action
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also doing · the present action · jednání CZ
Summary
In these texts, action is the centre of Buddhism and the basis of our life: doing something here and now, in the present moment. Action is the synthesis of mind and body, it never exists separately from us and our circumstances, and our actions, not our plans, make our life.
Part of ↑ action and ethics
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Dogen taught that action is the centre of Buddhism, the centre of our lives, the centre of the universe
Effort for Its Own Sake July 2009 — Dibbavana
The most important texts
- Effort for Its Own Sake ●●● July 2009 — Dibbavanaaction as the centre of Buddhism · our actions make our life · simple and severe teaching of action · value of action · zazen as action
Dogen taught that action is the centre of Buddhism, the centre of our lives, the centre of the universe
- Shoaku Makusa 4: Doing Right Without a Doer ●●● Winter 2006 — Shoaku Makusaacting right rather than keeping precepts · action without a doer · action unrelated to causes and circumstances · making the universe real · right and wrong in action · sport as acting
that’s one characteristic of his description of the present moment: action in the moment doesn’t have a doer
- Shoaku Makusa 1: Not Doing Wrong Here and Now ●●● Winter 2006 — Shoaku Makusaour real behaviour here and now · right and wrong in action · eating this meat or not · smallest actions steering our lives
the only wrong that we can actually do is here and now. We can’t do a wrong in the past
- Shoaku Makusa 5: The Child and the Old Man ●●● Winter 2006 — Shoaku Makusaright and wrong in action · real events of everyday life · throwing away cause and effect
Doing right makes right real. There is no real right other than doing right.
- Bussho 5: Our Fundamental Nature ●●● Winter 2005 — Busshobeing ourselves when we act · belief that directs our actions · stepping off a hundred-foot pole
The obvious times when we are ourselves without noticing are when we are doing things, when we’re acting.
- Action as the Center of Buddhism ●●●action as the centre of Buddhism · action in the present moment · gyo
And action is always in the present moment. It is impossible to act in the past.
Other texts
- Genjo-koan 4: Realisation as Wholeness ●●● Summer 2002 — Genjo-koanaction in the present moment · value of action
When we act, in the present moment, there is a state where we and the world become something which is one
- Morality as Balanced Action ●●● February 2009 — Cholínaction in the present moment · right and wrong in action
But in Buddhism, we say that right and wrong are part of what we do
- Genjo-koan 5: Freedom Within Limits ●●● Summer 2002 — Genjo-koanaction and surroundings · right and wrong in action
in reality, action can never exist separately from “me” and the circumstances
- Right and Wrong in Action ●●● June 2006 — Padmafarmaright and wrong in action · gap between knowing and doing
In other words, right or wrong exists in our action. Not just as ideas in our mind.
- Ikka-no-myoju 5: The Four Views ●●● Summer 2006 — Ikka-no-myojuaction in the present moment · value of action
immediacy, or doing something now, acting in the present. And we can say that this acting in the present saves us
- Three Philosophies and One Reality ●●●philosophy of action · transcending conflict by acting
And so the philosophy of action became the center of Buddhist philosophy
- Understanding the Shobogenzo ●●●philosophy of action · transcending abundance and scarcity
It expounds this difference, and as such is a completely new philosophy. I call it the philosophy of action.
- Right and Wrong in Buddhism ●●●right and wrong in action · gap between knowing and doing
Buddhism insists very strongly that there is right action, but it says that we cannot decide what right action is only by thinking about it.
- Introduction to Buddhism and the Practice of Zazen ●●●philosophy of action · right and wrong in action
Action in the moment of the present is utterly free. This is the philosophy of action, the philosophy of the present moment.
- Bussho 1: Fully Manifesting Existence ●●● Summer 2004 — Busshoaction as basis of life · zazen as slicing bread
But doing or acting is the basis of our life, and the doing or acting is what Master Dogen is writing about
- Bussho 2: Balance in Action ●●● Summer 2004 — Busshoaction in the present moment · zazen as action
it’s gone whether I had it or not, the most important thing is to act now
- Uji 2: An Alternative to Linear Time ●●● Winter 2004 — Ujimaking the universe real · football making the universe real
there’s not separation between me and the Universe, so the Universe is making itself real
- Kuge 2: Coolness in the Centre of Fire ●●● Winter 2007 — Kugespeaking manifests the world · all evolution in our speaking
Not what you’re saying, not the content of what you just said, but in your speaking you are manifesting the world.
- Life Itself Is Intelligent ●●● July 2021 — Skalní fararight and wrong in action · stepping off a hundred-foot pole
as I said intelligence is in the cell, morality, according to Dogen, is in our behaviour. Morality is an emergent property of what we do
- The Universe Made Real ●●● Shobogenzo · Genjō-kōanaction and surroundings
Action-and-surroundings are one indivisible whole
- Preface ●●● Shobogenzophilosophy of action
So Master Dogen's method of thinking is based on action, and because of that, it has some unique characteristics
- Introduction to Master Dogen’s Thought ●●● May 1987 — Gudo Wafu Nishijimaaction as mind-body synthesis
Human action is the synthesis of human mind and human body
- Nagarjuna’s Mulamadhyamakakarika ●●● January 1996 — Gudo Wafu Nishijimaaction as Dharma
this world exists at the present moment as action, and action is just Dharma
- Genjo-koan 1: Four Viewpoints ●●● Summer 2002 — Genjo-koanright and wrong in action
the only place where we can do anything right is now
- Genjo-koan 3: Action Only Here and Now ●●● Summer 2002 — Genjo-koanaction in the present moment
the stage for our action is always the present place and the present time
- Introductions 1: Rules and Reality ●●● Summer 2003 — Introductions to Shobogenzo Chaptersacting in what is
We can’t know what is, but we’re in what is, and we act in what is
- Introductions 2: Reality in Ordinary Moments ●●● Summer 2003 — Introductions to Shobogenzo Chaptersright and wrong in action
So Buddhism says yes, ethical decisions are the most important thing, but we make them here and now
- Uji 3: The Changing State of Zazen ●●● Winter 2004 — Ujimaking the universe real
Doing something makes us real. When we do something we make ourselves and the Universe real.
- Uji 2: A Crack in Our View of Time ●●● Summer 2007 — Ujisimple state of action
the simple state of action which we all experience every day
- Uji 4: Coming into the Present ●●● Summer 2007 — Ujimaking reality
So he goes further than is reality. He says makes reality, creates reality
- Kuge 5: Compassion and Freedom in Action ●●● Winter 2007 — Kugeright and wrong in action
it puts morality where it belongs, into what we do rather than what we think
- MMK 3: Cutting Through Categories ●●● Summer 2008 — Nagarjuna’s Mulamadhyamakakarikamaking oneself real · value of action
What we value in modern society are the other parts, thinking and planning. Buddhism suggests that we give value to the moments of acting
- The Buddhist View of Living Itself ●●● February 2009 — Cholínone step at every moment
at every moment we make one step. One step. And our action at every moment creates the next step
- Karma, Cause and Effect ●●● July 2009 — Brnokarma as action
The word karma in Sanskrit, the original meaning, or the simple meaning, is action
- The Empty Trappings of Transmission ●●● September 2009 — Earth Spiritstate here and now
it’s the actual activity that we are actually doing here and now and that’s what it is: the state here and now
- Buddhism Through European Glasses ●●● August 2014 — Banský Studenecright and wrong in action
Dogen teaches that right is in our action. Right does not exist somewhere in the abstract, waiting to be done
- Prajñā: Deciding Before Thinking ●●● July 2021 — Skalní faraaffirming what we do
We can't reverse cause and effect. But if we affirm what we do, it's very helpful.
- Not Making Practice Special ●●● July 2021 — Skalní faraaffirming what we do
So to affirm what you're doing is helpful. I mean, there's no point in criticising: Oh, I did that wrong.
- Buddhism and the Theory of No-Self ●●●acting self
There is no self separate from the circumstances in which I am acting. This is the “acting self”.
- Uji 5: Words and Reality ●●● Winter 2004 — Ujimaking oneself real
To realise yourself means to make yourself real, to make yourself real means to do something.
- Zazen from Four Viewpoints ●●● June 2005 — Lotus Centreaction as basis of life
The basis of our existence is our action, here and now.
- Buddhism Beyond Robes and Incense ●●● June 2006 — Padmafarmasport as acting
And sporting activity teaches us how to act
- Ikka-no-myoju 3: Our Place in the Universe ●●● Summer 2006 — Ikka-no-myojuright and wrong in action
not doing wrong is not obeying an abstract moral law but finding the morality in the situation
- Shoaku Makusa 3: Balance and Not Doing Wrong ●●● Winter 2006 — Shoaku Makusaright and wrong in action
there is an absolute right-and-wrong; they are the actions in the present themselves
- MMK 2: Non-Separation ●●● Summer 2008 — Nagarjuna’s Mulamadhyamakakarikaaction and agent
in that real act, I and my hand and the book are indivisible
- Enlightenment as a Normal State ●●● July 2009 — Dibbavanaacting sincerely
every time we act, we let go of it. So if we act sincerely, then self and other disappear
- Opposites and Being Upright ●●● July 2009 — Brnostepping off a hundred-foot pole
He said that to act in the present moment is to step from the top of a hundred-foot pole
- Yunmen’s Lantern Without Mystery ●●● September 2009 — Earth Spiritvalue of action
he feels the value of his action in the present moment because when we are doing something fully
- Sadness Is a Change in Balance ●●● August 2011 — Dibbavanaresponsibility for what we do
we have to accept the result. So if we accept the result of what we do, we are responsible for what we do
- One Moon, Two Moons ●●●right and wrong in action
Thus right or moral action for Dogen is in the act itself, not in an abstract notion of right.
- Reality is the Present Moment ●●●truth as action moment by moment
Truth acts from moment to moment is what I am trying to say. Truth is the action from moment to moment.
- MMK 4: Constructs and the Present Moment ●●● Summer 2008 — Nagarjuna’s Mulamadhyamakakarikacatching a book in the present
Did you grab that in the past, in the present or in the future?
- Zen Without Spirituality ●●● September 2015 — Banský Studenecreaching for a cup
it's instantaneous when you stand up and reach to pick up the cup
Keywords
Ideas (38) right and wrong in action16 action in the present moment6 philosophy of action4 making the universe real3 action and surroundings2 action as basis of life2 action as the centre of Buddhism2 affirming what we do2 making oneself real2 zazen as action2 acting in what is acting right rather than keeping precepts acting self acting sincerely action and agent action as Dharma action as mind-body synthesis action unrelated to causes and circumstances action without a doer being ourselves when we act belief that directs our actions gyo karma as action making reality one step at every moment our actions make our life our real behaviour here and now real events of everyday life responsibility for what we do simple and severe teaching of action simple state of action smallest actions steering our lives speaking manifests the world state here and now throwing away cause and effect transcending abundance and scarcity transcending conflict by acting truth as action moment by moment
Themes (3) value of action5 gap between knowing and doing2 sport as acting2
Images and stories (7) stepping off a hundred-foot pole3 all evolution in our speaking catching a book in the present eating this meat or not football making the universe real reaching for a cup zazen as slicing bread