Dogen on Making a Diligent Effort


Shii, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Buddha said, “Monks, if you make diligent effort, nothing is too difficult.  That’s why you should do so.  It is like a thread of water piercing through a rock by constantly dripping.  If your mind continues to slacken, it is like taking a break from hitting stones before they spark; you can’t get fire that way. What I am speaking of is ‘diligent effort.’ 

— Dogen (1200-1253)