Good morning and welcome. I've been speaking in recent months about some of the figures and background of Japanese Buddhism before Dogen in the early 1200s who founded this branch of Buddhism that we practice here, now called Soto Zen. I want to speak this morning about one of Dogen's essays, from his work, Shobo Genzo, True Dharma, I, Treasury. And this is also partly to lead into our practice commitment period in April and May, which will be on another essay. But this relates to the issue of nature and how it relates to our practice and and awareness. This essay that I'm going to read some of and talk about some of today is called Baika, Japanese Plum Blossoms.

[01:10]

So plum blossoms was an image and an aspect of nature that was spoken of very much by Dogen's teacher, Tiantang Rujing, who he met in China. Dogen lived 1200 to 1253, and he spent four years in his 20s in China, and eventually met his teacher in China, from whom he received Dharma transmission and then shared that lineage when he came back to Japan and taught. So I'm just going to read from this essay and talk about it some. I'll read some parts of it. So Dogen says, my late teacher, Master Chiantong, was the 30th abbot of Chiantong Jingdan Monastery.

[02:12]

He ascended the seat one day and taught the assembly. And then he has this poem from Chiantong. And the poem goes, Chiantong's first phrase of midwinter Old plum tree, bent and gnarled, all at once opens one blossom, two blossoms, three, four, five blossoms, uncountable blossoms, not proud of purity. not proud of fragrance, spreading, becoming spring, blowing over grass and trees, balding the head of a patch-robed monk, whirling, changing into wind, wild rain, falling, snow all over the earth. The old plum tree is boundless. A hard cold rubs the nostrils." So plum blossoms. Blossom in late winter or sometimes earlier in winter.

[03:18]

They are white. They fall on the snow, so it's white on white or blonde on blonde, however you want to say it. is a common poetic image, but particularly Chiantung liked it and Dogen also likes it. But he plays with the image of plum blossoms in this essay. So that's the poem. Maybe I'll read it again. Chiantung's first phrase of midwinter, the plum tree bent and gnarled all at once opens one blossom, two blossoms, three, four, five blossoms, uncountable blossoms. not proud of purity, not proud of fragrance, spreading, becoming spring, blowing over grass and trees, balding the head of a patch-rubbed monk, whirling, changing into wind, wild rain, falling, snow, all over the earth. The old plum tree is boundless. A hard cold rubs the nostrils."

[04:20]

And then Dokin says, "'This old plum tree is boundless. All at once, its blossoms open, and of itself, the fruit is born. It forms spring. It forms winter. It arouses wind and wild rain. It is the head of a patchwork monk. It is the eyeball of an ancient Buddha. It becomes grass and trees. It becomes pure fragrance. Its whirling, miraculous transformation has no limit." Speaking of this plum blossom. or this old plum tree. Furthermore, Dogen says, the tree-ness of the great earth, high sky, bright sun, and clear moon derives from the tree-ness of the old plum tree. They have always been entangled, vine with vine. When the old plum tree suddenly opens, the world of blossoming flowers arises. At the moment when the world of blossoming flowers arises, spring arrives. There is a single blossom that opens five blossoms.

[05:24]

At this moment of a single blossom, there are three, four, and five blossoms, hundreds, thousands, myriads, billions of blossoms, countless blossoms. These blossomings are not being proud of one, two, or countless branches of the old plum tree. An Udumbara flower, which blooms every 3,000 years, and blue lotus blossoms are also one or two branches of the old plum tree's blossoms. Blossoming is the old plum tree's offering. The old plum tree is within the human world and the heavenly world. The old plum tree manifests both human and heavenly worlds in its tree-ness. Therefore, hundreds and thousands of blossoms are called both human and heavenly blossoms. Myriads and billions of blossoms are Buddha ancestor blossoms. In such a moment, all the Buddhas have appeared in the world is shouted. The ancestor was originally in this land is shouted."

[06:27]

So I'm interested in this tree-ness of the great earth, he says. The tree-ness of the great earth, high sky, the bright sun and clear moon derives from the tree-ness of the old plum tree. They have always been entangled vine with vine. When the old plum tree suddenly opens, the world of blossoming flowers arises. What is the tree-ness of the great earth? that arises when the plum tree blossoms. How can we talk about the tree-ness of the great earth? What is the tree-ness of the staff? What is the tree-ness of that Buddha? What is the tree-ness that is sitting on your seat right now?

[07:30]

How could there be a tree-ness of the whole earth, of the whole great earth? Is this just a function of trees? In some ways, Buddhism is a tree-venerating Religion. Buddha sat under a tree and awakened. In India, they used to face, they used to wander around, the monks, and would sit facing trees, like we sit facing the wall. But I ask you, what is the wallness of the Great Earth? Is there a wall-ness of the whole great earth? As you sit facing the wall, is there anything outside that wall?

[08:47]

Is there anything inside that wall? The tree-ness of the great earth, high sky, bright sun, and clear moon derives from the tree-ness of the old plum tree. So there is a candle by the side of the Buddha in the center of the Zendo. Is there a candle-ness of the great earth, of the high sky, of the bright sun, and the clear moon? Can we see the candle flame of the great earth, the high sky, the bright moon, and the clear sun?

[09:56]

So Dogen is also playing with the connectedness of all things using this plum blossom. And as Dogen is playing with these images, we can play with this. What is the wholeness of all things? What is the wallness of the Great Earth? Is the Great Earth a wall that we can face? Is the Great Wall of China the whole Earth? Is the Great Wall of Mexico the whole Earth? I heard that some of it fell down recently. Where is the high sky and the bright sun? Anyway, Dogen goes on to say, my late master, old Buddha, ascended the seat and taught the assembly. When Gautama's eyeball vanishes, plum blossoms and snow, just one branch, become thorn bushes.

[11:06]

Here, everywhere, right now, laughing, spring wind blowing madly. This is the time, Dogen says, for all human and heavenly beings to turn towards attaining the way. as the old Buddha's dharma wheel is turned to the extreme limit of the entire world. Even clouds, rain, wind, and water, as well as grass, trees, and insects, do not fail to receive the benefit of this teaching. Heaven, earth, and land are vigorously turned by this dharma wheel. To hear words never heard before is to hear these words. to realize what has never existed is to realize this teaching. This is the Dharma wheel which one cannot see or hear without having some inconceivable good fortune. How do we realize the way? How do we realize the deep truth of our life?

[12:09]

What does this have to do with the grass, trees, and insects? The cloud, rains, wind, and water. How do these come forth from a plum blossom in midwinter as a harbinger of spring? So there's too much in this essay to read all of, but I'll touch on a few more parts. A little further, Dogen says, indeed, old Gautama, that's the Buddha, old Gautama's brilliance of body-mind contains not one unillumined particle

[13:12]

of the true suchness of all things." I'll say that again. Indeed, old Gautama's brilliance of body-mind contains not one unillumined particle of the true suchness of all things. The true suchness of all things. Not one unillumined particle of that. Even if there is a difference of view between human and heavenly beings, and the minds of ordinary and sacred are separate from one another, snow all over is earth. Earth is snow all over. Without snow all over, there is no earth in the entire world. The outside, inside of this snow all over is old Gautama's eyeball. So there's a poem I've talked about from Dokken about realizing that snow is the mountain.

[14:15]

It's not that snow covers the mountain. Snow is the mountain. And we have Kastanahashi's, and this is Kastanahashi's translation, Kastanahashi's painting that he left us about the snow within, above Alex there. Know that blossoms and ground are entirely no birth. Because the blossoms are no birth, ground is no birth. Because the blossoms and ground are entirely no birth, highball is no birth. No birth means unsurpassed wisdom. To see it just this moment is plum blossoms and snow, just one branch. So again, plum blossoms fall on snow, and it's like a heron hidden in the moon. It's hard to see. Where are the plum blossoms? Where is the snow? Are plum blossoms yet another snowflake on the snowy ground? These wet plum blossoms. To see is just this, to see at just this moment is plum blossoms and snow, just one branch.

