<http://www.tricycle.com/issues/2_705/dailydharma/4449-1.html>
Buddha was not interested in the elements comprising human beings, nor
in metaphysical theories of existence. He was more concerned about how
he himself existed in this moment. That was his point. Bread is made
from flour. How flour becomes bread when put in the oven was for Buddha
the most important thing. How we become enlightened was his main
interest. The enlightened person is some perfect, desirable character,
for himself and for others. Buddha wanted to find out how human beings
develop this ideal character--how various sages in the past became
sages. In order to find out how dough became perfect bread, he made it
over and over again, until he became quite successful. That was his
practice.
--Shunryu Suzuki, /Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind/ from /Everyday Mind/, a
/Tricycle/ book edited by Jean Smith
