To those of you who are interested in Zen, this time's post might be good to read.
This scripture, Shushogi (修証義) was published in 1890 which was intended to offer a simple & authentic digest from “Shobogenzo (正法眼蔵)” written by Dogen (道元: 1200-1253), who is the founder of the Soto sect of Buddhism in 1233. The original writing by Dogen was too huge & profound a masterpiece to be understood by the public, so only the essence was selected and regrouped to make it more familiar. Dogen, as the founder of the Buddhist sect, pursued his way with a Zen approach toward Buddhism, so his writings have a lot to with Zen perceptions. – This time, I have quoted only the first chapter of the sutra. (There are five chapters in total.)
I don’t know how this would work for a better business relationship but I felt this translation is worth trying in order to understand the Japanese of now today. I know most Japanese say they have no religious faith and they don’t even know much of this sutra, but I still think this idea or perception might have had some influence upon the Japanese in general on the deepest level.
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[1] 第一章 総 序
生を明らめ死を明らむるは仏家一大事の因縁なり、生死の中に仏あれば生死なし、但生死即ち涅槃と心得て、生死として厭ふべきもなく、涅槃として欣ふべきもなし、是時初めて生死を離るる分あり、唯一大事因縁と究尽すべし。
[1] Chapter 1: Introduction
Having a clear understanding about life and death is one great achievement for all Buddhists. If you view the life and death with an eye of Buddha, there is no distinction between these two things. With a tranquil spirit, there is nothing to detest against the life or death. Nor is there any need to long for the tranquility of what death implies. It is at this moment that you will be free from life and death for the first time. So always seek after the chance to make it happen.
[2] 人身 (にんしん)得ること難し、仏法値ふこと希なり、今我等宿善の助くるに依りて、已(おのれ)に受け難き人身を受けたるのみに非らず遇ひ難き仏法に値ひ奉れり、生死の中の善生 (しょう)、最勝の生なるべし、最勝の善身を徒(いたず)らにして露命を無常の風に任すること勿(なか)れ。
[2] It is a rare opportunity to be born as a human, as well as to learn about the teaching of Buddha. Let it be known that encountering with a Buddha’s precept like this comes from your karma, and is a rare opportunity. This should be the greatest encounter you can expect. So you shall not live your life with idleness because a life can be compared to a single drop of dew.
[3] 無常憑 (たの) み難し、知らず露命いかなる道の草にか落ちん、身已に私に非ず、 命は光陰に移されて暫くも停め難し、紅顔いずこへか去りにし、尋ねんとするに蹤跡なし、熟 (つらつら)観ずる所に往事の再び逢うべからざる多し、無常忽ちに到るときは国王大臣親 (じつ) 従僕妻子珍宝たすくる無し、唯独り黄泉に趣くのみなり、己れに随い行くは只是れ善悪業等のみなり。
[3] Everything is transient. We do not know how this single drop of dew will go extinct. Our bodies are not in control of ourselves. The life goes on and will not remain at the same place. It does not even wait for one moment. Power of youth will disappear without a trace. There is nothing you can find, although you try to get your youth back. Ponder, and you will know that you cannot repeat the past. There is nothing to avoid it even if you ask the king, the prime minister, a servant, a housewife, a child or a treasure. You will approach the death with nobody to accompany with you except for your deeds – both good and bad - during the lifetime.
[4] 今の世に因果を知らず業報 (ごっぽう) を明らめず、三世を知らず、善悪を弁 (わき)まえざる邪見の党侶 (ともがら)には群す べからず、大凡因果の道理歴然 (れきねん)として私なし、造悪の者は堕ち修善の者は陞る、 豪釐 (ごうり)もたがわざるなり、若し因果亡じて虚しからんが如きは、諸仏の出世あるべからず、祖師の西来あるべからず。
[4] You shall not get along with wicked people who do not care about what they do and its consequences, or do not believe in the three-phase lives (previous life, present life and next life) without caring about what will be followed by good deeds or bad. Nobody can avoid this law of cause-and-effect. A person of bad deeds will fall, while a person of good deeds will be exalted. Every single hair is counted for this law to be applied. If this law were not true, there should have been no Buddha nature to exist, and Bodhidharma would not have needed to sacrifice himself to bring the teaching of Buddha all the way from India.
[5] 善悪の報に三時あり、一者順現報受(ひとつにはじゅんげんほうじゅ)、ニ者順次生受(ふたつにはじゅんじしょうじゅ) 、三者順後次受(みつにはじゅんごじじゅ、これを三時という、仏祖の道を修習(しゅじゅう)するには、其最初より斯三時の業報(ごっぽう)の理を効(なら)い験(あき)らむるなり、爾あらざれば多く錯りて邪見に堕つるなり、但邪見に堕つるのみに非ず、悪道に堕ちて長時の苦を受く。
[5] There are three patterns for a consequence to be manifested. One is a consequence of your deed that will be manifested in this present life. Two is a consequence of your deed that will be manifested in the next life. Three is a consequence of your deed that will be manifested in the second next life or later. Learning the Buddha’s way is to be enlightened with the rule of these three patterns of manifestations. Without knowing this, many people will be out of the right track. Not only will they be out of the right track, they will fall into a pit of wickedness and suffer a long time.
[6] 当に知るべし今生 (じょう)の我身二つ無し、三つ無し、徒らに邪見に堕ちて虚しく悪業を感得せん、惜しからざらめや、悪を造りながら悪に非ずと思い、悪の報あるべからずと邪思惟するに依りて悪の報を感得せざるには非ず。-- [第一章終わり]
[6] Let it be known that this life cannot be repeated twice or three times. It should be pitied that some have false views to perform evil deeds, thinking that there is nothing bad about it, and let them assume that there will be no pay back from an evil deed. You should learn not to be ignorant of the law followed by an evil deed. -- [The End of Chapter 1]
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