Dogen s hermitage poem

[Taigu]

Drifting pitifully in the whirlwind of birth and death,
As if wandering in a dream,
In the midst of illusion I awaken to the true path;
There is one more matter I must not neglect,
But I need not bother now,
As I listen to the sound of the evening rain
Falling on the roof of my temple retreat
In the deep grass of Fukakusa.

Precious form and existence: to awake from the dream is given to so few of us. To bloom in the mud pit, cultivating the non dual path, neither mud nor gold. The matter not to be neglected is the practice- awakening, this boundless treasure in which time collapses , subject and object both vanish. The end- gaining of fools, makers and kings doesn t rule here, the body- mind in Kannon, listening, enjoys the hues of the real and its fabric, rain in rain, given and given again, embracing each drop, singing silently in unisson with the clamor.Nothing between flesh and rain, nothing left, just this flesh- rain , not knowing, selfless presence unfolding. The open opening itself.

Gassho

Taigu

[Kyonin]

Thank you, Taigu.

Gassho,

Kyonin

[Heisoku]

Mu
Gassho Gassho Gassho

[Mp]

The open opening self ...

Thanks you Taigu!

Gassho
Michael

[Jinyo]

dear Taigu - these poems - more precious and illuminating than a thousand words of 'zen'.

Gassho

Willow

[Myoku]

Thank you Taigu,
I stumbled on this one ...

... to awake from the dream is given to so few of us...

Isnt it so that we all, as we practice and even people who never bothered to practice do wake up at times? Isnt it rather so that we fall back into the dream over and over again?
With respect
Myoku

[Taigu]

This makes us a raft for everybody, Myoku.

It is not a privilege. Call it a call.


As to what I wrote, knowing it would annoy some people, it is the very essence of our path: a few sit for a multitude that don t. It doesn t make us good people, or them bad people. It is just what it is. Nothing wrong.

And yes, Myoku, you stumble on it. Stumble on yourself here.

take great care




gassho


Taigu

[Myoku]

Thank you Taigu,
my question was the question of a dreamer,
Gassho
Myoku

[Taigu]

There is no other way to way up than to see the extent of our dream,

seing the dreamer, you wake up instantly ( see the first version of Dogen fukanzazengi):

"When a thought arises, wake up. Wake up and it will vanish"

I added this comment a long time ago:

Wake up and it will vanish". What will vanish then? Thoughts? No, they come back, it is the natural stuff of the mind. Delusion? No, it is very sticky too. What might vanish is the illusion that we have to do something, become somebody, get out of here. And when this vanishes, we invite surrender.

Who are you?

I don't know.

gassho

Taigu

[Myoku]

Thank you Taigu,
certainly there are few, very few times when I allow to surrender,
Gassho
Myoku

[Myozan Kodo]

Thank you. I have nothing to say.
Speechless.
M

[Amelia]

...seing the dreamer, you wake up instantly...

"When a thought arises, wake up. Wake up and it will vanish"...

Gassho Taigu