Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Some Hope

The Buddha Shakyamuni ascended the rostrum and said, “All beings have the wisdom and virtue of the Tathagata. Their delusions and preoccupations keep them from realizing that fact. A Tathagata is a perfectly realized Buddha. Who was he referring to with his expression “all beings”? If you can answer that question, I have some hope for you.

8 comments:

  1. Greetings Roshi,

    Thank you for this post.

    When the Buddha Shakyamuni said, "all beings", he was clearly referring to Joshu and Ummon, and maybe, just maybe, to Dogen.

    Peace,
    Ted Biringer

    PS Your reservoir of hope must be fathomless (in both senses of the word, of course).

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  2. Thanks, Roshi.

    He was referring directly to me... especially with the 'deluded and preoccupied' bit!

    Best Regards,

    Harry.

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  3. Thank you for your kind gesture of hope.

    When the Buddha Shakyamuni said, "all beings", he was clearly referring to Walt Whitman's "I am large, I contain multitudes."

    Whitman saw "all beings" as a comfortable contradiction.

    The Magpie brood has fledged and now the draw is full with a mob of black and white screaming imperatives. Chasing each other from tree to tree. Unaware of my wonder.

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  4. Clever Magpies! Whose belly did wonder ever fill?

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  5. It is ALL for my benefit. Thank you, Shakyamuni, and thank you, roshi.

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  6. He meant "all beings."

    Didn't he?

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  7. Well I don't think it was "me." But "I" gets in the way here.

    How about "This one here."

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  8. Are there individual beings? Maybe that is the delusion and the preoccupation he is speaking of. To be an individual...such a cherished pastime!... and the whole world goes to waste!

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