Shunryu Suzuki - Enabler or Zen Master?

Two fantastic posts by My Buddha is Pink on the nature of Buddhist morality brought up whether or not it is more conditional rather than relative. I don't have too much to add to the comments already made other than I agree that the morality taught by the Buddha isn't absolute. That being said I found some excerpts from an excellent transcript of one of Shunryu Suzuki's Dharma talks that touch on this topic as well as the topic of the precepts. So why not kill two birds...

...When you do something, you know, it is a kind of morality is in it because you do something by your choice. But when you make decision to do something, your inmost nature will tell you, “That will not be so good. Why don’t you do it this way.” That is precepts.

This is an understanding of the precepts that is beyond the written words or absolutes. Our own inner morality (relative) speaking to us directly dependant upon our own understanding and our experience (conditional). Our practice helps opens up these doors. Its almost like the mind that lies to us for most of our existence finally falls back and allows the Mind to emerge and converse honestly with us. The "enlightenment" that we seek is really just a moment of honesty with our delusions - a moment of clarity. We truly discover ourselves to be the bags of dung that we indeed are (been reading too much Shosan).

...And at that time you would listen to what your inmost nature will say. That is morality or precepts. Our inmost nature will tell you what to do. So if you understand this way, this is morality, or this is precepts. So the precepts actually is not only two or two hundred or five hundred...Whatever we do is precepts, because we have some choice. We have to make some decision.

We make our own decisions and live by them. Simple and elegant. No ridiculous "what-ifs" or absolute prohibitions. No need to over-intellectualize.

...Here you have, in your everyday life, precepts, and you have freedom too. Whatever you do that is up to you. As long as you have freedom you will make some decision, so you should be responsible for that...So, in our everyday life, we should have precepts, we should observe the precepts, instead of leaving responsibility for Buddha. We should be responsible for that, but at the same time you have freedom. There is no need for you to be bound by precepts. Precepts is formulated by you own choice. As long as you take conscious activity, there is freedom, and at the same time, you should be responsible for that. This is freedom ….true freedom..to leave all the responsibility to Buddha is not freedom. I don’t mind.

The precepts are not binding nor is Buddhist morality. They allow for choice and personal freedom but tempered by responsibility and understanding.

Cheers,