You are currently logged-out. You can log-in or create an account to save favorites and more. more info
Entering the Samadhi of Buddha’s Radiance
Keywords:
AI Suggested Keywords:
The talk explores the profound impact of the Avatamsaka Sutra (Buddha Flower Adornment Scripture) on the Zen tradition, focusing on its influence since its assembly 1600 years ago. The discussion emphasizes this sutra's concept of interpenetration between the universal and the particular, highlighting how it informs the practice of attending meticulously to every detail in daily life, reflecting the broader universal truth. Mention is made of Dogen's lineage in Chinese Zen, which underscores these teachings, and a personal anecdote connects to Dainin Katagiri Roshi's foundational role at a Zen center.
-
Avatamsaka Sutra (Buddha Flower Adornment Scripture)
This scripture is noted for its significant yet often understated influence on Zen philosophy, particularly regarding the practice of seeing the interconnectedness of universal and particular phenomena. -
Dogen
As an ancestor in the Chinese Zen lineage, Dogen's teachings are highlighted for furthering the concept of the interpenetration of universal and particular, a key principle derived from the Avatamsaka Sutra. -
Dainin Katagiri Roshi
Mentioned as a foundational teacher at a Zen center, illustrating the personal lineage and continuation of the sutra's influence in contemporary Zen practice.
AI Suggested Title: Universal Truth in Everyday Zen
In this temple we are in the process of reading and listening to and contemplating the great extensive buddha flower adornment scripture. We started this study project, this great adventure a few month ago. There are many causes and conditions for the embarking on this exploration of this great scripture. One of them is that this scripture has a to some extend not sufficiently acknowledged influence on what we sometimes call the zen tradition. This sutra has a very deep influence on the zen tradition. Starting in china and then spreading to corea and japan and other places like north america. This scripture rather quietly has influenced the tradition for around 1600 years, which is about when the sutra came together.
One of the hallmarks of chinese zen in a particular lineage which comes down to us through the ancester Dogen in Japan. So one of the main teachings of that school is the interpenetration of universal and particular, of one and many, of principle and phenomena. That kind of a hallmark of the particular lineage of this temple in china.
But the sutra is not .. This teaching was so vastely given is not mentioned too much. And so I want to pay hommage and praise and make offerings to this great sutra and the many teachings that are the core of our practice. One of them being, because the infintie and the particular are so intimately engaged with each other , so intimately include each other, that gives rise to the emphasise or the acknowledgement of the importance to do every tiny act with complete attention to the tinieness, minute attention to the details of our day to day, moment by moment life. Our thinking, our speaking, our gestures, each one of these things in their kind of subatomic manifestation includes the whole universe and therefore everything deserves the attention that the whole universe deserves. And these particulars give us a chance to celebrate this mutual inclusion, this great mutual inclusion of everything and everything, Of each particular and vast reality of the universe. That is one of the main thing that this sutra influenced us in our tradition. If we continue this study more influences will be revealed.
One of the founding teachers of zen centre is named Dainin Katagiri Roshi. When I came to Zen centre he was kind of like Suzuki Roshis assistant. So I don't want to skip over this story, which seems to be calling for me to tell you.
6:00