Ken Campbell

Today's Cuke Podcast is with guest Ken Campbell who practiced with us in the Shunryu Suzuki days and later with Chogyam Trungpa. He now lives in Boulder.

Here are some memories he sent of Shunryu Suzuki.

Ken's Cuke page

Shunryu Suzuki on Pure Rules

 This is a post on the SFZC Sangha News about one of the Shunryu Suzuki tapes that were discovered recently. This one was listed in our archive but we had no transcript or audio. This is an unusual one.

It is 65-07-28-AN on shunryusuzuki.com 

Reading the Fukanzazengi

 Additional information on Fukanzazengi quoted in 67-12-04-A

First paragraph of Fukanzazengi. [reading Reiho Masunaga’s translation which is in italics. Masunaga translation words that Suzuki changed or left out are in parentheses. Words Suzuki added are in brackets].

***

The true way is universal, so why are training and enlightenment [different] (differentiated)? The supreme teaching is [everywhere] (free), so why study the means to it? Even truth as a whole, is clearly apart from the dust. Why adhere (to) the means of wiping away? The truth is not apart from here, so the [measure] (means) of training are useless. But if there is even the slightest gap between, the separation is as heaven and earth. If the opposites arise, [dualistic mind arise], you lose the Buddha mind. Even though, you are proud of your understanding and have enough enlightenment, even though you gain some wisdom and supernatural power and find the way to illuminate your mind, even though you have power to touch the heavens, and even though you enter into the area of enlightenment, you have almost lost the living way to salvation. Look at the Buddha. Though born with great wisdom, he had to sit for six years. Look at Budhidharma who transmitted the Buddha mind. We can still hear the echoes of his nine-year wall gazing [practice]. The old sages [are] (were) very diligent. There is no reason why modern man cannot understand [this]. [You should] (Just) quit following words and letters. [You should] (Just) withdraw and reflect on yourself. [Withdraw means to change the direction of effort. Not outward but inward. You should] (Just) [with… ]withdraw and reflect on yourself. If you can cast off body and mind naturally, the Buddha Mind emerges [… emerges]. If you wish to gain quickly, you must start quickly.

And he explains carefully how to sit.

Unthinkable Thinking Conclusion

If the earth says, I don't want the sun [laughs], what will happen to it? There is no other way. Because of this unthinkable thinking we exist, we can think, we can live. Without this unthinkable we cannot think. It's changing into delusion. If you insist on avoiding it, it means you are involved in dark deep delusion.                  --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 67-12-04-A - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Some 2021 Additions to Shunryu Suzuki Lecture Archive

 A bunch of work has been going on with Shunryu Suzuki lectures, the audio work by Engage Wisdom EW), and transcribing by EW's Shundo David Haye and at Cuke Archives, especially from Peter Ford and Wendy Pirsig. Here is a page for new and improved transcripts from last year that covers the major work that but not all the minor work reflected in the Cuke Archives caverns. It will keep coming.   

Vanish

If you forget all about the practice, you lose your life. Whatever you do, it doesn't work. You will insist it works. You lose yourself. You are no more. You vanished [laughs] world.                  --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 67-12-04-A - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

A Memory of Tassajara

 And mainly of walking in - the long way. 

On the Way to Tassajara - by Summer Brenner. Suggested by David Schneider

Link to that PDF posted in cuke on the Tassajara Stories page

SFZC classes on recently discovered Shunryu Suzuki lecture tapes

 

Awakening the Archive: The Lost Talks of Suzuki Roshi (class), Online 1/8 - 1/29

Not Neglect

"This is the important aspect of cross-legged sitting." [Thinking beyond thinking and unthinking] We sit in this way. This is how different it our practice is. That is why we should practice zazen. And you should not neglect our zazen because you think something else is more important. Why something is important for you is because of this practice.                 --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 67-12-04-A - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

New Year's Day

And so in January-- of course, New Year's Day, we renew all the decorations, so old ones we carry old ones to the shrine, which is always waiting for those things. Old, old small shrines, or stone deity called dosojin. Most of the days we do not know even there is dosojin. But on New Year's Day, or from New Year's Day to January 14th, old symbols and ornaments will be there. People, you know, take them to the old shrines. So at that time, we realize that, “Oh, here is shrine.” On January 14th we make pretty big shrine, maybe six feet high, with straw. And when it is dark, we set fire on it and burn it. And people-- children come with rice, rice balls. Rice ball is made on New Year's Day and we put it on the branches of the tree and we decorate it in front of altar. -- Shunryu Suzuki lecture 71-07-29. See shunryusuzuki.com. 

DC comment: There's all sorts of old stuff burned in that bonfire including a record of bad deeds.