Quotes about zen

The mind that does not understand is the Buddha. There is no other.

— Ma-Tsu

You cannot describe it or draw it. You cannot praise it enough or perceive it. No place can be found in which to put the Original Face; it will not disappear even when the universe is destroyed.

— Mumon

Let go over a cliff, die completely, and then come back to life -- after that you cannot be deceived.

— Zen Saying

Learning Zen is a phenomenon of gold and dung. Before you understand it, it's like gold; after you understand it, it's like dung.

— Zen Saying

In studying the way, realizing it is hard; once you have realized it, preserving it is hard. When you can preserve it, putting it into practice is hard.

— Zen Saying

The ultimate Path is without difficulty. Just avoid picking and choosing.

— Seng-Ts'an

No thought, no reflection, no analysis, no cultivation, no intention; let it settle itself.

— Tilopa

Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes.

— Alan W. Watts

When you pass through, no one can pin you down, no one can call you back.

— Ying-An

There are no mundane things outside of Buddhism, and there is no Buddhism outside of mundane things.

— Yuan-Wu

The bee emerging from deep within the peony departs reluctantly

— Matsuo Basho

A breeze, a forgotten summer, a smile, all can fit into a storefront window.

— Dejan Stojanovic