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<\/a><\/div>\nIntroduction<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\nBecause this D\u014dgen dharma<\/a> discourse (h\u014dgo) in Eihei k\u014droku V8.14\u00a0was written for householders, includes examples of awakened householders, and offers instructions for householders, I\u2019ve long been curious about it. After all, 99% or so of those engaged in Zen practice now are householders, yet much of the Zen narrative has monastics as the central figures and the instruction also seems directed to monastics.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\nSo I recently dug into this D\u014dgen teaching for householders, translating my own version. You\u2019ll find the translation attached in the pdf \u2013 here<\/a> \u2013 following these introductory comments.<\/span><\/div>\n\nClick here<\/a> to support my Zen teaching practice at Patreon of which translations and writings like this are one facet. You will also find an advertisement free version of this post there too.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe <\/span>Eihei k\u014droku <\/span>and this dharma discourse<\/span><\/h2>\n\nThe h\u014dgo that I\u2019m talking about can be found in <\/span>Dogen\u2019s Extensive Record <\/span>(<\/span>Eihei k\u014droku<\/span>), Volume 8, which also includes twenty informal talks D\u014dgen gave to students in his room and fourteen h\u014dgo that were written out and addressed to various students. So they are intimate instructions. The h\u014dgo in the spotlight in this essay and translation occurs as the fourteenth such dharma discourse in Volume 8.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nLeighton and Okumura note this h\u014dgo was probably \u201c\u2026 written for D\u014dgen\u2019s main patron, Hatano Yoshishige (d. 1258), who was an official on a level comparable to \u2018ministers and generals.\u2019 Yoshishige, a nobleman with land in Echizen, later provided the land for D\u014dgen\u2019s monastery, Eiheiji.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nAlthough a date is not given, it is speculated that it was delivered before 1243 when D\u014dgen left K\u014dsh\u014dji near present day Ky\u014dto for what became Eiheiji, located deep in the mountains. If, indeed, this h\u014dgo was offered by D\u014dgen to Hatano and friends before the move to Eiheiji, it serves to highlight the effectiveness of the discourse. It may have contributed to Hatano\u2019s aspiration to save D\u014dgen from a difficult situation in the big city with a large land grant and funds for a new monastery in the mountains.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIncidentally, this h\u014dgo is one of the longest passages of any kind in <\/span>Eihei k\u014droku, <\/span>coming in at ~1300 words in my translation.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe main themes<\/span><\/h2>\n\nIn my view, the fact that this h\u014dgo was written out by D\u014dgen himself (rather than a talk that an attendant listened to and then recorded after-the-fact, as is the case for much of <\/span>Eihei k\u014droku<\/span>) and that the audience to whom it was delivered was his main donor and their friends, adds considerably to the reliability that the message contained in this h\u014dgo is D\u014dgen\u2019s.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nHis main themes for householder practice include:<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n- \nthe importance of finding a true teacher<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \nthe dangers of a false teacher<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \nthe importance of working closely with and serving the teacher<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \ntaking up a keyword and breaking through<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \nthen integrating that breakthrough<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nIn making these points, D\u014dgen seems to have constructed the text carefully and in the form of a spiral. That is, he repeats his themes while systematically moving his instruction progressively forward.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nBefore translating this h\u014dgo, I had been aware that in Section 5 D\u014dgen recommends a k\u014dan for householders, saying, \u201c\u2026When you meet a dharma master, first ask for a single k\u014dan case, then you must straightforwardly pay attention, diligently keep it in mind, and practice vigorously.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nA big surprise for me was in how D\u014dgen amplifies this theme in Section 8, saying, \u201cFirst, awaken \u2018withered tree, dead ash.\u2019 Next, use a bamboo staff and all day long, month after month, knock it all into one.\u201d My translation highlights the method aspect here more clearly than other translators who, as far as I know, have not had first person experience working with k\u014dan with a teacher.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nFor me, as someone who has been through the Harada-Yasutani k\u014dan <\/span>shitsunai \u2013 <\/span>and I suspect for anyone who\u2019s done similar work \u2013 it is vividly clear that D\u014dgen is moving from a general recommendation for k\u014dan in Section 5 to a specific keyword (\u8a71\u982d, hu\u00e0t\u00f3u) here, \u201cwithered tree, dead ash.\u201d D\u014dgen then continues by recommending what we now call post-satori training with, \u201cNext, use a bamboo staff and all day long, month after month, knock it all into one.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIn terms of main themes, another surprise is that in this pithy summary of the Zen path for householders, D\u014dgen says nothing about zazen. He also says nothing about the practice that the Post Meiji S\u014dt\u014d Orthodoxy claims that he advocated \u2013 <\/span>shikantaza<\/span>. Doesn\u2019t that seem odd? If you had a chance to give a talk to a group of wealthy and powerful folks who might just be willing to build you a new monastery, wouldn\u2019t you give them the straight scoop about what you thought was most important about the buddhadharma?<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nLikewise, when D\u014dgen does give specific instruction for zazen in his several versions of the \u201cFukanzazengi\u201d (\u201cUniversal Recommendations for Zazen\u201d) and \u201cZazenshin\u201d<\/span> (\u201cNeedle Point of Zazen\u201d) he also does not use the word <\/span>shikantaza<\/span> a single time. If you were giving zazen some new spin, wouldn\u2019t you name it in the texts dedicated to zazen?<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIn these ways and others, this h\u014dgo does not harmonize well with what is said to be D\u014dgen\u2019s teaching in our times, much of which is poisonous pablum spewed about by well-meaning but poorly-informed S\u014dt\u014d practitioners and teachers about the heart of D\u014dgen Zen. One dynamic that might be at play is mistaking D\u014dgen\u2019s novel, creative style of expression for a novel, creative meaning that runs contrary to the Zen tradition. However, in all of D\u014dgen\u2019s works, he clearly and repeatedly aligns his message with that of all the buddhas and ancestors.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
