“The source of all suffering is desire,” he began. “And desire arises from the mind’s attachments to the senses. Freedom is to empty the mind of all thoughts. To have no mind or thought is satori, the liberated state.” His eyes shut tightly in concentration as he explained that Zen is to understand the meaning of life directly, without being distracted by logical thought or words. “You are Buddha,” he said, “but you must discover it yourself. All beings are Buddha as ice in essence is water.” He recalled, “The great D.T. Suzuki has written that the practice of Zen means a life of humility; a
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