The Fireplace Records, Chapter 17
Yaoshan's "For the Time Being"
When Mary awoke in the morning, it was snowing heavily. The northeast area of Vancouver, Washington, was under a heavy blanket of cold and wet Winter weather. She brewed some coffee. She lit some kindling and started a fire in her lovely brick fireplace.
Mary enjoyed reading poetry. It took her mind off her concerns about her employment duties as a manager of a larger local supermarket.
Mary read poetry from all around the world translated into the English language. Lately, she had favored reading metaphysical poetry, and Taoist, Neopagan, and Zen Buddhist tales, riddles, and poetry.
Today she read a poem quoted from the Shobogenzo by Eihei Dogen, Zen Master (1200-1253):
Yaoshan, an old Buddha, said:
For the time being, I stand astride the highest mountain peaks.
For the time being, I move on the deepest depths of the ocean floor.
For the time being, I’m three heads and eight arms.
For the time being, I’m eight feet or sixteen feet.
For the time being, I’m a staff or a whisk.
For the time being, I’m a pillar or a lantern.
For the time being, I’m Mr. Chang or Mr. Li.
For the time being, I’m the great earth and heavens above."
She thought about what "for the time being" meant to her today.
She was enthralled by being here, at the present, for the time being, just reading ancient poetry.
She thought of all the objects in her environment for the time being.
For the time being, she was listening to and feeling a cracking hot fireplace.
For the time being, I’m Mary.
A Student's Considerations:
The study of the subject of "Time" takes us deep into the complexities of science, metaphysics, history, theology, psychology, linguistics, calendars, philosophy, poetry, feelings, management, scheduling, etc.
For the time being, what must I do, accomplish, achieve, or not do?
For the time being, we are always just here and now, Present in the Present.
Related Links, Resources, References
Dogen says, " Mind Here and Now is Buddha" [Soku Shin Ze Butsu #6 Book 1]
Refer to my Cloud Hands Blog Posts on the topic of Koans/Dialogues.
Pulling Onions Over 1,043 One-line Sayings by Mike Garofalo
Chinese Chan Buddhist and Taoist Stories and Koans
Fireplaces, Stoves, Campfires, Kitchens, Pots, Firewood
Brief Spiritual Lessons Database Project: Subject Indexes
Time in Dogen's Thoughts:
Each Moment is the Universe: Zen and the Way of Being Time. By Dainin Katagiri. Shambhala, 2008, 256 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
Being-Time: A Practitioner's Guide to Dogen's Shobogenzo Uji. By Shinshu Roberts. Wisdom 2018, 321 pages. VSCL, Kindle E-Book.
Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Zen Master Dogen's Shobo Genzo. Translated, edited, comments, notes by Kazuaki Tanahashi. Shambhala, 2013, 1280 pages, Hardcover.
Sparks: Brief Spiritual Lessons and Stories
Matches to Start a Kindling of Insight
May the Light from Your Inner Fireplace Help All Beings
Taoist, Chan Buddhist, Zen Buddhist, Philosophers
Catching Phrases, Inspiring Verses, Koans, Meditations
Indexing, Bibliography, Quotations, Notes, Resources
Research by Michael P. Garofalo
The Fireplace Records
By Michael P. Garofalo
No comments:
Post a Comment