Appreciation

So originally man and nature are not different. But when our civilization became so materialistic, and after violating nature, or after we tired out violating nature and material life, we are going to the other extreme, and just appreciate mountains and river, ignoring human life. That is one side of it -- understanding or appreciation of nature.  ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

Framework

There are some rules in nature, and there are some rules in observing nature for human beings. And the rules nature has and rules in observing things in human side are not different. We live in same time and same place. We live in same framework.  ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

Nature

So the most natural way to observe nature for us is to do something-- to participate [in] the great activity of nature. That is how we appreciate nature. And that is how we exist in this world. And that is how mountains and river exist.   ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

Sansui

If you understand nature in its full sense, we are also a part of nature. We have something to do with nature, and we cannot be satisfied without doing something. We should participate in the nature. So even in Zen picture -- Zen painting or drawing or picture maybe -- sansui, we say - sansui means “mountain and river” - we paint one or two people-- fisherman or woodcutter or farmer.   ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

Continuing from Saturday's post

But some rigid people want to keep it one by one in their tummy, which is not possible. So that is why they suffer, you know. They don't feel so good. They cannot be satisfied with the way the food is served. Those people cannot be satisfied with human life. Human being is so [laughs] indifferent. That is not right understanding of life.  ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

Bucket

If everything is mixed-up always, what is the point of appreciating everything if everything is just phenomenon? Why do we appreciate such a tentative phenomenal world? If you understand in that way, that is like to serve food in mixed-up [laughs] way. Salad and [laughs] brown rice and miso soup in one big pail [laughs], mixed-up in bucket or something. How do you [laughing] feel to eat from bucket like a pig [laughter]? We should serve one by one. That is our way. But we do not keep it separate in our tummy.  ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

Richard Sasoon

Not long ago posted a query about Richard Sasoon. He was around in the sixties, went to Sokoji some. It made an impression. Here's what I found. - thanks Ken Spiker and Brit Pyland

Richard Sasoon and Sylvia Plath

Richard Sasoon

Not long ago posted a query about Richard Sasoon. He was around in the sixties, went to Sokoji some. It made an impression. Here's what I found. - thanks Ken Spiker and Brit Pyland

Richard Sasoon and Sylvia Plath

Mixed-up

In the sky, sometime wild geese are flying. And after that some clouds will come. And after that the bright moon will come. But each of the wild geese and clouds and moon are not always same. The bright moon is bright moon, and wild geese are wild geese, and cloud is cloud. But at the same time, the moon is not moon, cloud is not cloud, and wild geese are not wild geese. They exist in the same place in mixed-up state. Even though it is mixed-up, you know, our practice should be concentrated on each moment. When we see the moon, we should see the moon. When we see the cloud, we should see the cloud. And we should appreciate everything one by one.  ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

Sure

When Baso asked Hyakujo, “What is it?” Baso should understand what he meant. And, “Where have the geese gone?” He should understand what he meant. He was talking about our practice, the relationship  between everyday activity and our practice, and what is our practice, and what is our everyday life. And everyday life is zazen, and zazen is everyday life. In this way, back and forth, he should assert his practice-- he should make his practice sure.   ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

Ungraspable

So in each activity there are two sides: positive and negative. Something which can be, or suchness and-- what should I say-- mixed-up state or ingraspable or unintelligible. So, “What is it?” ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

Carefully

We have to prepare everything one by one carefully. That is our everyday life. When you wash your face you should wash your face carefully. When you walk you should walk carefully. One by one you take care of your activity. When you are taking care of your activity, you are involved in something which cannot be grasped. You are not anymore you. ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

Full Function

To catch ourselves in its full function is zazen. If so, there is no need to think about it. If you think about it, you cannot-- you will lose it. When you don't think and [are] involved in the practice fully, you have zazen.  ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

Burning

When your life energy is burning in perfect combustion, you cannot catch it. That is zazen. But even zazen cannot be always same. As something you eat in your tummy does not stay always in the same way, it will change into something else. ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

Saunters Posts

I stopped making Saunters posts here a while back - or anything not Cuke Archives related. Now Saunters posts are at Cuke Annex (for nonZense) under Saunters 4. Just started putting one there daily a few days ago. - DC

Think

Zazen practice is something expressing-- or purpose of zazen practice is to catch something as it is in mixed-up state. So that is why you don't think, you know. So if you want to catch reality in its true sense, you cannot think about it. ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

Always

No one practice can be perfect practice. To wash your face is a very good habit [laughs]. But, you know, even though it is good, if you are always washing your face [laughs], you cannot attain enlightenment [laughs, laughter]. Same thing can be said with your zazen practice. Zazen is a very good practice. But if you are always are practicing zazen, you know, it doesn't work [laughs].  ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

