The Zen Master's Dance - 2 - How To Read Dogen (to p. 12)

[rj]

Ok, take two...

Suppose there was a young child who had been gifted a toy by a stranger. He did not know what the toy was but enjoyed playing with it for hours on end and for many years did so, even as he became a man picking his way through life. He loved gently strumming each string the toy contained and the sounds it produced...

One day the same stranger (not recognized by the now young man) returned and hearing the young man playing, proceeded to ask him where he had learned to play the guitar. The young man asked what a guitar was, and the stranger explained that the toy he held in his hands was a guitar and that the young man had played so beautifully that he had struck a chord within the man's heart bringing him much joy. The stranger then explained that he had given the young man the toy a score ago, and that he had never heard of anyone with such talent. Within a short period of time after that, the stranger plucked the young man from obscurity, and made him the star of his concerts.




st/rj

[Showan]

There is the turning of the flower of dharma in the appearance of the house of a close friend, and even in becoming intoxicated with wine to the point of going to sleep. The close friend sews a priceless jewel into the inside of his friend’s garment and, giving it to him, leaves; this is the turning of the flower of dharma, but it is also the case that the priceless jewel and the drunken man's garment are not two things, and the priceless jewel, the drunken man's garment, and the close friend's house are all a treasure stupa which is five hundred yojanas tall and two hundred and fifty yojanas across.
There is the turning of the flower of dharma in leaving the house; there is also the turning of the flower of dharma in staying put. But the man who was drunk and asleep is totally unaware of this; the mind that was drunk, the mind that was asleep, the mind of ignorance itself, are all nothing other than the priceless jewel, which is also unaware that it has been sewn into a garment.
After getting up, he leaves and roams around until he arrives in another country. Why didn't he stay put and wait for his friend to return? Actually, though, wandering and remaining both lead us to Vulture Peak if we do them with diligence. Vulture Peak is the place that is neither hot nor cold.
He diligently seeks for food and clothing, though they are very difficult to obtain. He is satisfied if he just obtains a very meager amount. What profound good fortune he had! If we are satisfied with a very meager amount, in what sense is it meager? All the treasures and jewels in a treasure stupa five hundred yojanas high and two hundred and fifty yojanas across are meager if we make distinctions between satisfaction and dissatisfaction, between poverty and wealth, preferring cold and disliking hot. What profound good fortune to arrive at Vulture Peak and be satisfied with what we find there.
Later on, the close friend happens to meet this man. Seeing him, he says: "O poor fellow! How have you come to this state through lack of food and clothing?" But what lack could there possibly be in the turning of the flower of dharma? He does not know his friend is satisfied. Perhaps he should have kept the jewel for a little while longer himself.
He continues, "Once, on such-and-such a day in such-and-such a month and year, I sewed a priceless jewel into the inside of your garment, wanting to make things easier for you and to let you enjoy the desires of the five senses as much as you wished." The way to enjoy the desires of the five senses is to guard the five senses from desire, to move beyond desire and take the five senses as the five senses. Does the close friend really understand the nature of the priceless jewel? Which of them really understands what is meant by "priceless" in a world without distinctions? Both men stand at Vulture Peak, but do both men know where Vulture Peak is?
The close friend goes on, "It is still there, although you aren’t aware of it, and you seek your livelihood with great effort and hardship! You have been very foolish. Sell this jewel and use it to buy what you need. From now on you will know neither poverty nor want and can live as you wish." To seek our livelihoods with great effort and hardship, in accordance with the dharma, is to possess the priceless jewel, to know neither poverty nor want, and to live as we wish. To sell the jewel for a lot of money to spend on ourselves is to misunderstand the jewel. Only a person who really understands how to sell the priceless jewel and how to keep the priceless jewel can use it to benefit all sentient beings.

Sorry to run long!
Max
Sat today

[Jundo]

Ok, take two...

Suppose there was a young child who had been gifted a toy by a stranger. He did not know what the toy was but enjoyed playing with it for hours on end and for many years did so, even as he became a man picking his way through life. He loved gently strumming each string the toy contained and the sounds it produced...

