Dogen's Shobogenzo, Zazen-Shin (A Needle for Zazen) Part 3

Zazen-Shin (A Needle for Zazen)

Part 3 of 3 – Link to Part 1 – Link to Part 2

A Commentary on Dogen's Shobogenzo, Zazenshin

Translation (In Bold) by Gudo Nishijima & Mike Cross - Commentary by Ted Biringer.

(Adapted from the Sept. 2014 issue of the Zen newsletter, Flatbed Sutra Zen News)

 

 

 

 

The Zazenshin in question is as follows:

 

Zazenshin

 

Written by Shogaku, who was posthumously titled, by imperial decree, Zen Master Wanshi

 

Pivotal essence of every buddha,

Essential pivot of every patriarch.

Not touching things, yet sensing,

Not opposing circumstances, yet being illuminated.

 

Not touching things, yet sensing:

The sensing is naturally subtle.

Not opposing circumstances, yet being illuminated:

The illumination is naturally fine.

 

The sensing is naturally subtle:

There has been no discriminating thought.

The illumination is naturally fine:

There has been not the slightest dawning.

 

There has been no discriminating thought:

The sensing, without any duality, is singular.

There has been not the slightest dawning:

The illumination, without any grasping, is complete.

 

The water is clean right to the bottom,

Fishes are swimming, slowly, slowly.

The sky is wide beyond limit,

And birds are flying, far, far away.

 

The point of this needle for zazen is that "the Great Function is already manifest before us," is "the dignified behavior that is ascendant to sound and form," is a glimpse of "the time before our parents were born," is that "not to insult the Buddhist patriarchs is good," is "never to have avoided losing body and life," and is "the head being three feet long and the neck being two inches."

Shobogenzo Zazenshin, Gudo Nishijima & Mike Cross

 

Dogen begins by reminding us that this expression is a Buddha's discourse - an expression of wisdom on the great matter of life and death. It is the truth that "the Great Function is already manifest before us" - existence-time here-now is Buddha. It is "the dignified behavior that is ascendant to sound and form" - actualizing universal liberation and fulfillment. It is "a glimpse of 'the time before our parents were born'" - discerning our true nature with certainty. It is that "not to insult the Buddhist patriarchs is good" - activating our skillful capacity, our ability to respond (responsibility). It is "never to have avoided losing body and life" - freedom from fear and self-centeredness. And is "the head being three feet long and the neck being two inches" - it is at that time when Buddha is Buddha.

 

"Pivotal essence of every buddha." "Every buddha" without exception sees "buddha at every moment" as "the pivotal essence." That "pivotal essence" has been realized: it is zazen.

Shobogenzo Zazenshin, Gudo Nishijima & Mike Cross

 

The pivotal essence is what every buddha sees at/as every place-time, and the pivotal essence is how every buddha sees at/as every place-time. Thus the making real (realization) of the pivotal essence ceaselessly advances in/as self-and-other (subjectivity/objectivity): This is zazen.

 

"Essential pivot of every patriarch." "The late master did without such words"-this principle itself is "every patriarch." The transmission of Dharma and the transmission of the robe exist. In general, every instance of "turning the head and changing the features" is the pivotal essence of every buddha. And every individual case of changing the features and turning the head is the essential pivot of every patriarch.

Shobogenzo Zazenshin, Gudo Nishijima & Mike Cross

 

"Outside words and letters" - these words and letters are themselves "outside." Here Shakyamuni twirls a flower, Now Mahakayshyapa smiles. The pivotal essence is the universal sacred life of all things, beings, and events. The essential pivot is the particular place-time of each thing, being, and event.

 

"Not touching things, yet sensing." "Sensing" is not sense perception; sense perception is small-scale. Neither is it intellectual recognition; intellectual recognition is intentional doing. Therefore, "sensing" is "beyond touching things," and that which is "beyond touching things" is "sensing." We should not consider speculatively that it is universal awareness, and we should not think narrowly that it is self-awareness. This "not touching things" means "When a clear head comes, a clear head does. When a dull head comes, a dull head does"; it means "to break by sitting the skin that our mothers bore."

Shobogenzo Zazenshin, Gudo Nishijima & Mike Cross

 

Touching is only and always realized (made real) by a toucher and a touched, a toucher is realized by a touched and a touching, a touched is realized by a toucher and a touching. Not touching is only realized by touching (thus all of touching's intrinsic elements) - therefore touching is beyond (includes and transcends) touching, and not touching is beyond not touching. The same truth applies to seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and thinking. This is the true form of sensing. When I sense a horse, a horse is sensed by me; when an ox is sensed by me, I do not sense a horse. This is the true essence of sensing. When both the form and essence of sensing are expressed it is, "Nothing in the whole universe is concealed" and it is "When I don't see, you don't see my not seeing."

 

"Not opposing circumstances, yet being illuminated." This "being illuminated" is not the illumination of enlightened understanding and is not spiritual illumination. "Not to oppose circumstances" is described as "being illuminated." Illumination does not merge into circumstances-because circumstances are just illumination. The meaning of "non-opposition" is "the whole universe never having been hidden," is "a broken world not showing its head," is "the subtle," is "the fine," and is "[the state beyond] complicated and uncomplicated."

Shobogenzo Zazenshin, Gudo Nishijima & Mike Cross

 

All the real 'circumstances' in the whole universe are instances of illumination itself - particular dharmas encountered by particular sentient beings at particular place-times. "Not to oppose circumstances" means the myriad dharmas advance and illumine the self.

 

A monk asked Dongshan, "How can one escape from heat and cold?"

Dongshan said, "Why not go where there is no heat and cold?"

The monk asked, "Where is there not heat and cold?"

Dongshan said, "When it is hot the heat kills you, when it is cold the cold kills you."

 

"The sensing is naturally subtle: There has been no discriminating thought." The state in which "thought" is "sensing" is not always reliant on external assistance. "The sensing" is concrete form, and concrete form is mountains and rivers. These mountains and rivers are "subtlety." This "subtlety" is "the fine." When we use [this state] it is totally vigorous. When we become a dragon, whether we are inside or outside the Dragon Gate is irrelevant. To use even one mere instant of the present "sensing" is to garner the mountains and rivers of the whole universe and, exerting total effort, to "sense" them. Unless our own "sensing" is in the state of direct familiarity with mountains and rivers, there cannot be a single instance of sensing or half an instance of understanding. We should not grieve about "discriminating thought" being late in arriving. "Every buddha," in the state of already having discrimination, has already been realized. The "nonexistence of what has occurred" is "already" having occurred, and "already having occurred" is realization. In sum, "there having been no discrimination" is [the state of] "not meeting a single person."

Shobogenzo Zazenshin, Gudo Nishijima & Mike Cross

 

We know a mountain exists when (at that time) 'we see a mountain' and 'a mountain is seen' - when we see a mountain and a mountain is seen a mountain exists in our knowing. Besides mountains that exist in our knowing, no mountains are known to exist. 'A mountain' exists as an object of consciousness, 'a mountain knower' exists as a subject of consciousness. We know a unicorn exists when 'we dream a unicorn' and 'a unicorn is dreamed' - thus a unicorn exists in our knowing. Besides such existent unicorns, no unicorns exist in our knowing; how could we believe in the fallacy that "Unicorns do not exist"?

 

"The illumination is naturally fine: There has been not the slightest dawning." "The slightest" means the whole universe. Still, [the illumination] is naturally the fine itself and is naturally illumination itself, and for this reason it seems never to have fetched anything to itself. Do not doubt the eyes, but do not necessarily trust the ears. The state of "You must directly clarify the fundamental outside of principles; do not grasp for standards in words" is illumination. For this reason "there is no duality" and for this reason "there is no grasping." While having dwelled in and retained this state as "singularity" and having maintained and relied upon it as "completeness," [those descriptions] I still doubt.

Shobogenzo Zazenshin, Gudo Nishijima & Mike Cross

 

When the slightest is the slightest, what is the slightest. Experience here-now is existence here-now; what you see is what you get. Assertions and proclamations are assertions and proclamations - all are real dharmas, some really express truth, some really express falseness. When there is 'no duality' there can be no 'nonduality' - in such 'a state' there is no grasping, and no not grasping. While such may be called a 'singularity' and be relied upon as 'completeness', Dogen has his doubts. As for me, I have no doubt that such a state is an inevitable milestone along the ancient way. I also have no doubt it has proven to be a pernicious, inescapable shit-hole for many that lingered there too long. It is also known as Dante's unmentioned level of Hell - those abiding here are subjected to dew-drops dripping on lotus leaves for eternity and beyond. Notice in Dogen's 'version' below, the inky cave of 'no duality' is politely not mentioned.

 

"The water is clean right to the bottom. Fishes are swimming, slowly, slowly." As to the meaning of "the water is clean," water suspended in space is not thoroughly "clean water." Still less is water that becomes deep and clear in the vessel world, the water of "the water is clean." [Water] that is not bounded by any bank or shore: this is "water that is clean right to the bottom." When fish move through this water, "swimming" is not nonexistent. "Swimming," for however many tens of thousands of distances it progresses, is unfathomable and is unlimited. There is no bank from which to survey it, there is no air to which it might surface, and there is no bottom to which it might sink. Therefore, there is no one who can fathom it. If we want to discuss its measurements, [we say] only that "the water is clean right to the bottom." The virtue of sitting in zazen is like this swimming of fishes: who can estimate it on a scale of thousands or tens of thousands? The course of action that penetrates to the bottom is the whole body not follow ing the way of the birds.

Shobogenzo Zazenshin, Gudo Nishijima & Mike Cross

 

Zazen is not bound to any fixed form, water that is clean "is not bounded by any bank or shore." When (at that time) fish move through this water there is only 'fish move through this water' in the whole universe, then there are no-tiles, there are no-mirrors. To say 'there are no-tiles' and 'there are no-mirrors' does not mean 'tiles are nonexistent' and 'mirrors are nonexistent,' rather tiles are 'fish move through this water,' mirrors are 'fish move through this water.' When 'fish move through this water' is illumined, tiles are eclipsed and swimming is eclipsed, hence "not nonexistent." How can the not nonexistent be fully fathomed? What is the not nonexistent. What is also the existent.

 

"The sky is wide beyond limit. And birds are flying, far, far away." "The sky is wide" does not describe what is suspended in the firmament. The sky suspended in the firmament is not "the wide sky." Still less is that which pervades that place and this place universally "the wide sky." [The sky] not hidden or revealed by any outside or inside: this is "the wide sky." When birds fly through this sky, flying in the sky is the undivided Dharma. Their action of flying in the sky cannot be measured. Flying in the sky is the whole universe-because the whole universe is flying in the sky. We do not know the extent of this "flying," but in expressing it with words which are beyond the realm of estimation, we describe it as "far, far away." "Straightaway, there should be no strings under the feet."When the sky is flying away, the birds also are flying away; and when the birds are flying away, the sky also is flying away. Words that express mastery of flying away are "It only exists at this concrete place." This is a needle for the still-still state. Tens of thousands of distances traveled vie to tell us, "It only exists at this concrete place."

Shobogenzo Zazenshin, Gudo Nishijima & Mike Cross

 

When (at that time) the sky is 'flying away,' the birds are also 'flying away,' tiles are 'flying away,' and mirrors are 'flying away.' It only exists at/as this particular experience here-now.

 

Such is the Zazenshin of Zen Master Wanshi. Among [the maxims of] veteran patriarchs through the ages, there has never been a Zazenshin like this one. If stinking skinbags in all directions wished to express the like of this Zazenshin, even if they exhausted the effort of a lifetime or of two life times, they would not be able to express it. Through all directions today, we do not find [any other]: there is this maxim alone. When my late master held formal preaching in the Dharma hall, he would constantly say, "The eternal buddha Wanshi!" He never spoke like this of other men at all. When we have the eyes to know a person, we can also know the sound of a Buddhist patriarch. Truly we have seen that in [the lineage of] Tozan, a Buddhist patriarch exists. Now it is eighty years or so since [the death of] Zen Master Wanshi. Admiring his Zazenshin, I have written the following Zazenshin. Now it is the eighteenth day in the third lunar month in the third year of Ninji.When I count [the years] between this year and the eighth day of the tenth lunar month in the twenty-seventh year of Shoko, it is only eighty-five years. The Zazenshin that I have written now is as follows:

 

Zazenshin

 

Pivotal essence of every buddha,

Essential pivot of every patriarch.

Beyond thinking, realizing,

Beyond complication, realization.

 

Beyond thinking, realizing:

The realizing is naturally immediate.

Beyond complication, realization:

The realization is naturally a state of experience.

 

The realizing is naturally immediate:

There has been no taintedness.

The realization is naturally a state of experience:

There has been no rightness or divergence.

 

There has been no tainting of the immediacy:

That immediacy is without reliance yet it gets free.

There has been no rightness or divergence in the experience:

That state of experience is without design yet it makes effort.

 

The water is clean, right down to the ground,

Fishes are swimming like fishes.

