A Matter of Spirit

So, when you decide on a rule, you have to be very careful. If it is too strict, you will pay. And if it is too loose, it will not work. Our tradition was built up in this way. And this understanding should be followed. But I don’t mean mental understanding or logical understanding. There must be some good feeling in observing it. Not feeling, but the understanding should be pure understanding. That is why our monastic life is difficult to establish. It is not a matter of the building. It is a matter of spirit, and a matter of people who can be responsible for that.

Photo by Barbara Lubanski-Wenger - SFZC-1980

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-AN as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Duality and Oneness

In duality, actually, there is oneness. Oneness will be expressed by duality. Duality and oneness in a zendo it is one. But in your everyday life, duality and duality is one [laughs]; no oneness exists. In its true sense, duality and duality is one, and one and one is one. This formula is very important, but in the usual sense, duality is duality; it means nothing–it is just confusion. Form is emptiness; emptiness is form; form is form; emptiness is emptiness; we will understand this formula in the zendo. But in your everyday life, it doesn’t make any sense.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-AN as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Some Means

Without a medium it is impossible to get contact with pure mind, or even an inmost request. Without some means, it is impossible to express your inmost nature. Everyday life is also the expression of inmost nature, but our everyday life is too dualistic. So, in everyday life it is almost impossible to study inmost nature. Only in a zendo is it possible to study inmost nature. And if you get accustomed to this kind of life, you can apply this way in your everyday life, so that you may not be bothered by the duality of the world.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-AN as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Featured Cuke Archives page

Report from the Black Forest - At Dharma Sangha's Zen Buddhist Center in the Black Forest with Katrinka for three weeks. Talk about spending time with Zentatsu Richard Baker and Tatsudo Nicole Baden and some mundane stuff.

Without Any Discrimination

Just do it, good or bad [laughs]. Convenient or inconvenient is not the question. When we decide on some rules, it is important to know whether they are practical or not. So, the rules should be decided little by little, we cannot force anything, and the rules will be created by yourselves. But once you have decided on some rules, we should obey completely, until we change the rules. The important thing is how to obey our rules. Once decided, we should obey the rules without any discrimination. Good or bad is out of consideration. In this way, you will learn pure mind.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-AN as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Pure Practice

This idea is very important: all discrimination in your mind is not there, when you practice something. That is pure practice. Or else all that you do will be just dualistic. This way is very difficult to apply in your everyday life, but if you have this attitude in your inmost heart, you can do anything, and you will be pure and free from the duality of the world.

Image generated by ChatGPT

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-AN as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Pure Rules

SR: When you pass a monastery officer’s seat, you have to bow. 

Student: Do you bow even if he is not sitting there? 

SR: Even when he is not there, you should bow. We call them Pure Rules. Pure Rules are not dualistic rules. Pure Rules are absolute rules, and it is not a matter of to obey or not to obey, you have to just do it. As you practice zazen, you just sit, and that is zazen.

Image generated by Google Gemini

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-28-AN as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Medicine Walk

The Vision Walkers Collective says come walk with us on The Medicine Walk, Saturday, October 4, 2025.

or gather some friends, take a walk and share your gratitude

Jo Wunderly is one of the leaders. - thanks Jo

Intuition

You should always have intuition. Without trying to do something, your intuitive action should help others. If you actually have bodhisattva-mind, you can help others anyway. The bodhisattva-mind is to pursue good, and truth and beauty. To follow the way is bodhisattva-mind. If one person follows the right way, that one person will help hundreds of people.

Drawing by Michael Sawyer

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Audiobook Intro

Introduction to the Audiobook for Tassajara Stories 

It's missing temporarily in Audible—Preface is repeated twice—this glitch has been fixed but it takes time for a change to show up. If you've already bought yours, don't worry—they automatically update.

***

Welcome to the audiobook for Tassajara Stories, a Sort of Memoir/Oral History of the First Zen Buddhist monastery in the West—The first year, 1967.

Hi, I'm David Chadwick. I wrote Tassajara Stories and I narrate the audiobook, which is published by Monkfish Book Publishing Company. This audiobook is a production of Rumah Putih Studio, located upstairs in our home in Sanur, on the island of Bali. The final EQ and mastering were done by Tude Artasedana of Kubuku Studio, Bali. The audiobook does not include the end matter from the book, acknowledgments and some notes, or the images. You can find all that and a great deal more—extensive notes and background at cuke.com/ts. The musical segue between the parts of the audiobook is Kim Patra on harmonica playing a tiny snippet From Walkin' Down Dusty Road, a song I sing midway through the book. Oh yeah, one other thing. This is just the first book of Tassajara stories. There will be books and audiobooks to come with more Tassajara stories. That's enough. Let's go. I'll be your guide through Tassajara stories. 

