Unique Feeling

What we do looks very rigid and formal, but if you repeat this kind of practice over and over, you will find some unique feeling in our rituals and formalities. When the tea ceremony started, there was not much cake or good tea to serve. Our life at that time was so hard that we tried to help each other by serving a cup of tea or a piece of cake. And preparing a piece of cake and cup of tea is pretty difficult. All of us knew that it was to help people, so we took it with great appreciation. If you take a small piece of cake as if you are eating a piece of bread [laughs], it doesn’t make any sense. So, we take even a cup of tea with great care and appreciation.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-03-26-C 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.

Friendship

Our monthly one-day sesshin is not a matter of something unusual for us anymore; we are getting accustomed to it. But whenever we have this sesshin, we have some renewed feeling for zazen, and my talk may be different from what I said before. But my talks are always concentrated on several important points: way-seeking mind, right practice and attitude towards practice, discipline, or study of Buddhism. I am not so interested in what we will acquire by practice or philosophical answers to your questions. But I am trying to be more sympathetic and systematic in my answers because you will not understand what I am trying to say if my answer is not properly systematized. But for me, and for you too, systematic philosophical answers are not necessary, but the mutual understanding and friendship between us is more important.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-03-26-C 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.

Because of This or That

If you say, “I cannot practice anymore because of this or that,” that is the opposite of our way. Because of this or that, you have to practice! Because you are busy, you have to study. Because your mind is occupied by some particular thing, you have to practice. If you are interested in some particular thing recently, you have to practice our way or else you will be lost. Whatever you do, it doesn’t work; you are not you [laughs]. When you want to be you, you practice zazen. That is the most important thing for you.

Photo by Rowena Pattee (Kryder)

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-08-02 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.

Your Own Practice

I see many students who are very much afraid of their new experiences [laughs] that are so unusual. But there is no need to be afraid. And those people may not be able to see their teacher in many cases. Anyway, we should practice our way from beginning to end. As long as the practice follows your intellectual understanding and your emotional activities, whatever they are, it will be adjusted and will be your own in its true sense. Whatever it is, if your practice follows, it will be your own.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-08-02 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.

Four Ways

Shi, ge, gyo, sho—four stages. Shi is belief, ge is intellectual understanding, and gyo is practice—emotional activity followed by intellectual activity, we call gyo. And sho is enlightenment or proof, proved by various teachers. This is very important. Four ways. So, our practice includes those four. Our practice is not just one of the four—of entering our way.

Photographs by Judith Keenan

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-08-02 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.

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Neil Needs a Nudge - Tyson on Religion Stuck in the Literal - The title says it all. I rap on that some more and urge him to talk with me about this topic—not that there wouldn’t be a zillion others more qualified—but I’m asking and could suggest a broader approach so that his audience isn’t misled. Listen to the podcast.

Religion Is Just For Yourself

Don’t feel lonely [laughs]. You should exist just by yourself. You must have this kind of spirit. Then practice our way, and then read scriptures, or see your teacher. Then you will have the true meaning of your own life. Religion is through and through a personal thing. Religion is just for yourself, not for others.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-08-02 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.

Believe in Nothing

This is the most important belief we should have—to believe in nothing [laughs]. To believe in nothing enough is to believe in everything. So, first of all, we should believe in nothing.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-08-02 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.

A Warm Heart

We are so grateful to have many teachers and teachings which are the accumulation of the actual experiences of various sages. All those teachings are drops of blood of ancient sages. So, we have to study with a warm heart, not just with our brains. Direct experience, direct practice is near. You have to be very straightforward, you should be very open, and you should be ready for everything which will happen to you.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-08-02 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.

Practice

Whichever way you take, the most important thing is the practice, you know, practice of Zen. If your process of attaining actual meaning of life does not follow practice, it is impossible. The problem you have will not be solved, so your life will not be your own. It is like food: even though you take food, if your tummy doesn’t digest it [laughs], it doesn’t work. So, the important thing is to digest things you have had. That is practice. By practice you will attain oneness of intellectual understanding and emotional understanding.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-08-02 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.