Dr Suzuki’s Sayings.
Dr Suzuki wrote two sets of Aphorisms, in 1968 and in 1979, each containing 31 concise statements. They were written in calligraphy and published in Japanese as Ichi Nichi Ichi Go and translated as “A Saying a Day“. A selection of these Dr Suzuki quotes are included below, plus some key phrases from his book “Nurtured by Love”.
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- All children have the potential at birth to become persons of high ability.
- Abilities are developed: they are not inborn. Let us, with perseverance, search for the best ways to develop ability.
- Where there is no effort there is no growth in a person’s abilities. We must keep this “Law of Ability” at heart.
- Parents who say “This child has no ability” harm the development of so many children with this horribly mistaken idea.
- We parents should strive to deeply instil a beautiful, sensitive heart and splendid ability in children, believing that every child can develop into an adult who has these basic characteristics.
- In the hands of ignorant parents, children left without a guiding spirit develop into adults with heavy hearts.
- Thoughtful parents, for the sake of their children, seek to make their own hearts true and to illuminate the nest paths for living, which is the real way to love.
- “The ear was so poor, so he became tone deaf.” No, he mastered pitch exactly according to the way he heard it and developed that precise form of tone deafness.
- Man is a son of his environment.
- If love is deep, much can be accomplished.
- Creating desire in the child is the parent’s duty.
- Do not hurt anybody’s heart.
- Music is the language of the heart without words.
- Self evaluation is the highest sense as a human being: the children should not only advance, but repeat and evaluate their progress.
- Don’t hurry, don’t rest – without stopping, without haste – carefully taking one step forward at a time will surely get you there.
- To deceive oneself is worse than to deceive others. (Tolstoy)
- With patience and repetition, the seed blossoms.
- Talent is not inherited. All the world’s children could be brought up singing out of tune.
- Natural ability is brought out by training.
- Educate children rather than instruct them.
- Ten years of effort can change inferiority into superior talent.
- Develop excellence through repetition.
- Hear everything, overlook a most, correct one thing.
- Talent is no accident of birth
- If love is deep much can be accomplished
- Dawn comes to the world with children
- Talent is not inborn, it has to be created.
- Music is a language of the heart without words
- Any skill can be acquired by constant repetition
- Parent who understand children make fine teachers
- Practice is the very cornerstone of instrumental learning
- Character first, ability second
What is man’s ultimate direction in life?
It is to look for love, truth, virtue and beauty.
Nurtured by Love – Shinichi Suzuki
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