It is the creative ability of a human being that separates him from all other animals.

Art lives where absolute freedom is, because where it is not, there can be no creativity – art has no ego rigidity.

The human soul is what interests me. I live to express myself freely in creation.

Art is never decoration, embellishment; instead it is work of enlightenment. Art, in other words, is a technique for acquiring liberty.

Through art our own souls are what we must employ to give a new form and a new meaning to Nature or the world.

To express oneself honestly, not lying to oneself; that, my friend, is very hard to do.

Art demands only immediate, honest and whole-hearted action.

Art calls for complete mastery of techniques, developed by reflection within the soul.

With adversity you are shocked to higher levels, much like a rain storm that is so violent, but yet afterwards all plant grows.

Recognizing the influence of my subconscious mind over my power of will, I shall take care to submit to it a clear and definite picture of my Major Purpose in life and all minor purposes leading to my major purpose, and I shall keep this picture constantly before my subconscious mind by repeating it daily.

There is an awareness without choice, without any demand, an awareness in which there is no anxiety; and in that state of mind there is perception. It is the perception alone that will resolve all your problems.

Don’t be forecasting evil unless it is what you can guard against. Anxiety is good for nothing if we can’t turn it into a defense.

Sincere and serious learners are difficult to come by. Many of them are five minute enthusiasts, some of them come in with ill intentions, but unfortunately, most of them are second-hand artists; basically conformers.

No accidents are so unlucky but that the wise may draw some advantage from them; nor are there any so lucky but that the foolish may turn them to their own prejudice.

To realize that it’s just an inconvenience, that it is not a catastrophe, but just an unpleasantness, is part of coming into your own, part of waking up.

Are you doing to make your obstacles stepping stones to your dreams, or stumbling blocks because unknowingly you let negativeness, worries, fear, etc., take you over?

When a man seeks your advice he generally wants your praise.

Self-education makes great men.

All types of knowledge, ultimately mean self knowledge.

Education consists in cultivation of intelligence 

Education: to discover but not merely to imitate.

Learning techniques without inward experiencing can only lead to superficiality.

I am constantly discovering, expanding, finding the cause of my ignorance, in martial art and especially in life. In short, to be real…

Learning is important but do not become its slave. Above all, do not harbor anything external and superfluous, the mind is the primary.

Like everyone else, you want to learn the way to win. But never to accept the way to lose. To accept defeat – to learn to die – is be liberated from it.

 I never believe in large organizations, with their domestic and foreign branches, affiliations, etc.

To reach the masses, some sort of a system is required; as a result, the members are conditioned according to that system.

I believe in teaching just a few, as it requires constant alert observations on each individual in order to establish a true, direct relationship.

A child must be taught early that money is only a means, a type of usefulness, an implement. Like all instruments, it has certain purposes, but it will not do everything. One must learn how to use it, what it will do, but above all what it will not do.

Look for ways to raise the pupil’s mind above duality, to the absolute awareness which transcends it.

But then, how important is school? I barely made passing grades while attending the University of Washington.

Bear in mind that I seek neither your approval nor to influence you. So do not make up your mind as to “this is this” or “that is that”. I will be more than satisfied if you begin to learn to investigate everything yourself from now on.

What we are after is the root and not the branches. The root is real knowledge; the branches are surface knowledge.

Real knowledge breeds “body feel” and personal expression; surface knowledge breeds mechanical conditioning and imposing limitation and squelches creativity.

What is the point of education if you in yourself are not intelligent? If you are not creative?

Knowledge is of the past; learning is in the present, a constant movement, in relationship with the outward things, without the past.

To understand, surely, there must be a state of choiceless awareness in which there is no sense of comparison or condemnation, no waiting for further development on the thing we are talking about in order to agree or disagree – don’t start from a conclusion above all.

Above all, a teacher does not depend on a method and drill systematic routines; instead, he studies each individual student and awakens him to explore himself, both internally and externally, and ultimately integrate himself with his being.

Such teaching, which is really no teaching, requires a sensitive mind with great flexibility and is difficult to come by nowadays.

A teacher, a good teacher that is, functions as a pointer to truth, but not a giver of truth. He employs a minimum of form to lead his student to the formless. Furthermore, he points out the importance of being able to enter a mold without being imprisoned by it, or to follow the principles without being bound by them.

A teacher is never a giver of truth; he is a guide, a pointer to the truth that each student must find for himself.

A good teacher protects his pupils from his own influence. It is easy to teach one to be skillful, but it is difficult to teach him his own attitude. Each moment during teaching requires a full alert and sensitive mind that is constantly adjusting and constantly changing.

Give recognition where it is due. Complements definitely stimulate more effort and desire to improve. Be generous with honest praising.

Learning is never cumulative, it is a movement of knowing which has no beginning and no end.

Fluidity is the way to an empty mind. You must free your ambitious mind and learn the art of dying.

The knowledge and skill you have achieved are after all meant to be “forgotten” so you can float in emptiness without obstruction and comfortably.

I respect faith, but doubt is what gets you an education.

What is defeat? Nothing but education; nothing but the first step to something better.

Life is wise, limitless. There is no border, no frontier.

Life is your teacher, and you are in a state of constant learning.