Treasury of the True Dharma Eye
Page 9
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly of the Yoshimine Temple, Yoshida County, Echizen Province, on the sixteenth day, the ninth month, the first year of the Kangen Era [1243].”
Translated by Mel Weitsman and the Editor.
51. THE REALITY OF ALL THINGS (SHOHŌ JISSŌ)
On a late autumn day, whose date was forgotten by Dogen or Ejo, Dogen presented “The Reality of All Things” to his community. He criticizes the current state of Chinese Zen and the tendency to view Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism as being in accord. Perhaps he listened to the chirping of birds while writing that an ancient master and Rujing equally associated the chirping of birds as expressing the reality of all things.
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly of the Yoshimine Temple, Echizen Province, Japan, in the ninth month, the first year of the Kangen Era [1243].”
Translated by Lewis Richmond and the Editor.
52. INTIMATE LANGUAGE (MITSUGO)
“Intimate Language” was also read to Dogen’s practicing community in the temporary setting of the Yoshimine Temple in late autumn. For Dogen, “intimate” means direct, close, without gap, and without intermediary words and concepts. Here Dogen writes that the essence of Zen practice is something intimate between the self and the true self, as well as between master and disciple.
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly of the ancient Yoshimine Temple of Yoshida County, Echizen Province, on the twentieth day, the ninth month, the first year of the Kangen Era [1243].”
Translated by Michael Wenger and the Editor.
53. BUDDHA SUTRAS (BUKKYŌ)
“Buddha Sutras” is the last piece Dogen wrote and presented during the transitional four-month autumn. In this text, he asserts that no spiritual breakthrough is possible without the aid of Buddhist scriptures, again counter to the common Zen notion of “transmission outside the scriptures.”
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly of the Yoshimine Temple, Yoshida County, Echizen Province, in the ninth month, the first year of the Kangen Era [1243].”
Translated by Mel Weitsman and the Editor.
54. INSENTIENT BEINGS SPEAK DHARMA (MUJŌ SEPPŌ)
Dogen takes up three ancient Zen dialogues, none of which fully explain what “insentient beings speaking dharma” means. However, Dogen’s statement at the beginning, “This speaking dharma is spoken by dharma,” seems to offer an important clue. Could it be that dharma is a kind of an insentient being?
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly of the ancient Yoshimine Temple, Yoshida County, Echizen Province, on the second day, the tenth month, the first year of the Kangen Era [1243].”
Translated by Alan Senauke and the Editor.
55. DHARMA NATURE (HOSSHŌ)
In the short text “Dharma Nature,” Dogen discusses the paradox of enlightenment. Scriptures and teachers cannot bring the self to realization, because all realizations are actualized by the self, and yet without them the self cannot come to realization.
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly of the Yoshimine Temple, Echizen Province, in early winter [the tenth month], the first year of the Kangen Era [1243].”
Translated by Peter Levitt and the Editor.
56. DHARANI (DARANI)
Although the day and month of composition were not recorded, the fifty-sixth fascicle offers Dogen’s startling explanation of a key Buddhist practice. “Dharani,” a Sanskrit word meaning “upholding,” “support,” or “remembrance,” makes a case for chanting magical spells, the heart of Esoteric Buddhist practice. Dogen sees this practice as teacher and disciple bowing to each other.
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly of the Yoshimine Temple, Echizen Province, in the first year of the Kangen Era [1243].”
Translated by Joan Halifax and the Editor.
57. FACE-TO-FACE TRANSMISSION (MENJU)
On the twentieth day of the tenth month of 1243, Dogen presented “Washing the Face” to students for the second time, with some additions. On the same day he presented “Face-to-Face Transmission.” Here he emphasizes the authentic transmission of dharma from person to person.
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly of the Yoshimine Monastery, Yoshida County, Echizen Province, on the twentieth day, the tenth month, the first year of the Kangen Era [1243].”
