This is the Cuke Archives page for what’s being featured each day.
Our other two Zen sites: shunryusuzuki.com - all the transcripts, audio, film, photo archive
and ZMBM.net - for Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind.
New 2021: Audiobook for Crooked Cucumber & Zen Is Right Now: More Teaching Stories and Anecdotes of Shunryu Suzuki
Youtube Cuke Archives - Posts from here also appear on Facebook Cuke Archives
Core Books by and about Shunryu Suzuki -- People Index -- DC home -- DC Books
Cuke Podcasts - Instagram Cuke Archives - - Donate
For personal, environment, music, etc, go to Cuke nonZense Blog and cuke-annex
Search cuke blog 
Search Cuke.com

Monday, June 1, 2020

Suzuki tells a polishing story

Nangaku -- Rinzai belongs to Nangaku's lineage-- branch. Dogen Zenji talked about  Nangaku's famous story of polishing tile. You know that story.

When Baso was practicing zazen, Nangaku, who passed by, asked him, “What are you doing?” [Laughs.]

“Of course, I am practicing zazen.”

And Nangaku asked, “Why do you practice zazen?”

And Baso said, “I want to attain buddhahood.”

And Nangaku did not say anything, but he picked up a tile and started to polish it. This time, Baso started to wondering what he started to do, and asked him, “What are you doing?”

“I am making a tile into a jewel.” [Laughs.] 
 ----------------------------- 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