Continuous Practice, Day After Day, Is The Most Appropriate Way Of Expressing Gratitude. This Means That You Practice Continuously, Without Wasting A Single Day Of Your Life, Without Using It For Your Own Sake. Why Is It So? Your Life Is A Fortunate Outcome Of The Continuous Practice Of The Past. You Should Express Your Gratitude Immediately.

-Dogen

Please Wait....
Translating....

Continuous Practice, Day After

Dogen

Topic

Students Of The Way Must Not Study Buddhism For The Sake Of Themselves. They Must Study Buddhism Only For The Sake Of Buddhism. The Key To This Is To Renounce Both Body And Mind Without Holding Anything Back And To Offer Them To The Great Sea Of Buddhism.

Buddhism

Keys

Sea

Do Not View Mountains From The Scale Of Human Thought.

Views

Mountain

Scales

You Should Stop Searching For Phrases And Chasing After Words. Take The Backward Step And Turn The Light Inward. Your Body-mind Of Itself Will Drop Off And Your Original Face Will Appear. If You Want To Attain Just This, Immediately Practice Just This.

Light

Practice

Mind

Something You Want Badly Enough Can Always Be Gained. No Matter How Fierce The Enemy, How Remote The Beautiful Lady, Or How Carefully Guarded The Treasure, There Is Always A Means To The Goal For The Earnest Seeker. The Unseen Help Of The Guardian Gods Of Heaven And Earth Assure Fulfillment.

Beautiful

Mean

Goal

In The Stream, Rushing Past To The Dusty World, My Fleeting Form Casts No Reflection.

Reflection

Past

Rushing

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.

Breathing

Individual

Activity

What You Think In Your Own Mind To Be Good, Or What People Of The World Think Is Good, Is Not Necessarily Good.

Thinking

People

Mind

Those Who Seek The Easy Way Do Not Seek The True Way.

Way

Easy

Easy Way

The Coming And Going Of Birth And Death Is A Painting. Unsurpassed Enlightenment Is A Painting. The Entire Phenomenal Universe And The Empty Sky Are Nothing But A Painting.

Sky

Enlightenment

Painting

When A Buddha Is Painted, Not Only A Clay Altar Or Lump Of Earth Is Used, But The Thirty-two Marks, A Blade Of Grass, And The Cultivation Of Wisdom For Incalculable Eons Are Used. As A Buddha Has Been Painted On A Single Scroll In This Way, All Buddhas Are Painted Buddhas, And All Painted Buddhas Are Actual Buddhas.

Two

Religion

Way

If You Want To See Things Just As They Are, Then You Yourself Must Practice Just As You Are.

Practice

Want

Ifs

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.

Mind

Soup

Joyful

Cease From Practice Based On Intellectual Understanding, Pursuing Words, And Following After Speech.

Practice

Understanding

Intellectual

If You Want To Travel The Way Of Buddhas And Zen Masters, Then Expect Nothing, Seek Nothing, And Grasp Nothing.

Want

Way

Expect Nothing

Do Not Travel To Other Dusty Lands, Forsaking Your Own Sitting Place; If You Cannot Find The Truth Where You Are Now, You Will Never Find It.

Land

Sitting

Where You Are

If We Seek The Buddha Outside The Mind, The Buddha Changes Into A Devil.

Mind

Devil

Awareness

Just As Parents Care For Their Children, You Should Bear In Mind The Whole Universe.

Children

Parent

Mind

As I Study Both The Exoteric And The Esoteric Schools Of Buddhism, They Maintain That Human Beings Are Endowed With Dharma-nature By Birth. If This Is The Case, Why Did The Buddhas Of All Ages - Undoubtedly In Possession Of Enlightenment - Find It Necessary To Seek Enlightenment And Engage In Spiritual Practice?

Spiritual

School

Buddhism

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."

Practice

Two

Cooking

What Is Reality? An Icicle Forming In Fire.

When You Walk In The Mist, You Get Wet.

Mist

Walks

Wet

Though It Has No Thought Of Keeping Watch, It's Not For Naught That The Scarecrow Stands In The Grain Field.

Watches

Fields

Scarecrow

You Should Study Not Only That You Become A Mother When Your Child Is Born, But Also That You Become A Child.

Mother

Spiritual

Buddhist

The One And Only Thing Required Is To Free Oneself From The Bondage Of Mind And Body Alike, Putting The Buddha's Own Seal Upon Yourself. If You Do This As You Sit In Ecstatic Meditation, The Whole Universe Itself Scattered Through The Infinity Of Space Turns Into Enlightenment. This Is What I Mean By The Buddha's Seal.

Mean

Space

Meditation

Understand Clearly That When A Great Need Appears A Great Use Appears Also; When There Is Small Need There Is Small Use; It Is Obvious, Then, That Full Use Is Made Of All Things At All Times According To The Necessity Thereof.

Desire

Needs

Use

Do Not Be Amazed By The True Dragon.

Reality

Dragons

Amazed

Mountains And Rivers At This Very Moment Are The Actualization Of The World Of The Ancient Buddhas. Each, Abiding In Its Phenomenal Expression, Realizes Completeness.

Expression

Rivers

Religion

Clearly I Know, The Mind Is Mountains, Rivers, And The Great Earth; Sun, Moon, And Stars.

Stars

Moon

Rivers

Nothing In The Entire Universe Is Hidden.

Universe

There Are Myriads Of Forms And Hundreds Of Grasses Throughout The Entire Earth, Yet Each Grass And Each Form Itself Is The Entire Earth.

Earth

Grass

Form

To Study The Way Is To Study The Self. To Study The Self Is To Forget The Self. To Forget The Self Is To Be Enlightened By All Things Of The Universe. To Be Enlightened By All Things Of The Universe Is To Cast Off The Body And Mind Of The Self As Well As Those Of Others. Even The Traces Of Enlightenment Are Wiped Out, And Life With Traceless Enlightenment Goes On Forever And Ever

Self

Forever

Mind

Whenever Learners Or Those Beyond Learning Awaken The Mind, For The First Time They Plant One Buddha-nature. Working With The Four Elements And Five Clusters, If They Practice Sincerely They Attain Enlightenment. Working With Plants, Trees, Fences And Walls, If They Practice Sincerely They Will Attain Enlightenment. This Is Because The Four Elements And Five Clusters And Plants, Trees, Fences And Walls Are Fellow Students; Because They Are Of The Same Essence, Because They Are The Same Mind And The Same Life, Because They Are The Same Body And The Same Mechanism.

Life

Wall

Essence

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.

Compassion

Evil

Worry

Set Aside All Involvements And Let The Myriad Things Rest. Zazen Is Not Thinking Of Good, Not Thinking Of Bad. It Is Not Conscious Endeavour. It Is Not Introspection. Do Not Desire To Become A Buddha; Let Sitting Or Lying Down Drop Away. Be Moderate In Eating And Drinking. Be Mindful Of The Passing Of Time, And Engage Yourself In Zazen As Though You Are Saving Your Head From Fire.

Lying

Drinking

Thinking

Coming, Going, The Waterbirds, Don't Leave A Trace, Don't Follow A Path.

Path

Why Abandon A Seat In Your Own Home To Wander In Vain Through Dusty Regions Of Another Land? If You Make One False Step, You Miss What Is Right Before Your Eyes.

Home

Eye

Land

When The Old Plum Tree Blooms, The Entire World Blooms.

Tree

Plums

World

To Study Buddhism Is To Study Ourselves. To Study Ourselves Is To Forget Ourselves.

Buddhist

Buddhism

Study

The Zazen I Speak Of Is Not Learning Meditation. It Is Simply The Dharma Gate Of Repose And Bliss, The Practice-realization Of Totally Culminated Enlightenment. It Is The Manifestation Of Ultimate Reality. Traps And Snares Can Never Reach It. Once Its Heart Is Grasped, You Are Like The Dragon When He Gains The Water, Like The Tiger When She Enters The Mountain. For You Must Know That Just There (in Zazen) The Right Dharma Is Manifesting Itself And That, From The First, Dullness And Distraction Are Struck Aside.

Heart

Reality

Dragons

In A Snowfall That Covers The Winter Grass A White Heron Uses His Own Whiteness To Disappear.

Winter

White

Use

Do No Harmful Actions, Do Not Become Attached To The Cycle Of Death And Rebirth, Show Kindness, Respect The Old And Have Compassion For The Young, Do Not Have A Heart That Rejects Or A Heart That Covets And Have No Worry Or Sadness In Your Heart. This Is What Is Called Enlightenment. Do Not Seek It Elsewhere.

Kindness

Heart

Sadness

Just Practice Good, Do Good For Others, Without Thinking Of Making Yourself Known So That You May Gain Reward. Really Bring Benefit To Others, Gaining Nothing For Yourself. This Is The Primary Requisite For Breaking Free Of Attachments To The Self.

Thinking

Attachment

Self

Do Not Miss The Opportunity Of Offering Even A Single Drop Into The Ocean Of Merit Or A Grain Atop The Mountain Of The Roots Of Beneficial Activity.

Ocean

Opportunity

Roots

Because Mountains Are High And Broad, The Way Of Riding The Clouds Is Always Reached In The Mountains; The Inconceivable Power Of Soaring In The Wind Comes Freely From The Mountains

Clouds

Wind

Mountain

But Do Not Ask Me Where I Am Going, As I Travel In This Limitless World, Where Every Step I Take Is My Home.

Travel

Home

World

To Study The Way Is To Study The Self. To Study The Self Is To Forget The Self.

Self

Way

Study

Prefer To Be Defeated In The Presence Of The Wise Than To Excel Among Fools.

Wise

Fool

Defeated

In The Assemblies Of The Enlightened Ones There Have Been Many Cases Of Mastering The Way Bringing Forth The Heart Of Plants And Trees; This Is What Awakening The Mind For Enlightenment Is Like. The Fifth Patriarch Of Zen Was Once A Pine-planting Wayfarer; Rinzai Worked On Planting Cedars And Pines On Mount Obaku. . . . Working With Plants, Trees, Fences And Walls, If They Practice Sincerely They Will Attain Enlightenment.

Wall

Heart

Practice

The Whole Moon And The Entire Sky Are Reflected In One Dewdrop On The Grass.

Moon

Sky

Relaxation

When Both Body And Mind Are At Peace, All Things Appear As They Are: Perfect, Complete, Lacking Nothing.

Perfect

Mind

Body

In Autumn Even Though I May See It Again, How Can I Sleep With The Moon This Evening?

Sleep

Autumn

Moon

That The Self Advances And Confirms The Ten Thousand Things Is Called Delusion; That The Ten Thousand Things Advance And Confirm The Self Is Called Enlightenment.

Self

Enlightenment

Delusion

Do Not Think You Will Necessarily Be Aware Of Your Own Enlightenment.

War

Thinking

Enlightenment

If You Cannot Find The Truth Right Where You Are, Where Else Do You Expect To Find It?

Spiritual

Art

Truth

Since We Are Provided With Both A Body And A Mind, We Grasp Onto The Physical Forms We See. Since We Are Provided With Both A Body And A Mind, We Cling To The Sounds We Hear. As A Consequence, We Make Ourselves Inseparable From All Things, Yet We Are Not Like Some Shadowy Figure 'lodging' In A Mirror Or Like The Moon In Water. Whenever We Witness What Is On The One Side, Its Opposite Side Will Be In Darkness.

