Hi Dogenites,
I am anticipating to post a new reading every week (sometimes two week) on Fridays ...
We will continue our Dance this week with the chapter called "How To Read Dogen," up to the middle of page 12 (for our e-readers, stopping before the section "And Thus This Book").
In this section, I describe how it is necessary to understand some basic Buddhism or Mahayana Buddhist teachings, and then how Dogen wilds up the language and images to express the teachings in new light, never leaving the teaching but bringing forth new dimensions through his playful game (sometimes with intended results, but with sometimes unexpected revelations that just pop out of his words). I give an example from the Lotus Sutra in the book, about a flying Pagoda (I know that some people don't care for the fancifulness of the Lotus, but I often tell folks that, like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings or Willy Wonka's tale of good and bad kids, the wild imagery is just a vehicle to describe something fantastically fantastic!).
Here is another section of the Lotus Sutra, a pretty straight parable about someone who has a wonderful treasure within (his "Buddha Nature" or original enlightenment) but just does not know it:
Inspired by Dogen's kind of word games, mixing and matching images and phrases, going for double-entendres or turning things up-side-down, rewrite the above in something like Dogen's style of writing to bring out this point of our Buddha Nature already being with us, we are already enlightened but just don't know it. Rather than being too rational about it, let the sound and feeling and chance "whatever pops out of the word play" convey the feeling for that message. Look at the Lotus Sutra passage quoted in my book, and Dogen's rewriting of it, for examples of the kind of word play you should do.
Oh, and try not to look at the examples of what others have done in this thread before posting your own example. After, you can look at the others, however, nobody is graded on this! Just have fun.
So there is not confusion about the assignment, please pay special attention: It is not to write something really original this time. The point of the exercise is to get a little feel for Dogen's style and manner of expression by mimicking his style. So, please be sure to try this:
ORIGINAL:
At this time, before the Buddha, a stupa of seven treasures , five hundred yojanas in height and two hundred and fifty yojanas in length and breadth, sprang up from the earth and abided in the sky . . . When that Buddha [Abundant Treasures] was practicing as a bodhisattva in the past, he deeply vowed: “After I have realized Buddhahood and died, if anywhere in the ten directions there is any place where the Lotus Sutra is being preached, my stupa shall spring out and appear in that place so that I may hear the sutra’s preaching.”
DOGENIZATION:
[Dōgen says:] There is the turning of the flower of Dharma in the appearance “before the Buddha” of the “treasure stupa,” which is a “height of five hundred yojanas.” There is the turning of the flower of Dharma that is the “Buddha sitting inside the stupa,” whose breadth is “two hundred and fifty yojanas.” There is a turning of the flower of Dharma by springing forth from the earth and abiding in the earth, whereby mind is without obstructions and matter is without limits. There is the turning of the flower of Dharma in springing out of the sky and abiding in the earth, which is limited by the eyes and limited by the body. Vulture Peak is within the stupa, and the treasure stupa is on Vulture Peak. The treasure stupa is a stupa of treasure abiding in space, and space opens space for the treasure stupa. The timeless Buddha within the stupa shares a seat with the Buddha of Vulture Peak, and the Buddha of
Vulture Peak shares the realization of the Buddha within the stupa. When the Buddha of Vulture Peak experiences this state within the stupa together with body, mind, and all things, he also enters into the state of the turning of the flower of Dharma. [. . .] This “within the stupa,” “before the Buddha,” “the treasure stupa,” and “space” are not limited to Vulture Peak; they are not limited to the realm of phenomena; they are not limited to some halfway
stage; neither are they the whole world. Nor are they matters of some fixed “place in the Dharma.” They are simply “non-thinking.”
If it helps, for those who don't wish to try it "free form," I made a "PAINT BY NUMBERS" version where you can take parts of the "hidden jewel" parable to plug in here ...
ELEMENTS include "a man" "came to the house" "close friend" "went to sleep" "becoming intoxicated" "wine." "intimate friend" "go out" "official business" "sews" "priceless jewel" "his friend’s garment" "roams around" "arrives in another country." "poor fellow!" "lack of food and clothing" "the desires of the five senses" "seek your livelihood" "great effort and hardship" "very foolish" "Sell this jewel" "use it to buy what you need" "neither poverty nor want" "live as you wish."
Usually, this story is taken to mean that the "jewel" is the Buddha Nature which we all have within us but do not know, so we live foolishly and squander our lives.
Just take those elements and plug them into the Dogen "paint by numbers" below to get a sense of what Dogen does with the elements of traditional Buddhist stories.
[Dōgen says:] There is the [ACTION FROM STORY] of Dharma in the [SCENE FROM STORY] of the [THING FROM STORY] which is a [DESCRIPTION FROM STORY] There is the[ACTION FROM STORY] of Dharma that is the [ANOTHER SCENE FROM STORY] whose[ANOTHER DESCRIPTION FROM STORY]There is a [ACTION FROM STORY] of Dharma by [SOME ACTION FROM STORY] and [DIFFERENT ACTION FROM STORY] whereby mind is without obstructions and matter is without limits. There is the [ACTION FROM STORY] of Dharma in[SOME ACTION FROM STORY] and [DIFFERENT ACTION FROM STORY], which is limited by the eyes and limited by the body. [PLACE IN STORY] is within [ANOTHER PLACE IN STORY], and the [ANOTHER PLACE IN STORY] is on [PLACE IN STORY]. The [PLACE IN STORY] is a [THING IN STORY] abiding in space, and space opens space for the [PLACE IN STORY]. The timeless Buddha within the [A PLACE IN STORY] shares a [THING IN STORY] with the Buddha of [SOMETHING FROM STORY], and the Buddha of [SOMETHING ELSE FROM STORY] shares the realization of the Buddha within the [A PLACE OR THING IN STORY]. When the Buddha of [SOMETHING FROM STORY] experiences this state within the [THING OR PLACE FROM STORY] together with body, mind, and all things, he also enters into the state of the [ACTION FROM STORY]. [. . .] This “within the [PLACE OR THING FROM STORY],” “before the [THING OR PLACE FROM STORY],” the [THING FROM STORY],” and “space” are not limited to [PLACE FROM STORY]; they are not limited to the [BUDDHIST PHRASE OF YOUR CHOOSING]; they are not limited to some [OTHER BUDDHIST PHRASE OF YOUR CHOOSING]; neither are they [BUDDHIST DESCRIPTION OF REALITY]. Nor are they matters of some fixed [BUDDHIST PHRASE.] They are simply “non-thinking.”
Gassho, J
stlah
I am anticipating to post a new reading every week (sometimes two week) on Fridays ...
We will continue our Dance this week with the chapter called "How To Read Dogen," up to the middle of page 12 (for our e-readers, stopping before the section "And Thus This Book").
In this section, I describe how it is necessary to understand some basic Buddhism or Mahayana Buddhist teachings, and then how Dogen wilds up the language and images to express the teachings in new light, never leaving the teaching but bringing forth new dimensions through his playful game (sometimes with intended results, but with sometimes unexpected revelations that just pop out of his words). I give an example from the Lotus Sutra in the book, about a flying Pagoda (I know that some people don't care for the fancifulness of the Lotus, but I often tell folks that, like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings or Willy Wonka's tale of good and bad kids, the wild imagery is just a vehicle to describe something fantastically fantastic!).
Here is another section of the Lotus Sutra, a pretty straight parable about someone who has a wonderful treasure within (his "Buddha Nature" or original enlightenment) but just does not know it:
Suppose there were a man who came to the house of a close friend and went to sleep after becoming intoxicated with wine. The intimate friend, having to go out on official business, sews a priceless jewel into the inside of his friend’s garment and, giving it to him, leaves. But the man who was drunk and asleep is totally unaware of this. After getting up he leaves and roams around until he arrives in another country. Although he diligently seeks for food and clothing they are very difficult to obtain. He is satisfied if he just obtains a very meager amount. Later on the intimate friend happens to meet this man. Seeing him, he says: O poor fellow! How have you come to this state through lack of food and clothing? Once, on such-and-such a day in such-and-such a month and year, I sewed a priceless jewel into the inside of your garment, wanting to make things easier for you and to let you enjoy the desires of the five senses as much as you wished. It is still there, although you aren’t aware of it, and you seek your livelihood with great effort and hardship! You have been very foolish. Sell this jewel and use it to buy what you need. From now on you will know neither poverty nor want and can live as you wish.
Oh, and try not to look at the examples of what others have done in this thread before posting your own example. After, you can look at the others, however, nobody is graded on this! Just have fun.
So there is not confusion about the assignment, please pay special attention: It is not to write something really original this time. The point of the exercise is to get a little feel for Dogen's style and manner of expression by mimicking his style. So, please be sure to try this:
Go back to the chapter, please, and look at the original "Lotus Sutra" passage. Then, look at what D.J. Dogen did with it in his remix passage, what he did with the elements of the story such as "treasure stupa" "sitting inside the stupa" "springing out of Vulture Peak" "two hundred and fifty yojanas" and the like, and how he stirred that all up. Study his grammar, and how he mixed or reinterpreted the various elements, and do something like that with the passage I assigned. If you are not sure what to do, just borrow Dogen's sentence structure, and just switch the elements from the old story with the elements of the new story that I assigned.
