Yaoshan's "For the Time Being"

 

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

Koans: BOS 03, Yaoshan and Mazu

Dogen says, " Mind Here and Now is Buddha" [Soku Shin Ze Butsu #6 Book 1]

Time Movement Change Transformation Mortality

Process Philosophy

Refer to my Cloud Hands Blog Posts on the topic of Koans/Dialogues.

The Daodejing by Laozi    Best? 

Pulling Onions  Over 1,043 One-line Sayings by Mike Garofalo

Chinese Chan Buddhist and Taoist Stories and Koans

Taoism

Buddhism

Fireplaces, Stoves, Campfires, Kitchens, Pots, Firewood

Chinese Art

Tai Chi Chuan and Qigong

Meditation Methods

Zen Koan Books I Use

Koan Database Project

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

Rivers of Change

 "We need to learn to see our physical form as a river. Our body is not a static thing; it changes all the time. It is very important to see our physical form as something impermanent, as a river that is constantly changing. Every cell in our body is a drop of water in that river. Birth and death are happening continuously, in every moment of our daily lives. We must live every moment with death and life present at the same time. Both death and life are happening at every instant in the river of our physical body. We should train ourselves in this vision of impermanence." 

-  Thich Nhat Hanh, You Are Here, 2001, p. 27

In many ways, Changes, cycles of birth and death, being a living-moving-acting being ... is what creates endurance, persistence, homeostasis, staying alive. When Change stops, then we die. Impermanence is indicative of being alive, existing, being real.

Process Philosophy

Are Things as Such as They Are?

"If you understand, things are such as they are;
If you don't understand, things are such as they are."|
-  Zen Master Gensha

If you don't understand, things are changing.
If you understand, things are changing.
Impermanence is the permanent condition.
-  Mike Garofalo, Cuttings

The Permanence of Impermanence

Cherry trees will blossom every year;
But I'll disappear for good,
One of these days.
- Philip Whalen, 1923 -June 26, 2002
Zen priest, Abbot of San Francisco Hartfort Street Zen Center
Associated with West Coast Beat poets


Listen,
all creeping things -
the bell of transience.
- Issa

Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome.
- Isaac Asimov

Death and Dying