Top 17 Teachings from Japan's Leading Zen Master That Will Make You Reflect

Are you someone who always follows the crowd? When others eat chips, do you crave them too? When someone enjoys candy, do you also want to taste it? Or if someone whistles, do you ask your mother to buy you a whistle as well? This behavior isn’t just common in children; adults can fall into this trap too. It may seem harmless when individuals do this, but when a group of people behaves this way, it becomes foolish and absurd. Living in ignorance makes it easy to confuse obsession with true experience. The important thing is to be clear with yourself and free yourself from this madness. Meditation means stepping away from the herd and walking your own path.

If money were the measure of happiness, life would be quite simple. In reality, happiness or unhappiness is not solely dependent on money. Never think that money is essential for survival, as we can live well even without a savings account. Some people believe they are important because of their wealth, while others feel important due to their enlightenment (satori). Ultimately, no matter what you have, you cannot transform yourself into anything else – except perhaps into a ghost. End personal thoughts, and at that moment, Buddhism will arise.

On one occasion, the Zen master Kodo Sawaki visited a coal mine. As he descended, he suddenly felt as if he were rising higher. Life is often like this; we make the mistake of assuming that the total sum is always in constant flux. Losing is fate, winning is an illusion. To be obsessed means to focus solely on oneself. The greatest gift we can offer to the universe is to desire nothing.

You are foolish if you think that there is truly a 'me' and an 'other' throughout life. No matter what you do to stand out, in truth, there is no 'you' or 'other.' Buddhist teachings suggest unity, you and I are the same. However, we act as though there are borders separating friend from foe, and we begin to believe that these borders exist. In reality, whether rich or poor, important or insignificant, nothing truly exists.

All beings mistakenly believe that happiness leads to unhappiness, crying over misfortune that is not entirely misfortune. The concept of happiness for ordinary beings like us is no more than a child stopping their tears and smiling when given a cake. Sometimes, you need to seriously reflect on yourself: Are the things gained or lost truly worth celebrating or lamenting? Everything ultimately stems from personal interest, because when you exclaim, 'How wonderful!' the truth is that it only benefits you. The more desires a person has, the easier it is for them to be deceived, even the most skilled fraudsters cannot benefit from those who have no greed.

It is only when you face death and look back on your life that you realize these things were not worth much. Whether it is luck or misfortune, good or bad, it is never as you see it or as you imagine. The greatest suffering is the pain we create for ourselves.

Everyone complains about being so busy that they have no time. But in reality, it is the illusion itself that keeps them occupied. A meditator always has time, and when you become a meditator, you will have more time than anyone else in the world. You are always busy, but it's just to earn a living, much like chickens scurrying for food only to be eaten in the end. It is difficult to measure the amount of illusion in each person's life. Time passes, and all you ever say is: 'I want this, I want that…'. Just taking a walk in the park is enough to summon countless desires in your mind. And this is what being 'busy' truly means.

Becoming a Buddha doesn't mean ascending from a being, but rather, it is a brief interruption from being a being. Simply settle your mind, and everything will fall into place. When you truly perceive things as they are, what do you gain? It is the ability to transcend thought. However, transcending thought does not mean allowing it to continue, because no matter how we think, things are as simple as they are. 'All phenomena are empty' means there is nothing for us to interfere with, as nothing truly happens. Illusion makes us lose touch with our natural state – something we often don't recognize and hide behind something else, making it no longer natural. Buddhist teachings are this natural state, and practicing Buddhism is to fully live in the present moment.

If you wish to study Buddhism to perfect yourself, you must completely die. Mere self-mortification or a half-hearted death will never allow you to contemplate Buddhist teachings. Immerse both your body and soul into this, and you will no longer be a 'theoretician with empty words.'

Có thể khi nói về Phật, bạn sẽ nghĩ rằng đó là một điều gì đó xa vời, không hề liên quan đến bạn. Đây chính là lý do tại sao bạn luôn chỉ chạy quanh vòng tròn.Chúng sinh và Phật đều có cùng hình tướng, tỉnh giác và si mê cũng vậy. Điều này có nghĩa, khi thực hành theo Phật pháp thì chúng ta là Phật hay vì ta đã là Phật nên ta có thể thực hành theo Phật pháp. Phật giáo chính là mỗi và tất cả mọi thứ.

Bạn nói rằng muốn trở thành người tốt hơn bằng cách hành thiền, nhưng thiền lại không phải là việc học làm thế nào để thành một con người. Thiền chính là dừng lại việc làm người.Khi thiền, bạn không bị ảo tưởng mà thực tế là chỉ khi hành thiền bạn mới ý thức đến các ảo tưởng của bản thân. Khi bạn quay cuồng với những ảo tưởng của mình, bạn đâu hề để ý tới chúng nhưng khi hành thiền, một con muỗi chích bạn cũng biết ngay.Thực tế, thiền "chẳng lợi ích gì", nhưng khi cái "chẳng lợi ích gì" thấm vào xương thịt bạn thì việc hành thiền của bạn mới thực sự chẳng ích lợi gì. Bởi vậy, đừng càu nhàu, đừng có trao tráo mắt nhìn khoảng không. Chỉ ngồi!

Tâm bạn không an vì bạn đang mải đuổi chạy theo lý tưởng của một tâm hoàn toàn thanh tịnh. Thực tế là bạn đang đi thụt lùi. Hãy dõi theo tâm trong từng giây phút, ta chỉ có thể đạt được tâm an lạc rộng lớn khi thực hành với tâm loạn động.

If you still think meditation is just something good, that is not normal at all. Do not pollute your practice by claiming progress, improvement, or greater confidence, because those are merely subjective thoughts. Instead of constantly testing the water to see if it's cold or warm and making it cloudy, let the water remain in its original state. Meditation is not a temperature gauge gradually rising; it never becomes something extraordinary, no matter how long you practice. If you find it special, then you have surely relaxed somewhere.

Buddhism is about allowing every aspect of your daily life to be guided by the teachings of the Buddha. The essence of all actions is to reach the ultimate goal. If your mind is absent, even for a moment, you are no different than a lifeless body. Practice means constantly asking yourself, "What can I do right now that reflects the Buddha's teachings?" Achieving your goal once is never enough. The achievements of last year are of no use. You need to achieve your aim right now, in the present.

As we all know, dogs are often used for guarding houses or trained to serve in investigative work. However, in some places in Manchuria, large dogs are used to pull carts. The coachman hangs a piece of meat in front of the dog's nose, intending for the dog to run after it as if driven by madness. Of course, the dog will never reach the meat until the cart has arrived at its destination, and then the meat becomes its reward. The dog devours the meat in one big gulp. Humans are similar in this regard, running after the salary that dangles in front of them from the start to the end of the month. When the paycheck arrives, they eagerly consume it, only to prepare for the next cycle of chasing after the next paycheck. The question is: Why must you suffer like this? You might end up wasting your entire life chasing the most trivial hopes for yourself.

Every person must live their own life, and of course, you cannot exchange anything to have someone else's life. My advice to you is: Do not waste your time considering who is the most talented. Everything in the universe has its own unique role, just like the parts of the human body: the nose cannot replace the eyes, the mouth cannot take the place of the ears... So rather than worrying about what others think of you, think about what you need to do to succeed in life.

In life, sometimes the issue is not about who is right or wrong, but simply how you perceive the situation. Don’t try to be someone extraordinary, just be yourself, learn to control your emotions, and be compassionate.