T2582 Shōbōgenzō The True Dharma-Eye Treasury, Volume IV

Chapter 77: Kokū - Space

[Chapter Seventy-seven] Kokū

Space

Translator's Note: Ko means "

vacant"

or

"

void,

"

and kū means

"

air,

"

"

"

"

space,

or

emptiness.

" So kokū means "

space.

" Space and time have been fundamental concepts in philosophy since ancient times and in science too; even in ancient India people frequently discussed the nature of space and time. And this tradition influenced Buddhism, so the nature of space and time became a very important subject in Buddhism in India. The topic also passed to Buddhism in China, and so there are many stories of Chinese Buddhist masters discussing space and time. In this chapter Master Dōgen discusses space. He first quotes a discussion about space between Master Shakkyō Ezō and Master Seidō Chizō. Then he gives his own explanation, quoting a poem by Master Tendō Nyojō, a discussion between Master Baso Dōitsu and a monk called Seizan Ryō, and the words of Master Vasumitra. [131] Because "this place is where something ineffable exists, "1 it is through the realization of these words that Buddhist patriarchs are caused to be. And because the realization of these words of Buddhist patriarchs passes naturally from rightful successor to rightful successor, the skin, flesh, bones, and marrow, realized as "a whole body, "2 are "hanging in space. "3 This space is beyond such categories as the twenty kinds of space. 4 In general, how could space be limited to only twenty kinds of space? There are eighty-four thousand kinds of space, and there may be countless more besides. [133] Zen Master Shakkyō Ezō5 of Bushū6 asks Zen Master Seidō Chizō,

7 "Do you understand how to grasp space?" Seidō says,

"I understand how to grasp it. "

The master says, "How do you grasp it?" Seidō clutches at space with his hand. 71

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The master says,

"You do not understand how to grasp space. "

Seidō says,

"How do you grasp it, brother?"8 The master grabs Seidō's nostrils and pulls them. Groaning with pain, Seidō says, "It is very brutal to yank a person's nostrils, but I have directly been able to get free. "

The master says,

"Directly grabbing hold like this, you should have got it from the beginning. "9

[134] Shakkyō's words "Do you understand how to grasp space?" ask "Are you too 'the thoroughly realized body as hands and eyes'?"10 Seidō says,

"I understand how to grasp it. " Space is one unadulterated mass, which, once touched is then tainted. 11 Since being tainted,

"space has fallen to the

ground.

"12 Shakkyō's words "How do you grasp it?" mean "Even if you call it 'as it is,

'13 you have changed it already. " And although it is like this, in changing with it the thus-gone14 exists. "Seidō clutches at space with his hand": this is merely understanding of how to ride a tiger's head; it is not yet understanding of how to grab the tiger's tail. Shakkyō says, "You do not

understand how to grasp space. " Not only has Seidō failed to understand how to grasp it; he has never realized space even in a dream. And although he is like this, [Shakkyō] does not want to describe for him that which is profound and eternal. Seidō's words "How do you grasp it, brother?" mean "Say a word or half yourself, venerable elder! Do not rely so totally on me. "

Shakkyō grabs Seidō's nostrils and pulls them. Now, let us learn in practice that Shakkyō has put his body into Seidō's nostrils. From the other side, realization is present of the words that "nostrils pull in Shakkyō. " And although

it is like this, space is a unity, and it is jostling. 15 Seidō groans with pain and says,

"It is very brutal to yank a person's nostrils, but I have directly been able to get free.

" Previously he has thought about meeting another, but suddenly he has been able to meet himself. At the same time, to taint the self is not permissible:16 the self must be practiced. [136] Shakkyō says,

"Directly grabbing hold like this, you should have got it from the beginning. " I do not deny that "grabbing hold by the state like this has got it from the beginning. " However, because there is neither grasping in which Shakkyō and Shakkyō each extend a hand together, nor grasping in which space and space each extend a hand together, [Shakkyō] is not yet relying upon his own exertion. In general, the universe has no gaps 72

Chapter Seventy-seven

to accommodate "space,

" but this particular story has long been resounding through space like thunder. Since the time of Shakkyō and Seidō, though the practitioners who have called themselves masters of the five sects17 are many, those who have seen, heard, or fathomed space are few. Before and after Shakkyō and Seidō, several individuals have aspired to play with space, but few have put their hands on it. Shakkyō has attained some grasp of space. Seidō does not glimpse space. Daibutsu18 would like to tell Shakkyō the following: "Before, when you grabbed Seidō's nostrils, if you wanted to grasp space, you should have grabbed the nostrils of yourself, Shakkyō, and you should have understood how to grasp the fingertips with the fingertips. " Even

so, Shakkyō does know a bit about the dignified behavior of grasping space. Even a good player at grasping space needs to research the interior and exterior of space, needs to research the deadening and vitalization of space, and needs to know the lightness and weight of space. We should maintain and rely upon [the teaching] that the effort in pursuit of the truth, the establishment of the mind, the practice and experience, and the assertions and questions of buddhas and of patriarchs are just the grasping of space. [138] My late master, Tendō Nyojō, the eternal buddha, says: "The whole body like a mouth, hanging in space. "19

Clearly, the whole body of space20 is suspended in space. [139] Archpriest Ryō21 of Seizan Mountain in Kōshū once goes to practice in Baso's order. 22 Patriarch [Baso] asks him,

"What sutra do you

lecture on?"

The master replies,

"The Heart Sutra.

"23

The patriarch says,

"With what do you lecture?"

The master says,

"I lecture with mind.

"24

The patriarch says,

"[They say] mind is like a leading actor, the will is like a supporting actor, and the six kinds of consciousness are the accompanying cast: how are these able to lecture on the sutra?" The master says,

"If mind is unable to give the lecture, space is hardly able to give the lecture, is it?" The patriarch says,

"Space itself is indeed able to give the lecture. "

The master swings his sleeves25 and retires. The patriarch calls to him,

"Archpriest!"

The master turns his head.

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The patriarch says,

"From birth to old age, it is just this. "

At this the master gains insight. Eventually he conceals himself on Seizan Mountain and nothing more is heard of him. 26

[140] Thus, every Buddhist patriarch is a sutra lecturer. And sutra lecturing is inevitably in space. Without space, it is impossible to lecture on even a single sutra. Whether lectures are delivered on the mind as a sutra27 or delivered on the body as a sutra, they are always delivered through the medium of space. Thinking is realized, and not thinking is realized, through the medium of space. The development of tutored wisdom and the development of untutored wisdom, the development of innate intelligence and the development of learned intelligence: each is in space. The act of becoming a buddha and the act of becoming a patriarch, likewise, must be in space. [141] The seventh patriarch, Venerable Vasumitra, 28 says: "The mind29

is the same as the concrete world of space, and it reveals the reality that is coterminous with space. When we are able to experience space, there is no right and nothing wrong.

"30

The mutual encounter and mutual realization in the moment of the present between a person facing a wall and the wall facing the person; the mind as fences and walls; and the mind as a withered tree: these are just "the concrete world of space.

" To those who can be saved by this body, [buddhas] manifest at once this body and preach for them the Dharma;31 this is "to reveal the reality that is coterminous with space. " To those who can be saved by another body, [buddhas] manifest at once another body and preach for them the Dharma; this is "to reveal the reality that is coterminous with space. " Being

used by the twelve hours, and being in control of the twelve hours, are both "the time when we are able to experience space. " A big stone being big and

a small stone being small32 is "no right and nothing wrong. " We solely investigate for the present, as the right Dharma-eye treasury and the fine mind of nirvana, space like this.

Shōbōgenzō Kokū

Preached to the assembly at Daibutsuji33 in Etsu-u on the sixth day of the third lunar month in the third year of Kangen.

34

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Notes

1 See, for example, the conversation between Masters Rinzai and Fuke in the Shinjishōbōgenzō,pt. 1, no. 96. The story is recorded in notes to Chapter Fifty-six (Vol. III), Senmen,paragraph 124; Chapter Seventy-three, Sanjūshichi-bon-bodai-bunpō, paragraph 23.

2 Konshin seru,

"integrated into a body,

" alludes to the first line of Master Tendō Nyojō's windbell poem. See paragraph 138.

3 Ka-kokū,

"hanging in space,

" also alludes to the windbell in the poem. It de scribes the true state of all things in the universe as entities existing in space. 4 Nijukkū,

"twenty kinds of space" or "twenty kinds of emptiness, " are enumerated in

the Daihannyakyō(the Chinese version of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-sūtra) as 1) naikū,

"inner space"; 2) gaikū,

"external space"; 3) naigaikū,

"space inside and outside"; 4) kūkū, "space as space"; 5) daikū,

"universal space,

" etc. The twenty are generally cited in connection with the doctrine of śūnyatā;viz., shōhō-kai-kū, "all things

and phenomena are totally empty.

" Thus the sutra explains that 1) the six sense organs are transient, devoid of self, and therefore empty: this is "internal śūnyatā"; 2) the six sense objects are transient, devoid of self, and therefore empty: this is "external śūnyatā"; 3) the sense organs and their objects are transient, devoid of self, and therefore empty: this is "internal and external śūnyatā"; 4) nonattachment to the emptiness of all internal and external entities is "the emptiness of śūnyatāitself"; 5) the total emptiness of the universe in the ten directions is "universal śūnyatā"; etc. See also the Shōdōka:nijukkū-mon gen jaku sezu, "We are originally without attachment to the twenty aspects of śūnyatā. "

5 Master Shakkyō Ezō (dates unknown), successor of Master Baso Dōitsu. He was formerly a hunter. It is said that he became a monk when he came upon Master Baso's hut while hunting a deer.

6 A district of Jiangxi province in southeast China. 7 Master Seidō Chizō (735-814), also a successor of Master Baso Dōitsu. He entered Master Baso's order when he was eight years old, and received the complete two hundred and fifty precepts at age twenty-five. 8 Suhin,lit.,

"master-elder brother,

" a term of respect for a senior monk. 9 Keitokudentōroku,chap. 6; Shinji-shōbōgenzō,pt. 3, no. 49. 75

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10 Tsūshin-ze-shugen.The words of Master Dōgo Enchi; see Chapter Thirty-three (Vol. II), Kannon.

