lacking." (Pao-chih)

"Just seek nothing at all, and afflictions will naturally fall away." (Pao-chih)

"The nature of things is empty and has no verbal explanation; there is nothing at all in interdependent occurrence." (Pao-chih)

"The objects of sense are originally empty and null; ordinary people arbitrarily create attachments and fixations. Nirvana and samsara are equal; who in the world gets differential treatment? The uncontrived Great Way is natural and spontaneous; you don’t need to use your mind to figure it out." (Pao-chih,"The Nonduality of Good and Evil", cca. 6th century) 

"The right way and wrong ways are not two. When perfectly known, ordinary and sage are on the same road. Illusion and enlightenment originally have no distinction; nirvana and samsara are one suchness." (Pao-chih)

"The wise have no mind to seek Buddha. The ignorant cling to wrong and right. Passing all their lives in wasted toil, they do not see the sublime peak of realization of being as is. If you realize the essence of lust is empty, then even hellfire is cool." (Pao-chih, cca. 5th century) 

"When they realize that life and death are like dreams, all their sense of seeking will spontaneously stop." (Pao-chih, "Dasheng Zan" ["Eulogy of the Great Vehicle"], cca. 5th century) 

"When you know all things are equal, you are serenely clear and open, blissfully happy." (Pao-chih)

⛩️Week 2022-37: Eihei Dōgen Zenji - Collected Quotes

"Although we speak of koans, they are none other than Buddhism itself. We also say 'true aspect', 'suchness', 'the original face', “the true Dharma', 'the Three Treasures', 'the subtle law', and so forth, to refer to the same thing. In other words, the word 'Buddhadharma' is a koan. In short, 'the true reality of the universe', 'the treasury of the true Dharma eye', 'the subtle mind of nirvana': these are all koans." (Eihei Dōgen, "Fukanzazengi" ["Discourse on Recommending Zazen to All People"], 1227)

"Know that the true dharma emerges of itself [during the practice of zazen], clearing away hindrances and distractions." (Eihei Dōgen, "Fukanzazengi" ["Discourse on Recommending Zazen to All People"], 1227)

"The zazen I speak of is not learning meditation. It is simply the Dharma gate of repose and bliss, the practice-realization of totally culminated enlightenment. It is the manifestation of ultimate reality. Traps and snares can never reach it. Once its heart is grasped, you are like the dragon when he gains the water, like the tiger when she enters the mountain. For you must know that just there (in zazen) the right Dharma is manifesting itself and that, from the first, dullness and distraction are struck aside." (Eihei Dōgen, "Fukanzazengi" ["Discourse on Recommending Zazen to All People"], 1227)

"What you think in your own mind to be good, or what people of the world think is good, is not necessarily good." (Eihei Dōgen), cca. 1227)

"Your body is like a dew-drop on the morning grass, your life is as brief as a flash of lightning. Momentary and vain, it is lost in a moment." (Eihei Dōgen, "Fukanzazengi", ["Universal Recommendation for Zazen"], 1227)

"To study the Buddha Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things. When actualized by myriad things, your body and mind as well as the bodies and minds of others drop away. No trace of enlightenment remains, and this no-trace continues endlessly." (Eihei Dōgen, "Genjōkōan" ["Actualizing the Fundamental Point"], 1230)

"To study the Self is to forget the Self." (Eihei Dōgen, "Genjōkōan" ["Actualizing the Fundamental Point"], 1230)

"Only those who have the great capacity of genuine trust can enter this realm [the realm of the buddhas]. Those who have no trust are unable to accept it, however much they hear it." (Eihei Dōgen, "Bendōwa" ["On the Endeavor of the Way"], 1231

"If you study a lot because you are worried that others will think badly of you for being ignorant and you'll feel stupid, this is a serious mistake." (Eihei Dōgen, "Shōbōgenzō" ["Treasury of the Eye of the True Dharma"], 1233)

"If you want to travel the Way of Buddhas and Zen masters, then expect nothing, seek nothing, and grasp nothing." (Eihei Dōgen, "Shōbōgenzō" ["Treasury of the Eye of the True Dharma"], 1233)

"To enter the Buddha Way is to stop discriminating between good and evil and to cast aside the mind that says this is good and that is bad." (Eihei Dōgen, "Shōbōgenzō" ["Treasury of the Eye of the True Dharma"], 1233)

