Student CC: Docho
Roshi, if you and me and everyone here and everything around us is emptiness,
can we see form in its change?
SR: Emptiness? Emptiness. Because we are changing, we say “emptiness.” “Empty.” Because nothing stays in its own home, because everything is changing. But usually, when I say “you” or “I,” we have already some idea which does not change. That kind of idea is empty. But if we understand everything in the state of change, that is true understanding.
Student CC: A change can't be form?
SR: Change, yeah. Changing-- moment after moment it changes. But even for a while, you know, you can see it-- some form. You can observe things in its particular form. That is form. But it exists in smallest particle of time. Next, you know, particle of time it will be some other thing. But on each moment it exists. That is also true. So form is emptiness, emptiness is form. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-04-23-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC
SR: Emptiness? Emptiness. Because we are changing, we say “emptiness.” “Empty.” Because nothing stays in its own home, because everything is changing. But usually, when I say “you” or “I,” we have already some idea which does not change. That kind of idea is empty. But if we understand everything in the state of change, that is true understanding.
Student CC: A change can't be form?
SR: Change, yeah. Changing-- moment after moment it changes. But even for a while, you know, you can see it-- some form. You can observe things in its particular form. That is form. But it exists in smallest particle of time. Next, you know, particle of time it will be some other thing. But on each moment it exists. That is also true. So form is emptiness, emptiness is form. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-04-23-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC
