December 3rd, 1969
Wednesday, December 3rd, 1969Shunryū Suzuki-rōshi
WINTER SESSHIN LECTURE NO. 5
Wednesday, December 3, 1969
Tassajara
Listen to this talk: Suzuki-roshi 69-12-03
I explained briefly about bodhisattva mind. And we have also bodhisattva practice—bodhisattva practice—we count six and sometime four [bodhisattva practices].
Of course, [1] most important one is zazen practice. That is the most important one, maybe. And [2] to keep precepts and [3] to—to practice almsgiving—almsgiving, to offer something or to Buddha or to people to help, and to keep precepts, and [4] to vigorously practice all those practice, and [5] endeavorance to be patient, and [6] wisdom—to have wisdom. Those are six practice of bodhisattva.
And Dōgen-zenji might [?] count four practices: [1] and one is dāna-prajñāpāramitā, which is to give something; and [2] to give kind words; and [3] to benefit others; and [4] last one is to be friendly with others. Those are four bodhisattva’s practice. I want to explain it according to Shōbōgenzō.
The “to give something” does not mean just to give something—some words or some dharma. Those are, you know—so, it may be divided, classified into: one is material, the other is spiritual giving. But when we practice this, we must not have any idea of selfish—self. So it means that something—according to the nature of something, you know, if rice or food is something to eat, you know, let them eat the food. Let the food go to something hungry—someone who is hungry [laughs]. That is—according to him, that is almsgiving.
So, you know, without any idea of “me” or “you,” you know, to give—let the things goes where the things want to go [laughs]. That is almsgiving. That is bodhisattva spirit. In this way, we treat things, we practice bodhisattva way.