A Quote by Matsuo Basho

Before enlightenment, chopping wood and carrying water. After enlightenment, chopping wood and carrying water.

Matsuo Basho

Quote Topics

After Before Carrying Chopping Chopping Wood Enlightenment Water Wood

Quote Author

Matsuo Basho
Japanese - Poet
1644 - November 28, 1694

At the Cruiserweight Classic finale, I said... I don't know if people had looked it up, or if they had heard it before, but it was an old Zen proverb. 'Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, you chop wood, carry water.' It can be interpreted a lot of ways, but for the most part it's about staying in the moment.

T. J. Perkins

Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.

Gautama Buddha

Aim for the chopping block. If you aim for the wood, you will have nothing. Aim past the wood, aim through the wood; aim for the chopping block.

Annie Dillard

Enlightenment is the mind that is open to anything, but attached to nothing. That is freedom. No values, no resentment, no grudges. Not carrying the past along with you. Not carrying memories from the past that are hurtful and shameful and embarrassing. Just let all that go and you are living in enlightenment, and you are free for everything.

Gary Busey

High technology has done us one great service: It has retaught us the delight of performing simple and primordial tasks - chopping wood, building a fire, drawing water from a spring

Edward Abbey

I went through a wood-chopping phase when I was nine or 10.

Jennifer Lawrence

People love chopping wood. In this activity one immediately sees results.

Albert Einstein

What would people be surprised to know about me? That I love cooking and chopping wood for the heating system in my house.

Craig Revel Horwood

My daily affairs are quite ordinary; but I'm in total harmony with them. I don't hold on to anything, don't reject anything; nowhere an obstacle or conflict. Who cares about wealth and honor? Even the poorest thing shines. My miraculous power and spiritual activity: drawing water and carrying wood.

Layman Pang

I just had somebody tell me, "You know, Rush, why the Republicans are so mad at you is because you're not carrying their water anymore. You know, they jealous. They look over at the Drive-By Media and they see the Drive-By Media totally fronting and carrying the water for the Democrats, and they think you used to be on their side. But now you don't carry their water anymore, and that's why they're throwing down on you," and I guess that makes sense. I hadn't considered that as a possibility.

Rush Limbaugh

Irish women are always carrying water on their heads, and always carrying their husbands home from pubs. Such things are the greatest posture-builders in the world.

Peter O'Toole

I'll get home from work on Friday night and take out some beans and soak them. The next morning, I'll put them in a pot for soup, then just keep chopping, chopping, chopping - carrots and celery and cabbage - and in two or three hours, you have this wonderful, mellow soup that fills up the whole house with its aroma.

Lidia Bastianich

I do endless chopping and preparing things. I really find that relaxing. I do a lot of thinking as I am chopping and cooking.

Kate Winslet

Tentatively I stood a great lump of wood on the chopping block and bought the axe down on it. It flew into two perfect halves. Such was my elation that I ran inside, put on our ancient cracked record of Aretha Franklin singing Respect and danced all by myself for half an hour in our living room, without inhibition, almost crying with jubilation – not just about the wood, but because I could live competently some of the time, and because that day I liked myself.