A Shunryu Suzuki history

A student asked in dokusan, "If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound?"

Suzuki Roshi answered, "It doesn't matter."
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On Existing or Non-Existing

In the view of existence, even nothingness does exist. In the view of non-existence, even the whole universe does not exist. Existing or not existing, it depends on the network of one's views. A whole-man does not let himself get caught in it. How could that be? Just see things-as-they-are.
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Li Po and Tu Fu

The birds have vanished into the sky,
and now the last cloud drains away.

We sit together, the mountain and me,
until only the mountain remains.

- Li Po and Tu Fu, from Endless River:A Friendship in Poetry, translated by Sam Hami and posted to DailyDharma
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Permanence and nature of the wind

Mayu, Zen Master Baoche, was fanning himself. A monk ap- proached and said, "Master, the nature of wind is permanent and there is no place it does not reach. Why then do you fan yourself?"

"Although you understand that the natare of the wind is perma- nent," Mayu replied, "you do not understand the meaning of its reaching everywhere."

"What is the meaning of its reaching everywhere?" asked the monk again. Mayu just kept fanning himself. The monk bowed deeply.
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The Voice of Happiness

After Zen Master Bankei had passed away, a blind man who lived near the master's temple told a friend:

"Since I am blind, I cannot watch a person's face, so I must judge his character by the sound of his voice. Ordinarily when I hear someone congratulate another upon his happiness or success, I also hear a secret tone of envy. When condolence is expressed for the misfortune of another, I hear pleasure and satisfaction, as if the one condoling was really glad there was something left to gain in his own world."

"In all my experience, however, Bankei's voice was always sincere. Whenever he expressed happiness, I heard nothing but happiness, and whenever he expressed sorrow, sorrow was all I heard."
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Right & Wrong

When Bankei held his seclusion-weeks of meditation, pupils from many parts of Japan came to attend. During one of these gatherings a pupil was caught stealing.

The matter was reported to Bankei with the request that the culprit be expelled. Bankei ignored the case.
Later the pupil was caught in a similar act, and again Bankei disregarded the matter.

This angered the other pupils, who drew up a petition asking for the dismissal of the thief, stating that otherwise they would leave in a body. When Bankei had read the petition he called everyone before him. "You are wise brothers," he told them. "You know what is right and what is not right. You may go somewhere else to study if you wish, but this poor brother does not even know right from wrong. Who will teach him if I do not? I am going to keep him here even if all the rest of you leave."

A torrent of tears cleansed the face of the brother who had stolen. All desire to steal had vanished.
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What is the Tao?

Joshu (778-897) asked his teacher, Nansen (748-834),

“What is the Tao?”

Nansen replied, “Ordinary mind is the Tao.”

Joshu asked, “Shall I try to seek it?”

“If you try for it, you will become apart from it,” Nansen replied.

“How can I know the Tao unless I try for it?” persisted Joshu.

“The Tao is not a matter of knowing or not knowing. Knowing is delusion, not knowing is ignorance. When you have truly reached the Tao, undoubtedly you will find it as vast as the boundless space. How can it be discussed on the level of right and wrong?”

With these words, it is said that Joshu came to a sudden realization.
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