Archive for April, 1968

April 23rd, 1968, Shosan Ceremony

Tuesday, April 23rd, 1968

Suzuki-roshi and Okusan (Mitsu Suzuki)

Shunryū Suzuki-rōshi

Tuesday Evening, April 23, 1968

Shōsan Ceremony


Listen to this talk: Suzuki-roshi 68-04-23 Shosan Ceremony Part 1

Listen to this talk: Suzuki-roshi 68-04-23 Shosan Ceremony Part 2


A monk asked Hyakujō:[1] “Is there some special things happen—happened in this temple?”

Hyakujō said:  “I have been sitting on this mountain.”

And monk respectfully bowed to Hyakujō.

Hyakujō then give him a big slap.[2]

This morning[3] I talked about Nansen’s[4] “Everyday Mind Is Dao.”[5] And this evening I am talking about something special.  If you understand what is something—something special and what is something common, please come and discuss with me on this point.

Student A: Chūchū issen seki.[6] What is the meaning of this in everyday life?

Suzuki-rōshi: Kūchū issen seki?[7] Something special or something common.  If you hand up those idea, those are nothing but a stone hand up [thrown up?] in the air.  Do you understand it?  What is the practice without being hanged [?] by itself [?]?

Student A: Thank you very much.

Suzuki-rōshi: Without answer is the best answer.


April 23rd, 1968

Tuesday, April 23rd, 1968

Shunryū Suzuki-rōshi

Tuesday Morning, April 23, 1968


Lecture A


Because I was not well [?], I am sorry I couldn’t join your practice so much.  But you did very well, I think, and if—even though as a personal experience you cannot accept your practice, maybe that is not so big problem.  We can—if you can accept yourself completely [laughs], then you are—you will not be in this world any more [laughs, laughter].  So that you have problem means you have—are still alive.  That is our way [?].  And even though you make a trip to another world, same problem [laughs] you will have, as long as you have your body and mind.  Things exist, you know, in that way.  That is how things exist in this world.

When I was—the cold I experienced this time was pretty unusual one—unusual one for the cold we take—I took in America.  The cold I have had in Japan was as bad as I had this time.  High temperature and was feeling, you know, sleeping [or slipping] on some slope upside down [laughs].  Head is—head is down and feet is up.  That is the feeling—that was the feeling I had when I had cold in Japan.

And as I was very careful recently, as I am trying to, you know, find out some way to help you, so I carefully experienced my bad feeling [laughs, laughter].  And I want to tell you some of them.