"When you paint Spring, do not paint willows, plums, peaches, or apricots, but just paint Spring. To paint willows, plums, peaches, or apricots is to paint willows, plums, peaches, or apricots - it is not yet painting Spring." (Eihei Dōgen, "Shōbōgenzō" ["Treasury of the Eye of the True Dharma"], 1233)

"The practice of Buddhism depends on whether your teacher is right or wrong. The potentiality of the pupil is like good material, and the teacher is like the master of art. Even if the material is good, good work will not be produced without a good artisan. On the other hand, even a crooked piece of wood will immediately reveal the skill of workmanship in the hands of a good worker. This will testify to the fact that true or false satori (enlightenment) depends on the adequacy of the teacher." (Eihei Dōgen, "Gakudo Yojinshu" ["Points to Watch in Practicing the Way"], 1234

"There is a simple way to become buddha: When you refrain from unwholesome actions, are not attached to birth and death, and are compassionate toward all sentient beings, respectful to seniors and kind to juniors, not excluding or desiring anything, with no designing thoughts or worries, you will be called a buddha. Do not seek anything else.” (Eihei Dōgen, "Shōji" ["Birth and Death"], cca. 1234)

"Truth is not greater or lesser, but people are shallow or deep." (Eihei Dōgen, Gakudō Yōjinshū, "Guidelines for Studying the Way or Advice on Studying the Way", 1234)

"When you ride in a boat and watch the shore, you might assume that the shore is moving. But when you keep your eyes closely on the boat, you can see that the boat moves. Similarly, if you examine many things with a confused mind, you might suppose that your mind and nature are permanent. But when you practice intimately and return to where you are, it will be clear that there is nothing that has unchanging self." (Eihei Dōgen, "Shōbōgenzō Zuimonki" ["The Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Record of Things Heard"], 1235-1238)

"Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water. The moon does not get wet, nor is the water broken. Although its light is wide and great, the moon is reflected even in a puddle an inch wide. The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in dewdrops on the grass, or even in one drop of water. Enlightenment does not divide you, just as the moon does not break the water. You cannot hinder enlightenment, just as a drop of water does not hinder the moon in the sky. The depth of the drop is the height of the moon. Each reflection, however long or short its duration, manifests the vastness of the dewdrop, and realizes the limitlessness of the moonlight in the sky." (Eihei Dōgen, "Shōbōgenzō Zuimonki" ["The Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Record of Things Heard"], 1235-1238)

"Every man possesses the Buddha-nature. Do not demean yourselves." (Eihei Dōgen, "Shōbōgenzō Zuimonki" ["The Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Record of Things Heard"], 1235-1238)

"If you think you can become enlightened just by worshipping images and relics, this is a mistaken view. This is actually possession by the poisonous serpent of temptation." (Eihei Dōgen, "Shōbōgenzō Zuimonki" ["The Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Record of Things Heard"], 1235-1238)

"If you would be free of greed, first you have to leave egotism behind. The best mental exercise for relinquishing egotism is contemplating impermanence." (Eihei Dōgen, "Shōbōgenzō Zuimonki" ["The Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Record of Things Heard"], 1235-1238)

"Nothing can be gained by extensive study and wide reading. Give them up immediately." (Eihei Dōgen, "Shōbōgenzō Zuimonki" ["The Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Record of Things Heard"], 1235-1238)

"One must be deeply aware of the impermanence of the world." (Eihei Dōgen, Shōbōgenzō Zuimonki ["The Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Record of Things Heard"], 1235-1238)

"Prefer to be defeated in the presence of the wise than to excel among fools."(Eihei Dōgen, "Shōbōgenzō Zuimonki" [" The Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Record of Things Heard"], 1235-1238)

"To escape from the world means that one's mind is not concerned with the opinions of the world." (Eihei Dōgen, "Shōbōgenzō Zuimonki" ["The Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Record of Things Heard"], 1235-1238)

"What you think in your own mind to be good, or what people of the world think is good, is not necessarily good." (Eihei Dōgen, "Shōbōgenzō Zuimonki" ["The Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Record of Things Heard"], 1235-1238)

"When you see others’ errors and you want to guide them because you think they are wrong and you feel compassion for them, you should employ tact to avoid angering them, and contrive to appear as if you were talking about something else." (Eihei Dōgen, "Shōbōgenzō Zuimonki" [" The Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Record of Things Heard"], 1235-1238)

"A fool sees himself as another, but a wise man sees others as himself." (Eihei Dōgen, "Tenzo Kyōkun" ["Instructions for the Zen Cook"], 1237)

