Week 2021-31: Education is...

"Education is the leading human souls to what is best, and making what is best out of them [...]" (John Ruskin, "The Stones of Venice", 1853)

"Education is habit-forming rather than information; illumination rather than indoctrination, inspiration rather than compulsion." (Edwin G Conklin, "Science in the World Crisis", 1939)

"Education is a set of analogies to a genuinely human existence, of which the arts are the model." (Northrop Frye, "Notebooks and Lectures on the Bible and Other Religious Texts", 2003)

 "[…] education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being." (Maria Montessori)

"All real education is the architecture of the soul." (William Bennett)

"An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't." (Anatole France)

"Education is a method by which one acquires a higher grade of prejudices."  (Laurence J Peter)

"Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance." (Will Durant)

"Education is not learning, but the training of the mind that it may learn." (Sir William W Gull)

"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." (John Dewey)

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lightning of a fire." (William B Yeats)

"Education is not the piling on of learning, information, data, facts, skills, or abilities - that's training or instruction - but is rather making visible what is hidden as a seed." (Thomas W Moore)

"Education is not training but rather the process that equips you to entertain yourself, a friend and an idea." (Wallace Sterling)

"Education is one of the chief obstacles to intelligence and freedom of thought." (Bertrand Russel)

"Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another." (Gilbert K Chesterton)

"Education is teaching our children to desire the right things." (Plato)

"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence." (Robert Frost)

"Education is the apprenticeship of life." (Robert A Willmott)

"Education is the art of making man ethical." (Georg W F Hegel)

"Education is the best provision for old age." (Aristotle)

"Education is the best way to train ourselves that we will secure our own well-being by concerning ourselves with others." (Dalai Lama)

"Education is the inculcation of the incomprehensible into the indifferent by the incompetent." (John M Keynes)

"Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom." (George W Carver)

"Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man." (Swami Vivekananda)

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." (Nelson Mandela)

"Education is the movement from darkness to light." (Allan Bloom)

"Education is the only quality which remains after we have forgotten all we have learned." (VoItaire)

"Education is the power to think clearly, the power to act well in the world's work, and the power to appreciate life." (Brigham Young)

"Education is the process of casting false pearls before real swine." (Irwin Edman)

"Self-education is a continuing source of pleasure to me, for the more I know, the fuller my life is and the better I appreciate my own existence" (Isaac Asimov)

"Self-education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is. The only function of a school is to make self-education easier; failing that, it does nothing." (Isaac Asimov)

"The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence." (Rabindranath Tagore)

Week 2021-30: On Letting go

"All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on." (Havelock Ellis)

"By letting go it all gets done." (Lao Tzu)

"Hanashi, 'letting go' means that when one strategy does not work you let go of it and try something new." (Frederick J Loveret, "The Way and the Power: Secrets of Japanese Strategy", 1987)

"It is wisdom that enables letting go of a lesser happiness in pursuit of a happiness which is greater." (Dhammapada)

"Knowledge is learning something every day. Wisdom is letting go of something every day." (Zen saying)

"Letting go doesn't mean that you don't care about someone anymore. It's just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself." (Deborah Reber)

"Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness." (Thich Nhat Hanh)

"Meditation is a skillful letting go: gently but with resolution." (Ajahn Sumedho)

"Meditation means to be constantly extricating yourself from the clinging of mind. By letting go of even the thought ‘I,’ and 'me' what is left? There is nowhere to stand and no one to stand there. No separation anywhere. Pure awareness. Neither this, nor that. Just clarity and being." (Ram Dass)

"Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go." (Herman Hesse)

"Waking up to who you are requires letting go of who you imagine yourself to be." (Alan Watts)

Week 2021-29: On Mastery

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

"A master is one who returns day after day to the basic techniques and fundamentals. Mastery is a matter of daily struggle to perfect the simplest of techniques and ideas." (maxim)

"Art calls for complete mastery of techniques, developed by reflection within the soul." (Bruce Lee)

"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)

"Learning to deal with setbacks, and maintaining the persistence and optimism necessary for childhood’s long road to mastery are the real foundations of lasting self-esteem." (Lilian G Katz)

"Mastery of self, or 'self-sufficiency', leads to both happiness and freedom but requires constant practice and training in the face of adversity." (Diogenes of Sinope)

"Softness triumphs over hardness, feebleness over strength. What is more malleable is always superior over that which is immoveable. This is the principle of controlling things by going along with them, of mastery through adaptation." (Lao-Tzu)

"Technical skill is mastery of complexity.  Creativity is mastery of simplicity." (Erik C Zeeman)

"The highest purpose of intellectual cultivation is, to give a man a perfect knowledge and mastery of his own inner self." (Novalis)

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

"The self is the friend of a man who masters himself through the self, but for a man without self-mastery, the self is like an enemy at war." (Bhagavad Gita)

"Without self-mastery he has no understanding of inner power; without inner power, he has no peace; and without peace, where is joy?" (Bhagavad Gita)

Week 2021- 28: On Meditation

"A strong mind is a mind that does not suffer from boredom, frustration, depression, or unhappiness. It has learned to drop what it doesn't want. Meditation practice has given it the necessary muscles." (Kamal Sarma)

"Eventually, meditation will make our mind calm, clear, and as concentrated as a laser which we can focus at will. This capacity of one-pointed attention is the essence of genius. When we have this mastery over attention in everything we do, we have a genius for life." (Eknath Easwaran)

"Meditation is very simple. It means to surrender the mind, the body, and the world, from moment to moment, to the silent presence in which they appear. That's all." (Francis Lucille)

"Meditation means to be constantly extricating yourself from the clinging of mind. By letting go of even the thought 'I', and 'me' what is left? There is nowhere to stand and no one to stand there. No separation anywhere. Pure awareness. Neither this, nor that. Just clarity and being." (Ram Dass)

"Real meditation is spontaneous. It is pure welcoming, because there is no choosing of whatever appears in the field of consciousness. There is no selection. There is only choiceless allowing, be it of external perceptions, feelings, bodily sensations, thoughts, or their absence. Everything is equally allowed to come into existence, not as a practice, but because the mind has understood its own limitations. That is all the truth-seeker needs to do. No further spiritual practice needs to be undertaken." (Francis Lucille)

"The more we meditate the more we become aware of the things going on in mind and can rest in this experience." (Lawrence Ellyard)

"Through meditation we can learn simple exercises to help us understand and control our thinking. We can learn to gain access to powers of spirit that connect us to realms of higher thinking and knowledge. Most importantly, we can learn the balance of mind and spirit that is so necessary to make life enjoyable and fruitful." (Randolph Winters)

"When mind knows, we call it knowledge. When heart knows, we call it love. And when being knows, we call it meditation." (Osho)

"When we let go of wanting something else to happen in this moment, we are taking a profound step toward being able to encounter what is here now. If we hope to go anywhere or develop ourselves in any way, we can only step from where we are standing. If we don't really know where we are standing—a knowing that comes directly from the cultivation of mindfulness—we may only go in circles, for all our efforts and expectations. So, in meditation practice, the best way to get somewhere is to let go of trying to get anywhere at all." (Jon Kabat-Zinn)

"When you have achieved a state of deep meditation, you unlock the door to your subconscious mind. That is where your power to create the life you desire lies." (Adrian Calabrese)

Week 2021-27: Meditation is ...

"Do you think that you can clear your mind by sitting constantly in silent meditation? This makes your mind narrow, not clear. Integral awareness is fluid and adaptable, present in all places and at all times. That is true meditation. [...] The Tao is clear and simple, and it doesn't avoid the world." (Lao Tzu)

"In fact, the view is to look at one's own mind. Meditation is not to stray from that. Action is not to be separated from that. The fruit is to actualize that. When looking there is nothing to be looked at appearances are mind itself. When meditating there is nothing to meditate on-awareness is self-luminous. When acting there is nothing to act out-action is spontaneous. There is no fruit to accomplish - one's own mind is the buddha." (Rangjung Dorje)

"It's helpful to remind yourself that meditation is about opening and relaxing with whatever arises, without picking and choosing." (Pema Chodron)

"Meditation does not imply only the development of single-pointed concentration, sitting in some corner doing nothing. Meditation is an alert state of mind, the opposite of sluggishness; meditation is wisdom. You should remain aware every moment of your daily life, fully conscious of what you are doing and how you are doing it." (Lama Yeshe)

