89 Zen phrases that will touch your soul
Zen is a Buddhist school that emerged in India and developed in China, which aims to raise awareness.
In the West, this philosophy is intimately related to mental and physical well-being and meditation, and in recent years it has become very popular. For it helps to escape the accelerated pace of life in which we live in Western societies, encouraging self-knowledge and relaxation and helping people to “be in the here and now” –
The best Zen phrases
Throughout history many authors have pronounced Zen phrases . In today’s article, you will find a list of the best phrases on this subject. Enjoy them!
1. The things I carry are my thoughts. They are my only weight. My thoughts determine whether I am free and light or heavy and burdened
Kamal Ravikant . Constantly reminiscing about things is a very heavy burden.
2. Meditation is the new mobile device; it can be used anywhere, anytime, discreetly
Sharon Salzberg . It is possible to benefit from meditation anywhere and at any time.
3. Only the hand that erases can write the truth
Meister Eckhart , a Zen phrase to reflect on the truth.
4. Those who are free from resentment will find peace certain
Buddha , talking about hate and resentment.
5. Worried about a single leaf, you won’t see the tree
If you focus your attention only on the negative aspects you will not see the positive ones.
6. It is curious that life, the emptier it is, the heavier it is
A reflection on the personal development of each of us
7. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few
The beginner’s mind is a pure, non-judgmental mind.
8. Just as parents take care of their children, you should take care of the whole universe
Zen Master Dogen , a phrase about taking care of oneself.
9. Three things can no longer be hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth
Another great reflection of the great Buddha.
10. If you’re unable to find the truth right where you are, where do you expect to find it?
The present is the only time we can live.
11. My experience tells me that most things are not as bad as I thought they would be
We tend to worry too much about the things that happen to us.
12. What we can change are our perceptions, which have the effect of changing everything
Donna Quesada . It is not the events that affect us, but how we interpret them.
13. We are formed by our thoughts; we become what we think.
Buddha . We are what we think and act upon.
14. Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck
Dalai Lama . Not achieving what you want can be an opportunity to achieve other things.
15. You’re not your thoughts. This simple statement can make a big difference in your quality of life
Dawn Gluskin. A Zen phrase with a certain tone of irony.
16. Mindfulness is not complicated, we just have to remember to do it
Sharon Salzberg, Mindfulness requires attitude and practice.
17. One thing: you have to walk and create the path by walking; you will not find a path already made. It is not cheap to reach the highest realization of truth. You will have to create the way by walking alone; the way is not already made waiting for you. It is just like the sky: birds fly but leave no footprints. You can’t follow them; there are no tracks behind them
Osho . Each of us must carve out our own destiny, because destiny is not written.
18. There is no fear for one whose mind is not filled with desire
A reflection that deals with the relationship between fears and desires.
19. The object of your desire is not an object
A thought-provoking quote from Jack Gardner .
20. True love is born of understanding
According to Zen philosophy, love is only understood through understanding
21. Better than a thousand empty words, a single word that can bring peace
In this quotation, he explains the importance of a word full of feeling.
22. Escape from the world means that one’s world is not concerned with the world’s opinions
One shouldn’t worry about what others think of him.
23. Purity and impurity come from oneself; no one can purify another
Buddha highlights the central role of the mind of each person
24. A fool is known by his deeds, a wise man also
We are what we do, that is, the actions we take.
25. Firmly train for peace
This phrase refers to the search for inner peace.
26. We can only lose what we hold on to
We must not become attached to our emotions, but observe them and let them go.
27. Stress comes from the way you relate to events or situations
Chris Prentiss . Events or situations do not stress us, but how we interpret them.
28. Fill your mind with compassion
Compassion is one of the principles of Zen philosophy.
29. Everything we are is the result of what we have thought
Buddha . Our thoughts determine who we are.
30. How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours
Wayne Dyer . A quote on Karma by this well-known author.
31. Not thinking about anything is Zen. Once you know this, walking, sitting, or lying down, everything you do is Zen
Zen philosophy surrounds you and is part of your daily life.
32. It is better to travel well than to arrive
You have to live in the present to reach the future.
33. Problems that remain persistently unresolved should be taken as incorrectly questioned
Alan Wilson Watts , on problem solving.
34. The more you know, the less you need
Yvon Chouinard . Wisdom makes you need less.
35. If you can bring your conscience, your intelligence to the act, if you can be spontaneous, then there is no need for any religion, life becomes itself in religion
Osho . A quote about self-knowledge and about the present and spontaneity.
36. You cannot travel along the road until you become the road itself
If you don’t focus on the present and on your senses you won’t move forward.
37. The meaning of the spiritual life is to realize the truth. But you will never understand the spiritual life, or the truth, if you measure it by your own criteria
Dainin Katagiri . An interesting quote for reflection.
38. The power of the mind is unconquerable
Seneca talks about the power of the mind.
39. Stress is an ignorant state. With it you think everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important
Natalie Goldberg . Stress is a problem that is making a dent in our days.
40. The answer is never “out there.” All the answers are “in there”, inside you, wanting to be discovered
Chris Prentiss . A sentence about self-knowledge and its importance to be happy.
41. I have lived with many Zen masters, many of them cats
Eckhart Tolle . A reflection on Zen masters.
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42. Every human being is the author of his own health or illness
Another quote from the Buddha that refers to the health of each one.
43. We should live every day like people who have just been rescued from the moon
A great Zen phrase from Thích Nhất Hạnh .
44. If you want to learn, teach. If you need inspiration, inspire others. If you are sad, encourage someone
A curious phrase about attitude.
45. If you want to master the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath
A quote that makes clear reference to Buddhist meditation.
46. The best trick of the mind is the illusion that it exists
Marty Rubin . The mind is very powerful.
47. To teach others, first you have to do something very hard: you have to straighten yourself out
In order to teach, as well as to love, you must first get in touch with your own self.
48. You can be happy if you are willing to let go of your past and get rid of obstacles so that you can fly
The past is so heavy that it doesn’t let you fly in the direction you want.
49. There is no fire like passion: there is no evil like hate
Hate is one of the worst defects of human beings.
50. Presence is when you no longer wait for the next moment, believing that the next moment will be fuller than this one
The present is the only way to live the best future.
51. If you add a little to the little, and do it often, soon little will become a lot
The importance of constancy and perseverance highlighted in this quote.
52. Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor
Thich Nhat Hanh, one of the great figures of mindfulness, in clear reference to meditation.
53. Wealth consists much more in enjoyment than in possession
Zen philosophy is totally opposed to materialism
54. Better one word to serenade the listener than a thousand absurd verses
The key may be in the short term.
55. The worst aggression to ourselves, the worst of all, is to remain ignorant because we do not have the courage and respect to treat ourselves with honesty and tenderness
Pema Chödrön . Treating oneself with respect is the key to well-being.
56. Walk as if you were kissing the ground with your feet
Another famous reflection of Thich Nhat Hanh on living in the here and now.
57. More than a thousand useless words, only one is worth granting peace
Words that lead to calm are the most useful.
58. Seek not the friendship of those whose souls are impure; seek not the company of men with evil souls. Associate yourself with those whose souls are beautiful and good. If you want to be happy, surround yourself with people who value your soul and who know how to communicate in a positive way.
You have to surround yourself with people with good hearts.
59. Your duty is to discover your world and then give yourself to it with all your heart
We have to live unique experiences because they make us wise.
60. We must be aware that what causes us discomfort or anxiety is not the events, but how we link emotions to them
Events do not alter us, but what we think of them and how we interpret them.
61. As a solid rock does not move with the wind, so does the wise remain undisturbed by slander and flattery
People with experience and wisdom know the importance of loving oneself.
62. What we are today rests on what we thought yesterday, and our present thoughts shape our future life
The future is gone and the past is yet to live. What matters is the present.
63. We are in this world to live together in harmony. Those who know this do not fight among themselves and reach inner peace
Peace in the world is achieved with inner peace.
64. Long is the night for him who lies awake; long is the mile for him who is weary; long is the life for the foolish man who does not know the true law
A phrase that leaves the interpretation open.
65. With our thoughts we create the world
The world we have created is still a reflection of our thoughts.
66. The greatest victory is the one you win over yourself
The first thing you have to do to achieve personal success is to know yourself.
67. By effort, vigilance, discipline, and self-control, the wise man creates an island that the flood cannot destroy
Wise people build the world around them based on their experience.
68. If there’s a solution, why are you crying? If there’s no solution, why are you crying?
We must not waste this precious life lamenting over things that are hopeless.
69. Bless your friend… he lets you grow
He who has a friend has a treasure, says a popular saying.
70. To live a detached life, one must not feel that one owns anything in the midst of abundance
Abundance does not make much sense in Zen philosophy.
71. Your virtue should be to profess love and peace to those around you
Giving peace and love to those around you makes you a virtuous person.
72. Just as a candle does not shine without fire, man cannot exist without a spiritual life
The spiritual life is about connecting with our soul.
73. You doubt everything. Find your own light
Don’t pay attention to what society wants to tell you. Be critical.
74. Conquering oneself is a greater task than conquering others
Loving oneself is the best option for happiness.
75. The exit is through the door. Why doesn’t anyone use this method?
One of Confucius’ Zen phrases that focus on a philosophy of life based on simplicity.
76. Those who worship do not know, and those who know do not worship
One of the aphorisms of the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma.
77. To forget oneself is to open up
A brief reflection from Dōgen, one of the great historical references of Buddhism in Japan.
78. Life is like preparing to sail on a ship that will end up sinking
A very graphic comparison with the idea of a person’s life path.
79. Many roads start at the bottom of the mountain, but at the top we can only look at the moon
A phrase from Ikkyu, a 15th century Zen monk.
80. Everyone knows the way, but few walk it
Another of Bodhidharma’s phrases about how simple it is to live virtuously.
81. Do not see the mountains from the scale of human thoughts
Humility and awareness of one’s limitations are essential in life.
82. The goal of practice is always to keep your beginner’s mind
You have to maintain your freshness and creativity to develop properly.
83. When someone dies, that’s a great lesson
One of the Zen phrases of Shunryu Suzuki, a monk and disseminator of Buddhism.
84. I would rather be defeated in the presence of the wise than stand out among the ignorant
Another of Dōgen’s phrases about the importance of surrounding yourself with wise people.
85. To get rid of words is liberation
Bodhidharma talks about that psychological facet that lies beyond language and that, according to him, constitutes life.
86. One must be very aware of the constant flow of the world
The immobile does not exist, it is an illusion.
87. The river that flows around you also flows around me
There are no isolated people, we are all part of the same reality. This is a phrase from Kabir, a religious reference in India
88. How incomplete is someone who needs to have a lot of things?
A reflection of Sen not Rikyū about the resignation.
89. We sit together, the mountain and I, until only the mountain remains
A poetic phrase by Li Bai, Chinese poet.