No Mistake

Student D: Docho Roshi, the fish is in the water. The water is in the fish. It is soundless, and you cannot hear it. It is clear, and you cannot see it. It has no smell. How can there possibly be a mistake?

SR: There is no mistake whatsoever. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki shosan ceremony - 67-12-07 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Fear

Student C: Docho Roshi, outside I see the trees, and the things that grow, and the rocks seem to do perfect zazen. And I see my own potentiality for this, yet still I feel great fear. Please tell me what is the true nature of fear?

SR: Fear has no reason why it arises. So when the rocks and running water become a part of you, when you become truly their friend, there will be no fear.  -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki shosan ceremony - 67-12-07 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Forget

Student B (Dan Welch): Docho Roshi, as the sun enlightens our daily life, as the stars never cease to shine, how is it possible to forget?

SR: Originally you do not forget it.  -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki shosan ceremony - 67-12-07 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Moment

Student A: My heart is full of joy. This zendo at Tassajara is like my own home. Sitting in zazen, eating with my fellow monks, trying to follow the way of my Roshi. Word by word, moment by moment, feeling by feeling, my delusion and my feeling is expressed in this moment.

SR: Yes. “In this moment” is right. Don't live in future or past.  -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki shosan ceremony - 67-12-07 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Paul Lee's great website

Ecotopia - 

Paul's cuke page with memories of Shunryu Suzuki and more.

Ways

So without experience of observing it, to discuss our rules is not right, because we put emphasis on our experience, not, you know, discussion itself-- intellectual discussion, whether this is Japanese way [laughs] or American way. We have not much idea of Japanese or American way. Whatever way may be good ways [laughs]. American way, I think, or our way. So we should find out. We should try to improve our way, and we should develop our way. This is bodhisattva's mind or spirit. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Jeff Sherman sends note and photos

Check it out on Jeff Sherman page.

That's larger on cuke of course.

Merry Christmas! Etc!

Selemat Natal! - Merry Christmas in Indonesia where it's a national holiday. Our Christmas tree is made from wrought iron by the owner of a local hardware store - the plants in it and lights came later.

This is a good holiday greeting card for Bali this year. It's got Christmas, the Bali Hindu celebration of Galungan and Kuningan (good explanation, colorful photos) starting tomorrow, and a Happy New Year.

Those long drooping decorative bamboo poles are penjur and are used for Galungan and Kuningan. Our landlord's son made us one for our place. They're quite tall - go above the electric lines.

Discussion

Now if you discuss, you know, I think the conclusion [laughs] will not result in same idea we have had. So if you practice it, and if you find some problem, you know, about that problem I want you to discuss. This kind of discussion is very important, I think. This kind of idea is quite new to me. By discussion you will have chance to explain why you observe our way. So others will be interested in our way. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

A Video Message from John Tarrant

The Pacific Zen Institute is a fiscal sponsor of Cuke Archives and they're doing a year end fundraising drive.  Check out the founding teacher's appeal. - Thanks. - DC

Observation

Here in Tassajara, I think you have difficult time in observing our way, which is not familiar to you. But I want you to observe it first of all, and then you can discuss about our way. So observation is first and discussion is next.  -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Sincerity

Whether the rules are part of you or not will be checked out by your teacher [laughter]. Even though you are observing our way, you know, if the rules are not a part of you, you know, he will see it. The point is your sincerity, not form. We rather put emphasis on each one's own way.  -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Rules

In our practice we do not like to be caught by some rules. Nevertheless, we make best effort to observe our way. When we make best effort to observe our way, there are no more rules. The rules are part of us.  -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Continuing from Yesterday and Days Before

There are various ways of life, and there are misunderstandings with your life, so there must be some philosophy as a background of this kind of teaching. That is why we find our teaching pretty difficult, especially when you studied intellectually. The best way is just to practice until you understand it. This method is completely different method: to force some way on us. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Correction: Jack Weller's memorial Thursday

Received an email saying I'd been sent the wrong day for Jack Weller's memorial but the email just said "tomorrow at 6:10 in the zendo following 5:30 zazen at the City Center. I'm pretty sure that means Thursday, December 20th.

Jack Weller page

Obvious

So universal value is something very vague and not distinctive, and not interesting at all. When you  appreciate many kinds of things which are different from each other, you will have happy life, you will enjoy our life. This kind of thing is quite obvious. There is no need for any interpretation or philosophical discussion about it. It is actual truth. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Memorial Service for Jack Weller

There will be a memorial service for Jack Weller at the SFZC City Center on Wednesday, December 19th at 6:10 PM, the time for the regular evening service following 5:30 zazen.

