The answer to the last question in Shitou’s koan is extremely poignant and beautiful to me. Daowu asked again, “Can you say anything further?” Shitou answered, “The expansive sky does … Continue reading Great Sky and White Clouds #20 of 21
Blog posts
The Pivotal Point #19 of 21
The pivotal point is the second part of the koan of Shitou’s. Daowu said, “Going beyond, is there a further pivotal expression?” Dogen answers: “This means that when a pivotal … Continue reading The Pivotal Point #19 of 21
Not gaining, Not knowing #18 of 21
The last three blogs on the fascicle “Going Beyond Buddha” will be working with this koan from Great Teacher Shitou: In the assembly of Great Master Shitou Wuji, Zen Master … Continue reading Not gaining, Not knowing #18 of 21
The Sun and Moon #17 of 21
Dogen writes in the fascicle “Going Beyond Buddha”: Zen Master Panshan Baoji said, “The single path of ‘going beyond’ is never transmitted by any one of the thousands of ancestors.” … Continue reading The Sun and Moon #17 of 21
What Is Your Name? #16 of 21
The next section in the text is about naming. What happens when we name something? What happens when language tries to describe experience? Is the name the thing? Most of … Continue reading What Is Your Name? #16 of 21
A Bubble in a Stream #15 of 21
Monks should be like this child whose 7th consciousness or Manas consciousness doesn’t fully function. Monks should be interrupting at every moment the instinctual tendency to circulate experience around a … Continue reading A Bubble in a Stream #15 of 21
Eyeballs, Nostrils, Skull Replacements #14 of 21
“‘This child is not fully endowed with the six-sense organs’ means that her eyeballs have been replaced with soapberries by someone, her nostrils have been replaced with bamboo tubes, and … Continue reading Eyeballs, Nostrils, Skull Replacements #14 of 21
A Child of a Certain Family #13 of 21
“Zen Master Jingyin Kumu in Dongjing, who is a Dharma heir of Furong, and whose Dharma name was Facheng, said to his assembly, “If you know the matter of going … Continue reading A Child of a Certain Family #13 of 21
In and Out, Talking and Listening #12 of 21
I wanted to share an experience I had that helped me understand the simultaneity of inside and outside or in and out or talking and listening. Unfortunately I have to … Continue reading In and Out, Talking and Listening #12 of 21
Twining Vines #11 of 21
The entire network of co-origination is talking and listening all the time. Lately, when I am giving a lecture, I don’t feel like “I’m” giving the lecture. I feel like … Continue reading Twining Vines #11 of 21
Cause and Effect Arise Together #10 of 21
Dogen writes in “Going beyond Buddha”: We should know the ‘the matter of going beyond Buddha’ is neither being immersed in the cause nor in the ripening (attainment) of the … Continue reading Cause and Effect Arise Together #10 of 21
Clapping and Laughing #9 of 21
From Dogen’s “Going beyond Buddha”: “As for the expression “the matter of going beyond Buddha” of which I am speaking now, the great master Dongshan was the original ancestor who … Continue reading Clapping and Laughing #9 of 21
Grasses & Trees, Fences & Walls, Tiles & Pebbles #8 of 21
Who is doing the talking and hearing in this koan and in this fascicle and what do they hear? The great Master Dongshan (or Tozan) once said to his assembly: … Continue reading Grasses & Trees, Fences & Walls, Tiles & Pebbles #8 of 21
When I’m not talking I can hear it. #7 of 21
It’s very interesting to me that Dogen began this fascicle of “Going Beyond Buddha” with a koan and discussion of “what is talking and hearing?” One would think that “Going … Continue reading When I’m not talking I can hear it. #7 of 21
Dogen and Nagarjuna’s Tetralemma #6 of 21
Dogen can be very difficult to read or understand. That’s why we often need a commentary or teacher to introduce his way of writing and the underlying teaching. I often … Continue reading Dogen and Nagarjuna’s Tetralemma #6 of 21
52 stages to Buddhahood #5 of 21
In the classical Buddhist teaching, there are 52 stages in the development of a Buddha or a Bodhisattva. That’s a lot of stages! Dogen in his subtle analysis however isn’t … Continue reading 52 stages to Buddhahood #5 of 21
Dropping off Body and Mind #4 of 21
Dogen has a famous phrase: shinjin datsuraku, which is translated “dropping off body and mind.” This famous phrase needs to be understood in order to appreciate Dogen’s writing. There is … Continue reading Dropping off Body and Mind #4 of 21
The Three Simultaneous Buddhas #3 of 21
This fascicle Going beyond Buddha explores and refines our idea of what a Buddha is. It explains that in order to understand a Buddha, we have to understand what going … Continue reading The Three Simultaneous Buddhas #3 of 21
Buddhas and non-buddhas #2 of 21
Is there such a thing as a “buddha” or a “self”? Our teaching says, and the physicists concur, that there is nothing solid, neither a person, nor a thing. We … Continue reading Buddhas and non-buddhas #2 of 21
When you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him #1 of 21
The next series of blogs will be on the fascicle of Dogen’s Shobogenzo called “Going Beyond Buddha.” I have listened to Shohaku Okumura’s lectures on this fascicle and have given … Continue reading When you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him #1 of 21