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Zazen (2) Scientific Clarification of Zazen

Posted: May 21st, 2006, 1:34am PDT by Gudo NISHIJIMA

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(Zazen and the autonomic nervous system)

Recently it has become very popular for many doctors, psychologists, physiologists, and so forth, to be very diligent in trying to clarify the meaning and content of Zazen on the basis of scientific knowledge. Fortunately among them we can find many examples, which seem to be reliable. But, more than about 60 years ago, when I first began to suppose that the meaning and content of Zazen might be much related with the state of the autonomic nervous system, this kind of supposition was extremely rare. So very few people agreed with my proposition at that time. But even then I had very strong confidence that my proposition about the relation between Zazen and the autonomic nervous system might be clarified in many scientific fields relying upon the efforts of many excellent scientists. So I was very optimistic that my propositions about the relation between the scientific explanations and the real fact of Zazen practice, might be certified by many scientists' efforts very soon.

The actual progress of our civilizations was not as fast as I had hoped, and so I had to wait for many decades to meet the condition I had hoped for. But recently we have met the excellently clear situation that many scientists have been successful in clarifying scientific psychological theories of half-consciousness, or non-consciousness, and might have the ability to solve the very profoundly mystical contents of religious problems clearly.

Then I read some psychological books, which were written by an American psychiatrist, called Karl Menninger including his books, "The Human Mind," "Man Against Himself," "Love Against Hate," and others. "Man Against Himself" is a book, which explains the psychological situation of a personality, who has committed suicide. The author insists that a person, who has committed a suicide, is never a week person, but he, or she, is usually a very strong and aggressive person. Therefore first he, or she, is prone to attack some person outside. But for some reason, if his, or her attack against others outside is unsuccessful, his, or her, very strong aggressive energy, can be directed against himself, or herself, actually, and he, or she actually kills himself, or herself. Such situations are usually real in many cases of suicide. Reading this opinion, it was impossible for me to refuse the author's insistences. So I have noticed the very dangerous situations of the enormously strong aggressive attitude, and the much too strong sympathtic nervous system.

Karl Menninger's solution of the problem is that it is necessary for us to promote the function of love until love and hate become balanced. He insists that both that the much too strong sympathtic nervous system is not normal, and that the much too strong parasympathetic nervous system is also not normal. In other words we, human beings, have a duty to maintain the balance of our autonomic nervous system. Having read this, I then could understand the meaning of the Japanese and Chinese Buddhist words, "Jijuyo Zanmai." The words "Jijuyo" is divided into two parts, that is, "Jiju" and "Jiyo." "Ji" means "self," and "yo" means "to use." Therefore "Jiju" means "to receive oneseif," and "yo" in "Jiyo" means "to utilize," and so "Jiyo" means "to utilize oneself." So I understand that "to receive oneself" suggests the rather passive function of the parasympathetic nervous system, and "to utilize oneself" indicates the rather aggressive function of the sympathetic nervous system. Relying upon those considerations of Buddhist philosophy and practice, I thought that I had understood the fundamental principle of Buddhism.

(Buddhist Realism)

Therefore I think that the Age of human history, which I have divided into two parts, that is, the Age of the separation between religions and sciences, or the Age of separation between idealism and materialism, is going to end. I believe that the Age, in which, it is necessary for us to overcome the absolutely contradictory situations between these two kinds of very strong and very valuable civilizations of idealism and materialism, is about to begin. This will be the Age for establishing the ultimate philosophy of Realism. Of course, there is an absolute difference between idealism and materialism, and so logically speaking it is completely impossible for us to combine them into one. However, fortunately, because of the benevolence of Gautama Buddha, relying upon his great consideration of his Four Philosophies, we can overcome the problem of the gap between the two fundamental philosopies -- the intellectual philosophy and the practical philosophy. Therefore, utilizing Gautama Buddha's Four Philosophies we can synthesize the two fundamentally different philosophies into one.
Zazen(1)Zazen and Yoga

Posted: May 12th, 2006, 12:12am PDT by Gudo NISHIJIMA

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(Buddhist practice and Yoga) Even though Zazen is a method of practice, which Gautama Buddha has begun in the ancient India for the first time, before hundreds years ago there has been a special method of practice called Yoga, which has been practiced in ancient India, too. However, the philosophies, which exist behind Buddhist practice and Yoga, are completely different from each other, that it is absolutely impossible for us to identify Buddhism and Yoga together.

