Week 2021-25: On Mind (The Spiritual Mind)

"The more a man thinks the better adapted he becomes to thinking, and education is nothing if it is not the methodical creation of the habit of thinking. Precisely. Theoretically, education is a mental training aiming at greater intellectual elasticity, but the question is whether education does not often strain, instead of train, a mind." (Ernest Dimnet, "The Art of Thinking", 1928)

"Most mistakes in philosophy and logic occur because the human mind is apt to take the symbol for the reality." (Albert Einstein, "Cosmic Religion: With Other Opinions and Aphorisms" , 1931) 

"Peace of mind is that mental condition in which you have accepted the worst." (Lin Yutang, "The Importance of Living", 1937)

"The limits of thought are not so much set from outside, by the fullness or poverty of experiences that meet the mind, as from within, by the power of conception, the wealth of formulative notions with which the mind meets experiences." (Susanne Langer, "Philosophy in a New Key: A Study in the Symbolism of Reason, Rite, and Art", 1942) 

"A single word from you will show the mind inside; a single word and your whole being is exposed. Not even a word is needed; just a gesture and your chattering mind will be there. Even if you are silent, your silence will not reveal anything other than the chattering monkey within." (Osho, "Hsin Hsin Ming: The Book of Nothing", [talks] 1974)

"The mind cannot be healthy because it can never be whole. Mind is always divided; division is its base." (Osho, "Hsin Hsin Ming: The Book of Nothing", [talks] 1974)

"The untrapped mind is open enough to see many possibilities, humble enough to learn from anyone and anything, forbearing enough to forgive all, perceptive enough to see things as they really are, and reasonable enough to judge their true value." (Matsushita Konosuke, "Nurturing Dreams: My Path in Life", 1989)

"The mind has power over the body and speech, and therefore any training of body and speech must begin with the mind." (Dalai Lama, "Stages Of Meditation", 2002)

"The mind is something that happens within you. Thinking is something that happens within what you are. Thinking does not define what you are. Thinking doesn't define anything." (Adyashanti, "The Basic Teachings - Part 1: Principles of the Teaching", 2009)

"A mind all logic is like a knife all blade. It makes the hand bleed that uses it." (Rabindranath Tagore)

"All outer and inner phenomena are designations of the mind. Except in the mind, they exist nowhere else." (Sambuti)

"All phenomena are mind itself, because appearances are reflections." (Mahasiddha Birwapa)

"An educated mind is useless without a focused will, and dangerous without a loving heart." (Winfried Deijmann)

"Be quiet in your mind, quiet in your senses, and also quiet in your body. Then, when all these are quiet, don't do anything. In that state truth will reveal itself to you." (Kabir)

"Flow with whatever is happening and let your mind be free. Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate." (Chuang-Tzu)

"Happiness depends more on the inward disposition of mind than on outward circumstances." (Benjamin Franklin)

"If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place." (Lao Tzu)

"In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few." (Shunryu Suzuki)

"In order to improve the mind, we ought less to learn, than to contemplate." (Rene Descartes)

"Iron rusts from disuse; stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind." (Leonardo da Vinci)

"Keep constantly in mind in how many things you yourself have witnessed changes already. The universe is change, life is understanding." (Marcus Aurelius)

"Learning is the only thing the mind never exhausts, never fears, and never regrets." (Leonardo da Vinci)

"Maturity of mind is the capacity to endure uncertainty." (John Finley)

"Mind alone is the seed of everything." (Saraha)

"More important than learning how to recall things is finding ways to forget things that are cluttering the mind." (Eric Butterworth)

"Patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen in a different order than the one you have in mind." (David G. Allen)

"The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping the old ones, which ramify, for those brought up as most of us have been, into every corner of our minds." (John M Keynes)

"The helps offered to improve the mind consist in certain ways of thinking which facilitate thinking." (Gottfried W Leibniz)

"The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms." (Thich N Hanh)

"The two most powerful agencies in man's nature are reason and mind." (Plutarch)

"The universality of change, when completely understood, is the seeing into the heart of all things, and the mind that thus understands is the mind that truly seeks the way." (Nagarjuna)

"The world is a projection of your mind. Good mind, good world. Bad mind, bad world. No mind, no world." (Swami Parthasarathy)

"Things are not difficult to make; what is difficult is putting ourselves in the state of mind to make them." (Constantin Brâncuși)

"To a mind that is still the whole universe surrenders." (Lao Tzu)

"To be satisfied with a little, is the greatest wisdom; and he that increaseth his riches, increaseth his cares; but a contented mind is a hidden treasure, and trouble findeth it not." (Akhenaton)

"When mind is still, then truth gets her chance to be heard in the purity of the silence." (Sri Aurobindo)

"When the heart is full, tongue is silent; when the mind is still, intuition functions; when the passions are quelled, devotion dawns; when the senses are controlled, soul force is obtained; when the intellect is silent God speaks; when the 'I' dies, 'He' shines as Radiant Reality" (Swami Sivananda) 

Week 2021-24: On Mind (Warrior's Mind)

"A good martial artist puts his mind on one thing at a time. He takes each thing as it comes, finishes with it, and passes on to the next." (Bruce Lee)

"A good stance and posture reflect a proper state of mind." (Morihei Ueshiba)

"Any technique, however worthy and desirable, becomes a disease when the mind is obsessed with it." (Bruce Lee)

"Defeat is a state of mind. No one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as reality." (Bruce Lee)

"Do not place hope in finding a secret technique. Polish the mind through ceaseless training; that is the key to effective techniques." (Kyuzo Mifune)

"In extreme situations, the entire universe becomes our foe; at such critical times, unity of mind and technique is essential - do not let your heart waver!" (Morihei Ueshiba, "The Art of Peace", 1991)

"It is because a mirror has no commitment to any image that it can clearly and accurately reflect any image before it.  The mind of a warrior is like a mirror in that it has no commitment to any outcome and is free to let form and purpose result on the spot, according to the situation." (Yagyu Munenori)

"See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body." (Yagyū Munenori)

"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)

"The possession of anything begins in the mind." (Bruce Lee)

"The secret of kime (tightening the mind) is to exclude all extraneous thoughts, thoughts that are not concerned with achieving your immediate goal." (Bruce Lee)

"There are no contests in the Art of Peace. A true warrior is invincible because he or she contests with nothing. Defeat means to defeat the mind of contention that we harbor within." (Morihei Ueshiba)

"Training with the right attitude of mind is the key to transforming what we do from a sport to a martial art" (Shifu Yan Lei)

"Whatever state of mind you are in, ignore it. Think only of cutting." (Miyamoto Musashi)

"When you practice archery, if your mind is occupied with shooting the arrow, the shot will be disturbed, and will not be settled (smooth). If you are wielding the long sword, and your mind is fixed on wielding the sword, the sword will not move smoothly." (Yagyu Munenori)

