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Sitting is the gateway of truth to total liberation.

Dogen

If you want to do a certain thing, you first have to be a certain person. Once you become that certain person, you will not care anymore about doing that certain thing.
DOGEN

Care Certain Person Something Spiritual Thing Want
Your body is like a dew-drop on the morning grass, your life is as brief as a flash of lightning. Momentary and vain, it is lost in a moment.
DOGEN

Cvain Dew Flash Lightning Lost Moment Momentary Morning
Something you want badly enough can always be gained. No matter how fierce the enemy, how remote the beautiful lady, or how carefully guarded the treasure, there is always a means to the goal for the earnest seeker. The unseen help of the guardian gods of heaven and earth assure fulfillment.
DOGEN

Always Badly Beautiful Enough Gain Goal Mean Soemrthing
In the mundane, nothing is sacred. In sacredness, nothing is mundane.
DOGEN

Mundane Nothing Sacred Sacredness
You should stop searching for phrases and chasing after words. Take the backward step and turn the light inward. Your body-mind of itself will drop off and your original face will appear. If you want to attain just this, immediately practice just this.
DOGEN

Chase Light Mind Phrase Practice Stop Word
Do not think you will necessarily be aware of your own enlightenment.
DOGEN

Aware Enlightenment Necessary Thinking War
If you want to travel the Way of Buddhas and Zen masters, then expect nothing, seek nothing, and grasp nothing.
DOGEN

Buddha Expect Nothing Grasp Want Way
Students today should live fully every moment of time. This dew-like life fades away; time speeds swiftly. In this short life of ours, avoid involvement in superfluous things and just study the Way.
DOGEN

Dew Discipline Every Fully Life Moment Short Student Time
Learn the backward step that turns your light inward to illuminate your self. Body and mind of themselves will drop away, and your original face will be manifest.
DOGEN

Backward Inward Light Mind Self Turn
There are those who, attracted by grass, flowers, mountains, and waters, flow into the Buddha Way.
DOGEN

Attach Buddha Flower Mountain Water Way
The coming and going of birth and death is a painting. Unsurpassed enlightenment is a painting. The entire phenomenal universe and the empty sky are nothing but a painting.
DOGEN

Birth Come Enlightenment Go Painting Sky Unsurpassed
No matter how bad a state of mind you may get into, if you keep strong and hold out, eventually the floating clouds must vanish and the withering wind must cease.
DOGEN

Clouds Hold Into Keep Out Strong Wind
Practice and enlightenment are not two.
DOGEN

Enlightenment Happen Practice Two
When you walk in the mist, you get wet.
DOGEN

Get Mist Walk Wet
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
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

Sitting is the gateway of truth to total liberation.

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Sitting is the gateway of truth to total liberation.

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