The silence of the mountain is even more beautiful once the birds are quiet.

Descartes said, "I think, therefore I am." I say, "I do not think, that is why I exist."

Nobody today is normal, everybody is a little bit crazy or unbalanced, people's minds are running all the time. Their perceptions of the world are partial, incomplete. They are eaten alive by their egos. They think they see, but they are mistaken; all they do is project their madness, their world, upon the world. There is no clarity, no wisdom in that!

During zazen, brain and consciousness become pure. It's exactly like muddy water left to stand in a glass. Little by little, the sediment sinks to the bottom and the water becomes pure.

If we achieve satori and the satori shows, like a bit of dogshit stuck to the top of our nose, that is not so good.

In a fight between a strong technique and a strong body, technique will prevail. In a fight between a strong mind and a strong technique, mind will prevail, because it will find the weak point.

The body moves naturally, automatically, without any personal intervention or awareness. If we think too much, our actions become slow and hesitant.