Getting the Body Out: Fukanzazengi and Genjokoan

Above is a copy of the first part of Dogen’s Universal Recommendations for Zazen (Fukanzazengi) reputed to be in Dogen’s own hand. If you’re a Dogen-ophile like me, that’ll make your heart go titter-patter. Really.

This is from Mike Cross’ website, The Middle Way. He provides a very clear and concise character study of this very important text and the opportunity to see the meaning inside the words. 

I got into this last night while preparing for Saturday’s webinar and really got quite distracted by it – wonderful stuff.  Goes to show what a big difference a translation can make. The connection with the Fukanzazengi is Dogen’s comment in the Genjokoan (next up for the 100 days) that when the dharma hasn’t penetrated into one’s body and mind, we think we’re full of it and when it has, we feel there’s some lack.

Below is the Soto Translation Committee’s rendition followed by Mike’s. I especially like Mike’s “getting the body out” because it points to the importance of manifesting through the body rather than just soaring in emotional intoxication with our “profound” spiritual states. 
Check it out:

Suppose you are confident in your understanding and rich in enlightenment, gaining the wisdom that knows at a glance, attaining the way and clarifying the mind, arousing an aspiration to reach for the heavens. You are playing in the entranceway, but are still short of the vital path of emancipation. 

Even if, proud of our understanding and richly endowed with enlightenment, we obtain special states of insight, attain the truth, clarify the mind, manifest a zeal that pierces the sky, and ramble through those remote spheres that are entered with the head; we have almost completely lost the vigorous path of getting the body out.