Dogen Sangha Blog

  by Gudo NISHIJIMA

Japanese / German

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

MMK (2) Examination of 'Gone' and 'Not Gone'

[2] Examination of 'Gone' and 'Not Gone' (25 Verses)

1. As a memory of action in the past 'Gone' is different from a real act to go at the present moment,
An supposition of action in future 'Not Gone' is also different from a real act to go at the present moment.

And separating from a memory in the past 'Gone' and an supposition in future 'Not Gone',
Even a present recognition 'Is Going' is also differnt dimensionally from a real act, which is actually going on at the present moment.


2. A motion of body at a place is a movement, and there a fact that someone is going, is just a expansion of a concrete motion.

Memories that I haven't gone, or he hasn't come, just indicate motion of hands or feet,
and an expression that something is going on is also a real motion or an expansion of the real motion.


3. A behavior to go is included into a state of going on, and it is not necessary for the name of going on to appear even in future.

As a real fact, it might be always impossible dimensionally for the words of 'going on' to describe two sceneries, that is, the one is a description of a scenary that someone is looking at another person is walking on, as a looker-on, and the other one is just a description of a scenary that a walker himself is walking on at the present moment.


4. A real act to go actually, is included into the state of going on,
And a state of going on and a real act to go have adhered to each other tightly.

A state to be going on, moves following a motion of going on.
Because an expression to be going itself actually goes forward.


5. Belonging to a state of going on, and at the same time belonging to a real act of going on,
Something attached has produced the two factors of real acts actually.

Actually, because the person, who goes really, does not have his own relaxed situations, there is no possibility for a real act to realize iself actually.


6. Because of being entangled by two factors of a person who goes, and a fact to go,
The two factors in the real act are fixed to the real act without any surplus room.

Because, in facts, a motion to go is usually esteemed lighter than action itself,
There is no sufficient possibility for movement to be esteemed more valuable.


7. If there were any kind of possibility for action to go to receive some lower estimation than a person to go, or a fact to go,
It is not always necessary for a real action to go to manifest itself without necessity.

The real form to go at the present moment exists really in the real act to go actually,
And such exactly the same form at the present moment exists at the present moment, and so it can never manifests itself in future at all.


8. As motion to go itself does never go on at all, motion not to go itself also does never go on at all.

The perfectly different motion other than to go is a motion not to go,
And in that case there is never the third example, which is different from either to go or not to go.


9. Being similar to the example above, motion to go itself does never go ahead even in future at all.

Without a real action to go there is no posibility of motion to go at all.


10. In a case that it is necessry for us to separate a fact to go really and a motion to go for distinguishing from each other,
In the real situations a fact to go and a motion to go are actually too much confused with each other.

Negating a real act to go is the aim of using the word motion to go,
But actually, it is so much desired to utilizise the word of a motion to go for getting the effect of negating the real act to go.


11. In the real act to go, the two factors of a real act to go and a physical motion to go are too much combined with each oher.
Therefore in such real cases the utilizing the word, which expresses much more meaning of concrete motion, is naturally prefered.

And so in the such cases of real problems it might be much more preferred for the word, which has function to represent the meaning of concrete motion, might be used hopefully.


12. It is impossible that a real act to go might be born in a memory of having gone at all,
And it is also impossble that a real act to go might be born in a supposition in future.

And it is impossible that a real act to go might actually realize itself in a recognition of going on,
Therefore in any case it is perfectly impossible for us to fix the time of starting a real act to go actually.


13. If the start of real act to go hasn't become going on, it is impossjble for the state of going to appear at all, and it is also impossible for the act of having gone to stop.

In such a situation it is necessary for the real act to go should be maintained going actually,
And it is completely impossible for the real act not to be done at all.


14. A fact of having done can never be exchanged with anything at all, and a fact of going on just at the present moment can never be exchanged with anything at all, and so a fact of not having gone can never be exchanged with any thing at all.

If we have an idea that it might be possible for something not to be seen from the beginning, The existence of all things and phenomena can be included totally into the real act of going from the first time.


15. There is no fact for a motion of going to be stagnant, and at the same time there is never a fact that a motion, which hasn't come yet, is stagnant.

At the same time in the different cases of going or coming, how is it possible for the different third example of going or coming to be stagnant at all?


16. Just similar to the motion of something to go to a stagnation, how is it possible for something to appear to this world newly even in future at all?

Even though there is no real act to go at all, how is it possible for a motion to go manifests itself in any case at all?


17. Leaving a state of going on, a stop can never exist,
And leaving from having gone, or not having gone, a stop also can not exist actually.

A situation in which a real act to go appears or disappears, manifests itself very similar to a simple motion to go itself.


18. The real act to go like this is just a motion to go,
And the real motion like that can never be attached to anything.

A motion of examples to go is inevitably just the same as a motion to go,
it is impossible for us to find any kind of exception, which has some kind of exceptional tendency.


19. Just the same as the example the real act of going at the present moment is just completely the same as a motion to go.
Because in such concrete examples all cases have their common characteristics, which do not have any difference in any case at all.

Those kinds of examples, which are combinations of a real act to go and motion of going are strongly expectated to be one,
And so we can say that an action to produce something and to do some act really are completely the same action at all.


20. And in another method of consideration further, it is always possible for us to replace our simple motion to go with relying upon others's help at every moment.

In that case the real act to go might move relying upon simple motion,
and the concrete action to go might move leaving from the real act to go.


21. In some cases it is just an accomplishment of the aim to collect all things and phenomena into one,
And in other cases it is also an accomplishment of the aim to subdivide all into miscellaneously divided things and phenomena.

However, sometimes it is impossible for us to recognise that some cases to break up all things and phenomena into pieces can not be recognized as an accomplishment of the aim,
And in many cases it is impossible for us to recognize the reason why we can insist like that.


22. Relying upon cocrete going, an act to go produces going itself,
And what has been produced does never go ahead.

Therefore before motion to go doesn't exist,
Something similar to a receptacle can never go at all either as a subject, or as an object.


23. Utilizing a concrete action actually, a fact, that an actual motion is promoted, is an action itself,
And there is no fact other than that to go ahead for expanding actually.

There is no possibility that two motions to manifest themselves together,
And so everything are relying upon only a simple fact that something, which is totally only one,
is going on.


24. The real world, a real act at the present moment, and following those, motion, which is just going on,
Those three kinds of real existences are real, but those each three do never go on separately.

The abstract world does never go on as an action at the present moment, but the three kinds of real existence goes on as a concrete one.


25. A real act to go, the concrete world, and the abstract world, those three kinds of divisions actually do not go together as a only one concrete being accumulated at the present moment at all.

Therefore it is impossible for the concrete behavior to go, motion to go, and a practice of action, can never become the objects of recognition at all.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Translation of MMK in English

Recently I have finished a Japanese translation of Mulamadhyamakakarikah (MMK), and so I would like to translate it into English too. But thinking my old age (89 years old), I suppose that it might be adequate for me to express it directly in this blog. Therefore I would like to write it openly in this blog from today.


A Song of The Fundamental Truth on The Middle Way


[1] Examination of The Real Truth (14 Verse)

1. The Real Truth is different from subjective ideas, which have been produced in human brain,
but, at the same time, the Real Truth is never sense stimuli, which have entered from the
external world.

The Real Truth is not mixture of subjective idea and objective stimuli, but the Real Truth is
never something illogical.

Miscellaneous things and phenomena are only manifesting themselves as they are,

And what is called existence does never exist really anywhere, and it does not exist in
anything.


2. The four kinds of the Real Truth are Reason, which is pervading through the Universe,

The External World, which is spreading in front of us, and the Present Monment, at which
our Action is done,

And Reality, which seems to be the Ruler of the Universe.

But the Real Truth, as the Number Five, does never really exist anywhere at all.


3. The Subjective Existences, that is, ideas, can never be thought as the Real Existense,

Therefore, miscellaneous kinds of Real Truth must be the diarect objects of Real
Recognition.

And it is impossible for us to grasp what we think actually,

And also it is impossible for us to recognize that what we have perceived really exists, or not.


4. But our Action can never be other than the True Reality itself.

It is perfectly impossible for the different entity other than the Real Truth is Action itself.

The Real Truth can never be an imitation of Action,

And what is just the same as Action exists clearly here exactly.





5. This world, which is so clear, manifests itself just in front of us,
Things and fenomena are just showing themselves as miscellaneous true teachings.

When those things and fenomena do not manifests themselves, following such a degree of concealling,
The true teachings, which do not manifest themselves, might not exist actually at all in the real world.



6. In the case of being abstract, or being concrete,
The facts, that the true teachings are governed, or bound by the different aim from themselves, can never exist at all.

It is impossible for any abstract true teaching belongs to different other teachings at all,
And it is also completely impossible for a concrete thing, following some true teachings, to produce something new at all.



7. When the Universe, which is combination between the stable and the unstable, or combination between the concrete and the abstract, hasn't appeared in front of us,

Even things and phenomena, which are manifested in front of us accidentally, are not so reasonable.
Because even the situaions, which are seen as if being natural, are not always reasonable.