Week 2021-23: The Way of the Warrior

"It is said the warrior's is the twofold Way of pen and sword, and he should have a taste for both Ways. Even if a man has no natural ability he can be a warrior by sticking assiduously to both divisions of the Way. Generally speaking, the Way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death." (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho", 1645)

"The Way of the warrior does not include other ways, such as Confucianism, Buddhism, certain traditions, artistic accomplishments, and dancing. But even though these are not part of the Way, if you know the Way broadly, you will see it in everything." (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho", 1645)

"The way of warrior skill is the way of nature. When you are in line with the power of nature, knowing the rhythm of all situations, you will be able to cut and strike the enemy naturally." (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho", 1645)

"To attain the Way of strategy as a warrior you must study fully other martial arts and not deviate even a little from the Way of the warrior. With your spirit settled, accumulate practice day by day, and hour by hour. Polish the twofold spirit heart and mind, and sharpen the twofold gaze perception and sight. When your spirit is not in the least clouded, when the clouds of bewilderment clear away, there is the true void." (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho", 1645)

"You must contemplate the Way of the warrior's skill so you will be able to beat a man in combat by the use of your eye. With diligent training, you will be able to beat ten men in combat by using your spirit." (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho", 1645)

"The most effective way to live is as a warrior. A warrior may worry and think before making any decision, but once he makes it, he goes his way, free from worries or thoughts; there will be a million other decisions still awaiting him. That's the warrior's way." (Carlos Castañeda, "A Separate Reality: Further Conversations with Don Juan", 1971)

"The real Art of Peace is not to sacrifice a single one of your warriors to defeat an enemy. Vanquish your foes by always keeping yourself in a safe and unassailable position; then no one will suffer any losses. The Way of a Warrior, the Art of Politics, is to stop trouble before it starts. It consists in defeating your adversaries spiritually by making them realize the folly of their actions. The Way of a Warrior is to establish harmony." (Morihei Ueshiba, "The Art of Peace", 1992)

"You haven't yet opened your heart fully, to life, to each moment. The peaceful warrior's way is not about invulnerability, but absolute vulnerability—to the world, to life, and to the Presence you felt. All along I've shown you by example that a warrior's life is not about imagined perfection or victory; it is about love. Love is a warrior's sword; wherever it cuts, it gives life, not death." (Dan Millman, "Wisdom of the Peaceful Warrior: A Companion to the Book that Changes Lives", 2007)

"The path of the Warrior is lifelong, and mastery is often simply staying on the path." (Richard S Heckler)

"The Way of a Warrior cannot be encompassed by words or in letters: grasp the essence and move on toward realization!" (Morihei Ueshiba)

"The Way of a Warrior is based on humanity, love, and sincerity; the heart of martial valor is true bravery, wisdom, love, and friendship. Emphasis on the physical aspects of warriorship is futile, for the power of the body is always limited." (Morihei Ueshiba)

"The way of a warrior is not to kill and destroy but to foster life, to continually create." (Morihei Ueshiba)

Week 2021-22: On Masters

"Failure is an opportunity.

If you blame someone else,

there is no end to the blame.

Therefore the Master

fulfills her own obligations

and corrects her own mistakes.

She does what she needs to do

and demands nothing of others." (Lao Tzu, "Tao Te Ching", cca 400 BC)

"Therefore the Master takes action
by letting things take their course.
He remains as calm at the end 
as at the beginning.
He has nothing,
thus has nothing to lose.
What he desires is non-desire;
what he learns is to unlearn.
He simply reminds people
of who they have always been.
He cares about nothing but the Tao.
Thus he can care for all things." (Lao Tzu, "Tao Te Ching", cca 400 BC)

"When the Master governs, the people
are hardly aware that he exists.
Next best is a leader who is loved.
Next, one who is feared.
The worst is one who is despised.

If you don't trust people,
you make them untrustworthy.

The Master doesn't talk, he acts.
When his work is done,
the people say, "Amazing:
we did it, all by ourselves!" (Lao Tzu, "Tao Te Ching", cca 400 BC)

"You have to consider things yourselves. This is the way things are passed down from the masters: they can teach theory only. You are the ones who have to get the truth from it. [….] You must educate yourself. Teaching is just pointing out what you cannot see without help. You are not ‘given’ anything by the teacher." (Issai Chozan, "The Mysterious Skills of the Old Cat" ["Neko No Myoujutsu"], 1727)

"In NLP terms, then, a master is not someone who already knows the answers and has the solutions but someone who is able to ask worthwhile questions and direct the process of learning, problem solving and creativity to form new maps of the world that lead to useful new answers and possibilities." (Robert B Dilts, "Modeling with NLP", 1998)

"Masters of one art have mastered all because they have mastered themselves. With dominion over both mind and muscle, they demonstrate power, serenity, and spirit. They not only have talent for their sport, they have an expanded capacity for life. The experts shine in the competitive arena; the masters shine everywhere." (Dan Millman, "Body Mind Mastery: Training for Sport and Life", 1999)

"A good martial artist puts his mind on one thing at a time. He takes each thing as it comes, finishes with it, and passes on to the next. Like a Zen master, he is not concerned with the past or the future, only with what he is doing at that moment. Because his mind is tight, he is calm and able to maintain strength in reserve. And then there will be room for only one thought, which will fill his entire being as water fills a pitcher. You wasted an enormous amount of energy because you did not localize and focus your mind. Always remember: in life as well as on the mat an unfocused or 'loose' mind wastes energy." (Bruce Lee)

"Any person capable of angering you becomes your master." (Epictetus)

"Believe me, you will find more lessons in the woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach you what you cannot learn from masters." (Bernard of Clairvaux, Epistola CVI)

"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)

"Poor is the pupil who does not surpass his master." (Leonardo da Vinci)

"The master dwells in the substantial and not in the superficial. Rests in the fruit and not in the flower." (Lao Tzu)

"The master leads
by emptying people's minds
and filling their cores,
by weakening their ambition
and toughening their resolve." (Lao Tzu)

"The master observes the world but trusts his inner vision.
He allows things to come and go.
He prefers what is within to what is without." (Lao Tzu)

Bodhidharma - Collected Quotes

"A Buddha is someone who finds freedom in good fortune and bad." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"All know the way; few actually walk it."(Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"All phenomena are empty." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"All the suffering and joy we experience depend on conditions." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"An Awakened person is someone who finds freedom in good fortune and bad."(Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"But deluded people don't realize that their own mind is the Buddha. They keep searching outside." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"Detach yourself from various things in the external world and inwardly your mind will not be agitated. By using your mind like a wall you should gain entrance into the Way." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"If you use your mind to look for a Buddha, you won't see the Buddha." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"If you use your mind to study reality, you won't understand either your mind or reality. If you study reality without using your mind, you'll understand both." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"Many roads lead to the path, but basically there are only two: reason and practice." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"Not engaging in ignorance is wisdom." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"Not thinking about anything is Zen. Once you know this, walking, sitting, or lying down, everything you do is Zen."(Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"Our nature is the mind. And the mind is our nature." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"Outwardly, the activities of all the senses are brought into repose, and inwardly, your mind is not agitated. Using your mind like a sheer wall, you should enter the Way." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"People who don't see their nature and imagine they can practice thoughtlessness all the time are lairs and fools." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"The Dharma is the truth that all natures are pure." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"The ignorant mind, with its infinite afflictions, passions, and evils, is rooted in the three poisons. Greed, anger, and delusion." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"The mind is the root from which all things grow if you can understand the mind, everything else is included." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"Those who remain unmoved by the wind of joy silently follow the Path." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"Throw away your various ties to the external world of dualities and pacify all things, then your mind and body will be one, and there will be no gap between movement and stillness." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"To enter by reason means to realize the essence through instruction and to believe that all living things share the same true nature, which isn't apparent because it's shrouded by sensation and delusion." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"To find a Buddha all you have to do is see your nature." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"To see nothing is to perceive the Way, and to understand nothing is to know the Dharma, because seeing is neither seeing nor not seeing and because understanding is neither understanding nor not understanding." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

"Whoever realizes that the six senses aren't real, that the five aggregates are fictions, that no such things can be located anywhere in the body, understands the language of Buddhas." (Bodhidharma, cca. 6th century)

Week 2021-18: Masanobu Fukuoka - Collected Quotes

"But intending to understand ten things, you actually do not understand even one. If you know a hundred flowers you do not 'know' a single one." (Masanobu Fukuoka, "The One-Straw Revolution", 1975)

"Extravagance of desire is the fundamental cause which has led the world into its present predicament. Fast rather than slow, more rather than less - this flashy "development" is linked directly to society's impending collapse." (Masanobu Fukuoka, "The One-Straw Revolution", 1975)

"Food and medicine are not two different things: they are the front and back of one body." (Masanobu Fukuoka, "The One-Straw Revolution", 1975)

"Humanity knows nothing at all. There is no intrinsic value in anything, and every action is a futile, meaningless effort." (Masanobu Fukuoka, "The One-Straw Revolution", 1975)

"I wonder how it is that people's philosophies have come to spin faster than the changing seasons." (Masanobu Fukuoka, "The One-Straw Revolution", 1975)

"Nature is everywhere in perpetual motion; conditions are never exactly the same in any two years." (Masanobu Fukuoka, "The One-Straw Revolution", 1975)

"People do sometimes sense the sacredness of nature, such as when they look closely at a flower, climb high peaks, or journey deep into the mountain. Such aesthetic sense, love, receptivity, and understanding are people's most basic instincts - their true nature. These days, however, human are flying in a completely different direction to some unknown destination, and they seem to be doing it as rapidly as possible." (Masanobu Fukuoka, "The One-Straw Revolution", 1975)

"People think they understand things because they become familiar with them. This is only superficial knowledge." (Masanobu Fukuoka, "The One-Straw Revolution", 1975)

"We can never know the answers to great spiritual questions, but it's all right not to understand. We have been born and are living on the earth to face directly the reality of living." (Masanobu Fukuoka, "The One-Straw Revolution", 1975)

"When a decision is made to cope with the symptoms of a problem, it is generally assumed that the corrective measures will solve the problem itself. They seldom do." (Masanobu Fukuoka, "The One-Straw Revolution", 1975)

"When it is understood that one loses joy and happiness in the attempt to possess them, the essence of natural farming will be realized. The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings." (Masanobu Fukuoka, "The One-Straw Revolution", 1975)

Week 2021-17: Murasaki Shikibu - Collected Quotes

"Even those people who have no sorrow of their own often feel melancholy from the circumstances in which they are placed."

"No art or learning is to be pursued halfheartedly [...] and any art worth learning will certainly reward more or less generously the effort made to study it." (Murasaki Shikibu, "The Tale of Genji", cca. 11th century)

"No penance can your hard heart find save such as you long since have taught me to endure [...]" (Murasaki Shikibu, "The Tale of Genji", cca. 11th century)

"Nothing can be well learned that is not agreeable to one’s natural taste." (Murasaki Shikibu, "The Tale of Genji", cca. 11th century)

"Life is full of uncertainties, perhaps one day some unforeseen circumstance would bring her into his life once more." (Murasaki Shikibu, "The Tale of Genji", cca. 11th century)

"It is so rare to find someone of true understanding; for the most part they judge purely by their own standards and ignore everyone else." (Murasaki Shikibu, "The Diary of Lady Murasaki", cca. 11th century)

"Beauty without colour seems somehow to belong to another world." (Murasaki Shikibu)

"It is very easy to criticize others but far more difficult to put one’s own principles into practice, and it is when one forgets this truth, lauds oneself to the skies, treats everyone else as worthless, and generally despises others, that one’s own character is clearly revealed." (Murasaki Shikibu)

Week 2021-16: On Swordsmanship

"A stroke of the sword that does not hit its target is the sword stroke of death; you reach over it to strike the winning blow. Your adversary's initiative having missed its mark, you turn the tables around and get the jump on your adversary." (Yagyū Munenori, "A Hereditary Book on the Art of War", 1632)

"Conquering evil, not the opponent, is the essence of swordsmanship." (Yagyū Munenori, "A Hereditary Book on the Art of War", 1632)

"There may be a hundred stances and sword positions, but you win with just one." (Yagyū Munenori, "A Hereditary Book on the Art of War", 1632)

"[FIRST TECHNIQUE] […] your sword now having bounced upward, leave it as it is until the opponent strikes again, whereupon you strike the opponent's hands from below. […]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)

"[SECOND TECHNIQUE] […] If your sword misses the opponent, leave it there for the moment, until the opponent strikes again, whereupon you strike from below, sweeping upwards.[…]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)

"[THIRD TECHNIQUE] [...] as the opponent strikes, you strike at his hands from below. [...] as he tries to knock your sword down, bring it up in rhythm, then chop off his arms sideways. The point is to strike an opponent down all at once from the lower position just as he strikes. [...]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)

"Having a position without a position, or a guard without a guard, means that the long sword is not supposed to be kept in a fixed position. [...] Where you hold your sword depends on your relationship to the opponent, depends on the place, and must conform to the situation; wherever you hold it, the idea is to hold it so that it will be easy to kill the opponent. [...] Even though you may catch, hit, or block an opponent's slashing sword, or tie it up or obstruct it, all of these moves are opportunities for cutting the opponent down. This must be understood. [...]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)

"In my individual school, one can win with the long sword, and one can win with the short sword as well. For this reason, the precise size of the sword is not fixed. The way of my school is the spirit of gaining victory by any means. […]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)

