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Summary
In these texts words and labels describe things, but a description is never the thing itself: reality is beyond our labels, and to describe something is to restrict it. Dogen's word games are read as using language to deconstruct conceptual thinking and bring us back to the reality prior to words.
Part of ↑ thinking and language
The keywords right under it✦ Show in the night sky
Descriptions describe things, but a description of a thing is never the thing itself.
Uji 5: Words and Reality Winter 2004 — Uji
The most important text
- Bussho 1: Names and Reality ●●● Winter 2005 — Busshoginger and lemon tea · glasses we wear · question as statement · reality beyond description · reversing subject and object
These situations which are beyond description occur every day when we drink tea and eat meals
Other texts
- The Heart Sutra: Labels and Reality ●●● September 2013 — Banský Studenecanger as a label · real death and the word death · reality beyond description
So we can understand that what Avalokiteshvara is saying is that in zazen we realise reality is beyond our labels
- Making Dogen's Words Our Own ●●● August 2012 — Dibbavanafinding our own words · writing about ourselves
it sounds like a kind of story. So you have to find your own words.
- Bussho 1: Fully Manifesting Existence ●●● Summer 2004 — Busshobeyond labels · person from an ineffable place
we assert ourselves beyond labels, not only in Zazen, but Zazen is our standard
- Uji 5: Words and Reality ●●● Winter 2004 — Ujidescription is never the thing · scientific models of speech
Descriptions describe things, but a description of a thing is never the thing itself.
- Preface ●●● Shobogenzoreality prior to words · suggesting reality with words
Those words are trying to bring us back to the reality which is prior to words
- An Introduction to Shobogenzo ●●● June 2005 — Lotus Centrechair came up to my behind · Dogen's word games
he plays games with words. In Chinese and Japanese, you can play word games by changing characters
- Bussho 1: Having Buddha-Nature ●●● Summer 2005 — Busshodeconstructing conceptual thinking · I am a cold
He’s trying to deconstruct our conceptual thinking whilst using language to do it
- Ikka-no-myoju 2: Undivided Reality ●●● Summer 2006 — Ikka-no-myojucountry as a name · universe beyond description
the Universe is beyond our powers to express, in its totality. So he means what Master Gensa is trying to express is beyond categorisation
- Uji 5: Life Moment by Moment ●●● Summer 2007 — Ujianger as a label · to describe is to restrict
I realized that to describe something is to restrict it
- Kuge 3: The Whole World in Each Flower ●●● Winter 2007 — Kugeambiguity of ku · seeing from two sides at once
the word itself is a bit ambiguous in Japanese, which is why I put “air/space” in that poem
- Yunmen’s Lantern Without Mystery ●●● September 2009 — Earth Spiritkoan that cannot be discussed · treasure as something very important · Wittgenstein on silence
It just cannot be discussed. It is here that Yunmen demonstrates his skill at shattering intellection and dualities
- Introductions 2: Reality in Ordinary Moments ●●● Summer 2003 — Introductions to Shobogenzo Chaptersre-definition of the word perfect
So it’s really a re-definition of the word perfect, not saying that there’s something called perfect then fitting the world into it
- Uji 3: The Complete Present ●●● Summer 2007 — Ujipreferring words to reality
we prefer the words to the state, and that's the kind of habit of our civilization
- MMK 2: Non-Separation ●●● Summer 2008 — Nagarjuna’s Mulamadhyamakakarikalanguage dividing the world
our language divides the world into pieces and then puts the pieces into theories
- Freedom and the Teacher’s Character ●●● August 2011 — DibbavanaDogen's writings nothing like reality
Master Dogen's writings are nothing like reality
- Buddhism Through European Glasses ●●● August 2014 — Banský StudenecEuropean glasses
we are all wearing European glasses. So when we try to interpret Buddhism, we do it through European glasses
- The One Bright Pearl ●●● Shobogenzo · Ikka-no-myojuuniverse beyond description
the Universe which extends in all directions cannot actually be described with expressions like
- Genjo-koan 5: Freedom Within Limits ●●● Summer 2002 — Genjo-koanmeaning not in the words
the strange thing is that the meaning of the sentence is not in the sentence
- Introductions 1: Rules and Reality ●●● Summer 2003 — Introductions to Shobogenzo Chaptersreversing subject and object
to reverse the subject and the object in his language
- Bussho 2: Balance in Action ●●● Summer 2004 — Busshoexperience beyond words
it’s very difficult for us to notice an experience which we can’t put into words
- Bussho 4: Hearing and Understanding ●●● Winter 2005 — Busshoreality beyond description
what exists right here in front of us is actually indescribable
- Ikka-no-myoju 3: Our Place in the Universe ●●● Summer 2006 — Ikka-no-myojuname as a concept
our name is a concept, and we ourselves are beyond our name
- Shoaku Makusa 2: Not Doing Wrong as a State ●●● Winter 2006 — Shoaku Makusaintellectual flowers in the sky · taste of our own experience
we’re always creating big intellectual ‘flowers in the sky’ around the sentences which are intended to bring us down to earth
- Koan Stories and Being Here and Now ●●● June 2007 — Padmafarmauselessness of words
Master Gensa realises that words are completely useless to describe our real situation
- Kuge 4: Nothing to Get Rid Of ●●● Winter 2007 — Kugestuck with our symbols and metaphors
we’re stuck with our symbols, and our metaphors, and our pictures, and our flowers
- MMK 5: Relinquishing All Views ●●● Summer 2008 — Nagarjuna’s Mulamadhyamakakarikawords pointing outside words
the philosophy points out of philosophy. The words are pointing at something outside the words.