(Pursuit of thoughts) Gautama Buddha has noticed the existence of very strong conflicts between idealism, or sasvata-drsti, and materialism, or uccheda-drsti, which always existed in almost all human civilizations in the world, and he thought that without solving such a serious confict between the two fundamental philosophies, it is perfectly impossible for human beings to become happy at all. The solution of such a serious problem, however, has been just the problem, which only Gautama Buddha has solved in the wole history of human beings for the first time, and we have to say that it might have been completely impossible for him to be successful, even in the case of Gautama Buddha, without sacrificing everything of him for success of finding the Truth for his throughout life.

At the beginning first, Gautama Buddha has thought that what was called the Truth might be something, which can be caught by intellectual consideration relying upon the function of human brain, and so he has first selected such a method actually. Then first Gautama Buddha visited

Alara Kalama, and made his efforts to get the thoughts that "people usually do not have anything originally." He, however, recognized soon that it was impossible for everyone to be saved from their serious suffering in their real life. But actually he continue his same attitudes further, and he was taught with the thoughts that "everyone should not consider anything, and furthermore should not consider even not to think," from Udraka Ramaputra, but in this case too Gautama Buddha could not be saved from all difficulties, and so he had noticed that everyone can never be saved by only any kind of thoughts at all.

(Ascetic life)　Then Gautama Buddha noticed that even though he has thought that all human beings can never get their happiness by getting any kind of thoughts, and he recognized that it was completely impossible for human beings to get happiness only by getting any kind of thoughts. Therefore he decided to take a different way. Before that time because Gautama Buddha had believed that it was possible for him to get the tuth by having any kind of true thoughts, but he had experienced that such fact had not occured at all on the earth. Therefore he wanted to begin another method, which was also popular in the ancient India, that is, asceticism. In this practice in ancient India there were so many kinds of ascetic methods, and so Gautama Buddha went to a woods, where many ascetics were living together for their ascetic life. Among them Gautama Buddha's ascetic life was so sincere and so hard. Because he want to get the truth relying upon his ascetic life, and so he never permited himself to have any kind of compromising attitude, and so it is said that he had fallen down into syncopic states several times. And because Gautama Buddha's attitudes in his ascetic life lacked any kind of compromising attitude, and so after beginning his so hard ascetic life, there had been rumors that "Gautama Buddha had died for his so severe ascetic trials. After so hard practice for many days, however, he noticed gradually that it is impossible for human beings to enter into a balanced and comfortable life relying upon any kind of ascetic life at all. Therefore one day he decided to stop his ascetic life completely. But the other many ascetics practioners thought that "Gutama Buddha has given up his ascetic life because of the painfulness of it." Therefore many ascetics in the woods laughed at him so severely. But Gautama Buddha, who was only sincere to grasp the Truth, did not have any kind of emotional situations at all, but he left the woods quietly and solely.

(Practice of Zazen) Leaving from his ascetic life, when Gautama Buddha walked dragging his feet along the Nairanjana River, a girl, called Sujata, from a near village, looking at Gautama Buddha's so wretched style, presented some gruel boiled with animal milk. How much enjoyed Gautama Bddha such a kind of small volue of guel enormously. We can easily suppose Gautama Buddha's very joyful situations to eat the small amount of gruel whole-heartedly. We can think that he might found "What is the food?" "What is eating?" "What is to live?" "What is Reality?"

After such experiences he had begun his normal life.

