One by One

When you get up, you brush your teeth and wash your face. That is practice. You do each one by one carefully. And when you practice zazen, you practice zazen. One by one. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-04-B - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Everything Is Suchness, Everything Cannot Be Grasped

Everything in one sense is suchness. On the other hand, it is something which we cannot grasp. For instance, you think here is a beautiful flower, but that beautiful flower is always changing. You cannot grasp it, even while you are watching the changes. So, you think you see it, but actually you didn't see the flower itself which is changing. Everything is on one side something which cannot be grasped: “What?” On the other hand, even for a while, it is there in that way. So, everything is suchness, and everything cannot be grasped. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-04-B - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

A Very Convenient Word to Express Reality

Dogen Zenji found a very good Chinese word to express this kind of truth: inmo. Inmo has two meanings. One is a positive meaning: “suchness.” The other is the interrogative meaning: “What is it?” Inmo is interrogative, and it is affirmative too. This is a very convenient word to express reality. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-04-B - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

The Background of Reality

We think something we see is reality, but it is not so. And what we feel is reality, but it is not so. The reality and something which is observed by our six senses is one, you know. So just what we see is not true without the background of reality. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-04-B - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

No Gap Between Practice and Enlightenment

The more we study our way, the more difficult it is to explain it. But Dogen Zenji thought there must be some way to make his descendants understand the true way. He made a great effort to express this kind of subtle truth. In Zazengi, he says, “If there is the slightest gap between perfect enlightenment and practice, the difference will be heaven and earth.” There should not be any gap between practice and enlightenment, or reality and seeming. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-04-B - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Balancing Pain

If you have some pain or some difficulty, it is a good chance to practice because controlling power will appear. If you do not know this secret [laughs], you will just be involved in pain. But if you know the other side of pain, you will appreciate it and balance it with the power of training. Without pain maybe it is rather difficult for a beginner to appreciate the power of Zen. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-02 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Amazing Bees

 Lew Richmond keeps churning out wonderful articles. Here's a recent one: The Custom of Telling the Bees.

Lewis Richmond cuke page

Natural Tummy Power

In this sesshin, our practice is concentrated on putting more power in your tummy, but that does not mean, to put special power in it. It means to put some power quite naturally—without trying too much to put strength in your tummy. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-02 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Make a Shift

This kind of concentration cannot be studied by usual everyday activity. When you have some object, somehow your effort is directed toward that object. It means your effort is working one way only, and you cannot understand how to change its direction. But by practice of pure Zen, you will practice how to make a shift in your effort. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-02 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Natural Concentration

Our way of concentration is not the usual concentration. Concentration usually means to be involved in something. But at the same time, we should have freedom. So, this kind of concentration is deeper and more natural. If you are trying to concentrate on something, your effort is directed only one way, and it is difficult to change it. If your concentration is quite natural, you can change any time, and you will be ready to change your direction of effort. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-02 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Always Ready

For the old teachers there was no cessation in their practice. They were always practicing their way. They were always ready for various activities. That is how we should be concentrated on our activity. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-02 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Not Mysterious

Not “mysterious,” you know. Too obvious. Too clear. So we sometimes call it “reality,” you know, “reality.” It is too obvious. So Zen is not mysterious at all. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-02 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Edited Shunryu Suzuki Audio

Here's the page for the few done so far. The new edition, 65-07-30B has the title Science or Philosophy is Like a Dissection

Cannot Say Anything

It is mysterious that we cannot say anything. Having big words, even a Zen master like Baso whose tongue reached his nose, cannot say anything. If he says something, you should pull his tongue. He shouldn't fool us by his long tongue. Give me it! That is right, you know. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-02 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Paula Pietranera- ART EXHIBITION

Opening Reception: Friday November 4, 5:00 - 8:00 pm 

On view: November 3 - 6, 9:30 am - 7:00 pm 

SF Zen Center Conference Center, 308 Page Street, San Francisco 

art - 1000 wishes 1000 cranes 

Mysterious

Here the translation says “mysterious.” Mysterious means it is beyond words. You can understand it, but you cannot put it in words because it is not possible to say various understandings from all angles. If you say from one side, you cannot say, at the same time, from the other side. That is why we say “mysterious.” So, even enlightened masters cannot say anything properly. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-02 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Letters Written on a High Rugged Rock

