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Monday, September 25, 2023

Hot Buddha, Cold Buddha

Tonight I want to explain shikantaza. We say “just to sit.” What does it mean, just to sit?

A monk asked a Zen master, “It is very hot. How is it possible to sit somewhere where no hot and no cold weather comes?”

The master’s answer was, “When it is hot, you should be hot buddha [laughs, laughter]. When it is cold, you should be a cold buddha [laughs].”

That is “just to sit.”


—Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-24 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives or cuke.com/ig for links to the full Shunryu Suzuki lecture and the source of the photo.

Art by Paul Reps