One activity, one mind

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There is a saying, "To catch two birds with one stone." That is what people usually try to do. Because they want to catch too many birds they find it difficult to be concentrated on one activity, and they may end up not catching any birds at all!

(Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind")

Just Be

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When you bow, you should just bow, 
when you sit, you should just sit; 
when you eat, you should just eat. 
If you do this, the universal nature is there.

(Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind")

Study Buddhism

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The purpose of studying Buddhism is not to study Buddhism, but to study ourselves.

(Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind")

To Give

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Dogen-zenji said, "To give is non-attachment."
That is, just not to attach to anything is to give.

(Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind")

No Shadow

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When we do something with a quite simple, clear mind, we have no notion or shadows, and our activity

is strong and straightforward. But when we do something with a complicated mind, in relation to other things or people, or society, our activity becomes very complex.

(Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind")

Be Ordinary

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So try not to see something in particular; try not to achieve anything special. You already have everything in your own pure quality.

(Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind")

Right Effort

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If your practice is good, without being aware of it you will become proud of your practice. That pride is extra. What you do is good, but something more is added to it. So you should get rid of that something which is extra. This point is very, very important, but usually we are not subtle enough to realize it, and we go in the wrong direction.

(Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind")

Calm and Constant

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If your mind is calm and constant, you can keep yourself away from the noisy world even though you are in the midst of it. In the midst of noise and change, your mind will be quiet and stable.

(Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind")

You Understand Within Yourself

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When my talk is over, your listening is over. There is no need to remember what I say; there is no need to understand what I say. You understand; you have full understanding within yourself. There is no problem.

(Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind")

Right Attitude

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Even if the sun were to rise from the west, the Bodhisattva has only one way. His way is in each moment to express his nature and his sincerity.

(Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind")

Do not think about anything

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The most important thing is to forget all gaining ideas, all dualistic ideas. In other words, just practice zazen in a certain posture. Do not think about anything. Just remain on your cushion without expecting anything.

Then eventually you will resume your own true nature. That is to say, your own true nature resumes itself.

(Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind")

Nothing Special

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"If you continue this simple practice every day, you will obtain some wonderful power. Before you attain it, it is something wonderful, but after you attain it, it is nothing special."

(Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind")

Just to be sincere

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We can say either that we make progress little by little, or that we do not even expect to make progress. Just to be sincere and make our full effort in each moment is enough. There is no Nirvana outside our practice.

(Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind")

True Calmness

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Calmness of mind does not mean you should stop your activity. Real calmness should be found in activity itself. 

We say, "It is easy to have calmness in inactivity, it is hard to have calmness in activity, but calmness in activity is true calmness."

(Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind")

Bowing

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Bowing is a very serious practice. You should be prepared to bow, even in your last moment. Even though it is impossible to get rid of our self-centered desires, we have to do it. Our true nature wants us to.

(Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind")

True Practice

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If you make your best effort just to continue your practice with your whole mind and body, without gaining ideas, then whatever you do will be true practice. Just to continue should be your purpose. When you do something, just to do it should be your purpose. Form is form and you are you, and true emptiness will be realized in your practice.

(Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind")

Without Being Disturbed

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When you sit, you should just sit without being disturbed by your painful legs or sleepiness. That is zazen. But at first it is very difficult to accept things as they are. You will be annoyed by the feeling you have in your practice. When you can do everything, whether it is good or bad, without disturbance or without being annoyed by the feeling, that is actually what we mean by "form is form and emptiness is emptiness."

(Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind")

No Dualism

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To stop your mind does not mean to stop the activities of mind. It means your mind pervades your whole body. Your mind follows your breathing. With your full mind you form the mudra in your hands

(Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind")

Shoshaku jushaku

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Dogen-zenji said, "`Shoshaku jushaku.'' 
Shaku generally means "mistake" or "wrong." Shoshaku jushaku means "to succeed wrong with wrong," or one continuous mistake.
According to Dogen, one continuous mistake can also be Zen. A Zen master's life could be said to be so many years of shoshaku jushaku. This means so many years of one single-minded effort.

(Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind")

Mind weeds

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We say, "Pulling out the weeds we give nourishment to the plant."

We pull the weeds and bury them near the plant to give nourishment. So even though you have some difficulty in your practice, even though you have some waves while you are sitting, those waves themselves will help you.

(Shunryu Suzuki, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind)