Small Patience, Big Patience

Small patience is like even though you have physical suffering or mental suffering, to be patient is small patience. And big patience is something different from to be patient with your physical or mental distress or suffering. That is small patience, but big patience is to be patient about not knowing anything, or for not to achieve anything. This is big patience. Just to sit is big patience for not achieving anything [laughs]. Just to sit. And to repeat the same thing over and over again, day after day, just to repeat things over and over.

Image generated by ChatGPT

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-D as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Shobogenzo

As we are human beings, it is impossible to keep Dogen’s pure teaching always fresh and in use, but everyone agreed that his cover was the best cover, anyway. No dust [laughs] can enter the pan; it is so perfect a cover. So, we have to have some Soto priests who can understand what Shobogenzo is. And there must be many Zen masters who are actually practicing zazen. But those who practice zazen will make some mistakes, you know. So, we should have a cover. By mistake I mean dust [laughter]. Soon we will be dusty. There may be many, many misunderstandings of Zen. When we enter some dead end, we should find out what we are doing. That is Shobogenzo.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-C as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Still Exists

As he was writing, Dogen thought it was not the time to make Japanese people understand what Buddhism was right then. It was not possible. So, he trained several disciples, and he prepared a perfect cover [laughs], so that someday people would be able to use the pan of the Soto school. Before they could use the Soto way, it was necessary for him to make a cover for it. That is Shobogenzo. That is why the Soto school still exists seven hundred years later. It still exists because of the cover he made.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-C as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Jeff Broadbent's India trip

 

Jeff Broadbent sent a fascinating report on his recent trip to India with colorful photos

Jeff Broadbent Cuke page

Featured Cuke Archives page

John Liles | Podcast - John Liles is a long-time student of the Atlanta Zen Center. In this podcast we hear about it and its founder Soyu Matsuoka, and he talks about an inspiring time he had for a month at Tassajara this recent summer.

A Cover

The most important point is not to be one-sided. Practice and study are both important. But it is not possible for anyone to achieve everything. So, as I said, to have the same cover [laughs], is very important. The cover should not be used. When you do something, you should take off the cover [laughs]. If you want to boil something with a cover [laughs], you will get confusion. For us the cover is the Shobogenzo. This is perfect understanding of our way. But perfect understanding will not work [laughs]. It’s too perfect [laughs]. But it will keep dust from the pan [laughs], and if you put a cover on your pan, you can use it whenever you want to use your pan. So, it is very important to have a cover for it.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-C as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Right Understanding of Practice

Now here in Zen Center we are practicing a very rigid way after the example of the Japanese way, but it does not mean we are forcing our way on you. But it will give you some suggestions, and it will take, I think, a pretty long time before you establish your own way. So, for you, a pioneer [laughs] of Buddhism, it may be pretty difficult. But if you have right understanding of our way, you can explain why we have this kind of practice and why you should do this kind of practice.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-C as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Truth Is The Same

In the East and in the West, the truth is always the same, and we are coming to the same conclusions, I think. Although the way is different, but more and more your philosophy will become like the Shobogenzo, and our way will become more and more scientific. And in this way, I hope we will achieve something very good.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-C as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Inexplicable Actual Practice

In a logical or philosophical way, philosophers found what our true nature is. But no one had brought it into practice. That is why Buddhism has the practice of zazen. To bring something which is inexplicable to actual practice is Zen practice. This is one of the noble truths. That is why Zen is so important in Buddhism. Without Zen the teaching of Buddha cannot be understood by us.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-C as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Featured Cuke Archives page

Back from Germany - DC talks about the three weeks he and his wife Katrinka spent at Dharma Sangha's Zen Center in the Black Forest, a visit with Vanja Palmers at his home on Mt. Rigi in Switzerland just below Felsentor, the Zen practice center he founded. And more. Listen to the podcast.

Difficult To Choose

If we don’t mind about good or bad we will take either way. But for us it is rather difficult [laughs] to choose one of the two. When it is difficult, there is true nature. True nature makes it difficult for us to choose. Here we have bodhisattva-mind. When we have difficulty in an ethical sense there is bodhisattva-mind. When you say, “I am no good,” there is bodhisattva-mind. But we cannot explain why we have this kind of mind. It is impossible to explain why.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-C as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Which Way

When we stand at a fork in the road—which way to take? Here is our bodhisattva-mind. Which is better? Which way should we go? This “I” is not possible to explain, but anyway, we are always at a crossing or at a fork in the road, and we don’t know what to do. As long as we have our true nature, when we are conscientious enough, we sometimes wonder which way to take. That is a bodhisattva’s way.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-C as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

What Is Buddha-nature

For us even though you attain enlightenment, you are also a human being. And “buddha” is another name for a human being. Buddha and human being are same nature, same one quality, strictly speaking. It does not mean you become buddha, or buddha devalued to a human being. It is not so. Same quality. When you realize your true nature, you are called “buddha.” And what is buddha-nature is the point.

Image generated by ChatGPT

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-C as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Heaven?

A human being is always a human being. I don’t know what you will become after you die. What will become of you I don’t know. You go to heaven and [laughs] will you become a god or what? I don’t know exactly.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-C as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Human Beings

We treat human beings as human beings. Religion is not some particular thing. Religion is to find the true meaning of human nature. We do not try to change human beings to God. From beginning to end, we are human beings. We should be human beings. There is no need to be God [laughs].

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-C as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Our Everyday Life

The bodhisattva’s way of helping others is not some moral code or written conditions. To help others does not mean actually to give something or to lead someone in a special way. If you want to understand what the actual bodhisattva way is, you should practice our way. That is why Dogen Zenji was particular about our everyday life. He was very, very particular because he thought it was impossible to express what bodhisattva’s way does mean with words or philosophy.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-C as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Treated in the Right Way

The most important point in helping others is to actualize the bodhisattva’s way in its true sense. You can actualize the bodhisattva way in your management of a monastery or a temple. If you actualize his way, that is also dana-Prajnaparamita. That is to help others, to give most valuable things to society. If you actualize our way in your life, that is the most valuable contribution to society. Even though you give something, if you give it in the wrong way [laughs], it will create more trouble. So just to give something is not our way. Everything will be treated in the right way in the bodhisattva way.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-C as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Our Actual Practice

The way of a Bodhisattva in other schools is rather philosophical, so that is why they have their own system. But for the Zen school, our practice itself is the bodhisattva way. It’s not a philosophy—our actual practice is the bodhisattva’s way. Or management of the monastery is itself the bodhisattva’s way.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-C as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Featured Cuke Archives page

Comments on Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - Every day for many years, we at Cuke Archives have posted daily lecture excerpts. They’re all over the place in terms of representing Suzuki’s teaching, how much context is missing, or how appealing they are. I comment on all this. - DC

New Edition: The Tassajara Bread Book

The Tassajara Bread Book

A special 55th anniversary edition of “the bible for bread baking” (The Washington Post), edited and updated with a new foreword by Sourdough author Sarah Owens.

On Amazon | at Local Bookstore

All Edward's books on Amazon

Scholars and Zen Masters

You cannot be both a scholar and a Zen master [laughs]. It would be wonderful if it were possible, but we are not so capable. It is necessary for a scholar to understand the Shobogenzo and other cultures too, or else his teaching will not work. So, for a scholar it is necessary to read many, many books and to understand Eastern and Western culture. A Zen master should devote themselves to our own teaching and practice. But as both scholars’ and masters’ understanding is based on the Shobogenzo, mutual understanding will be easily attained.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-C as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

More Than a Philosophical Understanding

When you try to understand the way of a bodhisattva by thinking or philosophy, it is dualistic. Each school has its system of teaching, but Zen has no system of philosophy. Although the Soto school has the Shobogenzo, it’s not possible to understand it in just a philosophical way. That is why when a scholar writes something about Shobogenzo, he will submit it to a Zen master. He does not publish before a Zen master checks it. This is pretty strict for the Soto school because just a philosophical understanding is not good enough.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-C as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

A Matter of Spirit

So, when you decide on a rule, you have to be very careful. If it is too strict, you will pay. And if it is too loose, it will not work. Our tradition was built up in this way. And this understanding should be followed. But I don’t mean mental understanding or logical understanding. There must be some good feeling in observing it. Not feeling, but the understanding should be pure understanding. That is why our monastic life is difficult to establish. It is not a matter of the building. It is a matter of spirit, and a matter of people who can be responsible for that.

