Nirvana

Were everything not empty,
Nothing would happen.
Nirvana would be a letting go
And stopping of what?

Nothing let go of, nothing attained,
Nothing annihilated, nothing eternal,
Unceasing and unborn—
That is nirvana.

If it were something,
Nirvana would be contingent
And would wither and die
Like all other things.

Can nirvana be nothing?
Not to be something
Does not mean to be nothing.
Were nirvana nothing,
It would be contingent
Like all other things.

Things are created and contingent;
Nirvana is neither:
The letting go of what rises and passes
Is neither something nor nothing.

Were nirvana both something and nothing,
Things and nothings would be free
Or nirvana would be as contingent as they:
Darkness and light cannot be one.

Can I experience nirvana
As neither something nor nothing?
This would be possible
Only if something or nothing were.

After the Buddha died,
He was not seen as existing or not.
Even when he lived
He was not seen as such.

Life is no different from nirvana,
Nirvana no different from life.
Life's horizon are nirvana's:
The two are exactly the same.

Visions of the beyond,
Of eternity, annihilation
Depend on how you see
Nirvana, the past and the future.

What finitude in empty things?
What infinity?
What this? What else?
What stays? What changes?

The dissolving of objects
And easing of fixations is peace.
The Buddha never taught
Anyone anything.

                                              ---Nagarjuna---

All Phenomena

All phenomena are [ultimately] selfless, empty, and free from conceptual elaboration.

---The Great liberation by Hearing in the Intermediate States (The Tibetan Book of the Dead)---

Three Stages For Overcoming Mental Afflictions

                                          First, the unwholesome must be averted.
                                          In the middle, the self must be averted.
                                          Last, all the views are averted.
                                          Wise is the one who knows this.

                                                              ---Aryadeva, 

in Four Hundred Verses on the Middle Way 

(Third Century C.E.)---

The Teaching of All Buddhas

Not to do any wrong,

To do only good,

And to keep one's thought pure—

This is the Teaching of All the Buddhas.

The Bravery of Buddhism

This is one on the most mystical and poetic pieces in all of Shobogenzo. I've tried my best not to do a hatchet job on the poetry of it in my attempt to paraphrase.

The basic idea here is one Dogen revisits several times. He believed that nature could often explain the dharma to people better than people could explain it to each other through words. That may sound abstract, but it's really not that difficult to understand.

You could say that nature explains science to people. It explains science by demonstrating scientific principles. The principles of science exist before we put them into words or write them out as equations.

It's the same with the dharma. Reality exists as it is. The words we use to explain our understanding of it are always pale reflections of the truth we are attempting to convey and of our own understanding of that truth.

To me this attitude of insisting that nature can explain Buddhism better than words is part of the bravery of Buddhism. I was initially impressed by Buddhism because, unlike every other religion I'd encountered up till then, it was not afraid of science. For example, these days a lot of misguided people in my country try to deny the observable fossil record and insist that the words of their religious book are truer than what nature tells them.

But Buddhism isn't like that. The Dalai Lama famously said, "If science proves some belief of Buddhism wrong, then Buddhism will have to change." Dogen is expressing something very similar here, along with a lot of other good ideas.

---Brad Warner, in Master Dogen's Keisei Sanshoku---

One Bright Pearl

Buddhism is about cutting through delusion. I think most of us imagine that delusion is caused by forces outside our control. We're "educated" by a society that doesn't even understand itself. So how can we help but be deluded? Or we're "born into a world we never made," as Howard the Duck said. So delusion or deception, we think, comes from outside.

But when Gensa stubbed his toe, he saw through that. He understood how he had created his own delusions and therefore had the power to end them, right there and then. His teacher said that everybody knows this, but only Gensa had the guts to say it out loud.

These days lots of people say they understand that they themselves are the only real source of their own delusions and deceptions. But when you really push them you see that they'd still like to put the blame on somebody else. I know I'm like that. Even after a few so-called enlightenment experiences, you can still fall back on the idea that delusion comes from someplace other than your own silly self. We all do it. Even Dogen admits he does it sometimes too when he says that neither you nor I know what the bright pearl is or isn't.

