--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As an old man I have my own practice. It…" description: "\"“As an old man I have my own practice. It is different from that of youth. It is not working facing outward, but just facing inward, gazing at myself. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/kosho-uchiyama-46196_old-man_as-an-old-man-i-have-my-own-practice-it_1422591.jpg" --- # As an old man I have my own practice. It is different from… ![“As an old man I have my own practice. It is different from that of youth. It is not working facing outward, but just facing inward, gazing at myself. And like the clouds that disappear into the expansive sky I, too, will disappear quietly.” quote by Kosho Uchiyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/kosho-uchiyama-46196_old-man_as-an-old-man-i-have-my-own-practice-it_1422591.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/kosho-uchiyama-46196_old-man_as-an-old-man-i-have-my-own-practice-it_1422591.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/kosho-uchiyama-46196_old-man_as-an-old-man-i-have-my-own-practice-it_1422591.jpg) > ““As an old man I have my own practice. It is different from that of youth. It is not working facing outward, but just facing inward, gazing at myself. And like the clouds that disappear into the expansive sky I, too, will disappear quietly.”” [Kosho Uchiyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kosho-uchiyama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The practice shifts from outward focus to inward contemplation, likening personal dissolution to clouds merging with the sky, suggesting humility and impermanence. **In simple terms:** Turn inward, let self dissolve like clouds. Key Takeaway Embrace impermanence through inner reflection. Themes mindfulness impermanence humility Mood tranquil contemplative Type spiritual philosophical When to use this quote - meditation retreats - personal introspection - spiritual counseling Key Concepts Zen Buddhism spiritual practice philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How does turning inward change your perception? - What does “disappear quietly” mean to you? A Different Perspective May be abstract for beginners. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Facing Inward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facing-inward-5042365/) [Facing Outward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facing-outward-5042366/) [Inward Gazing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inward-gazing-5042364/) [Man Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-practice-412527/) [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) ## Related quotes > [Anyone can practice. Young man can practice. Old man can practice. Very old man can practice. Man who is sick, he can practice. Man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-pattabhi-jois/anyone-can-practice-young-man-can-practice-old-man-can-practice-very/) [K. Pattabhi Jois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-pattabhi-jois/) > [One man cannot practice many arts with success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/one-man-cannot-practice-many-arts-with-success/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Let a man practice the profession which he best knows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/let-a-man-practice-the-profession-which-he-best-knows/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [A man should practice what he preaches, but a man should also preach what he practices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/a-man-should-practice-what-he-preaches-but-a-man-should-also-preach/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Really, for a man who had been out of practice for so many years it was a splendid laugh!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/really-for-a-man-who-had-been-out-of-practice-for-so-many-years-it/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Let every man practice the art that he knows best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/let-every-man-practice-the-art-that-he-knows-best/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“He wants to dream like a young man with the wisdom of a old man, he wants his home and securities, he wants to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-seger/he-wants-to-dream-like-a-young-man-with-the-wisdom-of-a-old-man-he/) [Bob Seger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-seger/) > [“IN the year 1888 Herr von Pasenow was seventy, and there were people who felt an extraordinary and inexplicable repulsion when they saw him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-broch/in-the-year-1888-herr-von-pasenow-was-seventy-and-there-were-people/) [Hermann Broch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-broch/) > [“You think people was meaner then than they are now? the deputy said. The old man was looking out at the flooded town. No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-think-people-was-meaner-then-than-they-are-now-the-deputy-said/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [There was an Old Man of Messina, Whose daughter was named Opsibeena; She wore a small wig, and rode out on a pig, To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/there-was-an-old-man-of-messina-whose-daughter-was-named-opsibeena/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) > [My old man was ruthless. He terrorised us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hunt/my-old-man-was-ruthless-he-terrorised-us/) [Mark Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hunt/) > [Therefore, brethren, pray until God gives us revelation so that "knowing this" in our spirit we may truly confess "that our old man has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/watchman-nee/therefore-brethren-pray-until-god-gives-us-revelation-so-that-knowing/) [Watchman Nee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/watchman-nee/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [The old men of the village of Mahotière say that the Mistress of the Water is a mulatto woman. At midnight she comes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/the-old-men-of-the-village-of-mahoti-re-say-that-the-mistress-of-the/) [Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/) > [“You’d better keep her tied.” “Why?” A yawn stretched Hunter’s dark face. “Because she’s looking skittish.” “She’s naked.” Sheathing his knife, Hunter flopped on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/you-d-better-keep-her-tied-why-a-yawn-stretched-hunter-s-dark-face/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) ## More by Kosho Uchiyama > [The power of life that is buried deep inside you will never rise