Myoki Raizelah offers a reflection on Eihei Dogen's Genjo Koan during this first session of her shuso's class, Discovering Your Genjo Koan. This class was offered in support of the community's Winter Practice Period.
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Myoki Raizelah's talk notes:
Genjo Koan is the first chapter, and one of the best known teachings from Dogen’s Shobogenzo (Treasury of the True Dharma Eye).
Dogen is known as the “father” of Soto Zen, having traveled to China in the 13th century to study Buddhism and later, to bring it back to Japan. He offers instruction still used today on how to practice Zen.
While the Genjo Koan is one of Dogen’s most foundational texts - and widely read texts - it is not easy to understand. Dogen’s writing is full of seemingly contradictory statements that don’t make sense to our conceptual minds and usual way of thinking. I encourage you not to think about it.
The conceptual mind is a gift, but not always useful in this type of study. The mind inevitably puts us into a dualistic relationship with the material of study. As soon as I have an idea about something, there is a subject and object. There is self and other.
So, when we study Genjo Koan, I encourage you to let the words wash over you. Notice how they make you feel. Notice what is stirred up within you as we discuss the poetry of Genjo Koan, the commentary offered by our teachers, the remarks I offer and the observations shared by our friends here.
This is a shared exploration.
It is a felt exploration.
Use the tools you know to let go of thinking. Allow the mind to drop away. Find your “zazen body” (to quote my teacher). Allow the body, rather than the mind, to guide you on this exploration. Notice sensations, feelings, stirrings or lack thereof, as we swim in the waters of Genjo Koan.
Immerse yourself.
Be bathed by these waters.
Let’s start by looking at the meaning of the title of this text: Genjo Koan
Gen is commonly translated as “to appear or to show-up,” referring to something that is unseen that can now be seen (such as the sun appearing from behind a cloud). Gen is referring to something already there.
Jo means “to complete.”
To me, Genjo means to completely show-up so that which is both seen and unseen (conscious and unconscious) can be illumined. These are my words: to completely show-up. Be authentic. We will see later in Genjo Koan text: “When you find your place where you are, practice occurs, actualizing the fundamental point.” To me, it feels like to completely (and authentically) show-up is actualizing the fundamental point.
Koan is used here differently that the usual “koan” in Zen. Ko means “to make public or to equalize.” This is referencing a public case or the declaration of law based on a specific case, based on someone’s individual behavior. So, it’s something individual which is declared universal (equal among all). When we study koan stories, we see the particular (generally a story about a zen master and disciple) pointing to a universal truth.
But the “An” of Genjo Koan is different.
An refers to a hand, it’s a word for press, knead or massage.
Try putting one hand over your hara and one hand over your heart. Feel the sensation of touch. Now press your hands to your face. Feel the texture, the temperature of your cheeks. How does it feel to touch - maybe to press? Try pressing your leg. Kneading your shoulder. Does this impact your presence, your ability to completely show-up?
In Dogen’s time, An also means to keep one’s place in society, performing their specific duties and responsibilities (sometimes referred to Dharma position).
So Ko is referring to what is public and equal; while An is referring to what is individual. An recognizes individual differences. So, Koan here is referring to the tension between the public or universal and the individual; the absolute and the relative. The one and the two. The individual fingers - all functioning as one unified hand. Massaging.
This dynamic relationship between the self and no self is a central theme within the Genjo Koan.
Let’s jump in! I will read the first 4 lines. Again, just let the words wash over you. Allow yourself to settle into “zazen body.” Let the words speak to your body.
As all things are buddha-dharma, there is delusion and realization, practice, birth and death, and there are buddhas and sentient beings.
As the myriad things are without an abiding self, there is no delusion, no realization, no buddha, no sentient being, no birth and death.
The buddha way is, basically, leaping clear of the many of the one; thus there are birth and death, delusion and realization, sentient beings and buddhas.
Yet in attachment blossoms fall, and in aversion weeds spread.
(You are welcome, if you think it will be helpful to you, to open your chant book to the Genjo Koan to read these first 4 lines to yourself)
The first line is about duality. As all things are buddha-dharma, there is delusion and realization, practice, birth and death, and there are buddhas and sentient beings.
Okumura says it’s about cause and effect. This is pointing to the conditioned self. The relative world. Duality. Notice this is the only line that mentions practice. Because when we live in the relative world, identified with a separate sense of self, we need practice.
The second line points to the most fundamental teaching of Mahayana Buddhism, found in the Heart Sutra, there is no self - no separate self. As the myriad things are without an abiding self, there is no delusion, no realization, no buddha, no sentient being, no birth and death.This is about Emptiness or boundlessness. What does this mean? Nothing exists apart from anything else. As Thic Naht Hahn so beautifully expresses through his explanation of Inter-Being, “This piece of paper is the tree from which it came, including the sun and the water that nourished the tree, the tree cutter that removed the tree, the truck driver that delivered the tree to the paper mill, and so on.’ Likewise, everything that I have experienced since my birth (maybe before) has brought me to this moment in which I offer you my thoughts on the Genjo Koan. Every single thing I have experienced has influenced how I read or take in this teaching, how I present my ideas to you - even how I came to sit upon this cushion! Nothing exists apart from anything else. No separate self.
So, the first line is about the relative world. The second line is about the world of the Absolute. There are both two and one. There are neither two nor one.
We are individual waves in one ocean of being. We are individual fingers in one hand of being (remembering the the An in Koan)
The third line is Dogen’s teaching on practice. The buddha way is, basically, leaping clear of the many of the one; thus there are birth and death, delusion and realization, sentient beings and buddhas.
