"In an evening talk Dogen said,Once there was a general whose name was Rochuren. While residing in the country ruled by Heigenkun , he subdued the enemies of the court. Although Heigenkun praised him and wanted to reward him with much gold, silver, and other things, Rochuren refused, saying, “I put down enemies only because that is the role of a general. I did not do it to gain some reward or possessions.” So saying, he never received the reward. Rochuren was famous for his righteousness and integrity.
"Even in secular society, those who are wise carry out their tasks solely for the sake of fulfilling their roles. They do not expect any reward. Students of the Way must have the same mental attitude. Once you have entered the Buddha-Way, you should practice the various activities just for the sake of the Buddha-dharma. Do not think of gaining something in return. All teachings, Buddhist or non-Buddhist, exhort us to be free from the expectation of gaining a reward." (Zuimonki, Book 1, Chapter 9).
Like Rochuren, Dogen encourages us to practice the Buddha-Way without any expectation of reward, even of enlightenment. "The Buddha-Way" actually has two meanings combined. One is the way leading to enlightenment, and the other is the Buddha’s enlightenment itself. So, the Buddha-Way is the way we should practice our daily activities without any expectation of reward, since each one of the activities is nothing other than a manifestation of the Buddha’s enlightenment. When we are practicing the Buddha-Way without expectation, why look elsewhere for enlightenment? This is the meaning of Dogen’s expression shusho-ichinyo ("practice and enlightenment are one").
It is with this thought that the May zazenkai (all-day sitting) will be dedicated to the Buddha-Way. During the zazenkai, we will focus on the practice of zazen as the most direct expression of the Buddha-Way.
According to Okumura Sensei's footnotes to Zuimonki, Buddha-dharma means (1) the truth or reality to which the Buddha awakens, (2) the teachings which show us the reality, and (3) the law or morals which form the way of life in accordance with that reality or teaching. Another meaning of this word is existence or things (as in, the myriad dharma). Therefore, the full title for the May zazenkai will be Buddha-Way, Buddha-dharma.
Like Rochuren, Dogen encourages us to practice the Buddha-Way without any expectation of reward, even of enlightenment. "The Buddha-Way" actually has two meanings combined. One is the way leading to enlightenment, and the other is the Buddha’s enlightenment itself. So, the Buddha-Way is the way we should practice our daily activities without any expectation of reward, since each one of the activities is nothing other than a manifestation of the Buddha’s enlightenment. When we are practicing the Buddha-Way without expectation, why look elsewhere for enlightenment? This is the meaning of Dogen’s expression shusho-ichinyo ("practice and enlightenment are one").
It is with this thought that the May zazenkai (all-day sitting) will be dedicated to the Buddha-Way. During the zazenkai, we will focus on the practice of zazen as the most direct expression of the Buddha-Way.
According to Okumura Sensei's footnotes to Zuimonki, Buddha-dharma means (1) the truth or reality to which the Buddha awakens, (2) the teachings which show us the reality, and (3) the law or morals which form the way of life in accordance with that reality or teaching. Another meaning of this word is existence or things (as in, the myriad dharma). Therefore, the full title for the May zazenkai will be Buddha-Way, Buddha-dharma.
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