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,
human beings, and celestial beings – ceaseless endless ups and downs.
Only when we wake up, do we know we have been dreaming dreadful dreams.
So, only when we become awakened, do we know we have been deluded in karma
kinetics wherever, whenever, and whoever we are.
10/27/13
