Not Exactly

The Saddharma Pundarika Sutra was supposed to be told by Buddha, but actually this sutra appeared maybe two or three hundred years after Buddha passed away. So historically we cannot say Buddha spoke this sutra. If you ask if all the sutras were spoken by Buddha, the answer may be that only parts of them were spoken by him. And they will not be exactly as he said them. Even the Hinayana sutras were not handed down by Buddha’s disciples exactly as he told them. Since even the Hinayana sutras were not told by Buddha, the Mahayana sutras could not have been told by him.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-20 as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Step by Step

As some Zen masters say, “Our way is like walking step by step.” This is our practice. When you stand on one leg you should forget the other leg. This is step by step. This is true practice. If you stick to right leg or left leg, left foot or right foot, you cannot walk [laughs]. This is how we practice our way. This is complete freedom.

Margot Patterson Doss - SF Chronicle columnist, 1974

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

A Silly Mistake

I am not emphasizing the Soto way instead of the Rinzai way, but as long as you practice zazen in Zen Center, you should practice Zen Center’s way, or else you will be involved in personal practice. You will be carving your own dragon, always, thinking this is the true dragon. That is a silly [laughs] mistake. You shouldn’t create this kind of problem for your practice.

Original artwork by Karen Hamilton

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Featured Cuke Archives page

Toni Weisberg was Toni Johansen in her Zen Center days. She and her husband Tony came to the SFZC in 1965. Listen to her podcasts and read her notebook and interview. http://cuke.com/f
 

Forgetting

You should not listen to the various instructions in detail. They may help—the instructions will, of course, help you only when you are ready to practice zazen according to the place where you practice, forgetting all about old ways of practice you have had.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Complete Freedom

To talk about freedom is quite easy. But actually to have it is not so easy. Unless you are able to have freedom from yourself, you will never have freedom from everything. Or, if you only have freedom from yourself, you will have complete freedom from everything. How we attain this freedom is our practice.

Dan Welch and Peter Schneider's Ordination, 1970

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

No Problem

If you sit one year, most students will actually have this quality of calmness in practice. But when you try to figure out what your practice is, you have a problem. You create problems which do not belong to your practice. If you just sit, there is no problem for most of our students, but sometimes you create problems, that’s all. And you fight with the problems, that’s all [laughs]. You are creating them, actually. In your zazen there is no problem.

Drawing by Stan White

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

As Long As This Universe Exists

Actually, there is no problem for us. But as a human being who lives in this world, to constantly practice our way is necessary as long as this universe exists. With this feeling, with this complete calmness of our mind, we should practice our way.

From Wind Bell cover, Summer 1968

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

No Birth, No Death - Nonin's calligraphy, poetry, and other writings

No Birth, No Death is a collection of essays, poetry, and calligraphy by Rev. Nonin Chowaney, abbot of the Nebraska Zen Center.  - edited by Tessho Michael D’Elia - check it out

Nonin Chowaney cuke page

The Only Thing We Can Say

Actually we are practicing Dogen’s way day by day, but for us there is no time to figure out what he meant completely. And even though we human beings continue his way forever, we will not be able to say this is his way. The only thing we can say is this is the way which has no end and no beginning, and from this way we cannot escape. That is all that we can say.

Circumambulating Mt. Arunachala in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, 2011

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Dogen’s Practice

Dogen’s practice is something beyond formal practice or spiritual practice, and even beyond enlightenment. The more you try to figure it out, the more you feel distance from your practice and from his practice, and yet there is some practice which cannot be escaped from.

Tassajara, winter-spring practice period 1974

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Podcast with Lynne Lockie (Warkov)

Lynne Lockie, then Warkov, came to Sokoji in 1960 with her husband Saul Warkov. She was a founder of the Minneapolis Zen Meditation Center in Minneapolis that invited Dainin Katagiri to be their teacher. She became a psychoanalyst and retired recently from teaching mindfulness at the New College in Sarasota, Florida. She is still involved in contemplative practice. 

Podbean, host podcast link. On other platforms as Cuke Audio Podcast.

