{"id":6427,"date":"2019-04-26T09:50:44","date_gmt":"2019-04-26T16:50:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/?p=6427"},"modified":"2019-04-26T09:50:44","modified_gmt":"2019-04-26T16:50:44","slug":"muso-soseki-temple-of-eternal-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/2019\/04\/26\/muso-soseki-temple-of-eternal-light\/","title":{"rendered":"Muso Soseki – Temple of Eternal Light"},"content":{"rendered":"

Temple of Eternal Light
\nby Muso Soseki<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

English version by W. S. Merwin <\/font><\/p>\n

The mountain range
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the stones in the water
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 all are strange and rare
\nThe beautiful landscape
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 as we know
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 belongs to those who are like it
\nThe upper worlds
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the lower worlds
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 originally are one thing
\nThere is not a bit of dust
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 there is only this still and full
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 perfect enlightenment<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/a> \u2014 from Sun at Midnight: Muso Soseki \u2013 Poems and Sermons<\/a>, Translated by W. S. Merwin \/ Translated by Soiku Shigematsu<\/font><\/p>\n


\n\/ Image by sagefille20<\/a> \/<\/em><\/font><\/p>\n

It has been a couple of years since I last featured something by Muso Soseki.<\/p>\n

The mountain range
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the stones in the water
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 all are strange and rare<\/i><\/p>\n

Considering Soseki\u2019s role as father of Zen gardening practice, whenever he says anything about the natural world, we should pause and pay special attention.<\/p>\n

When he describes the mountain range and river stones as \u201cstrange and rare,\u201d he is not shrugging his shoulders at something unusual or interesting. He sees something unique, utterly specific, a now-ness only truly recognized when we ourselves are present and genuinely seeing.<\/p>\n

The beautiful landscape
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 as we know
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 belongs to those who are like it<\/i><\/p>\n

We only ever perceive what we already are. We may all look and see the same lines and colors of a mountain range, but to actually see<\/i> it and, on a deep level, recognize what it is, something within ourselves must recognize a shared being with the mountain range.<\/p>\n

True seeing is about relationship. It is about inter-being.<\/p>\n

This is how we lead into his next statement:<\/p>\n

The upper worlds
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the lower worlds
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 originally are one thing<\/i><\/p>\n

When we settle into the original state, we perceive as part of an inherent oneness. We may still see a mountain range or individual stones in a river, but they are not truly separate from us or from each other. There really are not separate objects in the world, there is, in truth, just one thing with a variety of surfaces and vantage points.<\/p>\n

From this perspective, there are no objects, nothing that can be separated out as its own self-existing thing, not even something as small as a mote of dust\u2013<\/p>\n

There is not a bit of dust
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 there is only this still and full
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 perfect enlightenment<\/i><\/p>\n

\u2013just this beautiful moment of living awareness we all are.<\/p>\n

Have a beautiful day!<\/p>\n

PS- I was devastated to hear about the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka. Always more reason to cultivate awareness, understanding, and healing within our hearts and within our societies.<\/p>\n


\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>Recommended Books: Muso Soseki<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/center>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sun at Midnight: Muso Soseki \u2013 Poems and Sermons<\/a><\/small><\/td>\nEast Window: Poems from Asia<\/a><\/small><\/td>\nRoaring Stream: A New Zen Reader<\/a><\/small><\/td>\n<\/small><\/td>\n<\/small><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n
\n\"Muso<\/a><\/td>\n\nMuso Soseki<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Japan (1275 \u2013 1351) Timeline<\/a>
\nBuddhist<\/a> : Zen \/ Chan<\/a>
\n<\/a><\/a><\/em><\/td>\n

<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

Muso Soseki first practiced Zen under the guidance of a Chinese teacher but he \u201cfailed miserably.\u201d He later studied with the Japanese Zen master Koho Kennichi and soon began to unfold into profound awakening, receiving certification of enlightenment in 1339.<\/p>\n

Muso Soseki went on to teach large numbers of students and, like many Zen practitioners, write poetry. He also became an advisor to the Shogun and helped to re-establish trade and communications between Japan and China.<\/p>\n

Soseki is perhaps most famous, however, for his profound influence in the art of Zen gardening as spaces to cultivate awareness.<\/p>\n

More poetry by Muso Soseki<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Temple of Eternal Light by Muso Soseki English version by W. S. Merwin The mountain range \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the stones in the water \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 all are strange and rare The beautiful landscape \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 as we know \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 belongs to those who are like it The upper worlds \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the lower worlds \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 originally […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1087,2263,1179,267,118],"class_list":["post-6427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-poetry","tag-interbeing","tag-landscape","tag-mountain","tag-muso-soseki","tag-zen-poetry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6427","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6427"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6427\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6428,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6427\/revisions\/6428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}