Be moderate in eating and drinking. Mindful of the passing of time, engage yourself in zazen as though saving your head from fire.
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The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in one dewdrop on the grass.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the interconnectedness of all things in nature and how small moments can reflect greater truths.
Dogen's quote suggests that something as small as a dewdrop can encapsulate the vastness of the universe, illustrating the idea that the beauty and complexity of life can be found in the simplest of forms. It encourages us to recognize the profound significance of our surroundings and to appreciate how individual experiences can communicate deeper insights about existence and nature as a whole.
Themes
MoonSkyDewdropReflectionNatureInterconnectedness
In practice
Example use cases
In a nature documentary to highlight the beauty of small moments in the natural world.
More from Dogen
All quotes βIn the assemblies of the enlightened ones there have been many cases of mastering the Way bringing forth the heart of plants and trees; this is what awakening the mind for enlightenment is like. The fifth patriarch of Zen was once a pine-planting wayfarer; Rinzai worked on planting cedars and pines on Mount Obaku. . . . Working with plants, trees, fences and walls, if they practice sincerely they will attain enlightenment.
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To start from the self and try to understand all things is delusion. To let the self be awakened by all things is enlightenment.
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A fool sees himself as another, but a wise man sees others as himself.
DogenRead
Do not travel to other dusty lands, forsaking your own sitting place; if you cannot find the truth where you are now, you will never find it.
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Do no harmful actions, do not become attached to the cycle of death and rebirth, show kindness, respect the old and have compassion for the young, do not have a heart that rejects or a heart that covets and have no worry or sadness in your heart. This is what is called enlightenment. Do not seek it elsewhere.
DogenRead
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