Exertion

                                By Dogen
                                            

The great way of the Buddha and the patriarchs involves the highest form of exertion, which
goes on unceasingly in cycles from the first dawning of religious truth, through the test of
discipline and practice, to awakening and nirvana. It is sustained exertion proceeding
without lapse from cycle to cycle. Accordingly, it is exertion that is neither self-imposed nor
imposed by others but free and uncoerced. The merit of this exertion upholds me and
upholds others. The truth is that the benefits of one's own struggles and sustained exertions
are shared by all beings in the ten directions. Others may not be aware of this, and we may
not realize it ourselves, but it is so. It is through the sustained exertions of the Buddhas and
patriarchs that our exertions are made possible, that we are able to reach the high road of
Truth. In exactly the same way it is through our own exertions that the exertions of the
Buddhas are made possible and that the Buddhas attain the high road of Truth.

This exertion too sustains the sun, moon, and the stars; it sustains the earth and sky, body
and mind, object and subject, the four elements and five skandhas.

The merits of these exertions are sometimes disclosed, and thus arises the dawn of
religious consciousness, which is then tested in practice. Sometimes, however, these merits
lie hidden and are neither seen nor heard nor realized. Yet hidden though they may be,
they are still available because they suffer no diminusion or restriction, whether they are
visible or invisible, tangible or intangible.

At this moment a flower blossoms, a leaf falls and it is a manifestation of sustained exertion.
A mirror is brightened, a mirror is broken and it is a manifestation of sustained exertion.
Everything is exertion. To attempt to avoid exertions is an impossible evasion because the
attempt itself is exertion. This sustained exertion is not something that people of the world
naturally love or desire; yet, it is the last refuge of all.



From: 'To Know Yourself' by Albert Low, Tuttle Publishing 1997.




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             Helpful Advice from Dogen

Images & Relics

If you think you can become enlightened just by worshipping images and relics, this is a
mistaken view. This is actually possession by the poisonous serpent of temptation.

Discipline

If you insist upon disciplinary regulations and vegetarianism as fundamental, make them
established practices, and think you can attain enlightenment that way, you are wrong.

Overcoming Greed

If you would be free of greed, first you have to leave egotism behind. The best mental
exercise for relinquishing egotism is contemplating impermanence.

Tact

When you see others' errors and you want to guide them because you think they are wrong
and you feel compassion for them, you should employ tact to avoid angering them, and
contrive to appear as if you talking about something else.

Emotional Views

Students of recent times cling to their own emotional views and go by their own subjective
opinions, thinking Buddhism must be as they think it is, and denying it could be any
different. As long as they are wandering in illusion seeking something resembling their own
emotional judgments, most of them will make no progress on the way of enlightenment.

Appearance and Reality

Most people of the world want others to know when they have done something good, and
want others not to know when they have done something bad.

If you refrain from doing something because people would think ill of it, or if you try to do
good so others will look upon you as a true Buddhist, these are still worldly feelings.

If you have compassion and are imbued with the spirit of the Way, it is of no consequence to
be criticized, even reviled, by the ignorant. But if you lack the spirit of the Way, you should
be wary of being thought of by others as having the Way.

What you think in your own mind to be good, or what people think is good, is not necessarily
good.

If people who keep up appearances and are attached to themselves gather together to
study, not one of them will emerge with an awakened mind.

You should not be esteemed by others if you have no real inner virtue. People here in
Japan esteem others on the basis of outward appearances, without knowing anything about
real inner virtue; so students lacking the spirit of the Way are dragged down into bad habits
and become subject to temptation.

Practicing Truth

If you study a lot because you are worried that others will think badly of you for being
ignorant and you'll feel stupid, this is a serious mistake.

People of the world cannot necessarily be considered good -- let them think whatever they
will.

To 'leave the world' means that you do not let the feelings of worldly people hang on your
mind.

You should not do what is bad just because no one will see it or know of it.

You should think about the fact that you will surely die. This truth is indisputable. Even if you
don't think about the inevitability of death, you should determine not tot pass your time in
vain. Our lives are only here for now.

One should not differentiate good or bad on the basis of taste.

One need not necessarily depend on the words of the ancients, but must only think of what
is really true.

If you want to travel the Way of Buddhas and Zen masters, then expect nothing, seek
nothing, and grasp nothing.

Morals

The ancients thought it shameful to seek advancement or to want to be the head of
something, or the chief or senior.

No one should torment people or break their hearts.

Just regard people's virtue, don't be obsessed with their faults.

People should cultivate secret virtue.

No matter how bad a state of mind you may get into, if you keep strong and hold out,
eventually the floating clouds must vanish and the withering wind must cease.

Do not be so proud as to hope to equal the great sages; do not be so mean as to hope to
equal the ignoble.

If one pursued selfish schemes to stay alive, there would be no end to it.

There is fundamentally no good or bad in the human mind, good or bad arise according to
circumstances.

Though a nobleman's power is greater than that of an ox, he does not contend with an ox.

To plow deep but plant shallow is a way to natural disaster, if you help yourself but harm
others, how could there be no consequences?

Understanding

Don't cling to your own understanding. Even if you do understand something, you should
ask yourself if there might be something you have not fully resolved, or if there may be
some higher meaning yet.

Although a suspicious mind is bad, still it is wrong to cling to what you shouldn't believe in, or
to fail to ask about a truth you should seek.

Even if you have thoroughly studied the stories of the ancients and you sit constantly like
iron or stone, as long as you are attached to yourself you cannot find the Way of
enlightenment, ever.

Although the Way is complete in everyone, realization of the Way depends on a combination
of conditions.

Tenacious opinionation is not transmitted by your parents; it is just that you have tacitly
come to believe in opinions for no reason other than that over time you have picked up what
people say.

Whether or not beginners are imbued with the spirit of the Way, they should carefully read
and study the sagacious teachings of the scriptures and treatises. Once having understood,
you should read the teachings of the sages many times.

Truth is not greater or lesser, but people are shallow or deep.



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