Meditation Quotes by D.T. Suzuki

We teach ourselves; Zen merely points the way.

— D.T. Suzuki

Zen has no business with ideas.

— D.T. Suzuki

The truth of Zen is the truth of life, and life means to live, to move, to act, not merely to reflect.

— D.T. Suzuki

Zen approaches it from the practical side of life-that is, to work out Enlightenment in life itself.

— D.T. Suzuki

Personal experience, therefore, is everything in Zen. No ideas are intelligible to those who have no backing of experience.

— D.T. Suzuki

Zen professes itself to be the spirit of Buddhism, but in fact it is the spirit of all religions and philosophies,

— D.T. Suzuki

Zen Makes use, to a great extent, of poetical expressions; Zen is wedded to poetry.

— D.T. Suzuki

Zen teaches nothing; it merely enables us to wake up and become aware. It does not teach, it points.

— D.T. Suzuki

Not to be bound by rules, but to be creating one's own rules-this is the kind of life which Zen is trying…

— D.T. Suzuki

Zen in it's essence is the art of seeing into the nature of one's being, and it points the way from bondage…

— D.T. Suzuki

When I say that Zen is life, I mean that Zen is not to be confined within conceptualization, that Zen is what…

— D.T. Suzuki

Facts of experience are valued in Zen more than representations, symbols, and concepts-that is to say, substance is everything in Zen and…

— D.T. Suzuki

Among the most remarkable features characterizing Zen we find these: spirituality, directness of expression, disregard of form or conventionalism, and frequently an…

— D.T. Suzuki

Zen is the spirit of a man. Zen believes in his inner purity and goodness. Whatever is superadded or violently torn away,…

— D.T. Suzuki

To be a good Zen Buddhist it is not enough to follow the teaching of its founder; we have to experience the…

— D.T. Suzuki

The claim of the Zen followers that they are transmitting the essence of Buddhism is based on their belief that Zen takes…

— D.T. Suzuki

If I am asked If I am asked, then, what Zen teaches, I would answer, Zen teaches nothing. Whatever teachings there are…

— D.T. Suzuki

The truth of Zen, just a little bit of it, is what turns one's humdrum life, a life of monotonous, uninspiring commonplaceness,…

— D.T. Suzuki

Zen purposes to discipline the mind itself, to make it its own master, through an insight into its proper nature. This getting…

— D.T. Suzuki

I raise my hand; I take a book from the other side of this desk; I hear the boys playing ball outside…

— D.T. Suzuki

The basic idea of Zen is to come in touch with the inner workings of our being, and to do this in…

— D.T. Suzuki

Suzuki's works on Zen Buddhism are among the best contributions to the knowledge of living Buddhism... We cannot be sufficiently grateful to…

— D.T. Suzuki

Zen, in its essence is the art of seeing into the nature of one's own being, and it points the way from…

— D.T. Suzuki

Zen abhors repetition or imitation of any kind, for it kills. For the same reason Zen never explains, but only affirms. Life…

— D.T. Suzuki

Zen wants us to acquire an entirely new point of view whereby to look into the mysteries of life and the secrets…

— D.T. Suzuki

We can see unmistakeably that there is an inner relationship between Zen and the warrior's life.

— D.T. Suzuki

Zen opens a man's eyes to the greatest mystery as it is daily and hourly performed; it enlarges the heart to embrace…

— D.T. Suzuki

Zen has nothing to teach us in the way of intellectual analysis; nor has it any set doctrines which are imposed on…

— D.T. Suzuki