To Study Yourself

To study Buddhism is to study yourself. To study yourself is to forget yourself. If you forget yourselves, you will be awake but with the truth that is self-identity.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-02-19-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.

This Spirit

So, Zen practice has two faces: one is power, and one is peaceful. One is limitation, and one is universality. When you find this kind of meaning in your practice, you have nothing to be afraid of. You acquire perpetual life. In this understanding and spirit, we have practiced zazen.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-02-18 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.

Big Power

We are sitting at each point with big energy. That is Zen. It is still, and it is calm, and it is completely peaceful. But that is peaceful power, and peaceful energy—this is our Zen actually. We don’t know our power, how great our power is. But when you acquire complete calmness, there is big power.

Image generated by ChatGPT

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-02-18 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.

Some Power

So, in our zazen, a big strength or power is necessary. When you are not moving, you do not see the power of Zen students. But nevertheless, the power is in each one of us who can decide what to do at each certain time. Something which is moving with great speed at each point has some power to express that great speed. And each point should be Zen [laughs].

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-02-18 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.

Thoughts

We cannot force any thoughts—whether Buddhism or Christianity or communism or capitalism—we cannot force any thoughts on people. Both Christianity and Buddhism are right; communism also has some meaning in it. When some kind of thought is forced on people, there we have big [laughs] confusion because we cannot accept it from the bottom of our heart.

By Paul Ranson - Christ_et_Buddha_by_Paul_Ranson_1880. Reproduction in "Le Monde de la Bible", M03474 No184, Public Domain, Link

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-02-18 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.

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Consideration

Even though this is very hard [referring to his stick], you cannot drive a nail with it [laughs]. Then you would lose the beauty of the material. So, this is not just material, it has meaning in it, and it has some way to be used. This kind of consideration is necessary in our life. Accumulating careless ways of treating things will result in a big evil. If each of us treat things in the right way, no evil can arise in this world.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-02-18 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.

Upside Down

When you find beauty in it, when you find necessity in it, when you find truth in it, when you find some good meaning in it, all those will make the absolute value which we need. The value is not just material value; when you find beauty in it, you cannot turn it upside down [laughs]. Even if you put it upside down, it will not be destroyed. It has material value [laughs], but if you only use it in this way, it is not beautiful anymore.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-02-18 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.

True Value

So according to their nature, or according to their form, we should treat things as they are. Then we will realize the true meaning of existence. Nowadays we are usually caught by material value or exchange value, [laughs] so you do not realize the true value—the true value of existence. The true value is not just material value or exchange value.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-02-18 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.

Our Way

Anyway, if you want to realize what Buddha Nature is, some limitation is necessary. We say absolute freedom, but that absolute freedom does not mean to ignore the value of things and mix things up. To make some classifications and to do things in the right way, in an adequate way, is our way. So, we have to pay careful consideration in our activity. If you think this is just material, you do not treat it carefully. If it is a living being, you cannot treat it so carelessly [laughs]. But all existence is a living being in some form, or with some nature.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-02-18 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.