"It is said the warrior's is the twofold Way of pen and sword, and he should have a taste for both Ways. Even if a man has no natural ability he can be a warrior by sticking assiduously to both divisions of the Way. Generally speaking, the Way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death." (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)

"Other schools become theatrical, dressing up and showing off to make a living, commercializing martial arts. […] Do you think you have realized how to attain victory just by learning to wield a long sword and training your body and your hands? This is not a certain way in any case. […]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)

"[…] the power of knowledge of the art of the sword. This is something that requires thorough examination, with a thousand days of practice for training and ten thousand days of practice for refinement. […]" (Miyamoto Musashi, "Go Rin No Sho" ["The Book of Five Rings"], 1645)

"Swordsman-ship is not something you persevere in just to achieve victory over others. It is also an art through which you can face troubles and clarify issues of life and death. This is an attitude that samurai must always strive to maintain, and so you should master this art." (Issai Chozan, "The Mysterious Skills of the Old Cat" ["Neko No Myoujutsu"], 1727)

"The hands manipulate the sword, the mind manipulates the hands. Cultivate the mind and do not be deceived by tricks, feints, and schemes. They are the properties of the magician, not the samurai." (Saito Yakuro, cca 19th century)

"The purpose of martial arts is to stop injustice, thus you must never have the intention to take up arms. A peaceful spirit is of utmost importance in order to have the proper mindset to learn fencing. To be a swordsman is to be a lethal weapon; the most fortunate scenario would be to never have to use your martial skills in your lifetime. It is permissible to use your martial skills with justifiable reason, but you must not speak ill of other schools of fencing and you must not boast of your own sword-fighting skills to people who do not know the art." (Saito Yakuro, cca 19th century)

"An over sharpened sword cannot last long." (Lao Tzu)

"If you seek mastery of the sword, seek first sincerity of the heart, for the former is but a reflection of the latter." (Iwakura Yoshinori)

"One can win with the long sword, and one can win with the short sword as well. For this reason, the precise size of the sword is not fixed. The way of my school is the spirit of gaining victory by any means […]" (Miyamoto Musashi)

"The archer should forget about shooting the arrow, and shoot as he would doing nothing special. Then the shot will be smooth. When wielding the long sword, or riding a horse, do it as though you would not wield a sword or ride a horse [...] Stop doing everything, have an empty, everyday's mind, even when you have lots of things to do, do it easily, smoothly. The man who has nothing on his heart is the man of the Way." (Yagyu Munenori)

"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)

"Throwing down your own sword is also an art of war. If you have attained mastery of swordlessness, you will never lack for a sword. The opponent's sword is your sword. This is acting at the vanguard of the moment." (Yagyū Munenori)

"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)

"When you practice archery, if your mind is occupied with shooting the arrow, the shot will be disturbed, and will not be settled (smooth). If you are wielding the long sword, and your mind is fixed on wielding the sword, the sword will not move smoothly." (Yagyu Munenori)

Week 2021-15: Jigoro Kano - Collected Quotes

"Before and after practicing Judo or engaging in a match, opponents bow to each other. Bowing is an expression of gratitude and respect. In effect, you are thanking your opponent for giving you the opportunity to improve your technique." (Jigoro Kano)

"Carefully observe oneself and one's situation, carefully observe others, and carefully observe one's environment. Consider fully, act decisively." (Jigoro Kano)

"Face your fear, empty yourself, trust your own voice, let go of control, have faith in outcomes, connect with a larger purpose, derive meaning from the struggle." (Jigoro Kano)

"If there is effort, there is always accomplishment." (Jigoro Kano)

"It is not important to be better than someone else, but to be better than yesterday." (Jigoro Kano)

"Judo helps us to understand that worry is a waste of energy." (Jigoro Kano)

"Judo is the way to the most effective use of both physical and spiritual strength. By training you in attacks and defenses it refines your body and your soul and helps you make the spiritual essence of Judo a part of your very being. In this way you are able to perfect yourself and contribute something of value to the world. This is the final goal of Judo discipline." (Jigoro Kano)

"Judo should be free as art and science from any external influences, political, national, racial, and financial or any other organized interest. And all things connected with it should be directed to its ultimate object, the benefit of Humanity." (Jigoro Kano)

"Judo teaches us to look for the best possible course of action, whatever the individual circumstances." (Jigoro Kano)

"Nothing under the sun is greater than education. By educating one person and sending him into the society of his generation, we make a contribution extending a hundred generations to come." (Jigoro Kano)

"Paradoxically, the man who has failed and one who is at the peak of success are in exactly the same position. Each must decide what he will do next, choose the course that will lead him to the future." (Jigoro Kano)

"The pine fought the storm and broke. The willow yielded to the wind and snow and did not break. Practice Jiu-Jitsu in just this way." (Jigoro Kano)

"The purpose of the study of judo is to perfect yourself and to contribute to society." (Jigoro Kano)

"The teaching of one virtuous person can influence many; that which has been learned well by one generation can be passed on to a hundred." (Jigoro Kano)

Week 14: Tsutomu Ohshima - Collected Quotes

"Each one of us starts Karate with some particular reason: to be a good fighter, to keep in good shape, to protect oneself. I wanted to become very strong myself when I first began. But Karate training soon teaches that real strength is facing oneself strictly, with severe eyes. This is the first condition of martial arts training. Therefore, all karateka must be strong inwardly, but quite gentle to others. As we train together, each contributing to a good atmosphere, let's try to bring out that serious strong mentality from deep inside." (Tsutomu Ohshima)

"Eliminating one weakness is better than adding one strength." (Tsutomu Ohshima)

"In order to achieve victory you must place yourself in your opponent's skin. If you don't understand yourself, you will lose one hundred percent of the time. If you understand yourself, you will win fifty percent of the time. If you understand yourself and your opponent, you will win one hundred percent of the time." (Tsutomu Ohshima)

"Originally this was the most important thing about martial arts - to reach a higher level, to become a strong human being. Strong doesn't mean big arms. It means who can be a more strict human being with himself. That is the ideal of martial arts." (Tsutomu Ohshima)

"Some people think a martial artist has to be tough against everybody - that's not true at all. A martial artist has to be strong against bad people. But we must also be able to know and understand the feelings, moods and mentalities of good and bad individuals before we can comprehend when to be strong and when to be gentle." (Tsutomu Ohshima)

"We must look at ourselves with the strictest eyes." (Tsutomu Ohshima)

Week 2021-14: Gautama Buddha - Collected quotes

"All created things will pass away. When one achieves the wisdom to realize this, one may rise above this world of sorrow." (Gautama Buddha, "Dhammapada", cca 1st century)

"Animosity does not eradicate animosity.
Only by loving kindness is animosity dissolved.
This law is ancient and eternal." (Gautama Buddha, "Dhammapada", cca 1st century)

"If a man were to conquer in a battle a thousand times a thousand men, and another conquer one himself, he indeed is the greatest of conquerers." (Gautama Buddha, "Dhammapada", cca 1st century)

"Long is the chain of existence to the foolish who do not know the true law." (Gautama Buddha, "Dhammapada", cca 1st century)

"Mind is a forerunner of all actions.
All deeds are led by mind, created by mind.
If one speaks or acts with corrupt mind,
suffering follows,
As the wheel follows the hoof of an ox pulling a cart.

