Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘As you are listening to me you may feel you have understood, but when you leave Tassajara you may become confused. So be careful. Do not be involved in a stupid understanding of life. Someone said the kindness here at Zen Mountain Center is quite different from the kindness in the city. I think this is very true. The ways of understanding are quite different. We do not say anything which we do not firmly believe in – sometimes we do not say anything. So you feel as if you have understood because we only say things we believe in and you confuse believing with understanding.

Why may you not have understood? The reason is quite simple: because you look around. Our way is to see something directly and not to look around, that is all! We do not say this is good or bad. If you are interested in what is best, perhaps it is better for you to go to lectures somewhere else. We have no idea of good or bad, no idea of whether you are sleeping or listening to me. I don’t mind at all! I am always encouraging myself at the same time I am encouraging you. When I am talking to you, there is nothing in my mind. I don’t look around. Here there is the complete world. This is the world, the real world, at the same time every other world can become real. It is not a matter of what kinds of worlds exist somewhere besides this world – like the cat’s or the frog’s. The point is whether this world is real or not, whether our practice is real or not. When our practice is real practice, this is our world. There is Shakyamuni Buddha who is taking care of us. This is the complete world moment after moment.’ (from the Suzuki Roshi Archive)

Another excerpt from the sesshin talk at Tassajara that was published in the Wind Bell of the time. The Monday group was taken with the idea of ‘not looking around’ – something that can be applicable to many parts of our lives.