Dear All,
I feel that today's readings will certainly be worth your TIME!
We will read (seeming to progress forward) from the bottom p. 59 (the passage about the boat), ending toward the bottom of p. 62 (stopping just before "Our enlightenment is like the moon reflected in the water.")
I suspect very much (although I have seen many Dogen historians say so) that Dogen wrote the Genjo Koan to a lay student who had recently known some death close by. Thus, in Dogen's way, he is teaching that life and death are not just what seems to meet the eye. We usually think that birth is followed by life, then death comes and (to the traditional Buddhist) birth may then come again. Looking at other writings by Dogen in which he seems to be very traditional in outlook about "rebirth," I don't feel that Dogen really meant to reject that traditional view here. That is not his meaning in saying, "do not think of returning to birth after death." Rather, I think he meaning is something closer to saying "let each time be its own time, life time the time of life, death time the time of death."
Your assignment today is to really shake up your ordinary view of (1) relative motion and activity and (2) sequential time. You will do it by replacing the nouns in the following passages by Dogen other activities that usually seems to depend on an actor doing acts in relative motion and in sequential time. Please do BOTH of the following assignments. Dogen's passages are:
(1)
Take a different activity you regularly do in your life involving motion, and substitute it [my substitutions in BOLDFACE]. For example, if skate boarding:
You pick a like moving activity that you do, and replace the above BOLDFACE words only.
(2)
Here are Dogen's original passages teaching us new ways to experience sequential time:
Now, take an action that you cherish doing in your life which occurs in sequential time (e.g., gardening, bread baking, diaper changing, painting pictures, fixing car motors etc. etc.), and replace "birth and death" with that other activity. For example, if I were to take book reading, I might try this:
You do the same with a time sequential activity your cherish, but replacing BOLDFACE words only.
Let's see what you come up with.
As always, please post your creations before looking at what other people have posted.
Gassho, Jundo
STLah
I feel that today's readings will certainly be worth your TIME!
We will read (seeming to progress forward) from the bottom p. 59 (the passage about the boat), ending toward the bottom of p. 62 (stopping just before "Our enlightenment is like the moon reflected in the water.")
I suspect very much (although I have seen many Dogen historians say so) that Dogen wrote the Genjo Koan to a lay student who had recently known some death close by. Thus, in Dogen's way, he is teaching that life and death are not just what seems to meet the eye. We usually think that birth is followed by life, then death comes and (to the traditional Buddhist) birth may then come again. Looking at other writings by Dogen in which he seems to be very traditional in outlook about "rebirth," I don't feel that Dogen really meant to reject that traditional view here. That is not his meaning in saying, "do not think of returning to birth after death." Rather, I think he meaning is something closer to saying "let each time be its own time, life time the time of life, death time the time of death."
Your assignment today is to really shake up your ordinary view of (1) relative motion and activity and (2) sequential time. You will do it by replacing the nouns in the following passages by Dogen other activities that usually seems to depend on an actor doing acts in relative motion and in sequential time. Please do BOTH of the following assignments. Dogen's passages are:
(1)
When you sail in a boat and look out at the shore, you might feel that the shore is moving. But when you turn your eyes toward the boat, you may then feel that the boat is moving. In the same way, if you observe the myriad things of the world with confused ideas of body and mind you might assume that your mind and nature are enduring and stand separate from things. But when you intimately practice and turn within, it will become clear that nothing at all has a fixed, individual self.
When you skate on your board and look out at the curb, you might feel that the curb is moving. But when you turn your eyes toward the board, you may then feel that the board is moving. In the same way, if you observe the myriad things of the world with confused ideas of body and mind you might assume that your mind and nature are enduring and stand separate from things. But when you intimately practice and turn within, it will become clear that nothing at all has a fixed, individual self.
(2)
Here are Dogen's original passages teaching us new ways to experience sequential time:
Firewood turns to ash and it does not turn to firewood again. But do not think that the ash is the future and the firewood is past. Rather, ash is wholly ash with nothing remaining, and the firewood is just firewood with nothing more. You should understand that firewood abides in the phenomenal expression and wholeness of firewood, which fully includes its own past and future yet is independent of all past and
future. Ash abides in the phenomenal expression and wholeness of ash, which fully includes its own past and future too.
Just as firewood does not turn to firewood again after it is ash, do not think of returning to birth after death.
Thus, it is an established rule in Buddhist teachings to deny that birth turns into death. Therefore, birth is understood as no-birth, for in the time of birth there is no other moment with which to compare it. It is an unshakable teaching in Buddha’s preaching that death does not turn into birth. Therefore, death is understood as no-death when there is no other moment with which to compare it.
Birth is a situation complete in this moment. Death is a situation complete in this moment. They are the same as winter and spring. We do not say that winter becomes spring, nor do we say that spring becomes summer.
future. Ash abides in the phenomenal expression and wholeness of ash, which fully includes its own past and future too.
Just as firewood does not turn to firewood again after it is ash, do not think of returning to birth after death.
Thus, it is an established rule in Buddhist teachings to deny that birth turns into death. Therefore, birth is understood as no-birth, for in the time of birth there is no other moment with which to compare it. It is an unshakable teaching in Buddha’s preaching that death does not turn into birth. Therefore, death is understood as no-death when there is no other moment with which to compare it.
Birth is a situation complete in this moment. Death is a situation complete in this moment. They are the same as winter and spring. We do not say that winter becomes spring, nor do we say that spring becomes summer.
Page 59 turns to Page 60 and it does not turn to Page 59 again. But do not think that the Page 60 is the future and Page 59 is past. Rather, Page 60 is wholly Page with nothing remaining, and that Page 59 is just Page 59 with nothing more. You should understand that Page 59 abides in the phenomenal expression and wholeness of Page 59, which fully includes its own past and future yet is independent of all past and future. Page 60 abides in the phenomenal expression and wholeness of Page 60, which fully includes its own past and future too.
Just as Page 59 does not turn to Page 59 again after it is Page 60, do not think of returning to birth after death.
Thus, it is an established rule in Buddhist teachings to deny that Page 59 turns into Page 60. Therefore, Page 59 is understood as no-Page 59, for in the time of Page 59 there is no other page with which to compare it. It is an unshakable teaching in Buddha’s preaching that Page 60 does not turn into Page 59 or Page 61. Therefore, Page 60 is understood as no-Page 60 when there is no other moment with which to compare it.
Page 59 is a situation complete in this moment. Page 60 is a situation complete in this moment. They are the same as winter and spring. We do not say that winter becomes spring, nor do we say that spring becomes summer.
Just as Page 59 does not turn to Page 59 again after it is Page 60, do not think of returning to birth after death.
Thus, it is an established rule in Buddhist teachings to deny that Page 59 turns into Page 60. Therefore, Page 59 is understood as no-Page 59, for in the time of Page 59 there is no other page with which to compare it. It is an unshakable teaching in Buddha’s preaching that Page 60 does not turn into Page 59 or Page 61. Therefore, Page 60 is understood as no-Page 60 when there is no other moment with which to compare it.
Page 59 is a situation complete in this moment. Page 60 is a situation complete in this moment. They are the same as winter and spring. We do not say that winter becomes spring, nor do we say that spring becomes summer.
Let's see what you come up with.
As always, please post your creations before looking at what other people have posted.
Gassho, Jundo
STLah
Comment