Bendowa 3 by Shohaku Okumura

In 1996, Shohaku Okumura Roshi founded Sanshin Zen Community in order to form and strengthen the network of various Zen groups and individual practitioners who are interested in his style of teaching and practice. At that time he also envisioned the establishment of a center where the teachings of Dogen Zenji could be studied deeply and put into practice. This vision became a reality in 2003 when Sanshiji, Sanshin Zen Community’s practice center, was established in Bloomington.

Sanshin Zen Community’s Genzo-e (literally, “Shobogenzo gathering”) Retreat is an important element in Okumura Roshi’s ongoing endeavor to present the profound and often difficult teachings of Dogen Zenji in a way that is accessible to English speakers. During these retreats, Okumura Roshi lectures extensively on one or more chapters of Dogen Zenji’s great foundational philosophical work, Shobogenzo (True Dharma Eye Treasury). His lectures present insights received through years of study of this ancient text and a life devoted to the practice of its teachings. The Genzo-e lectures are a truly unique offering, opening doors to the teachings of one of the most important masters in the history of Japanese Buddhism.

This publication of Genzo-e lectures is one step in the continued effort to make Okumura Roshi’s work available. Many people have generously contributed their time and energy to this project and with continued support and interest we hope the audio project will flourish and evolve to help many people’s study of Dogen Zenji.

For information on how you can participate with the audio project or get involved at Sanshin Zen Community visit www.sanshinji.org or email admin@sanshinji.org.

Tracklist

1.	Brief review of Shobogenzo Bendowa in the context of Dogen's life; quickly going through the first sections of Bendowa	10:23

