Dogen Sangha Blog

  by Gudo NISHIJIMA

Japanese / German

Friday, November 28, 2008

MMK (10) Examination of the Fusion of Flame and Combustion

1. When what is called ignition is done,
What is called fire is fusion between a person, who ignites, and an action to ignite, have been fused into one.

And in another example, when fire has separated from combustion, it is possible for fire to continue the situation, which has been separated from combustion.


2. The situation, which originally hasn't been ignited, also suggests that the situation, which hasn't been ignited, is maintained furthr.

In that case, it might be the case, which is meaningless at all, and it might be much more realistic for us not to begin any kind of such action at all.


3. In another example, even though we have left the state of ignorance, there might also occur the continuity of facts that the situation, that ignition hasn't be done, is going on.

There might be also possibilty that it might be perfectly useless to ignite,
And so we can think that it is too much for us to adhere to our own desire to make our efforts to continue the ignition for ever.


4. In the Real World, there is possibility that ignition is always tried endlessly.

And when we think why fuel is always so much burned without stopping,
We can quote the fact that this world is also the world, which has so big scale at every moment.


5. As several different problems, something, which can not be accomplished at all, will not be accomplished even in future at all,
And in the case of something, which can never be destroyed, will be also impossible to be destroyed even in future.

Something, which can never become balanced or serene, will be impossible to become balanced or serene even in future,
And a grammatical gender of each thing, which will maintain its gender, will never change its grammatical gender without fail in future.


6. And as another example, in a case that fire has left from combustion,
And then combustion has strongly hope to meet with fire again,

The female (combustion) has got the male (fire) in his hand,
And the male (fire) has got the female (combustion) in his hand,
And so such a situation is very common as usual conditions.


7. At the same time there is another situation that fire has left combustion clearly,
And combustion has begun to get everything as far as combustion likes to get.

In the case when fire and combustion have been fused into one completely,
Aha! It might be possible that fire and combustion have enter into the common state, where it might be possible that both fire and combustion do not notice with each other at all.


8. Just at the time, when combustion has been recognized as fire,
What has been accepted as fire must be just as combustion.

Before the time, when fire or combustion can manifest itself as fire or combustion,
What is recognized as fire must be inevitably exists as combustion.


9. When combustion has been considered as fire,
Everything, which has been related with fire, can be accepted as fire, which has been accomplished as fire.

Relying upon such situations, even in a case, where it is perfectly impossible for us to find any kind of fire,
Real combustion can be accepted as combustion even without fail.


10. Just now, everything, which can be seen as it is, is possible to exist as it is,
And what is seen as it is, can be accepted by its social circumstances.

Actually speaking, what can be seen as an imitation, is able to be accepted as useful as an imitation,
And so it is rather difficult for us to understand the real situations of so-called imitations.


11.
And actually it is true that some kind of imitation can be used effectively,
And so what is the reason why sometimes some imitation can never be useful at all?

In such a case, it seems that the possibility to become imitation has been so scarce,
And so nowadays it might have become almost impossible for the imitation even to have the slightest chance to be imitation at all.


12. It is not true that to recognise combustion suggests to produce fire,
Or it is not true that not to recognise fire suggests to produce combustion.

Not to recognise combustion does not produce fire,
Or, not to be ignorant of fire does not produce combustion.


13. The fact that something different from fire manifests itself, does never mean fire,
And it is different situation that fire is seen inside combustion.

There, inside combustion, every thing has been explained relying upon the method of description, which has been shown as the explanation of "gone,""not gone," and "is going" as expression relying upon words, and the real act at the present moment in Chapter 2.


14. Combustion is not fire itself,
And combustion, which is not fire, has been also separated from fire even in another place.

What is not fire, even in the case that it is similar to combustion, actually is not fire,
And miscellaneous combustion is just Reality, without relying upon each concrete and individual example.


15. Relying upon the oneness between fire and combustion, it is possible for us to explain real fire,
And relying upon real feeling of life and real feeling of sense perception, the oneness between fire and combustion will be kept longer continuously.

Everything in the world is continuing its continuity of having proper quantities,
And by adding 50% surplus furthermore, we can increase the concentrated scene of real situations further.


16. There are miscellaneous existences in the real feeling of life and real concrete characterisics,
And at the same time each individual thing manifests its own existence clearly.

However you, non-Buddhists, do not like to think that the miscellaneous things and phenomena are just yourselves,
And you are very diligent to destroy and erase important problems and experiences
endlessly.

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6 Comments:

Blogger Uku said...

Gassho.

11:06 AM, November 30, 2008  
Blogger Mike Cross said...

svastha-prasanna-manasah
samaadhir upapadyate,
samaadhi-yukta-cittasya
dhyaana-yogah pravartate

When the mind is well and serene,
Physical balance asserts itself;
And when balance is in the harness of intelligence,
Zen practice gets going.

Buddhacarita 12.105

These words of Ashvaghosha are not so philosophical as Nagarjuna's apparent exploration in MMK of the 2nd law of thermodynamics, but these words of Ashvaghosha also, I think, have defeated people's understanding -- and especially the 3rd line..

6:23 PM, November 30, 2008  
Blogger Barry said...

If a match needs a timber to give birth to flame, what condition is needed to give birth to reality?

No condition, no reality.

Concept falls away

I am before the match, a light.

gate gate paragate para som gate bodi svaha

10:10 AM, December 01, 2008  
Blogger Unknown said...

Nishijima Sensei,

(Note to other readers, I wish only for Sensei to answer this. Thanks)

Sensei,

I have a simple question regarding Zazen. I have read many times in your teachings that if during Zazen we become lost in thought we should simply straighten our spine. My question is do we try to stay focused on the position of our spine during the entire sitting not just when we notice we our lost in thought?

Regards,

Chip

8:06 AM, December 03, 2008  
Blogger Mike Cross said...

To Nishijima Sensei and all members of Dogen Sangha:

(Chip: please take no notice of this. I address my question to other readers, not you. Thank you)

I have a very simple question about sitting-zen. It is the simplest but most vital question about sitting-zen that I have ever asked:

The straightening of the spine which Chip is describing -- does it arise from muscular contraction (trying; adherence to a view), or does it arise out of muscular release (not trying; dropping off of views)?

5:21 PM, December 07, 2008  
Blogger Mike Cross said...

This lengthening of the spine that we should strive for in sitting-zen: is it characterized by rigidity? Or by release?

Yes, that is the question.

5:45 PM, December 07, 2008  

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