One day the same stranger (not recognized by the now young man) returned and hearing the young man playing, proceeded to ask him where he had learned to play the guitar. The young man asked what a guitar was, and the stranger explained that the toy he held in his hands was a guitar and that the young man had played so beautifully that he had struck a chord within the man's heart bringing him much joy. The stranger then explained that he had given the young man the toy a score ago, and that he had never heard of anyone with such talent. Within a short period of time after that, the stranger plucked the young man from obscurity, and made him the star of his concerts.




st/rj

You writing is beautiful, but now look at some of the other examples that tracked Dogen's grammar and style a little more closely. Guitar is lovely and creative, but the elements in this story are things like "jewel" and "friend" and "clothing" and "food" and "official business" etc. etc. mentioned in the Lotus Sutra passage. You skipped all that. Just follow Dogen's sentence structure.



Gassho, J

STLah

[Jundo]

There is the turning of the flower of dharma in the appearance of the house of a close friend, and even in becoming intoxicated with wine to the point of going to sleep. The close friend sews a priceless jewel into the inside of his friend’s garment and, giving it to him, leaves; this is the turning of the flower of dharma, but it is also the case that the priceless jewel and the drunken man's garment are not two things, and the priceless jewel, the drunken man's garment, and the close friend's house are all a treasure stupa which is five hundred yojanas tall and two hundred and fifty yojanas across.
There is the turning of the flower of dharma in leaving the house; there is also the turning of the flower of dharma in staying put. But the man who was drunk and asleep is totally unaware of this; the mind that was drunk, the mind that was asleep, the mind of ignorance itself, are all nothing other than the priceless jewel, which is also unaware that it has been sewn into a garment.
After getting up, he leaves and roams around until he arrives in another country. Why didn't he stay put and wait for his friend to return? Actually, though, wandering and remaining both lead us to Vulture Peak if we do them with diligence. Vulture Peak is the place that is neither hot nor cold.
He diligently seeks for food and clothing, though they are very difficult to obtain. He is satisfied if he just obtains a very meager amount. What profound good fortune he had! If we are satisfied with a very meager amount, in what sense is it meager? All the treasures and jewels in a treasure stupa five hundred yojanas high and two hundred and fifty yojanas across are meager if we make distinctions between satisfaction and dissatisfaction, between poverty and wealth, preferring cold and disliking hot. What profound good fortune to arrive at Vulture Peak and be satisfied with what we find there.
Later on, the close friend happens to meet this man. Seeing him, he says: "O poor fellow! How have you come to this state through lack of food and clothing?" But what lack could there possibly be in the turning of the flower of dharma? He does not know his friend is satisfied. Perhaps he should have kept the jewel for a little while longer himself.
He continues, "Once, on such-and-such a day in such-and-such a month and year, I sewed a priceless jewel into the inside of your garment, wanting to make things easier for you and to let you enjoy the desires of the five senses as much as you wished." The way to enjoy the desires of the five senses is to guard the five senses from desire, to move beyond desire and take the five senses as the five senses. Does the close friend really understand the nature of the priceless jewel? Which of them really understands what is meant by "priceless" in a world without distinctions? Both men stand at Vulture Peak, but do both men know where Vulture Peak is?
The close friend goes on, "It is still there, although you aren’t aware of it, and you seek your livelihood with great effort and hardship! You have been very foolish. Sell this jewel and use it to buy what you need. From now on you will know neither poverty nor want and can live as you wish." To seek our livelihoods with great effort and hardship, in accordance with the dharma, is to possess the priceless jewel, to know neither poverty nor want, and to live as we wish. To sell the jewel for a lot of money to spend on ourselves is to misunderstand the jewel. Only a person who really understands how to sell the priceless jewel and how to keep the priceless jewel can use it to benefit all sentient beings.

