Copyright©2024 Misaki C. Kido Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (77) A Tired Infant75. Buddha’s Birthday Dharma Hall Discourse 「佛誕生」 (Buddha’s Birth) 盡界多時天欲曉　（盡界、多時にして天曉けなんとす。）乾坤今日彩光彰　（乾坤、今日彩光彰わる。）周行七歩費全力　（周行七歩して全力を費やす。）未免傍觀笑一場　（未だ傍觀の笑い一場を免れず。） For a long time in the entire world the sky has been getting brighter.Today in heaven and earth the radiance is clear and beautiful.Walking around for seven steps [the baby Buddha] exhausted all his energy.Observers ..read more

I vow with all beings: When I’m at home In the training temple, there are four-line verses (Skt. gathas, Jp. ge) to be chanted for a variety of daily activities.  Everything from waking up in the morning to brushing the teeth to eating a meal is an opportunity to remember to practice what Buddha taught.  ..read more

Copyright©2024 Misaki C. Kido Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (76) A Hairy Turtle on Zhaozhou’s Single Staff429.  Dharma Hall Discourse 狗子佛性」 (Dog’s Buddha-nature) 龜毛兎角非同類　(龜毛兎角と同類に非ず。)春日花明如月開    (春日、花明かにして月の開くが如し。)業識性將諸佛性　(業識性と諸佛性と、)趙州主杖一條來    (趙州の拄杖、一條に來る。) A turtle with hair and a rabbit with a hornare not of the same kind.On a spring day a flower’s brightnessis like the moon opening.The nature of karmic consciousnesstogether ..read more

Flickr, San Diego Museum of Art, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (75) In Stagnant Water a Dragon HidesDharma Hall Discourse on the Fifteenth Day of the Second Month [Parinirvāna Day, 1246] 「涅槃」 (Nirvāṇa) 別人面掛瞿曇眼      (別人の面に瞿曇の眼を掛け、)拳手槌胸空懊懊      (拳手、胸を槌ちて空しく懊懊たり。)尀耐天魔生死魔      (尀耐たり、天魔と生死の魔。)七顛見佛八顛倒      (七顛して佛を見、八顛して倒る) On various people’s faces hang Gautama’s eyes,but still they beat their breasts with fists ..read more

Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (74) Practice That Continues Beyond Magical Offering313. Dharma Hall Discourse 「百鳥銜花」(百鳥花を銜む; Hundred Birds Carrying Flowers) 含花百鳥獻牛頭　（花を含んで百鳥牛頭に獻ず。）投子當初儀賣油　（投子當初賣油を儀う。）才不才三十五里　（才と不才と三十五里。）古今道得進將修　（古今道得す進と修と。） Carrying flowers, hundreds of birds made offerings to Niutou.Touzi [Datong] appeared to be selling oil.Talented and untalented are thirty-five miles apart.People in the past and present have expressed progress and practice.[1] This is verse 73 in ..read more

Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (73) A Lion Knows A Lion’s Roar254. Dharma Hall Discourse  「世尊陞座」(The World Honored One Ascended the Seat) 師子吼音師子知。（師子吼の音、師子知る。）法王之法一如斯。（法王の法、一に斯の如し。）会中倶是仙陀客。（会中は倶に是れ仙陀の客なり。）更下文殊両両槌。（更に文殊両両の槌を下さん。） The sound of a lion’s roar is known by a lion.The Dharma of the Dharma King is the same.Everyone in the assembly is a person of saindhava,so Mañjuśrī must pound the block a second ..read more

Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (72)  In Accord with Dignified Cushions and Ladles219. Dharma Hall Discourse on the Fifteenth Day of the First Month [1247]  「正月十五日示衆」(正月十五日示衆) 清白家風梅雪月　（清白の家風、梅・雪・月。）花時幸有護身方　（花の時幸いに護身の方有り。）雲明水悦功円滿　（雲明らかに水悦び功円滿す。）不覺渾身入帝郷    （覺えず、渾身の帝郷に入ることを） The family style is pure white, like plum blossoms, snow, and the moon.At the time of flowering, fortunately there is a way to protect the body.The clouds are ..read more

Dōgen’s Chinese Poems (69) Faith in Fresh Blossoms456. Dharma Hall Discourse 「示衆」(示衆) 永平有箇正傳句　 (永平に箇の正傳の句有り。)雪裏梅花只一枝     (雪裏の梅花只だ一枝。)中下多聞多不信　 (中下は多く聞いて多く信ぜず)上乘菩薩信無疑     (上乘の菩薩は信じて疑うこと無し) I, Eihei, have this phrase that was correctly transmitted to me:In the midst of snow, plum blossoms only on a single branch.Among the middling and lowly, many hear this, but not many believe.Mahāyāna bodhisattvas trust without ..read more

Doryu Cappelli discusses his chapter, “The Generosity of the Dead Little Mouse,” appearing in the new book from Dogen Insitute: Adding Beauty to Brocade. **Print book available from booksellers, including here. **e-book available here from the Dogen Institute. — • — — • — For further study: > Other publications Copyright©2023 Sanshin Zen Community Now Available ..read more

Dogen Institute is pleased to announce two new full-length recordings of genzo-e given by Okumura Roshi, now available for study on DI’s Podia site: Shoaku makusa (Not Doing Evil) and Sesshin Sessho (Expounding Mind and Expounding Nature). These recordings are made available to our Podia site subscribers. If you are not yet a subscriber to our Podia site, please join ..read more