Unattainable

If Buddhism is some teaching which is attainable, you know, if you attain it that's all, there's no Buddhism, there's no need to study Buddhism. But fortunately, we don't attain anything, so we have to strive to attain it. And here we have double structure. One is, we should attain it, but on the other hand it is something unattainable. And, how to solve this problem is to practice our way, day by day, moment after moment, to live on each moment is the best answer. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC .u

Vow

So, with this impossibility of solving our problem or karma, we have vows as a bodhisattva. Even though our desires are innumerable we vow to cut it, you know, put and end to it. Even though our way is unattainable, we vow to attain it. This is the vow we should have forever. In this way, Buddhist way will have its own life. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC .

Long Way

How to get out of karma is. the best answer is, by our practice. But before we go to the best answer, where we have no idea of good or bad, it's not simple. We have to go pretty long way in our practice, little by little we should improve ourself. Even though you attain enlightenment you cannot change your karma as long as you live here. So, we have a long way to go. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC .

Sin

 If when we understand sin or karma in that way it is rather difficult to surmount to it just by our confidence or decisions. It is more than that. So in this point I think there is some similarity of Christian sin and our idea of sin. Both for us and Christian this idea of sin is something inevitable and something impossible to get out of it. This is, you know, the idea of karma or sin for us.-------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC -[DC note: Keep in mind that the root meaning of sin is to miss the mark or to make a mistake, often a tragic mistake, a mistake with consequences.

Beginner's Mind Turns Her On

A humourous story in the Columbia Spectator

thanks Peter Ford

Cuke page for Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

Karma

Karma is not just what you did, but also it is more personal. One way it is social and on the other hand it is more accumulated. It is not just created by our body, but our ancestors or created by our former life. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Wrong Way

Accumulation of inappropriate way of observing our way will result in some power which can drive us to the wrong way. That it is our idea of karma. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Buddha Nature

Buddha Nature is by birth nature for everyone. It is more good nature, not sinful nature. That is our understanding of our nature. In its true sense it is not either good nor bad, that is complete understanding. But, in its usual sense it is more good nature rather than bad nature. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Observe

When we are helped by precepts that the blossom of the true nature. And when we understand precepts in a negative sense, spiritually, that is also expression of true nature but that is negative way of expression of our inmost nature. So precepts observation has two sides, one is negative and the other side positive. And we have choice, you know, to observe it and not to observe it. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Observing and Not Observing

We say, in observation of true precepts there is positive way and negative way. And with two of that and not two of that, there must be, you know, four ways. But those four ways should not be different. To observe precepts should be not to observe precepts at the same time. Not to observe precepts means not just observing precepts but when you do not try to observe it then there you have both observing and not observing precepts. So, one is positive and one is negative.Anyway we have to observe precepts and our inmost nature helps us to observe precepts. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Observe

If you observe precepts that is not true observation of precepts. When you observe precepts without trying to observe precepts, then that is true observation of precepts. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

A Story by David Schneider

No Good Deed Goes Unpublished just published on Tricycle.org.

David Schneider cuke page

Photo of David may be a few years old ha ha

Ego

Egolessness does not mean to annihilate or to give up our own individual practice. True egolessness should forget egolessness too. So as long as you understand your practice as egolessness, then it means you stick to ego practice too. So, when you practice your own practice with others, true egolessness happens. That egolessness is not just, you know, egolessness, it is also maybe ego practice. And at the same time it is practice of egolessness. So this egolessness is beyond ego or egolessness [laughs]. Do you understand? -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Ears

When we observe one thing together, we should forget our own practice. When we practice something with people it is partly each individuals practice and it is also others' practice. So, we say, for instance, when we recite sutra, "Recite sutra with your ears." Really? You know, to listen to others' chanting. So with our mouths we practice and with our ears we practice. We listen to other's practice. So, here we have the complete egolessness in it's true sense.  -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC [DC comment: At Sokoji there was a sign in the zendo where we chanted that read, [Chant sutra with your ears."]

