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

Wednesday, August 4, 2021

Control

Student C: You said that we should control desire.

SR: Uh-huh.

Student C: And I still don't understand how to go about that.

Desire, in its usual sense, always based on selfish idea. Isn't that so? 
When you think, you know, “Nothing wrong to extend my desire” and then if someone says you shouldn't do that, then you will feel bad [laughs]-- you will feel some restriction. That is “control” in its ordinary sense. But when you reflect on your desire and understand your desire as pretty selfish, then naturally you will limit your desire to some extent. That is not control. That is the way desire should be. There is big difference. Do you understand?               --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture 69-04-08-bn - 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. Got to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.