2.	Brief review of jijuyu zanmai section of Bendowa ["For all ancestors and buddhas who have been dwelling in and maintaining..."]	5:28
3.	Brief review of Questions 1-4	11:03
4.	Brief review of Questions 5-7	12:11
5.	Question 8 and 9: Why the Zen School or the practice of zazen wasn't introduced to Japan before Eisai and Dogen; Briefly going through history of Japanese Buddhism before Kamakura Era	13:16
6.	Question 8 and 9: Beginning of the history of Zen in China	9:16
7.	Few instances of Zen in Japan before Eisai/Dogen: Dosho and Gyoki	7:17
8.	Few instances of Zen in Japan before Eisai/Dogen: Ganjin, Dosen and Noko	11:47
9.	Few instances of Zen in Japan before Eisai/Dogen: Giku	8:09
10.	Question 9: Did the ancient masters not understand the dharma of zazen?; Dogen's opinion about ancient masters in Gakudo Yojinshu (from the book Heart of Zen p.18)	10:36
11.	Questions from Students	5:02
12.	Reading Question 10 and the Reply	10:59
13.	Question 10: Dualistic view of body and mind. Why Dogen was specially concerned about the matter of duality of body and mind.	19:27
14.	Dogen's counter-argument against dualistic view of body & mind, in Shobogenzo Sokushin Zebutsu	13:27
15.	Nanyo Echu's warning against the dualistic view of body and mind, in Shobogenzo Sokushin Zebutsu	14:51
16.	Further clarifying the point why the dualistic view of body and mind is not a Buddhst teaching (reading Brahmajala-sutta, from the Pali Nikaya); The atman-theory in Hinduism/Brahmanism; few questions from students	15:51
17.	Buddha's teaching about the wrong view of duality of mind & body, (reading Brahmajala-sutta, Pali Nikaya)	11:30
18.	Quickly reviewing Question 10, reading the Reply to Question 10	11:11
19.	Question 10; Varied understanding of mind (shin); Commenting on Senika's "spiritual intelligence"	18:19
20.	Question 10 ["Since I cannot avoid this issue, I must now further bestow compassion...] - Dogen's presentation of correct view about mind; Attaining the Way through the body (Zuimonki)	8:54
21.	Question 10: Using form to attain formlessness, seeing form as no-form	7:16
22.	Question 10 ["Moreover, in the gate of speaking of permanence..."] - Permanence (form) & impermanence (nature/essence)	11:20
23.	Question 10 ["You should understand that in buddha-dharma..."] - "dharma gate of vast total aspect of mind essence" (shin sho dai so so ho mon); Mind (shin, as capital-M Mind, Big Mind); the concept "mahayana" as a noun (from The Awakening of Faith)	15:07
24.	Question 10: Two aspects of Mind, in terms of ultimate and phenomena. One Mind understood as mahayana, as a noun (from The Awakening of Faith)	8:40
25.	Question 10 (Reply): The problem of translating shin as "mind", Mind (shin as heart/hridaya) is not a function of the brain - Big Mind (daishin) has nothing to do with the condition of one's psychological mind.	11:49
26.	Questions from students	8:19
27.	mind (citta) & Mind (hridaya); Uchiyama Roshi's expressions "Life" (inochi), "thought" (omoi), and "awakening" (mezameru)	7:29
28.	Reading Questions 11 & 12; Discussing the concepts shingon and shikan	5:36
29.	Question 12 (Reply); Historical and religious environment of Dogen, the idea of three dharma-ages, and mappô ('age of last dharma') as a cause of new Buddhist schools in Japan	12:04
30.	Vinaya-precepts school, and the general usage of precepts in Japanese Buddhism around Dogen's time	13:54
31.	Shinran's (jodoshin-school) and Eisai's attitude towards precepts/Vinaya	3:06
32.	Question 11: Precepts in Dogen's tradition	14:26
33.	Question 11: Further on Dogen's attitude towards precepts (Zuimonki section 2-1)	10:39
34.	Question 11: Precepts as an expression of zazen (reading from Kyoju kaimon, Dogen's comments on the precepts); Couple of questions from students	9:57
35.	Question 12: Eisai's intention to restore Saicho's teaching; Dogen's intention to focus on one practice (Zuimonki 1-14); Few questions from students	11:22
36.	Reading Questions 13 & 14	8:11
37.	The meaning of Dogen's expression "universal recommendation" of zazen (fukanzazengi); Dogen's original attitude to share dharma	5:38
38.	Quesiton 13 ["Can this practice be carried out..."]: Monks (shukke) and laypeople (zaike); The origin of "home-leaving" (shukke) in Buddhism	11:14
39.	Question 13: The interplay between committed monk-practice and relaxed lay-practice; Two ways that genuine spirit can degenerate - too much isolation vs. too secular/worldly	5:17
40.	Question 13: A middle way between too much isolation and too much worldly practice; Uchiyama Roshi's metaphor of dharma-wheel/society as a water mill/water; Commenting on the Reply to Question 13, the position of women in Shakyamuni Buddha's sangha	10:13
41.	Question 13: Monastic life in the Early Buddhist sangha, laypeople's relationship the monasteries; Question 14 and the traditional meaning of "leaving home" as a monk	9:42
42.	Question 14 ["But how can people who are busy with their duties..."] - Focusing on one thing, being in accord with non-action (mu i); vast gate of compassion (kodai no jimon)	14:51
43.	Question 14 ["If we search, there are many examples..."] Dogen gives examples of Chinese laypeople practicing wholeheartedly; Dogen's famous saying "there is no buddha-dharma in the secular realm, there is nothing secular in the realm of buddha"	8:06
44.	Question 14 ["Recently in China there was a minister..."] - Minister Hou, a disciple of rinzai master Dai-e	6:39
45.	Question 14 ["In great Song China nowadays the Emperor..."] - Explaining the word shitaifu ('government official') and kakkyo, examination to become a government official in Song China, that required knowledge about Zen, among other things	5:01
46.	Question 14 - The model of services/ceremonies in Zen Buddhism (in buddha-hall), deriving directly from the model of imperial court services in Song China; Question 14 ["Of those who so aspire, many will..."] commenting on the last sentences of Question 14	10:22
47.	Question 14 ["Also during Shakyamuni's stay in the world..."] - Stories about hunters and woodcutters attaining the Way; The story about Baso and Sekkyo; few words on a woodcutter attaining the Way (sixth ancestor Huineng)	17:49
48.	On monks and laypeople (reading from Zuimonki 3-2)	14:45
49.	Another example of lay/monk relation, the story about Layman Pang (reading from Zuimonki 3-11)	8:22
50.	Dogen's change of heart regarding monk's/lay practice, after the move from Koshoji near Kyoto, to Echizen (Daibutsuji/Eiheiji)	6:22
51.	Quoting from Shobogenzo Shukke Kudoku (The Merit of Home Leaving): Nagarjuna's words about the virtue of home leaving	7:16
52.	Other examples from Shukke Kudoku: Story about Buddha and a drunken Brahman; Story about Sogyanandai Daiosho	16:09
53.	Further discussing Dogen's transition from Kyoto to Echizen	10:20
54.	Dogen's final resolution to practice diligently in a quiet place with a small group; Okumura Roshi's own attitude in the USA	11:17
55.	Reading Question 15; Three Ages of Dharma in Buddhism (shobo, zoho, mappo); An example of the idea of "declining age" in Chinese history, a national belief rather than within Buddhism	8:54
56.	The origin of the idea of mappo, Age of Last Dharma (reading from Once Upon a Future Time)	5:55
57.	Seven causes of the decline of Buddhism, according to Indian texts (quoting the book, Once Upon a Future Time)	10:01
58.	Further, on the creation of the concept mappo (Last Age of the Dharma)	4:54
59.	New Buddhism in Kamakura period, Honen (jodoshu), Shinran (jodoshinshu), Eisai (rinzai), Dogen (soto), Nichiren (nichirenshu)	7:48
60.	Question 15 ["In the Teaching Schools they focus on various classification...."] - Why to practice zazen in a declining age of the Dharma, like mappo? ; The idea of 'entering dharma' & 'forgetting dharma' (nitto/nippo & shusshin); understanding & non-understanding (e & fu-e)	13:55
61.	Question 15 ["Both in entering dharma..."] - Commenting on Dogen's term 'our family treasure'; Another perspective on ji in jijuyu zanmai; On 'total function' zenki	9:10
62.	Two koans in Shobogenzo Inmo about Mind (shin; hridaya): Sogyanandai and Kayashata and the wind bell; Huineng and two monks and the moving banner; further discussing about 'Mind' (shin)	10:41
63.	Question 15 ["Only those who practice know on their own.."] - Dogen's opinion about mappo, or Three Dharma Ages (from Zuimonki 4-12)	10:01
64.	Another opinion of Dogen's, about mappo, or Three Dharma Ages (from Zuimonki 6-2)	5:21
65.	Questions from students	5:38
66.	Reading Question 16, and Reply	11:19
67.	Question 16: Dogen's discussion with his master Nyojo about "inherent knowledge" (spritual intelligence) versus awakening/enlightenment (in Hokyoki, Dogen's record when studying under Nyojo)	9:50
68.	Question 16: Nyojo's answer to Dogen's question whether sentient beings are already enlightened buddhas, discussing the term jinen gedo (the naturalist heresy: everything is natural as it is); on the 'contact' between perception/consciousness & material (/nama rupa)	15:35

