A Brief yet Important Visit to Tassajara in 1969

Deb Huntley Remembers

He concludes this part of the lecture

I think I had my brief talk about the teaching of causality. This is a very deep problem, the teaching of causality.                            --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

DC Comment: This is interesting how he here divides the talk into parts. Now the part of it on causality is over. Let's see where he goes from there - starting tomorrow.

A New Review of Zen is Right Now

This is from the Midwest Book Review - down the page some.

A blurb from the review: extraordinary, thought-provoking and highly recommended 

Here's the whole thing: 

Thorough

To know things as it is means to let everything act as they want. "Let it be free" is to be free from. Because you want to bind it, you have difficulties. It means to have thorough understanding of our life. And our practice should be based on the thorough understanding of our human life, and thorough understanding of all the rest of existence.                           --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Mark the Date and Time on your Day Planner

Pacific Zen Institute's Monday Zen Luminaries Series – Zen Priest & Writer David Chadwick in Conversation with Jon Joseph Roshi (this is what they put on their site)

Jon Joseph

MONDAY FEBRUARY 28th

PZI Zen Online: 6pm PST

Check it out at pacificzen.org

Criticise

Something is good like [laughs] "Oh, reality is good [laughs] people are enjoying" [laughter]. That's all. That is the kind of, you know, understanding we have. So, to know things through and through is the point. Without criticizing what it is. If you like, you can criticize it [laughs, laughter], but that criticism [has] nothing to do with the big mind [laughs].                          --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Bird

So, when you accept difficulties with confidence, with big mind, or when you let your difficulty work in its true function, then you have no difficulty—that is not difficulty any more. The difficulty is like a bird flying in the sky. Your mind, the sky knows what it is, "Oh, bird is flying" [laughs]. That's all [laughter].                         --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Dogen said

Dogen Zenji said, "If one side is bright, the other side is dark." When you say “happiness,” that's all. Happiness only. When you say “unhappiness,” unhappiness is only. You have only unhappiness. And when you accept unhappiness or happiness through and through, in this sense, in this way, you have absolute renunciation.                        --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Changing Tracks

So, here things going as a pair of opposite and—

[RB: In changing tracks on the tape, a little bit was missed, but it’s I think a repetition of what he said—something like present and future are a pair of opposites, or a pair of—yes a pair of opposites, and there's no need to change joy to suffering, both exist. Ah, anyway, something like that, but it's a—pretty much a repetition.] 

If we realize this part, through and through, and if you realize what is unhappy and what is happy life, through and through, you will realize this fact.                       --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

DC comment: Richard Baker says "changing tracks." I guess they were still using reel to reel tape.

Unperturbable

We cannot overcome suffering. Because suffering and freedom is a complete pair of opposites, it is possible to attain absolute, unperturbable way of life.                        --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Contradictory

So actually, pairs of opposites exist. Good and bad—pair of good and bad exists. There is no good, without bad. There is no bad without good. We always exist in a pair of contradiction. We are in a contradictory existence of pairs. Perfect contradictory existence [laughs, laughter]. We are lucky that we are in perfect contradictory existence [laughs, laughter]. Or else, there is no way to attain oneness. One absolute existence.                        --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Stan White Drew This

Here's another Zen Inking of Stanley White - from Mel Weitsman's treasure house. Thanks Liz Horowitz. 

Much more Stan White art

Stan White cuke page

Cross cultural humor attempt

Because there is river, there is ship. If there is no river, ship is firewood or [laughs]—it is not even boathouse [laughs, laughter].                        --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Unity

Here is man and woman, one and another. But actually what really exists is the unity of man and woman. The unity of man and woman exists, but if you separate man from woman, there's no more woman or man. Because there is man, there is woman. Because there is woman, there is man.                        --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

He's getting pretty far out there with this one

When one thing is different, everything else will be negated. It is counter-relationship from one to the other. And from the other to one. The relationship is just, you know—there is no other relationship. Actual relationship is one. So, this way or the other way is the only way we have—only interpretation of the relationship. Do you understand? So, we are negating with each other. Because we are negating on one level, it is possible to attain oneness. Do you understand?                         --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

I

So, that someone is here means everyone is here—in its true sense, not materialistic understanding, that is not true. If I am here, there are many people. If I am talking here, many people are listening. But if I say “I am talking to you.” It means "I"—the idea of “I” negates the audience. If you say, “I am listening to you," it is negation of speaker. Do you understand?                        --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Mel Weitsman's Paintings

Some of Mel Weitsman's paintings. - Thanks Liz Horowitz 

Mel’s first wife, Ruth Weiss, and their dog Zimzum

Mel Weitsman cuke page

Negates

We say past—so in this sense, past is always negating future. The idea of future negates idea of past. When we say “past,” past only. When we say “future,” future only. Future negates past, the idea of past. And when we say “present," present negates past and future.                         --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Mel's first Wife

2020 SF Chron Obituary for Ruth Weiss, trailblazing Beat poetess, and Mel Weitsman's first wife.

Mel Weitsman cuke page

Thanks Liz Horowitz

Changing

Actually, time does not exist. Something which changes does. Time means a changing of relationship or quality or color or sights—it’s time. When the function of things changes, it is time. When color of something changes, it is time. But actually there's nothing besides actual changing of things.                         --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Time

Past and future exist just in our mind [laughs]. You say “past,” and you say “future,” without knowing exactly what it is. So when we say “past,” all the rest of time is past. When we say, “future,” the past is also future. So, time goes from present to future, from future to past. And there may be many many interpretations of time idea.                        --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Contradiction

Let me explain a little more about the contradiction. Past and future is two opposite idea. You say past. You may think future is a succession of past time, but it is not so, actually. When is the joining of the future and [laughs] past? You may say present is the joining of the future and the past. But actually, there is no present. Present is going [laughs, gestures, laughter]. What is past and what is present? You know it is impossible to explain what is past and what is future in a materialistic way.                       --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Everyone Everything

According to Buddhism, suffering is valuable because it is suffering through and through. Enlightenment is valuable because enlightenment is enlightenment through and through. So, when we say "enlightenment," the rest of things is enlightenment. When we say, “I am ignorant,” everything, everyone of us, is  ignorant.                       --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Through and Through

Ignorance is ignorance, through and through [laughter]. Enlightenment is enlightenment through and through [laughter]. How is it possible to compare enlightenment and ignorance? Psychologically you can compare the two, but there is no way to join ignorance to enlightenment.                       --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Paul Shippee Poetry from Way Back

Everyday: a Workbook of Poems and Voices by Paul Shippee - 1972

Paul Shippee cuke page

I urged Paul to find this book and get it scanned and printed and, after some years, he's done it! Good going Paul. Good stuff. - dc

Qualities

Enlightenment and ignorance are quite a different quality. They are a pair of opposites. Because they are opposite, they have value. If it were possible to join enlightenment and ignorance, you may strive for [laughs] attain enlightenment by materialistic way, and with some money or sitting many, many years [laughs, laughter]. You may try. But, I don't think it is possible because they are two complete different qualities.                      --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Not True

You may say if you get a lot of money, you will be happy, [laughs] but it is not true. If I try hard, I will attain enlightenment, that is not true [laughs].                     --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Different

And you cannot join happiness to difficulties. It is a completely different quality. As long as we are being conscious, it is impossible to join unhappiness and happiness. This is, essentially, different quality—quality of consciousness.                      --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

DC Comment: This is such an unusual thing for him to say. Hmmm.

Happiness

Why do we have suffering? Because we have happiness or joy. On the other hand, why we have happiness is because we have difficulty at the same time.                     --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Errata Alert!

Thank you Tracy McCallum for pointing out that in Laura Burges' piece on Tim Buckley she identified the Zen practice center he founded in Maine as Green River Zendo whereas it's actually Great River Zendo. This   This has now been corrected thanks to Tracy. He is the ideal What's New reader that we should all praise and emulate. Ted Howell has sent in a bunch of errors in the podcasts that have been fixed thanks to his keen ear. And Andrew Main has sent in errata since 1999, often with fascinating support material. If you ever feel so moved, no detail is too small, just send off your discovery of the offending error to dchad at cuke dot com. Thank you dear reader. - dc  

Dialectical

If there is no difficulty, there is no happiness. If there is no happiness, there is no difficulty. Mechanically,  materially, you will think something good [laughs], but this is just materialistic idea. But good and bad is not just materialistic. You cannot find, really, true pure joy in mechanical way of understanding of your life, or by static logic. Buddhism is more dialectical than static logic.                    --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Laura Burges

Made a Cuke page for Laura Burgess as a place to gather her contributions and stuff about her. Will be adding more. 

Solved

Buddha does not suffer from difficulties with a dualistic idea or one-sided idea. He was called Buddha because he has wisdom. His wisdom solved the contradictions of our life. We human beings are by nature good and bad, half and half.                   --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 66-08-17N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.