December 17, 1966, 2nd Talk
Saturday, December 17th, 1966Shunryū Suzuki-rōshi
December 17, 1966
DECEMBER ONE-DAY SESSHIN LECTURE: Saturday Evening
Lecture B
Listen to this talk: Suzuki-roshi 66-12-17 2nd talk
The fourth instruction is:[1]
The Need for Training in Buddhism without Self-Seeking Mind
In Buddhist training we always received the true Key handed down by our predecessors. How can we use our selfish mind for this? We cannot gain Buddhism with mind or without mind. Just remember that if the training will—will—training will and the Buddhist way to do—Buddhist way do not combine, our body and mind are not calm. If not calm, our body and mind are not comfortable.
If we have gaining idea, we cannot practice Buddhism, which is something beyond our ordinal [ordinary] purpose of life. Usually our conscious activity is directed towards some merit or some result. We are expecting result, whatever we do. But there may be difference—there may be two cases: one you expect result after doing something, and you expect the result within your activity. There is—there may be two cases. The—to practice zazen because of the interest in practicing zazen is also, strictly speaking, a gaining idea. Of course, to expect something after your practice, this is of course gaining idea. “If you practice zazen you will be healthy,” or “You will have some mystic power like some magic.” This is, of course, is not Zen.