But his strong will to grasp the Truth had never become weak, and so he has begun another new practice. That was Zazen. Several centuries ago before Gautama Buddha was born, there was a rather special practice called Yoga in India already, and it had so many kinds of posture in sitting, and Gautama Buddha selected the best two postures among them, which were called the Half Lotus Posture, and the Full Lotus Posture. They said that among many kinds of Yoga postures those two were the most duifficult postures. But in the case of Gautama Buddha he selected the most difficult two postures from the beginning, and continuded the practice every day. And after practice of several years, one day he practiced Zazen in the morning, and he looked at the Venus in the Eastern sky, and at that moment he noticed that he was never living in thoughts, nor living in sensuous perception, but he was just living in Reality.

(Realization) This experience is the fundamental basis of Buddhist philosophy, and Gautama Buddha had continued the practice of Zazen further more and more. Before that time many Indian poeple believed in Brahmanism, which was a typical idealist philosophy, and also many poeple believed in the materialism, or skepticism, which is taught by the six non-Buddhist thinkers. But Gautama Buddha found that idealism could never be the Truth, and materialism or skepticism could never be the Truth, but Realism, which he had found after his practice of Zazen, was just the Truth itself. In so miscellaneous and so many philosophies, which occured in human histories, almost all philosophies might belong to idealism, or materialism, but it might be almost impossible for us to find philosophies, which belng to Realism. It is very strange that even though we, human beings, are always living in Reality, but it is very rear for us to notice the important facts that we are just living in the real world. In such a meaning, we have to think about the enormously important value of Buddhism in human history, and it is necessary for us to study Realizm, which was found by Gautama Buddha for the first time in human history.
Reality (4) God and the Universe

Posted: February 8th, 2006, 11:24pm PST by Gudo NISHIJIMA

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At the end of my introductory Buddhism, I would like to think about the relation of God and Buddhism. Many Buddhist scholars think that Buddhism is atheism. But in my case it can never be so simple for me to solve the problem between God and Buddhism. Because looking at Christianity the problem of God is so important and there are so many theories to solve the problem. And so I think that I should be very careful in thinking about the problem of God.

At the same time when we think about the Universe, it is also not so easy to understand it. For example, when we think about the Solar System, I usually wonder why those big heavenly bodies can be maintained in space. Our scientific knowledge has developed so much, and we can know the facts that everything in the universe has gravity. But when we think about what is the reason, why there is such a miraculous fact of gravity, it is not so easy to find the cause of existent gravity. Therefore it is necessary for us to think that the world, where we are just living now, is some times very mystical and miraculous in spite of our expectation.

And at the same time it is necessary for us to accept that the world (or the universe, I use the words interchangably) is regulated by some kind of order. It is necessary for us to confirm that the world is just governed by the Rule of the Universe. It is also a kind of systematized world, which is governed by a kind of the Universal Rule.

But the world is an area, where some kind of blind energy is full,too. Therefore we have to think that the world might be a kind of blind and mysterious space, and so it is necessary for the world to be regulated by some criteria. For whom is it possible to regulate such a blind world? And when I think about such a problem, it is impossible for me to find anoher being other than human beings to regulate such a kind of blind energy, which does not have any ability to regulate itself. I think that if human beings are not extremely diligent to regulate the blind energy to the true direction, it might be difficult for us to maintain the world in even as good a condition as it is in today. In such situations I think that human beings are working rather well to maintain the international relations among many independent countries, and organizing rather good economical systems in almost all countries in the world.

But in such a situation I think that the most serious problem in the world, might be the contradictory situation between Idealism and Materialism. Religious people are yearning for something spiritual following their Idealistic philosophy, and they disdain the material value. But people, who are standing on the basis of Materialism and do not recognize spiritual value at all, are very diligent to get the economical value, and laugh at the Idealistic viewpoint so much. However, if there were so unfortunate facts that people, who are belonging to the same societies, have completely opposite opinions having enormously hostile attitudes, is it possible for them to harmonize in a common adequate attitudes to the same problems? I think that it might be impossible for human beings to maitain the peaceful situations between the Idealistic front and the Materialistic front at all.

