--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think you're all enlightened, until you…" description: "\"I think you're all enlightened, until you open your mouths.\" — Shunryu Suzuki" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/shunryu-suzuki-1280_enlightened_i-think-you-re-all-enlightened-until-you_2287963.png" --- # I think you're all enlightened, until you open your mouths. ![“I think you're all enlightened, until you open your mouths.” quote by Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/shunryu-suzuki-1280_enlightened_i-think-you-re-all-enlightened-until-you_2287963.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/shunryu-suzuki-1280_enlightened_i-think-you-re-all-enlightened-until-you_2287963.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/shunryu-suzuki-1280_enlightened_i-think-you-re-all-enlightened-until-you_2287963.png) > “I think you're all enlightened, until you open your mouths.” [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Enlightenment claims are often superficial until expressed, exposing the gap between belief and action. **In simple terms:** Talk reveals true understanding. Key Takeaway Speak to test your insight. Themes spirituality humility communication Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - group discussion - teaching - public speaking - spiritual practice - leadership training Key Concepts mindfulness authenticity Questions to Reflect On - Do you act on your enlightenment? - How does speaking affect your practice? A Different Perspective Words may mask lack of depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enlightened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightened/) [Enlightened Open](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightened-open-5365032/) [Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) [Mouths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mouths/) [Open Mouths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-mouths-238050/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Think Enlightened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-enlightened-1518100/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [People think that if you are enlightened you are not in touch with the pulse of the physical. Au contraire! The higher you go,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/people-think-that-if-you-are-enlightened-you-are-not-in-touch-with/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [If you can't think of an enlightened person positively, don't think of them at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-can-t-think-of-an-enlightened-person-positively-don-t-think-of/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Why do people with closed minds always open their mouths?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/why-do-people-with-closed-minds-always-open-their-mouths/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [Most people think that an enlightened Buddhist Teacher is a fireman; His job is to put the fire out so that you can live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/most-people-think-that-an-enlightened-buddhist-teacher-is-a-fireman/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [There are certain people who people think are enlightened. The problem with the word enlightenment is what you mean by it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/there-are-certain-people-who-people-think-are-enlightened-the-problem/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [If you think you are enlightened; go home for Thanksgiving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/if-you-think-you-are-enlightened-go-home-for-thanksgiving/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [You think you're enlightened. But as my lama said, when you realize the intrinsic nature of the mind, then you start to meditate. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/you-think-you-re-enlightened-but-as-my-lama-said-when-you-realize-the/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [“But as Ram Dass once said, you know, if you think you’re enlightened, go spend a weekend with your parents.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-stein/but-as-ram-dass-once-said-you-know-if-you-think-you-re-enlightened-go/) [Jean Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-stein/) > [If you see the illusion you are enlightened, but if you think that you are enlightened you are in the illusion!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-l-poonja/if-you-see-the-illusion-you-are-enlightened-but-if-you-think-that-you/) [H. W. L. Poonja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-l-poonja/) > [People have this kind of concept that they can't change but I feel like change is possible. So who you choose to be is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-marsden/people-have-this-kind-of-concept-that-they-can-t-change-but-i-feel/) [David W. Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-marsden/) > [“Do not think that enlightenment is going to make you special, it’s not. If you feel special in any way, then enlightenment has not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/do-not-think-that-enlightenment-is-going-to-make-you-special-it-s-not/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [If you think you’re enlightened go spend a week with your family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/if-you-think-you-re-enlightened-go-spend-a-week-with-your-family/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [“You are entitled to your own opinion, but this is what I believe' (implying, 'And I don’t intend to change'). What could be fairer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elouise-bell/you-are-entitled-to-your-own-opinion-but-this-is-what-i-believe/) [Elouise Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elouise-bell/) > [People get very deep experiences and they think they're enlightened. That's not enlightenment, that's just some realization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/people-get-very-deep-experiences-and-they-think-they-re-enlightened/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [There is deception. People who think they are enlightened and it's just ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-is-deception-people-who-think-they-are-enlightened-and-it-s/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## More by Shunryu Suzuki > [The point we emphasize is strong confidence in our original nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-point-we-emphasize-is-strong-confidence-in-our-original-nature/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [If you continue this simple practice every day, you will obtain some wonderful power. Before you attain it, it is something wonderful, but after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/if-you-continue-this-simple-practice-every-day-you-will-obtain-some/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [You want to eliminate your evil desires in order to reveal your Buddha nature, but where will you throw them away?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/you-want-to-eliminate-your-evil-desires-in-order-to-reveal-your/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Ego is a social institution with no physical reality. The ego is simply your symbol of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/ego-is-a-social-institution-with-no-physical-reality-the-ego-is/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [“In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the experts mind, there are few.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/in-the-beginner-s-mind-there-are-many-possibilities-in-the-experts/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [The seed has no idea of being some particular plant, but it has its own form and is in perfect harmony with the ground,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-seed-has-no-idea-of-being-some-particular-plant-but-it-has-its/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Whereever you are, you are one with the clouds and one with the sun and the stars you see. You are one with everything.