Quotes from the book Don't Worry: 48 Lessons on Relieving Anxiety from a Zen Buddhist Monk, by Shunmyo Masuno (2022, translated by Allison Markin Powell):

• The founder of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism, Dogen Zenji, said, “The actions of others are not my own." (Chapter 1)
• Zen teaches us to believe that we all have Buddha nature (kindness and understanding, warmth and magnanimity...), and that if we try to see it in everyone, we will find that it reverberates in our own heart. (Chapter 6)
• It's an idea—"Practice the pause"—that comes from a classical Chinese text. The concept is that at least once each day, it's important to pause and reflect on ourselves. (Chapter 10)
• "Kind speech arises from a loving mind, and the seed of a loving mind is compassion. We should learn that kind speech has the power to change the world." This is a quote from Dogen Zenji’s masterwork, Shobogenzo. (Chapter 21)
• In Zen we say, "Every day is a good day." (Chapter 23)
• These were Dokyo Etan’s words: "Serious matters only matter today." (Chapter 24)
• "Every step is a place to learn." (Chapter 32)
• Yielding to others with the phrase "After you" exemplifies the practice of "Gentle face, loving words." By putting "Gentle face, loving words" into practice every day, we brighten our surroundings, spread happiness, and increase our sense of ease. (Chapter 33)
• "When you see a flower, savor the flower, and when you see the moon, savor the moon." (Chapter 35)

(cf Without Anxiety about Imperfection (2015-05-21), Worry, Stress, Anxiety (2020-03-04), Lessons on Relieving Anxiety (2022-11-11), ...) - ^z - 2023-07-16