{"id":658,"date":"2009-05-18T11:30:57","date_gmt":"2009-05-18T11:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/treeleafzen\/2009\/05\/putting-down-our-toys-learning.html"},"modified":"2009-05-18T11:30:57","modified_gmt":"2009-05-18T11:30:57","slug":"putting-down-our-toys-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/treeleafzen\/2009\/05\/putting-down-our-toys-learning.html","title":{"rendered":"Putting Down Our Toys, Learning to Play (REDUX)"},"content":{"rendered":"
  <\/b>I AM PRESENTING THIS TALK A SECOND TIME, <\/b><\/u>
AS WE HAD A FEW RECORDING ISSUES A FEW DAYS AGO …<\/b><\/u><\/div>\n


<\/u>(BENDOWA XXIX)<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Uchiyama Roshi comments on this section:

<\/i><\/p>\n

The meaning of the third question is: Okay. Zazen is good. I understand that it cannot be reached by ordinary thoughts. But it might be possible to become<\/span> enlightened through various practices, such as reciting sutras and chanting nembutsu. I feel unsatisfied with only sitting silently. In other words, this questioner thinks that to do something is better than to do nothing.<\/span><\/i>
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<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

First of all, <\/span>people in this world like to play with toys. Theyalways feel something lacking if they have no toys at hand. … Pianos, <\/span> cameras, golf, and automobiles are all objects of pleasure for such people…. [even] working hard, <\/span>involvement in social climbing, even studying or research activities can be nothing more than playing with toys.Among all the human <\/span>activities in the world, there is nothing in which we can live out our own life without amusing ourselves with toys. This is the point where Zazen is wondrous. … To practice true Zazen <\/span> is to live being awakened to the reality of the life of the self in its true sense, without playing with toys, without comparison to others, without self-deception <\/span>or self-amusement.<\/span> Dogen Zenji’s zazen <\/i>is the only way to straightforwardly live out the reality of the life of the self that is beyond relation to others. We must understand this thoroughly. There is no way to help you if you say you feel something lacking in zazen.<\/i><\/p>\n

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