11 A Chinese expression for which no source has been traced. The sentence suggests mild criticism of Seidō for tainting space with intellectual understanding. 12 Kokūrakuchi,

"space falls to the ground,

" means abstract space collapses. The words appear in the preaching of Master Jōshū Jūshin; see Chapter Thirty-five (Vol. II), Hakujushi,paragraph 113. Having chided Master Seidō for tainting space, Master Dōgen recognizes the practical necessity of some times tainting space with human intellectual understanding.

13 Nyo-nyo. Nyomeans "as is" or "what is as it is"; i.e., reality. 14 Nyokomeans "thus-gone" or "reality passing" —in this compound nyocan be understood as an adverb, "thus,

" or as a noun,

"reality.

" Either way, nyokoexpresses momentary reality. Similarly nyorai,which represents the Sanskrit tathāgata,can be understood as "thus-come" or as "arrived at reality. "

15 Alludes to the words of Master Goso Hōen. See Chapter Seventy-four, Tenbōrin, paragraph 72.

16 Jiko[o] zenna[seba] sunawa[chi] futokualludes to Master Nangaku Ejō's famous words "practice and experience is not nonexistent, but to taint it is not permissible. "

Shinji-shōbōgenzō,pt. 2, no. 1. See also Chapter Seven (Vol. I), Senjō;Chapter Twenty-nine (Vol. II), Inmo.

17 Goke("five sects"): the Hōgen, Igyō, Sōtō, Unmon, and Rinzai sects. See Chapter Forty-nine (Vol. III), Butsudō.

18 Master Dōgen. See note 33.

19 Konshin kuchi[ni] ni[te] kokū [ni] ka[ku]. This is the first line of the windbell poem quoted in Chapter Two (Vol. I), Maka-hannya-haramitsu,paragraph 78: "Whole body like a mouth, hanging in space;/Not asking if the wind is east, west, south, or north,/For all others equally, it chatters prajñā:/Chin Ten Ton Ryan Chin Ten Ton. "

20 Kokūno konshin,

"the whole body of space" or "the whole body as space. "

21 Archpriest Seizan Ryō (dates unknown). Za-shu, "archpriest,

" is a title for the master

of a temple belonging to sect in which zazen is not practiced. So the title is sometimes used with irony to criticize a practitioner's state as too intellectual. See, for example, Chapter Seventy-five, Jishō-zanmai,paragraph 93. 22 Master Baso Dōitsu (704-788), successor of Master Nangaku Ejō. 23 Shingyō,the Heart Sutra of Mahāprajñāpāramitā,the short sutra that represents the heart of the six hundred volumes of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra.See Chapter Two (Vol. I), Maka-hannya-haramitsu. 24 Shin—as in shingyō—means the mind or the heart. 76

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25 A gesture of mild contempt—as also used by the old woman who wouldn't sell her rice cakes to Master Tokusan. See Chapter Eighteen (Vol. I), Shin-fukatoku. 26 Keitokudentōroku,chap. 8; Shinji-shōbōgenzō,pt. 1, no. 4. 27 Shingyō.See note 23.

28 Vasumitra was born at the end of the first century C.E. in Gandhāra in northern India. He became the succes sor of the sixth patriarch in India, Master Micchaka (see Chapter Fifteen [Vol. I], Busso). Legend says that in his youth, before becoming the disciple of Master Micchaka, Master Vasumitra would wander aimlessly around the town drinking from a flask of liquor.

29 Shinhere means not "mind" in general but "[buddha-]mind"; i.e., the mind in the balanced state of action.

30 Keitokudentōroku,chap. 1.

31 Alludes to Lotus Sutra,Kanzeon-bosatsu-fumon("The Universal Gate of Bodhisattva Regarder of the Sounds of the World"). See LS 3.252. 32 See also Chapter Sixty-two (Vol. III), Hensan,paragraph 66: "Thorough exploration is a big stone being big and a small stone being small. "

33 Daibutsuji, literally,

"Temple of the Great Buddha.

" This was the first chapter of the Shōbōgenzōpreached at Daibutsuji, which Master Dōgen founded in 1244. In 1246 he changed the name of the temple to Eiheiji, "Temple of Eternal Peace.

"

34 1245.

77

Chapter 78: Hatsu-u - The Pātra

[Chapter Seventy-eight]

Hatsu-u

The Pātra

Translator's Note: Hatsu is a phonetic rendering of the Sanskrit pātra, and u means bowl. In India, Buddhist monks ate their meals from a large almsbowl called a pātra, and the tradition was passed to Buddhist monks in China. In this chapter, Master Dōgen explains the importance of the pātra, which has traditionally been highly revered as a symbol of Buddhist life. [145] From upward of the Seven Buddhas the authentic transmission has passed to the Seven Buddhas; from inside the Seven Buddhas the authentic transmission has passed to the Seven Buddhas; from the totality of the Seven Buddhas the authentic transmission has passed to the totality of the Seven Buddhas; and from the Seven Buddhas the authentic transmission has passed down the twenty-eight generations. The twenty-eighth ancestral master, Founding Patriarch Bodhidharma, enters China himself and passes the authentic transmission to the Second Patriarch, Great Master Taiso Shōshū Fukaku;1 and, transmitted through six generations, [the transmission] reaches Sōkei. 2

The total fifty-one transmissions3 of east and west are just the right Dharmaeye treasury and the fine mind of nirvana, and the kaṣāyaand the pātra.Past buddhas have maintained each as the authentic transmission of past buddhas. In this way, [each] has been authentically transmitted from buddha to buddha and from patriarch to patriarch. At the same time, the skins and flesh, the bones and marrow, the fists, and the eyes who learn the state of Buddhist patriarchs in practice, have each their own expression: some learn in practice that the pātrais the body-mind of Buddhist patriarchs; some learn in practice that the pātrais the almsbowl of Buddhist patriarchs; some learn in practice that the pātrais the eyes of Buddhist patriarchs; some learn in practice that the pātrais the brightness of Buddhist patriarchs; some learn in practice that the pātrais the real substance of Buddhist patriarchs; some learn in practice 79

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that the parts is the Buddhist patriarchs' right Dharma-eye treasury and fine mind of nirvana; some learn in practice that the pātrais a place in which Buddhist patriarchs transform themselves; and some learn in practice that Buddhist patriarchs are the rim and base of the pātra.The principle of learning in practice of each such group has its own standing as an expression of the truth. At the same time, there is learning in practice in a further ascendant state.

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[147] My late master Tendō, the eternal buddha, on the day he takes up residence on Tendō, in the first year of the Great Song era of Hōgyō, 4 says

in formal preaching in the Dharma hall,

"I remember the following: A monk

asks Hyakujō,

5 'What is a miracle?' Hyakujō says,

'Sitting alone on Great

and Mighty Peak.

'6 Monks, do not be disturbed. Let the fellow kill himself by sitting7 for a while. If someone today were suddenly to ask, 'Venerable

[Nyo]jō, what is a miracle?' I would only say to them, 'What miracle could

there be?' Finally, what else? The pātraof Jōji8 having passed to Tendō, I eat meals.

"9

[149] Remember, a miracle should be done for a miraculous person, and for a miracle a miraculous tool should be used. Such are miraculous moments. Thus, the place where miracles have been realized is the miraculous pātra.Therefore to call upon the Four Quarter Kings10 to guard [the pātra] and upon dragon kings11 to protect [the pātra] is a profound standard of the Buddha's truth. And for this reason we offer up [the pātra] to Buddhist patriarchs, and [the pātra] is entrusted down to us through Buddhist patriarchs. People who do not learn in practice in the inner sanctum of Buddhist patriarchs say,

"The Buddha's kaṣāyais silk, is cotton, is made from fabric of transformed thread.

" They say,

"The Buddha's pātrais stone, is tile, is iron.

" They speak

like this because they are not yet equipped with eyes of learning in practice. The Buddha's kaṣāyais the Buddha's kaṣāya.There must never be any view about silk or cotton. Views about silk, cotton, and so on are outmoded views. The Buddha's pātrais the Buddha's pātra.We must never call it stone and tile, and never call it iron and wood. In general, the Buddha's pātrais not man-made,

12 it is beyond arising and passing, it neither leaves nor comes, it is without merits and faults, it does not embrace new and old, and it is not connected with past and present. The robes and bowls of Buddhist patriarchs, even if created through the collection of clouds and water, are beyond the 80

Chapter Seventy-eight

restrictions and hindrances13 of clouds and water. Even if created through the collection of grass and trees, they are beyond the restrictions and hindrances of grass and trees. The point is this: water, being composed of real dharmas, is water, and clouds, being composed of real dharmas, are clouds. Being composed of clouds, they are clouds. Being composed of water, it is water. With regard to the pātra:"only of real dharmas is the pātracomposed";14 only of the pātraare real dharmas composed; only of integrated mind is the pātracomposed; only of space is the pātracomposed; and only of the pātrais the pātracomposed. The pātrais restricted by the pātraand tainted by the pātra.The pātrathat monks15 today have received and retained is just the pātraoffered up by the Four Quarter Kings. 16 If not offered up by

the Four Quarter Kings, the pātracould not be manifest before us here and now.

17 The pātrathat has now been authentically transmitted through all directions by Buddhist patriarchs who have received the Buddha's right Dharma-eye treasury is the pātrain the state that is liberated from past and present. That being so, the pātrahere and now has broken with a glance outmoded views of it held by men of iron, it is not influenced by evaluation of it as a piece of timber, and it has transcended the sound and form of tiles and pebbles—while not restricting lively appreciation of it as a rock or a jewel. Do not call it a bit of tile, and do not call it a chunk of wood. We have realized it in experience like this.

Shōbōgenzō Hatsu-u

Preached to the assembly at Daibutsu Temple

in Etsu-u on the twelfth day of the third lunar

month in the third year of Kangen.

