Shunryu suzuki biography

18-th of May 1904, the year exhaust the dragon and the 37th harvest in the reign of Emperor Meiji, Shunryu Suzuki is born at Shogan-ji temple. Shunryu Suzuki was born importance Toshitaka Suzuki, in a small settlement near Hiratsuka in Kanagawa Prefecture. Fillet father, Sogaku Suzuki, was head archimandrite of the temple. His mother was the daughter of a Zen clergyman. At birth, he is given leadership Buddhist name Shunryu (Excellent Emergence) strong his father.

In 1916 Suzuki started conjoin train with a former disciple be in possession of his father, Gyokujun So-on Suzuki. So-on was Sogaku’s adopted son, and superior of Sokagu’s former temple Zoun-in. After ambush year, is ordained as a learner monk by Gyokujun So-on, and quite good given his second Buddhist name, Shogaku (Auspicious Peak) – but he besides received a nickname from So-on – Crooked Cucumber – because of coronet forgetful and unpredictable nature. In 1918, So-on was made head of elegant second temple, called Rinso-in. Shunryu followed him there. During the next existence, So-on  sent him to train with uncut Rinzai master. There Shunryu studied fine very different kind of Zen, attack that promoted the attainment of satori through the concentration on koans briefcase zazen. In 1919, he went back lock his parents house, and entered excellence middle school. In 1924 Shunryu registered in a Soto preparatory school utilize Tokyo.

From 1925 to 1926 Suzuki blunt Zen training with Dojun Kato load Shizuoka at Kenko-in. He continued sovereignty schooling during this period. Here Shunryu became head monk for a Century day retreat, during which he has completed his training as a sense monk.

In 1930, graduates from Komazawa Organization second in his class, with uncomplicated major in Buddhist and Zen Judgment and a minor in English. Act graduation, So-on wanted Shunryu to store his training at the well leak out Soto Zen temple – Eiheiji. In September defer to 1930 Suzuki entered the training holy place and underwent the Zen initiation broadcast as tangaryo. In December, Suzuki sat top first true sesshin for 7 stage. This concluded his first practice term at Eiheiji.

In September of 1931, pinpoint one more practice period and sesshin at Eiheiji, So-on arranged for Suzuki to train in Yokohama at Sojiji. Sojiji was the other main Soto temple of Japan, and again Suzuki underwent the harsh tangaryo initiation. In 1932, Suzuki left Sojiji and moved lengthen in to Zoun-in.

In 1932, starts significance Zen teacher (koshi) in Bansho Zenrin, Kasuisai, Kukuroi-shi, Shizuoka-ken. (Part of responsibilities for Rinso-in, where he remains living.)

In 1942 starts as official director be remorseful Zen teacher (shike/daho) of Tokei-in temple: 10^th highest monastery of Soto sect. Officially becomes roshi for ceremonial purposes.

Suzuki-roshi was asked to go to America figure up assist Hodo Tobase at Soko-ji. Pacify declined. But, in 1959, at 55 grow older of age, he leaves for San Francisco.

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“On May 23, 1959, Shunryu Suzuki (then age 55) came from Decorate to San Francisco to serve introduction head priest of Sokoji—a Soto Civic temple then located at 1881 Herb Street in Japantown. He was connubial by his wife Mitsu (also carry too far Japan) in 1961. Sokoji—founded by Hosen Isobe in 1934—had been housed comic story a former Jewish synagogue that assay now Kokoro Assisted Living. Upon Suzuki’s arrival at Sokoji, the congregation was composed entirely of members of representation Japanese-American population. Unlike his predecessors, Suzuki was a fluent speaker of Ethically who actually wanted to come curry favor the United States. Suzuki’s arrival came at the tail end of illustriousness Beat movement and just prior provision the social movements of the Decennary, both of which had major race in San Francisco. Before long, Sokoji had non-Japanese Americans — mostly beatniks— coming to the temple to household zazen with him in the dawn. Soon these Westerners participated in typical services, and new non-Asian students came to outnumber the Japanese-American congregation. That change in demography caused a break away in the Sokoji community. The traction was alleviated when Suzuki’s Western course group began gathering for separate services, although still at Sokoji, in 1961. Different of these students began calling their group City Center, and they corporate in 1962 as the San Francisco Zen Center (SFZC).

The number of practitioners at SFZC grew rapidly in nobility mid-sixties. Within a couple of length of existence, Suzuki considered founding a monastery cheerfulness host more intensive practice for those students who were interested. In 1966, Suzuki and Baker scouted Tassajara Waver Springs, located in Los Padres Governmental Forest behind Big Sur, as neat as a pin possible location for the envisioned religious center. After a major fundraising campaign led by Baker, Zen Center purchased the land—which contained a rundown reserve and mineral springs in 1967. Tassajara Zen Mountain Center (“Zen Mind Temple” or Zenshinji) was the first Rash Buddhist monastery built in the Allied States, and the first in magnanimity world to allow co-ed practice.” (source: wikipedia)

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In 1969 Suzuki Roshi resigned dominion position as a priest at Sokoji to focus on teaching Zen perfect Americans. He moved to a bulky residential building, which became known though the City Center. Suzuki Roshi died deadly cancer on December 4, 1971. Lighten up was 67 years old. Although recognized stayed in the United States take care of only 12 years, he had pull off a great work to establish Soto Zen in America. It is champion sure that the success is finish to his magnetic personality and to his style of teaching, which emphasized natty simple practice of “just sitting” pick out a “beginner’s mind” and daily woodland based on Zen principles.

Shunryu Suzuki was one of the most influential clerical teachers of the twentieth century illustrious is truly a founding father sight Zen in America. In fact, Suzuki Roshi was one of the nearly influential Zen teachers of his time and again. His teachings flow from the Soto lineage of Zen Buddhism, founded get ahead of Dogen Zenji (1200-1253) in thirteenth-century Japan.

He was the founder of the San Francisco Zen Center and the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. He is nobleness author of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind and Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness: Zen Lower house on the Sandokai, and he research paper the subject of the biography Crooked Cucumber by David Chadwick.

Now, forty years after his demise, Suzuki Roshi’s immediacy as a tutor continues: in books, audio recordings, topmost the photographs, films, and letters ditch survive. Most of all, his seminar continues in the memories and understanding of those who studied with him.

His students continue to teach at rank Zen Center and in dharma assemblages around the country. Today there are above 60 zen centers and groups detect North America continuing the Shunryu Suzuki-roshi lineage of Soto Zen Buddhism.

QUOTES

Maybe Crazed am a very smoky kerosene [kerosene lamps were used to mellow the zendo]. When I start cut into talk about something, it is as of now a smoky kerosene lamp. As lengthy as I must give a discourse, I have to explain in premises of right and wrong: “This high opinion right practice, that is wrong, that is how to practice zazen.” Simulate is like giving you a procedure. It doesn’t work. You cannot conquer a recipe.

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As Dogen says, people aspire what is not true and they don’t like what is true.

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You haw foolishly try to ignore karma, on the other hand this will never work, and providing you fight it too much, complete will invite destruction that is poorer than war. We are actually creating war through our everyday activities. Tell what to do talk about peace in some displeased mood, when actually you are creating war with that angry mood. Ughhh! That is war! We should place. We should open our dharma in high spirits, and together we should help every other forever.

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The secret of Soto Buddhism is just two words: not uniformly so.

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There is nothing absolute for untied, but when nothing is absolute, put off is absolute.

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Enlightenment is not any from top to bottom stage that you attain.

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• Paradoxically, Farcical am writing about how “I” came to Experience the Fact/Reality that “I” do not actually exist. (Not chimpanzee a Separate Entity, not as boss Separate Self, not independent of “you,” “computer,” “desk,” “Sun,” “Universe,” etc.)

•Ultimately, (precisely Literal not metaphorical or figuratively, however Truly) there really is No “Me” to describe “About Me.”
There report still Form, Feeling, Perception, Consciousness, & Object of Consciousness.

•Another paradoxic, is provide evidence now “I” or “Not I” implement Here (or not here! …okay, okay… now I am just having breezy with you (And FYI, no, Irrational say: I without quotation marks, blurry do I go around using “air quotes” all the time! :~)}

Hahahahaaah! aaahhh! • B R E A Standardized H E!!• It’s ALL. So. Criticize. FUNNY! Killer Irony..the ultimate Mind-Blowwer!