Best Way

Usually your way of study is to master it as soon as possible and by some best way. So before you think you may ask someone why you have some problem. But that kind of way may be very good for your usual life, but if you want to study Zen, it doesn't help so much.      --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 69-03-15 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not lookig for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these e,xcerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. 

By Yourself

In your zazen, perhaps you will have many difficulties or problems. But when you have some problem, it is necessary for you to try to find out by yourself why you have problem. Before you ask someone, it is necessary for you to try to find out why.       --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 69-03-15 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not lookig for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these e,xcerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. 

Errata Fix Retracted

 Oh oh. I guess I'm too impressionable sometimes. AM wrote a convincing argument that the punctuation in the sentence mentioned in yesterday's post. Read below his argument which led me to reverse course again - or am I being too impressionable?

Fooled

We shouldn't be fooled by Nansen and Joshu, even though he said, “Everyday life is [laughs] true way.” If you are fooled by them, you will say, “Whatever we do, that is true way. [Laughs.] There will not be no need to practice zazen. What is wrong with not practicing zazen? Even though we do not sit in cross-legged position, that is true way.” [Laughs.] When you understand in this way, you are trying to understand a koan literally without knowing what they really meant by their discussion.        --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 69-03-10 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not lookig for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these e,xcerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. 

Errata Finally Fixed

Combing through various lists of errata and changes to my in-house file for Crooked Cucumber while creating a new, improved version, came across the note from Brit Pyland in the Errata section of the book's ganglia in cuke.com:

page 17, par.3, line 1: "Toshi did not become homesick,... no commas needed in this sentence.

It was too late to do anything about it then and I failed to get it in for the second printing. But now, the official updated version has that sentence without the comma, thus ensuring Brit's place in the pantheon of worthy contributors to Cuke Archives vast collage. 

Thanks Brit.

Aside

 So anyway, if you trust in words, you know, it's better to practice zazen [laughs, laughter] without any doubt. And it's better to be completely involved in your practice, forgetting-- putting everything aside. That is what I mean.       --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 69-03-10 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not lookig for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these e,xcerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. 

Jack and Ceci's new book

 

The Outrageous Guide to Being Fully Alive:
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Peace,

Jack

Jack Elias cuke page with link to a podcast with him and info on his other book and interview

Good to here. Chill out.

You cannot waste your time. It is not possible to waste your time. You think you're wasting time, that's all [laughs]. But you are not wasting your time.        --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 69-03-10 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not lookig for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these e,xcerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. 

Everyone

Actually, you know, what I meant is...  anyway, you should practice zazen [laughs, laughter]. That is what I wanted to say. But you should practice it. You should be completely involved in your practice. That is what I meant in short. Then everyone will attain enlightenment.         --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 69-03-10 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not lookig for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these e,xcerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. 

One Way

Actually if you really practice koan practice with right understanding under right instruction, that is shikantaza. If you practice shikantaza under the right teacher it will be koan practice. If you understand our practice, what is our practice, there are no two practices. Your practice is pointing one way. It looks like various ways because you understand it in term of “Rinzai or Soto,” “shikantaza or koan practice.” That is your fault [laughs], not, you know, teacher's fault.          --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 69-03-10 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC  - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not lookig for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these e,xcerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. 

DC comment: When I see the fundamentalist Christian One Way theme on a bumper sticker or whatever, I think that's right. One way - and various ways to the one way.