Sorry to run long!
Max
Sat today

Okay, lovely. You also mixed the two Lotus Sutra passages, the one in the example and the one to rewrite. Dogen also sometimes mixed separate things like that, so it is good to try that. Or you could have just rewritten the new passage in the example style.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Jundo]

What are the elements? A man, the house of a close friend, intoxication, a priceless gift, the friend's garment, suffering.
What are the lessons/themes? Living in intoxication, a friend with an amazing gift that you already have, life's struggles ease when you recognize what you have within.

And Nengei's poor revision with apologies to Dōgen Roshi and Jundoshi:
A kami (origami paper) unfolds bringing "a man" to visit "the house of a close friend" and to become "intoxicated with wine." A kami unfolds and "[t]he intimate friend" "sews a priceless jewel" into "his friend's garment." A kami unfolds and the man leaves the home of his friend and sets out on a journey. A kami unfolds and the man struggles in his existence, unaware that he carries with him the means to enlightenment.
The value of the jewel is enlightenment, and enlightenment is in the jewel. The jewel contains awareness of the Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. The man's friend lives in the jewel and is the Bodhisattva of Compassion. When the man crosses paths with his friend, Kannon guides the man to realization of what he carries with him. When the man goes on his journey, he begins following the path of the bodhisattva. He unfolds the kami of enlightenment and is able to help others with the priceless jewel. This "priceless jewel" is not only present in the man's clothing, and the man is not taking a trip to some limited "other country." The jewel exists in all sentient beings. The man is all sentient beings and the "other country" is all places.

Gassho,
Nengei
Sat today. LAH.

Jundoshi

Oh, please leave the "shi" off of my Jundo!

This is nice, and you decided to add your own original elements (e.g., origami paper) too. Cool.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Rousei]

Attempt two A fun but difficult task!

There is the turning of the flower of Dharma in the appearance “a man” who “came to the house of a close friend” while being “intoxicated”.
There is the turning of the flower of Dharma in the intimate friend, who having urgent business to attend to, upon seeing his close friend asleep in his house, “sews a priceless jewel into the inside of his friend’s garment” before leaving.
There is the turning of the flower of Dharma in the wayward once intoxicated friend destitute in life at the mercy of the sun and the moon seeking respite, only to be found by his intimate friend. The intimate friend saddened and confused by his friends conditions expounded upon his previous actions, “Once, on such-and-such a day in such-and-such a month and year, I sewed a priceless jewel into the inside of your garment”, seeing his conditions his own makings, knowing salvations’ in reach and wanting him to uncover the hidden jewel, “it is still there”, set yourself free.

The priceless jewel is within the garment, the garment adorning the friend always accompanies him, both in his intimate friends’ house or during his wayward travels. The intimate friend shared his wealth in order for his friend to experience it in body, mind and all things, so that he may also enter the state of turning of the flower of Dharma. This sharing of wealth and wayward journey is not limited to the intimate friend and his friend, to the house and the road, to the realm of phenomena. They are not some half-way stage; neither are they the whole world. Nor are they matters of others or thought experiment, they are simply “non-thinking”.

Gassho
Mark
ST

[Jundo]

Attempt two A fun but difficult task!

There is the turning of the flower of Dharma in the appearance “a man” who “came to the house of a close friend” while being “intoxicated”.
There is the turning of the flower of Dharma in the intimate friend, who having urgent business to attend to, upon seeing his close friend asleep in his house, “sews a priceless jewel into the inside of his friend’s garment” before leaving.
There is the turning of the flower of Dharma in the wayward once intoxicated friend destitute in life at the mercy of the sun and the moon seeking respite, only to be found by his intimate friend. The intimate friend saddened and confused by his friends conditions expounded upon his previous actions, “Once, on such-and-such a day in such-and-such a month and year, I sewed a priceless jewel into the inside of your garment”, seeing his conditions his own makings, knowing salvations’ in reach and wanting him to uncover the hidden jewel, “it is still there”, set yourself free.

The priceless jewel is within the garment, the garment adorning the friend always accompanies him, both in his intimate friends’ house or during his wayward travels. The intimate friend shared his wealth in order for his friend to experience it in body, mind and all things, so that he may also enter the state of turning of the flower of Dharma. This sharing of wealth and wayward journey is not limited to the intimate friend and his friend, to the house and the road, to the realm of phenomena. They are not some half-way stage; neither are they the whole world. Nor are they matters of others or thought experiment, they are simply “non-thinking”.

