{"id":675,"date":"2009-06-10T09:06:01","date_gmt":"2009-06-10T09:06:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/treeleafzen\/2009\/06\/beyond-common-vs-sacred-all-is.html"},"modified":"2009-06-10T09:06:01","modified_gmt":"2009-06-10T09:06:01","slug":"beyond-common-vs-sacred-all-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/treeleafzen\/2009\/06\/beyond-common-vs-sacred-all-is.html","title":{"rendered":"Beyond &#8220;Common&#8221; vs. &#8220;Sacred&#8221; &#8230; All Is Set Free"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div align=\"center\"><\/div>\n<p><b><font style=\"font-size: 1.25em;\">(BENDOWA XXXIV)<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n<p>Buddhists may disagree on various interpretations of the fine points of Buddhist philosophy &#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&#8230; But when just sitting, in the perfect action of embodying enlightenment, there is nothing upon which to disagree &#8230; nor anyone to disagree. <\/p>\n<p>In a moment of Zazen, sitting as the Buddha sat, letting go of thoughts of this and that, we go beyond ideas of &#8220;delusion&#8221; vs. &#8220;realization&#8221;, &#8220;common&#8221; vs. &#8220;sacred&#8221; &#8230;<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">&#8230; Beyond words, all is set free.<\/div>\n<div align=\"right\"><span dir=\"ltr\"><\/span><span dir=\"ltr\"><br \/><\/span><span dir=\"ltr\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div align=\"left\">\n<div align=\"center\">_____________________________<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><meta name=\"ProgId\" content=\"Word.Document\"><meta name=\"Generator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 11\"><meta name=\"Originator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 11\"><link rel=\"File-List\" href=\"file:\/\/\/C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CJM6512%7E1.COH%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml\"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument>  <w:View>Normal<\/w:View>  <w:Zoom>0<\/w:Zoom>  <w:PunctuationKerning\/>  <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas\/>  <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false<\/w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>  <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false<\/w:IgnoreMixedContent>  <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false<\/w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>  <w:Compatibility>   <w:BreakWrappedTables\/>   <w:SnapToGridInCell\/>   <w:WrapTextWithPunct\/>   <w:UseAsianBreakRules\/>   <w:DontGrowAutofit\/>   <w:UseFELayout\/>  <\/w:Compatibility>  <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4<\/w:BrowserLevel> <\/w:WordDocument><\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState=\"false\" LatentStyleCount=\"156\"> <\/w:LatentStyles><\/xml><![endif]--><\/p>\n<style><!-- \/* Font Definitions *\/ @font-face\t{font-family:\"MS Mincho\";\tpanose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4;\tmso-font-alt:\"\u00ef\u00bc\u00ad\u00ef\u00bc\u00b3 \u00e6\u02dc\u017d\u00e6\u0153\u009d\";\tmso-font-charset:128;\tmso-generic-font-family:modern;\tmso-font-pitch:fixed;\tmso-font-signature:-1610612033 1757936891 16 0 131231 0;}@font-face\t{font-family:\"\\@MS Mincho\";\tpanose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4;\tmso-font-charset:128;\tmso-generic-font-family:modern;\tmso-font-pitch:fixed;\tmso-font-signature:-1610612033 1757936891 16 0 131231 0;} \/* Style Definitions *\/ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal\t{mso-style-parent:\"\";\tmargin:0pt;\tmargin-bottom:.0001pt;\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\tfont-size:12.0pt;\tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\";\tmso-fareast-font-family:\"MS Mincho\";}@page Section1\t{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;\tmargin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;\tmso-header-margin:36.0pt;\tmso-footer-margin:36.0pt;\tmso-paper-source:0;}div.Section1\t{page:Section1;}--><\/style>\n<p><!--[if gte mso 10]>\n\n<style> \/* Style Definitions *\/ table.MsoNormalTable\t{mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\";\tmso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;\tmso-tstyle-colband-size:0;\tmso-style-noshow:yes;\tmso-style-parent:\"\";\tmso-padding-alt:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;\tmso-para-margin:0pt;\tmso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\tfont-size:10.0pt;\tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\";\tmso-fareast-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";\tmso-ansi-language:#0400;\tmso-fareast-language:#0400;\tmso-bidi-language:#0400;}<\/style>\n\n<![endif]--><\/p>\n<p><meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; 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line-height: 13.9pt;\" align=\"left\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><b>Question Four:<\/b><o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Default\" style=\"margin: 0pt 20.9pt 0.0001pt 9pt; line-height: 13.9pt;\" align=\"left\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Default\" align=\"left\"><meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><meta name=\"ProgId\" content=\"Word.Document\"><meta name=\"Generator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 11\"><meta name=\"Originator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 11\"><link rel=\"File-List\" href=\"file:\/\/\/C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CJM6512%7E1.COH%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml\"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument>  <w:View>Normal<\/w:View>  <w:Zoom>0<\/w:Zoom>  <w:PunctuationKerning\/>  <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas\/>  <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false<\/w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>  <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false<\/w:IgnoreMixedContent>  <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false<\/w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>  <w:Compatibility>   <w:BreakWrappedTables\/>   <w:SnapToGridInCell\/>   <w:WrapTextWithPunct\/>   <w:UseAsianBreakRules\/>   <w:DontGrowAutofit\/>   <w:UseFELayout\/>  <\/w:Compatibility>  <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4<\/w:BrowserLevel> <\/w:WordDocument><\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState=\"false\" LatentStyleCount=\"156\"> <\/w:LatentStyles><\/xml><![endif]--><\/p>\n<style><!