The Zen Master's Dance - 3 - How To Read Dogen (Middle of p. 12 to End of Chapter)

[Noel]

Hi,

This is my version.

[I] In our ordinary experience of life, a cat is not incense, and neither a cat nor an incense are you or me. A is not B, and neither one is C nor D. However, for Mahayana teachers like Dōgen, cats are cats and also a full pack of incense. The perfume of the incense holds all the fur that covers my cat and all that he has within, as well as the whole world and all of time. The cat expands through the air while we sit in meditation, cats move their tails and preach the Dharma, and cats are also other faces of you and me. It is not merely that our ordinary eyes might see a street cat portrayed as a form on the incense expanded in the air, or painted on the incense’s box, or reflected like a draw in the remains of incense that fall on the floor, but that the cat and the whole universe are one, truly flying and being held in every grain of incense that we are breathing while sitting in our zafus, and this one is contained in the incense itself. The incense, though seemingly only flying in our room, is also huge, boundless, flexible as a cat, and is as big as the cat and the whole universe, is flying in the whole universe and is the whole universe flying and spreading perfume. The whole universe is just incense that seems to be here and disappear at the same time and is also the incense flying around us—an incense that perfumes us while we perfume it.

We feel the incense as it enters our nose, and we feel it surrounding our body and is also inside us, and we too enter the incense, are smelled, and merge with it. Likewise, in smelling the incense, we enter the cat and the whole universe. The incense smells us as we smell the incense, and the cat/universe feels us flying around as we feel the cat/universe also flying around us—all in the simple action of smelling a stick of incense. The incense stick lights in all time and space as you light it; the cat disintegrates in the universe as the universe moves across the air and surrounds you. Each grain of incense powder, each claw of the cat, or atom of the universe glitters as a unique and precious jewel, each unique and whole unto itself, yet each is also the all. That is the kind of world vision that Dōgen is usually expressing.

(Today I got the book in paper form! Thank you Jundo for the PDF)

Gassho,

Sat-lah

Noel

[Jundo]

Lovely incense cat, Noel. Meow.

Gassho, J
stlah

[Hokuu]

In our ordinary experience of life, a plush otter is not a phone charger, and neither a plush otter nor a phone charger is you or me. A is not B, and neither one is C nor D. However, for Mahayana teachers like Dōgen, plush otters are plush otters and also phone chargers. Tiny white chargers hold fluffy plush otters within, as well as the whole world and all of time. Plush otters charge our phones, plush otters walk and preach the Dharma, and plush otters are also the faces of you and me. It is not merely that our ordinary eyes might see a kid's phone charger in the form of a plush otter, or painted on its side, but that the plush otter and the whole universe are truly held in every atom of the phone charger to be used to feed our electronic devices. The phone charger, though held in our hands, is also fluffy, playful, as plushy as an otter and the whole universe. The whole universe is just a great charger, which is also the charger in our hands—a charger that cradles our hands as we cradle it.

When we charge our phones, as it connects to the phone and the green indicator lights, it merges with the phone; and both the phone and we enter the charger, are energized by it, and merge with it. Likewise, in charging our phone, we become the plush otters and the whole universe. The charger charges as we charge the phone, and the plush otters play with the plush otters/universe—all in the simple action of charging a phone. Each milliamper of the charger, each inch of the plushy otter or atom of the universe glitters as a unique and precious jewel, each unique and whole unto itself, yet each is also the all. That is the kind of world vision that Dōgen usually expresses.

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Gassho
Hakuu
satlah

[Jundo]

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[Hoseki]

Hi folks,

In our ordinary experience of life, the town Cow Head is not a screwdriver, and neither a town or screw driver is me or you. A is not B, and neither one is c nor D. However, for Mahayana teachers like Dogen, Cow Head is Cow Head but also a screwdriver. This screwdriver contains the entire town of Cow Head as well as everything else in the ten directions and three times. Using Cow Head I can take apart my child’s toy while the town preaches the Dharma. It’s not simply an image of Cow Head in the shiny part of the screwdriver. The entire universe exists in Cow Head which exists in the screwdriver which exists in the universe. This screwdriver held in my hands hold the hands that hold this screwdriver.

When the screwdriver turns the screw, the whole world rotates around the screw. With one turn the hand, the man, cow head and the rest of entire universe becomes the screw. With the last turn, the screwdriver is poured into the deck, which contains the screwdriver, the man, cow head and the rest of the universe. Each screw is each other screw and the entire deck. Yet, each screw is just each screw. This is the kind of world vision that Dogen is usually expressing.

Gassho,
Hoseki
sattoday/lah

[Jundo]

Muuuu Moooo image.png

Gassho, J
stlah

[Koriki]

Hydrangea flower and a chicken

[I]n our ordinary experience of life, a hydrangea flower is not a chicken, and neither a hydrangea nor a chicken are you or me. A is not B, and neither one is C nor D. However, for Mahayana teachers like Dōgen, hydrangeas are hydrangeas and also chickens. Tiny chicks hold great hydrangea flowers within, as well as the whole world and all of time. Hydrangeas peck and scratch for food, hydrangeas walk and preach the Dharma, and hydrangea flowers are also other faces of you and me. It is not merely that our ordinary eyes might see a nearby flower reflected in the eyes of a chicken, or it's color as that of a chicken, or the petals of the flower as like the feathers of a chicken, but that the hydrangea and the whole universe is truly in each chicken, and is contained in the egg itself. The chicken, though nimble and quick, is also huge, boundless, as big as a hydrangea bush and the whole universe. The whole universe is just a great bird which is also the chicken in our backyard eating bugs.

When we hold the chicken, we feel its feathers and it merges with our body, we too become part of the chicken, and the chicken holds us and we are merged. Likewise, in holding the chicken we become the hydrangea and the whole universe. The chicken becomes us as we become the chicken, and the hydrangea/universe holds us as we hold the hydrangea/universe—all in the simple action of holding a chicken. The chicken scratches all time and space as the chicken scratches the dirt; the hydrangea pecks the universe as the universe moves with your hands when feeding the chicken. Each feather, each petal of the hydrangea or atom of the universe glitters as a unique and precious jewel, each unique and whole unto itself, yet each is also the all.

Gassho,
Koriki
s@lah

[Jundo]

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