A pedagogical puzzle<\/span><\/h2>\n\nYou will find, unsurprisingly for D\u014dgen, that this h\u014dgo is quite dense, like really rich dark chocolate, but that it also moves straight to the heart of the great matter. Indeed, D\u014dgen\u2019s shining confidence that householders can plumb the depths of the buddhadharma illuminates the entire discourse \u2013 if they\u2019re not lazy, that is.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIn Section 4, for example, D\u014dgen runs through six examples of past householders who practiced diligently and woke up. It reminds me of Torei\u2019s whirlwind tour of his Rinzai lineage in <\/span>The Inexhaustible Lamp of the Zen School<\/span>, \u201cChapter 1: Concerning the Lineage of Our School.\u201d<\/span> Like Torei, D\u014dgen\u2019s references are almost in shorthand. It\u2019s like D\u014dgen and Torei are calling out family stories to those who have heard them many times, \u201cRemember the time Uncle Joe\u2019s canoe tipped over on Lake One?\u201d And everybody chuckles.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\nIf the practitioners D\u014dgen was addressing could follow this, they were indeed deeply steeped in the Zen narrative. Yet, even a Zen priest I know who I consider to be really steeped could identify only three of the six examples (yours truly identified two of six). It is possible, though, that Hatano and friends had previous training with the Daruma-shu who had a monastery in Echizen, near Hatano\u2019s family holdings. The Daruma-shu preceded D\u014dgen\u2019s movement in Japan and were already using the Zen narrative in the late 1100\u2019s. However, I\u2019ve seen no evidence that Hatano had such connections.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIn my view, it seems very unlikely that in ~1240, Japan, D\u014dgen\u2019s householder listeners would have much of an inkling of what he was talking about, especially in this example. Which raises the puzzle about D\u014dgen\u2019s pedagogy: Given that he cites past householders who awakened deeply in the Way with the clear intention of inspiring his householder listeners to undertake Zen training, why did he speak in an abbreviated manner so that they could hardly follow along?<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIt could be that there was more to the h\u014dgo presentation than we have recorded. For example, D\u014dgen could have stopped and unpacked the references, going into detail for his listeners \u2013 but there is no evidence of this either.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nWhat seems most likely to me is that D\u014dgen expected his listeners to do the work to meet him where he was at, rather than the contemporary style of the listeners expecting the teacher to do the work to meet them where they\u2019re at. D\u014dgen seems to choose establishing a correct relationship with householder students over his interest in being fully understood. This fits with D\u014dgen\u2019s stance within the text. His advice for his householder students is to meet a true teacher and then \u201c\u2026stay close and serve them for three-five years.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nThis h\u014dgo and other D\u014dgen texts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nIt is notable that D\u014dgen\u2019s much more well-known <\/span>Genjokoan <\/span>(<\/span>Actualizing the Fundamental Point<\/span>) was also written for a householder. Another similarity with <\/span>Genjokoan<\/span> and this h\u014dgo is that both conclude with a k\u014dan that embodies D\u014dgen\u2019s meaning and powerfully inspires practice awakening.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\nHowever, in the case of <\/span>Genjokoan<\/span>, one of D\u014dgen\u2019s first writings very early in his teaching career, the last words are positive and inspirational: \u201cSince the wind\u2019s nature is ever present, the wind of the Buddha\u2019s family enables us to realize the gold of the great Earth and to transform the long river into cream.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nThis h\u014dgo comes after about a decade of teaching. Now we find D\u014dgen with a stern (and perhaps even crabby) ending, \u201cWho will obtain the understanding of true emptiness and pull the fish from the water if they are lazy again and again?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nThere are other differences as well. In <\/span>Genjokoan<\/span>, D\u014dgen demonstrates the clarity and depth of the awakened perspective, but offers little about method. The present h\u014dgo is also steeped in the awakened perspective, of course, but has much to say about method. In that way, it is much more like D\u014dgen\u2019s <\/span>Gakud\u014d y\u014djinsh\u016b<\/span> (\u201cPoints to Watch in Buddhist<\/a> Training\u201d), which was written as a guidebook for monastics.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nI encourage you to read through this text slowly, working through the entire h\u014dgo a few times before going back and checking the notes. Read from the belly of the breath body. Allow the breath to be smooth and subtle. Read to read and let understanding come of its own accord, not forcing it to arrive by straining the frontal lobe.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nClick here for the pdf with the translation.<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/88\/2022\/07\/IMG_5956-3-212x300.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nD\u014dsh\u014d Port began practicing Zen in 1977 and now co-teaches with his wife, Tetsugan Zummach Sensei, with the Vine of Obstacles Zen<\/a>, an online training group. D\u014dsh\u014d received dharma transmission from Dainin Katagiri R\u014dshi and inka sh\u014dmei from James My\u014dun Ford R\u014dshi in the Harada-Yasutani lineage. He is also the author ofKeep Me In Your Heart a While: The Haunting Zen of Dainin Katagiri<\/a><\/i>. D\u014dsh\u014d\u2019s translation and commentary on The Record of Empty Hall: One Hundred Classic Koans,<\/em><\/a> was published in 2021 (Shambhala). His\u00a0third book, Going Through the Mystery\u2019s One Hundred Questions<\/em><\/a>, is now available. Click here<\/a> to support the teaching practice of D\u014dsh\u014d R\u014dshi.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Introduction Because this D\u014dgen dharma discourse (h\u014dgo) in Eihei k\u014droku V8.14\u00a0was written for householders, includes examples of awakened householders, and offers instructions for householders, I\u2019ve long been curious about it. After all, 99% or so of those engaged in Zen practice now are householders, yet much of the Zen narrative has monastics as the central […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":182,"featured_media":11292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[11,474,6,486],"class_list":["post-11541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dogen","tag-householder-zen","tag-koan","tag-lay-zen"],"yoast_head":"\n
