Monthly Archives: September 2013

Dogen’s Doei (道元道詠): Poems in the Way, 14

  Poem made on “the original face”;   Flowers in spring, Cuckoos in summer, The moon in autumn, Snow in winter, Cool and clear.   Honrai-no-menmoku-wo eizu   Haru-wa hana Natsu hototogisu Aki-wa tsuki Fuyu yuki saete Suzushikarikeri   詠本来面目 … Continue reading

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Dogen’s Doei (道元道詠): Poems in the Way, 13

  Poems made on the first born body by parents:   Province in the deep mountain Being sought and entered Is the original capital city I’ve lived with familiarity.   Fubo-sho-shoshin-wo eizu   Tazune-iru Miyamano oku-no Sato-zo moto Ware suminareshi … Continue reading

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Dogen’s Doei (道元道詠): Poems in the Way, 12

    Poem made on “not passing twelve hours in vain”:   Forty some years Passed by were ways Of the rabbit-raven In the great sky.   Jūniji-chū munashiku sugosazu-wo eizu   Suginikeru Yosoji amari-wa Oozora-no Uto-no Michi-ni-zo airikeru   … Continue reading

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Dogen’s Doei (道元道詠): Poems in the Way, 11

    Poem made on “the awakening in the Way by seeing peach flowers”:   The blossoms of peach trees Have bloomed in the spring breeze Leaving behind no doubts Even to twigs and leaves.   Tōka-godō-wo eizu   Harukaze-ni … Continue reading

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Only Truth Wins

Good morning!   We had shower last night, like last Sunday. We now have nice rain for plants and animals. They look fresh and vivid, enjoying moistened air and earth. Life came from water and water is life.   Tatsuno Yutaka, the essayist, said, “I like rain so much. Perhaps my ancestors were frogs.” We were once frogs and forever experience the tadpole stage, collectively and individually.   Water is life and our nature, inside and out, thus eco (oikos, house) is not really the right view  that is, regarding it as separated surroundings. Nature, Dharma, Truth, Reality (Being, Sat), etc. are our true nature.   We could see frogs and toads here before, but not now. Honey bees are gone, massively. Mass extinction is now caused by humans. Man-made global warming is causing abnormal weather – droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.   There is a war drumbeat with war-machines, war-mongers, war-mentalities. The triple maladies of militarism, materialism, and me-ism are directly interconnected with the triple poisons of divisiveness, desire, and delusion.   The Buddha foresaw them as the fundamental causes of the destruction of the world by human civilization. He thus forestalled it by sitting and stilling karmas and seeing and settling in the Dharma.   I quoted Dogen’s poem on the direct witness outside the scriptures in our web blog yesterday. Witness or verification is only possible by practice or cultivation. Nirvana, bodhi, amrita, immortality, etc. can only be practiced and perfected.   Conquering one’s self, not conquering many others, according to the Dharma of Dependent Origination, is the sole way of salvation of all. Only the Dharma dwells despite delusions. Truth only wins (Satyam eva jayate).   Truth is not realized by majority rule, much less by the maladies of militarism, materialism, and me-ism. It is beyond sinful separated selfish strategies, but is the wholly wholesome holy harmony. … Continue reading

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Dogen’s Doei (道元道詠): Poems in the Way, 10

  Poem made on “the entire ten directions being the true human body”:   Isn’t there a true human In this wide world? No limit is seen In the great sky color   Jin-jippō-kai shinjitsu-jintai-wo eiji-tamau   Yononakani Makotono hitoya … Continue reading

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Dogen’s Doei (道元道詠): Poems in the Way, 9

    When a poem was requested by lord Hojo (Tokiyori) at Saimyoji while (Dogen) was in kamakura in Kangen 1 (1243 C.E.), he made a poem on transmission outside (scriptural) teaching:   If only the Dharma could be Written … Continue reading

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Dogen’s Doei (道元道詠): Poems in the Way, 8

    Poem made when the first snow of more than one foot fell on the 25th of September in kangen 2 (1244 C.E.)   Snow has fallen On the red leaves of September. Having seen this Who would not … Continue reading

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Dogen’s Doei (道元道詠): Poems in the Way, 7

Five poems in reference to the Lotus Sutra, 5:   Nobody dislikes the colt of Day-light and night-shadow, But there are very few who Attain the Way of the Dharma.   Dare-totemo Hikage-no koma-wa Kirawanuwo Nori-no michi uru Hito-zo sukunaki … Continue reading

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Dogen’s Doei (道元道詠): Poems in the Way, 6

Five poems in reference to the Lotus Sutra, 4:   Colors of peaks and Sounds of valleys are Altogether voices and Forms of our Shakyamuni.   Mine-no iro Tani-no hibiki mo Mina-nagara Waga Shakamuni-no Koe-to sugata-to   峯の色 谷の響きも 皆ながら … Continue reading

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