Tomorrow I begin a retreat the purpose of which is to bring Tassajara Stories, the Early Years with Shunryu Suzuki, to a close. Been working on it for eight years, mainly not working on it, but lots of working on it too - in focused spurts. So I won't be doing blog posts or podcasts but Peter Ford will pick up the Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts and will put on other relevant posts. Bye for now. Take care. - DC
Oh I see I forgot to upload this.
Don't be bothered by your mind. - 65-07-30-A - This is the entire talk given by Shunryu Suzuki at Sokoji in San Francisco. It was a comment during morning zazen and somehow it was recorded.
If you become too fussy about things, you will lose your practice. ----- From a Shunryu Suzuki lecture given on 69-03-16 at Sokoji in San Francisco
Why we say “bodhisattva precepts” is that they are based on bodhisattva mind. As you know, bodhisattva mind is to save others, all sentient beings, before, you know, you save yourself. That is bodhisattva mind. To save others is first, and to save ourselves is next. Or we say, bodhisattva mind is spirit to devote ourselves in saving others. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 70-08-03 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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
Right practice is the foundation of our precepts. When you do not have right practice, you will hesitate to accept precepts, but if you have right practice you can accept precepts. Whatever the precepts may be, you can accept it. So, precepts for the people who have right practice are called “bodhisattva precepts,” in comparison to some other so-called “Hinayana practice precepts,” which is quite different. The way of observing is quite different. Last night I talked a little bit about it. I said if you do something good, you have no time to do something bad. That is how you keep precepts. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 70-08-03 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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
Yin Mountain: The Immortal Poetry of Three Daoist Women
Read his message with an offer for a discount on it at the bottom of his cuke page.
and see the cover larger
There are many ways of Zen practice. There are many practice, zazen practice, meditation practice, but our practice cannot be compared to other practices. I don't say which is important or which is better, but anyway without foundation, various practices do not work. So, if you practice some particular practice which has no foundation, you will be eventually fall into a pit hole [laughs]. You will be caught by it, and you will lose your freedom. But if you have the foundation to your various practices, the various practices will work and will help you. By the right practice, we mean that kind of foundation of practice. It is more than practice. So, when you have a foundation to your practice, even though your practice is not perfect, it will help you. That is right practice. And if you want to know actually what is right practice, as I told you, it is necessary to practice with right teacher who understand what is right practice. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 70-08-03 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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
Right practice is the foundation of all Buddhist activity. It cannot be compared to various practices or training. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 70-08-03 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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
By right practice we mean fundamental practice from which you can start—with which various teachings will come out. So, from right practice, if you have right practice, you have already right teaching there. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 70-08-03 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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
It's on Amazon, Apple and iTunes also
In our practice two important practices are zazen practice and to listen to your teacher, or right teaching. These are just like two wheels of a vehicle, you know. Without practice you cannot understand teaching, you cannot listen to your teacher. And without listening to your teacher, your practice cannot be right practice. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 70-08-03 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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
So idealistic practice will cover that something with your own self-centered idea. That doesn't work. This is not our way. This is why you practice zazen, and why this sesshin constantly...this way...this place. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 66-01-22N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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
Whenever you have some difficulties, you have to watch yourself to see whether you are covered with the idea of self. If the center of the candle is covered by wax, the wick doesn't work, you have to get rid of wax on the center. So, you shouldn't cover yourself with the idea of self. You should be always pure inside your own plan. Then, when you are really established in this realm the action and actual activity is like a candle and something is ignited. Something without conflict --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 66-01-22N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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
If we cannot forget ourselves in our society, then we have to do many things for our society. We have heavy sack on our back. But if we become quite sincere, instead we will do it without any reason, just by nothing. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 66-01-22N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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
When you can sincerely forget yourself, that will rid you of the idea of the self. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 66-01-22N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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
Where there is Buddha, there is nothing. And at the same time, because of sentient beings Buddha exists. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 66-01-22N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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
Moment after moment we have developed new paths. And even though it is a new culture, there's some connection between past and future, past and present, and present and future. It was developed from past to this moment, from present to future. But as we call it "eternal present" we are doing it moment after moment, we are forming new culture, moment after moment. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 66-01-22N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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
Our friend Tomas spent his early youth in his native Germany and his later youth in California. He has been coming and mainly living in Bali since the early seventies. One of his mentors is a woman professor who founded the Gandhi Ashram in Candidasa. Tomas was telling us some of what he'd learned from her. One phrase stuck in my mind. It went something like, You are quite a disciplined person, but be careful, discipline can take one into some very dark places.
