The Zen Master's Dance - 14 - Genjo Koan (middle of p. 58 to Middle of p. 59)

[Jundo]

Dear All Buddhas When One Acts Like A Buddha,

This week's reading is quite short in length, but very rich in meaning, from p. 58 (starting with the sentence, "Buddha doesn't need to note she is Buddha"), ending on p. 59 (just before the passage about the boat).

Master Dogen proposed what he called "Practice-Enlightenment," and the profound realization of Buddhahood when we act like Buddha, thus making Buddha real in the world through our actions. Although, in one sense, we are all always already Buddha (the unbroken wholeness of all reality) before we even realize (come to understand) such fact, that does not mean a thing until we act like it.

Question 1 - Can you tell a little story about someone you know in your life, or in the world, who would not think of themselves as "Buddha" in any way, and may not even be "Buddhist" in any way, but who did some act in life so "Buddha-like" that they truly brought Buddha to life in their doing?

The other sense of our Buddhahood is the unbroken wholeness realized when we drop our little "self" and its divided thinking and selfishness, thus to realize one's Self as all phenomena, This is a wholeness so whole that there is not even some separate thing to stick the name "enlightenment" on, no separate viewer to do the naming.

Question 2 - Have you ever become so wrapped up and poured into something that "you" experienced such dropping of separate self, such wholeness? Can you describe the experience (as best you can, as words fail)?

Gassho, J

STLah

[DanM]

Question 1 - I've had a few friends over the years that have been really intensely involved in refugee activism. Many of them have made great sacrifices (to their spare time, their finances, offering rooms in their homes, etc) and placed themselves at great risk (from the far-right, police, etc) to help others despite the large personal cost and lack of obvious personal gain. They are some of the bravest and most compassionate people I've met but are often ridiculed by people who don't have a fraction of their courage.

Question 2 - I'm currently at the thick end of marathon training and there's been a few occasions on longer runs where the pain in my legs, tiredness, thoughts about my pace, distance travelled, distance remaining, how I might go on the actual race itself, etc have dropped away and a feeling of freedom has washed over me and rather than me running it's like the running is doing itself. It's never lasted more than the briefest of moments but it's happened a few times during this block of training.

Gassho,
Dan
ST/LAH

[Tairin]

Question 1 - not a story but I am always amazed by the generosity and compassion shown by my wife. It is so natural to her I don’t think she even realizes it. I don’t think I am naturally very generous and I have a lot to learn from her selflessness.

Question 2 - I would say that there are a few times when this happens but the most notable one is when I play guitar particularly if I am playing with some other people. Yes for certain there are plenty of times where I am playing with all these thoughts in my head about how I sound, what notes to play, or stuff I want to try. Every once in a while though I just play and it becomes so natural that it is like breathing. No “I” getting in the way just playing.

gassho2
Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Meiun]

Question 1 - Some good friends of mine have a passion for looking after animals. Once they have finished with their full time work they spend time caring for the multitude of animals that live with them who are both in good health and need daily care. They have recently been helping another friend with a lot of maintainance work on the animal shelter which she runs. They do it because they love the animals but the spirit in which they work, the selfless way they dedicate their time speaks to the deep commpassion that they both embody. It's quite humbling.

Question 2 - Similarly to DanM I also run and have had the experience of just becoming the running. All effort falls away and the sights and sounds become more vivid so that I feel I could run forever. I can't of course and I have to accept that reality but I have noticed that this is something that seems to happen on a long run when I've had chance to think all my 'important' thoughts and there is nothing left to do but put one foot in front of the other. There is never any warning that this will happen either and in the same way as sitting I doubt it would happen if I went out to run with the expectation!!

