The
last section is a koan.The Genjo Koan ends with
a koan.
Zen
master Baoche of Mt. Mayu was fanning
himself. A monk approached and said, "Master,
the nature of wind is permanent and
there is no place it does not reach.
Why, then, do you fan yourself?"
" Although you
understand that the nature of the
wind is permanent," Baoche replied, "you
do not understand the meaning of
its reaching everywhere."
" What is the
meaning of its reaching everywhere?" asked
the monk again. The master just kept
fanning himself. The monk bowed deeply.
The actualization of
the buddha-dharma, the vital path
of its correct transmission, is like
this.
If you say that you
do not need to fan yourself because
the nature of wind is permanent and
you can have wind without fanning,
you will understand neither permanence
nor the nature of wind. The nature
of wind is permanent; because of
that, the wind of the buddha's house
brings for the gold of the earth
and makes fragrant the cream of the
long river.
Zen
master Baoche of Mt. Mayu was fanning himself.
A monk approached and said, "Master, the
nature of wind is permanent and there is no
place it does not reach. Why, then, do you
fan yourself?"
Do you find this annoying? Are you
wondering, "Why is he bothering
with this?"
How does the world work?
"Although
you understand that the nature of the wind
is permanent," Baoche replied, "you
do not understand the meaning of its reaching
everywhere."
You know we may understand some principles;
but the principles are all reacting with each other.
So fanning relates to the movement, it relates
to the person, it relates to the environment.
"What
is the meaning of its reaching everywhere?" asked
the monk again. The master just kept fanning
himself.
Hah- how annoying!
The
monk bowed deeply.
If
we’re always present in
the moment, why do we have to
practice? Why do we have to be
present if we’re already
always present?
Presence needs your effort. To be present in the
moment includes effort, it includes your inquiring
mind. To think that you’re present just because
you’re present is a mistake. This lacks the
element of actual engagement.
The
actualization of the buddha-dharma
...the
vital path of its correct transmission, is
like this. If you say that you do not need
to fan yourself because the nature of wind
is permanent and you can have wind without
fanning, you will understand neither permanence
nor the nature of wind
You’re just a smart guy. But
one without wind.
The
nature of wind is permanent; because of that,
the wind of the buddha's house brings for
the gold of the earth and makes fragrant
the cream of the long river.
Dogen’s
personal question is “If we’re already
enlightened why do we need to practice?” Which
is the basis of this koan. But his answer to
is: Because we’re enlightened we need to
practice. We don’t need to practice in
order to be enlightened. The very nature of enlightenment
has engagement, effort, actualization.
We
think of ourselves as dead beings, as inanimate
matter. But it takes our life to bring it forth.
Buddhism isn’t dead pages and dead words
and dead ideas. Our Buddha nature is something
alive, that needs to be nourished and actualized.
Something to be fanned.
Is
this koan the
Genjo Koan in a nutshell?
Genjo Koan is how to practice with
each situation
It's not that Buddha
nature doesn't exist, but Buddha nature includes your
effort.
You accept the responsibility of the wind, rather thinking, ”It’s
just wind – I have no responsibilty. It's got nothing to do with
me “ That’s a different understanding of me. That’s
the absence of me which is as much me as “Me!”
The
nature of wind is permanent;
because of that, the wind of
the buddha's house brings for
the gold of the earth and makes
fragrant the cream of the long
river.
The gold of
the earth; fragrant cream of the
long river... Reflect on these
images. Is Dogen telling us that
practice (the wind of the Buddha's
House) is in harmony with buddha
mind (the permanent wind of the
universe)?
Is fanning in this koan action?
Is it practice?
Fanning is action; it's practice.
There’s wind.
Because you have buddha nature actualization
happens.
