The
purpose of studying Buddhism is not to study Buddhism but to study ourselves.
It is impossible to study ourselves without some teaching.
If you want to know what is water, because it is impossible to know what is water, you want science. Scientists want a laboratory and in various ways they may study what is water. So it is possible to know what kind of elements water has, or when wind come what kind of form water takes, and what is the nature of water, always calm, it goes down. But it is impossible to know water itself. It is same thing with ourselves. It is impossible to know what is I. That is why we have teaching. By teaching we will understand what is ourselves. But teaching is not ourselves. It is some explanation of ourselves. So if you attach to the teaching or to the teacher that is big mistake.
Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-09-09 as found on shunryusuzuki.com - Edited by DC
If you want to know what is water, because it is impossible to know what is water, you want science. Scientists want a laboratory and in various ways they may study what is water. So it is possible to know what kind of elements water has, or when wind come what kind of form water takes, and what is the nature of water, always calm, it goes down. But it is impossible to know water itself. It is same thing with ourselves. It is impossible to know what is I. That is why we have teaching. By teaching we will understand what is ourselves. But teaching is not ourselves. It is some explanation of ourselves. So if you attach to the teaching or to the teacher that is big mistake.
Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-09-09 as found on shunryusuzuki.com - Edited by DC