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You should study not only that you become a mother when your child is born, but also that you become a child.

Dogen

Time is three eyes and eight elbows.
DOGEN

Eight Elbow Eye Three
Be moderate in eating and drinking. Mindful of the passing of time, engage yourself in zazen as though saving your head from fire.
DOGEN

Eat Engage Fire Head Moderate Pass People Save Saving
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
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
When you paint Spring, do not paint willows, plums, peaches, or apricots – just paint Spring.
DOGEN

Just Paint Peache Plum Spring
An ancient buddha said, “Mountains are mountains; waters are waters.” These words do not mean mountains are mountains; they mean mountains are mountains.
DOGEN

Ancient Buddha Mean Mountain Water Word
One must be deeply aware of the impermanence of the world.
DOGEN

Aware Deeply Impermanence World
A zen master’s life is one continuous mistake.
DOGEN

Continue Life Master Mistake People
People like what is not true and they don’t like what is true.
DOGEN

Buddha Like People Person True
Although its light is wide and great, the Moon is reflected in a puddle one inch wide. The whole Moon and the entire sky is reflected in one dew drop on the grass.
DOGEN

Inch Life Light Moon Puddle Reflect Wide
When you walk in the mist, you get wet.
DOGEN

Get Mist Walk Wet
Forgetting oneself is opening oneself
DOGEN

Forget Oneself Opening Yourself
Cease from practice based on intellectual understanding, pursuing words, and following after speech.
DOGEN

Cease Follow Intellectual Practice Speech Understanding Word
In a mind clear as still water, even the waves, breaking, are reflecting its light.
DOGEN

Break Buddhist Clear Light Mind Reflect Wave
Coming, going, the waterbirds, don’t leave a trace, don’t follow a path.
DOGEN

Come Go Leave Path Trace Waterbird
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

You should study not only that you become a mother when your child is born, but also that you become a child.

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You should study not only that you become a mother when your child is born, but also that you become a child.

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Popular Authors

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