When you can laugh at yourself, there is enlightenment.
-Shunryu Suzuki
Today's quote of the day is a creed that I believe can have a positive influence on anyone. Especially those that have a tendency to take themselves too seriously. We should all know at this point (if you happen to be older than eight) that we all make mistakes. We all screw up here and there despite our best intentions. Of course, there is fair reason to analyze our mishaps seriously and learn from them. However, we need not be hung up forever on disappointments and to get beyond them we should laugh. Ultimately, I paraphrase the quote as follows: When you can recognize the absurdity of your mistakes, you will understand that you are imperfect.
Shunryu Suzuki (1904-1971) was a Japanese Soto Zen monk who is heavily responsible for the popularization of Zen Buddhism in the United States. Suzuki founded the San Francisco Zen Center which is one of the most significant and influential Zen organizations in the States. it was incorporated by Suzuki and a group of his followers in 1962 and today it remains the largest Zen organization in the Western world. Suzuki also wrote the very popular book Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind.
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