Cuke podcast page

Featured Cuke Archives page

One Who Stayed: An Interview with Sojun Mel Weitsman (from SFZC.org) - July 2, 2014. http://cuke.com/f

Always Practicing Zazen

So, shikantaza is not a matter of whether you practice zazen or not. Even if you do not practice our way in a cross-legged position, actually if you have the point, you are always practicing zazen. Even when you are sleeping, you are actually practicing zazen.

At Mount Phou Si, Luang Prabang, Laos

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

True Shikantaza

Usually when you become very much attached to something, you have no freedom from it. But because of complete freedom, for us it is possible to be involved in or to be attached to something completely. That is shikantaza, true shikantaza.

Photo by Barbara Lubanski

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Deeply Involved / Complete Freedom

Usually, ichingyo-zammai is understood “to be completely involved in some kind of practice.” It is so, but at the same time, even though we are deeply involved in a kind of practice, at the same time we should have complete freedom from it. Do you understand [laughs]?

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

With Form and Color or Without

For Buddhists there are two ways to understand reality: by form and color and, without form or color.

From the book cover for Standing Ground by Tim Buckley

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Sometimes

People write many books about Zen. But they are not true, you know. There is some true dragon which is very difficult to figure out. “What is it? Is this a dragon or a snake [laughs]? Looks like a snake. No good,” some scholar may say. But true zazen sometimes looks like a snake instead of a dragon. So, you cannot say true zazen is a dragon, or a true dragon, or a miniature dragon. It is not possible to figure out. If it takes the same form always, that is not a true dragon.

Art by Kazuaki Tanahashi

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Zen Architecture

I gave a copy of this book to both sons for Xmas, Kelly in Spokane and Clay in Ashland. Both of them loved the book. They both were overboard with praise for it and were looking forward to delving into it more. It's only available from the author, Paul Discoe, master builder who built Tassajara's stone wall kitchen, the Lindesfarne House and more at Green Gulch, and who was in charge of all the incredible buildings and bridge and more at Larry Ellison's estate in Woodside, a $200,000,000 job. Paul worked with a temple and other fine carpentry team for years in Japan. - DC

There's a lot about the book on Amazon where it's available as a Kindle. Check that for the praise and info. Kindle can't do it justice though. 

To get the hardcopy Zen Architecture, which originally sold for $40 - 

send a check for $25 to 5227 Fleming Ave, Oakland, CA 94619 and include their address and Paul will send you a copy postpaid. If you're in the US that is. 

Paul Discoe cuke page  

Looks Like Rinzai; Looks Like Soto

If you read recent books written by many scholars, you will find various opinions about Zen literature or Zen thought; or what is Bodhidharma’s way; whether Bodhidharma was a historical person or not; what is shikantaza; what is koan practice. But, in short, I don’t say all of them [laughs], but most of the teachers and scholars are talking about their own dragon. It is easy to analyze or to compare one dragon to another because they are carved into some form already. So, ”Ah this is a Soto dragon [laughs], or this is a Rinzai dragon [laughing].” But the Soto way is not so easy to figure what it will be [laughs]. Looks like Rinzai; looks like Soto [laughs, laughter]. Maybe Soto [laughs]. —cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Crooked Cucumber Chinese Translation

Crooked Cucumber Chinese Translation was published this year.

Read the intro to it by DC and more.

buy it at Yahoo

Featured Cuke Archives page

Linda Hess came to the SF Zen Center in 1974 after a decade of studies and seeking in India. She's written three books focusing on the poet Kabir. Read more about her and listen to our podcast: http://cuke.com/f.

The Feeling in This Zendo

Sometimes I allow people who are sticking to their old ways. I allow people to do that, but strictly speaking those who come and practice zazen here should be completely involved in the feeling we have in this zendo, and practice our way with people according to my instructions. That is what you should do. But people who do not know what real emptiness or a dragon is may think he is forcing his way [laughs] on us. And, “Sokoji is a Soto Zen temple. I have been practicing the Rinzai way.” But that is not true. We are practicing our way transmitted from Buddha to us. We are one of the Buddha’s disciples. And we practice zazen with Buddha, with patriarchs.

