The brightly shining mind is never absent but is colored by the thoughts and emotions that people put upon it. If you were to see the luminous freedom of this mind, you would cultivate it before any other, keeping it free from all attachments.

- Anguttara Nikaya

The right attitude for studying the way is just complete spontaneous acquiescence. Who cares whether it takes twenty or thirty years; you'll be naturally at peace, without the slightest bit of doubt or confusion. How can there be any obstruction again after spontaneous acquiescence? How can anyone arrive by way of externals?

- Ming-pen
Focus, not on the rudenesses of others, not on what they've done or left undone, but on what you have & haven't done yourself.

- Dhammapada, 4, translation by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.


We should always live in the dark empty sky. The sky is always the sky. Even though clouds and lightning come, the sky is not disturbed. Even if the flashing of enlightenment comes, our practice forgets all about it. Then it is ready for another enlightenment.

- Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind"