Issan

 Ken Ireland sends Issan's Jesus koan. That's Issan Tommy Dorsey. Thanks Ken.

Ken's cuke page

Fussy

If you become too fussy about things, you know, you will lose your practice.      --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 69-03-16 - 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. 

Following from yesterday

So in our monastic life, you should be able to do whatever it is. Whoever it is, your teacher is teacher, you know. That is the only way to get rid of your selfish practice. You should forget all about why or how, even [laughs.] You should do it--whether it is creative activity or imitation. It doesn't matter.     --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 69-03-16 - 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. 

Pam Chernoff

Pam Chernoff was a student at the SFZC while Shunryu Suzuki was the abbot. She died in 1996. I see An old friend of hers would like to know more about her from those days. Does anyone remember anything? If so please write me at dchad @ cuke dot com. Thanks - DC

The only mention I see of her on cuke.com is nine mentions in the Tassajara 25 Year Book.

Sound

  In your zazen, every sound that comes, you do not think about. You do not discriminate. You just hear it.       --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 69-03-16 - 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. 

Taigen on Taihaku Priest and Tanaka Shinkai

Rev. Taihaku Priest/ Tanaka Shinkai Roshi by Taigen Dan Leighton

Advice to Zen students living in the spiritual community

So in short, the best way is to get up when people get up, to eat whatever it is your friends eat, to sleep where they sleep, to behave, you know, like other students behave, without any reason. [Laughs.] That is the best way. That is shikantaza in everyday life. If you are not able to do that, you don't know what is zazen.        --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 69-03-16 - 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. 

A Review

Check out the Publisher's Weekly review of the upcoming Zen is Right Now, sequel to Zen is Right Here. 

Wooden Teacher

When you have selfish practice, you stick to something, you know, which you can see, which you can understand. And when you stick to something which you can understand, you will forget all about what is supporting the understanding, the color you see or the beautiful shape it has. So instead of being one with the flower, your friend, or your teacher, you will stick to, you will be caught by your teacher, the flower you see, the friend you have, without having a direct intimate relationship. You will make some barrier between you and what you will see is dead flower or wooden teacher.         --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 69-03-16 - 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. 

RIP Taihaku Priest

Dear Sangha and Friends, It is with great sadness that I report that our dearly beloved teacher and abbot, Rev. Taihaku, passed away early this morning, May 24th, unexpectedly in the night of a heart attack. She often said that death is like “jumping into a ginger ale pool” – her joyful effervescence extending even beyond this life.  Final arrangements are being determined in conjunction with her family and the Soto Zen Order. May we together support her vision for Shao Shan Temple to be a flowering of the Dharma for the next 700 years. With immense gratitude for her life, teachings, and founding of Shao Shan Temple, In the Dharma, Kenzan Reverend Taihaku Seiren Priest trained at Hokyoji in Japan, and received Dharma Transmission from Tanaka-Shinkai

Shao Shan Temple

125 Cranberry Meadow Rd.

East Calais, VT  05650

Josho Pat Phelan wrote: Taihaku was Jeff Broadbent's first wife. The day I moved into the SFZC, Suzuki Roshi was performing their wedding.