Alex Kakuyo > Quotes

“Because there's no missing puzzle piece. And there's no great mystery to solve. I'm perfect and complete exactly as I am. The world is perfect and complete exactly as it is. An my practice is learning to accept that fact regardless of what desire tells me.”
― Alex Kakuyo, Perfectly Ordinary: Buddhist Teachings for Everyday Life

“The practice of Right Action is a practice of faith, a faith that says what we do matters. We matter. And whether we’re refilling the coffee pot at work or speaking in front of a crowd of thousands, we have the power to change the world one small act at a time.”
― Alex Kakuyo, Perfectly Ordinary: Buddhist Teachings for Everyday Life

“Life is an illusion. But that doesn't stop it from being real.”
― Alex Kakuyo

“Each of us can be a Bodhisattva of compassion. We can radiate calm during difficult situations. And we can offer healing words in times of distress. In this way, each time we speak with empathy, Kannon speaks through us.”
― Alex Kakuyo, Perfectly Ordinary: Buddhist Teachings for Everyday Life

“Whether it’s the waitress who brings steaming hot food to a table of hungry people or the janitor who keeps an office clean and free of germs, each of us have the power to deliver joy and happiness to the people around us through the work we do.”
― Alex Kakuyo, Perfectly Ordinary: Buddhist Teachings for Everyday Life

“If you don’t have something nice to say, say something nice anyway.”
― Alex Kakuyo, Perfectly Ordinary: Buddhist Teachings for Everyday Life

“Mindfulness helps us see perfection in the ordinary.”
― Alex Kakuyo

“So, the moon shines on Kannon, and Kannon shines on the world. Standing amidst suffering, she brings light into the darkness, helping us walk the Buddhist path.”
― Alex Kakuyo, Perfectly Ordinary: Buddhist Teachings for Everyday Life

“And I remember that we don’t have to do something about every bit of suffering in the world. We only need to deal with what’s in front of us.”
― Alex Kakuyo, Perfectly Ordinary: Buddhist Teachings for Everyday Life

“A single act of kindness - a smile, a compliment, a helping hand can be the catalyst for years of generosity and goodwill. One good deed can change an entire life for the better.”
― Alex Kakuyo, Perfectly Ordinary: Buddhist Teachings for Everyday Life

“Mindfulness shifts our thinking so that a simple meal transforms into a gift for all sentient beings.”
― Alex Kakuyo

“What would happen if we looked at ourselves like the nun looked at that tree? What would happen if we treasured our imperfections in the same way that the priest treasured the tree’s gnarled branches? I think our lives would be better as a result. More than that, I think it’s incumbent on us to see the perfection of our imperfect souls.”
― Alex Kakuyo

“So, we have a paradox where washing the dishes one time is seemingly unimportant. But washing them 10,000 times (consistently, every day) is important because that repetition ensures that we always have plates and silverware at our disposal. But we can’t wash the dishes 10,000 times unless we start by washing them once. A single action done correctly and repeatedly makes all the difference in our lives.”
― Alex Kakuyo, Perfectly Ordinary: Buddhist Teachings for Everyday Life

“When we practice non-attachment, we live in a world where we work for things to happen while simultaneously practicing acceptance toward the fact that we may not get what we want.”
― Alex Kakuyo, Perfectly Ordinary: Buddhist Teachings for Everyday Life

“Be a light in the darkness. Speak healing words”
― Alex Kakuyo, Perfectly Ordinary: Buddhist Teachings for Everyday Life

“As I meditate, I leave my attachments and definitions behind, finding myself in a place of stillness, a place that only exists between the last word of a sentence… and the period.”
― Alex Kakuyo, Perfectly Ordinary: Buddhist Teachings for Everyday Life