Questions to Master Deshimaru

Question

Why are we born?

Answer

Because your father and mother gave birth to you. You have raised a great problem, a real koan. Think about it. "Why was I born? To feed myself? To love? To acquire knowledge?" That question is the object of our life. And what do other people think? Each person has a different opinion. Some say, to perfect our life or mankind; others say, to enable consciousness to be incarnated or in order that cosmic life can be lived individually. Each of these replies is correct. This is the question on which all religions are based. Buddha, discovering zazen, solved the problem of birth and death.