Erich Fromm, The Art of Being. Continuum International Publishing Group, Chapter 1. (1994)

In the literature on Zen Buddhism, there are writers such as Suzuki, whose authenticity is beyond doubt--he speaks of what he has experienced. The very fact of this authenticity makes his books often difficult to read, because it is of the essence of Zen not to give answers that are rationally satisfying. There are some other books which seem to portray the thoughts of Zen properly, but whose authors are mere intellectuals whose experience is shallow. Their books are easier to understand, but they do not convey the essential quality of Zen.

— Erich Fromm on D. T. Suzuki

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "In the literature on Zen Buddhism, there are writers such as Suzuki, whose authenticity is beyond doubt--he speaks of what he has experienced. The very fact of this authenticity makes his books often difficult to read, because it is of the essence of Zen not to give answers that are rationally satisfying. There are some other books which seem to portray the thoughts of Zen properly, but whose authors are mere intellectuals whose experience is shallow. Their books are easier to understand, but they do not convey the essential quality of Zen." in the context of "Erich Fromm, The Art of Being. Continuum International Publishing Group, Chapter 1. (1994)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "D. T. Suzuki" (Quotes about D. T. Suzuki) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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