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It is a big mistake to think that the best way to express yourself is to do whatever you want, acting as you please. This is not expressing yourself. If you know what to do exactly, and you do it, then you can express yourself fully.

— Shunryu Suzuki Not Always So: Practicing the True Spirit of Zen (2002)

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More quotes by Shunryu Suzuki

There are, strictly speaking, no enlightened people, there is only enlightened activity.

You may say you attained some stage in your practice. But that is just a trivial event in your long life.

When you do something, you should burn yourself completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.

Enter the Heart of the Fire : A collection of Mystical Poems (1981)

If the mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few.

Zazen practice is the direct expression of our true nature. Strictly speaking, for a human being, there is no other practice than this practice; there is no other way of life than this way of life.

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (1970)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Shunryu Suzuki (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.