Therefore in such a situations if we permit to maintain the coexistence of two completely opposite philosophies, that is, Idealism and Materialism, the World can never be identified or unified at all. I think that it is completely impossible for human beings to have only one identified peaceful world at all if these two philosophies continue to fight one another. And in such situations there is a serious problem, that is, the Problem of God. Everyone knows well how strong the religious people's love God. If there were no solution in maintenance of God, how would it be possible for religious people to leave the Idealistic thoughts. There is possibility that they never leave the belief in Idealism. But if we consider the Materialistic hate against God, the hate is strong so much in the case of Materialists, and so it might be completely impossible for Materialists to accept the belief in God. And in such situations, if we do not solve the so difficult problem of God, it might be almost impossible for human beings to realize the belief in Reality at all.

Then how shall we think about God? As far as the modern scientific knowledge teaches us, it is said that the Universe is always expanding at every moment. If we accept the idea that the Universe is always expanding endlessly, it is very difficult for us to suppose the existence of another Universe other than this Universe at all. And in such situations, we have to think that God might exist inside the Universe. But in that case we can never permit that God is a part of the Universe. Because we should think that God is all, God is everywhere, God is almighty, and God is the Absolute.

Thinking like that I am afraid that God has been thought of as something much smaller than the actual fact. And I think that we should consider the Revolutionary Recovery of God sincerely. In such situations I thing that we should accept the idea that "God is the Universe, the Universe is God." God can never be smaller than the Universe, but at the same time God can never be bigger than the Unuverse. Therefore "God is the Universe, the Universe is God." And then the Fusion between God and the Universe is called Reality.

And when we sitting in Zazen, we can sit in God, we can sit in the Universe, we can sit in act, and we can sit in Reality. Therefore we can sit in Reality.

Now I have finished my introductory explanations of Buddhist Philosophy, and so I would like to begin to write about Zazen itself in the next theem.

(The End of the Introductory Buddhism)
Reality (3) Act at the present moment and the Universe

Posted: February 5th, 2006, 8:36pm PST by Gudo NISHIJIMA

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In the former blogs I have explained Reality as Reason, which pervades throughout the Universe, and the External World, which exists in front of us as (1) and (2). But if I grasp Reality as much more practical and true meaning, the first interpretation that Reality is the Reason, which pervades throughout the Universe (1), is a kind of interpretation in intellectual consideration, and the second interpretation that Reality is the External World, which exists in front of us, is also a kind of interpretation in perceptible images, which have been grasped through our sense organs. Therefore in the absolutely realistic Buddhist Philosophy, we persue much more absolutely realistic viewpoint, that is, our Real Act at the present moment.

In Buddhism we understand our acts in the past as memories of acts, and we understand our acts in future as supposition of acts. And furthermore even recognitions of our acts at the present, if they are just recognitions in our mind at the present moment, it is also impossible for such recognitions to be Real Act at the present moment. Those truly Realistic Experiences of Buddhist Acts at the prsent moment, can be found in Mulamadhyamaka-karika by Mastor Nagarjna, and they are also the same realistic ideas in Shobogenzo by Master Dogen, especially in the Chapters, "GYOBUTSU-YUIGI, or The Dignified Behavior of Acting Buddha", or "SHINJIN-GAKUDO, or Learning the Truth with Body and Mind."

Such kinds of perfectly Real Acts can never exist in the past or the future. Because the memory of the past is a kind of image, or thoughts of the past, and the supposition in future is also a kind of image, or thoughts of the future.

Therefore we should clearly notice that only the Real Act at the present moment has its real entity just as a kind of substance. And we should think that this principle of the Real Act should be noticed by all Buddhists, because such a principle of the Real Act at the present moment is the fundamental criterion of the throughout Buddhism. If we do not experience of the Real Act at the present moment relying upon the practicing Zazen, and so forth, we can never grasp the Real Buddhism at all.

And in the 9th Verse of the 1st Chapter in Mulamadhyamaka-karika, it says as follows.

"When the rule of the universe has not yet manifested itself, our ability of self-regulation has not yet appeared.

When our ceaseless mental fuctions have not yet been regulated, the reliable facts are also very vague."

The verse suggests that before the Universe hasn't appeared really, our act, which is called self-regulation, does not appear at all, and before the mental conditions of ourselves are balanced, the Real Universe is not recognized clearly. And in the second line of the Verse, it is said that before our mental conditions haven't been regulated, the Universe is not so clear in front of us. In short it is said that without the appearance of the Universe, our act can never manifest itself, and when our mental situations are not regulated yet, the reliable facts, or Reality, is very vague.

And I interpret that this verse suggests the identity between the Universe and our act at the present moment. Buddhism insists that without the Universe, our act at the present moment can never exist, and without our act, the Universe does not appear clearly. And I think that this principle is very important in Buddhist Philosophical System. Because the identity between our act at the present moment and the Universe itself is the fundamental basis of Buddhist Realism.

When I read this Verse for the first time, it was impossible for me to understand the meaning of the Verse. But having read it many times again and again, I noticed that in Buddhism there is a fundamental principle that our Real Act at the present moment and the Real Universe as the stage of act, are just the face and the back of Reality itself. And, relying upon the princible, Buddhism can become a completely independent realistic philosophy in the area of philosophical area.

Therefore following the Buddhist philosophicl viewpoint, there is no valure at all even though we remember and yearn our gorgeous past, or there is no constractive substance even though we worry about our serious mistakes in the past again and again. At the same time it might not have any meaning even though we are much anxious about an serious conditions in future, or we have much time to dream so many fantastic happy dreams in future.

Gautama Buddha noticed that it was the most happy situations for all human beings to live and work sincerely in the balanced state just at the present moment. Such a teaching is just the most important principle, which Gautama Buddha taught us.

Our life is never only idea, or never sense stimuli, but our life is just to live and work sincerely for our favorite job in the balanced state.
Reality (2) The External World

Posted: February 2nd, 2006, 12:57am PST by Gudo NISHIJIMA

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In Buddhist philosophy, Reality is also indicated as the Reason, which pervades through the Universe, but in the second phase, we have to discuss the External World, in which we are just living now, as Reality. When we think about the problem simply on the basis of intellectual philosophies like Idealism, if we think that Reality is just Reason, it is impossible for us to insist that Reality is the External World. But in the case of Buddhist Realism, following the Theory of the Four Philosophies, it is possible for us to grasp the Universe as the External World from the opposite side of Reason.

Thinking from the Buddhist viewpoint, Reality is the External World itself, which we are just looking at in front of us. The one of the heavenly bodies, called the Solar System, includes the planet, called the Eearth, and the human civilization, which has developed on the surface of the Eearth, is also a kind of Reality. And even though we, human beings, have developed the history of the civilization for more than thouzands of years at least, we are just living in the historical Reality in the 21st Century.

And in such Reality, what I feel so much grateful, is the fact that USA and USSR have become reconciled with each other without fighting the World War 3. in 1991. Before the reconciliation I could never expect such a so happy reconciliation of the two countries at all. At that time I thought that, if the World War 3. had occured, I had supposed that the tens % of the surface of the Eearth might be destroied easily. Because even in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, the damage by Atomic Bombs in Hirishima and Nagasaki was enormously serious, that it was completely impossible for us to suppose the damage before it occured actualy at all. And furthermore more than 60 years have passed since the bombing Hirashima and Nagasaki, and so we have to think that the damage, which we have to suppose, might be so serious.

Therefore it was so grateful fact that because of the enormous efforts of USA and USSR the World War 3. has been stopped. We could become very joyful in such happy conditions wholeheartedly, we can enjoy so enormously that we, human beings, were not so stupid to destroy ourselves utilizing the Atomic Bombs, which we, human beings, had produced after so long and so eormous efforts.

I have a rather peculiar idea on human history, that the World History of human beings seems to be similar to a tornament game of some kinds of sports. In the Anciet History of human beings, there were many small tribes, and each tribe has their own undeveloped civilization. And when there were some kinds of competitive attitudes among them, in the ultimate phase they had wars, and they decided which tribe was superior to others relying upon fighting. Such competitive fights have been continued so manty times in the human history. And at last in 1991 USA and USSR want to fight the Final Game, but fortunately human beings had their excellent ability to stop their Final Game.

And thinking about the real situation of the world, we can think that the Final Game of the World Tornament has ended without fighting, already. And I guess that the Winner of the Final Game might be USA. Therefore in such a situation, USA has possibility to change her Army into the Police of the World, and All Countries in the World will have possibility to change their Armies into each Branch Offices of the World Police. In other words I think that we, Human Beings, are able to begun to have the possibility to establish the Government of the Whole World. Of course such a too much optimistic idea might be very difficult for human beings to think so seriously, but I think that our efforts to establish the peaceful plan to make the World situation better, might be much more desirable for us than to destroy our Valuable Civilization into Ashes by our very stupid attitude.

I have a supposition that it might not be so stupid for human beings to use the Nuclear Weapons on the Earth in future for destroying the so brilliant and valuable civilization, which we have now.
Reality (1) Reason, which pervades through the Universe

Posted: January 30th, 2006, 9:10pm PST by Gudo NISHIJIMA

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At the end of the last research of Buddhism, we have arrived at the problem what Reality is in Buddhism. And about such a problem Buddhism usually insists that it is difficult for us to explain Reality with words. Because Reality is so inclusive, so wide, so complicated, so direct, and so forth. Therfore in Shobogenzo we find a Chapter, which entitled "INMO, or It," (29) which suggests something difficult to describe with words. The word "INMO" is a Chinese colloquial word, which means "it" or "that" implying something ineffable.

But in Buddhism the meaning of word "ineffable" does never suggest some kind of mysticism, or vagueness, but it suggests Reality itself in front of us, which includes so holy, so miscellaneous, so complicated, and so direct things and phenomena in front of us. Therefore I think that it is also very addiquate for us to explain Reality relying upon the meathod of the Four Philosophies.

And about such a problem we can find a very excellent book, which explains the true meaning of Buddhist philosophy, in the Ancient India, called Mulamadhyamakakarika (from here I would like to call it MMK) by Nagarjuna. MMK is constructed from 27 chapters, and in the 1st Chapter, we can find the 1st Verse, as follows.

"Not Subjectivity, never Objectivity, not the both, but never unreasonable.

The phenomena are just recognized, and (the concept) "existences" do never exist anywhere, they are completely nothing."

This suggests that the Subjectivity, or what is considered in our brain, does not exist as Reality, and the Objectivity, or what is perceived through our sense organs, also does not exist as Reality. In other words what we think in our brain is not Reality, and what we perceive through our sense organs is never Reality. And those two sentences insist that the Idealistic Philosophy is not true, and the Materialistic Philosophy is not true. But Reality is never unreasonable.

And in the second Verse MMK said.

"The Four Reliable Facts are Reason, the External World, the Present Moment,

And just Reality like God. And the Fifth Reliable Fact does never exist at all."

Reading this Verse, I noticed Nagarjuna's so strong confidence in his Buddhist Philosophy, and I have accepted his Buddhist Belief so strongly. Nagarjuna insisted that the Reliable Facts, or Reality, are just four, that is, Reason, the External World, the Present Moment, and Reality itself. And he never confirmed the existence of the fifth one.

I think that his first viewpoint of Reality, which is considered on the Basis of the Four philosophies, may be the Reason, which pervades throughout the Universe. For example, a person A thinks about 1 + 1, it might be 2, and a person B thinks about 1 + 1, it might be also 2. And so we have to think the existence of the facts that 1 + 1 = 2 always exist everywhere in the Universe, and it is completely impossible for us to deny the existence of such a simple fact in the Universe at all. In such meaning, it is completely impossible for me to deny the Real Existence of Reason through the Universe at all first.
Philosophy of act (4) Zazen

Posted: January 29th, 2006, 5:46am PST by Gudo NISHIJIMA

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At the ultinate phase of philosophy of act, we have arrived at Zazen, which is the central point of Buddhism. However, in this situation, the most important point is that the explanations of Zazen can never be the practice of Zazen itself. Zazen itself is just that we fold our legs, we fold our arms, we streach our each spine straight virtically, and so forth. I would like to ask you to remember that it is absolutely different for us to read the explanation of Zazen, or to look at others's posture of Zazen than to practice Zazen really.

After finishing this Dogen Sangha Blog, I am planning to write my explanation of actual method for practicing Zazen after finishing this blog, and so I would like to ask you to wait for a while.

Actually speaking, Buddhism is a very unique practical philosophy, which is very rare in another civilization. Buddhism is a civilization, which can open just relying upon the practice of Zazen. Therefore Buddhism is just the real world, which can open just relying upon the practice. Without practicing Zazen there is no Buddhism.

At the same time, however, if there were the practice of Zazen, we can easily open the the World of Buddhism at once, and this is the benevolence of Gautama Buddha. Therefore Master Dogen proclaimed that in "Shobogenzo Bendowa" as follows.

"This Rule of the Universe is abundantly present in each human being, but if we do not practice it, it does not manifest, and if we do not experience it, it cannot be realized. When we let go, it has already filled the hands; how could it be defined as one or many? When we speak, it fills the mouth; it has no restriction in any direction."
Philosophy of act (3) Instantaneousness of the Universe

Posted: January 27th, 2006, 10:58pm PST by Gudo NISHIJIMA

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In Shobogenzo we can find the Chapter, entitled "UJI." "U" means existence, and "JI" means time. Therefore the words "UJI" suggest that, in the real world, existence of something always occurs at the same time as occurance of a real time. In other words, when something exists, time inevitably exists, and when time exists, something inevitably exists. That suggests the general identity between existence and time in the real world. Therefore in the Chapter of "UJI", it says that " Time is already just existence, and all Existence is Time." And this insistence suggests that time and existence inevitably exist together at once, and it is impossible for time and exitence separately to exist at all.

And this idea does not belong only to Buddhism today. In fact, a German philosopher called Martin Heidegger wrote a book entitled "ZEIN UND ZEIT, or BEING AND TIME," and he also suggested the identity of existence and time.

The real Time in Buddhism is never time, which is arranged as past, present, and future like a line, but the real Time in Buddhism is just a very short moment, which is called an instant. Therefore in the Chapter of Shobogenzo entitled "HOTSU-BODAISHIN, or Establishment of the Bodhi-mind," Master Dogen said, "In general, establishment of the mind and attainment of the truth rely upon the instantaneous arising and vanishing of all things. If [all things] did not arise and vanish instantaneously, bad done in the previous instant could not depart. If bad done in the previous instant had not yet departed, good in the next instant could not be realized in the present." And this is just the Buddhist Realism, which places the basis of the present instantaneousness in it.

Therefore Master Dogen describes at the several lines later in the same Chapter that "but no common man has ever sensed it or known it." And further "Those who do not know the Buddha-Dharma do not believe the principle of instantaneous arising and vanishing. One who clarifies the Tathagatha's right-Dharma-eye treasury and fine mind of nirvania inevitably believes this principle of instantaneous arising and vanishing."

The Real World does not exists as a long line of past, present, and future, but it exists as a real present moment, which is separated into a so short moment of instant.

