Dear Equanimious Readers,
From next time, we will begin Okumura Roshi's marvelous introduction to Dogen and Shobogenzo, "Realizing Genjokoan".
There is a PDF version here, but I very very much encourage all who can afford to purchase the same (especially in light of the Precept on not Stealing). Thank you. This is a temporary measure until your book arrives.
For today, we visit again the Book of Equanimity ... Case 84 never ends, yet now we turn to CASE 85: THE NATIONAL TEACHER'S SEAMLESS TOMB.
One can access this Koan and Commentary temporarily here in part (a middle page is not included) ...
I approach this as another expression of the world when we drop thoughts of opposites, and coming and going. What is death when we realize that waves rise and fall, rise and fall, yet the sea goes on and on? Our lives rise and fall, yet what flows on and on?
In the Preamble: I read this as, when we toss (smash) even the idea of "emptiness" as a thing, and also toss away ideas of all the separate things of the world (represented here by the mountain), one comes to the truly seamless and faultless place at the heart of all opposites.
For the Main Case: Shishin explains Tangen's poem nicely on page 270. "South of Sho and North of Tan ... " means the whole world in all directions everywhere is golden. The boat under the shadowless tree are poetic images that also convey a thing of the phenomenal world that is floating in the "shadowless" light beyond opposites. A palace so clear as glass that there is no individual to be seen, and nothing to know (like the Koan about Bodhidharma and the Emperor, in which his "I don't know" actually means a great "Knowing" beyond a separate "I" and something to "know.")
The Verse continues this theme, with a bunch of symbols for things amid the Absolute. Yamada Roshi explains (using a slightly different translation) ... I just note that many Zen masters of old used to use the various I-Ching symbols as images of the various relationships of the "relative" and "absolute" (e.g., relative only, relative with a bit of absolute, absolute only, absolute with a bit of relative etc.) ...
Actually, it is common for Buddhist priests in Japan to use a kind of gravestone that is meant to be round and seamless. These are some priests' graves around a Buddha statue ... the shape is meant to represent just this same wholeness ...
Gassho, J
STLah
From next time, we will begin Okumura Roshi's marvelous introduction to Dogen and Shobogenzo, "Realizing Genjokoan".
There is a PDF version here, but I very very much encourage all who can afford to purchase the same (especially in light of the Precept on not Stealing). Thank you. This is a temporary measure until your book arrives.
For today, we visit again the Book of Equanimity ... Case 84 never ends, yet now we turn to CASE 85: THE NATIONAL TEACHER'S SEAMLESS TOMB.
One can access this Koan and Commentary temporarily here in part (a middle page is not included) ...
I approach this as another expression of the world when we drop thoughts of opposites, and coming and going. What is death when we realize that waves rise and fall, rise and fall, yet the sea goes on and on? Our lives rise and fall, yet what flows on and on?
In the Preamble: I read this as, when we toss (smash) even the idea of "emptiness" as a thing, and also toss away ideas of all the separate things of the world (represented here by the mountain), one comes to the truly seamless and faultless place at the heart of all opposites.
For the Main Case: Shishin explains Tangen's poem nicely on page 270. "South of Sho and North of Tan ... " means the whole world in all directions everywhere is golden. The boat under the shadowless tree are poetic images that also convey a thing of the phenomenal world that is floating in the "shadowless" light beyond opposites. A palace so clear as glass that there is no individual to be seen, and nothing to know (like the Koan about Bodhidharma and the Emperor, in which his "I don't know" actually means a great "Knowing" beyond a separate "I" and something to "know.")
The Verse continues this theme, with a bunch of symbols for things amid the Absolute. Yamada Roshi explains (using a slightly different translation) ... I just note that many Zen masters of old used to use the various I-Ching symbols as images of the various relationships of the "relative" and "absolute" (e.g., relative only, relative with a bit of absolute, absolute only, absolute with a bit of relative etc.) ...
Only one – wide and endless;
Completely round – full and perfect. ...
The words “only one” (Japanese: ko) mean the only one in the entire universe. “Wide
and endless” extending out without limit.
The character translated here as “completely round” (en) is also used to indicate a
circle. The character translated here as “full and perfect” (da) is originally a Sanskrit word
meaning beautiful, full, etc. This second line basically means perfect and complete. It also
means that it is one with the universe, extending out without limit. This is of course referring
to our essential nature. Because the verse is written in reference to the “seamless gravestone”
all the lines in it have some connection with that.
Where the eyes can see no more, it stands high and lofty. This, too, is a
reference to our true self. It might be easier to understand if the order is reversed: It stands
high and lofty, where the eyes can see no more.
The moon is set, the lake is void, the color of the night so dark and
weighty. The moon has set behind the western mountains and disappeared. The lake is void,
lacking any reflection of the moon. The color of the night is “so dark and weighty.” This, too, is
a reference to the essential world. ...
The clouds are gone, the mountain is lean; the autumn is rich in
atmosphere. Here we have a scene in autumn. It is a world in which the warmth of human
passion has disappeared. Here is a world in which all discriminating thoughts and ideas have
disappeared, where all the “junk” in your head is gone. This is the world of satori alone. Even
ideas of Buddha or Dharma are gone. This is what is meant by the expression, “the mountain
is lean,” I feel. And to say “the autumn is rich in atmosphere” is also an expression of the
world of enlightenment, the very pinnacle of enlightenment.
The position of the eight trigrams is correct;
The spirits of the five elements are harmonious. These are the “eight
trigrams” (hakke) originally found in the I-Ching or Book of Changes. You set up the eight
trigrams to reach satisfaction. This is saying that, in the essential world, the position of the
eight trigrams is from the start correct, without absolutely no room for improvement. It is
complete and perfect. These eight trigrams allow eight different arrays, which also have a
connection with yin and yang. If there is no gap, it is yang. With yin, there is a line in the
middle. These are combined in various ways and express a sort of endless change and
variation. To say the “position of the eight trigrams is correct” is to completely reveal the
seamless gravestone itself. It is the world of the true fact, to which nothing need be added.
Another expression of the same thing is hachimen-reirô, which expresses perfect serenity, for
example the graceful dignity of Mt. Fuji. The same expression is used to refer to a serene and
affable person.
The “five elements” (gogyô) mean the elements composing the objective world, usually
considered to be earth, water, fire and wind. But they can also be seen as wood, fire, earth,
metal and water. To say these five elements are “harmonious” means that the objective world
is perfectly harmonized. It is not a matter of harmonizing something that is not in harmony;
as the essential world it is from the very start in perfect harmony. These lines of the Verse
express the full and complete aspect of the essential world, in perfect harmony. That perfectly
harmonized world is expressed with those eight expressions.
The [whole] body is right in it – do you see it? I take this as meaning that the
body is in the middle. He then asks if we see that body in the body. The content of the body is
the world of emptiness. The content of that body is the world of not a single thing; it is the
world of emptiness.
The father and the son of Nan’yô seem to know that it exists. The “father
and the son” are National Teacher Chû and Tangen, who are teacher and disciple. It would
appear that they both know that world exists.
The Buddha and Patriarchs of India can do nothing about it. This means
that, when it comes to the essential world of not a single thing, not even Buddha, not even
Bodhidharma can lay a hand on it. This, too, is the plan for the seamless gravestone. Tangen’s
words in the Case are examining this world of our own true essence from various angles. ...
Completely round – full and perfect. ...
The words “only one” (Japanese: ko) mean the only one in the entire universe. “Wide
and endless” extending out without limit.
The character translated here as “completely round” (en) is also used to indicate a
circle. The character translated here as “full and perfect” (da) is originally a Sanskrit word
meaning beautiful, full, etc. This second line basically means perfect and complete. It also
means that it is one with the universe, extending out without limit. This is of course referring
to our essential nature. Because the verse is written in reference to the “seamless gravestone”
all the lines in it have some connection with that.
Where the eyes can see no more, it stands high and lofty. This, too, is a
reference to our true self. It might be easier to understand if the order is reversed: It stands
high and lofty, where the eyes can see no more.
The moon is set, the lake is void, the color of the night so dark and
weighty. The moon has set behind the western mountains and disappeared. The lake is void,
lacking any reflection of the moon. The color of the night is “so dark and weighty.” This, too, is
a reference to the essential world. ...
The clouds are gone, the mountain is lean; the autumn is rich in
atmosphere. Here we have a scene in autumn. It is a world in which the warmth of human
passion has disappeared. Here is a world in which all discriminating thoughts and ideas have
disappeared, where all the “junk” in your head is gone. This is the world of satori alone. Even
ideas of Buddha or Dharma are gone. This is what is meant by the expression, “the mountain
is lean,” I feel. And to say “the autumn is rich in atmosphere” is also an expression of the
world of enlightenment, the very pinnacle of enlightenment.
The position of the eight trigrams is correct;
The spirits of the five elements are harmonious. These are the “eight
trigrams” (hakke) originally found in the I-Ching or Book of Changes. You set up the eight
trigrams to reach satisfaction. This is saying that, in the essential world, the position of the
eight trigrams is from the start correct, without absolutely no room for improvement. It is
complete and perfect. These eight trigrams allow eight different arrays, which also have a
connection with yin and yang. If there is no gap, it is yang. With yin, there is a line in the
middle. These are combined in various ways and express a sort of endless change and
variation. To say the “position of the eight trigrams is correct” is to completely reveal the
seamless gravestone itself. It is the world of the true fact, to which nothing need be added.
Another expression of the same thing is hachimen-reirô, which expresses perfect serenity, for
example the graceful dignity of Mt. Fuji. The same expression is used to refer to a serene and
affable person.
The “five elements” (gogyô) mean the elements composing the objective world, usually
considered to be earth, water, fire and wind. But they can also be seen as wood, fire, earth,
metal and water. To say these five elements are “harmonious” means that the objective world
is perfectly harmonized. It is not a matter of harmonizing something that is not in harmony;
as the essential world it is from the very start in perfect harmony. These lines of the Verse
express the full and complete aspect of the essential world, in perfect harmony. That perfectly
harmonized world is expressed with those eight expressions.
The [whole] body is right in it – do you see it? I take this as meaning that the
body is in the middle. He then asks if we see that body in the body. The content of the body is
the world of emptiness. The content of that body is the world of not a single thing; it is the
world of emptiness.
The father and the son of Nan’yô seem to know that it exists. The “father
and the son” are National Teacher Chû and Tangen, who are teacher and disciple. It would
appear that they both know that world exists.
The Buddha and Patriarchs of India can do nothing about it. This means
that, when it comes to the essential world of not a single thing, not even Buddha, not even
Bodhidharma can lay a hand on it. This, too, is the plan for the seamless gravestone. Tangen’s
words in the Case are examining this world of our own true essence from various angles. ...
Gassho, J
STLah
)
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