Satisfied

For Zen students the most important thing is not to be dualistic. We should not lose our self-satisfied state of mind. We should not be too demanding or we should not be too greedy. Our mind should be always rich and self-satisfied. When our mind becomes demanding, or when we become longing for something, we will violate our precepts not to kill, not to be immoral, not to steal, or not to tell a lie, and so on. Those are based on our greedy mind. When our mind is satisfied, we keep our precepts. When we ourselves are always self-satisfied, we have our original beauty, and we can practice good, and we are always true to ourselves.             --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 65-11-11 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo

DC - This is the famous Beginner's Mind lecture. Since the audio tape was recently discovered, there is some material that differs from the transcripts that we had. What is excerpted from the new verbatim transcript will not include all of the verbatim lecture. For that and access to light edit and other transcribed versions and audio, go here.

Keep

 If we keep our beginner’s mind, we keep our precepts. When we lose our beginner’s mind, we will lose all the precepts.            --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 65-11-11 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo

DC - This is the famous Beginner's Mind lecture. Since the audio tape was recently discovered, there is some material that differs from the transcripts that we had. What is excerpted from the new verbatim transcript will not include all of the verbatim lecture. For that and access to light edit and other transcribed versions and audio, go here.

Secret

The founder of our school emphasized this point. We have to remain always beginner's mind. And this is the secret of Zen, and secret of various practice—practice of flower arrangement, practice of Japanese singing, and various art.            --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 65-11-11 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo

DC - This is the famous Beginner's Mind lecture. Since the audio tape was recently discovered, there is some material that differs from the transcripts that we had. What is excerpted from the new verbatim transcript will not include all of the verbatim lecture. For that and access to light edit and other transcribed versions and audio, go here.

Finally

Finished the audiobook for Thank You and OK!: an American Zen Failure in Japan and sent the files in to Shambhala Early this morning while it was still mid afternoon yesterday in Boulder. So they'll be sent to the Audible lab soon and it should be available within a month or two. Started work on it in April. The last six weeks it has monopolized my time. Will be making a new page as a reference for the audiobook and the book in general. Here's the current Thank You and OK page. 

 Think I'll take a walk. - dc

 

Most Important Thing

In beginner’s mind we have many possibilities, but in expert mind there is not much possibilities. So, in our practice the important thing is to resume to our original mind, or our inmost mind, which even we ourselves do not know what it is. This is the most important thing for us.             --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 65-11-11 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo

DC - This is the famous Beginner's Mind lecture. Since the audio tape was recently discovered, there is some material that differs from the transcripts that we had. What is excerpted from the new verbatim transcript will not include all of the verbatim lecture. For that and access to light edit and other transcribed versions and audio, go here.

Easily Lose

We recited Prajna Paramita Sutra this morning only once. I think we recited very well, but what will happen to us if we recite twice, three times, four times and more? Then we will easily lose our original attitude in reciting sutra. If we continue to practice one year, two years, three years, our beginner's mind will have some pattern, and we will lose the limitless meaning of original mind.            --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 65-11-11 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo

DC - This is the famous Beginner's Mind lecture. Since the audio tape was recently discovered, there is some material that differs from the transcripts that we had. What is excerpted from the new verbatim transcript will not include all of the verbatim lecture. For that and access to light edit and other transcribed versions and audio, go here.

Shoshin

Zen became more and more impure. After Zen school established in China, it is a development of Zen, but at the same time it became impure. But I don’t want to talk about Chinese Zen or history of Zen this morning, but I want to talk about why it is difficult. You came here this morning. Getting up early is very valuable experience for you. Just you wanted to come here is very valuable. We say “shoshin.” Shoshin means beginner’s mind. If we can keep beginner’s mind always, that is the goal of our practice.            --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 65-11-11 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo

DC - This is the famous Beginner's Mind lecture. Since the audio tape was recently discovered, there is some material that differs from the transcripts that we had. What is excerpted from the new verbatim transcript will not include all of the verbatim lecture. For that and access to light edit and other transcribed versions and audio, go here.

Howie Klein

Check out last Saturday's podcast with Howie Klein. He came from Millbrook to the SFZC at the behest of Alan Marlowe and Diane di Prima in 1973. He migrated eventually to Trungpa land Boulder. Lots of stops along the way. His close friend Barbara Handler wrote this poem for his recent 80th birthday. 

Pure

People say to study Zen is difficult, in what way—but there is some misunderstanding why it is difficult. It is not difficult because to sit in cross-legged position is hard, or to attain enlightenment is hard, but it is hard to keep our mind pure, and to keep our practice pure in original way.            --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 65-11-11 - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo

DC - This is the famous Beginner's Mind lecture. Since the audio tape was recently discovered, there is some material that differs from the transcripts that we had. What is excerpted from the new verbatim transcript will not include all of the verbatim lecture. For that and access to light edit and other transcribed versions and audio, go here.

Over the Door

Student D: What does it say over the door of the zendo? What is the saying over the door?

SR: That was written by Takashina Zenji, at present Archbishop. And it says, “To take refuge in Buddha.”            --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki  lecture - 65-12-11-A - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed lecture tapes. 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. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo

DC: That's over one of the doors to the zendo at Sokoji. I don't remember it so I'm not sure where it was. Maybe it's in one of the photos on shunryusuzuki.com.