Important principles in Shobogenzo (8) Raihai-tokuzui
169]
(1) In practicing the state of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi the most diffi-cult thing is to find a guiding teacher. Though beyond appearances such as those of a man or a woman, the guiding teacher should be a big stout fel-low, and should be someone ineffable. He is not a person of the past and present, but may be a good counselor with the spirit of a wild fox.
(When we practice Zazen to get the supreme Truth, the most difficult thing might be to find a excellent Master, who teaches us the true Buddhism. Such a excellent Master does never be related with whether the Master is man or woman. The Master might be a very stable person, who is much balanced, and he or she might be a true human being, and so it might be rather difficult for us to describe him or her with words. He or she is not restrained by historical circumstances, but he or she might be a very nice counselor to Buddhist students having some kinds of sharp and mystical irony. )
When we want to study Buddhism, the most difficult matter is to find a excellent Buddhist Master. The excellent Master can never be decided whether the Master is man or woman. He or she is inevitably a person, who has always keeping his or her balanced ANS, and so the person must be strong and stable person, but at the same time he or she is always true human being, and so the person might be a little difficult to know his or her inside personality. He or she is not influenced by the historical circumstances, but at the same time he or she might be very nice counselor to their students.
170]
(2) Thus, we should learn walking on tip-toes to put out a fire on our head. When we behave like this, we are unharmed by abusive demons. The Patriarch who cuts off an arm and gets the marrow is never another, and the master who gets free of body-and-mind is ourself already.
(Therefore we should follow Gautam Buddha's sincere efforts, who has walked on tip-toes in his daily life, and we should be so sincere as if we were meeting serious situations that our own hair is just burning. If we behave so sincerely, it might be impossible for us to meet the case to be harmed by abusive demons. The Patriarch, Master Taiso Eka, who has cut his arm for showing his so sincere attitude of pursuing the Truth, is never different from I, and Master Dogen, who has thrown away consciousness of body and mind because of balanced ANS, is never different from us.)
By pursuing the Truth, which is so diligently like in the cases of Gautama Buddhs, Master Taiso Eka, or Master Dogen, and so forth, we can become the same personalty as those Masters.
(3) This being so, we should hope that even trees and stones might preach to us, and we should request that even fields and villages might preach to us. We should question outdoor pillars, and we should investigate even fences and walls.
(In such situations we should expect that even trees and stones might teach us Gautama Buddha's Truth, and even fields and villages might lecture to us Gautama Buddha's teachings. We should ask questions even to outdoor pillars, and we should research Buddhist Truth even in fences and walls.)
The Real World, or the Universe is just the Truth itself, and so trees and stones are always preaching the Truth of the Universe, and fields and villages are always lecturing the real situations of the World. We should ask to outdoor pillars what is the Universe, and we should listen to fences and walls what the World is.
176]
(4) Long ago, in the Tang Dynasty, Great Master Shinsai of Joshu estab-lished the mind and set off as a wayfarer. In the story he says, "I shall ques-tion anyone who is superior to me, even a child of seven. And I shall teach anyone who is inferior to me, even a man of a hundred."
(Master Joshu Jushin, who is called Great Master Shinsai of Joshu in the Tang Dynasty, when he has established the will to pursue the Truth, says. "Even if a person, who arrived at the Truth, is only 7 years old, in the case that he or she is more excellent than I in studying Buddism, I would like to ask him or her to teach me the Buddhist Truth without hesitation. But even if a person is a hundred years old, when he or she is inferior to me in studying Buddhism, I would teach Buddhist Truth to him or her.)
It is not related, whether a person is old or not, with arriving at the Truth actually, therefore Master Joshu has decided when he is going to start his traveling for pursuing the Truth that even if a person, who has arrived at the Truth, is just 7 years old, Master Joshu has decided to study Buddhism under the young person. And even though a person, who is a hundred years old, if he or she hans't grasped the Buddhist Truth, Master Joshu wants to teach them Buddism without hesitation. Therefore we can say that whether we are young or old does not have so much value in our life, but whether we have arrived at the Buddhist Truth, or not, is so important in our human life.
