Understanding a Flower

You think “there is a flower.” But the actual flower is changing. But you see the flower— “there is a flower, and this flower is always like this.” This is, perhaps, your understanding of the flower. But actually, the flower is changing. When you see something in a scientific way, actually, you do not see “things as it is.”

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

The Esselen People

David Rogers kindly shared with us

Chapter One: the Esselen People

a chapter from A History of the Tassajara Region

cuke Esselen Indians page

David Rogers cuke page

I like his use of the word people instead of Indians - dc

Understanding

In our way of Zen, we emphasize the way-seeking mind, in other words, bodhisattva-mind. In Zen, people say “way it is” or “to observe everything as it is.” But “the way it is” or “to observe things as they are” will not be the same as what you mean by that. I find there are big misunderstandings in your understanding of “way it is” or “to observe things as it is.”

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Keep Religion Sharp

If you cut paper with a razor, the razor will become dull. So, you should not use a razor when you cut paper. That is why Dogen Zenji emphasized the purity of Buddhism. Religion should be pure and sharp always, so that it can serve its original purpose—its own purpose. Leave every other activity for other people. We religious people should devote ourselves to pure genuine religion. And we should keep religion sharp enough to always cut various entanglements completely.

Image generated by Leonardo.ai

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Spreading Indra's Net

A new book by Richard Jaffee (one of the editors)

Spreading Indra's Net: the Columbia Lectures of D.T. Suzuki.

Columbia U. Press page for the book

Amazon

Richard's cuke page

Featured Cuke Archives page

Ted Howell came to the SFZC in the mid-seventies and stuck around a long time. In this podcast, part two of two, he talks about his time at the SF Zen Center and a good deal more.  Listen to the podcast and read more about him on his new Cuke page.

Mixed Up

Someone said Western people failed in creating their culture by ignoring religion. And Oriental people made a great mistake in abusing religion. Buddhism was too handy, so we abused religion too much. So, now we don’t know what true religion is. Oriental religion is mixed up [laughs]. In India, China, Korea, and even Japan, Buddhism is so handy that it’s used instead of medicine. Religion is used instead of education and science; all our culture is based on Buddhism. That is too much. When you abuse something, the true original advantage will be lost.

Image generated by ChatGPT

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Right Way

If I say, “Treat everything in the right way,” it looks very rigid and formal, but it is not so. This secret of Dogen Zenji will work.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

RIP Diana Mukpo

The Passing of
Lady Diana Mukpo 

on the Chronicles of CTR

Chogyam Trungpa cuke page

I met her in 1970 when she and Trungpa and entourage visited Tassajara. She was quiet and sweet at the time. - dc

Here's a snippet with her on that visit. From the 2nd Tassajara Stories book to be published next year.

Stan was in charge of guests. The night of Trungpa’s talk, Suzuki asked Stan to come to his room. When Stan did so, Suzuki handed him a box of powdered incense to give to Trungpa and Diana. Diana answered the door and invited Stan in. Trungpa was in back, so Stan presented the incense to Diana, bowing his head respectfully. Diana did the same and they bumped heads which caused Stan to drop the box spilling the powdered incense on the floor. Trungpa came up and saw the two of them on the floor getting the incense back in the box. Stan looked up and said, “This powdered incense is a gift from Suzuki Roshi.”

 

Trungpa said, “Would you like to have a drink?”

A Combination

Recently, even though you have a very advanced culture, there is something which you don’t know what to do about, that is your mind [laughs]. You don’t know what to do with this mind. You have various tools, but you have no mind to use them. That is your problem, I think. And we Japanese people have studied what is our mind, but we have become too attached to your civilization and almost forget what we have studied [laughing]. That is our problem just now. So, a combination of the two will create something wonderful, I think.

Image generated by ChatGPT

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.