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Kwan Um School of Zen
 

Zen Quotes Collection

 
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Featured
Become Buddha
Feb 16, 2019
Become Buddha
Feb 16, 2019
Feb 16, 2019
Everything Becomes Buddha
Feb 14, 2019
Everything Becomes Buddha
Feb 14, 2019
Feb 14, 2019
Inside and Outside Revolution
Feb 13, 2019
Inside and Outside Revolution
Feb 13, 2019
Feb 13, 2019
Understanding Kong-Ans Is Not Important
Feb 9, 2019
Understanding Kong-Ans Is Not Important
Feb 9, 2019
Feb 9, 2019
True Buddhism
Feb 7, 2019
True Buddhism
Feb 7, 2019
Feb 7, 2019
Direct Experience
Feb 6, 2019
Direct Experience
Feb 6, 2019
Feb 6, 2019
We Are All Like Rocks
Feb 2, 2019
We Are All Like Rocks
Feb 2, 2019
Feb 2, 2019
Make Our Minds Simple
Jan 31, 2019
Make Our Minds Simple
Jan 31, 2019
Jan 31, 2019
Free
Jan 30, 2019
Free
Jan 30, 2019
Jan 30, 2019
Zen Mind Is Not Zen Mind
Jan 26, 2019
Zen Mind Is Not Zen Mind
Jan 26, 2019
Jan 26, 2019
Featured
Where Zen Practice Begins
Jan 12, 2019
Where Zen Practice Begins
Jan 12, 2019
Jan 12, 2019
The Wisdom Is Already There
Jan 10, 2019
The Wisdom Is Already There
Jan 10, 2019
Jan 10, 2019
Look Inside
Jan 9, 2019
Look Inside
Jan 9, 2019
Jan 9, 2019
The Healing Process
Jan 5, 2019
The Healing Process
Jan 5, 2019
Jan 5, 2019
Where is this "I"?
Jan 3, 2019
Where is this "I"?
Jan 3, 2019
Jan 3, 2019
Independence
Jan 2, 2019
Independence
Jan 2, 2019
Jan 2, 2019
Pointing Directly to Mind
Dec 29, 2018
Pointing Directly to Mind
Dec 29, 2018
Dec 29, 2018
Together Action Wave
Dec 27, 2018
Together Action Wave
Dec 27, 2018
Dec 27, 2018
Our Practice and Our Job
Dec 26, 2018
Our Practice and Our Job
Dec 26, 2018
Dec 26, 2018
Spontaneous Goodness
Dec 22, 2018
Spontaneous Goodness
Dec 22, 2018
Dec 22, 2018
Getting and Losing
Dec 20, 2018
Getting and Losing
Dec 20, 2018
Dec 20, 2018
Authentic
Dec 19, 2018
Authentic
Dec 19, 2018
Dec 19, 2018
Before Thinking
Dec 15, 2018
Before Thinking
Dec 15, 2018
Dec 15, 2018
Mind Revolution
Dec 13, 2018
Mind Revolution
Dec 13, 2018
Dec 13, 2018
Sometimes More Suffering Is Necessary
Dec 12, 2018
Sometimes More Suffering Is Necessary
Dec 12, 2018
Dec 12, 2018
The Great Work of Life and Death
Dec 8, 2018
The Great Work of Life and Death
Dec 8, 2018
Dec 8, 2018
Don't Be Distracted by Inner Peace
Dec 6, 2018
Don't Be Distracted by Inner Peace
Dec 6, 2018
Dec 6, 2018
See Buddha
Dec 5, 2018
See Buddha
Dec 5, 2018
Dec 5, 2018
Wake Up, Just Now
Dec 1, 2018
Wake Up, Just Now
Dec 1, 2018
Dec 1, 2018
Completely Free
Nov 28, 2018
Completely Free
Nov 28, 2018
Nov 28, 2018
We Follow Buddha's Example
Nov 24, 2018
We Follow Buddha's Example
Nov 24, 2018
Nov 24, 2018
Find Your Center
Nov 22, 2018
Find Your Center
Nov 22, 2018
Nov 22, 2018
Very Simple
Nov 21, 2018
Very Simple
Nov 21, 2018
Nov 21, 2018
Happiness
Nov 17, 2018
Happiness
Nov 17, 2018
Nov 17, 2018
Find Your Seed
Nov 15, 2018
Find Your Seed
Nov 15, 2018
Nov 15, 2018
Don't Make Zen Special
Nov 14, 2018
Don't Make Zen Special
Nov 14, 2018
Nov 14, 2018
Put Down Your Prejudices
Nov 10, 2018
Put Down Your Prejudices
Nov 10, 2018
Nov 10, 2018
Lose Everything
Nov 8, 2018
Lose Everything
Nov 8, 2018
Nov 8, 2018
What Is Mind?
Nov 7, 2018
What Is Mind?
Nov 7, 2018
Nov 7, 2018
Everything is Truth
Nov 1, 2018
Everything is Truth
Nov 1, 2018
Nov 1, 2018
Featured
Perceiving Sound
Nov 3, 2018
Perceiving Sound
Nov 3, 2018
Nov 3, 2018
Like & Dislike Prison
Nov 1, 2018
Like & Dislike Prison
Nov 1, 2018
Nov 1, 2018
Dry Cognition Cannot Help Your Life
Oct 31, 2018
Dry Cognition Cannot Help Your Life
Oct 31, 2018
Oct 31, 2018
Our Practicing Direction
Oct 27, 2018
Our Practicing Direction
Oct 27, 2018
Oct 27, 2018
Where Is Your Mind?
Oct 25, 2018
Where Is Your Mind?
Oct 25, 2018
Oct 25, 2018
Everyday Mind
Oct 24, 2018
Everyday Mind
Oct 24, 2018
Oct 24, 2018
The Only Moment
Oct 20, 2018
The Only Moment
Oct 20, 2018
Oct 20, 2018
Become a Human Being
Oct 18, 2018
Become a Human Being
Oct 18, 2018
Oct 18, 2018
Intellectual Understanding
Oct 17, 2018
Intellectual Understanding
Oct 17, 2018
Oct 17, 2018
Four Seasons
Oct 13, 2018
Four Seasons
Oct 13, 2018
Oct 13, 2018
You Lack Nothing
Oct 11, 2018
You Lack Nothing
Oct 11, 2018
Oct 11, 2018
Pulling the Rug Out
Oct 10, 2018
Pulling the Rug Out
Oct 10, 2018
Oct 10, 2018
Mind Makes Everything
Oct 6, 2018
Mind Makes Everything
Oct 6, 2018
Oct 6, 2018
Karma Disappeared
Oct 4, 2018
Karma Disappeared
Oct 4, 2018
Oct 4, 2018
Without Resentment
Oct 3, 2018
Without Resentment
Oct 3, 2018
Oct 3, 2018
Wanting Enlightenment
Sep 29, 2018
Wanting Enlightenment
Sep 29, 2018
Sep 29, 2018
Like and Dislike Mind
Sep 28, 2018
Like and Dislike Mind
Sep 28, 2018
Sep 28, 2018
Good Season
Sep 26, 2018
Good Season
Sep 26, 2018
Sep 26, 2018
Keen-Eyed Teacher
Sep 22, 2018
Keen-Eyed Teacher
Sep 22, 2018
Sep 22, 2018
Community
Sep 20, 2018
Community
Sep 20, 2018
Sep 20, 2018
More Important Than Buddhism
Sep 19, 2018
More Important Than Buddhism
Sep 19, 2018
Sep 19, 2018
Don't Be Afraid of Your Sickness
Sep 15, 2018
Don't Be Afraid of Your Sickness
Sep 15, 2018
Sep 15, 2018
Zen Practice Means Look at Yourself
Sep 12, 2018
Zen Practice Means Look at Yourself
Sep 12, 2018
Sep 12, 2018
Your Payment to the Four Elements
Sep 8, 2018
Your Payment to the Four Elements
Sep 8, 2018
Sep 8, 2018
Obstacles
Sep 5, 2018
Obstacles
Sep 5, 2018
Sep 5, 2018
The Base of Practice
Sep 1, 2018
The Base of Practice
Sep 1, 2018