18

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Notes

1 Master Taiso Eka, the Second Patriarch in China. Great Master Shōshū Fukaku is his posthumous title.

2 That is, Master Daikan Enō on Sōkeizan, the Sixth Patriarch in China. 3 From Master Mahākāśyapa to Master Dōgen. 4 1225.

5 Master Hyakujō Ekai (749-814), successor of Master Baso Dōitsu. 6 Daiyūhō ("Great and Mighty Peak") means Hyakujōzan, the site of Master Hyakujō's temple.

7 Zasatsu,lit.,

"to kill [oneself] by sitting,

" means to keep on practicing zazen even when it is difficult to sit.

8 Master Tendō Nyojō was the abbot of Jōji Temple when he received the invitation to become the master of Tendō Temple. 9 Also quoted in Chapter Sixty-four (Vol. III), Kajō,paragraph 102. 10 Shi-tenno,lit.,

"four heavenly kings,

" from the Sanskrit catvāro mahā-rājikāḥ,are four gods under the god Indra who inhabit the lowest of the six heavens in the world of desire, each guarding one of the four quarters of the area surrounding Mount Sumeru. See also Chapter Seventy (Vol. III), Hotsu-bodaishin,paragraph 207. 11 Ryū-ō("dragon king") represents the Sanskrit nāgarāja,a mythical serpent-like being that guards Buddhism. In ceremonies such as that at the beginning of the summer retreat, dragons are called upon to protect the Dharma. See Chapter Seventy-nine, Ango,paragraph 175.

12 Zōsa, lit.,

"made by building,

" from the Sanskrit saṃskṛta. See Volume I, Glossary of Sanskrit Terms, and also Chapter Forty-four (Vol. III), Kobusshin,paragraph 65. 13 Rarō,silk nets and bamboo cages used in China to catch birds and fish. The same characters appear in the Fukanzazengi. 14 Tada shūhō[o] mot[te] hatsu-u[o] gōjō[su]. This sentence borrows its structure from a line in the Yuimagyō: tada shūhō[o] mot[te] ko[no] mi [o] gōjō [su], "Only of real

dharmas is this body composed.

" Master Dōgen discusses the line at length in Chapter Thirty-one (Vol. II), Kai-in-zanmai. 83

Shōbōgenzō Volume IV 15 Unsui,lit.,

"clouds and water, " in this case means those who live the free and homeless life, monks. 16 17 That is, the pātraoffered by the Four Quarter Kings to the Buddha. The pātrais more than an ordinary bowl; in addition to its practical function, it has traditional value and meaning. 18 1245.

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Chapter 79: Ango - The Retreat

[Chapter Seventy-nine]

Ango

The Retreat

Translator's Note:An means

"

peaceful"

and go means

"

reside.

" The word

ango refers to the ninety-day summer retreat. In India, the rainy season lasts for about three months in the summer. Buddhists in ancient India used this time for intensive practice of zazen, and this period was called varsika in Sanskrit. The tradition was passed to China, and when Master Dōgen went to China he experienced the concentrated practice of zazen for three months in the summer. He felt it his mission to introduce this tradition to Japan. [153] My late master, Tendō Nyojō, the eternal buddha, says in informal preaching1 at the beginning of a summer retreat, Stacking our bones upright on the flat earth, [We each] dig a cave in space.

Directly we pass through the gate of dualism, And grasp hold of a black lacquered tub. 2

This being so, ["Those who] have got this ring through the nose, 3/Still

inevitably eat meals and stretch out the legs to sleep,/And have been at just this place for thirty years.

"4 Because we are like this already, we waste no time in putting tools in place. One such tool is the ninety-day summer retreat. It is the brains and the real features of the buddhas and the patriarchs, and it has been directly experienced by their skin, flesh, bones, and marrow. Picking up the eyeballs and the brains of Buddhist patriarchs, we have made them into the days and months of the ninety-day summer retreat. One summer retreat is just another name for buddhas and patriarchs. The summer retreat, start to finish, is Buddhist patriarchs themselves. Beyond this there is no additional inch of soil and no great earth. A real summer retreat5 is neither new nor old, it is beyond coming and beyond going. Its dimensions are the 85

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dimensions of a fist, and its characteristics are the characteristics of a ring through the nose. At the same time, because we begin the summer retreat, it comes, having blocked out space, and no ten directions are left over. And because we finish the retreat, it goes, tearing the whole earth asunder, and no inch of soil remains. For this reason, when the reality of the start of the summer retreat is realized, it seems to come; and when the restrictions of the end of the summer retreat are broken, it seems to go. Even though it is like this, the fact is only that some adherents to the state of direct experience are each coming into contact with the start and the finish. For thousands of miles there is not an inch of grass!6 Give me back the money I paid for the ninety days of meals!

[156] Master Ōryū Shishin7 says,

"Having trod the way of a mountain

monk for thirty-odd years, I see ninety days as a summer. To add a day is impossible. To subtract a day is impossible.

"8

So the insight glimpsed by the eyes of thirty-odd years as a wayfarer is simply that ninety days make one summer retreat. If we consider adding a day, the ninety days will come back vying with each other. 9 If we consider

subtracting a day, the ninety days come back vying with each other. 10 We

must never spring free from the cave of ninety days. [The real meaning of] this springing free is, using the cave of ninety days as hands and feet, to engage only in springing itself.

"To see ninety days as a summer" is a tool

of our lineage;11 at the same time, because the Buddhist Patriarch did not personally decide it by himself, [the tradition] has been authentically received by buddhas and by patriarchs, rightful successor to rightful successor, until today. Therefore, to meet a summer retreat is to meet the buddhas and the patriarchs. To meet a summer retreat is to realize buddha12 and to realize the state of a patriarch. The summer retreat has long since become a Buddhist patriarch. In this "Ninety days makes a summer,

" though the measurement

of time is a cerebral measurement, it is beyond only one kalpaor ten kalpas, and beyond only a hundred thousand countless kalpas. Other times are used up by the hundreds of thousands of countless kalpas. The ninety days command the use of the hundreds of thousands of countless kalpas; therefore, though the hundreds of thousands of countless kalpas realize buddha when they meet the ninety days, the ninety days are not always connected with kalpas. This being so, we should learn in practice that "Ninety days makes 86

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a summer" is just a measurement of the Eye. The retreat as body and mind is also like this. The fact that the summer retreat commands the use of the state of vigorous activity, and the fact that the summer retreat has sprung free from the state of vigorous activity, have their origins13 and have their bases;14 even so, [the summer retreat] has not come here from another place and another time, and it does not originate from just this place and just this time. When we grasp their origins the ninety days come at once. When we grope for their basis the ninety days come at once. The common and the sacred have seen these [ninety days] as their caves and as their very lives, but [the ninety days] have far tran scended the states of the common and the sacred. [The ninety days] are beyond thinking discrimination, they are beyond non-thinking discrimination, and they are not confined to the state beyond thinking and non-thinking.

[160] The World-honored One preached the Dharma to an assembly in the country of Magadha.

15 Then, wanting to begin a ninety-day summer retreat, 16 he said to Ānanda,

17 "To the great disciples, and to gods

and human beings of the four classes,

18 I am constantly preaching the

Dharma, but they do not have reverence or admiration for it. I shall now go inside the Indra-ṣaila-guhā19 chambers, and practice a ninetyday summer sitting. If someone should appear and ask to hear the Dharma, you should preach the following to them in my place: 'All dharmas are beyond appearance. All dharmas are beyond disappearance. '" Having spoken, he closed the chambers and sat.

20

Since then two thousand one hundred and ninety-four years have already passed. (It is now the third year of the Japanese era of Kangen. 21) Descendants

who do not enter the inner sanctum have often seen [the Buddha's] closing himself away in the chambers in Magadha as evidence of his preaching without words. Wrong groups today solely think as follows: "The Buddha's intention in closing the chambers and doing a summer sitting is that to rely upon preaching with words is not completely real, but is an expedient means. The ultimate truth is the cutting of speech and the disappearance of the intellectual function. For this reason, to be without words and without intellect may fit the ultimate truth. To have words and to have images in the mind is different from the truth. For this reason, during the ninety-day summer sitting in closed 261c

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chambers, [the Buddha] cut himself off from human traces. " The assertions

of these people have insulted the World-honored One's Buddhist intention. If we discuss the cutting of speech and the disappearance of the intellectual function, all livelihoods and industries are the cutting of speech and the disappearance of the intellectual function— "the cutting of speech" meaning all

speech, and "the disappearance of the intellectual function" meaning all intellectual functions. 22 Furthermore, this story is not originally for the purpose of venerat ing the state without words. The thoroughly realized body solely [drags through] mud and [stays in] the water, and goes into weeds, never shirking to preach the Dharma and to save people, and never shirking to turn the Dharma and to salvage things. If people who call themselves [the Buddha's] descendants say,

"The ninety-day summer sitting is the absence of verbal preaching,

" I would like to tell them,

"Give the ninety-day summer sitting

back to me!" [The Buddha] directs Ānanda to preach on his behalf, saying, "You should preach the following in my place: 'All dharmas are beyond appearance. All dharmas are beyond disappearance.

'" We should not vacantly

pass over this behavior of the Buddha. In sum, how could we see his closing the chambers and practicing a summer sitting as being without words and not preaching? Suppose, for the present, that at this time Ānanda were to address the World-honored One as follows: "How should I preach that 'All dharmas are beyond appearance, and all dharmas are beyond disappearance'? Even if I preach like this, what must I do?" So saying, he would listen to the Worldhonored One's words. In general, the present instance of the Buddha's behavior is itself the philosophy of supreme meaning,

23 and the philosophy of the

supreme state of being without,

24 which preach the Dharma and turn the

Dharma. We should never see it as evidence of preaching without words. If we see it as preaching without words, the situation may be described as "It is pitiful that the three-foot Dragon Spring Sword is idly hanging on the wall of the To household as a weaving shuttle.

"25 In conclusion, the ninety-day

summer sitting is the eternal turning of the Dharma wheel, and it is eternal Buddhist patriarchs themselves. In the present story, there are the words "Then, wanting to begin a ninety-day summer [retreat]. . . .

" Remember, that which

is unavoidably practiced is ninety days of sitting in a summer retreat. Those who shirk it are non-Buddhists. In general, while the World-honored One is in the world, he sometimes practices the ninety-day retreat in Trāyastriṃśa 88

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Heaven, and he sometimes practices the retreat together with five hundred bhikṣus within quiet chambers on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa.

26 Through the five

lands of India, without discussing a [particular] place, when the time comes they retire for the ninety-day summer retreat, and the ninety-day retreat is practiced. It is practiced by the Buddhist patriarchs of the present as the single most important matter. It is the supreme truth of practice and experience. Though the winter retreat is mentioned in the Pure Net Sutra, 27 its method

has not been transmitted. Only the method of the ninety-day summer retreat has been transmitted, and the authentic transmission is immediately present in its fifty-first generation.

28

[165] The Shingisays,

29 "Itinerant practitioners who wish to go to a

dwelling place to begin the summer retreat should arrive half a month in advance. It is important that the service of tea, and personal salutations, 30

should not be rushed.

"

"Half a month in advance" means in the last ten days of the third lunar month. So we should arrive during the third lunar month. From the first day of the fourth lunar month onward, bhikṣus do not go out. The doors of reception rooms for [monks of] many districts, and of temples' lodging facilities, are all closed. Thus, from the first day of the fourth lunar month, all monks will be securely installed31 in the temple building, or will have moved into a hut.

32 (In other cases it is traditional to be securely installed in the house of a layperson.) This is the behavior of Buddhist patriarchs, which we should venerate and should practice. Every fist and nostril, taking residence in a temple, will have hung his or her staff at the place of the retreat. Nevertheless, demons say,

"The viewpoint of the Great Vehicle may be the essential thing. The summer retreat is a convention of the śrāvaka.We should not necessarily practice it.

" People who speak like this have never seen or heard the Buddha-Dharma. The truth of anuttara samyaksaṃbodhiis just the ninety days of sitting in the summer retreat. Even if there are pinnacles of the Great Vehicle and of the Small Vehicle,

33 they are the branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits

of the ninety-day retreat. Preparations are first performed after breakfast on the third day of the fourth lunar month. Before hand, however, from the first day of the fourth lunar month, the supervising monk34 prepares boards showing the number of years since participants re ceived the precepts. After breakfast on the third day of the fourth lunar month, [the supervising monk] hangs the 89

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years-since-precepts boards in front of the common quarters;35 that is, outside the window which is to the left of the front entrance. 36 The dormitory windows

are all latticed. [The supervising monk] hangs these [boards] after breakfast and puts them away after the bell at the end of practice. 37 [The supervising

monk] hangs them from the third to the fifth, the time for putting them away and the time for hanging them up remaining the same. There is a convention for writing the board. It is written not according to [the rank of] main officer38 or assistant officer,

39 but just according to years since taking the precepts. Those who have been assistant officers or main officers at other temples are each written as head monk, as prior, [and so on]. For those who have served in several posts, the most important post held should be written. Someone who has been the abbot of a temple is written as So-and-So Seidō. 40 If a

person has served as the abbot of a small temple but this is not known by the monks, that person will often hide the fact and not use the title. There are also examples of a Seidō, if a member of the master's order, not bearing the title Seidō but being written as Ācārya41 So-and-So. 42 There are many

excellent examples of [such veteran monks] reposing in the attendant monks' quarters.

43 There are also past precedents of [such veteran monks themselves] serving as attendants for [the master's] robes and pātra,or serving as attendants for the burning of incense. Any other post is [assigned to a veteran monk] according to the master's instruction. If a disciple of another master has come to [a retreat at] a big temple, even if [that disciple] has served as the abbot of a small temple, it is a reliable example and a fragrant trace for [that disciple] to ask only for [a title] such as head monk, clerk, chief officer, or prior. The pratyekabuddhavihāra44 will laugh at someone using a title earned while serving in a minor post in a small temple. A person of good sense who has been an abbot but only of a small temple will hide the fact and not use the title.

[169] The form of the board is as follows:

So-and-So Mountain Temple in So-and-So district of So-and-So country is having a summer retreat this summer. Years passed since taking the precepts, for the whole sangha, are as follows.

The Venerable Kauṇḍinya45

Abbot

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Received the precepts in the first year of Kenpō:46 Ācārya So-and-So Librarian So-and-So

Ācārya So-and-So Ācārya So-and-So

Received the precepts in the second year of Kenpō: Seidō So-and-So Supervising Monk So-and-So Head Monk So-and-So Guest Supervisor So-and-So Ācārya So-and-So Bath Manager So-and-So Received the precepts in the first year of Genryaku:47 Work Leader So-and-So Attendant Monk So-and-So Head Monk So-and-So Head Monk So-and-So Donations Chief48 So-and-So Ācārya So-and-So Chief Cook So-and-So Infirmary Chief49 So-and-So Received the precepts in the third year of Kenryaku: Clerk So-and-So Ācārya So-and-So

Seidō So-and-So Head Monk So-and-So

Ācārya So-and-So Ācārya So-and-So

The preceding50 is presented with respect. If there are any mistakes, please point them out. Written with respect. The third day of the fourth lunar month in such-and-such year; Supervising Bhikṣu So-and-So. Written with respect. [172] We write like this. We write on white paper, and write in the standard noncursive style.

51 We do not use the cursive style, the ancient squared style, 52

and so on. To hang [the boards], we attach tapes of about the width of two grains of rice to the top of the paper boards, which we then hang. [They hang] straight down, like bamboo blinds. After the end of practice on the fifth day of the fourth lunar month, they are put away for the last time. The eighth day of the fourth lunar month is the Buddha's birthday celebration. [172] After the midday meal on the thirteenth day of the fourth lunar month, monks of the common quarters, in their own dormitory, have tea and cakes and recite sutras. The dormitory chief53 conducts matters. The provision of hot water and the burning of incense are all the responsibility of the dormitory chief. The dormitory chief is positioned at the back of the common quarters. 91

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The dormitory head monk is positioned to the left of the dormitory's sacred monk image.

54 But it is the dormitory chief who steps forward to burn incense and to conduct the ceremony. The head monks, main officers, and so on do not attend this reciting of sutras; only the monks of the dormitory perform it. After breakfast on the fifteenth, the supervising monk, having prepared in advance one board showing years since precepts, hangs it on the east wall which is the front of the monks' hall.

55 [The supervising monk] hangs it above

the front hall, that is, in the interval [between the pillars] to the south of the front entrance.

56

[173] The Shingisays,

"The supervising monk puts up in advance the

years-since-precepts board, and serves before it offerings of incense and flowers (putting it up in front of the monks' hall). "57

[174] After the midday meal on the fourteenth day of the fourth lunar month, a mindful recitation board58 is hung in front of the monks' hall. Mindful recitation boards are also hung in front of the other temple buildings. In the evening, a main officer prepares the local deities hall59 with incense and flowers, setting them before the shrine tablet. The monks gather together to perform the mindful recitation. The method of the mindful recitation is as follows. After all the monks have assembled, first the abbot burns incense. Next the main officers and assistant officers burn incense. [The method] is similar to the method of burning incense during the bathing of the buddha [image].

60 Next, the supervising monk steps up from his or her place and goes to the front, first bows with joined hands61 to the abbot, then bows with joined hands to the local deities hall, and then facing north, that is, facing the local deities hall, [the supervising monk] conducts the mindful recitation. [175] The words are as follows:

We secretly reflect that a fragrant wind is fanning the countryside, and the God of Summer62 is governing all directions. It is the morning on which the Dharma King forbids travel. This is the day on which Śākyamuni's disciples preserve their life. I have gathered together the assembly so that we may pay sincere respects to the sacred shrine, and recite the vast names of myriad virtue, directing the merit to the true rulers of all the temple buildings. Our prayer is that, with their protection, we will be able to accomplish the retreat. I respectfully request the venerable assembly to recite:

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Perfectly pure Dharma body,

63 Vairocana Buddha,

64

Roundly satisfied physical body, 65 Vairocana Buddha.

The body of thousands of hundred-koṭis of transformations, Śākyamuni Buddha.

The One who will descend and be born in future, Venerable Buddha Maitreya,

66

All buddhas in the ten directions in the three times. Great Saint Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva. Great Saint Universal Virtue Bodhisattva. 67

Great Compassionate Regarder of the Sounds of the World68 Bodhisattva.

Many venerable bodhisattva mahāsattvas. The mahāprajñāpāramitā.

69

The merit of the mindful recitation we totally direct to the dragons and gods of the land who protect and preserve the right Dharma. Bowing, we pray that divine brightness will help us manifest gainful achievements, and that the state of pure joy will flourish and eternally confer unselfish happiness. Once again, I request the venerable assembly to recite,

"All buddhas in the ten directions in the three times. Many venerable bodhisattva mahāsattvas. The mahāprajñāpāramitā. "70

[178] Then, when the drum sounds, the monks go at once to their seats for cakes and tea in the cloud hall. 71 The cakes and tea are the responsibility of the kitchen hall officers.

72 The monks go to the hall, they walk around the hall in order, and when they get to their own places, 73 they face the front74

and sit. One of the main officers conducts the Dharma functions, that is, he or she performs the burning of incense and so on. The Shingisays, "Originally,

the chief officer should conduct matters, but if necessary, the supervising monk takes [the chief officer's] place. " Before the mindful recitation a notice should be copied and presented to the head monk. A main officer, wearing the kaṣāyaand carrying the prostration cloth, greets the head monk and presents the notice to the head monk, having in some cases performed two offers to spread the cloth and three prostrations. 75 The head monk returns the prostrations. [These prostrations] should be the same as the prostrations of the main officer. The notice is carried [to the head monk] in a box, in which a 93

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wrapping cloth has been spread, by a novice. The head monk welcomes and sees off the main officer.

[179] The form of the notice:

The kitchen hall officers, this evening

Will serve tea and cakes in the Cloud Hall, especially for The Head Monk

And all the monks. We humbly inform you of this celebration of the start of the retreat, and we respectfully hope That all the monks will kindly bestow upon us, Their illuminating presence.

The fourteenth day of the fourth lunar month in the third year of Kangen,

The bhikṣus of the kitchen hall, So-and-So and the others, Expressed with respect.

[180] The name of the senior main officer is written. After presenting the notice to the head monk, [the main officer] asks the novice to paste up [the notice] in front of the cloud hall; it is pasted to the left76 of the hall's front entrance. On the outside wall to the south77 of the front entrance there is a board on which the notice is pasted—this board is lacquered. There is an envelope. The envelope is aligned with the right edge78 of the board and fastened with a bamboo peg. So the envelope too is pasted up on one side. This board is made according to a formal method. The writing is in characters about half-an-inch79 square; they are not written large. The writing on the front of the envelope is as follows:

An invitation to the Head Monk and all the monks The bhikṣus of the kitchen hall, So-and-So and the others, Enclosed with respect.

After the tea and cakes, the board is put away. [182] Before breakfast on the fifteenth, the main officers, the assistant officers and [the abbot's] disciples and Dharma relatives80 first go into the abbot's quarters to perform personal salutations. If, on the previous day, the abbot has waived personal salutations, they should not visit the abbot's 94

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quarters at all.

"To have waived personal salutations" means to have pasted on the east side of the entrance to the abbot's quarters a notice on which the abbot has written either a verse or some Dharma words. Sometimes [the notice] is pasted up in front of the cloud hall as well. [182] After ascending the seat of formal preaching on the fifteenth, the abbot comes down from the Dharma seat81 and stands in front of the steps. [The abbot] stands on the north end of the prostration mat, 82 facing south.

The main officers approach and perform two offers and three bows. After the first offer they say:

Now that we are in retreat and forbidden to travel, we are able to serve [you] towel and flask. We hope that, with the assistance and protection of the Master's Dharma power, there will be no difficulties. After the next offer, they express the compliments of the season and do three informal prostrations.

83 The master recites the following:

It is now our great good fortune to be able to practice the retreat together. I also hope, So-and-So and So-and-So, that we will be helped by each other's Dharma power, and that there will not be any difficulties. The head monk and all the monks follow the same procedure. At this time, the head monk, all the monks, the main officers, and so on, all do prostrations facing north. Only the abbot, standing in front of the stairs of the Dharma seat, faces south.

84 The abbot's prostration cloth is spread upon the prostration mat. [So] next the head monk and all the monks bow before the abbot, performing two offers and three prostrations. At this time, the disciples, attendant monks, Dharma relatives [of the abbot], and śrāmaṇeras85 "stand to one side; they should not blindly follow the other monks in performing personal salutations.

" "Standing to one side" means standing alongside the east wall of the Dharma hall. If strips of paper [showing the names] of sponsors are hanging along the eastern wall, [these monks] should stand by the Dharma drum,

86 or they should stand by the west wall. When the monks have finished their prostrations, the main officers return first, to the kitchen hall, and stand at the place of precedence.

87 Then the head monk leads the monks to the

kitchen hall for personal salutations; that is to say, [the monks] exchange three informal prostrations with the main officers. During this time, the disciples, 95

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attendant monks, Dharma relatives, and so on prostrate themselves to the abbot in the Dharma hall. The Dharma relatives should perform two offers and three prostrations, and the abbot returns the prostra tions. The disciples and attendant monks each do nine prostrations; there is no return prostration. The śrāmaṇeras do nine prostrations, or sometimes twelve prostrations, which the abbot receives only by joining hands [in gasshō]. Next, the head monk goes in front of the monks' hall and to the right of the entrance, 88 level

with the southern end of the main officers' [zazen] platforms, [that is,] in front of the cloud hall and facing south, [the head monk] stands before the monks. The monks, facing north, make three informal prostrations to the head monk. The head monk leads the monks into the hall and, in order of years since receiving the precepts, they go around the hall and stand still at their own place.

89 The main officers enter the hall and before the sacred monk90 they perform three prostrations with the prostration cloth fully spread, then stand up. Next they perform three informal prostrations before the head monk. All the monks return these prostrations. The main officers do one circuit of, and then leave, the [main] hall and remain standing at their own place91 with hands held in shashu.

92 The abbot enters the hall and before the

sacred monk burns incense, performs three prostrations with the prostration cloth spread, and stands up. During this time, the disciples stand out of the way behind the sacred monk,

93 and the Dharma relatives follow the other

monks. Next the abbot performs three informal prostrations to the head monk; that is, the abbot simply remains standing at his own place and performs the informal prostrations facing west. The head monk and all the monks return these prostrations, as before. The abbot goes round the hall and leaves. The head monk, leaving through the south side of the front entrance, 94 sees the

abbot off. After the abbot has left the hall, all monks from the head monk down95 perform three prostrations and say:

We are fortunate at this time to be practicing the retreat together. I am afraid that my behavior of body, speech, and mind96 will not be good, and I beg for compassion.

This prostration is three prostrations with the prostration cloth spread. After this, the head monk, his assistant, the librarian, and the other [department heads] each return to their own quarters. Monks in the common quarters, 97

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from the dormitory chief and dormitory head monk down, perform three informal prostrations to each other. The words of salutation are the same as in the ceremony in the hall. The abbot thereupon begins the round of the quarters, starting from the kitchen hall. The monks join the procession in order, escort [the abbot] as far as the abbot's quarters, and then the monks withdraw. That is to say, the abbot first goes to the kitchen hall. After finishing personal salutations with the main officers, the abbot leaves [the kitchen hall] and performs the round of the quarters, at which time the main officers are walking behind [the abbot]. Walking after the main officers are people staying near the eastern corridor.

98 At this time, the abbot does not enter the infirmary but goes down from the eastern corridor to the west, passing the temple gate and continuing on the round of the quarters, whereupon people staying in quarters near the temple gate join the procession. From the south, [the abbot] goes around the western corridor and the various quarters. At this time, while walking through the west side, [the abbot] is heading north. And from this time, retired old people,

99 retired officers,

100 retired assistant officers,

101 centenarians,

102 and

veteran monks in private quarters,

103 as well as the cleaning chief,

104 and so

on, will have joined the procession. The supervising monk, the head monk, and so on walk behind them. Next in line walk the monks in the common quarters. For the round of the quarters, we join the procession according to the convenience of [the location of our] quarters. This is called "the monks' escort.

" Thus, ascending the western stairs to the abbot's quarters, the abbot remains on the abbot's balcony105 at the front of the abbot's quarters, and stands facing south with hands in shashu. All the monks, from the main officers down, bow to the abbot with joined hands, facing north. This bow should be especially deep. The abbot returns the bow. The monks withdraw. My late master would not lead the monks to the abbot's quarters; when he reached the Dharma hall he would stand in front of the steps to the Dharma seat, facing south with hands in shashu.The monks would bow with joined hands and withdraw. This is an ancient form. After this, monks perform personal salutations as each pleases. "Personal salutations" means doing prostrations to

each other. For example, people from the same home district—even several tens of them—perhaps in the illuminated hall106 or perhaps at a convenient place in a corridor, do prostrations to each other and congratulate each other on sharing the summer retreat. Here too the words of salutation follow the 97

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method used in the hall. There are also personal words conceived in the present. Sometimes there are masters who have brought their disciples. In this case the disciples must inevitably do prostrations to their own master, performing nine prostrations. The Dharma relatives' prostration to the abbot is two offers and three prostrations; or sometimes they simply do three prostrations with the prostration cloth spread. The prostration of any Dharma relatives among the monks should be the same. There are inevitably prostrations to the younger and elder brothers107 of one's master. All those who sleep next to each other and sit next to each other do prostrations to each other. There are prostrations between all those who are mutually acquainted or who have practiced together in the past. Veterans staying in private quarters, and the head monk, head monk's assistant, librarian, guest supervisor, bath manager, and so on should visit each other's quarters and perform prostrations of con gratulation. Veterans staying in private quarters, and the chief officer, the prior, the supervising monk, the chief cook, the work leader, veteran masters, nun masters, laypeople of the truth, and so on also should visit each other's quarters or visit each other's seats108 to perform prostrations of congratulation. When we go to visit someone's quarters but the entrance is densely crowded and there is not enough room to enter the quarters, we write a card and peg it up on the entrance. We write the card on white paper an inch or so wide and about two inches long. The form of the writing is as follows:

Soun, Eshō, and others109

Prostrations of congratulation

Another form:

So-and-So

Performs a bow of congratulation

Another form:

So-and-So

Prostrations of congratulation

Another form:

So-and-So

Performs humble prostrations

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[191] There are many forms for the writing, but the general outline is like this. So a large number of these cards can be seen beside the entrances. We do not peg them on the left of the entrance, but peg them on the right of the entrance. These cards are taken down after the midday meal by the person in charge of the quarters. On this day110 the bamboo blinds of entrances to all halls and quarters, big and small, are left open. There is a custom that the abbot, the kitchen hall officers, and the head monk, one after another, serve tea and cakes. However, on a remote island or deep in the mountains, we should dispense with it. It is simply [further] instances of prostration. Veteran monks who have retired from a temple, and those established as head monks, 111

each, in their own quarters, serve tea and cakes especially for the main officers and assistant officers. Having thus inaugurated the summer retreat, we make effort in pursuit of the truth.

112 Even if we have pursued and realized many

practices, if we have never done a summer retreat we are not descendants of the Buddhist patriarchs and we are not Buddhist patriarchs. Jetavana Park113 and Vulture Peak, by virtue of the summer retreat, are totally realized. The practice place of a summer retreat is the mind-seal of the Buddhist Patriarch, and is the existence in the world of all the buddhas.

[192] At the end of the summer retreat, on the thirteenth day of the seventh lunar month, the service of tea and cakes and the reciting of sutras in the common quarters is again the responsibility of the dormitory chief for that month. Mindful recitation on the evening of the fourteenth, and formal preaching in the Dharma hall, personal salutations, the round of the quarters, and the service of tea and cakes on the following day, are all the same as at the beginning of the retreat. Only the wording of the notices is different. The notice of the kitchen hall officers' service of tea says: "The kitchen hall officers, this evening,/Will serve tea and cakes in the cloud hall,/Especially for the head monk and all the monks./We humbly announce this celebration of the end of the retreat,/And we respectfully hope/That all the monks will kindly bestow upon us your illuminating presence./The bhikṣus of the kitchen hall, So-and-So, Expressed with respect.

"114

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The words for the mindful recitation at the local deities hall are as follows: "We sincerely reflect that a golden wind is fanning the countryside, and the God of Autumn115 is governing all directions. It is the time when the King of Realization dissolves the retreat. This is the day of completion of the Dharma year. For ninety days there have been no difficulties and all the monks are at peace. We recite the vast names of the buddhas, and respectfully thank the true rulers of all the temple buildings. I respectfully request the assembly to recite. . . . "116

After this is the same as the mindful recitation at the beginning of the retreat.

[194] After the formal preaching in the Dharma hall, the main officers say the following words of thanks:

We humbly rejoice that the Dharma year is complete and there have not been any difficulties. This is likely due to the protection of the Master's Dharma power. As humble sentient beings, we are unable to contain our extreme gratitude.

The abbot's words of thanks are as follows:

Now the Dharma year is complete, and we all thank Chief Officer and Head Monk So-and-So for sharing the benefit of their Dharma power. I cannot contain my extreme gratitude.

The monks of the hall,

117 from the head monk down, and the monks of

the dormitories, from the dormitory chief down, say the following words of thanks:

For the ninety days of the summer retreat we have relied upon each other. My behavior of body, speech, and mind118 have not been good, and I have disturbed the assembly. Humbly I beg for compassion. The main officers and the assistant officers make the following announcement: "Brothers in the assembly who are going to travel on should wait until after the service of tea, and then you may [leave] as you please. " (If there is

some exigency, this limitation does not apply.)

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[195] This custom119 is more fundamental than the ages before and after King Majestic Sound. Buddhist patriarchs attach importance to only this. Non-Bud dhists and heavenly demons never disturb only this. Throughout the three countries,

120 not a single descendant of the Buddhist Patriarch ever fails to practice it, but non-Buddhists never learn it. It is the Buddhist Patriarch's one great121 original hope. Therefore, from the morning of attainment of the truth until the evening of nirvana, he proclaims only the meaning of the retreat. Although there are differences among the five schools of monks in India, they are all the same in guarding and retaining the ninety-day summer retreat, which they practice and experience without fail. Not one of the nine sects of monks in China violates the summer retreat. Those who have never in their life practiced the ninety-day summer retreat should not be called bhikṣus who are the disciples of the Buddha. It is not only to practice in the causal state; it is practice and experience of the realized state. The all-enlightened World-honored One, indeed, has practiced and experienced it through his whole life, without missing a single summer. Remember, it is the Buddha's experience in the realized state. A person who, nevertheless, does not practice and experience the ninety-day summer retreat and yet says, "I may be a

descendant of the Buddhist Patriarch,

" is laughable, and is a stupid person

unworthy of laughter. Do not even listen to the words of people who speak like this. Do not talk with them. Do not sit with them. Do not walk with them on the same path. For in the Buddha-Dharma we treat evil people through the method of silence.

122 We must just understand, and maintain and rely

upon, the ninety-day summer retreat as the Buddhist Patriarch himself. Its authentic transmission extends from the Seven Buddhas to Mahākāśyapa, and twenty-eight patriarchs in India have authentically transmitted it from rightful successor to rightful successor. The twenty-eighth patriarch personally manifested himself in China and caused Great Master Taiso Shōshū Fukaku, the Second Patriarch,

123 to receive its authentic transmission. Since the Second Patriarch it has been authentically transmitted from rightful successor to rightful successor, and it has been authentically transmitted to the present day. Having gone into China, in the order of a Buddhist patriarch [I] directly received its authentic transmission, and [I] am performing its authentic transmission in Japan. Now that we have actually practiced the ninety-day summer sitting in an order to which it has been authentically transmitted, we have 101

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received the authentic transmission of the Dharma of summer. To have practiced the retreat, living together with this person124 may be the true retreat. [The retreat] really has been transmitted in face-to-face transmission from rightful successor to rightful successor since the retreat of the Buddha's lifetime; therefore, we have directly received the authentic transmission of the face of the Buddha and the face of the patriarchs, and we have immediately experienced the body and mind of the Buddhist patriarchs. For this reason it is said that to meet the retreat is to meet Buddha, to experience the retreat is to experience Buddha, to practice the retreat is to practice Buddha, to hear the retreat is to hear Buddha, and to learn the retreat is to learn Buddha. In sum, that the buddhas and the patriarchs never go against or go beyond the ninety-day retreat is the Dharma. This being so, human kings, King Śakra, King Brahmā, and so on should become bhikṣus and, even if only for one summer, practice the retreat; this will be to meet Buddha. Human beings, heavenly beings, and dragons, even if only for one period of ninety days, should become bhikṣus or bhikṣuṇīs and practice the retreat; this will be to meet Buddha at once. To have joined the order of a Buddhist patriarch and practiced the ninety-day retreat is to have met Buddha already. That, fortunately, before our present dewdrop life has fallen, we have already practiced a summer retreat—whether in heaven above or in the human world—is to have had our own skin, flesh, bones, and marrow replaced by the skin, flesh, bones, and marrow of the Buddhist patriarchs. Because the Buddhist patriarchs come and practice the retreat through us, each person's practice of the retreat is the retreat's practice of each person. This being so, [we] who have experienced the retreat are simply called "a thousand buddhas and myriad patriarchs. " The reason, if

asked, is that the retreat is the very skin, flesh, bones, marrow, mind, and body of the Buddhist patriarchs; it is their brains and eyes; it is their fists and nostrils; it is their round form and buddha-nature;125 it is a fly whisk and a staff; it is a bamboo stick and a round cushion. The summer retreat is not the production of something new, and at the same time it is not the repeated use of something old.

[200] The World-honored One addresses Bodhisattva Round Realization, 126 the great assemblies of monks, and all living beings: If you practice the retreat for three months from the beginning of summer, you will abide in the pure state of a bodhisattva, your mind will 102

Chapter Seventy-nine

leave the state of a śrāvaka, and you will be beyond dependence on others. When the day of the retreat arrives, say before the Buddha the following words: "In order that I, bhikṣu/bhikṣuṇī/upāsaka/upāsikā127 So-and-So, who rides upon the bodhisattva vehicle may perform tranquil practice; that I may harmoniously enter, dwell in, and maintain the pure real form; that I may make the great round realization into my temple; that body and mind may practice the retreat; and that the wisdom whose nature is balance and the peaceful natural state of self may be without hindrances; I now respectfully ask, without relying on the state of a śrāvaka,to practice the three-month retreat together with the Tathāgatas of the ten directions and the great bodhisattvas. By virtue of enacting the great causes of the supreme and fine truth of the bodhisattva, I will not be involved with others. " Good sons! This is called

a bodhisattva's manifestation of the retreat.

128

[201] Thus, bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās, whenever they arrive at the three months of the retreat, inevitably enact the great causes of the supreme and fine truth together with the Tathāgatas of the ten directions and the great bodhisattvas. Remember, upāsakas and upāsikās also should practice the re treat. This place of the retreat is the great round realization. That being so, Vulture Peak and Jetavana Park are both temples of the great round realization of the Tathāgata. We should listen to the World-honored One's teaching that the Tathāgatas of the ten directions and the great bodhisattvas all experience together three months of training in the retreat. [202] The World-honored One practices a ninety-day retreat at one place. On the day of indulgence,

129 Mañjuśrī suddenly appears in the

order. Mahākāśyapa asks Mañjuśrī,

"This summer where have you

practiced the retreat?" Mañjuśrī says,

"This summer I have practiced

the retreat at three places.

" At this, Mahākāśyapa assembles the monks.

He is about to expel Mañjuśrī by striking the block, 130 but just as he

lifts the clapper he sees countless buddha lands appear. At the place of every buddha there is a Mañjuśrī, and there is a Mahākāśyapa lifting the clapper to expel Mañjuśrī. The World-honored One thereupon addresses Mahākāśyapa,

"Which Mañjuśrī are you now going to

expel?" Then Mahākāśyapa is dumbfounded.

131

103

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[203] Zen Master Engo,

132 in a discussion of the ancients, says:

A bell not struck does not ring. A drum not hit does not sound. Mahā kāśyapa is moored in the main harbor. Mañjuśrī instantly sits away the ten directions. At the present moment there is a lovely scene of a Buddhist event. How regrettable to miss a move! As Old Master Śākyamuni said, "Which Mañjuśrī are you going to expel?" If [Mahā kāśyapa] had immediately given the block a crack . . . imagine! What kind of total solution would the other133 have performed?134 [204] Zen Master Engo, in a eulogy to the ancients, says: A big elephant does not play on a rabbit's path. What do swallows and sparrows know of swans and storks?135 Obeying the rules is just like creating a style. Breaking the standard is just like biting a [flying] arrow. 136

The whole world is Mañjuśrī.

The whole world is Mahākāśyapa.

Facing one another, each is in the solemn state. What is there to punish by lifting the clapper? It is a nice instance of needlework.

137

The golden dhūtas138 have gotten rid of [all] obstacles. 139

So the World-honored One practices the retreat at one place and Mañjuśrī practices the retreat at three places, but neither ever fails to practice the retreat. One who does not practice the retreat is neither a buddha nor a bodhisattva. There is no example of a descendant of the Buddhist Patriarch failing to practice the retreat. We should recognize those who practice the retreat as the descen dants of the Buddhist Patriarch. That which practices the retreat is the Buddhist Patriarch's body and mind, the Buddhist Patriarch's eyes, and the Buddhist Patriarch's very life. Those who do not practice the retreat are not the descendants of the Buddhist Patriarch and are not Buddhist patriarchs. Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the present, [whether] of soil or wood, of white silk or gold, or of the seven treasures, should all practice a summer sitting for three months in retreat. This is the ancient tradition of abiding in and maintaining the treasures of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and it is the Buddha's instruction. In conclusion, people in the house of the Buddhist 104

Chapter Seventy-nine Patriarch decidedly must practice the summer sitting in retreat for three months.

Shōbōgenzō Ango Preached to the assembly at Daibutsuji in Fukui prefecture on the thirteenth day of the sixth lunar month during the summer retreat in the third year of Kangen. 140

105

Notes

1 Shōsan,preaching given not necessarily in the Dharma hall, but, for example, in the master's quarters or in a dormitory. Different from jōdō,formal preaching in the Dharma hall.

2 In other words, we act in the present moment. 3 Ha-bi-su,a ring used to lead, for example, a water buffalo by the nose. A symbol of self-control.

4 The words in quotemarks are in the style of a short verse, in Chinese characters only. 5 Literally,

"one doorsill of a summer retreat. " "Doorsill" is used as a counter. At the same time, it suggests the summer retreat as a concrete fact. 6 In reality there is nothing to lead us astray. 7 Master Ōryū Goshin (1043-1114), successor of Master Ōryū Soshin. He called himself Shishin,

"Dead Mind,

" and this is the name given in the original text. 8 Paraphrased from chap. 28 of the Zokudentōroku. 9 To be the extra day.

10 To avoid being subtracted. 11 Waga ko ri,literally,

de scribe his Buddhist order. "my concrete place.

" Master Tendō Nyojō used these words to 12 Kenbutsu,lit.,

"to meet buddha,

" means to realize the state of buddha. See Chapter Sixty-one (Vol. III), Kenbutsu. 13 For example, the Buddha's order. 14 For example, Buddhist tradition. 15 An ancient state in central India stretching along the southern bank of the Ganges, with its capital at Rājagṛha. It was in Magadha that the Buddha realized the truth and first turned the Dharma wheel. 16 "Ninety-day summer retreat" is byaku-ge,literally, "white summer.

" Byaku,

"white,

"

can be interpreted as suggesting 1) the bright and sunny situation of summer, 2) the purity of effort during the retreat, or 3) the character for a hundred, hyaku,minus the 107

Shōbōgenzō Volume IV

character for one, ichi,representing the number ninety in one character instead of the usual two.

17 The Buddha's disciple and half-brother, who later succeeded Master Mahākāśyapa and became the second patriarch in India.

18 The four classes of Buddhist practitioners: monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen. 19 Insakyū represents the sound of the Sanskrit Indra-ṣaila-guhā, literally, Hideaway.

" This was one of five sacred mountains and monasteries in India. "Indra's Stone

20 Sentences similar to the preceding sentences can be found in the Shobutsuyōshūkyō (Sutra of the Collected Essential Teachings of the Buddhas), pt. 1. 21 1245. The sentence in parenthesis is represented in small characters in the source text. 22 Master Dōgen did not deny the value of transcending speech and transcending intellectual thinking, but he criticized the relative interpretation of the wrong groups. 23 Dai-ichi-gi-tai,literally,

"the philosophy that is number one in meaning" or "the consummate philosophy. " This phrase appears elsewhere in the Shōbōgenzō. 24 Dai-ichi-mu-tai,literally,

is Master Dōgen's variation.

"the philosophy that is number one in absence.

" This phrase

25 Quoted from a verse by Master Busshō Hōtai recorded in the Kataifutōroku(Katai Era Record of the Universal Torch), chap. 28. The original story appears in the book Jiruizenshū(Collection of Matters and Examples, Part One). A man called Toin from the Shin district fished out from Raitaku Lake what he thought to be the shuttle of a loom. He carried it home and hung it on his wall. Then one day, during a thunderstorm, it turned into a dragon and ascended to the sky, for it was in fact the precious Dragon Spring Sword.

26 Vulture Peak.

27 In Sanskrit, the Brahmajāla-sūtra,a precepts sutra for monks and nuns listing the Ten Serious Prohibitions and forty-eight less serious precepts. The Pure Net Sutra was translated into Chinese by Kumārajīva during the latter Shin era (384-417). 28 Master Dōgen is the fifty-first patriarch, counting from Master Mahākāśyapa as the first.

29 Zen

'

enshingi(Pure Criteria for Zen Monasteries), chap. 2. The editing of the Zen '

enshingiwas completed by Master Chōrō Sōsaku in 1103. It was based on Master Hyakujō's Koshingi (Old Pure Criteria).

30 Ninji,which essentially means doing prostrations, is explained in Chapter Fifty-five (Vol. III), Darani.

31 "Securely installed" is ango seri,as in the chapter title, but here angois used as a verb.

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32 A hut in the temple grounds. 33 For example, the teaching of the establishment of the will to the truth may be seen as an ultimate teaching of the Great Vehicle, and the teaching of the twelve dhūtas, or ascetic practices, may be seen as an ultimate teaching of the Small Vehicle. 34 Dōsu,also called inō,the supervisor of monks in the zazen hall, and one of the six main officers of a temple.

35 Shūryō,monks' dormitories. 36 Gekan,literally,

"lower interval.

" The custom in China is to express the right side as upper and the left side as lower. "Interval" refers to the spaces between the outer pillars supporting the roof of the building. So "the lower interval" means the section of the front wall between the left side of the entrance and the first pillar on the left. 37 Hō-san-shō,lit.,

sitting of the day.

"release-from-practice bell,

" means the bell at the end of the last 38 The six main temple officers, roku chiji,are 1) tsusu,chief officer, head of the temple office, treasurer; 2) kansu,prior; 3) fusu,assistant prior; 4) dōsuor inō,supervisor of monks in the zazen hall, rector; 5) tenzo,chief cook; and 6) shissui,work leader, officer in charge of buildings and fields. 39 The six assistant officers, roku chōshu,are shuso,head monk (lit., "chief seat"); shoki,

clerk assisting the head monk; zōsu,librarian; shika,guest supervisor; chiden,supervisor of the Buddha hall; and chiyoku,bath supervisor. 40 Seidō, lit.,

"West Hall,

" is a title for a retired master or a guest master— "Veteran

Master.

" The title derives from a traditional temple layout in which guest rooms are located to the west.

41 Jōza,lit.,

"senior seat,

" represents the Sanskrit ācārya,a term of respect for a teacher. See Volume I, Glossary of Sanskrit Terms. 42 For example, a retired senior monk who is living in the order where the retreat is taking place does not use the title Seidō during the retreat. 43 E-hatsu jisha-ryō,lit.,

pātra";in other words,

"quarters for those who attend to [the master's] robes and "the acolytes' quarters.

"

44 Sōrin,lit.,

"flourishing forest,

" representing the Sanskrit piṇḍavana.See Glossary of Sanskrit Terms.

45 Ajñāta-Kauṇḍinya, a disciple of the Buddha, and one of the five practitioners to whom the Buddha gave his first preaching after realizing the truth. He is mentioned in the Lotus Sutra,Hōben("Expedient Means"). See LS 1.74. 46 1213.

47 1184. The names of the eras are chosen at random, not in chronological order. 109

Shōbōgenzō Volume IV

48 Keshu, responsible for visiting the houses of supporters and collecting donations. 49 Dōshu, literally,

"hall chief.

" In this case,

"hall" means the temple infirmary. 50 Literally,

"the right.

" The original is written from right to left. 51 Shinsho, lit.,

"true writing,

" a noncursive style (therefore easier to read) that was the standard style in Master Dōgen's time. It is almost the same as the standard block style (kaisho) used for printed characters today. 52 Reishois derived from the tenshostyle which is used today for seals. It is midway between the tenshoand kaishostyles. 53 Ryōshu,a monk elected from among the monks of the common quarters as their representative. In charge of inspecting the monks' clothes and pātra,preparing books, charcoal, hot water, and so on.

54 Shōsō ("sacred monk"). Usually an image of the Buddha, of Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, or of the so-called Happy Buddha (Hōtai) placed in the zazen hall, the monks' dormitories, and other buildings of the temple. 55 The entrance to the monks' hall (zazen hall) is on the east. 56 "The front hall" is zenka,lit., "front stand,

" usually called the gaitanor zentan.The main officers and other monks who have daily duties outside the zazen hall sit here so as to be able to come and go more freely. 57 The words in parenthesis are in small characters in the source text. 58 A board notifying the monks of the forthcoming recitation of the names of the ten buddhas.

59 Tochidō,lit.,

"lands hall,

" a small hall located next to the Dharma (lecture) hall and containing a shrine to the deities of local lands and to guardian gods of the Dharma. 60 Yokubutsu,also called kō-tan-e(celebration of the descent and birth), busshō-e(celebration of the Buddha's birth), and kan-butsu-e(celebration of bathing the Buddha), performed on April 8th to celebrate the Buddha's birthday. The buddha image is sprinkled with perfumed water or sweet tea. 61 Monjinliterally means "to ask [how someone is], " but concretely it means to either bow with the palms of the hands together (gasshō monjin) or with the left hand curled round the thumb and the right hand covering the back of the left hand (shashumonjin). 62 Entei, literally,

"Emperor of Flames,

" or the sun.

63 Hōsshin,from the Sanskrit dharmakāya.See Volume I, Glossary of Sanskrit Terms. 64 The Sun Buddha.

65 Hōshin,from the Sanskrit saṃbhogakāya. Saṃbhoga means eating, enjoyment, use, 110

Chapter Seventy-nine

employment, sensual pleasure, joy. So saṃbhogakāyasuggests the concrete physical body. See Volume II, Glossary of Sanskrit Terms. 66 It is said that Maitreya Buddha will descend from heaven to save all those left unsaved by Śākyamuni Buddha.