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Dosho received dharma transmission from Dainin Katagiri Roshi and inka shomei from James Myoun Ford Roshi in the Harada-Yasutani lineage. 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Dosho received dharma transmission from Dainin Katagiri Roshi and inka shomei from James Myoun Ford Roshi in the Harada-Yasutani lineage. 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Click here<\/a> to support my Zen teaching practice at Patreon of which translations and writings like this are one facet. You will also find an advertisement free version of this post there too.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe <\/span>Eihei k\u014droku <\/span>and this dharma discourse<\/span><\/h2>\n\nThe h\u014dgo that I\u2019m talking about can be found in <\/span>Dogen\u2019s Extensive Record <\/span>(<\/span>Eihei k\u014droku<\/span>), Volume 8, which also includes twenty informal talks D\u014dgen gave to students in his room and fourteen h\u014dgo that were written out and addressed to various students. So they are intimate instructions. The h\u014dgo in the spotlight in this essay and translation occurs as the fourteenth such dharma discourse in Volume 8.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nLeighton and Okumura note this h\u014dgo was probably \u201c\u2026 written for D\u014dgen\u2019s main patron, Hatano Yoshishige (d. 1258), who was an official on a level comparable to \u2018ministers and generals.\u2019 Yoshishige, a nobleman with land in Echizen, later provided the land for D\u014dgen\u2019s monastery, Eiheiji.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nAlthough a date is not given, it is speculated that it was delivered before 1243 when D\u014dgen left K\u014dsh\u014dji near present day Ky\u014dto for what became Eiheiji, located deep in the mountains. If, indeed, this h\u014dgo was offered by D\u014dgen to Hatano and friends before the move to Eiheiji, it serves to highlight the effectiveness of the discourse. It may have contributed to Hatano\u2019s aspiration to save D\u014dgen from a difficult situation in the big city with a large land grant and funds for a new monastery in the mountains.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIncidentally, this h\u014dgo is one of the longest passages of any kind in <\/span>Eihei k\u014droku, <\/span>coming in at ~1300 words in my translation.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe main themes<\/span><\/h2>\n\nIn my view, the fact that this h\u014dgo was written out by D\u014dgen himself (rather than a talk that an attendant listened to and then recorded after-the-fact, as is the case for much of <\/span>Eihei k\u014droku<\/span>) and that the audience to whom it was delivered was his main donor and their friends, adds considerably to the reliability that the message contained in this h\u014dgo is D\u014dgen\u2019s.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nHis main themes for householder practice include:<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n- \nthe importance of finding a true teacher<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \nthe dangers of a false teacher<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \nthe importance of working closely with and serving the teacher<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \ntaking up a keyword and breaking through<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \nthen integrating that breakthrough<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nIn making these points, D\u014dgen seems to have constructed the text carefully and in the form of a spiral. That is, he repeats his themes while systematically moving his instruction progressively forward.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nBefore translating this h\u014dgo, I had been aware that in Section 5 D\u014dgen recommends a k\u014dan for householders, saying, \u201c\u2026When you meet a dharma master, first ask for a single k\u014dan case, then you must straightforwardly pay attention, diligently keep it in mind, and practice vigorously.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nA big surprise for me was in how D\u014dgen amplifies this theme in Section 8, saying, \u201cFirst, awaken \u2018withered tree, dead ash.\u2019 Next, use a bamboo staff and all day long, month after month, knock it all into one.\u201d My translation highlights the method aspect here more clearly than other translators who, as far as I know, have not had first person experience working with k\u014dan with a teacher.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nFor me, as someone who has been through the Harada-Yasutani k\u014dan <\/span>shitsunai \u2013 <\/span>and I suspect for anyone who\u2019s done similar work \u2013 it is vividly clear that D\u014dgen is moving from a general recommendation for k\u014dan in Section 5 to a specific keyword (\u8a71\u982d, hu\u00e0t\u00f3u) here, \u201cwithered tree, dead ash.\u201d D\u014dgen then continues by recommending what we now call post-satori training with, \u201cNext, use a bamboo staff and all day long, month after month, knock it all into one.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIn terms of main themes, another surprise is that in this pithy summary of the Zen path for householders, D\u014dgen says nothing about zazen. He also says nothing about the practice that the Post Meiji S\u014dt\u014d Orthodoxy claims that he advocated \u2013 <\/span>shikantaza<\/span>. Doesn\u2019t that seem odd? If you had a chance to give a talk to a group of wealthy and powerful folks who might just be willing to build you a new monastery, wouldn\u2019t you give them the straight scoop about what you thought was most important about the buddhadharma?<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nLikewise, when D\u014dgen does give specific instruction for zazen in his several versions of the \u201cFukanzazengi\u201d (\u201cUniversal Recommendations for Zazen\u201d) and \u201cZazenshin\u201d<\/span> (\u201cNeedle Point of Zazen\u201d) he also does not use the word <\/span>shikantaza<\/span> a single time. If you were giving zazen some new spin, wouldn\u2019t you name it in the texts dedicated to zazen?<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIn these ways and others, this h\u014dgo does not harmonize well with what is said to be D\u014dgen\u2019s teaching in our times, much of which is poisonous pablum spewed about by well-meaning but poorly-informed S\u014dt\u014d practitioners and teachers about the heart of D\u014dgen Zen. One dynamic that might be at play is mistaking D\u014dgen\u2019s novel, creative style of expression for a novel, creative meaning that runs contrary to the Zen tradition. However, in all of D\u014dgen\u2019s works, he clearly and repeatedly aligns his message with that of all the buddhas and ancestors.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
A pedagogical puzzle<\/span><\/h2>\n\nYou will find, unsurprisingly for D\u014dgen, that this h\u014dgo is quite dense, like really rich dark chocolate, but that it also moves straight to the heart of the great matter. Indeed, D\u014dgen\u2019s shining confidence that householders can plumb the depths of the buddhadharma illuminates the entire discourse \u2013 if they\u2019re not lazy, that is.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIn Section 4, for example, D\u014dgen runs through six examples of past householders who practiced diligently and woke up. It reminds me of Torei\u2019s whirlwind tour of his Rinzai lineage in <\/span>The Inexhaustible Lamp of the Zen School<\/span>, \u201cChapter 1: Concerning the Lineage of Our School.\u201d<\/span> Like Torei, D\u014dgen\u2019s references are almost in shorthand. It\u2019s like D\u014dgen and Torei are calling out family stories to those who have heard them many times, \u201cRemember the time Uncle Joe\u2019s canoe tipped over on Lake One?\u201d And everybody chuckles.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\nIf the practitioners D\u014dgen was addressing could follow this, they were indeed deeply steeped in the Zen narrative. Yet, even a Zen priest I know who I consider to be really steeped could identify only three of the six examples (yours truly identified two of six). It is possible, though, that Hatano and friends had previous training with the Daruma-shu who had a monastery in Echizen, near Hatano\u2019s family holdings. The Daruma-shu preceded D\u014dgen\u2019s movement in Japan and were already using the Zen narrative in the late 1100\u2019s. However, I\u2019ve seen no evidence that Hatano had such connections.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIn my view, it seems very unlikely that in ~1240, Japan, D\u014dgen\u2019s householder listeners would have much of an inkling of what he was talking about, especially in this example. Which raises the puzzle about D\u014dgen\u2019s pedagogy: Given that he cites past householders who awakened deeply in the Way with the clear intention of inspiring his householder listeners to undertake Zen training, why did he speak in an abbreviated manner so that they could hardly follow along?<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIt could be that there was more to the h\u014dgo presentation than we have recorded. For example, D\u014dgen could have stopped and unpacked the references, going into detail for his listeners \u2013 but there is no evidence of this either.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nWhat seems most likely to me is that D\u014dgen expected his listeners to do the work to meet him where he was at, rather than the contemporary style of the listeners expecting the teacher to do the work to meet them where they\u2019re at. D\u014dgen seems to choose establishing a correct relationship with householder students over his interest in being fully understood. This fits with D\u014dgen\u2019s stance within the text. His advice for his householder students is to meet a true teacher and then \u201c\u2026stay close and serve them for three-five years.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nThis h\u014dgo and other D\u014dgen texts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nIt is notable that D\u014dgen\u2019s much more well-known <\/span>Genjokoan <\/span>(<\/span>Actualizing the Fundamental Point<\/span>) was also written for a householder. Another similarity with <\/span>Genjokoan<\/span> and this h\u014dgo is that both conclude with a k\u014dan that embodies D\u014dgen\u2019s meaning and powerfully inspires practice awakening.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\nHowever, in the case of <\/span>Genjokoan<\/span>, one of D\u014dgen\u2019s first writings very early in his teaching career, the last words are positive and inspirational: \u201cSince the wind\u2019s nature is ever present, the wind of the Buddha\u2019s family enables us to realize the gold of the great Earth and to transform the long river into cream.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nThis h\u014dgo comes after about a decade of teaching. Now we find D\u014dgen with a stern (and perhaps even crabby) ending, \u201cWho will obtain the understanding of true emptiness and pull the fish from the water if they are lazy again and again?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nThere are other differences as well. In <\/span>Genjokoan<\/span>, D\u014dgen demonstrates the clarity and depth of the awakened perspective, but offers little about method. The present h\u014dgo is also steeped in the awakened perspective, of course, but has much to say about method. In that way, it is much more like D\u014dgen\u2019s <\/span>Gakud\u014d y\u014djinsh\u016b<\/span> (\u201cPoints to Watch in Buddhist<\/a> Training\u201d), which was written as a guidebook for monastics.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nI encourage you to read through this text slowly, working through the entire h\u014dgo a few times before going back and checking the notes. Read from the belly of the breath body. Allow the breath to be smooth and subtle. Read to read and let understanding come of its own accord, not forcing it to arrive by straining the frontal lobe.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nClick here for the pdf with the translation.<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/a><\/p>\nD\u014dsh\u014d Port began practicing Zen in 1977 and now co-teaches with his wife, Tetsugan Zummach Sensei, with the Vine of Obstacles Zen<\/a>, an online training group. D\u014dsh\u014d received dharma transmission from Dainin Katagiri R\u014dshi and inka sh\u014dmei from James My\u014dun Ford R\u014dshi in the Harada-Yasutani lineage. He is also the author ofKeep Me In Your Heart a While: The Haunting Zen of Dainin Katagiri<\/a><\/i>. D\u014dsh\u014d\u2019s translation and commentary on The Record of Empty Hall: One Hundred Classic Koans,<\/em><\/a> was published in 2021 (Shambhala). His\u00a0third book, Going Through the Mystery\u2019s One Hundred Questions<\/em><\/a>, is now available. Click here<\/a> to support the teaching practice of D\u014dsh\u014d R\u014dshi.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Introduction Because this D\u014dgen dharma discourse (h\u014dgo) in Eihei k\u014droku V8.14\u00a0was written for householders, includes examples of awakened householders, and offers instructions for householders, I\u2019ve long been curious about it. After all, 99% or so of those engaged in Zen practice now are householders, yet much of the Zen narrative has monastics as the central […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":182,"featured_media":11292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[11,474,6,486],"class_list":["post-11541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dogen","tag-householder-zen","tag-koan","tag-lay-zen"],"yoast_head":"\n
