Dogen Sangha Blog

  by Gudo NISHIJIMA

Japanese / German

Monday, August 17, 2009

[3] Examination of Eyes and other Sense organs.

MMK (3) Examination of the Eyes and Other Sense Organs

1. Function to see, function to hear, function to smell,

Function to taste, function to touch, and function of central sense perception.

Those six kinds of sense functions are very familiar to us,

And what has been seen, and so forth, are the objects of sense functions.


2. The function of our own mind is also the object to be seen,

Because even the subject to see and the object to be seen are both actually the objects to
be seen.

What can not be seen has been our own mind,

Why such a concrete thing has become to be seen so distant?


3. What we have got relying upon our own enormous efforts,

Are different from a simple fire, which we have got easily,

What has been seen is perfectly opposite to what has been spoken.

What have been spoken are usually very abstract like "Is Going," "Have gone," or
"Haven't gone yet."


4. The situations, which are different from what we are just looking at something, can never
exist actually.

In such a situation, the ability to look at things and phenomena, can never exist at all.

The function to see, has ability to look at like this,

Therefore how is it possible for the facts here can be attached actually?


5. The ability to look at others, can never be seen by others,

And at the same time the ability, which does not have any ability to look at anything
others at all, has no ability to look at too.

The explanations in detail can be done by a person, who looks at everything carefully,

And a person, who can look at everything well, is truly a person, who can be actually
well in approaching the object.


6. A person, who looks at everything well, is not always a person, who does not criticize
anything others at all.

It is sometimes true that an attitude to despise others’ products severely, suggests also
some kinds of sincere attitude to the products.

What has been seen, is just what we have seen actually, and furthermore,

If there were no person, who esteems the product, where can those products actually
exist.


7. Leaving from the wrong idea that What has been seen, and What we have seen, do not
exist really,

The Four, that is, consideration, perception, action at the present
moment, and Reality itself, are this World.

If we insist that it is perfectly impossible for perception, consideration, Action at the
present moment, and Reality, not to exist,

What kind of Real Existence can really exist even in future at all?


8. The explanations of function to hear, function to smell,

Function to taste, function to touch, and function of the central sense perception,

Can be explained relying upon the function to see as a matrix,

Therefore it is possible for us to utilize it for to hear and what is heard, and other kinds
of sense functions too.

3 Comments:

Blogger Al said...

Roshi,

I have a question regarding the origins of the zazen posture.

Where specifically does the instruction to tuck the chin in come from? I can't find where it is that Dogen mentions it. was this something that was detailed later on after Dogen's time?

Regards,

Al

3:49 AM, August 18, 2009  
Blogger GUDO NISHIJIMA said...

Dear Al San,

Thank you very much for your important question. The reason why I insist the instruction that we should pull the chin a little downward and backward, comes from Master Kodo Sawaki's direct instruction.

Master Kodo Sawaki has studied the method of the authorized porsture in practicing Zazen, and he has left his so important method to us.

And in my case when I have followed his instruction of practicing Zazen, I have begun to stop thinking and perception in practicing Zazen, and so I think that the method of Zazen, which Master Sawaki has taught, is very important method to stop considerations and perceptions during Zazen.

4:00 PM, August 18, 2009  
Blogger Al said...

Roshi,

Thank you very much. I really appreciate your teaching.

Regards,

Al

4:55 PM, August 18, 2009  

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