And this, you know, "I don't know," "Who are you in front of me?" you know, "What is the first principle," the Emperor asked. "I don't know," [laughs] he said. "I don't know," "There's no holy person," or "Nothing sacred -- no sacred teachings," that was his answer. "Then aren't you the teacher from India?" the Emperor asked. Bodhidharma said, "I don't know." [laughs] This "I don't know" is not usual "I don't know." --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-23 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo
DC: This is verbatim what Suzuki said, running through the Bodhidharma and Emperor exchange like a dream sequence. The key is that the "I don't know" is not the usual meaning.