Be moderate in eating and drinking. Mindful of the passing of time, engage yourself in zazen as though saving your head from fire.
DogenRead
Sitting is the gateway of truth to total liberation.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The act of sitting can lead to profound self-discovery and freedom.
Dogen suggests that through the practice of sitting, particularly in meditation, one can access deeper truths about oneself and existence. This act serves as a metaphorical gateway to liberation from the constraints of the mind and the ego, allowing for a transformative experience that fosters inner peace and clarity.
Themes
SittingTruthLiberationMeditationSelf-Discovery
In practice
Example use cases
During a mindfulness workshop, I shared this quote to emphasize the importance of meditation.
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.
DogenRead
To start from the self and try to understand all things is delusion. To let the self be awakened by all things is enlightenment.
DogenRead
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.
DogenRead
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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