| Dosho Port

Wonderful day in Minnesota. Above photo is from a favorite rest stop on my biking circuit.

Now the rest of the day is full of an empty schedule. Like I said, wonderful.

Below you’ll find a little Dogen from the recent Kaz translation that I’ve been rolling around with since our study group Monday night. It’s a striking passage for me for several reasons.

You don’t find much overt rejoicing in a lot of Zen literature so it’s kinda nice to see it here. Then there’s this business of playing with the essential spirit as the heart of a meaningful life. An important message for our time too, me thinks.

So without further ado or even word-by-word commentary, here’s Dogen:

“Rejoice, hope for and have the aspiration for bringing buddha ancestors’ dharma, the ancestral way, closer to your body and mind. Extend this practice from one hour to one day, then to one year and to one lifetime. Make buddha ancestors’ dharma the essential spirit and play with it. This is to live your life meaningfully.”