August 1st, 1971
Sunday, August 1st, 1971Shunryū Suzuki-rōshi
Sunday, August 1, 1971
Tassajara
Listen to this talk: Suzuki-roshi 71-08-01
At the time of Yakusan—Yakusan Igen-daioshō[1]—we—every morning we recite chant names of Buddha. Daikon Enō-daioshō.[2] Daikon Enō is the Sixth Patriarch. And Seigen Gyōshi—Seigen Gyōshi is the Seventh Patriarch. And Eighth Patriarch is Sekitō Kisen. And [the Ninth Patriarch is] Yakusan.
At this time, Zen Buddhism was very—became very popular or—and stronger. Every master—there were lots of students. But in Yakusan’s monastery there were only twenty, you know. He—he was total [?] strict teacher. And one day, the temple—a monk who is taking care of temple asked him to give a lecture. “You haven’t—you haven’t given lecture for so long time, so students want to hear you. So please give us some lecture today,” he said.[3]
So Yakusan asked ino-sho to hit the bell, so students came to lecture hall. And at the third round, Yakusan appear and mounted the pulpit, and sitting for a while. He without giving anything—saying anything, he went to his room [laughs]. [Words] taken care of [Zen master] asked him, “Why didn’t you say anything?” Yakusan said, “Because I’m teacher who give lecture and there’s some teachers who discuss Buddhism but [words] to give lecture is not my [word].” And his—that was his answer. And then if he doesn’t give any lecture. What is his purpose? No one knows but it is difficult to figure out what was his purpose. That there’s no reason is actually his teaching.