A student asked Suzuki, “Why is there so much suffering in the world?” Suzuki replied, “No reason,” and then laughed. “When you practice Zen,” Suzuki said, “there is no problem, and you have a bright light within yourself, a bright light within and without. When the light comes, there is no problem.”

Shunryu Suzuki (1904 CE-1971 CE), Shunryu Suzuki, often called Suzuki Roshi; was a Sōtō Zen monk and teacher who helped popularize Zen Buddhism in the United States, and is renowned for founding the first Zen Buddhist monastery outside Asia. Suzuki founded San Francisco Zen Center which, along with its affiliate temples, comprises one of the most influential Zen organizations in the United States.