"Do not be concerned with the faults of other persons. Do not see others' faults with a hateful mind. There is an old saying that if you stop seeing others' faults, then naturally seniors and venerated and juniors are revered. Do not imitate others' faults; just cultivate virtue. Buddha prohibited unwholesome actions, but did not tell us to hate those who practice unwholesome actions." (Eihei Dōgen,"Jūundō Shiki" ["Regulations for the Auxiliary Cloud Hall"], 1239)

"Although we say mountains belong to the country, actually, they belong to those that love them." (Eihei Dōgen, "Shōbōgenzō" ["True Dharma Eye Treasury"], 1240)

"Each moment is all being, each moment is the entire world. Reflect now whether any being or any world is left out of the present moment." (Eihei Dōgen, "Uji"  ["Being-Time or Existence-Time"], 1240)

"Bodhisattvas who study prajna-wisdom must first have deep compassion for all beings and a deep longing to save all of them. They must practice samadhi meditation with great care. Refusing to practice zazen only for their own emancipation, they must promise to ferry these sentient beings over to the other shore." (Eihei Dōgen, "Zazengi" ["Principles of Zazen"], 1243)

"Even after getting out of samadhi, you should always be on the alert to act responsively and protect your power of concentration as you protect a baby. Then, it will be easy for you to cultivate your power of concentration until it comes to maturity." (Eihei Dōgen, "Zazengi" ["Principles of Zazen"], 1243)

"First awaken your compassionate mind with a deep longing to save all sentient beings. You must practice samadhi meditation with great care, and promise to ferry these sentient beings over to the other shore, refusing to practice zazen only for your own emancipation." (Eihei Dōgen, "Zazengi" ["Principles of Zazen"], 1243)

"If the right faith arises in your mind, you should train in Zen. If it does not arise, you should wait for awhile and reflect upon the fact that the Buddha Dharma did not become part of you long ago." (Eihei Dōgen, "Zazengi" ["Principles of Zazen"], 1243)

"If you want to get out of samadhi, move your body slowly, stand up calmly and not suddenly." (Eihei Dōgen, "Zazengi" ["Principles of Zazen"], 1243)

"Once the posture has been stabilized and the breath regulated, push forth the lower abdomen; one thinks not of good or evil." (Eihei Dōgen, "Zazengi" ["Principles of Zazen"], 1243)

"Before one studies Zen, mountains are mountains and waters are waters; after a first glimpse into the truth of Zen, mountains are no longer mountains and waters are no longer waters; after enlightenment, mountains are once again mountains and waters once again waters." (Eihei Dōgen,"Sansui Kyō" ["The Mountains and Waters Sutra"], 13th century) [commenting on Qingyuan Weixin (Seigen Ishin), 9th century]

"A flower falls, even though we love it; and a weed grows, even though we do not love it." (Eihei Dōgen)

"Do not follow the ideas of others, but learn to listen to the voice within yourself. Your body and mind will become clear and you will realize the unity of all things." (Eihei Dōgen, cca. 13th century)

"Do not think you will necessarily be aware of your own enlightenment." (Eihei Dōgen, cca. 13th century)

"Don’t cling to your own understanding. Even if you do understand something, you should ask yourself if there might be something you have not fully resolved, or if there may be some higher meaning yet." (Eihei Dōgen, cca. 13th century)

"Even if it is painful and lonely, associate with worthy companions." (Eihei Dōgen, cca. 13th century)

"One need not necessarily depend on the words of the ancients, but must only think of what is really true." (Eihei Dōgen, cca. 13th century)

"One should not differentiate good and bad on the basis of taste."  (Eihei Dōgen, cca. 13th century)

"People of the world cannot necessarily be considered good - let them think whatever they will." (Eihei Dōgen, cca. 13th century)

"If the heart is not empty, it will not admit truthful words." (Eihei Dōgen, [attributed] cca. 13th century)

"If you want to travel the Way of Buddhas and Zen masters, then expect nothing, seek nothing, and grasp nothing." (Eihei Dōgen, cca. 13th century)

"Life and death are of supreme importance. Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost. Each of us should strive to awaken. Awaken! Take heed, do not squander your life." (Eihei Dōgen, "Hannya Shinshu" ["Evening Gatha"], 13th century)

"No matter how bad a state of mind you may get into, if you keep strong and hold out, eventually the floating clouds must vanish and the withering wind must cease." (Eihei Dōgen, [in Thomas Cleary's The Pocket Zen Reader, 1999] 13th century

"The color of the mountains is Buddha's body; the sound of running water is his great speech." (Eihei Dōgen, cca. 13th century)

