Baika: Plum Blossoms – Talk 5
December 6, 1988 Dharma Talk by Dainin Katagiri Roshi
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Katagiri Roshi: Good morning.
Number two:
My late master, old buddha, ascended the seat and taught the assembly:
When Gautama’s eyeball vanishes,
plum blossoms in snow, just one branch,
become thorn bushes, here, everywhere, right now.
Laughing, spring wind blowing madly.This is the time for all human and heavenly beings to turn towards attaining the way, as the old buddha’s dharma wheel is turned to the extreme limit of the entire world. Even clouds, rain, wind, and water, as well as grass, trees, and insects, do not fail to receive the benefit of this teaching. Heaven, earth, and land are vigorously turned by this dharma wheel. To hear words never heard before is to hear these words. To attain what has never existed is to attain this teaching. This is the dharma wheel which one cannot see or hear without having some inconceivable good fortune.
– From Moon in a Dewdrop, edited by Kazuaki Tanahashi.
This is a poem given by Dōgen’s teacher Ju-ching (Rujing) on the 8th of December, for the celebration of the Buddha’s Enlightenment Day. Dōgen Zenji really liked this poem, and respected very deeply his teacher Ju-ching through this poem. So I think this is a little bit difficult, but let’s read it today. I would like to explain this poem a little bit.
02:52
When Gautama’s eyeball vanishes,
plum blossoms in snow, just one branch, …
I think one flower is fine; just one flower is blooming. […]
“When Gautama’s eyeball vanishes”: I think this is Gautama Sidhartha attained enlightenment when he saw the star at dawn on the 8th of December. When he saw this star at dawn with his naked eye, he wouldn’t have attained enlightenment, because still his naked eye cannot be free from common sense, and human knowledge and education, habits, and his birth, parents’ birth, and many things. So in order to see the star as it truly is, exactly with the rhythm of the universe, he has to take out his eyeballs. [He chuckles.] Anyway, “take out” means take out the egoistic sense. In other words, he must be free from the common sense, education, knowledge he has accumulated. He should be completely free from his egoistic sense, and education, knowledge, et cetera. Then, he can see the star with the rhythm of the universe. That is kind of attainment of enlightenment.
Yesterday I mentioned time. I think the time doesn’t remain in its own form for long. Not only the time, but everything doesn’t remain in their own form for long. When the time comes to its own form through and through, then the time changes, the time turns into something. So that is a time, and that is a table, that is human life, human death, and that is trees, birds, winter, spring, autumn, et cetera.
So from this point, I think Dōgen Zenji quoted the ancestor’s statement in order to talk about life and death. The quotation is that “Life is total manifestation of life, death is the total manifestation of death.” So total manifestation of death, total manifestation of life.
So life is the total manifestation of the whole universe. The whole universe is exactly something always changing, turning into something. So always creating; that is creation. That is arising, perishing, arising, perishing, arising, perishing, arising, perishing. Always moving. So total manifestation of the whole universe is nothing but movement. Life is movement. Completely total movement.
And if you see life as total movement, I think everything is movement. Everything is the very beginning of the movement. You can realize the movement through the form of trees, the form of a winter.
So that’s why from this point life is the total manifestation of life, death is the total manifestation of death. So death is not different from life.
So life is not inconsistent with death. Death is exactly compatible with life. Life is compatible with the trees in the garden, and winter in Minneapolis. Death is exactly the same as the rhythm of winter in Minnesota.
So very naturally everything is nothing but movement in dynamism. You can see this through the form of trees, snow, and the sun, and morning sunrise and sunset.
You know one of the western poets, I forget the name – a French person, 19th century. Rimbaud. He says a very simple poem about eternity. Do you know that? No. A very simple poem, he says:
I found it again.
What? It’s Eternity.
The sun which is gone with the sea.
This is the poem.
Can you imagine the sunset, on the horizon of the sea. Even if you see a sunset here, you can feel that. The sun is setting from moment to moment, and then right before the sun completely disappears, the horizon and the sun – how can I say – the sun disappears pretty quickly, and then all of the sea and the skies, all of it covered with gold, golden colors, very bright. And then that is moving, constantly moving. I think you can [imagine] a sunset like that.
I sometimes see the sunset, and I want to see the sunset until it disappears completely. But sometimes I can’t see the completion of sunset; right before sunset, sometimes I have to do something, you know, or my mind is going somewhere. And then I missed the chance to see the sunset, and then the sun disappeared. So I think the moment when the sun disappears, it’s very quick. It’s very quick. That is what the poet says, the sun which is gone with the sea, completely with the sea. That is eternity. It means that the sun completely sucked in space, universe. And then finally all over the world is colored with gold and brightness, sky and sea, all over.
So that is, I think you can see through this, eternity is kind of samadhi. You cannot use your egoistic sense and common knowledge, etc. You have to throw away, and just see the sun and then you can [be] sucked into the sunset. And then that is called eternity. That is called zenki: total manifestation.
So ki means, I mentioned, the momentum of energy, kind of momentum energy. Momentum energy is – how can I say – the sun going down and constantly moving. And then maybe you can pinch the nose of the sun: “Hey, wait!” You know, something like that. Do you understand that? [Laughter.] So the moment the sun disappears, you can pinch the nose of the sun. That is a ki – momentum of energy. In order to experience this, you cannot use your ego. You cannot use your ideas and education – [he laughs] no way. Because it is beautiful, and the whole sky is golden, colored with gold, and the whole world is moving. The sunset and the morning sunrise, you know? It is very beautiful.
So that’s why this poet says, “I found it again.” You know, what? It’s eternity. What’s eternity? The sun which is gone in the sea. This poet is completely sucked into the rhythm of the universe. So at that time he has no ideas. Just, he found it.
Dōgen Zenji says [it] in the Gakudō-yōjinshū like this: “The dharma turns you; you turn dharma.” This is a kind of this eternity poem made by the poet. Excuse me, before this, this book is a new book, translated by Shōhaku Okumura. Pretty soon he will send this book. It’s a very nice book. The series of books: [Shikantaza: An Introduction to Zazen], and Shobogenzo Zuimonki; this is one. It is a very nice book.
In this book, Gakudō-yōjinshū, “The Points to Watch in Practicing the Way.” And also Jijuyu Zanmai, written by Menzan Zen Master. And also an essay by Uchiyama Roshi, “Dōgen Zen as Religion,” the three parts. It’s a very nice book, nice translation.
(Transcriber’s Note: This content is today available in the online PDF Heart of Zen: Practice without Gaining-mind.)
So, Gakudō-yōjinshū number 7, he says:
When you begin to learn the buddha-way, visit a master, listen to his teachings, and practice in accordance with them. At this point, there is one thing you have to understand. That is, the Dharma turns you and you turn the Dharma. When you turn the Dharma, you are strong and the Dharma is weak. When the Dharma turns you, the Dharma is strong and you are weak.
– From Heart of Zen: Practice without Gaining-mind
This is kind of, he [talks] about you who are interconnected, interpenetrated with the sunset, or the morning sunrise, on the horizon of the sea. So, you just stand up, and then you are sucked into the sunset, and then you are not there. So, the dharma turns you. Why you are sucked in, why you are impressed by the sunset? You don’t know. Already you are sucked into the sunset, and then dharma turns you, the dharma receives you, and whole universe uses you. And then at that time, you are weak. You don’t know who you are. You simply cannot perceive what you are. Why you do this, or why you want to do this – nothing, completely nothing. You are weak; dharma is strong. Dharma means the whole universe. The whole universe is momentum of movement, momentum of energy. Just moving, just moving.
So, you are sucked in means you are sucked in to this movement, momentum of energy the sun has. At that time, your body must be exactly tuning into the rhythm of the sunset, the whole universe.
So, practice is just like that. The gassho is just like the sunset. And bowing, and zazen, exactly just like a sunset, and morning sunrise: you are just right on there. And, your footwork, your mental footwork must be very light. [Laughter.] Your spiritual, mental footwork must be light and must be fresh. Do you understand that one?
But, you don’t do it. The gassho: “what do you mean by this?” Your footwork is very heavy, very heavy. At that time, you cannot win the… boxing. Boxing? In boxing, your footwork is very important. Not punching somebody; footwork is very important for the boxer. So the same applies to the Zen student: you must be a spiritual boxer. [He chuckles.] You know, you punch… not punch. Before you punch, your footwork must be light. You know; moving. And tuning into the rhythm of the sunset. When you see the sunset, you have to do it. When you see the gassho, you have to do it. But, we don’t do it, always.
That is, in order to do this, I think you have to practice under the guidance of teachers, and throwing away your ego, and common sense. And, the teacher says, “Do it.” “Yes, sir.” That’s it. At that time we are afraid of doing this, because there is no self-emphasis. But, this is very important for us.
So that’s why here it says, “There is one thing you have to understand. That is, the Dharma turns you and you turn the Dharma. When you turn the Dharma, you are strong and the Dharma is weak.” At that time, you really accept the sunset, which is exactly the same as the trees, birds, and life and death, and friends and parents, and all things exactly [accepted]. So, you are the host, you become the host, wherever you may be. You are master of yourself. You know, in Zen terms, you must be master of yourself, in whatever situation you may be. Do you remember this term? At that time, you turn the Dharma. When you are strong, Dharma is weak, which means dharma is always with you, supporting. Dharma doesn’t appear in front. When you do gassho, just do gassho precisely with whole-heartedness; at that time, you are strong, and dharma is weak. And then people see this gassho, and they feel very impressed by this. At that time, dharma turns you, and dharma is strong, you are weak. That is zazen, and gassho, and bowing, and studying the Buddha’s scriptures, et cetera.
So that’s why Dōgen Zenji says here, “When the Dharma turns you, Dharma is strong and you are weak.”
These two aspects are always present in the buddha-dharma.
This is the point. Okay?
That practice is really taking out your naked eyes. [He chuckles.] That’s pretty hard for us, that’s why most people give up half-way.
For instance, Nonin practicing at Shogoji. It’s pretty hard practice over there. No particular teachers there, and young monks, and several young monks practice with them. The location is completely toward the top of the mountains, and no houses around; pretty isolated. No telephone, no radios, [he laughs,] no TVs, no newspapers. So, if you want to call, you have to go down to the village, and it takes more than 40 minutes. It’s pretty hard practice over there. Most people want to have a chance to listen to the Buddha’s teachings given by teachers, et cetera. Yes, it is important, but practicing there under such a situation, it is very good medicine for us, in order to practice what Dōgen mentions: turning the dharma, turning you. And dharma turns you, you turn Dharma. This movement: it penetrates your skin and muscles, but we don’t realize it.
So, I understand it’s pretty hard for Nonin, but anyway, I try to encourage him to stay there. [He laughs.] But I don’t know how long he will. [Laughter.] But he is pretty good; he is pretty good.
27:13
There is no one who knows this unless it has been transmitted to him or her by a true teacher. Unless one is a patched-robe monk (Zen monk), the chances are few of even hearing about it.
So, there is no one who knows this, unless it has been transmitted to them by a true teacher. I think, in those days, not only nowadays, I think in any age, you know, human beings don’t want to practice this. [He laughs a little.] [They] always try to get excitement, and always try to use their own egos, and knowledge, and education. And they want to show up their own capability first; and then people respect and pay attention to you, and then you feel proud of yourself. This is very common. But the Buddhistic way is completely opposite. That’s why it’s very hard. Not only Americans; wherever you may go, nowadays human beings are the same. Anyway, even in Japan, same things.
So, I think this practice is very important for us.
That’s why, in the Shoyoroku, the Book of Equanimity, there is a koan. Jōshū Zen Master was asked by a monk, “What is the meaning of Bodhidharma coming to China from the West?” And he says, “Oak tree in the garden.” The monk says, “I’m not talking about circumstances.” [He laughs.] “I’m talking about the essence of Buddha’s teaching.” Jōshū says, “I’m not talking about the circumstances or objects.” And the monk says, “What do you want to talk about?”Jōshū says, “Oak tree in the garden.”
So if you have the Buddha’s eye, I think oak tree becomes a Buddha. Because oak tree is the beginning of letting you see the total movement, total manifestation of the moment of energy. That’s it. But when you see these trees with your naked eye, just the trees’ form, that is a dead tree. But within the tree, what’s going on there? You know, earth, and skies, all are coming together and working. It is very quiet, but it’s working. So you have to see the dynamic movement through this tree, because the form of tree is the beginning, the beginning of letting you see, understand, know the momentum of energy the whole universe possesses.
So, I think everything is just movement, movement in dynamism. This is the trees, birds, the skies; that is called “Life is total manifestation of life, death is total manifestation of death.” That’s what Dōgen Zenji says. So, that’s why Jōshū Zen Master mentions like that.
So always you have to pick up the momentum of energy which appears right now, there. It’s not a concept; it’s just like seeing a sunset: you are sucked into some moment. You have to catch that moment, when you see the sunset. I don’t think you should see the form of the sunset, you know. Your consciousness, whole body, your nerves are all concentrated on just the sunset, the movement of sunset with the sea and with the sky. And then you really get some momentum of energies. That is called zenki, total manifestation. And then when you experience it and it helps your life, we call that enlightenment.
So enlightenment is not something particular. You have to be exactly right on the stream, stream of rivers, stream of rhythm of the universe in movement. At that time you can catch this moment, opportunity, momentum of energy. Then, you can turn the dharma, dharma turns you; this kind of a situation is coming up.
So I think whatever kind of practice you do, whatever kind of Buddhist teaching you study – for instance, ten categories of existence; hell, hungry ghost, etc.; ten categories of Buddhism taught by Tendai school – this is not an idea where when you die, after that death, there is hell, there is paradise. I don’t think so, because no one proves it. I don’t know it. But if you want to know the paradise after death, you have to know this now, you know, day to day. Because paradise, hell, are nothing but momentum of rhythm, energies. That’s why even in hell a Buddha exists. If hell is something different from human life, I think Buddha doesn’t exist there. So within the hell, still there is a Buddha’s bodhisattva exist. That’s why there are lots of opportunities to come out of hell.
So Hakuin Zen master was asked by the samurai, “Do you believe in hell?” Hakuin Zen master says, “Yes, I believe.” “Can you see the hell?” He said, “Yes, I see.” [He laughs.] The samurai said, “How can you see it?” Hakuin Zen master says, “You cannot see with your plastic eyes.” [He laughs.] He said plastic eyes; artificial eyes. “You cannot see the hell with your plastic or artificial eyes.” And then the samurai was very mad at him! And he took out a sword and tried to kill him. And then Hakuin Zen master ran away and said, “Wait a minute, wait a minute! That is hell!” [Laughter.] The samurai immediately realized – “Oh, right! This is hell.” So he put back the sword. And Hakuin said, “That is paradise.” [He laughs.]
So you have to catch that momentum of energy. That is important. This is a practice. That’s why your spiritual footwork must be light and fresh. It must be fresh.
But we are always cheated by the words. Words, and the form of trees, and the cold; always we are cheated by it. And then we cannot move an inch, because all this kind of sticky stuff there. You try to lift your foot, but the foot is stuck by the sticky stuff. What would you say? Not quicksand… glue. Very sticky glue.
That is, Rujing says, “When Gautama’s eyeball vanishes.” Then Gautama Siddhartha took out his eyeballs anyway. Which means egolessness, complete egolessness, becoming one with the moment of energy which the whole world possesses. And then he saw the stars at dawn, exactly like a plum blossom in snow, just one branch. The whole world is covered with snow, which means complete aloneness. Nothing there.
Don’t you feel that, when you see the winter and all over is covered with snow? I feel always this loneliness, alone.
When I was at the temple, I think my temple was a little bit at the foot of the mountains in front of the Japan Sea. Also the rice field and the mountains behind. In the winter, January, February, completely covered with snow. And I felt always loneliness. I screamed! I screamed. But if I go up to the mountain a little bit, there is a plum tree there. Ten or twenty plum trees. That is scarlet plum trees, scarlet plum flowers, blooms just in the middle of January. The bright snow, completely bright hot, and then blooms. It’s very clear. I felt relief. “Oh, thank you, thank you, plum tree!” It encouraged me. So it’s very beautiful; I couldn’t forget that one. Because when I was at the temple, it was a very hard life in those days.
So,
plum blossoms in snow, just one branch, …
In this case, he uses a branch, but this is according to the rhythm of a poem. So he uses a branch, but actually this is a flower: scarlet flower blooms in the white snow. So, very loneliness, nothing there, very lonely feeling, but there is a very clear, clear flowers blooming as moment of energy, moving. He saw it. That’s why it is just like a star at dawn he saw.
And then, he says,
become thorn bushes, here, everywhere, right now.
That plum blossoms are blooming in the snow as a scarlet, you know? As a moment of energy which the whole universe possesses. But it is exactly same as the bushes, trees, and right now, right here, wherever he may go, trees is just like plum blossoms blooming there in the snow.
When you see the sunset, sunset is exactly plum blossom blooming in the snow. So everything is, if you see the oak tree in the garden, that is nothing but movement. The sunset, and movement in dynamism. So, sunset, oak tree is Buddha. This is Buddha.
So that’s why Rujing says, “Plum blossoms in snow, just one branch, become thorn bushes.” Sometimes it becomes thorn bushes; that means thorn bushes are nothing but plum trees. Same thing.
And “right here, everywhere, right now.” Everywhere. Anyway loneliness, but right in the middle of loneliness, there is a moment of energy is going, blooming, spreading into the whole universe. Just like plum blossoms blooming.
This is trees, and this is pebbles, this is a lake, this is winter, birds – everything. That’s what he says here: “becomes thorn bushes, here, everywhere, right now.”
Laughing, spring wind blowing madly.
This laughing means, how fun, what fun, you know? What a joy it is! Because wherever you may go, you can see the dynamical moment of energy there. Because everything is movement in dynamism; that’s it. You can see it through the form of trees and winters, et cetera. That’s why he says “laughing”: how joyful it is, how joyful everything is.
“Spring wind blowing madly”: so it becomes spring. Sometimes it becomes spring wind, sometimes it’s winter wind blowing madly. That is creating a big world. By the spring wind, winter wind…
[Tape change.]
In [chapter] Prajñāpāramitā in Shōbōgenzō, Dōgen comments on Rujing’s poem about the wind bell. Do you remember? He says:
The whole body is like a mouth hung in space;
without question of east, west, south, or north winds,
it equally tells others of wisdom. Drop after drop freezes.– From Shōbōgenzō: Zen Essays by Dōgen, translated by Thomas Cleary, p. 26.
I don’t know [about] “drop after drop freezes.” In the original poem it says [di ding dong liao di ding dong] (滴丁東了滴丁東); it means the sound of a wind bell. He translated it as “drop after drop freezes.” It doesn’t make sense, huh? I don’t know why he translated it like this. When I read it, [I wondererd] what does it mean, “drop after drop freezes”? But [the] original means just the sound of the wind bell, ringing. So in Chinese, we call it [phrase].
So “the whole body is like a mouth hung in space”: So wind bell is hanging in the corner of the temple roof, four corners of the temple roof. And it is just like a mouth hung in space; a little one. So it’s kind of a mouth, you know? But hanging in space, receiving the whole universe, and taking care of the universe. And then the universe becomes the east wind, west wind, and it comes, goes, and comes, goes, and comes. And then this mouth opens and makes a sound. Without egoistically choosing which would you like – completely open and without question, without any questions. Without question of east, west, south, north, winds, it equally tells others wisdom. This is wisdom. Wisdom is catching that momentum of energies. In the form of sunset, and relating with the sea, relating with you. You have to catch it. That is wisdom, the merit of wisdom. Wisdom gives you this chance. […]
48:00
And then Dōgen Zenji says,
This is the time for all human and heavenly beings to turn towards attaining the way, as the old buddha’s dharma wheel is turned to the extreme limit of the entire world.
I think Dōgen’s commentary is, you know, Rujing turns the dharma wheel constantly until the end of the universe; to the extreme limit of the entire world. That is opportunity of attaining enlightenment. This is realization of the Buddha. It means if you see a sunset, just like this poet, he says, “I found it.” What? It’s eternity. What’s that? You know, the sun which is gone with the sea. Immediately he sees this, where the dharma wheel is turning in the sun, and also in the sea, and finally in space. And then he says, “It’s eternity, complete eternity.” So he’s turning, the dharma wheel is turning to the extreme limit of the whole universe. And then his life is completely sucked into the sunset. And then, you really attain – that is the opportunity people can have [to] realize Buddha. This is the reason why Buddha was born in this world.
That’s why before we read the previous paragraph, Dōgen Zenji said,
Myriads and billions of blossoms are buddha-ancestor blossoms. In such a moment, “All the buddhas have appeared in the world” is shouted…
Why Buddha appears in the world, or when the Buddha appears in the world. This is the moment, this is the opportunity [when] Buddha appears in this world. So, Buddha appears in this world, that moment is, you have to catch this moment of energy between you and sunset, you and morning sunrise, you and gassho, you and tree you see, you and winter in Minnesota you meet. This is the opportunity [when] Buddha appears in the world. That is called enlightenment.
So, that is our practice. Our practice is what? Always showing the Buddha.
Okay. Do you have a question?
Oh, excuse me; a little more time.
51:48
Even clouds, rain, wind, and water, as well as grass, trees, and insects, do not fail to receive the benefit of this teaching.
Yes, everything has received this benefit. Because, if you see, just like the poet, finding that eternity through the form of sunset and the sea, at that time that merit spreads to every inch of the universe. So, trees receive it. Because, this poem sees the trees exactly as the sunset. Eternity. Because tree has eternity; tree is already eternity. Eternity is what? Constant movement. Constant movement in dynamism; related with all sentient beings. That is what he [is saying].
Also, Jijuyu Zanmai we chant in the noon service, I think Dōgen mentions like that. If you practice zazen even for a moment, the three categories of actions of your life is completely covered with the Buddha seal. And also this, you can give benefit to waters, creeks, trees, et cetera. If you read this, [it is] kind of [like] listening to the music created by orchestra. If you listen to an orchestra, I think each instrument is working together and creating a moment of energy. And then that really helps everyone; it spreads every inch of the universe. That’s why whenever you listen, this is helpful for us.
So, I think that is spiritual orchestra, and the spiritual mental orchestra there, music. Then at that time, trees listen to that music by the orchestra, and that’s why here it says they “never fail to receive the benefit of this teaching.”
Hashimoto Roshi mentioned to us, every time when we went out to practice begging on the street, he mentioned wearing the robe neatly, holding the bell, holding the Buddha bowls properly, walking straight without looking around: that is teaching, helping the people. So just walking without looking around, wearing the robe neatly, properly. Just walk. This is teaching. I didn’t believe it, but it’s really true. It’s really true. It doesn’t say anything, but it really teaches people; people get the benefit from this. That’s why in Japan, even if they say, “I am Christian,” still if they see this monk’s begging they are very moved by them, and give a contribution to them. It’s very interesting.
So, I think beyond the sects and beyond denominations, I think if you walk like this, if you practice like this, I think it benefits everyone. Not only human beings; trees, birds, cushions. That’s why if someone comes in this room, people feel something. It’s not mysterious, you know? Because you can constantly give the benefit, and these floors, this room, get the benefit, digest this benefit. That is the mood of this room, the zendo. That’s why people feel this.
That’s why I don’t want to rent the house, you know? [He laughs.] And practice zazen and then move. After zazen, and then I moved: that is really something I don’t like. So even the small one, if you have this one, you can give a benefit constantly. And then the rooms, the whole house digests this benefit, and creates a certain mood.
The same applies to a person’s life, you know? If you are always angry, inside is anger, your face becomes angry, naturally. That anger is not something wrong, but in a sense I think this is nothing but the moment of energy, so someday you can realize it, through the anger.
So, that is, he says here, “Grasses and insects do not fail to receive the benefit of this teaching.”
Heaven, earth, and land are vigorously turned by this dharma wheel.
Yes. That’s why people attain enlightenment by the mountains. People can talk about human life through the mountains, and appreciate bird’s life through the mountains.
That’s why here it says next,
To hear words never heard before is to hear these words.
Just like standing and walking, wearing the robes, the koromos, neatly; and just walk. You never heard anything; but it’s heard. You can hear this.
To attain what has never existed is to attain this teaching.
Yes it is. You are already right on the momentum of energies; you are there.
So you have never attained, you have never heard this one, but you are there. So, to attain what has never existed is to attain this teaching.
This is the dharmawheel which one cannot see or hear without having some inconceivable good fortune.
This is supreme good fortune.
Do you have any questions? [It’s] a little bit difficult, but I think you should just receive this with your whole body. If you do zazen – this zazen, okay? No-merit zazen – I think you can understand sooner or later. Sooner or later – I don’t know when. [Laughter.] But sooner or later. [He laughs.]