Shobogenzo Bendowa: Dogen's Questions & Answers – Talk 1
March 11, 1987 Dharma Talk by Dainin Katagiri Roshi
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Transcript
This transcript is in draft stage.
0:00
Katagiri Roshi: We will study at this time the questions and answers toward the end of the chapter Bendowa [written] by Dogen. This is very interesting question and answer made by Dogen Zenji himself. When he came back from China, [at first] he lived in Kyoto, [and] because of circumstances he didn’t do anything, he just stayed at a small temple. At that time he wrote this Bendowa first – before he would start to teach his disciples, before he would move to Koshoji Temple in Kyoto. So this is [the] first work of Dogen Zenji. It’s a very interesting article, this one.
I think in those days there were many questions about the zazen he emphasized. So he made eighteen questions and answered those questions. It’s a very interesting question and answer.
Question 1: Now I have heard and understand the sublime merit of Zazen. However, an unthinking person might have doubts, and say there are many entrances to the Buddha Dharma. What is the reason for your advocacy of Zazen alone?
Answer 1: Because it is the right entrance to the Buddha Dharma.
Question 2: Why is it alone the right entrance?
Answer 2: The great teacher Shakyamuni Buddha beyond doubt rightly transmitted zazen as the wonderful means for attaining the Way. Also, the tathagatas of the three periods all attain the way through zazen. That is the reason they have transmitted it from one to another as the right entrance. That is not all. Patriarchs from the western skies of India to the eastern earth of China all have gained the way through Zazen. Therefore, I now point it out to men and devas as the right entrance.
Question 3: It may be that zazen as the right entrance derives from the right transmission of the tathagatas’ wonderful means or from following in the path of the patriarchs. It is truly beyond the minds of ordinary men. Though it may be so, ordinary men believe reciting sutras and nembutsu should naturally be causes effecting satori. But to sit idly doing nothing, how can that be of help in gaining satori?
Answer…
This answer is very long, so I think I’ll read [just a little bit]…
Answer 3: By picturing as you did a moment ago the unsurpassed great dharma and samadhi of the Buddha as sitting idly and doing nothing, you malign the great vehicle. Your illusion is indeed profound. It is like being in the middle of a great ocean and saying there is no water. Thankfully, Buddhas are already sitting serenely in jijuyu samadhi. Does this not constitute extensive merit? It is to be pitied that your eyes are not yet opened, that your mind is still drunk.
The spiritual realm of Buddhas is totally incomprehensible. It is not to be reached by the workings of the mind. Still less can it be known by a man of disbelief or inferior intelligence. Only a person of great capacity based on right faith is able to enter here. Even were a person of disbelief given teachings of it, he would find it difficult to receive them. Even on Vulture Peak, there were some the Buddha allowed to leave. If right faith arises in your mind, you should practice religious discipline and study under a master. If it doesn’t arise, you should cease for a while and regret the fact of not receiving benefits of the dharma from the past.
Those three questions are all connected, talking about right entrance. Zazen is exactly right entrance to get into the Buddha’s world. So what is right entrance? Why does Dogen Zenji emphasize that zazen is right entrance?
Number one is [where] already Dogen Zenji [said], “It is right entrance to the Buddha Dharma, that’s why I emphasize how important zazen is.”
So right entrance: I think right in Buddhism is not the emphasis of self-centeredness each religion makes. Each religion always put the emphasis on it’s own religion, how important it is, how “right” this religion is. But I don’t think right in Buddhism is the emphasis of the egoistic self-centeredness which each religion often manifests. Is that clear?
[Instead,] I think right means thoroughgoing. In Pali or Sanskrit, if you say Sadharma Pundarika Sutra (the Lotus Sutra), sa means “togetherness,” or “join.” That is sa. So if you see something including all beings, that is perfect – it’s a perfect state of existence. If you see yourself including all sentient beings, your presence is perfect. If you see yourself [as] separate from all sentient beings, you are not perfect, you are pretty shaky. But regardless of whether you are conscious of it or not, your presence is exactly perfect – a best, thoroughgoing state of existence, because your life is supported by dharma. So that is so-called right, what sa means: togetherness, or join.
So that right sometimes is translated as “sublime,” or sometime we translate it as “subtle.”
Sadharma Pundarika Sutra in Japanese [is] Myoho Renge. Myo means “subtle,” so myoho means “subtle dharma.” Soko Gakai people always chant the title of the Lotus Sutra in Japanese, […] Myoho Renge Kyo. “Nam myoho” – nam means namo: you devote yourself to. So “namo myoho renge kyo” in Japanese – they are always chanting every day.
So that is right. Right means thoroughgoing. That something thoroughgoing is not something you should research or you should analyze and try to get something in your hand, but I think you should just accept. Just accept. In other words, just accept means believe. That is called to believe, [or] faith.
Faith is to believe in you, to believe in dharma. That means to accept you supported by all living beings. All beings; that is exactly best. So that is simultaneously [the] entrance gate to get into Buddha’s world. That’s why if you have faith, simultaneously it makes your life stable, because you can immediately get into Buddha’s world.
So that strength is coming from under the ground, it’s coming up constantly. It is not visible with the naked eye, but it is always in the bottom of your heart.
That is right entrance to the Buddha Dharma.
14:04
So next,
Question 2: Why is it alone the right entrance?
Then the answer is,
The great teacher Shakyamuni Buddha beyond doubt rightly transmitted zazen as the wonderful means for attaining the Way. Also, the tathagatas of the three periods all attain the way through zazen. That is the reason they have transmitted it from one to another as the right entrance.
So from this point, right entrance is something which buddhas and ancestors century after century have received and transmitted to the next generation, from one to another, exactly. But to transmit from one to another doesn’t mean that I give something which you don’t have to you. It doesn’t mean this. You have [it] already, I have [it] already. So “receive and transmit” means you have already something, so you have to dig it out, by you. So that is the practice. So the teacher and Buddha’s teaching helps, supports, in many ways, to find it.
But to find is not to find or to know intellectually. No. You have to accept it and receive it, exactly. To receive is to receive your life or to receive your object as something thoroughgoing, and perfect, best.
So I think to receive means the human action which you have to do before you know, or you research, you analyze. That is called imitate, or emulate. You have to emulate, or you have to imitate.
So zazen is what? Zazen is that which ancestors and buddhas have emulated zazen as it truly is.
So from here, it says the answer is, “The great teacher Shakyamuni Buddha beyond doubt rightly transmitted zazen as the wonderful means for attaining the way.” Wonderful means – I don’t think it is “means.”
In Japanese we say jutsu. In Japanese jutsu is a very interesting term. It consists of two parts. One is “to go along.” The other one is “solicitation” or “seeking.” Usually jutsu means “technique,” or “a way,” “a road,” or “a path.” So it is not “means,” it is a path, or it is a way, or it is a road one should go along.
So it consists of the two parts, to go along, and also the other one is solicitation. Is that ok? Solicit – to seek for, to research. So [it is] the solicitation or seeking which should go along constantly. That is called jutsu. Here it says “means,” but it’s not “means,” it’s a passage, or it’s a road, or it’s a way, [which] everyone should go along. Before you analyze it, what it is, you just do it.
So that is something wondrous because [it is] beyond your analysis, your understanding, beyond human speculation. That’s why it is wondrous, subtle, sublime, majestic. So your life is something sublime and wondrous.
This is the meaning of “means” here.
Also, the tathagatas of the three periods all attain the way through zazen. That is the reason why they have transmitted it from one to another as right entrance. That is not all. Patriarchs from the western skies of India to the eastern earth of China all have gained the way through zazen. Therefore I now point it out to men and devas as the right entrance.
So I think regardless of whether you like or dislike, anyway there is something you have to receive and transmit to the next generation. This is the sublimity of life, respectfulness to life. If you live in this world as human beings, well, you have to receive, you have to appreciate your life and transmit it to next generation: how sublime it is, how important human life is, how respectful human life is. Not only human life: all sentient beings’ life.
But, it’s very difficult to receive without explanation. That’s why we want to know what the zazen means, why we have to emphasize zazen so much.
I think according to Uchiyama Roshi, who wrote the book Refining Your Life, he uses very often “letting go of thoughts.” In other words, the state of existence in which your brain is letting go. Then, this is completely beyond your speculation.
In other words, I mentioned the other day, when you really put your body in a hot bath, and then you say “wow”, before you say “wow”, the state which you just put your body and mind in the bathtub before you say in a word, is completely beyond your speculation, which means it is oneness between the water and you and all sentient beings. That is oneness. From that oneness you can really get something which is simple, very simple way. That is just “wow,” that’s it. But if you say “wow,” most people are really involved in the “wow” expressed in a word. That is the samsaric world. Finally, we forget that first stage from which “wow” comes. But the important point is, we have to come back to that first stage from which the very basic, fundamental word, simple word, comes out. That is our practice – that is called Buddha’s world. We call it Buddha. Buddha’s land, Buddha’s world.
So, nothing to poke your head into. You just put yourself there and receive it, that’s it.
So I think right entrance means a very creative state of existence which occurs in the sphere of nothing. Sphere of nothing means […] beyond your speculation. In other words, in the sphere of the first stage, from which very basic fundamental word, your very basic fundamental experience comes out. That is Buddha’s world. That is called right entrance.
So, zazen is to exactly put yourself in that right entrance.
And then from this, [the] basic, fundamental word, so-called wow, [is] coming up, and the dualistic world [is] coming up.
26:25
But still there is a question. “I understand zazen is first entrance, right entrance, before you analyze, you synthesize what the zazen means. We understand it because buddhas and ancestors have transmitted from one to another from century after century. That’s why we should do it.” Yes, we understand it. But still [there is] a question. That question is the third one. He says,
It may be that zazen as right entrance derives from the right transmission of the tathagatas’ wonderful means, or from following in the path of the patriarchs. It is truly beyond the minds of ordinary men.
But how do ordinary men do this kind of zazen? So, that’s why, “It is truly beyond the mind of ordinary men.”
Though it may be so, ordinary men believe reciting sutras and nembutsu should naturally be causes effecting satori. But to sit idly doing nothing, how can that be of help in gaining satori?
Well, there is already [the] dualistic sense there. We always start to practice zazen in order to get the satori, in order to get the happiness, something like that. So, if you start to practice zazen on the basis of this idea, very naturally, satori or something wonderful is far from us. So, I am not an enlightened person, I am not a happy person, so I need happiness, I need enlightenment or satori. And then, you really try to do. That is one of the techniques – you know, always, wherever you may go, always people teach you in that way. This is ordinary life. Schools, business, and whatever – [in the] usual everyday life, always there is [technique] in that way. But, I think spiritual life or religious life is not to emphasize in taking care of human life in that way. No. If you do it, very naturally, you never get perfect peace, or happy, or repose in bliss. You never settle down yourself in repose and bliss, so-called perfect peace.
So, very naturally, the spiritual life emphasizes something completely different from what we have usually done. It is completely different from [our] usual way of life. So, that is non-dualism we say. But non-dualism seems to be something far from us. But non-dualism is exactly within us.
I think this question, number three, I think many people have this kind of question.
Well, even the zazen. There are many kinds of zazen, sitting meditation. Christian meditation… Last year I went to Colorado to participate in a conference in Christianity and contemporary Christian meditation groups there. And, many kinds of people [were] there, and discuss about meditations. Each person completely deals with meditation in a different way. But usually, they use always meditation as a means.
And there are many meditations: yoga meditations… yoga meditation itself is not dualistic, it is non-dualistic, but people use yoga meditation as a dualistic technique. At that time, endlessly, you have to seek for the yoga meditation in order to… what? Always there is a purpose, always there is a certain stage you have to reach. If you cannot, you are a failure. So, very naturally, there is encouragement there, but on the other hand, there is disappointment there, always. So, how can you get the peace?
And, also, sitting in zazen. Even the zazen in Zen, okay? There are a couple of different zazen there. Rinzai zazen, and Soto zazen. And Obaku zazen. [Huang Po] zazen. Chinese zazen, Korean zazen, and many kinds of zazen.
Even, you can say, mainly everyone knows Rinzai and Soto, okay? If you practice Rinzai zazen, what do they do? Always, the teacher gives you a koan, and you have to research and give an answer to this koan. You have to “pass” many koans, by zazen. So, zazen is a means. The main practice is to find a solution, or to pass in the koans. So, zazen is secondary, so, very naturally, zazen is a means.
