For Zen students, a weed is a treasure.
Shunryu SuzukiRead
A tiger does not ignore or slight any small animal. The way he catches a mouse and catches and devours a cow are the same.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes that all actions, regardless of their perceived importance, merit equal attention and care.
Shunryu Suzuki's quote illustrates the principle that a tiger, one of nature's most powerful predators, does not differentiate between small and large prey when it comes to hunting. This suggests that the same commitment and focus should be applied to all aspects of life, no matter how insignificant they may seem, reinforcing the idea that every action has value and deserves respect.
Themes
TigerFocusAttentionValueCommitment
In practice
Example use cases
In a presentation about attention to detail in work ethics.
More from Shunryu Suzuki
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No teaching could be more direct than just to sit down.
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Everything is perfect, but there is a lot of room for improvement.
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When you do not realize that you are one with the river, or one with the universe, you have fear. Whether it is separated into drops or not, water is water. Our life and death are the same thing. When we realize this fact, we have no fear of death anymore.
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