I like the idea that Gensa expresses a bit of regret at the realization that he can't be deceived. People tend to think that Buddhist enlightenment must be all happiness and bliss. But actually one tends to also feel a kind of regret. To really know for absolute certain that you could never blame anyone else for anything is difficult. It requires that you take full responsibility for absolutely everything. I can see why Gensa would feel a bit regretful about that. First, he would regret having caused so much difficulty for himself and others. Second, he would regret no longer having anyone else to point the finger at.

---Brad Warner, in his commentary on Master Dogen's Ikka No Myojo---

The Essential Meaning

Bai Zhuyi of the Tang Dynasty was the lay student of Ruman, Zen Master Fuguang, and a dharma descendant of Mazu, Zen Master Daji of Jiangxi.

When he was governor of Hang province, he studied with Zen Master Daolin of Niaoke.

One day Zhuyi said, "What is the essential meaning of the buddha dharma?"

Daolin said, "Refrain from unwholesome action, do wholesome action."

Zhuyi said, "If that is so, a three-year-old child could say it."

Daolin said, "A three-year-old child may say this, but even an eighty-year-old person cannot practice it."

Zhuyi bowed in gratitude and left.

---Master Dogen, in Shoaku Makusa---

Enlightenment

If you wish to move in the One Way
do not dislike the world of senses and ideas.
Indeed, to embrace them fully
is identical with true Enlightenment.
The wise person attaches to no goals
but the foolish person fetters himself or herself.
There is one Dharma, without differentiation.
Distinctions arise from the clinging needs of the        ignorant.
To seek Mind with the discriminating mind
is the greatest of mistakes.

---The Hsin Hsin Ming---

The Way

Emmon asked, "What does the Way ultimately depend on?"

Master Nyuri answered, "Ultimately it does not depend on anything. Like emptiness, it relies on nothing. If the Way did depend on anything there would be stopping and starting, lord and retainer."

---The Ceasing of Notions---

Discerning

Verily I say unto thee: The Blessed One has not come to teach death, but to teach life, and thou discernest not the nature of living and dying.

---The Gospel of Buddha, by Paul Carus---

Work Out Your Salvation

"Behold, O brethren, the final extinction of the Tathagata* will take place before long. I now exhort you, saying: 'All component things must grow old and be dissolved again. Seek ye for that which is permanent, and work out your salvation with diligence."

---The Gospel of Buddha (1894), by Paul Carus---

*Tathagata can mean either "one who has thus gone" (tathā-gata) or "one who has thus come" (tathā-āgata); the Buddha.

Lamps Unto Themselves

"Those who, either now or after I am dead, shall be lamps unto themselves, relying upon themselves only and not relying upon any external help, but holding fast to the truth as their lamp, and seeking their salvation in the truth alone, and shall not look for assistance to any one besides themselves, it is they, Ananda, among my bhikkhus*, who shall reach the very topmost height! But they must be anxious to learn."


---The Gospel of Buddha (1894), by Paul Carus---

*Monks

The Sermon on Abuse

And the Blessed One observed the ways of society and noticed how much misery came from malignity and foolish offences done only to gratify vanity and self-seeking pride.

And the Buddha said: "If a man foolishly does me wrong, I will return to him the protection of my ungrudging love; the more evil comes from him, the more good shall go from me; the fragrance of goodness always comes to me, and the harmful air of evil goes to him."

A foolish man learning that the Buddha observed the principle of great love which commands the return of good for evil, came and abused him. The Buddha was silent, pitying his folly.

When the man had finished his abuse, the Buddha asked him, saying: "Son, if a man declined to accept a present made to him, to whom would it belong?" 

And the man answered: "In that case it would belong to the man who offered it."

"My son," said the Buddha, "thou hast railed at me, but I declined to accept thy abuse, and request thee to keep it thyself. Will it not be a source of misery to thee? As the echo belongs to the sound, and the shadow to the substance, so misery will overtake the evil-doer without fail."

The abuser made no reply, and the Buddha continued:

"A wicked man who reproaches a virtuous one is like one who looks up and spits at heaven; the spittle soils not the heavens, but comes back and defiles his own person."

