New Podcast

Comments on Chapter 2 of Crooked Cucumber now available on Podbean Cuke Audio with a story by Peter Schneider,  Life and Death in Bali, and a talk with Japanese translator Fred Harriman. 

Finger

The one finger Tenryu pointed out is not does not mean “one.” What he meant is our practice, our shikantaza. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. 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. - DC

RIP Michael McClure

Famed Beat poet who helped launch the SF Renaissance, dead at 87 - SF Chron

Michael McClure was around the SF Zen Center quite a bit. He came in to Tassajara the first year we were there. Took a walk with him to the narrows and he turned me on to chewing on the tiny top leaves of the yerba santa plant which impart a subtle nice feeling and sweetness in the mouth, especially after adding a bit of creek water in those days before Giardia. He did a number of readings at the Zen Center.

Posts on Michael's passing all over the web. Just write his name on the URL line and hit Enter.

thanks Brit Pyland

ZMBM Source Chart

A chart with links to various files with the Los Altos (and one SF) lectures that comprised Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

To be Continued

Today we have not much time to have dokusan, but suppose we have dokusan, I think I will have many questions about about breathing, about pain, or about your monkey mind [laughs]. “What should I do with it?” [Laughs, laughter.] As today we have no dokusan so, may be a good idea to give you some instruction about zazen. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. 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. - DC

It led to ZMBM

Marian Derby's Original draft for Beginner's Mind

During Sesshin

I may ask you, “What have you been doing today?” [Laughs.] I think some of you must have been very sleepy, and some of you must have had pain, terrible pain in your legs, and some of you must find it difficult to stop your monkey mind [laughs]. So I suspect there are quite few people, or maybe just three or four people, who are sitting, and rest of the people [laughs] couldn't practice zazen in its true sense-- in its usual sense. You may understand in that way. [DC comment - it looks like he's saying maybe only a few are practicing zazen in its true sense, but then he adds, "You may understand in this way" removing whatever certainty there was from it.]  -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. 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. - DC

The First Tassajara Cook Book (that we know of)

Tassajara Springs Cook Book printed in 1966 for sale at Tassajara by the Becks who sold us the place at the very end of that year. 

That's the front and back cover.

Another Story

I will tell you another story. Yakusan Igen, the disciple of Sekito, one day as he was asked to give lectures to the monks, he just appeared on the altar, and for a while he was sitting, and then went back to his room.

The director of the temple went to his room and asked him, “You didn't give give a us lecture for a long time, so I asked you to give us a lecture [laughs]. But as soon as you appeared on the altar, you went back to [laughs]-- to your room. Why is that?”

Yakusan said, “There are many teachers. Some of them are teaching Buddhist precepts, and some of them are giving lectures on sutras, and I am a Zen master.”

That was his answer. What do you think that is? -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. 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. - DC

Beginning of lecture on Shikantaza

I want to explain our way-- our way of zazen. Do you know-- you know the famous story of Gutei? When Tenryu pointed up one finger, Gutei attained enlightenment. And do you-- what do you think [about] this one finger? He [Gutei] attained enlightenment, you know, and said: “I received Tenryu's one finger, and-- which I have been using for-- for my lifetime,” when he became pretty old he said [holding up his finger]. “What do you think this is?” [Laughs.] -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. 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. - DC