Verbatim transcripts of lectures by Shogaku Shunryu Suzuki, Roshi, 1962-1971
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1962 (1)
- December (1)
- March (5)
- April (4)
- May (1)
- June (3)
- July (10)
- August (8)
- September (8)
- October (1)
- November (8)
- December (6)
Sunday, November 09, 1969
Interview with Peter Schneider
[Tape starts with background group chatter. Then the mike is set up, and more group chatter follows. Then Peter Schneider asks Suzuki-roshi a question.]
Peter Schneider: I would like to ask Roshi a question for the Wind Bell that I was going to type-tape just with him, but I think it's a-would interest you, so-. It will appear in the next Wind Bell.[1] And the question is to have Roshi talk about Mrs. [Miss] MORE ...
Tuesday, November 11, 1969
San Francisco
Suzuki-roshi: If you-if you have some question, I am happy to answer for the question. And in that way, if necessary, I will refer to the Lotus Sutra. Hai.
Student A: What is "no outflows" mean in the Lotus Sutra?
Suzuki-roshi: Hmm? No?
Student A: "No outflows."
Suzuki-roshi: No outflows. "No outflows" means, you know, by-because our practice is not, you know, sincere or not complete, MORE ...
Thursday, November 13, 1969
"Form is Emptiness, and Emptiness is Form"
Tonight I am supposed to explain "form is emptiness, and emptiness is form." In-last night, we came to the point to make to clarify especially "emptiness is form," which is rather difficult to make it clear. But actually, form is so-to-say "big mind"-no, emptiness is "big mind." And big mind as sky, which contains-which doesn't-air or sky, empty sky. But-"empty sky," we say, but everything grow-when plants and everything grow into the sky, sky doesn't care, you know. And the sky is always ready to accept things in it.
And-but our mind is not-should be like a sky, you know, our big mind. We should accept things as it is, and we should not MORE ...
Sunday, November 16, 1969
Shunryu Suzuki-roshi
This morning, I want to talk about our practice.
And here in America, something special is happening: that is our group. Our students cannot be categorized in the same way we define Zen student-Zen Buddhist in Japan, because you are not-you are not priest and you are not complete-completely layman. I understand it this way.
That, you know, you are not priest is easy to understand, but that you are not completely layman is-I think you are special, you know, people in our society. [Laughs.] Not hippie. [Laughs.] But something like that. [Laughs, laughter.] So I don't know what to say.
MORE ...
Saturday, November 22, 1969
Opening Lecture at Page Street Zendo: American Precepts
City Center, San Francisco
I am so grateful with you to have chance to practice zazen in this, maybe, magnificent [laughs] building. I think we must be very grateful for Buddha and our successive patriarchs.
Can you hear me? Can you hear me?
I don't think I have much time to speak, but first of all, I want to express my gratitude and-and my confidence or my-I want to express my confidence in practicing with you. Whether we will be successful or not is, for me, out of question. I-if we [are] bothered by that kind of idea, we cannot do anything because our MORE ...
Tuesday, November 25, 1969
City Center, San Francisco
[Katagiri-roshi spoke before Suzuki-roshi.]
Suzuki-roshi: I am very happy to be with you. I am rather tired, and pinch hitter[1] hit a home run [laughs, laughter]. So maybe at the end of the ninth inning. So game was [1-2 words unclear], and we won. So [laughs, laughter] I am sorry I have no chance to, you know, to play for this evening.
I think it is almost one year since I caught Hong Kong or Asian flu. Right now, in spite of heavy work, I feel very good. So I MORE ...
Saturday, November 29, 1969
Way-Seeking Mind, Part I
Tassajara
... mind.[1] Without this way-seeking mind, our practice does not work. We say "just to sit," or shikantaza. Only when we have a strong way-seeking mind, just to sit make sense. Without this mind, just to sit means maybe-will mean just to sit mechanically and formally. The way-seeking mind-when way-seeking mind vitalize the form you have in zazen may be actualized and make sense.
People say "form" or "spirit"-but to-actually, you know, maybe if you do something without intellectual understanding, without MORE ...
Sunday, November 30, 1969
Way-Seeking Mind, Part II
Tassajara
I think nowadays way-seeking mind is understood like something to do good in its-with a pure motivation-not for sake of success or not for sake of fame, but to purify our mind and to be a good Buddhist. That is way-seeking mind.
So, accordingly, to do something good is, in its wide sense, the way-seeking mind: for an instance, to do something which people do not like to do: the cleaning restrooms, or pick up garbages, or to save small animals, or to help sick people. Those are things which a man of way-seeking mind will do. And with this spirit, we MORE ...