Lightning

Anger is the most dangerous thing. To be angry is like lightning which comes out of the white cloud. Lightning comes from black clouds [laughs]. But some of you are red cloud, or golden cloud. To be angry is to feel the lightning from that white cloud. [Laughs]. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-12 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.

Vanish

The opposite of the observation of constancy or patience is to be angry. Buddha says if we become angry, all virtue will be lost at once. It will vanish. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-12 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.

Patience

We want to study about constancy, or vigorous practice of our way. And patience – it is important to be patient when we study our way. As Buddha says, observation of this wisdom of patience is more important than even precepts observation. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-12 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.

Observe

Not only for Buddhists, but also all the religious people, it is very important to observe precepts. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-12 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.

Attain

For Mahayana Buddhists, precepts observation is not to attain the way or means to attain something. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-12 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.

Vigerous

It is necessary to be patient, or to be vigorous when you practice Zen, or when you observe precepts. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-12 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.

Speaking to a mother

Women are more emotional than men. The purpose of most men is to work. And your responsibility is to raise your descendants, your children. So you should be more emotional and more conservative. That is why you don't want to change your home so often, while men mostly like to change our home. There is this kind of difference, but purpose is one, to support our life is the purpose. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

Order

We are both emotional and rational being, you see. So if you want to follow rational order only, we cannot survive. We should be emotional too. And emotional and rational order sometimes does not go together. But purpose of the order is the same, you know: to survive, because emotional order based on to protect our activity which we have in this moment. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

Shaving Heads

Q: A guest asked me tonight what the meaning behind the tradition of shaving heads was, and I didn't know, so, you know.

SR: (laughs) Yeah. It is difficult to explain it. I don't want to explain it. (laughter) You will have more question about it, and question after question, you will misunderstand what really it means. Anyway, I say always, this is the fundamental, highest hairstyle. (laughter) If you want to be calm, you can do it. This is the fundamental way of practice, and you do not be proud of it. (laughter) Next time I'll explain it. (laughter). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

Why Become Unhappy?

Q: So what do you say to the person who says, who says that I'm happy in the world, and I don't want to do zazen because it's painful and I'm happy, and why should I become unhappy.
R: Mrmm. When they find themselves quite happy, enough to survive, they will not have chance to study Buddhism. When they have some problem, they will start our way, and when they have true understanding of life, which is full of suffering, and full of problems, they will start studying our way.------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

Natural Order of Mind

Q: What is the relationship of what you are saying tonight to the phrase in the chant, "the natural order of mind"?
R: Oh, "natural order of mind", uh-huh. That is pretty difficult for us. If you understand that, you are big Zen master. (laughter) "Natural order of mind." But even though you don't understand it, as long as you are striving for it, to keep the natural order of your mind, that is enough. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

Speaking about the Four Vows - Shi Seigando

Those are a Buddhist's ultimate desires. Before you practice our way, knowing this truth, knowing reality, whatever you see looks absurd. But once you start something with those four noble desires, you will understand that everything is practicing our way. Even insects, and animals, and gophers are one, are striving to attain our way. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

Even though

Even though being friendly with each other will not be possible, we should strive to be friendly with each other. Even though our evil desires are limitless, even though, one after another, we have evil desires, we should strive for realization from them. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

Continue

We say, “Even though the truth is incomprehensible, we have to study it completely.” That is not possible, you know. One after another, we'll find some new theories, or new truths, even in science or physics. So it is not possible to reach the final, ultimate truth. Even so, we continue our effort. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

Thief

Everyone works for someone. Even a thief will be kind to his wife, or at least to himself. But he is not kind enough to his neighbors. That is why he steals things from them. So we should have some ultimate desire for which we strive. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

Purpose

There should be some purpose, or else we cannot live. To live means to have some purpose. And that purpose sometimes is not complete, or not wide enough. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

Save

For Buddhists, to save all sentient beings, even though it is not possible to save them all, is our final desire. Our effort should be pointed in that direction. So if the purpose of growing your garden is to help hungry people, you should protect the plants from hail and insects. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

The Impression Suzuki Roshi Made on 15-Year Old Me

Photo of Andrew Safer at 15

Story at Chronicles of CTR

Playing Samurai

Richard Baker and Grahame Petchey at Muir Beach 1961 or 62.

Grahame Petchey page

Pick

Q: You said that even though it doesn't look like it, we're always following rules whether we know it or not. Through practice, do we get to a point where we can pick which rules we are following more than we can now?