Gassho gassho1

Mike - Sat today

[Dogukan]

Question 1 - My grandmother is 90 now, she never went (actually, was never sent) to school, so the only written thing she can read is her own name. But I cannot imagine any other prominent figure in my life who is wiser and more influential than her. Just a little story: As a religious Muslim, she has to pray five times a day. It's an inexcusable religious obligation - if you miss a prayer time, it doesn't only mean that you have to seek God's forgiveness, but also you have to repay it later, it's like a personal debt to God. In her entire adult life (more than seventy years!), my grandmother did not miss a single prayer time deliberately. Yet, every night before she goes into her bed, she prays five more times as if she has to do so. One time I asked her why she was doing that, and she told me that she was trying to pay off the debts of those who didn't pray. Well, it was clearly not a very orthodox perception, because each person is responsible for his/her own actions. I tried to remind this, but she said, "I know that, I asked this question to some clerics and they told me that I cannot worship on behalf of others, but my extra prayers can take me to more beautiful places in heaven afterlife. However, I do not do this for the sake of the more beautiful and serene places in heaven, I want to share my merits with others and I believe it'll work." I've always been fascinated by her faithfulness to her own, completely personal compassionate understanding on this matter, even though it doesn't conform to the orthodox view she adheres to in almost everything as a religious woman.

Question 2 - Just once. I really am not sure what was the exact situation that led me to that. But I remember the feeling itself and the very sentence that popped up in my mind at that moment. Interestingly, it was also about the running analogy: "The race is over." I felt like a runner who had just finished the race, breathing deeply, not even thinking about his score at all. There was nowhere no go, there was no need to rush anymore. The race was over and I was freed. And it was quite different from the "life is just a joke" kind of mostly self-referential nihilism.

Gassho, Doğukan.
Sat.

[Meiun]

Thank you for sharing this Dogukan, sounds like your Grandmother is quietly going about her own path, a reminder to us all...

Gassho [emoji1317]

Mike

~Sat today~

[Tomás ESP]

I am really enjoying the reading so far. Learning more about Dogen's teaching is like healing nectar being poured into my heart, especially when it comes to putting it into practicegassho2

Question 1 - Getting to know Kokuu a tinny bit better over the internet, even if from a distance. I see his interactions with other people and myself, his attitude toward helping all beings. I can feel nothing but admiration and see him embodying the Buddha in his doing.

Question 2 - Sitting Shikantaza. Dropping all goals. Even the goal to have a peaceful sit. It's just sitting, thoughts, feelings, sounds, all coming and going. And a sense of acceptance of whatever comes up. I wouldn't call it a dropping of a separate self, but it does feel whole.

Gassho, Tomás
Sat&LaH

[Onkai]

Question 1: My local writer's group is very generous with encouragement and feedback and interest in each other's well being. Most of them are Christian, but one who was especially interested in helping me wasn't religious at all. He wrote in different genres than me, but he wrote well. He had taken professional screenwriting classes, and he gave me pointers on how to write good dialogue and other aspects of my writing that helped improve my writing. Unfortunately, he succumbed to cancer. His stories and teaching live on.

Question 2: When I read or respond to something I've read, I throw myself into the world of ideas and I lose all sense of time, effort, or place and space. I lose all sense of self consciousness or separateness and I'm learning about myself and the rest of the world, which aren't separate and don't feel separate then.

Thank you, Jundo, for leading this thoughtful discussion, making Dogen's teachings applicable to us here and now. Everyone's responses deepen my understanding.

Gassho,
Onkai
Sat/lah

[Chikyou]

Question 1 - Can you tell a little story about someone you know in your life, or in the world, who would not think of themselves as "Buddha" in any way, and may not even be "Buddhist" in any way, but who did some act in life so "Buddha-like" that they truly brought Buddha to life in their doing?

Question 2 - Have you ever become so wrapped up and poured into something that "you" experienced such dropping of separate self, such wholeness? Can you describe the experience (as best you can, as words fail)?


1 - Mister Rogers immediately springs to mind. Although I don't personally know him, he's certainly spread a lot of good, far and wide, in teaching compassion to an entire generation of children (and their parents!)

2 - I feel this often when I play guitar; just me and the guitar, until there's no me, no guitar, just music.

Gassho,
SatToday
Kelly

[Jundo]

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