Zen is the practice of seeing things as they are

Accepting things as they are and

Nourishing things as they grow.

This is the fundamental purpose of our practice and,

The meaning of Zen.

…But…

It is difficult to see things as they are.

Shunryu Suzuki (1904 CE-1971 CE), Shunryu Suzuki, often called Suzuki Roshi; was a Sōtō Zen monk and teacher who helped popularize Zen Buddhism in the United States, and is renowned for founding the first Zen Buddhist monastery outside Asia. Suzuki founded San Francisco Zen Center which, along with its affiliate temples, comprises one of the most influential Zen organizations in the United States.