In Japanese art, you know, when you master some art and become successor of your master, you will receive some paper on which something is written [laughs]. No one knows what [laughs] it is [laughter, laughs]. It is very difficult to figure out what it is, and to explain what it is [laughs]. But if you have a beginner’s mind, it’s all right. "Thank you very much," if you can say, “Thank you very much” [laughs] from bottom of your heart, that’s all right. If you say, “What is it?” [laughter] you have no secret [laughs]. You can just say, “Thank you very much.” That’s enough. But this is very difficult [laughs]. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 65-11-11 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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 - This is the famous Beginner's Mind lecture. Since the audio tape was recently discovered, there is some material that differs from the transcripts that we had. What is excerpted from the new verbatim transcript will not include all of the verbatim lecture. For that and access to light edit and other transcribed versions and audio, go here.
