Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘People may think Zen is a wonderful teaching, you know. “If you study Zen, you will acquire complete freedom (laughs). Whatever you do, if you are in the Zen Buddhist robe, it is alright [laughs]. If you wear a black robe like this, whatever you do will be alright. We have that much freedom in our teaching.” This kind of understanding looks like observing the teaching that form is emptiness, but form — what do I mean by “form is emptiness” is quite different. Back and forth we practice, we train our mind and our emotions and our body. And after those processes, you will acquire the perfect freedom.

And perfect freedom should be only — will be acquired only under some limitation. When you are in some position, you can fulfil –fulfil — you can realize — realization of the truth will be there, will happen to you. But if you do not work on anywhere, wandering about this place to the other place, without knowing where you are, without knowing your place on which you work, then there will be no chance for you to realize your true nature. Even though you use something to make yourself cool, sometimes, even though you have fan — Japanese round fan and a Chinese — this kind of fan,or big electric fan like that [laughs], if you are always changing one to the other as you wish [laughs], then you will be spend your time [laughs] just to change your equipment to make yourself cool. And you will have no time to appreciate the cool wind. That is [what] most of people are doing [laughter]. If you do not have proper — if you are not in some condition, you cannot experience the reality. Reality will be experienced only when you are in some particular circumstance. And only when you appreciate it. So that is why we say form is — emptiness is form. Emptiness may be something very good, but emptiness can [only] be appreciated in some form or color, or under some limitation.’ (from the Suzuki Roshi Archive)

All being well, I am leaving for Tassajara on the morning this is published. I am, of course, excited to be going down, not least as I will be offering a talk, and helping with both the Full Moon Ceremony and Obon, which occur while I am there. As I was looking for a Suzuki Roshi post to fill today’s slot, I realised that this talk, the first talk from the first day of the first sesshin held at Tassajara, took place on this day, fifty seven years ago. What could be more appropriate?