Archives: Shobogenzo

神通

jinzu

Mystical Power

Jin means mystical and zu, which is a corruption of tsu, means ability or power, so jinzu means mystical power. It is said in Buddhism that a person who has attained the truth may have certain kinds of mystical power, but many Buddhists invented fantastic exaggerations of these powers. Master Dogen did not affirm such exaggerations. He affirmed the existence of Buddhist mystical powers, which we can get when we become buddhas, but he thought that in the case of Buddhist mystical powers, mystical means not supernatural but real. Master Dogen thought that Buddhist mystical powers are the abilities we use in our usual life. When asked what Buddhist mystical powers are, an old Chinese Buddhist replied, “Fetching water and carrying firewood.”

佛教

bukkyo

The Buddha’s Teaching

Butsu means Buddha or Buddhist, and kyo means teaching or teachings. Bukkyo is usually translated as Buddhism, but in this chapter Master Dogen emphasized the importance of the theoretical side of Buddhism. For this reason it is better here to translate bukkyo as “Buddha’s teaching” in order to distinguish between the peculiar usage of the word in this chapter and the usual usage. Some Buddhist sects, wanting to emphasize the value of practice in Buddhism, insist on the importance of a transmission which is beyond and separate from theoretical teachings. They say we need not rely on any verbal explanation of Buddhism. But Master Dogen saw that this theory itself was mistaken. Of course, practice is very important in Buddhism, but Master Dogen considered that both practice and theory are important. If we deny the importance of the theoretical side of Buddhism, we lose the method to transmit Buddhism to others. In this chapter Master Dogen explained the role of Buddhist theory and insisted that we should not forget the importance of theoretical Buddhist teachings.

道得

dotoku

Expressing the Truth

Do means “to speak” and toku means “to be able,” so do-toku literally means “being able to say something.” But over time the meaning of do-toku changed to “expressing the truth” or “an expression of the truth.” In this chapter, Master Dogen explained the meaning of do-toku, or expressing the truth, from his standpoint.

傳衣

den-e

The Transmission of the Robe

Den means “transmission” and e means “robe,” so den-e means “the transmission of the robe.” The content of this chapter is very similar to that of the previous chapter, Kesa-kudoku. Furthermore, the date recorded at the end of each chapter is the same. But whereas the note at the end of Kesa-kudoku says “preached to the assembly at Kannon-dori-kosho-horin-ji temple,” the note to this chapter says “written at Kannon-dori-kosho-horin-ji temple…” It thus seems likely that Den-e is the draft of the lecture Master Dogen was to give on October 1st, and Kesa-kudoku is the transcript of the lecture he gave on that day.

諸惡莫作

shoaku-makusa

Not Doing Wrongs

Sho means “many” or “miscellaneous,” aku means “wrong” or “bad,” maku means “not” or “don’t,” and sa means “to do.” So shoaku makusa means “not doing wrong.” These words are quoted from a short poem called “the Seven Buddhas’ Universal Precept:” “Don’t do wrong; do right; then our minds become pure naturally; this is the teaching of the many Buddhas.” This poem tells us how closely the teaching of Buddhism is related to morals. In this chapter Master Dogen teaches us the Buddhist theory of morality. Morality or ethics is, by its nature, a very practical problem. But most people are prone to forget the practical character of morality, and usually only discuss it with words or as an abstract theory. However, talking about morality is not the same as being moral. Morality is just doing right or not doing wrong. Here Master Dogen explains real morality, quoting an interesting story about Master Choka Dorin and a famous Chinese poet called Haku Kyoi.

看經

kankin

Reading Sutras

Kan means “to read” and kin means “sutras.” Many Buddhist sects revere reading sutras, because they think that the Buddhist truth is theory which can be understood through abstract explanation. They think that we can understand Buddhism only by reading sutras. At the same time, there are other sects who deny the value of reading sutras; they say that because Buddhist truth is not a theoretical system, we cannot attain the truth by reading sutras. Master Dogen took the middle way on the problem: rather than deny the value of reading sutras, he said that reading sutras is one way of finding out what Buddhist practice is. He did not believe, however, that we can get the truth by reading sutras; he did not think that reciting sutras might exercise some mystical influence over religious life. In this way Master Dogen’s view on reading sutras was very realistic. However, his understanding of “reading sutras” was not limited to written sutras; he believed that the Universe is a sutra. He thought that observing the world around us is like reading a sutra. So for him, grass, trees, mountains, the moon, the sun, and so forth were all Buddhist sutras. He even extended his view of reading sutras to include walking around the master’s chair in the middle of the Zazen Hall. This viewpoint is not only Master Dogen’s; it is the viewpoint of Buddhism itself. So in this chapter, Master Dogen explains the wider meaning of reading sutras.

山水經

sansuigyo

The Sutra of Mountains and Water

San means “mountains,” sui means “water” – rivers, lakes, and so on. Sansui suggests natural scenery, or Nature itself. Kyo or gyo means Buddhist sutras. So Sansuigyo means mountains and water, or Nature, as Buddhist sutras. Buddhism is basically a religion of belief in the Universe, and Nature is the Universe showing its real form. So to look at Nature is to look at the Buddhist truth itself. For this reason Master Dogen believed that Nature is just Buddhist sutras. In this chapter he explains the real form of Nature, giving particular emphasis to relativity in Nature.

禮拜得髓

raihai-tokuzui

Prostrating to Attainment of the Marrow

Raihai means “to prostrate oneself to,” toku means “to get,” or “to attain,” and zui means “marrow.” So raihai-tokuzui means prostrating oneself to attainment of the marrow, in other words, revering what has got the truth. In this chapter Master Dogen preached to us that the value of a being must be decided according to whether or not it has got the truth. So he said, even if it is a child, a woman, a devil, or an animal like a wild fox, if it has got the truth, we must revere it whole-heartedly. In this attitude, we can find Master Dogen’s sincere reverence of the truth, and his view of men, women, and animals.

夢中説夢

muchu-setsumu

Preaching a Dream in a Dream

Mu means “dream,” chu means “in,” and setsu means “preach.” So muchu-setsumu means “preaching a dream in a dream.” In Buddhist philosophy there is an idea that our life is a kind of dream, because in everyday life we cannot recognize our life itself. In other words, our actual life is just a moment here and now, and we cannot grasp such a moment. We are living at every moment of the present, and every moment cannot be expressed with words. So we can say that we are living in something like a dream. At the same time, to preach Buddhist theory is a kind of preaching a dream, and furthermore to live our life is also a kind of preaching, telling, or manifesting a dream. So Master Dogen compared our life to preaching a dream in a dream.

佛向上事

butsu-kojo-no-ji

The Matter of the Ascendant State of Buddha

Butsu means “buddha,” kojo means “ascend,” or “be beyond,” and ji means “matter,” so butsu-kojo-no-ji means “the matter beyond buddha” or “the matter of the ascendant state of buddha.” These words describe a buddha continuing Buddhist practice after attaining the truth. Attainment of the truth is the practitioner’s recognition that he or she has been buddha since the eternal past. Therefore even though buddhas have attained the truth, they do not distinctly change their thought, their physical condition, their life, and their practice of Zazen, after having attained the truth. They just continue with their lives, practicing Zazen each day. Buddhas like this are called “beyond buddha” or “ascendant buddhas” because they are buddhas who do not look like buddhas, and who continue the same usual Buddhist life as the life which they had before their enlightenment. Master Dogen revered these ascendant buddhas very much. Ascendant buddhas like these are actual buddhas, and we cannot find buddhas other than they in this world. So in this chapter, Master Dogen explained the matter of ascendant buddhas, quoting the words of many masters.