The Buddha way is leaping clear of duality and boundlessness, leaping clear of the relative and absolute.
Leaping clear. I spent a lot of time contemplating what “leaping clear” is within me. Is it pointing to the simultaneous or interpenetrating existence of the relative and the absolute? This is an important part of Zen teaching - that we embrace it all, and (as we see in the next line of Genjo Kenjo) without preference! The way is not to deny the relative or dualistic view inherent to our humanness. The Way is to embrace both the wave and the ocean, the individual expression of the One.
How do we do that?
Norman Fischer suggests that we do that with the precepts. If, through our everyday speech and activity, we aim always to do no harm but only to act in kindness, then we are surely bridging our felt separation from others. The precepts themselves cultivate a feeling for oneness.
Uchiyama gives us slightly a slightly different translation of the 3rd line:
“Since the Buddha way goes by nature beyond the dichotomy of abundance and deficiency…”
Compared to The buddha way is, basically, leaping clear of the many of the one
Uchiyama says (p.157) “You should know that Buddha-dharma is studied by giving up the view which discriminates self and other.” We should study Buddha-dharma on the ground beyond the view of self and others. Even though it is not possible for us to avoid the view of self and others (this is inherent in the conceptual thinking of the brain), it is certain there is a ground beyond this view.”
Uchiyama links this to the importance of giving-up all concepts about practice, all goals about practice, all of our spiritual aspirations. He says, “To make Buddha-dharma into something you attain is the separation of self from the other.” Therefore, this is not a state of consciousness that you can attain.
Dogen says : “Just to practice the Buddha-dharma for the sake of the Buddha-dharma is the Way.”
Just practice for the sake of practice is enough. No gaining ideas, no goals, nowhere to go. It’s all right here. Getting back to fully showing-up, actualizing the fundamental point.
Liberation isn’t something you attain. It’s right here in delusion and enlightenment: when delusion is recognized as delusion and enlightenment is purely enlightenment. When you are completely and fully your authentic self.
Suzuki Roshi (p.97) says “If we live in each moment, that is Zen, whether you are sitting or working. Living in each moment is Zen. Zen is our everyday life.This is the point of Genjo Koan.” OK, he says that this is the point of Genjo Koan.
Leaping clear. Visualize yourself leaping clear of the two and the one, both the relative and absolute aspects of your being. I literally practiced leaping clear. And I found myself sitting in the seat of not knowing. The openness of not knowing.
Yet in attachment blossoms fall, and in aversion weeds spread.
From Okumara “Within this world of likes and dislikes, we do not perceive the myriad dharmas as they really are. “ Our preferences do not reflect true reality.
So Dogen encourages us here to let go of our preferences. I know my preferences become obstacles to my leaping clear. I find myself preferring the spaciousness or empty nature of being (and the feelings of peace that often accompanies it); likewise, I find myself wanting to push away conditioned self-concepts that cause suffering. But either clinging to or avoiding any state or feeling prevents me from showing right here as my authentic self. This is a crucial part of my practice because my Dharma name is MyoKi KoSho. Ko Sho Authentic Life.
Repeating question (10 min each in dyads):
What keeps you from fully showing up right now?
(Include in instructions that the asker says “thank you,” and continues to ask the question with or without an answer spoken by their partner.)
Group discussion (10 min):
What came up for you about fully being here right now?
I was really touched by a Dharma talk I listened to in which the teacher gave a very detailed explanation of what emerged for him in his morning zazen - and how his experience illuminated the Genjo Koan.
So, I’ll tell you a story about my zazen experience at our December one day sitting. This is taken from my journal:
When I was sitting at the Buddha’s Enlightenment Sesshin, I was feeling a little depressed. I had been moving in and out of depressed moods during the weeks leading to practice period. I felt insecure. I felt inadequate. Much of my childhood conditioning about not being good enough was coming up.
When I sat with my depressed feelings at the 1-day, I felt just beaten down. I don’t think my parents didn’t physically beat me. But they threatened me often by holding up their hand angrily, ready to spank me. My mother’s hand would fly up in her rage, and she would stop herself from hitting me by biting her hand. I would watch her shake in pain as she continued to sink her teeth into her own hand for what felt like an eternity. She would also threaten me with a wooden paddle hanging by the fireplace.
As I sat on my cushion with these memories flooding my consciousness, I felt in my body take the posture of fear - the fear of simply being myself.
I feel vulnerable sharing this with you, but it’s an important story, so I will continue.
At that particular one-day sitting, I was the kokyo, and required to chant a kokyo part that I had never done before. It was done in the sing-songy style of the alternate Metta Sutta we sing - with the voice going up third and down a third. I was nervous about doing it, because it was new to me. I knew I would make mistakes.
But something unexpected emerged out sitting in this posture of fear - the will and the strength to just be myself - to belt out the kokyo part as if I knew what I was doing. To fully express myself.
Unexpectedly, the posture of fear simply dropped away. My depressed mood lifted or morphed into something completely different. This is a leaping clear that happens to me when I fully and authentically enter the moment, when I show-up completely with both my delusion and acceptance of it, when I observe my suffering with compassion. This is showing up with both a small self and a Big Mind. Maybe this is actualizing is the fundamental point?
Announcement: Saturday morning class will be online, Saturday, Feb. 3, 10 am to 1 pm. Lots of time for inner exploration (writing, moving, repeating questions and monologues)
