Zen 24/7 Quotes

“When a leaf falls from a tree, when a river flows to the sea, when a bee flits from flower to flower, it happens without "action" or "doing." Nature is simply being. In the same way, human beings should simply be.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“Thus, when we look out at the world, we are nature gazing upon itself.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“To complain about the rain, or lack of it, shows a mind out of tune with nature. Align with nature, and, rain or shine, the weather is always welcome.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet...Every step makes a flower bloom.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“Cleansed and newly born, we step from the shower and wrap ourselves in a towel.

Mother Earth waits with open arms.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“Every mundane detail, quickly forgotten, marks our time on this earth. We're doing nothing.

Just living.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“We can only be where we are: Right here, right now. Zen practice is to accept that place with calm. We cannot always be master of the situation, but we can always be master of ourselves.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“No matter what our job title, no matter what our pay, we can choose to approach our work with dignity and care.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“When we put our keys down, we should be conscious of putting them down. When we pick them up, we should be conscious of picking them up. That's all there is to zen.

The best way to remember where we put things is to have a place for them. As the saying does, "All things in their place, and a place for all things.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“When mind and action are separate, zen is lost.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“SEAVER: "What time is it?"

BERRA: "You mean now?"

No matter what time of day we check our watch, the only time is now. We may be running behind schedule, late for an appointment, or stuck in traffic, but we can't be anywhere other than where we are; our place in time cannot change. All we can do is make the best of each moment we're given.

"This day will not come again," says the zen master Takuan. "Each minute is worth a priceless gem.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“Occasionally we go on vacation to a place where there are no newspapers and no television. And when we return we find the world hasn't ended. We realize that even though following the news may be essential to making a living, it has little to do with living a spiritual life.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“People who argue

do not understand;

And people who understand

do not argue.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“Life begins with a single breath. The moment we’re born and leave the womb of our mother, we start the lifelong process of inhale-exhale that continues until the moment we die. Nothing is more basic, more vital to our lives, than breathing. Yet rarely do we give it a thought. A zen teacher once made that point dramatically before an assembled group of monks. The teacher asked, “What’s the most important thing in life?” “Food,” said one. “Work,” said another. “The pursuit of truth,” said a third. The teacher signaled for a monk to step forward. Grabbing the monk’s head, he dunked it in a tub of water and held it down until the monk came up gasping for breath. The assembly got the message: We can live days without food, years without work, or a lifetime without truth, but we cannot go more than minutes without a breath. When you awake in the morning, stretch your arms to the sky and breathe deeply. Fill your insides with the emptiness around you. Breathe easy. You’re alive.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“Zen is nothing more than adhering to such simple tasks, with full attention.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“The Buddha's lesson: Do not wait for the moment of imminent death to taste life's sweetness. Savor it now. Every breath we take is precious. Treat it as such, and all of life becomes a luscious dessert.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“Some cooks prepare their meals and leave a big mess for later, but the way of zen is to clean as you go.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“Whatever we set out to make- a meal, a table, a bed- we should make as well as we can. To do otherwise is spiritless.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“When there's no escaping the heat of the cold, the only way to combat it is to accept it.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“As the most socially accepted means of touching, a handshake is one of the main ways we exchange energy with others.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“Each trip is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“No matter how routine the commute seems, no two trips are ever the same.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“We needn't look any further ahead than today or commit to any more than taking one step. When we've taken one, we can commit to taking another. Pretty soon we've reached fifty. Pretty soon we've reached a hundred.

Pretty soon we've reached zen.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“We must continue up the steps because the path is right, and the process of climbing is all that matters.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“When you open the blinds, open them like you're lifting the veil of enlightenment.

Or just open the blinds.

See?”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“No need to concern yourself with building a habit over time.

Just do it today.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time

“When you awake in the morning, stretch your arms to the sky and breathe deeply. Fill your insides with the emptiness around you.

Breathe easy. You're alive.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time