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 inter-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.
