Question 12 (Marian Derby): Great stress seems
to have been made on sitting quietly, and yet Buddha gave up asceticism. I
can’t reconcile the two, because there is so much pain in sitting quietly.
SR: Zazen practice is supposed to be the easiest way to practice our way or to understand our way. So you should practice it when you really want to, but for a while until your real way-seeking mind arise, you will be forced -zazen practice will be forced on you. Something which does not like to be forced on you is not the true way. True way at first looks like some morality, or something which was forced on you. This is quite usual, but it will not be so forever. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-08-24-B as 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, not just the super cool ones.
SR: Zazen practice is supposed to be the easiest way to practice our way or to understand our way. So you should practice it when you really want to, but for a while until your real way-seeking mind arise, you will be forced -zazen practice will be forced on you. Something which does not like to be forced on you is not the true way. True way at first looks like some morality, or something which was forced on you. This is quite usual, but it will not be so forever. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-08-24-B as 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, not just the super cool ones.