Satya Robyn explores a koan from Dōgen's Shinji Shobogenzo about two Chinese masters, contrasting mystical insight with everyday concerns like market laws against stealing. The teaching moves between seeing all Buddhas in a hearth and the practical Middle Way, touching on samsara and practices like nembutsu.
This is a book called Shinji Shobogenzo, which is a collection of koans that Dogen, the founder of Soto Zen, collected when he went to China to find the true Buddhist teaching. Like Honen, Dogen was dissatisfied with what was being taught in the mainstream Japanese schools, and whereas Hōnen found his enlightenment in a text by a Chinese master, Shantao, Dōgen decided to go to China and meet the Chinese masters themselves. So he did, and part of what he did was collect these little stories between ancient Chinese masters and disciples that are supposed to show something about the nature of the Dharma. So the 38th one is just this little encounter between two Chinese Buddhist masters, although I think the names are written in the Japanese style. Master Seppo Gison on Mount Seppo in the Fuku district pointed to a hearth and said to Master Gensa, Inside this hearth, all Buddhas in the past, present, and future are preaching Gautama Buddha's truth. Master Gensō said, the regulations in the Emperor's Sanctuary have recently been tightened. Master Sefo said, in what way? Master Gensō said, it is forbidden for anyone to plunder a street market. So I'm sure that's crystal clear, so we'll leave it there. You know, they're often, you often need a bit of explanation because they're catching all of the cultural things and illusions that we don't know about. So the first master really is having a spiritual, a small spiritual experience. He's looking into the fire and all of the Buddha's teachings are present to him in that moment. He's suddenly gone, "Yes, I understand what the Buddha was talking about. The Buddha's present for me right now. Amida's present, Manjushri's present, all the Buddhas of the past, present, and the future. When I look into this fire, I feel connected to everything." And the second master says essentially, "Well, that's all very well, but come on back to the real world. And he talks about something very concrete, that the government have cracked down on people stealing food, presumably because they're hungry, otherwise it wouldn't be a concern for the monks, I guess, in the marketplace. And the point really is that both of these things are true at the same time. The Dharma is exquisite, exquisite and refined and idealistic, but if it— but it requires, or it also coexists completely with the world that we live in, which is full of greed, hate, delusion, impermanence, suffering, government cracking down on hungry people, flies in the shrine room, you know, whatever it is. Both of these things are true, and if we get too caught in one or the other, then we lose the way. So one understanding of the Middle Way, you could say, or even an understanding— essentially it's nimbuttsusanna, it's being in the midst of this world and recognizing human nature for what it is, foolish nature, recognizing samsara for what it is, and also knowing that Whilst that's true, all of the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas can be found in every moment. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
