Accept Ourselves

When I went to university, the president of the university told us something like this: You have to be satisfied with yourself [laughs]. Even though you study hard, a foolish one is foolish, an intelligent one is intelligent. He always would say that. But it was pretty hard to accept because all of us wanted to be some great teacher [laughing]. But he said it was impossible. So, the purpose of practice is to accept ourselves.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-08-28-B 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.

Stupid

But a stupid person should be stupid. If one is stupid, one is youthful. But even though one is stupid, it is their nature to make an effort to be better. That is their own nature. And actually, they are trying to be satisfied with themselves. It looks like they want to be something else. But actually, they want to be satisfied with themselves. That is true understanding.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-08-28-B 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 Different

But sometimes you think the practice and the cart are different, enlightenment is a different thing, that practice is a means to attain enlightenment. If you think this way, then enlightenment is something different from you. So, you want to be something else because we are so stupid. [Laughter]

Photo by Tim Buckley

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-08-28-B 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.

Cart or Horse

Someone asked his disciple, “When the cart does not go [laughs], which do you whip the cart or the horse?” This is a very tricky question. Of course, he may whip the horse. To whip the horse is to whip the cart because the cart and horse are not different. Practice and enlightenment are not different.

Image generated by ChatGPT

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-08-28-B 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.

Satisfied

Our practice is not like intoxicating liquor. Many people will mix up way-seeking mind and a gaining idea. We do not rely even on teaching. We want to be ourselves. And we want to be satisfied ourselves. How to be satisfied ourselves is why we should practice.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-08-28-B 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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Escape

Without practicing for the sake of Buddhism—without being satisfied with ourselves, to try to be something else. Sometimes we try to escape from our life and to go somewhere else or to live somewhere else. That is [laughs] not Buddhism. It is quite different.

Drawing by Stan White

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-08-28-B 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.

For the Sake of Buddhism

We say a gaining idea is not good [laughs]. It is also a gaining idea, maybe, but a gaining idea to be good is not wrong. It is so-called way-seeking mind. “Practicing Buddhism for the sake of Buddhism.” That is true practice. Practicing Buddhism for the sake of something else; that is a gaining idea.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-08-28-B 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.

Improve

Student: Our inmost request, then, is a request for perfection?

SR: Perfection [laughs] is not so good a word—but to improve ourselves, knowing that our effort is not strong enough or we are not sincere enough. That is why we want some good examples. A good example will encourage our practice, and it will help whether our practice is good or bad.

Image modified by Google Gemini

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-08-28-B 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.

Imperfect Practice

When you are critical of your practice, usually it’s because you have some other purpose or aim. You become critical not by inmost request, but because of some gaining idea. In this case, to be critical of your practice is not good. But, if we accept our imperfect practice, trying to be perfect is our inmost request. If so, not to be perfect itself, but to be aware of our imperfect practice is an expression of our inmost request. If you understand in this way, that is right understanding.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-08-28-B 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.