Buddhist

Moon

Mirrors

In Doing Zazen It Is Desirable To Have A Quiet Room. You Should Be Temperate In Eating And Drinking, Forsaking All Delusive Relationships. Setting Everything Aside, Think Of Neither Good Nor Evil, Right Nor Wrong. Thus Having Stopped The Various Functions Of Your Mind, Five Up Even The Idea Of Becoming A Buddha.

Drinking

Thinking

Ideas

Yet, Though It Is Like This, Simply, Flowers Fall Amid Our Longing And Weeds Spring Up Amid Our Antipathy.

Weed

Spring

Flower

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.

Life

Buddhist

Opportunity

Yet You Must Not Cling To The Words Of The Old Sages Either; They, Too, May Not Be Right. Even If You Believe Them, You Should Be Alert So That, In The Event That Something Superior Comes Along, You May Follow That.

Believe

Events

Sage

If You Would Be Free Of Greed, First You Have To Leave Egotism Behind. The Best Mental Exercise For Relinquishing Egotism Is Contemplating Impermanence.

Exercise

Greed

Would Be

If He Cannot Stop The Mind That Seeks After Fame And Profit, He Will Spend His Life Without Finding Peace.

Discipline

Mind

Finding Peace

To Start From The Self And Try To Understand All Things Is Delusion. To Let The Self Be Awakened By All Things Is Enlightenment.

Spiritual

Self

Enlightenment

In A Mind Clear As Still Water, Even The Waves, Breaking, Are Reflecting Its Light.

Buddhist

Light

Waves Breaking

Be Moderate In Eating And Drinking. Mindful Of The Passing Of Time, Engage Yourself In Zazen As Though Saving Your Head From Fire.

Fire

Saving

Passing

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.

Life

Moon

Light

Zazen Is The Ultimate Practice. This Is Indeed The True Self. The Buddhadharma Is Not To Be Sought Outside Of This.

Self

Practice

Excellence

People Like What Is Not True And They Don't Like What Is True.

People

When We Discover That The Truth Is Already In Us, We Are All At Once Our Original Selves.

War

Inspirational Life

Discovery

Enlightenment Is Intimacy With All Things.

Buddhist

Compassion

Enlightenment

A Fool Sees Himself As Another, But A Wise Man Sees Others As Himself.

Wise

Men

Fool

Let Your Heart Go Out And Abide In Things. Let Things Return And Abide In Your Heart.

Heart

Return

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.

Strong

Clouds

Wind

Realization Doesn't Destroy The Individual Any More Than The Reflection Of The Moon Breaks A Drop Of Water. A Drop Of Water Can Reflect The Whole Sky.

Reflection

Moon

Sky

To Study The Self Is To Forget The Self. To Forget The Self Is To Be Enlightened By The Ten Thousand Things.

Self

Religion

Earth

Practice And Enlightenment Are Not Two.

Practice

Two

Enlightenment

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.

Ideas

Voice

Unity

A Flower Falls, Even Though We Love It; And A Weed Grows, Even Though We Do Not Love It.

Weed

Buddhist

War

There Are Mountains Hidden In Mountains. There Are Mountains Hidden In Hiddenness. This Is Complete Understanding.

Understanding

Mountain

There Is No Beginning To Practice Nor End To Enlightenment; There Is No Beginning To Enlightenment Nor End To Practice.

Practice

Enlightenment

Ends

When One First Seeks The Truth, One Separates Oneself From It.

Firsts

Oneself

When You Paint Spring, Do Not Paint Willows, Plums, Peaches, Or Apricots, But Just Paint Spring. To Paint Willows, Plums, Peaches, Or Apricots Is To Paint Willows, Plums, Peaches, Or Apricots - It Is Not Yet Painting Spring.

Spring

Plums

Peaches

When You Paint Spring, Do Not Paint Willows, Plums, Peaches, Or Apricots - Just Paint Spring.

Spring

Plums

Peaches

To Be In Harmony With The Wholeness Of Things Is Not To Have Anxiety Over Imperfections.

