Way Mind

Last updated on: January 29, 2009 at 9:55 pm by Dosho Port

Way Mind 2009-01-29T21:55:00-06:00 Dosho Port

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Wow, some of you had a lot to say about the last post! And it wasn’t even about sheep and wild fox or animals of any kind (that’s an inside-blog joke – just search for “sheep” if you missed all of that).

Anway, here’s a little piece of the Hashimoto Roshi commentary on Dogen’s Doshin (Way Mind) that my brother and I are working on, ever so slowly. Hashimoto Roshi, as you may know, was the teacher that the young Katagiri attended for three years at Eiheiji whose deep and steady practice impressed him so much from the first moment they met. I write a little about Hashimoto in the book.

The word “Way” in “Way Mind” has the same meaning as the word “Wisdom” like in the phrase “unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment” (Sanskrit, annutara samyaksam bodhi).

The word “Mind” is the Buddha Mind within the limits of the manifest Buddha. To raise the Buddha Mind is to raise the Way Mind.

This Buddha Mind has two aspects. First, do anything you are doing toward the Way Mind. Second, proclaim the Way Mind. These are the Way Mind path.

The most supreme important thing of all is to do anything with Way Mind.

It is striking to me that “Way” (like in getting somewhere) means “Wisdom” (like the end of the journey). This is wisdom like “gnosis,” by the way, and not like “stuffing your head up with knowledge” (see the Wikipedia entry for “prajna” by clicking here)

The “Shin” of “Doshin” is usually translated “mind” and also means “heart,” “will,” and “essence.”

Mind arises within the limits, in the very skin bag itself, of the manifest Buddha. It is not something split off from the ephemeral world, including our thinking and talking. As such, Mind fills the ditches and moats.

Easy to say, hard to practice. And hard to say, easy to practice.

Then there is the two aspects. Moving towards the Way Mind in everything we do and the Way Mind proclaiming itself. The word we’ve translated as “proclaiming” also could be “heralding,” “announcing,” or “pioneering.” So the Way Mind pioneers itself.

Sometimes we consciously endeavor to practice and sometimes we roll like a black ball through the dark night (I think Keizan said that). Both are Way Mind.

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