The Source of the Morning Star.. — It is one’s Eye creating the morning star. Zen Master Eihei Dogen (1200 – 1253), Shobogenzo, Sanjushichihon Bodai Bumpo, Hubert Nearman — Peace, Ted

Dharma, dharma, and dharmas Next to “Buddha,” the notion of “dharma” is probably the most important concept of Buddhism. In truth, “dharma” is so variable, diverse, and pervasive in Buddhism that an entire series of books would be needed to do full justice to it. Here we only want to consider the two primary ways in [...]

Dogen on The Ordinary Mind and on What it is not   Again, Great Master Shinsai of Joshu once asked Nansen, “What is the truth?” Nansen taught, “The normal mind is the truth.” In other words, the everyday mind is the truth. To learn [the truth] as the normal mind may be extremely rare. It [...]

Kim On Dogen On Negotiating the Way In his book, Dogen On Meditation and Thinking, Hee-Jin Kim offers an excellent statement on what this task entails. Following Masao Abe and Norman Waddell, Hee-Jin Kim translates “Bendowa” as “Negotiating the Way,” which he uses to describe what Dogen regards as the Zen “practitioners’ soteriological project.” Here [...]

Seven (7) Classic Zen Masters On Sutras and Koans – Parshva attended the Buddhist master Punyamitre for three years, never once going to sleep. One day as Punyamitre was reciting a scripture and came to an exposition of the uncreated, Parshva attained enlightenment on hearing it. Keizan, Transmission of Light, Thomas Cleary, p.44 – I happened to [...]

Zen wisdom on erroneous thoughts, your consciousness, and the Buddha Q: At this moment, while erroneous thoughts are arising in my mind, where is the Buddha? A: At this moment you are conscious of those erroneous thoughts. Well, your consciousness is the Buddha! Perhaps you can understand that, were you but free of these delusory mental [...]