"The mind has no fixed characteristics; depending on circumstances, it may turn out any way at all." (Eihei Dōgen, cca. 13th century)

"There is fundamentally no good or bad in the human mind; good and bad arise according to circumstances." (Eihei Dōgen, cca. 13th century) 

"When we discover that the truth is already in us, we are all at once our original selves."(Eihei Dōgen, cca. 13th century)

"Zazen is something which makes us want to sit in zazen." (Eihei Dōgen, [attributed] cca. 13th century) 

"If you are unable to find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?" (Eihei Dōgen, [attributed] cca. 13th century) 

"In a snowfall that covers the winter grass a white heron uses his own whiteness to disappear." (Eihei Dōgen, [attributed] cca. 13th century) 

"Treading along in this dreamlike, illusory realm,
Without looking for the traces I may have left;
A cuckoo's song beckons me to return home;
Hearing this, I tilt my head to see
Who has told me to turn back;

But do not ask me where I am going,
As I travel in this limitless world,
Where every step I take is my home." (Eihei Dōgen, 13th century)

⛩️Week 2022-36: Takuan Sōhō, - Collected Quotes

"Consider the core of the mind to be a wagon, with will-power to be carried about in it. Push it to a place where there can be failure, and there will be failure. Push it to a place where there can be success, and there will be success. But whether there is success or failure, if one entrusts himself to the straightness of this wagon of the core of the mind, he will attain right-mindedness in either case. Severing oneself from desire and being like a rock or tree, nothing will ever be achieved. Not departing from desire, but realizing a desireless right-mindedness - this is the Way." (Takuan Sōhō,)

"Conquer the self, and you will conquer the opponent." (Takuan Sōhō,)

"Completely forget about the mind and you will do all things well." (Takuan Sōhō)  

"When facing a single tree, if you look at a single one of its red leaves, you will not see all the others. When the eye is not set on one leaf, and you face the tree with nothing at all in mind, any number of leaves are visible to the eye without limit. But if a single leaf holds the eye, it will be as if the remaining leaves were not there." (Takuan Sōhō, "Fudōchi Shinmyōroku" ["The Unfettered Mind"], cca. 1630)

"If the mind is not restricted to just one direction, it will be in all ten." (Takuan Soho)

"No doubt you see the sword about to strike you, but do not let your mind 'stop' there. Have no intention to counterattack him in response to his threatening move, cherish no calculating thoughts whatsoever. You simply perceive the opponent’s move, you do not allow your mind to 'stop' with it, you move on just as you are toward the opponent and make use of his attack by turning it on to himself. Then his sword meant to kill you will become your own and the weapon will fall on the opponent himself." (Takuan Sōhō, "Fudōchi Shinmyōroku" ["The Unfettered Mind"], cca. 1630)

"One is not likely to achieve understanding from the explanation of another." (Takuan Sōhō) 

"One does not divine this by impressions or knowledge." What this means is that no matter how much you try to figure or calculate by means of impressions or knowledge, it will not prove the least bit useful. Therefore, separate yourself from the discrimination of figuring things out." (Takuan Sōhō) 

"The Buddha and all sentient beings are not two." (Takuan Sōhō), "Fudōchi Shinmyōroku" ["The Mysterious Record of Immovable Wisdom"], 17th century) 

"When this No-Mind has been well developed, the mind does not stop with one thing nor does it lack any one thing. It appears appropriately when facing a time of need." (Takuan Sōhō) 

"The art of the sword consists of never being concerned with victory or defeat, with strength or weakness, of not moving one step forward, nor one step backward, or the enemy not seeing me and my not seeing the enemy. Penetrating to that which is fundamental before the separation of heaven and earth where even yin and yang cannot reach, one instantly attains proficiency in the art." (Takuan Sōhō) 

"The mind should be nowhere in particular." (Takuan Sōhō) 

"The mind must always be in the state of 'flowing', for when it stops anywhere that means the flow is interrupted and it is this interruption that is injurious to the well-being of the mind. In the case of the swordsman, it means death." (Takuan Sōhō) 

"When the swordsman stands against his opponent, he is not to think of the opponent, nor of himself, nor of his enemy's sword movements. He just stands there with his sword which, forgetful of all technique, is ready only to follow the dictates of the unconscious. The man has effaced himself as the wielder of the sword. When he strikes, it is not the man but the sword in the hand of the unconscious that strikes." (Takuan Sōhō) 

"True Self is the Self that existed before the division of heaven and earth and before one's father and mother were born. This Self is the Self within me, the birds and the beasts, the grasses and the trees and all phenomena. It is excatly what is called 'Buddha Nature'.  
This Self has no shape or form, has no birth, has no death. It is not a Self that can be seen with the aid of your present physical eye. Only the (hu)man who has received enlightenment is able to see this. The (hu)man who does see this is said to have seen into her own nature and became a Buddha. It is to use neither thought nor reasoning and to look straight ahead." (Takuan Sōhō, cca. 1632)

"We must know that it is not enough just to see what the Mind is, we must put into practice all that makes it up in our daily life. We may talk about it glibly, we may write books to explain it, but that is far from being enough. However much we may talk about water and describe it quite intelligently, that does not make it real water. So with fire. Mere talking of it will not make the mouth burn. To know what they are means to experience them in actual concreteness. A book on cooking will not cure our hunger. To feel satisfied we must have actual food. So long as we do not go beyond mere talking, we are not true knowers." (Takuan Sōhō,"Fudōchi Shinmyōroku" ["The Mysterious Record of Immovable Wisdom"], 17th century] 

"When a person does not think, 'Where shall I put it?' the mind will extend throughout the entire body and move to any place at all. [...] The effort not to stop the mind in just one place - this is discipline. Not stopping the mind is object and essence. Put it nowhere and it will be everywhere. Even in moving the mind outside the body, if it is sent in one direction, it will be lacking in nine others. If the mind is not restricted to just one direction, it will be in all ten." (Takuan Sōhō) 

🕉️Week 2022-35: Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj - Collected Quotes

"As long as you are a beginner certain formalised meditations, or prayers may be good for you. But for a seeker of reality there is only one meditation - the rigorous refusal to harbour thoughts. To be free from thoughts is itself meditation. You begin by letting thoughts flow and watching them. The very observation slows down the mind till it stops altogether. Once the mind is quiet, keep it quiet. Don't get bored with peace, be in it, go deeper into it." (Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, "I Am That", 1973)

"Of course, when there is total surrender, complete relinquishment of all concern with one's past, present and future, with one's physical and spiritual security and standing, a new life dawns, full of love and beauty; then the Master is not important, for the disciple has broken the shell of self-defense. Complete self-surrender by itself is liberation." (Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj)

 "The mind creates the abyss, and the heart crosses it." (Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj)

"The primary purpose of meditation is to become conscious of, and familiar with, our inner life. The ultimate purpose is to reach the source of life and consciousness." (Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, "I Am That", 1973)

"The real world is beyond our thoughts and ideas; we see it through the net of our desires, divided into pleasure and pain, right and wrong, inner and outer. To see the universe as it is, you must step beyond the net. It is not hard to do so, for the net is full of holes." (Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj)

"The seeker is he who is in search of himself." (Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj)

"There is nothing to practice. To know yourself, be yourself. To be yourself, stop imagining yourself to be this or that. Just be. Let your true nature emerge. Don't disturb your mind with seeking." (Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, "I Am That", 1973)

"There is in the body a current of energy, affection and intelligence, which guides, maintains and energizes the body. Discover that current, and hold onto it unswervingly. Be aware of the spark of life that weaves the tissues of your body and stay with it. It is the only reality that the body has. It is like looking at a burning incense stick; you see the stick and the smoke first; when you notice the fiery point, you realize it has the power to consume mountains of sticks and fill the universe with smoke. Timelessly the Self actualizes itself, without exhausting its infinite possibilities. In the incense stick simile, the stick is the body, and the smoke is the mind. As long as the mind is busy with its contortions, it does not perceive its source. The Guru comes and turns your attention to the spark within."  (Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, "I Am That", 1973)

"Truth is not a reward for good behaviour, nor a prize for passing some tests. It cannot be brought about. It is the primary, the unborn, the ancient source of all that is. You are eligible because you are. You need not merit truth. It is your own. [...] Stand still, be quiet." (Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj)

"Whatever happens, happens to you, by you, through you; you are the creator, enjoyer and destroyer of all you perceive."  (Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj)

"When I look within and see that I am nothing, that is wisdom. When I look without and see that I am everything, that is love. And between these two, my life turns." (Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, "I Am That", 1973) 

"When you sit quiet and watch yourself, many things may come to the surface. Do nothing about them, don't react to them. As they have come, so will they go." (Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj)

"Wisdom is knowing I am nothing,
 love is knowing I am everything,
and between the two my life moves." (Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, "I Am That", 1973)