Starting Readings from My Book "Zen Master's Dance" - in our 'No Words' Book Club

[Hokuu]

Right, so here is my try:

Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great hiking trip through space and time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special trip, for it is the hike that the whole of reality is doing, with nothing left out, the whole bunch of sentient and not so sentient beings is walking and walking and walking together–you and I, all of us. It is a vibrant, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Buddhists sometimes call “emptiness,” as the motion and directionlessness of the hike “empties” us of the sense of only being separate beings, and fills and reaffirms us as the whole. We, as human beings, can’t be sure when or where this hike began, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that it is being done now in each step and breath we take, renewed with every mile and every heartbeat.

You and I are hikers in this trip, as is every creature great or small, the mountains and seas, every grain of sand or massive galaxy,
the atoms that make up the universe and the whole universe itself. Everything in reality, no matter how old or vast, no matter how unnoticed or small, is going ahead together. And although we may feel as if we are separate hikers—finite individuals on a long endless and terrifying road through all of time and space—we are also the hiking itself which is hiking through us. A universe of walkers that walks in the trip that the whole universe is walking. Picture in your mind a spectator witnessing a motion, a road, that isn't fixed but changes and walks with the walkers...

Gassho
satlah

[Jundo]

Right, so here is my try:



Gassho
satlah

[Hosui]

The following painting-by-number exercise in substitution, IMHO, doesn't work.

Jundo - your book is wonderfully written, coherent, dreamy, irreverent, and of a moment that will live with me for a long time. Short of unnecessarily rewriting a text that is sufficiently profound as it is, my painting-by-numbers has instead clouded Dogen's/Jundo's clear and resonant message with fog of inconsequential frivolities that are my own preferences (my personal "RESONATES IN YOUR LIFE" is summarised by the term contemplation, which is something I've done since a young kid. In the awkward and unhelpful transposition below I used synonyms of contemplation, indicated in bold. I could've finessed this more, but I don't see the point). I've gotten a lot from reading Dance as it is - I read it whilst on a short break with my son in Boston, and it lit up the city and my time with him. But this exercise has only cheapened that appreciation of the book.

"Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great cogitation moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special pondering, for it is the reflection that the whole of reality is contemplating, with nothing left out, that you and I are reflecting, that is musing as you and me. It is a vibrant, swirling, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Buddhists sometimes call “emptiness,” as the motion and sweep of the rumination that “empties” us of the sense of only being separate beings, and fills and reaffirms us as the whole. We, as human beings, can’t be sure when or where this deep reflection began, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that it is being considered now in each step and breath we take, much as an inspection unfolds and constantly renews with every turn or leap of its gazers…"

I considered rustling up some sort of randomised pastiche of the Shobogenzo, which wouldn't be difficult to do - involving mountains and rivers, red-faced monkeys, mirrors, cauldrons, rice cakes, lanterns, more mountains, and the host of Dogen's other frequently occurring metaphors for practice and enlightenment - if only to show how the practice/zazen of reading (pretty much anything, in fact) can compliment the contemplation of emptiness, once what you're saying in the book is appreciated.

Will we get to read sections of Dance and ask questions on it? For instance, when you say:

"I also believe, as did Dogen, that we are reborn moment by moment, so in that way, we are constantly reborn, always changing" (Dance, p169).

What is 'reborn'?

Gassho
Hosui
sat/lah today

[Hokai]

I think this is a very profound exercise.
I’m floundering.
Which I hope is a good thing.

Gassho
Hōkai
satlah

[Bob-Midwest]

Hmm, what began as rote exercise, became a dance, i mean rescue play ….


Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a lively dog rescue moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings involved, dogs and people alike.

It is a most special rescue effort, for it is the rescue that the whole of reality is supporting with volunteers, staff and funding, with nothing left out, that you and I are aiding, that is operating as you and me.

It is vibrant play, comforting, healing and ever changing unity that Buddhists sometimes call “emptiness,” as the heartfelt and tireless efforts of staff and volunteers “empties” us of the sense of only being separate, and fills and reaffirms us as the whole.

We, as rescuers and dogs alike, can’t be sure when or where the heartfelt idea of rescuing animals in need began, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that rescue is now in each step and breath we take, much as this rescue work unfolds and constantly renews with every tossed ball or comforting pet.

You and I are caring rescuers in this effort, as is every creature, including dogs and cats, great or small, the mountains and seas, every grain of sand or massive galaxy, the atoms that make up the universe and the whole universe itself. Everything in reality, no matter how old or vast, no matter how unnoticed or small, is contributing to this great rescue effort together.

And although we may feel as if we are separate in our tireless efforts—finite individuals at a great rescue spanning all of time and space—we are also the entire team itself providing the necessary love and care through us. A universe of rescuers that are being supported in this great rescue effort that the whole universe delivers as a grand rescue involving all creatures, great and small, human and non-human.

Picture in your mind a spectator witnessing the daily rescue efforts so vigorous and vibrant that its countless volunteers and staff members seem to vanish in the hurried efforts to feed, clean and provide care: single volunteers becoming pairs, then groups, coming together and separating as we dash off to cover the many needs; barking, demanding dogs, yet so merged as the overall rescue movement that, from a distance, individual rescuers can no longer be seen in the fury of service. ...

... So united did Dōgen see that whole that, in his mind, each point holds all other points, near or far, each point miraculously fully contains the whole, and each moment of time ticks with all other moments of time, before or after. It is much like saying that every step of each rescuer at the shelter somehow embodies, depends upon, and also fully expresses every step by all the other rescuers there, past, present, or future, and fully contains the entire rescue world too.

Dōgen experienced the time of dog rescue as the overall movement that is fully held and expressed in each individual act of care, with past not only flowing into present and future, but future flowing into the present and past, as the present fully holds the past and future of the rescue world.

... Master Dōgen spoke of the love of rescue, putting it all in motion. Where dog rescue and the human inclination to help has come from, where it is going, is not as important as rescue efforts being truly realized—made real—right here, in your next caring pet, slow leash walk or throw of a ball. Rescue is always right underfoot, so just rescue, without thought of any other place.

[Jundo]

... experienced reality as a great cogitation moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special pondering, for it is the reflection that the whole of reality is contemplating, with nothing left out ...

Hmmm. I had to think about (and non-think about) this a bit before responding. Well, usually, Zen teachings point us toward dropping cogitation, pondering, contemplating etc. to find the Truth beyond thought. In fact, Master Dogen does as well, such as in Fukanzazengi, where he writes, " ... cease from practice based on intellectual understanding, pursuing words and following after speech ... Cease all the movements of the conscious mind, the gauging of all thought and views. ... " And yet, for Dogen, that was only "one side of the no sided coin." He was obviously very intellectual and a word smith.

So, it depends on how "cogitation, pondering, contemplating etc." are profoundly seen through as also being the wholeness and silence of "non-cogitation, non-pondering, non-contemplating," or what he calls "thinking non-thinking." It is the unbroken wholeness beyond all nouns, verbs, subject and object found, to the wise, right in the nouns, verbs, subject and object. When one profoundly knows this, then the "nouns, verbs, subject and object" are present BUT not as they were before ... present yet not.

So, yes, what you say might work but ONLY IF the "cogitation, pondering, contemplating etc." is just not known in the ordinary way.

Capiche?

Will we get to read sections of Dance and ask questions on it? For instance, when you say:

"I also believe, as did Dogen, that we are reborn moment by moment, so in that way, we are constantly reborn, always changing" (Dance, p169).

What is 'reborn'?

Well, this is a great question for Buddhists. Usually we say something like our "causal stream" of cause and effect through changing conditions which we often mistake as being a personal "self" (We also are, BUT ALSO are not.) I just finished a book that was recommended on the Buddhist Yogacara school, said to have been very influential on early Chan/Zen, and it is very much about that question. I will be posting some comments about it later in another thread.

