Who would then deny that when I am sipping tea in my tearoom I am
swallowing the whole universe with it and that this very moment of my
lifting the bowl to my lips is eternity itself transcending time and
space?
In fact, the truth of Zen is the truth of life, and life means to live, to move, to act; not merely to reflect.
Zen professes itself to be the spirit of
Buddhism, but in fact it is the spirit of all religions and
philosophies. When Zen is thoroughly understood, absolute peace of mind
is attained, and a man lives as he ought to live. What more may we hope?
The basic idea of Zen is to come in touch with
the inner workings of our being, and to do this in the most direct way
possible, without resorting to anything external or superadded.
Therefore, anything that has the semblance of an external authority is
rejected by Zen. Absolute faith is placed in a man's own inner being.
For whatever authority there is in Zen, all comes from within.
Quotes by D. T. Suzuki
- How much do you live, move, and act?
- To what extent do you enjoy peace of mind?
- How much faith do you have in yourself?
