Important Aspects of Zazen

– Great Master Eihei Dogen

This text was written by Dogen shortly after he returned from China and had established his first temple, Kosho, at Uji on the outskirts of Kyoto. This translation was done by Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett and is reprinted here with permission and mild modification from Zen Is Eternal Life. (Shasta Abbey Press, Mount Shasta, CA. 1999.)

 

1. Necessity for a Desire for the Way.

Although there are many names given to that which seeks the Way they all refer to the one, and same, Mind. ¹  Nagyaarajyuna said, “The universality of change, the arising and disappearing, when completely understood, is the seeing into the heart of all things, and the Mind that thus understands is the Mind that truly seeks the Way.” As this is so, why is temporary dependence upon the ordinary human mind called the Mind that seeks the Way? If one sees through the changeability of the universe, the ordinary, selfish mind is not in use; that which seeks for the sake of itself is nowhere to be found.

Time flies like an arrow from a bow and this fact should make us train with all our might, using the same energy we would employ if our hair were to catch fire. We must guard against weakness of body, our effort being as that of the Buddha when raising His foot. Sounds that flatter and distract, such as the call of the cuckoo and the voices of musical entertainers, should be thought of no more than as the sound of the evening breeze; the sight of beautiful courtesans should be regarded merely as dew touching the eyes. Once free from perceptual bondage, sound and colour, the Mind that seeks the Way is naturally in harmony with you. From ancient times there are those who have not heard Buddhist Truth, and some have had little opportunity of hearing or reading the Scriptures. Once trapped in the bonds forged by fame and gain, most people lose the Life of Buddha for eternity; such a fate is to be pitied and mourned. Just to read the Scriptures, thereby understanding Truth with the ordinary mind, and to transmit that which is clear and that which is hidden, is not to possess the Mind that seeks the Way if fame and gain are not forsaken.

There are those who believe that the Mind that seeks the Way is truly enlightened since there is no dependence upon fame and gain. There are those who say that the Mind that seeks the Way embraces three thousand worlds in a moment of thought as its meditation. There are those who say that the Mind that seeks the Way teaches the non-arising of any delusion. There are those who say that the Mind that seeks the Way enters straightway into the World of the Buddhas. None of these people yet know the Mind that seeks the Way and therefore devalue it; they are far from the Truth of the Buddhas. When one reflects upon the selfish mind, which concerns itself only with fame and gain, it is clear that it has no knowledge of the three thousand worlds within a thought moment and is also not non-delusional. Such a mind knows nothing other than delusion because of its immersion in fame and gain; it cannot be compared to the Mind that seeks the Way. Although many of the wise have used worldly methods to reach enlightenment it is certain that they had no misunderstanding in their own minds concerning fame and gain; they did not even have an attachment to Truth and no desire whatsoever for the world as most people know it.

The Mind that truly seeks the Way can be any one of those previously mentioned so long as it also clearly sees through the changeability of the universe, understanding utterly arising and disappearing: the Mind is totally different to the mind of ordinary people. It is excellent to practice the meditations of the non-arising mind and the appearance of the three thousand worlds after you have gained the Mind that seeks the Way, but do not confuse the two by putting them in the wrong order.

Forget the selfish self for a little and allow the mind to remain natural for this is very close to the Mind that seeks the Way. Self is the basis for the sixty-two private opinions so, when you are beginning to become full of your own opinions, just sit quietly and watch how they arise. On what are they based, both within you and outside of you? Your body, hair and skin come from your parents: the seeds that came from your parents, however, are empty, both from the beginning of time and until the end of it. Within this there is no ego, the mind that is fettered by discrimination, knowledge and dualism of thought blinds us. After all, in the end, what is it that inhales and exhales? These two are not the self and there is no self to which to cling. They who live in delusion cling to all things whilst they who are enlightened are free of clinging and things: and still we measure the unreal self and grasp at worldly appearances, thus ignoring true Buddhist practice; by failing to sever the ties of the world, we are turning our backs upon the True teachings and chasing after false ones. Such mistakes must be carefully avoided.

 

2. The Necessity of Training for Truth.

When a loyal servant gives advice its power is frequently far-reaching; when the Buddhas and Ancestors give so much as only a single word, all living things will be converted. Only a wise king  will take advice; only an exceptional trainee will truly hear the words of the Buddha. If the mind cannot change from one side to the other, the source of transmigration can never be severed; unless the loyal servant’s advice is taken, the government of a country will show no virtue and wisdom in its policy.

