Student J: Is our
community here different from the original Buddhist community? Or is it the
same?
SR: I don't know exactly [laughs, laughter]. This is a big subject to study, you know. Anyway, in Buddhist community there were four: layman, and laywoman, and monk, and nun is four. We count four. We have, you know, four kinds of disciples or-- in our community we have few or no nun yet [laughs]. But laywoman and layman.
We will have precepts too, you know, more and more. “You should respect Buddhist thought,” and, “You shouldn't trip based on Buddha.” This kind of precepts we will have-- new precepts [laughs, laughter] created by you. If Buddha says, “Don't do that,” that is one precept [laughs]. After they have household life, they became a Buddhist, you know, at that time. But there are many young disciples of Buddha. So may be the same. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-01-12 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC [He seems to mean the same in spirit. Of course there is so much difference between Buddhism as he taught it and we practice it, that those practicing original Buddhism today, often have a hard time seeing that it's Buddhist. - dc]
SR: I don't know exactly [laughs, laughter]. This is a big subject to study, you know. Anyway, in Buddhist community there were four: layman, and laywoman, and monk, and nun is four. We count four. We have, you know, four kinds of disciples or-- in our community we have few or no nun yet [laughs]. But laywoman and layman.
We will have precepts too, you know, more and more. “You should respect Buddhist thought,” and, “You shouldn't trip based on Buddha.” This kind of precepts we will have-- new precepts [laughs, laughter] created by you. If Buddha says, “Don't do that,” that is one precept [laughs]. After they have household life, they became a Buddhist, you know, at that time. But there are many young disciples of Buddha. So may be the same. -------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-01-12 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC [He seems to mean the same in spirit. Of course there is so much difference between Buddhism as he taught it and we practice it, that those practicing original Buddhism today, often have a hard time seeing that it's Buddhist. - dc]
