Kazuaki Tanahashi

Had a talk with scholar and artist Kaz today and some of it will surely end up in a podcast soon. Just checked out his uke page and his own page and many others all over. Great scholar with his Dogen translations. Great artist with his rainbow calligraphy. I said he had fully functioning both sides of the brain and he said that's because he's crazy - and then he added, that I'm crazy - and that's why we became friends right awa when he showed up back a few decades ago.

Check out his exhibition at National Gallery of Modern Art Bangalore, India. 

Kaz's cuke page - with a great interview

Dragon

Dogen Zenji says, “Don't practice your way as if you were a blind men trying to figure out what is ab elephant.” The real elephant is not a rope or fan or wall. But a blind man may think an elephant is like a wall or rope or fan. But the real elephant is none of those.

And he says, “Don'tbe curious about the true dragon, like Seiko.” In China there was a man named Seiko. He loved dragons. All his scrolls were dragons. And he designed his house like a dragon-house. And he had many figures of dragons. So a real dragon thought, “If I appear in his house, he will be very pleased.” So one day, the real dragon appeared in his room, and he was very much scared of it and almost [laughs] drew his sword. So the real dragon said, “Oh, my!” [Laughs.] And he escaped from his room. “Don't be like that,” Dogen Zenji says.
Most of us are practicing our way like a blind man or Seiko. That is why we have to start our practice over and over. ----------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

More on Rite, the film

Created a page for the tone poem film Rite, 1968, by John Sunier, which includes Tim Buckley photos taken at Tassajara.

Continuing from Dogen's quote of Yesterday

Before you enter zendo, you should attain enlightenment [laughs]. Do you understand? Sometime he said, “If you enter zendo by mistake, you should go out.” [Laughs.] By mistake [laughs]? You should go out. If you want to enter zendo, you should be really prepared for practicing pure practice. “By mistake” [laughs]-- isn't it interesting [laughs]? “If you enter zendo by mistake.” [Laughs.] I think almost all of you entered zendo by mistake [laughs, laughter]. If so, take a rest in our Zen apartment [laughs] across the street, and come back again [laughs]. ----------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Another short 1968 Film on Tassajara

Rite by John Sunier - Youtube link

More on this film just learned about today - tomorrow. - dc

Following from yesterday's post

The more I think about this point, the more I find out why Dogen Zenji put emphasis on shikantaza. “First of all, before we practice zazen,” he says, “in delusion we should set up our pure way of practice. Before enlightenment, we should attain enlightenment.”  ----------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Kobun Chino Otogawa

Cuke plage for Kobun

Problem

If we become successful, if our community expand, we will have problem-- big problem. You may say it's better not to have it [laughs]-- you may say-- I'm sure you will say so. Why you say so? When you say so-- before you say so, you should think why [laughs]. Why we have this kind of problem? Why do I have this problem? ----------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Bio of Kobun

A biography of Kobun Chino Otogawa just came out in Japanese.

Yado Nashi Kobun: Steve Jobs no Zenso

Author's translation of title below.

“Homeless Kobun; The Zen Monk of Steve Jobs”

By Yukiko Yanagida McCarty.

Publisher: Shueisha international Japan

Here are two pics of the cover on Kobun Chino's Cuke page

Mandalas

When our community is based on shikantaza, there is no problem. We will enjoy our problem even. To have various problems is to have many mandalas. Without this shikantaza, all the teachings and mandalas will be a cause of trouble. ----------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Chat with Edward Brown

A Cuke Podcast - It's the May 24th podcast, right up top till the next one goes on in a few hours. That will be another mini podcast, a vignette frrom Zen Is Right Here.

Edward Brown page

No Problema

When you have questions or problems in your practice, it means that you are not practicing shikantaza. If you practice shikantaza, you know, you will be monkey-minded buddha in shikantaza. You will be pain-legged buddha in shikantaza. And your whole body will be obstacle buddha-- obstacle of buddha-- or to be obstacle itself is buddha. Is there any problem, you know, when whatever you do, that is buddha? That is shikantaza. ----------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Zooming to Austin Zen Center

Gonna meet with my buds at the AZC tonight (my time) and this morning (theirs) - late morning. Ten o'clock. They've got a Crooked Cucumber staudy going and with me doing podcasts on it, we ought to be able to find something to talk about - like how many pages are in the book and how much it weighs. Always like Austin and Mako, the head teacher. Katrinka likes her too. And they're got a nice center. I'm from a few hours north in Fort Worth. Nostalgia...................... - dc

Way-seeking

When I came to America for the first time, for pretty long time, as our old students knows-- know, I put emphasis on way-seeking mind. When we have true way-seeking mind-- pure true way seeking mind, we can practice our way without any problem. ----------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Kelsang Tsogtor

A new page for Kelsang Tsogtor whom we remember as Van Vorheis

See what he's up to. Pretty neat.

