Listen "What Is The Purpose Of Zazen?"
Episode Synopsis
This talk is the first talk given at the Sawtell Zendo, and is a commentary on a famous zen story. In this story, the teacher asks the student, “what is your purpose or intention in doing Zazen?” and the student replies, “I seek to become a Buddha”. Thereupon the teacher picks up a roofing tile and begins to rub it with a stone. The student asks, “Teacher, what are you doing that for?” and the teacher replies, I am polishing this tile to make a mirror”. The student replies aghast, “but you can’t make a mirror by polishing a tile!” The teacher responds with “can a Buddha be created by doing Zazen?”
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