StrangeMed

All sentient beings are essentially Buddhas. As with water and ice, there is no ice without water; apart from sentient beings, there are no Buddhas. Not knowing how close the truth is, we seek it far away

what a pity! We are like a one who in the midst of water cries out desperately in thirst. We are like the son of a rich man who wandered away among the poor. The reason we transmigrate through the Six Realms is because we are lost in the darkness of ignorance. Going further and further in the darkness, how can we ever be free from birth-and-death? As for the Mahayana practice of zazen, there are no words to praise it fully. The Six Paramitas, such as giving, maintaining the precepts, and various other good deeds like invoking the Buddha’s name, repentance, and spiritual training, all finally return to the practice of zazen. Even those who have sat zazen only once will see all karma erased. Nowhere will they find evil paths, and the Pure Land will not be far away. If we listen even once with open heart to this truth, then praise it and gladly embrace it, how much more so then, if on reflecting within ourselves we directly realize Self-nature is no-nature. We will have gone far beyond idle speculation. The gate of the oneness of cause and effect is thereby opened, and not-two, not-three, straight ahead runs the Way. Realizing the form of no-form as form, whether going or returning we cannot be any place else. Realizing the thought of no-thought as thought, whether singing or dancing, we are the voice of the Dharma. How vast and wide the unobstructed sky of Samadhi!

Then Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "O World-Honoured One! To one who eats flesh, we should not give flesh. Why not? I see a great virtue arising out of abstention from eating flesh." The Buddha praised Kasyapa and said: "Well said, well said! You now come to know my mind well. A Bodhisattva who protects Dharma should be thus. O good man! From now on, I do not permit my sravaka disciples to eat meat. When receiving from a danapati a pristine dana [gift] of faith, think that one is eating the flesh of one's own son." Bodhisattva Kasyapa said further to the Buddha: "O World-Honoured One! Why is it that the Tathagata does not allow us to eat meat?" "O good man! “’One who eats meat kills the seed of great compassion."“’

Then Bodhisattva Kasyapa said to the Buddha: "O World-Honoured One! To one who eats flesh, we should not give flesh. Why not? I see a great virtue arising out of abstention from eating flesh." The Buddha praised Kasyapa and said: "Well said, well said! You now come to know my mind well. A Bodhisattva who protects Dharma should be thus. O good man! From now on, I do not permit my sravaka disciples to eat meat. When receiving from a danapati a pristine dana [gift] of faith, think that one is eating the flesh of one's own son." Bodhisattva Kasyapa said further to the Buddha: "O World-Honoured One! Why is it that the Tathagata does not allow us to eat meat?" "O good man! “’One who eats meat kills the seed of great compassion."“’

Kasyapa said again: "Why did you first allow the bhiksus to eat three kinds of pure meat?" "O Kasyapa! These three kinds of pure meat were so instituted following the need of the occasion." Bodhisattva Kasyapa said again to the Buddha: "O World-Honoured One! In what circumstances do you not allow the ten impurities or the nine kinds of what is pure?" The Buddha said to Kasyapa: "This also is permitted by gradual steps following the need of the occasion. This is what applies in the actual segregation from eating meat."

Question: If the mind ceases to be, what will become of its continuity? If there is continuity of mind, how can you explain its final cessation?

Answer: What we speak of as “cessation” is the cessation of the marks of [the deluded] mind only and not the cessation of its essence. It is like the case of the wind which, following the surface of the water, leaves the marks of its movement. If the water should cease to be, then the marks of the wind would be nullified and the wind would have no support [on which to display its movement]. But since the water does not cease to be, the marks of the wind may continue. Because only the wind ceases, the marks of its movement cease accordingly. This is not the cessation of water. So it is with ignorance; on the ground of the essence of Mind there is movement. If the essence of Mind were to cease, then people would be nullified and they would have no support. But since the essence does not cease to be, the mind may continue. Because only stupidity ceases to be, the marks of the [stupidity of the] mind cease accordingly. It is not that the wisdom (i.e., the essence) of Mind ceases.

In my case I follow both Zen and Pure Land, consequently I do both Nembutsu and Zazen. I attend a Soto Zen temple currently.