Mind is the forerunner of all actions.
All deeds are led by mind, created by mind.
If one speaks or acts with a serene mind,
happiness follows,
As surely as one's shadow." (Gautama Buddha, "Dhammapada", cca 1st century)

"The wise who control their body, who likewise control their speech, the wise who control their mind are indeed well controlled." (Gautama Buddha, "Dhammapada", cca 1st century)

"Though you might conquer in battle
A thousand times a thousand men,
You're the greatest battle-winner
If you conquer just one - yourself." (Gautama Buddha, "Dhammapada", cca 1st century)

"To him who constantly practices reverence and respects the aged, four things will increase: life, beauty, happiness, and strength." (Gautama Buddha, "Dhammapada", cca 1st century)

"We are shaped by our thoughts;
we become what we think." (Gautama Buddha, "Dhammapada", cca 1st century)

Week 2021-13: Masutatsu Oyama [Mas Oyama] - Collected Quotes

"A human life gains lustre and strength only when it is polished and tempered." (Mas Oyama)

"Although it is important to study and train for skill in techniques, for the man who wishes to truly accomplish the way of budo, it is important to make his whole life in training and therefore not aiming for skill and strength alone, but also for spiritual attainment." (Mas Oyama)

"Always remember that the true meaning of Budo is that soft overcomes hard, small overcomes large." (Mas Oyama)

"Always remember, in the Martial Arts the rewards of a confident and grateful heart are truly abundant." (Mas Oyama) [motto]

"As far as possible, I want nothing more than to don my training gi and teach Karate." (Mas Oyama)

"Aspirations must be pure and free of selfishness. Arising from the depths of the soul, aspirations are spiritual demands penetrating all of a human life and making it possible for a person to die for their sake. A person without aspirations is like a ship without a rudder or a horse without a bridle. Aspirations give consistent order to life." (Mas Oyama)

"Behind each triumph are new peaks to be conquered." (Mas Oyama)

"Courtesy should be apparent in all our actions and words and in all aspects of daily life. But be courtesy, I do not mean rigid, cold formality. Courtesy in the truest sense is selfless concern for the welfare and physical and mental comfort of the other person." (Mas Oyama)

"Each of us has his cowardice. Each of us is afraid to lose, afraid to die. But hanging back is the way to remain a coward for life. The Way to find courage is to seek it on the field of conflict. And the sure way to victory is willingness to risk one's own life." (Mas Oyama)

"Following the Martial Way is like scaling a cliff - continue upwards without rest. It demands absolute and unfaltering devotion to the task at hand." (Mas Oyama) [motto]

"Human beings are capable of virtually limitless degradation; they are also capable of virtually limitless improvement and achievement. Success depends on goals and on diligence in pursuing them." (Mas Oyama)

"I realized that perseverance and step-by-step progress are the only ways to reach a goal along a chosen path." (Mas Oyama)

"If you do not overcome your tendency to give up easily, your life leads to nothing." (Mas Oyama)

"If you have confidence in your own words, aspirations, thoughts, and actions and do your very best, you will have no need to regret the outcome of what you do. Fear and trembling are lot of the person who, while stinting effort, hopes that everything will come out precisely as he wants." (Mas Oyama)

"In the Martial Arts, introspection begets wisdom. Always see contemplation on your actions as an opportunity to improve." (Mas Oyama) [motto]

"Karate is Budo and if Budo is removed from Karate it is nothing more than sport karate, show karate, or even fashion karate-the idea of training merely to be fashionable." (Mas Oyama)

"Karate is not a game. It is not a sport. It is not even a system of self-defense. Karate is half physical exercise and half spiritual. The karateka who has given the necessary years of exercise and meditation is a tranquil person. He is unafraid. He can even be calm in a burning building." (Mas Oyama)

"Karate is the most Zen-like of all the Martial Arts.  It has abandoned the sword.  This means that it transcends the idea of winning and losing to become a way of thinking and living for the sake of other people in accordance with the way of Heaven.  Its meanings, therefore, reach the profoundest levels of human thought." (Mas Oyama)

"Karate that has discarded Budo has no substance.  It is nothing more than a barbaric method of fighting or a promotional tool for the purpose of profit.  No matter how popular it becomes, it is meaningless." (Mas Oyama)

"My Way is the Way of Karate, which is also the Way of humanity, and which is consequently related to the Way of Heaven." (Mas Oyama)

"No matter how strong the rival, the just will always win." (Mas Oyama)

"One must try, everyday, to expand one's limits." (Mas Oyama)

"Power is no more than a part, no more than the tip of the iceberg of limitless profundity and sublimate of Karate." (Mas Oyama)

"Since Karate exists for cultivating the spirit and training the body, it must be a moral way surpassing mere techniques." (Mas Oyama)

"Strive to seize the initiative in all things, all the time guarding against actions stemming from selfish animosity or thoughtlessness." (Mas Oyama) [motto]

"Studying the martial Way is like climbing a cliff: keep going forward without rest. Resting is not permissible because it causes recessions to old adages of achievement. Persevering day in, day out improves techniques, but resting one day causes lapses. This must be prevented." (Mas Oyama)

"Subjecting yourself to vigourous training is more for the sake of forging a resolute spirit that can vanquish the self than it is for developing a strong body." (Mas Oyama)

"The heart of our karate is real fighting. There can be no proof without real fighting. Without proof there is no trust. Without trust there is no respect. This is a definition in the world of martial arts." (Mas Oyama)

"The Martial Arts begin with a point and end in a circle. Straight lines stem from this principle." (Mas Oyama) [motto]

"The Martial Way begins with one thousand days and is mastered after ten thousand days of training." (Mas Oyama) [motto]

"The Martial Way is centred in posture. Strive to maintain correct posture at all times." (Mas Oyama) [motto]

"The nature and purpose of the Martial Way is universal. All selfish desires should be roasted in the tempering fires of hard training." (Mas Oyama) [motto]

"The most important are the eyes. In a fight if you look down out of fear you'll certainly be defeated." (Mas Oyama)

"The path of Martial Arts begins and ends with courtesy. So be genuinely polite on every occasion." (Mas Oyama)

"The true essence of the Martial Way can only be realized through experience. Knowing this, learn never to fear its demands." (Mas Oyama) [motto]

