Woetoe’s Reviews > Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice > Status Update

‘In order to see a fish you must watch the water.’

‘In order to see a fish you must watch the water.’

‘Before the rain stops we can hear a bird. Even under the heavy snow we see snowdrops and some new growth.’

‘The basic teaching of Buddhism is the teaching of transiency, or change. That everything changes is the basic truth for each existence.’

When we believe in our way firmly, we have already attained enlightenment.’

‘Usually when you listen to some statement, you hear it as a kind of echo of yourself. You are actually listening to your own opinion. If it agrees with your opinion you may accept it, but if it does not, you will reject it or you may even not even really hear it. That is one danger when you listen to someone.’

‘It is when your practice is rather greedy that you become discouraged with it. So you should be grateful that you have a sign or warning signal to show you the weak point in your practice.’

‘Building characrer is like making bread — you have to mix it little by little, step by step, and moderate temperature is needed.’

‘You should rather be grateful for the weeds, because eventually they will enrich your practice. If you have some experience of how the weeds in your mind change into mental nourishment, your practice will make remarkable progress.’

‘The teaching which is written on paper is not the true teaching.’