The
Problem
of Life-Death (Shyoji)
Reiho
Masunaga
Dogen was one of the great religions and philosophical leaders of Japan. His greatness consists of three points-profound thought, thorough training, and brilliant personality. Let us now take up his view of life-death. This is a problem that is also being argued quite extensively in the existentia-list philosophy in Europe. Especially death is one of the limitting condi-tions that man tries to transcend. Without doubt man is mortal. But ani-mals are not aware of their own death. Those who do not have this con-sciousness cannot have the self itself. For man death is something that can-not be avoided, and he cancan-not know when it will come. This is the root of unlimitted anxiety. We cannot pass up death. It is the ultimate rea-lity, and it belongs to everyone personally. When we face death, we can for the first time meet our original self. Dogen's view of life-death is found in such chapters of the Shobogenzo as Shoji, Genjokoan, Shinjingakudo, Zenki, and Komyo. I have organized those materials as follows:
1. The problem of the self-identity of nirvana and life-death. 2. The problem of the self-identity of life and death.
3. The problem of the self-identity of death with death and life with life. 4. The problem of full functions and life-death.
5. The problem of life-death and the life of the Buddha.
(1) Generally life and death are considered identical with delusion, and nirvana is considered identical with enlightenment. Accordingly life-death and nirvana are contradictory concepts. But to cling to the dualistic view
of opposites strengthens the feeling of hatred and love; as a result this only increases arguments. Therefore Zen dislikes choosing only one of the opposites; it emphasizes the unity of all things. To reject life-death and seek nirvana seems very religious, but Dogen's higher standpoint does not permit him to take this attitude. In the "Bendowa" Dogen says :"You must realize that life-death is itself nirvana. We can not talk about nirvana without life-death."
-618-Accordingly, the world of constant arising and decaying is itself the area of nirvana. Instead of trying to escape life-death, we must remain in this world, and using life-death freely, and turn delusion into nirvana and into the world of the Buddha. In "Shoji" Dogen says: "If we understand that life-death is itself nirvana, there is no need for avoiding life-death or seeking nirvana. Then for the first time there arises the possibility of freeing yourself from life-death. When you no longer have the desire to reject life-death or such nirvana, you can truly gain nirvana and free your-self from life-death".
(2) In the constant flow of life-death, that which does not stop even for a moment is the form and appearance of life. If you oppose life-death and believe that life precedes death or that death follows life, you have not yet penetrated the problem of life-death. In "Shinjingakudo" Dogen says: "Though you have not yet left life, you already see death. Though you have not yet left death, you already see life." In "Yuibutsuyobutsu" Dogen says: "Within death there is life; within life there is death". Life and death are the two sides of human existence. Viewed from one side it is life; Viewed from the other side, it is death. We are living in each moment and dying in each moment. Life and death are a moment of arising and a moment of decaying, and there is death within life, and life within death. Both life and death are facts of the moment. Therefore, life is itself death and death is itself life. The essence of life is nothing more than the inter-relation of life and death.
(3) Though life and death are mutually connected and flowing constantly, that arising is not the arising opposed to decay, and that decay is not the decay opposed to arising. Life and death remain in their respected positions and are cut off from before and after. They are discontinuous from moment to moment and are unextended absolute facts. In "Genjokoan" Dogen says: "Life is a position of time, and death is a position of time ... just like winter and spring. You must not believe that winter becomes spring-nor can you say that spring becomes summer".
Winter is always winter; it is not spring. Spring is always spring; it is not summer. In this way life is the life of absolute arising, and death is the death of absolute decaying. When you say life, it is life alone; you see
-617-The Problem of Life-Death (Shoji) (R. Masunaga) (17) no trace of death. When you say death, it is death alone; you see no trace
of life. In "Shinjingakudo" Dogen says: "Death is not opposed to death". They are life-death cut off from before and after, standing independently. This life is an absolute life; this death is an absolute death. Therefore this arising is not arising (outside of arising there is nothing); this decay is not decay (outside decay there is nothing).
(4) Life-death, while continuing constantly is discontinuous absolute fact in each moment. To pursue life outside the present moment and to tremble at death outside the present moment are the delusions of most people. Therefore, when facing death, you should die with thoroughness. Here is the complete manifestation of all functions. Yuan wa Ko-chin (died 1135) called it "the expressing of all functions in death". The functions is the ground that makes everything live and causes all existences while remaining
formless itself. This can be considered Buddhahood. This is because dhahood is the root of all existence and the ground of all values. This Bud-dhahood manifests itself completely in both life and death. It is the absolute
free vitality of death. In "Zenki" Dogen says: "The expressing of all func-tions in life and the expressing of all funcfunc-tions in death-you should study, and experience this saying". It is well to work with all your effort while you are alive. When you have to die, it is well to withdraw quickly. We must be true to ourselves here and now.
