Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘What I noticed here, you know, in observing your practice, you are not completely involved in practice– our practice. Your practice is part of [laughs] you– just a small part of your life. One hour or two hours in 12– 24 hours [laughs]. That is your practice. So instead of practicing zazen here two hours, you think you can do something– if there is something good, better– it may be better to do something [laughs]– something else instead of practicing zazen. This is– I think you [laughs]– still you have this kind of attitude.

But Buddhism is not– our practice is not like that. Our practice– if we are not completely involved in our practice, that is not our practice. It is not one hour of 24 hours. So if you– if I scold you, you may [laughs]– you may go out. If I give you some candy, you will stay here [laughs, laughter]. I dare say you are impossible [laughs, laughter]. You are just like child [laughs], because, you know, you lack in– you lack in your confidence to study it as a whole life study. Actually, you cannot get out of Buddhism. It is impossible to get out of it, but still you think you can, you know, go out from Buddhism, go out from Zen– from this zendo. Actually, once you enter, that’s all [laughs, laughter]. Some day you’ll have to come back. I know that [laughs]. I myself tried to get out of it many times [laughs], but I couldn’t.’ (from the Suzuki Roshi archive)

From one of Suzuki Roshi’s 1966 talks on the Genjo Koan.