How Important is it to belong to a Sangha

I am, at present, mostly a "lone" practitioner. There are sangha in the Soto tradition relatively close. However, I am not a member and have not participated with any group.

How important is it to be a member or participate in a sangha and for what reasons.

Thank you
Dennis

Dear Master Gudo Wafu Nishijima,

thank you for your precious answers! This winter-term there is a lecture
at University of Heidelberg on Nagarjuna and Cusanus about `the Negativity of
the Absolute´(Prof.J. Halfwassen,Prof. L. Ledderose). There exists only an older
german translation of Nagarjuna by Max Waleeser and a short introduction by Karl
Jaspers. So today we would appreciate so much to read your new translation on
Nagarjuna to progress! Thank you for your effort to work it out!

Q.1: Did you ever find time to compare the inner connections of the Dogen-Nagarjuna-Philosophy with Plotin?

Q.2: Can you explain some more on the neurophysiological functions of Zazen and
it´s influence on restoring a balanced ANS?


Thank you so much,best wishes aiways


siegfried hohlfeld

married monk

Dear Nishijima Roshi,

I want to ask you about the married monk.

In other country, like India, China, Thailand, monk doesn't get married. But in Japan, Zen monks get married.

1. Can you explain me, why do some zen monks in Japan get married?
2. And how about the budhism's Vinaya, is it allowed for monk to get married?

Thank you for your informations.

Sincerely,

Isahito

Rakusu - Chodai Kesa no Ge

Dear Nishijima roshi,

Since I began reading your blog I was deeply impressed about your enthusiasm spreading real buddhism all over the world. Your translation of Dogen's Shôbôgenzô has high value to me and opened up a new world to experience. I hope that Vol. IV will be released in German language soon.
Some time ago you mentioned that you would recommend not only to recite the poem "Chodai Kesa no Ge" but actually to wear it too. Herewith I like to inform you and all readers that there is a Rakusu-Instruction available in German language on my homepage www.zendo-frankfurt.de now.

And further there will be a great chance to deepen the teachings of Master Dogen here in Frankfurt. Yudo J. Seggelke sensei will lecture and discuss special selected chapters of the Shôbôgenzô starting February 2008.

Again I like to express my gratidude for your great engagement answering all the arising questions on the blog and remain with best wishes for your health.

Your's sincerely
Regina Oberndorfer

How should we face the death?

Dear Nishijima Roshi,

I just want to ask for your advice about, how should we face the death with Zen's viewpoint?
and what should we do, when death is coming to our life?

Thank you for your advice.

Isahito

How should we face the death?

Dear Nishijima Roshi,

I just want to ask for your advice about, how should we face the death with Zen's viewpoint?
and what should we do, when death is coming to our life?

Thank you for your advice.

Isahito


Dear Isahito San,

Now I am living, and so I do not know any thing about death at all. And when death will appoach gradually to me, I guess that this world will become dark more and more, and it will become perfctly dark at last. That might be death. In Buddhism we do not believe in the existence of life after death. Even though Tibetan Buddhism believe in the existence of life after death, Master Dogen insists that in Buddhism we believe in the oneness between body and mind, and so if our body has died, our mind also will die, and it might be completely impossible for our mind to survive after death of our physical body at all, in Shobogenzo, Bendowa. And I think that this theory might be true.

Therefore in such situations I think that there is no way for us to solve the problem of death, and it might be the best way for us to accept death as it is. We, Buddhists, usually practice Zazen everyday, and so we can keep our autonomic nervous system balanced, and then we can avoid
worry of coming death, which is the result of rather strong sympathetic nervous system, and fear of coming death, which is the result of rather strong parasympathetic nervous system.

So I would like to recommend you to practice Zazen two times a day every day for making your
autonomic nervous system balanced, to throw away worry and fear of death completely.

'Bodhi-Mind' & Terminology.

Dear Nishijima Roshi,

I hope you are keeping well.

Can you please comment on the need for the separate terms 'Bodhi-mind' and 'prajna' such as where Dogen Zenji uses the latter term in Maka-Hannya-Haramitsu where he comments that "Reflection is prajna itself".

Are 'prajna' and the 'Bodhi-mind' effectively different states of mind?

Thanks & Best Regards,

Harry.

How should we practice in daily life?

