Good morning!
Right here and now with open windows we have limitless sounds of insects, birds, and humans. High in the sky the full moon is shining brightly and beautifully.
A friend of mine in Japan sent a picture of the full moon shining over the sea, with golden light, together with a poem made by Honen:
Even if no place is unreached
By the light of the moon,
It dwells in the minds of
The viewers of the moon.
月影の至らぬ
里はなけれども
月みるひとの
こころにぞすむ
Tsuki-kage-no itaranu
Sato-wa nakeredomo
Tuki-miru hito-no
Kokoro-nizo sumu.
Sumu means to dwell, but also it means to purify. When we see the moon, our minds are attuned to the moon, purified just like the moon, pure and peaceful, clear and calm.
Two months ago he sent another picture of the full moon, along with the poem made by Myoe:
Aka, aka-ya!
Aka, aka, aka-ya!
Aka aka-ya!
Aka, aka, aka-ya!
Aka, aka-no tsuki!
あかあかや
あかあかあかや
あかあかや
あかあかあかや
あかあかのつき
Bright, bright!
Bright, bright, bright!
Bright, bright!
Bright, bright, bright!
The bright, bright moon!
Aka means red, but also it also means akarui, bright. The full moon has bright brilliance shining forth and illuminating this world like dawning.
Dogen made a poem – the last one before he passed away. He knew that it would be the last time for him to see the full moon.
The poem made on the evening of the 15th of August in the year of his entering nirvana (August 28, 1253):
Even in the autumn, when
I’d expect to see it again,
I could not have slept
With the moon of tonight.
また見んと
思いし時の秋だにも
今宵の月に
寝られやはする
Mata-minto
Omoishi-toki-no aki-danimo,
Koyoi-no tsuki-ni
Nerareyawasuru
The moon has limitless light (amita-âbha), and gives all limitless life (amita-âyus) with its light and life rhythm and gravity.
Dogen said,
Without limited minds, there is the limitless luck.
Limitless, limitless,
Limitless, limitless, limitless,
Limitless, limitless,
Limitless, limitless, limitless,
Limitless light of life!
はてしなく
はてしなきかな
はてしなく
はてもなきかな
いのちのひかり
Hateshi-naku
Hateshi-naki-kana
Hateshi-naku
Hatemo-naki-kana
Inochi-no hikari!
9/13/11