Housecleaning

In Japan, once a year, we have general housecleaning [laughs]. On that day, we take everything out [laughs]. We expel everything [laughs], even Buddha shrine or Shinto shrine, you know. We take them out, and we clean completely our house. In the same way, I think, this kind of cleaning is necessary. Without this kind of effort, you pile up, you know, things one after another. Then you will be easily caught by some same old way of life, you know. So you cannot practice zazen in its true sense. When you have this kind of spirit, you can practice shikantaza. ----------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Comments are up

Comments on chapter four of Crooked Cucumber - Great Root Monasteries - with tangents upon tangents - on Podbean Cuke Audio. 

Go Away!

I think you are very sincere students, but your conviction is not strong enough, is not pure enough. I think that is why many teachers expelled their disciples. “Go away!” [Laughs.] You know, if he is not ready to practice zazen, it is better to say, “Go away.” It means, “Come again.” [Laughs, laughter.] “Go away, and prepare for coming in again.” That is real kindness. I think almost all of you should be expelled [laughs] from zendo, and we should start Zen Center again [laughs]. How about it [laughs, laughter]? Again and again [laughs]. “Go away!” Or, “Let's do it again.” We must have this kind of spirit always, or else we cannot clean up our mind. ----------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Who's the guy behind Suzuki in this photo? - SOLVED!

Read all about it at Yehudah Alan Winter's cuke page.

People have asked who he is many times. It's one of the most often used photos of Shunryu Suzuki and the one I use for Cuke Audio Podcast. - dc

Strict

To practice our way to attain enlightenment-- even to attain enlightenment - is not good, because this kind of gaining idea usually is not pure enough. Instead of, “You should attain enlightenment, forgetting everything else,” we say, “Practice zazen without any gaining idea.” This is a stronger instruction, more strict instruction. Without even trying to attain enlightenment, you should practice zazen. That is actually what we mean. To practice zazen to attain enlightenment may be pretty good, but not good enough-- not strict enough-- not strict with the impetus of your practice. ----------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Now Hear Ye

Tuesday Cuke Audio Podcast on Podbean is up - Chapter Four of Crooked Cucumber: the Life and Zen Teaching of Shunryu Suzuki, preceded by greetings, blessing, TOC, meditation, Life in Bali, Dear Dave.

Tuesdays are the Chapter reading days. On Thursday will be comments on the chapter. Chat with Edward Brown on Saturday. Miini podcasts on Wednesday and Friday and Monday. Sunday is a day of rest.

Ordinary

We should not mix up our practice with ordinary training or exercise. If you study this point more, you will find out why we have Tassajara or why old Zen masters had very difficult time in their practice. Only to put everything aside and practice our way without gaining idea-- they made such a effort. ----------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Happy birthday Shunryu Suzuki

Happy Birthday to everyone on Suzuki Roshi’s birthday, as he was born May 18, 1904, 116 years ago. We all owe our practice to Shunryu Suzuki, who came to California and shared this teaching for us all. We focus on his teachings on Zoom still Thursday evenings after zazen. - Taigen 

Just read the above email from Taigen Dan Leighton, founding teacher of the Ancient Dragon Zen Gate in Chicago. How thoughtless of me not to notice it was my master's birthday and how thoughtful of /Taigen to let me know so I'm posting this while it's still the 18th in most of America. Taigen's an old SFZC bud and long-time advisor to Cuke as he knows a lot and has translated and written a lot - most impressive - check out Taigen's cuke page and Ancient Dragon page. - Thanks Taigen! - dc

Paul Shippee

On Friday, May 15, posted a chat with Paul Shippee on Cuke Audio Podcasts. He was a Shunryu Suzuki and Chogyam Trungpa student with an interesting past and present and a way-seeking mind story.

Paul Shippee page

Conviction

We say it takes time before you know what is zazen. But actually, why we say so is without this kind of conviction, you cannot give up everything and practice shikantaza. If you think, “I'll sit two months more or three months more [laughs],” then your practice, you know, is not pure enough. ----------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Aside

When you enter zendo, you should be a quite different person, forgetting all about what you have been doing, and you should just sit. Zazen practice is not a continuation of your everyday life, everyday practice. In Fukanzazengi, Dogen Zenji says: “You should give up everything when you practice zazen. And you should put everything aside and should practice zazen.” At least you must realize that this point is very important. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

David Rogers strikes again.