Even the Soto priests […] in Japan always mention sometimes like this. “Of course, zazen is important, but zazen is not the final thing you have to do, but it is a means.” Still people say so.
But, I don’t think it is right understanding of Buddha Shakyamuni’s teaching generally, as a whole. Not Buddha Shakyamuni’s life, but that is all of your life. If you don’t accept your life in that way, you never get peace.
So, it’s very difficult for you, maybe, but you have to listen to this teaching and practice this teaching. Otherwise, it’s pretty hard to understand the world, and human beings, and peace, and harmony, whatever you say.
Very naturally, people complain about zazen practice, just sitting. Because, even in Buddhism, there are many schools: Kegon Buddhism, Avatamsaka Sutra, and Hossō schools, Buddhist psychologies, and Vipassana meditations, Vietnamese meditation mentioned by Thich Nhat Hanh, and many kinds of things. And then, you always say, it is ridiculous to just sit. If you are really a great person who has great capacity for becoming Buddha, you can do it – but how about ordinary [people], who don’t understand this? So, most people complain about this.
But that complaint you made is already questionable. Because, if you say so, you already put a certain label on you: “I am an ordinary person, who is different from a saint or a great person.” But, basically, you are great people.
I think the most important point is, right now, right here, which exists right in the process of your activity, flow of activity, there is always questions. […] For instance, I mentioned already, if you make a complaint – “I am not a great person, I am ordinary,” that is already you put the label on yourself. That is already you put yourself down. But actually, you are not. So, that is a question.
So very naturally, if you want to be free from that particular label, I think you should accept and receive it and do it. That’s all we can do. That is called emulate, imitate. Do zazen as a buddha. Behave as a buddha. Before you think whether you are a great person or not, anyway, you do it, as a buddha. And then, you can have creative life.
But you don’t see it. But, actually, if you do it, that effort what you have made is great reward for you. Even though you don’t see it. If you take one step, anyway, it means to proceed.
If you practice calligraphy on one piece of paper now, it is progress. But we don’t believe it. Because it’s “not good calligraphy.” If you see it with your naked eye, you don’t believe it. But it is already progress, because you have done [it].
In Buddhism, you should believe this: cause and effect exist simultaneously as one. Cause is effect. Effect is cause. Because this is in the Buddha’s world, it happens always. If you do gassho now, in peace, in harmony, it is peace, simultaneously. So, this cause is in the realm of flow of activity. Cause and effect are one. But on the other hand, in terms of intellectual sense, cause and effect are separate. So, very naturally, you shouldn’t ignore cause and effect. But on the other hand, you shouldn’t be bogged down with cause and effect. Because cause and effect are one.
So, that is already in the koan there. You know? Wild Fox – if you read this koan, it’s a very difficult koan, but […] it is a most important point we should understand constantly through our practice.
So, if you do it, simultaneously, it is progress. But you don’t see it. So, very naturally, all you have to do is take best care of one step. That’s all you can do. Instead of comparing with the many steps which you will take. So, right now, right here, you should take one step, with best effort.
41:20
So that’s why [the] answer. Let’s [look at] the answer:
By picturing as you did a moment ago the unsurpassed, great dharma and samadhi of the buddhas as sitting idly and doing nothing, you malign the great vehicle.
“Malign” means to speak ill of. It means you have doubt. Doubt means you don’t trust in the self, and teacher, and dharma.
[Tape change.]
Dharma [here] means the triple treasure: buddha, dharma, sangha. Well, you can say. So, doubt: doubt is one of the five hindrances. Doubt is not to trust in the self, and teacher, and dharma.
So, here it says, “you malign the great vehicle”: it means you already speak ill of the self and the teachers, or people, or all sentient beings, and dharma. It means you speak ill of others, you put yourself down, and people, and also all living beings. If you put yourself down, very naturally you cannot accept the world, dharma, as they truly are. Very naturally, [it’s a] miserable world.
So that’s why it says, “you malign the great vehicle…”
… your illusion is indeed profound.
[That] delusion means hindrances, doubt is coming up constantly. No matter how long you listen to Buddha’s teaching: “Yes, I understand, but I don’t believe it, I don’t trust myself always.” You always repeat the same things. That’s why Dogen Zenji says “your illusion is indeed profound.”
Well, what it means, he says,
It is like being in the middle of a great ocean and saying there is no water.
It’s ridiculous! But we do it. We are buddha, but we don’t believe it. Sitting down in zazen with wholeheartedness, this is simultaneously the great Way to get into the Buddha’s world beyond your speculation – but we don’t believe it. Even if you believe and do it, still you don’t believe how much your practice is progressing. You don’t believe it.
So, that’s why Dogen Zenji [says] in this Bendowa, “Even if you sit down for a minute, you become Buddha.” But that is so-called right entrance. Right means no gap between you and Buddha’s world. That is thoroughgoing. How can you get no gap between you and Buddha’s world? That is thoroughgoing practice. You have to do it.
So, zazen is a very simple way to participate in this thoroughgoing state of existence. It’s very simple. And also, this is all we want to do. And then we make a schedule and let you sit down, and then the moment when you are there, you start grumbling at it. That is so-called ignorance, we say. [He laughs a little.]
We are there, but we don’t believe it. But if you are away from it, you are always seeking for it. And then the buddhas always [say], “Please […] be here and see it.” So, Buddha puts you right in the middle of Buddha’s world, and then immediately human beings always start to grumble over it, and complain. Why do you do this? This is called ignorance. We don’t know why.
So that’s why buddhas and bodhisattvas never have a chance to get into the Buddha’s world, they always try to work with all sentient beings. Because human beings are always grumbling, always going in a different way. So, bodhisattvas never have a great chance to be present in the Buddha’s world for themselves, because they have to see all sentient beings and they have to walk hand in hand with all sentient beings.
This is a very simple analogy: he says it is like being in the middle of a great ocean and saying there is no water. I think you should taste it again and again in your life. Something important is right underneath you. But don’t poke your head [in]: “Where is it?” Before you poke your head in, just receive it and do it. And great happiness and stability and peace is right there, right in the middle of a flow of activities. But when you think of it, it is already you are far from it.
48:44
Thankfully, Buddhas are already sitting serenely in jijuyu samadhi.
Jijuyu samadhi means “self-joyfulness [samadhi].” Jijuyu samadhi is exactly participating in that Buddha’s world beyond human speculation. Just put yourself in the hot bath – that’s it. And then after that you create your word: “Wow!” Or not-wow. Because people are different, so sometimes people say “wow,” but sometimes people don’t want to say “wow.” Still people hate that hot bath, even though it is hot, wonderful. But whatever you say, wow or not-wow, anyway first put your body right in the middle of the bathtub. That’s it. That’s all you can do. That is called oneness. That is called Buddha’s world. Jijuyu samadhi. “Self-joyfulness,” which is pure and clean, and unsophisticated. Very pure. Everyone can do this.
That is called jijuyu samadhi. That’s why zazen is very simple – a very simple form, and you can do in your everyday life. Just simple form and simple circumstances. It’s a very wonderful opportunity to do this.
So that’s why zazen is jijuyu samadhi, [which] Dogen Zenji [says] in this Bendowa.
Does this not constitute extensive merit?
Well, we don’t believe this, but it is exactly the best way to do this. And then, if you do it, simultaneously you are buddha. In other words, peace, perfect peace. Thoroughgoing flow of activities. That’s it. Which is peaceful, which is pure and clean and unsophisticated.
It is to be pitied that your eyes are not yet opened, that your mind is still drunk.
Well, this is a long, long habit which we have accumulated.
The spiritual realm of Buddhas is totally incomprehensible.
So that’s why that oneness, which is right in the middle of putting yourself in the hot bath, is wondrous. Totally incomprehensible. You cannot understand it. But practically, if you do it, your body, and your water, hot bath, all sentient beings, [are] right there. Exactly.
But it’s very difficult to understand it.
It is not to be reached by the workings of the mind.
No way. But if you keep your mouth shut and just do it, very naturally, you are there.
Still less can it be known by a man of disbelief or inferior intelligence. Only a person of great capacity based on right faith is able to enter here.
Only the person of great capacity based on right faith is able to enter here. So you should have great faith. Who has this great faith?
Great faith is something [you are] gifted with already. So you […] have already great capacity, [you are] gifted with great faith – great opportunity, great working.
But here it says, “Only a person of great capacity based on right faith is able to enter here.” But you can say [it] like this: “Only a person of great capacity gifted with right faith is able to enter here.” You are already gifted.
54:50
Even were a person of disbelief given teachings of it, he would find it difficult to receive them.
But that difficulty is just the conceptual word. You are going astray; that’s it. But actually, you are right there – which is very simple, [like] blooming flowers in the spring.
But what makes it possible for you to go astray, that is the conceptual word, so-called “I am not a great person.” What is the not-great person? That is a concept, fabricated by you. But originally, or in the underlying essence, you are a great person, gifted with great faith.
So why not accept? Don’t be irritated. Don’t be agitated. [It’s] not [being] lazy, idle – but not irritated, in order to get the satori or happiness, etc. Beyond getting the satori or not, anyway, be present right here, right now, with thoroughgoing effort. That’s all we can do.
Even on Vulture Peak, there were some the Buddha allowed to leave.
But, Buddha knows. Buddha is very compassionate, over all different kinds of beings. But basically, buddhas and bodhisattvas constantly tell you, you are already a great person, gifted with great faith. So please, continually accept and practice it, taking care of your life with thoroughgoing effort.
But still they don’t understand, because they don’t believe, they don’t trust in the great faith [they are] gifted with already. So, very naturally, they leave.
This is a story in Saddharma Pundarika Sutra, when Buddha Shakyamuni preached at Vulture Peak in India – Vulture Peak means Himalaya Mountains. And he started to preach about the Avatamsaka Sutras. And there were many people, hundreds and thousands of people there. […] Buddhist monks and Buddhist nuns and laymen, bhikshuni, et cetera. But it says, five hundred people tried to leave. One of the main disciples asks Shakyamuni Buddha, “Is it alright for them to leave?” Because that disciple wants them to stay there, because it is Buddha’s compassion. So, “Buddha Shakyamuni, why don’t you stop them leaving?” But Buddha says, let them go.
So, then later, Dogen Zenji [says], if you don’t like zazen, if you really hate zazen, you can quit. You can quit zazen for a while. But don’t just quit, okay? [He chuckles.] Please reflect upon yourself. How can you reflect upon yourself? It means you miss the opportunity to participate in the bigger scale of the universe – that is your reflection, looking at yourself. Not regret – just looking at yourself. [What a pity it is] to miss the opportunity to participate in the Buddha’s world, or the great universe.
But now, I am enjoying myself because I am taking care of my own world, that’s all – not universal, Buddha’s world. So, I don’t like zazen, I don’t want to listen to Buddha’s teaching, et cetera. So at that time, you can quit. Just like Buddha Shakyamuni saying, “Let them go.”
So, that’s why Dogen Zenji mentions here, “Even on Vulture Peak, there were some the Buddha allowed to leave.”
If right faith arises in your mind, you should practice religious discipline and study under a master. If it doesn’t arise, you should cease for a while…
Here it says, if you don’t want to do it, you can cease.
… and regret the fact of not receiving the benefits of the dharma from the past.
Here it says “regret,” but not regret, okay? Not regret, because from regret I think you can have a certain […] restlessness, and remorse. You know, if you are so excited in the meaning of either good or bad, […] after that you reflect upon yourself and you don’t feel peaceful, [you are] uneasy. […] So I think here it […] doesn’t mean regret, it means reflect upon yourself. “[What a] pity it is that you have missed a great opportunity to participate in the universal world.” That’s all we can do.
Because we are supported by the dharma, so I think we should connect, we should join the dharma world, in many ways. That is the practice of mindfulness. In many ways, we can practice mindfulness, we can participate in the dharma world practically. If you cannot, you can quit. But still there is the opportunity to participate in the dharma world: that is reflecting upon ourselves, thinking of Buddha’s world, universal world.
That is what Dogen Zenji [says] here: if it doesn’t arise, you should cease for a while and regret the fact of not receiving the benefits of the dharma from the past.