{"id":687,"date":"2009-06-26T10:18:00","date_gmt":"2009-06-26T10:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/treeleafzen\/2009\/06\/a-wordless-smile.html"},"modified":"2009-06-26T10:18:00","modified_gmt":"2009-06-26T10:18:00","slug":"a-wordless-smile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/treeleafzen\/2009\/06\/a-wordless-smile.html","title":{"rendered":"A Wordless Smile (and Celestial Beings too)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>\n

(BENDOWA XXXVI)<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

Master Dogen upheld Zazen <\/i>… not only as one<\/i> Buddhist Practice among many<\/i> Buddhist practices … but as … <\/i><\/p>\n

<\/b><\/p>\n

THE<\/u> <\/u><\/i>Buddhist Practice<\/u><\/b>. <\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

I think Dogen can make a good case for his assertion being right. <\/p>\n

Zazen <\/i>is what was present when the Buddha held up a flower, and his disciple Mahakasyapa<\/span> <\/i>offered a subtle, wordless smile in return.<\/div>\n

.
You see, says Dogen, Zazen<\/i> is rather different from mere practices of “concentration<\/i>” or “meditation<\/i>” as those words are usually used, and misunderstood, in Buddhist philosophy  …<\/p>\n

Zazen <\/i>is so wondrous that, says Dogen, even ‘celestial beings<\/i>‘ are moved by its power (we will talk a bit about who those ‘celestial beings’ are said to be<\/i>).    <\/div>\n

<\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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_____________________________<\/p>\n