Decisions

When we make decisions, we listen to Buddha Nature. “What should I do?” That’s all. So, here in your everyday life you have precepts, and you have freedom too. Whatever you do, that is up to you. As long as you have freedom you yourself make decisions, so you should be responsible for them. You should not say, “Buddha should be responsible for it [laughs]. I am not responsible for that.”

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-22 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

Rinso Ed Sattizahn first came to the SF Zen Center in 1970, had a few memorable experiences with Shunryu Suzuki, and returned in 1972. He lived at Tassajara for years, was VP and president of the SFZC, went into the high tech world for over seventeen years, returned to the SF Bay area, got ordained, co-founded Vimala Sangha in Mill Valley with Lew Richmond, was a co-abbot then central abbot of the SFZC for nine years. In this podcast he talks about that and much more.

Morality

When you make some plans, you are responsible for it too. And at that time you should listen to what your inmost nature will say. That is morality or precepts. Our inmost nature will tell you what to do. If you understand this way, this is morality, or this is precepts. Whatever we do is precepts because we have some choice. We have to make decisions.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-22 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.

Just Sit

When you do something, there is a kind of morality in it because you do something by your choice. But when you make a decision to do something, your inmost nature will tell you, “That will not be so good [laughs]. Why don’t you do it this way?” That is precepts, when we have some choice in our activity. In zazen we have no choice. We just sit, and whatever inmost nature says, let it do it. “I don’t mind.” This is zazen.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-22 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.

This Is Zen

Your true nature says, “Your zazen is not so good.” If it says so, you should accept it. “Oh, not so good.” [Laughter.] “What are you thinking? Stop thinking—okay.” This is Zen, you know.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-22 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 So Good

Of course, even though you do not do anything, you will have pain in your legs, or some difficulty to keep your mind calm. And sometimes you may think, “Oh, my zazen is not so good.” [Laughs, laughter.] That is also the activity of the inmost nature. Not your activity, but the activity of your true nature.

Drawing by Stan White

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-22 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.

When We Sit

When we sit, we let inmost nature be in it’s self, or activity. This we call self-use of inmost nature. Let it work. We don’t do anything but let our true nature work by itself. This is Zen practice.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-22 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 Names

By inmost nature I don’t mean a soul but something that’s always in incessant work. Whatever you call it, spirit or soul, I don’t mind [laughs]. You can put many names or interpretations on it, but the interpretations are intellect. So, whatever you call it—inmost nature itself, doesn’t mind [laughs, laughter]. Some may call it soul. Some may call it spirit. Someone may say, “Oh, no, no, that is just a material function.” Maybe. People will put many names to it, but our inmost nature is our inmost nature regardless of the name.

Drawing by Stan White

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-22 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

Kelly Chadwick - talks about a week spent at Tassajara in April trimming and removing trees with a crew from his Spirit Pruners biz in Spokane, WA. He was a podcast guest last year after doing the same at Tassajara. He’s got new insights to share about Tassajara where he spent a lot of time growing up. Full disclosure—he’s my son - DC. Listen to the podcast and read more about him.

Inmost Nature

We have a true nature. Whatever you do, even when you do nothing, your true nature is in incessant activity. Even if you are sleeping, it is quite active. Your thinking or your sensations are superficial activity of yourself, but the inmost nature is always working. Even when you die, it is working.

RIP Thomas Tim Buckley

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-22 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.