dan collier

Dogen Sangha International is a virtual Buddhist community created by Master Gudo Wafu Nishijima, an 87 year old Japanese monk. He gives advice to reader submitted questions recently, and previously he wrote about Buddhist philosophy and zazen. Sensei Nishijima recently appointed his successor. There was some grumbling in the community. It turns out the new leader writes for soft-core porn site Suicide Girls (soft core porn possible on last two links). The old Master responded.

Master Dogen quoted a Chinese poem, which was composed by a Chinese man called Cho Setsu, who was a mandarin in the Chinese Government. The poem says;

Brightness is serenely illuminating the whole sands-of-ganges world.
All souls, common and sacred, are my family.
When not one image appears the total body manifests itself.
If the six sense organs are slightly moved [the mind] is covered with clouds.
By eliminating disturbances we redouble the disease.
To approach the Truth intentionally is also wrong.
In following worldly circumstances there are no hindrance.
Nirvana, and living-and-dying, are just flowers in space.

Once Seung Sahn Soen-sa and a student of his attended a talk at a Zen center in California. The Dharma teacher spoke about Bodhidharma. After the talk, someone asked him “What’s the difference between Bodhidharma’s sitting in Sorim for nine years and your sitting here now?”

The Dharma teacher said, “About five thousand miles.”
The questioner said, “Is that all?”
The Dharma teacher said, “Give or take a few miles.”

Later on, Soen-sa asked his student, “What do you think of these answers?”
“Not bad, not good. But the dog runs after the bone.”
“How would you answer?”
“I’d say, ‘Why do you make a difference?’ “

Soen-sa said, “Not bad. Now you ask me.”
“What’s the difference between Bodhidharma’s sitting in Sorim for nine years and your sitting here now?”
“Don’t you know?”
“I’m listening.”
“Bodhidharma sat in Sorim for nine years. I am sitting here now.”

The student smiled.

Seung Sahn, Dropping Ashes on the Buddha, Chapter 87

A monk asked Tung-shan: “When cold and heat come along, how can I avoid them?”
Tung-shan said: “Why not go where there is neither cold nor heat?”
“Where is there neither cold nor heat?”
Tung-shan said: “When it is cold, let the cold kill you. When it is hot, let the heat kill you.”

– from my daily zen calendar, I should meditate on this all winter.

This photo was taken by Ja Moose.Taken June 4, 2006