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.

Personal Character

Strictly speaking, enlightenment may not be the same. Fundamentally it is the same, but there is a personal character in it. Without some particular way, original way cannot be expressed.

—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.

Disciple of Buddha

Before Bodhidharma there was no Zen master; all Buddhists practiced Zen. But after Bodhidharma many schools of Zen developed with their own characteristics. But original Zen is to practice Zen as a disciple of Buddha. Our practice is to practice Zen as Buddha did. That is not just to attain a certain master’s type of enlightenment.

Mary Mocine and Sojun Mel Weitsman

—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.

Enlightenment

Always our way is where you practice it, there is enlightenment. And even though you do not expect enlightenment, enlightenment is there. Or we can say, if you expect enlightenment, enlightenment will not be there.

—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.

Wherever

Wherever your mind is, whatever you think, there is something, and that something includes you yourself, your big mind or true nature.

Calligraphy from a poem by Upasama

—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.

Funeral Ceremony for David Chadwick

Green Gulch Farm
Sunday, April 12, 3 – 6 pm PDT

https://cuke.com/f
or
https://www.sfzc.org/calendar/events/green-gulch-farm/funeral-ceremony-david-chadwick-green-gulch-farm-ggf-412

Self-evident Fact

This kind of philosophy—not philosophy, actual fact—is interpreted in a philosophical way [laughs]. That is why it is difficult to understand Buddhist philosophy. The most difficult thing may be to give some interpretation to self-evident fact [laughter].

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-30-D 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.

Wonderful Fish

Student: How long does it take?

Suzuki: Nooo, it doesn’t take any time [laughter]. You are there. Fish is there, right there. Buddhism is two-handed. You can ignore the truth, but it is right here. This fish has immense value. You cannot measure its value. You don’t know whether it is big or small. How many fish are there? One, two, three. Each one has his own fish, and each fish is the same. It’s wonderful.

Image from wikimedia.org

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-30-D 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.