Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘When you listen to a lecture, you should not have any idea of yourself. You shouldn’t compare — you should not have your own idea when you listen to others. You have to forget all what you have in your mind and listen to it. You have nothing in your mind and listen to it. Then you will understand what he says. That is naturalness. But if you have some idea to compare with what he says, that is not naturalness. So when you listen to it you just listen to it with empty mind. When you do something you should be completely involved in it. You should devote yourself completely. Then you have nothing.’ (from Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind)

‘Our study will be concentrated for a while on the statement: “The mind itself is Buddha.” It is pretty difficult to study, to listen to our lectures or our teachings. Usually when you study something, and even when you are listening to our lecture, I think that what you understand will be an echo of yourself. You think you are listening to me, but actually you are listening to yourself, so no progress will result. You always understand our lecture in your own way. Your understanding is always based on your way of thinking. So I think that you hear my voice and see my face, but actually you see yourself, and what you hear is nothing but an echo of yourself.’ (from the Suzuki Roshi Archive)

The other week the Monday study group was looking at the Naturalness chapter of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind; afterwards I was looking to find the earliest talk given by Suzuki Roshi at Tassajara, that I could post before my visit. The first quote comes from the chapter, and is dated June 1967; the second from August 1967. The notes for the latter talk suggest it was given in San Francisco, but reading the whole talk, and noting its tone, I suspect he may have been down at Tassajara; it was the week before the sesshin started, so either is possible. In any case, I was struck by his returning to the theme of the earlier talk.