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The main themes<\/span><\/h2>\n\nIn my view, the fact that this h\u014dgo was written out by D\u014dgen himself (rather than a talk that an attendant listened to and then recorded after-the-fact, as is the case for much of <\/span>Eihei k\u014droku<\/span>) and that the audience to whom it was delivered was his main donor and their friends, adds considerably to the reliability that the message contained in this h\u014dgo is D\u014dgen\u2019s.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nHis main themes for householder practice include:<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n- \nthe importance of finding a true teacher<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \nthe dangers of a false teacher<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \nthe importance of working closely with and serving the teacher<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \ntaking up a keyword and breaking through<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \nthen integrating that breakthrough<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nIn making these points, D\u014dgen seems to have constructed the text carefully and in the form of a spiral. That is, he repeats his themes while systematically moving his instruction progressively forward.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nBefore translating this h\u014dgo, I had been aware that in Section 5 D\u014dgen recommends a k\u014dan for householders, saying, \u201c\u2026When you meet a dharma master, first ask for a single k\u014dan case, then you must straightforwardly pay attention, diligently keep it in mind, and practice vigorously.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nA big surprise for me was in how D\u014dgen amplifies this theme in Section 8, saying, \u201cFirst, awaken \u2018withered tree, dead ash.\u2019 Next, use a bamboo staff and all day long, month after month, knock it all into one.\u201d My translation highlights the method aspect here more clearly than other translators who, as far as I know, have not had first person experience working with k\u014dan with a teacher.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nFor me, as someone who has been through the Harada-Yasutani k\u014dan <\/span>shitsunai \u2013 <\/span>and I suspect for anyone who\u2019s done similar work \u2013 it is vividly clear that D\u014dgen is moving from a general recommendation for k\u014dan in Section 5 to a specific keyword (\u8a71\u982d, hu\u00e0t\u00f3u) here, \u201cwithered tree, dead ash.\u201d D\u014dgen then continues by recommending what we now call post-satori training with, \u201cNext, use a bamboo staff and all day long, month after month, knock it all into one.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIn terms of main themes, another surprise is that in this pithy summary of the Zen path for householders, D\u014dgen says nothing about zazen. He also says nothing about the practice that the Post Meiji S\u014dt\u014d Orthodoxy claims that he advocated \u2013 <\/span>shikantaza<\/span>. Doesn\u2019t that seem odd? If you had a chance to give a talk to a group of wealthy and powerful folks who might just be willing to build you a new monastery, wouldn\u2019t you give them the straight scoop about what you thought was most important about the buddhadharma?<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nLikewise, when D\u014dgen does give specific instruction for zazen in his several versions of the \u201cFukanzazengi\u201d (\u201cUniversal Recommendations for Zazen\u201d) and \u201cZazenshin\u201d<\/span> (\u201cNeedle Point of Zazen\u201d) he also does not use the word <\/span>shikantaza<\/span> a single time. If you were giving zazen some new spin, wouldn\u2019t you name it in the texts dedicated to zazen?<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIn these ways and others, this h\u014dgo does not harmonize well with what is said to be D\u014dgen\u2019s teaching in our times, much of which is poisonous pablum spewed about by well-meaning but poorly-informed S\u014dt\u014d practitioners and teachers about the heart of D\u014dgen Zen. One dynamic that might be at play is mistaking D\u014dgen\u2019s novel, creative style of expression for a novel, creative meaning that runs contrary to the Zen tradition. However, in all of D\u014dgen\u2019s works, he clearly and repeatedly aligns his message with that of all the buddhas and ancestors.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
A pedagogical puzzle<\/span><\/h2>\n\nYou will find, unsurprisingly for D\u014dgen, that this h\u014dgo is quite dense, like really rich dark chocolate, but that it also moves straight to the heart of the great matter. Indeed, D\u014dgen\u2019s shining confidence that householders can plumb the depths of the buddhadharma illuminates the entire discourse \u2013 if they\u2019re not lazy, that is.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIn Section 4, for example, D\u014dgen runs through six examples of past householders who practiced diligently and woke up. It reminds me of Torei\u2019s whirlwind tour of his Rinzai lineage in <\/span>The Inexhaustible Lamp of the Zen School<\/span>, \u201cChapter 1: Concerning the Lineage of Our School.\u201d<\/span> Like Torei, D\u014dgen\u2019s references are almost in shorthand. It\u2019s like D\u014dgen and Torei are calling out family stories to those who have heard them many times, \u201cRemember the time Uncle Joe\u2019s canoe tipped over on Lake One?\u201d And everybody chuckles.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\nIf the practitioners D\u014dgen was addressing could follow this, they were indeed deeply steeped in the Zen narrative. Yet, even a Zen priest I know who I consider to be really steeped could identify only three of the six examples (yours truly identified two of six). It is possible, though, that Hatano and friends had previous training with the Daruma-shu who had a monastery in Echizen, near Hatano\u2019s family holdings. The Daruma-shu preceded D\u014dgen\u2019s movement in Japan and were already using the Zen narrative in the late 1100\u2019s. However, I\u2019ve seen no evidence that Hatano had such connections.