Protect Yourself

You can take Buddhism if you do not get caught by it. You can do it. But why we emphasize precepts observation is because it will protect you from bad habits. Precepts will protect yourself, as our human nature has so many weak points. So, it is necessary for Buddha to protect us from evil habits by setting up some rules for us.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-01-21-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.

The Burning House

The Burning House: An elegy for Tassajara’s zendo by Katy Butler - Tricycle, Fall 2026.

https://tricycle.org/magazine/tassajara-zendo-fire/

Intoxicated by a Gaining Idea

We say “sell.” This is very subtle. “Don’t sell” means when you yourself are intoxicated by some gaining idea to make a profit from it, or when you are caught by something, you will try to sell it to others: “Buddhism is so wonderful a teaching! [Laughs.] Why don’t you join us?” At that time, you are already somehow intoxicated by it. So “don’t sell” is a very subtle expression. But it means also “do not take it.”

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-01-21-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.

Sake

Do you know sake? Japanese wine made from rice. Another name for sake is “the best of all medicines” [laughs]. If you are not intoxicated by it, if you do not take too much, that is the best medicine of all [laughs]. But when you are intoxicated, that is sake which you should not take or sell.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-01-21-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.

Do Not Sell Liquor

“Do not sell liquor,” or, you may say, “drugs.” Liquor means some intoxicating medicine or intoxicating teaching. Those are liquor. Even Buddha’s teaching, if you sell it, that is liquor. If you are caught by it, that is liquor. So, not only wine or drugs, but also you should not sell anything [laughs]. Do you understand? It should be your life in its true sense. This is a very important precept for us, and subtle understanding is necessary.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-01-21-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.

Featured Cuke Archives page

https://cuke.com/f

No Lies

“Do not lie.” You cannot tell a lie, you know. Whatever you do, it expresses your true nature. So you cannot tell a lie.

Image generated by Google Gemini

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-01-21-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.

In Your Mind

When you have everything, there is no need to steal something from others. When you have no idea of other, when you understand your life is something which happens in your mind, it is not possible to steal anything. That is actually a practice of zazen. When you practice zazen, you practice zazen with big mind, the mind which is not a matter of big or small [laughs], with your true mind. That is our practice of zazen which is not different from observation of the precepts.

Calligraphy by Upasama (formerly Reuven ben Yuhmin)

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-01-21-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.

Negative Precepts and Positive Precepts

Negative precepts and positive precepts observation is not different. This is the most important precept.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-01-21-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.

Not To Kill

“Do not kill” means to extend our life activity. When you are lazy, or when you are not sincere enough in your practice you are killing Buddha [laughs]. Buddha will not manifest itself. That is actually to kill Buddha or to kill something. “Not to kill” means to do something with sincerity. That is the fundamental way of observing precepts. So, precepts observation is to do something with your utmost effort. That is how you observe those ten prohibitory precepts.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-01-21-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.