When Baso was practicing zazen, Nangaku, who passed by, asked the disciple Baso, “What are you doing?” [Laughs.] “Of course, I am practicing zazen.” And Nangaku asked, “Why do you practice zazen?” And Baso said, “I want to attain buddhahood.” And Nangaku did not say anything, but he picked up a tile and started to polish it. This time, Baso started to wonder and asked him, “What are you doing?” “I am making a jewel.” [Laughs.] |
 Tile work by Niels Holm |
—cuke.com/ig for links to the source of the photo. Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 68-10-12-B as found on shunryusuzuki.com, edited by PF. Go to instagram.com/cuke_archives for the Instagram version.