Come Back

Our practice—if we are not completely involved in our practice, that is not our practice. It is not one hour out of 24 hours. If I scold you, you may you may leave [laughs]. If I give you some candy, you will stay here [laughter]. I dare say you are impossible [laughter]. You are just like children because you lack confidence to study as a whole life study. Actually, you cannot get out of Buddhism. It is impossible to get out of it, but still you think you can leave Buddhism or go out from this zendo. Actually, once you enter, that’s all [laughter]. Someday you’ll have to come back. I know that. I myself tried to get out many times [laughs], but I couldn’t.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-03-13-A 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.

Completely Involved

Our practice—if we are not completely involved in our practice, that is not our practice. It is not one hour out of 24 hours.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-03-13-A 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.

Attitude

I have noticed in observing your practice, you are not completely involved in our practice. Your practice is just a small part of your life. One hour or two hours in 24 hours [laughs]. That is your practice. So instead of practicing zazen here for two hours, you think if there is something better—it may be better to do something else instead of practicing zazen. I think you [laughs] still have this kind of attitude.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-03-13-A 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.

Knowing

In this point there is no difference between the Japanese way of life and your way of life. In Japan a candle burns the same way as in America. Even though your candles are different from our candles [laughter]. We have enormous candles, but they burn the same way. When the fire is the same, there’s no difference, so there’s nothing new for us. We are studying what we know. Even though you know something, you don’t know [laughs] that you know it. That is all. So, you have to know in its true sense. When you know what you know, that is enlightenment.

Image generated by Google Gemini

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-02-19-A 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.

How Everything Exists

Our practice is based on the traditional understanding of actual being—how everything exists. This understanding was taught by Buddha, and patriarch after patriarch, we developed these precepts. And we actualize this understanding. Because of this understanding we could develop our practice. Because of our practice we could preserve this essential teaching for more than two thousand years. This teaching is based on the actual truth of how we exist here. That is why Buddhism did not die, and continuous development took place on our past wisdom.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-02-19-A 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.

Encouraged by Difficulty

As long as you find zazen difficult, because of the difficulties of your practice, that is not zazen. The difficulty you have will make a candle a candle. You should understand: you have to be encouraged by the difficulties.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-02-19-A 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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Absolutely Contradictory Self-identity

This self-identity is not just self-identity. It is absolutely contradictory self-identity. A candle has contradictory absolute existence, because in its center it has something which is not candle. An actual candle, if it is only wax, it is not a candle. So, for a candle to have cotton in the center of it is absolutely necessary to be a candle. And when you find a candle, that’s self-identity. When it catches fire, a candle becomes a candle.

Image by LA2 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-02-19-A 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 Study Yourself

To study Buddhism is to study yourself. To study yourself is to forget yourself. If you forget yourselves, you will be awake but with the truth that is self-identity.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-02-19-A 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.