178]
(5) Zen Master Shikan's prostration to and pursuit of the Dharma under Nun Matsuzan Ryonen are an excellent example of a resolute spirit, and integrity that students of later ages should emulate. We can say that he broke all barriers, large and small.
(Even though Master Kankei Shikan has been an adult monk, he has become a student of Nun Matsuzan Ryonen. This suggests that Nun Matsuzan Ryonen was so excellent in studying Buddhism, and at the same time Master Kankei Shikan's will to the Truth has been so strong. Therefore we can say that the example of the case between Master Kankei Shikan and Matsuzan Ryonen is a very excellent integrity, which should be praised so much.)
It is never valuable whether we are men or women, or whether we are old or young, but it is the most important fact for human beings, whether we arrived at the ulimate Truth, or not.
180]
(6) Therefore, even today, when a post as master or assistant-master is va-cated, a bhik≈u˜· who has got the Dharma may be requested [to fill it]. Even if a bhik≈u is senior in years and experience, if he has not got the Dharma, what importance does he have? A leader of monks must always rely upon clear eyes.
(Therefore, even today, when a post as master or assistant-master is vacant, even a nun, who has got the Dharma should be requested to fill the position. Even if a monk is senior in years and experience, if he hasn't got the Dharma, it is not adequate for him to succeed the valuable position in the temple. It is always necessary for a person, who becomes a leader of a temple, to be a person, who has arrived at the clear situations of getting the Truth.)
In secular societies there are common tendency that men are usually revered than women, in Buddhist societies, men and women both should enjoy their equality in their daily life. In such a problem a woman can succeed sometimes the position of a Temple Master, and even in the same situatin it is not always adequate for a man to become a Master of a temple, even though he is a monk.
(7) As regards attainment of the truth, both [men and women] attain the truth, and we should just profoundly revere every single person who has attained the Dharma. Do not discuss man and woman. This is one of Buddhism's finest Dharma-standards.
(As for the attainment of the truth, both men and women can attain the Truth, and so we should revere a person, who has attained the Rule of the Universe, either they are men or women. We should never discuss whether they are men or women. Should notice that this principle is just the highest criterion in Buddhism.)
In human civilization men have been revered much more than women historically, but such a kind of inequality between men and women has come from the rather economically poor historical conditions of human societies, and so the situations should be improved gradually according to the economical situations of human societies becoming better. Therefore in Buddhist societies we should be much diligent to make our efforts approaching the better one.
187]
(8) When [a per-son] practices the Buddha-Dharma and speaks the Buddha-Dharma, even if a girl of seven, she is just the guiding teacher of the four groups, and the benevolent father of all living beings.
(When a person practices he Rule of the Universe and speaks Gautama Buddha's teachings, even if she is a girl, who has become only 7 years old, she is just the guiding teacher for the four groups, that is, monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen, and she is just the benevolent father of all living beings.)
Whether we are old or young, or whether we are men or women, are not related for us to be good teachers in Gautama Buddha's teachings, but the most important matters for us to be good Buddhist teachers are to be persons, who can speak Gautama Buddha's teachings so well to audiences.
188]
(9) Another case: Since the ancient past in Japan and China, there have been women emperors. The whole country is the possession of such an em-press, and all the people become her subjects. This is not out of reverence for her person, but out of reverence for her position. Likewise, a bhikshuni has never been revered for her person, but is revered solely for her attain-ment of the Dharma.
(In another case, since the ancient past in Japan and China, there have been women emperors. And in such a case, the whole country is the possession of such an empress. Therefore all the people become her subjects. But this situation has not occurred out of reverence for her person, but out of reverence for her position. And similarly in the case of a nun, she is not revered because of a person, but she is also revered because of having attained the Truth.)
The reverence of nun does not come from revering her as a person, but the reverence of nun comes from her attainment of the Truth. Therefore we should revere nuns because of their attainment of
the Truth, but we should not revere them for only they are Buddhist nuns.