Sep 1, 2018
This Is Zen
Aug 29, 2018
This Is Zen
Aug 29, 2018
Aug 29, 2018
Beginning of the End
Aug 25, 2018
Beginning of the End
Aug 25, 2018
Aug 25, 2018
True Substance
Aug 22, 2018
True Substance
Aug 22, 2018
Aug 22, 2018
Formal Practice
Aug 18, 2018
Formal Practice
Aug 18, 2018
Aug 18, 2018
Featured
Very Simple
Aug 15, 2018
Very Simple
Aug 15, 2018
Aug 15, 2018
When, Not If
Aug 8, 2018
When, Not If
Aug 8, 2018
Aug 8, 2018
True Meditation
Aug 4, 2018
True Meditation
Aug 4, 2018
Aug 4, 2018
Direct Experience
Aug 1, 2018
Direct Experience
Aug 1, 2018
Aug 1, 2018
Zen Has No Road
Jul 28, 2018
Zen Has No Road
Jul 28, 2018
Jul 28, 2018
Everything is Meditation
Jul 25, 2018
Everything is Meditation
Jul 25, 2018
Jul 25, 2018
Two Essential Questions
Jul 21, 2018
Two Essential Questions
Jul 21, 2018
Jul 21, 2018
Your True Teachers
Jul 18, 2018
Your True Teachers
Jul 18, 2018
Jul 18, 2018
True Home
Jul 14, 2018
True Home
Jul 14, 2018
Jul 14, 2018
Who Made This
Jul 10, 2018
Who Made This
Jul 10, 2018
Jul 10, 2018
Good Actions Cannot Change Your Karma
Jul 7, 2018
Good Actions Cannot Change Your Karma
Jul 7, 2018
Jul 7, 2018
Completely Free
Jul 4, 2018
Completely Free
Jul 4, 2018
Jul 4, 2018
Fortune Telling Is Not Difficult
Jun 30, 2018
Fortune Telling Is Not Difficult
Jun 30, 2018
Jun 30, 2018
You Mustn't Worry
Jun 29, 2018
You Mustn't Worry
Jun 29, 2018
Jun 29, 2018
Head and Heart
Jun 23, 2018
Head and Heart
Jun 23, 2018
Jun 23, 2018
The Source of Suffering
Jun 20, 2018
The Source of Suffering
Jun 20, 2018
Jun 20, 2018
Strong Sitting
Jun 19, 2018
Strong Sitting
Jun 19, 2018
Jun 19, 2018
Practicing Alone
Jun 19, 2018
Practicing Alone
Jun 19, 2018
Jun 19, 2018
The Zen Hall
Jun 12, 2018
The Zen Hall
Jun 12, 2018
Jun 12, 2018
This Whole World Is a Dream
Jun 8, 2018
This Whole World Is a Dream
Jun 8, 2018
Jun 8, 2018
Find the Seed
May 30, 2018
Find the Seed
May 30, 2018
May 30, 2018
"What is this not-moving thing?"
May 25, 2018
"What is this not-moving thing?"
May 25, 2018
May 25, 2018
"Your true self is always shining and free."
May 19, 2018
"Your true self is always shining and free."
May 19, 2018
May 19, 2018
"What is it that we’re defending?"
May 16, 2018
"What is it that we’re defending?"