It looks like we are practicing zazen to attain enlightenment. And it may be so, because [laughs] if we practice zazen, at that time we are actually Buddha. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 66-01-22N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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
What we do, whether it is offering a cake or practice zazen, this kind of practice is not a matter of to attain enlightenment, or to practice to be successful. When we do something, it looks like we are doing something good, but actually, for Buddha there is nothing which is good. Nevertheless Buddha has many things to do for people. When Buddha produces many things for us, it is true practice. When we think we do something, that is wrong for practice. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 66-01-22N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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
For Buddha, there's nothing to receive, but—but he has many things to give us. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 66-01-22N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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
Present mind cannot be grasped, past mind cannot be grasped, and future cannot be grasped. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 66-01-22N - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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
Check it out at the this page on the Monterey Bay Zen Center site.
So, by our practice, we must make our beginner’s mind more and more. We should appreciate beginner’s mind. This is the secret of practice, Zen practice. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 65-11-11 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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 the famous Beginner's Mind lecture. Since the audio tape was recently discovered, there is some material that differs from the transcripts that we had. What is excerpted from the new verbatim transcript will not include all of the verbatim lecture. For that and access to light edit and other transcribed versions and audio, go here.
In Japanese art, you know, when you master some art and become successor of your master, you will receive some paper on which something is written [laughs]. No one knows what [laughs] it is [laughter, laughs]. It is very difficult to figure out what it is, and to explain what it is [laughs]. But if you have a beginner’s mind, it’s all right. "Thank you very much," if you can say, “Thank you very much” [laughs] from bottom of your heart, that’s all right. If you say, “What is it?” [laughter] you have no secret [laughs]. You can just say, “Thank you very much.” That’s enough. But this is very difficult [laughs]. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 65-11-11 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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 the famous Beginner's Mind lecture. Since the audio tape was recently discovered, there is some material that differs from the transcripts that we had. What is excerpted from the new verbatim transcript will not include all of the verbatim lecture. For that and access to light edit and other transcribed versions and audio, go here.
I was very much impressed by your practice this morning. Although your posture was not perfect, [laughs, laughter] but the feeling you have here is wonderful. There is no comparison to it. At the same time, we should make our effort to keep this feeling forever in your practice. This is very, very important point. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 65-11-11 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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 the famous Beginner's Mind lecture. Since the audio tape was recently discovered, there is some material that differs from the transcripts that we had. What is excerpted from the new verbatim transcript will not include all of the verbatim lecture. For that and access to light edit and other transcribed versions and audio, go here.
We should practice our way with beginner’s mind always. There is no need to have deep understanding of Zen. Even though you read Zen literature, you have to keep this beginner’s mind, and you have to read it with a fresh mind. We shouldn’t say, “I know what is Zen” or “I have attained enlightenment.” We should be always beginner. This is very important point, and difficult. We should be very, very careful about this point. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 65-11-11 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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 the famous Beginner's Mind lecture. Since the audio tape was recently discovered, there is some material that differs from the transcripts that we had. What is excerpted from the new verbatim transcript will not include all of the verbatim lecture. For that and access to light edit and other transcribed versions and audio, go here.
So, the most difficult thing is to keep our beginner’s mind in our practice. So, if you can keep your beginner’s mind forever, you are Buddha. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 65-11-11 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed 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 the famous Beginner's Mind lecture. Since the audio tape was recently discovered, there is some material that differs from the transcripts that we had. What is excerpted from the new verbatim transcript will not include all of the verbatim lecture. For that and access to light edit and other transcribed versions and audio, go here.
