[Tea-masters] have given emphasis to our natural love of simplicity, and shown us the beauty of humility. In fact, through their teachings tea has entered the life of the people.

The art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surroundings.

True beauty could be discovered only by one who mentally complete the incomplete.

Fain would we remain barbarians, if our claim to civilization were to be based on the gruesome glory of war.

In the liquid amber within the ivory porcelain, the initiated may touch the sweet reticence of Confucius, the piquancy of Laotse, and the ethereal aroma of Sakyamuni himself.

We are ever brutal to those who love and serve us in silence, but the time may come when, for our cruelty, we shall be deserted by these best friends of ours.

People are not taught to be really virtuous, but to behave properly.

Approach a great painting as thou wouldst approach a great prince.

Our standards of morality are begotten of the past needs of society, but is society to remain always the same?

Welcome to thee, O sword of eternity!Through BuddhaAnd through Daruma alikeThou hast cleft thy way.

One master defines Zen as the art of feeling the polar star in the southern sky. Truth can be reached only through the comprehension of opposites.

When two people marry they become in the eyes of the law one person, and that one person is the husband.

When we forgive, we're saying to our heart that we are ready to move on.

For God's sake let us freely hear both sides!

The idea of "human rights," for example - sometimes it bothers me. Not in itself, but because the concept of human rights has replaced the much grander idea of justice.

All people have dignity. Theres nobody who was born without a soul and a spirit.

Nothing which is harmonized by the bond of the Muse can be changed from its own to another language without destroying its sweetness

To me, what's sexy is when you look like you're having a good time. That, and when you look effortless and have messy hair.

Actually 'bad' doesn't do justice to my handwriting. Neither does 'handwriting.' 'Desecration of paper' about covers it.

Hardly any generation wants to take the whole of the last generation, it just wants to take its best bits.

The world has not just "turned upside down". It is turning in every which way at an accelerating pace.