Shunryu Suzuki’s Grounded, Practical Advice for Engaging with Suffering—Without Losing Yourself in It.
If you’ve been paying attention to the world these days, it’s hard not to feel disillusioned, fearful, or just plain tired. In the face of suffering, many of us yearn for peace, a way to transcend the chaos.
But what if the path isn’t about “rising above,” but about fully inhabiting the life you already have, suffering and all?
This is the wisdom of Shunryu Suzuki, the Zen monk who brought Zen Buddhism to the West and profoundly shaped how we understand the spiritual life today. Suzuki’s teachings emphasize that the practice of Zen is not a retreat from the world’s problems, but a way to meet them head-on, with presence and compassion.
At a time when our insides are tangled up in uncertainty, his insights offer a grounded, practical way to engage with suffering—without losing ourselves in it.
A Life of Quiet Resilience
Suzuki was no stranger to suffering–and it’s important to know how his response to that suffering formed his teachings.
Living in Japan during the World Wars, he saw his country devastated by bombings, economic collapse, and the trauma of defeat. Everywhere you looked there was pain, turmoil, and devastation. The entire Japanese culture was in upheaval as people were left questioning their values. How does one make meaning out of so much destruction?
Similarly, when he moved to the US in 1959, Suzuki found a country grappling with its own challenges—racial injustice, civil unrest, and the looming war in Vietnam. Many of his students were young people, disillusioned and searching for meaning in a world that seemed to be falling apart.
In both of these contexts, Suzuki served as a guide through the chaos. He didn’t shy away from people’s pain or offer them a mystical escape. Instead, he encouraged them to embrace the world as it is, with all its suffering and joy.
But how?
Satori and the Everyday Sacred
One understandable response to suffering is escape. If you can’t escape the pain with your body, it seems reasonable to try to escape the suffering with your mind. Perhaps we can find a sense of oneness or enlightenment that allows us to float above the chaos!
This desire makes complete sense. And is sometimes necessary for our sanity! There is wisdom in finding distractions to ease your nervous system.
But what if there were a way to find ease without escaping?
Suzuki often spoke against the romanticized idea of enlightenment or “satori.” While it’s normal to crave moments of transcendence, Suzuki reminded his students that real enlightenment isn’t some euphoric experience. It’s found in how we engage with the ordinary, even when life feels overwhelming.
As Suzuki said, “True enlightenment is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine.” In other words, instead of chasing after mystical experiences, we are called to fully engage with what’s in front of us.
Do I drink my morning tea with reverence?
Do I thank my anger for pointing out injustice?
Do I bow to the vagaries of my chronic illness?
Do I try to prepare my frozen dinner with attention, presence, and even beauty?
For Suzuki, enlightenment isn't about rising above the messiness of life but about how we live in the midst of it. It’s about washing dishes, driving to work, or responding to a difficult email—not as distractions from spiritual growth, but as the very ground of it.
Not Only Zen
This idea of finding the ground in everyday tasks is not only found in Zen Buddhism. Western mystics will tell you the same:
The gate of heaven is everywhere. Not after you’ve unlocked the achievement of sitting in meditation for 3 hours with nary a stray thought.
Everywhere.
Life is the Curriculum
How do we find this gate of heaven? How do we practice Zen in our daily lives?
Shunryu Suzuki once said, "When you do something, you should burn yourself up completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself."
He’s talking about Simone Weil’s attention, or Hildegard’s viriditas, or Catherine of Siena’s “fully alive.”
Presence. Fullness of life. Fecundity even in our frumpiness.
Zen teaches us that everything we do—no matter how small—is a practice.
Washing your hands is practice.
Taking out the trash is practice.
Driving the car is practice.
These are not interruptions to the spiritual life; they are the spiritual life.
How do I say yes to the curriculum life is giving me right now?
Let’s list out today’s lesson plans:
Creaky hips that won’t stop complaining
Grey skies and rain predicted all week
Frying up my leftover salmon cakes for dinner
Measuring out my dog’s food in an hour
Remembering to schedule my dental cleaning
Accepting when I don’t remember to call my dentist until 9:57pm, and have to try again tomorrow
This is my spiritual path. Not hoping for enlightenment or meditating until I find imperturbable peace.
Life, as it is right now, gives each of us the means to union with God.
The Gate of Heaven is Here
The Zen and Christian way agree: the invitation is to fully inhabit your life, as it is right now.
Every moment gives us an opportunity to say yes, to be present, and to let go of the need for something more.
In the midst of chaos, fear, or uncertainty, the spiritual path is not about transcending or numbing, but about showing up. Whether you’re cooking dinner, caring for a loved one, or processing today's news, these are not distractions from your growth—they are the terrain of it.
What might change in your life if you stopped searching for a way out of the suffering and instead asked, “How can I meet this moment with presence?” Perhaps the gate of heaven is right here, in the clutter of your kitchen or the weariness of your heart.
So today, pause. Take a deep breath. Wash the dishes with reverence. Respond to your email with attention. Offer your fear to God. Let the messiness of life be your spiritual curriculum, and trust that, in every small moment, you are already practicing.
How will you practice presence today?
If you’re interested in exploring more of Suzuki’s teachings and how to find harmony amidst the havoc, join us for a special live class this Saturday. Taught by award-winning dharma teacher Esther Tishman, in this class you’ll find a whole community of people seeking to live the curriculum life has given them.
Kelly Deutsch specializes in audacity. Big dreams, fierce desires, restless hearts. When seekers are hungry for unspeakably more, she offers the space to explore contemplative depths and figure out where they fit in the vast spiritual landscape. She speaks and writes about divine intimacy, emotional intelligence, John of the Cross, trauma-informed spiritual practice, and neuropsychology. Kelly offers spiritual direction, coaching, contemplative cohorts, and retreats. She is the bestselling author of Spiritual Wanderlust: The Field Guide to Deep Desire. When she isn’t exploring the interior life, you might find her wandering under Oregonian skies or devouring red curry.ecializes in audacity. Big dreams, fierce desires, restless hearts. When seekers are hungry for unspeakably more, she offers the space to explore contemplative depths and figure out where they fit in the vast spiritual landscape. She speaks and writes about divine intimacy, emotional intelligence, John of the Cross, trauma-informed spiritual practice, and neuropsychology. Kelly offers spiritual direction, coaching, contemplative cohorts, and retreats. She is the bestselling author of Spiritual Wanderlust: The Field Guide to Deep Desire. When she isn’t exploring the interior life, you might find her wandering under Oregonian skies or devouring red curry.
Comments