Occasion

You have to accept the situation you are in and you should think this is the best occasion to practice -- to study yourself or to study Buddhism.       ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-22-A found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Long Lost Buddha stone carving appears

In lake where water level dropped 30 feet in China. - thanks John Steiner

Yourself

It is more safe to have very little desire in your study. Don't try to achieve something great. Don't try to study something profound. Just study about yourself in your everyday life.      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-22-A found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Mike Dixon

New cuke page for Mike, Zennie, artist, musician - excellent at all three.

Accord

We have to study ourselves by the mirror of the people. And if your understanding of yourself and others' understanding of yourself does not accord with yours -- you have to think.      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-22-A found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.       

Trudy Dixon

New cuke page for Trudy who died shortly after editing for Zen Mind Beginner's Mind.

Interdependency

We exist in the world of interdependency. So we cannot separate it from the meaning of our existence.      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-22-A found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Shohaku Okamura

New cuke page for Shohaku, Soto Zen teacher, writer, translator, whose group is in Indiana.

Ask

Even though you think you are very careful, actually people know you more than you yourself. If you want to know about yourself ask people what they will say. You will find out quite easily what kind of person you are.      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-22-A found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Gabor Terebess

Gabor Terebess is a dharma heir of Kojun Noiri who was featured yesterday. Terebess' Buddhist website is vast and wonderful, full of great links for Soto Zen folks and fellow travelers. His website is in English and Hungarian. Link to Terebess a lot on cuke especially in the ancestors section been working with recently. Like here for Sawaki Kodo. Got 15 results writing Terebess in the cuke home page site search box. - dc

Kojun Noiri

Cuke page for this younger dharma brother of Shunryu Suzuki, dharma heir of Kishizawa

Others

But if you practice in this way with others, it is very difficult to be lost. Everyone besides yourself watching you.   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-22-A found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Ian Kishizawa

Cuke page for Shunryu Suzuki's 2nd teacher

Pit

Without knowing how to study Buddhism you cannot study Buddhism. This is why we practice zazen with group in this way. You can practice zazen alone pretty well, but there are many dangers, and there are many pit-holes in your practice. And you will easily fall into the pit hole of the practice.   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-22-A found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Foolish

If you are very much proud of yourself, that is wrong, you are not studying Buddhism. If you are too much proud of your understanding or your practice, eventually people will get tired of seeing you [laughs, laughter]. Then you will be very much discouraged. “But I am studying [laughs] Zen [laughs].” That's very, you know, foolish.     ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-22-A found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Gyokujun So-on

Cuke page for Shunryu Suzuki's master.

Thanks for Marching!

Here are a few who went to Washington. There were marches elsewhere too of course - 600 of them - millions of women and other people.

Linda Galijan, Inryu Bobbi Ponce-Barger, Linda Ruth Cutts Weintraub, Grace Schireson, Gaelyn Godwin, ?

Thanks Katrinka

Pride

If you understand something about Buddhist philosophy or deep teaching of Buddhism, you may be very much proud of it - to have some profound unusual understanding of life or view of life while others foolishly study something which is not so deep or profound. You may say, “You are wrong. My understanding is right. Look here, Buddha says so-and-so. This is true understanding of life.” But reflect on your mind when you say so. In your mind there is just pride and no mercy, or no kindness in your mind. You are just proud of something, that's all. Whatever you say, that is out of the question. You should reflect on your mind. So in this case you mix up, you know, study of Buddhism and worldly attainment. .    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-22-A found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Richard Jaffe

Updated Richard's cuke page.

Includes a talk he gave on Shunryu Suzuki and Modern Soto Zen

Desires

Sometime, people mix up religious way-seeking mind and worldly desires. They think they are-- there is-- are seeking for a truth or a religious truth, but actually they are seeking for the worldly desires by name of religion. The religious sentiment is quite different from worldly desires. By “worldly desires” I mean to seek for-- to seek for fame or profit. To seek for fame or profit, this kind of desire is very much like, in some point, religious desires.     ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-22-A found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

DC Answer to a Query

And yes - why am I doing this? Good question. Actually I think all this is pointless, just a way to say hello. I agree we have to erase our past - it is truly nothing. I like the Diamond Sutra where Buddha sort of erases everything he says after he says it.  I do get a lot of people telling me that they get inspired by reading about others on the path including a lot of info surely off the path, Some say they get more from them than the lectures. Been posting a Suzuki lecture excerpt six days a week for a few years and there some who like that. But I don't really think about it. Sort of like making a big sculpture. The way I see it, everything is in the past, some seeming to be further in the past, but really it's all just like a cloud floating by and all there at once, the past another name for phenomena.