May 16, 2018
May 16, 2018
Become Buddha
May 15, 2018
Become Buddha
May 15, 2018
May 15, 2018
Three Conditions
May 15, 2018
Three Conditions
May 15, 2018
May 15, 2018
Featured
Stay Nimble
May 8, 2018
Stay Nimble
May 8, 2018
May 8, 2018
Your True
May 2, 2018
Your True
May 2, 2018
May 2, 2018
Easy and Difficult
Apr 27, 2018
Easy and Difficult
Apr 27, 2018
Apr 27, 2018
Direct Experience
Apr 18, 2018
Direct Experience
Apr 18, 2018
Apr 18, 2018
Strong Sitting
Apr 17, 2018
Strong Sitting
Apr 17, 2018
Apr 17, 2018
Good and bad do not matter.
Apr 17, 2018
Good and bad do not matter.
Apr 17, 2018
Apr 17, 2018
The thought itself is Buddha
Apr 10, 2018
The thought itself is Buddha
Apr 10, 2018
Apr 10, 2018
We are all like rocks
Apr 4, 2018
We are all like rocks
Apr 4, 2018
Apr 4, 2018
The Wisdom Is Already There
Apr 3, 2018
The Wisdom Is Already There
Apr 3, 2018
Apr 3, 2018
Where Zen Practice Begins
Mar 21, 2018
Where Zen Practice Begins
Mar 21, 2018
Mar 21, 2018
Imbalance Is the World's Sickness
Mar 21, 2018
Imbalance Is the World's Sickness
Mar 21, 2018
Mar 21, 2018
Good Answer, Bad Answer
Mar 21, 2018
Good Answer, Bad Answer
Mar 21, 2018
Mar 21, 2018
Look Inside
Mar 21, 2018
Look Inside
Mar 21, 2018
Mar 21, 2018
Where is this I?
Feb 28, 2018
Where is this I?
Feb 28, 2018
Feb 28, 2018
Middle Path Quote
Feb 27, 2018
Middle Path Quote
Feb 27, 2018
Feb 27, 2018
Zen does not explain anything
Feb 27, 2018
Zen does not explain anything
Feb 27, 2018
Feb 27, 2018
Zen isn't a religion
Feb 20, 2018
Zen isn't a religion
Feb 20, 2018
Feb 20, 2018
Spontaneous Goodness
Feb 16, 2018
Spontaneous Goodness
Feb 16, 2018
Feb 16, 2018
True Nature
Feb 7, 2018
True Nature
Feb 7, 2018
Feb 7, 2018
The Great Work of Life and Death
Feb 2, 2018
The Great Work of Life and Death
Feb 2, 2018
Feb 2, 2018
Put down our prejudices
Jan 31, 2018
Put down our prejudices
Jan 31, 2018
Jan 31, 2018
Mind Revolution
Jan 31, 2018
Mind Revolution
Jan 31, 2018
Jan 31, 2018
Our Practicing Direction
Jan 31, 2018
Our Practicing Direction
Jan 31, 2018
Jan 31, 2018
Too Late
Jan 31, 2018
Too Late
Jan 31, 2018
Jan 31, 2018
Wake up just now
Jan 31, 2018
Wake up just now
Jan 31, 2018
Jan 31, 2018
Getting and Losing
Jan 31, 2018
Getting and Losing
Jan 31, 2018
Jan 31, 2018
Everything is truth
Jan 12, 2018
Everything is truth
Jan 12, 2018
Jan 12, 2018
Find your center
Jan 6, 2018
Find your center
Jan 6, 2018
Jan 6, 2018
Truly Happy
Jan 3, 2018
Truly Happy
Jan 3, 2018
Jan 3, 2018

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"There is actually nowhere else for us to become a Buddha but right now, in this place." Quote by Zen Master Seung Sahn. #zen #buddha #meditation #moment #zmseungsahn #kwanumzen
You must decide to practice and very strongly keep this decision. This requires great faith, great courage, and great questioning.
What is great faith? Great faith means that at all times you keep the mind which decided to practice no matter what. It is like a hen sitting on her eggs. She sits on them constantly, caring for them and giving them warmth, so that they will hatch. If she becomes careless or negligent the eggs will not hatch and will not become chicks. So Zen mind means always and everywhere believing in myself. I vow to become Buddha and save all people.
Next, what is great courage? This means bringing all your energy to one point. It is like a cat hunting a mouse. The mouse has retreated into its hole, but the cat waits outside the hole for hours on end without the slightest movement. It is totally concentrated on the mouse hole. This is Zen mind cutting off all thinking and directing all your energy to one point.
Next, great questioning. This is like a child who thinks only of its mother, or a man dying of thirst who thinks only of water. It is called one mind. If you question with great sincerity, there will only be don’t know mind. If you keep these three, great faith, great courage, and great questioning, you will soon attain enlightenment. —Zen Master Seung Sahn (Photo by Sven Mahr.) #zen #buddhism #greatfaith #greatcourage #greatdoubt #meditation #buddha #zenmind #onemind #enlightenment #zmseungsahn #kwanumzen
Zen Master Seung Sahn with Jakusho Kwong Roshi (at left) and Taizan Maezumi Roshi (on right) during the Whole World Is a Single Flower Conference 1993, Korea. #throwbackthursday #kwanumzen #zmseungsahn #wwsf
"When we are really stuck, when we don't know, when we have this 'don't-know' completely, then everything, whatever you hear, whatever you see, what you touch, everything becomes Buddha." Quote by Zen Master Gu Ja. #zen #buddha #meditation #thinking #kwanumzen
"If you want to attain the truth, you must have a revolution in your mind." Quote by Zen Master Seung Sahn. #zen #truth #revolution #becomeone #moment #freedom #zmseungsahn #kwanumzen
All these years of training taught me that there is just a fine thread between life and death. When you attain “before thinking,” there is no life, no death. Zen Master Seung Sahn said that just to perceive life is life, and death is death, is not enough. One more step is necessary. This step is how to use our situation and karma to help all beings. That is great love, great compassion, the great Bodhisattva way. That is our direction. So if we practice, then we can use—and even change—our situation and karma for ourselves, as well as for the people around us. If we are not practicing, then we will be controlled by our karma and situation. We have no freedom from life and death. This is the most precious teaching I ever received. —Zen Master Dae Kwan (Photo by Sven Mahr.) #zen #lifeanddeath #karma #compassion #bodhisattva #freedom #kwanumzen
"Understanding kong-ans is not important." Quote by Zen Master Seung Sahn. #zen #koans #dailylife #understanding #moment #connect #zmseungsahn #kwanumzen
Deciding to practice is very important. Why do you come into this world? Human beings originally have no meaning and no direction. But if you can find your correct direction and help all beings, then great direction appears. That’s your job. That’s a human being’s correct job.
So what is a human being’s correct job? Human beings are originally nothing. The Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng said “originally nothing.” But that’s just an idea; you must attain “nothing” and find your correct job. This is very important. The Heart Sutra says no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind. This is our practicing technique. See, not see. Hear, not hear. Taste, not taste. Only one mind. One mind means no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind. Then Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi appears; this is truth. Open eyes. Open ears. Open mouth. Open your body. Open your mind. Then you can see: my job AAAAAAHHH… I understand my job! Understanding your job means Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi. That’s “truth.” You must attain truth. Next, how does truth correctly function? Truth’s correct function is to help all beings. That’s a very important point. That’s the meaning of gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha. Everyone attains nirvana together – together-action. Nirvana is the place of together-action. —Zen Master Seung Sahn #zen #human #heartsutra #annutarasamyaksambodhi #truth #correctionfunction #nirvana #togetheraction #zmseungsahn #kwanumzen
Zen Master Seung Sahn meeting Catholic monks in Poland, late 1980's. #throwbackthursday #zmseungsahn #kwanumzen

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