Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.

No teaching could be more direct than just to sit down.

If your practice is good, you may become proud of it. What you do is good, but something more is added to it. Pride is extra. Right effort is to get rid of something extra.

When you say, "Wait a moment," you are bound by your karma; when you say "Yes I will," you are free.

In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few.

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.

The beginner's mind is the mind of compassion. When our mind is compassionate, it is boundless.