Realize the Limitless Meaning

 Although it may be difficult to understand when I say, you do not take a bath because you are dirty; you do not wash your face because it is dirty. We mean your everyday activity should not be too involved in restrictive ideas. You should not evaluate too much or too little. You should obtain freedom in your way and realize the limitless meaning of our activity.  --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 67-12-01-B - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

So Long for Now

Tomorrow I begin a retreat the purpose of which is to bring Tassajara Stories, the Early Years with Shunryu Suzuki, to a close. Been working on it for eight years, mainly not working on it, but lots of working on it too - in focused spurts. So I won't be doing blog posts or podcasts but Peter Ford will pick up the Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts and will put on other relevant posts. Bye for now. Take care. - DC  

Oh I see I forgot to upload this.

Another Favorite quote

 Don't be bothered by your mind. - 65-07-30-A - This is the entire talk given by Shunryu Suzuki at Sokoji in San Francisco. It was a comment during morning zazen and somehow it was recorded.

A Favorite Suzuki Quote

If you become too fussy about things, you will lose your practice. -----  From a Shunryu Suzuki lecture given on 69-03-16 at Sokoji in San Francisco

Others

Why we say “bodhisattva precepts” is that they are based on bodhisattva mind. As you know, bodhisattva mind is to save others, all sentient beings, before, you know, you save yourself. That is bodhisattva mind. To save others is first, and to save ourselves is next. Or we say, bodhisattva mind is spirit to devote ourselves in saving others.        --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 70-08-03 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed lecture tapes. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo

Bodhisattva Precepts

Right practice is the foundation of our precepts. When you do not have right practice, you will hesitate to accept precepts, but if you have right practice you can accept precepts. Whatever the precepts may be, you can accept it. So, precepts for the people who have right practice are called “bodhisattva precepts,” in comparison to some other so-called “Hinayana practice precepts,” which is quite different. The way of observing is quite different. Last night I talked a little bit about it. I said if you do something good, you have no time to do something bad. That is how you keep precepts.       --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 70-08-03 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed lecture tapes. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo

Yin Mountain

 

Peter Levitt's new book

Yin Mountain: The Immortal Poetry of Three Daoist Women

Read his message with an offer for a discount on it at the bottom of his cuke page.

and see the cover larger

Right Practice

There are many ways of Zen practice. There are many practice, zazen practice, meditation practice, but our practice cannot be compared to other practices. I don't say which is important or which is better, but anyway without foundation, various practices do not work. So, if you practice some particular practice which has no foundation, you will be eventually fall into a pit hole [laughs]. You will be caught by it, and you will lose your freedom. But if you have the foundation to your various practices, the various practices will work and will help you. By the right practice, we mean that kind of foundation of practice. It is more than practice. So, when you have a foundation to your practice, even though your practice is not perfect, it will help you. That is right practice. And if you want to know actually what is right practice, as I told you, it is necessary to practice with right teacher who understand what is right practice.      --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 70-08-03 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed lecture tapes. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo

Foundation

Right practice is the foundation of all Buddhist activity. It cannot be compared to various practices or training.     --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 70-08-03 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed lecture tapes. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo

Right Practice

By right practice we mean fundamental practice from which you can start—with which various teachings will come out. So, from right practice, if you have right practice, you have already right teaching there.    --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 70-08-03 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed lecture tapes. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo