< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 1 To study the way ... to forget the self ... 25 July 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium OUR BELOVED MASTER, DOGEN WROTE: TO STUDY THE WAY IS TO STUDY THE SELF. TO STUDY THE SELF IS TO FORGET THE SELF. TO FORGET THE SELF IS TO BE ENLIGHTENED BY ALL THINGS. TO BE ENLIGHTENED BY ALL THINGS IS TO REMOVE THE BARRIERS BETWEEN ONE’S SELF AND OTHERS....

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 2 Firewood and ash 26 July 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium OUR BELOVED MASTER, DOGEN CONTINUES: WHEN WE LOOK BACK AT THE SHORE FROM OUR BOAT, WE MISTAKENLY FEEL AS IF THE SHORE WERE MOVING. BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR BOAT WITH CARE, WE FIND THAT IT IS OUR BOAT THAT IS ACTUALLY MOVING. SIMILARLY, WHEN WE SEE ALL THINGS WITH THE DELUDED IDEA THAT OUR BODY AND MIND ARE SEPARATE FROM EACH OTHER, WE MISTAKENLY THINK INNATE MIND AND NATURE ARE ETERNAL....

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 3 The mountainless ocean 27 July 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium OUR BELOVED MASTER, DOGEN CONTINUES: WHEN WE LOOK AROUND OUR BOAT ON THE MOUNTAINLESS OCEAN, WE SEE NOTHING BUT THE CIRCULAR SHAPE OF THE OCEAN. BUT THIS LARGE OCEAN IS NOT CIRCULAR OR SQUARE; ITS OTHER SHAPES AND MOVEMENTS ARE INNUMERABLE. TO FISH IT IS LIKE A PALACE. TO CELESTIAL BEINGS IT IS LIKE A NECKLACE....

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 4 Dive a little deep 28 July 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium OUR BELOVED MASTER, DOGEN SAID: IN THE PRACTICE OF THE HIGHEST SUPREME WISDOM, IT IS MOST DIFFICULT TO MEET PROMINENT MASTERS. WHETHER MEN OR WOMEN, THEY MUST BE THOSE WHO HAVE REALIZED SOMETHING INDESCRIBABLETHIS IS THE REALIZATION OF THE ESSENCE OF THE WAY. THEREFORE, THEY LEAD AND BENEFIT OTHERS, SETTING ASIDE NO CAUSALITY OR MAKING NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SELF AND OTHERS....

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 5 The moon never breaks the water 29 July 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium OUR BELOVED MASTER, DOGEN WROTE: WHEN WE ACHIEVE ENLIGHTENMENT, IT IS JUST LIKE THE MOON REFLECTING ITSELF ON THE WATER. THE MOON WILL NOT GET WET, NOR IS THE WATER BROKEN. THE MOONLIGHT, HOWEVER VAST, REFLECTS ITSELF ON A SMALL QUANTITY OF WATER. THE WHOLE MOON AND THE WHOLE SKY BOTH REFLECT THEMSELVES EVEN IN A DEWDROP ON THE GRASS, OR IN A DROP OF WATER....

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 6 The sky is not scratched by the cloud 30 July 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium OUR BELOVED MASTER, DOGEN SAID, THE BUDDHA SAID, IF YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE TRUE MEANING OF THE BUDDHA- NATURE, YOU SHOULD CORRECTLY UNDERSTAND ITS MOMENTARY MANIFESTATIONS. WHEN THE RIGHT TIME COMES, THE BUDDHA-NATURE WILL MANIFEST ITSELF. DOGEN CONTINUED: MANY MONKS, BOTH PAST AND PRESENT, HAVE BELIEVED THAT THE PHRASE, “WHEN THE RIGHT TIME COMES,” MEANS TO WAIT FOR THE BUDDHA-NATURE TO MANIFEST ITSELF IN THE FUTURE....

< Previous | Contents | Next > ‌CHAPTER 7 Live one day as a buddha 31 July 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium OUR BELOVED MASTER, DOGEN WROTE: PRACTICE IS IDENTICAL WITH EXPRESSION, AND VICE VERSA. TO EXPRESS THE WAY ALL DAY IS TO PRACTICE THE WAY ALL DAY. IN OTHER WORDS, WE PRACTICE SOMETHING IMPRACTICABLE AND EXPRESS SOMETHING INEXPRESSIBLE .… EACH DAY’S LIFE SHOULD BE ESTEEMED; THE BODY SHOULD BE RESPECTED....

< Previous | Contents ‌CHAPTER 8 Secretly, a jewel in his robe 1 August 1988 pm in Gautam the Buddha Auditorium OUR BELOVED MASTER, DOGEN SAID: WHEN HSUAN-SHA BECAME ENLIGHTENED HE SAID TO OTHER MONKS, “THE WHOLE UNIVERSE IS A BRILLIANT JEWEL OF THE BUDDHA-MIND” DOGEN CONTINUED: THIS BRILLIANT JEWEL IS ORIGINALLY NAMELESS, BUT PROVISIONALLY WE GAVE IT SUCH A NAME. THIS JEWEL IS ETERNALLY UNCHANGEABLE. REALLY, OUR BODY AND MIND, GRASS AND TREES HERE AND THERE, OR MOUNTAINS AND RIVERS BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH – ALL THIS IS NOTHING BUT A BRILLIANT JEWEL ....