Good morning!
We have a nice sunny Sunday morning with the sunlight shining on snow.
I hope we can see the full moon tonight and tomorrow. The full moon
represents the Buddha mind. Here is the ichienso (一円相, perfect unity
phase, lit. one round phase), like the full moon of the Ten Ox Herding –
or rather Bull Taming – pictures. We can witness it in our sitting, though
we are easily lost without practice.
I got news of a colleague of mine at Hitachi, and a friend since then
passed away. Our common friends are meeting him now without words
around this time in Japan. Impermanence is really swift, and the matter
of birth and death is so great. A passage of Dogen’s Genjōkōan (現成公案),
Realization of Universal Truth, reads,
“Firewood turns into fire. Fire does not revert to firewood. Because of this,
one will not see and grasp that firewood is “former” and that fire is ‘latter.’
One should know that firewood, staying in the dharma-stage of firewood,
has its own former and its own latter, and that even though there are its
former and latter, its former and latter are separate.
Ash, staying in the dharma-stage of ash, has its own former and its own
latter. And firewood, after having become ash, never again reverts to
firewood. So too, one, after having died, never reverts back to life.
However it is the definite custom of the Buddha-dharma not to say
that life becomes death. Because of this, it is called ‘no origination.’
Death never comes back to life. This is the turning of Buddhas by
the Dharma-wheel. Because of this it is called ‘no destruction.’
Life is one temporary stage. Death is one temporary stage. It is like
winter and spring. One does not think that winter becomes spring.
One does not say that spring becomes summer.
One’s attainment of awakening is like water’s accommodation of
the moon. The moon does not get wet; the water is not broken.
The light, though broad and great, can lodge in a foot or an inch
wide pool, the total moon and the whole heaven stay in a dewdrop
on a blade of grass or in a drop of water. Non-breaking of a human’s
life by awakening is like non-breaking of water by the moon.
Non-obstruction of awakening by a human is like non-obstruction
of the heaven and the moon by a dewdrop or a waterdrop. The length
or shortness of the period (of one’s awakening) must be witnessed
by the great water or the small water, and judged and grasped by
the broadness or narrowness of the heavenly moon.”
Before we die, we must realize and witness amrita, ambrosia of
immortality – no origination; no destruction. We say that a one-inch
incense-burning sitting makes a one-inch Buddha. One inch is not
the whole width and length of the cosmos. Just a short span of time
does not make the whole life length or eternity.
So, we must strive constantly in concentration. Then, only, can we
enjoy amrita constantly, in calmness and clarity, with byōjōshin (平常心),
calm constant mind. It is not heizeishin (平生心), ordinary daily mind,
as often make verification of it possible and perfect.
In the mundane life we live in me-ism, materialism, militarism,
and money-ism, serving small selves. In the supramundane way
we live in selfless, spiritual, safe, and serene sanctity, saving all.
The true Sangha is in it in the Brahma-abode and Brahma-living,
with friendship, compassion, joy, and equanimity.
Just seeing the bull’s footprints or its hind parts does not make
the whole bull pass through the window. Nor does partial cultivation
make our whole life pass through the gateless barrier. The Buddha
mind blooms only in the constant and concentrated cultivation and
continuous witnessing and verification. So, let us sit together with
commitment and consistency.
2/24/13
Breathing Soft Spring
Good morning!
Now we have the brilliant sunshine and the beautiful singing of birds. So, let us sit,
solid and serene, enjoying stable, serene sitting and breathing the soft spring air,
deep and full!
2/24/13 (family sitting)