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/whereever-you-are-you-are-one-with-the-clouds-and-one-with-the-sun/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [When we become truly ourselves, we just become a swinging door, and we are purely independent of, and at the same time, dependent upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/when-we-become-truly-ourselves-we-just-become-a-swinging-door-and-we/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [“Zen is not some fancy, special art of living. Our teaching is just to live, always in reality, in its exact sense. To make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/zen-is-not-some-fancy-special-art-of-living-our-teaching-is-just-to/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [So the secret is just to say 'Yes!' and jump off from here. Then there is no problem. It means to be yourself, always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/so-the-secret-is-just-to-say-yes-and-jump-off-from-here-then-there-is/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Our tendency is to be interested in something that is growing in the garden, not in the bare soil itself. But if you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/our-tendency-is-to-be-interested-in-something-that-is-growing-in-the/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [The world is its own magic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-world-is-its-own-magic/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [People say that practicing Zen is difficult, but there is a misunderstanding as to why. It is not difficult because it is hard to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/people-say-that-practicing-zen-is-difficult-but-there-is-a/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Each one of us must make his own true way, and when we do, that way will express the universal way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/each-one-of-us-must-make-his-own-true-way-and-when-we-do-that-way/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [The purpose of our practice is just to be yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-purpose-of-our-practice-is-just-to-be-yourself/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) [Explore all 262 Shunryu Suzuki quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) ## More Enlightened quotes > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. This enlightened awareness is truly unborn and marvellously illuminating; and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/an-enlightened-awareness-is-within-each-one-of-us-right-at-this/) [Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Now the stage today is to know that Self Realization gives you experiences and then your faith is established. Not blind but open enlightened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/now-the-stage-today-is-to-know-that-self-realization-gives-you/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) > [ “Through the grace of a thief, one can become a thief and through the grace of a Gnani \[the enlightened one\], one can become… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/through-the-grace-of-a-thief-one-can-become-a-thief-and-through-the/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Our attitude towards evil must be freed from hatred, and has itself need to be enlightened in character...Satan rejoices when he succeeds in inspiring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-berdyaev/our-attitude-towards-evil-must-be-freed-from-hatred-and-has-itself/) [Nikolai Berdyaev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-berdyaev/) > [I think enlightenment is something that you decide to do after you have met someone who is enlightened. Something touches your heart, your being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-enlightenment-is-something-that-you-decide-to-do-after-you/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“The more that the human mind is enlightened, the more desirous it becomes of farther acquisitions in knowledge. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-stewart/the-more-that-the-human-mind-is-enlightened-the-more-desirous-it/) [Alexander Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-stewart/) > [The enlightened attention rejects nothing nor welcomes anything-like a mirror it responds equally to all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuangzi/the-enlightened-attention-rejects-nothing-nor-welcomes-anything-like/) [Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/) > [So too, monks, I saw the ancient path, the ancient road traveled by the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past. And what is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/so-too-monks-i-saw-the-ancient-path-the-ancient-road-traveled-by-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [We do not have to be ashamed of what we are. As sentient beings we have wonderful backgrounds. These backgrounds may not be particularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-do-not-have-to-be-ashamed-of-what-we-are-as-sentient-beings-we/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [For I did not know that the soul needs to be enlightened by light from outside itself, so that it can participate in truth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/for-i-did-not-know-that-the-soul-needs-to-be-enlightened-by-light/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [As a child there was no place for adventure or experimentation. I guess that kind of freedom started in high school with punk rock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mcnairy/as-a-child-there-was-no-place-for-adventure-or-experimentation-i/) [Mark McNairy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mcnairy/) > [In dealing with those who share his bed, the enlightened ruler may enjoy their beauty but should not listen to their special pleas...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/han-fei/in-dealing-with-those-who-share-his-bed-the-enlightened-ruler-may/) [Han Fei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/han-fei/) > [“Even when you have been somewhat enlightened by what you have read, you are called upon to continue the serach for significance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-j-adler/even-when-you-have-been-somewhat-enlightened-by-what-you-have-read/) [Mortimer J. Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-j-adler/) > [I want to engage people in an honest, enlightened, and provocative conversation about the nature of erotic desire and the intricacies of intimacy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/i-want-to-engage-people-in-an-honest-enlightened-and-provocative/) [Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/) [Browse all 1,151 Enlightened quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightened/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think you're all enlightened, until you open your mouths.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shunryu Suzuki" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/i-think-you-re-all-enlightened-until-you-open-your-mouths/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Enlightened" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/i-think-you-re-all-enlightened-until-you-open-your-mouths/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/shunryu-suzuki-1280_enlightened_i-think-you-re-all-enlightened-until-you_2287963.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/shunryu-suzuki-1280_enlightened_i-think-you-re-all-enlightened-until-you_2287963.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aae/shunryu-suzuki-1280_enlightened_i-think-you-re-all-enlightened-until-you_2287963.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think you're all enlightened, until you open your mouths.” — Shunryu Suzuki", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Shunryu Suzuki", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think you're all enlightened, until...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/i-think-you-re-all-enlightened-until-you-open-your-mouths/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/i-think-you-re-all-enlightened-until-you-open-your-mouths/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```