192]
(10) Furthermore, nowadays extremely stupid people look at women with-out having corrected the prejudice that women are objects of sexual greed. Disciples of the Buddha must not be like this. If whatever may become the object of sexual greed is to be hated, do not all men deserve to be hated too? As regards the causes and conditions of becoming tainted, a man can be the object, a woman can be the object, what is neither man nor woman can be the object, and dreams and fantasies, flowers in space, can also be the object.
(Furthermore, nowadays extremely stupid people look at woman without having corrected the prejudice that women are objects of sexual greed. But in the case of us, who are disciples of Gautama Buddha should never be stupid like that. If whatever may become the causes and conditions of becoming tainted, even in the case of man, should we hate him because of possibility for him to become the object of sexual greed? In the case of becoming the objects of sexual desire both men and women can be the objects of sexual greed actually. And furthernore not only men and women, what is neither man or woman can be the objects of sexual desire, and even dreams or phantoms and even flowers in the sky can also become the circumstances of sexual desire.
194]
(11) In general, we should learn to understand clearly what-ever circumstances we meet. If we learn only to fear and to flee [from cir-cumstances], that is the theory and practice of a Shravaka of the small vehicle.
(Generally speaking, when we have met a chance, in which we can look at circumstances, it is necessary for us to accomplish the habits to clarify the circumstances positively. If we have only usual habits of fleeing from the circumstances because of fear, such attitudes might be teachings and conducts of Buddhists, who belong to Hinaya Shravaka Buddhism.)
When we have met any kind of special circumstances, it is not adequate for us only to flee from them because of fear, but it is very important for us to research the true situations of circumstances without fleeing from them. In the case of Hinaya Buddhism, Shravakas usually feel fear, and want to flee from the peculiar circumstances, but we Mahayana Buddhists should meet those circumstances positively to know the real situations of the Universe directly.
198]
(12) So what kind of order has no bhikshunis, has no women, and has no eight kinds of beings? We should never hope to have so-called sanctuaries which surpass in their purity the Buddhist order of the Tathågata's lifetime, because they are the sphere of heavenly demons. There are no differences in the Dharma-form of the Buddhist order, not in this world or in other direc-tions, and not among a thousand buddhas of the three times. We should know that [an order] with a different code is not a Buddhist order.
(Actually speaking, there is no Buddhist organization, which refuses having a nun, at all, and there is no Buddhist organization, which refuses having a woman, at all. And at the same time it is said that a Buddhist order always includes 8 kinds of fantastic beings. Therefore it is impossible for us to deny the existence of women in Buddhist organization. We should never expect the existence of Buddhist organization, which is superior than Gautama Buddha's organization. Because those kinds of organizations might be a demon's organization. The Universal Rule in Buddhist organization might be completely the same through the Universe, and so it can not be different in this world or in other world, and completely the same in thousands of Buddhist orders among past, present, and future. Therefore we should clearly remember that an organization, which has a diffrent Rule other than Buddhist organization, can never be Buddhist organization at all.)
For this reason we should never insist that Buddhist organization can avoid a nun or a woman violating the eternal Rule of Buddhism.
(1) In practicing the state of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi the most diffi-cult thing is to find a guiding teacher. Though beyond appearances such as those of a man or a woman, the guiding teacher should be a big stout fel-low, and should be someone ineffable. He is not a person of the past and present, but may be a good counselor with the spirit of a wild fox.
(When we practice Zazen to get the supreme Truth, the most difficult thing might be to find a excellent Master, who teaches us the true Buddhism. Such a excellent Master does never be related with whether the Master is man or woman. The Master might be a very stable person, who is much balanced, and he or she might be a true human being, and so it might be rather difficult for us to describe him or her with words. He or she is not restrained by historical circumstances, but he or she might be a very nice counselor to Buddhist students having some kinds of sharp and mystical irony. )
When we want to study Buddhism, the most difficult matter is to find a excellent Buddhist Master. The excellent Master can never be decided whether the Master is man or woman. He or she is inevitably a person, who has always keeping his or her balanced ANS, and so the person must be strong and stable person, but at the same time he or she is always true human being, and so the person might be a little difficult to know his or her inside personality. He or she is not influenced by the historical circumstances, but at the same time he or she might be very nice counselor to their students.
