Warum gibt es ueberhaupt Bewusstsein in diesem Universum, und wie kommt es, dass es eines und nur eines unter den unzaehlig vielen Bewusstseinen gibt, dass sich von allen anderen wesentlich unterscheidet: Dieses Bewusstsein?
【6-4】
雜話の次でに示して云く、學道の人衣食にわづらふことなかれ。此の國は邊地小國なりといへども、昔も今も顯密の二敎に名をゑ、後代にも人にも知られたる人おほし。或は詩歌管絃の家、文武學藝の才、其道を嗜む人もおほし。かくの如き人人未だ一人も衣食に豊かなりと云ことを聞かず。皆貧を忍び他事を忘れて、一向に其の道を好むゆへに、其の名をも得るなり。いはんや祖門學道の人は、渡世を捨てヽ一切名利に走らず、何としてか豊かなるべきぞ。大宋國の叢林には末代なりといへども、學道の人千萬人ある中に、或は遠方より來り、或は鄕土より出たるも有り。いづれも多分は貧なり。しかあれどもいまだ貧をうれへとせず。只悟道の未だしきことをのみ愁へて、或は樓上、或は閣下に坐して、考妣に喪するが如くにして、一向に佛道を修するなり。まのあたり見しことは、西川(セイセン)の僧、遠方より來れりし故に、所持の物なし。纔に墨二三丁もてり。そのあたひ兩三百文、此國の兩三十文にあたれるを持て、唐土の紙の下品なる極めて弱きを買ひとりて、襖ま或は袴などに作てきぬれば、起ち居に破るるおとして、あさましきをも顧みず、うれへざるなり。或る人の云く、汝鄕里にかへりて道具裝束とヽのへよと。答て云く、鄕里遠方なり、路次の間に光陰を空ふして、學道の時を失せんことを憂ふと云て、猶更に寒をも愁へずして學道せしなり。しかある故に大國にはよき人も出來るなり。
In a talk on various subjects, Dogen instructed:
Students of the Way, do not worry about food and clothing. Although Japan is a small country, far removed (from the Buddha’s country), there are quite a few people who were famous as scholars of the Exoteric and Esoteric Teachings, and who have become known to later generations. There are also many people who devote themselves to poetry, music, literature, and the martial arts. I have never heard of even one of them who had an abundance of food and clothing. They became known because they all endured poverty and forgot about other matters, so they could devote themselves completely to their own profession.
This is all the more true of people learning the Way in this tradition of the patriarchs. They have abandoned their occupations in society, and never seek after fame and profit. How could they become wealthy? Although this is the degenerate age, there are thousands of people in the monasteries in China who are learning the Way. There are some who came from remote districts or left their home provinces. In any case, although they never worry about their poverty, almost all of them are poor. Their only concern is that they have not yet attained the Way. Sitting either in a lofty building or under it, they practice [zazen] wholeheartedly as if they had lost their mother.
I personally met a monk from Shisen who had no possessions because he had come from a remote district. All he had was a few pieces of ink stick. They cost about two or three hundred mon in China, which is about twenty or thirty mon in Japan. He sold them, bought very low quality Chinese paper, and made an upper robe and lower robe with it. Whenever he stood up or sat down, he made strange noises, though he never paid any attention to it.
Someone said to him, “Go back home and bring some personal belongings and clothing.”
He replied, “My home is far away. I don’t want to waste time on the road home, and lose time to practice the Way.”
He practiced the Way all the more, without being concerned with cold weather. This is why many prominent people have appeared in China.
【6-5】
示して云く、傳へ聞く、昔目雪峰山の開山の時は、寺貧窮にして、或は絶烟し、或は綠豆飯をむして食して、日を送て學道せしかども、後には一千五百人の僧、常に斷へざるなり。昔しの人はかくのごとし。今もまたかくのごとくなるべし。僧の損ずることは多く富貴より起るなり。如來在世、調達(デウダツ)が嫉妬を起せしことも、日に五百車の供養より起れり。唯自らを損ずるのみに非ず、亦他をして惡をなさしむる因縁なり。實の學道の人、何としてか富貴なるべき。たとひ淨信の供養も多くつもらば、恩の思ひを作して報を思ふべし。此の國の人は亦我が爲に利を思ひて施をいたす。笑ひて向へる者によく與るは、さだまれる世の道理なり。只他の心にしたがはんとしてなさば、これ學道の障りなるべし。只飢を忍び寒を忍で、一向に學道すべきなり。
Dogen instructed:
I have heard that at the time of the founder of the monastery on Mt. Seppo, the temple was so poor they sometimes had no food to cook or sometimes had to eat green beans steamed with rice. They lived such a poor life while learning the Way. In later years there were never less than fifteen hundred monks staying at the monastery.
Ancient people practiced in such a way. Today, we should also be like this. This degeneration of monks is often caused by wealth and fame. In the time of the Buddha, Dêvadatta aroused jealousy since he received daily offerings of five hundred cartloads of provisions. Wealth was harmful not only to himself, but made other people commit evil deeds. How can sincere people who learn the Way become wealthy? Even if it is an offering made from pure faith, if it accumulates in abundance, you must see it as a debt and want to return it.
People in this country make donations for the sake of gaining personal profit. It is only natural in the human world to give more to people who approach with a flattering smile. However, if you do so to curry favor with others, it will surely become an obstacle to your practice of the Way. Just endure the hunger and the cold and devote yourself completely to the practice of the Way.
【6-6】
一日示して云く、古人の云く、聞くべし、見るべし、得るべし。亦云く、得ずんば見るべし、見すんば聞べしと。云ふ心は、聞んよりは見るべし、見んよりは得るべし、未だ得ずんば見るべし、未だ見ずんば聞べしとなり。
One day Dogen instructed:
An ancient person said, “Listen, see, attain.”
Further, “If you haven’t attained, see. If you haven’t yet seen, listen.”
He meant that seeing is superior to listening, attaining is superior to seeing. If you haven’t attained, you should see. If you haven’t seen, you should listen.