Gassho, J
stlah

[Jundo]

...

Picture in your mind a spectator witnessing the daily rescue efforts so vigorous and vibrant that its countless volunteers and staff members seem to vanish in the hurried efforts to feed, clean and provide care: single volunteers becoming pairs, then groups, coming together and separating as we dash off to cover the many needs; barking, demanding dogs, yet so merged as the overall rescue movement that, from a distance, individual rescuers can no longer be seen in the fury of service. ...

... So united did Dōgen see that whole that, in his mind, each point holds all other points, near or far, each point miraculously fully contains the whole, and each moment of time ticks with all other moments of time, before or after. It is much like saying that every step of each rescuer at the shelter somehow embodies, depends upon, and also fully expresses every step by all the other rescuers there, past, present, or future, and fully contains the entire rescue world too. ...

Yeah, lovely. I feel that Dogen would really dig this image of ethical conduct and Bodhisattva work to help beings that sweeps in everything and is everything sweeping. Lovely.

Gassho, J
stlah

[MiraLevi]

I just bought the book on my e-reader. Here is my crack at the introduction:

Eihei Dogen, a Zen master from Japan, saw reality as a huge painting that is always being created. Every moment, every action, every thought are a brushstroke. Its not something we just watch happen. We are part of it. We are painting it, and it is painting itself through us. This painting includes everything not just people, but animals, trees, planets, and even adoms. Buddhists sometimes call this “emptyness,” but it doesn’t mean nothing is there. It means we are not seperate from the rest of the picture. We are part of one big, connected scene.

Nobody really knows when this painting started or if it will ever ended. What matters is that it is happening now. Every step we take and every breath we breath adds more color to the canvas. It is always changeing and becoming something new.

You might think your just one person doing your own thing, but you’re actually connected to everything else in the painting. Imagine looking at a giant murale. Up close you see each brushstroke, but from far away it all blends together into something bigger. Each part depends on the others and helps create the whole picture.

Dogen beleived each moment contains all other moments. The past, present, and future all come together in what we do rightnow. Just as one part of a painting can reflect the feeling of the whole peace, each moment in life holds the bigger picture.

He said practice is how we paint our lives. It is not about where the painting came from or where it is going. What matters is picking up the brush and painting now.

I don't know if I did this right. I feel kind of ridiculous! I thought about just copying and pasting a word here or there, but I interpreted a little bit in my own words. I hope I didn't get carried away.

Stlah
Gassho
Mira

[Taigen]

Here's my take on this, though I admit I hesitated choosing an orchestra as a metaphor, it felt too similar to dancing. I played with a few options though, and as a musician, this is what continually felt the most resonant with me (an aside, I love the way "play" took on a double meaning in this version):

Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great piece of music moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special piece, for it is the music that the whole of reality is playing, with nothing left out, that you and I are playing, that is sounding as you and me. It is a vibrant, swirling, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Buddhists sometimes call “emptiness,” as the motion and sweep of the music “empties” us of the sense of only being separate beings, and fills and reaffirms us as the whole orchestra. We, as human beings, can’t be sure when or where this music began, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that it is being played now in each step and breath we take, much as a song unfolds and constantly renews with every breath or bowstroke of its musicians.

You and I are players in this piece, as is every creature great or small, the mountains and seas, every grain of sand or massive galaxy, the atoms that make up the universe and the whole universe itself. Everything in reality, no matter how old or vast, no matter how unnoticed or small, is playing this music together. And although we may feel as if we are separate musicians—finite individuals on a grand stage spanning all of time and space—we are also the music itself sounding through us. A universe of musicians that are being played up in this piece that the whole universe is playing. Picture in your mind a spectator hearing a piece of music so vigorous and vibrant that its countless musicians seem to vanish in the swirl of notes: single players becoming stands, then sections, harmonizing and separating beat by beat, yet so merged as the overall movement that, from a distance, individual musicians can no longer be heard. ...

