Tassajara Stories

Tuesdays, since April, have been posting on Cuke Audio Podbean, chapters from Crooked Cucumber. Fished with that and so this Tuesday the  29th of September posted the first draft of a work in progress -  Tassajara Stories: the Early Years with Shunryu Suzuki. It's a piece called Summer 70. I don't just read it straight out but comment while reading it some and make little editing changes and so forth. Don't know where this will all go but I figured if I read from draft piece from this project that it will help to bring it to fruition or put it to rest. 

Dharma Nature

Since we have arrived at this kind of understanding, there is no need to talk about what Theravada or Mahayana Buddhism is. All Buddhism, whether it is Theravada or Mahayana is one whole Buddhism. This is how we have transmitted his teaching from Buddha to us. And the purpose of this sutra is to describe our Dharma Nature.     --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-00-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Oka Sotan

As a young monk, Shunryu Suzuki met the revered Oka Sotan (on the right) when Oka Sotan visited Zounin, Gyokujun So-on, Shunryu's master's temple. Later Shunryu praised Oka Sotan's teaching as the root teaching for him and many of the senior and contemporary priests that he respected. His master So-on had studied with Sotan and Sotan gave transmission to his teacher Kishizawa and the famous Kodo Sawaki (on the left in the photo).   

From the Ancestors and Heirs page

Illuminated

But the reason he was Buddha is that he was the Enlightened One. He was illuminated in his own nature, Dharma Nature, and everyone's nature, so he knew who he was. For him there was no disciple and no objective world. So he said all sentient beings are his sons, are part of him. That was Buddha. So only when we understand Buddha as the Sambhogakaya Buddha or the Dharmakaya Buddha does he become real.    --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-00-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Ian Kishizawa

 

Shunryu Suzuki called Ian Kishizawa his teacher who refined his understanding of Buddhism.

Paper

What Buddha said was for him like a paper. [Suzuki makes motions of writing various prescriptions out on paper, saying, “Hai, hai, hai,” as he gives them out.] That is actually what he did and how he understood that he should help people.       --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-00-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Prescriptions

Buddha did not stick to the words he said. He was like a doctor who gives his patients prescriptions. According to the people, he gave various prescriptions. He didn't have any idea of giving the same prescription to various patients.     --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-00-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Gyakushitsu Sojun

Gyakushitsu Sojun was Shunryu Suzuki's father's master, whom his father received transmission from. Shunryu's master came from Gyokujun So-on who received his from Shunryu's father. So Gyakushitsu Sojun was Shunryu's master's master's master. 

Hero

The Nirmanakaya Buddha is just a hero. He has no eternal life. He is one of the great heroes of our history. But when we understand Shakyamuni Buddha as the Sambhogakaya Buddha or the Dharmakaya Buddha, for the first time, he has perpetual life. This is a more traditional understanding of Buddha. And actually, this kind of understanding was supported by Buddha when he was alive, although it took several hundred years before we understood who Shakyamuni Buddha was in reality. This kind of understanding, which was accomplished by his disciples, gave Buddha new life, made him a perpetual buddha. In this sense, he is called the Tathagata.    --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-10-00-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. - DC

Butsumon Sogaku Suzuki

Shunryu Suzuki's father - on the Ancestors and Heirs page