Just to Sit

Even though we say “just sit,” to understand what does it mean is rather difficult, maybe. So that is why Dogen Zenji left us so many teachings to explain what is just to sit. But it does not mean his teaching is so difficult. When you sit, you know, without thinking or without expecting anything, and when you accept yourself as a buddha or as a tools of buddha or ornament of buddha, or if you understand everything is the unfolding of the absolute teaching or truth, or if you understand everything is a part of the great being--one whole being, when you reach this understanding, whatever we say, whatever we think, or whatever we see, that is the actual teaching of Buddha. And whatever we do, that is actual practice of the Buddha himself. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-24 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC 

Suzuki's on a roll here

You know, when your practice is not good, you are a poor buddha [laughs]. If your practice is good, you are good Buddha. And poor and good is also independent buddha. Poor is buddha, and you are buddha, and good is buddha, and you are buddha too. For every word, or whatever you think, whatever you say, every word becomes buddha. Then there is no trouble [laughs]. I am buddha. If I say “I am buddha,” “I” is buddha, “am” is buddha, “b” is buddha, and “buddha” is of course buddha. Buddha, buddha, buddha [laughs, laughter]. That is how you say buddha, buddha, buddha, buddha [laughs, laughter]. There is no need to translate it into English [laughs, laughter]. There is no need to be bothered by fancy explanation of Buddhism [laughs]. If you say “buddha, buddha, buddha, buddha” [laughs], that is the way. That is shikantaza, you know: everything is buddha. So sitting is buddha, lying down is buddha, and whatever you say, you know, each word is buddha. Dogen understood in this way, so he said, “When it is cold, you should be a cold buddha. When it is hot, you should be a hot buddha.” -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-24 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC 

Continuing from yesterday

That is “just to sit.” When it is hot, you should be hot buddha. When it is cold, you should be a cold buddha. But, you know, this is very direct understanding of the story. Actually it says when it is hot, you should kill hot. When it is cold, you should kill cold by practice.
But according to Dogen Zenji, you know, when it is cold you should be a cold buddha, and when it is hot you should be a hot buddha. But if you say “kill,” you know, kill is extra [laughs]. If you say “kill,” or “to attain enlightenment,” it is extra. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-24 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC 

Shikantaza

Tonight, you know, I want to explain shikantaza. We say “just to sit.” What does it mean by just to sit? Some monk asked a Zen master, “It is very hot [laughs]. How is it possible to sit somewhere where it's not hot or cold?”

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.” When it is hot, you should be hot buddha. When it is cold, you should be a cold buddha.  -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-24 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC 

Prescription

Zen school established without depending on any teaching, any particular teaching. So Zen student use various scriptures. We do not say this is the most important scripture or this is not so important. Whatever the teaching may be, that teaching will help at least someone. It may not be for all of them, but it will help someone. So it is like a medicine or prescription. For some patient some particular prescription is necessary, but we cannot say this is better prescription or this is not so good. If you use it in appropriate way, that is the test of prescription. We understand in this way. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-24 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC 

Continuing to talk with the guest

And we started to talk about cause and effect. And how it is karma, and it is also an eternal expression of each being or actual ornament of it. In this way we are free from karma. And yet we cannot get out of karma. [Laughs.] I was rather amazed we could communicate this kind of [laughs] things. She is from Redwood City and was sitting right there.  -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-21 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC 

Crooked Cucumber is now in Japanese

Here's a cuke page for Magatta Kyuri

Continuing conversation with guest

And next question she asked was, what then is karma? And I said karma, yeah, karma is if you do something it will leave a result something, you know. And that result will cause some activity, you know.   -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-21 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC 

Obituary for Bill Sterling

The obituary for Bill Sterling is pretty interesting and impressive.

Bill Sterling cuke page

A fairly recent photo of Bill with Yvonne

Happy New Year from DC and cuke.com!

This will be a cuke's 22nd year and a good year for graphics.

two-o-two-o --- II-0-II-O