Monthly Archives: September 2017

The third and last rice field is harvested, the rice of the second field threshed, September 27th 2017

“Zen for nothing” (russian bootleg with english subtitles)

Walk around the first harvested rice and the hall, September 21st 2017

Sesshu’s World of Zen in Ink

If you have not seen it yet, the NHK World documentary “Sesshu’s World of Zen in Ink” can be seen here:

“Sesshu is called the father of Japanese ink painting. German-born Muho Noelke, a Zen abbot in Japan, visits Yamaguchi Prefecture in western Japan, a city that changed Sesshu’s life. Here, Sesshu escaped Kyoto’s culture of copying Chinese ink paintings and searched for his own style of expression. His works embody the Zen tenets and aesthetics that prevailed during the samurai age in which he lived. What he learned he imparted to his disciples. Even today they hold new discoveries.”

Sebastian “explains” Shobogenzo Zuimonki 6-4, 6-5 & 6-6, September 14th 2017

【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 […]

What is satori?, September 9th 2017

Muho gives talk on Shinjimei, September 8th 2017

“Mindfulness and me” (Japanese talk in Akita), September 3rd 2017