The Enlightened Wisdom (Bodhi Prajna) of Zen: Maha Prajna Paramita

A New Series of Posts on The Four Prajnas of Buddhahood on our sister blog FLATBED ZEN BLOG

A Zen Commentary on Prajna (Great Perfect Wisdom) from The Flatbed Sutra of Louie Wing by Ted Biringer

Peace,
Ted

Dogen's Shobogenzo and its context in Zen Buddhism

Dogen’s Shobogenzo has its context in the literature of the Zen tradition
-

From the Introduction to The Flatbed Sutra of Louie Wing
-

Perhaps the greatest contribution of The Flatbed Sutra of Louie Wing is the insight it offers on the Shobogenzo (Treasury of the True Dharma-Eye), the Zen masterpiece by the thirteenth century Japanese master, Eihei Dogen. Louie Wing’s own enlightenment experience was triggered upon hearing this text recited, and he often refers to its teachings, sometimes quoting it at length.
-

For a number of reasons, this massive collection of writings is often treated independently of its context within the Zen Buddhist tradition. This kind of treatment has inevitably led to a great deal of misunderstanding. Reading the work of Eihei Dogen without regard to its context within the Zen tradition is like reading the works of Saint Augustine without regard to its context within the Christian tradition. Such an approach obviously lends itself to erroneous interpretations, to say the least.

-
Unrestricted by allegiance to institutional authority or the myopia of sectarian bias, Louie Wing discerns the Shobogenzo in its proper context: the traditional and authentic teaching of Buddhism. In a line-by-line analysis of the extraordinary text, Genjokoan, Louie Wing uses clear and convincing, systematic explanations to demonstrate some of the many subtle, and even startling, implications that the Shobogenzo reveals about the teachings of Zen regarding the great questions of life and death. Louie Wing brings to light some of the most profound insights revealed in the Shobogenzo, including the nature of time, the implications of interdependence, the resolution of original vs. acquired enlightenment, the essence and function of Zen koans, the various meanings and implications of zazen, and others.

~Ted Biringer

Genjokoan - Dogen, Master of Zen, Master of Expression

Excerpt From The Flatbed Sutra of Louie Wing: The Second Ancestor of Zen in the West - Part II – Commentaries of Louie Wing: A deeper examination of Zen - Commentary 1. The Genjokoan

One thing that places Dogen in the company of the greatest of Zen masters is magnificent Zen expression. Few masters before—and none since—have matched his skill for expressing the profound and subtle wisdom of the enlightened mind. Two of his early predecessors, Tozan and his disciple Sozan, earn their inclusion among these few through their elucidation of the classic Zen teaching of The Five Ranks.

The doctrine expressed as The Five Ranks is one of the most influential Zen expressions of all time. The subject of that doctrine—the function and essence of the enlightened mind—is and has always been the summum bonum of Buddhism. Every genuine Buddhist expression is grounded on this central principal. The presentation of this principal by Tozan, further refined by Sozan, as The Five Ranks, marks one point where the expression of the central truth of Buddhism evolved.
Dogen’s Shobogenzo marks another such point.

Dogen’s genius for expression is displayed nowhere better than in Genjokoan. His views, on every major aspect of the Buddha-Dharma, are revealed, either explicitly or implicitly, in this extraordinary essay. Genjokoan is a skeleton key that can be used to unlock the Shobogenzo, literally “Treasury of the True Dharma-Eye.

The opening lines of Genjokoan outline the fundamental aspects of reality: the interdependence and interpenetrating aspects of the one and the many, the individual and the universal.

When all things are seen as the Buddha-Dharma, then there is delusion and enlightenment, there is practice, there is life and there is death, there are Buddhas and there are ordinary beings.

This line affirms the relative aspect of reality. Here, “the Buddha-Dharma” denotes all-inclusive reality. “When all things are seen as the Buddha-Dharma,” indicates one way of perceiving the Buddha-Dharma (reality). In this way of perceiving the Buddha-Dharma, “all things” (the myriad dharmas) are seen. That is, reality appears as a multitude of separate individual things. From this perspective of reality there is, “delusion and enlightenment, there is practice, there is life and there is death, there are Buddhas and there are ordinary beings.“ There are people, animals, houses, stars, and all the other kinds of things.

Dogen, more than most Zen masters, delves deeply into the implications of this aspect of reality. While many Zen masters and Buddhist texts give short shrift to the relative aspect of experience, often simply dismissing it as the experience of delusion, Dogen methodically articulates how this aspect of reality affirms the ultimate significance of every particular thing. The Shobogenzo repeatedly directs us to this truth; because everything is the Buddha-Dharma, the Buddha-Dharma is every thing. For Dogen, every thing has ultimate significance as the Buddha-Dharma; including even such things as broken tiles, pebbles, dreams, illusions, and doubts…

~The Flatbed Sutra of Louie Wing

Peace,

Ted

Dogen, Shobogenzo, and The Flatbed Sutra

Greetings friends,
As of late I have been very busy updating the Flatbed Sutra Website. Consequently, this blog has not received much attention. I hope to get back to regular Dogen/Shobogenzo posts here in the near future. In the meantime, here is a link to a New Dogen Post at Zen International Forum
(March 26th, 2009) called Why Did Dogen Come Back From China

Also, we would love to hear from you over at the Flatbed Sutra Website which includes a blog as well as a number of other online Zen/Buddhist resources. Come on over and visit.

In the pure and clear luminous awareness of your true mind, spiritual practice and ordinary activity are not separate. The vast and fathomless unnamable void meets you wherever you are. When perceptions, feelings, and thoughts arise, you respond harmoniously without ever moving away from the pure and clear luminous awareness of your own mind.
~From The Flatbed Sutra of Louie Wing
by Ted Biringer

Peace,
Ted

Louie Wing on Dogen and the Question

Louie Wing on Dogen and the Question
For Dogen, the apparent contradiction between ‘original’ enlightenment and ‘acquired’ enlightenment became the barrier to and eventually the catalyst of his own great awakening. Resolving this conflict became the central focus of his spiritual quest. It was through his personal resolution of the seeming contradiction between the doctrine of original enlightenment and the need for spiritual practice that allowed him to—in his own words from Shobogenzo, Bendowa—‘complete the task of a lifetime.’

What happened in Dogen’s case was like this: A monk fell asleep in the meditation hall. Tendo Nyojo, Dogen’s teacher, shouted at the sleeping monk, ‘True Zazen demands that we cast off body and mind. Why are you sleeping!’ These were the turning words that opened Dogen’s heart. He went to Tendo Nyojo’s room, burned incense and made bows. Tendo Nyojo asked, ‘Why are you doing this?’ Dogen said, ‘Body and mind are cast off!’ Tendo Nyojo replied, ‘Body and mind are cast off, cast off are Body and mind.’ Dogen said, do not affirm me lightly teacher.’ Tendo Nyojo said, ‘I do not.’ Dogen said, ‘What is not affirmed lightly?’ Tendo Nyojo said, ‘Casting off is cast off.’ This is how Tendo Nyojo testified to Dogen’s great enlightenment.

After such a powerful experience, it is only natural that the non-dual nature of practice and enlightenment became such a central theme in Dogen’s teaching. By ‘non-dual’ I mean, empty of duality, I do not mean that practice and enlightenment are one, as is propagated by some. Practice and enlightenment in Zen are two aspects of one reality. It is important to understand that though they always go together, they each maintain their distinctive aspects.

Dogen’s earliest teachings are full of wonderful expressions that convey this principle. The very first paragraph of his very first teaching, Fukanzazengi, is constructed of four lines—each variations of this fundamental truth.

"Now, when we research it, the truth originally is all around: why should we rely upon practice and experience? The real vehicle exists naturally: why should we put forth great effort? Furthermore, the whole body far transcends dust and dirt: who could believe in the means of sweeping and polishing? In general, we do not stray from the right state: of what use, then, are the tip-toes of training?"
Gudo Nishijima & Mike Cross

Learned audience, this is not simply a series of rhetorical statements, but an expression of spiritual realization, urging us to deep contemplation. Dogen is not saying, ‘the truth is all around: we do not need to rely upon practice, put forth great effort, etc.’ Rather, he is saying, ‘the truth is all around: why do we need to practice, who could believe in the means, of what use, and so on.’ His statements are neither rhetorical, nor are they conventional questions wanting answers. Master Dogen is indicating, at once, the revelation of a spiritual truth and giving an indication of the appropriate attitude for Zen practitioners to employ in their efforts.

Learned audience, Dogen taught what all the true Buddhas and Zen ancestors taught; enlightenment is the essence of authentic practice, practice is the function of authentic enlightenment. The duality of practice and enlightenment is actualized and transcended, not eradicated or annihilated. Dogen frequently uses the term ‘Zazen’ in reference to the non-dual nature of practice and enlightenment, not just as a reference to sitting meditation.

~From The Flatbed Sutra of Louie Wing

by Ted Biringer