 

3. The Necessity of Constantly Practicing the Way in Order to Realise Enlightenment.

Most people think that one must study in order to gain wealth but the Buddha teaches that training itself embraces enlightenment: as yet I have heard of no one who became wealthy without much study nor of anyone who became enlightened without undergoing training. There are, of course, differences in training methods; differences between faith and understanding—between sudden and gradual—but enlightenment can only be realised as a result of training. Some means of study are shallow, others deep, some are interesting and others boring, but treasure is derived from much study. None of these things depend upon the ability of rulers or just plain luck. If treasure is attainable without study, who is able to teach the way through which rulers learn to truly rule? If enlightenment can be realised without training, the teaching of the Buddhas cannot be perfected.

Although you may be training in the world of delusion, it is still the world of enlightenment. If you can understand that ships and rafts are but a past dream, you will for ever leave behind the self-opinions which fettered you to the scriptures. The Buddhas do not force you; everything comes out of your own efforts in the Way. When you train, you are beckoning to enlightenment; your own treasure is within you, not outside; training and enlightenment are their own reward; enlightened action leaves no sign by which it can be traced. To look back upon one’s training with enlightened eyes is to see no speck of dust: to look for such a thing is the same as trying to see a white cloud at a distance of ten thousand miles. When encompassing training and enlightenment, no single speck of dust can be trodden upon; should we do so heaven and earth would collapse but, in returning to our True Home, we are transcending the status of the Buddha.

 

4. The Necessity of Selfless Training.

The Truth of Buddhist Training has been handed on to us by our predecessors and, for this, it is impossible to use the selfish mind: we can gain the Truth of Buddhism neither with mind nor without mind. It must be remembered that, if the will to train and the Way of the Buddhas are not harmonised, neither body nor mind will know peace; if body and mind are not at peace they know only discomfort.

How do we harmonise the Way of the Buddhas with training? To do so the mind must neither grasp nor reject anything; it must be completely free from the fetters of fame and gain. Buddhist training is not undergone for the sake of others but, as in the case of the minds of most people nowadays, the minds of most Buddhist trainees are far from understanding the True Way. They do that which others praise although they know such action to be wrong; they do not follow the True Way because it is that which others heap scorn upon; this is indeed a great grief—such behaviour is no right use of the Mind of the Buddhas.

The Buddhas and the Ancestors selflessly illuminated the universe with their all-penetrating eyes and it is our duty to copy them. Since Buddhist trainees do almost nothing for themselves, how is it possible that they should do anything for the sake of fame and gain? Only for Buddhism must one train in Buddhism. Out of their deep compassion for all living things, the Buddhas do absolutely nothing either for themselves or for others, merely doing all for the sake of Buddhism, and this is the True Tradition of Buddhism.

Even insects and animals cherish their young, bearing any hardship for their sake and, when later they are full-grown, the parents seek no gain therefrom: just as compassion is strong in such small creatures, even so is compassion for all living creatures strong in the Buddhas.

Compassion is not the only expression of the great teachings of the Buddhas; they appear in a myriad ways throughout the universe, thus exhibiting and being the True Spirit of Buddhism: since we are all already the children of Buddha, we have no alternative but to follow the path of Buddhism. You, as a Buddhist trainee, must not think of training as done for your own benefit and fame, nor must you train in Buddhism for the sake of getting results or performing miracles; you must just train in Buddhism for the sake of Buddhism, this being the True Way.

 

5. The Necessity of Finding a True Teacher.

A former Ancestor once said, “If the mind that seeks is untrue, training will be useless,” – this is utterly true and the quality of the training inevitably depends upon the quality of the teacher. The trainee is as a beautiful piece of wood which the teacher must fashion as does a skillful carpenter; even beautiful wood will show no graining unless the carpenter is an expert, but a warped piece of wood can show good results in the hands of a skilled craftsperson. The truth or falsity of the teacher is in ratio to the truth or falsity of the enlightenment of their disciples; understand this clearly and become enlightened.

For centuries there have been no good teachers in this country – how do we know? Just look at their words: they are as people who try to measure the source of flowing water from a scooped-up handful. Throughout the centuries this country’s teachers have written books, taught trainees and given lectures to both humans and gods, but their words were as green, unripe fruit for they had not reached the ultimate in training; they had not become one with true enlightenment. All that they transmitted were words, reciting names and sounds: day in and day out they counted in the treasury of others, contributing nothing whatsoever thereto of themselves.

There is no doubt that this is the fault of the teachers of old, for some of them misled others into believing that enlightenment must be sought outside of the mind and some taught that rebirth in other lands was the goal; herein is to be found the source of both confusion and delusion. Unless one follows the prescription on the medicine-bottle, an illness may be made worse by taking medicine; it may even be the same as drinking poison.

For centuries there have been no good doctors in this country who were capable of prescribing correctly, and of knowing the difference between, true medicine and poison, therefore it is extremely difficult to cure the sufferings and diseases of life: since this is so, how is it possible for us to escape from the sufferings brought on by old age and death?

Only the teachers are to blame for this problem; it is certainly through no fault of the disciples. Why is this so? Because the teachers are leading others along the branches of the tree and ceasing to climb up the trunk to the source. They lure others into false paths before they have their own understanding based in certainty; they therefore fix their concentration solely upon their own selfish opinions: it is indeed terrible that teachers have no perception of their own delusions. Under these circumstances, how can disciples understand what is right and what is wrong? As yet Buddhism has not taken root in our tiny country and thus true teachers are still to be born: if you truly want to study the very best Buddhism you must visit the teachers in China, which is very far away, and you must think deeply upon the true road which is beyond the mind of delusion.

If a true teacher is not to be found, it is best not to study Buddhism at all: they who are called good teachers, however, are not necessarily either young or old but simple people who can make clear the true teaching and receive the seal of a genuine master. Neither learning nor knowledge are of much importance for such teachers have a characteristic in their extraordinary influence over others and their own will-power: they neither rely on their own selfish opinions nor do they cling to any obsession for training and understanding are perfectly harmonised within them. The above are the characteristics of a true teacher.

 

6. The Necessity of Being Aware During Zazen.

Zazen being of grave importance, neither neglect it nor regard it lightly. There have been magnificent examples of old masters in China who cut off their arms or fingers for the sake of the Truth: centuries ago the Buddha forsook both His home and His country – to do so are sure signs of true training.

People of the present time say that they need only practice that which comes easily – this is very bad; such thinking is not at all akin to true Buddhism. If you concentrate only on one thing and consider it to be training then it is impossible to even lie down in peace: if one action is done with a bored or uneasy mind, all things become boring or uneasy; I know full well that they who seek things the easy way do not look for the True Way.

Shakyamuni was able to give the teaching at present to be found in the world after undergoing very difficult training and thus He is the great teacher – His was the source: as this is so, how can the descendants of Shakyamuni gain anything by taking it easy? The Mind that seeks the Way does not search for easy training: should you look for an easy means of training, you will probably not reach the true realisation, and you can never find the treasure house. The most excellent of the old Ancestors said that training was hard to undergo for Buddhism is deep and immense: the great masters would never have spoken of the difficulty of Buddhism had it been easy.

By comparison with the old Ancestors, people nowadays amount not even to so much as a single hair in a herd of nine cows: even if they do their best, pretending it is hard, they do not begin to attain the easy training and understanding of the Ancestors because of their lack of strength and knowledge.

What is taught as easy training and beloved by present-day people? It is neither secular nor Buddhist for it cannot even be compared to the teachings of devils and evil gods, nor can it be compared to heresy and the two vehicles: the delusions of ordinary people have deep roots and they trap themselves in eternal transmigration by pretending to escape from the present world.

It is difficult to break the bones and crush the marrow from outside, and to control the mind is more difficult still; it is of even greater difficulty to undergo true training and long austerity, whilst the greatest difficulty of all is the harmonising of the training of body and mind. Many, in olden times, underwent a training which required the crushing of their bones and, if this were valuable, they should have become enlightened but only a handful did. They who endured austerity, in like manner, should have become enlightened but, here again, few did: this is because, when undergoing such training, it is extremely difficult to harmonise body and mind.

Neither a clear head nor a good knowledge of learning are of great importance any more than are mind, will, consciousness, thought, understanding or perception; all of them are useless; to enter the stream of Buddhism one must just simply harmonise the mind and the body—Shakyamuni said that one must turn the stream of compassion within and give up both knowledge and its recognition. Herein lies the full meaning of the above for in this neither movement nor stillness are in the ascendency and this is true harmony.

If one could penetrate Buddhism as a result of intelligence and learning, certainly Shinshu could have done so: if it were difficult to penetrate Buddhism because of low birth and class, Daikan Enō could never have become the supreme Ancestor. The means by which Buddhism is Transmitted is far beyond normal intelligence and understanding; look carefully for all signs within yourself, meditate upon yourself and train hard.

The teachings of Zen make no choice between either old or young: Jōshu did not begin to train until he was over sixty but he was a very fine Ancestor: the priestess Teijō started her training at the age of twelve and became the finest of the priests in her monastery: it is the amount of effort made that conditions the understanding of Buddhism received, and this differs according to the training or lack thereof.

They who have spent much time in worldly or Scriptural study should visit a Zen training centre; many have already done so: Bodhidharma taught the clever Eshi, known as Nangaku, whilst Daikan Enō taught Yōka Genkaku. To make the Truth clear and enter the Way, one must study with a Zen master: one must never try to bring a Zen master’s teaching down to one’s own level of understanding for, should one try to understand it from one’s own self-opinionated view-point, one will never understand. Before asking for the Truth from a master, you must make your body and mind pure and quieten your perceptions so that both eyes and ears perceive and hear in peace; simply listen to the teaching and do not allow it to become soiled by your own thoughts: your body and mind must be at one with each other as water is poured from one bowl to another. If you can achieve such a state of body and mind, the Truth that the master teaches can be made one with yourself.

At the present time the unwise memorise the scriptures and cling to what they have heard; they try to equate such things with the master’s teaching but actually only re-hear their own opinions and those of others which do not at all equate with the teaching they have just received; they are convinced that their own opinions are right and then memorise a few parts of the Scriptures calling this Buddhism. Should the teaching you hear from a Zen master go against your own opinions they are probably a good Zen master; if there is no clash of opinions in the beginning it is bad. People who are stuck with their own opinions frequently do not know how to get rid of them and so cannot use the teaching given to them: for a long time they suffer from grave confusion and must be regarded with great grief.

Presumption, discrimination, imagination, intellect, human understanding and the like have nothing to do with Buddhism when studying Zen – too many people are like children, playing with such things from their birth. You must awaken to Buddhism right now – above all, you must avoid presumption and choice; reflect carefully upon this. Only the Zen masters know the gateway to the Truth; professors have no knowledge thereof.

 

7. The Necessity for Zazen when Training to be Truly Free.

Because of its superiority Buddhism is sought by many people but, whilst Shakyamuni was alive, there was only one teaching and one teacher; by Himself, the Great Shakyamuni guided all living things to complete understanding. Since Makakashyo commenced the Transmission of the Truth, there have been twenty-eight Ancestors in India, six in China; the Ancestors of the five schools (churches) have, without interruption, Transmitted it to the present time: since the period of Ryokai, all really worthy persons have entered into Zen Buddhism whether they were in the priesthood or of royal blood.

One should love the excellence of true Buddhism rather than what passes for Buddhism: it is wrong to love the dragon as did Sekkō.² In some countries east of China a web of learning, rather than true Buddhism, has been spread across the seas and mountains; although it spreads over the mountains, the heart of the clouds is not within it; although it spreads across the seas the hearts of the waves are destroyed thereby, fools take pleasure herein; such people are as those who would treasure a fish-eye in the belief that it was a pearl, making a plaything thereof—to behave thus is to treasure a pebble from Gen as if it were a jewel. There are many who are ruined by falling into the hall of the demons.

In a country in which there is much bias, the Truth has difficulty in appearing because of the way in which it is beset by contrary winds. Although China has already taken refuge in the Truth of Buddhism neither our country nor Korea have, as yet, had any real contact therewith. Why? At least the Truth can be heard in Korea but here it is not; this is because those who went to China clung to erudition—they seem to have transmitted the Scriptures but they forgot to Transmit the Truth. What merit is there here? None whatsoever; their failure was due to their lack of understanding of true training. How unfortunate it is that the body should be thus vainly employed in hard work for all its natural life.

When learning the Way, listening to the teaching of the master and training after first entering the gate, there is something you should know. In the Ryogonkyo it says that external things control the self and that the self controls external things; should I control external things then I am strong and they are weak but, should the external things control me, then they are strong and I am weak; from the beginning these opposites have existed in Buddhism; unless someone has a true Transmission, this cannot be understood; unless a true master is found, even the names of these opposites are unheard of: those who have no knowledge of this can never study true Buddhism for how can they ever differentiate between right and wrong? They who practice true Zen by studying the Way naturally Transmit the meaning of these opposites; they make no mistakes such as are found in some teachings. It is not possible to understand the true Way without the training of Zen.

8. How a Zen Trainee Should Behave.

The Truth has been Transmitted directly to the present time from the time of the Buddhas and Ancestors; in all the twenty-eight Generations in India and the six in China no thread has been added to, or speck of dust taken away from, it. After the robe was given to Daikan Enō the Truth spread from one end of the world to the other and so the Buddha’s Truth flourishes in China.

Truth can never be sought and they who once see the Way forget all knowledge and fame for they transcend relative consciousness. Gunin was at Ōbai when Daikan Enō lost his face; Eka, the Second Ancestor, cut off his arm in front of Bodhidharma’s cave thereby gaining the marrow of Buddhism by destroying the selfish mind: having gained the core of Buddhism, he gained vital freedom, dwelling neither in body nor mind and having no attachment, stagnation or grasping.

A trainee asked Jōshu if a dog had Buddha Nature to which Jōshu replied, “Mu.” How can “mu” be measured? There is nothing to hold on to; one must just let go. What are body and mind? What is Zen behaviour? What are birth and death, the affairs of the world, mountains, rivers, earth, humans, animals, home? If you continue thus, neither action nor non-action arise as distinct of themselves, and so there is no inflexibility: few indeed understand this, most suffering from delusion. The Zen trainee can gain enlightenment if they reflect upon themself from the centre of their being; it is my sincere hope that you will not take pride in gaining the True Way.

 

9. The Necessity of Training in Order to Attain the Way of Buddhism.

They who would study the Way must first find out if they are looking in the right direction. Shakyamuni, who learned to control His self, saw the morning star whilst sitting beneath the Bodhi Tree, thereby becoming suddenly enlightened to the highest degree; because of this, His Way cannot be compared with that of the Shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas. Not only did the Buddha enlighten Himself, He Transmitted that enlightenment to the other Buddhas and Ancestors so that, even to the present day, the Transmission has not been interrupted. As this is so, how can they who are enlightened help but be Buddhas?

To face the Way squarely is to know the true source of Buddhism and make clear the approach thereto for it is beneath the feet of every living person: you find Buddhism in the very spot where you perceive the Way. The perfection of self comes with the penetration of enlightenment but, should you become proud of your enlightenment, you will only know the half thereof.

In such a frame of mind must you face the Way, but they who only study the Way do not know whether it is open or shut. Some greatly desire to perform miracles; these are gravely mistaken for they are as those who forsake their parents and escape, or give up treasure and just wander: they are as the only child of a rich parent who becomes a beggar through seeking for external things; this indeed is a true picture.

To truly study the Way is to try to penetrate it and, in order to do this, one must forget even the slightest trace of enlightenment. One who would train in Buddhism must first believe completely therein and, in order to do so, one must believe that one has already found the Way, never having been lost, deluded, upside-down, increasing, decreasing or mistaken in the first place: one must train oneself thus, believing thus, in order to make the Way clear; this is the ground for Buddhist study. By this method one may cut the functioning of consciousness and turn one’s back upon the road of learning; in such a way as herein described must trainees be guided. Only after such training can we be free of the opposites of body and mind, enlightenment and delusion.

They who believe that they are already within the Way are truly rare but, if you can truly believe it, the opening and closing of the Great Way are understood quite naturally and the root of delusion and enlightenment is seen as it is. If you try to cut the function of conscious discrimination you will almost see the Way.

 

10. The Receiving of Direct Teaching.

There are two ways in which to set body and mind right; one is to hear the teaching from a master and the other is to do pure Zazen yourself. If you HEAR the teachings the conscious mind is put to work whilst ZAZEN embraces both training and enlightenment; in order to understand the Truth you need both. All living beings possess both body and mind, irrespective of strong or weak behaviour, for behaviour itself is variable: it is by means of the body and mind that we become enlightened and this is the receiving of the teaching. There is no need to change the present body and mind; all one has to do is follow in the enlightened Way of a fine Zen master for this is the receiving of the teaching directly: to follow a Zen master is not to follow in old ways nor to create new ones, it is simply just to receive the teaching.

 

Notes: