Everything Changes

If it is possible for us to arise bodhisattva mind and to receive bodhisattva precepts, then you should, even if your practice is not so good, and you are always involved in dualistic thinking mind by emotional activities. Actually, as I always repeat, our practice is not a practice which you can explain completely. Our practice is something beyond our understanding. And Dogen says, we arise bodhisattva mind by knowing the teaching that everything changes.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 70-08-03 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.

Unusual

This is why we must have Dogen as a Zen master. Sometimes what he says is quite unusual. And so unusual that you may be confused, like when he says with dualistic mind you should arise bodhisattva mind.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 70-08-03 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.

Arise Perfect Bodhisattva Mind

Why you are confused in helping others and why you suffer when you reflect on your mind is because it is almost impossible to be free from dualistic thinking mind and emotional and superficial mind. But Dogen Zenji says with that mind you should arise bodhisattva mind. Yesterday I told you whatever your practice may be, that is true practice. Dogen said, whatever your mind situation may be, with that mind you can arise perfect bodhisattva mind.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 70-08-03 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.

With Dualistic Mind

Dogen Zenji says, “What is mind?” There are three kinds of mind. But usually by mind we mean thinking mind. Usually, with this thinking mind, we must arise bodhisattva mind. This is very valuable, and this is a great help for us to know. You may think after you attain enlightenment, when your mind is very clear, and when you have no more dualistic thinking, you will arise bodhisattva mind [laughs]. But Dogen Zenji did not say that. He clearly said there are three kinds of mind. First of all, we have thinking mind, dualistic mind. With this dualistic mind you should arise bodhisattva mind.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 70-08-03 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.

Not So Easy

It is not so easy to arise bodhisattva mind. It is not so easy at all. It is difficult because you do not have the right teacher or because you do not know exactly how to arise bodhisattva mind. The answer is very simple, but I think it is good for you to suffer [laughter, laughs] on this point, or else your practice will be very superficial. Of course, you may say trying to save others is bodhisattva practice, but if some impure element is in it, you cannot have confidence in your practice. I know many students who have this kind of conflict or problem.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 70-08-03 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

Jean Ross began studying with Shunryu Suzuki very soon after he arrived in San Francisco. In this podcast, the first of two on her, I read from what’s in Crooked Cucumber and what she wrote about her experience studying Zen in Japan in the early sixties—at Eiheiji, Sojiji, and more. Listen to the podcast and read more about her.

To Practice Purely

To practice purely you start trying to do something to help others. But you may wonder whether you are doing something to help others or to help yourself [laughs]. It is very difficult to know which. I think you may suffer on this point a lot, as I did when I was young. Whatever I tried, continually doing something more and more, I felt I was losing my confidence…

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 70-08-03 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.

Bodhisattva Mind

Why we say “bodhisattva precepts” is because it is based on bodhisattva mind. As you know, bodhisattva mind is to save others—all sentient beings before you save yourself. That is bodhisattva mind. To save others is first, and to save ourselves is next. So, we say bodhisattva mind. Bodhisattva mind is the spirit of devoting ourselves to saving others.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 70-08-03 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.

Bodhisattva Precepts

And right practice is also the foundation of our precepts. When you do not have right practice, you will hesitate to accept precepts. But if you have right practice, whatever the precept may be, you can accept it. Precepts for people who have right practice are called “bodhisattva precepts.” If you do something good, you have no time to do something bad. That is how you keep precepts.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 70-08-03 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.

Even Though Your Practice Is Not Perfect

If you practice a particular practice which has no foundation, you will eventually fall into a pit hole [laughs]. You will be caught by it, and you will lose your freedom. But if you have a foundation for your various practices, the various practices will work and help you. Right practice means that kind of foundation of practice. It is more than practice. So, when you have the foundation for your practice, even though your practice is not perfect, it will help you. That is right practice.

Photo from news.artnet.com

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 70-08-03 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.