SR: Yes. That is practice, you know. So that is why we should practice our way back and forth. My practice should not be just giving lectures to you. I should sometimes listen to you. We have to change our position in our practice. That is very important.  ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

Still referring to Garden metaphore

Q: What happens if you don't follow the rules of order?
SR: Actually, it is not possible to not follow order or rules. But if you do not know how to follow the order, you will not be successful in your work--you cannot do anything, actually. It will be a waste of labor and time. The more you work on it, the more you will have intuition to help you follow the rules. Actually, it is not possible for us not to follow any rules. Even though you may look like you're not following any rules, in fact, you are following rules. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

Garden

Q: You said that after you plant the seed, then you have to wait for the seed to come up. Does the gardener do anything while the seed is coming up but before it sprouts?
SR: Yes, the gardener gives it some water and works it every day. He or she is very busy, day by day.
Q: Should the gardener build his garden the way he wants it, or the way other people would like it to be built?
SR: Some gardeners should build according to what has been ordered. But he may build a garden just for himself.
Q: Why did you choose a garden as an example?
SR: Because I like them; I understand them. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

Rousseau

. Just doing whatever you like is not Zen, and is not Buddhism. We call it jinen ken gedo. Jinen ken gedo means the view of life of naturalism, such as Rousseau had. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

True

The true teaching is to accept “things as it is” and to raise it, or to let it grow, as it goes. I understand the purpose of our practice in this way. We do it by living on each moment in the right position, by giving things some nourishment, day by day, when they want it. And to understand what they want, you should be able to talk with them. That is Zen. Did you understand?  ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

Book on Esselen Indians

The Esselen Indians of the Big Sur Country

Just discovered this book on the Esselen website. Got their logo off it and some of what they've got to say. Put it all on the cuke Esselen page.

That's Fred Nason on the cover. There's a link to an interview with him there too.

Stones

Student A: Can you put too many stones in your garden?

SR: We should forget them, one after another. At the same time, it may be better to give them away after we enjoy them.  ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

Point

The point is to find our position moment after moment, and to live with people moment after moment according to the place. That is the purpose of our practice.  ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

Enlightenments

So if you think enlightenment is just a personal experience, this idea of enlightenment is like collecting only square stones or only round stones. If someone likes beautiful stones, in which you can see something blue and something white, if that is his enlightenment, he will keep collecting the same stones. But with so many of the same stones, you cannot build an interesting garden. You should use various stones. Enlightenment is the same. If you attach to some particular enlightenment, that is not true enlightenment. You should have various enlightenments. And you should experience various experiences, and you should put more emphasis on relationships between one person and another. In this way, we should practice back and forth, according to the position in which we find ourselves. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

SFZC Memorial Service for Grahame Petchey

From SFZC Sangha News (not the photos - that's Grahame c. 1964)

Grahame Petchey Died on February 21, 2018

Memorial service at City Center, 300 Page Street, San Francisco: Tuesday, March 6, at 6:10 pm
In the zendo (enter at side door on Laguna Street)

All of us at San Francisco Zen Center join in sadness at the passing of Zen Center's first president [actually Bob Hense was first], Grahame Petchey. Grahame arrived at Sokoji temple in 1961, was the first person who our founder Suzuki Roshi ordained as a priest in America, and was one of the first Westerners to practice in a Japanese monastery, Eiheiji.

Parts of Grahame's life and news about his passing and cremation ceremony are posted on cuke.com.

DC note: Bob Hense was ZC's first president, elected in 1961.

Rules

If you want to live, in the true sense of the word, in relationship with others, and in relationship with the you which has been living in the past, and which will live tomorrow, there must be some rules. Although it looks like there are no rules, actually there are strict rules. To live day by day, in the true sense, means to live by some perfect rules. This point is also emphasized in Zen. Zen is not just personal practice, and our enlightenment is not just personal attainment. When we attain enlightenment, everything should be enlightened. That is the rule of enlightenment. When we find our position in this moment, we say we attain enlightenment. And when we live with other beings, we say we attain enlightenment. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

Color

There should be some rules. The way to create harmony is have a rule. We have many colors, and two colors may clash, or may be in harmony, or may be in contrast. If you arrange the six colors in order, starting from red, and going to orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet, that is the color order. But if you use red and yellow together, that is harmony. And if you use red and green, that is contrast. By using those rules, you will accomplish your purpose, and you will have a beautiful garden.  ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-09-08 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.

Brian Unger review of Crowded by Beauty

Brian Unger's review of Crowded by Beauty, a biography of Philip Whalen by David Schneider, on Jacket 2, the avant-garde literary magazine published by the University of Pennsylvania

See more on this book at David Schneider's cuke page - and here's Philip Whalen's page