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Living Zen: Fearless Everyday Enlightenment
Talk by Shosan At Tassajara Suzuki Roshi Sf Ew on 1967-12-07
This talk explores various facets of Zen practice, emphasizing the importance of living in the present moment and the concept of fear arising from the ego. The discussion highlights the nature of enlightenment as continuous practice rather than a singular event, incorporating teachings on fearlessness through genuine connection with the world. Questions addressed include overcoming weakness in practice, realizing the significance of home as the present moment, and understanding that dualities such as inside/outside or question/answer are constructs that can obscure true understanding. The narrative references Zen teachings and stories to illustrate that true teaching is beyond verbal instruction and lies in daily life actions.
Referenced Works and Concepts:
- Buddha’s Enlightenment: References informal teaching beginning under the Bodhi Tree, highlighting that enlightenment is a starting point for a life of practice, and not an end.
- Yaksan-senji Story: Demonstrates the teaching method of conveying lessons through action rather than words, emphasizing that real Zen practice is embedded in daily activities rather than formal lectures.
- Mind and Ego: Discusses the all-encompassing nature of the mind and how enlightenment involves transcending the ego, suggesting that fear and suffering stem from clinging to false dualities.
These references underscore the idea that Zen practice involves living fully in each moment, breaking through superficial constructs, and recognizing enlightenment within the mundane.
AI Suggested Title: Living Zen: Fearless Everyday Enlightenment
No, no, no, no. Thank you All the Buddha started teaching at Paranasi.
[06:21]
But actually, when he attained the Enlightenment, under the Buddha body tree, he started his teaching for the people. Now, after sitting for seven days, I want to see and I want to hear your true teaching. Now, come and show me your teaching.
[07:26]
My heart is full of joy. This Sindhu in Tassajara is like my own home. Sitting in Zazen, meeting with my fellow nods, trying to follow the way of my Moshi. word by word, moment by moment, feeling by feeling. My delusion, my feeling, is expressed in this moment.
[08:50]
Yes. In this moment, it's right. Don't live in the future or past. Thank you very much. Toncho Roshi, as the sun enlightens our daily life, as the stars never cease to shine, how is it possible to forget? To forget.
[09:58]
To forget. Originally, you do not forget it. Thank you very much. Don't you rush? Outside, I see the trees and the things that grow, the rocks, seeming to do perfect Zazan. I see my own potential for this. Yet still, I feel great fear. So please tell me, what is the true nature of fear? Fear has no reason why it arrives.
[11:03]
Also, when relaxing, running water become a part of you. When you become truly their friend, there will be no fear. Turoshi, the fish is in the water. The water is in the fish. It is soundless, you cannot hear it. It is clear and you cannot see it. It has no smell. How can there possibly be a mistake? There is no mistake whatsoever.
[12:08]
Thank you very much. Dr. Roshno, I have two questions. Where is home? Where is your strength? When you start wandering apart, there is no hope. There is no strength. If you find your home, in this moment, at this place, you have enough strength to practice our way. And home is right here. In our practice, should we try to overcome our weakness?
[13:35]
Should we try to work through it? Why you should overcome? you should try to overcome when there is no big mind or no small mind. Dr. Roshan, place it, but Yes. Dr. Roshi, after four months training on
[14:59]
Seven days, Sachin. What am I doing here? You are doing nothing. Thank you very much. I'm afraid to ask you a question. Why? Because you see me as your teacher always. Open your eyes and listen to me. More. How is it possible to lose the fear of no nose, no mouth, no eyes, no word on the Bible?
[16:14]
Fear comes from your ego. So, the way is to open up your mind so that there's no more ego. Thank you very much. Docho Roshi, is there only one act of devotion? Excuse me. I couldn't follow you.
[17:21]
Is there only one act of devotion? After devotion. Devotion itself. Only one. And the devotional life will be continued, one after another, in six months. Dr. Roshi, when we are silent, what is the question? There is no question when you are silent, but when you are in activity, you will have numerous
[18:38]
But questions should be answered on each moment, in each moment. Thank you very much. How can I stop and ask the question? Originally, there's no need to ask questions. Your active mind brings about many questions.
[19:40]
So the point is to practice a pure way. Then at least at that time you have no question. Joshi, why did we do, and why could all the students and people try to teach them like this? Try to teach what? Why did they teach and try to save others? Save others. Because all of them are part of them. For that, no need to be afraid of being a part of me.
[21:09]
Don't be afraid of me. Try to study hard. But what happens if something happens to you and you can't be our teacher anymore? That cannot be happened. I am always with you. Forever. So, Hiroshi, how or why has this come about that we can feel that we have lost our hope and make the journey, what we think is the journey, to return to it?
[22:23]
Why is this? Because your feeling is opposite. You think you started your journey from home, but their home is here. Don't wander in a farm to various countries. I learned But I wonder why it is that we do that. Because you started your field, you started your journey from your home, which is not true home.
[23:36]
which wasn't all. You must feel as if you came back to your home right now. Roshi, what is the fundamental cause of the universe? Cause of illness? Universe. [...] We do not discuss about it because there is no technique or no aim for anything.
[24:39]
No beginning, no end, no teacher, no student, no one. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. That's right. Thank you very much. Don't forget you said yes. Do not forget that you said yes. Which no? Dojiroshi, what is it that the great sages have said, speaks when you are silent, it is silent when you speak? Let's say this.
[25:57]
Always. Incessantly. Giving a teaching. Not only through his mouth, but also by his bricks of ice. walking, sitting, lying down, always he is showing the truth. Joseph Rossi, when a person has saved himself or herself, has that person also saved the world?
[27:05]
Yes. All universe will be saved if it is not so. He did not save himself or save adults. Thank you very much. We can succeed in directing our effort inside. How can there be anything outside our effort? There is no inside or outside. We say our efforts should be directed towards the inside.
[28:12]
But what we say is to suggest you the direction. One arrow will get through past, present, and future. The three worlds. And the arrow will continuously Go forward. Don't think the arrow is always going outward.
[29:20]
To outward, go outward. One thousand miles need to come back, to going back 1,000 miles. So don't think there is outside or inside in our practice. Thank you so much. Yes, you should. But if you want to think in a true sense, you should resume the area where you do not think that it's killer fraud.
[30:41]
your thinking should not be based on and real foundation. For you, it may not be necessary. Continue your practice. Go and rest.
[33:04]
I have no questions. They seem to come and go. They don't seem very important. Everyone seems to look very hard to this issue. The question is not
[34:42]
should not be about whether it is right for long. Right now, the most important thing is to find what is the most important thing. Still, your question is directed to the wrong direction. You are asking yourself or for others,
[35:43]
which is not important. The most important thing is to find, to be involved in what you are doing now. without thinking good or bad. Stop asking and stop thinking and deport yourself to your kitchen work.
[36:46]
People say, or whatever you yourself say, you should not be concerned about it. Mr. Roshi You have told me that first I must serve any communists.
[38:03]
What's that? Serve any communists, others. is the boss that is illumined by the mind with calmness. Only a small boss. There is actually one floor of this boss. When you Any boss. It's not going to be your boss. Because you think this is big boss or great boss.
[39:06]
Your practice is not anymore to practice. Don't be involved in good or bad, high or low. Just do what you should do at that moment. Thank you very much. Toshiroshi, automobile go resale from Cisco, jet plane to New York, rockets to the moon.
[40:08]
Where does instant mind go when it's not here? Instant. Instant mind. Instant. Where does the mind go when it's not here? Mind does not. Go or come back. Mind is always scared. The mind is wandering apart. It's not true mind. There is no question that is not answered before it is asked.
[41:11]
There is no question that is not answered before it is asked. Every question is answered when you ask a question. Jai Roshi, to do it all in the present moment and to be totally involved in the present moment, And yet it seems so impossible with so much feeling and so many thoughts. It seems so impossible.
[42:25]
Too many thoughts. It's all right. That is the point. The point is to be concerned about too many thoughts or no thoughts. All thoughts, all the thoughts you have is the one thought. or a no song. I'm not saying to stop your activity. I'm not counting how many songs you have.
[43:33]
All the thought you have is originally one thought. If it is one thought, that is no thought. So, don't be concerned about the thought you have. Don't be bothered by You should think. To think is not right. But to be bothered by it. So this could be a good thought or a bad thought. It's bad. Thank you very much. Don't you rush?
[44:46]
No, it was piled deep in the mountain pass, making me nearly impenetrable. How do we pass from here? If you want to pass, you can. There's no difficulty in passing through. Is there any difficulty? Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you for coming to the United States. Thank you for bringing us your teaching.
[45:48]
And thank you for showing me this new life pathway. Thank you very much. Thank you. Dr. Roshan, what now? Don't ask me. Now is enough. You have now. I have my own now. That is why now is so important. It is beyond question and answer. Thank you very much. Dr. Archie, who are the Saga?
[46:52]
We are those who are in Tathara, in Sangha, in Dimitri. But all of us, all strengthens beings are Sangha. Thank you very much. Raja Raja, if everything changes, why does the road suffer? Because. Because of change. Change itself. It's suffering. If change is essential nature.
[47:55]
For everything, suffering cannot be avoided. That's because there's no way to avoid from it. If you know there's no other, no way to avoid from it, that's our belief. Neither mind nor Buddha. What is this? Neither mind nor Buddha. What is this? Neither mind nor Buddha.
[48:59]
What did you say? Neither mind nor Buddha. Point that. The real Buddha. we are caught by the blood of Buddha. If we save Buddha, we want to find out where it's going when Buddha is right here. So, neither mind nor food. Please say.
[50:04]
Dr. Rashi, who observes our way? You of love, our way, when you observe our way, everything observe our way. So, our way is universal way, and at That's the little thing. You're right along the way. Thank you very much. Yakusanzenji did not give lecture for a long time.
[51:38]
The monks asked him to give them lecture. Yaksan-senji mounted on the altar and seeing every man, one by one, and carried down from the altar and went back. to his own room again. The monk asked the monk who was disposed of Zelda asked him why did he give any lecture.
[52:46]
Yakuza said, There is a master. There is a scripture master. Or a Buddhist philosophy master. I am a master of them. Don't wonder who I am, he said. Zen monks are Zen monks because they are speaking influently, without saying anything, just by everyday activity.
[54:15]
That is how Zen students should be. That is why I said Buddha started giving teaching when he attained enlightenment under the body tree in the country of Magadha. We should not forget this point. And we should take care of our practice. Not only that I practice, but only whatever we do in Tathara.
[55:26]
I'm very grateful for you to observe our way in various ways without asking why we do that, or why we should do this. Whatever you do, that is our practice. There you will find out for yourself. Our practice is valuable because we can find out ourselves
[56:32]
And what do you do in that moment?
[56:40]
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