MP3 

To Be Natural

Just to respond to some outward stimulation is not right. That is to behave like just animal-like [laughs]. That is not what we mean by “to be natural.” To be natural means to follow the pattern of human life, not animal life. We make a clear distinction from animal life, natural as a human being, or natural as an animal. If someone hits you, to hit back is an animal-like response. You should remember your true inmost nature.

Image generated by Leonardo.ai

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

@JerryBrownGov on X

https://x.com/JerryBrownGov/status/1973100878400987357

---

Tassajara Stories

A Sort of Memoir/Oral History of the First Zen Buddhist Monastery in the West
The First Year—1967

---

A Great Help

Before attaining perfect enlightenment, just to seek enlightenment is a great help for others. That is what I’m talking about. Even though you haven’t attained enlightenment, but to try to attain enlightenment is good enough to help others.

August 25, 1970, Jukai lay ordination ceremony at City Center

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Brave Enough Observing Your Way

Actually, to help others is to help yourself. And to help yourself without paying any attention to others [laughs] is also to help others. If you are observing your way carefully, that will help others. When almost all people are discouraged, if you are brave enough or good enough to observe your way, that will be great encouragement for others.

Photo from SF Chronicle by Jim Marshall

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Help Others – Help Yourself

Actually, to help others and to help yourself is the same, not different. To try not to have regrets in life is to help myself and to help others. It is true that we feel better when we help others more than when we help ourselves because we are so selfish [laughs]. Actually, we are pretty selfish. And we know to be selfish is not so good, so we always try not to be selfish. Your voice of conscience will tell you, “Don’t be selfish. That’s too much. You are too selfish.” So usually, we try not to be selfish.

First Page St. Gardeners, 1977 – Photo from Ginny Baker, uploaded to Barbara Lubanski-Wenger’s Flickr

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Featured Cuke Archives page

Barrie Mottishaw is a landscape artist who spent years at the Jones Farm on Quadra Island, a Zen community that was started by students at the San Francisco Zen Center. Learn about that and more in our podcast and see some of her work.

Save Others

Bodhisattva-mind is universal to everyone. There is no difference between a priest or layman. There is no difference for a wise man. When we have way-seeking mind we are all bodhisattvas. Enlightenment, or way-seeking mind, or to help others before we attain enlightenment is bodhisattva spirit. Before you save yourself, you should save others. This is also bodhisattva-mind.

Sign made by Sally Baker-Photo from Ginny Baker, uploaded to Barbara Lubanski-Wenger’s Flickr

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Failing with True Spirit

So, it is not only enlightenment that is valuable. Failing with true spirit is also valuable. It has the same meaning. That is why even when your zazen is not perfect, it has the same meaning if you have way-seeking mind. If you do not have way-seeking mind, even when you attain enlightenment, that is so-called “dry enlightenment” [laughter]. Dry enlightenment. No meaning in it.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Hit or Miss

Dogen Zenji said when you hit the mark, that is the same effort you have been making. Suppose after failing ninety-nine times, you hit the mark at the one-hundredth time. The meaning of “hit the mark” and the meaning of “missing the mark” should be the same. The difference is, now you hit the mark [laughs]. From a materialistic viewpoint, to miss the mark is not good at all. You should hit the mark. But from the meaning of actual practice, even though you miss it, the meaning of the practice is the same: to hit the mark or miss the mark is not different. That is our enlightenment.

Image generated by Google Gemini

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Supported by Way-seeking Mind

Enlightenment is not only a kind of psychological state of mind. When the psychological state of mind is supported by right wisdom, we call it enlightenment. When it is supported by way-seeking mind, that is called enlightenment. If you obtain the same psychological state of mind by LSD [laughter], if you lack the way-seeking mind, we do not call it enlightenment. That is a quite different matter. It should be based on a way-seeking mind.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Featured Cuke Archives page

DC reads the Preface to Tassajara Stories. Full title - Tassajara Stories: A Sort of Memoir/Oral History of the First Zen Buddhist Monastery in the West—The First Year, 1967. Publishing date for the book/audio book/ebook is September 23, 2025. Go to cuke.com to read reviews and so forth.

Way-seeking Mind

In morality you have freedom of choice. You can take bad instead of good [laughs]. But in religion we have no alternative way. But it is our choice. Which way to go is up to us. And yet for us there is no other way than to take good. This is way-seeking mind. To pursue truth and beauty is also our way-seeking mind. There is some difference from ethics. This mind is the traditional mind transmitted from Buddha to us, and for Zen students this spirit is most important.

Drawing by Stan White

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

No Alternative Way

I’m going to talk now about the problem of choosing one of the two: good or bad. Refraining from bad to take good is way-seeking mind, not from a moral viewpoint but from a religious viewpoint. When we take a religious viewpoint, there is no alternative way. We choose good, and we refrain from bad. There is no alternative way. But if you have no way-seeking mind, or if you have no idea of religion, you will wonder which to choose.

Image generated by Leonardo.AI

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Opposite Viewpoint

When you take a religious viewpoint, everything becomes opposite [laughs]. If you are talking from a scientific standpoint, and we are talking from a religious standpoint, the same statement makes a big difference. When we say, “Zen is wonderful. Whatever you do, that is Zen. Even though you are doing something wrong, that is Zen. Whatever you do is Zen. That is why I like Zen.” [Laughter] I think you will have this kind of misunderstanding about Zen. But what we actually mean is quite opposite.

Image generated by ChatGPT

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Way It Should Be

When we say, “to observe things as it is” it means “to see things as it should be” [laughs]. For you, these are opposites. For you, “as it should be” and “as it is” are quite different. “As it should be” means “it is not so, but it should be so.” It means you want to be moral. But human beings are not always moral. When you are not religious, when you are not good, that is how you are. So “way it should be” means morality or religion. And “way as it is” is science. But for us, “things as it is” is morality, not science. So, to observe “things as it is” means to be moral and to be religious. It’s what I mean by “way it should be” [laughs]. So, the statement is the same, but what we mean is not the same.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Suzuki Flower Buddhism and Science

Yesterday's Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpt implied that seeing things in a scientific way was to see a flower as static, not something always changing like Buddhism. I'm confident to say Suzuki was wrong and didn't understand that science for a long time has seen phenomena as ever changing too. 

I was in a class on the scientific method and the professor pointed out that from a scientific point of view "this chair isn't a chair" and explained how it's made up of atoms etc. always moving and it would be more accurate to call it - I forget what he said - something like chairness or chairing. At that point I said, "Oh - like Buddhism." "No!" he exploded and said a bunch of ignorant stuff about Buddhism. I got him together with Reb and they got along quite well and he changed his mind about Buddhism as Suzuki would have about science if someone had talked to him about it at that time which might have happened at a later date. He wasn't attached to his views so it wouldn't have been hard for him to see his error. Or he might have known better at the time but used the word science carelessly. - DC

Yesterday's post:

You think “there is a flower.” But the actual flower is changing. But you see the flower— “there is a flower, and this flower is always like this.” This is, perhaps, your understanding of the flower. But actually, the flower is changing. When you see something in a scientific way, actually, you do not see “things as it is.”

Understanding a Flower

You think “there is a flower.” But the actual flower is changing. But you see the flower— “there is a flower, and this flower is always like this.” This is, perhaps, your understanding of the flower. But actually, the flower is changing. When you see something in a scientific way, actually, you do not see “things as it is.”

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

The Esselen People

David Rogers kindly shared with us

Chapter One: the Esselen People

a chapter from A History of the Tassajara Region

cuke Esselen Indians page

David Rogers cuke page

I like his use of the word people instead of Indians - dc

Understanding

In our way of Zen, we emphasize the way-seeking mind, in other words, bodhisattva-mind. In Zen, people say “way it is” or “to observe everything as it is.” But “the way it is” or “to observe things as they are” will not be the same as what you mean by that. I find there are big misunderstandings in your understanding of “way it is” or “to observe things as it is.”

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Keep Religion Sharp

If you cut paper with a razor, the razor will become dull. So, you should not use a razor when you cut paper. That is why Dogen Zenji emphasized the purity of Buddhism. Religion should be pure and sharp always, so that it can serve its original purpose—its own purpose. Leave every other activity for other people. We religious people should devote ourselves to pure genuine religion. And we should keep religion sharp enough to always cut various entanglements completely.

Image generated by Leonardo.ai

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Spreading Indra's Net

A new book by Richard Jaffee (one of the editors)

Spreading Indra's Net: the Columbia Lectures of D.T. Suzuki.

Columbia U. Press page for the book

Amazon

Richard's cuke page

Featured Cuke Archives page

Ted Howell came to the SFZC in the mid-seventies and stuck around a long time. In this podcast, part two of two, he talks about his time at the SF Zen Center and a good deal more.  Listen to the podcast and read more about him on his new Cuke page.

Mixed Up

Someone said Western people failed in creating their culture by ignoring religion. And Oriental people made a great mistake in abusing religion. Buddhism was too handy, so we abused religion too much. So, now we don’t know what true religion is. Oriental religion is mixed up [laughs]. In India, China, Korea, and even Japan, Buddhism is so handy that it’s used instead of medicine. Religion is used instead of education and science; all our culture is based on Buddhism. That is too much. When you abuse something, the true original advantage will be lost.

Image generated by ChatGPT

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Right Way

If I say, “Treat everything in the right way,” it looks very rigid and formal, but it is not so. This secret of Dogen Zenji will work.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

RIP Diana Mukpo

The Passing of
Lady Diana Mukpo 

on the Chronicles of CTR

Chogyam Trungpa cuke page

I met her in 1970 when she and Trungpa and entourage visited Tassajara. She was quiet and sweet at the time. - dc

Here's a snippet with her on that visit. From the 2nd Tassajara Stories book to be published next year.

Stan was in charge of guests. The night of Trungpa’s talk, Suzuki asked Stan to come to his room. When Stan did so, Suzuki handed him a box of powdered incense to give to Trungpa and Diana. Diana answered the door and invited Stan in. Trungpa was in back, so Stan presented the incense to Diana, bowing his head respectfully. Diana did the same and they bumped heads which caused Stan to drop the box spilling the powdered incense on the floor. Trungpa came up and saw the two of them on the floor getting the incense back in the box. Stan looked up and said, “This powdered incense is a gift from Suzuki Roshi.”

 

Trungpa said, “Would you like to have a drink?”

A Combination

Recently, even though you have a very advanced culture, there is something which you don’t know what to do about, that is your mind [laughs]. You don’t know what to do with this mind. You have various tools, but you have no mind to use them. That is your problem, I think. And we Japanese people have studied what is our mind, but we have become too attached to your civilization and almost forget what we have studied [laughing]. That is our problem just now. So, a combination of the two will create something wonderful, I think.

Image generated by ChatGPT

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Too Bright

For a long time after the Renaissance, you have forgotten the value of religion. You have tried to exchange science and philosophy for religion. You are Christian, but actually what you have been doing is replacing science for religion. And you wanted to establish human culture quite free from the authority of religion [laughs]. You had quite good reasons in your effort to try to reform your culture before it became too dark. Now it is too bright. You went too extreme, I think [laughs].

Image generated by Leonardo AI

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Featured Cuke Archives page

Ted Howell | Podcast - Ted Howell came to the SFZC in the mid-seventies and stuck around a long time. In this podcast, part one of two, he talks about what he’s up to these days, his relationship with squirrels and crows, what transpired on his way to Zen Center, his arrival there and the first thing he learned—having to do with footwear. One point of interest is about his early acting training and relationship with Robin Williams.

Beyond Worldly Value

Zazen practice is not the kind of practice you can compare with your everyday activity. This is quite a different practice from your everyday activity. We say, “no value in our practice.” No material value or physical value or mental value. It is beyond any worldly value. And it is the source of all our activity, the source of all our culture.

Image generated by ChatGPT

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Sit on Your Cushion

We say, just sit on your cushion. It may be pretty difficult to find the meaning of “just sit on your cushion.” It may be pretty difficult if you do not know how important it is. But the more you study your life and the more you have problems in your everyday life, you will find out how important it is to practice Zen.

Image generated by Google Gemini

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Do Something Gratefully

This kind of self is what we mean by self, and this kind of life is called a religious life in our sense. So, the best way to repay the mercy of the great boss is to do something. There is no other way. And to be grateful to him is the only way.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

This Boss

The difference between an ordinary boss and this boss is, he does not say anything. He just watches what you are doing. He is always encouraging you, that’s all. He will not give you any suggestions, but because he is your boss and you are his small boss, you will know intuitively what you should do. This is our practice.