As Dogen Zenji said in his poem, it is like letters written on a high rugged rock on the seashore. Even though you try to see it, you cannot because it is too high. But the high rock on the rugged seashore is always there, giving various teachings to us. This kind of teaching is true teaching. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-02 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Teaching out of Letters

Our power is something like this, figuratively speaking. Something which is beyond our understanding. Something which you cannot put in words. So we say: “teaching out of letters,” teaching which will be understood if we have ears to listen and eyes to see it. But if we do not have eyes to see it, we cannot see it. That is the teaching out of letters. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-02 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Special Power

If your practice is right, you will be ready for various activities. The power we will gain by our practice is not common power. It is special power. It is special because it can be everything. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-02 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Study a Koan from Various Angles

This kind of koan is very interesting. If you study a koan from various angles, you will appreciate the endless, limitless meaning in it. Our way of life should be like this. And even between a great Zen master and great disciple, the way we talk will not be different from a usual person. But the difference is whether we are ready for various circumstances and conditions. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-02 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

A Very Tricky Question

“What is it?” This is a very tricky question. It may be wild geese. And, at the same time, it is not just wild geese. When we see something, buddha-nature should follow. So wild geese are not just wild geese. For Zen students wild geese are not wild geese. Hyakujo is not just Hyakujo, and Baso Horsemaster too. He is also buddha-nature itself. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-02 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Something to Appreciate

It is not something to acquire, but it is something to appreciate. Just to sit is to be ready for various activities or stimulation which will come from outside. But if your mind is caught by something, you will lose your true mind. So, without being caught by anything, just to sit without even thinking is our true practice. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-02 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Inner Power of Practice

Our inner power of practice will respond to each situation like a bell. If hit strong, the sound will be strong. If hit soft, the sound will be soft. Our true nature or true power does not make sounds, but actually whatever we do, the power should be there. We should understand our Zen practice power this way. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-02 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Go Back One Mile

The power to pull is the power to push. There is no power just to pull or just to push. So, that you can go one mile means that you can go one mile backward. In your everyday life, if you want to go one mile, you should practice zazen and go back one mile. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-01-B - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

A New Japanese Translation of Zen Mind Beginner's Mind

Zen Maindo Begnazu Maindo translated into Japanese by Issho Fujita, published by PHP Institute in 2022. A complete translation of the 50th Anniversary Edition with David Chadwick's Afterword.

Among Steve Jobs’ favorite books ever since his early years. THE ULTIMATE INTRODUCTION TO ZEN! Translated and published in more than 24 countries! A new translation of the ancient authors’ words made easy to understand by an active priest who taught for many years in America! - banner translated by Fred Harriman

ZMBM versions

Know the Point of Practice

If you do not know the point of practice, even if you have a good Zen master, you cannot study Zen because you cannot appreciate true activity. If you know why you should practice zazen and what zazen is, you will find out the way we should be: how to achieve something without much effort. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-01-B - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Without Trying To Be Appropriate

When we stop working, we should stop working. We should not be too enthusiastic. If I am caught by something in my work, I lose complete freedom from the work. To practice quite naturally in an appropriate way, without trying to be appropriate, is the way it should be. — Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 67-12-01-B - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Quite Natural

So to do something with the right feeling is the purpose of practice. You may see someone who does things in quite appropriate ways with a very harmonious feeling. If someone else imitates his practice, it will be an extremely rigid way. But for him it is quite natural. I know some Zen masters who had this kind of feeling.  --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 67-12-01-B - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.

Realize the Limitless Meaning

 Although it may be difficult to understand when I say, you do not take a bath because you are dirty; you do not wash your face because it is dirty. We mean your everyday activity should not be too involved in restrictive ideas. You should not evaluate too much or too little. You should obtain freedom in your way and realize the limitless meaning of our activity.  --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 67-12-01-B - as found on shunryusuzuki.com edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo.