Dancing with the Dead: Red Pine and the Art of Translation screening soon

Dancing with the Dead: Red Pine and the Art of Translation is finally going to be streamed (albeit briefly) online beginning this weekend (September 20-29). Go to redpinemovie.com for more info and to sign up for the link. Make some popcorn. Tell friends. 

about the film

Cuke Podcast with Bill Porter

Human Nature

The foundation of our culture is based on individualism, which is based on the idea of self. And from the time of the Renaissance, we started to put emphasis on our human nature rather than something which is called “divine nature” or “holy nature.” And we wanted to express our human nature as much as possible. So, holy nature or buddha-nature, were replaced by human nature. And that human nature is not what we mean by buddha-nature. This is, you know, the starting point of our mistake.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 69-04-08 as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Some Way To Go Further

There must be some reason why so many people come to Zen Center and practice Zen and study Zen. I think this is because our civilization has come [laughs] already to a dead end, and you realize that you cannot go any further. So, people who notice that this is a dead end may come to Zen Center to find out some way to go further. That is your feeling whether or not you understand what the dead end is or why we came to the dead end.

Sokoji Soto Zen Mission

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 69-04-08 as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Not Asceticism

Recently I was talking about denial of desires. This may be confusing. Our way is not asceticism, but actually, if you read our precepts literally, there is no difference [laughs]. But what it means is completely different.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 69-04-08 as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Featured Cuke Archives page

Ryuten Paul Rosenblum was a student of Shunryu Suzuki and is the vice abbot of Johanneshof, Richard Baker's retreat in the Black Forest. He lives half time in Germany and half time in Northern California. His website is ryutenpaulrosenblum.com. Listen to our podcast and read more about him - https://cuke.com/f.

Enjoy Your Difficulty

I was in bed for a long time, and I was thinking about these things, you know. I was just practicing zazen in bed [laughter]. I should enjoy my bed. Sometimes it was difficult, but I laughed at myself. “Why is it so difficult? Why don’t you enjoy your difficulty?” [Laughs.] That is, I think, our practice.

Del Carlson - 2017

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 69-03-30 as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Tassajara Stories will be published by Monkfish

Today Paul Cohen, publisher of Monkfish Publishing, and I signed a contract for Tassajara Stories. This will be part one of three and covers through the first year. Jon Sweeney, the associate publisher and religion editor and I have talked about a subtitle and we'll have that agreed on soon. We're aiming to get it out October 2025. I'll be making an audiobook which they will publish. Maybe that could come out sooner. That's not decided yet. Thanks to Peter Ford and Wendy Pirsig for all the many many hours they have put into going over it and thanks as well to wife Katrinka McKay, co-conspirator Michael Katz, and sister Susan Chadwick.  And thanks to Arnie Kotler for sending me to Monkfish.

- May all beings be happy, healthy, free from harm, love life, and awaken. - DC

See this photo with almost all names when you hover the cursor over faces.

Monkfish Publishing website

Enjoy Moment after Moment

It is all right to enjoy your life moment after moment because you are not enjoying it as something concrete and eternal. Our life is momentary, and, at the same time, each moment includes its own past and future. The next moment will include its own past and future. In this way, our momentary and eternal life will continue. This is how we lead our everyday life, how we enjoy our everyday life, and how we get freedom from various difficulties. How we do not suffer from difficulties, and how we enjoy our life moment after moment is our practice based on true understanding.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 69-03-30 as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Absolute Freedom

When you are able to sit without being attached to any image or any sound, with an open mind, that is true practice. And that you can do that means you already have absolute freedom from everything.
—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 69-03-30 as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Not Real, Real

As Dogen Zenji said, we human beings attach to something which is not real and forget all about what is real [laughs]. That is actually what we are doing. If you realize this point, you will have perfect composure, and you can trust yourself. Whatever happens to you, it doesn’t matter. You can trust yourself.
—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 69-03-30 as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.