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Top 30 Stephen Mitchell Quotes (2025 Update)

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “So actions themselves are not good and not bad; only the intention is important.”

1. “So actions themselves are not good and not bad; only the intention is important.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “When there’s no way out, you just follow the way in front of you.”

2. “When there’s no way out, you just follow the way in front of you.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “Education is no longer thought of as a preparation for adult life, but as a continuing process of growth and development from birth until death.”

3. “Education is no longer thought of as a preparation for adult life, but as a continuing process of growth and development from birth until death.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “Creativity, not normality, has become the paradigm of mental health.”

4. “Creativity, not normality, has become the paradigm of mental health.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “The great Way is easy, yet people prefer the side paths. Be aware when things are out of balance. Stay centered within the Tao. When rich speculators prosper while farmers lose their land; when government officials spend money on weapons instead of cures; when the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible while the poor have nowhere to turn – all this is robbery and chaos. It is not in keeping with the Tao.”

5. “The great Way is easy, yet people prefer the side paths. Be aware when things are out of balance. Stay centered within the Tao. When rich speculators prosper while farmers lose their land; when government officials spend money on weapons instead of cures; when the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible while the poor have nowhere to turn – all this is robbery and chaos. It is not in keeping with the Tao.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “It is better to do your own duty badly than to perfectly do an others; when you do your duty, you are naturally free from sin.”

6. “It is better to do your own duty badly than to perfectly do an others; when you do your duty, you are naturally free from sin.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “But self-abasement is just inverted egoism. Anyone who acts with genuine humility will be as far from humiliation as from arrogance.”

7. “But self-abasement is just inverted egoism. Anyone who acts with genuine humility will be as far from humiliation as from arrogance.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “Pure prayer begins at the threshold of silence. It says nothing, asks for nothing. It is a kind of listening. The deeper the listening, the less we listen for, until silence itself becomes the voice of God.”

8. “Pure prayer begins at the threshold of silence. It says nothing, asks for nothing. It is a kind of listening. The deeper the listening, the less we listen for, until silence itself becomes the voice of God.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “What we are tempted to call a disaster is sometimes the first, painful stage of a blessing.”

9. “What we are tempted to call a disaster is sometimes the first, painful stage of a blessing.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “When speech comes from a quiet heart, it has the strength of the orchid, and the fragrance of rock.”

10. “When speech comes from a quiet heart, it has the strength of the orchid, and the fragrance of rock.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “Because she competes with no one, no one can compete with her.”

11. “Because she competes with no one, no one can compete with her.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “When a country is in harmony with the Tao, the factories make trucks and tractors. When a country goes counter to the Tao, warheads are stockpiled outside the cities. There is no greater illusion than fear, no greater wrong than preparing to defend yourself, no greater misfortune than having an enemy. Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe.”

12. “When a country is in harmony with the Tao, the factories make trucks and tractors. When a country goes counter to the Tao, warheads are stockpiled outside the cities. There is no greater illusion than fear, no greater wrong than preparing to defend yourself, no greater misfortune than having an enemy. Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “In a cookie factory, different cookies are baked in the shape of animals, cars, people, and airplanes. They all have different names and forms, but they are all made from the same dough, and they all taste the same.”

13. “In a cookie factory, different cookies are baked in the shape of animals, cars, people, and airplanes. They all have different names and forms, but they are all made from the same dough, and they all taste the same.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “If you listen to the traffic with a clear mind, without any concepts, it is not noisy, it is only what it is.”

14. “If you listen to the traffic with a clear mind, without any concepts, it is not noisy, it is only what it is.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “Savor your food, make each of your days a delight, bathe and anoint yourself, wear bright clothes that are sparkling clean, let music and dancing fill your house, love the child who holds you by the hand, and give your wife pleasure in your embrace. That is the best way for a man to live.”

15. “Savor your food, make each of your days a delight, bathe and anoint yourself, wear bright clothes that are sparkling clean, let music and dancing fill your house, love the child who holds you by the hand, and give your wife pleasure in your embrace. That is the best way for a man to live.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “Happily ever after doesn’t begin with Once upon a time: it begins with Now.”

16. “Happily ever after doesn’t begin with Once upon a time: it begins with Now.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “What is the gospel according to Jesus? Simply this: that the love we all long for in our innermost heart is already present, beyond longing.”

17. “What is the gospel according to Jesus? Simply this: that the love we all long for in our innermost heart is already present, beyond longing.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “True mastery can be gained by letting things go their own way.”

18. “True mastery can be gained by letting things go their own way.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “What may appear to be proud ungrateful and headstrong fron the outside may from the inside express an unshakable integrity of character. Pride, if it doesn’t step over the line into arrogance, is simply an unprejudiced self-esteem. Ingratitude is the appropriate response to a kindness that has hooks on it. Headstrong is another word for trusting your own heart.”

19. “What may appear to be proud ungrateful and headstrong fron the outside may from the inside express an unshakable integrity of character. Pride, if it doesn’t step over the line into arrogance, is simply an unprejudiced self-esteem. Ingratitude is the appropriate response to a kindness that has hooks on it. Headstrong is another word for trusting your own heart.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “The Great Way is not difficult if you do not make distinctions. Only throw away likes and dislikes, and everything will be perfectly clear. So.”

20. “The Great Way is not difficult if you do not make distinctions. Only throw away likes and dislikes, and everything will be perfectly clear. So.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “The Master gives himself up to whatever the moment brings. He knows that he is going to die, and he has nothing left to hold on to: no illusions in his mind, no resistances in his body. He doesn’t think about his actions; they flow from the core of his being. He holds nothing back from life; therefore he is ready for death, as a man is ready for sleep after a good day’s work.”

21. “The Master gives himself up to whatever the moment brings. He knows that he is going to die, and he has nothing left to hold on to: no illusions in his mind, no resistances in his body. He doesn’t think about his actions; they flow from the core of his being. He holds nothing back from life; therefore he is ready for death, as a man is ready for sleep after a good day’s work.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “They say you can fool some of the people all of the time. Accordingly, I think we should concentrate on this group initially. We can move on to the people you can only fool some of the time at a later date if we deem it necessary.”

22. “They say you can fool some of the people all of the time. Accordingly, I think we should concentrate on this group initially. We can move on to the people you can only fool some of the time at a later date if we deem it necessary.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “Even the purest of teachers will face bitter criticism from those who feel threatened by him.”

23. “Even the purest of teachers will face bitter criticism from those who feel threatened by him.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “Love softens everything except our sense of integrity.”

24. “Love softens everything except our sense of integrity.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “Here is a poem for you: The candy peddler is ringing his bell, and the child cries to its mother. Money becomes candy and candy becomes money. Money goes into the peddler’s pocket, and candy goes into the child’s mouth and is sweet.”

25. “Here is a poem for you: The candy peddler is ringing his bell, and the child cries to its mother. Money becomes candy and candy becomes money. Money goes into the peddler’s pocket, and candy goes into the child’s mouth and is sweet.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “Whenever righteousness falters and chaos threatens to prevail, I take on a human body and manifest myself on earth.”

26. “Whenever righteousness falters and chaos threatens to prevail, I take on a human body and manifest myself on earth.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “These six are equal to the following statement from the Avatamsaka Sutra: ‘If you wish to thoroughly understand all the Buddhas of the past, present, and future, then you should view the nature of the whole universe as being created by the mind alone.”

27. “These six are equal to the following statement from the Avatamsaka Sutra: ‘If you wish to thoroughly understand all the Buddhas of the past, present, and future, then you should view the nature of the whole universe as being created by the mind alone.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “Enkidu, my brother, whom I loved so dearly, who accompanied me through every danger – the fate of mankind has overwhelmed him. For six days I would not let him be buried, thinking, ‘If my grief is violent enough, perhaps he will come back to life again.”

28. “Enkidu, my brother, whom I loved so dearly, who accompanied me through every danger – the fate of mankind has overwhelmed him. For six days I would not let him be buried, thinking, ‘If my grief is violent enough, perhaps he will come back to life again.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “Now let the gate of sorrow be closed behind me, and let it be sealed with tar and pitch.”

29. “Now let the gate of sorrow be closed behind me, and let it be sealed with tar and pitch.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “The falling of the leaves is the truth. The sweeping is the truth. The wind’s blowing them away is the truth. The people’s anger also is the truth. If your mind is moving, you can’t understand the truth. You must first understand that form is emptiness, emptiness is form. Next, no form, no emptiness. Then you will understand that form is form, emptiness is emptiness. Then all these actions are the truth. And then you will find your true home.”

30. “The falling of the leaves is the truth. The sweeping is the truth. The wind’s blowing them away is the truth. The people’s anger also is the truth. If your mind is moving, you can’t understand the truth. You must first understand that form is emptiness, emptiness is form. Next, no form, no emptiness. Then you will understand that form is form, emptiness is emptiness. Then all these actions are the truth. And then you will find your true home.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “Desire and aspiration are two different things. The idea that you want to achieve something in Zen meditation is basically selfish. ‘I want to get enlightened’ means ‘I want to get enlightened.’ But aspiration is not for myself, it is not a merely individual desire, it transcends the idea of self. It is desire without attachment. If enlightenment comes, good. If enlightenment does not come, good. Actually, this is enlightenment.”

31. “Desire and aspiration are two different things. The idea that you want to achieve something in Zen meditation is basically selfish. ‘I want to get enlightened’ means ‘I want to get enlightened.’ But aspiration is not for myself, it is not a merely individual desire, it transcends the idea of self. It is desire without attachment. If enlightenment comes, good. If enlightenment does not come, good. Actually, this is enlightenment.”

— Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell Quote: “What is good, what is bad? Who makes good, who makes bad? They cling to their opinions with all their might. But everybody’s opinion is different. How can you say that your opinion is correct and somebody else’s is wrong? This is delusion.”

32. “What is good, what is bad? Who makes good, who makes bad? They cling to their opinions with all their might. But everybody’s opinion is different. How can you say that your opinion is correct and somebody else’s is wrong? This is delusion.”

— Stephen Mitchell

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