Tag Archives: Shushogi

Great Gate of Gratitude and Giving

Good morning!   Japan have now entered in the rainy season. Buddhists in India used to have the Rain Retreat, which became Ango, Peaceful Retreat, for three months all over the world. Ango is the time to have the intensive sitting and study for the Buddhist goal of unconditioned peace, nirvana, and unsurpassed right, complete awakening, anuttara samyak sambodhi. Anyone regardless of age, area, race, religion, gender, genus, etc. can attain them with sincere striving.   Buddhas and Successors, being so merciful, made the great gate of compassion open. This was to let all living beings enter it for verification. Who, among human beings and celestial beings, would hesitate to go through it? Even though the retribution for the evil deeds of the Three Times will be received without fail, repentance replaces a heavy retribution with a lighter one and extinguishes and purifies sins.   – Dogen, Shushogi, 修証義, Significance of Cultivation and Verification   Nirvana is supramundane, surpassing all mundane matters, maladies, and miseries of money-ism, militarism, materialism, essentially coming from me-ism. It transcends all samsara suffering of birth, breach, sickness, separation, languishment, loss, disaster, death, etc. It realizes awakening in amrita, ambrosia of immortality. Live on joy in the Dharma beyond home, job, even food in gratitude, giving it to families, friends, flora, and fauna – all beings.   5/27/13   Note: Ango (安居, Safe/Comfortable Living/Residing) is the three month retreat with intensive sitting, study, sewing, samu (作務, doing duty), ceremony, etc. now practiced all over the world, started in India as its rainy season retreat (雨安居, u- ango) lest wondering renunciants should disturb and destroy living beings and system. The practice leader (Shuso, 首座) among monks have special duties, Dharma combat-ceremony (hossen-shiki, 法戦-式 ), and can be fully ordained.   … Continue reading

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Practice in Gratitude

Good evening!   This evening is Thanksgiving evening. We must give thanks not only for food and drinks, but for all beings, which give us life. We must know that we can live only on other lives. Today I forwarded … Continue reading

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Cultivation=Verification

Good morning! After our sittings, we have a very peaceful world inside and out. We are very fortunate that we are walking in the Awakened Way and have the concrete practice to attain it. Zazen is the essential way and … Continue reading

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