“What place could not be a Buddha-land? Therefore, when we want to circulate the truth of the Buddhist ancestors, it is not always necessary to select a perfect place or to wait for fortunate circumstances. Shall we just consider today to be a starting point?” Dogen Zenji, the Founder of Japanese Soto Zen
Shinshu Commentary:
Every place is a Buddha-land. Buddha-lands are places where Buddha’s live. Who is a Buddha? We are all the embodiment of a Buddha’s nature, although we may not always res
pond as such. Dogen is encouraging us to remember that in this Buddha-land, filled with our joys and sorrows, practice happens here. It happens wherever you are standing, sitting, walking or lying down. Moment-by-moment we say “why not start now?” Even thought we might resist practice, we make our best effort.
One day Zen Master Dogen asked his students: “Shall we just consider today to be a starting point?”
“Yes!” the assembly responded.
Dogen held up his whisk, making a circle in the air.