-- \/* Font Definitions *\/ @font-face\t{font-family:\"MS Mincho\";\tpanose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4;\tmso-font-alt:\"\u00ef\u00bc\u00ad\u00ef\u00bc\u00b3 \u00e6\u02dc\u017d\u00e6\u0153\u009d\";\tmso-font-charset:128;\tmso-generic-font-family:modern;\tmso-font-pitch:fixed;\tmso-font-signature:-1610612033 1757936891 16 0 131231 0;}@font-face\t{font-family:\"\\@MS Mincho\";\tpanose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4;\tmso-font-charset:128;\tmso-generic-font-family:modern;\tmso-font-pitch:fixed;\tmso-font-signature:-1610612033 1757936891 16 0 131231 0;} \/* Style Definitions *\/ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal\t{mso-style-parent:\"\";\tmargin:0pt;\tmargin-bottom:.0001pt;\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\tfont-size:12.0pt;\tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\";\tmso-fareast-font-family:\"MS Mincho\";}@page Section1\t{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;\tmargin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;\tmso-header-margin:36.0pt;\tmso-footer-margin:36.0pt;\tmso-paper-source:0;}div.Section1\t{page:Section1;}--><\/style>\n<p><!--[if gte mso 10]>\n\n<style> \/* Style Definitions *\/ table.MsoNormalTable\t{mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\";\tmso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;\tmso-tstyle-colband-size:0;\tmso-style-noshow:yes;\tmso-style-parent:\"\";\tmso-padding-alt:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;\tmso-para-margin:0pt;\tmso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\tfont-size:10.0pt;\tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\";\tmso-fareast-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";\tmso-ansi-language:#0400;\tmso-fareast-language:#0400;\tmso-bidi-language:#0400;}<\/style>\n\n<![endif]--><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><b>&#8230; <span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\">we should remember that from the beginning we have never lacked the supremestate of Bodhi [meaning &#8220;enlightenment&#8221;], and we will receive it and use it forever. At the same time,because we cannot perceive it directly we are prone to beget intellectualideas, and because we chase after these as if they were real things, we vainlypass by the great state of truth. From these intellectual ideas emerge allsorts of flowers in space [meaning &#8220;phantom ideas&#8221;]; we think about the twelvefold cycle and thetwenty-five spheres of existence; and ideas of the three vehicles and the fivevehicles<sup><span style=\"position: relative; top: -4pt;\"><\/span><\/sup>[meaning various details of Buddhist philosophy] or of having and not having are endless. We should not think that the leaningof these intellectual ideas is the right path of practice. When we solely sitin Zazen, on the other hand, relying now on exactly the same posture as theBuddha, and letting go of the myriad things, then we go beyond the areas ofdelusion, realization, emotion, and consideration, and we are not concernedwith the ways of the common and the sacred. At once we are roaming outside the[intellectual] frame, receiving and using the great state of bodhi.<span style=\"\">&nbsp; <\/span>How could those caught in the trap of wordscompare [with this]?<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\"><o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><b><\/b><o:p><\/o:p><\/span><b><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\"><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"Default\"><meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><meta name=\"ProgId\" content=\"Word.Document\"><meta name=\"Generator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 11\"><meta name=\"Originator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 11\"><link rel=\"File-List\" href=\"file:\/\/\/C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CJM6512%7E1.COH%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml\"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument>  <w:View>Normal<\/w:View>  <w:Zoom>0<\/w:Zoom>  <w:PunctuationKerning\/>  <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas\/>  <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false<\/w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>  <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false<\/w:IgnoreMixedContent>  <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false<\/w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>  <w:Compatibility>   <w:BreakWrappedTables\/>   <w:SnapToGridInCell\/>   <w:WrapTextWithPunct\/>   <w:UseAsianBreakRules\/>   <w:DontGrowAutofit\/>   <w:UseFELayout\/>  <\/w:Compatibility>  <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4<\/w:BrowserLevel> <\/w:WordDocument><\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState=\"false\" LatentStyleCount=\"156\"> <\/w:LatentStyles><\/xml><![endif]--><\/p>\n<style><!-- \/* Font Definitions *\/ @font-face\t{font-family:\"MS Mincho\";\tpanose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4;\tmso-font-alt:\"\u00e2\u20ac\u0161l\u00e2\u20ac\u0161r -\u00c2\u00be'\u00c2\u00a9\";\tmso-font-charset:128;\tmso-generic-font-family:modern;\tmso-font-pitch:fixed;\tmso-font-signature:-1610612033 1757936891 16 0 131231 0;}@font-face\t{font-family:\"\\@MS Mincho\";\tpanose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4;\tmso-font-charset:128;\tmso-generic-font-family:modern;\tmso-font-pitch:fixed;\tmso-font-signature:-1610612033 1757936891 16 0 131231 0;} \/* Style Definitions *\/ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal\t{mso-style-parent:\"\";\tmargin:0pt;\tmargin-bottom:.0001pt;\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\tfont-size:12.0pt;\tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\";\tmso-fareast-font-family:\"MS Mincho\";}@page Section1\t{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;\tmargin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;\tmso-header-margin:36.0pt;\tmso-footer-margin:36.0pt;\tmso-paper-source:0;}div.Section1\t{page:Section1;}--><\/style>\n<p><!--[if gte mso 10]>\n\n<style> \/* Style Definitions *\/ table.MsoNormalTable\t{mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\";\tmso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;\tmso-tstyle-colband-size:0;\tmso-style-noshow:yes;\tmso-style-parent:\"\";\tmso-padding-alt:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt;\tmso-para-margin:0pt;\tmso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\tfont-size:10.0pt;\tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\";\tmso-fareast-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";\tmso-ansi-language:#0400;\tmso-fareast-language:#0400;\tmso-bidi-language:#0400;}<\/style>\n\n<![endif]--><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><i>From:<\/i><\/span><i>&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\"><\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><i>Bendowa &#8211; A Talk about Pursuing the Truth&nbsp; &#8211; Nishijima-Cross<\/i> <i>[with some amendments according to Uchiyama]<\/i><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><i><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<div style=\"border-style: none none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext; border-width: medium medium 1.5pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 1pt;\">\n<p class=\"Default\" style=\"border: medium none ; padding: 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><i><\/i><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><object width=\"480\" height=\"385\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/ahsHbsYgMBA&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;color1=0x006699&amp;color2=0x54abd6\" \/><param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\" \/><param name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\" \/><embed src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/ahsHbsYgMBA&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;color1=0x006699&amp;color2=0x54abd6\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" width=\"480\" height=\"385\"><\/object><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><u>(remember: recording ends soon after the beginning bells;<\/u><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><u>a sitting time of 20 to 35 minutes is recommended)<\/u><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"left\"><\/p>\n<div align=\"left\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"left\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.feedburner.com\/fb\/a\/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2769166\">To subscribe to &#8220;Treeleaf Zen&#8221; click here.<\/a><o:p><\/o:p> <o:p><\/o:p><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><o:p>&nbsp;<\/o:p><\/p>\n<div align=\"left\">\n<div align=\"center\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(BENDOWA XXXIV) Buddhists may disagree on various interpretations of the fine points of Buddhist philosophy &#8230; &#8230; But when just sitting, in the perfect action of embodying enlightenment, there is nothing upon which to disagree &#8230; nor anyone to disagree. In a moment of Zazen, sitting as the Buddha sat, letting go of thoughts of&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":176,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,3,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-guided-meditation","category-meditation-techniques","category-zen-buddhist-meditation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Beyond &quot;Common&quot; vs. &quot;Sacred&quot; ... All Is Set Free - Treeleaf Zen<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/treeleafzen\/2009\/06\/beyond-common-vs-sacred-all-is.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Beyond &quot;Common&quot; vs. &quot;Sacred&quot; ... All Is Set Free - Treeleaf Zen\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"(BENDOWA XXXIV) Buddhists may disagree on various interpretations of the fine points of Buddhist philosophy &#8230; &#8230; But when just sitting, in the perfect action of embodying enlightenment, there is nothing upon which to disagree &#8230; nor anyone to disagree. 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All Is Set Free - Treeleaf Zen","og_description":"(BENDOWA XXXIV) Buddhists may disagree on various interpretations of the fine points of Buddhist philosophy &#8230; &#8230; But when just sitting, in the perfect action of embodying enlightenment, there is nothing upon which to disagree &#8230; nor anyone to disagree. In a moment of Zazen, sitting as the Buddha sat, letting go of thoughts of&hellip;","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/treeleafzen\/2009\/06\/beyond-common-vs-sacred-all-is.html","og_site_name":"Treeleaf Zen","article_published_time":"2009-06-10T09:06:01+00:00","author":"Jundo Cohen","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/treeleafzen\/2009\/06\/beyond-common-vs-sacred-all-is.html","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/treeleafzen\/2009\/06\/beyond-common-vs-sacred-all-is.html","name":"Beyond \"Common\" vs. \"Sacred\" ... 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