Saturday, March 01, 2008

Daily Dharma: A conversation between the Buddha and a philosopher


Today's Daily Dharma from Tricycle is an old parable retold by Thich Nhat Hanh.

A conversation between the Buddha and a philosopher

I remember a short conversation between the Buddha and a philosopher of his time.

“I have heard that Buddhism is a doctrine of enlightenment. What is your method? What do you practice every day?”

“We walk, we eat, we wash ourselves, we sit down.”

“What is so special about that? Everyone walks, eats, washes, sits down…”

“Sir, when we walk, we are aware that we are walking; when we eat, we are aware that we are eating…. When others walk, eat, wash, or sit down, they are generally not aware of what they are doing.”

- Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Keys; from Everyday Mind, edited by Jean Smith, a Tricycle book.



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