Gassho
Mark
ST

Now you are starting to get it.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Shade]

Well, here goes nothing!

Suppose there were a man who came to the house of a close friend and went to sleep after becoming intoxicated with wine. The intimate friend, being a businessman (I added businessman here so there would be less confusion regarding who was speaking) and having official matters to attend, notices something odd which was sewed in his friend’s clothing. Upon looking he is astounded to find a beautiful, priceless jewel. He considers whether to take such a precious item, since his friend is always seeking food, clothing and generally lives a meager life, he is worried that he will harm his friend by stealing it. But after much reflection, he concludes that the jewel should be possessed by someone who will use it to know neither poverty nor want and live as one wishes. He placed the jewel in his pocket and left his friend’s home, all while his friend was sound asleep.

Once his business was concluded, he immediately endeavored to sell his newly acquired priceless jewel. However, he soon finds that no noble, artisan, or wealthy commoner will purchase his jewel. He tries to polish, and then break the jewel in order to increase its value, but nothing seems to work.

After roaming far and wide, he resigned himself to failure and returned to his friend to give back the jewel. His friend declines his offer of the returned jewel and instead shows him another shimmering jewel. The businessman asked, “how could you possibly acquire two such priceless jewels in one lifetime?” The friend then proceeded to show him even more jewels. There were jewels in his garden, clothing, and even his food. The businessman asked how could this be? His friend replied, “this jewel you possess cannot be measured, polished or broken, because it includes all other phenomena. In other words, this jewel is priceless because it is beyond price, and this one precious jewel contains and reflects this whole precious universe, which is composed of incalculable jewels of infinite value. This jewel is no other than this moment, and all that is.”

The businessman realized his foolishness, bowed to his friend and the jewel, and lived his life without poverty or want, just as he wished.

Gassho,

Shade

ST

[Kaisui]

OK here goes... as Jundo instructed, I have not yet looked at other people's posts.

The man with the jewel in his garment already has all the food and clothing and supplies that he needs, as these have already been purchased with the jewel that is also still in his robe, if he will notice these jewels and food and clothing and supplies that he has. The jewel, which is one bright pearl, is also already in the garments of all the shopkeepers and suppliers who provide food and clothing and supplies, who all already have all that they need.

Gassho,
Charity
ST

[Jundo]

Well, here goes nothing!

Suppose there were a man who came to the house of a close friend and went to sleep after becoming intoxicated with wine. The intimate friend, being a businessman (I added businessman here so there would be less confusion regarding who was speaking) and having official matters to attend, notices something odd which was sewed in his friend’s clothing. Upon looking he is astounded to find a beautiful, priceless jewel. He considers whether to take such a precious item, since his friend is always seeking food, clothing and generally lives a meager life, he is worried that he will harm his friend by stealing it. But after much reflection, he concludes that the jewel should be possessed by someone who will use it to know neither poverty nor want and live as one wishes. He placed the jewel in his pocket and left his friend’s home, all while his friend was sound asleep.

Once his business was concluded, he immediately endeavored to sell his newly acquired priceless jewel. However, he soon finds that no noble, artisan, or wealthy commoner will purchase his jewel. He tries to polish, and then break the jewel in order to increase its value, but nothing seems to work.

After roaming far and wide, he resigned himself to failure and returned to his friend to give back the jewel. His friend declines his offer of the returned jewel and instead shows him another shimmering jewel. The businessman asked, “how could you possibly acquire two such priceless jewels in one lifetime?” The friend then proceeded to show him even more jewels. There were jewels in his garden, clothing, and even his food. The businessman asked how could this be? His friend replied, “this jewel you possess cannot be measured, polished or broken, because it includes all other phenomena. In other words, this jewel is priceless because it is beyond price, and this one precious jewel contains and reflects this whole precious universe, which is composed of incalculable jewels of infinite value. This jewel is no other than this moment, and all that is.”

