The other day, in the
fireplace room, Lama Govinda talked about the Shingon understanding, the so
called "Tantric" understanding not the physical Tantric, but the
original Tantric, esoteric teaching of Buddhism. The reason we say
"esoteric" is that true teaching is beyond understanding. Esoteric
means you can't see or hear it. When you cannot see or understand it, you may
say that is mystery or mystical. But that is not true understanding. There may
be two kinds of things you cannot understand. One is something mystical just
because you cannot see or cannot understand it. But there is another thing
which you cannot understand. It is too obvious. The reality is too real to
speak about. We say, "If you want to explain what water is, give him water,
don't speak about it. Even though you speak about it, it is not possible to
explain what water is." That kind of true experience, or reality, is not
possible to talk about. In this sense, there is esoteric teaching. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-02-00-E as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC
