Genjo Koan 4: Deconstruction And Reconstruction

Here’s the week’s Genjokoan post. We’re moving to the next couple sentences. Those of you doing the practice period, please comment to the questions raised below sometime this week. Those of you not in the practice period are welcome to comment as well.

Those who greatly realize delusion are Buddhas.

Those who are greatly deluded in realization are living beings.

The common way of understanding this passage is to see it as defining the difference between Buddhas and living beings. There is a nice point to be made from this perspective, common though it may be – Buddhas don’t realize some other realm but the true nature of this realm, the realm of delusion.

And we living beings are confused right in the middle of enlightenment – riding in a new Lexus, shopping for a Lexus (that’s my try at modernizing the old saying “riding for a donkey looking for a donkey”).

But Kyogo doesn’t only roll like that but like this:

“Delusion” and “realization,” “all buddhas” and “living beings” are simply the same thing.

The categories collapse. This is the deconstructive aspect of practice that must be “thoroughly investigated through shikantaza,” as Bokusan (very conservative 19th Century Soto teacher) puts it.

Investigating you might find that all is “one” but it won’t be the way that “one” is commonly understood because that simply has almost no power. Try it now – think “it’s all one” and see what that does for you or others.

If all things are one it is in a subtle way that is difficult to realize, so much so that Old Shakyamuni considered wallowing in enlightenment rather than teaching (that and his knowing how living beings are so troublesome).

Kyogo puts it this way:

The entire ten-direction world is the true human body.

But still, just thinking this or even working meticulously to reframe your moment-by-moment experience (repeatedly telling yourself “shit is really ambrosia,” “shit is really ambrosia,” etc.), also doesn’t have much power for self or others. What can you do?

Thoroughly investigated the collapse of categories through shikantaza.

A word of caution about this: one of the dangers of the deconstructive aspect is that we tend to bite down and get tiresomely attached to it in a depressive kind of way. Playfulness and humor are very important here.

In addition, deconstruction must be balanced by reconstruction, “putting a unitive awareness into practice in the midst of the revaluated world” (

Bendowa). Dogen doesn’t get to reconstruction though until the end of the Genjokoan. It’ll take us about 6 years to reach the end at this rate, so I’d better skip ahead rather than leave you who might take this up wallowing in deconstruction:

The wind of the Buddha’s family enables us to actualize the gold of the great earth and to transform the water of the long river into cream.

The reconstructive aspect of Soto Zen is to manifest the great perfection, building a life in empty space, energized and informed and freed by the groundlessness of it all, planting one small seed for the good moment after moment with this broken life itself.

Questions for Comment:
– How does working with the deconstructive aspect of practice (i.e., “The entire ten-direction world is the true human body”) impact your zazen? Your daily life?

– What is one specific way that you practice the reconstructive aspect of practice? What specific qualities seem to be important here?

Genjo Koan 4: Deconstruction and Reconstruction