Just as it is
Dear Master Gudo Wafu Nishijima,
Thank you so much for your precious answers! Today I would like to ask the questions as
follows.
Dear Dr Siegfried Hohlfeld,
Thank you very much for your important questions, and my answers are as follows.
Q.1: Do you know something about the origin of Zazen? How old is it? Who did find such an
excellent practice?
A.1: The origin of Zazen may be Yoga, which has been practiced in India hundreds years before Gautama Buddha's birth.
Therefore we do not know its origin clearly, and we do not know the establisher of it.
Q.2: What is the theory of an instantaneously arising Universe?
A.2: The theory of an instantaneously arising Uniververse comes from the profound interpretation of Real Time in Buddhist philosophy. In Buddhism we think that a past time does never exist really, and a future time also does never exist really, but the time, which exists really, is just the present moment. Therefore in Buddhist philosophy the time, which really exists is just the present moment. And when the real time just exists, the whole Universe can
manifest itself. Therefore we have to think that the whole Universe can only exist at the present moment.
Q.3: Do you think too that we suffer under a life-long accumulation of opinions,concepts and
values which are a great hindrance to perform pure action adequate to Reality?
How can we stop accumulation of new concepts?
A.3: I think that the problem is much related with the balance of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). When our sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is stronger, our mental function
works well, and so we usually think miscellaneous thoughts too much, and it is impossible for us to stop our consideration. And when our parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is stronger, even though our sense percetion becomes very sharp, we usually lose our function to think, and then it is not adequate for us to work well. Therefore in those two kinds of situations it is not adequate for us to act well. But Reality always exists when we are acting at the present moment, and so if we want to live just at the present moment in action, it is necessary for us to have our ANS balanced just at the present moment.
Therefore if we want to stop accumulation of new concepts, it is necessary for us to maitain our ANS balanced. And to keep ANS balanced the easiest way is to practice Zazen. But in practicing Zazen there is very important point, that is the posture of Zazen. Zazen is never meditation, but it is just action, or streaching our posture vertically. Therefore when we practice Zazen, to stop thinking is very important point, but if we want to stop thinking in Zazen, it is very important to keep posture exactly and regularly. Recently I published many former work "To Meet the Real Dragon," which I published in the cooperation with Mr Jeffrey Bailey tens years ago, and in the book you can find very beautiful posture of Master Kodo Sawaki in it. Looking at his picture you can find how Master Kodo Sawaki's posture streight is. That is just the authentic posture of Zazen in the true Buddhism, and when you take a posture by making your efforts, you can stop thinking even in practicing Zazen. In the case of Master Kodo Sawaki, I guess that when he was young, he could never have accomplished his so splendid posture, but relying upon his sincere practice of Zazen everyday for many years, he has got so excellent posture. The most important point, however, is not only the posture, but it is very important point for us to have idea that the most important point in Zazen, is never to think anything, but just stop thinking in Zazen. Because of getting this simple theory, Master Dogen went to China when he was 23 years old. The photos of Master Kodo Sawaki can be seen in the Apendix of the book, which I have introduced it above, and the book can be bought relying Amazon.
Q.4: Everything seems to change very fast. Everything is as it is,no need to change it.
So how to change without a change?
A.4: Everything seems to change very fast, but everything does never change at all. Everything, however, appears at the present moment, and everything disappears at the present moment.
Everything does not change at all, but it seems to change.
Everything does not change at all, but the present moment appears and disappears so fast.
Thank you! Best wishes, always yours
siegfried hohlfeld
Thank you very much for your excellent questions sincerely.
Gudo Wafu Nishijima
Thank you so much for your precious answers! Today I would like to ask the questions as
follows.
Dear Dr Siegfried Hohlfeld,
Thank you very much for your important questions, and my answers are as follows.
Q.1: Do you know something about the origin of Zazen? How old is it? Who did find such an
excellent practice?
A.1: The origin of Zazen may be Yoga, which has been practiced in India hundreds years before Gautama Buddha's birth.
Therefore we do not know its origin clearly, and we do not know the establisher of it.
Q.2: What is the theory of an instantaneously arising Universe?
A.2: The theory of an instantaneously arising Uniververse comes from the profound interpretation of Real Time in Buddhist philosophy. In Buddhism we think that a past time does never exist really, and a future time also does never exist really, but the time, which exists really, is just the present moment. Therefore in Buddhist philosophy the time, which really exists is just the present moment. And when the real time just exists, the whole Universe can
manifest itself. Therefore we have to think that the whole Universe can only exist at the present moment.
Q.3: Do you think too that we suffer under a life-long accumulation of opinions,concepts and
values which are a great hindrance to perform pure action adequate to Reality?
How can we stop accumulation of new concepts?
A.3: I think that the problem is much related with the balance of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). When our sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is stronger, our mental function
works well, and so we usually think miscellaneous thoughts too much, and it is impossible for us to stop our consideration. And when our parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is stronger, even though our sense percetion becomes very sharp, we usually lose our function to think, and then it is not adequate for us to work well. Therefore in those two kinds of situations it is not adequate for us to act well. But Reality always exists when we are acting at the present moment, and so if we want to live just at the present moment in action, it is necessary for us to have our ANS balanced just at the present moment.
Therefore if we want to stop accumulation of new concepts, it is necessary for us to maitain our ANS balanced. And to keep ANS balanced the easiest way is to practice Zazen. But in practicing Zazen there is very important point, that is the posture of Zazen. Zazen is never meditation, but it is just action, or streaching our posture vertically. Therefore when we practice Zazen, to stop thinking is very important point, but if we want to stop thinking in Zazen, it is very important to keep posture exactly and regularly. Recently I published many former work "To Meet the Real Dragon," which I published in the cooperation with Mr Jeffrey Bailey tens years ago, and in the book you can find very beautiful posture of Master Kodo Sawaki in it. Looking at his picture you can find how Master Kodo Sawaki's posture streight is. That is just the authentic posture of Zazen in the true Buddhism, and when you take a posture by making your efforts, you can stop thinking even in practicing Zazen. In the case of Master Kodo Sawaki, I guess that when he was young, he could never have accomplished his so splendid posture, but relying upon his sincere practice of Zazen everyday for many years, he has got so excellent posture. The most important point, however, is not only the posture, but it is very important point for us to have idea that the most important point in Zazen, is never to think anything, but just stop thinking in Zazen. Because of getting this simple theory, Master Dogen went to China when he was 23 years old. The photos of Master Kodo Sawaki can be seen in the Apendix of the book, which I have introduced it above, and the book can be bought relying Amazon.
Q.4: Everything seems to change very fast. Everything is as it is,no need to change it.
So how to change without a change?
A.4: Everything seems to change very fast, but everything does never change at all. Everything, however, appears at the present moment, and everything disappears at the present moment.
Everything does not change at all, but it seems to change.
Everything does not change at all, but the present moment appears and disappears so fast.
Thank you! Best wishes, always yours
siegfried hohlfeld
Thank you very much for your excellent questions sincerely.
Gudo Wafu Nishijima
posted by siegfried | 3:02 AM
1 Comments:
Master Nishijima,
The idea of Zazen as a sort of Yoga for the spine is a new concept to me.
As you say, "is very important point for us to have idea that the most important point in Zazen, is never to think anything, but just stop thinking in Zazen."
It seems the more of an understanding about Zazen I come to things seem to get simpler and simpler just as they become more profound.
Thank you so much for your teachings.
Gassho, Gregor
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