‘Nowadays young people are dating, but enlightenment is not something that you can meet on a date. If you organize your life, get up at a certain time, pick up your bag lunch at a certain time, and leave for work, then if you have a girlfriend or boyfriend, you will meet them. There is no need to make a date. At a certain time she will come to the corner where you usually see her. That is our way. It is rather foolish and troublesome to make phone calls. Even if you make a date by telephone – “Hey, I am leaving now” – if she doesn’t come to the corner, you will be disappointed. If you do not make a date, and she comes to the corner, you will be really happy.
That is how you attain enlightenment. It is not a laughing matter. I am talking about something real. Not to make any date means not to expect or stick to enlightenment.’ (Not Always So)
I think Suzuki Roshi’s reference to laughter makes it seems that his audience was not sure about his analogy; it is a little clunky, even more so in the age of constant texting, but the approach that he is talking about makes perfect sense.
Shundo David Haye 