Sokoji zazen, 1968

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

A Mistake

I’m talking about Shobogenzo, but this is also, maybe, a carved dragon. But at least when we do something, there must be something which is supposed to be a true dragon. I know that [laughs]. In this way we practice zazen. You come and practice zazen in this zendo where there should be a true dragon. But the instant you think, “This is the true dragon,” that is a mistake. But knowing that, if you come to this zendo, you should practice zazen with people, forgetting all about your carving or your painting. You should practice zazen with your friends, in this zendo, completely involved in the atmosphere we have here.

Tassajara, winter-spring practice period 1974

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Includes

Some people may explain what zazen is in a philosophical way. Some try to express our zazen in literature, or painting, or a scientific way, without knowing that that is their own dragon, not a real one [laughs]. That is all right, but we should know that there must be a way to whip the cart. Or we should know that there is a true dragon which has no form and no color, which is called nothingness or emptiness, and which includes koan practice, and so-called shikantaza, and various Hinayana ways of practice, and pre-Buddhistic practice. This is the practice transmitted from Buddha to us.

Print by Arthur Okamura offered in 1973 Wind Bell

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Comments on SR at BR Mt. Seat

We've been going through some old folders and found some files to enter on to cuke. Like this one with a few people's comments on Shunryu Suzuki at Richard Baker's Mountain Seat Ceremony in 1971. There are many other such comments on cuke and we have added that to our list of things to get to—which extends to the moon and back.

Carved Dragons

Those who talk about shikantaza mostly understand that is the Soto way, and koan practice is Rinzai’s way. This is like Seiko loving dragons. Those are carved dragons, not real ones. Each one of us practices zazen in his own way, with his own understanding. That is right. And he continues that kind of practice, thinking that, “This is right practice.” So, even though he is sitting in a zendo, he is involved in his own practice. In other words, he is carefully carving his own dragon [laughs], which is not real. That is what most people are doing.

Drawing by Stan White

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

How a Jesuit Became a Buddhist

 How a Jesuit Became a Buddhist 

by Ken Ireland

from his Jesus Koan blog

Ken Ireland cuke page

True Practice

Usually, we understand that shikantaza is formal practice, and koan practice is more mental practice. But this kind of understanding is not complete. This kind of understanding is the understanding of blind men or Seiko. True practice is not formal practice, or so-called shikantaza, or koan practice. None of those. Those practices are just the practice of to whip the ox. The true practice we mean is true shikantaza, not a shikantaza that is the opposite of koan practice.

Drawing of Jizo by Morikazu Kumagai in the Fall 1985 Wind Bell

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Remembering the Dragon

Remembering the Dragon: Recollections of Suzuki Roshi by his Students

This little book, edited by Gil Fronsdal, was published by his Sati Center and the SFZC in 2004 in commemoration of the 100th birthday of Shunryu Suzuki.

It's available from the SFZC bookstore for a donation

bookstore@sfzc.org --- (415) 354-0397

cuke bibliography entry for Remembering the Dragon 

Gil Fronsdal cuke page

Whip the Cart

Nangaku told Baso, “When a cart does not go, do you whip the horse or the cart? Which do you whip?” [Laughs.] 

Dogen Zenji says usually no person hits the cart when it doesn’t go. Usually people hit an ox instead of a cart. But in our way, there should be a way to whip a cart when it doesn’t go. Usually when you practice zazen, almost all of you just whip the ox [laughs]. You are giving a pretty hard whip on your practice, without knowing to whip the cart. But we should know that there is another way of practice: to whip the cart instead of the ox. To whip an ox—ox symbolizes mind. The cart means body. And it means also formal practice of zazen. And ox means attainment, spiritual attainment. And cart means physical practice.

