.:. Four Levels .:.

Dear Master Nishijima

Gassho

Please excuse the formal tone of this written communication

I am more than happy to be a reader of the splendid blogs of this online sangha. I am also extremely grateful to Gary Odo Warner for bringing you into my awareness. As I read his new book, Sit Down & Shut Up, a question comes to mind.

Could you please assist me in better appreciating your unique four-part approach to Dogen Zenji's expression of Dharma?

As Warner Roshi puts it:

" ... Dogen's strategy was always to look at things from four points of view:

• the mental;
• the physical;
• the point of view of action itself, in which body and mind are combined; and
• reality, which is all-inclusive. "
  

I believe it parallels the Four Noble Truths.

While Warner Roshi is himself a most able writer, I'd like to hear from the source, yourself, in order to fully see, understand, and realize this important view.

Nine bows.

Gary Gach
Home: http://word.to


Dear Ven Gary Gach,

Thank you very much for your sincere question about Buddhist theory.

I agree with your idea that the Four Noble Truth can be identified with Master Dogen's thoughts, which are always based on the four points of view.

As you know, Ven Brad Warner is my disciple, and we always make our efforts to identify our Buddhist principles into the same one, and so I hope that you will accept that our Buddhist principles are always the same as they are. Therefore if there is any kind of difference in Buddhist thoughts between him and me, I would like to ask you to indicate such a fact kindly, and we will make our efforts to correct our Buddhist thoughts into one.

Gudo Wafu Nishijima