Evanescence of Life

A Japanese saying says, “For the moon there is a cloud. For the flower we have wind.” Usually, it means the evanescence of life, which we find very difficult to live in. But in the evanescence of life, we can find the joy of eternal life. When you see part of the moon covered by a cloud, you will find the roundness of the moon. When you see a clear moon without any clouds or anything, trees or weeds, you do not feel the moon is as round as when you see it through something.

Image generated by ChatGPT

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-08-26 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.

Calmness

In a Zen poem it says, “after the wind has stopped, I see a flower falling. Because of a singing bird, I find the mountain calmer.” When something happens in the realm of calmness, we find calmness. Before anything happens to the calmness, we do not feel the calmness.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-08-26 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.

Balance

By nature, we are very, very, very positive. But when you are being just positive, you will not respond to your surroundings so well because your life will be one-sided. It is like a ship, on which many people ride, and these people ride on one side only [laughs], the ship will turn over. So, balance this boat…

Image generated by Google Gemini

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-31 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.

Organizations and Rules

As soon as we start to talk about organizations, we will have this kind of problem. “What is the teaching? What are your rules?” [Laughter.] But we do not want those rules. Actually, we do not have such kinds of rules like: “As a Buddhist you have to believe in re-incarnation.” [Laughs] we have no such rules. Most Buddhists believe in re-incarnation, I think, but I am not so sure. This kind of rule is not fundamental, and for our sect, the most important thing is our system of teaching.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-31 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.

Those Questions

We do not talk about “Before this earth” like this. “What was here? Or what was there? What changed into this earth?” or “What will become of this earth?” This kind of research or the questions which a scientific mind will have to answer, those questions are not our point. And actually, that is just an intellectual quest or intellectual project. For us, those problems are not so serious problems.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-31 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 Realize Our True Nature

So according to Zen, satori should be attained by practicing. This is truth, as you understand it. Intellectual effort will not satisfy, will not be good enough, and will not help you. And scientific effort is not enough, or it is quite different effort from the point you want. If by mental function it is impossible to attain enlightenment, then by practice or by our actual activity to realize our true nature is the only way which is left.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-31 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

Search all the Wind Bell newsletters of the San Francisco Zen Center by author, keyword, category, etc.

https://cuke.com/f

Various Answers

What do you mean by “what is?” [laughs]. “What is satori?” is a very difficult question to figure out what kind of answer you expect. I explained it in various ways because there is no other way than to give various kinds of answers to your question. Various kinds of answer should be prepared from a scientific viewpoint, or a psychological viewpoint, or a religious viewpoint. We cannot say what satori is just from one viewpoint.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-31 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.

Many Possibilities

So, according to Dogen we can resume our original Zen. Here we have no exclusive idea of Zen, and at the same time, we have many possibilities. There are many ways of expressing our original idea: you can express Dogen Zenji’s spirit in your own way because we have no exclusive pattern of Zen.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-31 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.

Original Zen

If people think, “My particular Zen is Zen,” [laughs] how about others’ Zen? So, there is a clear distinction from true fundamental practice of Zen, and any particular exclusive school. If we go back to the original it is the same. And by studying more and more philosophical and various ways, we can improve the idea of Zen—like with the Shobogenzo. That kind of effort is to make the original idea of Zen clear, in distinction from some exclusive and particular Zen. To make clear original Zen from various types of Zen.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-31 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.