o-saku-sendaba
A King’s Seeking of Saindhava
O means “king,” saku means “to seek,” and sendaba is a phonetic rendering of the Sanskrit saindhava. Saindhava means “products of the Indus river basin.” In the Maha-parinirvana-sutra there is a story which expresses the multiple meanings of words and the ambiguity of reality. When a king needs to wash his hands and seeks saindhava, his servant will bring water. When the king is eating a meal and seeks saindhava, the servant will bring salt. When the king wants to drink water and seeks saindhava, the servant will bring a cup. And when the king wants to go out and seeks saindhava, the servant will bring a horse. Buddhist monks in China often used this story to discuss the multiple meanings of words and the ambiguity of reality. So Master Dogen explained the meaning of “A King’s Seeking of Saindhava” on the basis of his own thoughts.