How many useless things we did until we came to this life? For human being I don’t know how long. From egg born animal [laughs] and to fish and, you know, some animals and monkeys and—I don’t know, but we wasted so many times [laughs], so many effort until we come to this life—human life. And as a big tree in Muir Wood has annual layers—cycle —if you cut your life in other way we have, you know, annual layer in our life, I think. That is precepts. You say that we don't want it, but we have it [laughs]. So as long as you have it, you have to sit, and you have to know how to continue your effort, and you have another annual ring or annual layer on your self. In this way we will develop Buddhism more and more. --------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 65-12-11-A - as found on shunryusuzuki.com, from one of the newly discovered (2021) or recently significantly added to or changed lecture tapes. Edited by DC - Going through Suzuki lectures and posting anything that can stand on its own. Not looking for zingers or "the best of." I find that following these excerpts daily provides another way to experience Suzuki's teaching. Go to https://www.instagram.com/cuke_archives/ for more daily Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts - with a photo
