No giver, No Receiver and No Gift – In the Zen tradition, before meals in some temples, the following chant is said “May we with all beings realize the emptiness of the three wheels, giver, receiver, and gift.”
What does it mean to say that there is no giver, no receiver and no gift? This is the way Zen teaching shows absolute reality in language – “no giver, no receiver and no gift” means that this giving isn’t a beneficent act one performs for another, an act you can take credit for or feel worthy or unworthy of. A Zen practitioner… remembers that giving is life—that everything is giving, everything is given. There are no separate givers, receivers, or gifts. All of life is always giving and receiving at the same time. This is our practice and our joy. So we practice giving—both receiving and giving gifts—in this spirit.”
Norman Fischer - a student of Shunryu Suzuki
