Shunryu Suzuki Roshi was one of the most influential teachers of Soto Zen Buddhism in American history.
Zen Buddhism was transmitted from China to Japan in the twelfth century, and was distinguished by the direct transmission of profound insight into the nature of Reality, from master to disciple, rather than through reliance on words and scriptures.
“Zen” is the Japanese pronunciation of Chinese chán, “meditation”. Chán in turn comes from the Prajhna, (Sanskrit dhyanam), also meaning “meditation,” and from the Sanskrit root dhya “to see, observe”.
International interest in Zen began in the 1950’s and Zen was popularised in the West by Alan Watts and DT Suzuki. As a result of the growing interest in Zen in particular and Buddhism in general, many Westerners travelled to the East to immerse themselves in the teachings and practice of Buddhism. Many of these people returned to the West to found temples and monasteries which have thrived in the ensuing years due to the flourishing interest in Buddhist teachings.
I asked the boy beneath the pines
He said ” the Master’s gone alone
Herb-picking somewhere on the mount
cloud-hidden, whereabouts unknown”
– Chia Tao
Do not seek the truth, only cease to cherish your opinions.
If you understand, things are just as they are; if you do not understand, things are just as they are.
The obstacle is the path.
The substance of every experience — that’s nirvana. But the ego says ‘No! It can’t be. Anything but this!’