Realizing Genjokoan
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BUDDHISM “Dōgen’s masterpiece is beautifully translated and clarified in an realizing genjokoan “Masterful.” equally masterful way. An obvious labor of love based on many —Buddhadharma The key to dogen’s shobogenzo years of careful study, reflection, and practice that succeeds in bringing this profound text to life for us all.” Larry Rosenberg, author of Breath by Breath “An unequaled introduction to the writings of the great Zen master Eihei Dōgen that opens doors to Dōgen’s vast understanding for everyone from newcomer to adept.” Jisho Warner, co-editor of Opening the Hand of ought “Realizing Genjōkōan is a stunning commentary on the famous first chapter of Dōgen’s Shōbōgenzō. Like all masterful commentaries, this one finds in the few short lines of the text the entire span of the Buddhist teachings. Okumura has been contemplating, studying, and teaching the Genjōkōan for many decades, which is evident in both the remarkable insight he brings to the text and the clarity with which he presents it.” Buddhadharma: e Buddhist Review “is book is a treasure. ough many quite useful translations of Genjōkōan are already available, as well as helpful commentaries, this book goes beyond. I have been considering Genjōkōan for thirty-five years, and still I enjoyed many helpful revelations in Okumur a realizing this book. For all people interested in Zen, this book will be a valuable and illuminating resource. Please enjoy it.” genjokoan from the foreword by Taigen Dan Leighton, editor and co-translator of Dōgen’s Extensive Record The key to dogen’s shobogenzo “A clear and concise commentary on one of Dōgen’s most difficult pieces.” Brad Warner, author of Hardcore Zen ISBN 978-0-86171-601-2 US$16.95 Shohaku Okumura Wisdom Publications • Boston wisdompubs.org foreword by Taigen dan leighton Produced with Environmental Mindfulness wisdom Realizing Genjōkōan The Key to Dōgen’s Shōbōgenzō REALIZING GENJōKōAN THE KEY TO DōGEN’s SHōBōGENZō by Shohaku Okumura foreword by Taigen Dan Leighton Wisdom Publications • Boston Wisdom Publications 199 Elm Street Somerville MA 02144 USA www.wisdompubs.org © 2010 Shohaku Okumura All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photography, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system or tech- nologies now known or later developed, without permission in writing from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Okumura, Shohaku, 1948– Realizing Genjōkōan : the key to Dōgen’s Shōbōgenzō / by Shohaku Okumura. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-86171-601-9 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Dogen, 1200–1253. Shobo genzo. 2. Spiritual life—Sotoshu. 3. Sotoshu—Doctrines. I. Dogen, 1200–1253. Shobo genzo. Genjo koan. English. II. Title. BQ9449.D654G4665 2010 294.3’85—dc22 2010007994 14 13 12 11 10 5 4 3 2 1 Appendix 3, “Dōgen’s Life,” is reprinted with permission from Eihei Dōgen—Mystical Realist. Cover art by Eiji Imao: www.eonet.ne.jp/~eijin/index.html. Cover design by JBTL. Interior design by Gopa & Ted2, Inc. Set in DGP 12/15.4. Wisdom Publications’ books are printed on acid-free paper and meet the guidelines for per- manence and durability of the Production Guideli nes for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources. Printed in the United States of America. This book was produced with environmental mindfulness. We have elected to print this title on 30% PCW recycled paper. As a result, we have saved the following resources: 15 trees, 5 million BTUs of energy, 1,442 lbs. of greenhouse gases, 6,945 gallons of water, and 422 lbs. of solid waste. For more information, please visit our website, www.wisdompubs.org. This paper is also FSC certified. For more information, please visit www.fscus.org. Contents Foreword by Taigen Dan Leighton vii Preface xv Text of Genjōkōan 1 Chapter 1: Dōgen Zenji’s Life and the Importance of Genjōkōan 7 Chapter 2: The Meaning of “Genjōkōan” 13 Chapter 3: Buddhist Teachings from Three Sources: Is, Is Not, Is 23 Chapter 4: Flowers Fall, Weeds Grow 47 Chapter 5: Realization beyond Realization 57 Chapter 6: Dropping Off Body and Mind 75 Chapter 7: When We Seek We Are Far Away 93 Chapter 8: Past and Future Are Cut Off 109 Chapter 9: The Moon in Water 127 vi y realizing genjŌkŌan Chapter 10: Something Is Still Lacking 143 Chapter 11: A Fish Swims, a Bird Flies 157 Chapter 12: We Wave a Fan Because Wind Nature Is Everywhere 181 Appendix 1: Heart of Great Perfect Wisdom Sutra 205 Appendix 2: Shōbōgenzō Maka Hannya Haramitsu 207 Appendix 3: Dōgen’s Life, from Eihei Dōgen—Mystical Realist by Hee-Jin Kim 211 Bibliography for Annotations of Appendix 263 Glossary 265 Notes 283 Index 287 About the Author 297 Foreword his book is a treasure. Shohaku Okumura has given us a work of great value for any student of Eihei Dōgen’s teachings, for TZen practitioners, or for anyone interested in learning about Zen. The writings and teachings of the thirteenth-century Japanese Sōtō lineage founder Eihei Dōgen have been highly influential not only in the introduction of Zen to the West, but for Western inter- est in all of Buddhism. And of all Dōgen’s profuse writings, none has likely been more frequently cited or more illuminating than this essay, Genjōkōan. Even though it was written originally as a letter to a lay practitioner, as is common for Dōgen’s writings it is also highly dense and profound, and its subtleties of meaning are far from obvious. An old Zen slogan denigrates dependence on words and letters, instead emphasizing direct pointing to mind and awareness. So it is ironic that Zen has produced extensive libraries of writings, often composed of commentaries on previous writings like this one. But the point of such writing, as Dōgen specifically delineates in some of his essays, is the encouragement and refining of practice, rather than propounding theoretical philosophical positions. Genjōkōan is such a text, clarify- ing and supporting the actual unfolding practice of awakening. This extended and engaging commentary by Shohaku Okumura further reveals and supports the practical application of Dōgen’s teaching, viii y realizing genjŌkŌan making it a great service both to new students as well as to those long familiar with Genjōkōan. For new students of Zen meditation, many passages herein will be very helpful for finding the inner rhythm of Zen meditation and practice generally. For example, in chapter 5, “Realization beyond Realization,” one finds varied useful accounts of how we create and are impacted by our mental maps of the world, the process of delusion that Dōgen clearly but subtly defines in Genjōkōan. Shohaku says, “Within this mental map there are things we think are good, use- ful, or valuable, such as flowers, and there are other things we think are bad, useless, or worthless, such as weeds. Usually we take it for granted that the fabricated picture of the world in our minds is the world itself.” Our attachment to flowers and dislike of weeds is one of Dōgen’s early images in Genjōkōan. The process of zazen helps us see through our usual graspings and rejections, and the resulting mischief in our lives. Shohaku provides practical elaboration. For example, The practice of zazen can help us understand that our pic- tures of the world and our values are biased and incom- plete, and this understanding allows us to be flexible. Being flexible means that we can listen to others’ opinions knowing that their biases are simply different from ours, according to the circumstances and conditions of their individual lives. When we practice in this way our view broadens and we become better at working in harmony with others. By continually studying the nature of reality, of the Dharma in its universal sense, and by awakening to our biases, we keep working to correct our distorted views. This is how letting go of thought in zazen informs practice in our daily lives. Shohaku also clarifies the practical relevance of the study of the self and the dropping off of the body and mind of the self, which is described and encouraged by Dōgen in Genjōkōan. In clear language foreword y ix Shohaku expresses his own letting go of self-identification in zazen as taking off the clothes of identity to reveal our naked being. We wear the clothing of occupations such as doctor, law- yer, mechanic, priest, student, teacher. But when we sit facing the wall and let go of thought, including compar- ing ourselves with others, we take off all this clothing. In zazen I am not a Japanese Buddhist priest; I am neither Japanese nor American. In zazen we are neither rich nor poor, neither Buddhist nor Christian. The terms “Japa- nese,” “American,” “Buddhist,” “Christian,” “man,” and “woman” are only relevant when we compare ourselves with others. When I compare myself with Americans, I am Japanese, but before I knew of people who weren’t Japanese I didn’t know that I was Japanese. When we just sit facing the wall in zazen, we are neither deluded living beings nor enlightened buddhas; we are neither alive nor dead; we are just as we are. That’s it. In zazen we take off all of our clothing and become the naked self. Shohaku also shows how primary Buddhist teachings are embed- ded in the first paragraph of the Genjōkōan text, demonstrating that Zen and Dōgen’s teaching are firmly rooted in the Buddha’s teaching and the developments of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy. Shohaku interprets the first sentence in terms of some of Shakyamuni Buddha’s basic teachings such as the four noble truths and the twelve links of causation.