"Meditation is, first of all, a tool for surveying our territory so we can know what is going on. With the energy of mindfulness, we can calm things down, understand them, and bring harmony back to the conflicting elements inside us." (Thich N Hanh)

"Meditation is not the pursuit of pleasure and the search for happiness. Meditation, on the contrary, is a state of mind in which there is no concept or formula, and therefore total freedom. It is only to such a mind that this bliss comes unsought and uninvited. Once it is there, though you may live in the world with all its noise, pleasure and brutality, they will not touch that mind." (Jiddu Krishnamurti)

"Meditation is not to escape from society, but to come back to ourselves and see what is going on. Once there is seeing, there must be acting. With mindfulness, we know what to do and what not to do to help." (Thich Nhat Hahn)

"Meditation is nothing but an effort to look at reality without the thinking mind - because that is the only way to see reality. If thinking is there it distorts, it corrupts. Drop the thinking mind and see reality - direct, immediate, face to face. And then there is no problem." (Osho)

"Meditation is not about finding the self - quite the contrary: it is about finding one's way beyond the self. Meditation is also not about 'expanding the mind'. It is instead about clearing away clutter created by the mind." (David M White)

"Meditation is not to escape from society, but to come back to ourselves and see what is going on. Once there is seeing, there must be acting. With mindfulness, we know what to do and what not to do to help." (Thich N Hahn)

"Meditation is simply getting to know your mind." (Dzogchen Ponlop)

"Meditation is the awareness that I am not the mind." (Osho)

"Meditation is the way we realize the nature of the mind." (Lama Yeshe)

"The art of meditation is neither mindless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging to the past on the other. It consists in being sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive." (Alan Watts)

"The spirit world is able to get through to you easily when your mind is still and clear. Meditation is often referred to as 'sitting in the silence.' Whenever you want to reach Spirit from this side of life, start by sitting in the silence." (James Van Praagh)

"There are two aspects of mind; the appearances and its essence. Most people are lost in the appearances and projections without ever knowing the true nature of their experiences. Meditation is recognizing and bringing the mind home to its essence of clarity and peace." (Sogyal Rinpoche)

"Thinking is the natural activity of the mind. Meditation is not about stopping your thoughts. Meditation is simply a process of resting the mind in its natural state, which is open to and naturally aware of thoughts, emotions, and sensations as they occur." (Yongey Rinpoche Mingyur & Eric Swanson)

"When the mind, clear and ungraspable like the sky, does not fall into partiality-this is the view. When the mind, self-aware and self-luminous like a mirror, is free from bright and dim - this is meditation. When the mind, uncontrived and natural like a child, is without negation or assertion-this is action." (Dagpo Rinpoche)

Week 2021-26: On Mindfulness

"Mindfulness is Buddha's word for meditation. By mindfulness he means: you should always remain alert, watchful. You should always remain present. Not a single thing should be done in a sort of sleepy state of mind. You should not move like a somnambulist, you should move with a sharp consciousness." (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, "The Discipline of Transcendence: Discourses on the Forty-two Sutras of Buddha", 1978)

"Concentration is a cornerstone of mindfulness practice. Your mindfulness will only be as robust as the capacity of your mind to be calm and stable. Without calmness, the mirror of mindfulness will have an agitated and choppy surface and will not be able to reflect things with any accuracy." (Jon Kabat-Zinn, "Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness meditation for everyday life", 1994)

"Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally." (Jon Kabat-Zinn, "Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness meditation for everyday life", 1994)

"The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing." (Jon Kabat-Zinn, "Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness meditation for everyday life", 1994)

"Mindfulness means moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness. It is cultivated by refining our capacity to pay attention, intentionally, in the present moment, and then sustaining that attention over time as best we can. In the process, we become more in touch with our life as it is unfolding." (Jon Kabat-Zinn, "Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting", 1997)

"Mindfulness practice means that we commit fully in each moment to be present; inviting ourselves to interface with this moment in full awareness, with the intention to embody as best we can an orientation of calmness, mindfulness, and equanimity right here and right now." (Jon Kabat-Zinn)

"Mindfulness was experienced as not holding onto the past, the future, or 'nowness:' but relaxing into the immediacy of whatever was happening." (B Alan Wallace, "Mind in the Balance: Meditation in Science, Buddhism, and Christianity", 2009)

"As long as we have practiced neither concentration nor mindfulness, the ego takes itself for granted and remains its usual normal size, as big as the people around one will allow." (Ayya Khema)

"Concentration, and mindfulness are the internal ways in which the mind restores itself from being out of balance and lost in confusion to a condition of ease, clarity, and wisdom." (Sylvia Boorstein)

"Do not regard thoughts as something to be abandoned and do not deliberately create nonconceptuality. Place the watcher of mindfulness and you will arrive at the practice of calm abiding." (Gyalwa Yangonpa)

"Fundamentally mindfulness is a simple concept. Its power lies in its practice and its applications. Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally. This kind of attention nurtures greater awareness, clarity, and acceptance of present-moment reality. It wakes us up to the fact that our lives unfold only in moments. If we are not fully present for many of those moments, we may not only miss what is most valuable in our lives but also fail to realize the richness and the depth of our possibilities for growth, and transformation." (Jon Kabat-Zinn)

"In the practice of Dhamma all we need is mindfulness. Everything in the world will then become clear." (Ajahn Bua Siripuñño)

"If you know how to practice mindfulness you can generate peace and joy right here, right now. And you'll appreciate that and it will change you. In the beginning, you believe that if you cannot become number one, you cannot be happy, but if you practice mindfulness you will readily release that kind of idea. We need not fear that mindfulness might become only a means and not an end because in mindfulness the means and the end are the same thing. There is no way to happiness; happiness is the way." (Thich Nhat Hanh)

"Meditation is, first of all, a tool for surveying our territory so we can know what is going on. With the energy of mindfulness, we can calm things down, understand them, and bring harmony back to the conflicting elements inside us." (Thich Nhat Hanh) 

"Meditation is not to escape from society, but to come back to ourselves and see what is going on. Once there is seeing, there must be acting. With mindfulness, we know what to do and what not to do to help." (Thich Nhat Hahn)

"Mindfulness and compassion actually develop at the same pace. The more mindful you become, the easier you’ll find it to be compassionate. And the more you open your heart to others, the more mindful you become in all your activities." (Mingyur Rinpoche)

"Mindfulness can be cultivated by paying attention in a specific way, that is, in the present moment, and as non-reactively, nonjudgmentally and openheartedly as possible." (Jon Kabat-Zinn)

"Mindfulness practice means that we commit fully in each moment to be present; inviting ourselves to interface with this moment in full awareness, with the intention to embody as best we can an orientation of calmness, mindfulness, and equanimity right here and right now." (Jon Kabat-Zinn)

"Mindfulness meditation should be more than just watching what you are doing. What you really need to watch is your motivation." (Lama Zopa Rinpoche)

"Now what, monks, is the Noble Eightfold Path? [It is] as follows: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration." (Magga-vibhanga Sutta)

"The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers." (Thich Nhat Hanh)

"True mindfulness is the awareness that everything you encounter is a vigorous expression of the same living universe as you." (Brad Warner)

"We are all connected. When you touch one thing, you are touching everything. Whatever we do has an effect on others. Therefore, we must learn to live mindfully to touch the peace inside each of us. Peace in the world starts with peace in oneself. If everyone lives mindfully, everyone will be more healthy, feel more fulfilled in their daily lives and there will be more peace. This collective mindfulness can bring positive change to our families, organizations, communities, nations and future generations." (Thich Nhat Hanh)

"When mental involvement in purity and impurity is ended, the mind does not dwell in bondage or liberation; it has no mindfulness of striving or nonstriving, or of bondage or liberation." (Pai-chang)

"When we let go of wanting something else to happen in this moment, we are taking a profound step toward being able to encounter what is here now. If we hope to go anywhere or develop ourselves in any way, we can only step from where we are standing. If we don't really know where we are standing - a knowing that comes directly from the cultivation of mindfulness - we may only go in circles, for all our efforts and expectations. So, in meditation practice, the best way to get somewhere is to let go of trying to get anywhere at all." (Jon Kabat-Zinn)

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)