There is an aspect to Master Dogen's vision of the little "self," and all things in reality, that may sometimes be forgotten by folks:
Just as taught by all Mahayana Buddhists, the little "self" is a construct, created between the ears, and likewise, all things, people or moments of time are each empty of separate self-existence, and thus rather like "useful fictions." However, Dogen, like many other Zen and Mahayana folks, especially those inspired by the Hua-yan 'Flower Garland' teachings so influential on Zen, also finds all of reality then turning around, pouring back into and reaffirming, reinvigorating, making real again, each and every phenomena of reality, each person, place, thing, event, grain of sand or galaxy, as its own sacred and shining Jewel on Indra's Net ... as if each grain of sand and anything else were itself the whole universe containing within itself every person place, thing, event, grain of sand or galaxy ... the whole of reality fully held inside every big or small bit ...
... In other words, your self, all other selves, though still no less a dream ... nonetheless are also shining and as real as real can be ... each perfectly just what it is. All of reality is firmly held in each single inch and drop. Thus, though empty of self, you are THOROUGHLY your unique self, the only you in the universe, flawless for all your faults you still had best fix, perfectly your own shining self even with all the imperfections you still need to work on. And the whole enchilada, the whole kitchen sink and then some, is embodied in every atom of you.
Don't ever forget that. ��
The clearest image for such a universe is from Dogen's Genjo, whereby the clear, boundless, illuminated realm of the moon and open sky is not something apart from this world, is never apart from the world itself, even when such fact is hidden to us. Yes, we must beware the 'finger pointing at the moon,' never getting lost in mere words and ideas, but never forget that the moon is shining as our very finger tips!
Our enlightenment is like the moon reflected in the water.
The moon does not get wet, the water is not broken.
Although the light shines wide and vast, the moon is
reflected in a puddle a foot or an inch wide. The entire
moon and the whole sky are reflected in countless dewdrops
upon the grass, and even in a single drop of water.
Enlightenment does not divide a person, just as the moon
does not shatter the water. We cannot obstruct enlightenment,
just as a drop of water does not obstruct the moon in
the sky. The depth of each drop is the measure of the height
of the moon. No matter how long or short the duration of
each reflection, it expresses the largeness or smallness of the
dewdrop, yet completely holds the boundlessness of the
moonlight in the heavens.
The moon does not get wet, the water is not broken.
Although the light shines wide and vast, the moon is
reflected in a puddle a foot or an inch wide. The entire
moon and the whole sky are reflected in countless dewdrops
upon the grass, and even in a single drop of water.
Enlightenment does not divide a person, just as the moon
does not shatter the water. We cannot obstruct enlightenment,
just as a drop of water does not obstruct the moon in
the sky. The depth of each drop is the measure of the height
of the moon. No matter how long or short the duration of
each reflection, it expresses the largeness or smallness of the
dewdrop, yet completely holds the boundlessness of the
moonlight in the heavens.
Gassho, J
STLah
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