Shunryu Suzuki Roshi

“Even though you read much Zen literature, you must read each sentence with a fresh mind. You should not say, “I know what Zen is,” or “I have attained enlightenment.” This is also the real secret of the arts: always be a beginner.”
-
“When you are sitting in the middle of your own problem, which is more real to you: your problem or you yourself? The awareness that you are here, right now, is the ultimate fact. ”
-
“Knowing that your life is short, to enjoy it day after day, moment after moment, is the life of “form is form and emptiness is emptiness.”
-
“You may feel as if you are doing something special, but actually it is only the expression of your true nature; it is the activity which appeases your inmost desire. But as long as you think you are practicing zazen for the sake of something, that is not true practice.”
-
“The most important thing is to forget all gaining ideas, all dualistic ideas. In other words, just practice zazen in a certain posture.”

― Shunryu Suzuki

“When you are practicing zazen, do not try to stop your thinking. Let it stop by itself. If something comes into your mind, let it come in, and let it go out. It will not stay long. When you try to stop your thinking, it means you are bothered by it. Do not be bothered by anything... if you are not bothered by the waves, gradually they will become calmer and calmer.”

― Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice

[Phaelyn]

I really like Suzuki's teachings.

[Phaelyn]

Some more Suzuki's quotes:

If you think you will get something from practicing zazen, already you are involved in impure practice.

The Purpose of studying Buddhism is not to study Buddhism, but to study ourselves.

No matter what god or doctrine you believe in. If you become attached to it,
your belief will be based more or less on a self centered idea.

There is no thought, "I have attained something." All self centered thoughts limit our vast mind."
When we have no thought of achievement, no thought of self, we are true beginners.
We can really learn something.

Suzuki.

[Joe Mc]

This extract is from Zen Mind Beginners Mind by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi..from a talk called 'The Waterfall.' Worth reading the whole talk.
https://intersecting.weebly.com/lear...shunryu-suzuki

"I went to Yosemite National Park, and I saw some huge waterfalls. The highest one there is [1,430] feet high, and from it the water comes down like a curtain thrown from the top of the mountain. It does not seem to come down swiftly, as you might expect; it seems to come down very slowly because of the distance. And the water does not come down as one stream, but is separated into many tiny streams. From a distance it looks like a curtain. And I thought it must be a very difficult experience for each drop of water to come down from the top of such a high mountain. It takes time, you know, a long time, for the water finally to reach the bottom of the waterfall. And it seems to me that our human life may be like this. We have many difficult experiences in our life. But at the same time, I thought, the water was not originally separated, but was one whole river. Only when it is separated does it have some difficulty in falling. It is as if the water does not have any feeling when it is one whole river. Only when separated into many drops can it begin to have or to express some feeling. When we see one whole river we do not feel the living activity of the water, but when we dip a part of the water into a dipper, we experience some feeling of the water, and we also feel the value of the person who uses the water. Feeling ourselves and the water in this way, we cannot use it in just a material way. It is a living thing.

........... When the water returns to its original oneness with the river, it no longer has any individual feeling to it; it resumes its own nature, and finds composure. How very glad the water must be to come back to the original river! ..........."

**************************************
**************************************

[Phaelyn]

Originally Posted by Joe Mc

When the water returns to its original oneness with the river, it no longer has any individual feeling to it;

This is why I love Suzuki as a teacher, and other teachings from Mooji or Krishnamurti or some from Buddha. Some from Bodhidharma and other sources. Zen and Taoism as well, Lao Tzu....

I'm drawn to this particular subject. It is key to me. This subject of selflessness.

Take these simple quotes from Suzuki for example:

If you think you will get something from practicing..., already you are involved in impure practice.

The Purpose of studying Buddhism... to study ourselves.

No matter what ...you believe in. If you become attached to it,
your belief will be based... on a self centered idea.

have no thought of achievement, no thought of self,...


Everyone is self centered. We think in terms of our path. Our spirituality. If you look in posts here it is clearly seen. This idea of individual persons, all responsible for their own achievements. All responsible for their own practicing. Like when we argue over teachings or teachers and what not. Practices, or no practices. What we are doing or not doing, following or not following, believing or not believing.

Imbedded in all of this is this notion of individuality. My self as different and unique from your self. You and me different. But this is just one way to perceive the world and reality. It may not be true at all. And it may be possible to perceive it differently. Perceive it the way Suzuki does, the way Mooji does, the way Buddha did...

Imagine ending all seeking, abandoning all ideas of change or becoming. Stopping to imagine yourself as an individual in charge of your destiny.

Still being you, still being here and aware, still being an individual point of perception, but not being here as a somebody or something. Just being perception. Observe what is. Here are my thoughts, here are your thoughts. Here are my desires, here are yours. Nothing true or real is there unless we make it so with our attention. But we don't put our attention there. We don't let these thoughts become us. We remain uninterested, un-attached.

Our ideas drive us, push us, create goals and shoulds, create judgements, assertions, but this is just one way to live. These are goals, judgements and additions to now, to what is, we can let all of this go. Keep our attention elsewhere. On now free of an idea about now.

Peace is not a thought, not a concept, it is a nonverbal experience. Henepola Gunaratana.

The brain does not manufacture thoughts unless we stimulate it with habitual verbalizing. When we train ourselves by constant practice to stop verbalizing, the brain can experience things as they are. Henepola Gunaratana.

Henepola Gunaratana is a Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist monk.

[Joe Mc]

“To give your sheep or cow a large, spacious meadow is the way to control him.”

Shunryu Suzuki

**************************
**************************

[Joe Mc]

Originally Posted by Phaelyn

This is why I love Suzuki as a teacher, and other teachings from Mooji or Krishnamurti or some from Buddha. Some from Bodhidharma and other sources. Zen and Taoism as well, Lao Tzu....

I'm drawn to this particular subject. It is key to me. This subject of selflessness.

Take these simple quotes from Suzuki for example:

If you think you will get something from practicing..., already you are involved in impure practice.

The Purpose of studying Buddhism... to study ourselves.

No matter what ...you believe in. If you become attached to it,
your belief will be based... on a self centered idea.

have no thought of achievement, no thought of self,...


Everyone is self centered. We think in terms of our path. Our spirituality. If you look in posts here it is clearly seen. This idea of individual persons, all responsible for their own achievements. All responsible for their own practicing. Like when we argue over teachings or teachers and what not. Practices, or no practices. What we are doing or not doing, following or not following, believing or not believing.

Imbedded in all of this is this notion of individuality. My self as different and unique from your self. You and me different. But this is just one way to perceive the world and reality. It may not be true at all. And it may be possible to perceive it differently. Perceive it the way Suzuki does, the way Mooji does, the way Buddha did...

Imagine ending all seeking, abandoning all ideas of change or becoming. Stopping to imagine yourself as an individual in charge of your destiny.

Still being you, still being here and aware, still being an individual point of perception, but not being here as a somebody or something. Just being perception. Observe what is. Here are my thoughts, here are your thoughts. Here are my desires, here are yours. Nothing true or real is there unless we make it so with our attention. But we don't put our attention there. We don't let these thoughts become us. We remain uninterested, un-attached.

Our ideas drive us, push us, create goals and shoulds, create judgements, assertions, but this is just one way to live. These are goals, judgements and additions to now, to what is, we can let all of this go. Keep our attention elsewhere. On now free of an idea about now.

Peace is not a thought, not a concept, it is a nonverbal experience. Henepola Gunaratana.

The brain does not manufacture thoughts unless we stimulate it with habitual verbalizing. When we train ourselves by constant practice to stop verbalizing, the brain can experience things as they are. Henepola Gunaratana.

Henepola Gunaratana is a Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist monk.

Maybe we can start with that which is glaringly obvious. Like how every human being has to defecate for example. I always was led or led myself into a quandry trading simple ideas like everybody feels the rain for very sophisticated and esoteric ideas and scripture. I know why these ideas of scripture and metaphysic would support and inspire another human being of course but I have traded the obvious too many times for some elusive metaphysical idea that is a thought creation in the end no matter how beautiful or alluring it is. These creations of course can serve as a support or as marvelous pointers to that which holds everybody in the palm of it's hand.

And this is the simple reason why the simple peasant or farmer and labourer was honoured above the scholar. Not because the simple man was some kind of slave to an Authority but because he preferred to read and enjoy the signs that were free and almost too obvious as to be a joke !!! Of course we have scholarship and real authentic creativeness around the idea of Awakening but it is fraught with respectability, literacy (the limited kind of course) and conditions. That which is unconditioned is obvious. Thanks for the inspiration from your post. Joe.

***********************************
***********************************

Thanks for your heartfelt and lovely contributions, Joe Mc.

[Phaelyn]

Originally Posted by Joe Mc

“To give your sheep or cow a large, spacious meadow is the way to control him.”

Shunryu Suzuki

**************************
**************************

Nice one! ~~