The Suzuki Roshi Audio Archive

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Title	Speaker	Date
The Zen of Going to the Rest Room Serial: SR-00144 The talk explores the intrinsic connection between Zen practice and everyday activities, specifically likening zazen to physiological functions such as going to the restroom. It emphasizes the importance of zazen in maintaining... Ummon, Tangaryo, Culture, Monastic Practice, Suffering, American, Don't Know Mind, Big...	Suzuki Roshi	Mar 29 1970 City Center
Way-Seeking Mind Serial: SF-05361 Saturday Lecture Of March Sesshin Saturday, March 28, 1970 San Francisco The talk centers on the concept of the "way-seeking mind," emphasizing its critical emergence during periods of difficulty in everyday life. Through anecdotes about esteemed Zen figures such as Watanabe Genshu Zenji, Morita Goyu... Way-Seeking Mind, Sesshin, Monastic Practice, Peace	Suzuki Roshi	Mar 28 1970 City Center
Our Everyday Life Is Like A Movie Serial: SR-00155 The talk emphasizes that the practice of zazen is fundamentally about establishing a starting point or basis, akin to setting an alarm clock, from which everyday activities should arise. Rather than seeking attainment or... *Anger, Instruction, Meditation, Posture, Observe*	Suzuki Roshi	Mar 15 1970 City Center
Letters From Emptiness Serial: SR-00156 How to Understand the Idea of Emptiness Sunday, March 8, 1970 San Francisco The talk explores the concept of emptiness in Zen philosophy, distinguishing it from the conventional idea of being. The discussion emphasizes the practice of shikantaza to experience emptiness directly, without relying on... *Emptiness, Doubt, Enemies*	Suzuki Roshi	Mar 08 1970 City Center
Lecture To Prof. Lewis R. Lancaster's Visiting Class Serial: SR-00259 Practice and enlightnment as forgetting and letting go of everything. Even if we don't know what real practice is, continuing and allowing it to reveal itself. Answering student questions. Posture of zazen. The talk discusses the essence of Zen practice, emphasizing forgetting and letting go to attain enlightenment as experienced by Buddha, who is said to have reached this state after releasing all preoccupations. Zazen, or seated... Buddha, Emptiness, Zazen, Don't Know Mind, Emptiness, Building, Suzuki Roshi, Composure,...	Suzuki Roshi	Mar 01 1970 Tassajara
Practice To Be Like A Stone Serial: SF-06125 SR-70-02-28 Sesshin lecture #6 (last lecture) - followed by service #2 for Trudy DixonNB - is 1970 despite the year added to the photos The lecture focuses on the transformative yet often unexpected change in practitioners resulting from prolonged Zen practice, particularly during sesshins. The process involves cultivating a stillness akin to being "like a stone... *Don't Know Mind, Composure, Diversity, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center*	Suzuki Roshi	Feb 28 1970 City Center
Non-Dualistic Practice Serial: SR-00260 Sesshin Lecture No. 3: Wednesday, February 25, 1970 San Francisco The discussion centers on the concept of non-dualistic practice within Zen, emphasizing the extension of zazen practice into everyday dualistic life. It explores the idea that practice is not about attainment but about diving... *Sesshin, Big Mind, difficulty, Duality, Karma, Anger, Mahayana, Emptiness, Suffering...*	Suzuki Roshi	Feb 25 1970 City Center
Selflessness, Being and Non-Being: The Background of Shikantaza Serial: SR-00261 Sesshin Lecture No. 1: Monday, February 23, 1970 San Francisco This lecture discusses the practice of shikantaza and emphasizes the necessity of understanding the concept of shunyata, or emptiness, in Buddhist practice. It critiques practices rooted in self-centered efforts, highlighting the... Sesshin, Buddha Nature, Emptiness, Evil, Mahayana, Posture, Freedom, Continuous Practice,...	Suzuki Roshi	Feb 23 1970 City Center
The Background of Shikantaza Serial: SR-00256 The talk outlines the foundational aspects of shikantaza, emphasizing its essence as "just sitting" without attachment to the conceptual self. The relationship between objects and the integration of individual experience within... *Pain, Observe, Consciousness, Posture*	Suzuki Roshi	Feb 22 1970 City Center
“An Unsurpassed, Penetrating Buddha” Serial: SR-00257 The talk centers on the essential Buddhist teaching of selflessness and the importance of relinquishing the individual sense of self to achieve a perfect understanding of the Dharma. The discussion underscores the concept of... *Emptiness, Subject-and-Object, Interdependence, Observe, Community, Hate, Forms, Death,...*	Suzuki Roshi	Feb 08 1970
Brown Rice is Just Right Serial: SR-00247 Morning Sesshin LectureSunday, February 1, 1970City Center The talk focuses on embracing the Zen practice of zazen through the metaphor of eating brown rice. The process of chewing brown rice, which represents engaging with reality fully, parallels the practice of zazen by illustrating... Sesshin, Emptiness, Discrimination, Buddha Nature, Hate, Suffering, Pain, difficulty, Truth...	Suzuki Roshi	Feb 01 1970 City Center
Each One Of Us Is A Cook Serial: SR-00258 Afternoon Sesshin Tea Lecture Sunday, February 1, 1970 The talk discusses the practice of Zen through the metaphor of cooking, emphasizing the concept of renewal and transformation inherent in the Zen practice. The speaker explores "form is emptiness and emptiness is form" by... Sesshin, Emptiness, Forms, Compassion, Pain	Suzuki Roshi	Feb 01 1970 B
Our Effort In Our Practice Serial: SR-00248 The talk examines the concept of effort in spiritual practice compared to materialistic effort, emphasizing the potential pitfalls of spiritual arrogance. It highlights the Buddhist perspective of finding new meaning in the... *Instruction, Observe, difficulty*	Suzuki Roshi	Jan 31 1970 City Center
Caring for the Soil Serial: SR-00199 Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism Sunday, January 25, 1970 San Francisco The talk contrasts the approaches and attitudes of Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism, using metaphors of tending a garden (Mahayana) versus preserving teachings as given (Hinayana). It emphasizes that Mahayana values cultivating... *Emptiness, Mahayana, Buddha Nature, difficulty, Greed, Gratitude, Hate*	Suzuki Roshi	Jan 25 1970 City Center
Rules Serial: SF-06038 The talk explores the importance of monastic rules in Zen practice, interpreting them as frameworks that discourage egoistic behavior and promote selflessness. Through an analysis of Dogen Zenji’s seating dispute at Tendo... Dogen, Posture, Balance, Doubt, Faith	Suzuki Roshi	Jan 18 1970 City Center
Ordination Ceremony: Bill Kwong and Silas Hoadley Serial: SR-00069C The talk discusses the ordination ceremony for two individuals, emphasizing the fundamental Buddhist teaching that all beings, animate or inanimate, have intrinsic value and their own position within the Buddhist framework. The... Ceremony, Priest, Ceremony, American	Suzuki Roshi	Jan 11 1970 City Center
Respect for Things Serial: SR-00200 What Is Our Practice? Sunday, January 4, 1970 San Francisco Practice as taking care of everything. Not making a noise with the chairs. Practice with new people coming to City Center. Extending the spirit of the zendo to everyday... The talk focuses on the essence of practice in Zen Buddhism, emphasizing the act of integrating zazen, or seated meditation, with everyday life through respect for all things. The discussion proposes that practice involves... Bodhisattva Way, Big Mind, Building, Concentration, difficulty, Sutra, Bowing, Offering,...	Suzuki Roshi	Jan 04 1970 City Center
Fundamental Buddhist Point: To Adjust Ourselves To Our Surroundings Serial: SR-00192 Adjusting to life at City Center. Cleaning and zazen. Do we need furniture to practice? The talk explores the fundamental Buddhist principle of adapting ourselves to our surroundings rather than altering environments to better suit personal convenience. It emphasizes the significance of simplicity and the mindful... Dogen, Eiheiji, Zazen, Culture, Building	Suzuki Roshi	Dec 21 1969 City Center
Shosan Ceremony Serial: SF-05964 Friday, December 5, 1969 Previously described as intranscribable - now clearer ----- File name: 69-12-05N: untitled level low. [Verbatim transcript not available. (Sound problem.)] The talk discusses various aspects of Zen practice, focusing on themes such as fear, selflessness, the nature of Buddha, and the practice of questioning. The exchanges emphasize the dissolution of ego, detachment from material... Ceremony, Shosan, Sixth Patriarch, Big Mind, Letting Go, Separation, Attachment, Dragons,...	Suzuki Roshi	Dec 05 1969 Tassajara
Winter Sesshin Lecture No. 6 Serial: SR-00201 The lecture emphasizes the importance of integrating Zen practice into all aspects of life, equating the observance of "pure rules" in the zendo with the practice of zazen. This integration is crucial for maintaining and... Sesshin, Ceremony, Freedom, Observe, Wisdom, Oneness, Beginners, Precepts	Suzuki Roshi	Dec 04 1969 Tassajara
Winter Sesshin Lecture No. 5 Serial: SR-00202 Winter Sesshin Lecture No. 5 Wednesday, December 3, 1969 Tassajara This talk explores the bodhisattva practices, emphasizing the importance of zazen and the six primary practices: keeping precepts, almsgiving, vigor, patience, and wisdom, with specific attention to Dogen Zenji's interpretation... Sesshin, Bodhisattva, Dogen, Shobogenzo, Oneness, Ceremony, Precepts, Wisdom...	Suzuki Roshi	Dec 03 1969 Tassajara
Practice Should Not Be Perfect, So Descendants Have Something To Do Serial: SR-00203 Winter Sesshin Lecture No. 4 Tuesday, December 2, 1969 The lecture emphasizes that the core of Zen practice is not about achieving perfection or completion but about the continuous effort, moment by moment, allowing successors to inherit the spirit of practice. It argues that true... Sesshin, Dogen, Building, difficulty, Monastic Practice, Transmission, Zazen, Breath, Anger,...	Suzuki Roshi	Dec 02 1969 Tassajara
Way-Seeking Mind, Part III Serial: SR-00194 Winter Sesshin, Day 3, Lecture No. 3 Monday, December 1, 1969 Tassajara The talk explores the concept of "way-seeking mind" or "buddha-mind," emphasizing its essence as the bodhisattva-mind focused on aiding oneself and others. The discussion underscores the importance of confronting difficulties... Way-Seeking Mind, Sesshin, Big Mind, difficulty, Vow, Monks, Priest, American...	Suzuki Roshi	Dec 01 1969 Tassajara
Way-Seeking Mind, Part II Serial: SR-00266 Winter Sesshin Lecture No. 2 Sunday, November 30, 1969 Tassajara The talk explores the concept of the "way-seeking mind" within Zen practice, emphasizing that it is not something to be attained but is inherent within everyone. This mind is realized through acts done with pure motivation,... Way-Seeking Mind, Sesshin, Buddha Mind, Don't Know Mind, Big Mind, Intention, Beginners,...	Suzuki Roshi	Nov 30 1969 Tassajara
Way-Seeking Mind, Part I Serial: SR-00267 Winter Sesshin, Lecture No. 1 Saturday, November 29, 1969 Tassajara This talk explores the essence of "way-seeking mind" as critical to authentic Zen practice, emphasizing that practice without this mindset is merely mechanical. It cautions against relying on intellectual understanding alone,... Way-Seeking Mind, Sesshin, Faith	Suzuki Roshi	Nov 29 1969 Tassajara
Pinch Hitter Serial: SR-00268B Tuesday, November 25, 1969 Evening LectureCity Center, San Francisco [Katagiri spoke before Suzuki. This portion has now been edited out] The brief talk expresses gratitude and joy over a successful event, metaphorically described using baseball terminology. The speaker reflects on recovering from an illness and the importance of rest after achieving one's... *Wisdom, Truth, Zazen, Priest, American, Delusion, Meditation, Greed*	Suzuki Roshi	Nov 25 1969 B City Center
Opening Lecture At Page Street Zendo: American Precepts Serial: SR-00264 Moving into the new space. Don't worry about success, practice in the present. Hyakujo's regulations, positive and negative sides of guidelines and precepts. The talk emphasizes the importance of practicing Zen in the present moment and introduces the concept of creating precepts specific to the context of American Zen practice, analogous to the Hyakujo Shingi established by Hyakujo... Precepts, Shingi, Precepts, Monks, Gratitude, Building	Suzuki Roshi	Nov 22 1969 City Center
Epilogue: Zen Mind Serial: SR-00263 American practice different from Japanese practice. Enlightenment experience is beyond good and bad, beyond our usual way of thinking. Big mind is always with you, never outside of yourself. Discussion at Tassajara around sex.... The talk discusses the distinct nature of Zen practice in America, emphasizing that it differs from traditional Japanese practice. Central themes include the concept of "big mind," which transcends subjective experiences of good... Big Mind, Enlightenment, Passions, Big Mind, Don't Know Mind, Consciousness, Community,...	Suzuki Roshi	Nov 16 1969
Form Is Emptiness and Emptiness Is Form Serial: SR-00243 The talk focuses on elucidating the concept of "form is emptiness, and emptiness is form" from the Prajnaparamita Sutra, contrasting this Mahayana understanding against what is described as the more limited Theravadan view of... Heart Sutra, Emptiness, Big Mind, Forms, Don't Know Mind, Interdependence, Monks, Wisdom...	Suzuki Roshi	Nov 13 1969
Some Questions Serial: SR-00244 The talk examines key concepts from the Lotus Sutra, focusing on terms such as "no outflow" and "Buddha-seed," emphasizing the balance of desires and the socio-political analogies like communism versus human society in... Lotus Sutra, Time, Ego, Wisdom, Passions, Mindfulness, Buddha Nature, Culture, Oneness,...	Suzuki Roshi	Nov 11 1969
Miss Ransom Was A Teacher Of Conversation Serial: SR-00242 [Not an interview I think, but a question Peter asks at the beginning of the lecture, possibly pre-arranged with Suzuki. Got labeled as an interview because I had it grouped with Peter’s interviews long ago and maybe I was the... The talk revolves around the influence of Miss Ransom on Suzuki Roshi and her significant role in shaping his views regarding teaching Buddhism to Westerners. Initially skeptical of non-Buddhist practices, Miss Ransom's eventual... Japan, Komazawa University, Buddhism, Shobogenzo, Obon, Conversation, Building, Offering,...	Suzuki Roshi	Nov 09 1969
Lotus Sutra, Lecture No. III-7 Serial: SR-00042 Third Lotus Sutra Series Friday Evening, November 7, 1969 Zen Mountain Center The main thesis of the talk centers on interpreting the true meaning of the Lotus Sutra, especially in terms of the distinction between skillful means in Buddhist teaching and the ultimate understanding of emptiness, which... Lotus Sutra, Emptiness, Passions, Lotus Sutra, Concentration, Evil, Sutra, Mahayana, Precepts...	Suzuki Roshi	Nov 07 1969 Series 3, Talk 7 Tassajara
Lotus Sutra, Lecture No. III-6 Serial: SF-06005 Third Lotus Sutra Series Thursday Evening, October 30, 1969 Zen Mountain Center The talk analyzes a section of the Lotus Sutra and discusses its translation by Kumarajiva, emphasizing the accessibility and popularity of his rendition in China and Japan. The discussion includes the significance of certain... Lotus Sutra, Beginner’s Mind, Politics, Interview, Concentration, Precepts, Freedom, Doubt...	Suzuki Roshi	Oct 30 1969 Series 3, Talk 6 Tassajara
Lotus Sutra, Lecture No. III-5 Serial: SF-06006 Third Lotus Sutra Series Tuesday Evening, October 28, 1969 Zen Mountain Center The talk explores the distinction between Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism, emphasizing the divergent interpretations and approaches to Buddha's teachings over time. It outlines how the Theravada (Hinayana) tradition focused on... Lotus Sutra, Mahayana, Skandas, Balance	Suzuki Roshi	Oct 28 1969 Series 3, Talk 5 Tassajara
Lotus Sutra, Lecture No. III-4 Serial: SR-00038 [Third Lotus Sutra Series]Saturday Evening, October 25, 1969Zen Mountain Center The talk focuses on the central teachings of the Lotus Sutra, particularly emphasizing the profound nature of Buddha's wisdom which can only be fully comprehended by Buddhas themselves. The discussion highlights the concept of "... Lotus Sutra, First Principle, Wisdom, Buddha Nature, Sutra, Priest, Mahayana, Suffering,...	Suzuki Roshi	Oct 25 1969 Series 3, Talk 4 Tassajara
Lotus Sutra, Lecture No. III-2 Serial: SR-00037 Third Lotus Sutra SeriesThursday Evening, October 23, 1969Zen Mountain Center [The recording starts with Suzuki reading from: Saddharma Pundarika or The Lotus of the True Law, translated by H. Kern, New York: Dover, 1963 (an... The talk revolves around interpretations of Chapter II, "Skillfulness," from the Lotus Sutra, emphasizing the profound but often underestimated importance of skillful means in Buddhist practice. The discussion highlights the... Lotus Sutra, First Principle, First Principle, Don't Know Mind, Consciousness, Sutra,...	Suzuki Roshi	Oct 23 1969 Series 3, Talk 2 Tassajara
Lotus Sutra, Lecture No. III-1 Serial: SR-00212 [Third Lotus Sutra Series]1 Monday Evening, October 20, 1969 Zen Mountain Center Introduction to third series of talks on the Lotus Sutra. Zen as practical teaching. Suzuki Roshi's mother recited parts of the sutra when he was... The lecture introduces the third series of talks on the Lotus Sutra at the Zen Mountain Center, emphasizing the sutra's role in Zen practice and its nature, which is likened to an experience similar to engaging with grand music... Lotus Sutra, Mahayana, Dogen, Mahayana, Lotus Sutra, Precepts, Ego, Sutra, Priest, Building,...	Suzuki Roshi	Oct 20 1969 Series 3, Talk 1 Tassajara
New Students' Questions Serial: SR-00211 Tuesday, October 14, 1969San Francisco This talk addresses the concept of karma, the bodhisattva's vow, and the role of zazen in understanding the Buddhist view of life. It explores the notion of everything having meaning from different perspectives, highlighting the... Question-and-Answer, War, Buddha Nature, Addiction, Diversity, Vow, Continuous Practice,...	Suzuki Roshi	Oct 14 1969
Why I Came to America Serial: SR-00157 "Why I became a priest" Memories of his father as a temple priest. Wanting to be an unusual priest himself, to teach people. Training at a temple with Oka Sotan. Enjoying teaching people who have no preconceptions about... The talk reflects on the personal journey to becoming a priest and coming to America, influenced by a background of poverty and the historic hardships faced by Buddhist temples due to governmental Shinto favoritism. Key... Priest, Meiji, Japan, Dogen, Priest, New Year, Ceremony, Enemies, Monks, Sutra, Forms,...	Suzuki Roshi	Sep 16 1969 Sokoji
On Zen Center History, Personal History, and Nona Ransom Serial: SF-05577 Interview of Suzuki Roshi by Peter Schneider - Interview, Priest, Greed, Separation, Balance, confusion	Suzuki Roshi	Sep 16 1969 2 of 2
On Zen Center History, Personal History, and Nona Ransom Serial: SF-05610 Interview of Suzuki Roshi by Peter Schneider The talk explores personal and Zen Center history, focusing on experiences with Miss Nona Ransom and the journey to understanding and practicing Zen. The narrative includes reflections on early students at the Zen Center, the... Interview, Transmission, Priest, Hate, Suzuki Roshi, Enemies, Passions, Bell, Conversation,...	Suzuki Roshi	Sep 16 1969 1 of 2
Interview of Suzuki by Peter Schneider Serial: 69-09-16-IB Entered onto disk by DC 1996 or soRevised by Bill Redican 9/01 [I dated this 69-09-16 to go with other Peter Schneider interview and lecture of that date. Transcription was difficult with much time spent making sure -- or maybe... - Interview, First Principle,	Suzuki Roshi	Sep 16 1969
Suzuki’s Curriculum Vitae Serial: 69-09-16-W Tuesday, September 16, 1969 [I dated this 69-09-16 because it was made by Shunryu Suzuki with Kobun Chino’s assistance in order to help Suzuki with his interview with Peter Schneider dated that day. - DC-3-09] [Is this in his... -	Suzuki Roshi	Sep 16 1969 W
Pure Silk, Sharp Iron Serial: SR-00246 Sitting cross-legged - and then what? Having the right state of mind. Chinese and Japanese culture. His absent-mindedness, impatience. Virtue of endurance. The talk explores the concept of Zen practice, emphasizing the importance of attaining a certain state of mind through both physical posture and deep personal experience. It draws analogies from Japanese and Chinese cultural... *Zazen, Dogen, Culture, Ego, Transmission, Patience, Forms, Pain, War, American, Freedom...*	Suzuki Roshi	Sep 14 1969
Sesshin, Sixth Night Lecture Serial: SR-00129 TassajaraSeptember, 1969 The talk focuses on Zen teachings regarding the distinction between the "small mind" and the "big mind," exemplified in the exchange between the Seventeenth Patriarch and the Eighteenth Patriarch about whether it is the bell or... Sesshin, Don't Know Mind, Posture, Ceremony, Addiction, Duality, Beginners, Zazen, Wisdom...	Suzuki Roshi	Sep 1969 Tassajara
Sesshin, Third Night Lecture Serial: SR-00130 TassajaraSeptember, 1969 The talk delves into the intersection of practice and enlightenment in Zen, emphasizing that true practice encompasses everything, aligning with Dogen Zenji's teachings. The practice, whether in zazen or sutra recitation,... Sesshin, Emptiness, Passions, Intuition, Bell, Forms, American, difficulty	Suzuki Roshi	Sep 1969 Tassajara
Shosan Ceremony Serial: SR-00213 TassajaraSeptember, 1969 [Beginning of ceremony not recorded.] The talk centers on a Shosan Ceremony at Tassajara, emphasizing the nature of karma, the integration of breath practices, and the duality of life and death from a Zen perspective. The discussion explores various philosophical... Sesshin, Shosan, Perfect Wisdom, Dragons, Breath, Death, Intuition, Lay, Bell, Continuous...	Suzuki Roshi	Sep 1969 Tassajara
Stand Up By The Ground Serial: SF-05209 Protection Master "Suzuki Roshi summer sesshin 1969 2nd night lecture Sesshin, Second Night LectureSeptember, 1969Tassajara The talk discusses the concept of "inmo," as presented by Dogen Zenji, exploring its dual nature as both a definitive presence and a question, with parallels drawn to the term "it" in English. The speaker elaborates on how this... Sesshin, Dogen, Time, Continuous Practice, Freedom, Doubt	Suzuki Roshi	Sep 1969 Tassajara
Wherever You Are, Enlightenment Is There Serial: SF-05184 Sesshin: First Night Lecture, “I Don't Know Zazen”September 1969Tassajara Knowing that we have buddha nature even while we are in the dualistic world of good and bad. Analogy with various parts of a meal. Analogy... The talk addresses the dual nature of existence, emphasizing the recognition of buddha-nature amidst dualistic notions of good and bad. It highlights the importance of zazen practice in realizing enlightenment within imperfection... Dogen, Buddha Nature, Enlightenment, Practice, Enlightenment, Zazen	Suzuki Roshi	Sep 1969 Tassajara
Our Practice And Our Everyday Activity Serial: SF-05396 Saturday, August 30, 1969 Newly uploaded recording should be clearer to transcribe The talk emphasizes the integration of Zen practice into everyday life, focusing on the concept of "suchness" or "thusness" as described by Dogen. The discussion explores how understanding and experiencing this suchness, through... *Concentration, Composure, Gratitude, Fundraising, Posture, Faith*	Suzuki Roshi	Aug 30 1969 Tassajara

The Suzuki Roshi Audio Archive

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