170]
(2) Thus, we should learn walking on tip-toes to put out a fire on our head. When we behave like this, we are unharmed by abusive demons. The Patriarch who cuts off an arm and gets the marrow is never another, and the master who gets free of body-and-mind is ourself already.
(Therefore we should follow Gautam Buddha's sincere efforts, who has walked on tip-toes in his daily life, and we should be so sincere as if we were meeting serious situations that our own hair is just burning. If we behave so sincerely, it might be impossible for us to meet the case to be harmed by abusive demons. The Patriarch, Master Taiso Eka, who has cut his arm for showing his so sincere attitude of pursuing the Truth, is never different from I, and Master Dogen, who has thrown away consciousness of body and mind because of balanced ANS, is never different from us.)
By pursuing the Truth, which is so diligently like in the cases of Gautama Buddhs, Master Taiso Eka, or Master Dogen, and so forth, we can become the same personalty as those Masters.
(3) This being so, we should hope that even trees and stones might preach to us, and we should request that even fields and villages might preach to us. We should question outdoor pillars, and we should investigate even fences and walls.
(In such situations we should expect that even trees and stones might teach us Gautama Buddha's Truth, and even fields and villages might lecture to us Gautama Buddha's teachings. We should ask questions even to outdoor pillars, and we should research Buddhist Truth even in fences and walls.)
The Real World, or the Universe is just the Truth itself, and so trees and stones are always preaching the Truth of the Universe, and fields and villages are always lecturing the real situations of the World. We should ask to outdoor pillars what is the Universe, and we should listen to fences and walls what the World is.
176]
(4) Long ago, in the Tang Dynasty, Great Master Shinsai of Joshu estab-lished the mind and set off as a wayfarer. In the story he says, "I shall ques-tion anyone who is superior to me, even a child of seven. And I shall teach anyone who is inferior to me, even a man of a hundred."
(Master Joshu Jushin, who is called Great Master Shinsai of Joshu in the Tang Dynasty, when he has established the will to pursue the Truth, says. "Even if a person, who arrived at the Truth, is only 7 years old, in the case that he or she is more excellent than I in studying Buddism, I would like to ask him or her to teach me the Buddhist Truth without hesitation. But even if a person is a hundred years old, when he or she is inferior to me in studying Buddhism, I would teach Buddhist Truth to him or her.)
It is not related, whether a person is old or not, with arriving at the Truth actually, therefore Master Joshu has decided when he is going to start his traveling for pursuing the Truth that even if a person, who has arrived at the Truth, is just 7 years old, Master Joshu has decided to study Buddhism under the young person. And even though a person, who is a hundred years old, if he or she hans't grasped the Buddhist Truth, Master Joshu wants to teach them Buddism without hesitation. Therefore we can say that whether we are young or old does not have so much value in our life, but whether we have arrived at the Buddhist Truth, or not, is so important in our human life.
178]
(5) Zen Master Shikan's prostration to and pursuit of the Dharma under Nun Matsuzan Ryonen are an excellent example of a resolute spirit, and integrity that students of later ages should emulate. We can say that he broke all barriers, large and small.
(Even though Master Kankei Shikan has been an adult monk, he has become a student of Nun Matsuzan Ryonen. This suggests that Nun Matsuzan Ryonen was so excellent in studying Buddhism, and at the same time Master Kankei Shikan's will to the Truth has been so strong. Therefore we can say that the example of the case between Master Kankei Shikan and Matsuzan Ryonen is a very excellent integrity, which should be praised so much.)
It is never valuable whether we are men or women, or whether we are old or young, but it is the most important fact for human beings, whether we arrived at the ulimate Truth, or not.
180]
(6) Therefore, even today, when a post as master or assistant-master is va-cated, a bhik≈u˜· who has got the Dharma may be requested [to fill it]. Even if a bhik≈u is senior in years and experience, if he has not got the Dharma, what importance does he have? A leader of monks must always rely upon clear eyes.
(Therefore, even today, when a post as master or assistant-master is vacant, even a nun, who has got the Dharma should be requested to fill the position. Even if a monk is senior in years and experience, if he hasn't got the Dharma, it is not adequate for him to succeed the valuable position in the temple. It is always necessary for a person, who becomes a leader of a temple, to be a person, who has arrived at the clear situations of getting the Truth.)
In secular societies there are common tendency that men are usually revered than women, in Buddhist societies, men and women both should enjoy their equality in their daily life. In such a problem a woman can succeed sometimes the position of a Temple Master, and even in the same situatin it is not always adequate for a man to become a Master of a temple, even though he is a monk.
(7) As regards attainment of the truth, both [men and women] attain the truth, and we should just profoundly revere every single person who has attained the Dharma. Do not discuss man and woman. This is one of Buddhism's finest Dharma-standards.
(As for the attainment of the truth, both men and women can attain the Truth, and so we should revere a person, who has attained the Rule of the Universe, either they are men or women. We should never discuss whether they are men or women. Should notice that this principle is just the highest criterion in Buddhism.)
In human civilization men have been revered much more than women historically, but such a kind of inequality between men and women has come from the rather economically poor historical conditions of human societies, and so the situations should be improved gradually according to the economical situations of human societies becoming better. Therefore in Buddhist societies we should be much diligent to make our efforts approaching the better one.
187]
(8) When [a per-son] practices the Buddha-Dharma and speaks the Buddha-Dharma, even if a girl of seven, she is just the guiding teacher of the four groups, and the benevolent father of all living beings.
(When a person practices he Rule of the Universe and speaks Gautama Buddha's teachings, even if she is a girl, who has become only 7 years old, she is just the guiding teacher for the four groups, that is, monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen, and she is just the benevolent father of all living beings.)
Whether we are old or young, or whether we are men or women, are not related for us to be good teachers in Gautama Buddha's teachings, but the most important matters for us to be good Buddhist teachers are to be persons, who can speak Gautama Buddha's teachings so well to audiences.
188]
(9) Another case: Since the ancient past in Japan and China, there have been women emperors. The whole country is the possession of such an em-press, and all the people become her subjects. This is not out of reverence for her person, but out of reverence for her position. Likewise, a bhikshuni has never been revered for her person, but is revered solely for her attain-ment of the Dharma.
(In another case, since the ancient past in Japan and China, there have been women emperors. And in such a case, the whole country is the possession of such an empress. Therefore all the people become her subjects. But this situation has not occurred out of reverence for her person, but out of reverence for her position. And similarly in the case of a nun, she is not revered because of a person, but she is also revered because of having attained the Truth.)
The reverence of nun does not come from revering her as a person, but the reverence of nun comes from her attainment of the Truth. Therefore we should revere nuns because of their attainment of
the Truth, but we should not revere them for only they are Buddhist nuns.
192]
(10) Furthermore, nowadays extremely stupid people look at women with-out having corrected the prejudice that women are objects of sexual greed. Disciples of the Buddha must not be like this. If whatever may become the object of sexual greed is to be hated, do not all men deserve to be hated too? As regards the causes and conditions of becoming tainted, a man can be the object, a woman can be the object, what is neither man nor woman can be the object, and dreams and fantasies, flowers in space, can also be the object.
(Furthermore, nowadays extremely stupid people look at woman without having corrected the prejudice that women are objects of sexual greed. But in the case of us, who are disciples of Gautama Buddha should never be stupid like that. If whatever may become the causes and conditions of becoming tainted, even in the case of man, should we hate him because of possibility for him to become the object of sexual greed? In the case of becoming the objects of sexual desire both men and women can be the objects of sexual greed actually. And furthernore not only men and women, what is neither man or woman can be the objects of sexual desire, and even dreams or phantoms and even flowers in the sky can also become the circumstances of sexual desire.
194]
(11) In general, we should learn to understand clearly what-ever circumstances we meet. If we learn only to fear and to flee [from cir-cumstances], that is the theory and practice of a Shravaka of the small vehicle.
