The Zen Teaching of Homeless Kodo
Dharma Talk, May 22, 2004
"Zazen is good for nothing!" These are Sawaki Roshi's words, a
contemporary Zen Master who lived in Japan 1830-1965. Today, I want to share
with you his teachings as they are relevant to our Soto school ancestor
studies.
Sawaki Roshi entered Eiheiji at the age of 16. Within one year he was
ordained a monk with the name, "Kodo". He was drafted into war at
the age of 20. Upon his return to Japan for the next six decades he resided
at different temples, but mostly lived in residential settings. He lectured
and led meditation practice groups wherever he lived. During his life he
never had his own temple, or own home, a fact he was quite proud of . We can
look at his life as a dharma bum, similar to Jack Kerowac. So that is how he
got the name "Homeless Kodo".
Actually, Sawaki Roshi spoke of homelessness. He said, "Everyone is
homeless – it is a mistake if you think you have a fixed home. The person
who has left home must create his own life." Here we can see there are
2 aspects of homelessness that we can consider. First, the other side of
homelessness, that is, having a home in the phenomenal sense of attaching to
a place, caring for objects and people. It is in this grasping to self and
others that we separate or create duality, spinning stories and creating
links of suffering.
Then, there is homelessness in the sense of the non-abiding self. In
looking for the "I", we find that the "I" does not
exist. This happens when we turn around the light to shine within and
experience the place of calm. Here there is no self to be found. Our
symbols, words, feelings dissolve in emptiness. Sawaki Roshi said, "The
true "I" is not the "I" that is the product of thought.
That's it!"
Sawaki Roshi was an opinionated person who had a quip for anything that
came up. Mostly, he was a teacher who emphasized zazen as the center of our
practice. To practice zazen is to become the transparent self, to see
through, to see beyond. We must look deeply into reality to see the true
nature of reality. What do we see? First we see the object, assign a name or
symbol and formulate an image of the object that has characteristics, one of
which is the designated inherent existence of the object. We see the object
as separate. When we look deeply into our mental process we look at the
other dependent character, the dependent arising aspect of the object to
directly see, understand and verify that the object is not self-produced.
This type of practice loosens our grip on seeing people and objects as
separate.
To practice zazen is to do self by the self with the self. A slightly
different variation of Dogen Zenji's "samdhi of the self".
Normally, we view ourselves in relation to others. It is how we define
ourselves and create an identity. We use our role as husband, wife, parent,
child in the family or at work by our relationship to others, peers, staff,
manager. We create and cling to this image of ourselves. When comparing mind
lets go of this image, we may feel empty and alone. In zazen we practice
only for ourselves, not others. There is no comparing to others. Every day
we face the wall and ourselves with no bait at all – day after day, year
after year. What happens with this kind of practice is we actualize the self
that is only the self without relationship to others and find the value of
the self only within the self. Otherwise, how could we practice in this way?
Sawaki Roshi said, "Since all things are the contents of the self, we
should conduct ourselves carefully, considering other peoples'
feelings."
"To practice zazen is to become the self which is one with the
universe." Samdhi is to work constantly for all beings at every moment
living as the whole universe.
The Heart of Nenbutsu
by Kosho Uchiyama
I eat food from the garden of the universe
I drink water from the fountain of the universe
I breathe the air of the whole universe
My life comes out of the whole universe.
Being pulled by the gravitational force of the whole universe
I become pure and clear.
The whole universe is where I return.
Returning back to my opening quote, "Zazen is good for
nothing", keep in mind this story passed on by Kosho Uchiyama. One day
student and teacher were in a verbal exchange. Uchiyama said he was doing
zazen and someday he would be just like his teacher, outspoken, dynamic and
good. Homeless Kodo was aghast. He replied, zazen is not going to change a
bad person into a good person or dull person into a quick witted person.
This is another example of a Zen Master turning the world upside down to
break down what our conventional ego thinks. Zazen taps into spaciousness
and nonattachment.
Closing quote from Sawaki Roshi, "Serve the Ten Directions with the
attitude, 'I don't covet anything'. This is the vast offering."
The Zen Teaching of "Homeless"
Kodo by Kosho Uchiyama,