The businessman realized his foolishness, bowed to his friend and the jewel, and lived his life without poverty or want, just as he wished.

Gassho,

Shade

ST

Hi Shade,

Yours is lovely, but maybe is too prosaic, a nice story, which is a bit different from Master Dogen's wild syncopation of elements and connecting things in interesting patterns. You are telling a tale, Dogen is going for a hot musical set.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Jundo]

OK here goes... as Jundo instructed, I have not yet looked at other people's posts.

The man with the jewel in his garment already has all the food and clothing and supplies that he needs, as these have already been purchased with the jewel that is also still in his robe, if he will notice these jewels and food and clothing and supplies that he has. The jewel, which is one bright pearl, is also already in the garments of all the shopkeepers and suppliers who provide food and clothing and supplies, who all already have all that they need.

Gassho,
Charity
ST

Yours is short, so hard to really tell, but seems somewhere between getting the interesting pairings and amazing twistings of Dogen's style, and trying to tell a more prosaic and moralistic point ("everybody has all the food and clothing and supplies they need") in a rather straight way. I would say that, rather than Coltrane, you are playing Kenny G here.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Kaisui]

Yours is short, so hard to really tell, but seems somewhere between getting the interesting pairings and amazing twistings of Dogen's style, and trying to tell a more prosaic and moralistic point ("everybody has all the food and clothing and supplies they need") in a rather straight way. I would say that, rather than Coltrane, you are playing Kenny G here.

Gassho, J

STLah

I googled "Kenny G vs Coltrane" to check if I should try again. From what I found, e.g. this article, I'm having another go at it I've tried to mash up what I had already done with more phrases from the original and more parts of the story.

Buddha Nature is the "priceless jewel" that has been sewn "inside of a friend's garment." The priceless jewel can purchase "the desires of the five senses." The priceless jewel is satisfied with "obtaining a very meagre amount." This jewel has been sewn into all the garments of all the friends, and friends of friends, who are intoxicated or not intoxicated, who have food and clothing, or who have a meagre amount. All those who have the jewel sewn into their garments can sew the jewel into the garments of others and still keep the jewel and purchase the five desires and the meagre amounts. How foolish to seek livelihood with great effort and hardship without being aware of this priceless jewel.

Gassho,
Charity
ST/L

[Jundo]

Buddha Nature is the "priceless jewel" that has been sewn "inside of a friend's garment." The priceless jewel can purchase "the desires of the five senses." The priceless jewel is satisfied with "obtaining a very meagre amount." This jewel has been sewn into all the garments of all the friends, and friends of friends, who are intoxicated or not intoxicated, who have food and clothing, or who have a meagre amount. All those who have the jewel sewn into their garments can sew the jewel into the garments of others and still keep the jewel and purchase the five desires and the meagre amounts. How foolish to seek livelihood with great effort and hardship without being aware of this priceless jewel.

Yeah, that is jumpin'

Gassho, J

STLah

[Risho]

You've heard the story of the man who struggled all his life to make a living and, one day hearing this, his friend told him he sewed a jewel in his robe, so he had everything he needed all along. He could have sold the jewel and have been set for the rest of his life.

Most people these days think this story means that the friend should have explicitly told the man about the jewel in his robe so he could avoid all those years of struggle or they think, if he would have just been handed the jewel, all this suffering could have been avoided.

But that suffering is nothing other than your life, nothing other than the jewel. Without facing the suffering, it's impossible to sober up and find the jewel. Everyone is so focused on the jewel and never focus on the intoxication. You can't find the jewel becuase you are intoxicated, but the intoxication is the jewel leading you to its place in the robe. Unless you follow this jewel, you'll run around in circles in a drunken haze looking for something you already have. This process unfolds in its own time, and it cannot be rushed. But if you wake up, you can become sober immediately, take hold of your natural inheritance and continue the great turning the dharma wheel.

