Dogen's Shobogenzo - Komyo (光明)
Kotishka
Veteran
Dear all,
If I could summarise my last months, maybe years, I could say I've enjoyed quite a sensual and samsaric existence. For the past days I have managed to return to my meditation practice (twice a day, 30 minutes), sitting zazen. I still study / listen to Thai Forest Tradition monks and mingle it with Science and Western philosophy.
I have also started re-reading Dogen and last night after listening to Ajahn Punnadhammo's video on the Formless Realms I found the following video about the chapter Komyo from Dogen's magnus opus.
I followed Brad Warner's simplified reading while also reading Gudo Nishijima's (who by the way was Brad's teacher) and found myself quite lost. The only grasp I got from this text was that we are all Buddha's, we are all one, if you allow me this expression. This light within, isn't just a potential, it is our true nature. Many times I've spoken of violence being in our nature, but this is just a potential. This light, or so I understood, is something that goes beyond. However, I tend to attach to it values like kindness and goodness, which I sometimes think it is a very dualistic interpretation.
Anyway, I will link the video here.
Peace!
Comments
I hope you enjoyed returning to your practice, sometimes after a while away it can bring unexpected results to come back and see what has changed.
Sensuality I see as just something that exists on the boundary between the body and the mind, as long as you don’t pay it heed it is harmless.
If you ever find the light within, let me know. I rather think it is a figure of speech only.
Over the years I've listened or read a few things from Brad and connected fairly well with him. I was in other traditions at the time and have had some sort of reluctance to engage with Zen, not sure why. Anyway, I recently have watched a few videos of his and I find myself resonating with him, he's a bit older than me but he has that rebellious gen X energy that I relate to. I think if I grew my hair out and stopped shaving regularly we'd look pretty similar. I'm thinking of diving more seriously into the Zen side of things.
just sit,
just be.
the light
conscious,
is u-inverse
mind is,
nature,
heart of zen
the light
and mind is
aware.
this aware
is begining and end
of vast mind.
the vast mind is u-niverse
a bang or a fart is
the whole word
in light and consciousness
but no word is zen
just sit.
I'm reminded of this quote by D. T. Suzuki
“Zen always aims at grasping the central fact of life, which can never be brought to the dissecting table of the intellect”
Maybe this is what has kept me away from Zen, I like the philosophy of Buddhism.
Now that this is brought to mind. I can remember many years ago having a conversation with a zennie on here about certain corners of Zen that do delve more into the philosophy aspect of it all.
I have found a 5 hour podcast about this chapter done by Brad if anyone else wishes to join my quest. It is split in 5 parts. The first part is him reading a paraphrased version for those unfamiliar. It includes a commentary of the paraphrased version and why he thought it would be useful.
Good sittings to you all!
https://podcasts.apple.com/cl/search?term=brad warner komyo
Thanks for this, didn't realize or think to look that he has a podcast. Going to add it into my rotation.