Week 2021-12: Myōan Eisai [Myōan Yōsai] - Collected Quotes

"Any practitioner who wants to cultivate the teaching of the Zen school amounts to a bodhisattva studying prajna. They should [...] be devoted to the cultivation of samadhi [and] maintain the wondrous purifying precepts of great bodhisattvas." (Myōan Eisai, "Kōzen gokokuron" ["The Promotion of Zen for the Protection of the Country"], cca 12th century)

"It is most urgent that one rely on the power of meditation [in all activities], whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down. If one wants to realize [the power of] meditation, one must carry out the practice of the vinaya [precepts]. Those who carry out zen meditation practice in the absence of the stipulated provisions of the vinaya precepts have no basis for their practice. [...] Therefore, if one wants to realize the method for Zen meditation described here, one will uphold the vinaya purely so that one is free of any blemish." (Myōan Eisai, "Kōzen gokokuron" ["The Promotion of Zen for the Protection of the Country"], cca 12th century)

"The destruction of evil depends on the purification of wisdom. The purification of wisdom depends on the purification of meditation. The purification of meditation depends on the purification of the monastic precepts. The Buddha possesses four kinds of positive methods for winning enlightenment. The first is the monastic precepts. The second is meditation. The third is wisdom. The fourth is a mind free of impurities." (Myōan Eisai, "Kōzen gokokuron" ["The Promotion of Zen for the Protection of the Country"], cca 12th century)

"The heart is the sovereign of the five organs, tea is the chief of the bitter foods, and bitter is the chief of the tastes. For this reason the heart loves bitter things, and when it is doing well all the other organs are properly regulated. [...] When, however, the whole body feels weak, devitalized, and depressed, it is a sign that the heart is ailing. Drink lots of tea, and one 's energy and spirits ww be restored to full strength." (Myōan Eisai, "Drink Tea and Prolong Life", cca 12th century)

"Thus the Truth it [Zen] teaches, both in substance and appearance, perfects the relationships of master and disciple. In its rules of action and discipline, there is no confusion of right and wrong. [...] Studying it, one discovers the key to all forms of Buddhism; practicing it, one's life is brought to fulfillment in the attainment of enlightenment. Outwardly it favors discipline over doctrine, inwardly it brings the Highest Inner Wisdom. This is what the Zen sect stands for." (Myōan Eisai, "Kōzen gokokuron" ["The Promotion of Zen for the Protection of the Country"], cca 12th century)

"With the elimination of mental activity, one transcends [the need for] the vinaya. [...] Originally, there are no vinaya rules to practice, much less the cultivation of good deeds." (Myōan Eisai, "Kōzen gokokuron" ["The Promotion of Zen for the Protection of the Country"], cca 12th century)

"The [teaching of the] Zen school is independent of what is articulated in names and words, independent of mental deliberations and distinctions, incapable of comprehension, and ultimately unobtainable. The so-called 'Law of the Buddha' is not a law that can be articulated and is only [provisionally] named the Law of the Buddha. What is currently referred to as Zen marks this as a conspicuous feature of its teaching. Since the above three methods are all [articulated in terms of] provisional names, anyone who claims that Buddhist Zen teaching depends on words and letters and is articulated verbally is actually slandering the Buddha and slandering the Law. Because of this, the patriarch-master [Bodhidharma] referred to the Zen approach [in terms of] 'do not rely on words and letters, directly point to the human mind, and see one’s nature and become a Buddha'. Anyone who [tries to understand Buddhism] by grasping names and words is ignorant of the Law, and anyone who [tries to understand Buddhism] by grasping at the appearances [of names and forms] is even more deluded. [The state that] is inherently immovable, where there is nothing to be obtained, is what is referredto as seeing the Law of the Buddha [in the true Zen approach]."  (Myōan Eisai)

Week 2021-11: Matsumi Masaaki - Collected Quotes

"Forget your sadness, anger, grudges and hatred. Let them pass like smoke caught in a breeze. Do not indulge yourself in such feelings." (Masaaki Hatsumi, "Essence of Ninjutsu", 1988)

"Ninja should have the benevolence to protect men of justice since there are lots of good and respectable people in the world." (Masaaki Hatsumi, "Essence of Ninjutsu", 1988)

"What I want you to do is just take it as it is. Don't think too much. If you get involved with thinking about it, the whole thing gets lost or loses its purity. Don't think during practice - DO! The more you think, the further from the truth of budo you get: Budo is NOT an academic subject!" (Masaaki Hatsumi, "The Grandmaster's Book of Ninja Training", 1988)

"Learning a technique is not an end in itself, it merely indicates where you need to start." (Masaaki Hatsumi, "The Way of the Ninja", 2004)

"A shinobi must be aware that violence is self-destructive, and realize the finality of the gates of Heaven and gates of Earth. The base of the shinobi beliefs lies in an obedience to the laws of nature." (Matsumi Masaaki)

"A single mind may lead one to a wrong judgement. In contrast, an attempt at enlightenment with three minds will be one of the surest ways of attaining it." (Hatsunu Masaaki)

"Accept sorrows, sadness or hared as they are and consider them a chance for trial from Heaven. It is the most noble spirit in ninpö to take everything as a blessing from nature." (Hatsumi Matsaaki)

"Act as intuition dictates and you will see the secrets of ninjutsu there." (Matsumi Masaaki)

"Do not deviate from the path of lighteousness. Lead a life worthy of man." (Hatsumi Matsaaki)

"Don't be possessed by greed, luxury or your own ego. They destroy not just maltial alts but humanity itself."(Hatsumi Matsaaki)

"Forget your sadness, anger, grudges and hatred. Let them pass like smoke in a breeze. Do not indulge yourself in such feelings."(Hatsumi Matsaaki)

"Have both your time and mind fully engaged in budö and have your mind deeply set in bujutsu." (Hatsumi Matsaaki)

"If one mistakes spiritual enlightenment for self-satisfaction, one unconsciously starts adhering to one's desires, playing by turns the parts of a beast and human being in life." (Matsumi Masaaki)

"If you have endurance and carefully plan your defense, the path to victory will naturally appear before you." (Masaaki Hatsumi)

"Move like wind into the opponent's space." (Masaaki Hatsumi)

"Ninja live in a protected wind. The wind runs directly into the flames, fans them, climbs to the heavens, and gathers great skills. The wind kami bestows honor and good fortune." (Matsumi Masaaki)

"Nothing is so uncertain as one 's own common sense or knowledge. Regardless of one's fragile knowledge one must single-mindedly devote oneself to training, especially in times of doubt." (Matsumi Masaaki)

"Only those who can correctly tell right from wrong can develop strong spirits." (Matsumi Masaaki)

"[...] the black color of the ninja 's [shojoku] really represents forbearance and the concealed righteousness of man. Forbearance means being able to maintain concealment no matter what insults and oppression exist."  (Masaaki Hatsumi)

"The ninja [uses] his skills to avoid being hit by the bullets fired from guns but also to avoid confrontation if that was the wisest decision." (Masaaki Hatsumi)

