The Zen Master's Dance - 1 - Introduction

[Jundo]

Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago experienced reality as the growing of herbs throughout time, with herbs coming to life in the thoughts and actions of all beings, each thought and action growing a herb, which is part of one whole interconnected herb garden. Each herb is filled with the essence of every other herb that has grown through time and space, and the growth and spread, and eventual senescence of each herb neither adds nor subtracts from the totality of the garden itself, which seems to us as without beginning or end, but just existing in an eternal now, shining with the lush growth of everything that is, was or shall be.

We are all herbs in the garden, as is every creature large or small, every stone on the beach, air molecule in the sky and stars and planets throughout all galaxies. All things are herbs, whether great herbs, like motherwort, or tiny herbs such as wild thyme, creeping along the side of hill and dale, and each have their place in the great herb garden. Some herbs are long-lived, some are short-lived. All have their place and time, sometimes forming a small separate community of herbs, sometimes as single plants and flowers and all are part of the greater whole of the garden.

Within this vast garden, it can be hard to differentiate each of the herbs, which appear as a swirling mass of green, growing, flowering and retreating, Each herb expresses completely the whole of the garden, whilst at the same time retaining its own uniqueness and that which differentiates it from the other herbs.

Each of us is a herb, separate from other herbs, and expressing our herbness just as it is, while also expressing the totality of the garden, just as it is. Our practice is to allow ourselves to be the herb we are, and grow and flower just as we were intended to, but also not to lose sight of the greater reality of the whole garden. All of the herbs, including the Dōgen herb, Keizan herb, and the herb that is you, are full and complete expressions of the whole garden, that spreads fully and completely into the outer edges of the ten directions and three times, with nothing left out.

Excellent. Someone might ask, reading this, what kinds of herbs you be growing. However, we mean the legal kind.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Amelia]

"Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great Tetris game moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special game of Tetris, for it is the game that the whole of reality is playing, with nothing left out, that you and I are playing, that is playing 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 game of Tetris “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 game of Tetris 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 a game of Tetris unfolds and constantly renews with every turn or leap of its players."

Gassho
Sat, lah

[Jundo]

"Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great Tetris game moving through time

[Amelia]

There are some interesting studies on the Tetris effect, and how it may be able to inhibit trauma response after a traumatic event. The Tetris Buddha.

Gassho
Sat, lah

[Gregor]

each golfer somehow embodies, depends upon, and also fully expresses every shot by all the other players on the course, past or present. . .

_______________________________________
Just got the book, and although i am behind on the group here am looking forward to taking my shots and catching up with the group on the back nine.


Jundo! Thank you for this book, I have struggled with Shonogenzo and am hopeful your book will help me with grasping it a bit better.

Gassho,

Gregory
-sat-today


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[Ippo]

Where this dance has come from, where it is going, is not as important as the dance that is truly realized — made real — right here, in your next leap and gesture. The dance is always right underfoot, so just dance, without thought of any other place.

My rewrite:

Where we are going, and where we come from both disappear and are made real, here and now in this moment. Taste the intimacy of presence and without seeking or striving, the whole Universe reveals itself.

Gassho,

Ippo

SatLah

[Huichan]

Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great run, running through the hills of time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings on the trail. It is a most special run, for it is the run that the whole of reality is running, with nothing left out, that you and I are running, that is running as you and me. It is a vibrant, swirling, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Buddhists sometimes call “emptiness,” as each step of the run “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 run began, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that it is being run now in each step and breath we take, much as a run unfolds and constantly renews with every turn or step of its runners.

Gassho
Ross
ST

[Jundo]

Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great run, running through the hills of time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings on the trail. It is a most special run, for it is the run that the whole of reality is running, with nothing left out, that you and I are running, that is running as you and me. It is a vibrant, swirling, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Buddhists sometimes call “emptiness,” as each strp of the run “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 run began, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that it is being run now in each step and breath we take, much as a run unfolds and constantly renews with every turn or step of its runners.

[Ashley Herbert]

What a wonderful thought. I love the image of the dance, but will work on rephrasing it. I look forward to reading the book.

[Bokucho]

Just began this book again, the first time I read it was when it came out. I plan on catching up and enjoying the re-read as part of the book club. Thank you Jundo!

Gassho,

Bokuchō
ST/LaH

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[Chikyou]

I'm late to this party, and I've just opened this book and I must say, already I am blown away! Thank you for this marvelous teaching.

Here is my contribution; I chose music, as I have a lifelong love of music (and currently play guitar as well as enjoy singing). I haven't read anyone else's contributions yet.

"Eihei Dogan, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago, heard the music of the universe that sounds as all events and places, people, things, and spaces. He experienced reality as a great score moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special score, for it is the song that the whole of reality is singing, with nothing left out, that you and I are singing, that is singing as you and me. It is a vibrant, swirling, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Buddhists sometimes call "emptiness", as the tempo and cadence of the song "empties" us of the sense of only being separate beings, and fills and reaffirms us as a whole. We, as human beings, can't be sure when or where t his song began, or whether it 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 a score unfolds and constantly renews with every note or beat of its instruments."

"You and I are players in this orchestra, 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 playing and singing this song together. And although we may feel as if we are separate musicians—finite individuals on a grand stage spanning all of time and space—we are also the song itself playing through us. A universe of players that are being played up in this score that the whole universe is playing. Picture in your mind a spectator witnessing a score so vigorous and vibrant that its countless players seem to vanish in the swirl of motion: single players becoming pairs, then groups, coming together and separating moment by moment, yet so merged as the overall score that, from a distance, individual players can no longer be seen."

Gassho,
SatLah
-Kelly

[Jundo]

I'm late to this party, and I've just opened this book and I must say, already I am blown away! Thank you for this marvelous teaching.

Here is my contribution; I chose music, as I have a lifelong love of music (and currently play guitar as well as enjoy singing). I haven't read anyone else's contributions yet.

"Eihei Dogan, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago, heard the music of the universe that sounds as all events and places, people, things, and spaces. He experienced reality as a great score moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special score, for it is the song that the whole of reality is singing, with nothing left out, that you and I are singing, that is singing as you and me. It is a vibrant, swirling, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Buddhists sometimes call "emptiness", as the tempo and cadence of the song "empties" us of the sense of only being separate beings, and fills and reaffirms us as a whole. We, as human beings, can't be sure when or where t his song began, or whether it 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 a score unfolds and constantly renews with every note or beat of its instruments."

"You and I are players in this orchestra, 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 playing and singing this song together. And although we may feel as if we are separate musicians—finite individuals on a grand stage spanning all of time and space—we are also the song itself playing through us. A universe of players that are being played up in this score that the whole universe is playing. Picture in your mind a spectator witnessing a score so vigorous and vibrant that its countless players seem to vanish in the swirl of motion: single players becoming pairs, then groups, coming together and separating moment by moment, yet so merged as the overall score that, from a distance, individual players can no longer be seen."

Gassho,
SatLah
-Kelly

Lovely! Welcome to the party, Kelly!

Gassho, Jundo
Stlah