In Autumn Even Though I May See

When You Paint Spring, Do Not Paint Willows, Plums, Peaches, Or Apricots, But Just Paint Spring. To Paint Willows, Plums, Peaches, Or Apricots Is To Paint Willows, Plums, Peaches, Or Apricots - It Is Not Yet Painting Spring.

When You Ride In A Boat And Watch The Shore, You Might Assume That The Shore Is Moving. But When You Keep Your Eyes Closely On The Boat, You Can See That The Boat Moves. Similarly, If You Examine Myriad Things With A Confused Body And Mind You Might Suppose That Your Mind And Nature Are Permanent. But When You Practice Intimately And Return To Where You Are, It Will Be Clear That There Is Nothing That Has Unchanging Self.

Forgetting Oneself Is Opening Oneself

Zazen Is An Activity That Is An Extension Of The Universe. Zazen Is Not The Life Of An Individual, It's The Universe That's Breathing.

When You Paint Spring, Do Not Paint Willows, Plums, Peaches, Or Apricots - Just Paint Spring.