禅Prajnatara

proverb

No Need to Recite

Indic

Traditionally attributed

Text

Other monks recited the sutras at the donor's house; I sat. The donor asked: why do you not recite? I answered: when I breathe in, I do not consort with the world of beings; when I breathe out, I do not consort with the world of senses. So am I always reciting the sutra of all the buddhas.

tr. Zen Lineage editorial

license: cc_by

Attribution

Lineage: Indian Patriarchs

By Prajnatara

Sources

  • contentEssays in Zen Buddhism, First Series

    D. T. Suzuki

No per-field confidence has been recorded for this teaching yet. Treat individual claims with the caution appropriate to the source list below.

Attribution status: traditional — see editorial policy for what this means.

1 supporting citation on record (see Sources above).

Spot something wrong? Report an issue — please include a source so we can verify the correction.