The sky is wide, clear through to the heavens,

And birds are flying like birds.

Shobogenzo Zazenshin, Gudo Nishijima & Mike Cross

 

"Pivotal essence of every buddha" - Buddha-nature; the myriad dharmas in/of existence-time. "Essential pivot of every patriarch" - Kozei constantly sits in zazen, Nangaku polishes a tile, Gutei raised one finger, and each of these is what?

 

"Beyond thinking, realizing" - Realizing what? "Beyond complication, realization" - The fundamental point.

 

"Beyond thinking, realizing: The realizing is naturally immediate." When I beat an ox, an ox is beaten by me.

 

"Beyond complication, realization: The realization is naturally a state of experience." What existence (existence-time) is experienced is what experience exists, what experience exists is what existence is experienced.

 

"The realizing is naturally immediate: There has been no taintedness." 'Not-two,' not 'one' - because right is right, wrong is wrong, because true is true, false is false; right and wrong are ever and always distinct, true is true, not false, false is false, not true - right and wrong are not-two, true and false are not one.

 

"The realization is naturally a state of experience: There has been no rightness or divergence." When here-now (particular experience/existence) is here-now rightness is here-now, divergence is here-now.

 

"There has been no tainting of the immediacy: That immediacy is without reliance yet it gets free." Firewood is not-ash, ash is not-firewood; firewood abides in its dharma-position (its particular existence-time of total existence-time) as firewood, ash abides in its dharma-position as ash. Thus firewood has a before and an after (and a little before, a long before, a long, long before, a long after, a million years after, an ever-after, etc.) and is simultaneously cut off from before and after (is ever and always the here-now of firewood). Ash has a before and an after and is simultaneously cut off from before and after.

 

"There has been no rightness or divergence in the experience: That state of experience is without design yet it makes effort." The experience/existence of true nature (practice-enlightenment, Buddha, actualizing the koan, etc.) is 'What' (ever-advancing into novelty; reality without design, without fixed form). 'What,' or 'making Buddha,' which is an experience without design, is characterized by (possesses the features of) making effort. 'Making effort,' 'aiming,' 'striving' to 'become Buddha' is 'What' realized as that "state of experience without design."

 

"The water is clean, right down to the ground, Fishes are swimming like fishes." 'Clean right down to the ground' is 'the water.' 'What' swimming like fishes is fishes.

 

"The sky is wide, clear through to the heavens, And birds are flying like birds." Lift a rock and you will find it there, split a piece of wood and you will find it there. What looks like a duck and quacks like a duck - it must be a duck.

 

The Zazenshin of Zen Master Wanshi is never imperfect in expression, but I would like to express it further like this. In sum, children and grand children of the Buddhist patriarchs should unfailingly learn in practice that sitting in zazen is the one great matter. This is the authentic seal that is received and transmitted one-to-one.

Shobogenzo Zazenshin, Gudo Nishijima & Mike Cross

 

Such is the Zazenshin of Zen Master Dogen. Among the treatises on zazen by Buddha ancestors in total existence-time, there is none like this one. When my former teacher expressed the Dharma in the dokusan room, he would constantly say, "The eternal Buddha Dogen!" He only spoke like this of genuine eternal Buddhas. In grateful thanks for Dogen's Zazenshin, I have written the following Zazenshin:

 

Zazenshin

 

Pivotal essence; buddhas alone

Essential pivot; together with buddhas

Thinking not-thinking, nonthinking

Simple/complex, actualization.

 

Thinking not-thinking, nonthinking:

The non's thinking is the normal mind.

Simple/complex, actualization:

Actualization is the fundamental point.

 

The non's thinking is the normal mind:

What is the Tao.

Actualization is the fundamental point:

Every day is a good day.

 

What is the Tao:

The ceaseless-advance into novelty.

Every day is a good day:

What is a good day.

 

Water is water.

Fishes are fishes.

The sky is the sky.

Birds are birds.

 

The Zazenshin of Zen Master Dogen is ever novel as Zen Master Dogen's Zazenshin. Here-now the Zazenshin of Zen student Ted Biringer is expressed like this. In sum, children, grand children, and great, great grandchildren of the Buddha ancestors freely make effort and sincerely strive to learn, practice, verify, and actualize zazen as zazen. This is the authentic Buddha-Dharma that is transmitted (sent/received) by Buddhas alone together with buddhas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to Part 1 – Link to Part 2