Photo by Barbara Lubanski-Wenger - SFZC-1980

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-AN as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Duality and Oneness

In duality, actually, there is oneness. Oneness will be expressed by duality. Duality and oneness in a zendo it is one. But in your everyday life, duality and duality is one [laughs]; no oneness exists. In its true sense, duality and duality is one, and one and one is one. This formula is very important, but in the usual sense, duality is duality; it means nothing–it is just confusion. Form is emptiness; emptiness is form; form is form; emptiness is emptiness; we will understand this formula in the zendo. But in your everyday life, it doesn’t make any sense.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-AN as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Some Means

Without a medium it is impossible to get contact with pure mind, or even an inmost request. Without some means, it is impossible to express your inmost nature. Everyday life is also the expression of inmost nature, but our everyday life is too dualistic. So, in everyday life it is almost impossible to study inmost nature. Only in a zendo is it possible to study inmost nature. And if you get accustomed to this kind of life, you can apply this way in your everyday life, so that you may not be bothered by the duality of the world.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-AN as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Featured Cuke Archives page

Report from the Black Forest - At Dharma Sangha's Zen Buddhist Center in the Black Forest with Katrinka for three weeks. Talk about spending time with Zentatsu Richard Baker and Tatsudo Nicole Baden and some mundane stuff.

Without Any Discrimination

Just do it, good or bad [laughs]. Convenient or inconvenient is not the question. When we decide on some rules, it is important to know whether they are practical or not. So, the rules should be decided little by little, we cannot force anything, and the rules will be created by yourselves. But once you have decided on some rules, we should obey completely, until we change the rules. The important thing is how to obey our rules. Once decided, we should obey the rules without any discrimination. Good or bad is out of consideration. In this way, you will learn pure mind.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-AN as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Pure Practice

This idea is very important: all discrimination in your mind is not there, when you practice something. That is pure practice. Or else all that you do will be just dualistic. This way is very difficult to apply in your everyday life, but if you have this attitude in your inmost heart, you can do anything, and you will be pure and free from the duality of the world.

Image generated by ChatGPT

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-AN as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Pure Rules

SR: When you pass a monastery officer’s seat, you have to bow. 

Student: Do you bow even if he is not sitting there? 

SR: Even when he is not there, you should bow. We call them Pure Rules. Pure Rules are not dualistic rules. Pure Rules are absolute rules, and it is not a matter of to obey or not to obey, you have to just do it. As you practice zazen, you just sit, and that is zazen.

Image generated by Google Gemini

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-AN as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Medicine Walk

The Vision Walkers Collective says come walk with us on The Medicine Walk, Saturday, October 4, 2025.

or gather some friends, take a walk and share your gratitude

Jo Wunderly is one of the leaders. - thanks Jo

Intuition

You should always have intuition. Without trying to do something, your intuitive action should help others. If you actually have bodhisattva-mind, you can help others anyway. The bodhisattva-mind is to pursue good, and truth and beauty. To follow the way is bodhisattva-mind. If one person follows the right way, that one person will help hundreds of people.

Drawing by Michael Sawyer

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Audiobook Intro

Introduction to the Audiobook for Tassajara Stories 

It's missing temporarily in Audible—Preface is repeated twice—this glitch has been fixed but it takes time for a change to show up. If you've already bought yours, don't worry—they automatically update.

***

Welcome to the audiobook for Tassajara Stories, a Sort of Memoir/Oral History of the First Zen Buddhist monastery in the West—The first year, 1967.

Hi, I'm David Chadwick. I wrote Tassajara Stories and I narrate the audiobook, which is published by Monkfish Book Publishing Company. This audiobook is a production of Rumah Putih Studio, located upstairs in our home in Sanur, on the island of Bali. The final EQ and mastering were done by Tude Artasedana of Kubuku Studio, Bali. The audiobook does not include the end matter from the book, acknowledgments and some notes, or the images. You can find all that and a great deal more—extensive notes and background at cuke.com/ts. The musical segue between the parts of the audiobook is Kim Patra on harmonica playing a tiny snippet From Walkin' Down Dusty Road, a song I sing midway through the book. Oh yeah, one other thing. This is just the first book of Tassajara stories. There will be books and audiobooks to come with more Tassajara stories. That's enough. Let's go. I'll be your guide through Tassajara stories. 

MP3 

To Be Natural

Just to respond to some outward stimulation is not right. That is to behave like just animal-like [laughs]. That is not what we mean by “to be natural.” To be natural means to follow the pattern of human life, not animal life. We make a clear distinction from animal life, natural as a human being, or natural as an animal. If someone hits you, to hit back is an animal-like response. You should remember your true inmost nature.

Image generated by Leonardo.ai

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

@JerryBrownGov on X

https://x.com/JerryBrownGov/status/1973100878400987357

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Tassajara Stories

A Sort of Memoir/Oral History of the First Zen Buddhist Monastery in the West
The First Year—1967

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