1
The whole journey of renunciation, or starting to say yes to life, is first of all realizing that you've come up against your edge, that everything in you is saying no, and then at that point, softening. This is yet another opportunity to develop loving-kindness of yourself, which results in playfulness--learning to play like a raven in the wind.Unknown
2
There isn’t any hell or heaven except for how we relate to our world. Hell is just resistance to life.Unknown
3
In his talk, Suzuki Roshi says that meditation and the whole process of finding your own true nature is one continuous mistake, and that rather than that being a reason for depression or discouragement, it's actually the motivation.Unknown
4
If the object of meditation were something concrete, something solid and graspable - an image or a statue or a dot on the floor or a candle - it would be much more of a concentration exercise. But the breath is very elusive; even if you wanted to give it one hundred percent attention, it would be difficult because it is so ephemeral, so light, so airy and spacious. As the object of meditation, it brings a sense of softness and gentleness.Unknown
5
If we emphasized only precision, our meditation might become quite harsh and militant. (...). One thing that is very helpful is to cultivate an overall sense of relaxation while you are doing the meditation.Unknown
6
The meditation technique itself cultivate precision, gentleness, and the ability to let go - qualities that are innate within us.Unknown
7
Meditation is about seeing clearly the body that we have, the mind that we have, the domestic situation that we have, the job that we have, and the people who are in our lives.Unknown
8
One of the main discoveries of meditation is seeing how we continually run away from the present moment, how we avoid being here just as we are.Unknown
9
It's very helpful to realize that being here, sitting in meditation, doing simple everyday things like working, walking outside, talking with people, bathing, using the toilet, and eating, is actually all that we need to be fully awake, fully alive, fully human.Unknown
10
While we are sitting in meditation, we are simply exploring humanity and all of creation in the form of ourselves.Unknown
11
The path of meditation and the path of our lives altogether ha to do with curiosity, inquisitiveness.Unknown
12
We're here to get to know and study ourselves. The path, the way to do that, our main vehicle, is going to be meditation, and some sense of general wakefulness.Unknown
13
Meditation is a process of lightening up, of trusting the basic goodness of what we have and who we are, and of realizing that any wisdom that exists, exists in what we already have.Unknown
14
We don't have to be harsh with ourselves when we think, sitting here, that our meditation or our oryoki or the way we are in the world is in the category of worst horse.Unknown
15
The problem is that the desire to change is fundamentally a form of aggression toward yourself.Unknown
16
The first noble truth says simply that it’s part of being human to feel discomfort.Unknown
17
A much more interesting, kind, adventurous, and joyful approach to life is to begin to develop curiosity, not caring whether the object of our inquisitiviness is bitter or sweet.Unknown