Shunryu Suzuki was as a Sōtō Zen roshi (priest) who popularized Zen Buddhism in the United States, particularly around San Francisco. He was born in Japan. I came across one of his quotes while reading a book, and found these other gems which I thought were very well said:
1- In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.
2- When you do something, you should burn yourself up completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.
3- If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything.
4- Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine.
5- All of you are perfect just as you are and you could use a little improvement.
6- As soon as you see something, you already start to intellectualize it. As soon as you intellectualize something, it is no longer what you saw.
7- The most important thing is to find out what is the most important thing.
8- I think you’re all enlightened, until you open your mouths.
Which one is your favorite?
I like the 5th and 6th ones.