Friday, September 30, 2022

So Long for Now

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.

Another Favorite quote

 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.





Thursday, September 29, 2022

A Favorite Suzuki Quote

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

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Others

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.comfrom 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

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Bodhisattva Precepts

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.comfrom 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

Monday, September 26, 2022

Yin Mountain

 


Peter Levitt's new book

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

Right Practice

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.comfrom 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

Saturday, September 24, 2022

Foundation

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.comfrom 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

Friday, September 23, 2022

Right Practice

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.comfrom 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

Thursday, September 22, 2022

Thank You and OK! now on Audible

 


Just got word from Shambhala that the audiobook for Thank You and OK!: an American Zen Failure in Japan is now on Audible. Check it out here.

It's on Amazon, Apple and iTunes also

Two

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.comfrom 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

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Constantly

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.comfrom 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

This is a difficult audio with lots of words and phrases that can't be understood. I'll go through it and see what I can pick from it. - DC

Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Ignited

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.comfrom 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

This is a difficult audio with lots of words and phrases that can't be understood. I'll go through it and see what I can pick from it. - DC

Monday, September 19, 2022

Society

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.comfrom 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

This is a difficult audio with lots of words and phrases that can't be understood. I'll go through it and see what I can pick from it. - DC

Saturday, September 17, 2022

Forget

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.comfrom 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

This is a difficult audio with lots of words and phrases that can't be understood. I'll go through it and see what I can pick from it. - DC

Friday, September 16, 2022

Nothing

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.comfrom 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

This is a difficult audio with lots of words and phrases that can't be understood. I'll go through it and see what I can pick from it. - DC

Thursday, September 15, 2022

Moment

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.comfrom 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

This is a difficult audio with lots of words and phrases that can't be understood. I'll go through it and see what I can pick from it. - DC

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Three Points continued

A ritual of ours is we bow with each other. The teachings are three but it's really only truth. And what is Buddha and bowing? Buddha is only Buddha. At the same time, I don't know who Buddha is [laughs], and Buddha is doing something for us, and we are offering something to Buddha. But the actual meaning is not different—the same thing. So, we should not take those three statements in three ways. Actually it is one statement.          --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture 66-01-22N - as found on shunryusuzuki.comfrom 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

This is a difficult audio with lots of words and phrases that can't be understood. I'll go through it and see what I can pick from it. - DC

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Advice

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.

Three Points

Buddha is constantly doing true practice. So, with true practice, we have three points. One is, we practice zazen. The next is Buddha practices zazen. The third one is Buddha practices Buddha. We are Buddha when we practice zazen.          --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture 66-01-22N - as found on shunryusuzuki.comfrom 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

This is a difficult audio with lots of words and phrases that can't be understood. I'll go through it and see what I can pick from it. - DC

Buddha

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.comfrom 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


This is a difficult audio with lots of words and phrases that can't be understood. I'll go through it and see what I can pick from it. - DC

Saturday, September 10, 2022

Cake

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.comfrom 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


This is a difficult audio with lots of words and phrases that can't be understood. I'll go through it and see what I can pick from it. - DC

Friday, September 9, 2022

Many things

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.comfrom 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


This is a difficult audio with lots of words and phrases that can't be understood. I'll go through it and see what I can pick from it. - DC

Thursday, September 8, 2022

Grasp

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.comfrom 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


Today's quote is a conclusion Suzuki has drawn from a story Dogen tells of Tokusan and an old woman. This is a difficult audio with lots of words and phrases that can't be understood. I'll go through it and see what I can pick from it. - DC

A Class on Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

 Check it out at the this page on the Monterey Bay Zen Center site.

Wednesday, September 7, 2022

20 years ago

 Issan Tommy Dorsey died - a remembrance from Ken Ireland

Talk at end of Sesshin

It will be necessary for us to continue our practice with our perfect effort, and actually we have completed our sesshin. What we complete will be to build or become more meaningful if you extend this practice into tomorrow. In this way we extend our practice from today to tomorrow, and from sitting practice to everyday life. This is itself our way of practice.        --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture 66-01-22N - as found on shunryusuzuki.comfrom 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

This is a difficult audio with lots of words and phrases that can't be understood. I'll go through it and see what I can pick from it. - DC

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Conclusion - Thank You

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.comfrom 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.

Monday, September 5, 2022

Thank You

 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.comfrom 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.

Saturday, September 3, 2022

Impressed

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.comfrom 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.

Friday, September 2, 2022

Always

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.comfrom 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.

Thursday, September 1, 2022

Forever

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.comfrom 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.