Rogers, David (1998). A Flora of Tassajara: The Vascular Plants of the Tassajara Region, Ventana Wilderness, Santa Lucia Mountains, Monterey County, California. (PDF)

David Rogers page

This is another in the publications available on cuke via the In-house Publications page

Atmosphere

It may look very difficult to sit without any gaining idea. As you sit today, at least you should be completely involved in the atmosphere or feeling of the zendo, and just practice our way. You should not bring in many ideas in zendo. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Tassajara History

Yesterday featured David Roger's Tassajara Scrapbook. Today the cuke page for Tassajara history which has links to a few interesting articles by Rogers on early Tassajara, and much much more. Photo from that page is of Helen Quilty who owned and ran the place for many decades.

Lots of Tassajara history here

A TASSAJARA SCRAP-BOOK Literature Pertaining to Tassajara Hot Springs, Santa Lucia Mountains, Monterey County, California from 1861 to 1949 - (PDF) - 265 pages (1997)

Put together by David Rogers who knows more about Tassajara history than anyone.

David Rogers page

This is another in the publications available on cuke via the In-house Publications page

Continuing from Yesterday

If you do not have this secret of practice, you may be easily discouraged. But if you make some progress in your practice, you know, naturally you will stick to your old same way [laughs], you know, because you feel very good about your practice, and you feel you made some progress in your own way. But even so, if you attach to the same old way, you will be sure in time to be discouraged with your practice, and you will be very much confused. “What is zazen?” you may say.  -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Cuke Audio announces

Chapter Three of Crooked Cucumber with comments is now on Podbean Cuke Audio and on the You Tube Cuke Podcasts playlist, Spotify Cuke Audio Podcasts, and iTunes Cuke Audio.

Preceeded by greeting, metta prayer, meditation, TOC, Life in Bali (with virus and accident reports and monster feeding) and followed by comments on the chapter with bloopers and the dramatic conclusion which vanishes off into nothingness.

Foundation

We say “just to sit.” Just to sit does not mean to have same pattern of practice. When we are ready to be many figures, when we are ready to practice various ways, that is shikantaza. Maybe you may call it foundation of various practice.   -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Many One Fingers

So it is not necessary for it to be always one finger. This is all right [raising two fingers[[laughs, laughter]. This is all right, too [laughs] [raising three, four, five fingers,]. But people may get confused [laughs], so Tenryu just always pointed out one finger. So, you know, if he is tired out-- tired of sitting, he may [laughs, laughter] do like this [your guess]. That is also, you know, one finger. If, you know, this one finger means something, it may be two fingers, or three fingers, or many fingers, not one finger. Because this one finger can be various things, according to the situation, we call it the true one finger.  -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Wan Jung Photo

Just received this email and photo from a gentleman in the UK. [See it larger, the backside, and the note below on Nona Ransom's cuke page.]

I have recently read with great interest Harry Ransom-Rose's reminiscences of Nona Ransom on your website. At one stage in the early 1960's, when I would have been 15 or so, Nona lived in a bungalow next door to us in the village of Brockweir In Gloucestershire on the river Wye. I still have strong memories of a tall rather forbidding lady surrounded with momentos of her life in Asia. 

We have recently been going through and sorting out family photographs and I came across this which I thought might be of interest to you. On the reverse is written            'Last Empress of Manchuria- standing figure (Henry Pu-Yi's wife) from Miss Ransom'. 

  

I do hope this indeed is of interest and, if so, you are welcome to include it on your website

if you would like to do so.

DC says, Thank you so much sir. Not including his name because I hadn't asked if that was okay.

Mini Podcasts

In addition to the weekly long podcasts reading and commenting on Crooked Cucumber preceeded by life in Bali and with guests, Cuke Audio is now offering frequent mini podcasts, starting off with reading a vignette from Zen Is Right Here: Teaching Stories and Anecdotes of Shunryu Suzuki. Today uploaded third one. - dc

Without Words

Yakusan demonstrated his practice without words, without saying anything. He just sat. Tenryu, you know, pointed out one finger. But this one finger pointed out without any gaining idea-- without trying to teach them what it is. He just [laughs]-- instead of doing so, he just did it like this [holding up one finger]. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Smokey the Bear Sutra

In honor of the day after Gary Snyder's 90th birthday, here's his Smokey the Bear Sutra as was featured in a SFZC Wind Bell in the summer of 1972.

Gary Snyder page

Monkey Mind Buddha

When you want to have calm serene mind, the monkey mind, you will be discouraged by [laughs] your monkey mind. But when you have no gaining idea, when you just sit and accept it, then monkey mind is one finger -- Tenryu's one finger. So moment after moment, various buddhas will appear in your practice. Monkey mind is, in that case, monkey-minded buddha: not just ordinary monkey mind, that is monkey mind buddha. When it is hot, it is hot buddha. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Happy birthday Gary Snyder!

