Fukan Zazengi
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Master Dogen’s Fukanzazengi 6 translations When he came back from Song China to Japan in 1227, Master Dogen realized that no one had heard about the way to practice Zazen. Some practitioners asked him to write a Manual of Zazen (Zazengi). Here are 6 translations of the Manual of Zazen 1. Yokoi & Victoria; 2. Nishijima & Cross 3. Waddell & Abe 4. Popular Version, translated by Shohaku Okumura 5. Tenpuku Version, translated by Shohaku Okumura 6. Form of Zazen, translated by Shohaku Okumura The first 5 are translations of Master Dogen's Fukanzazengi. The last one is part of a Chinese document called Zenen Shingi (Chanyuan Qingi in Chinese) written by Master Choro Sosaku (Changlu Zongze in Chinese) existing in China before Master Dogen went there. Compiled by Frederic Lecut - 2009 (1) Yokoi & Victoria; (2) Nishijima & (3) Waddell & Abe Popular Version Tenpuku Version Form of Zazen Cross translated by translated by translated by Shohaku Okumura Shohaku Okumura Shohaku Okumura Now, when you trace Now, when we The Way is originally Originally, the Way Originally, the Way the source of the research it, the truth perfect and is complete and is complete and Way, you find that it originally is all all-pervading. How universal. universal. is universal and around: why should could it be How can we How can we absolute. It is we rely upon contingent upon distinguish practice distinguish practice unnecessary to practice and practice and from enlightenment? fro m verification? distinguish between experience? realization? "practice" and "enlightenment." The supreme The real vehicle The Dharma-vehicle The Vehicle of The vehicle of teaching is free, so exists naturally: why is utterly free and Reality is in the Self. Reality is in the Self. why study the should we put forth untrammeled. What Why should we Why should we means to attain it? great effort? need is there for our waste our efforts make effort to attain concentrated effort? trying to attain it? it? The Way is, needless Furthermore, the Indeed, the Whole Still more, the Whole Still more, the whole to say, very far from whole body far Body is far beyond Body is free from body is free from delusion. transcends dust and the world's dust. dust. dust. dirt: Why, then, be who could believe in Who could believe in Why should we Who should believe concerned about the the means of a means to brush it believe in a means in a means to clean means of eliminating sweeping and clean? to sweep it away? it away. the latter? polishing? The Way is In general, we do It is never apart On the whole, the On the whole, the completely present not stray from the from you right where Way is never Way is never where you are, so of right state: of what you are. What use is separated from separated from what use is practice use, then, are the there going off here where we are now. where we are now. or enlightenment? tip-toes of training? and there to Why should we Why should we practice? wander here and wander here and Master Dogen's Fukanzazengi - 6 translations - Compiled by Ji Ryu – Frederic Lecut - 2009 there to practice? there to practice? However, if there is However, if there is And yet if there is Yet, if there is the Yet, if there is the the slightest a thousandth or a the slightest slightest deviation, slightest deviation, difference in the hundredth of a gap, discrepancy, the you will be as far you will be as far beginning between the separation is as Way is as distant as from the Way as from the Way as you and the Way, great as that heaven from earth. heaven is from heaven is from the result will be a between heaven and earth. earth. greater separation earth; than between heaven and earth. If the slightest and if a trace of If the least like or If adverse or If adverse or dualistic thinking disagreement arises, dislike arises, the favorable conditions favorable conditions arises, you will lose we lose the mind in mind is lost in arise to even a small arise to even a small your Buddha-mind. confusion. confusion. degree, you will lose degree, you will lose your mind in your mind in confusion. confusion. We should know that the aeons of transmigration in samsara is caused by the discrimination of one moment. The path of delusion in the dusty world is also caused by ceaseless evaluation. If you want to thoroughly transcend even enlightenment, you should simply understand how to settle down right here. For example, some Proud of our Suppose you gain Even if you are Even if you are Master Dogen's Fukanzazengi - 6 translations - Compiled by Ji Ryu – Frederic Lecut - 2009 people are proud of understanding and pride of proud of your proud of your their understanding, richly endowed with understanding, understanding, are understanding, are and think that they realization, we inflate your own enlightened in enlightened in are richly endowed obtain special states achievement, abundance, and abundance, and with the Buddha's of insight; glimpse the wisdom obtain the power of obtain the power of Wisdom. that runs through all wisdom to glimpse wisdom to glimpse things, the ground of the ground of buddhahood; buddhahood; They think that they we attain the truth; attain the Way and even if you gain the even if you gain the have attained the we clarify the mind; clarify your mind, Way, clarify the Way, clarify the Way, illuminated we acquire the zeal raising an aspiration mind, resolve to mind, resolve to their minds, and that pierces the sky; to escalade the very pierce heaven, that pierce heaven, that gained the power to we ramble through sky. You are making is only strolling on is only strolling on touch the heavens. remote intellectual an initial, partial the border of the the border of the They imagine that spheres, going in excursion through buddha way. buddha way. they are wandering with the head: the frontiers of the about in the realm of Dharma, enlightenment. But in fact they have and yet, we have but you are still You are still, almost You are still lacking almost lost the almost completely deficient in the vital always, lacking the the vivid path of absolute Way, which lost the vigorous Way of total vivid path of emancipation. is beyond road of getting the emancipation. emancipation. enlightenment itself. body out. You should pay Moreover, we can Look at the Buddha Moreover, consider Moreover, consider attention to the fact [still] see the traces himself, who was Shakyamuni Buddha the old master that even the of the six years possessed of great who was enlightened Shakyamuni, who Buddha Sakyamuni spent sitting up inborn from birth, to this was enlightened had to practice straight by the knowledge-the day you can see the from birth, left the zazen for six years. natural sage of influence of his six traces of his sitting trace of his sitting in Jetavana park. years of upright in straight posture upright posture for sitting is noticeable for six years. six years. still. It is also said that We can still hear Or Bodhidharma, And Bodhidharma Also the great Bodhidharma had to rumors of the nine who transmitted the who transmitted the master do zazen at Shao-lin years spent facing Buddha's mind-seal; even now Bodhidharma, who Master Dogen's Fukanzazengi - 6 translations - Compiled by Ji Ryu – Frederic Lecut - 2009 temple for nine the wall by the mind-seal-the fame you can hear of the transmitted the years in order to transmitter of the of his nine years of fame of his facing mind-seal, left the transmit the mind-seal of Shaoiin wall sitting is the wall for nine example of facing Buddha mind. [temple]. celebrated to this years. the wall for nine day. years. Since these ancient The ancient saints Since this was the These ancient sages These ancient sages sages were so were like that case with the saints practiced in this practiced in that diligent, how can already: how could of old, how can way. way. Why can we, present-day trainees people today fail to people today Why can we, people people of today, do without the make effort? dispense with of today, refrain refrain from practice of zazen? negotiation of the from practice! practice? Way? You should stop Therefore we should You should therefore Therefore, cease Therefore, turn from pursuing words and cease the intellectual cease from practice studying words and the study of only letters and learn to work of studying based on intellectual following letters. words and letters, withdraw and reflect sayings a chasing understanding, Learn to withdraw, and withdraw, turn on yourself. words. We should pursuing words and turning the light the light inwards, learn the backward following after inwards, illuminating and illuminate the step of turning light speech, and learn the Self. Self. and reflecting. the backward step that turns your light inward to illuminate your self. When you do so, Body and mind will Body and mind will (Doing so,) your (Doing so), your your body and mind naturally fall away, drop away of body and mind will body and mind will will naturally fall and the original themselves, and drop off naturally, drop off naturally, away, and your features will your original face and original-self will and the original-self original manifest themselves will manifest itself. manifest itself. will manifest itself. Buddhanature will before us. appear. If you wish to realize If we want to attain If you wish to attain If you wish to attain If you wish to attain The bodhisattvas the Buddha's the matter of suchness, you suchness, practice such, practice zazen who wish to Wisdom, you should ineffable, we should should practice suchness immediately.