Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘People say to study Zen is difficult, but there is some misunderstanding why it is difficult. It is not difficult because to sit in cross-legged position is hard, or to attain enlightenment is hard, but it is hard to keep our mind pure, and to keep our practice pure in original way.’ (from the Suzuki Roshi Archive)

These are the opening sentences of the talk that formed the prologue of, and gave the title to, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. As I was thinking about my upcoming Zen Center talk, and about the new group in York, these sentences felt like great ones to unpack.