At this time, before the Buddha, a stupa of seven treasures , five hundred yojanas in height and two hundred and fifty yojanas in length and breadth, sprang up from the earth and abided in the sky . . . When that Buddha [Abundant Treasures] was practicing as a bodhisattva in the past, he deeply vowed: “After I have realized Buddhahood and died, if anywhere in the ten directions there is any place where the Lotus Sutra is being preached, my stupa shall spring out and appear in that place so that I may hear the sutra’s preaching.”
DOGENIZATION:
[Dōgen says:] There is the turning of the flower of Dharma in the appearance “before the Buddha” of the “treasure stupa,” which is a “height of five hundred yojanas.” There is the turning of the flower of Dharma that is the “Buddha sitting inside the stupa,” whose breadth is “two hundred and fifty yojanas.” There is a turning of the flower of Dharma by springing forth from the earth and abiding in the earth, whereby mind is without obstructions and matter is without limits. There is the turning of the flower of Dharma in springing out of the sky and abiding in the earth, which is limited by the eyes and limited by the body. Vulture Peak is within the stupa, and the treasure stupa is on Vulture Peak. The treasure stupa is a stupa of treasure abiding in space, and space opens space for the treasure stupa. The timeless Buddha within the stupa shares a seat with the Buddha of Vulture Peak, and the Buddha of
Vulture Peak shares the realization of the Buddha within the stupa. When the Buddha of Vulture Peak experiences this state within the stupa together with body, mind, and all things, he also enters into the state of the turning of the flower of Dharma. [. . .] This “within the stupa,” “before the Buddha,” “the treasure stupa,” and “space” are not limited to Vulture Peak; they are not limited to the realm of phenomena; they are not limited to some halfway
stage; neither are they the whole world. Nor are they matters of some fixed “place in the Dharma.” They are simply “non-thinking.”
If it helps, for those who don't wish to try it "free form," I made a "PAINT BY NUMBERS" version where you can take parts of the "hidden jewel" parable to plug in here ...
ELEMENTS include "a man" "came to the house" "close friend" "went to sleep" "becoming intoxicated" "wine." "intimate friend" "go out" "official business" "sews" "priceless jewel" "his friend’s garment" "roams around" "arrives in another country." "poor fellow!" "lack of food and clothing" "the desires of the five senses" "seek your livelihood" "great effort and hardship" "very foolish" "Sell this jewel" "use it to buy what you need" "neither poverty nor want" "live as you wish."
Usually, this story is taken to mean that the "jewel" is the Buddha Nature which we all have within us but do not know, so we live foolishly and squander our lives.
Just take those elements and plug them into the Dogen "paint by numbers" below to get a sense of what Dogen does with the elements of traditional Buddhist stories.
[Dōgen says:] There is the [ACTION FROM STORY] of Dharma in the [SCENE FROM STORY] of the [THING FROM STORY] which is a [DESCRIPTION FROM STORY] There is the[ACTION FROM STORY] of Dharma that is the [ANOTHER SCENE FROM STORY] whose[ANOTHER DESCRIPTION FROM STORY]There is a [ACTION FROM STORY] of Dharma by [SOME ACTION FROM STORY] and [DIFFERENT ACTION FROM STORY] whereby mind is without obstructions and matter is without limits. There is the [ACTION FROM STORY] of Dharma in[SOME ACTION FROM STORY] and [DIFFERENT ACTION FROM STORY], which is limited by the eyes and limited by the body. [PLACE IN STORY] is within [ANOTHER PLACE IN STORY], and the [ANOTHER PLACE IN STORY] is on [PLACE IN STORY]. The [PLACE IN STORY] is a [THING IN STORY] abiding in space, and space opens space for the [PLACE IN STORY]. The timeless Buddha within the [A PLACE IN STORY] shares a [THING IN STORY] with the Buddha of [SOMETHING FROM STORY], and the Buddha of [SOMETHING ELSE FROM STORY] shares the realization of the Buddha within the [A PLACE OR THING IN STORY]. When the Buddha of [SOMETHING FROM STORY] experiences this state within the [THING OR PLACE FROM STORY] together with body, mind, and all things, he also enters into the state of the [ACTION FROM STORY]. [. . .] This “within the [PLACE OR THING FROM STORY],” “before the [THING OR PLACE FROM STORY],” the [THING FROM STORY],” and “space” are not limited to [PLACE FROM STORY]; they are not limited to the [BUDDHIST PHRASE OF YOUR CHOOSING]; they are not limited to some [OTHER BUDDHIST PHRASE OF YOUR CHOOSING]; neither are they [BUDDHIST DESCRIPTION OF REALITY]. Nor are they matters of some fixed [BUDDHIST PHRASE.] They are simply “non-thinking.”
Gassho, J
stlah
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