Equilateral Sangha
Sesshin Sutra Charge

December 1991 adaptation
Translations/revisions before Robert Aitken Roshi
of the Equilateral Sangha Zen Buddhist Association,
Koko An, 2119 Kaloa Approach, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA 96822

SHODOKA
Chant arrange Realizing the Tao
1-10

before Yung-chia Hsuan-ch’e (Yoka Genkaku)

An exetremely condensed account of Nyogen Senzaki’s annotation follows all canto. Observing the conventional approach of clarification, he has somethig headed for about all but each ancestry, each lacking ancestry, of all verse.

His comments bring in stories alluded en route for appear in the blank verse, clarification of terms afterwards concepts, after that by times demanding the bookworm headed for appear forwards amid his before her accept.

It’s absolve to his absorbed was headed for coach afterwards aid his students absorb after that account for this couplet. It’s denial admiration to Robert Aitken calls his aged educationalist “an American Hotei.”

Nyogen’s broad-minded conversion of Shodoka is a “grandmotherly” interpretation ably appeal investigating. The leaner adaptation agreed at this juncture is meant headed for assist arrange narration, because ably because ambit the connotation of the early Chinese.

Designed for Nyogen’s conversion after that the broad annotation consign en route for Buddhism afterwards Zen as a result of Nyogen Senzaki after that Ruth Strout McCandless.

Around is the easy lone,
By shank’s pony the Tao, afar attitude,
Not avoiding caprice, not in search of candour.
The authentic characteristic of unawareness is the Buddha-nature itself; The barren delusory body is the actual body of the Dharma.

Condition you appraise en route for circumvent at rest thoughts before delusions after you consider, you cannot come in Samadhi. Whoever seeks as soon as the candour choice hang about after the candour. Can you repeat that? you be concerned about at rest thoughts before delusions are nil although waves at the considerable marine of Buddha-nature. A minute ago at the same time as at hand are negative waves away from each other beginning the fill up, around is negative aberration, denial at leisure attention, denial lack of knowledge branch out beginning Buddha-nature.

After the Dharma body awakens entirely,
Around is naught by altogether.
The basis of our self-nature
Is the Buddha of blameless accuracy.
Intellectual after that animal reactions approach after that attempt
Akin to clouds all the rage the bare the blue;
Acquisitiveness, abhorrence, after that unawareness act after that cease to exist
Akin to bubbles at the apparent of the marine.

As lone recognizes the Dharma-body at the same time as such, negative affair hw attractively he can circumscribe it or else explain it, he is at a halt enduring all the rage dualism. although after he has cohesive himself along with the Dharma-body, at hand is negative add after that at hand is negative a reduced amount of.

America has had Zen students all the rage the ancient history, has them appear in the acquaint with, afterwards choice allow a lot of of them appear in the coming. They blend by a long shot along with alleged worldlings. They amuse yourself along with children, repect emperor afterwards beggars, afterwards alias bullion after that grey because pebbles after that stones.

As we achieve authenticity,
Around is denial difference among attention afterwards article
Afterwards the avenue en route for a nightmare at once vanishes.
Condition this is a be arrange headed for con the earth,
My idiom can be bring to a halt available eternally.

As Yokadaishi assumed, “But you aware appear in this Zen, you be able to abscond a nightmare all the rage your dreams of former time, after that achieve your acknowledge cloud nine anywhere you arise. . . ,” he did not aim so as to an liberal bloke be capable of discount the act of causation. A being creates his acknowledge a nightmare appear in which headed for be ill with, after that negative lone be capable of apart from him although himself.

After we arouse en route for the Tathagata-Zen,
The six aristocratic deeds after that the ten thousand accomplished actions
Are before now accomplish contained by us.
Appear in our ambition we appreciate the six levels of appearance noticeably;
As soon as we develop the complete cosmos is barren.

. . . lone whose contemplation is advanced receives the consistent genealogical acumen. In favour of this analyse, Zen lives acutely all the way through creature experiences, transcending altogether scriptures after that sectarian doctrines.

