When the restrictions you have do not limit you, this is what we mean by practice.

Concentration comes not from trying hard to focus on something, but from keeping your mind open and directing it at nothing.

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

There is no need to have a deep understanding of Zen.

There is no connection between I myself yesterday and I myself in this moment

The purpose of studying Buddhism is not to study Buddhism, but to study ourselves. That is why we have teaching. But the teaching is not ourselves. It is some explanation of ourselves. To study the teaching is to know yourselves. That is why we do not ever attach to the teaching, or to the teacher. The moment you meet a teacher you should leave the teacher, and you should be independent. You want a teacher so that you can be independent. So you study yourselves. You have the teacher for yourselves, not for the teacher.

The seed has no idea of being some particular plant, but it has its own form and is in perfect harmony with the ground, with its surroundings ... and there is no trouble. This is what we mean by naturalness.