Jack Weller page

Name

You can see many mountains, you know-- you will enjoy to see many mountains, but when you are interested in the sight of the mountains you see, the value of each mountain will be ignored. If I call you by name of human being-- ”Hi, human being!” [laughs, laughter], your character will be ignored. Everyone is human being. We don't know whether [laughs] you are man or woman or young lady or old lady: just any human being [laughs]. It doesn't make any sense. If you are called by your name, you know, you will be happy. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Jack Weller cuke page

Forgot to add link to prior post: http://cuke.com/people/weller-jack.htm

RIP Jack Weller

Just got word that Jack Weller died last night peacefully after a week in hospice. RIP Jack, a truly gentle soul. - dc

Jack Weller cuke page - with the audio and a transcription to a talk he gave recently at the SFZC City Center on his memories of Shunryu Suzuki and Chogyam Trungpa.

Each

So we rather put emphasis on the difference between each being. Although we put emphasis on difference, we do not discriminate which is better. It is different, but each is same value or absolute value because it is different. When you put emphasis on universality, it means you are killing things, at least the value of things will be ignored. True value of each existence will be ignored. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Different

When you put emphasis on the universality, everything loses its own value. When you mix male and female and divide in two [laughs], you will lose your life. Man should be a man, and woman should be a woman because, you know, man and woman is different. There is value and there is life. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Validity

Everything has absolute value because it is different from others. If everything is same, they will lose the value. Because it is different, it is value. So to mix up everything is to kill buddha-nature. So when one is teacher, he should be teacher. When one is student, he should be a student. But it does not mean student cannot be a teacher. So we rather put emphasis on validity than universality. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

A new poem from Bhikkhu Moneya

Kathina in Sri Lanka

Place

Even though everything has buddha-nature, it does not mean you can mix up everything. As Dogen Zenji said in his Instruction for Cook, “Something which should be put higher place, should be put higher place. Something which should be lower place, should be lower place.” Everything has its own function and virtue. So according to the virtue, we should treat them. Only when we treat them according to their virtue, everything will have same value. Because water cannot be exchanged for fire, fire has its own virtue and water has its own virtue. So water should be in the kettle and fire should be under the kettle, you know. If everything is its own place, everything has same value, he says. So we should not mix up everything.  -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Carefully

The best way to understand what is buddha-nature is just to practice our way and treat things very carefully. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Merit

When I was young, someone explained said, “You should cultivate virtue. You should accumulate merit. If you give others the good pickles, you will accumulate merit. That is why you should take the worst pickles.” And I thought, then I would rather take the best ones [laughs, laughter] to save others --- to let them accumulate more merit. I don't want to accumulate merit for myself. I didn't try, but I thought so. Really I thought so. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Value

Although we put emphasis on difference, we do not discriminate which is better. It is different, but both is same value or absolute value -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

First and Last

To repeat something is not so difficult. If you repeat it, it will be a part of you, and this is, you know, how we observe our way. Here at Tassajara you do not pass big pickle dish. You divide mine and it's put it in front of you. But if you pass in one big dish starting with me, I shall always eat the worst part [laughs], and in the monastery, the last one will eat the best part. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Amuse

Sometime I, you know, I am amused myself [laughs] to observe Japanese way in America. When I go to grocery store, I usually buy worst fruits or oldest [laughs] vegetables. I take off something good to find something bad. And why I buy the worst one, because I feel very sorry [laughing, laughter throughout story] for the worst one. This is habit, you know, and I pay same amount of money. So at the store they are interested in my way of buying. “Why don't you take this one? This one is better,” they say. “No, I want to buy this one.” And they say, “Why? Why?” I will say, “I don't know why.” And I-- I amuse myself with my habit. I have very funny habit. But I couldn't get rid of my forgetfulness. I tried pretty hard, but I still forget. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Why?

So this is the matter of sense, you know. This kind of thing is created with our way in our practice for a long time. So it is rather difficult for you to observe our way, I think. Nowadays young people come and practice Zen in Zen temple in summer vacation. If I told them to observe our way, they ask me why [laughs]-- like you do, you know. And it is rather difficult to explain why [laughs], because we do not do it with some reason. This is just habit. Habit is very important. So to observe way until it becomes our habit. This is very important.  -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Danny Parker on Ed Brown's Situation

Danny is a priest ordained by Ed. Here's his letter on the SFZC abbot's decision to ban Ed from teaching at the SFZC centers.

Update - There was a meeting a couple of weeks ago between some SFZC folks and Ed and a few people he brought including Peter Coyote. Ed said it was quite polite.

