Dogen - Worship
Ivan M. Granger January 29th, 2010
Worship
by Dogen
English version by Steven Heine
A white heron
Hiding itself
In the snowy field,
Where even the winter grass
Cannot be seen.
— from The Zen Poetry of Dogen: Verses from the Mountain of Eternal Peace, by Steven Heine
/ Photo by motumboe /
Looking out the window this morning, I saw a quiet world, mist trickling in among the winter-bare branches, yesterday’s snow still new upon the ground. I thought of this poem…
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It may not seem obvious with the first reading… Why does Dogen entitle this poem “Worship”? What does a white heron in snow have to do with worship?
Let’s contemplate the imagery of this poem a bit. “A white heron / hiding itself / in a snowy field…” Have you ever watched a heron fishing, wading at the edge of a lake? It is completely focused, and even when it moves it seems utterly still. Because of these qualities, the heron becomes a symbol of the Zen meditator. You have a being of white — the heron, the meditator — disappearing into an environment of white — the snow. In fact, the heron is not passively disappearing, it is actively engaged in the process; it is “hiding itself” in the snow. How does the heron hide itself? Through its stillness.
Snow is often used in Zen poetry to suggest the true nature of the world when finally perceived by the enlightened awareness. Everything is seen as one, the same, radiant, “white” — everything comes to rest in the interpenetrating glow of being. The idea of separation is lost in that light. Beings and objects, yourself included, are suddenly recognized as one fluid continuity in that “snowy field.”
So this is what true worship is, according to Dogen: Through deep, focused meditation to recognize your own bright nature in the midst of the still, bright field of being — and to let the sense of a separate (little) self fade as you gently merge into that radiance of interbeing.
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Dogen
Japan (1200 - 1253) Timeline |
Dogen, sometimes respectfully referred to as Dogen Zenji, was a key figure in the development of Japanese Zen practice and the founder of the Soto Zen sect.
Dogen was born about 1200 in Kyoto, Japan. At the age of 17, he was formally ordained as a Buddhist monk. Considering the Japanese Buddhism of the time to be corrupt and influenced by secular power struggles, Dogen traveled to China to discover the heart of the Dharma by studying Ch’an (Zen) Buddhism at several ancient monasteries.
Much of the Ch’an Buddhism he explored utilized koans and “encounter dialogues” to startle the consciousness into enlightenment, but Dogen was critical of this practice. Instead, he was drawn to the teachings of silent meditation.
Dogen returned to Japan in 1236. He left the politicized environment of Kyoto, and settled in the mountains and snow country of remote Echizen Province, where he established his own school of Zen, the Soto school.
While he proved to be a talented writer and poet, the core of Dogen’s teaching was to transcend the mind’s addiction to language and form in order to become fully present and recognize one’s inherent enlightenment.
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Wayne just forwarded this note from a recent Daily Tao email. I thought it was a perfect companion piece to today’s poem:
*Positioning*
Heron stands in the blue estuary,
Solitary, white, unmoving for hours.
A fish! Quick avian darting;
The prey captured.
People always ask how to follow Tao. It is as easy and natural as the
heron standing in the water. The bird moves when it must; it does not
move when stillness is appropriate.
The secret of its serenity is a type of vigilance, a contemplative
state. The heron is not in mere dumbness or sleep. It knows a lucid
stillness. It stands unmoving in the flow of the water. It gazes
unperturbed and is aware. When Tao brings it something that it needs, it
seizes the opportunity without hesitation or deliberation. Then it goes
back to its quiescence without disturbing itself or its surroundings.
Unless it found the right position in the water’s flow and remained
patient, it would not have succeeded.
Actions in life can be reduced to two factors: positioning and
timing. If we are not in the right place at the right time, we cannot
possibly take advantage of what life has to offer us. Almost anything is
appropriate if an action is in accord with the time and the place. But
we must be vigilant and prepared. Even if the time and the place are
right, we can still miss our chance if we do not notice the moment, if we
act inadequately, or if we hamper ourselves with doubts and second
thoughts. When life presents an opportunity, we must be ready to seize
it without hesitation or inhibition. Position is useless without
awareness. If we have both, we make no mistakes.
No time to read your article only the poem and your first line: “What does a white heron in snow have to do with worship?” My answer–Everything.
Peace,
Nanci
Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti, and the children of Haiti, and for their future.
Peaceful and the poem struck a chord in my mind that had been dormant for a long time. The first line in Nanci’s comment is what I am referring to.
Did read your note on Dogen and Zen. I was informed by a Canadian scholar years ago : the root of the word Zen .. through chan .. is gyan. A word that is used for yogi as he tries to learn and blend with nature … (Of course it is also literally used as knowledge or wisdom.)
when i read the poem,i couldnt think of any deeper meaning.but after i read your description, i couldn’t help myself sending it to my husband,who is a deep thinker.wow!only you can do this Ivan!
greetings
yes yes the snow
so this ———-
Imprint *
Silent heartbeat
Winters white *
Blooms the snow
in the sky *
Frozen moon
Ageless bright *
Trackless footfalls
Imprint the night *
blessings __________________