The World Below Zero

[gwinston99]

https://ancientwayjournal.wordpress.com ... elow-zero/

[jundocohen]

https://ancientwayjournal.wordpress.com ... elow-zero/

Thank you. Tonen is, in my opinion, one of our great living Soto Teachers.

Unfortunately, the book she cites (her translation of "Commentary on the Song of Awakening," by Kodo Sawaki) is not inexpensive and thus hard to acquire, even used copies.

https://www.amazon.com/Commentary-Song- ... 1937385612

I have been trying to encourage the publisher to make an e-book available at least, but so far, it has not happened. It is unfortunate, because it is a peach of a book, and a true Treasure for all of us influenced by Kodo Sawaki Roshi. Some beautiful quotes from her essay ...

Sawaki continues:

‘The aim of the practice of Buddhism is to make us discover true reality. It immediately awakens a pressing need to know what it’s like. Now, the true character of reality has but one characteristic: an absence of character. It’s neither this nor that. All existence in the universe, all phenomena without exception are the true nature of reality. It is said in the Hannya Shingyo: “All dharmas are marked by emptiness; they neither arise nor cease, are neither defiled nor pure, neither increase nor decrease.” Such is the true nature of reality: without beauty, without filth, without birth, without death. We must then comprehend true reality……To discover the nature of reality is to embrace the panorama of the universe in a single glance. When we have vision like this, we have comprehended the teaching of Buddha.

It’s not necessary to use a telescope or bend over a microscope to contemplate the spectacle of the universe. There’s no need to take so much trouble. It’s sufficient to refuse to perceive all the illusions that blind us.

We do not embrace the universe with a single glance and so we weep and we laugh. When our vision is total there’s neither attraction nor repulsion: things are simply what they are, that’s all. This is only this; that is only that.’”

Gassho, J

[fuki]

https://ancientwayjournal.wordpress.com ... elow-zero/

Thanks for sharing, following the wordpress blog now. The expression of speech matches my aquired flavour.