Chosen

Disciple, of course, can, will, must choose his teacher. Teacher, when he's chosen should accept him as a disciple. Sometimes teacher may recommended some other teacher for disciple. Or else, you know, human relationship will not be perfect. So if a teacher think, think his friend is maybe more perfect teacher for him, he may recommend him as a teacher. But, between teachers there's there should not be any conflict. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Contact

So, naturally how we transmit our way through activity or through contact, through human relationships. Here we have relationship between teacher and disciple. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Transmit

Zazen, this posture, is not only, not originally maybe a kind of training or something but it is not just training it is more the actual way of transmitting Buddha's way to us. Through practice we can actually transmit Buddha's teaching because words is not good enough to actualize its teaching. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Direct

To have direct contact with reality is Zen practice. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-28 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Wisdom

So how we get out of suffering is to have wisdom, to see things as it is. By your thinking that is not possible. But your thinking will help when you think from various angles. If you want to have sudden enlightenment, you should fight it out. If you do not want to feel that you are fooled by something, then you should try for it little by little according to your wisdom or thinking. Sometimes, by wisdom, we mean wisdom followed by teaching. Wisdom sometimes is direct understanding. To have direct contact with the reality is wisdom.   -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-28 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC 

Cause

Cause of suffering is the Second Noble Truth, that this world is... Maybe better to explain more at this point. Origination of suffering, you know, that something exists here is already suffering, for what is, for us, for me that I’m here is suffering. [laughter] [laughs] And how you take this suffering is the point. [laughs]. That I’m here is suffering and maybe it is joy too. [laughs] It is all right to be here. And it is a kind of joy. Joy is also suffering. [laughs] Not only after I have joy, but simultaneously I suffer too, Because I suffer I have joy. So, to have suffering and joy at the same time. Two sides of one coin.  -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-28 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Suzuki mentions the Four Noble Truths

Do you notice anything in this listing of the Four Noble Truths by Suzuki?

***

Student: What are the Four Noble Truths?

SR: The Four Noble Truths are that this world is the world of suffering.

Student: That’s number one?

SR: Yeah. And cause of suffering.

Student: That’s two?

SR: Two. The third one way to have diversions from, way to get out of it [the Eightfold Path]

and  Enlightenment or Nirvana. 

Student: That’s three, isn’t it?

SR: No four.

Student: Fourth is Nirvana.

SR: Fourth is Nirvana.   -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-28 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC
***

The student was correct. Nirvana is the Third Noble Truth - at least I've never seen it listed as number four. And the Eightfold Path is always in my experience listed as the Fourth Noble Truth. This isn't the only time Suzuki did it this way. Maybe there's an alternate order in some Chinese or Japanese tradition, but I bet he just saw it that way and never thought to check. It does make sense in the order Suzuki used and doesn't seem to matter. He never seemed to me to care much for the letter of the law, just the spirit. - DC

Perfection

There is nothing is perfect. Nothing is perfect is meant by the teaching of selflessness. We think, you know, it is possible to attain or to get contact with something, yeah, to understand or to grasp something perfect. But to attain some stage of perfection according to Buddhism that is not possible. [laughs] It is not possible. When you understand that is not possible, that understanding is perfect understanding and that is [laughs] enlightenment. [Laughter]  -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-28 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Riffing on the Genjo Koan

Buddhism means here, not only, Buddhist teachings, to study everything is to study ourselves. And to study ourselves is to forget ourselves. And to forget ourselves is to be enlightened by things we study. Some things we study will teach us something real and true. So Dogen said, to study ourselves is to be enlightened by everything. And this enlightenment goes forever. In this way, wiping the enlightenment and having enlightenment again. In this way this enlightenment proceeds you where you go on and on and on and you will understand everything in its true sense.  -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-28 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

One-sided

When we just rely on one-sided understanding we lose the purpose of our study.  -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-28 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Firewood and Ash

Dogen the founder of Soto School of Zen explained you should not think firewood becomes ash. Firewood has it’s own period and ash also has it own period . Ash has its own personal future, so does firewood. So firewood is independent and ash is independent. When we understand self in that way, that self includes everything: its own personal future and everything which exists with firewood or ash. That does not mean to have some substantial idea of ash. It is not some substance but it something named ash, includes everything and related to everything. This is also the understanding of reality and understanding of self. Only when we understand in this way, can we understand Buddhism, not only Buddhism. I think, I hope, your understanding will be available to understand your life and to understand others' life and to understand science and everything.  -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-28 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Selflessness

When the meaning of selflessness is to annihilate all the evil desires or to give up the idea of fame or profit, that is one-sided idea. Selflessness is also means strong self. The toughness of the self which is always free from personal attachment.  -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-28 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Continuing from prior posts

When you break into this pattern, this way of thinking, you will more get accustomed to this way of life or understanding of life and some day you will actually experience, you will enjoy this kind of paradoxical world. So enjoyment is very much different from the enjoyment made by the people who just dwell on one-sided view, a one-sided understanding of life. Buddhists one one hand look very joyous people. On the other hand they are very dismal and gloomy people. [Laughter] This is also double structure. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-28 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC