The Zen Master's Dance - 1 - Introduction

[Nengei]

Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master and unknown trail runner of long ago, experienced reality as an endless single-track through time and space, forming beneath the shoes of all beings as they ran through the mountains and meadows of their lives. It is an incredible trail, so narrow as to be barely enough for one runner, wide enough for all beings to support each other in reaching the next aid station. As the runners pound the trail, hoping to finish that hundred-miler in less than 30 hours, the dust swirls around them, and the water splashes them with each step; and the whole universe is taken in and released with each gasping breath.

You and I are runners (yes, you are) on this trail, as are all beings and all of existence, and the much-anticipated peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at aid station #5. Although we may think we are running alone, especially after mile 79 when it seems like you will never be warm or comfortable again, we awaken to others sharing our experience, and we pick them up and join with them along the way: one runner becomes a pair, then the pair becomes a group--like a little trail posse helping out the slower runners--and the group becomes a pack, and the pack becomes the mountains and the rivers, all merging so that from a distance, the individual runners can no longer be seen.

Gassho
Nengei
Sat today. LAH.

[Kiri]

Joining the Dance a bit late, but here is my take:

Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great forest growing through time, coming to life throw the visible and invisible acts of animals, plants and fungi. It is a most special forest, for it is the forest that the whole of reality is living, with nothing left out, that you and I are living in, that is living as you and me. It is a vibrant, swirling, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Buddhists sometimes call “emptiness,” as the effort to survive and flourish “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 forest first immerged, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that it is being lived now in step and breath we take, much as a forest unfolds and constantly renews with every sprouting pine, newborn deer, flowing river or traveling cloud.

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

Gassho, Nikolas
Sat/Lah

[Koushi]

You and I are the blots and purveyors of ink on the cosmic pages, as is every being and molecule large or infinitesimal, the lands stretching from Mount Everest to the Mariana Trench, beyond our world into the heavens, traveling back in time to the pin-tip sized matter that gave rise to the Big Bang — and before. Everything in reality, young or ancient, sight seen or unseen, is creating this story together.

Although we may feel like we're separate authors, only here to write for a short while and later to be forgotten, we are also the universal story writing itself through us. Picture in your mind a reader watching a story being crafted so effortlessly and elegantly that its countless authors seem to vanish in the waterfalls of ink and cavalcade of wet paper: single authors becoming pairs, then groups, words coming together into perfect paragraphs and volumes and line-breaking moment by moment—yet so in tune with each other's pen strokes that, from a distance, individual writers can no longer be seen...

Gassho,
Koushi
STLaH

[Doshin]

Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great Heavy Metal festival going on for several days, coming to life in the head banging and moshing of the entire audience and musicians. It is a most special concert, for it is the concert that the whole of reality is playing and listening to, with nothing left out, that you and I are listening, that is listening and grooving as you and me. It is a vibrant, swirling, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Metal maniacs do not actually call “emptiness,” but they could, as the motion and sweep of the music “empties” us of the sense of only being separate beings, and fills and reaffirms us - the audience and the band - as the whole. We, as fans, can’t be sure when or where this music style actually 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 the music unfolds and constantly renews with every note or change of rhythm.

{…} Everything in reality, no matter how old or vast, no matter how unnoticed or small, is part of this experience together. And although we may feel as if we are separate participants—finite guitar heroes on a grand stage spanning all of time and space or the audience fully immersed in a timeless experience that is being created through them—we are also the notes themselves permeating us.

Gassho,

Daitetsu

#sat2day (and listened to the latest Iron Maiden album)

Daitetsu

I can relate. A couple years back I went to The Hu Concert (Mongolian band) after many decades of having not been to a rock concert. I wasn’t the only Senior head banging

Doshin
St

[Daitetsu]

Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great Heavy Metal festival going on for several days, coming to life in the head banging and moshing of the entire audience and musicians. It is a most special concert, for it is the concert that the whole of reality is playing and listening to, with nothing left out, that you and I are listening, that is listening and grooving as you and me. It is a vibrant, swirling, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Metal maniacs do not actually call “emptiness,” but they could, as the motion and sweep of the music “empties” us of the sense of only being separate beings, and fills and reaffirms us - the audience and the band - as the whole. We, as fans, can’t be sure when or where this music style actually 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 the music unfolds and constantly renews with every note or change of rhythm.

{…} Everything in reality, no matter how old or vast, no matter how unnoticed or small, is part of this experience together. And although we may feel as if we are separate participants—finite guitar heroes on a grand stage spanning all of time and space or the audience fully immersed in a timeless experience that is being created through them—we are also the notes themselves permeating us.

Gassho,

Daitetsu

#sat2day (and listened to the latest Iron Maiden album)

[Seishin]

I like that one, Yuki.
You remind me on the "FOLI" short film from Thomas Roebers and Floris Leeuwenberg about the "Tous les choses, c’est du rythme." of the Malinke (as the chief said in the video). Or as Jundo wrote "the dance that the whole of reality is dancing".

https://youtube.com/watch?v=lVPLIuBy9CY

Gassho,
Kotei sat/lah today.

I am with to two on this. That little documentary was fascinating and as Yuki says I get the same in the moment experience playing guitar. But rhythm is in every facet of our lives, even sitting on the tractor motor mowing the lawn, the heart beat of the engine pumps out its rhythmic sound.

Sat

[KathyW]

I am not surprised that there was someone else choosing painting! I actually do more drawing than painting, but I do dabble in water colors on occasion. I tried the assignment with drawing, but it just didn't flow as well. I enjoyed reading your post - a bit of a different presentation using the same topic.

In case you are unaware, there is a Treeleaf Painting and Drawing sub-forum, which I understand is currently inactive, but which is planned to start up after Ango:

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?128-TREELEAF-ARTS-MUSIC-%28-Sports%29-CIRCLE

Gassho,
Kathy

Sat, Lah

[Gareth]

I think that this exercise really helped me to understand Jundo's introduction - I had to really think about the meaning of each word. I also found it to be fun!


Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great act of continuous painting with ever vanishing brush strokes on a canvas moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special act of painting, for it is the canvas that the whole of reality is painting, with nothing left out, that you and I are painting, that is painting 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 act of painting “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 the painting of this canvas began, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that it is being painted now in each brush stroke and breath we take, much as a painting unfolds and constantly renews with the application of each of its brush strokes.

You and I are painters of this canvas, 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 painting this canvas together. And although we may feel as if we are separate painters—finite individuals on a grand stage spanning all of time and space—we are also the canvas itself painting through us. A universe of painters that are being painted up in this canvas that the whole universe is painting. Picture in your mind a spectator witnessing acts of painting so vigorous and vibrant that its countless brush strokes seem to come and go in the swirl of motion: single painters whose brush strokes merge with those of other painters becoming pairs, then groups, coming together and separating moment by moment, yet so merged as the overall movement that, from a distance, the brush strokes of individual painters 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 brush stroke of
each painter somehow embodies, depends upon, and also fully expresses every brush stroke of all the other painters of the canvas, past, present,
or future, and fully contains the entire canvas too. Dōgen experienced the time of the painting as the overall act of painting that is fully held and
expressed in each individual brush stroke 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 canvas.

... Master Dōgen spoke of practice, putting it all in motion. Where this canvas has come from, where it is going, is not as important
as the painting that is truly realized—made real—right here, in your next brush stroke. The painting is always right now, so just
paint, without thought of any finished canvas.

Gassho,
Kathy

Sat today

Oh - snap! I thought I might not be alone with painting

Gassho,
Gareth

Sat today, Lah

[Gareth]

Hello,

Here is my attempt. I spent some time trying to get other activities to fit, as I don’t actually do any painting myself — but I really like sketching, which is close, and my mother paints every day so I talk about painting often. Future me is likely to be painting too...

Gassho,
Gareth

Sat today, Lah

Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great painting, continually painted over through time, coming to life in the thoughts and brush strokes of all artists. It is a most special painting, for it is the painting that the whole of reality is painting, with nothing left out, that you and I are painting, that is painting as you and me. It is a vibrant, swirling, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Buddhists sometimes call “emptiness,” as the evolution and many brushes of the painting “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 painting began, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that it is being painted now in each step and breath we take, much as a never ending painting unfolding and constantly renewing with every brush stroke or finger dab of its painters.

You and I are painters in this painting, 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 painting this painting together. And although we may feel as if we are separate painters—finite individuals on a grand canvas spanning all of time and space—we are also the painting itself painting through us. A universe of painters that are being painted up in this painting that the whole universe is painting. Picture in your mind a spectator witnessing painting so vigorous and vibrant that its countless painters seem to vanish in the swirl of motion: single painters becoming pairs, then groups, coming together and separating moment by moment, yet so merged as the overall movement that, from a distance, individual painters 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 brush stroke of each painter somehow embodies, depends upon, and also fully expresses every brush stroke by all the other painters on the canvas, past, present, or future, and fully contains the entire painting too. Dōgen experienced the time of the painting 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 painting.

... Master Dōgen spoke of practice, putting it all in motion. Where this painting has come from, where it is going, is not as important
as the painting that is truly realized—made real—right here, in your next smudge of finger paint, your next brush, or your next line and wash. The painting is always right underfoot, so just paint, without thought of any other place.

Merci Kotei !
I just watched « FOLI » and it makes me cry. It’s very moving and so close from the Great Pulse of the Dharma. Deep bows !
Thanks again !

Yuki 雪 ( or, as Ryokudo call me : Yuki bang-bang)
(Sat today )

[Kotei]

I have a passion for Djembe, African Drums, and when I’m playing this instrument, I’m all « Here and Now », cause it’s impossible to play percussion without being completely present to each hit and silence that realize the rythm.

