Practice Quotes by Shunryu Suzuki

“To take this posture itself is the purpose of our practice.”

— Shunryu Suzuki

“But do not give up your practice; continue it, knowing your weakness.”

— Shunryu Suzuki

“Our way to practice is one step at a time, on breath at a time.”

— Shunryu Suzuki

“Zen practice is to open up our small mind.”

— Shunryu Suzuki

“Waves are the practice of the water.”

— Shunryu Suzuki

The purpose of our practice is just to be yourself.

— Shunryu Suzuki

“For the beginner, practice without effort is not true practice.”

— Shunryu Suzuki

Even though you have pain in your legs, you can do it. Even though your practice is not good enough, you can…

— Shunryu Suzuki

If you take pride in your attainment or become discouraged because of your idealistic effort, your practice will confine you by a…

— Shunryu Suzuki

“It is when your practice is rather greedy that you become discouraged with it.”

— Shunryu Suzuki

Let your ears hear without trying to hear. Let the mind think without trying to think and without trying to stop it.…

— Shunryu Suzuki

“But the way of practice is just to be concentrated on your breathing with the right posture and with great, pure effort.”

— Shunryu Suzuki

When the restrictions you have do not limit you, this is what we mean by practice.

— Shunryu Suzuki

The more you practice zazen, the more you will be able to accept something as your own, whatever it is.

— Shunryu Suzuki

“You should rather be grateful for the weeds, because eventually they will enrich your practice.”

— Shunryu Suzuki

If your practice is good, you may become proud of it. What you do is good, but something more is added to…

— Shunryu Suzuki

“Actually we do not have any particular name for our practice; when we practice zazen we just practice it, and whether we…

— Shunryu Suzuki

If you continue this simple practice every day, you will obtain some wonderful power. Before you attain it, it is something wonderful,…

— Shunryu Suzuki

So it is not a matter of whether it is possible to attain Buddhahood, or if it is possible to make a…

— Shunryu Suzuki

If you want to study Zen, you should forget all your previous ideas and just practice zazen and see what kind of…

— Shunryu Suzuki

We do not slight the idea of enlightenment, but the most important thing is this moment, not some day in the future.…

— Shunryu Suzuki

“While you are continuing this practice, week after week, year after year, your experience will become deeper and deeper, and your experience…

— Shunryu Suzuki

“So even though you have some difficulty in your practice, even though you have some waves while you are sitting, those waves…

— Shunryu Suzuki

In the beginner's mind there is no thought, "I have attained something." All self-centered thoughts limit our vast mind. When we have…

— Shunryu Suzuki

So the most difficult thing is always to keep your beginner's mind. There is no need to have a deep understanding of…

— Shunryu Suzuki

The mind we have when we practice zazen is the great mind: we don't try to see anything; we stop conceptual thinking;…

— Shunryu Suzuki

If you understand real practice, then archery or other activities can be zen. If you don't understand how to practice archery in…

— Shunryu Suzuki

While you are continuing this practice, week after week, year after year, your experience will become deeper and deeper, and your experience…

— Shunryu Suzuki

If enlightenment comes first, before thinking, before practice, your thinking and your practice will not be self-centered. By enlightenment I mean believing…

— Shunryu Suzuki

The practice of Zen mind is beginner's mind. The innocence of the first inquiry—what am I?—is needed throughout Zen practice. The mind…

— Shunryu Suzuki

“Our way is not to sit to acquire something; it is to express our true nature. That is our practice.”

— Shunryu Suzuki

“But as long as you think you are practicing zazen for the sake of something, that is not true practice.”

— Shunryu Suzuki

You should rather be grateful for the weeds you have in your mind, because eventually they will enrich your practice.

— Shunryu Suzuki

The secret of Soto Zen is just two words: not always so… In Japanese, it's two words, three words in English. That…

— Shunryu Suzuki

“Just continue in your calm, ordinary practice and your character will be built up.”

— Shunryu Suzuki

“There is no particular way in true practice. You should find your own way, and you should know what kind of practice…

— Shunryu Suzuki

“In your practice you should accept everything as it is, giving to each thing the same respect given to a Buddha.”

— Shunryu Suzuki

If you think you will get something from practicing zazen, already you are involved in impure practice.

— Shunryu Suzuki

The true practice to meditation is to sit as if you where drinking water when you are thursty.

— Shunryu Suzuki

Zazen practice and everyday activity are one thing. We call zazen everyday life, and everyday life zazen.

— Shunryu Suzuki