Monthly Archives: October 2013

Dogen’s Doei (道元道詠): Poems in the Way, 60

  Casual poems at the grass hut (2):   In the evening moonlight Lighting mountain edges dimly, Fireflies fly With dim light.     Souan zouei (2):   Yama-no ha-no Honomeku yoi-no Tsuki-kage-ni Hikari-mo usuku Tobu-hotaru-kana     草庵雑詠 (2): … Continue reading

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Dogen’s Doei (道元道詠): Poems in the Way, 59

  Casual poems at the grass hut:   In the course of the horse Of flying light of the day, How few are those Who ride the Right Way!     Souan zouei:   Todomaranu Hikage-no koma-no Yukusue-ni Nori-no michi … Continue reading

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Dogen’s Doei (道元道詠): Poems in the Way, 58

  Prostration   No winter-grass being seen, A white heron in snowfield Hides itself in Its own form.       Raihai   Fuyu-kusa-mo Mie-nu yuki-no-no Shirasagi-wa Ono-ga sugata-ni Mi-wo kakushi-keri     禮拝   冬草も 見えぬ雪野の しらさぎは おのが姿に 身をかくしけり … Continue reading

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Wakeful Way Witnessing Wonderful World

Good morning!   It is getting chilly – going below the freezing point suddenly with frost over the grass and frozen leaves down. Trees are turning into autumn colors or already shedding colorful leaves on the grass. Some will revive and some will not next spring.   We don’t know all the causes and conditions of how, when, and why all these things are taking place, much less all the things going in ourselves and all others. How can we claim we know birth, life, death, life after death?   Why are we so concerned about small smelly skin sacks, like bubbles with bubbling ideas, not caring about wholly wholesome world ways like seas with seasonable tides – here and now?   The Buddha said, “All living beings are karma-heirs, karma-relatives, and karma-machines.” “The Four Applications are to decrease bad karmas, stop them, increase good karmas, and start them.”   He used to ask if the five aggregates (form, feeling, idea, formations, consciousness) are permanent or not (self-sama) and duk-kha (wrong-going) or not (self-sovereign). If not, they are selfless (no self-substance).   He also said that religion is cultivation (bhāvanā, causing to become, causative of bhave, becoming, constant change in ups and downs by karmas, old and new physical, verbal, and mental).   Dogen said, “The great way of Buddhas and Ancestors necessarily has unsurpassed practice, the way cycling without interruption. Aspiration, cultivation, awakening, and nirvana without interruption is the way cycle of practice.”   He said that cultivation and verification are one and equal (shu-shō-ittō: 修証一等). It is true especially in Zazen, sitting, stopping karma, seeing dharma, serving and saving all – the great, mature, and joyful way of all.   Otherwise we must go through constant karma kinetics through the Six Paths becoming (bhava) hell beings, hungry ghosts, fighting devils, animal beings, … Continue reading

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Dogen’s Doei (道元道詠): Poems in the Way, 57

        The moon settling in The clear mind-water, Waves, being broken, Become bright light.       Nigori-naki Kokoro-no mizu-ni Sumu tsuki-wa Nami-mo kudakete Hikari-to-zo naru     濁りなき 心の水に すむ月は 波もくだけて 光とぞなる     Note: A … Continue reading

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Dogen’s Doei (道元道詠): Poems in the Way, 56

    The sound of raindrops of Kyôsei (Jingqing):   Being heard as it is, and For the one without the mind, The water-gem from the eave Is the true self indeed.       Kyôsei (Jingqing) uteki-no koe:   … Continue reading

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Dogen’s Doei (道元道詠): Poems in the Way, 55

    Making a poem on the tenet of the skillful striving in zazen:   The moon settling in The quiet mind, Waves, being broken, Become bright light.     Zazen kufû-no i-wo eizu:   Shizukanaru Kokoro-no uchi-ni Sumu tsuki-wa … Continue reading

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Dogen’s Doei (道元道詠): Poems in the Way, 54

    Making a poem on the tenet of not passing twelve (preset twenty four) hours vainly:   The mind loved secretly Is simply the autumn dusk Of the mountains and rivers In this world.   Jûniji-chû munashiku sugosa-zaru no … Continue reading

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Dogen’s Doei (道元道詠): Poems in the Way, 53

    Thirty casual poems at my grass hut (33):   These mind providing Flowers in the space I would offer to The Buddhas in the Three Times.     Sōan-no gū-ei sanjisshu (33):   Kono kokoro Amatsu sora-nimo Hana-zo … Continue reading

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Dogen’s Doei (道元道詠): Poems in the Way, 52

  http://internetzazen.sitemix.jp/?p=3089     Thirty casual poems at my grass hut (32):   Snow has fallen dense, As the valley is deep. Now a nightingale sings: Spring has co-me!     Sōan-no gū-ei sanjisshu (32):   Hima-mo naku Yuki-wa furi-keri … Continue reading

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