'To practice Zen is to discover

one's true nature.'

'The more you know,

the less you understand.'

'On the shore of the ocean at sunrise, be in awe of this enormous

power that rises and falls in great peace.'

 'Zen is not mysticism or something

esoteric; it is a rational method of

helping us become better people.'

 'In the beginner's mind there are many

possibilities, but in the expert's mind there

are few.'

 'Be master of the mind rather

than mastered by mind.'

'Sitting quietly, doing nothing,

Spring comes and the grass grows by itself.'

'A fallen flower

Returning to the branch?

It was a butterfly.'

'When anger threatens reason, wait while the storm runs its course before venturing forth.' 

'Zen in its essence is the art of seeing into the nature of

one's being, and it paints the way from bondage to freedom.'

'Ah! the old pond

A frog jumps in

Sound of water.'

'The butterfly

Resting upon the temple bell

Asleep.'

'The sea at spingtime,

All day it rises and falls,

yes, rises and falls.'

'What is the sound of one hand clapping?

To our rational logical Western minds it is simply impossible for one hand to clap without the other.

And even if it were, there would be no sound.

But the deeper you go into the problem and the more you get absorbed into its spiralling bafflement,

the more it loses you and the more you may experience Zen as a wordless experience of your being.'

'Every day is a good day.'

'The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.'

'To forget oneself is to be enlightened.'

'A step backward gives you the advantage.'

'When people show anger and malice, listen for truth in the message,

 ignoring the way it was said.'

'As the roof was leaking, a Zen Master told two monks to bring something to catch the water.

One brought a tub, the other a basket. The first was severely reprimanded, the second highly praised.'

'When left with nothing to say,

rest content in the knowledge that there is really nothing to say.'

'What is the colour of wind?'

'Forget the self and you'll help others.'

'Knock on the sky and listen to the sound.'

'I have nothing in the world but the hour in which I am, it pauses for a moment and then, like a cloud, moves on.'

'A long breath is long, and a short breath is short.'

'Nothing whatever is hidden; From of old, all is clear as daylight.'

'There is no place to seek the mind; It is like the footprints of the birds in the sky.'

'Like the sky, you lean on nothing.'

Water not disturbed by waves settles down of itself. A mirror not covered with dust is clear and bright. The mind should be like this. When what beclouds it passes away, its brightness appears. Happiness must be sought for; when what disturbs passes away, happiness comes of itself.

Zen-tastic Gifts