dogen@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (John Chq) (06/03/91)
Here is an excerpt from Eihei Dogen's treatise on Buddha-Nature. The forming of mountains, rivers, and the earth is all dependent on the Buddha-nature. It being thus, seeing mountains and rivers is seeing the Buddha-nature. Seeing the Buddha-nature is seeing a donkey's jowls or a horse's mouth.... The very impermanence of grass and tree, thicket and forrest, is the Buddha-nature. The very impermanence of men and things, body and mind, is the Buddha-nature. Nations and lands, mountains and rivers are impermanent because they are Buddha-nature. Supreme and complete enlightenment, because it is the Buddha-nature, is impermanent.... Our present moment to moment activity is the opening of the gate.... Completely utilizing life, we cannot be held back by life. Completely utilizing death, we cannot be bothered by death. Do not cherish life. Do not blindly dread death. They are where the Buddha-nature is. For infinite kalpas in the past, foolish people in great number have regarded man's spiritual consciousness as Buddha-nature, or as man's original state of suchness--how laughably absurd!... Buddha-nature is a fence, a wall, a tile, a pebble. -- ******************************************************************************* -- John Cha "The present is always more interesting than the future or the past" *******************************************************************************