Dogen Zenji says,
“Don't practice your way as if you were a blind men trying to
figure out what is ab elephant.” The real elephant is not a rope or fan
or wall. But a blind man may think an
elephant is like a wall or rope or fan. But the real elephant is none of those.
And he says, “Don'tbe curious about the true dragon, like Seiko.” In China there was a man named Seiko. He loved dragons. All his scrolls were dragons. And he designed his house like a dragon-house. And he had many figures of dragons. So a real dragon thought, “If I appear in his house, he will be very pleased.” So one day, the real dragon appeared in his room, and he was very much scared of it and almost [laughs] drew his sword. So the real dragon said, “Oh, my!” [Laughs.] And he escaped from his room. “Don't be like that,” Dogen Zenji says.
Most of us are practicing our way like a blind man or Seiko. That is why we have to start our practice over and over. ----------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC
And he says, “Don'tbe curious about the true dragon, like Seiko.” In China there was a man named Seiko. He loved dragons. All his scrolls were dragons. And he designed his house like a dragon-house. And he had many figures of dragons. So a real dragon thought, “If I appear in his house, he will be very pleased.” So one day, the real dragon appeared in his room, and he was very much scared of it and almost [laughs] drew his sword. So the real dragon said, “Oh, my!” [Laughs.] And he escaped from his room. “Don't be like that,” Dogen Zenji says.
Most of us are practicing our way like a blind man or Seiko. That is why we have to start our practice over and over. ----------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC
