"To live in this floating world is to wander from place to place pursuing mere titles," wrote Kodo Sawaki Roshi (1880-1965), a Zen monk who turned down a permanent position as a temple abbot. He preferred to live simply and teach Soto Zen outside of monasteries. Kosho Uchiyama, one of his students, went on to serve as abbot of a temple and monastery located on the outskirts of Kyoto. He serves as the translator and interpreter of Kodo Sawaki Roshi's out-of-the-box teachings.
Here is a sampler of some of his sayings:
• "Sit immovably in the place where being superior or inferior to others doesn't matter."
• "Studying originally meant aspiring to discover the meaning of life. These days studying has become all about getting a job."
• "Our practice of zazen is looking at the world afresh after being in hibernation."
• "People believe that living in the lap of luxury is something great. It's strange to me that people are respected because they have money."
• "Doing good can be bad. Some people do good to make themselves look good."
