Bill Powell will lead a talk and discussion of Dogen's ''THIS VERY BODY IS THE BUDDHA” on Sunday July 13th at 10am.

William (Bill) Powell is Professor Emeritus of two UCSB departments, Religious Studies and East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies. He was trained in the philological methods of Buddhist studies, which was the basis for his translation and study of the prominent 9th century Chan (Zen) monk, Dong shan. His more recent work focused on the relationship between Chinese Buddhism, pilgrimage and sacred space, particularly mountains.

10:00 — Service
10:20 — Zazen
10:50 — Kinhin
11:00 — Dharma Talk, Reading or Council

In person at Santa Barbara Hospice or on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81058779606

From Master Dōgen's Zazen Meditation Handbook

A Translation of Eihei Dōgen's Bendōwa: A Discourse on the Practice of Zazen

In the true zazen, enlightenment is not good, delusion is not bad. We should look equally at both enlightenment and delusion. Our sitting should be like this. We sit as the self of the entirety of myriad dharmas, as Dogen Zenji said. Sitting as the self that is only the self, we sit within jijuyu zanmai (samadhi of the self. This zazen has no comparison with zazen based on the desire to get satori and feel good, a kind of personal, psychological condition.

Dögen Zenji said that to sit in such a way is the true way of enlightenment; such zazen itself is enlightenment. Zazen is not a means to gradually attain enlightenment. We sit zazen, which is dropping off body and mind right now, right here.

Practice and enlightenment are not something different. We should not separate practice and enlightenment into two. Since zazen is itself enlightenment, there is no way to think that I become enlightened as a result of zazen practice. To sit zazen is to be in the profound sleep of enlightenment. Therefore, to think that I am enlightened is the same as to think that I sleep well within sound sleep. This is sham sleep. When we sleep really well, we cannot think that we sleep well. In the same way, within zazen, we cannot see if we are enlightened or not.

Sometimes we feel clear in zazen, sometimes not; certainly we don't feel clear more often than not. In either condition, zazen is zazen. We sit right in that place where we can look at both enlightenment and delusion equally.

Zazen is not like a realm of death without any scenery. It is untrue that we attain a mental condition of no-thought and no-imagination in zazen. Many and various kinds of thoughts come in and go away. Sometimes we think of food during sitting; we may think of the opposite sex; we usually have fantasies or delu-sions. However, even if we think of women or food, those are merely the scenery of zazen.

This is the meaning of "both mind and object appear and disappear within stillness."

QUESTION SIXTEEN:

Someone said, "In buddha-dharma, those who thoroughly understand the principle that mind itself is buddha, even if they do not chant sutras with their mouths or practice the buddha way with their bodies, still lack nothing at all of buddha-dharma. Simply knowing that the buddha-dharma exists in the self from the beginning is the perfect accomplishment of the Way. Outside of this, you should not seek from other people, much less take the trouble to engage the Way in zazen."

REPLY:

These words are total nonsense. If it is as you said, how could anyone with cognition fail to understand when taught this principle?

You should know that buddha-dharma is studied by truly giving up the view that discriminates between self and others. If just knowing that the self is itself buddha was attainment of the Way, Shakyamuni would not have taken the trouble in ancient times to give guidance. Now I will confirm this with an excellent example from an ancient worthy.

Long ago, Gensoku was the director monk in the assembly of Zen Master Hōgen. Hōgen asked him, "Director Gensoku, how long have you been in my assembly?"

Gensoku replied, "I have already been in the Master's assembly for three years."

Hōgen said, "You are a student. Why haven't you ever asked me about buddha-dharma?"

Gensoku said, "I cannot deceive you, O teacher. Once when I was at Zen Master Seiho's place, I realized the peace and joy of buddha-dharma.

Hōgen asked, "With which words were you able to enter?" Gensoku responded, "I once asked Seiho, 'What is the self of the student [that is, my own self]?' Seiho said, 'The fire boy comes seeking fire.' "

Hōgen said, "Good words! However, I'm afraid that you did not really understand them."

Gensoku said, "My understanding is that the fire boy belongs to fire. Already fire, still he seeks fire, just like being self and seeking self."

Hōgen exclaimed, "Now I really know that you don't understand. If buddha-dharma was like that it would not have been transmitted up to today."

At this, Gensoku was overwrought and left immediately.

On the road he thought, "The Master is one of the world's fine teachers, and also the guiding teacher of five hundred people.

Certainly there must be merit in his pointing out my error."

He returned to Hōgen and, after doing prostrations in repentance, asked, "What is the self of this student?"

Hōgen said, "The fire boy comes seeking fire." With these words, Gensoku was greatly enlightened to buddha-dharma.

Understand clearly that to comprehend "The self is itself buddha" cannot be called understanding buddha-dharma. If the comprehension that self is itself buddha was the buddha-dharma, Zen Master Hōgen would not have used that saying for guidance or made such an admonishment.