Tradition

It's a delicate thing tradition - how far do we go from what we've been taught, what is the role of innovation, when does what we do become empty ritual, when is innovation simply dilution?

I've pondered all these questions - and I'd like to share a beautiful quote from the great Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki. Although he's talking about Buddhism, I think his words are equally relevant to Yoga - indeed, any living spiritual tradition. He says:

"I think most of us study Buddhism like something already given to us. We think what we should do is preserve the Buddha's teaching, like putting food in the refrigerator. We think to study Buddhism is to take food out of the refrigerator. Whenever you want it, it is already there. Instead, Zen students should be interested in how to produce food from the garden, should put the emphasis on the ground. If you look at the empty garden you won't see anything, but if you take care of the seed it will come up. The joy of Buddhism is the joy of taking care of the seed."

Isn't that great?

Ranju