D. T. Suzuki quotes

D. T. Suzuki was a Japanese philosopher and writer, renowned for his work in bringing Zen Buddhism to the West. His books and lectures introduced countless Western readers to the concepts and practices of Zen. He played a vital role in the global understanding of Eastern philosophies. Here are 23 of his quotes:

Who would then deny that when I am sipping tea in my tearoom I am swallowing the whole universe with it and that this very moment of my lifting the bowl to my lips is eternity itself transcending time and space? (D. T. Suzuki)
Enlightenment is like everyday consciousness but two inches above the ground. View quote
D. T. Suzuki
Emptiness which is conceptually liable to be mistaken for sheer nothingness is in fact the reservoir of infinite possibilities. View quote
D. T. Suzuki
The truth of Zen, just a little bit of it, is what turns one's humdrum life, a life of monotonous, uninspiring commonplaceness, into one of art, full of genuine inner creativity. View quote
D. T. Suzuki
Zen teaches nothing; it merely enables us to wake up and become aware. It does not teach, it points. View quote
D. T. Suzuki
Technical knowledge is not enough. One must transcend techniques so that the art becomes an artless art, growing out of the unconscious. View quote
D. T. Suzuki
The intuitive recognition of the instant, thus reality is the highest act of wisdom. View quote
D. T. Suzuki
Unless we agree to suffer we cannot be free from suffering. View quote
D. T. Suzuki
I am an artist at living - my work of art is my life. View quote
D. T. Suzuki
The waters are in motion, but the moon retains its serenity. View quote
D. T. Suzuki
If you have attained something, this is the surest proof that you have gone astray. Therefore, not to have is to have, silence is thunder, ignorance is enlightenment. (D. T. Suzuki)
To live - is that not enough? View quote
D. T. Suzuki
Great works are done when one is not calculating and thinking. View quote
D. T. Suzuki
The ego-shell in which we live is the hardest thing to outgrow. View quote
D. T. Suzuki
Implicity, there should be something mysterious in every day. View quote
D. T. Suzuki
The truth of Zen is the truth of life, and life means to live, to move, to act, not merely to reflect. View quote
D. T. Suzuki
Life, according to Zen, ought to be lived as a bird flies through the air, or as a fish swims in the water. View quote
D. T. Suzuki
Zen in it's essence is the art of seeing into the nature of one's being, and it points the way from bondage to freedom. View quote
D. T. Suzuki
That's why I love philosophy: no one wins. View quote
D. T. Suzuki
One has not understood until one has forgotten it. View quote
D. T. Suzuki
Zen professes itself to be the spirit of Buddhism, but in fact it is the spirit of all religions and philosophies. (D. T. Suzuki)
We can see unmistakeably that there is an inner relationship between Zen and the warrior's life. View quote
D. T. Suzuki
Let the intellect alone, it has its usefulness in its proper sphere, but let it not interfere with the flowing of the life-stream. View quote
D. T. Suzuki

D. T. Suzuki

D. T. Suzuki - Image
Occupation: Japanese Author
Born: October 18, 1870
Died: July 12, 1965
Quotes count: 23
Wikipedia: D. T. Suzuki

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