Monday, February 2, 2009

A fistful Buddhist quotes on antiauthoritarianism, part 1

And yes, I realize the irony of posting a bunch of quotes saying "Think for yourself"

Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought.
-Basho

I would rather sink to the bottom of the sea for endless eons than seek liberation through all the saints of the universe.
-Shih-t'ou

The full-grown man aspires to pierce through the heavens. Let him not walk in the footsteps of the Buddha!
-Ts'ui-yen

Keep your mind alive and free without abiding in anything or anywhere.
-the Diamond Sûtra

No one saves us but ourselves, no one can and no one may.
-The Dhammapada

Yet you must not cling to the words of the old sages either; they, too, may not be right. Even if you believe them, you should be alert so that , in the event that something superior comes along, you may follow that.
-Dogen Zenji

If you meet a Buddha, kill him. If you meet a patriarch of the law, kill him."
This is a well-known Zen motto. If Buddhism is divided generally into the sects that believe in salvation by faith and those that believe in salvation by one's own efforts, then of course there must be such violent utterances in Zen, which insists upon salvation by one's own efforts.
-Yasunari Kawabata

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