In the spring, cherry blossoms In the summer, the cuckoo

I wrote about Zen practice last time, so that I write about why I am interested in Zen this time. The book “Dogen Zen No Kotoba (Japanese Edition)Dec 1, by Katsunori Sakaino” was my first zen book, I read it when I was 20’s at the age of concern, I needed advices or guides then (perhaps still now?!). I found it at a book shop and I thought it seemed easy to understand, Buddhism books usually difficult but it was not for me.

There are four chapters, and 100 teachings in total.

Chapter 1
30 teachings that notice “really important things” – Just a slight change in perspective

Chapter 2
30 teachings that becomes free from “trouble” – It will be easy for you to “thrown away”

Chapter 3
20 teachings that confidence is born out of me – Slowly, carefully at your own pace

Chapter 4
20 teachings that think about “way of life” – Lost and troubles are gone

On the right page is the word of Zen master Dogen and commentary on the left page. It is one teaching in one spread, so you can read from any teachings.

For example, Teaching 33
(On the right page)
The title: Listen to the other’s opinion

(On the left page)
Header: Being confident and sticking to your own idea is a different thing
Commentary: around 12 lines

Something like that.
It is very difficult to understand as Zen master Dogen‘s intact words (because it is too old and religious words), but the author’s Mr. Sakai is writing in a very easy-to-understand and gentle sentence.

All teaching are resonate with my mind, but I am particularly fond of 100 one.

Teaching 100
“Appreciate everything around me”
In the spring, cherry blossoms
In the summer, the cuckoo
In the autumn, the moon
In the winter, snow, clear, cold
translated by Edward George Seidensticker

The four seasons are the best gifts the universe gave

This is very famous, how do you feel it?
I think this expresses the truth beautifully, simply and easy to understand. I imagine the scene and a wonderful poem that seeps silently into your heart.

When I searched this one for a while, the memorial lecture at the time when Yasunari Kawabata (Nobel Prize for Literature Award) received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1968, he started with the quotation of a famous poem of Zen master Dogen.
On the Nobel Prize website you can listen to that sound! (in Japanese)
Nobel Lecture by Yasunari Kawabata – short excerpt in Japanese (3 minutes)

“Dogen Zen No Kotoba (Japanese Edition)Dec 1, by Katsunori Sakaino”

Yasunari Kawabata’s books

Daihonzan Eiheiji Website (Zen master Dogen founded in 1244: Steve Jobs practiced)
https://daihonzan-eiheiji.com/en/

*The main picture today is Eiheiji in March