Sunday, June 15, 2008

Dogen instructing the Tenzo on the word "great"

If the tenzo had not studied the word great, he would not have awakened senior Fu by laughing at him. If Zen master Guishan had not understood the word great, he would not have blown the unlit firewood three times. If priest Dongshan had not known the word great, he would not have taught a monk by saying, "Three jin of hemp." You should know that these great masters all studied the word great over hundreds of matters. Thus they brought forth the great shout of freedom, expounded the great principle, penetrated the great question, trained a great student, and in this way completed the single great matter.
Tenzo kyokun (Moon in a Dewdrop p.65-66, Kazuaki Tanahashi & Arnold Kotler)

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