Translated by Reb Anderson and the Editor.
58. RULES FOR ZAZEN (ZAZEN GI)
In the middle of the winter in snow country, Dogen delivered “Rules for Zazen” to his community. This fascicle offers the most basic teaching on zazen. It was probably aimed at monks and lay practitioners assembled to engage in preliminary work for construction scheduled for the following spring. This month he also redelivered “The Point of Zazen,” perhaps with his advanced students in mind.
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly of the Yoshimine Temple, Yoshida County, Echizen Province, in the eleventh month, the first year of the Kangen Era [1243].”
Translated by Dan Welch and the Editor.
59. PLUM BLOSSOMS (BAIKA)
In deep winter, anticipating the blooming of plum blossoms, Dogen wrote this fascicle, introducing and commenting on eight poems by Rujing. Earlier this year on the fifth day of the eighth month, the recently compiled Recorded Sayings of Zen Master Rujing, Sequel had arrived from China.
Colophon: “This was written on the sixth day, the eleventh month, the first year of the Kangen Era [1243], at the Yoshimine Temple, Yoshida County, Echizen Province. Snow is three feet deep all over the land.”
Translated by Mel Weitsman and the Editor.
60. TEN DIRECTIONS (JIPPŌ)
“Ten directions”—the eight compass points plus above and below—includes all the realms of awakening and luminosity. The snow-covered mountains around him must have inspired Dogen to write this text. But his community was planning to move to a lower altitude, where there was less snow.
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly of the Yoshimine Temple, Echizen Province, Japan, on the thirteenth day, the eleventh month, the first year of the Kangen Era [1243].”
Translated by Mel Weitsman and the Editor.
61. SEEING THE BUDDHA (KEMBUTSU)
In the mid-eleventh month, Dogen’s community was already in the grass-thatched hut at the foot of Yamashi Peak. He addresses in “Seeing the Buddha” the question of physically seeing Shakyamuni Buddha, or experiencing the heart of the Buddha without actually seeing him.
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly at Yamashi Peak on the nineteenth day, the eleventh month, the first year of the Kangen Era [1243].”
Translated by Gaelyn Godwin and the Editor.
62. ALL-INCLUSIVE STUDY (HENZAN)
Eight days after delivering “Seeing the Buddha,” Dogen read “All-Inclusive Study” to his community. The word in the Japanese title (Henzan) refers to a Zen student traveling all over to study with various masters. But Dogen uses this word to mean “studying thoroughly with a master (without needing to study with others).” This resonates with Xuansha’s words, “Bodhidharma did not come to China. Huike did not go to India.”
Colophon: “Taught in a grass-thatched hut at the foot of Yamashi Peak, Echizen Province, on the twenty-seventh day, the eleventh month, the first year of the Kangen Era [1243].”
Translated by Mel Weitsman and the Editor.
63. EYEBALL (GANZEI)
Eighteen days after “All-Inclusive Study,” Dogen delivered “Eyeball” and the following two talks on the same day. In line with “Plum Blossoms,” Dogen presents six quotations from the Recorded Sayings of Zen Master Rujing, Sequel as part of a monthly memorial day for Rujing.
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly, at Yamashi Peak, Echizen Province, on the seventeenth day, the twelfth month, the first year of the Kangen Era [1243].”
Translated by Peter Levitt and the Editor.
64. EVERYDAY ACTIVITY (KAJŌ)
“Everyday Activity” was delivered on the same day as the preceding text. Again in this fascicle Dogen discusses four quotations f
rom the Recorded Sayings of Zen Master Rujing, Sequel.
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly at the foot of Yamashi Peak, Echizen Province, on the seventeenth day, the twelfth month, the first year of the Kangen Era [1243].”
Translated by Arnold Kotler and the Editor.