Furthermore, the instantaneousness of the present moment, or the Universe, gives a very clear solution to the contradictory relations between human freedom and human determinim. For more than thousands of years, human beings have been keeping the very seriously difficult philosophical problem, which seem to be absolutely impossible to solve, that is

the contradictory situations of the human freedom and human determinism.

On the basis of idealism, or materialism, it is completely impossible for human beings to solve the contradictory situations between human freedom and human determinism. But utilizing the principle of instantaneousness of the present moment and the whole Universe in Buddhism, we can interpret that our human act at the present moment is like a piece of pearl on the edge of the razor, because the length of the real present moment is so short. And Buddhism insists that a human act at the present moment has so much flexible situations like the pearl on the razor edge, I think that we can solve the contradictory situations of human freedom and human determinism for the first time in human history.
Philosophy of act (2) The time is now, the place is here

Posted: January 25th, 2006, 1:40pm PST by Gudo NISHIJIMA

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When we think at what time the real act appears in our daily life, it always appears just at the present moment. Of course when we think the same problem on the basis of intellectual consideration, we can think that we did something in the past, or we will do something in future, or we are doing something at the present moment. But such kinds of considerations can never be the real act, and when we think at what time we are doing something really, it is always just at the present moment. And this fact is very important in our daily life. Even though we can think that we did act in the past, or we will do something in future, or we can recognize that we are just doing some thing now, but those considerations can never be the real act itself. The real act at the present moment is dimentionally different from the three kinds of considerations. Therefore we should always notice that the real act in the real world is alway done just at the real present moment, and it is completely impossible for us to act a real act at an different time other than the real present moment at all. Therefore we should say that our real act in the real world is always done just at the real present moment. In other words we should say that our real act in the real world is always done just at the real present moment.

And at the same time almost the similar fact exists at the real place, where we do something in our daily life. When we think a place, where we live in our consideration, we can think for us to be in a countryside, in a town, in a city, in a mountain, and so forth. But those kinds of possibility to live everywhere is just a kind of consideration, and when we think the same problem on the basis of the real fact in the real world, it is inevitable for us to say that I am just living at this place actuallyl. Therfore in the realistic Buddhist philopsophy we should always say that we are just at this place.

So we should say that we live always just at the present moment, and we always exist at this place. In other words when we really think everything on the basis of realistic Buddhism, the real time is always now, and the real place exists always here. Therefore the Chinese Buddhist Master Tozan Gohon says " I am always so sincere just at this place."
Philosophy of act (1) Dimentional difference between theory and act

Posted: January 23rd, 2006, 2:58am PST by Gudo NISHIJIMA

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One of the most important characteristic of Buddhist Philosophy is just the dimentional difference between theory and act. When we think about a philosophical problem, we usually think the problem on the basis of concepts and we think about the problem on the basis of intellectual consideration. And even though the intellectual considerations are divided into the two bases, that is, the one is based on a mental consideration, and the other is based on a sense perception, those two kinds of considerations belong to the intellectual consideration.

But in Buddhism, we have two kinds of consideration, the one is the intellectual consideration, and the other is the practical consideration. And the existence of those two kinds of philosophies are very unique in Buddhism, and the existence of those two kinds of philosopies might be the main cause of Buddhist difficulty.

Therefore in Shobogenzo, the Chapter, entitled "SHOAKU-MAKUSA, or Not Doing Wrongs," includes a very skillful story, which describes the difference between consideration and practice so well.

Haku Kyo-i of Tang China is a lay disciple of Zen Master Bukko Nyoman, and a second-generation disciple of Zen Master Kozei Daijaku. When he was the governor of Hangzhou district he practiced in the order of Zen Master Choka Dorin. In the story, Kyo-i asks, "What is the Great Intention of Master Boddhi Dharma from the West?

Dorin said, "Not to commit wrongs. To practice the many kinds of right."

Kyo-i says, "If it is so, even a child of three can express it!"

Dorin says, "A child of three can speak the truth, but an old man of eighty cannot practice it."

Thus informed, Kyo-i makes at once a prostration of thanks, and then leaves.

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