On learning the way - Dogen's Gakudoyojinshu and Fukanzazengi

https://www.reddit.com/r/zenbuddhism/comments/1i6aaye/on_learning_the_way_dogens_gakudoyojinshu_and/

created by chintokkong on 21/01/2025 at 04:16 UTC

13 upvotes, 2 top-level comments (showing 2)

• *Gakudoyojinshu**

• 其の風規たる意根を坐斷して、知解の路に向はざらしむ。是れ乃ち初心を誘引する方便なり。其の後、身心を脱落し、迷悟を放下す、第二の樣子なり。

• 爲其風規坐斷意根兮。令不向知解之路也。是乃誘引初心之方便也。其後脱落于身心。 放下于迷悟。第二樣子也。

• (my crude translation): *In accordance to the custom/rules, sit/occupy/take-charge completely the manas, to desert the paths of interpretative/explanative knowledge. This is the expedient to attractively guide the beginning mind.*

• *Afterwards shed and drop the body and mind, let go of delusion and enlightenment. This is the second phase.*

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Compare this teaching of Dogen’s Gakudoyojinshu to his Fukanzazengi (Universal Recommendation to Sitting Meditation).

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• *Fukanzazengi**

• 所以須休尋言逐語之解行，須學回光返照之退步。身心自然脱落，本來面目現前。恁麼事欲得，恁麼事務急。

• *Therefore [one] should stop the practice of finding words and chasing phrases for explanation/interpretation. [Instead one] should learn the retreating move of reversing light to return illumination. As mind and body shed and drop away by themselves, the original face-eye is manifested.*

• *If [one] wants to attain this, [one] should urgently act on this [matter of sitting meditation].*

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Unlike some modern Soto interpretations of zazen to be purposeless/pointless/goalless, a point of Dogen’s zazen in Fukanzazengi is actually to attain the shedding and dropping away of body and mind (to realise the supposed original face).

This falling away of body and mind is called the second phase in Gakudoyojinshu, whereas for the earlier phase, expedient is employed to take full charge of the manas first.

Here’s an excerpt of Fukanzazengi for the expedient employed in sitting meditation.

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• *Fukanzazengi**

• 身相既調，欠氣一息，左右搖振，兀兀坐定，思量個不思量底。不思量底如何思量，非思量，此乃坐禪要術也。

• *When bodily characteristics are regulated/adjusted, give a [full] sighing/exhaling breath [with a] left-right vibratory shake. Diligently/steadily sit in samadhi, to deliberate that which does not deliberate.*

• *That which does not deliberate, how to deliberate [on it]? Non-deliberation. This is the essential art of sitting meditation.*

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Deliberation (思量 volitional thinking) is a function/operation of manas.

In the Abhidharmakosa, the mind-triad of citta-manas-vijnana is defined as such:

• 《俱舍论》说：“集起为心，思量为意，了别为识。
• *Aggregated-origination as citta, volitional-thinking/deliberation (思量) as manas, differentiated-discernment as vijnana.*

The instructed line of “deliberate that which does not deliberate” is a huatou of another zen teacher’s koan (Yaoshan Weiyan’s koan). So the expedient employed in Dogen’s zazen here is basically huatou/koan contemplation.

In embarking on a concentrated/collected (samadhi) contemplation of this Yaoshan koan by following the instruction of “*Diligently/steadily sit in samadhi, to deliberate that which does not deliberate*”, the two phases of taking complete charge of the manas then falling away of body-and-mind (to manifest the original face) can happen for the seeing of the way to be possible.

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• *Gakudoyojinshu**

• 人試みに意根を坐斷せよ。十が八九は忽然として見道することを得ん。
• 人試坐斷意根。十之八九忽然得見道也
• *Humans, in trying to sit/occupy/take-charge completely the manas, eight or nine out of ten will suddenly attain the seeing of the way.*

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Comments

Comment by HakuninMatata at 21/01/2025 at 23:19 UTC

1 upvotes, 1 direct replies

The challenge being that the thoughts "I'm trying to reverse light to return illumination" or "I'm trying to shed body and mind", etc., are obstacles to doing so. "It's purposeless" is an expedient means.

Comment by GentleDragona at 21/01/2025 at 10:30 UTC

-2 upvotes, 0 direct replies

They speak of the glory, of sweet sacred satori