Wild Fox Zen
Here’s an excerpt from a talk by Katagiri Roshi concretely exploring the feeling of the Great Vow, “Living beings are numberless, I vow to free (or save) them all.”
Compassion is salvation.
Are you familiar with salvation? What do you understand about salvation? If I use the term salvation, how do you feel?
“Salvation would imply helping all sentient beings escape from suffering. Avoid suffering.”
I see. But at that time how do you feel directly from that? I’m not talking about idea of salvation but salvation you can feel directly, you can touch directly.
When you understand salvation as saving all sentient beings from the self, from suffering, at that time how do you feel or touch all sentient beings. Directly, how? This is what I want to say to you.
It’s not an idea of salvation. Salvation is the total picture of your life. Salvation means that the picture of your life must be liberated from anything. Salvation is not something that is limited by any idea, any sciences, anything, but it is something alive peacefully, harmoniously from which you can take a deep slow long breath.
Now, dear blog reader, when compassion is salvation, at that time, how do you feel or touch all sentient beings. Directly, how?
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