(5) For most people life and death are nothing but transmigration. So far as he is enslaved by the ego, man is caught in the blow of life and death and loses the freedom of detachment. If man abandons his passionate
search for constancy, he realizes that transitory life and death themselves are the full expression of Buddhahood, and he can make even greater use of life and death. Because a great sage penetrates to the true meaning of continual rising and decaying, he does not fear life and death; instead he returns the life and death of human beings into an occasion for training. For this reason Dogen says in "Shinjingakudo": "Though so-called life and death means transmigration for most people, they mean emancipation for the sage". Life and death for those who make good use of them are not things to be avoided but become like the flickerings of light. So in "Bendowa" Dogen says: "Those who think that life and death are the things to be avoided
are guilty of rejecting Buddhism". Though for most people life and death mean transmigration from life to life, for the great sage, they are the area of absolute freedom for the samadhi of enjoyment. In "Gyobutsuiigi", Dogen says: "You should know that life and death are the training ground of Buddhism and the tools of Buddhists". In "Komyo" he says: "The coming and going of life and death is life flickering of light".
(6) In "Shinjingakudo", he says: "The coming and going of life and death. is like the body of the true man". In "Shoji" Dogen says: "The life andd death is nothing but the life of Buddha itself. If you reject it, you lose the life of Buddha". No one but Dogen has even made such a statement. Lifer and death are the self-expression of Buddhahood and are forms of the Buddha himself. To seek the Buddha outside of life and death is to lose the life-of Buddha. To leave life and death as life and death and to look on the= coming and going of life and death are the unimpeded sphere of great enlightenment. In "Gyobutsuiigi" Dogen says: "From long ago, when man penetrates to the great way that transcends life and death, the following has been said. The great sage leaves life and death to the mind; he leaves them to the body; he leaves them to the way of the Buddha. He leaved life and death to life and death. This meaning is not limited by time past and present; it appears spontaneously as the conduct of the Buddha". Shoji (Life and Death)
"If the Buddha is within life and death, there is no life and death". Then again "If there is no Buddha within life and death, we are not deluded by life and death".
These are the expressions of Chia-Shan and Ting-Shan, two Zen masters, Since these are words of enlightened men, they are not frivolous. Their meaning must be clearly understood by all those who would free themselves from life and death. To seek the Buddha outside life and death is like turning the cart to the north and heading toward Esshfl (Yiieh-chow)-or looking south to see the North Star. We will more and more gather the cause of life and death, and lose the way to liberation.
If we understand that life and death are themselves Nirvana, there is no need for avoiding life and death or seeking Nirvana. Then, for the first time, there arises the possibility of freeing yourself from life and death.
-615-The Problem of Life-Death (Shoji) (R. Masunaga) (19) Life is one position of time, and -it already has a before and after.
So in Buddhism it is said life itself is no-life. Death is also a position in time, and it too has a before and after. So it is said that death itself is no-death. When it is called life, there is nothing but life. When it is called death, there is nothing but death. So when life comes, do not be enslaved by it; when death comes, do not be enslaved by it. Nor should you desire either.
Life and death are themselves the life of Buddha. If you deny and reject them, you lose the life of the Buddha itself: you only cling to the appea-rance of the Buddha. If you neither deny nor seek, you enter the mind of the Buddha, for the first time.
But don't try to measure this by your mind. Don't try to explain it by your words. just forget your body, and mind completely and throw yourself
into the Buddha's abode. Because salvation comes from the Buddha aside, when you follow him, you free yourself from life and death and become the Buddha without using your own strength and without exerting your own mind.
How can you then have any hindrance in your mind? There is a very easy way to become the Buddha. Those who do not create various evils, do not try to cling to life and death but with deep compassion work for all beings, respecting their elders and sympathizing with those younger, do not deny all things or seek them or think about them or worry about them-they are called the Buddha. Don't look for anything else.
To study Buddhism is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things. To be enli= ghtened by all things is to be free from attachment to the body and mind of one's self and other's self. (Genjokoan)
