Posts in the “zen” category

This page contains a list of my favorite mindfulness quotes. Most of these are short, concise quotes that help bring me back to the present moment, and work well with my “Just Be” mobile app.

Update: I have replaced my Just Be application — which was written for Android only — with a new application I call Back To Now, which runs on both Android and iOS.

Background: Just Be

Just Be was a mobile mindfulness app that I created for Android users. This is what the reminders/notifications look like when you receive them on an Android phone or tablet:

“The whole essence of Zen consists in walking along the razor’s edge of Now.”

~ Eckhart Tolle

I know that I may never get to any “final” stages of enlightenment, but IMHO and as near as I can tell from my current meditation practice level, the last steps leading up to enlightenment/awakening/liberation are:

“If we do not practice mindfulness while carrying a bucket of water, it is a waste of time to seclude ourselves in a monastery.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Mindfulness/meditation FAQ: What are the reasons, purposes, or motivations to practice mindfulness and meditation?

The motivations to meditate

I just took a little time to share some old notes from my meditation practice about “The purpose of mindfulness.” (This is also stated in other ways, like “Why bother being mindful?”, or, “What are the motivations for practicing mindfulness and meditation?”)

In the following sections I describe the purposes and motivations for practicing both mindfulness and meditation.

Before getting into my notes, I don’t know how many people know Ram Dass or have read his writings, but I updated the first motivation here based on his work, because if you really get into mindfulness and meditation, what he states is the end goal.

When I first started meditating in the 1990s, I often had a hard time getting into the proper meditative state when I sat down on the meditation cushion. My “monkey mind” would be jumping all over the place, and it would take me a long time to get it to settle down. Many times I couldn’t even get it to settle down before my 30-minute timer went off.

Because of that, and because I really wanted to become better at meditating, I began experimenting with different ways to get into the meditative state faster.

As a result, this page is a summary of the best ways I know to help you get into a good meditation state when you take time to sit on the meditation cushion (or wherever else you sit). If you’re interested in getting into a deep state fast, these are the “best practices” I know, especially when you’re short on time.

Daniel Ingram was the first meditation teacher I ever heard who said that we should make meditation fun. He said something to the effect that when we sit down to meditate, we should try to sense vibrations as fast as possible — like playing a video game — and said, “Let’s bust some vibrations!”

Famous meditation teachers on staying mindful 24x7

As I think about trying to make meditation fun — and the use of mantras — I recall meditation teachers who have talked about the importance of staying mindful all day — 24x7 — to achieve enlightenment. For instance, here are just a few quotes:

A great Zen quote from Zen Master Seung Sahn: “If you want Satori, Satori is far, far away.”

(Satori is a Japanese Buddhist term that means enlightenment, awakening, liberation, or self-realization.)

While many people use the word “enlightenment,” people who have made it there often prefer the words “awakening” or “liberation.” This is a faux painting in an impressionist style inspired by liberation.

While many people think that Zen Masters live solitary lives in caves or monasteries, Bernie Glassman fed the poor, created a multi-million dollar bread company to employ the poor (and supply baked goods to Ben & Jerrys), raised $35M to home the homeless, and was a teacher to Jeff Bridges (“The Dude”). He also started his career as a mathematician and engineer. You can read more here, if you’re interested.

“Bring your mind to one point and wait for grace.”

~ from one of my favorite Ram Dass books, Polishing the Mirror, this is something that Maharaji told Ram Dass

I haven’t decided yet if I like the book, Demystifying Awakening: A Buddhist Path of Realization, Embodiment, and Freedom, by Stephen Snyder, but one thing I do like is the concept of an “80/20 rule” that he learned about for when we are interacting with other people.

The idea is that even when you’re talking and interacting with other people, 80% of your concentration should still be on yourself and your inner processes, and 20% should be on who you are interacting with.

This is consistent with my own thoughts on the subject, and what Ram Dass said about Maharaji, that Maharaji could always be seen mouthing “Ram ... Ram ... Ram,” even when he was listening to others. Ram Dass himself also spoke of this in his own practice, and is almost always seen working a mala in public speeches.

Inspired by a conversation with a friend recently about “trying to love everyone,” I dug into things a little more and found the following information from Ram Dass, Zen masters, the Maharaj-ji (Neem Karoli Baba), and Yoda.

As I keep trying to figure out what Ram Dass means when he says, “love everyone,” I dug through his book, be love now and found these two quotes:

When Zen Master Seung Sahn says, “Go straight, only don’t know”, what does that mean?

When Zen Master Seung Sahn (ZMSS) says, “Only go straight, don’t know,” he is pointing to a fundamental teaching in Zen, which emphasizes the importance of maintaining a mind that is clear, focused, and free from preconceived notions. The following is a detailed breakdown of what I believe this quote means.

(1) Only Go Straight

First, “Go straight” emphasizes directness in action and perception. It means to act without hesitation, doubt, or unnecessary deliberation. In a sense it means “don’t check” — another phrase ZMSS used, and I interpret as “Don’t second-guess.”

This is an A.I. faux painting based on the following quote by Zen Master Seung Sahn: “Zen means not holding onto anything. If you are holding something, or making something, or attached to something, you are not practicing Zen.”

After finishing the book, I Am That, by Nisargadatta Maharaj, I have collected many of this quotes related to enlightenment. Note that he never uses the word “enlightenment,” but instead at least occasionally uses the word “gnani,” which is defined in the glossary as “the knower,” or one who understands “the realization of the unity of all things.”

Nisargadatta Maharaj enlightenment quotes

To get the ball rolling, here are some descriptions of enlightenment from Nisargadatta Maharaj:

This is an A.I “monochrome ink drawing” based on the Shunryu Suzuki quote, “Don’t expect the next moment.”

This A.I. painting is based on a quote by D.T. Suzuki. I don’t remember his exact words, but he said that when you meditate you should be extremely still, and “think of nothing but the infinite.” I remember that someone else also said to “merge with the infinite” when meditating, so those are the inspiration for this art.

Here’s a little quote from the book, Dropping Ashes on the Buddha, about Zen Master Seung Sahn:

“Finally it was the last day. He was outside chanting and hitting the moktak (wooden drum) when suddenly his body disappeared. From far away he could hear the beat of the moktak and the sound of his own voice. After some time in this state, he returned to his body, and he understood: the rocks, the river, everything he could see and hear, all were his true self. The truth is just like this.”

Not to go too “New Age” on you, I gave ChatGPT the following quote from Zen Master Seung Sahn, and this is the first image it produced, which I thought was pretty good.

“If you can break the wall of your self,
you will become infinite in time and space.”