‘Hashimoto Roshi, the authority of Shobogenzo who passed away two years ago, in his lecture he told me– he told us refer to the menu and dishes, you know. We you make, you know, a menu of the dishes, and we cook, you know, salad or eggs or meat– everything separately. That is, you know, suchness. Everything is arranged clearly, beautifully. But he says, “When you start to eat [laughs], everything will vanish in a moment.” In ten minutes there is no more dish, no more food on the table, and everything is mixed up [laughs] in your tummy.
So this is, on one hand, very beautiful things. But on the other hand, if food– function of food is fulfilled when the– function of the food fulfilled, there is no more dishes [laughs]. So everything is– our practice is the same thing. You know, you– when you get up, you know, you brush your teeth and wash your face. That is practice. You do it one by one carefully. And when you practice zazen, you practice zazen. One by one.
But, you know, none of them cannot be perfect practice, even though to wash your face is very good habit [laughs]. But, you know, even though it is good, if you are always washing your face [laughs], you cannot attain enlightenment [laughs, laughter]. Same thing will– can be said with your zazen practice. Zazen is very good practice. But even though you just always practicing zazen, you know, it doesn’t work [laughs].’ (from the Suzuki Roshi archive)
Shundo David Haye 