8. The world, which is manifested just in front of us, is the real world, and just the Real Universe is exhibiting in front of us actually.

How is it necessary for us to pile up one more other world on the Universe, which has been manifested itself in front of us really.



9. In the case, when the real situations of the Universe hasn't been regulated yet by itself, because our autonomic nervous systems haven't been regulated,

The situations of our daily life, which can never be stopped voluntarily by ourselves at all, might be a kind of severe restriction.
However it is perfectly impossible for true teachings, which are not combined with self-regulation, to exist on the earth at all.



10. Because miscellaneous existences do not have any kind of unique characteristics,
In the case, when it is impossible for us to grasp the Reality itself directly,

It is impossible for us to recognize concretely that this real world really exists as the real world actually as a simple fact.



11. In the real situations that because of real exitences of miscellaneous things and phenomena at random, miscellaneous true teachings can be cotinuing to exist as the miscellaneous true teachings,
Therefore how is it possible for real result to exist actually at all?

Relying upon miscellaneous true teachings, how is it possible for real result to exist really at all?
Furthermore without relyig upon miscellaneous true teachings, how is it possble for real result really to exist at all?



12. Actually there, something real, and even somthing concrete, are going on following miscellaneous concrete things and miscellaneous true teachings.

In the case of wrong teachings, all things and phenomena will vanish,
And it is perfectly impossible for result to go ahead at all.



13. The concept of result always hurts true teachings, and at the same time miscellaneous true teachings have tendency to destroy poverty.

Even though result has tendency to bring up poverty, how is it possible for result to have power to destroy true teachings at all?



14. Therefore result can never have any power to destroy true teachings,
And at the same time result does never have any power to destroy wrong teachings at all.

When we have got out from the synthetic point of view that result does never actually exist at all,
Where can we find the Real World, which is constructed from the combination of true teachings and wrong teachings together totally.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Songs in praise of Buddhist Truth

1. Pursuing the Truth

Nowadays, when we are talking about the Truth,

I wonder whether there might be so many people,

Who laugh at us that it is very funny,

That there are a few people on the earth,

Who believe in the existenceof the Truth in this World actually.


But I don't think so.

If there were no Truth on the earth, I would not like to live here longer,

Because it is not so much interesting, and it is so much useless living in this world.

(21, Oct, 2008)


(2) Instict to pursue the Truth

Fortunately, we have been born as human beings,

Therefore I think that we human beings have much interest to pursue the Truth.

And so I would like to encourage myself pursuing the Truth,

Because it might be the most interesting and the most enthusiastic life for us.

Of course there are economical problem in our daily life,

But Master Dogen said, when we are working, the rewards are existing in working itself

already.

(21, Oct., 2008)


(3) Clarification of Buddhist philosophy

Fortunately I have attended Master Kodo Sawaki's monthly retreat,

At Daichu-ji in Tochigi Prefecture in October 1940,

For listening to his lecture "Fukan-zazen-gi," for the first time.


At that time Master Kodo Sawaki proclaimed loadly that

"The Right Wing is wrong, and the Left Wing is wrong!"

Listening to such a very rear expression,

I thought that his expression might be true.


Then I have begun to study Buddhism, especially Master Dogen's thoughts, then,

I have begun to practice zazen everyday, and to read Mastr Dogen's works everyday.

I have begun my Buddhist lectures in Japan and abroad, and written many Buddhist books

In Japanese, in English, and so forth.


After understanding Master Dogen's Buddhist thoughts completely utilizing 40 years,

I have studyed Master Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamaka in Sanskrit,

And after syudying 50 years, I have arrived at the ultimate meaning of it on 13, Oct, 2008.


Then I have noticed that the ultimate Truth in the Universe clearly exists on the earth,

And it should be grasped by everyone precisely.

The ultimate Truth in the Univerce must be just the Gautama Buddha's teachings,

Which includes the theory of Four Philosophies, The rule of Cause and Effect,

The philosophy of action at the present moment, and Reality of the Whole Universe.

(21, Oct., 2008)





Prefecture in Octo

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Reopening Dogen Sangha Blog

Because of translationing Mulamadhyamakakarika into Japanese I have stopped posting Dogen Sangha Blog for about a half year, but because I have finished the translation on the day before yesterday, I will reopen the sending Dogen Sangha Blog as soon as possible, and the main contents might be rather easy explanations of Buddhist philosophy in short form of poems.

Gudo Wafu Nishijima