Guest guest Posted January 29, 2010 Report Share Posted January 29, 2010 Ivan has sent us a verse from the Tibetan Non Dualist Poet Dogen. Ivan's Notes at the foot are always worth reading. He is a man of understanding. Happy and auspicious week end to all! love, Alan Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana -- Worship By Dogen(1200 - 1253) English version by Steven Heine A white heronHiding itselfIn the snowy field,Where even the winter grassCannot be seen. -- from The Zen Poetry of Dogen: Verses from the Mountain of Eternal Peace, by Steven Heine Amazon.com / Photo by motumboe / ============ Thought for the Day: But that is precisely the purpose of the human soul, to deeply witness. ============ Here's your Daily Music selection -- Putamayo Presents India Listen - Purchase More Music Selections Hi Alan -Looking out the window this morning, I saw a quiet world, mist trickling in among the winter-bare branches, yesterday's snow still new upon the ground. I thought of this poem...==It may not seem obvious with the first reading... Why does Dogen entitle this poem "Worship"? What does a white heron in snow have to do with worship?Let's contemplate the imagery of this poem a bit. "A white heron / hiding itself / in a snowy field..." Have you ever watched a heron fishing, wading at the edge of a lake? It is completely focused, and even when it moves it seems utterly still. Because of these qualities, the heron becomes a symbol of the Zen meditator. You have a being of white -- the heron, the meditator -- disappearing into an environment of white -- the snow. In fact, the heron is not passively disappearing, it is actively engaged in the process; it is "hiding itself" in the snow. How does the heron hide itself? Through its stillness. Snow is often used in Zen poetry to suggest the true nature of the world when finally perceived by the enlightened awareness. Everything is seen as one, the same, radiant, "white" -- everything comes to rest in the interpenetrating glow of being. The idea of separation is lost in that light. Beings and objects, yourself included, are suddenly recognized as one fluid continuity in that "snowy field." So this is what true worship is, according to Dogen: Through deep, focused meditation to recognize your own bright nature in the midst of the still, bright field of being -- and to let the sense of a separate (little) self fade as you gently merge into that radiance of interbeing.==Dogen, sometimes respectfully referred to as Dogen Zenji, was a key figure in the development of Japanese Zen practice and the founder of the Soto Zen sect.Dogen was born about 1200 in Kyoto, Japan. At the age of 17, he was formally ordained as a Buddhist monk. Considering the Japaanese Buddhism of the time to be corrupt and influenced by secular power struggles, Dogen traveled to China to discover the heart of the Dharma by studying Ch'an (Zen) Buddhism at several ancient monasteries.Much of the Ch'an Buddhism he explored utilized koans and "encounter dialogues" to startle the consciousness into enlightenment, but Dogen was critical of this practice. Instead, he was drawn to the teachings of silent meditation. Dogen returned to Japan in 1236. He left the politicized environment of Kyoto, and settled in the mountains and snow country of remote Echizen Province, where he established his own school of Zen, the Soto school. While he proved to be a talented writer and poet, the core of Dogen's teaching was to transcend the mind's addiction to language and form in order to become fully present and recognize one's inherent enlightenment.==Have a beautiful full moon weekend!IvanThe Celestial Drink - ThirstTake a look at the next Celestial Drink post on the Poetry Chaikhana Blog (links below).Before the Celestial Drink can be tasted, there must first be thirst Share Your Thoughts on today's poem or my commentary... New on the Poetry Chaikhana BlogIn addition to the daily poem, other recent blog posts include: The Celestial Drink 2: Thirst - Comments (1) This thirst must be acknowledged, cultivated, nurtured until it is a pain so sharp it clears the mind and orients the soul... More The Celestial Drink & Alcohol - In the past I've had a few emails pointing out that the language of the Celestial Drink email series raises warning flags for people who've struggled alcoholism. I have loved ones who are recovering alcoholics, so I understand how serious this question is... More The Celestial Drink 1: Introduction - As I was considering how to begin our exploration of the Celestial Drink, it occurred to me that I needed to find a way to convey that we are not talking about actual wine or tea or honey or any other physical drink. At the same time, this subtle drink is not merely a metaphor... More Donations to the Poetry ChaikhanaA sincere thank you for your donations this past week:- Nadia (NJ), Pierrette (CA), Donna (CA), Christine (OR), Anya (OR), Samm (MA)And a big thank you to everyone who has signed up for a monthly donation.I am so grateful for each and every contribution. Your support makes a big difference in maintaining the Poetry Chaikhana.---A few reasons to consider making a donation of your own... Even a small donation helps -- when many people contribute. When you donate I send a really cool thank you ecard. Make a donation and see for yourself! The Poetry Chaikhana encourages respect for the rich diversity of religion and cultures -- so needed in the world today. How much is $2/month? The cost of one cup of chai. Less, actually. I know economic times are tight for many people. A small amount contributed each month is as helpful as a larger one-time donation. Support the Poetry Chaikhana Donations to the Poetry Chaikhana in any amount are always welcome. Thank you! Click here You can also support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you! Click here A small amount each month makes a big difference. Become a voluntary Subscriber for just $2/mo. Click here Help the Poetry Chaikhana reach more people. Become a Supporter for just $10/mo. Poetry Chaikhana HomeNew | Books | Music | Teahouse | About | ContactPoets by: Name| Tradition | Timeline Poetry by: Theme | CommentaryBlog | Forum | Facebook | Twitter www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com Poetry ChaikhanaP.O. Box 2320Boulder, CO 80306 Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers. ============ Plain Text: If you have any difficulty reading this HTML formatted email, please let me know and I can send you plain text emails instead. Cancelling: If you wish to stop receiving this Daily Poem email from the Poetry Chaikhana, simply reply to this email and change the Subject to "Cancel". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.