Student
L: Was there some distinction between having an idea of buddha-nature, or the
word buddha-nature and buddha-nature?
SR: Oh. Idea of buddha-nature. There is no idea of buddha-nature, you know. There is no idea of buddha-nature or for buddha-nature. But there are many ideas of many things. Se we count, or we qualify various ideas one by one. Then what is left [laughs] is idea of buddha-nature. So already your concept of buddha-nature will become smaller and smaller and smaller.
Student
L: Then it disappears?
SR:
No. [Laughs, laughter.] If it disappear,
it's wonderful [laughs, laughter]. You know, they tried for
a long time to [laughs] get rid of the idea of holiness and
establish human authority in intellectual realm. And they thought it would disappear [laughs], but fortunately or unfortunately it didn't [laughs]. So the
idea of holiness itself - they found out it is
impossible to give some interpretation to it. No way to catch it. If it is on the surface, it may be easy to
pick up. But it is so bottomless. And it is too
deep to reach. Still we should acknowledge it,
but it is impossible to pick it up.
Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-30-C as found on shunryusuzuki.com - Edited by DC
