Dogen Zenji Quotes

Satori - in the awakening from a dream. Awakening and self-realization and seeing into one's own being - these are synonymous.

Realisation is nothing new to be acquired. It is already there, but obstructed by a screen of thoughts. All our attempts are directed to lifting this screen and then realisation is revealed.

As long as you look for a Buddha somewhere else, you'll never see that your own mind is the Buddha.

The question of whether or not there is a God or truth or reality or whatever you like to call it, can never be answered by books, by priests, philosopher's or saviours. Nobody and nothing can answer the question but you yourself, and that is why you must know yourself - Immaturity lies only in total ignorance of self.

How can one become enlightened? One can, because one is enlightened - one just has to recognize the fact.

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.

To find a Buddha all you have to do is see your nature.

To know yourself as the Being underneath the thinker, the stillness underneath the mental noise, the love and joy underneath the pain, is freedom, salvation, enlightenment.

The mind is the Buddha, and the Buddha is the mind.

Your nature is the Buddha.

The deeper you get into Yoga you realize it is a spiritual practice. It's a journey I'm making. I'm heading that way.

Being enlightened is just being aware. It's just being aware of something that you weren't aware before.

I have been meditating for 40 years. It makes it a bit easier to know who you are.

For many people, the first indication of a spiritual awakening is that they suddenly become aware of their thoughts. They become a witness to their thoughts, so to speak. They are not completely identified with their mind anymore and so they begin to sense that there is a depth to them that they had never known before.

By constantly keep one's attention on the Source, the ego is dissolved in that Source like a salt-doll in the sea.

While doing sadhana you must quieten your mind and keep awake the Purusha consciousness behind all your activities.

Zazen is the ultimate practice. This is indeed the True Self. The Buddhadharma is not to be sought outside of this.

When your consciousness has become ripe in true zazen-pure like clear water, like a serene mountain lake, not moved by any wind-then anything may serve as a medium for realization.

Meditation is one of the most direct and powerful ways to awaken to who we really are and to experience happiness as a state of consciousness that already exists within us.

It is not a question of sitting silently, it is not a question of chanting a mantra. It is a question of understanding the subtle workings of the mind. As you understand those workings of the mind a great awareness arises in you, which is not of the mind. That awareness arises in your being, in your soul, in your consciousness.

Meditation will drop all the masks. It is a search for the original face.

Sannyas is only a declaration. The work is meditation. In one single word, my religion is complete, and that is meditation.

I have come not to teach but to awaken.

Forgetfulness of your real nature is true death; remembrance of it is rebirth.

You are awareness. Awareness is another name for you. Since you are awareness there is no need to attain or cultivate it. All that you have to do is to give up being aware of other things, that is of the not-Self. If one gives up being aware of them then pure awareness alone remains, and that is the Self.