One by One

When you get up, you brush your teeth and wash your face. That is practice. You do it one by one carefully. And when you practice zazen, you practice zazen. One by one.  ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

a DC dream about Bill Lane

I had this dream last night where I'd come upon one of Norman Fischer's sittings or meetings that was just getting over and I didn't see Norman, just a lot of old SFZC students walking out in pairs. He has a lot of old SFZC students but I'm not sure which ones and so the cast of characters, though real figures in my past, were not at all necessarily students of his in waking life (or as Ramana Maharshi called it, Dream One). Peter Rudnick was near the end of the line and we hung out some and Bill Lane was walking next to someone - I can't remember who. It might have been Peter Van der Sterre or maybe Michael Wenger. I mentioned to whomever I said this to, "Oh it's nice to see Bill Lane here,"and he said, "Bill Lane's not here. He died." I said, "Yes I know, but he's here and was walking right next to you."

Bill Lane interview

What?

So everything is in one side something which cannot be grasped, so it is "what?" On the other hand, you know, even for a while it is there in that way. And so everything is suchness And everything is ingraspable-- cannot be grasped. So it is "what?" So the word inmo has two meanings, and Dogen Zenji found out this is very convenient word to express the reality. ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

Flower

Here is beautiful flower, you know. You think here is beautiful flower, but that beautiful flower is always changing [laughs]. You cannot grasp it, even while you are watching the changes. So you think you see it, but actually you didn't see the flower itself which is changing.  ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

Query

Anyone remember Richard Sassoon? Got the following query from Joel Evans, Capital Campaign Manager at the SFZC.

John Bermel

A page for John Bermel

Inmo

Dogen Zenji found out a very good Chinese word to express this kind of truth. Chinese word is inmo.Inmo has two meaning. One is positive meaning: “suchness,” you know. The other is the interrogative meaning: “What is it?” [Laughs.] What-- what is inmo? How is inmo? What is it when geese [laughs] came? Horsemaster asked Hyakujo, “What is it?” That “what,” you know, what is inmo? Inmo is interrogative, and it is affirmative too.  ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

Senses and Reality

We think whatever we see is reality, but it is not so. And what we feel is reality, but it is not so. The reality and something which is observed by our six senses is one, you know. So just what we see is not true without background of the reality. ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

Gap

In Zazengi, Dogen says, “If there is slightest gap between the perfect enlightenment and practice, the difference will be heaven and earth.” Because there should not be any gap between practice and enlightenment, or reality and seeming. ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

Explain

The more we study our way, the more it is difficult to explain it.  ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-04-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.

Pain

And if you have some pain or some difficulty, it is good chance to, you know, to practice it because if your pain is this much, this much controlling power will appear. But if you know the other side of the pain, which is keeping balance in your practice, you will appreciate the feeling of the pain. Because pain is this much you have power of training this much [laughs]. If you have no pain, maybe it is rather difficult for beginner to appreciate the power of Zen.  ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-02 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.

Instruction

So this practice should be followed by various instruction of sitting: mudra, or breathing, or like keeping your back straight. ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-02 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.

Power

In this sesshin, our practice is concentrated to put more power in your tummy, but that does not mean, to put special power in it. It means to put some power quite naturally without trying too much to put strength in your tummy. ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-02 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.

Continuing on Concentration

So this kind of concentration cannot be studied by usual everyday practice, everyday activity. Just Zen can do it. Through Zen you can have this kind of training. ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-02 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.

Concentration

Our concentration is not the usual concentration, you know. At the same time, we should have freedom. So this kind of concentration is deeper and more natural, you know. If you are trying to be concentrated on something, your effort is directed to one way only. So it is difficult to change it. If your concentration is quite natural, you can change any time. And you will be ready to change your direction of effort. ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-02 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.

RIP John Bermel

Just got a Facebook post from Judith Keenan that dear friend John Bermel has died.

From Judith's Facebook post:

This photo is of John Bermel in the shop at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. He went to the work periods at Tassajara starting in the 1980's, helped during the summer at Tassajara if they were stretched, and went to the work periods at Green Gulch Farm. He died in the Klamathon Fire.

Klamathon Fire  Wikipedia page - As David Silva pointed out, John was the only fatality of that fire, listed as John Karl Bermel dying of fire related causes.

I posted this comment: Thanks for sharing this Judith. John was a very close friend, He used to come work on our home with Dennis Samson and me in Sebastopol and latter at John Tarrants when I was in the barn there. Katrinka and I are sad to hear the news.

Renshin Bunse wrote: Oh wow. I remember him. He told me the fig tree down by the suburbs came from a slip off a tree in his family's yard. Nice nice guy. He was one of the ones who'd sleep in the parking lot the night before work period started.

Old Teachers

The old teachers in their practice -- there was no cessation in their practice. They are always practicing their way. They are always ready for various activity. That is how we should be concentrated on our activity. ---------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-02 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.