"The rules of the ninja are not cruel or overly demanding. They are merely rules for the expert of stealth to follow in order to discover and protect the truth." (Hatsunu Masaaki)

"The winds of shinobi mold me. They disappear after shaping my body and leave me like a wreck on a wild ocean." (Matsumi Masaaki)

"There are few ties between friends that are closer than those of brothers in martial arts." (Masaaki Hatsumi)

"[...] we cannot understand the essence of ninjutsu without talking through body and mind." (Masaaki Hatsumi)

"When facing death, there are two ways of doing so: joy, in a heavenly sense, and suffering. Once this stage in life is reached, one will know one's real mission in life." (Masaaki Hatsumi)

"When you have bad people around you, your attitude should be that Heaven has sent them to you for as trial [...] to give you a chance to prove yourself." (Masaaki Hatsumi)

Week 2021-10: Martial Arts Maxims, Sayings & Maxims

"A man who has attained mastery of an art reveals it in his every action." (Samurai maxim)

"If sensation is considered to be perception through one's senses, then intuition can be considered perception through the unconscious." (Ninpö saying)

"Only a heart unburdened by temporal loyalties can see what is right and what is wrong. All else is conceit." (Shinobi proverb)

"Take arrows in your forehead, but never in your back." (Samurai maxim)

"The angry man will defeat himself in battle as well as in life." (Samurai maxim)

"The base of the shinobi's beliefs lies within an obedience to the laws of nature." (Shinobi saying)

"The shinobi's legacy is one of service to those in need, protection to those in distress, and strength to those who are overpowered." (Shinobi proverb)

"The tree that cannot bend in a fierce wind breaks." (Shinobi proverb)

"'The true essence of ninjutsu and the secrets contained within can only be realized when one studies between the words of the teaching scroll." (Ninpö proverb)

"To know and to act are one and the same." (Samurai maxim)

"Tomorrow's battle is won during today's practice." (Samurai maxim)

"What the cherry blossom is among flowers, bushi warriors are among men." (Japanese saying)

Week 2021-09: Japanese Maxims. Sayings & Proverbs

"A dog will remember a three days’ kindness for three years; while a cat will forget three years’ kindness in three days." (Japanese saying)

"Because there are fools, wise men look well." (Japanese saying)

"Better than a 1000 days of diligent study by oneself, is one day with a great mentor." (Japanese proverb)

"Don’t rub salt on a sore." (Japanese saying)

"Drink and sing: an inch before us is black night." (Japanese saying)

"Flowers will bloom on widows; maggots will be hatched on widowers." (Japanese saying)

"He is poor who does not feel content." (Japanese proverb)

"He who hunts two hares leaves one and loses the other." (Japanese proverb)

"He who smiles rather than rages is always the stronger." (Japanese saying)

"If you hate a man, let him live." (Japanese saying)

"If you throw cakes at a man, he will throw cakes at you." (Japanese saying)

"In the eyes of the lover, pockmarks are dimples." (Japanese saying)

"It is no use applying eye-medicine from a two-storey window." (Japanese saying)

"It is the melancholy face that gets stung by the bee." (Japanese saying)

"It is the tortoise that discounts the value of a pair of fast legs." (Japanese saying)

"Let the past drift away with the water." (Japanese saying)

"Look the other way when the girl in the teahouse smiles." (Japanese saying)

"The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists." (Japanese saying)

"The doctor cures the sick man who does not die." (Japanese saying)

"The focused mind can pierce through stone." (Japanese maxim)

"The string of a man’s sack of patience is generally tied with a slipknot." (Japanese saying)

"The village that shines in the moonlight leaves a different impression in the souls of different people." (Japanese saying)

"There are some gods that abandon men - they are the gods that know men." (Japanese saying)

"Time spent laughing is time spent with the gods."  (Japanese proverb)

"To endure the unendurable is true endurance." (Japanese saying)

"To teach is to learn." (Japanese saying)

"Unless you enter the tiger’s den, you cannot take the cubs." (Japanese proverb)

"When something falls into the hands of the painter or the lawyer, white becomes black." (Japanese saying)

"When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends." (Japanese proverb)

"You learn more from getting used to things than from studying." (Japanese saying)

Week 2021-08: Muso Soseki - Collected Quotes

"All worries and troubles have gone from my breast and I play joyfully far from the world. For a person of Zen, no limits exist. The blue sky must feel ashamed to be so small." (Muso Soseki)

"Even if you have not awakened, if you realize that your perceptions and activities are all like dreams and you view them with detachment, not giving rise to grasping and rejecting discrimination, then this is virtually tantamount to awakening from the dream."

"If the wrong person preaches a right teaching, even a right teaching can become wrong. If a right person expounds a wrong teaching, even a wrong teaching can become right." (Muso Soseki)

"It is better to practice a little than talk a lot." (Muso Soseki)

"It would be merciful for people not to come calling and disturb the loneliness of the mountains to which I have returned from the sorrows of the world." (Muso Soseki)

"The breath of life eventually takes leave of all of us; whether we are young or old, if we live we must die. The number of the dead grows; the blossoms of the flowers fade; the leaves of the trees fall. Things are like foam in a dream. As fish gather in tiny pools of water, so life moves on as the days pass by. Parents and children, husbands and wives who passed their lives together, do not remain together. What use is high standing or wealth? Red cheeks in the morning, dead bones in the evening. Not to trust in the things of this perishing world but to enter upon the way of Buddha - thus will one stir up the mind that seeks the ways and believes in the exalted Dharma." (Muso Soseki)

"The central benefit of Zen, in the context of ordinary ups and downs of life,is not in preventing the minus and promoting the plus,but in directing people to the fundamental reality that is not under the sway of ups and downs." (Muso Soseki)

"Those who seek liberation for themselves alone cannot become fully enlightened. Though it may be said that one who is not already liberated cannot liberate others, the very process of forgetting oneself to help others is in itself liberating." (Muso Soseki)

"When a garden is used as a place to pause for thought, that is when a Zen garden comes to life. When you contemplate a garden like this it will form as lasting impression on your heart." (Muso Soseki)

"When it's cold, water freezes into ice; when it's warm, ice melts into water. Similarly, when you are confused, essence freezes into mind; when you are enlightened, mind melts into essence." (Muso Soseki)

"When there is no place that you have decided to call your own, then no matter where you go, you are always heading home." (Muso Soseki)

Week 2021-07: Keizan Jokin - Collected Quotes

"Although we speak of ‘practice,’ it is not a practice that you can do." (Keizan Jokin, "Zazen Yojinki" ["Points to Keep in Mind When Practicing Zazen"], 13th-century)

"entering directly into the ocean of buddha-nature and manifesting the body of the Buddha." (Keizan Jokin, "Zazen Yojinki" ["Points to Keep in Mind When Practicing Zazen"], 13th-century)

"Clear water has no back or front, space has no inside or outside. Completely clear, its own luminosity shines before form and emptiness were fabricated. Objects of mind and mind itself have no place to exist."

