FREE Zen Newsletter!
Zen and Priestcraft
Zen and Priestcraft in terms of Dogen’s Zen teachings and William Blake’s “Marriage of Heaven and Hell” [adapted from the post at Dogen/Shobogenzo Zen blog]
Lore of Priestcraft
Priestcraft operates by exploiting Mans deepest fears and highest aspirations. The primary medium of this sorcery is Lore. Ever aware of its main objective, subjugating the lay society to the Priesthood, Priestly Lore’s foremost concern is instituting and maintaining a rigid caste system. Such Lore posits:
1. There are two kinds of Men: Buddhas and ordinary mortals.
2. Delusion is the state of ordinary mortals; Enlightenment is the state of Buddhas.
3. Delusion merges Man with old age, sickness, and death; Enlightenment separates Man from old age, sickness, and death.
4. Enlightenment is extremely difficult, complex, and mysterious.
5. Ordinary mortals are incapable of realizing Enlightenment without the intercession of the Priesthood.
6. True aspiration for Enlightenment is demonstrated by passive acceptance of authority, total submission, and unquestioning obedience.
Such views are inculcated in efforts to conceal these truths:
1. There is no distinction between Buddhas and ordinary mortals.
2. Ordinary mortals are Enlightenment and Buddhas are Delusion.
3. Delusion separates Man from old age, sickness, and death; Enlightenment merges Man with old age, sickness, and death.
4. Enlightenment is facile, simple, and completely lucid.
5. Ordinary mortals are only capable of realizing Enlightenment on their own.
6. True aspiration for Enlightenment is demonstrated by unflinching readiness to challenge and disregard all forms of authority, unyielding perseverance, and obstinate autonomy.
A Man that blindly submits his own unique existence to authority transforms the Blessing of Life into a Curse of Death; true Life demands Independent Activity and Creative Expression.
When sacrificed by stages and gates, Independent Activity and Creative Expression stagnate like still pools where larvae flourish; and the limitless potential of Life becomes an abundance of misery.
Dogen Zenji’s writings testify to this principle, where submission and obedience are called sect, or school, and the enemy of Buddha-Dharma. The usurper and enemy illumine the Carved Dragon, thereby concealing the True Dragon in darkness.
The illegitimate children of Dogen call the Carved Dragon the True Dragon, and call sitting meditation Enlightenment, and call suffering Buddhahood, and say that the Wisdom of Sages is Nothing Special.
Nevertheless, the True Dragon howls with laughter in the Withered Tree, for the worshippers of the Carved Dragon cannot discern True Words.
Although it appears that the True Dragon has been extinguished, the few have kept the sacred flame for the resurrection of Shobogenzo and the revelation of Ichchantika.
Samsara is Nirvana!
As revealed in the Vimalakirti Sutra when Buddha released the supernatural power that he had exercised with his toe and the world returned to its impure appearance so that Emptiness would have a field in which to play. Nirvana is Samsara. The Buddha is no other than he who rejoices in old age, sickness, and death.
Hyakujo may have lived 500 lives as a wild fox, but before he was born as a fox, and after the cremation ceremony he was Kasyapa Buddha.
Peace,
Ted
“Although it appears that the True Dragon has been extinguished, the few have kept the sacred flame for the resurrection of Shobogenzo and the revelation of Ichchantika.”
And you’re one of ‘the few’, right, Ted?
When we’re doing it, it’s nothing special. If we make it something special, then we’re not doing it sincerely.
Carved dragons and real ones have stopped admiring each other and are having a good old laugh at each other’s foolishness!!! Can you hear them, Ted?
Regards,
Harry.
Hello Harry,
Thank you for sharing your opinions.
I will do my best to address your observations.
Harry: “And you’re one of ‘the few’, right, Ted?”
Ted: I would not dare to say so. How would you say it Harry?
The “few” referred to are just the few that have clarified the principle of Buddha Nature. The few that know zazen is zazen. The few that know the term ‘the five sects’ is an aberration. The few that have learned what truth is, and the few who teach what is true. In other words the few who see what their true self is.
Harry: “When we’re doing it, it’s nothing special. If we make it something special, then we’re not doing it sincerely.”
Ted: Doing what?
I am not sure what you mean, but if you are talking about those that fail to know of, or see the rare, special, and precious treasure of the Dharma, I agree it is sad! As Dogen says it:
How sad not to know of, or ever see, the precious ore that lies buried in a mountain of treasure, but how much more sad when it is the mother lode of the Dharma!
Shobogenzo, Keisei Sanshoku, Hubert Nearman
Of course, it goes without saying that since we “are” what we “do”, if we “do” nothing special we “are” nothing special. And I think that to call it “something special” is a giant understatement, yet one is certainly moved to call it something–perhaps Dogen’s terms, “precious”, “mother lode”, “extraordinary wonders”, “marvelously exquisite” are better. Still, in my view, none of this can really come close to the truly special Buddha Dharma.
The Great Treasure House with Its extraordinary wonders exists, about which it is said, “When the Flower comes into bloom, the whole world arises.”Shobogenzo, Udonge, Hubert Nearman
This is what we should expect for a flowering of the Dharma that is so marvelously exquisite we cannot even begin to imagine It.
Shobogenzo, Hokke Ten Hokke, Hubert Nearman
Harry: “Carved dragons and real ones have stopped admiring each other and are having a good old laugh at each other’s foolishness!!! Can you hear them, Ted?”
Ted: Has this been your experience Harry? My own experience has not been that at all. The true dragons I have met have not laughed at each other’s “foolishness”, but instead have deeply admired and praised each other’s wisdom. And as far as “stopping”, all the ones I know of have actualized ceaseless practice and enlightenment. In other words, my own experience seems to be more along the lines of Hakuin’s and Dogen’s rather than that which you describe. That is, for example, as Dogen describes it in Jippo and Arakan:
Because of this, all Buddhas on Their own, along with all the Buddhas of the ten quarters, deeply admire and praise each other. Further, They do not slander each other or talk about each other’s merits or weaknesses or each other’s likes and dislikes as if They were turning the Wheel of the Dharma to express It. As Buddhas and the disciples of Buddhas, They help give rise to spiritual goals by making respectful inquiries.
Shobogenzo, Jippo, Hubert Nearman
Why would anyone stop at just listening to Buddhas and Their disciples? When all those who are conscious of It and have knowledge of It, who have Its Skin and Flesh, Bones and Marrow, proceed to help others hear It, that is what I would call ‘helping all’.
Shobogenzo, Arakan, Hubert Nearman
I may be wrong, but I sincerely trust Dogen’s teachings. Thus, it seems to me that stopping and laughing at foolishness might be fun for a moment, but how could it compare with the ceaseless, ever-expanding practice-enlightenment of study, verification, realization, activity, and expression? If Dogen is right, and his teachings have been reliable for me so far, than failing to continue to express the way can only lead to sinking down into the sea of suffering.
For those who may fail to express what this way of extricating themselves is, the very life of the Dharma Body will immediately cease to exist for them, and they will sink down into the sea of suffering for ever so long.
Shobogenzo, Yui Butsu Yo Butsu, Hubert Nearman
Since I have yet to achieve complete, unsurpassed, enlightenment I can’t say for sure, but until someone offers more reliable guidance than Dogen, I will give him the benefit of the doubt.
How about you Harry? Do you think that Dogen is right about that, or…?
Thanks again,
Peace,
Ted
Right about what, Ted?
Right about my own views and opinions? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha… that’s laughable alright.
No, I cant’t hear you laughing here at all, I mean really laughing. We just don’t get it.
Tearing our foolishness and the wisdom that we MAY have some inkling of asunder seems like something not worth laughing at for long alright.
Here’s what I think; I think you sully months of otherwise good effort with this self indulgent rubbish, as you have before. Get over it, and find a true teacher, one that can talk back, to help you out with this sort of Tedist sectarian waffle.
All the best, Ted.
Harry.
“For those who may fail to express what this way of extricating themselves is, the very life of the Dharma Body will immediately cease to exist for them, and they will sink down into the sea of suffering for ever so long.”
p.s.
Your limited and Tedist, sectarian idea of what constitutes ‘expression’ of it isn’t very funny either.
Regards,
Harry.
“The illegitimate children of Dogen call the Carved Dragon the True Dragon, and call sitting meditation Enlightenment, and call suffering Buddhahood, and say that the Wisdom of Sages is Nothing Special.”
p.p.s.
Come on, Ted, cough it up. Who are these ‘illegitimate children of Dogen’? Who are you thinking of when you wrote this? If you think this is useful to say, and is not just your own self-affirming, stupid opinion based on your own limited thinking and experience, then surely you can put your head above the Tedist pulpit and point a finger directly: Surely this would prove of most use to the poor little bastards and potential new bastards?
And if it’s just your own stupid, indulgent opinion, please consider breaking the Precept sincerely as opposed safely sniping in an wonderfully insincere way. Now THAT is really not funny.
You’re long overdue being called on this Teddy, my man. I’m no teacher, but I’d dearly love to see one put you in the bind that you so clearly require about this.
Regards (yet again!),
Harry.
“How sad is the aridity of contemporary Zen schools! They laud unintelligent ignorance as transcendental direct-pointing Zen. Considering unsurpassed spiritual treasures like Focusing the Precious Mirror and the Five Ranks to be worn-out utensils of an antiquated house, they pay no attention to them. They are like blind people throwing away their canes, saying they are useless, then getting themselves stuck in the mud of the view of elementary realization, never able to get out all their lives.”
~Hakuin, Kensho, Thomas Cleary, p.68-69
“How sad; how sad! Evil demons and spirits, wild beasts, and domesticated animals now call themselves the Zen School… we should know that within Buddha Dharma there are the Lotus and Huayan and other [teachings]; and it is not that within each of the Lotus and Huayan and so on there are various different buddha dharmas. Therefore, the eighty-four thousand Dharma treasures within the Lotus, Huayan, and so on are all without exception what is simply transmitted by buddha ancestors. It is not that outside of the Lotus and Huayan there is the way of ancestral teachers.”
~Dogen, Eihei Koroku, Volume 7, Dharma Hall Discourse 491, Leighton & Okumura
How feebly those words are being rendered… context, context, context.
Regards,
Harry.
Hola Amigo,
Wish I could comment more, but some master is calling out down here south of the equator. Tread carefully amigo. You know what they do with heretics, right? They burn them at the stake or crucify them. I can smell the virtual smoke rising.
Stay cool,
“Y”
Oh great, that’s just what the Tedster needs- a Jesus complex.
Regards,
Harry.
Hello Harry,
As cheerful as ever I see. Is a “Jesus complex” the same as a “savior complex”? If so, I don’t think there is any need to worry — Jesus himself meets me wherever I go. Sometimes he even wiggles his toes in your shoes, have you ever noticed that?
Please treasure yourself.
Peace,
Ted
Hi Ted,
When there’s no room in my shoes for an extraneous dead man, there’s no need to kill him on the road (which always struck me as a breach of Precepts).
Regards,
Harry.
Ah yes. Shoes are like tea-cups, when they are too full there is no room for anything new…
Regardless of what I want to believe, the great, salty fathoms of my shoes don’t conceal dead bodies for very long I’m afraid.
Regards,
H.