Harry's Shobogenzo blog comments

[will]

I can't access the comment section of the Shobogenzo blog due to restrictions of the blog gateway I'm using, so I will be posting my comments here.

If anyone else is having the same trouble feel free to post a comment here.

Gassho
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Bedowa[14
"This may be a true mission"

My Take on this, which is just educated speculation, is: dillusion is sometimes thick and one can never be sure if what one teaches will be accepted or understood. As you may know, the Buddha was also reluctant to teach what he had realized because he had much dust in his eyes before. He thought it would be too difficult to teach.(of course that could just be myth)

Anyway that's my two cents. I'll keep watching the blog.


Gassho

[will]

Although there is a difference.....Buddha's mind only one

hmmm... The translation that I am reading sounds autobiographical. In this statement it is possible that Dogen is just stating that each of the 5 used the zazen posture. I don't see any real implication.

Basically what might have happened was: these five schools all used zazen, but differed. Which is the best? Then Bodhidharma came along and said just sit forget about your differences (or whatever). Anyway, he gave his teaching and the conflict between which school is correct was stopped.

What did Bodhidharma teach? I don't know anything about him. I know he sat for a long time. I think Dogen's saying "Guys just sit and learn from those who have realized just sitting. Forget about the right school." Maybe

Translated by Reiho Masunaga

These two schools spread, and five styles of Zen appeared. They were the schools of Fa-yen, Wei-yang, Ts'ao-tung, Yun-men, and Lin-chi. In present-day China only the Lin-chi (Rinzai) school is flourishing. Although the five schools differ, they are all based on the single seal of the Buddha Mind.....

With the coming of Bodhidharma from India the root of the conflict was abruptly cut, and pure Buddhism spread. We must also try to do the same in our country. All the Buddhas and patriarchs who transmitted Buddhism considered sitting and practicing self-joyous meditation the true way of enlightenment. The enlightened ones in both the East and West followed this style. This is because the masters and their disciples correctly transmitted this superior method from person to person and received the uncorrupted truth.

The copy I'm reading: http://www.terebess.hu/english/dogen2a.html

Gassho

[will]

I would like to pose this in another light.

If at all times experience and knowing are happening and are really what is going on(even when you are angry, where does that take place? Nowhere. In knowing and space) If space is just infinite and pervades everywhere at all times, when you sit in zazen properly for only one second, you realize that it is so.

Bendowa [20] Pt.2

If a human being, even for a single moment, manifest the Buddha's posture in the three forms of conduct.....realization

All Dharmas....Bodhi tree

I will also add that it seems Dogen is speaking from the state of realization. Not necessarily that things gather realization, but realization shows us how things truely are

Gassho Will

[will]

Not sure. It's like there is only knowing, but no I who is knowing it. I'm not sure. My practice is not so consistent to have the answer to that. There have been moments where people have been aware of being conscious. So in that respect perhaps it is all arising within awareness. Not sure.

I'd like to refer you to Ven. Anzan Hoshin Roshi Who has translated lots of texts in Sanskit and japanese. He basis his teachings on Dogen, other masters, Buddha, and phenomonology.

That's all can say about that at the moment.

Their website is http://www.wwzc.org

Wish I could be of more help for that question.

Gassho Will

[will]

Also there are "seeing in to one's nature" which are call Daikensho or Kensho and after fourth Daikensho( I think ie. fifth and sixth Daikensho) there is no way of using words because there are no reference points.

Gassho Will

[will]

I agree with Jundo that questions like this needn't have a bearing on our practice of Zazen.

Yes. I also agree with this statement.

Dogen was specifically pointing ( I think) to how zazen can show us the nature of reality. Not only in a moment, if practiced often, continually. However, after the nature of reality is establish, we still sit because experience and knowing are so vast.

Gassho Will