"To practice sitting, find a quiet place and lay down a thick mat. Don’t let wind, smoke, rain or dew come in. Keep a clear space with enough room for your knees." (Keizan Jokin, "Zazen Yojinki" ["Points to Keep in Mind When Practicing Zazen"], 13th-century)

"This is symbolized by the full moon but it is this mind which is enlightenment itself." (Keizan Jokin, "Zazen Yojinki" ["Points to Keep in Mind When Practicing Zazen"], 13th-century)

"Zazen clears the mind immediately and lets one dwell in one’s true realm. This is called showing one’s original face or revealing the light of one’s original state. Body and mind are cast off, apart from whether one is sitting or lying down. Therefore one thinks neither of good nor of evil - transcending both the sacred and the profane, rising above delusion and enlightenment - and leaves the realm of sentient beings and Buddhas." (Keizan Jokin, "Zazen Yojinki" ["Points to Keep in Mind When Practicing Zazen"], 13th-century)

"Zazen includes no boundary between sentient beings and Buddha." (Keizan Jokin, "Zazen Yojinki" ["Points to Keep in Mind When Practicing Zazen"], 13th-century)

"Zazen means to clarify the mind-ground and dwell comfortably in your actual nature. This is called revealing yourself and manifesting the original-ground." (Keizan Jokin, "Zazen Yojinki" ["Points to Keep in Mind When Practicing Zazen"], 13th-century)

"Though you find clear waters ranging

to the vast blue skies of autumn,

how can that compare

with the hazy moon on a spring night?

Some people want it pure white,

but sweep as you will,

you cannot empty the mind." (Keizan Jokin)

Week 2021-06: Bassui Tokusho - Collected Quotes

"At work, at rest, never stop trying to realize who it is that hears.
Even though your questioning becomes almost unconscious,
you won't find the one who hears, and all your efforts will come to naught.
Yet sounds can be heard, so question yourself to an even profounder level.
At last every vestige of self-awareness will disappear and
you will feel like a cloudless sky.
Within yourself you will find no 'I', nor will you discover anyone who hears.
This Mind is like the void, yet it hasn't a single spot that can be called empty.
This state is often mistaken for Self-realization.
But continue to ask yourself even more intensely, 'Now who is it that hears?' (Bassui Tokusho)

"Buddha-Nature, the Self of all beings, is the simple Truth.
From Buddhas to insects, it is the seer, hearer, and mover." (Bassui Tokusho)

"Cast off what has been realized. Turn back to the subject that realizes to the root bottom and resolutely go on." (Bassui Tokusho)

"It cannot be helped that your thoughts arise and perish. Doubt your own mind thoroughly in accord with your thought. It is in order to be aware of the truth of being that you doubt profoundly. When you try to know what is unknown, your wandering mind will lose its way, and you will be at a loss. It is then that you are said to be in zazen. They say that to doubt in this way is kufu. In kufu you are to doubt thoroughly, whether you are on your feet or not, and whether you are asleep or awake, for you are well aware of your own unenlightenment." (Bassui Tokusho, "Kana Hogo")

"Just stop your wandering, look penetratingly into your inherent nature, and,
concentrating your spiritual energy, sit in zazen and break through." (Bassui Tokusho)

"[...] keep asking with all your strength, 'What is it that hears?'
Only when you have completely exhausted the questioning
will the question burst;
now you will feel like a man come back from the dead.
This is true realization." (Bassui Tokusho)

"Look directly! What is this? Look in this manner and you won’t be fooled!" (Bassui Tokusho)

"Seeing one's own nature is buddhahood." (Bassui Tokusho)

"The essence of your mind is not born, so it will never die. It is not an existence, which is perishable. It is not an emptiness, which is a mere void. It has neither color nor form. It enjoys no pleasures and suffers no pains." (Bassui Tokusho)

"Those who seek the Buddha outside their own minds are like children of rich parents who have forgotten their home." (Bassui Tokusho)

"Those who wish to break the cycle of rebirth must know the way of becoming a Buddha. The way of becoming a Buddha is the way of enlightenment. Before one’s father and mother were born and before one’s own body was formed, one’s mind existed unchanged until now, as the ground of all sentient beings. This is also called one’s original countenance. This mind is pure from the beginning. When the body is born, it is without the form of life, and when the body dies, it is without the form of death. Neither does it have the form of man or woman, of good or evil. Because there is nothing to which it can be compared, it is called Buddha nature. From this mind there arise ten thousand images, like waves on a vast great sea or forms reflected in a mirror." (Bassui Tokusho)

"What is this mind? Who is hearing these sounds?
Do not mistake any state for self-realization,
but continue to ask yourself even more intensely,
'What is it that hears?'" (Bassui Tokusho)

"When the mind is deluded, as many ignorant thoughts as sands of the Ganges arise;
when enlightened, this mind gives birth to infinite wonderful meanings." (Bassui Tokusho)

"When you decide to come here, you do so by yourself.
When you ask a question, you do so by yourself.
You do not depend upon another.
Nor do you use the teachings of the Buddha . [...]
The written word, reason and duty, discrimination and understanding [...]
none of these can reach this Zen." (Bassui Tokusho)

"Who is hearing? Your physical being doesn't hear, nor does the void.
Then what does?
Strive to find out.
Put aside your rational intellect - give up all techniques.
Just get rid of the notion of self." (Bassui Tokusho)

Week 2021-05: Ikkyu Sojun - Collected Quotes

"Don’t pick up tea leaves, but practice zazen.
Don’t read sutras, but practice zazen.
Don’t clean the house, but practice zazen.
Don’t ride on horseback, but practice zazen.
Don’t make fermented beans, but practice zazen.
Don’t sow tea seeds, but practice zazen." (Ikkyu Sojun)

"Every day, priests minutely examine the Law
And endlessly chant complicated sutras.
Before doing that, though, they should learn
How to read the love letters sent by the wind and rain,
the snow and moon." (Ikkyu Sojun)

"Like vanishing dew,
a passing apparition
or the sudden flash
of lightning - already gone -
thus should one regard one’s self." (Ikkyu Sojun)

"Look at the cherry blossoms!
Their color and scent fall with them,
Are gone forever,
Yet mindless
The spring comes again." (Ikkyu Sojun)

"Many paths lead from the foot of the mountain, but at the peak we all gaze at the single bright moon." (Ikkyu Sojun)

"Studying texts and stiff meditation can make you lose your Original Mind.
A solitary tune by a fisherman, though, can be an invaluable treasure.
Dusk rain on the river, the moon peeking in and out of the clouds;
Elegant beyond words, he chants his songs night after night." (Ikkyu Sojun)