Raining

Buddha's teaching is everywhere but people do not realize the teaching which is everywhere and they think this is Buddhism and that is Buddhism. This is big mistake. His teaching is everywhere. Today it is raining. This is Buddha’s teaching.   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-06 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Tozen Akiyama

New cuke page

Kosho Uchiyama

New cuke page

School

We are not one of the many schools which divide Buddhism in many parts. Each school should not just be each school. It should be just one tentative form of Buddhism. It should not be just one school. So or as long as they do not accept this kind of understanding we must make our effort until all of us give up to call ourselves by a particular name. I want you to make this point clear. We are not Soto school at all. We are just Buddhists. We are not Zen even; we are just Buddhists. If we understand this point we are truly Buddhists.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-06 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Soto

Dogen-zenji did not call himself Soto teacher, or Soto disciple. He said, “Who said Soto?” People say Soto school, but there is no reason for us to call ourselves Soto. You should not use the name of Soto he says.   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-06 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Nishiari Bokusan

New cuke page

Name

Each one has each one’s name, but those names are many names of one Buddha. Each one will take many activities, but those activities, for instance the four activities, are all Buddha’s activities. Without knowing this people put emphasis on some activity, for instance, zazen practice. If so that is not true zazen.   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-06 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Molly Jones

Got Molly's cuke page done and ready to add more when it arrives or is stumbled on.

Koshin Ogui

Got cuke links together on one page for Koshin Ogui, former bishop of the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Churches of America and now minister to a group in Auburn Washington. He was also close to Shunryu Suzuki and was a great source for Crooked Cucumber.

Who

To live in each moment means to take temporal attitude on Buddha’s activity. To sit in this way is to be Buddha as the historical Buddha was. The same thing will be true whatever you do. That is Buddha’s activity. So whatever you do, or you do not, there is Buddha. Because people have no such understanding of Buddha, they think what they do is the most important thing, without knowing who is actually doing it. They think they do it but actually Buddha is doing it.   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-06 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Act

Buddha taught us how to act through our practice. That is why we sit. It is not because we put emphasis on just sitting only.    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-06 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Mel Weitsman cuke page

New and Improved.

Merry Christmas to all!

Selemat Natal is Merry Christmas in Indonesia and Malaysia. It's a national holiday in both places,  The beach was full of locals in the water, on the sand, motorbikes nose in filling every spot back for hundred meters. Christmas eve we had friends over for tiger prawns, spinach fetacini, salad, and multi-grain bread.

Santa won't need anti-freeze

We've taken care of that.

North Pole Flirts With the Freezing Point, Nearly 50 Degrees Above Average
Don't worry, it's just a hoax by mischeivous weathermen and women. 

School

Even though we practice zazen, we should not call ourselves Zen school.    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-06 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Threat

The local "doctor" was here today with a bill for yesterday's assistance and he suggested we be careful and stay away from crowded venues. State Dept. just upped the caution level for Bali, authorities caught some guys with a bomb in Ubud yesterday and warn of increased threat over the holidays. Meanwhile we went shopping for Xmas eve dinner with friends here.

image from article on Ubud bomb

Act

How to sit is how to act. We study how to act by sitting and this is the most basic activity for us. So that is why we practice zazen in this way.   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-06 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Bitten

There's a stray cat looking just like that photo of a Bali cat who's been hanging around here for a couple of years and who keeps getting pregnant. We don't see much of her litters. Stray dogs and cats regularly rotate in and out of these whereabouts as their generous contribution to the life and death cycle. But this grey cat has survived. Katrinka calls her Kucing (pronounced kuching) which means cat in Indonesian. For her Katrinka will break our rule not to feed strays. Kucing obviously has other humans she relates to because she just comes around now and then with long absences. She's pregnant again so she's been hungrier and coming around more and Katrinka has been most supportive. Kucing isn't wild about what she gets here because we don't have much animal food scraps at all. Mainly she'll get some bread or rice soaked in milk.

Various

Zazen practice includes various activities for all of us. So actually we are not putting emphasis on sitting posture only.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-06 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Thought for the Day

Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”  - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Truths

Buddha was the founder of the teaching so people tentatively called it Buddhism, but actually Buddhism is not some particular teaching. Buddhism is just truth which includes various truths in it.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-06 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Up in the dark.

That's a sunrise a ten minute walk from where we live. It's already the 21st here. Forgot to post yesterday, working on a project to be announced soon. But it's still the 20th for folks in the US and even some of west west Europe. This is the longest day of the year for us. It's twelve hours thirty minutes long, one hour and one minute longer than the shortest day on the June Solstice. The 21st is the shortest day of the year in San Francisco. It's five hours and fourteen minutes shorter than the June Solstice. Foreigners here go to Singapore a lot, largely to get new visas. Singapore is right off the equator. Today is of course the longest day of the year there too, eight minutes and forty-nine seconds longer than the shortest day in June. - dc

Particular

We should have a teacher who does not attach to any particular understanding of Buddhism. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-06 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Human

The orientation of Buddha's teaching is toward applying the truths of life to human affairs and human living, applying universal truths toward our human mind's development and functioning.    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Tony Artino notes from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-05 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

On the Massive Dec.2 Demo in Jakarta

From U of Melbourne site

Indonesia has the largest Islamic population. Is it becoming more narrowly funamentalist or is this the sign of another wave of anti Chinese sentiment which has caused great death and suffering in the past. Or what?

thanks Katrinka

Truths

Buddha spoke both eternal truth and situational truths. The situational truths were those concerning living in India during his time. The eternal truths are those concerning the nature of human existence everywhere.   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Tony Artino notes from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-05 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Good Justice

Australian 'thieves' paraded with signs on Indonesian streets (from the Guardian) - that's on one of the three Gili islands a couple of hours boat ride from here. There are no police there. This is done by the locals. I recall reading shaming is more effective than jailing. We love the Gilis - no cars, motorbikes, or dogs. What a relief. In the province of Lombok next to Bali. 

Pain

Student: What about pain in zazen?

SR: Pain intensity does not remain at the same level. It may increase to a particular level, and then begins to diminish again.   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Tony Artino notes from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-05 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Poem

The countless number of ways to say
That nothing can be said
Is another endless game to play
Until the day we're dead.
- Kabumpkan

Bitter

Sometimes it is better for a teacher to withhold speaking until the student has learned their bitter truth through and through.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Tony Artino notes from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-05 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Bali Dog Etiquette

I hear that in France people bring dogs into restaurants. Here in Bali stray dogs come in on their own and in many places we've been, they can stay as long as they behave which includes sitting next to you and staring at you. I saw a dog get kicked out for putting its front paws on a table and its snout in the dish of someone who'd excused themselves for a moment. Saw the same dog on another day get into a fight with the owner who tried to kick it out while it was on a bone it had found in the kitchen trash. The owner still didn't try to get rid of it from its haunt just outside on the sidewalk and street. - dc

Lost

According to Dogen, the first step toward the way-seeking mind is when you feel lost, with nothing to rely on, solely on your own. This leads to the way-seeking mind's becoming active-without any thoughts of gaining anything. Realizing that there is nothing particular which you can rely on, you cannot be fooled or led by anything however enticing. Only truths will suffice you and your way-seeking mind.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Tony Artino notes from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-05 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

One Year Memorial for Shunko

Just got this from Jirai Reinhard Mehl, a German monk with whom Shunko was living in Fukujoji, a small temple in Kyoto.

Hello to everybody,
I want to inform you that we will do the 1-year ceremony for Shunko on 22nd (Sunday) of January 2017 in Fukujoji/Kyoto. Starting at 11.00 am we will first perform a ceremony in the Hondo and then move to his grave on the grounds of Fukujoji and put his remains into the grave. 
Everybody is welcome to attend the ceremony. Please inform me a few days before when you are planning to come. The grave was constructed last month. It's a natural shaped stone with his buddhist name (Shunko Enjo Joza) on the front, and his civil name and the dates of birth and death on the back. In front of the stone I put the statue of a Jizo-sama because Shunko loved Jizo-sama very much. In the back of the Stone I planted a weeping willow.
Gassho

Jirai

Shunko Mike Jamvold cuke page

Maybe thinking of his own teacher

Student: What about getting attached to one's Zen teacher?Suzuki: “You will never attach to your teacher because he is usually mean!”  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Tony Artino notes from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-05 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Sam Berkholz's new book from Shambhala Publications

A Guided Tour of Hell
A Graphic Memoir
by Samuel Bercholz (Shambhala link),
Pema Namdol Thaye

Sam Bercholz cuke page

Sam on this book: The writing of this memoir has been a humbling pilgrimage. In the end, this book is not so much a literary work as a record of my journey and what can possibly be learned from it. I do not claim to present a textbook portrayal of the Buddhist underworld, nor do I seek to convince you that the afterlife exists. And my story is certainly not meant to frighten anyone, though people may be startled by it. It is simply my hope that any insights contained in this book and its extraordinary artworks will help those who are experiencing hell on earth—and hell in their own minds—to find relief and liberation.

Within

When your intellectual mind finds its place within your larger mind, it is no longer dualistic.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Tony Artino notes from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-05 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Ode to Leonard Cohen

from a fellow monk. - thanks Katrinka

More on Bob Watkins who passed on the 8th

Photos, memories, etc

at Bob's cuke page

RIP Bob Bunryu Watkins

Dear friend, Tassajara's first work leader, and co-founder with Kobun Chino of Hokoji in Arroyo Seco above Taos, New Mexico. Learned from Vanja Palmers who said Bob passed two days ago. Here's a page for Bob on cuke with links to interviews and a piece I just put together on him called On Bob Watkins. Tomorrow more links and photos.

There he is in front of his trailer at Duane Hopper's place in Taos. - dc

Update: Just got this.

Dear Friends,

As many of you have heard Bunryu Bob Watkins entered parinirvana on December 8th at 3 PM. He was at home surrounded by friends and family. Bob, with Kobun's encouragement, planted the seed of Dharma in Taos and catalyzed the manifestation of Hokoji, our wonderful temple and practice place. We had a spontaneous ceremony of chanting the Heart Sutra and offering incense after our Thursday evening zazen and we dedicate the upcoming Rohatsu sesshin to Bob's ongoing good works. There will be a larger gathering of family and friends in the spring (date to be announced) where we will have some ceremony, an opportunity to share stories about Bob, and to inter his ashes at Hokoji. Join us as you are able, whether near or far, in the ongoing practice stream.

Best wishes,

Hokoji

Teacher

It is awful for you to believe you understand Zen and feel proud of this understanding. That is why you need a teacher - because a teacher is always watching you.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Tony Artino notes from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-05 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Fowl Neighbors

Next door there are caged song birds that start before sunrise. There is also a rooster that starts about that time and keeps going a good deal of the day, also caged, in a bell-shaped basket. Those rooster baskets are everywhere all over Bali. Cock fighting is a big deal here and it's done in and around temples. When I'm on the phone to someone in the States, which isn't offen, I'm usually asked by the person at the other end, "Is that a rooster I hear?" Yes. And there's more than one. There's been a new one over there for a while and it's got a different sort of crew. It's called an Indonesian Laughing Rooster. It sounds just as much like someone sobbing. There are examples on YouTube but none quite as extreme as the one next door. So cool.

No Need

You should do what you should do. There is no need to worry. Whatever you do is enlightenment, is zazen. But, if you attach to anything you are doing you go straight to the bottom of hell.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Tony Artino notes from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-05 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Foreign Language Proficiency

Just got a call from the woman in the Immigration department who's handling the extention of our Indonesian residence visas. Almost no foreigner I have met deals directly with the Immigration department. They wisely get an agent and communicate in English or Dutch or whatever and usually it all goes smoothly. But I like to try to do everything I can with locals in Indonesian. As a result it alls takes more time and is more complicated.

Within

The short-cut way to correctly realize Buddhism is to physically follow our way -- which is to seek for everything within yourself, within your big mind.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Tony Artino notes from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-05 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Congratulations!

For some of us anyway, like Japanese Buddhists. Anyway, it's a day to remind us who we are.

Gain

Trying to gain something is a form of attachment; and if you attach to something, you loose everything else. If you give up everything, you gain everything.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Tony Artino notes from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-05 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Bali South

Trash update - it's a global problem. It's noticed more here because of the enormous presence of foreigners.

- thanks Katrinka

Idea

You cannot correctly study Buddhism if you have a “gaining” idea or attitude.   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Tony Artino notes from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-05 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Oakland Dance Club Fire

Couldn't help but be a little worried because Elin's and my son Clay goes to clubs in Oakland now and then. He lives up in Mendocino county an hour and a half plus away. So I called him this morning his evening. Was glad when he answered. He's very sad about it, has gone there many times, says it was the coolest place on earth, full of pianos, wooden sculptures, paintings, hip artists who live there. He doesn't know of anyone who's died but he said he'll surely hear about at least friends of friends. He said he and his friends are shook up. He's not a news junkie so I updated him from the other side of the world - 33 dead at the time of the call, 36 the next day. He said there have been other disturbing deaths recently related to the pot business - in his hometown Sebastopol and Mendo, some overdoses he's heard of. Bummer days.

Develop

A plant does not develop apart from its origin. A culture should develop neither slavishly following the old ways nor totally ignoring them. Zen is the same.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Tony Artino notes from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-05 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Query

If you have a bad dream, do you say you can't believe in a dreamer who would allow that? - Kabumpkan

Stretching

Our practice is not just to follow your teacher's way, nor just to create your own. Right practice includes both -- stretching your arms and legs as far as possible under the guidance of a good teacher.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Tony Artino notes from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-05 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Jack Kornfield Engages

Now is the time to Stand Up

Teacher

You cannot practice zazen correctly unless you have a teacher. I do not say this just to emphasize Suzuki. Dogen said you cannot proceed in your study if you omit either the teacher or zazen.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Tony Artino notes from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-05 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Stephen Hawking writes

This is the most dangerous time for our planet

Within

You should listen to the lecture as if you were discovering some truths within your own mind.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Tony Artino notes from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-05 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Another insignificant item about some faraway place

'Extraordinarily hot' Arctic temperatures alarm scientists - obviously they're all part of a Chinese plot and should be charged with treason.