black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

Those who seek the easy way do not seek the true way.

Dogen

I asked, “What are words?” The tenzo said, “One, two, three, four, five.” I asked again, “What is practice?” “Nothing in the entire universe is hidden.”
DOGEN

Ask Cooking Entire Hidden Nothing Practice Said Two Universe Word
Do not think you will necessarily be aware of your own enlightenment.
DOGEN

Aware Enlightenment Necessary Thinking War
When one first seeks the truth, one separates oneself from it.
DOGEN

First Oneself Path Seek Separate Truth
When you walk in the mist, you get wet.
DOGEN

Get Mist Walk Wet
What you think in your own mind to be good, or what people of the world think is good, is not necessarily good.
DOGEN

Good Mind Necessary People Thinking
Emptiness is bound to bloom, like hundreds of grasses blossoming.
DOGEN

Blossom Bound Emptiness Grass
To study the Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self.
DOGEN

Forget Self Study Way
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
If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?
DOGEN

Art Expect Spiritual Truth
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
Practice and enlightenment are not two.
DOGEN

Enlightenment Happen Practice Two
When both body and mind are at peace, all things appear as they are: perfect, complete, lacking nothing.
DOGEN

Appear Body Complete Mind Peace Perfect Thing
Those who practice know whether realization is attained or not, just as those who drink water know whether it is hot or cold
DOGEN

Cold Drink Hot Practice Realization Water
Enlightenment is intimacy with all things.
DOGEN

Buddhist Compassion Enlightenment Thing
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 see worldly life as an obstacle to Dharma see no Dharma in everyday actions. They have not yet discovered that there are no everyday actions outside of Dharma.
DOGEN

Action Buddhist Day Dharma Discover Every Everyday Obstacle Worldly Life

Those who seek the easy way do not seek the true way.

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Those who seek the easy way do not seek the true way.

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