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Those who practice know whether realization is attained or not, just as those who drink water know whether it is hot or cold

Dogen

When one first seeks the truth, one separates oneself from it.
DOGEN

First Oneself Path Seek Separate Truth
Why abandon a seat in your own home to wander in vain through dusty regions of another land? If you make one false step, you miss what is right before your eyes.
DOGEN

Abandon Another Eye Home Land Region Seat Wander
If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?
DOGEN

Art Expect Spiritual Truth
Yet you must not cling to the words of the old sages either; they, too, may not be right. Even if you believe them, you should be alert so that, in the event that something superior comes along, you may follow that.
DOGEN

Alert Believe Either Events Right Sage Word
That you carry yourself forward and experience the myriad things is delusion. That the myriad things come forward and experience themselves is awakening
DOGEN

Awakening Carry Delusion Forward Thing Yourself
Cease from practice based on intellectual understanding, pursuing words, and following after speech.
DOGEN

Cease Follow Intellectual Practice Speech Understanding Word
There are mountains hidden in mountains. There are mountains hidden in hiddenness. This is complete understanding.
DOGEN

Complete Hiddenness Mountain Understanding
One must be deeply aware of the impermanence of the world.
DOGEN

Aware Deeply Impermanence World
There are thousands upon thousands of students who have practiced meditation and obtained its fruits. Do not doubt its possibilities because of the simplicity of the method. If you can not find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?
DOGEN

Doubt Meditation Possibility Simplicity Student Thousand Truth
Zazen is an activity that is an extension of the universe. Zazen is not the life of an individual, it’s the universe that’s breathing.
DOGEN

Activity Breathing Epron Extension Individual People Universe
A flower falls, even though we love it; and a weed grows, even though we do not love it.
DOGEN

Buddhist Flower Grow Love War Weed
Prefer to be defeated in the presence of the wise than to excel among fools.
DOGEN

Among Defeated Excel Fool Prefer Wise
In the stream, Rushing past To the dusty world, My fleeting form Casts no reflection.
DOGEN

Cast Past People Reflection Rush Stream World
Practice and enlightenment are not two.
DOGEN

Enlightenment Happen Practice Two
But do not ask me where I am going, As I travel in this limitless world, Where every step I take is my home.
DOGEN

Ask Go Home Travel World
Refraining from all evil, not clinging to birth and death, working in deep compassion for all sentient beings, respecting those over you and pitying those below you, without any detesting or desiring, worrying or lamentation – this is what is called Buddha. Do not search beyond it.
DOGEN

Begin Birth Cling Compassion Death Deep Evil Over Refrain Respect Sentiment Work Worry

Those who practice know whether realization is attained or not, just as those who drink water know whether it is hot or cold

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Those who practice know whether realization is attained or not, just as those who drink water know whether it is hot or cold

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