Taisen Deshimaru

“Think with your whole body.”

“Do not seek the truth, only cease to cherish opinions.”

“To be free is to be detached.”

“When the ego disappears, the whole universe appears.”

“To receive everything, one must open one’s hands and give.”

“You must concentrate on the present. In the present, there is no anxiety. The past is a dream. The future is a phantom.”

“Just sitting, without any aim or goal, is the highest practice.”

“If you are a master of your mind, you are a master of your life.”

“When you do something, you should burn yourself completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.”

“The most important point is to accept yourself and stand on your two feet.”

“The practice of Zazen is the direct expression of our true nature.”

“Life and death are but a single moment.”

“You are perfect just as you are. And you could use a little improvement.”

“True freedom is to be free from the desire to be free.”

“Our life is a manifestation of our mind.”

“If you have a glass of water, you can drink it. If you have the concept of water, you can't drink it.”

“The secret of Zen is just to sit, to be in this moment, to be here and now.”