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Master Gudo Nishijima has been practicing Buddhism for more than sixty years.
He was a student of Master Kodo Sawaki, an itinerant priest famous
for his efforts to restore Zazen to its rightful place at the center
of Buddhism. Master Nishijima was ordained as a priest by the
late Master Rempo Niwa, formerly head of the Soto Sect,
and has written many books on Buddhism
in both Japanese and in English.
For over twenty years, he has been
giving instructions on Zazen and lectures in English.
See here for details. |
posted by GUDO NISHIJIMA | 5:52 PM
8 Comments:
Dear Roshi,
what you think about book "The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman" by Takuan Sóhó?
And I got another question: How should I find right time for practicing zazen every day in morning and in evening and is regularity of practicing zazen important?
I'm sorry for my bad english, thank you very much.
Tom from Czech Republic
Dear Roshi,
What is the substantial difference between a real act and an unreal, or deluded, act?
Is it the case that things are not unreal or deluded until we carry out an action (such as thinking) which is not in accordance with reality?
If this is the case then can we say that delusion is one sort of effective action while realisation is another sort of effective action?
Thanks & Regards,
Harry.
Dear Ven. skatemurai San,
I know the existence of such a book in Rizai Sect, but unfortunately I belong to Soto Sect, and so I haven't read such a book yet well.
We can usually find the time for Zazen just after washing the face in the morning, and we can find the adequate time just before going to bed.
We should practice Zazen without fail in the morning and at night everyday, and the regularity of practicing Zazen is very important.
Dear Ven. Harry San,
Action is always real, and Action can never be unreal.
Whether Action is deluded, or not, is just a kind of estimation.
Generally speaking Action is perfectly different from Consideration, or Perception.
Consideration can never be Action, and Perception can never be Action.
Therefore delusion can never be Action.
Dear Roshi,
Thank-you.
In the 'Action' phase of the four Genjo-Koan statements Master Dogen says:
"The buddha way is, basically,leaping clear of the many and the one; thus there are birth and death, delusion and realization, sentient beings and buddhas."
What is the difference between 'sentient beings' and 'buddhas' that Master Dogen acknowledges in this phase? What makes them substantially different in terms of action?
Are 'sentient beings' not effectively different to 'buddhas' due to their real actions?
Regards,
Harry.
Dear Ven. Harry San,
The difference between 'sentient beings' and 'buddhas' that Master Dogen acknowledges in the phase, is that what is called 'sentient beings' might be fish, birds, animals, human beings, and so forth, and what is called 'buddhas' might be persons, who have been practicing Zazen for many years, and have been keeping the balance of the Autonomic Nervous System in their daily lives without fail.
In the case of 'sentient beings', it might be impossible for them to Act. Because they do not have any ability for them to select their Action good or bad.
But in the case of Human Beings they have usually ability to distinguish good and bad. However it is not always sure that all Human Beings have ability to abide not to do bad, or not.
But in the case of Buddhas, they have usually have ability to abide not to do bad, because of having the balanced ANS, they have usually ability to avoid doing bad utilizing their ability of self-regulation.
Therefore we can think that Human Beings, who have ability to stop doing bad, and to be able to do good, are called Buddhas, and the living beings, who can not stop doing bad, are not called Buddhas.
So we can think that a Buddha is a personality, who has ability to stop every bad, and to do good.
In other words 'sentient beings' are perfectly different from a personality, who is called a Buddha.
Dear Roshi,
Thank-you very much for this clear explanation.
Can we say that buddhas have the freedom to decide how they Act while the activity of sentient beings is determined entirely by circumstances and so they have no choice?
Isn't it the case that most people's lives are an unclear mixture of both situations?
Regards,
Harry.
Dear Ven. Harry San,
We can say that buddhas have the freedom to decide how they Act, while the activity of ordinary people is determined entirely by circumstances, habits, prejudice, stupidity, and so on.
Therefore they usually do not have Human Freedom.
In other words almost all people's usual lives are confusion of prejudices.
Dear Ven. Nishijima,
I hope there are still some places in Tokyo that are restful to you, I have never been to Japan but Tokyo seems like a very bustling and busy city from the pictures.
I wrote a comment on your blog awhile back about "zazen is the universe stretching", and you wondered if this had meaning. I did respond to your question, although my response never posted, and I would like to repeat that response here for the sake of discussion:
If we understand that the action of zazen is produced by the involuntary contraction of muscles caused by nerve impulses generated by the stretch of fascia and ligaments, then we are free to relax completely in the posture, because the action is generated by stretch and not by any willful direction.
I agree with Moshe Feldenkrais, that there are three motions to relax in the body, and they are side to side, forward and back, and around. I had a dream that I was swimming at the base of three waterfalls, and the water in the center of the pool at the base of the waterfalls welled up so much that I was supported on the surface of the water.
“Zazen is the universe stretching” is a very generalized way of saying that the location of mind that generates stretch and feeling in the body must be the spontaneous location of mind.
-- I am hoping this makes sense to you and to your readers as well, and I thank you very much;
yours,
Mark Foote
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