“This Pure Land teaching is all a matter of comprehending that Amitabha Buddha is precisely our own Buddha Nature, our Mind. If we mistakenly refer to the Buddha as “other”, we would fall into one form of delusive view. If we were to overemphasize our own inherent Buddha, this would be another form of delusive view. Both are wrong. Through our invoking the Buddha-name both at the phenomenal level and at the level of inner truth (noumenon), Amitabha and his retinue of saints appears before us: this is our inherent True Nature becoming manifest. Also, we are born in the Pure Land and see Amitabha and hear his teaching: this is perfecting the body of wisdom of our True Nature. This is not awakening through something other than ourselves. “

It is really interesting how they explore different topics about common places and differences between Chan and Zen. It made me also understand some things about Zazen and Silent Illumination.

“If we actually touch fire, we will certainly be burned, but if we merely say the word fire without actually touching it, we won’t be burned. Likewise, if we only think of the word fire, our heads will not be set ablaze. Therefore, the definition of fire, whose nature is to burn all things, cannot itself be the reality of it.”

Kosho Uchiyama

“After the one thought-moment in which, realizing the transience of birth-and-death in our own flesh, we once genuinely and directly entrust ourselves through saying Namu-amida-butsu, the self is no longer the self. Then, as our hearts are Amida Buddha’s heart, our bodily actions Amida Buddha’s actions, and our words Amida Buddha’s words, the life we are living is Amida Buddha’s life.

This is my favorite statue of Amida Buddha, and it is unique since Amida is depicted in the act of looking back, quite strange considering its standard representation According to the legend behind the statue, in 1082, in Eikandō’s Amida-dō Hall, in the dim hours before dawn on February the fifteenth, a miracle occurred. The monk Eikan (1033–1111) was deep in his daily practice of circumambulating a statue of Amida Buddha while reciting Amida’s name. Eikan believed that by diligently performing this practice—called the nenbutsu—he could achieve rebirth in Amida’s western paradise, where enlightenment was guaranteed. It is recorded that Eikan recited the nenbutsu 60,000 times each day. As he paced around the statue, Eikan saw something that made him freeze on the spot: the wooden statue of Amida gracefully descended from its lotus-shaped dais and began to walk ahead of him, as if leading him toward paradise. As Eikan gaped in amazement, Amida paused. He looked back over its left shoulder, to where Eikan stood dumbstruck. “Eikan, stop dawdling,” said Amida. It is believed that Eikan was so inspired by this vision of Amida urging him forward to the Pure Land that he begged the statue to remain in the same posture in order to inspire others. The “Looking-back Amida” (Mikaeri Amida) has been at Eikandō ever since.

南無阿弥陀仏🙏🏼

In the Ikkamyōshu scroll, Dogen likens 'satori' to a shining pearl and says that even if a person doubts that he or she is not a Myōju (pearl), that in itself is already a 'Ikkamyōshu', and concludes by saying: 'The progress and retreat in the Black Mountain Cave (Kurozan Oniguro) is only an Ikkamyōshu (shining pearl). (The activity of advancing and retreating in the midst of hesitation is nothing other than the manifestation of 'satori'). Kurozan Oniguro is a mountain with a hell beneath it, mentioned in the Abhidharma Treatise, and is said to be the abode of the demon god, which in turn refers to the state of being caught in the grip of afflictions. Here, Dogen says that the practice of advancing and retreating through trial and error in the midst of vexations is the very practice that embodies 修証一等Shusho Ittō (practice is itself embodiment of satori),and is nothing other than 'satori'. It is not that we are moving towards the goal of 'satori', but that we have already realised 'satori' at each moment of our practice in this wandering world, in the sense that we are 'lost and enlightened'.

"What do you call the Great Way that is very easy to recognize and easy to practice. But which no one in the world can recognize and practice. Please show it to me."

"These words are right. Living apart from the world and hold the mind aloof to it, not doing a single thing, is called practicing the way. Not seeing a single thing is called seeing the way. Not knowing a single thing is called cultivating the way. Not practicing a single thing is called practicing the way. It is also called easy to know and is also called easy to practice."