[7] Examination of the External World (34 verses)
MMK (7) Examination of the External World (34 Verses)
1. When this world has appeared,
There might be the three kinds of manifestations, that is,
appearance, continuity, and disappearance.
In such situations this world is just appearance,
And how is it possible for this world to have any kind of
symbolic image?
2. The appearance, and so forth, that is the three, appearance, continuity, and
disappearance, are separated into pieces,
Are not so satisfactory even though relying upon many kinds of characteristics.
The total situations of the world might be belonging to the world,
And it might be only at one place, but why does it exist just at one moment?
3. Appearance, maintenance, and destruction,
And in another expression this world is just a kind of characteristics.
When an unstable world really exists as this world,
Then any world, which is different from this world, can never exist actually at all.
4. Appearance, appearance, and appearance,
The idea, which belongs to a fundamental appearance, may be individual and isolated.
Appearance produces appearance, and that is called appearance.
The fundamental might be born also in the similar case after.
5. Appearance, appearance, and appearance.
If those appearances belong to the fundamental,
How is it possible for the fundamental, which doesn't have any birth, to be born?
And so how is it possible for such a conversation to be born even in future?
6. Actually those are born relying upon fundamental,
And at that time the fundamental will be born.
But, however, the fundamental is not born relying upon the individual,
And so how is it possible for a concrete fact to be born actually?
7. Those things and phenomena are manifesting as they are,
And so what is hopeful is to manifest this here.
And they are just this one, which is manifested as miscellaneous things and phenomena,
totally
They haven’t been born, transcending verbal expressions, that is just this world.
8. What is called "light", is including both subjective idea and objective sense perception.
And so it manifests itself following the method of the subjective consideration and the
objective perception.
A fact that something manifests itself is the manifestation of both the subjective meaning
and the objective form,
And relying upon such a combination of the two factors, the combinations of the two
become possible.
9. In the existence of light, darkness does not exist really.
And so in such a situation, it must be necessary for light to exist there alone.
Why does it possible for light to make other things to be seen?
Because the brightness is able to destroy darkness actually.
10. With what kind of process does it be realized actually?
Relying upon brightness, Darkness might be destroyed.
Because it is not true that the darkness is always keeping to be produced,
Therefore it must be true that the brightness might be able to arrive at every moment.
11. The facts, which are not realized, have come from brightness,
At that time, the destroyer is also darkness again.
And so the object, which is always destroyed, is just darkness itself.
Therefore darkness will be always the cause of going down.
12. Brightness is oneness between something subjective and something objective. ,
Therefore it might be some kind of manifestation at the time.
Darkness is also oneness between something subjective and something objective.
Therefore darkness also covers the facts, which are not clear.
13. What has never been produced, but what has appeared, is this World,
Therefore how is it possible for any subjective personality to be born?
And so appearance might be born as birth,
Therefore how is it possible for birth to be born again actually?
14. This world is not the world, which has been produced, or the world,
which hasn’t be accomplished yet.
How is it possible for the world not to be the world, which hasn’t been born at all?
Even though a concrete thing, which has been born, without having any name yet,
They can be called with the name of “is going”, ”have gone”, or “not have gone.”
15. A fact that something is going on,
Suggests that anything hasn't been accomplished yet.
In that situation what has been going on?
Then it might be a very clear enjoyment of productivity.
16. Miscellaneous things and phenomena can exist as they are,
And those things and phenomena manifest the serene situations as they are.
Therefore what they are manifesting themselves really,
Are the balanced and serene situations as they are just in front of us.
17. When even a little bit of thing hasn’t been seen,
What is called “existence” might be recognized as if it were actually exist.
It might be possible for something to appear from something concrete,
But it might be perfectly impossible for "existence" really to exist at all.
18. To be continuing appearance is appearance,
And so we can say that this world is always being produced incessantly.
To expect such a world is appearance,
And so how is it possible for us to expect the appearance once more?
19. If a little different appearance might be the fact,
Then the appearance might be a little unstable.
In such a situation, nothing has become appeared, is the appearance,
And in that case everything has become accomplished in such situations.
20. Relying upon what really exist, accidence can be recognized,
And what do not exist really, can never be regulated by the real existence at all.
No existence and not to exist are the same meaning,
And before the time, what has been manifested itself, has been shown in front of us
already.
21. In the regulated situations what has been realized has been manifested already,
It does never manifest the appearance of itself in the area of existence at all.
And which is never regulated by any kind of regulation at all.
Therefore actually Existence itself does never manifest itself at all actually.
22. What should not stop, has stopped, is called "existence,"
And the “existence,” which has been stopped, does never stop once more.
The states, which are stopping, do never stop,
And where is it possible for what hasn’t been born to stop actually?
23. Standing still is belonging to the state of self-regulation,
And the self-regulation does not manifest itself in a simple condition of existence.
Such a kind of standing still is beyond the self-regulation totally,
The Real Existence does never manifest itself at all.
24. Aging and death are following the rule of the Universe,
And they are belonging to the whole existence at every moment.
How is it possible for everything to stop at all?
Those existences do not have any aging, or any death.
25. Standing still relying upon other things, is also a kind of standing still, and the state is
confirmed much more stable.
However even though relying upon such a method, the situation is never to be bound
so much.
Belonging to the work is just working for the work itself,
And it is not relying upon myself, or it is not relying upon others.
26. What is not restricted would not be restricted,
And what hasn’t been restricted wouldn’t be restricted.
In such situations even the states, which have been restricted yet,
How is it possible for what hasn't been born, to be restricted actually.
27. As long as we are standing still, we can belong to the state of existence.
The attitude of self-regulation does not appear without efforts to do.
Even just not to stand still, belongs to existence,
And the self-regulation manifests itself.
28. Relying upon such a real situation, the balanced situations have become balanced,
Because the real situations themselves are never be regulated by themselves.,
Utilizing a differently balanced situations, are just the true situations,
And it is never the different one, which is really self-regulated.
29. Just at that time, everything is all things and phenomena in the whole Universe,
And what has appeared already, does never appear again,
Just at that moment everything is just all things and phenomena in the Universe,
And the self-regulation can never be seen from outside at all.
30. From what really exist, an adequate volume belong to existence,
What is adequately self-regulated, does not manifest itself at all.
The fact that something is just only one, does not suggests its existence,
And if it is true, the non-existence of number can never be found at all.
31. Even the non-existence of Reality, has begun to be existent,
Even the denial of existent everything can be possible,
The highest one can never be included into the second-class levels at all.
The perfect destruction can be recognized in such a situation.
32. Without the self-mind, the self-regulation does never exist,
And the self-regulation is never also the same as the objective mind.
What kind of appearance does belong to the appearance?
The appearance is never the subjective mind, or the objective mind.
33. Appearance, continuity, and distraction,
This world does never exist as some thing unfinished.
In this world there is anything unfinished actually,
How is it possible for unfinished world will be finished in future?
34. For example the Supernatural Power, for example a dream,
A fantastic city in the sky, called Gandharva, for example.
Similarly in the case of appearance, similarly in the case of stable situations,
And similarly a very big distraction has been spoken as a rumor.
1. When this world has appeared,
There might be the three kinds of manifestations, that is,
appearance, continuity, and disappearance.
In such situations this world is just appearance,
And how is it possible for this world to have any kind of
symbolic image?
2. The appearance, and so forth, that is the three, appearance, continuity, and
disappearance, are separated into pieces,
Are not so satisfactory even though relying upon many kinds of characteristics.
The total situations of the world might be belonging to the world,
And it might be only at one place, but why does it exist just at one moment?
3. Appearance, maintenance, and destruction,
And in another expression this world is just a kind of characteristics.
When an unstable world really exists as this world,
Then any world, which is different from this world, can never exist actually at all.
4. Appearance, appearance, and appearance,
The idea, which belongs to a fundamental appearance, may be individual and isolated.
Appearance produces appearance, and that is called appearance.
The fundamental might be born also in the similar case after.
5. Appearance, appearance, and appearance.
If those appearances belong to the fundamental,
How is it possible for the fundamental, which doesn't have any birth, to be born?
And so how is it possible for such a conversation to be born even in future?
6. Actually those are born relying upon fundamental,
And at that time the fundamental will be born.
But, however, the fundamental is not born relying upon the individual,
And so how is it possible for a concrete fact to be born actually?
7. Those things and phenomena are manifesting as they are,
And so what is hopeful is to manifest this here.
And they are just this one, which is manifested as miscellaneous things and phenomena,
totally
They haven’t been born, transcending verbal expressions, that is just this world.
8. What is called "light", is including both subjective idea and objective sense perception.
And so it manifests itself following the method of the subjective consideration and the
objective perception.
A fact that something manifests itself is the manifestation of both the subjective meaning
and the objective form,
And relying upon such a combination of the two factors, the combinations of the two
become possible.
9. In the existence of light, darkness does not exist really.
And so in such a situation, it must be necessary for light to exist there alone.
Why does it possible for light to make other things to be seen?
Because the brightness is able to destroy darkness actually.
10. With what kind of process does it be realized actually?
Relying upon brightness, Darkness might be destroyed.
Because it is not true that the darkness is always keeping to be produced,
Therefore it must be true that the brightness might be able to arrive at every moment.
11. The facts, which are not realized, have come from brightness,
At that time, the destroyer is also darkness again.
And so the object, which is always destroyed, is just darkness itself.
Therefore darkness will be always the cause of going down.
12. Brightness is oneness between something subjective and something objective. ,
Therefore it might be some kind of manifestation at the time.
Darkness is also oneness between something subjective and something objective.
Therefore darkness also covers the facts, which are not clear.
13. What has never been produced, but what has appeared, is this World,
Therefore how is it possible for any subjective personality to be born?
And so appearance might be born as birth,
Therefore how is it possible for birth to be born again actually?
14. This world is not the world, which has been produced, or the world,
which hasn’t be accomplished yet.
How is it possible for the world not to be the world, which hasn’t been born at all?
Even though a concrete thing, which has been born, without having any name yet,
They can be called with the name of “is going”, ”have gone”, or “not have gone.”
15. A fact that something is going on,
Suggests that anything hasn't been accomplished yet.
In that situation what has been going on?
Then it might be a very clear enjoyment of productivity.
16. Miscellaneous things and phenomena can exist as they are,
And those things and phenomena manifest the serene situations as they are.
Therefore what they are manifesting themselves really,
Are the balanced and serene situations as they are just in front of us.
17. When even a little bit of thing hasn’t been seen,
What is called “existence” might be recognized as if it were actually exist.
It might be possible for something to appear from something concrete,
But it might be perfectly impossible for "existence" really to exist at all.
18. To be continuing appearance is appearance,
And so we can say that this world is always being produced incessantly.
To expect such a world is appearance,
And so how is it possible for us to expect the appearance once more?
19. If a little different appearance might be the fact,
Then the appearance might be a little unstable.
In such a situation, nothing has become appeared, is the appearance,
And in that case everything has become accomplished in such situations.
20. Relying upon what really exist, accidence can be recognized,
And what do not exist really, can never be regulated by the real existence at all.
No existence and not to exist are the same meaning,
And before the time, what has been manifested itself, has been shown in front of us
already.
21. In the regulated situations what has been realized has been manifested already,
It does never manifest the appearance of itself in the area of existence at all.
And which is never regulated by any kind of regulation at all.
Therefore actually Existence itself does never manifest itself at all actually.
22. What should not stop, has stopped, is called "existence,"
And the “existence,” which has been stopped, does never stop once more.
The states, which are stopping, do never stop,
And where is it possible for what hasn’t been born to stop actually?
23. Standing still is belonging to the state of self-regulation,
And the self-regulation does not manifest itself in a simple condition of existence.
Such a kind of standing still is beyond the self-regulation totally,
The Real Existence does never manifest itself at all.
24. Aging and death are following the rule of the Universe,
And they are belonging to the whole existence at every moment.
How is it possible for everything to stop at all?
Those existences do not have any aging, or any death.
25. Standing still relying upon other things, is also a kind of standing still, and the state is
confirmed much more stable.
However even though relying upon such a method, the situation is never to be bound
so much.
Belonging to the work is just working for the work itself,
And it is not relying upon myself, or it is not relying upon others.
26. What is not restricted would not be restricted,
And what hasn’t been restricted wouldn’t be restricted.
In such situations even the states, which have been restricted yet,
How is it possible for what hasn't been born, to be restricted actually.
27. As long as we are standing still, we can belong to the state of existence.
The attitude of self-regulation does not appear without efforts to do.
Even just not to stand still, belongs to existence,
And the self-regulation manifests itself.
28. Relying upon such a real situation, the balanced situations have become balanced,
Because the real situations themselves are never be regulated by themselves.,
Utilizing a differently balanced situations, are just the true situations,
And it is never the different one, which is really self-regulated.
29. Just at that time, everything is all things and phenomena in the whole Universe,
And what has appeared already, does never appear again,
Just at that moment everything is just all things and phenomena in the Universe,
And the self-regulation can never be seen from outside at all.
30. From what really exist, an adequate volume belong to existence,
What is adequately self-regulated, does not manifest itself at all.
The fact that something is just only one, does not suggests its existence,
And if it is true, the non-existence of number can never be found at all.
31. Even the non-existence of Reality, has begun to be existent,
Even the denial of existent everything can be possible,
The highest one can never be included into the second-class levels at all.
The perfect destruction can be recognized in such a situation.
32. Without the self-mind, the self-regulation does never exist,
And the self-regulation is never also the same as the objective mind.
What kind of appearance does belong to the appearance?
The appearance is never the subjective mind, or the objective mind.
33. Appearance, continuity, and distraction,
This world does never exist as some thing unfinished.
In this world there is anything unfinished actually,
How is it possible for unfinished world will be finished in future?
34. For example the Supernatural Power, for example a dream,
A fantastic city in the sky, called Gandharva, for example.
Similarly in the case of appearance, similarly in the case of stable situations,
And similarly a very big distraction has been spoken as a rumor.
posted by GUDO NISHIJIMA | 12:30 PM
10 Comments:
Dear Roshi,
Thank-you to you and Rich for the sincere conversation in the previous comments section. I have a question arising from that conversation:
When we practice zazen we sit upright and when we notice that we are thinking or percieving we stop it and return to sitting.
In our everyday lives though it seems that thinking and percieving are often inevitable and unavoidable. For example, a person working as an academic or a scientist may be required to think a lot, while a musician may rely on his or her hearing perceptions a lot. Also, we may have thoughts of a different nature that are disturbing and cause suffering and so there seems to be an issue of the quality of our thoughts outside of our practice of zazen.
How do we reconcile the view and practice of zazen with our daily lives where we are required to think and percieve often?
Thanks & Regards,
Harry.
Roshi,
In response to Rich in the last post you said, "And actually speaking, if we stretch our lower spine, backbones, and the neck bones straight vertically, it is impossible for us to think or feel anything during Zazen."
When you say that if we stretch our spine straight vertically that it is impossible to think or feel, do you mean that in the exact moment that we act to straighten our spines it is impossible to think or feel? What about the moment after we straighten our spines? Is there a carryover effect from the previous moment?
Gassho,
Al
Dear Ven. Harry San,
Even though you have wrote that "In our everyday lives though it seems that thinking and perceiving are often inevitable and unavoidable, but whether such kind of supposition is true, or not, is the very important problem.
For example, is it possible for us to consider "1 + 1 = 2" well when we are running for a hundred meter running race sincerely at the same time?
Therefore we should think that when we are acting something, it is never easy for us to consider or perceive another problem together at the same time as we are acting something.
In Buddhist philosophy to act something is completely different from to think or to perceive something.
But in Euro-American Civilization, Philosophy of Action hasn't become developed so much yet.
When we want to study Buddhism, it is necessary for us to enter into the area of the Realistic Philosophy, or Philosophy of Action directly.
