Concluding Statement for the Q & A Shosan Ceremony

SR: Yakusan Zenji-- Yakusan Zenji did not give lecture for a long time. The monks asked him to give them lecture. Yakusan Zenji mounted on-- on the altar, and seeing every monk one by one, and came down from the altar, and went back to his own room again. A monk asked-- a monk who was responsible for the zendo asked him why did he-- didn't he give any lecture? Yakusan said, there is a master-- there is scripture master or Buddhist philosophy master, and I am master of Zen. Don't wonder who I am, he said.

Zen monks are Zen monks because they are speaking in fluently without saying anything-- just by everyday activity. That is how Zen student should be. That is why I said Buddha started giving teaching when he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in the country of Magadha. We should not forget this point.

And we should take care of our practice, not only zazen practice but only-- whatever we do in Tassajara. I am very grateful for you to observe our way in various way without asking why we do that or why we should do this. Whatever you do, that is our practice. There you will find out yourself. Our practice is valuable because we can find out ourselves on what you do in that moment.

Thank you very much.

 --------------------------------------------------  " Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki shosan ceremony - 67-12-07 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC