Unattainable

If Buddhism is some teaching which is attainable, you know, if you attain it that's all, there's no Buddhism, there's no need to study Buddhism. But fortunately, we don't attain anything, so we have to strive to attain it. And here we have double structure. One is, we should attain it, but on the other hand it is something unattainable. And, how to solve this problem is to practice our way, day by day, moment after moment, to live on each moment is the best answer. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC .u

Vow

So, with this impossibility of solving our problem or karma, we have vows as a bodhisattva. Even though our desires are innumerable we vow to cut it, you know, put and end to it. Even though our way is unattainable, we vow to attain it. This is the vow we should have forever. In this way, Buddhist way will have its own life. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC .

Long Way

How to get out of karma is. the best answer is, by our practice. But before we go to the best answer, where we have no idea of good or bad, it's not simple. We have to go pretty long way in our practice, little by little we should improve ourself. Even though you attain enlightenment you cannot change your karma as long as you live here. So, we have a long way to go. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC .

Sin

 If when we understand sin or karma in that way it is rather difficult to surmount to it just by our confidence or decisions. It is more than that. So in this point I think there is some similarity of Christian sin and our idea of sin. Both for us and Christian this idea of sin is something inevitable and something impossible to get out of it. This is, you know, the idea of karma or sin for us.-------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC -[DC note: Keep in mind that the root meaning of sin is to miss the mark or to make a mistake, often a tragic mistake, a mistake with consequences.

Beginner's Mind Turns Her On

A humourous story in the Columbia Spectator

thanks Peter Ford

Cuke page for Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

Karma

Karma is not just what you did, but also it is more personal. One way it is social and on the other hand it is more accumulated. It is not just created by our body, but our ancestors or created by our former life. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Wrong Way

Accumulation of inappropriate way of observing our way will result in some power which can drive us to the wrong way. That it is our idea of karma. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Buddha Nature

Buddha Nature is by birth nature for everyone. It is more good nature, not sinful nature. That is our understanding of our nature. In its true sense it is not either good nor bad, that is complete understanding. But, in its usual sense it is more good nature rather than bad nature. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Observe

When we are helped by precepts that the blossom of the true nature. And when we understand precepts in a negative sense, spiritually, that is also expression of true nature but that is negative way of expression of our inmost nature. So precepts observation has two sides, one is negative and the other side positive. And we have choice, you know, to observe it and not to observe it. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Observing and Not Observing

We say, in observation of true precepts there is positive way and negative way. And with two of that and not two of that, there must be, you know, four ways. But those four ways should not be different. To observe precepts should be not to observe precepts at the same time. Not to observe precepts means not just observing precepts but when you do not try to observe it then there you have both observing and not observing precepts. So, one is positive and one is negative.Anyway we have to observe precepts and our inmost nature helps us to observe precepts. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-29 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC