Shunryu Suzuki on "Practice"

[Guest guest]

"You cannot practice true zazen, because *you* practice it; if you do

not, then there is enlightenment, and there is true practice. When

you do it, you create some concrete idea of "you" or "I," and you

create some particular idea of practice or zazen. So here you are on

the right side, and here is zazen on the left. So zazen and you

become two different things. If the combination of practice and you

is zazen, it is the zazen of a frog. For a frog, his sitting

position is zazen. When a frog is hopping, that is not zazen. This

kind of misunderstanding will vanish if you really understand

emptiness means everything is always here. One whole being is not an

accumulation of everything. It is impossible to divide one whole

existence into parts. It is always here and always working. This is

enlightenment. So there actually is no particular practice. In the

sutra it says, "There are no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no

body or mind ...." This "no mind" is Zen mind, which includes

everything.

 

The important thing in our understanding is to have a smooth, free-

thinking way of observation. We have to think and to observe things

without stagnation. We should accept things as they are without

difficulty. Our mind should be soft and open enough to understand

things as they are. When our thinking is soft, it is called

imperturbable thinking. This kind of thinking is always stable. It

is called mindfulness. Thinking which is divided in many ways is not

true thinking. Concentration should be present in our thinking.

This is mindfulness. Whether you have an object or not, your mind

should be stable and your mind should not be divided. This is zazen."

 

--Shunryu Suzuki, from "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind"

[Guest guest]

Hello Tim:

 

Thanks for sharing these words. It's not that I have anything against

'practice' as for many (myself included) there has to be a beginning

point but like the training wheels on a bike eventually one must move

to the freedom of the ride.

Namaste,

Linda"You cannot practice true zazen, because *you* practice it; if

you do not, then there is enlightenment, and there is true practice.

When you do it, you create some concrete idea of "you" or "I," and you

create some particular idea of practice or zazen. So here you are on

the right side, and here is zazen on the left. So zazen and you

become two different things. If the combination of practice and you

is zazen, it is the zazen of a frog. For a frog, his sitting

position is zazen. When a frog is hopping, that is not zazen. This

kind of misunderstanding will vanish if you really understand

emptiness means everything is always here. One whole being is not an

accumulation of everything. It is impossible to divide one whole

existence into parts. It is always here and always working. This is

enlightenment. So there actually is no particular practice. In the

sutra it says, "There are no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no

body or mind ...." This "no mind" is Zen mind, which includes

everything.The important thing in our understanding is to have a

smooth, free-thinking way of observation. We have to think and to

observe things without stagnation. We should accept things as they

are without difficulty. Our mind should be soft and open enough to

understand things as they are. When our thinking is soft, it is

called imperturbable thinking. This kind of thinking is always

stable. It is called mindfulness. Thinking which is divided in many

ways is not true thinking. Concentration should be present in our

thinking. This is mindfulness. Whether you have an object or not,

your mind should be stable and your mind should not be divided. This

is zazen."--Shunryu Suzuki, from "Zen Mind, Beginner's

Mind"/join

All paths go

somewhere. No path goes nowhere. Paths, places, sights, perceptions,

and indeed all experiences arise from and exist in and subside back

into the Space of Awareness. Like waves rising are not different than

the ocean, all things arising from Awareness are of the nature of

Awareness. Awareness does not come and go but is always Present. It

is Home. Home is where the Heart Is. Jnanis know the Heart to be the

Finality of Eternal Being. A true devotee relishes in the Truth of

Self-Knowledge, spontaneously arising from within into It Self.

Welcome all to a.Your use of is subject

to the

[Guest guest]

Dear Linda,

 

It's a pleasure. "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" will always be

considered a "classic" here... definitely a favorite.

 

Love,

 

Tim

 

, "LC" <jyotish@w...> wrote:

> Hello Tim:

>

> Thanks for sharing these words. It's not that I have anything

against 'practice' as for many (myself included) there has to be a

beginning point but like the training wheels on a bike eventually one

must move to the freedom of the ride.

> Namaste,

> Linda

[Guest guest]

 

Omkara <coresite

<>

Tuesday, July 10, 2001 5:27 AM

Shunryu Suzuki on "Practice"

 

>

>"You cannot practice true zazen, because *you* practice it; if you do

>not, then there is enlightenment, and there is true practice.

 

You can not practice Delta consciousness if *you* practice it; if *you* do

not, then there is Emptiness. The *ego* is just a *on/off* program of

non-existence in Delta, and there - without any *lower* nor *higher*,

without any *this* and *than*, without PINK distictions between *I* and the

objects out there, is true Delta.

 

To see the world for the first time in one's life, as a vivid experience.

 

The frog jumps in its inconceivable spontanity.

.... but *no one* observes it.

 

(This is, by the way, the sound of one hand clapping)

 

San Divas