Four Ways

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Rinzai analyzed how to teach his disciples in four ways. Sometimes he talks about disciples; sometimes he talks about teaching itself; sometimes he gives an interpretation of both teaching and himself; sometimes he does not give any instruction about the students or teaching because even though he does not speak about anything, a student is a student. Strictly speaking there is no need to teach because each is Buddha, whether or not they are aware of it. Even though one is aware of their true nature, if they attach to the awareness, that is already wrong. When one is not aware of it, they have everything, but when they become aware of it, they think what they are aware of is themself. So that’s a big mistake.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-09-09 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.

Be Independent

The moment you meet a teacher, you should leave the teacher, and you should be independent. So that you can be independent, you have a teacher to study yourself. You have teachers for yourselves, not for the teacher.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-09-09 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.

Through Teaching

By teaching we will understand what we are ourselves. But teaching is not ourselves; it is some explanation of ourselves. So, if you attach to the teaching, or to the teacher, that is a big mistake. The purpose of studying teaching is to know yourselves; through teaching you should know yourselves. That is why we do not attach to even teaching or a teacher.

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—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-09-09 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.

Some Teaching

The purpose of studying Buddhism is not to study Buddhism, but to study ourselves. It is impossible to study ourselves without some teaching. Because it is impossible to know what water is, we want science, and scientists want a laboratory, so they may study water. It is possible to know what elements water has, and when wind comes what kind of form water takes, and how it always comes down, but it is impossible to know water itself. It is same thing with ourselves. It is impossible to know what “I” is. That is why we have teaching.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-09-09 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.

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Whatever You Do

When you understand in this way, whatever you do is an expression of true nature. Scientific research, philosophical study, or artistic work—all our culture is an expression of our true nature. But if you understand our practice as a means of attaining enlightenment, you cannot apply our practice before you attain enlightenment [laughs]. But if you have right understanding of practice, whatever you do, that is an expression of buddha-nature.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-08-28-B 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.

Practice Is Enlightenment

If you think that if you practice hard, you will attain enlightenment sooner [laughs], and if you are lazy in your practice, you will attain enlightenment later, this kind of understanding is the usual understanding of practice. But actual practice is when you practice zazen, the practice itself is enlightenment. Practice is not separated from enlightenment.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-08-28-B 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 Practice

To polish a tile. That is our practice. Even though you polish it, a tile is a tile [laughs]. But to polish is our practice. It doesn’t matter whether it will make a mirror or not. To polish it is our practice, and that is the goal—that is enlightenment. The effort to polish is based on our true nature. Our true nature makes us polish it. That is the point.

Drawing by Stan White

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-08-28-B 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.

Polish a Tile

When Baso was practicing zazen: Nangaku said, “Why do you practice? What is the purpose of your practice?” “I want to be a buddha,” he said. And Nangaku, the teacher, picked up a tile and started to polish it. Disciple Baso asked the teacher, “Why do you polish a tile? Is it possible to make a tile into a mirror?” The teacher said, “No, it is impossible.” [Laughs.]

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—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-08-28-B 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.

Pairs of Opposites

The Sixth Patriarch emphasized pairs of opposites. He pointed out thirty-six pairs of opposites: heaven and earth, good and bad, something like these. I think Nangaku’s understanding of the teaching is also based on pairs of duality. According to him, something good is at the same time something which is bad. Good and bad is one—two sides of one coin.

Image generated by Google Search

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-08-28-B 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.