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIn my view, it seems very unlikely that in ~1240, Japan, D\u014dgen\u2019s householder listeners would have much of an inkling of what he was talking about, especially in this example. Which raises the puzzle about D\u014dgen\u2019s pedagogy: Given that he cites past householders who awakened deeply in the Way with the clear intention of inspiring his householder listeners to undertake Zen training, why did he speak in an abbreviated manner so that they could hardly follow along?<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIt could be that there was more to the h\u014dgo presentation than we have recorded. For example, D\u014dgen could have stopped and unpacked the references, going into detail for his listeners \u2013 but there is no evidence of this either.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nWhat seems most likely to me is that D\u014dgen expected his listeners to do the work to meet him where he was at, rather than the contemporary style of the listeners expecting the teacher to do the work to meet them where they\u2019re at. D\u014dgen seems to choose establishing a correct relationship with householder students over his interest in being fully understood. This fits with D\u014dgen\u2019s stance within the text. His advice for his householder students is to meet a true teacher and then \u201c\u2026stay close and serve them for three-five years.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nThis h\u014dgo and other D\u014dgen texts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nIt is notable that D\u014dgen\u2019s much more well-known <\/span>Genjokoan <\/span>(<\/span>Actualizing the Fundamental Point<\/span>) was also written for a householder. Another similarity with <\/span>Genjokoan<\/span> and this h\u014dgo is that both conclude with a k\u014dan that embodies D\u014dgen\u2019s meaning and powerfully inspires practice awakening.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\nHowever, in the case of <\/span>Genjokoan<\/span>, one of D\u014dgen\u2019s first writings very early in his teaching career, the last words are positive and inspirational: \u201cSince the wind\u2019s nature is ever present, the wind of the Buddha\u2019s family enables us to realize the gold of the great Earth and to transform the long river into cream.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nThis h\u014dgo comes after about a decade of teaching. Now we find D\u014dgen with a stern (and perhaps even crabby) ending, \u201cWho will obtain the understanding of true emptiness and pull the fish from the water if they are lazy again and again?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nThere are other differences as well. In <\/span>Genjokoan<\/span>, D\u014dgen demonstrates the clarity and depth of the awakened perspective, but offers little about method. The present h\u014dgo is also steeped in the awakened perspective, of course, but has much to say about method. In that way, it is much more like D\u014dgen\u2019s <\/span>Gakud\u014d y\u014djinsh\u016b<\/span> (\u201cPoints to Watch in Buddhist<\/a> Training\u201d), which was written as a guidebook for monastics.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nI encourage you to read through this text slowly, working through the entire h\u014dgo a few times before going back and checking the notes. Read from the belly of the breath body. Allow the breath to be smooth and subtle. Read to read and let understanding come of its own accord, not forcing it to arrive by straining the frontal lobe.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nClick here for the pdf with the translation.<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/a><\/p>\nD\u014dsh\u014d Port began practicing Zen in 1977 and now co-teaches with his wife, Tetsugan Zummach Sensei, with the Vine of Obstacles Zen<\/a>, an online training group. D\u014dsh\u014d received dharma transmission from Dainin Katagiri R\u014dshi and inka sh\u014dmei from James My\u014dun Ford R\u014dshi in the Harada-Yasutani lineage. He is also the author ofKeep Me In Your Heart a While: The Haunting Zen of Dainin Katagiri<\/a><\/i>. D\u014dsh\u014d\u2019s translation and commentary on The Record of Empty Hall: One Hundred Classic Koans,<\/em><\/a> was published in 2021 (Shambhala). His\u00a0third book, Going Through the Mystery\u2019s One Hundred Questions<\/em><\/a>, is now available. Click here<\/a> to support the teaching practice of D\u014dsh\u014d R\u014dshi.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Introduction Because this D\u014dgen dharma discourse (h\u014dgo) in Eihei k\u014droku V8.14\u00a0was written for householders, includes examples of awakened householders, and offers instructions for householders, I\u2019ve long been curious about it. After all, 99% or so of those engaged in Zen practice now are householders, yet much of the Zen narrative has monastics as the central […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":182,"featured_media":11292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[11,474,6,486],"class_list":["post-11541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dogen","tag-householder-zen","tag-koan","tag-lay-zen"],"yoast_head":"\n
D\u014dgen\u2019s Instruction for Householder Zen Training<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Introduction Because this D\u014dgen dharma discourse (h\u014dgo) in Eihei k\u014droku V8.14\u00a0was written for householders, includes examples of awakened householders,\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/2023\/02\/dogens-instruction-for-householder-zen-training.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"D\u014dgen\u2019s Instruction for Householder Zen Training\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Introduction Because this D\u014dgen dharma discourse (h\u014dgo) in Eihei k\u014droku V8.14\u00a0was written for householders, includes examples of awakened householders,\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/2023\/02\/dogens-instruction-for-householder-zen-training.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Wild Fox Zen\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dosho.port\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-02-20T15:41:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-05-17T19:20:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/88\/2022\/12\/download.