Understanding Religion

Before you realize our religions are a practice, through and through, there are religions, you know. But after you understand religion, there is no religion because we are always with people, and we struggle with the same problems. What we are doing is not different from what everyone is doing. We find out this truth after going through various understandings and experiences. We come to this certain point again, and on and on we follow this way with people. So that is the point after you go through various religious experiences. And at the same time it is the starting point of religion.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-07-23 as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Our Own Teaching

All the religions are good, if studied with sincerity for the people and through and through, each is good. We need various religions because there are many different types of people. So, each one of us needs his own religion. So, strictly speaking, religion should be each one’s own. And, when we have our own teaching, mysteriously enough it becomes a true teaching, and we can communicate with each other. This is also true.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-07-23 as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

To Help People

There were many various laymen with independent-based religions for the sake of religion, not for the sake of people. At first Buddha wanted instead to protect his people as a priest. But he found out it was not possible. He studied various religions, and he found out all the religions at that time were not so good. So, he started his own religion to help people. That is, I think, Buddhism.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-07-23 as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Featured Cuke Archives page

Marta Dabis - is the founding priest of Jissoji Zen Ann Arbor with a lot of experience in Buddhist chaplaincy. She practiced at the SF Zen Center for some years starting in 2007. She has had teachers in the Suzuki and Katagiri lineages. Hear all about it in this podcast with her.

Ed Brown gives Saturday lecture at SFZC City Center

 

Brings tears to my eyes. Thanks for inviting him Mako. - dc

Ed Brown cuke page

Amida Buddha’s Mouth

Even according to the Shin school that believes in Amida Buddha as a saver of sentient beings, this is also not absolute teaching. When we say Amida Buddha, Amida Buddha includes every one of us. The mouth we repeat Amida Buddha’s name is also Amida Buddha’s mouth, not our mouth. When we repeat his name with this idea, then that is to believe in Amida Buddha. It is not because we repeat his name that Amida Buddha saves us but because all of us are originally a part of Amida Buddha. That is our understanding of how we believe in Amida Buddha.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-07-23 as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Emphasis

According to the Shingon school, the Diamond Sutra is the supreme teaching which was told by Buddha. If a teaching was told by some special person, according to his character or to his ability, it is not absolute teaching because it was told by him, like medicine to a patient. If the patient changes, the teaching will change, so it is not absolute teaching. But the Diamond Sutra, told by Buddha to himself, is the only teaching which we can depend on. But this is not a complete understanding. That is why Zen puts emphasis on our practice.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-07-23 as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Tendai Teaching

According to the Tendai school, there are aspects of being and non-being, and the third aspect is something beyond being and non-being. So for the Tendai school, according to the third aspect, you cannot arrange our teaching this way or that way. To arrange teaching this way or that way, in a time span or in a space span, is not the teaching which may be in the third dimension. And the absolute teaching which we transmit from master to others is not that kind of teaching.

Photo by Teteki Andrew Atkeison

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-07-23 as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Transmit

All the teachings which are written are the second principle [laughs]. The first principle is the principle which you cannot talk about, which we transmit from master to master, from patriarch to patriarch. But the teaching which we transmit is not written, you know. So how to transmit it—that is the point we should study [laughter].

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-07-23 as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

The First Principle and The Second Principle

“Where are you from?” “Who are you?”

“I don’t know” is right. He may have some merit, but that is just merit, and not he himself. This kind of question was discussed by many teachers, even before Bodhidharma came to China. The Sanron school classifies our teaching in two: the first principle, and the second principle. The second principle is the principle which we can study and talk about intellectually. The first one is something which we cannot talk about. If we talk about it, it is already the second principle.

Brushwork by Mariangeles Soto

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-07-23 as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.