and you will become friendly with others. This is the merit of Zen practice. But the way of practice is just to be concentrated on your breathing wit… - Shunryu Suzuki

But the way of practice is just to be concentrated on your breathing with the right posture and with great, pure effort.

For Zen students the most important thing is not to be dualistic. Our “original mind” includes everything within itself. It is always rich and sufficient within itself. You should not lose your self-sufficient state of mind. This does not mean a closed mind, but actually an empty mind and a ready mind. If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind there are few.

What is true zazen? What do you mean by Zen becomes Zen and you become you? You become you is a very important point. You become you. When you become you, even though you are in bed, you may not be you most of the time. Even though you are sitting here, I wonder whether you are you in its true sense. So to be you is zazen.

To give your sheep or cow a large, spacious meadow is the way to control him.