69.	Reading Question 16 again; How the term sokushin zebutsu (mind itself is buddha) can be read as Buddhism and/or non-Buddhism	9:07
70.	Question 16: Practice compared to the moonlight reflected in a drop of dew (Genjokoan); Few questions from students	8:21
71.	Question 16 ["Simply knowing that the buddha dharma exists in the self..."] - The mistake of separating self & object and understand either as buddha; ["If just knowing that self is itself the Buddha..."] - Introducing the koan story about Genzoku	20:07
72.	Question 16 ["The fireboy comes seeking fire..."] - Hogen's admonition to Genzoku, and Genzoku's release from his so-called "enlightenment"	9:00
73.	Question 16: Dogen's term shushin 'vital path of emancipation' (from Fukanzazengi), the importance of getting out of enlightenment	6:55
74.	Short introduction to this final lecture of the retreat; Reading Question 17; Commenting on the story about Kyogen and Isan ("a painted rice cake cannot fill my stomach)	15:39
75.	Question 17: Ananda's enlightenment experience	6:12
76.	Question 17 - Why does Dogen only recommend zazen, since not all of (ancient masters) attained enlightenment through zazen?; Commenting on the Reply to Question 17	8:17
77.	Question 17: A similar question and answer in Zuimonki 5-23; Dogen's own experience in China, when he was asked by monk why he read texts	7:18
78.	Question 17: Okumura Roshi's comment about usefulness/uselessness of reading texts: reading recipes without cooking VS. cooking without any knowledge of recipes; few questions from students	15:07
79.	Reading Question 18, and commenting; On Japanese mentality	8:33
80.	Question 18 ["As you say, benevolence and wisdom have not yet..."] - Story about old monk attaining arhathood by being hit by handball, through his faith/concentration	10:18
81.	Question 18 ["However, when assisted by right faith..."]; Story about a woman who "opened up satori" by true faith, when the old monk escaped during her sleep	6:12
82.	Question 18 ["Also it is only for about two thousand and some years.."] - Further emphasising faith; 'right faith' (shoshin); A definiton of faith in Abhidharma Kosha	17:46
83.	Reading and commenting on the last sentences of Bendowa, after Eighteen Questions and Answers	11:31
84.	(Last sentences of Bendowa cont.) - ["The manner of this zazen..."]	7:19

Credits

released December 19, 2012

Shohaku Okumura is a Zen Buddhist priest who is recognized internationally as a leading authority on the teachings of the great Japanese Zen master Eihei Dogen. He travels widely offering retreats and lecturing on Dogen Zenji’s teachings. Okumura Roshi has translated many Buddhist teachings from Japanese, and his writings have appeared in various Buddhist periodicals. He is also the founder of Sanshin Zen Community, an international Buddhist Sangha headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana.

While he was a student at Komazawa University in Tokyo, Okumura Roshi was ordained by Kosho Uchyama Roshi in 1970 at Antaiji in Kyoto, Japan. In 1975 he traveled to the United States where he became a founding member of Pioneer Valley Zendo in Charlemont, Massachusetts. In 1981 he returned to Japan where he began his ongoing translation of the works of Dogen Zenji and Uchiyama Roshi, and he eventually served as teacher at the Kyoto Soto Zen Center. After returning to the United States with his wife and two children in 1993, he practiced as the head teacher of Minnesota Zen Center until 1996. After leaving MZMC, he founded Sanshin Zen Community in the same year. He worked for the Soto Zen Buddhism International Center (formerly the Soto Zen Education Center) as the director from 1997 to 2010. Okumura Roshi and his family now reside in Bloomington, Indiana.

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