Shundo David Haye

‘I think most of you have wrong idea, you know, about freedom or things-as-they-are [laughs]. When you say “freedom” or “things-as-they-are,” is not what I mean, at least. You are not, you know, seeing things-as-they-are, because you have some special glasses, and through them you are seeing things. And each person has different glasses, so your opinion will not meet, you know [laughs]. So the more you has to, you know, manage our group, the more you will be get in confusion [laughs], because you stick to your own, you know, eyes, your own understanding. And if, you know, you see things without glasses, things– if the picture you have is things-as-they-are, then, you know, naturally everyone will agree with what you see, and you have to agree with some other person’s understanding. But even so– even you cannot agree, you know, because you have on your glasses, you know, even though you cannot agree, sometime, you know, you should take off your glasses. “Oh!” [Laughs.] “But I need this glasses,” you know. “As a teacher, I must have this one.” [Laughs.] So excuse me. I must wear this. Maybe what you said is right. If you, you know, realize what kind of glasses you wear, then you can easily agree, you know. Without knowing that you have special glasses– as a student, as a teacher, as a officers, as a rokuchiji [laughs], so, you know, it is– things become very difficult. So when, you know, with this understanding, many good virtue will result, you know: humbleness, soft mind, or clear understanding, or sometime sharp judgment, you know.’ (from the Suzuki Roshi archive)