Worldly

I want to give some important points. First of all, when you want to study Buddhism or Zen, you must give up worldly desires or you must realize that it is useless to seek for worldly desires. But it may be rather difficult to realize that it is foolish to seek for worldly desires.    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-22-A found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Carl Bielefeldt

Update on Carl's cuke page - Stanford professor, a top authority on Soto Zen, early Tassajara student

Prescription

A teaching cannot be whole and perfect because it, like a medical prescription, is specific to certain people and circumstances. The Diamond Sutra is probably the closest to a universal teaching because it was a teaching the Buddha addressed to his own deep self.    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tony Artino notes from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-16 found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

BANNED BOOKS AND BLOCKBUSTERS

How the publishing industry took on the taboo - New Yorker

Thanks David Schneider for sending this and writing the following:

This

The other day someone whom I met in New York came yesterday he came to San Francisco and I saw him and he is working with U Thant for eighteen years and he is from the same country with U Thant. And he practiced various ways and he told me what kind of experience he had and he asked me, “Which is your practice?”

On Philip Whalen

​An Interview by Norman Fischer with Alice Notley

thanks David Silva

Norman Fischer - books - Everyday Zen

Philip Whalen - cuke page

Pain

If you want to find out some encouragement in your discouragement, when you get tired of, that is the encouragement. You encourage yourself when you get tired of it, or when you don’t want to do it, that is the warning. Like when you have a tooth ache when your teeth are not good. When you feel some pain in your teeth you go to the dentist. That is our way.    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-13 found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Trump Wants To Cut Russia Sanctions In Return For Nuclear Arms Deal

Trump raised the prospect of the first major step towards nuclear arms control since President Barack Obama struck a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia in 2010. “For one thing, I think nuclear weapons should be way down and reduced very substantially, that’s part of it. But Russia’s hurting very badly right now because of sanctions, but I think something can happen that a lot of people are gonna benefit.”

text From Huffpost - Cuke Species threats (nuclear)

Looking for the good in people.

Thanks Gregory Wonderwheel for transcended Trump

Stages

In Hinayana Buddhism they classify our practice in four ways. The best way is just to do it without having any joy (even spiritual joy) in it. Just do it, forgetting our physical and mental feeling -- just do it and forget all about yourself in your practice. This is the fourth, highest stage.

Shoko Okamoto RIP

Shoko Okamoto - One of three dharma heirs of Shunryu Suzuki. Learned from Shunryu's son Hoitsu in July at Baker's Johanneshof that Shoko had died a year before. Finally got a page together on him.

The other two dharma heirs are Hoitsu to the left and Zentatsu Richard Baker.

Photo by Bill Schwob is Hoitsu and Shoko at Zounin holding Shunryu's master Gyokujun So-on's bow which it was said that few but him could open. 

Secret

Even in wrong practice, when you realize it, and continue it, that is right practice. Our practice cannot be perfect. But without being discouraged by it to continue it, in short, is the secret of practice.    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-13 found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

B.J. Miller and Zen Hospice

NY Times - thanks Zentatsu Richard Baker

Saw Miller's Ted Talk a while back. Impressive super active triple amputee. I was on the SFZC board when we voted to support the hospice brainchild of Martha Freebaron Smith and others like Issan Tommy Dorsey, forgotten in the brief history. Details later. Am looking into it. Anyone who knows anything and wants to write a brief something please do. Like Rick Levine who was an involved MD Zennie. - dc

Zen Hospice site

Santhara - cuke death with dignity page

Compare

If you see people involved in various practices, you can compare your practice with the their practice and then you will feel true gratitude for our way.   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-13 found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Shodo Harada

Calligraphy demonstration at Portland Japanese Garden - with Chisan translating! - thanks Kaveh

One Drop Zen

cuke page for Shodo Harada

Edward Brown invites

your participation in a ceremony for Inauguration Day, to invoke Principles and Alignment into the Day.

Edward's Peaceful Sea Sangha

Edward's cuke page

Aware

Dogen-zenji said, “Don’t think you will be aware of your own enlightenment. Whether or not you are aware of it, you have your own true enlightenment within your practice.”  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-13 found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

RIP Audrey (Walter) Robinson

Audrey's cuke page

Audrey working on cornerstones for the kitchen at Tassajara

Continuous

When we talk about difficulties we have had you may think without this kind of hardship you cannot practice zazen or you cannot attain some stage. But this is not true. Whether you have difficulties in your practice or not, as long as you keep continuous practice you will have our pure practice in its true sense. Even when you are not aware of it you have it.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-13 found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Optomistic

So long as you are continuing your practice you are quite safe. But as it is very difficult to continue it, you must find some way to encourage yourself. But if the way you encourage yourself is not adequate, your practice will be involved in some other practice, or some poor, shabby practice. So without being involved in some poor practice, to continue our pure practice is rather difficult. This is why we have teacher. With your teacher you will correct your practice. Of course you will have a very hard time with them, but even though you find it hard, you are always safe from wrong practice. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-13 found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Shunryu Suzuki's Teachers and Dharma Heirs

portrait of Gyakushitsu Sojun - Shogaku Shunryu's master's master's master

on the new Dharma Ancestors page on cuke.com

- thanks Clare Hollander for the photos

Warning

Especially when you practice zazen alone, without teacher, I think you will find a way to find out whether your practice is right or wrong. When you are tired of sitting, or when especially I mean when you are disgusted with your practice, or when you are discouraged with your practice there you should think that is warning. Why you are discouraged with your practice is because your practice has been very much or somewhat idealistic. Because you have had gaining idea in your practice, and your practice was not pure enough, or your practice is rather greedy practice, you become discouraged. So you should be grateful that you noticed or that you have a sign or suggestion to find out your weak point of practice. At that time, forgetting all about your mistake, and renewing your way of practice, you resume your original practice. This is very important point. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-13 found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Until

We're always helping each other but we can't really help people until we realize we can't really help people. - Kabumpkan

Tired

Even though we are sleepy, and we are very tired of practicing zazen, repeating the same thing day after day, even so we continue our practice. Whether or not someone encourages your practice we just do it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-13 found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Heart Sutra English Calligraph

done by Rick Levine for Kazuaki Tanahashi & Joan Halifax's book, The Heart Sutra

Rick Levine cuke page

Got a poem from a dharma bro

 The Woodcutter’s View

early morning warmth spreads the thud and whack of my axe

marking the village hours like a temple bell.

stopping for tea 

we sip in silence

       not caring when we pick up our tools.

oh yes, things do exist

as when a shout at the base of a mountain

is a soft echo in a distant valley.

I hope that you enjoy a sweet New Year of the Fire Rooster - Britton Pyland

Brit Pyland cuke page

Name

We emphasize shikantaza but we do not call our practice shikantaza. We have no particular name for our practice. When we practice zazen we just practice it, whether we find joy of practice or not, we just do it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-13 found onshunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Adequate

So, as long as your practice is based on gaining idea, and you practice zazen in an idealistic way, you will have no time to attain it. Moreover you are sacrificing the meat of practice, set up for future attainment which is not possible to attain. Because your attainment is always ahead of you, you are always sacrificing yourself for some ideal. So this is very absurd. It is not so bad, rather not adequate. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-13 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Another Freeless Speech Issue in Indonesia

Tee shirt lawlessness. 

RIP Huston Smith

On December 30th at 97! The Dean of world religion writers and teachers, dear friend and friend to all, a gentle man who came humbly with wisdom to Tassajara and the City Center in the sixties. Read the NY Times obituary. - just learned thanks to Steve Tipton

Huston Smith cuke page with much more

Absurd

There may be various kinds of practice, or ways of practice, or understanding of practice. Mostly when you practice zazen you become very idealistic with some notion or ideal set up by yourself and you strive for attaining or fulfilling that notion or goal. But as I always say this is very absurd because when you become idealistic in your practice you have gaining idea within yourself, so by the time you attain some stage your gaining idea will create another ideal.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-13 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Religion

People think their own way is Buddha’s without knowing what they hearing, or what are doing, or where they are. So religion is not any particular teaching. Religion is everywhere. We have to understand our teaching in this way. We should forget all about some particular good or bad teachings. There should not be any particular teaching. Teaching is in each moment, in every being. That is true teaching.   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-04-06 found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Tables Turned

I didn't realize this. You can't disparage any of the recognized religions in Indonesia - so one of the heads of the recent giant protest by Muslims against the Christian governor of Jakarta is now facing prosecution himself for bad-mouthing Christianity. Hey - chill out guys.

Happy

New Year.

-dc