Imperfection

Anxiety

Harmony

Truth Is Not Far Away. It Is Nearer Than Near. There Is No Need To Attain It, Since Not One Of Your Steps Leads Away From It.

Needs

Steps

Truth Is

There Are Those Who, Attracted By Grass, Flowers, Mountains, And Waters, Flow Into The Buddha Way.

Flower

Water

Mountain

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.

Self

Mind

Realization

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.

Morning

Lightning

Dew

One Must Be Deeply Aware Of The Impermanence Of The World.

World

Impermanence

Working With Plants, Trees, Fences And Walls, If They Practice Sincerely They Will Attain Enlightenment.

Wall

Practice

Tree

Since It Is The Practice Of Enlightenment, That Practice Has No Beginning And Since It Is Enlightenment Within The Practice, That Realization Has No End.

Practice

Enlightenment

Realization

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.

Ocean

Fall

Moon

Time Is Three Eyes And Eight Elbows.

Eye

Eight

Three

A Zen Master's Life Is One Continuous Mistake.

Mistake

Life Is

Masters

Because Monks Come From The Midst Of Purity, They Consider As Good And Pure What Does Not Arouse Desire Among Other People.

People

Desire

Doe

All That's Visible Springs From Causes Intimate To You. While Walking, Sitting, Lying Down, The Body Itself Is Complete Truth. If Someone Asks The Inner Meaning Of This: Inside The Treasury Of Dharma Eye A Single Grain Of Dust.

Lying

Spring

Eye

Every Man Possesses The Buddha-nature. Do Not Demean Yourselves.

Men

Buddha Nature

Every Man

When You Find Your Place Where You Are, Practice Occurs, Actualizing The Fundamental Point.

Practice

Fundamentals

Where You Are

Know That The True Dharma Emerges Of Itself [during The Practice Of Zazen], Clearing Away Hindrances And Distractions.

Practice

Distraction

Dharma

That You Carry Yourself Forward And Experience The Myriad Things Is Delusion. That The Myriad Things Come Forward And Experience Themselves Is Awakening

Awakening

Delusion

Learn The Backward Step That Turns Your Light Inward To Illuminate Your Self. Body And Mind Of Themselves Will Drop Away, And Your Original Face Will Be Manifest.

Light

Self

Mind

People Who Truly Follow The Way Would Do Well To Conceal The Fact That They Are Buddhists.

Buddhist

People

Way

Emptiness Is Bound To Bloom, Like Hundreds Of Grasses Blossoming.

Blossoming

Emptiness

Grass

To Escape From The World Means That One's Mind Is Not Concerned With The Opinions Of The World.

Mean

Mind

World

Life And Death Are Nothing But The Mind. Years, Months, Days, And Hours Are Nothing But The Mind. Dreams, Illusions, And Mirages Are Nothing But The Mind. The Bubbles Of Water And The Flames Of Fire Are Nothing But The Mind. The Flowers Of The Spring And The Moon Of The Autumn Are Nothing But The Mind. Confusions And Dangers Are Nothing But The Mind.

Dream

Spring

Flower

Do Not Doubt That Mountains Walk Simply Because They May Not Appear To Walk Like Humans.

Doubt

Mountain

May

Students Today Should Live Fully Every Moment Of Time. This Dew-like Life Fades Away; Time Speeds Swiftly. In This Short Life Of Ours, Avoid Involvement In Superfluous Things And Just Study The Way.

Short Life

Discipline

Dew

Just Study Buddhism. Don't Follow The Sentiments Of The World.

Buddhism

World

Study

Look For Buddha Outside Your Own Mind, And Buddha Becomes The Devil.

Mind

Devil

Looks

The Color Of The Mountains Is Buddha's Body; The Sound Of Running Water Is His Great Speech.

Inspirational

Life

Running

Does A Dragon Still Sing From Within A Withered Tree?

Dragons

Tree

Doe

The Recognition Of The Coming And Going Of Things Is A First Step In Training And Practice.

Practice

Training

Firsts

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.

Ocean

Water

Mountain

Forgetting Oneself Is Opening Oneself

Forget

Opening

Oneself

Those Who Practice Know Whether Realization Is Attained Or Not, Just As Those Who Drink Water Know Whether It Is Hot Or Cold

Practice

Water

Hot

There Are Thousands Upon Thousands Of Students Who Have Practiced Meditation And Obtained Its Fruits. Do Not Doubt Its Possibilities Because Of The Simplicity Of The Method. If You Can Not Find The Truth Right Where You Are, Where Else Do You Expect To Find It?

Truth

Simplicity

Meditation

Meditation Is Not A Way To Enlightenment, Nor Is It A Method Of Achieving Anything At All. It Is Peace Itself. It Is The Actualization Of Wisdom, The Ultimate Truth Of The Oneness Of All Things.

Oneness

Meditation

Enlightenment

When Mountains And Waters Are Painted, Blue, Green, And Red Paints Are Used, Strange Rocks And Wondrous Stones Are Used, The Four Jewels And The Seven Treasures Are Used. Rice-cakes Are Painted In The Same Manner. When A Person Is Painted, The Four Great Elements And Five Skandhas Are Used.

Jewels

Cake

Rocks

I Haven't Got Any Buddhism. I Live By Letting Things Happen.

Buddhism

Live By

Letting Things Happen

What Is The Way Of The Buddha? It Is To Study The Self. What Is The Study Of The Self? It Is To Forget Oneself. To Forget Oneself Is To Enlightened By Everything In The World.

Self

World

Way

Consider That Nirvana Is Itself No Other Than Our Life.

Our Lives

In The Mundane, Nothing Is Sacred. In Sacredness, Nothing Is Mundane.

Sacred

Sacredness

Mundane

To What Shall I Liken The World? Moonlight, Reflected In Dewdrops, Shaken From A Crane's Bill.

Relaxation

World

Bills

Sitting Is The Gateway Of Truth To Total Liberation.

Truth

Sitting

Gateways

If You Want To Do A Certain Thing, You First Have To Be A Certain Person. Once You Become That Certain Person, You Will Not Care Anymore About Doing That Certain Thing.

Spiritual

Care

Want

If We Look At The World With A Deluded Body And Mind, We Will Think That Our Self Is Permanent. But If We Practice Correctly And Return To Our True Self, We Will Realize That Nothing Is Permanent

Thinking

Self

Practice

Inside The Treasury Of The Dharma Eye A Single Grain Of Dust.

Eye

Dust

Dharma

When Other Sects Speak Well Of Zen, The First Thing That They Praise Is Its Poverty.

Poverty

Firsts

Speak

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.

Senior

Simple

Worry

A Fish Swims In The Ocean, And No Matter How Far It Swims There Is No End To The Water. A Bird Flies In The Sky, And No Matter How Far It Flies There Is No End To The Air. However The Fish And The Bird Have Never Left Their Elements. Thus Each Of Them Totally Covers Its Full Range, And Each Of Them Totally Experiences Its Realm... Know That Water Is Life And Air Is Life. The Bird Is Life And The Fish Is Life. Life Must Be The Bird And Life Must Be The Fish... Practice, Enlightenment And People Are Like This.

Ocean

Practice

Sky

An Ancient Buddha Said, “mountains Are Mountains; Waters Are Waters.” These Words Do Not Mean Mountains Are Mountains; They Mean Mountains Are Mountains.

Mean

Water

Mountain

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.

Buddhist

Everyday

Worldly Life

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.

Self

Mind

Enlightenment

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.

Tree

Body

Green

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 Myriad Things With A Confused Body And 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.

Confused

Moving

Eye

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.

Responsibility

Thinking

Three

Do Not Practice Buddha-dharma With The Thought That It Is To Benefit Others.

Practice

Benefits

Dharma

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.

Blue

Color

Sky

We Must Always Be Disturbed By The Truth.

Disturbed

Understanding Quotes: Their Essence and Application

Quotes, or quotations, are powerful tools in communication, encapsulating ideas, emotions, and wisdom in concise expressions. They serve various purposes across different contexts, from academic writing to everyday conversation.

1. Defining Quotes

A quote is a repetition of someone else's statement or thoughts. It can be a direct replication of words spoken or written by another individual, often used to support arguments, provide evidence, or convey profound insights.

2. The Importance of Quotes

2.1. Enhancing Credibility

Incorporating quotes from authoritative sources can bolster the credibility of your work. By referencing experts or primary sources, you demonstrate thorough research and a solid foundation for your arguments.

2.2. Providing Evidence

Quotes serve as concrete evidence to support claims. In academic and professional writing, they validate points made, offering readers a basis to trust the information presented.

2.3. Conveying Emotions and Perspectives

Quotes can encapsulate emotions and perspectives succinctly. They allow writers to express complex feelings or viewpoints through the words of others, often more eloquently than paraphrasing.

3. Types of Quotes

3.1. Direct Quotes

Direct quotes involve copying the exact words from a source, enclosed in quotation marks. They are used when the original wording is significant or particularly well-expressed.

3.2. Indirect Quotes (Paraphrasing)

Indirect quotes restate the original message in your own words. While not enclosed in quotation marks, they still require proper attribution to the original source.

3.3. Block Quotes

Block quotes are lengthy direct quotations, formatted as a separate block of text. They are typically used for quotes exceeding a certain length, varying by citation style. For instance, in APA style, quotes longer than 40 words are formatted as block quotes.

4. Proper Usage of Quotes

4.1. Contextual Relevance

Ensure that the quote you choose is relevant to the topic and adds value to your content. Avoid inserting quotes solely for decorative purposes.

4.2. Integration into Your Writing

Seamlessly integrate quotes into your writing. Introduce them appropriately and follow up with analysis or commentary to connect them to your main points.

4.3. Attribution and Citation

Always attribute quotes to their original authors and provide proper citations according to the required style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).

5. Common Mistakes to Avoid

5.1. Overusing Quotes

Relying too heavily on quotes can overshadow your voice. Use them sparingly to support your arguments, not replace them.

5.2. Lack of Analysis

Presenting a quote without analysis or explanation can leave readers questioning its relevance. Always follow up with your interpretation or discussion.

5.3. Misquoting or Taking Out of Context

Ensure that quotes are accurate and not taken out of context, as this can mislead readers and undermine your credibility.

6. Quotes in Different Contexts

6.1. Academic Writing

In academic writing, quotes are used to support arguments, provide evidence, and engage with existing literature. Proper citation is crucial to avoid plagiarism.

6.2. Journalism

Journalists use quotes to provide firsthand accounts, add authenticity, and present multiple perspectives within a story.

6.3. Literature and Creative Writing

In literature, quotes can be used to convey character voices, themes, and stylistic elements. They enrich narratives and provide depth to storytelling.

7. Punctuation and Formatting

Understanding the correct punctuation and formatting of quotes is essential:

Quotation Marks: Always enclose direct quotes within quotation marks.

Punctuation Placement: In American English, periods and commas are placed inside quotation marks, while colons and semicolons are placed outside.

Block Quotes: For longer quotes, format them as block quotes without quotation marks, and indent the entire block.

8. Ethical Considerations

Ethical use of quotes involves accurate representation, proper attribution, and respect for intellectual property. Misuse can lead to plagiarism, which carries serious academic and professional consequences.

9. Tools for Managing Quotes

Utilize tools like citation generators and plagiarism checkers to manage quotes effectively. These tools help ensure proper formatting and originality in your writing.

Conclusion

Quotes are invaluable in enriching content, providing evidence, and conveying complex ideas succinctly. When used appropriately, they enhance the quality and credibility of your writing. Always ensure relevance, proper integration, and ethical usage to maximize their impact.

Trending Author