"The slanderer is like one who flings dust at another when the wind is contrary; the dust does but return on him who threw it. The virtuous man cannot be hurt and the misery that the other would inflict comes back on himself."

The abuser went away ashamed, but he came again and took refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.

---The Gospel of Buddha (1894), by Paul Carus---

He Who Attempts to Perform Miracles Has Not Understood the Doctrine

"An ordained disciple must not boast of any superhuman perfection. The disciple who with evil intent and from covetousness boasts of a superhuman perfection, be it celestial visions or miracles, is no longer a disciple of the Sakyamuni*.

"I forbid you, O bhikkhus**, to employ any spells or supplications, for they are useless, since the law of karma governs all things. He who attempts to perform miracles has not understood the doctrine of the Tathagata***."

---The Gospel of Buddha (1894), by Paul Carus---


*Sakya was Siddhartha's clan. Muni means sage. Sakyamuni is "Sage of the Sakyas," the Buddha.

**Monks.

**Tathagata can mean either "one who has thus gone" (tathā-gata) or "one who has thus come" (tathā-āgata); the Buddha.

The Error of Self

"Dismiss the error of the self and do not cling to possessions which are transient but perform deeds that are good, for deeds are enduring and in deeds your karma continues.

"Since then, O bhikkhus*, there is no self, there can not be any after life of a self. Therefore abandon all thought of self. But since there are deeds and since deeds continue, be careful with your deeds.

All beings have karma as their portion: they are heirs of their karma; they are sprung from their karma; their karma is their kinsman; their karma is their refuge; karma allots beings to meanness** or to greatness."

---The Gospel of Buddha (1894), by Paul Carus---

*Monks
**Lack of quality or attractiveness; shabbiness.

The Truth

"This truth is not for the hermit alone; it concerns every human being, priest and layman alike. There is no distinction between the monk who has taken the vows, and the man of the world living with his family. There are hermits who fall into perdition, and there are humble householders who mount to the rank of rishis*.

---The Gospel of Buddha (1894), by Paul Carus---


*A rishis denotes an inspired poet of Vedic hymns. The post-Vedic tradition of Hinduism regards the Rishis as saints who, after intense meditation, realize truths which they composed into hymns.

True Worship

". . . to give up all hatred and ill-will, that is the right sacrifice and true worship."

---The Gospel of Buddha (1894), by Paul Carus--

True Religion

"Purify your hearts and cease to kill; that is true religion.

"Rituals have no efficacy; prayers are vain repetitions; and incantations have no saving power. But to abandon covetousness and lust, to become free from evil passions, and to give up all hatred and ill-will, that is the right sacrifice and true worship."

---The Gospel of Buddha (1894), by Paul Carus---

Practicing Religion by the Neglect of Moral Conduct.

"What love can a man possess who believes that the destruction of life will atone for evil deeds? Can a new wrong expiate old wrongs? And can the slaughter of an innocent victim blot out the evil deeds of mankind? This is practicing religion by the neglect of moral conduct.

"Purify your hearts and cease to kill; that is true religion.

"Rituals have no efficacy; prayers are vain repetitions; and incantations have no saving power. But to abandon covetousness and lust, to become free from evil passions, and to give up all hatred and ill-will, that is the right sacrifice and true worship."

---The Gospel of Buddha (1894), by Paul Carus---

Right Sacrifice and True Worship

And the Bodhisattva went to the priests officiating in the temples. But the gentle mind of Shakyamuni was offended at the unnecessary cruelty performed on the altars of the gods. He said:


"Ignorance only can make these men prepare festivals and hold vast meetings for sacrifices. Far better to revere the truth than try to appease the gods by shedding blood.

"What love can a man possess who believes that the destruction of life will atone for evil deeds? Can a new wrong expiate old wrongs? And can the slaughter of an innocent victim blot out the evil deeds of mankind? This is practicing religion by the neglect of moral conduct.

"Purify your hearts and cease to kill; that is true religion.

"Rituals have no efficacy; prayers are vain repetitions; and incantations have no saving power. But to abandon covetousness and lust, to become free from evil passions, and to give up all hatred and ill-will, that is the right sacrifice and true worship."

---The Gospel of Buddha (1894), by Paul Carus---