Shunryu Suzuki
Shunryu Suzuki
1904 – 1971
Shunryu Suzuki was the founder of the San Francisco Zen Center and one of the most influential Zen teachers in the history of Western Buddhism. Born in 1904 in Japan, he arrived in San Francisco in 1959 to serve a small Japanese-American congregation and discovered a generation of young Americans eager to practice zazen. His gentle, humorous, and profoundly simple teaching attracted a devoted following and established the model for Soto Zen practice in the West.
Suzuki's book Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, compiled from his talks by his students, became the most widely read introduction to Zen practice in the English language. His famous opening line—"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few"—captured the essence of Dogen's teaching in language that resonated with Western seekers. He established Tassajara, the first Soto Zen monastery in the West, and his San Francisco Zen Center became the most important institutional center for Zen practice outside Asia. He died in 1971, but his influence continues to shape Western Zen profoundly.
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Teachings
- proverbNo Gaining Idea
As long as you have some gaining idea in what you do, it is not true practice.
- proverbMoment After Moment
The true purpose of Zen is to see things as they are, to observe things as they are, and to let everything go as it goes.
- proverbNothing Special
Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.
- proverbPulling Weeds
We pull out the weeds and bury them near the plant to give it nourishment. You should rather be grateful for the weeds, because eventually they will enrich your practice.
- proverbGive Your Sheep a Large Meadow
To give your sheep or cow a large, spacious meadow is the way to control him. So it is with people: first let them do what they want, and watch them. To watch them is the best policy.
- proverbBurn Yourself Completely
When you do something, you should burn yourself up completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.
- proverbIf Your Mind Is Empty
If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything. It is open to everything.
- proverbZen Is Concentration on Routine
Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine.
- proverbAccept Yourself
The most important point is to accept yourself and stand on your own two feet.
- sayingBeginner's Mind
In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few. In the beginner's mind there is no thought 'I have attained something.' When we have no thought of achievement, no thought of self, we are true beginners. Then we can really learn something.
Master Record Sources
1904-1971
Shunryu Suzuki
Soto
Gyokujun So-on