Dogen famous quotes

Do not follow the ideas of others, but learn to listen to the voice within yourself. Your body and mind will become clear and you will realize the unity of all things.
-- Dogen

#Ideas #Voice #Unity

Life and death are of supreme importance. Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost. Each of us should strive to awaken. Awaken. Take heed, do not squander your life.
-- Dogen

#Buddhist #Opportunity #Life And Death

To study the buddha way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things. When actualized by myriad things, your body and mind as well as the bodies and minds of others drop away. No trace of realization remains, and this no trace continues endlessly.
-- Dogen

#Self #Mind #Body

To study Buddhism is to study ourselves. To study ourselves is to forget ourselves.
-- Dogen

#Buddhist #Buddhism #Study

There is a simple way to become buddha: When you refrain from unwholesome actions, are not attached to birth and death, and are compassionate toward all sentient beings, respectful to seniors and kind to juniors, not excluding or desiring anything, with no designing thoughts or worries, you will be called a buddha. Do not seek anything else.
-- Dogen

#Senior #Simple #Worry

You should study not only that you become a mother when your child is born, but also that you become a child.
-- Dogen

#Mother #Children #Spirituality

But do not ask me where I am going, As I travel in this limitless world, Where every step I take is my home.
-- Dogen

#Travel #Home #World

A fool sees himself as another, but a wise man sees others as himself.
-- Dogen

#Wise #Men #Fool

Students, when you want to say something, think about it three times before you say it. Speak only if your words will benefit yourselves and others. Do not speak if it brings no benefit.
-- Dogen

#Thinking #Benefits #Want

Studying the Buddha way is studying oneself. Studying oneself is forgetting oneself. Forgetting oneself is being enlightened by all things. Being enlightened by all things is to shed the body-mind of oneself, and those of others. No trace of enlightenment remains, and this traceless enlightenment continues endlessly.
-- Dogen

#Self #Mind #Enlightenment

The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in one dewdrop on the grass.
-- Dogen

#Moon #Sky #Relaxation

When we discover that the truth is already in us, we are all at once our original selves.
-- Dogen

#War #Self #Truth Is

Enlightenment is intimacy with all things.
-- Dogen

#Compassion #Enlightenment #Intimacy

Those who seek the easy way do not seek the true way.
-- Dogen

#Way #Easy #Easy Way

That you carry yourself forward and experience the myriad things is delusion. That the myriad things come forward and experience themselves is awakening
-- Dogen

#Awakening #Delusion

Do not think you will necessarily be aware of your own enlightenment.
-- Dogen

#War #Thinking #Enlightenment

If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?
-- Dogen

#Truth #Yoga #Where You Are

Through one word, or seven words, or three times five, even if you investigate thoroughly myriad forms, nothing can be depended upon. Night advances, the moon glows and falls into the ocean. The black dragon jewel you have been searching for, is everywhere.
-- Dogen

#Ocean #Fall #Moon

A flower falls, even though we love it; and a weed grows, even though we do not love it.
-- Dogen

#Weed #Buddhist #War

Forgetting oneself is opening oneself
-- Dogen

#Forget #Opening #Oneself

Although its light is wide and great, the Moon is reflected in a puddle one inch wide. The whole Moon and the entire sky is reflected in one dew drop on the grass.
-- Dogen

#Life #Moon #Light

Mountains and oceans have whole worlds of innumerable wondrous features. We should understand that it is not only our distant surroundings that are like this, but even what is right here, even a single drop of water.
-- Dogen

#Ocean #Water #Mountain

I asked, "What are words?" The tenzo said, "One, two, three, four, five." I asked again, "What is practice?" "Nothing in the entire universe is hidden."
-- Dogen

#Two #Practice #Cooking

Does a dragon still sing from within a withered tree?
-- Dogen

#Dragons #Tree #Doe

Sitting is the gateway of truth to total liberation.
-- Dogen

#Truth #Sitting #Gateways

Be mindful of the passing of time, and engage yourself in zazen as though you are saving your head from fire.
-- Dogen

#Fire #Saving #Passing

People who truly follow the Way would do well to conceal the fact that they are Buddhists.
-- Dogen

#Buddhist #People #Way

No matter how bad a state of mind you may get into, if you keep strong and hold out, eventually the floating clouds must vanish and the withering wind must cease.
-- Dogen

#Strong #Clouds #Wind

Do not arouse disdainful mind when you prepare a broth of wild grasses; do not arouse joyful mind when you prepare a fine cream soup.
-- Dogen

#Mind #Soup #Joyful

Your body is like a dew-drop on the morning grass, your life is as brief as a flash of lightning. Momentary and vain, it is lost in a moment.
-- Dogen

#Morning #Lightning #Dew

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.
-- Dogen

#Breathing #Individual #Universe

The true person is Not anyone in particular; But like the deep blue color Of the limitless sky, It is everyone, Everywhere in the world.
-- Dogen

#Color #Sky #Blue

In a mind clear as still water, even the waves, breaking, are reflecting its light.
-- Dogen

#Buddhist #Light #Water

Handle even a single leaf of green in such a way that it manifests the body of the Buddha. This in turn allows the Buddha to manifest through the leaf.
-- Dogen

#Tree #Body #Green

If he cannot stop the mind that seeks after fame and profit, he will spend his life without finding peace.
-- Dogen

#Discipline #Mind #Finding Peace

What is reality? An icicle forming in fire.
-- Dogen

#Reality #Fire #Icicles

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 many things with a confused 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.
-- Dogen

#Confused #Moving #Eye

Know that the true dharma emerges of itself [during the practice of zazen], clearing away hindrances and distractions.
-- Dogen

#Practice #Distraction #Dharma

If you want to travel the Way of Buddhas and Zen masters, then expect nothing, seek nothing, and grasp nothing.
-- Dogen

#Want #Way #Expect Nothing

Refraining from all evil, not clinging to birth and death, working in deep compassion for all sentient beings, respecting those over you and pitying those below you, without any detesting or desiring, worrying or lamentation - this is what is called Buddha. Do not search beyond it.
-- Dogen

#Compassion #Evil #Worry

Prefer to be defeated in the presence of the wise than to excel among fools.
-- Dogen

#Wise #Fool #Defeated

Emptiness is bound to bloom, like hundreds of grasses blossoming.
-- Dogen

#Blossoming #Emptiness #Grass

Those who see worldly life as an obstacle to Dharma see no Dharma in everyday actions. They have not yet discovered that there are no everyday actions outside of Dharma.
-- Dogen

#Buddhist #Everyday #Action