Habit

[ This way of treating objects carefully, carrying one by one with two hands and so forth] It is a kind of Japanese habit and this kind of idea originated from Dogen Zenji's way. ...And we do it without asking why. We just do it because we respect it. That is even more than respect. To respect things is something dualistic. “To be one with it,” we say. When we become one with it, there is no idea of big or small. Smaller things is easier to be one with it, and simpler things is easier to practice one of the duality. We do not even figure out why we do this. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

A Memorial Eko for Shunryu Suzuki

This Eko was sent by Peter Coyote who read it during a service at Hokyoji

Photo by Rowena Pattee

Hands

Usually we treat things with both hands. Sometime some beginners will carry their eating bowl in one hand like this. It looks very strange [laughs], like pumpkin [laughs, laughter]. We always carry things, if possible, [with] both hands. And you carry things in one hand or at once, you know. We do not carry so many. We will carry one by one, going back and forth [laughs]. This is more-or-less Japanese way.  -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Thick Cups

In the framework of your economic world, to consume things will encourage the producing more things [laughs]. So to use many things will help the circulation of money. For this economic reason, you do not treat things so well. Nevertheless, I found your cup is very thick. If it is thin, as thin as we have in Japan, [laughs] one dozen cups will be destroyed every day [laughs, laughter] in your kitchen. So yours are very thick, but ours is so thin. It is easier to handle if it is thin. But you have to  treat it very carefully. Because we treat it very carefully, there is no need for our cup to be so thick. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Bridge

If you go to Eiheiji, there is Half-Dipper Bridge: Hanshakukyo, so named because Dogen Zenji used to bring back the leftover water to the river. After he use half of the dipper of water, he took it back to the river again [laughs]. At Eiheiji we never wash our face with bowl full of water. We use just seventy percent of water in our washing basin. And when we empty it, we do not empty water this way [away from the body]. We dip it-- we empty it this way [toward the body], you know [laughs]. If you empty it this way, you must be very careful [laughs]. If we are careless, we know what will happen to us. So we will have to empty it very carefully. We treat things very carefully. And we respect things very much. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay. 

Eyes

So that is why I must say, “everything has buddha-nature.” It is not perfect expression of the teaching. So Dogen Zenji says, "You must treat a grain of rice as if it is your own eyes." Eyes is part of you, and so is the grain of rice. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay. 

Member

But according to Dogen Zenji, a part of it is not perfect enough, because if we say “part of it,” the relationship between things is ignored already. ”I am part of,” you know-- ”I am a member of our family.” If you say so, the relationship between you and your brother is not expressed well. It is ignored. So Dogen Zenji said everyone is not member of.... Everyone is family itself.  -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay. 

A Sense of Something Greater

A new book by Les Kaye and Teresa Bouza

With an Introduction by Natalie Goldberg

Parallax Press link for this book

Les Kaye Cuke page

"A truly surprising, brilliant, and wonderful book. Reading it, you suddenly see that there is something greater that is before us, right here, right now. Les Kaye and co-author Teresa Bouza reveal a different kind of mind (and heart) in the midst of Silicon Valley and of our lives. This marvelous book is not only about the search for balance but for meaning in the midst."—ROSHI JOAN HALIFAX, Upaya Zen Center

“Zen meditation may call forth images of Japanese rock gardens and old monasteries, but Les Kaye places it naturally in the midst of twenty-first- century urban American life. Using interviews with individual practitioners  by Teresa Bouza, A Sense of Something Greater vividly illustrates how this  simple practice can offer remarkable clarity and ease to those who work  in competitive, high-tech, high-stress settings.”—KAZUAKI TANAHASHI, Painting Peace at a Time of Global Crisis

“A warm, remarkably intimate introduction to a spiritual community in the heart of Silicon Valley. Through personal interviews with the community’s members, we meet the real people of the Valley, as they struggle to find their bearings in the fast lane of the high tech world; through the wise counsel of the community’s leader, Les Kaye, we are welcomed into the ancient tradition

of Soto Zen, where meditation is our most natural act and spiritual practice is its own reward.”

                    —CARL BIELEFELDT, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Stanford University

A reader comment about the book on Amazon signed simply, Suhail:

   I’ve recently read a fair amount in this area and this book really stood out to me. The breadth and depth of insight are amazing, it’s artfully written and easily readable. It’s a wonderful combination of experience, philosophy, science and anecdotes that provide a truly holistic understanding. The interviews make topics particularly relatable to people, like myself, who are not necessarily advanced practitioners. They also  help  the  reader apply, and sort of rehearse, moments in their mind.