[15:26]

Ground and blossoms, birth, penech, permeating birth. This snow all over means snow covers entirely outside and in. So throughout this essay, there are poems about plum blossoms. Another one, Dogen says, my late master, old Buddha, ascended the seat at the beginning of the year and said, so many of these poems, not all of them are by Chiantong, but this one's by Chiantong. The first day of the year is auspicious. Myriad things are all new. In prostration, the Great Assembly reflects. Plum blossoms open early spring. So we've had two New Year's Days recently. Last Sunday was the Chinese New Year. Dogen says, reflecting quietly, even in the old gimlets, the old masters in the past, present, and future, drop away the body in the 10 directions, unless they can say, plum blossoms open early spring.

[16:40]

Who can acknowledge them as those who have mastered the way? My late master, old Buddha, is alone, the old Buddha of old Buddhas. It means that accompanied by an opening of plum blossoms, the entire spring comes forth early. The entire spring is one or two characteristics within plum blossoms. One spring causes myriad things to be all new and causes all things to be of the first day of the year. Auspicious means true eyeball. Auspicious is just seeing truly. Myriad things do not merely belong to past, present, and future, but are both before and after the king of the empty eon. Because immeasurable, inexhaustible past, present, and future are entirely new, this newness drops away newness, newness beyond newness. Therefore, in prostration, the Great Assembly reflects, because the Great Assembly, which reflects in prostration, is just this.

[17:48]

So Dogen talks this way, it's sometimes strange, but anyway. There are, he talks this way more. There's one that I wanted to, there are a number of these that I wanted to talk about, but this one particularly. Again, Dogen quoting Chantok, my late master, old Buddha, said, the original face has no birth and death. Spring is in plum blossoms and enters into a painting. So in addition to poems about plum blossoms, in China they had many paintings of plum blossoms. It was a common subject for paintings, just these white plum blossoms. So my late master, old Buddha, Dogen, referring to Chiantong, said, the original face has no birth and death. So original face is a kind of Zen image for ultimate truth.

[18:58]

So there's a saying, a question, what is your original face before your parents were born? We have different ideas of ourself everything from our, you know, social security number and our address and our email address and, you know, all the things we think of as ourself to, what is your original face before your parents were born? What is that self like? Your original face. So, Tiantong said, the original face has no birth and death. Spring is in plum blossoms and enters into a painting. So is your true self just a painting of a true self? Dogen says, when you paint spring, do not paint willows, plums, peaches, or apricots.

[20:02]

Just paint spring. How can you paint spring without painting? Willows, plums, peaches, or apricots. To paint willows, plums, peaches, or apricots is to paint willows, plums, peaches, or apricots. It is not yet painting spring, Dogen says. It is not that spring cannot be painted. But aside from my late master, old Buddha, there is no one in India or China who has painted spring. He alone was a sharp-pointed brush that painted spring. What was the painting then? Chiantung painting that was a painting of spring. What does this have to do with our original face that has no birth and death? Dogen continues, this spring is spring in the painting because it enters into a painting.

[21:11]

He does not use other means, but lets plum blossoms initiate spring. He lets spring enter into a painting and into a tree. This is skillful means. So how is the tree-ness of spring a painting? How is the wall-ness of Summer, different from the wall-ness of winter. Because my late master, Old Buddha, clarified the treasury of the true Dharma-I, that's the name, that's the English translation of Shobo Genzo, the large masterwork by Dogen, that this is one essay in. So the treasury of the true Dharma eye is also what the Buddha is said to have given to his disciple, Mahakasyapa.

[22:24]

Do you all know that story? Shakyamuni was the Buddha, the historical Buddha in India, was sitting on Vulture Peak one day and he held up a flower. And Mahakasyapa, like Chris, smiled. And the Buddha said, oh, he has the true Dharma-I treasury of the precious world of Nirvana. And he became the first ancestor of Zen. Anyway. So Dogen here says, because my late master, old Buddha, clarified the treasury of the true Dharma eye, he correctly transmitted it to Buddha ancestors who assemble in the 10 directions of past, present, and future. Well, he transmitted it to Dogen, but Dogen says he correctly transmitted it to all Buddha ancestors who assemble in the 10 directions of past, present, and future.

[23:27]

In this way, he thoroughly mastered the eyeball and opened up plum blossoms. So Dogen says that his teacher opened up plum blossoms. A little strange. So we're talking, he's talking, Dogen's talking about the tree-ness of the great earth, the blue high sky, the bright sun and the clear moon, all deriving from the tree-ness of the old plum tree. And here he's talking about the opening of the plum blossoms from his teacher, entering into all the Buddha ancestors from the past, present and future. So this teaching and this reality and this awareness is something that goes beyond our usual way of thinking, obviously. when we say that the painting of spring is not a matter of willows or peaches or plum blossoms.

[24:36]

What is this painting of spring? How do we see this painting of spring when we sit facing the wall and facing the plum blossoms and facing the tree-ness of all things? What is it that we can see? What is it that opens up in us. This isn't about something that happened in the 1200s or in Buddha's time. We wouldn't be studying this just to understand some literary artifact or some historical artifact. This is about our practice. Maybe I'll just read a couple more little things. Well, actually the part I just read is the very end of the essay, but then he has some additional added sayings.

[25:52]

One of them, Dogen again quotes, Chiantang, my late master, old Buddha. He refers to a couple of other people, a couple of other great old teachers as old Buddha, but he most often says it about Chiantang. He says, my late master, old Buddha, said, bright, bright, clear, clear, do not seek within the shadow of plum blossoms. Throughout past and present, rain is created and clouds are formed. Past and present, solitary and silent, where does it end? So again, this is Tiantong's poem. Bright, bright, clear, clear, do not seek within the shadow of plum blossoms. So don't worry about these poems about plum blossoms. Don't try and figure those out. Bright, bright, clear, clear. Do not seek within the shadow of plum blossoms.

[27:00]

Throughout past and present, rain is created. Clouds are formed. Past and present, solitary and silent. Where does it end? Dogen says, this being so, to form clouds and to create rain is the activity of plum blossoms. The movement of clouds. and the movement of rain are a thousand shades and myriad forms, a thousand merits and myriad characteristics of plum blossoms. Throughout past and present is plum blossoms. Plum blossoms are called past and present. So this kind of Realization of awareness is not a matter of something that we can figure out in terms of some sequence, in terms of our linear sense of cause and effect and something happening at some time. This is something that permeates the snow when the plum blossom lands on it, or that permeates the plum blossom when it lands on the snow.

[28:13]

It's part of the tree-ness of everything. So, there's some other interesting little stories and poems in this book. There was the story of Pindola who saw the Buddha but had these very long eyebrows. I could tell that story, but maybe I'll just stop now. and see if anybody has any comments or questions or responses about plum blossoms, or the tree-ness of everything, or the original face, or anything else. Yes, Xinyi. Yes. What's wrong with your imagination?

[29:28]

What's wrong with your imagination? It's not real. Is the plum blossom real? What's the present reality of your imagination? What's the present reality of your imagination? OK. So is your imagination more real than your thinking? or less real than you're thinking. But what you said about Thich Nhat Hanh, his example of folding up a piece of paper and saying, do you see the rain here?

[30:42]

Of course. This is a function of rain, and nitrogen in the soil, and the logger who cut down the tree, and the trucker who drove the tree to the sawmill, and so forth. So yes, that's in this essay, the plum blossom, and the tree-ness of the great earth, and the connectedness of things. So yes, to see it that way is part of what's going on. Poetry in general, and Dogen in particular, calls to the imagination. But I would ask you to consider what is the imagination. So if you hear the words plum blossom falling on snow, you have some image. And it brings forth something now in this present.

[31:53]

So we use these images to play with something that is about our awareness right now. So the tree-ness of the great earth, well, I could talk about the wood that went into the planks of the floor that we're looking at, but what is the tree-ness of the air in the space between you and me? Trees give forth oxygen. Trees help us breathe. We can try and analyze it, but also can you visualize or imagine your face, your original face before your parents were born?

[32:57]

So anyway, you can think about that or you can imagine it. Yes, Chris. the rays of the blue sky, the vast blue sky does not, what is it, does not. It's not hindered by the white clouds drifting. White clouds, yeah. Something that, so you mentioned, this is something I think Budwell was proud about, this nature of imagination. It's not real or whatever, but I'm reminded of that, that actually the clouds, even though they're floating by in the scenery, they're still a part of it. And so that, I don't know, just sort of indicated, reminded me of that, that you don't need they necessarily contain each other.

[34:20]

So it's not one without the other, as if they could be separated. If that makes any sense, that just sort of reminded me of that. Yeah, well, thinking of sequence, so we can think in terms of time, summer, autumn, winter.

[35:27]

And that reality, which is a reality, and we can also think of everything interacting simultaneously, and both have their, both have some reality. So, yeah. Yes, thank you. Yes, Aisha. So I was having a similar thought about everything interacting, that we could just sum up this whole poem by saying, you know, everything impacts everything. But that would, and that would encapsulate it, but that would really miss the point. So I like how Joey points out that you have to examine each thing. Yes. See how it is, it contains and influences every other thing. bearing on everything.

[36:32]

I mean, every action we take has some bearing on everything. So how do we act skillfully with that? Good. This is not about something that's happening out there. This is about the tree-ness of the great earth. That also has to do with the tree-ness of each of us. Yes? I'm hearing all the references to paintings in there because there's that famous story about the painting on the rice cake. Yes. And it's interesting if you track the story and how it develops and how people interpret that story, the major sort of assumption of that interpretation of that story being that, well, don't try to eat the painting on a rice cake. Eat a rice cake. Except that Dogen turns it on its head and goes, no, eat the painting on the rice cake, too. That's also included. Yes. So Howard is referring to another essay by Dogen that takes off from a story about

[37:33]

It's a complicated and long story, but basically, a painting of a rice cake does not satisfy hunger, is the saying, as if it's only a painting, and so that can't satisfy hunger. It's part of a longer, interesting story. But Dogen turns it and turns it and turns it, so that at the end he ends up saying, only a painting can satisfy hunger. And then he says, only a painting can satisfy painted hunger. And he looks at what is hunger. So yes, that is kind of part of this. Thank you. So what is a painting? And that goes back to your question about what is imagination. So we image things. When you hear the word plum blossoms, you have some image of what that might be. Yes, Chris. Yeah, it reminds me of, he also mentions Bodhidharma. Yes. Us being at a temple in China, I believe, and they have a painting of Bodhidharma as a perfectly round. Oh yeah, that's another story of Dev Dogen, yeah.

[38:40]

Possibly a painting of Bodhidharma, I'm not sure that, I forget exactly how to phrase it, but talking about this aspect of how we don't paint these things in spring in the same way that we've tried to paint Yeah, yeah. Oh, Miriam, hi. Hi. I wanted to say to our companion, I just recently read a statement by Einstein who said, logic will take you in a direction. Imagination will take you everywhere. Anyway, that's what I wanted to say about it. Thank you. I read, oh, I can't remember which book. Yes. Yes. So to think of the tree-ness of everything is to think of also the rootedness and the branchings

[39:47]

and the leaves, the leaving and the flowering and the bark of everything. So to actually think of it concretely, what is the tree-ness of the great earth? What is the tree-ness of, you know, to think of it really specifically of how is each thing like a tree in terms of its rootedness and its branchings, for example. Yes, Xinyu. Yeah, good. Thank you for the question. Yeah, it's not that you have to do anything with it. You can just enjoy it.

[41:04]

You can play with it. You can see it and let it go, like the clouds drifting. You can allow it to flower and turn to something else. You can allow it to be the tree-ness of everything else. So you don't have to figure it out. You don't have to make it into something else. It's just what it is. But you can just see it and enjoy it and let it go, and something else arises. Good. So thank you all for being the tree-ness of you. And yeah, very good. So we have many trees here.

[41:56]

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