Good morning!
We have a cool and calm morning with sittings and service on a bright Sunday morning
with snow. Heavy snow storms are raging over the East Coast states, Japan, Korea, and
Europe, breaking century records. Our social and individual lives are in a similar situation.
On the way here we could see the bright, beautiful, full moon. The full moon represents
the Buddha heart, with its round, clear, calm, perfect light illuminating the whole world.
Buddhism is the Buddha’s teaching and the teaching to become Buddha. The Buddhist
goals are nirvana and Bodhi (awakening), like both sides of a mirror to reflect. The
Buddhist ways are viewing and cultivating the way, like both wings to fly. These are
child of five may know it,” Rev. Bird’s Nest said, “Even an old man cannot do it,” with
regard to the common precepts of all Buddhas:”
Doing all the good,
Avoiding all evils,
Purifying one’s own mind,
Is the teaching of all Buddhas.
All Buddhists cultivate the Triple Learning of morality (sīla), concentration (samādhi),
and prognosis (prajňā). Zen (jhāna), stilling (bodily, verbal, and mental) karma, leads to
Samādhi and nirvana, which include all of these things. Prognosis or awakening knows the
Buddhist principles of the Four Holy Truths, Twelve Dependent Origination, and such
Buddhist practices as the Triple Learning, Four Limitlessness, Six Perfections, Eightfold
Holy Way, etc.
All Buddhists are Bodhisattvas (Awakening-beings), the title originally given to Gotama
while striving for awakening, aspiring in the Four Universal Vows of saving all, severing all
defilements, learning all Dharma gates, and achieving the Awakened Way. Aspiring and
activating, seeing and cultivating, makes achieving, just like walking makes advancing.
Stilling karma is seeing Dharma, cultivation is verification, sitting is witnessing nirvana
and awakening here now.
1/24/16
Note 1. A mirror needs both sides – one side to let light go through and the other side to
stop and reflect it for a viewer to reflect and see the image, in cooperation with it. It is not
a case of a two-sided mirror. It is the case of two sides of a brain coordinating, unlike
two sides separated, which cause “alien hands” –one to put on a sock and the other to
take it off, or each turning a door knob in opposite directions. Viewing way (diṭṭhi magga/
dṛṣṭṭi mārga) and cultivating way (bhāvanā magga/mārga) are like using both wings to fly
– one wing can’t fly. These instances show different sides/phases/functions working for
one purpose by cooperating with each other.
- Bodhisattva (Awakening Being, being for awakening) was the title/name before
Gotama became Buddha (Awakened Being, being awakened).
Pictures are taken by Mr. Noriyuki Otsuka in his garden in Izu, Shizuoka, Japan