65. DRAGON SONG (RYŪGIN)
“Dragon Song” was the last of the nineteen fascicles Dogen wrote in Echizen during the first seven months of 1243, the most prolific time of his life. Strikingly, he does not reference building the monastery, although he must have been very busy preparing for its construction. In this text, he addresses the dynamism and joy of sitting still.
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly on the foot of Yamashi Peak on the twenty-fifth day, the twelfth month, the first year of the Kangen Era [1243].”
Translated by Mel Weitsman and the Editor.
Dogen gave five formal talks in 1243.
1244
66. SPRING AND AUTUMN (SHUNJŪ)
Although the month and day of “Spring and Autumn” were not recorded, it was possibly delivered in a hut at the foot of Yamashi Peak. It was spring, yet it was too cold to return to the Yoshimine Temple. Dogen’s theme is a single koan regarding the Zen way of facing cold and heat. Dogen examines and criticizes six Chinese masters’ responses to this koan.
The fact that this fascicle was presented twice hints that some of the residents were away, helping prepare for construction, performing tasks such as cutting wood.
Colophon: “Presented twice to the assembly in a deep mountain of Echizen in the second year of the Kangen Era [1244]. At the moment of meeting Buddha, the Unicorn Sutra is expounded. An ancestor [Qinquan commenting on Shitou] said, ‘Although there are many horns, a single horn is sufficient.’”
Translated by Katherine Thanas and the Editor.
67. THE MEANING OF BODHIDHARMA’S COMING FROM INDIA (SOSHI SAIRAI I)
As in the preceding fascicle, “Spring and Autumn,” the month and day were not recorded in the colophon, but one can assume that Dogen delivered “The Meaning of Bodhidharma’s Coming from India,” along with five others, in a hut at the foot of Yamashi Peak during the coldest time of the year. In this text, Dogen examines Xiangyan’s words on the impossibility of verbally expressing the experience of nonduality.
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly in a deep mountain of Echizen Province on the fourth day, the second month, the second year of the Kangen Era [1244].”
Translated by Wendy Egyoku Nakao and the Editor.
68. UDUMBARA BLOSSOM (UDON GE)
In midspring, when the snow began to melt, Dogen and his community returned to the Yoshimine Temple. Presumably, this brief fascicle is directed to a mixture of long-term students and those who had recently arrived for the monastery construction. Dogen speaks of the legend that Shakyamuni Buddha took up a flower and blinked as Mahakashyapa smiled—commonly considered the first Zen transmission. He explains that all awakened ones in the past, present, and future emerge from this exchange.
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly, while residing at the Yoshimine Temple, Echizen Province, on the twelfth day, the second month, the second year of the Kangen Era [1244].”
Translated by Chozen Jan Bays, Hogen Bays, and the Editor.
69. AROUSING THE ASPIRATION FOR THE UNSURPASSABLE (HOTSU MUJŌ SHIN)
Two days after delivering “Udumbara Blossom,” Dogen presented this and the following fascicles to his assembly. Some copied versions of these two fascicles have the same title, “Arousing the Aspiration for Enlightenment” (Hotsu Bodai Shin). To avoid confusion, this earlier fascicle was renamed later, possibly by Dogen himself.
Between these brief texts, this fascicle is more directed to lay practitioners of Buddhism, perhaps those who participated in monastery construction, not necessarily limited to Zen practitioners. (Some parts of the text are addressed to monks.) This text mentions virtues, including the construction of buddha images and stupas.
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly of the Yoshimine Temple, Yoshida County, Echizen Province, on the fourteenth day, the second month, the second year of the Kangen Era [1244].”
Translated by Steve Allen and the Editor.
70. AROUSING THE ASPIRATION FOR ENLIGHTENMENT (HOTSU BODAI SHIN)
Delivered on the same day as the preceding fascicle, “Arousing the Aspiration for Enlightenment” is addressed to bodhisattvas and practitioners of “beginner’s mind.” These two texts deal with a theme common to Buddhism in general.
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly of the Yoshimine Temple, Yoshida County, Echizen Province, on the fourteenth day, the second month, the second year of the Kangen Era [1244].”
Translated by Peter Levitt and the Editor.
71. TATHAGATA’S ENTIRE BODY (NYORAI ZENSHIN)
The day after the preceding fascicles were presented, Dogen delivered “Tathagata’s Entire Body” and the following fascicle, “King of Samadhis,” on the same day of the full moon. Again, this text runs counter to the common Zen expression “transmission outside the scriptures.” Dogen asserts that scriptures are no other than the entire body of the Buddha Shakyamuni.
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly of the Yoshimine Temple, Yoshida County, Echizen Province, on the fifteenth day, the second month, the second year of the Kangen Era [1244].”
Translated by John Daido Loori and the Editor.
72. KING OF SAMADHIS (SAMMAI ŌZAMMAI)
Delivered on the same day as “Tathagata’s Entire Body,” “King of Samadhis” reflects the height of Dogen’s creativity and brilliance. It discusses zazen, the heart of Zen practice, in the context of Buddhism in general.
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly of the Yoshimine Temple on the fifteenth day, the second month, the second year of the Kangen Era [1244].”
Translated by Norman Fischer and the Editor.
On the nineteenth day of the second month, four days after the delivery of “Tathagata’s Entire Body” and “King of Samadhis,” ground for the dharma hall of the new monastery was leveled. On the twenty-first day of this month, foundation stones were set and the pillars were erected. On the twenty-second day, the wooden framework of the dharma hall was raised. It was completed four months later.
73. THIRTY-SEVEN WINGS OF ENLIGHTENMENT (SANJŪSHICHI HON BODAI BUMPŌ)
In this long text, “Thirty-seven Wings of Enlightenment,” Dogen presents a comprehensive list of Buddhist virtues, not specific to Zen, perhaps addressing home leavers. He emphasizes the necessity of leaving one’s household.
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly of the Yoshimine Temple, Echizen Province, on the twenty-fourth day, the second month, the second year of the Kangen Era [1244].”
Translated by Peter Levitt and the Editor.
74. TURNING THE DHARMA WHEEL (TEMBŌRIN)
Still residing temporarily at the Yoshimine Temple, three days after presenting “Thirty-seven Wings of Enlightenment,” Dogen read this short text on a general Buddhist theme to his practicing and working community. Here he discusses the authenticity of the Shurangama Sutra.
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly of the Yoshimine Monastery, Echizen Province, on the twenty-seventh day, the second month, the second year of the Kangen Era [1244].”
Translated by Taigen Dan Leighton and the Editor.
75. SELF-REALIZATION SAMADHI (JISHŌ ZAMMAI)
Two days after presenting “Turning the Dharma Wheel,” Dogen read “Self-Realization Samadhi” to the assembly. In this text he revisits the Buddhist paradox of enlightenment, which he previously discussed in “Speaking of Mind, Speaking of Essence.” He explains that scriptures and teachers cannot create self-realization, because all realization is actualized by the self. Yet without them the self cannot be realized.
Colophon: “Presented to the assembly while residing at the Yoshimine Temple on the twenty-ninth day, the second month, the second year of the Kangen Era [1244].”
Translated by Mel Weitsman and the Editor.<
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76. GREAT PRACTICE (DAI SHUGYŌ)
Nine days later, Dogen read “Great Practice” to his community. This concluded a prolific time at the Yoshimine Temple and the hut on Yamashi Peak. In nine months after arriving in Echizen, Dogen completed twenty-two fascicles of the Treasury of the True Dharma Eye.
Here Dogen takes up the Zen parable of an old Zen master who was reborn as a wild fox. Dogen criticizes later Zen masters’ comments for not fully expressing the gravity of cause and effect. The subject of karma—one’s action and its effect—becomes a critical concern in his teaching from this point on. Some parts of the text in this fascicle overlap those in “Identifying with Cause and Effect.”