I like that one, Yuki.
You remind me on the "FOLI" short film from Thomas Roebers and Floris Leeuwenberg about the "Tous les choses, c’est du rythme." of the Malinke (as the chief said in the video). Or as Jundo wrote "the dance that the whole of reality is dancing".

https://youtube.com/watch?v=lVPLIuBy9CY

Gassho,
Kotei sat/lah today.

I have a passion for Djembe, African Drums, and when I’m playing this instrument, I’m all « Here and Now », cause it’s impossible to play percussion without being completely present to each hit and silence that realize the rythm.
Here, my modest contribution:
_______________
A master Djembefola of long ago ... experienced reality as a great rythm moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special rythm, for it is the rythm that the whole of reality is pulsing, with nothing left out, that you and I are rythming, that is pulsing as you and me. It is a vibrant, swirling, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Djembefola sometimes call “emptiness,” as the motion and sweep of the pulse “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 rythm began, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that it is being pulsed now in each step and breath we take, much as a rythm unfolds and constantly renews with every base, tone or slap of its drummers.

You and I are drummers in this rythm, 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 pulsing this rythm together. And although we may feel as if we are separate drummers—finite individuals on a grand stage spanning all of time and space—we are also the percussion itself pulsing through us. A universe of drummers that are being rythmed up in this goat skin that the whole universe is hitting. Picture in your mind a spectator witnessing a rythm so vigorous and vibrant that its countless actors seem to vanish in the swirl of motion: single drummers becoming pairs, then groups circle, coming together and separating moment by moment, yet so merged as the overall movement that, from a distance, individual drummer can no longer be seen. ...

... So united did the Djembefola 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 hit of
each drummer somehow embodies, depends upon, and also fully expresses every sound by all the other drummers on the stage, past, present,
or future, and fully contains the entire rythm too. The Djembefola experienced the time of the rythm as the overall movement that is fully held and expressed in each individual sound 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 rythm.

... Master Djembefola spoke of practice, putting it all in motion. Where this rythm has come from, where it is going, is not as important
as the pulse that is truly realized—made real—right here, in your next hit and gesture. The rythm is always right underhand, so just hit the skin, without thought of any other place.
_________________
Yuki 雪
(Sat today)

[Inshin]

Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Traveller of long ago ... experienced reality as a great journey moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special journey , for it is the travel that the whole of reality is travelling , with nothing immovable, that you and I are travelling , that is journey 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 journey “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 journey began, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that it is being travelled now in each step and breath we take, much as a road unfolds and constantly renews with every turn or leap of its travellers.

You and I are vagabonds on this journey , 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 travelling on this journey together. And although we may feel as if we are separate travellers—finite individuals on a vast road spanning all of time and space—we are also the journey itself travelling through us. A universe of vagabonds that are being travelled in this journey that the whole universe is travelling. Picture in your mind a passer by witnessing a road so vigorous and vibrant that its countless travellers seem to vanish in the swirl of motion: single travellers becoming pairs, then groups, coming together and separating moment by moment, yet so merged as the overall movement that, from a distance, individual travellers 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 traveller somehow embodies, depends upon, and also fully expresses every step by all the other travellers on the path, past, present,
or future, and fully contains the entire journey too. Dōgen experienced the time of the journey 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 journey.

... Master Dōgen spoke of practice, putting it all in motion. Whenn this journey has begun , where it is going, is not as important
as the journey that is truly realized—made real—right here, in your next leap and gesture. The journey is always right underfoot, so just travel through this wondrous world
, without thought of any other place.

[CK732]

I am more of an Indycar guy but love NASCAR as well. That was lovely.

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

I watch Indy every now and then, but my heart has been in stock car racing since my teen years, even though I didn’t recognize it until later in life.

Thank you for your kind words about my post. The words I belong to Jundo not me. I only substituted the dance with the racers. His writing is beautiful and his message was clear. No changes were needed[emoji4]

Gassho

Nanto

[Bokugan]

This is a fun exercise! My spouse and I love camping and hiking. It is one of those activities that is very special to us. I chose to focus on hiking for my rewrites:


You and I are hikers in this journey, 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 hiking this journey together. And although we may feel as if we are separate hikers—finite individuals on a grand stage spanning all of time and space—we are also the hike itself journeying through us. A universe of hikers that are being hiked up in this journey that the whole universe is hiking,

----

Please don’t understand the concept of this hike merely intellectually. Instead, join in, truly feel what it is to be swept up in the hike as the hike. Master Dogen spoke of practice, putting it all in motion. Where this hike has come from, where it is going, is not as important as the hike that is truly realized—made real—right here, in your next stride and climb. The journey is always underfoot, so just hike, without thought of any other place.

Gassho,
Ryan
SatToday