Sunday, February 8, 2015

Pat Lang (Tara Treasurefield) asks Shunryu Suzuki

From shosan, question and answer, ceremonies at the end of sesshin at Tassajara.

*****


Pat Lang: Docho Roshi, could you explain what it means to be a serious Zen student
?

SR: Serious? Excuse me-- serious Zen--

Pat L.: Serious student of Zen Buddhism.

SR: Serious student Zen Buddhism. Don't try to be serious [laughter, laughs]. Just keep up with our practice. Don't, you know, try to get up earlier than other people [laughs, laughter]. Stay in bed. Okay?

Pat L.: Okay. [Laughter.] Thank you very much. 


from 68-11-11: SHOSAN CEREMONY as found on shunryusuzuki.com 

From another shosan:

Pat Lang: Docho Roshi, how do I really wait?

SR: Wait. Yeah. True wait. If you want to wait, really, in its true sense, you should follow things as they go. That is how you wait. It is like-- if you want to-- the best way to go round trip all the world is to stay right here. You are always here. It means that you are waiting for everything. If you stay always at home, everyone will have a chance to meet you. If you are always making trip, people will find it difficult to see you. So to be just where you should be is how to wait. So it may be necessary to be patient. What I mean is there are many ways of waiting for things, so this should be the way to wait-- do whatever you like.


68-09-00: Shosan Ceremony as found on shunryusuzuki.com - edited by DC