Student
E: Roshi? In the Lankavatara Sutra they described a buddha as one who controls
his outflows. Would you say a few words about that? Or they also used the
phrase “non-leakage,” which was hard to get.
SR:
Non-? Non-what?
Student
E: Non-leakage, you know.
SR:
Leaky?
Student
E: When a bottle leaks, you know, it comes out the cracks-- overflows. Would
that contribute to the-- to the [1 word] around the head-- the ring around the
barrel that you were talking about?
SR:
[Laughing.] I don't know. That is quite Japanese expression: tangawa honryu.
Maybe so. We have many ways of-- expression for “one truth.” I couldn't
understand actually what you said just now. What did you mean?
Student
E: Well, when I am doing zazen, it seems as though sometimes I have this
experience of a non-outflowing, you
know, that I'm-- it's all staying right within me --
SR:
Mm-hmm. Oh, “outflowing.” I see.
Student
E: Yeah. Instead of, you know-- when you see-- when I see-- I feel like I'm
looking outward, and I feel-- oh, like-- so when I'm doing zazen, though, that
will drop back inside.
SR:
Mm-hmm.
Student
E: And I thought perhaps this is what they meant by “non-outflowing”: being
able to control the-- the outflow of your energy or--
SR:
Mm-hmm. Yeah. “Outflow.” That is opposite, you know, to our way.
Outflow. Comes out-- your energy from your-- whatever it is, body or mind. You
should be one thought or existence when you sit. There is no outside or no
inside when you sit. Can you -- do you accept this expression?
Student
E: Yes. Mm-hmm.
SR: So it is not even to see inward. It is just to sit. No inside or no outside. Just one existence.
Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-08-28-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com - Barely edited by DC