Layers

As a big tree in Muir Woods has annual layers, if you cut your life in another way, we have annual layers in our life, I think. That is precepts. You say that we don’t want it, but you have it [laughs]. So as long as you have it, you have to sit, and you have to know how to continue your effort, and you have another annual layer on your self. In this way we will develop Buddhism more and more.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-12-11-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 Maureen (O'Shea) Magarity

Obituary for Maureen (O'Shea) Magarity

Back around 1980, Maureen and her husband Tim O'Shea lived at Yvonne Rand's place in Muir Beach. I had a little hut there where I frequently stayed. Maureen worked at Greens as a waitress for some time back then. She and I stayed close for years. She moved back to Philadelphia I forget how long ago. We were in touch a few times after her move but it's been a long time now. Farewell Maureen, dear friend. - DC 

Maureen's Facebook page

A Vow

My teacher Kishizawa Roshi always said, “You have to have a vow or aim to accomplish.” If you do not have your aim of life, you cannot be a good Buddhist. The aim we have may not be perfect, but even if it is not perfect, it is necessary for us. It is like a precept. Even though it is almost impossible to observe it, we have to have it. Without that we cannot actualize our way, Buddha’s spirit.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-12-11-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.

Aim

In your everyday life, without any purpose or any aim, you cannot organize your life. Without knowing what you are going to be [laughs], you cannot make your effort. Because you have your own aim to accomplish, you can make your best effort.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-12-11-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

Kathie Fischer began practicing Zen in 1971 with Sojun Mel Weitsman at the Berkeley Zen Center. She was ordained a Zen priest at San Francisco Zen Center in 1980 by Zentatsu Richard Baker, and continued residential practice at Zen Center for 15 more years. She received Dharma transmission from Sojun Weitsman in 2011 while in the midst of her 28-year career as a school teacher in Mill Valley. Since retiring from teaching science to adolescents she has turned her attention to studying and teaching Dharma. In our podcast we hit on various topics, one of them being Richard Baker. This was recorded soon before Baker's stroke in May 2025 from which he's recovering nicely. Listen to the podcast and read more about her.

Update on Richard Baker's Condition

Update on Baker Roshi's Health from Dharma Sangha's Dharma Academy newsletter Richard Baker Recovery page

We are happy to report that Baker Roshi is doing quite well. He has remained in the Bay Area, where he has had the best of medical care, supported by his family, the Sangha, and the highest quality medical care. He has begun speech therapy, which he can continue with remote sessions and will soon travel to Germany. He is making good progress, but aphasia is hard work. We will need to pause his lectures and teachings for a while, but we are hoping that he can find his way back into teaching. All of the messages of support have meant so much; thank you to all for your good will and good wishes.  photo - Sophia Baker, Rene des Tombes, Richard Baker, Sally Baker.

To Concentrate

It is not possible to concentrate on some uncertain way. There must be some accurate way to observe. There must be strict rules to observe. Because of the rules we have, because of the way of sitting and way of practice it is possible to concentrate on something.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-12-11-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.

Necessary

If you want to practice this kind of practice as a good example of everyday life, you need your friends, you need your teacher, you need the precepts we have. Even though it is almost impossible to observe them, they are necessary. And some form is necessary, and some way of working or some way of taking breaths is necessary.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-12-11-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.

Enlightenment Is Everywhere

Enlightenment is not some certain stage. Enlightenment is everywhere. Wherever you are, enlightenment is there. Whatever you do, if you do it with your best effort, that is enlightenment. This point is very important for our Zen practice and for our everyday life. So, to practice Zen is a part of everyday life. In everyday life we should make our effort. Without our effort in everyday life, just coming to sit here for forty minutes, that is not Zen at all.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-12-11-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.

Best Effort

Our effort is to observe precepts. If we give our best effort each moment with confidence, that is enlightenment. Don’t ask whether a way is perfect or not. When we do our best to observe precepts, to practice Zen, then there is enlightenment. There is no other way to attain enlightenment.

—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the image. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-12-11-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.