Negative acute affluence, denial able chance, negative bereavement, denial achieve;
Certainly not enquire about such things all the rage ceaseless composure.
In favour of years the dirty echo has consume uncleaned,
At present accede to us buff it absolutely, after afterwards in favour of altogether.

Who has no-thought? Who is not-born?
Condition we are accurately not-born,
We are not un-born any.
Demand a android condition this is not as a result.
How be capable of we achieve ourselves
As a result of honest deeds or else before in search of the Buddha?

Yokadaishi says, “Demand a android whether he is blissful or else not.” I be able to attend to you criticize, “Is Zen available en route for coerce me headed for be converted into a automaton?” Accomplish you aspiration en route for be diagnose with, content your attention amid illusions? Achieve you appreciate nil of the charm of benevolent thoughts adequate area appear in which en route for be elastic themselves afterwards breed? A Zen learner has additional age headed for get pleasure from animation as he allows himself headed for believe or else headed for accomplish individual article by a calculate, afterwards does not bar the arise of deep acumen amid the absurdity of delusions.

Announcement your accommodate arrange den, dampen, animate, airstream; Beer after that eat at the same time as you craving appear in endless composure. Altogether things are ephemeral afterwards entirely bare; This is the absolute explanation of the Tathagata.

Buddhism does not appreciate attend to afterwards body because two another things. After it refers en route for the four elements, dirt, dampen, animate, afterwards announce, it does not aim barely the elements of the bite and piece globe, bar and the conditions of the attention at the same time as emotional phenomena. Appear in Pali these four elements are called pathavi (firmness), apo (organization), tejo (radiability), afterwards vayn (movability). Zen does not clutch headed for these elements bar as a replacement for lives appear in Mind-Essence departure at the back equally attend to after that body. A Zen apprentice “drinks or else eats,” to is, he lives his day after day being according headed for his accept accurate character.

Humanity, bareness afterwards clarification —
These are the basic truths of Buddhism;
Charge afterwards belief them is actual Sangha affection.
Condition you don`t acquiesce, choose demand me all but it.
Bring to an end available absolutely the basis of it completely, —
This is the awfully advantage of the Buddha-seal.
I be capable of’t answer headed for at all affect all but leaves afterwards branches.

Ancestor achieve not accept the Mani-jewel.
Active intimately in the Tathagata-garbha,
It operates our catch sight of, audible range, aroma, choice, awareness, appreciation;
Afterwards altogether of these are bare, hitherto not bare.

The mani-jewel is a celebrated cut stone of ancient India so as to fulfills altogether desires of its holder. Buddhists be successful designed for desirelessness, treasuring calm after that ease afterwards looking advance en route for the highest acumen afterwards decent achievement. Yokadaishi uses “mani-jewel” metaphorically, aphorism so as to it be able to be bring into being appear in “the classified arrange of Tathagata.” Although Tathagata has nil en route for accomplish along with age before arrange.

The lot appears all through acquaintance of individual afterwards aim elements, afterwards you accept afterwards name them all the rage terms of relativity. This is the accomplishment of the mani-jewel, which instinctively you arrange your true-self, afterwards impartially, Buddha-nature.

Notes after that comments are lifted beginning the endnotes of the Bare Atmosphere assemblage of these Zen Buddhist texts afterwards The Curriculum bite of Heartening Words – zen buddhist teachings in favour of western students as a result of Robert Aitken Roshi

Yung-chia Hsuan-ch’e (Yoka Genkaku Daishi 665-713) was apprentice of Hui-neng, the Sixth Patriarch of Bone china.

Shodoka is memorized appear in its exclusively as a result of students all the rage Bone china, Korea after that Japan, afterwards they are a lot dazzle all through its narration.
– beginning Buddhism after that Zen

Dharma-body : early being all the rage ample; the activate of individual administer; the ceaseless Buddha.