Drawing by Stan White

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Good Morning, Boss

One Zen master always called up the boss, and he used to say, “Ohayo gozaimasu, boss” [laughs] “good morning, boss,” “good evening, boss,” “how are you, boss?” The neighbors wondered, he might be crazy. He was always going around saying “good morning” and “good night.” He had no boss, so he must have been crazy. But he was always calling up the big boss who’s always doing something. Even when sleeping, he is doing something [laughs]. If you forget all about the boss, you may eat too much. When you know you are under the control of the big boss, you will not eat too much. You will not do anything wrong. Whatever you do will be right.

Image generated by Leonardo.Ai

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Featured Cuke Archives pages

Peter Ford started helping with Cuke Archives in 2012, maybe earlier. Not sure. Since the day he started he's been pretty much full time. For a number of years he's been the Managing Director of Cuke Archives. Thanks to Peter I can concentrate on special projects. In the podcast we talk about the work he's done and his way-seeking mind story. Nine bows to Peter for all he's done and continues doing - dc. We also talked about the San Francisco Zen Center's review of David's forthcoming book: Tassajara Stories.

What is pure practice?

Now, what I want to ask is, what is our practice? What is pure practice? As I said just now, all practices will be dualistic. When it is dualistic, it looks like rigid rules, but it is not so for a man who realizes true self. Because it is impossible to figure out what it is, we ignore true self. It is not interesting—or you cannot have any interest in studying true self because it is empty. It is empty, but it is there! [Laughs.] But if you ignore this boss, you will suffer a lot.

Drawing by Stan White

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

The Existence of Mind

I don’t know existentialism, so I cannot compare, but there must be some difference. We have no existentialism, but in our Buddhist philosophy we have this kind of interpretation of our mental functions. We Buddhists suffered a lot [laughs] about our mind, so Buddhism studies our mind. Our mind is very troublesome [laughs]. We don’t know what to do with it. So, at last we found that it is impossible to study our mind, but you cannot deny the existence of mind.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Mental Activity Itself

Before philosopher Northrop, they classified our mental functions in three ways: pursuing truth, pursuing goodness, and pursuing beauty. But actually, those functions are not independent. When we do something, it is willpower, and it involves emotions. And it also involves good and bad ethics. So, if one of them is lacking, you cannot do anything. So, it is better to study it as mental activity itself, without classifying in three ways. This way is nearer to Buddhism—phenomenology or existentialism is close to Buddhism. But [laughs] not exactly so.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Religion Covers Everything

Before Buddhism was known to the West, by religion you meant Christianity. So, it’s no wonder that the Western idea of religion is quite different from our idea of religion. Our idea of religion covers everything, all of human culture. So, it is impossible to study by a scientific way, because science takes some viewpoint. But religion can take viewpoints of science, or natural science, or cultural science, or ethics, or philosophy, or logic, so studying from a fixed standpoint cannot understand what religion is because it covers everything.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Understanding of Religion

If you compare the Shobogenzo to your philosophy of religion, you will find the difference between your understanding of religion and Dogen’s understanding of religion. He does not allow his Shobogenzo to be a philosophy. Shobogenzo is not philosophy. Shobogenzo is religious literature, or religious philosophy, not philosophy of religion [laughs]. Direct religious experience is Shobogenzo.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

Religious Culture

When I say inmost request, it may sound like something emotional or some activity, but it is not so. Religious culture in our sense is not just building or painting or rituals in the monastery. Our religious culture includes all culture: science and philosophy and everything. From our viewpoint we call it religious culture. So, what you do—what you cook in the kitchen is religious activity. When you work in the zendo, it is religious activity. Not just bowing to Buddha is our religious activity.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.

This Kind of Practice

When your meal is ready, someone who is responsible for the kitchen will bow to the zendo. This bow is for you, who practice zazen here, including Buddha. But usually they bow in the kitchen, so we don’t know, so we cannot answer the bow, so we don’t. But actually, the head of the kitchen will bow for us who practice this practice. The practice is done by your Buddha nature. This kind of bow is the bow which we do to the Buddha. Buddha is someone who is practicing this way. Not only Buddha, but also every existence is doing this kind of practice.

Image generated by Google Gemini

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-07-27-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. These posts are also on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. We are continually working on improving the quality of transcriptions of Suzuki's lectures. After a new "verbatim transcript" is made, we create a minimally edited version which is more readable. See the most recently completed transcripts at shunryusuzuki.com/n.