The Genjo of Diving into the Ocean Everyday

Here’s an excerpt of a talk by the old dog, Katagiri Roshi, that Gary Shodo transcribed and I’ve edited:

We are always trying to live our way. When you get into spiritual life, intellectually you want to have freedom, but when you get into [spiritual life] you don’t like it.

When you don’t do it, how can you create a productive life in the process of action, so called jumping into ocean?

If you create beautiful form, this is nothing but the productive process of life. Just like a diver jumping from the top of a cliff in Acapulco in the ocean. How much do they have tautness? Without tautness you cannot jump into the ocean. From the top of a cliff to bottom of the ocean how can you jump? His process, movement, actions from moment to moment is a perfect circle. A painting drawn by the human body and mind including all.His whole body and mind is manifested, nothing but manifestation of tautness. At that time he or she can accept or receive everywhere, emotions, feelings. Even though on a TV screen, you feel really beautiful.

Much more you who are seeking for spiritual life, should follow in that way, otherwise you can never understand spiritual life. Spiritual life is revealing freedom directly, merging enlightenment and salvation.

When you do gassho there is a spiritual life there. Otherwise, how can you express gratitude, appreciation to your life to everything?

Two crucial points in Buddha’s teaching. So one is egolessness. Egolessness is being liberated from the self. That is the meaning of Mu. Be liberated, be free from self or ego.

Second crucial point is quality of wisdom and compassion, working together from moment to moment. If you understand it. you should live it, live in it. Without everyday life religion is ridiculous. It is exactly the same as philosophy, psychology if you don’t make it alive in every day life.

This is our practice. But the problem is you have never experienced before. That’s why I always tell you when you do Zen, do Zen with wholeheartedness. However, most of you don’t believe it and you don’t like it because it’s too simple to know. Something you directly have to touch is to close, too close to know. Very delicate.

That is called Genjokoan. Gen of Genjo is manifestation or present. Jo is becoming, or to become, or complete. So manifestation and completion. Genjo means what has been completed, and is completing, is being completed, and will be completed. From day to day, from moment to moment, that is what?

Reality is something more than your understanding.