The practice of Zazen is just learning what Action is directly.
Dear Ven. Al San,
I say that when I have begun to stretch my spine straight virtically, I have to become diligent to concentrate my efforts just to stretch my spine virtically, and such an efforts can never only be my intention, but my Action itself.
In Euro-American Civilization I think that it is almost impossible for us to think the difference between Action, and thinking and feeling, but when we think the dimentional difference of Action from thinking and feeling in Buddhism, it is necessary for us to find the absolute difference between Buddhist Realism and Euro-American Idealism or Materialism.
Thank you Roshi.
I am happy to see that "To Meet The Real Dragon" is being released in its 4th edition. I have already ordered my copy.
Regards,
Al
Dear Roshi,
Thank-you.
Yes, I agree that there is clearly a difference between Acting and thinking, or the real current situation and thinking/percieving. I think it's good for us to clearly realise this difference.
However, should we consider that thinking is of less value in our lives because of this?
If we want to run a hundred meter race very well then thinking at that time is not so good. At another time though it seems important, if not essential, to think about mathmatics or Buddhist philosophy or other such problems.
Regards,
Harry.
Dear Ven. Al San,
Thank you very much for your encouragements for me.
Dear Ven, Harry San,
I think that the most important difference between Euro-American Phylosophy and Buddhist phylosophy, is that Euro-American Phylosophy does not have real philosophy of Action, but the central philosophy of Buddhism is the philosophy of Action itself.
And I think that the Philosophy of Action is much more important than Idealism, or Materialism. Because I think that Idealism is a philosophy, which is based on the activity of the brain cells, and Materialism is a philosophy, which is based on the sense perception.
But I think that Buddhism is a philosophy of Action, or Reality, which is much more reliable than human consideration or sense perception.
Dear Roshi,
Yesterday I've realized that eternity is basically frame in this moment, isn't it? Past and future are the same, and everything basically happen already.
And if I realized this I can't take this body (thoughts, emotions, efforts, situations) so serious, then mind and body is balanced right?
I remember you wrote "You are Emperor of Universe" but I would be really interested in what you do if you would be as young man in situation in what some other man want hurt you physically, only therefore he want hurt some. What would zen master do?
And I want to ask you about if desire to real techings is OK? I mean for example teachings under you, I'm sure about that pure sitting with you is surely direct answer on all my questions. :-) I've really had some thoughts about trip (way) to Tokyo. But I also know that all thoughts are just thoughts.
Regards,
Tom as Skatemurai
Roshi,
I wanted to get your opinion on the Anapanasati Sutta. Do you think it was unlikely that Gutama Buddha gave a talk on this?
Regards,
Al
Dear Roshi,
I have been practicing zazen for two moths now for about 1-2 hours a day on average.
I understand that correct posture is extremely important due to the relationship between body and mind. As such, I have resolved myself to doing zazen in the lotus position. However, it begins to hurt considerably after only a dew minutes.
My question is should I try and 'push' through the pain as a way of improving my zazen practice? Although, even if you tell me that is so I fear my legs might fall off!
Or should I just continue stretching and do zazen in the half-lotus position until I can get into the full-lotus without too much pain?
Thank you,
Max
Dear Ven. skatemural,
It is true that eternity is basically frame in this moment.
But past and future are not the same. Past has gone already, but future has not come yet.
I think it is not always true that everything basically happen already.
The body (thoughts, emotion,efforts, situations) are sometimes serious, but sometimes not so.
The balance of ANS is the original state of ordinary people.
I do not have any tendency to think about a problem, which is based on supposition.
I think that all thoughts are thoughts, but at the same time Reality is always Reality.
To think something and to do something are absolutely different in their dimentional basis.
Dear Ven. Al San,
Unfortunately I haven't read Anapanasati Sutta yet at all.
Dear Ven. Max San,
Zazen practice is never the efforts of continence. Therefore in the case that legs are so painful during Zazen, it is not necessary for us to have the posture of full-lotus porsture, but to use the half-lotus porsture as you like.
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