A
fish swims in the ocean, and no matter
how far it swims there is no end
to the water. A bird flies in the
sky, and no matter how far it flies
there is no end to the air. However,
the fish and the bird have never
left their elements.
When their activity
is large their field is large.
When their need is small their
field is small. Thus, each of them
totally covers its full range,
and each of them totally experiences
its realm. If the bird leaves the
air it will die at once. If the
fish leaves the water it will die
at once.
Know that water is
life and air is life. The bird
is life and the fish is life. Life
must be the bird and life must
be the fish.
It is possible to
illustrate this with more analogies.
Practice, enlightenment, and people
are like this.
A
fish swims in the ocean, and no matter how
far it swims there is no end to the water.
A bird flies in the sky, and no matter how
far it flies there is no end to the air.
However, the fish and the bird have never
left their elements.
One's world may be where one can breath air, or where one can
swim or where one can fly. But that just describes something.
Because a fish is water.
A bird is air.
The fish totally experiences
its realm. The bird
totally experiences
its realm. Do you fully
experience your realm?
What is your realm?
If you’re
sick, your illness becomes
your world. If you hurt your
leg, your whole world is your
hurt leg. If you’re leg
is healthy, you don’t
even notice your leg — you
just run. But if your leg hurts,
you notice it.
When you practice,
is there an end
to your practice,
to it's element?
When you act
fully, what are
your boundaries?
So, to talk
about fish it
helps to understand
water. Birds
are totally involved
in the world
of air. But what
about us humans?
What is your
world? What are
your limits?
When
their activity is large
their field is large.
When their need is small
their field is small.
Your world is
always the same size.
If your world
is always the
same size, what
size is it?
Is it always
the right size?
Whether you live
in a puddle of water or the
big ocean, it’s the same
size. It’s all there
is. It’s not a matter
of miles: "I have 2.8
miles of life."
Thus,
each of them totally
covers its full range,
and each of them totally
experiences its realm.
If the bird leaves the
air it will die at once.
If the fish leaves the
water it will die at
once.
Dogen's telling
you that your whole world is
with you wherever you go. Wherever
you go there you are.
The fish's ocean and
the bird's sky do have
boundaries, don't they?
But do the fish and
bird live in a state
of no boundaries? Do
you live bound by your
boundaries? Is the
present moment our
element? Is living
in the moment — is
practice — like
the bird's boundlessness?
If
the bird leaves the air
it will die at once.
If the fish leaves the
water it will die at
once.
Know
that water is life and
air is life. The bird
is life and the fish
is life. Life must be
the bird and life must
be the fish.
It
is possible to illustrate
this with more analogies.
Practice, enlightenment,
and people are like
this.
What about birds
and fishes, dragons and elephants,
cats and dogs? Each one of
them is unique. Each has its
own realm. Each one of us has
our own world.
Every moment is an entrance.
Every moment is your total
life. Whether it’s small
or large — that’s
it. Everything is an opportunity.
There’s nothing lacking. "Lacking" is
an opportunity Without lacking
is an opportunity. Your leg
hurts — that’s
a teaching. Your leg doesn’t
hurt —that’s a
teaching.