Photo from DCs 2011 India Trip Notes, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Featured Cuke Archives page

RIP Professor John K. Nelson who died on Dec. 18, 2023. A Cuke Archives Podcast with John recorded in October was posted on Jan. 1, 2024. - http://cuke.com/f

Polishing a Tile

When Baso was practicing zazen, Nangaku, who passed by, asked the disciple Baso, “What are you doing?” [Laughs.]  “Of course, I am practicing zazen.” And Nangaku asked, “Why do you practice zazen?” And Baso said, “I want to attain buddhahood.” And Nangaku did not say anything, but he picked up a tile and started to polish it. This time, Baso started to wonder and asked him, “What are you doing?” “I am making a jewel.” [Laughs.]

Tile work by Niels Holm

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Art by Jim Traversy

Art by Jim Traversy

Jim Traversy's Facebook page with more

Interviews with Early Shunryu Suzuki students

An interview Peter Schneider conducted with three very early Shunryu Suzuki students - Betty Warren, Della Goertz, and Bill Kwong 

photo L to R - Betty Warren, Laura Kwong, Bill Kwong, Della Goertz c.2000

Interviews

Over and Over

Most of us are practicing our way like a blind man. That is why we have to start our practice over and over. You think you are practicing real zazen, but it may not be so. So, if you notice that you haven’t been practicing true zazen, you have to start practicing true zazen again. And over and over, we have to start our zazen, because we are always liable to practice zazen like a blind man.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Elephant

Dogen Zenji says, “Don’t practice your way as if you were a blind man trying to figure out what an elephant is.” A real elephant is not a trunk or rope or fan or wall. But a blind man may think an elephant is like a wall or rope or trunk. But a real elephant is none of those. Over and over, we have to start our zazen because we are always liable to practice zazen like a blind man.

Drawing by Stan White

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

By Mistake

Before you enter the zendo, you should attain enlightenment [laughs]. Do you understand? Dogen said, “If you enter a zendo by mistake, you should go out.” [Laughs.] If you want to enter a zendo, you should be really prepared for practicing pure practice. “By mistake” [laughs]—isn’t it interesting? I think almost all of you entered the zendo by mistake [laughs, laughter]. If so, take a rest in our Zen apartment across the street, and come back again [laughs].

Apartment building at 340 Page Street, San Francisco

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

RIP John K Nelson

We just learned that John K. Nelson has recently died. John was the guest of the Cuke Podcast posted a couple of days ago. The actual conversation took place in October. while he was in Victoria, British Colombia where he had some teaching gig. He had moved to Eugene, Oregon, in recent years after retiring from the University of San Francisco. John has been a friend of mine and Cuke Archives for about twenty years. I first met him when he invited me to speak to his class on Zen at the USF. One of the books that was required reading for the course was Thank You and OK! 

Condolences to his widow and son, Max, who sent the following message.

On the morning of December 18th,  John Nelson passed away suddenly at the age of 70 in Eugene, Oregon. We were all taken completely by surprise as he ate healthy, exercised regularly, and had no obvious indicators of an oncoming medical event.  (On a personal note, I encourage everyone reading this to write down your logins and passwords on paper and store them somewhere your loved ones can find them, as this entire process would have been made even more difficult without those records. I actually told him it was a bad idea, but now I’m glad he didn’t listen to me.)

John K. Nelson cuke page

[not to be confused with John E. Nelson, our dear departed dharma brother who was with the SFZC for years]] 

"Before enlightenment, we should attain enlightenment."

If our community expands, we will have big problems. I’m sure you will say, it’s better not to [laughs]. Before you say so, you should think why [laughs]. Why is this a problem for me? The more I think about this point, the more I find out why Dogen Zenji put emphasis on shikantaza. He says: “First of all, before we practice zazen, in delusion we should set up our pure way of practice. Before enlightenment, we should attain enlightenment.”

Drawing by Stan White

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Many Mandalas

When our community is based on the idea of “whatever you do, that is buddha—that is shikantaza” there is no problem. We will enjoy our problems even. To have various problems is to have many mandalas. Without this shikantaza, all the teaching and mandalas will be a cause of trouble.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Happy New Year

Yes indeed. A happy new year to one and all and you.  We're looking forward to providing you with another year of posts, podcasts, and whatever else it is we do. Take care! - DC

Check out Who We Are. - there are photos of us there 

Noah is our gone beyond mascot. He was at the first practice period at Tassajara.