1. "Here there is no idea of time or space. Time and space are one.. You may say, 'I must do something this afternoon,' but actually there is no 'this afternoon.' We do things one after the other. That is all."(30)

What is the idea here of time/space - such that there is no idea of time/space? How does this compare with contemporary conceptions of time/space?

2. "Good and bad are only in your mind."(30)

What does this mean? How does this differ from an ethical relativism which claims that all ethical values are relative to a particular time/culture?

3. How can things be both "purely independent of, and at the same time, dependent upon everything?"(31)

4. How do you control people, according to Suzuki on pp. 31-32? How does this compare with our usual ideas of control? Can you make any "sense" of his point here?

5. "The true purpose is to see things as they are, to observe things as they are, and to let everything go as it goes. This is to put everything under control in its widest sense."(33)

In the view of Zen, how are things - and how does Zen let one see them as they are?

6. "That everything is included within your mind is the essence of mind. To experience this is to have religious feeling."(35)

How does this account of religious feeling compare with Western accounts?

7. "Because we enjoy all aspects of life as an unfolding of big mind, we do not care for any excessive joy. So we have imperturbable composure and it is with this imperturbable composure of big mind that we practice zazen."

"There is no problem. One year of life is good. One hundred years of life are good."(43)

What attitude towards "life" is expressed here? How does this compare with more usual views (i.e., yours)?

8. "When you become one with Buddha, one with everything that exists, you find the true meaning of being. When you forget all your dualistic ideas, everything becomes your teacher, and everything can be the object of worship."(44)

Explain this - possibly in conjunction with the next passage, next question.

9. "In your big mind, everything has the same value. Everything is Buddha himself. You see something or hear a sound, and there you have everything just as it is. In your practice you should accept everything as it is, giving to each thing the same respect given to a Buddha."(44)

How can this be? How does this attitude - everything is equally valuable - compare with our ordinary attitudes?

10. "Real calmness should be found in activity itself."(46)

Do we do this? Why not?

11. "Zen practice is the direct expression of our true nature."(47)

What does this mean for our "true nature." How does this conception of our true nature compare with our ordinary conceptions of our true nature?

12. Why is enlightenment "nothing special?"(47)