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Monday, March 18, 2024

Founders

Nowadays we have various sects in China and Japan, but why so many founders of various schools make that kind of effort is only to understand who was Buddha. When someone found Buddha was such and such person, he became a founder of some school. All the effort we have been making is to know who is Buddha and what was his teaching. So, for a Buddhist, Buddha is not just a historical person. He is truth itself.

Photo of Chinese Temple by Eric Arnow

cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-00-C as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Sunday, March 17, 2024

A Scroll for Mitsu Suzuki



I treasured my many years of studying tea with Mrs. Suzuki. My feelings about art were so influenced by the simplicity of the tearoom and the beautiful scrolls and flower arrangements that always greeted me. Recently I had the urge to try my hand at putting together my own scroll in honor of Mrs. Suzuki. My assemblage is 38" x 20". Titled "Seasons" - Linda Lupo Wong

Linda's cuke page - with links to her art pages and more

Mitsu Suzuki cuke page

Featured Cuke Archives page


 

Alan Rabold's Buddhist study began before he came to the SF Zen Center in 1968 and continued on with Maezumi, long solo retreats, to Boulder and Trungpa and more. Listen to his podcast....cuke.com/f

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Developed

The sutras usually look like they were spoken by the historical Buddha himself. But our Buddhist sutras were not actually spoken by him. So when you read sutras, if you think they were spoken by Buddha himself, you will be confused because there are actually many elements in them which did not exist in Buddha’s time. When sutras were compiled, they included various thoughts from their time. Buddhist thought developed from the understanding of the direct disciples of Buddha to that of Buddhists several generations afterward.

cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-00-C as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Friday, March 15, 2024

Many Buddhas

Maitreya Buddha is the buddha who will come. There must be a future buddha too. We call him by the name of Maitreya. Buddha attained enlightenment and saw his Dharma Nature, so he became the Nirmanakaya Buddha. And he also knew the source of his buddhahood. He recognized himself as the seventh patriarch or seventh buddha. Before Buddha there were seven buddhas. But seven doesn’t mean just seven, but many. He didn’t say, “I am the first one.” He acknowledged many buddhas before him. He is one of the many buddhas, and he is Maitreya Buddha also.

cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-00-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Patriarchs

What we mean by “buddha,” what we mean by “patriarchs” is the same. When we point out, one by one as successive teachers, we call them first, second, third patriarch. But they are all buddhas. So, not different, but the way we call them is different.


DAITO KOKUSHI by Shunso Shoshu (1750-1835)

cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-00-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

One Whole Buddhism

Since we have arrived at this kind of understanding, there will be no need to talk about what Theravada or Mahayana Buddhism is. All Buddhism, whether it is Theravada or Mahayana, is one whole Buddhism. This is how we have transmitted his teaching from Buddha to us. And the purpose of this scripture is to describe our Dharma Nature.

From Bali Vipassana Retreat Report, April 2016

cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-00-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Featured Cuke Archives page

Peter Coyote is a Zen teacher, writer, activist, actor, and that's just a start. Visit his Cuke page to listen to his podcast, learn about his new book and much more. Keep an eye out for a second podcast with Peter on our Podcast page.

http://cuke.com/f

Monday, March 11, 2024

Buddha Becomes Real Buddha

Buddha understood how he should help others. But he was Buddha because he is Enlightened One. He was illuminated in his own nature, Dharma Nature, and everyone’s nature. So, he knows who he is. And for him there are no disciples, and there is no objective world. So, he says all sentient beings are his sons, part of him. So, only when we understand Buddha as Sambhogakaya Buddha and Dharmakaya Buddha, Buddha becomes real Buddha.

Gandhara Buddha at SFZC

cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-00-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.