    I’ve recommended this book to many colleagues (within and beyond Silicon Valley) who are all too familiar with some of the situations this book addresses but can’t seem to get out. Chatting with them after, they've similar found unlocks through reading A Sense of Something Greater.

Divide Buddha

Because it includes everything, it is independent being in its absolute sense. Even though you accumulate things one by one, it will not effect buddha. If you divide buddha in various way, that is everything we see.  -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay. 

Outside

According to Dogen Zenji, to say a just a part of it is not perfect enough. Buddha includes everything. Whatever there is in this world, that is a part of buddha-nature. If there is something outside of it-- outside of buddha, that is buddha too [laughs]. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Tentatively

Tentatively there is no other way to say it, we have to say everything has buddha-nature, even though it sound very dualistic. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Not Dualistic

So when we say ”everything has buddha-nature,” this is already wrong. But tentatively, we must say everything has buddha-nature. In Japanese, for an instance, I have, you know, two eyes. You say I have two eyes. But we do not say I have two eyes. We say, “There is two eyes.” The meaning is different, and in Chinese character, the word “have” means “skin,” which is part of our body. So when we say “I have two eyes,” it means our eyes is a part of us. We do not say even “I.” “There is two eyes,” we say. So when we say, “everything has buddha-nature,” what we mean is not so dualistic. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Buddha-nature

We say everything has buddha-nature, so we have to treat as a buddha. To say “everything has buddha-nature” is not appropriate, because if I say everything has buddha-nature, then buddha-nature and everything is dualistic. Actually, everything itself is buddha. “Buddha-nature,” we say, but this word is not so appropriate. If I say “buddha-nature,” it looks like we have many nature: human nature, buddha-nature, and nature of animal. But what we mean by buddha-nature is not some special nature in comparison to other nature, or human nature. So there is nothing but buddha-nature. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Jack Weller talk at the City Center

Jack Weller's October 2018 talk at the SFZC City Center on Shunryu Suzuki, Chogyam Trungpa and so forth. - Vimeo video missing the beginning of his talk. He's reading from drafts of his book.

Jack Weller's cuke page - with transcription of his City Center talk and much more

Us Buddhists (actually he said "We Buddhists"

And our practice should refer to how treat things-- how to make friends and how to study our teaching. Respectively there are some teaching told by Dogen Zenji. Anyway, our way is limitless. So without being satisfied or without stopping our effort, we should express the big mind. This is the life of us Buddhists. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Artisans Aggregate

Check out Paul Discoe's new venture in Oakland, CA.

Paul Discoe cuke page

This page has been fixed. Sorry. - DC

Open Up

According to the circumstances you will-- various virtue will appear from this great mind. That is why we should not attach to any particular practice. Whatever the practice may be, we should practice it with big mind. If we know the fundamental purpose of our practice, you can practice our way even in your work, walking, or sitting, or stopping, or lying down. So we should open up our mind without clinging to some particular thing. This is how we practice our way.  -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Holy

The bodhi, the holy mind is the harmonious unity of intellect, emotion, and volition, and is equipped with intelligence, benevolence, and compassion. The function of the great mind may be limitless. According to the circumstances various virtues will appear from this great mind.  -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Magnanimous

The magnanimous mind is as big as a mountain and as deep as a sea. A man with the magnanimous mind is impartial. He walks the middle way. He never attach to anyone. He-- he is never attached to any one side or aspect of things. The magnanimous mind works-- walks justly and impartially. It denotes the intellectual function. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Kindly

.A Buddhist scripture says the Buddha's mind is the mind of great compassion. One of the three treasures is compassion that allows courage. These are nothing but the kind mind. The kindly mind is the emotional function of Zen mind. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

SFZC Corporate History Notes

1. Got this page on SFZC Corporate History done as done as I'm gonna do at least for now. It's there because of a request from the SFZC for info they're putting together to get in some SF biz group. It has a list of notable people associated with the ZC that I'd be happy to get additions too as I just reeled off what came to mind. And some comments about the vitality of the institution. Now back to focusing on the fundamentals of spiritual inquiry. 
2. Thanks Andrew M. for sending me many errata fixes for this page. How careless I was!
3. How the heck did these numbers get here? I couldn't get rid of them so I joined them.

Nirvana

he joyful mind means joyful frame of mind. A person of joyful mind is contented with their lot. Even in adversity, they will see bright light and value and never grumbles or complain. They find some of Buddha's grace in difficult circumstances and feel pleasure even in painful condition, and always rejoice. Seven hardship will disappear at once, and seven kinds of happiness will come at once. In this way, they can experience the spiritual joy and realize that the world of-birth and death is the world of nirvana -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

A Brief History of Tassajara - now available on Amazon

A Brief History of Tassajara: From Native American Sweat Lodges to Pioneering Zen Monastery

Amazon.com link

Cuke Press link for the book at Cuke.com

over 250 photos and and clippings from the late 19th century to the present. 

Change Into

All the seven hardship, all at once, when you have joyful mind, change into happy mind or happiness. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Seven Difficulties

Seven hardships are the hardship when you are born. We don't remember-- I don't remember, but [laughs, laughter] it must be pretty hard [laughs] to come out. And old age -- we become older and older -- that is a hardship, and sickness, and death. Those are-- here we have four. And we count three more. One is to have too much energy [laughs]. That is hardship too [laughs]. So that is why you don’t eat so strong stimulus food in the monastery. It will create a hardship [laughs]. That's very true [laughs]. And even though you expect something, almost all the expectation will not be fulfilled in this world because by nature we expect too much. So it is [laughs] impossible to appease your, you know, desire. That is another difficulty  And the last one is to depart from someone who you love and to be with someone you do not like [laughs, laughter]. Those are [laughs, laughter] hardships we have in this world. This is very true [laughs]. But if you have joyful mind, all people will be your friend. And if you are healthy, the more you are healthy, the more you can enjoy your life. And birth should be happy occasion, and death is also-- should be happy. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Joyful

The joyful mind is volitional aspect of Zen mind or mentality  -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

A Message from Ed Brown

The Peaceful Sea Sangha’s plans for a new Dharma Center in Sebastopol, California, did not work out, as our purchase offer was not accepted.  Also with further measuring of our capacities, the project appeared to be larger than we could reasonably manage.

We are immensely touched and grateful for all the support that we received, not only financially, but all the good wishes, prayers, and heartfelt greetings.

We intend to move forward with envisioning a Peaceful Sea Sangha Dharma Center, so we are holding the contributions we have received in a Property Fund for that purpose.

Blessings in the days to come,

                                                                                                                       Edward

Ed Brown cuke page

Joyful

The joyful mind is volitional aspect of the Zen mind or mentality.  -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Talk

Because we are too intellectual and so difficult to put faith in something which you do not know exactly, so some intellectual explanation or interpretation is necessary. So we have to talk very intellectually and logically. But actually there is no other way to appreciate than to practice our way, knowing the purpose of practice with right understanding of our way.  -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Boring Post - Follow link at your own risk

SFZC Corporate History Notes - This is a new page on cuke.com created today to help answer questions I get now and then and just got so I'm directing the questioner to this new page. That's one way Cuke Archives evolves. - DC

Big Mind

I think you must have understood what we mean by buddha-mind or big mind. Although our mind is something ingraspable, its activity is so great, and so warm, so clear, and full of joy. This is the interpretation of the buddha-mind or great mind by Dogen Zenji.  -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Zentatsu Richard Baker’s Last Formal Teaching

New Year’s Seminar 

Yogic time, Practice Time

– at Crestone Mt. Zen Center

Great Mind

And the great mind -- Dogen says great mind is the mind of mountain or the sea. If you do not have great mind, you cannot take responsibility - because we don't know when he will quit his responsibility, we cannot trust him. Especially if a man who is responsible for kitchen quits his work, all the rest of the monks cannot eat. That is why this mind is necessary.  -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Kind Mind

Next thing is for the cook to have old ladies' mind. Usually, by nature, old lady is very kind. Or we say Buddha's mind is the mind of parents. They raise children with great care, with great love, and they do not miss any expression of their baby. And when it is cold, they will take off his own coat and cover the baby. When it is hot, they will carry their baby in the cool side, exposing themselves to the sun. You may say that is our instinct. Whether it is instinct or act of kindness, the mind they have is valuable. Because of this everything grows. Because of this we were so happy when we are at home and you will not forget how you were raised in your family when you are young. Even though you do not say “thank you,” you cannot forget it. This kind of mind is the mind of parents. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.

Happy Cook - continuing from yesterday

If a monk who is responsible for the kitchen work is not happy, food tastes very bad. Even though it is good, it doesn't taste too good. So Dogen Zenji said [laughs, laughter] they must be like a man who is who carrying fish. No, he didn’t say so, but [laughs, laughter] what he means is he should be always happy. If he is not so happy, all the monks will not be happy and the more complaints he will have, and he will be criticized more. So first of all, Dogen Zenji says he should be always happy. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-12-06-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture ex/cerpts on cuke.com - from thee links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay.