Ryōkan Quotes

14 Sourced Quotes

The rain has stopped, the clouds have drifted away, and the weather is clear again.
If your heart is pure, then all things in your world are pure.
Abandon this fleeting world, abandon yourself,
Then the moon and flowers will guide you along the Way.

Ryōkan
This world
A fading
Mountain echo
Void and
Unreal

Ryōkan
In the scenery of spring,
nothing is better, nothing worse;
The flowering branches are
of themselves, some short, some long.

Ryōkan
Why do you so earnestly seek the truth in distant places?
Look for delusion and truth in the bottom of your own hearts.

Ryōkan
Late at night, listening to the winter rain
Recalling my youth —
Was it only a dream? Was I really young once?

Ryōkan
The thief left it behind:
the moon
at my window.

Ryōkan
I have nothing to report, my friends.
If you want to find the meaning,
Stop chasing after so many things.

Ryōkan
The winds gives me
Enough fallen leaves
To make a fire

Ryōkan
The village has disappeared in the evening mist
And the path is hard to follow.
Walking through the pines,
I return to my lonely hut.

Ryōkan
When you encounter those who are wicked, unrighteous, foolish, dim-witted, deformed, vicious, chronically ill, lonely, unfortunate, or disabled, you should think: How can I save them? And even if there is nothing you can do, at least you must not indulge in feelings of arrogance, superiority, derision, scorn, or abhorrence, but should immediately manifest sympathy and compassion. If you fail to do so, you should feel ashamed and deeply reproach yourself: How far I have strayed from the Way! How can I betray the old sages? I take these words as an admonition to myself.

Ryōkan
Cling to truth and it turns into falsehood. Understand falsehood and it turns into truth. Truth and falsehood are two sides of the same coin. Neither accept one nor reject the other.

Ryōkan
You must rise above
The gloomy clouds
Covering the mountaintop
Otherwise, how will you
Ever see the brightness?

Ryōkan
The water of the valley stream
Never shouts at the tainted world: Purify yourself!
But naturally, as it is,
Shows how it is done.

Ryōkan
In this dream world
We doze
And talk of dreams —
Dream, dream on,
As much as you wish

Ryōkan