So-and-so Buddha

You may say it would be a great blessing if the weak animal could be killed at once and eaten quickly, rather than having to remain for a long time in pain and suffering. But suppose that the small animal is a Bodhisattva who is practicing his own way. What does he say? "Don't watch me. I am very serious. I am practicing my way with my whole mind and body. Go away. Don't watch me. This is my world. I have a teacher called So-and-so Buddha." ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-08-24-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay, not just the super cool ones.

RIP Al Tribe

Al died on Monday of unknown cause. A fellow student of Shunryu Suzuki, a dear friend I've been in contact with occasionally for years, a supporter of Cuke Archives. My sympathies to Carol and Laurence and others in the family.

Al remembers Shunryu Suzuki

More on Al later. - dc

- thanks Judy Gilbert

Animal

In dokusan (sanzen or personal training) one student expressed her feelings about seeing an animal devouring another animal. She became very angry with the animal which was devouring the weaker one. If you did not see this, or do not see that side of things, it does not matter. It is someone else's problem. But once you do see it, it is your problem, not just the animal's problem, or just a problem of the animal world. As I listened to her I thought that there is her world as well as the animal's world, and that in each world there is a Buddha. For us there is Shakyamuni Buddha; for animals I don't know, but actually they practice so hard in their own way. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-08-24-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay, not just the super cool ones.

Conclusion of Concluding Statement after Shosan Ceremony first practice period Tassajara

And on this occasion especially Maezumi Sensei, Chino Sensei, Kats-zen (? Phillip), and especially Richard Baker who is in the position of Shuso. With all their effort and helped our practice. This is my gratitude indeed. I am very much grateful for you effort and all the students who joined our practice and encouraged our project at Tassajara. This is the most wonderful event, which we had and which you had first in America. I am very grateful for your effort. Thank you very much. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-08-24-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay, not just the super cool ones.

Adding link to video for prior post

11-27 - A local who calls himself Putu Hiking who guided Katrinka's son to the top of Mt. Agung a couple of years ago sent her this video he took yesterday.

Bali Report

Lot of folks asking about how we're faring in Bali. I haven't been putting personal stuff here for a while and I've been posting all that on my personal Facebook page at David Reich Chadwick but there are too many who choose to eschew the evil FB and I understand as I don't linger there. So here are my recent posts there.

11-27 - We live in Sanur, about 40 miles from the Mt. Agung volcano. There's not a big emphasis here in the local culture with thinking about the future so the main thing I hear is complaints that there aren't many tourists with account for 75% of the island's economy. We see posts on Facebook, see features on foreign media sites like NYT and BBC. We have friends among locals and foreigners who've been involved with helping refugees and we've stocked up on food and water in case of a shortage. Otherwise, back to daily life.

11-27 - A local who calls himself Putu Hiking who guided Katrinka's son to the top of Mt. Agung a couple of years ago sent her this video he took yesterday. He's not leaving and he's two kilometers further away than the six kilometer evacuation zone - less than five miles from the place where the smoke and magma come out. We've offered him and his family refuge here. Hope he doesn't need it.

11-27 -  I just talked to Nyoman about Agung. He's a driver and assistant whom I've used for over three years and see almost daily. I asked (in Indonesian) if people were talking about Agung. He at first had to think about what I was referring to then said, the mountain? Yeah, the volcano. Are people talking about it? Oh yeah it's smoking. I kept pushing him. And he said oh it's only the nearby six kilometers they're concenred about. It's not unusual. Wow. Not unusual? Hasn't been like this since 63. Meanwhile we've got a few extra rations and making extra drinking water with our filter.

Concluding Statement of Q and A Shosan Ceremony at end of first Practice Period

As I said this afternoon in my lecture, the second master of my temple in Japan was studying Zuigan's addressing his own name for six years it was not enough. After he found out the truth of addressing himself is addressing to the Buddha nature, addressing to our Shakyamuni Buddha, the true practice started in my temple. Sometimes many students, sometimes quite few students, but that practice incessantly continues so far. But his practice will continue forever and pervade whole world, whole universe, because this is the truth how everything exists in each world and each world without any contradiction or disturbance exists at the same time in the same way. As I believe in this truth, I am here now in Tassajara, and practicing our way with you. This is not Japanese way or --
American way, and Japanese way and American way. I don't mind which is which. May we continue this practice without any misunderstanding forever with all sentient beings. Thank you very much. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-08-24-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay, not just the super cool ones.

Something

Question 25 (Male): I want to say something, but I have nothing to say, still I am saying something.

SR: When you want to say something, when you are finding out what to say, there is--that is enough. Actually whatever you say, that will not be enough.

#25: That is my feeling. Thank you very much. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-08-24-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whSatever is next that seems okay, not just the super cool ones.

Absolute

Question 24: A definition, Roshi. I would like to answer your question before I ask mine. You say, Prajnaparamita, same as zazen and same as Buddha's bowl or Buddha's head. Emptiness is form, form is emptiness. Now I'd like to ask my question. If we live in suffering, for to live is to suffer, and we seek Buddha nature, or Buddhahood to end reincarnation of suffering, Buddha is emptiness, the Bodhisattva suffers just a little more. Why must we seek the absolute?

SR: Understanding what we seek for the absolute is opposite. Absolute reveal itself as form. When we try to seek for the absolute, that absolute is not true absolute because the absolute cannot be object of training--of practice. If it is object of our training, that is not absolute any more. So the only way, only approach to the absolute is through form. That is Bodhisattva. Through Bodhisattva's practice, the absolute will reveal itself, and absolute will be on the back of Bodhisattva. So Bodhisattva is form - although it is absolute, but when Bodhisattva act as Bodhisattva, he is also Buddha. So actually Bodhisattva and the Buddha is no different. But whenever we do something, that is form and that is Bodhisattva. That maybe some other Buddha. So there is no need to seek for it. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-08-24-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay, not just the super cool ones.

Karma

Question 23 (Male): As summer follows spring, and fall comes after, we see the wheel of karma turning within us, how can we come to know subjectively the Buddha's way of stopping that wheel?

SR: When you hear the sound of the river and sound of the falling leaves as a Buddha's sound, you can--you have already stopped your karma, subjectively and objectively, because originally the karma itself is Buddha's way. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-08-24-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC - Many Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. Going slowly through Suzuki transcripts featuring whatever is next that seems okay, not just the super cool ones.