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"199\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"253\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dosho Port\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dosho Port\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/2023\/02\/dogens-instruction-for-householder-zen-training.html\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/2023\/02\/dogens-instruction-for-householder-zen-training.html\",\"name\":\"D\u014dgen\u2019s Instruction for Householder Zen Training\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-20T15:41:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-05-17T19:20:08+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/#\/schema\/person\/45224391b7690e99673782337bd0eabd\"},\"description\":\"Introduction Because this D\u014dgen dharma discourse (h\u014dgo) in Eihei k\u014droku V8.14\u00a0was written for householders, includes examples of awakened householders,\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/2023\/02\/dogens-instruction-for-householder-zen-training.html#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/2023\/02\/dogens-instruction-for-householder-zen-training.html\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/2023\/02\/dogens-instruction-for-householder-zen-training.html#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"D\u014dgen\u2019s Instruction for Householder Zen Training\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/\",\"name\":\"Wild Fox Zen\",\"description\":\"Living the Dream\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/#\/schema\/person\/45224391b7690e99673782337bd0eabd\",\"name\":\"Dosho Port\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7b9712e98924dea6c08d55890403352f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7b9712e98924dea6c08d55890403352f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Dosho Port\"},\"description\":\"Dosho Port began practicing Zen in 1977 and now co-teachers with his wife, Tetsugan Zummach, with the Vine of Obstacles Zen. Dosho received dharma transmission from Dainin Katagiri Roshi and inka shomei from James Myoun Ford Roshi in the Harada-Yasutani lineage. 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Dosho received dharma transmission from Dainin Katagiri Roshi and inka shomei from James Myoun Ford Roshi in the Harada-Yasutani lineage. He is the author of \"Keep Me In Your Heart Awhile: The Haunting Zen of Dainin Katagiri,\" \"The Record of Empty Hall: One Hundred Classic Koans,\" and \"Going Through the Mystery's One Hundred Questions.\"","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.vineobstacleszen.com\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dosho.port"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/author\/doshoport"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/182"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11541"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11541\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- \n
- \nthe importance of finding a true teacher<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
the dangers of a false teacher<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n- \n
the importance of working closely with and serving the teacher<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n- \n
taking up a keyword and breaking through<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n- \n
then integrating that breakthrough<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nIn making these points, D\u014dgen seems to have constructed the text carefully and in the form of a spiral. That is, he repeats his themes while systematically moving his instruction progressively forward.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nBefore translating this h\u014dgo, I had been aware that in Section 5 D\u014dgen recommends a k\u014dan for householders, saying, \u201c\u2026When you meet a dharma master, first ask for a single k\u014dan case, then you must straightforwardly pay attention, diligently keep it in mind, and practice vigorously.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nA big surprise for me was in how D\u014dgen amplifies this theme in Section 8, saying, \u201cFirst, awaken \u2018withered tree, dead ash.\u2019 Next, use a bamboo staff and all day long, month after month, knock it all into one.\u201d My translation highlights the method aspect here more clearly than other translators who, as far as I know, have not had first person experience working with k\u014dan with a teacher.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nFor me, as someone who has been through the Harada-Yasutani k\u014dan <\/span>shitsunai \u2013 <\/span>and I suspect for anyone who\u2019s done similar work \u2013 it is vividly clear that D\u014dgen is moving from a general recommendation for k\u014dan in Section 5 to a specific keyword (\u8a71\u982d, hu\u00e0t\u00f3u) here, \u201cwithered tree, dead ash.\u201d D\u014dgen then continues by recommending what we now call post-satori training with, \u201cNext, use a bamboo staff and all day long, month after month, knock it all into one.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIn terms of main themes, another surprise is that in this pithy summary of the Zen path for householders, D\u014dgen says nothing about zazen. He also says nothing about the practice that the Post Meiji S\u014dt\u014d Orthodoxy claims that he advocated \u2013 <\/span>shikantaza<\/span>. Doesn\u2019t that seem odd? If you had a chance to give a talk to a group of wealthy and powerful folks who might just be willing to build you a new monastery, wouldn\u2019t you give them the straight scoop about what you thought was most important about the buddhadharma?<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nLikewise, when D\u014dgen does give specific instruction for zazen in his several versions of the \u201cFukanzazengi\u201d (\u201cUniversal Recommendations for Zazen\u201d) and \u201cZazenshin\u201d<\/span> (\u201cNeedle Point of Zazen\u201d) he also does not use the word <\/span>shikantaza<\/span> a single time. If you were giving zazen some new spin, wouldn\u2019t you name it in the texts dedicated to zazen?<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIn these ways and others, this h\u014dgo does not harmonize well with what is said to be D\u014dgen\u2019s teaching in our times, much of which is poisonous pablum spewed about by well-meaning but poorly-informed S\u014dt\u014d practitioners and teachers about the heart of D\u014dgen Zen. One dynamic that might be at play is mistaking D\u014dgen\u2019s novel, creative style of expression for a novel, creative meaning that runs contrary to the Zen tradition. However, in all of D\u014dgen\u2019s works, he clearly and repeatedly aligns his message with that of all the buddhas and ancestors.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nA pedagogical puzzle<\/span><\/h2>\n
\nYou will find, unsurprisingly for D\u014dgen, that this h\u014dgo is quite dense, like really rich dark chocolate, but that it also moves straight to the heart of the great matter. Indeed, D\u014dgen\u2019s shining confidence that householders can plumb the depths of the buddhadharma illuminates the entire discourse \u2013 if they\u2019re not lazy, that is.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIn Section 4, for example, D\u014dgen runs through six examples of past householders who practiced diligently and woke up. It reminds me of Torei\u2019s whirlwind tour of his Rinzai lineage in <\/span>The Inexhaustible Lamp of the Zen School<\/span>, \u201cChapter 1: Concerning the Lineage of Our School.\u201d<\/span> Like Torei, D\u014dgen\u2019s references are almost in shorthand. It\u2019s like D\u014dgen and Torei are calling out family stories to those who have heard them many times, \u201cRemember the time Uncle Joe\u2019s canoe tipped over on Lake One?\u201d And everybody chuckles.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\nIf the practitioners D\u014dgen was addressing could follow this, they were indeed deeply steeped in the Zen narrative. Yet, even a Zen priest I know who I consider to be really steeped could identify only three of the six examples (yours truly identified two of six). It is possible, though, that Hatano and friends had previous training with the Daruma-shu who had a monastery in Echizen, near Hatano\u2019s family holdings. The Daruma-shu preceded D\u014dgen\u2019s movement in Japan and were already using the Zen narrative in the late 1100\u2019s. However, I\u2019ve seen no evidence that Hatano had such connections.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIn my view, it seems very unlikely that in ~1240, Japan, D\u014dgen\u2019s householder listeners would have much of an inkling of what he was talking about, especially in this example. Which raises the puzzle about D\u014dgen\u2019s pedagogy: Given that he cites past householders who awakened deeply in the Way with the clear intention of inspiring his householder listeners to undertake Zen training, why did he speak in an abbreviated manner so that they could hardly follow along?<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIt could be that there was more to the h\u014dgo presentation than we have recorded. For example, D\u014dgen could have stopped and unpacked the references, going into detail for his listeners \u2013 but there is no evidence of this either.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nWhat seems most likely to me is that D\u014dgen expected his listeners to do the work to meet him where he was at, rather than the contemporary style of the listeners expecting the teacher to do the work to meet them where they\u2019re at. D\u014dgen seems to choose establishing a correct relationship with householder students over his interest in being fully understood. This fits with D\u014dgen\u2019s stance within the text. His advice for his householder students is to meet a true teacher and then \u201c\u2026stay close and serve them for three-five years.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nThis h\u014dgo and other D\u014dgen texts<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nIt is notable that D\u014dgen\u2019s much more well-known <\/span>Genjokoan <\/span>(<\/span>Actualizing the Fundamental Point<\/span>) was also written for a householder. Another similarity with <\/span>Genjokoan<\/span> and this h\u014dgo is that both conclude with a k\u014dan that embodies D\u014dgen\u2019s meaning and powerfully inspires practice awakening.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\nHowever, in the case of <\/span>Genjokoan<\/span>, one of D\u014dgen\u2019s first writings very early in his teaching career, the last words are positive and inspirational: \u201cSince the wind\u2019s nature is ever present, the wind of the Buddha\u2019s family enables us to realize the gold of the great Earth and to transform the long river into cream.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nThis h\u014dgo comes after about a decade of teaching. Now we find D\u014dgen with a stern (and perhaps even crabby) ending, \u201cWho will obtain the understanding of true emptiness and pull the fish from the water if they are lazy again and again?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nThere are other differences as well. In <\/span>Genjokoan<\/span>, D\u014dgen demonstrates the clarity and depth of the awakened perspective, but offers little about method. The present h\u014dgo is also steeped in the awakened perspective, of course, but has much to say about method. In that way, it is much more like D\u014dgen\u2019s <\/span>Gakud\u014d y\u014djinsh\u016b<\/span> (\u201cPoints to Watch in Buddhist<\/a> Training\u201d), which was written as a guidebook for monastics.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nI encourage you to read through this text slowly, working through the entire h\u014dgo a few times before going back and checking the notes. Read from the belly of the breath body. Allow the breath to be smooth and subtle. Read to read and let understanding come of its own accord, not forcing it to arrive by straining the frontal lobe.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nClick here for the pdf with the translation.<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/a><\/p>\nD\u014dsh\u014d Port began practicing Zen in 1977 and now co-teaches with his wife, Tetsugan Zummach Sensei, with the Vine of Obstacles Zen<\/a>, an online training group. D\u014dsh\u014d received dharma transmission from Dainin Katagiri R\u014dshi and inka sh\u014dmei from James My\u014dun Ford R\u014dshi in the Harada-Yasutani lineage. He is also the author ofKeep Me In Your Heart a While: The Haunting Zen of Dainin Katagiri<\/a><\/i>. D\u014dsh\u014d\u2019s translation and commentary on The Record of Empty Hall: One Hundred Classic Koans,<\/em><\/a> was published in 2021 (Shambhala). His\u00a0third book, Going Through the Mystery\u2019s One Hundred Questions<\/em><\/a>, is now available. Click here<\/a> to support the teaching practice of D\u014dsh\u014d R\u014dshi.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Introduction Because this D\u014dgen dharma discourse (h\u014dgo) in Eihei k\u014droku V8.14\u00a0was written for householders, includes examples of awakened householders, and offers instructions for householders, I\u2019ve long been curious about it. After all, 99% or so of those engaged in Zen practice now are householders, yet much of the Zen narrative has monastics as the central […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":182,"featured_media":11292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[11,474,6,486],"class_list":["post-11541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dogen","tag-householder-zen","tag-koan","tag-lay-zen"],"yoast_head":"\n
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