Hi All,

One theme running through several of this week's passages may be the need for fund-raising and the appropriateness of prostheletizing or "spreading the teachings" and the like by a Zen teacher.

Obviously, funds are necessary to feed and clothe the monks ... but Dogen says not to run after them, even as he sometimes seems to need to tap his lay supporters for construction funds and such.

Dogen is also very careful about what are proper and not propers ways to make the teachings available.

Also, notice in the first talk (2-5) that lay practitioners, at home, have been a vital part of Buddhism since the beginning ... and during Dogen's time as well.

Gassho, J