When mealtime came one day, the Buddha put on his robe, picked up his rice bowl, and went to the city of Sravasti to beg for alms. As he begged, he visited each home within the city in turn.
Commentary:
The story of the Buddha’s going to beg for alms is as common and ordinary as that of sentient beings going shopping and preparing meals. This implies that the Buddha’s teaching is not in somewhere very special but in the common and ordinary actions of our everyday life.
In part 29 of this Sutra the Buddha said to his disciples, “Subhuti, if anyone says the true-Self comes or goes, sits or reclines, this person does not understand the principle I expound. Why? The true-Self neither comes from anywhere nor goes anywhere; that is why it is called the true-Self.” This means that we should be able to discern the true-Self that doesn’t either come, or go, or sit in the common and ordinary behaviours of the Buddha. There is a dialogue between the Buddha and Ananda, one of his disciples that shows how we should interpret these scriptures.
When it was close to the time for begging for alms one day, the Buddha said to Ananda, “When you go begging for alms, you should follow the manner of the Past Seven Buddhas.” Ananda said, “What is the manner of the Past Seven Buddhas?” The Buddha said, “Ananda!” Ananda responded, “Yes, Master.” The Buddha said, “Go begging.”
Through this short conversation, the Buddha not only tried to show the true-Self to Ananda but also told him not to stop trying to recognise the true-Self even during the begging of alms.
In fact, we should be able to recognise the true-Self not merely in the Buddha’s behaviours but also in ours and our neighbours’ since everything and everyone has the same true-Self. That is no other than seeing and hearing thus, that is, to see and hear everything as it is. Trying to see and hear things in this way is practice.
Q: “What did the Buddha mean by ‘go begging’?”
A: “When a rich one tells his child to go begging, his intention is not in begging.”
Q: “What is his intention?”
A: “To teach his child how to manage the wealth he is going to leave him.”
Q: “What is the wealth?”
A: “Bring me a cup of tea.”
©Boo Ahm
All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway
Zen Fools 