When a man no longer confuses himself with the definition of himself that others have given him, he is at once universal and unique.

People sometimes fail to live because they are always preparing to live.

But the transformation of consciousness undertaken in Taoism and Zen is more like the correction of faulty perception or the curing of a disease. It is not an acquisitive process of learning more and more facts or greater and greater skills, but rather an unlearning of wrong habits and opinions. As Lao-tzu said, "The scholar gains every day, but the Taoist loses every day.

Running away from fear is fear; fighting pain is pain; trying to be brave is being scared

Essentially Satori is a sudden experience, and it is often described as a "turning over" of the mind, just as a pair of scales will suddenly turn over when a sufficient amount of material has been poured into one pan to overbalance the weight in the other. Hence it is an experience which generally occurs after a long and concentrated effort to discover the meaning of Zen.

I want ... to consort with people whose emotions are not ... cold and standoffish.

Truly great companies are built on ideals, not just deals.