Wendy Egyoku Nakao Roshi

You are alive, so be fully alive.

Judged by every standard which history has applied to Governments, the Soviet Government of Russia is one of the worst tyrannies that has ever existed in the world. It accords no political rights. It rules by terror. It punishes political opinions. It suppresses free speech. It tolerates no newspapers but its own. It persecutes Christianity with a zeal and a cunning never equalled since the times of the Roman Emperors. It is engaged at this moment in trampling down the peoples of Georgia and executing their leaders by hundreds.

I think I can say, and say with pride, that we have some legislatures that bring higher prices than any in the world.

You can always count on Americans to do the right thing – after they’ve tried everything else.

The only way to avoid being miserable is not to have enough leisure to wonder whether you are happy or not.

There’s not an American in this country free until every one of us is free.

He that complies against his will is of his own opinion still.

You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.

Mountains will go into labour, and a silly little mouse will be born.

Genial manners are good, and power of accommodation to any circumstance, but the high prize of life, the crowning fortune of a man is to be born with a bias to some pursuit, which finds him in employment and happiness, — whether it be to make baskets, or broadswords, or canals, or statutes, or songs. I doubt not this was the meaning of Socrates, when he pronounced artists the only truly wise, as being actually, not apparently so.

Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

I’m not a teacher: only a fellow-traveler of whom you asked the way. I pointed ahead – ahead of myself as well as you.

The avarice person is ever in want; let your desired aim have a fixed limit.

In fine, he that is drunk is not a Man: Because he is so long void of Reason, that distinguishes a Man from a Beast.

I can reason down or deny everything, except this perpetual Belly: feed he must and will, and I cannot make him respectable.

Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.