Dear Gudo Roshi,

Thanks for making this blog. Frankly speaking, there is no any zen master in Indonesia. So I hope I can learn about Zen in this blog.
Btw, I have some questions that I want to ask for your advices...

1. How should we practice Zen for our daily life? Is our daily practice only Zazen, and what kind of practice should we do in daily activities, such as working, have lunch, walking with friends and others activities?

2. When I practice Zazen, sometimes I get Sleepy, can you give me some advices for me?

Thanks for your advice

Isahito

bowing in Soto zen tradition??

Dear Master Gudo Nishijima,

I think soto zen is the right way to practice Buddhism. So i've read the Shobogenzo Zuimonki and the Fukanzazengi for some advice. i find it not possible to pactice without guidance from a master, master Dogen's masterpiecebook could not help me sitting in zazen. I live in Holland and can not find a master who can instruct me.

Now i do 108 bows a day. with my head to the floor and left on right foot, . Can you please tell me what the meaning of bowing is in the Soto zen tradition.
i hope it prepares me for a time i can practice zazen with a Master.

i hope you are well and thank you, jacco

Master Gudo-Following The Breath?

If it is said that the Buddha attained enlightenment while following his breath, why are we discouraged in Soto Zen from doing so? This has always puzzled me and I'd like a little more insight.

Thank You,

Albert

Zen Awakening

Dear Master Gudo Wafu Nishijima,

I would like to clarify the fundamental point of Zen.

When one sits in Zazen, one experiences a state of pure being, free of subject and object without any graspable quality.

After Zazen, one experiences that state of pure being as the very essence of all composite phenomena, yet the magnitude of that experience is impermanent.

After that, one experiences the state of pure being in every moment of daily life.

When looking at the matter, nothing has been gained nor attained, yet recognition has taken
place, is such experience and understanding in line with the fundamental point of Zen?


Thank you for your time
Sincerely
Nickolas Beumer


Dear Mr. Nickolas Beumer,

Thank you very much for your comments, and the former parts of your comments are your opinion, therefore I do not say anything about them. And so I would like to answer your last question only.

(your question) When looking at the matter, nothing has been gained nor attained, yet recognition has taken place, is such experience and understanding in line with the fundamental point of Zen?

(my opinion) By practicing Zazen we can enter into the area of action, and so we can get everything. We can practice Zazen actually, and so we just living in action, and we are just sitting in Zazen. Therefore we can throw away idea and perception, and we can sit in Zazen. And so we can enter into the area of action, and we can exprience Reality by keeping the balance of the autonomic nervous system.

With best wishes Gudo Wafu Nishijima

Zen Awakening

Dear Master Gudo Wafu Nishijima,


I would like to clarify the fundamental point of Zen.


When one sits in Zazen, one experiences a state of pure being, free of subject and object without any graspable quality.


After Zazen, one experiences that state of pure being as the very essence of all composite phenomena, yet the magnitude of that experience is impermanent.


After that, one experiences the state of pure being in every moment of daily life.


When looking at the matter, nothing has been gained nor attained, yet recognition has taken place, is such experience and understanding in line with the fundamental point of Zen?





Thank you for your time
Sincerely
Nickolas Beumer

Dear Nickolos Beumer,

Thank you very much for your question, and my answer is as follows.

(From Mr Beumer) Dear Master Gudo Wafu Nishijima,

I would like to clarify the fundamental point of Zen.

When one sits in Zazen, one experiences a state of pure being, free of subject and object without any graspable quality.

After Zazen, one experiences that state of pure being as the very essence of all composite phenomena, yet the magnitude of that experience is impermanent.

After that, one experiences the state of pure being in every moment of daily life.

When looking at the matter, nothing has been gained nor attained, yet recognition has taken place, is such experience and understanding in line with the fundamental point of Zen?

Thank you for your time
Sincerely
Nickolas Beumer

(Gudo's answer) In your question, even though you have wrote "nothing has been gained nor attained," but I don't think so. I think that you have entered into the action to sit, and if you like, you have made your autonomic nervous system balanced to throw away consideration and perception, and you could enter into Reality. However, you do not notice such situations, and you have felt that nothing has been gained nor attained. Therefore at the next chance, I would like to ask you to intend to practice Zazen.

With best wishes Gudo Wafu Nishijima

Dear Master Gudo Wafu Nishijima,

Thank you for your response.

(my opinion) While cultivation has taken place, Reality was always there. That is why "nothing has been gained nor attained". That is not to say there is no need for cultivation. While nothing is ever gained nor attained recognition does take place. When recognition takes place, there is no distinction between Zazen and washing dishes, they are both actualizing Reality in the present moment.

If we hold onto our opinions, we are like blind men talking about the beauty of a flower that we hold in our hands. The finger always points to Zazen, it always points to Reality.

I will sit Zazen.

How long and how often would you have me sit Zazen?

Thank you very much for your time

Sincerely

Nickolas Beumer

Dear Master Gudo Wafu Nishijima,

please let me thank you here today for your life-work and effort on a new realistic Buddhism for
our time! We still don´t know enough! We want to learn some more of your wisdom and
knowledge! I am so sure your work and and publications have a strong effect on all people
of good care for truth now and will bring precious fruits in future times.
Your life is a brilliant and luminous example for mankind to follow! There is still so much
to learn from you. We need your advice!

Thank you, best wishes
sincerely
siegfried hohlfeld

Dear Dr. Siegfried Hohlfeld,

Thank you very much for your encouragement to me, and I feel very happy that we, human beings, are going to meet the ultimate Truth, which Gautama Buddha has found about 2,500 years ago, in 21st Century.

Gautama Buddha has found the Truth, Master Nagarjuna has understood it, Master Bodhi-Dharma has transmitted it to China, and Master Dogen has visited China to transmit the Truth into Japan.

And now we, human beings, are going to understand the ultimate Truth through the world in 21st Century.

Therefore I hope that all human beings will study Gautama Buddha's teachings relying Master Dogen's Shobogenzo, and will enjoy Gautama Buddha's Realism, which might be the ultimate Truth in the world.

Gudo Wafu Nishijima

Buddhism and Faith.

Dear Nishijima Roshi,

Is the only valid object of faith in Buddhsim the confidence that arises from the direct practice/experience of Zazen?

Is it an irrational presumption to take refuge in, or place confidence in, an experience that is outside of our own practice/experience (i.e. such as when some Buddhists make non-experiential, faith-based presumptions about the experiences of teachers such as Buddha or other teachers)?

Best Regards,

Harry.


Dear Harry San,

My answer is as follows.

(Harry San) Is the only valid object of faith in Buddhsim the confidence that arises from the direct practice/experience of Zazen?

(Gudo) The valid object of faith in Buddhism is the state of body and mind, which can be realized, when the autonomic nervous system (ASN) has equality between SNS and PNS.

(Harry San) Is it an irrational presumption to take refuge in, or place confidence in, an experience that is outside of our own practice/experience (i.e. such as when some Buddhists make non-experiential, faith-based presumptions about the experiences of teachers such as Buddha or other teachers)?

(Gudo) It is not an irrational presumption to take refuge in.
It is not an irrational presumption to place confidence in.
It is not an experience that is outside of our own practice/experience.
But
It is the state, to which we can take refuge in.
It is the state, where we can place confidence in.
It is just our own practice/experience.
It is just our sitting.
It is just keeping our spine straight vertically.
It is just our action.
It is just the balance of the autonomic nervous system.

Thank you very much for your questions.

Gudo Wafu Nishijima

Three Philosophies, One Reality.

Dear Nishijima Roshi,

I hope you are keeping well.

Do you believe that Dogen Zenji had intellectually formalized his teachings in the way that you have interpreted them under your "3 Philosophies, One Reality" theory?

Allow me to develop my question a little: I am concerned that, in accepting the 3 Philosophies, One Reality theory, we can apply western philosophical ideas and values (i.e. 'materialism', 'idealism') restrospectively where they do not (did not) really apply (i.e. in Dogen's sino-Japanese Buddhist thought and view).

Besides, the process of reducing what Dogen Zenji said to a set formula as your theory does strikes me as somewhat out of context to what Dogen was imparting, it seems very much more of a Western Philosophical exercise than an inspired, poetic exercise. (I should add that I admire your theory very much...maybe it appeals to my Western wired brain!)

I raise this question because I found myself reading Shobogenzo and subconsciously trying to make passages 'fit' into your proposed theoretical formula; so that its was easier to comprehend for my questionable brain with its taste for simple, logical but unrealistic answers (**I should say that I think this should be seen solely as a reflection on my questionable intellect which thinks that it can 'acquire' an experience of something that is really beyond it**).

Gassho,

Harry.