Nirvana, the Waterfall

Our life and death are the same thing. When we realize this fact, we have no fear of death anymore, not actual difficulty in our life.

Hanshaku-kyo, which means "Half-Dipper Bridge."

When we feel the beauty of the river, when we are one with the water, we intuitively do it in Dogen's way. It is our true nature to do so. But if your nature is covered by ideas of economy or efficiency, Dogen's way makes no sense.

Only when it is separated does it have some difficulty in falling. It is as if the water does not have any feeling when it is one whole river.

Before we were born we had no feeling; we were one with the universe.

You have difficulty because you have feeling. You attach to the feeling you have without knowing just how this kind of feeling is created.

When the water returns to its original oneness with the river, it no longer has any individual feeling to it; it resumes its own nature, and finds composure.

"To attain Nirvana is to pass away." "To pass away" is not a very adequate expression. Perhaps "to pass on," or "to go on," or "to join" would be better.

We say, "Everything comes out of emptiness." One whole river or one whole mind is emptiness. When we reach this understanding we must find the true meaning of our life.

When you can site with your whole body and mind, and with the oneness of your mind and body under the control of the universal mind, you can easily attain this kind of right understanding.