March 22nd, 1967
Wednesday, March 22nd, 1967
Lecture by Suzuki-rōshi
Wednesday, March 22, 1967
[Suzuki-rōshi read a rendition of “Jōshu’s Mu.” He said Jōshu began serious study, including travel and visits to various masters, after the age of 60. Before that he spent most of his time caring for his old Zen teacher.]
“Has a dog Buddha nature?” Everyone knows that Buddha nature is everywhere and includes everything. (It is so stated in a sutra). But if we all are Buddha, i.e., if buddha-nature is everywhere, why practice zazen? Consider the air; it too is everywhere; but until we use a fan, we are not aware of it. Zazen may be likened to the fanning. However, awareness of Buddha nature, or the solution to mu are not our only problems. So there is no need to be narrowly over-concerned with what Buddha nature refers to. You should not strain too hard to know what Zen is. One cannot study Zen in the usual manner. The way to study Zen is to be always aware of yourself, to be careful, to be sincere with yourself. Awareness means that when reading (including Zen materials), your mind should not get caught by any idea. It should remain open. Similarly with sights and sounds… don’t allow your mind’s self-awareness to get lost or absorbed. In other words, always remain conscious of what you are doing, of what is going on. In all our activities we should have “inward eyes.” This is especially so during physical actions, because then our minds are not as full of activity. When we are reading or thinking, our minds are not as full of activity. When we are involved in physical activity, then the mind is at full operation…it is open. When we are thus attentive and one with our activity, we can deepen our understanding. When we practice this way, everything that happens is within our mind and everything we are involved in is the content of our practice. Such awareness of body-mind means that sounds, for example, arise from within the mind. Here (in body-mind) there is no duality. Body-mind arises when practice is within yourself-Zen conduct is occurring when there is no duality.