Observable Universe contains ten times more galaxies ...

[Jundo]

In Taikyo Morgan's simply astonishing Talk yesterday on Master Dogen's Shobogenzo-Inmo, "IT" ....

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?14828-Announcement-ANOTHER%21%21-Special-Zazenkai-SUNDAY-10-23-w-Taikyo-Morgans

Taikyo mentioned passages right on this point [Nishijima Cross Translation] ...

The situation of this supreme truth of bodhi [Awakening] is such that even the whole universe in ten directions is just a small part of the supreme truth of bodhi: it may be that the truth of bodhi abounds beyond the universe. We ourselves are tools that it possesses within this universe in ten directions. How do we know that it exists? We know it is so because the body and the mind both appear in the universe, yet neither is ourself.

http://www.thezensite.com/ZenTeachings/Dogen_Teachings/Shobogenzo_2_NC.pdf

Alternative translation [Shasta Abbey] ...

This condition of supreme enlightenment is such that even the whole universe in all the ten quarters is but a trifling bit of supreme enlightenment, and that enlightenment is far beyond the whole universe. Even we are all merely accessories within this whole universe in all the ten quarters. And by what means are we to know that That Which Is exists? In a word, we know that it is so because both our body and mind together make their appearance within the whole universe, yet neither is ours to possess.

Gassho, J

SatToday

[Troy]

In Taikyo Morgan's simply astonishing Talk yesterday on Master Dogen's Shobogenzo-Inmo, "IT" ....

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?14828-Announcement-ANOTHER%21%21-Special-Zazenkai-SUNDAY-10-23-w-Taikyo-Morgans

Taikyo mentioned passages right on this point [Nishijima Cross Translation] ...



Alternative translation [Shast Abbey] ...



Gassho, J

SatToday

Beautiful passages. Thank you


...sat2day合掌

[Mp]

In Taikyo Morgan's simply astonishing Talk yesterday on Master Dogen's Shobogenzo-Inmo, "IT" ....

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?14828-Announcement-ANOTHER%21%21-Special-Zazenkai-SUNDAY-10-23-w-Taikyo-Morgans

Taikyo mentioned passages right on this point [Nishijima Cross Translation] ...



Alternative translation [Shast Abbey] ...



Gassho, J

SatToday

This is great Jundo, thank you. =)

Gassho
Shingen

s@today


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

[Jundo]

I heard a physicist this week on tv (and, unfortunately, I can't find the quote) say that the universe is neither big nor small. Being the whole universe, there is nothing outside itself to compare it to. We only think it "big" by our judgment of our own seeming relative size based on how our mind interprets things. The space in which the universe rests in not something, but rather an absence of anything, so also not useful for compare. In a sense, one cannot say that, for example, "the planet mars is far from the earth" or "galaxy X is far from the milky way" because the space is really not something to count. Yes, it takes a long time to get from point A to point B, but that has more to do with how the whole is folded than our usual definition of "far", much like your neighbors property might be right next to your house, but if there is a huge wall between it is not so easy to get there.

Something like that.

So, a question: If a single ant floating in space were the only thing remaining in the whole cosmos after some great calamity resulting in all else in the cosmos vanishing, how big or small would we say it is? We could not then call it "big" or "small" for nothing else to compare, and it is now the whole universe. In fact, one might now look at the whole universe that resulted from the Big Bang as simply that, one ant which emerged from ant singularity, seemingly expanding and spreading on and on into nothingness but still the single ant no matter how you measure it. Our galaxy is then perhaps a molecule of one hair on the ant's back leg, yet still embodies its whole antness. The most seemingly distant galaxies on face or belly, actually only apparently distant, also each and all embody its whole antness. You are the ant, I am the ant. The whole ant flows into the ant singularity which is you, you flow into the ant singularity which is any grain of sand or most apparently far galaxy, singularity is just singularity, the one ant just the ant. You are ant anting, I am ant anting, all is ant just anting. When I say "hello" to you, all is ant greeting ant.

The Mahayana Buddhist vision of the cosmos is often not unlike that. Master Dogen from his Shobogenzo-Uji (Being Time), the expression he uses for "the entire world" or "whole earth" could also be translated as "whole universe" ...

The way the self arrays itself is the form of the entire world. See each thing in this entire world as a moment of time. ... Know that in this way there are myriads of forms and hundreds of grasses throughout the entire earth, and yet each grass and each form itself is the entire earth. The study of this is the beginning of practice. When you are at this place, there is just one grass, there is just one form; there is understanding of form and no-understanding of form; there is understanding of grass and no-understanding of grass. Since there is nothing but just this moment, the time-being is all the time there is. Grass-being, form-being are both time. Each moment is all being, is the entire world. Reflect now whether any being or any world is left out of the present moment.

http://www.thezensite.com/ZenTeachings/Dogen_Teachings/Uji_Welch.htm

... an alternative translation:

Know that in the entire universe there are myriad forms, and hundreds of blades of grass, and that each of these forms and each blade of grass is, one by one, the entire universe.With this view of life, our practice begins.

Gassho, J

Antsattoday

[Kotei]

Thank you.
"neither big nor small', neither short nor long.
It's incredible relative, time and space.
Creating a new 'room' in the garden. Removing all plants and material, 'dragging black', like the gardeners say.
The space looks quite small, when there is nothing for the eye to rest on.
Adding stepping stones, shrubs and trees, the eyes walking around, resting here and there; suddenly I recognize, how large this space is.
Sitting Zazen, having lots of thoughts, the time is creeping endless long. Sitting still and calm, mind at rest; suddenly the bell rings. Was that all?
My mind is not very good at recognizing empty space and time... Just recognizing the things and thoughts, floating in it.
It gets better with sitting ;-)

Gassho,
Kotei, shaping the emptiness.

[Doshin]

All I can say Jundo is when I was a child I would lay on the grass in my parents backyard, look up into the stars and try to grasp what I was seeing. My best understanding was Wow! Now, so many years later, you provide this ant perspetive and all I can still say is Wow!!



Gassho
Doshin
sattoday