... So united did Dōgen see that whole that, in his mind, each note holds all other notes, near or far, each note miraculously fully contains the whole, and each beat of music ticks with all other moments of music, before or after. It is much like saying that every note of each musician somehow embodies, depends upon, and also fully expresses every note by all the other musicians on the stage, past, present, or future, and fully contains the entire piece too. Dōgen experienced the time of the music as the overall movement that is fully held and expressed in each individual move itself, with past not only flowing into present and future, but future flowing into the present and past, as the present fully holds the past and future of the music.

... Master Dōgen spoke of practice, putting it all in motion. Where this music has come from, where it is going, is not as important as the music that is truly realized—made real—right here, in your next breath and bow stroke. The music is always right around you, so just play, without thought of any other place.

Another version I tried, and may come back to, was substituting "ecosystem", which as a naturalist was also deeply resonant, but it wound up feeling like I was mostly just describing the thing itself.... Like it wasn't a metaphor anymore, it was just the world. I may experiment with it and try again.

Gassho,
Taigen
SatLah

[Jundo]

I just bought the book on my e-reader. Here is my crack at the introduction:

Eihei Dogen, a Zen master from Japan, saw reality as a huge painting that is always being created. Every moment, every action, every thought are a brushstroke. Its not something we just watch happen. We are part of it. We are painting it, and it is painting itself through us. This painting includes everything not just people, but animals, trees, planets, and even adoms. Buddhists sometimes call this “emptyness,” but it doesn’t mean nothing is there. It means we are not seperate from the rest of the picture. We are part of one big, connected scene.

Nobody really knows when this painting started or if it will ever ended. What matters is that it is happening now. Every step we take and every breath we breath adds more color to the canvas. It is always changeing and becoming something new.

You might think your just one person doing your own thing, but you’re actually connected to everything else in the painting. Imagine looking at a giant murale. Up close you see each brushstroke, but from far away it all blends together into something bigger. Each part depends on the others and helps create the whole picture.

Dogen beleived each moment contains all other moments. The past, present, and future all come together in what we do rightnow. Just as one part of a painting can reflect the feeling of the whole peace, each moment in life holds the bigger picture.

He said practice is how we paint our lives. It is not about where the painting came from or where it is going. What matters is picking up the brush and painting now.

I don't know if I did this right. I feel kind of ridiculous! I thought about just copying and pasting a word here or there, but I interpreted a little bit in my own words. I hope I didn't get carried away.

Stlah
Gassho
Mira

Really nice painting.

Gassho, Jundo
stlah

[Jundo]

Here's my take on this, though I admit I hesitated choosing an orchestra as a metaphor, it felt too similar to dancing. I played with a few options though, and as a musician, this is what continually felt the most resonant with me (an aside, I love the way "play" took on a double meaning in this version):

Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great piece of music moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special piece, for it is the music that the whole of reality is playing, with nothing left out, that you and I are playing, that is sounding as you and me. It is a vibrant, swirling, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Buddhists sometimes call “emptiness,” as the motion and sweep of the music “empties” us of the sense of only being separate beings, and fills and reaffirms us as the whole orchestra. We, as human beings, can’t be sure when or where this music began, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that it is being played now in each step and breath we take, much as a song unfolds and constantly renews with every breath or bowstroke of its musicians.

You and I are players in this piece, as is every creature great or small, the mountains and seas, every grain of sand or massive galaxy, the atoms that make up the universe and the whole universe itself. Everything in reality, no matter how old or vast, no matter how unnoticed or small, is playing this music together. And although we may feel as if we are separate musicians—finite individuals on a grand stage spanning all of time and space—we are also the music itself sounding through us. A universe of musicians that are being played up in this piece that the whole universe is playing. Picture in your mind a spectator hearing a piece of music so vigorous and vibrant that its countless musicians seem to vanish in the swirl of notes: single players becoming stands, then sections, harmonizing and separating beat by beat, yet so merged as the overall movement that, from a distance, individual musicians can no longer be heard. ...

... So united did Dōgen see that whole that, in his mind, each note holds all other notes, near or far, each note miraculously fully contains the whole, and each beat of music ticks with all other moments of music, before or after. It is much like saying that every note of each musician somehow embodies, depends upon, and also fully expresses every note by all the other musicians on the stage, past, present, or future, and fully contains the entire piece too. Dōgen experienced the time of the music as the overall movement that is fully held and expressed in each individual move itself, with past not only flowing into present and future, but future flowing into the present and past, as the present fully holds the past and future of the music.

... Master Dōgen spoke of practice, putting it all in motion. Where this music has come from, where it is going, is not as important as the music that is truly realized—made real—right here, in your next breath and bow stroke. The music is always right around you, so just play, without thought of any other place.

Another version I tried, and may come back to, was substituting "ecosystem", which as a naturalist was also deeply resonant, but it wound up feeling like I was mostly just describing the thing itself.... Like it wasn't a metaphor anymore, it was just the world. I may experiment with it and try again.

Gassho,
Taigen
SatLah

Beautiful music.

Gassho, J
stlah

[Seiga]

Let‘s dance!
gasshō
seiga
satlah

[Koriki]

Here is my version. I used to do ultramarathons in the past and running was an important part of my life.

Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as an ultramarathon moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special race, for it is the ultra that the whole of reality is running, with nothing left out, that you and I are running, that is running as you and me. It is a vibrant, swirling, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Buddhists sometimes call “emptiness,” as the motion and sweep of the run “empties” us of the sense of only being separate beings, and fills and reaffirms us as the whole. We, as human beings, can’t be sure when or where this ultra began, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that it is being run now in each step and breath we take, much as a race unfolds and constantly renews with every turn or leap of its runners.

You and I are runners in this race, as is every creature great or small, the mountains and seas, every grain of sand or massive galaxy,
the atoms that make up the universe and the whole universe itself. Everything in reality, no matter how old or vast, no matter how unnoticed or small, is running this ultramarathon together. And although we may feel as if we are separate runners—finite individuals in a grand race spanning all of time and space—we are also the race itself running through us. A universe of ultrarunners that are being run up in this race that the whole universe is running. Picture in your mind a spectator witnessing a race so vigorous and vibrant that its countless runners seem to vanish in the swirl of motion: single runners becoming pairs, then groups, coming together and separating moment by moment, yet so merged as the overall movement that, from a distance, individual runners can no longer be seen. ...

... So united did Dōgen see that whole that, in his mind, each point holds all other points, near or far, each point miraculously fully contains
the whole, and each moment of time ticks with all other moments of time, before or after. It is much like saying that every step of
each runner somehow embodies, depends upon, and also fully expresses every step by all the other runners in the race, past, present,
or future, and fully contains the entire ultramarathon too. Dōgen experienced the time of the run as the overall movement that is fully held and
expressed in each individual move itself, with past not only flowing into present and future, but future flowing into the present and past,
as the present fully holds the past and future of the run.

... Master Dōgen spoke of practice, putting it all in motion. Where this ultra has come from, where it is going, is not as important
as the ultra that is truly realized—made real—right here, in your next step and foot placement. The run is always right underfoot, so just
run, without thought of any other place.

Gassho,
Koriki
s@lah

[Jundo]

Koriki, you really ran with it! Nice.

Gassho, J
stlah

[Onsho]

So united did Dōgen see that whole that, in his mind, each point holds all other points, near or far, each point miraculously fully contains the whole, and each moment of time ticks with all other moments of time, before or after. It is much like saying that every chili of each cowboy somehow embodies, depends upon, and also fully expresses every chili by all the other cowboys in the roadhouse, past, present, or future, and fully contains the entire chili pot too. Dōgen experienced the time of the roadhouse as the overall chili cook off that is fully held and expressed in each cowboys chili itself, with past not only flowing into present and future, but future flowing into the present and past, as the present fully holds the past and future of all chilis and all cowboy cornbread.

yee haw,
Onsho
satlah