Not to waste any time ...
We begin in the middle of p. 136, with the quote which reads, "[Though we speak of "being-time,"] do not mistakenly confuse it with "nonbeing" ..., " and end at the bottom of p. 144, before the quote which starts, "Zen Master Guixing of the Shexian region ... "
Select a most mundane, boring, everyday action which you do in your life, in your house, in your work, in some bodily action or the like, and playing "MadLibs" (filling in the below [ ] spaces ) express in Dogen's way how it changes the whole universe by your doing, your your universe is the whole universe doing, how the act is all time doing, how to act has its own before or after, how either doing or not doing the act (or doing it right or doing it wrong) is the whole universe so doing. Just copy and paste the below, filling in the [ ] spaces:
~ ~ ~
Even the kings of heaven and their retainers would not be left separated from the being-time right now in which you are now exerting yourself [doing the action]. In fact, the being-time of all beings throughout the world, all beings of land and sea, is realized and actualized through your own exertion right now [doing the action]. The many kinds of beings who live in being-time in darkness and in light, in this realm or any others, are all the realization and actualization of your effort [doing the action]. We should learn in practice that, without the moment-by-moment continuance of our own efforts in the present [doing this action], not a single phenomenon could ever be realized or actualized from one moment to the next, and nothing would flow. ...
We should not just feel that the passage of time from one moment to the next [in doing the action] is like the movement from east to west of the wind or a rainstorm. ... The whole universe is not unmoving, for all is moving and changing, and the universe is flowing from one moment to the next. An example of such a moment-by-moment passing of time is the [doing of the action]. The [doing of the action] has countless aspects arrayed as what we call “the passage of time.” We must learn profoundly that the momentary passing of time continues with nothing external to it, and so when [the doing of the action] flows there is nothing outside of [the doing of the action].
The moment by moment passing of [the doing of the action], for example, always passes moment by moment through [the doing of the action] itself. Although perhaps flowing itself and the momentary passing of time need not be in [this doing of the action], nonetheless flowing is occurring throughout [the doing of the action]. Accordingly, because [the doing of the action] embodies the momentary passing of time, passing time is being realized and actualized in each present moment of the time of [doing the action] here and now. The flowing of time occurs by [the doing of the action], thus the flowing is completed and brought to fruition in just this moment of [the doing of the action].
"What was the ancestral master Bodhidharma’s intention in coming to China from India in the West?” Thus questioned, Mazu responded, “Sometimes I make him [do the action], and sometimes I do not make him [do the action]. Sometimes to make him [do the action] is what’s right, sometimes to make him [do the action] is not right.” (Dōgen comments: ) What Mazu says is not the same as other people’s words. His [do the action] is the mountains and oceans, because the mountains and oceans are his [doing the action]. In his “[doing the action]” he is to see the mountains, and [doing the action] is to understand the seas. The “right” answer truly is his, and he is actualized by having him [do the action]. But neither does “not right” mean not having him [do the action], and to not have him [do the action] does not mean “not right.” All are equally the being-time. The mountains are time, and the oceans are time, [and doing the action is time]. Without time, the mountains and oceans [and doing the action] could never exist, so we should not deny that time is existing in the mountains and oceans [and doing the action] right here and now. If time were annihilated, the mountains and oceans [and doing the action] would be annihilated, but as time is not annihilated, thus are the mountains and oceans [and doing the action] preserved. This being so, the morning star appears, the Buddha Tathāgata appears, the eye appears and raising up a flower appears. [The Buddha's doing the action appears.] Each is time and, were there no time, it could not be thus.
.
~ ~ ~
Gassho, J
stlah
We begin in the middle of p. 136, with the quote which reads, "[Though we speak of "being-time,"] do not mistakenly confuse it with "nonbeing" ..., " and end at the bottom of p. 144, before the quote which starts, "Zen Master Guixing of the Shexian region ... "
Select a most mundane, boring, everyday action which you do in your life, in your house, in your work, in some bodily action or the like, and playing "MadLibs" (filling in the below [ ] spaces ) express in Dogen's way how it changes the whole universe by your doing, your your universe is the whole universe doing, how the act is all time doing, how to act has its own before or after, how either doing or not doing the act (or doing it right or doing it wrong) is the whole universe so doing. Just copy and paste the below, filling in the [ ] spaces:
~ ~ ~
Even the kings of heaven and their retainers would not be left separated from the being-time right now in which you are now exerting yourself [doing the action]. In fact, the being-time of all beings throughout the world, all beings of land and sea, is realized and actualized through your own exertion right now [doing the action]. The many kinds of beings who live in being-time in darkness and in light, in this realm or any others, are all the realization and actualization of your effort [doing the action]. We should learn in practice that, without the moment-by-moment continuance of our own efforts in the present [doing this action], not a single phenomenon could ever be realized or actualized from one moment to the next, and nothing would flow. ...
We should not just feel that the passage of time from one moment to the next [in doing the action] is like the movement from east to west of the wind or a rainstorm. ... The whole universe is not unmoving, for all is moving and changing, and the universe is flowing from one moment to the next. An example of such a moment-by-moment passing of time is the [doing of the action]. The [doing of the action] has countless aspects arrayed as what we call “the passage of time.” We must learn profoundly that the momentary passing of time continues with nothing external to it, and so when [the doing of the action] flows there is nothing outside of [the doing of the action].
The moment by moment passing of [the doing of the action], for example, always passes moment by moment through [the doing of the action] itself. Although perhaps flowing itself and the momentary passing of time need not be in [this doing of the action], nonetheless flowing is occurring throughout [the doing of the action]. Accordingly, because [the doing of the action] embodies the momentary passing of time, passing time is being realized and actualized in each present moment of the time of [doing the action] here and now. The flowing of time occurs by [the doing of the action], thus the flowing is completed and brought to fruition in just this moment of [the doing of the action].
"What was the ancestral master Bodhidharma’s intention in coming to China from India in the West?” Thus questioned, Mazu responded, “Sometimes I make him [do the action], and sometimes I do not make him [do the action]. Sometimes to make him [do the action] is what’s right, sometimes to make him [do the action] is not right.” (Dōgen comments: ) What Mazu says is not the same as other people’s words. His [do the action] is the mountains and oceans, because the mountains and oceans are his [doing the action]. In his “[doing the action]” he is to see the mountains, and [doing the action] is to understand the seas. The “right” answer truly is his, and he is actualized by having him [do the action]. But neither does “not right” mean not having him [do the action], and to not have him [do the action] does not mean “not right.” All are equally the being-time. The mountains are time, and the oceans are time, [and doing the action is time]. Without time, the mountains and oceans [and doing the action] could never exist, so we should not deny that time is existing in the mountains and oceans [and doing the action] right here and now. If time were annihilated, the mountains and oceans [and doing the action] would be annihilated, but as time is not annihilated, thus are the mountains and oceans [and doing the action] preserved. This being so, the morning star appears, the Buddha Tathāgata appears, the eye appears and raising up a flower appears. [The Buddha's doing the action appears.] Each is time and, were there no time, it could not be thus.
.
~ ~ ~
Gassho, J
stlah
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