It's also not true that the jewel needs to be found because the jewel is you; the jewel is so much you that it is sewing you through countless kalpas. It has been sewing you since before you were born and before the Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree; the Buddha twirling the flower on Vulture's peak; all those years ago was this sewing, and this sewing will continue until and after Maitreya makes his appearance in this earthly realm. This universe is nothing other than sewing.

If you think you have to look for this jewel, you will be greatly off the mark, but if you think you don't have to search, you are like those non-Buddhists who are always spouting nonsense how practice is unnecessary because they already have it! Bah! Sewing and the jewel aren't something you have; they are something you are; and sewing sews; if it didn't sew, it wouldn't be sewing, but would be some dead, empty words written by a travelling monk 2500 years ago and have no significance.

You sew by sitting. The jewel becomes you by sitting; all of this happens by following the path laid out for us by the great Patriarchs and Matriarchs. If they had to sew, what makes you think you do not? Do not be lazy, get to sewing; stop worrying about the sewing of others, take the backward step and let the sewing, sew your robe to reveal the treasure that you really are.

But even if you aren't maintaining a sewing practice, you are still sewing, but you are unconscious of it; everything is this great sewing. Nothing is separate - but unless you unlearn how you are currently sewing, by really watching this sewing, you sewing, letting this jewel sew you, and drop all the sewing patterns you have been ignorantly following, you will not understand this jewel that is the real sewing. You would be like a blind man, trying asking for help so he can scratch an itch on head.

So be warned and follow the pattern of all the great ancestors; after all, we reap what we sow.

Gassho

Risho
-stlah

[Jundo]

You've heard the story of the man who struggled all his life to make a living and, one day hearing this, his friend told him he sewed a jewel in his robe, so he had everything he needed all along. He could have sold the jewel and have been set for the rest of his life.

Most people these days think this story means that the friend should have explicitly told the man about the jewel in his robe so he could avoid all those years of struggle or they think, if he would have just been handed the jewel, all this suffering could have been avoided.

But that suffering is nothing other than your life, nothing other than the jewel. Without facing the suffering, it's impossible to sober up and find the jewel. Everyone is so focused on the jewel and never focus on the intoxication. You can't find the jewel becuase you are intoxicated, but the intoxication is the jewel leading you to its place in the robe. Unless you follow this jewel, you'll run around in circles in a drunken haze looking for something you already have. This process unfolds in its own time, and it cannot be rushed. But if you wake up, you can become sober immediately, take hold of your natural inheritance and continue the great turning the dharma wheel.

It's also not true that the jewel needs to be found because the jewel is you; the jewel is so much you that it is sewing you through countless kalpas. It has been sewing you since before you were born and before the Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree; the Buddha twirling the flower on Vulture's peak; all those years ago was this sewing, and this sewing will continue until and after Maitreya makes his appearance in this earthly realm. This universe is nothing other than sewing.

If you think you have to look for this jewel, you will be greatly off the mark, but if you think you don't have to search, you are like those non-Buddhists who are always spouting nonsense how practice is unnecessary because they already have it! Bah! Sewing and the jewel aren't something you have; they are something you are; and sewing sews; if it didn't sew, it wouldn't be sewing, but would be some dead, empty words written by a travelling monk 2500 years ago and have no significance.

You sew by sitting. The jewel becomes you by sitting; all of this happens by following the path laid out for us by the great Patriarchs and Matriarchs. If they had to sew, what makes you think you do not? Do not be lazy, get to sewing; stop worrying about the sewing of others, take the backward step and let the sewing, sew your robe to reveal the treasure that you really are.

But even if you aren't maintaining a sewing practice, you are still sewing, but you are unconscious of it; everything is this great sewing. Nothing is separate - but unless you unlearn how you are currently sewing, by really watching this sewing, you sewing, letting this jewel sew you, and drop all the sewing patterns you have been ignorantly following, you will not understand this jewel that is the real sewing. You would be like a blind man, trying asking for help so he can scratch an itch on head.

So be warned and follow the pattern of all the great ancestors; after all, we reap what we sow.

Gassho

Risho
-stlah

Lovely, nice lesson ... but no. Not the task.

Try again the next exercise I am about to post.

Gassho, J

STLah