Category Quotations

Bodhidharma says: “Trying to find a buddha or enlightenment is like trying to grab space.”

Bodhidharma says: “To see form but not be corrupted by form or to hear sound but not to be corrupted by sound is liberation. Eyes that aren’t attached to form are the gates of Zen. In short, those who perceive…

Bodhidharma says: “To invoke the Buddha’s name you have to understand the dharma of invoking. If it’s not present in your mind, your mouth chants an empty name. As long as you’re troubled by the three poisons or by thoughts…

Bodhidharma says: “To have a body is to suffer. Does anyone with a body know peace? Those who understand this detach themselves from all that exists and stop imagining or seeking anything. The sutras say, “To seek is to suffer.…

Bodhidharma says: “To go from mortal to Buddha, you have to put an end to karma, nurture your awareness, and accept what life brings.”

Bodhidharma says: “To give up yourself without regret is the greatest charity.”

Bodhidharma says: “To find Buddha, you have to see your nature. Whoever sees his nature is a Buddha. If you don’t see your nature, invoking buddhas, reciting sutras, making offerings, and keeping precepts are all useless. Invoking buddhas results in…

Bodhidharma says: “To enter by practice refers to four all-inclusive practices: Suffering injustice, adapting to conditions, seeking nothing, and practicing the Dharma.”

Bodhidharma says: “This one life has no form and is empty by nature. If you become attached by any form, you should reject it. If you see an ego, a soul, a birth, or a death, reject them all.”

Bodhidharma says: “There’s no language that, isn’t the Dharma. To talk all day without saying anything is the Way. To be silent all day and still say something isn’t the Way. Hence neither does a Tathagata speech depend on silence,…