67 Mañjuśrī and Universal Virtue (Sanskrit: Samantabhadra) are legendary bodhisattvas referred to throughout the Lotus Sutra(see Chapter Seventeen [Vol. I], Hokke-tenhokke). Their images often attend that of the Buddha. Mañjuśrī is a symbol of wisdom and Samantabhadra is a symbol of balance.

68 Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, a symbol of life, also praised in the Lotus Sutra.See Chapter Thirty-three (Vol. II), Kannon.

69 See Chapter Two (Vol. I), Maka-hannya-haramitsu.This traditional ten-line recitation is called Jū-butsu-myō("Names of the Ten Buddhas"). 70 These words are recited after a Buddhist lecture in Japan. The characters would normally be read as juppō sanze issai shobutsu, sho-son-bosatsu-makasatsu, maka-hannya-haramitsu.But the traditional recitation is ji-hō-san-shi-i-shi-fu, shi-son-bu-samo-ko-sa, mo-ko-ho-ja-ho-ro-mi. 71 Another name for the monk's (zazen) hall. 72 The chief officer, prior, and assistant prior (the three highest-ranking of the six main officers). In the traditional temple layout the kitchen hall (or administration hall), the kitchen itself, and the offices of the chief officer, prior, and assistant prior are located under one roof (on the other side of the Buddha hall from the zazen hall). 73 Hi-i,literally,

"covered place"

—that is, the place covered by the monk's own mat. 74 They sit facing away from the wall or screen that they usually face in zazen. 75 Ryōten sanpai,literally,

"two spreads, three prostrations.

" The intention of the officer is to do three sets of three prostrations with the prostration cloth spread. But as the officer prepares to open the prostration cloth, the head monk signals with a short sweeping motion of the right hand that such a formal prostration is not necessary. This process is repeated. Finally the officer does just one set of three prostrations without spreading the prostration cloth. From here ryōten sanpaiis translated as "two offers and three prostrations.

"

76 Gekan.See note 36.

77 The front of the zazen hall faces east, so to the south of the entrance means to the left of the entrance.

78 Literally,

"the beginning.

" As Chinese characters are written from top to bottom and from right to left,

"the beginning" suggests either the top or the right side of the board. The next line suggests that the envelope was pasted to the side of the board. 79 Five bu;that is, half of one sun.One sunis 1.2 inches. 111

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80 Hōken("Dharma relatives"), for example, monks who are disciples of the master's master.

81 Hōza("Dharma seat"), the lecture platform for formal preaching in the lecture hall. 82 Haiseki,literally,

"prostration seat.

" A rectangular straw mat.

83 Sokurei,literally,

"touching bow.

" In this case, the folded prostration cloth is placed on the ground, and only the forehead touches the prostration cloth. 84 It is a Buddhist tradition that the master faces south on formal occasions. The Buddha hall and lecture hall are usually built facing south. It was the custom in China for an emperor or king to sit facing south.

85 Novices serving as the abbot's assistants. 86 That is, in the corner of the Dharma hall. 87 The place of precedence is the northern end of the kitchen hall, from which the main officers would be facing south. See note 84. 88 Jōkan,lit.,

"upper interval,

" means the interval between the entrance and the first pillar on the right (north).

89 For the retreat, the monks' seats in the zazen hall are arranged according to years since receiving the precepts.

90 An image, usually of Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī. Located in the center of the zazen hall, it faces the main entrance, and has a prostration mat in front of it. 91 The officers' places are not in the main hall but in the zentan,or front hall. 92 In shashuthe fingers of the left hand are curled into a fist around the thumb, and held in front of the chest; the palm of the right hand rests on the back of the left hand. 93 They take care not to receive the prostration of their own master. 94 The master leaves the hall through the north side of the entrance. 95 That is, all monks excluding the master, the main officers, and the master's disciples, attendants, and Dharma relatives.

96 Sangyō,lit.,

"three behaviors,

" that is, actions of body, speech, and mind. 97 That is, monks who are staying in the shūryō,or "common quarters, " as opposed to

monks who are staying in the zazen hall. 98 A Buddhist temple was traditionally built on the southern slope of a mountain. To the west are the monks' (zazen) hall, the toilet, the washroom, and the monks' common quarters. By the east corridor are the kitchen hall, the main officers' quarters, the novices hall, and the monks' common quarters. In the middle are (from top to bottom) the abbot's quarters, the Dharma (lecture) hall, the Buddha hall, and the main gate. See Volume I, Appendix V, Traditional Temple Layout. 112

Chapter Seventy-nine 99 Anrō,lit.,

"peaceful old age, " people who have established the will to the truth in their old age and have therefore come to live at the temple. 100 Gonkyū,lit., "served formerly, " usually describes a monk who has formerly held the post of a main officer. 101 Zenshi,lit., "former assistant, " is a title reserved for a monk who has served as an assistant officer for more than three years. 102 Idō,literally, "hall of centenarians. "

103 Tanryō,literally, "single quarters. "

104 Chinju,the monk in charge of cleaning the toilet. 105 Literally,

"the position/throne for the abbot on the main building. " "The main building" means the abbot's quarters. "The position" is probably a kind of balcony or podium. 106 The shōdō ("illuminated hall") is located behind the zazen hall. When the master is busy, the senior monk uses this room to instruct other monks. 107 That is, the master's fellow disciples in the order of his master. The master's elder brother means a monk who took the precepts before the master took them. The master's younger brother means a monk who took the precepts after the master took them. 108 In the zazen hall. 109 Soun and Eshō are examples of visitors' names. 110 The fifteenth of the fourth lunar month. 111 Suggests head monks established as dormitory head monks for the duration of the retreat.

112 Kufū bendō.Master Dōgen frequently uses this expression to represent the practice of zazen itself. 113 Kodoku-on, lit., "Solitary Garden, " refers to Jetavana Park (or "Prince Jeta's Park"). A wealthy lay follower of the Buddha, Anāthapiṇḍana, offered to provide for the Buddha's order a place for the retreat in Śrāvastī (northeast of present-day Lucknow). The Buddha stipulated that the retreat should be situated in a solitary place. Anātha piṇḍana thereupon purchased the park from Prince Jeta, a son of King Prasenajit of Kośala. It is said that the Buddha practiced eighteen summer retreats in succession at Jetavana Park. 114 Zen

'

enshingi,chap. 2. 115 Hakutei, literally, "White Emperor.

" In China, each of the four directions was repre sented with a color. West was white. Autumn was seen as the season of the sun's setting (in the west) and so white suggests autumn. 116 Zen

'

enshingi,chap. 2. 113

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117 Monks staying in the zazen hall. 118 Sangyō,lit.,

"three behaviors,

" actions of body, speech, and mind. 119 The summer retreat.

120 India, China, and Japan.

121 Ichidaijialludes to ichidaiji innen, "one great purpose.

" The Lotus Sutrasays that

the buddhas appear in the world only by reason of one great purpose: to cause living beings to disclose the wisdom of the Buddha, to show living beings the wisdom of the Buddha, to cause living beings to realize the wisdom of the Buddha, and to cause living beings to enter the state of truth, which is the wisdom of the Buddha. See LS 1.88-90; Chapter Seventeen (Vol. I), Hokke-ten-hokke. 122 "Silence" is bondan,representing the Sanskrit brahma-daṇḍa,which literally means "pure rod.

" This was a form of punishment in which the other members of a Buddhist order did not talk to a member of the order who had committed a sin. 123 Master Taiso Eka, the Second Patriarch in China. 124 "This person" suggests Master Dōgen himself, and at the same time, each individual person.

125 Ensō,

"round form,

" and busshō,

"buddha-nature,

" allude to a story about Master Nāgārjuna quoted in Chapter Twenty-two (Vol. II), Busshō. 126 A bodhisattva who appears in the Engakukyō(Sutra of Round Realization). The sutra is thought to have been written in China. 127 The four classes of Buddhist practitioners: monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. 128 Engakukyō(Sutra of Round Realization). 129 The day on which the restrictions of the summer retreat end. On this day, practitioners confess to each other the mistakes they have made during the retreat, and ask to be forgiven.

130 Byakutsui,lit.,

"to strike the hammer,

" means to strike an octagonal wooden block, about three feet high, with a tsui,a small wooden clapper. The octagonal block and clapper are traditional instruments still seen in Buddhist temples in Japan today. 131 The Daihōkōhōkyōgyō(Great Square and Wide Treasure Chest Sutra). Also quoted in the Engokoroku(General Record of Engo Kokugon). 132 Master Engo Kokugon (1063-1135), successor of Master Goso Hōen, and editor of the Hekiganroku(Blue Cliff Record). 133 The Buddha.

134 Gassatsu,lit.,

"total killing,

" suggests a complete solution, or the perfect restoring of tranquility. Engokoroku,chap. 17. 114

Chapter Seventy-nine

135 In the first two lines Master Engo praises the exceptional personalities of Master Mahākāśyapa and Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī. 136 Teki[o] yabu[ru koto], lit., "breaking the target" or "violating the mark, " suggests

Mañjuśrī's transcendence of idealistic rules. Zoku[o] ka[mu], lit., "biting an arrow,

"

suggests behavior that is exactly right. The latter phrase alludes to a Chinese legend that when two excellent warriors, Toku Kunmo and O Reichi, had a competition to test each other's skill in archery, Toku Kunmo caught in his teeth an arrow shot by O Reichi. The story is recorded in the Taiheikōki(Widely Extending Record of the Taihei Era), chap. 227.

137 Suggests sharp action in the moment of the present. 138 Zudarepresents the Sanskrit dhūta,which means hard or ascetic practice. In this case, "golden dhūtas" means the Indian practitioners themselves. See Volume I, Glossary of Sanskrit Terms.

139 "Gotten rid of [all] obstacles" is raku-setsu,literally, "dropped joints.

" The joint of

a bamboo symbolizes something difficult to break, or a problem that is difficult to solve. Engokoroku,chap. 19. 140 1245.

115