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Wednesday, January 20, 2021

Best Effort

My master didn't give us any idea of what we would do the next day or next week. He didn't talk about tomorrow and he was a very unpredictable type of monk. And monks and priests were very much afraid of him. They couldn't get what he had in his mind. Maybe he didn't have any idea, but he was always concentrated on what he was doing. That is, I think, too much, but it is necessary for us to practice our way moment after moment, with our best effort.   --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-12-29 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.