up until you have become convinced that you're walking the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kosho-uchiyama/the-power-of-life-that-is-buried-deep-inside-you-will-never-rise-up/) [Kosho Uchiyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kosho-uchiyama/) > [Everything you encounter is your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kosho-uchiyama/everything-you-encounter-is-your-life/) [Kosho Uchiyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kosho-uchiyama/) > [When we let go of all our notions about things, everything becomes really true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kosho-uchiyama/when-we-let-go-of-all-our-notions-about-things-everything-becomes/) [Kosho Uchiyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kosho-uchiyama/) > [The first undeniable reality is that every living thing dies, and the second undeniable reality is that we suffer throughout our lives because we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kosho-uchiyama/the-first-undeniable-reality-is-that-every-living-thing-dies-and-the/) [Kosho Uchiyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kosho-uchiyama/) > [Our life is whatever we are encountering right now, and our practice is shikantaza, which is literally 'just sitting.' More broadly it means to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kosho-uchiyama/our-life-is-whatever-we-are-encountering-right-now-and-our-practice/) [Kosho Uchiyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kosho-uchiyama/) > [Whatever way you put it, I am here only because my world is here. When I took my first breath, my world was born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kosho-uchiyama/whatever-way-you-put-it-i-am-here-only-because-my-world-is-here-when/) [Kosho Uchiyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kosho-uchiyama/) > [Your true self is beyond either relying on others or avoiding them in order to know who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kosho-uchiyama/your-true-self-is-beyond-either-relying-on-others-or-avoiding-them-in/) [Kosho Uchiyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kosho-uchiyama/) [Explore all 8 Kosho Uchiyama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kosho-uchiyama/) ## More Old man quotes > [“You’d better keep her tied.” “Why?” A yawn stretched Hunter’s dark face. “Because she’s looking skittish.” “She’s naked.” Sheathing his knife, Hunter flopped on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-anderson/you-d-better-keep-her-tied-why-a-yawn-stretched-hunter-s-dark-face/) [Catherine Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-anderson/) > [The old men of the village of Mahotière say that the Mistress of the Water is a mulatto woman. At midnight she comes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/the-old-men-of-the-village-of-mahoti-re-say-that-the-mistress-of-the/) [Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [Therefore, brethren, pray until God gives us revelation so that "knowing this" in our spirit we may truly confess "that our old man has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/watchman-nee/therefore-brethren-pray-until-god-gives-us-revelation-so-that-knowing/) [Watchman Nee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/watchman-nee/) > [My old man was ruthless. He terrorised us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hunt/my-old-man-was-ruthless-he-terrorised-us/) [Mark Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hunt/) > [There was an Old Man of Messina, Whose daughter was named Opsibeena; She wore a small wig, and rode out on a pig, To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lear/there-was-an-old-man-of-messina-whose-daughter-was-named-opsibeena/) [Edward Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lear/) > [“You think people was meaner then than they are now? the deputy said. The old man was looking out at the flooded town. No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/you-think-people-was-meaner-then-than-they-are-now-the-deputy-said/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“IN the year 1888 Herr von Pasenow was seventy, and there were people who felt an extraordinary and inexplicable repulsion when they saw him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-broch/in-the-year-1888-herr-von-pasenow-was-seventy-and-there-were-people/) [Hermann Broch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-broch/) > [“He wants to dream like a young man with the wisdom of a old man, he wants his home and securities, he wants to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-seger/he-wants-to-dream-like-a-young-man-with-the-wisdom-of-a-old-man-he/) [Bob Seger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-seger/) > [The true love suddenly broken, not only but like the old man who has lost the stick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-true-love-suddenly-broken-not-only-but-like-the-old-man-who-has/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I’m 59 and people call me middle aged. How many 118 year old men do you know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-cryer/i-m-59-and-people-call-me-middle-aged-how-many-118-year-old-men-do/) [Barry Cryer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-cryer/) > [The barman sidled toward them out of a back room. He was a grump-looking old man with a great deal of a long gray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-barman-sidled-toward-them-out-of-a-back-room-he-was-a-grump/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You don't get to choose if you get hurt in this world, old man, but you do have some say in who hurts you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/you-don-t-get-to-choose-if-you-get-hurt-in-this-world-old-man-but-you/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [A tall, thin old man waving a scorecard from the corner of his dugout. That's baseball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-harwell/a-tall-thin-old-man-waving-a-scorecard-from-the-corner-of-his-dugout/) [Ernie Harwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-harwell/) > [God has given this way of life to Israel: to abstain from everything which is contrary to nature, that is to say, anger, fits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poemen/god-has-given-this-way-of-life-to-israel-to-abstain-from-everything/) [Poemen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poemen/) [Browse all 2,184 Old man quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As an old man I have my own practice. It is different from that of youth. It is not working facing outward, but just facing inward, gazing at myself. 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