#shobogenzo

tantric unity This gesture is that of embracing a consort and is symbolic of bringing together two aspects of enlightenment: wisdom and method. In this work, the meditation deity Akshobhyavajra’s two bottom hands are folded into this gesture while embracing a consort. ______ Akshobhyavajra Ghuyasamaja; Tibet; 17th century or later; pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Art; C2001.1.3 (HAR 65003)

[Rubin Museum of Art]

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The universe doesn’t need to feel like a cold place, indifferent to our presence. As Dogen puts it in the Shobogenzo, “mountains belong to the people who love them.”

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A dharma position holds all being-time - a being’s time and time’s being - in this very moment. This is the complete non-duality of things, existence, and time. A particular being-time expresses two states. First, there is the universal state of all being-time. This is the inclusive nature of everything taken as a whole. Second, a being’s time is a particular event, person, or thing, which is expressed as an independent dharma position. Simultaneously, a dharma position is both universal being-time and a particular being-time. Everything is present at the same time without hindering the universal and particular nature of any other. This is also true of time’s being.

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Furthermore, everything interpenetrates everything else and is all other beings and times, within a particular dharma position. This idea is articuated in the Huayan phrase “to know one thing is to know all things.” If you understand the foundational truth about a thing’s essential nature, you will also understand the basic truth of all things.

“Shobogenzo significa todo o universo, quer dizer, não apenas em relação ao que é justo mas a tudo o que existe no universo. Tudo o que existe tem a natureza de Buda ou Shobogenzo; tudo tem a mesma importância mas, por outro lado, toda a existência tem o seu karma próprio, é diferenciada pelo seu karma e é independente.” – Taisen Deshimaru (1914-1982) Excerto da Introdução ao Shobogenzo, do…

Studiare se stessi è dimenticare se stessi. E dimenticare se stessi è percepire se stessi come tutte le cose. Realizzare questo è lasciar cadere mente e corpo di se stessi e degli altri. Una volta che avete raggiunto questo stadio, sarete distaccati anche dall'illuminazione e la agirete ininterrottamente, senza pensare ad essa.

Quando la gente comincia a cercare il Dharma, immediatamente si allontana da dove esso si trova veramente. Quando il Dharma è stato ricevuto attraverso la corretta trasmissione, il proprio sé reale appare immediatamente.

- Dogen Zenji