Awakened Action

Good evening!

As we sit in zazen, we know that the spring rain is drizzling and giving life to all plants, and that plants are giving life to all beings.

And we know that blood streams are flowing and rains of tears falling, making a great flood and gigantic ocean in this world.

We can see a great amaryllis and mums here now, and we imagine the lilies in the fields, lotuses in the ponds.

When we sit calm and quiet, we know that flowers are far more beautiful, truthful, and peaceful than man-made empires or civilizations.

The latter is erroneous, extinguishing limitless life, light, liberation, and love, creating that deluge of tears and blood.

Why can’t our mind moons reflect the reality of the world? Even if our mind moons can reflect it, why can’t they illuminate, giving light, life, liberation, and love?

The mind mirrors of tathâ-gatas (thus-beings: beings in truth) and awakening beings have reflected and illumined the entire world in contemplation and compassion.

They have been practiced with the entire world and all beings to be true friends to those in need of ceasing sobbing and sufferings.

In his Shobogenzo, Hotsu-mujoshin, (Generating the Unsurpassed Mind), Dogen wrote:

After having generated bodhi-chitta (awakening mind), even in transmigration in the six destinies (paths) or in the four births, all the causes and conditions of the transmigration turn out to be the aspiration for deeds of bodhi. Therefore, even having spent the time vainly hitherto, we must immediately generate the aspiration before the span of this life is exhausted. Even if the merit of becoming buddha is matured to perfection, we transfer the merit to sentient beings for their becoming buddhas and attaining the path. We practice for immeasurable eons to save sentient beings prior to ourselves, we do not become buddhas ourselves, we only save and benefit other sentient beings.

Why can’t we stop our karma machines to reflect and illuminate with light, liberation, and love, to serve and save all beings?

Dogen also made poems:

I, being foolish,

Needn’t become a buddha,

If only, being a monk,

I could cross beings over!

 

Either rising or lying,

Staying in this grass hut,

What I aspire for is:

Freeing others before myself.

Ryokan made poems:

See and know it:

What is permanent?

Earlier or later,

No flowers remain.

 

In turning my head

For seventy some years

I’ve seen enough of

Human rights and wrongs.

 

The children of the Three Realms suffer.

When will be the time for their resting?

Not realizing the very matter right here,

They distortedly struggle and suffer ever.

 

In a flash of lightning of sixty years,

Worldly rise and fall were cloud fleetings.

3/9/11