Archiv für den Monat: Januar 2018

Muho spricht überHyakujo’s Fuchs und Joshu’s Katze, 31. Januar 2018

Short English Q & A at the very end (2:07:00)!

Shobogenzo Zuimonki
Book 1 Chapter 6
(quoted from: global.sotozen-net.or.jp/common_html/zuimonki/01-06.html)

Once Ejo asked,

“What is the meaning of not being blind to cause and effect?” ①
Dogen replied, “Not moving cause and effect.”

Ejo asked, “How can we be released then?”

Dogen said, “Cause and effect are self-evident.” ②

Ejo inquired further, “Then does cause bring about effect or does effect bring about cause?”

Dogen said, “If it is so in every case, what about Nansen’s ③ killing the cat? When his students could not say anything, Nansen immediately killed the cat. Later, when Joshu heard about the incident, he put his straw sandal on his head and went out. This was excellent action.”

Dogen added, “If I had been Nansen, I would have said, ‘If you cannot speak, I will kill it; even if you can speak, I will kill it. Who would fight over a cat? Who can save the cat? On behalf of the students, I would have said, ‘We are not able to speak, Master. Go ahead and kill the cat!’ Or, I would have said for them, ‘Master, you only know about cutting it (the cat) into two with one stroke, yet you do not know about cutting it into one with one stroke.’”

Ejo asked, “How do you cut it into one with one stroke?”

Dogen said, “The cat itself.”

Dogen added, “If I had been Nansen, when the students could not answer, I would have released the cat saying that the students had already spoken. An ancient master said, ‘When the great-function manifests itself, no fixed rules exist.’”

Dogen also said, “This action of Nansen’s that is, cutting the cat, is a manifestation of the […]

Shogaku spricht über das Tenzokyokun, 29. Januar 2018

In the seventh month of the same year, I registered at Tiantong [Monastery]. While I was there, that cook came to meet me and said, „At the end of the summer retreat I retired as cook and am now returning to my home village. I happened to hear a disciple say that you were here; how could I not come to meet you?“
I jumped for joy and was very grateful. In the ensuing conversation that I had with him I brought up the karmic conditions of written words and pursuit of the way that we had discussed previously on the ship. The cook said, „The study of written words is to understand the purpose of written words. Exertion in pursuit of the way requires an affirmation of the purpose of pursuing the way.“ I asked him, „What are written words?“ The cook answered, „One, two, three, four, five.“ I also asked, „What is pursuit of the way?“ He said, „In the whole world, it can never be hidden.“
Although there was a great variety of other things that we discussed, I will not record them at this point. The little I know about written words and understand about pursuing the way is due to the great kindness of that cook. I told my late teacher Myôzen about the things that I have just related here, and he was very happy to hear of them.
Later I saw a verse that Xuedou wrote to instruct the monks:
One letter, seven letters, three letters, or five;
Investigating myriads of images, one reaches no basis.
In the depth of night, the moon sets into the dark sea;
Seeking the black dragon’s pearl, one […]

Eko spricht über das Tenzokyokun, 28. Januar 2018

Again, in the fifth month of the sixteenth year of the Jiading era (1223), I was on the ship at Qingyuan. While I was talking with the Japanese captain, there was an old monk who arrived. He was about sixty years old. He came directly onto the ship and inquired of the Japanese passengers if he could buy Japanese mushrooms. I invited him to drink tea and asked where he was from. He was the cook of the monastery on Mount Ayuwang. He said, „I come from Sichuan, but I left my home village forty years ago. This year I am sixty-one years old. In the past I have trained in quite a few different monasteries. In recent years, I stayed for a while with Guyun. I was able to register at Yuwang [monastery], but for some time I felt out of place. At the end of the summer retreat last year, however, I was appointed cook of that monastery. Tomorrow is the fifth day [feast], but the entire menu does not yet include a single delicacy. I need to cook noodle soup, but still have no mushrooms, and thus have made a special trip here to try to buy mushrooms to offer to the monks of the ten directions.
I asked him, „What time did you leave there?“ The cook replied, „After the midday meal.“ I inquired, „How long is the road from Yuwang to here?“ He said, „Thirty-four or thirty-five li.“ I asked, „When will you return to the monastery?“ He said, „If I can buy the mushrooms now, I will set off right after that.“ I said, „Today I did not expect to meet you and have […]

Mickaël referiert über das Tenzokyokun, 27. Januar 2018

When a patron comes into the monastery and donates money to hold a feast, the various the stewards should all be consulted; this is the precedent established in monasteries of old. With regard to the distribution of the merit-making donations, they also consult together. Do not create a disturbance in the hierarchy by infringing on anyone’s authority.
When the midday meal or morning gruel has been properly prepared and placed on the table, the cook dons his kesa, spreads his sitting cloth, faces the sangha hall [where the monks eat], burns incense and makes nine prostrations. Upon finishing his prostrations, he sends the food [to the sangha hall].
Throughout the day, as you prepare the meals, do not pass the time in vain. If your preparations are true, then your movements and activities will naturally become the deeds of nurturing the womb of the sage. The way to put the great assembly at ease is to step back and transform yourself.
It has been a long time now since the name „buddha-dharma“ came to be heard in our country, Japan. However, our predecessors did not record, and the former worthies did not teach, anything about the proper procedure for monks‘ meals, and they never even dreamed of the rite of making nine prostrations before the monks‘ meals. People in this country say that the way in which the monks eat and the way in which monasteries prepare food are just like the feeding methods of [domestic] birds and beasts. This is truly pathetic, truly deplorable. How could it be?
When this mountain monk [I, Dôgen] was at Tiantong Monastery, the position [of cook] was held by cook Yong, of the same province [as […]

Um die Halle herum, 26. Januar 2018

Um die Halle herum (am Morgen und am Nachmittag), 24. Januar 2018

Antaiji im Kulturradio und Ioana über das Tenzokyokun, 23. Januar 2018

Geweckt wird man im Kloster Antaiji früh, sehr früh, noch vor dem Sonnenaufgang. Und sanft geschieht es auch nicht grade. Um viertel vor vier rennt Xavier über die Flure. Er ist heute der Jikijitsu und für den Tagesablauf verantwortlich. Seine trampelnden Schritte signalisieren jedem: In 15 Minuten beginnt in der Halle die Meditation, das sogenannte Zazen mit dem Gongschlag des Jikijitsu.

Die Meditierenden sitzen auf Kissen, manche auf richtigen Kissentürmchen. Der Lotussitz, eine kreuzbeinige Sitzposition empfiehlt sich nur Geübten. Zwei Stunden wird man so, unterbrochen nur vom Kinhin, einer 15-minütigen Gehmeditation, bewegungslos sitzen. Mit dem Gesicht zur Wand verharrt man ganz im Hier und Jetzt, erklärt Xavier, ein in Chile geborener Deutschlehrer: „Wenn man ganz still ist, dann fühlt man sich anders. Wenn du dich ständig bewegst, dann achtest du nur: Oh, hier juckt es oder wie lange haben wir noch? Wenn du ganz stille sitzt und einatmest und ausatmest und lässt alles, dann geschieht etwas.“

„Oft wird gesagt, Zazen bedeutet, man setzt sich aufs Kissen und lässt los und man genießt dann die Ruhe des Geistes. Was aber passiert ist, man genießt es dann für fünf Minuten, zehn Minuten einfach nur stillsitzen zu dürfen. Aber spätestens nach 15 Minuten geht es dann los im Kopf und alle möglichen Dinge kommen hoch. Dieses innere Gespräch beginnt“, sagt Muhō.

Nicht nur das sei hart, sagt Murillo aus Brasilien, der seit einem Jahr in Antaiji Zen praktiziert: „Du hast körperliche Schmerzen und dein Geist wird immer wieder abgelenkt. Jemand hat Zazen als einen Spiegel beschrieben, in dem man sich selbst sieht. Man kann sich davor nicht verstecken. Es ist nicht immer schön, aber man lernt auch viel über sich. Besonders während der Sesshin-Tage. In […]

Murilo spricht über das Tenzokyokun, 19. Januar 2018

When Xuefeng resided at Dongshan [monastery], he served as cook. One day when he was sifting rice [master] Dongshan asked him, „Are you sifting the sand and removing the rice, or sifting the rice and removing the sand?“ Xuefeng said, „Sand and rice are simultaneously removed.“ Dongshan asked, „What will the great assembly eat?“ Xuefeng overturned the bowl. Dongshan said, „In the future you will go and be scrutinized by someone else.“
In the past, eminent men in possession of the way practiced in this way [as cooks], working energetically with their own hands. In this latter day, how can we who are so late getting started [in our
practice] be negligent about this? The ancients said that cooks regard tying up their sleeves [for manual work] as the way-seeking mind. Lest there be any mistakes in the sifting out of rice and sand, you should examine it with your own hands. The Rules of Purity say, „When preparing meals, one should reflect intimately on one’s own self; [the food] will then of itself be pure and refined.“
Keep the white water with which you have washed the rice; do not wastefully discard it. In ancient times they used a cloth bag to strain the white water and used it to boil the rice when making gruel.
Having put [the rice] into the cooking pot, pay attention and guard it. Do not allow mice and the like to touch it by mistake, nor any covetous idlers to examine or touch it.
When cooking the vegetable side dishes for the morning gruel, also prepare the platters and tubs used for rice, soup, etc., as well as the various utensils and supplies that will be […]

Eko spricht über das Tenzokyokun (English summary after one hour), 17. Januar 2018

Den Berg hoch, um die Halle herum, rein ins Kulturradio und raus mit dem Futter für Pferd und Esel, 16. Januar 2018

Die Freunde unseres Klosters, die uns per Paypal unterstützen, sollten in Kürze das neue Buch von Abt Muho in Händen halten: Futter für Pferd und Esel.
Wer noch nicht offiziell zu unseren Freunden zählt, das Buch aber trotzdem lesen will, kann es hier direkt bestellen: bod.de
Oder bei Amazon:

INHALTSVERZEICHNIS

Vorwort
Dôgens Leben
Fukanzazengi: Einladung an alle zum Zazen!
Genjôkôan: Hier offenbart sich das Geheimnis
Gakudô-yôjinshû: Worum es bei der Übung des Weges geht
Jûundôshiki: Regeln für die Halle der verschlungenen Wolken
Gabyô: Gemalter Kuchen
Zenki : Ganzes Wirken
Ôsakusendaba: Der König wünscht sich Sendaba
Zazenshin: Eine Nadel für Zazen
Hotsubodaishin: Aufbruch zum Weg des Herzens
Dôshin: Der Geist des Weges
Danksagung 

VORWORT

„Was liegt jenseits des Horizonts?“
Irgendwann stellt sich jedes Kind diese Frage, die Augen staunend auf das Meer gerichtet. Doch welches Kind würde tatsächlich versuchen, das Meer zu überqueren? Die meisten müssen nur einen Schritt ins kalte Wasser machen, um sich eines Besseren zu besinnen. Andere lässt die Frage nie los. Und es kommen neue Zweifel dazu:
„Woher komme ich?“
„Wohin gehe ich?“
„Wer bin ich und wie will ich leben?“
Seit Adam und Eva im Garten Eden den berühmten Apfel verspeist haben, gibt es Menschen, die sich diese und ähnliche Fragen stellen. Viele vergessen diese Kinderfragen als Erwachsene wieder, doch manche lassen sie ein Leben lang nicht los. Vielleicht gehören Sie, werter Leser, ja auch dazu?

Dôgen , der vor achthundert Jahren in Japan lebte, versuchte, seine eigenen Antworten auf diese Fragen zu finden. Im Shôbôgenzô schrieb er sie nieder. Es ist nicht übertrieben zu sagen, dass ich nicht zu dem geworden wäre, […]