Firewood
becomes ash, and it does not become firewood
again. Yet, do not suppose that the ash
is future and the firewood past. You
should understand that firewood abides
in the phenomenal expression of firewood,
which fully includes past and future
and is independent of past and future.
Ash abides in the phenomenal expression
of ash, which fully includes future and
past. Just as firewood does not become
firewood again after it is ash, you do
not return to birth after death.
This being so, it is
an established way in buddha-dharma
to deny that birth turns into death.
Accordingly, birth is understood as
no-birth. It is an unshakable teaching
in Buddha's discourse that death does
not turn into birth. Accordingly, death
is understood as no-death.
Birth is an expression
complete this moment. Death is an expression
complete this moment. They are like
winter and spring. You do not call
winter the beginning of spring, nor
summer the end of spring.
Firewood
becomes ash, and it does not become firewood
again. Yet, do not suppose that the ash is future
and the firewood past.
Is Dogen actually telling you that
firewood when burned does not become
ash? Or that ash was not once firewood?
Where did the ash in front of you come
from?
Is Dogen denying a past for the ash
(or anything) and a future for firewood
(or anything)? Or is he acknowledging
these and saying that nevertheless
in the present moment there is no future
and no past?
Ash is in the ground and trees grow
out of the ground. Is the ash first, is the tree
first? The ash is first in some way – and the
tree grows out of the ash. You can see it either
way – the chicken or the egg…
Everything is its own moment — it's
own time, its own place.
You
should understand that firewood abides in the
phenomenal expression of firewood, which fully
includes past and future and is independent
of past and future.
Firewood is firewood; all the time. It’s
nothing but firewood.
Is this like the first section of
the Genjo Koan where Dogen points to
multiple viewpoints? There is no self
- for you, for firewood, for ash? Yet
in this moment there is firewood ...?
Dogen is trying to keep you from your story lines.
Ash
abides in the phenomenal expression of ash, which fully includes
future and past. Just as firewood does not …
it’s just ash
This
being so, it is an established way in buddha-dharma to deny that
birth turns into death. Accordingly, birth is understood as no-birth.
It is an unshakable teaching in Buddha's discourse that death does
not turn into birth. Accordingly, death is understood as no-death. …
Each thing Is just what it is. That’s all. Right now I am Michael;
that’s all I am. The computer is just a computer. That’s
all it is.
When Dogen says
Accordingly,
birth is understood as no-birth.. …
is he also saying there is no firewood, there is no computer,
there is no ash?
As
the myriad things are without an abiding self, there is no delusion,
no realization, no buddha, no sentient being, no birth and death.
Dogen is saying, "This is firewood, this is Micheal... They're
just what they are." And he's saying they're not, that there isn’t
any particular thing. Everything’s connected.
Is this why Dogen denies that birth turns into death just
as firewood does not turn into ash?
Death is death ... .
Birth
is an expression complete this moment. Death is an expression complete
this moment. They are like winter and spring. You do not call winter
the beginning of spring, nor summer the end of spring.