- Prajñā: Deciding Before Thinking ●●● July 2021 — Skalní faraprajñā as only a word
It's only my word. It's a concept which I have talked about to describe something that happens
- Three Philosophies and One Reality ●●●universe beyond description
But Buddhists consider that the Universe is ultimately ineffable; that is, beyond description.
- Understanding the Shobogenzo ●●●reality beyond description
And the reality which we all experience is completely different from any philosophies we may construct. It can never be fully described in words.
- Practice and Theory in Buddhism ●●●Dogen's search for the right words
He put all his energy into finding the words to describe what the truth is, what Buddhist practice is, and how we should live.
- Time-Present ●●● Shobogenzo · Ujidescription is never the thing
Descriptions describe things, but a description of a thing is never the thing itself.
- Introduction to Master Dogen’s Thought ●●● May 1987 — Gudo Wafu Nishijimared glasses
If we wear red glasses, the whole world looks red
- Bussho 3: Beyond the Process View ●●● Summer 2004 — Busshofinger pointing at a person
don’t you see what I’m trying to tell you, not my thumb, not my finger
- Shoaku Makusa 3: Balance and Not Doing Wrong ●●● Winter 2006 — Shoaku Makusathings-as-it-is
Grammatically incorrect, but Buddhistically perfect. Things-as-it-is.
- Shoaku Makusa 5: The Child and the Old Man ●●● Winter 2006 — Shoaku Makusanatural as normative or usual
‘natural’ meant ‘should’ or ‘ought to be’, whereas before that it meant ‘usual’
- Uji 4: Coming into the Present ●●● Summer 2007 — Ujitalking beyond labels with labels
He's trying to talk about what it would be like outside all the labels that we put on things, using labels.
- The Map in Our Head ●●● May 2012 — Nová Dedinkagarlic is just a name
the difference between when I experienced it, I didn't know what it was, and then garlic. Garlic is just a name.
- Two Things, and the Rest Is Fashion ●●● August 2012 — Dibbavanabud as wake up
it's easy to remember the word bud. You have the verb. And that's the meaning of bud. Wake up.
- Dogen and Modern Life ●●● August 2012 — Dibbavanaaigo, loving words
Aigo in Japanese, and how loving words are the best way to talk to somebody
- Action as the Center of Buddhism ●●●glasses we wear
We take off the glasses of civilized knowledge and belief, and experience the world as it is.
- What did the Buddha discover? ●●●putting awakening into words
How could he put it into words? Surely they would misunderstand. But he felt that he should try.
Keywords
Ideas (27) reality beyond description4 universe beyond description3 description is never the thing2 reversing subject and object2 aigo, loving words ambiguity of ku bud as wake up Dogen's word games finding our own words koan that cannot be discussed name as a concept natural as normative or usual prajñā as only a word question as statement re-definition of the word perfect real death and the word death reality prior to words seeing from two sides at once suggesting reality with words taste of our own experience things-as-it-is to describe is to restrict treasure as something very important uselessness of words Wittgenstein on silence words pointing outside words writing about ourselves
Themes (12) beyond labels deconstructing conceptual thinking Dogen's search for the right words Dogen's writings nothing like reality experience beyond words language dividing the world meaning not in the words preferring words to reality putting awakening into words scientific models of speech stuck with our symbols and metaphors talking beyond labels with labels
Images and stories (12) anger as a label2 glasses we wear2 chair came up to my behind country as a name European glasses finger pointing at a person garlic is just a name ginger and lemon tea I am a cold intellectual flowers in the sky person from an ineffable place red glasses