Loving?

Student D: Well what about loving?

SR: Loving, yeah, also, you know, according to our understanding, love usually is very ego-centered idea. And we know it. But we make some excuse [laughs, laughter] for it. But we know pretty well, you know, why I love her. There are many “because, because, because” [laughs, laughter], and you don't “just love” anyone.  -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-24 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC 

Even more on Anger

Student: Isn't it possible to become so angry you forget about all that? Or just to become so foolish or so stupid or so ignorant you don't think about anything else?

SR: I don't think so for human being. If you are animal, they may-- they may be able to do it. But for us, that is not possible. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-24 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC 

More on "Just Angry"

The student who'd asked about being "just angry" as if that's the same as "just to sit," says, "But if you 'just do it,' how can you lose it?" 

There's more back and forth and then Suzuki says that anger builds and, "You will become more angry because you are not just you. That is that is why we say you cannot just to sit when you're angry. Anger or delusion or greed appear when you are not just you.-------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-24 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC 

Just Angry

A student asks Suzuki, what about "just anger?" If we're just angry isn't that the same as "just to sit?" It goes on for a while back and forth and then Suzuki says, "You cannot be angry when you loose yourself." -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-24 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC 

You Yourself

Only when you can “just to sit” you can find out your own way, the best way for it. I am explaining it as if this is some good teaching, as if I know something, some secret. But it is not so. I am speaking about everyone's own way. That is why we put emphasis on “just to sit,” - because everyone has their own way and myriad of ways or dharmas. And moment after moment, you will find out your own way when you “just to sit,” when you are exactly you yourself. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-24 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC 

RIP John Nelson

John Nelson, our dear Zen Center brother just died. Condolences to Kim and their offspring, Bergen and Eric. Learned from Chris Fortin who read it in Bergen's FB post which I copy here.

It is with a very heavy heart I share that my father, John, took his last breath this morning. It was very peaceful, at my parents' home. My mom Kim, brother Eric, and I were by his side. He battled stage 4 colorectal cancer for the past 1.5 years and had a sudden turn for the worse just over 2 weeks ago. We are thankful for the good care he received in the hospital and then with home hospice, and forever grateful for the support we have received from family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time.

Some Idea

Because you are bound by some idea, you cannot find out your way for yourself. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-24 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC 

Direction

But before you realize who you are, you know, it is not possible for you to go your own direction. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-24 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC 

clock

To have a kind of accurate understanding of ourself is very important. It is same thing to have a clock. To know it is ten past nine is very important. But actually, there is no such time, you know [laughs]. There is no ten past nine. When I am saying something [laughs], it will be eleven past ten [nine] [laughs]. I am pointing at something which is non-verbal. We say “just to sit,” but this “just to sit” is extra [laughs]. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-24 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC 

Effort

Student A (Bill Shurtleff): It seems that on some evenings you emphasize the idea of non-attainment and that there is nothing to do except simply to give up and to just sit and to be whatever you are at each instant. And yet at other times, it seems that you speak of exerting your best effort. And when I think of exerting my best effort, it's in order to attain something. Why do you bother speaking about effort at all? Why not simply stay to the teaching of not trying to do anything at all?
SR: [Laughs.] Yeah. That is very good question. Even though I say do whatever you like, you are doing [laughs] something with some effort [laughs, laughter]. Can you do anything without any effort? No, you cannot. Anyway you have some problem. So it is better to have some good problem rather than bad one [laughs, laughter]. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-24 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC