restore the Buddhist teaching in its original way

Shunryu Suzuki Transcript

Sunday Evening, August 16, 1970
San Francisco
Lecture A

[The first part of the lecture was not recorded.]

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-- restore the Buddhist teaching in its original way.

So that you don't know anything about Buddhism is very good [laughs]. We have no trouble to-- to make you piece by piece [laughs].

So here, you know, and-- American people has very open-minded-- is very open-minded. So for you, it is accept the teaching, you know, without trouble. That is my feeling.

And one more point is because your mind is open, and we have not much prejudice, you know, you know-- you see things clearly. And if the teaching is not pure enough, and-- then you will not accept it. But there is-- of course there is some danger. The danger is, you know, you will easily, you know, [get] caught by some wrong teaching too. You-- you-- someone said, you know, American people are like a sheep [laughs]. There is that-- that danger. And if you meet with some ambitious person, you will be easily, you know, involved in wrong activity. That is one danger. But for sincere teacher, American people is maybe the best friend.

Anyway, this evening, I wanted to make our practice clear from two viewpoint: from student's viewpoint and from teacher's standpoint. And when we have mutual trust, then the student's way will become teacher's way, teacher's way will become one with student way. And, we will have-- there we will have Dogen's way of practice, which is called “practice based on original enlightenment.”

I am so grateful to-- to have-- to finish this sesshin with this kind of warm feeling.

Thank you very much.
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Source: City Center tape. Transcription by Nigel Edmonds and Bill Redican (checked March 16, 2000). [The original tape continues with what appears to be a different complete lecture, which has been cataloged as SR-70-08-16B.]

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File name: 70-08-16-A: restore the Buddhist teaching in its original way (titled by pf) (Verbatim) redivide a and b

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