Everything you do is right, nothing you do is wrong, yet you must still make ceaseless effort.

We try, and we try, and we fail; and then we go deeper.

Zen is not some fancy, special art of living. Our teaching is just to live, always in reality, in its exact sense. To make our effort, moment after moment, is our way.

Zen is everywhere.... But for you, Zen is right here.

Moment after moment everything comes out of nothingness. This is the true joy of life.

The best way to control cow and sheep is to give them a big grazing field.

So the most difficult thing is always to keep your beginner's mind. There is no need to have a deep understanding of Zen. Even though you read much Zen literature, you must read each sentence with a fresh mind. You should not say, "I know what Zen is," or "I have attained enlightenment." This is also the real secret of the arts: always be a beginner. Be very very careful about this point. If you start to practice zazen, you will begin to appreciate your beginner's mind. It is the secret of Zen practice.