(Generally speaking, when we have met a chance, in which we can look at circumstances, it is necessary for us to accomplish the habits to clarify the circumstances positively. If we have only usual habits of fleeing from the circumstances because of fear, such attitudes might be teachings and conducts of Buddhists, who belong to Hinaya Shravaka Buddhism.)
When we have met any kind of special circumstances, it is not adequate for us only to flee from them because of fear, but it is very important for us to research the true situations of circumstances without fleeing from them. In the case of Hinaya Buddhism, Shravakas usually feel fear, and want to flee from the peculiar circumstances, but we Mahayana Buddhists should meet those circumstances positively to know the real situations of the Universe directly.
198]
(12) So what kind of order has no bhikshunis, has no women, and has no eight kinds of beings? We should never hope to have so-called sanctuaries which surpass in their purity the Buddhist order of the Tathågata's lifetime, because they are the sphere of heavenly demons. There are no differences in the Dharma-form of the Buddhist order, not in this world or in other direc-tions, and not among a thousand buddhas of the three times. We should know that [an order] with a different code is not a Buddhist order.
(Actually speaking, there is no Buddhist organization, which refuses having a nun, at all, and there is no Buddhist organization, which refuses having a woman, at all. And at the same time it is said that a Buddhist order always includes 8 kinds of fantastic beings. Therefore it is impossible for us to deny the existence of women in Buddhist organization. We should never expect the existence of Buddhist organization, which is superior than Gautama Buddha's organization. Because those kinds of organizations might be a demon's organization. The Universal Rule in Buddhist organization might be completely the same through the Universe, and so it can not be different in this world or in other world, and completely the same in thousands of Buddhist orders among past, present, and future. Therefore we should clearly remember that an organization, which has a diffrent Rule other than Buddhist organization, can never be Buddhist organization at all.)
For this reason we should never insist that Buddhist organization can avoid a nun or a woman violating the eternal Rule of Buddhism.
posted by GUDO NISHIJIMA | 11:45 AM
4 Comments:
Dear Master Nishijima,
I have known a person like you describe, a stable true person who practiced Zazen every day, an who was a good teacher of the way.
But today he has fallen into a very deep crisis. He has lost two very important persons, his girlfriend died by cancer in midst of her life. When I see my former Master, I feel so sorry for him, he has lost his stability and is very depressed. I hope he will overcome his suffering soon.
Is there something I can do for him?
Have you ever fallen into a life crisis, or being deeply depressed?
For element San
Thank you very much for your kind advice, but even though I have lived for 88 years already, I haven't met such situations so many times.
And when I have met so serious situations, I have made my efforts so sincerely for getting rid of the situations.
Please encourage your friend kindly.
Nishijima Roshi:
As always, thank you for teaching. I have a question about the traditional understanding of the Four Noble Truths. I've read that you believe the 4NT to be a misunderstanding of what you refer to as "The Four Philosophies" (or, "Three Philosophies And One Reality"). That is, Idealism, Materialism, Action, and Reality.
Other than being a misunderstanding, what do you think of the 4NT as they are traditionally taught? Are the 4NT useful teachings that just miss the original point? Are they useless to a student trying to attain the Buddha's Way?
What is your opinion of the traditional interpretation of the 4NT?
Thank you,
Rob
For Smoggyrob San,
Thank you very much for your important question.
I think that the reason, why the theory of 4 philosophies hasn't been understood for thousands of years, comes from the fact that the theory has been difficult so much to understand for thousands of years.
Even in the Euro-American Civilization, the understanding 4 philosophies has begun just in 20, or 21st Century.
Therefore it is said that, even in the case of Gautama Buddha himself, he has hesitated so much to have the lecture of the theory, because the theory seems to be too much difficult for audiences in ancient India at that time.
Therefore even in the case of Master Dogen, it might be necessary for him to have so many years to understand the meaning of 4 philosophies, and it might be very important for him to study Tendai Sect philosophy in Enryaku Temple before visiting Ken-nin-ji Temple.
Even today, it is very difficult for us to understand the theory, because if we want to understand the meaning of 4 philosophies, it is necessary for us to deny the reality of two fundamental philosophies, that is, Idealism and Materialism, and we have to understand the new philosophy of Action for the first time.
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