Gary Snyder is 90 today, May 8th.

cuke page for Gary Snyder

Below is a good bio of Gary from Garrison Keillor's online Daily Almanacthat Brit Pyland just sent. Love the quote from it: The poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti once called Snyder “The Thoreau of the Beat Generation.” I'd say more than of the Beat Generation. I first wanted to say he's our Thorough but no I think he's our Gary Snyder is complete though maybe sounding a little possessive. - dc

various Buddha

You know, when some monk ask a master, “What should I do when cold weather come?” The master said, “Cold? Be a cold buddha. And when summer come, be a hot buddha.” When you have no gaining idea, you know, you become various buddha moment after moment. Cold buddha, hot buddha, painful buddha, monkey minded buddha [laughs].  -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Michael McClure

cuke page for Michael McClure who died on May 5th

if you have something to share about McClure, please send to dchad at cuke dot com. - dc

Correction for Michael McClure RIP post

It was Herb Gold, not Michael McClure who arrived in a Jaguar at Tassajara early that first summer and left it behind as a gift. I think it had car trouble so he said, "Keep it."

Obstacle

In your zazen you become an obstacle of buddha-nature -- of buddha-light. What Yakusan [with his one finger Zen] demonstrated is also shikantaza - in which you have no gaining idea. You just sit. Because you practice zazen to have complete calmness in your mind, then you have become really an obstacle of -- really a problem or disturbance. But when you have no gaining idea, then all the things which happen in your zazen will become one finger. At that time, your zazen becomes so-called painful zazen [laughs]. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

New Podcast

Comments on Chapter 2 of Crooked Cucumber now available on Podbean Cuke Audio with a story by Peter Schneider,  Life and Death in Bali, and a talk with Japanese translator Fred Harriman. 

Finger

The one finger Tenryu pointed out is not does not mean “one.” What he meant is our practice, our shikantaza. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

RIP Michael McClure

Famed Beat poet who helped launch the SF Renaissance, dead at 87 - SF Chron

Michael McClure was around the SF Zen Center quite a bit. He came in to Tassajara the first year we were there. Took a walk with him to the narrows and he turned me on to chewing on the tiny top leaves of the yerba santa plant which impart a subtle nice feeling and sweetness in the mouth, especially after adding a bit of creek water in those days before Giardia. He did a number of readings at the Zen Center.

Posts on Michael's passing all over the web. Just write his name on the URL line and hit Enter.

thanks Brit Pyland

ZMBM Source Chart

A chart with links to various files with the Los Altos (and one SF) lectures that comprised Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

To be Continued

Today we have not much time to have dokusan, but suppose we have dokusan, I think I will have many questions about about breathing, about pain, or about your monkey mind [laughs]. “What should I do with it?” [Laughs, laughter.] As today we have no dokusan so, may be a good idea to give you some instruction about zazen. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

It led to ZMBM

Marian Derby's Original draft for Beginner's Mind

During Sesshin

I may ask you, “What have you been doing today?” [Laughs.] I think some of you must have been very sleepy, and some of you must have had pain, terrible pain in your legs, and some of you must find it difficult to stop your monkey mind [laughs]. So I suspect there are quite few people, or maybe just three or four people, who are sitting, and rest of the people [laughs] couldn't practice zazen in its true sense-- in its usual sense. You may understand in that way. [DC comment - it looks like he's saying maybe only a few are practicing zazen in its true sense, but then he adds, "You may understand in this way" removing whatever certainty there was from it.]  -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

The First Tassajara Cook Book (that we know of)

Tassajara Springs Cook Book printed in 1966 for sale at Tassajara by the Becks who sold us the place at the very end of that year. 

That's the front and back cover.

Another Story

I will tell you another story. Yakusan Igen, the disciple of Sekito, one day as he was asked to give lectures to the monks, he just appeared on the altar, and for a while he was sitting, and then went back to his room.

The director of the temple went to his room and asked him, “You didn't give give a us lecture for a long time, so I asked you to give us a lecture [laughs]. But as soon as you appeared on the altar, you went back to [laughs]-- to your room. Why is that?”

Yakusan said, “There are many teachers. Some of them are teaching Buddhist precepts, and some of them are giving lectures on sutras, and I am a Zen master.”

That was his answer. What do you think that is? -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Beginning of lecture on Shikantaza

I want to explain our way-- our way of zazen. Do you know-- you know the famous story of Gutei? When Tenryu pointed up one finger, Gutei attained enlightenment. And do you-- what do you think [about] this one finger? He [Gutei] attained enlightenment, you know, and said: “I received Tenryu's one finger, and-- which I have been using for-- for my lifetime,” when he became pretty old he said [holding up his finger]. “What do you think this is?” [Laughs.] -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC