Attributed to Shunryu Suzuki
«'Each of you is perfect the way you are, and you can use a little improvement.'»
Misattributed
Verdict
It is not in Shunryu Suzuki's work
Widely circulated and attributed to Suzuki by his students, but it does not appear in Zen Mind and has not been located in a dated transcript; it is handed down as an oral recollection.
What they did say
Verified words of Shunryu Suzuki
«In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few.»
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (Weatherhill, 1970), prólogo «Beginner's Mind», primera frase (charla oral editada por Trudy Dixon)
«This is also the real secret of the arts: always be a beginner.»
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (Weatherhill, 1970), prólogo «Beginner's Mind» (charla oral editada por Trudy Dixon)
«Zazen practice is the direct expression of our true nature.»
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (Weatherhill, 1970), epígrafe de la primera parte, «Right Practice» (charla oral editada por Trudy Dixon)