Genjō Kōan by Dogen
Over the years, I keep reading and rereading the Genjo Koan (written by Dogen in 1233). In translating it, I've found new meaning, nuance, and poetry in the text. If you're reading it for the first time, enjoy it and take it in. If you've read it before, I hope you find something new in my translation. May you be happy and free.
現成公案
Genjo Koan (statement on becoming the present)
諸法の仏法なる時節、すなはち迷悟あり、修行あり、生あり死あり、諸仏あり衆生あり。
In this moment, the Buddhadharma (the law of awakening) is in all things, which is to say: there is delusion and realization; there is practice; there is birth and there is death; there are many buddhas (the awakened) and there are the masses of people.
万法ともにわれにあらざる時節、まどひなくさとりなく、諸仏なく衆生なく、生なく滅なし。
In this moment, there is no self in all things: there is no delusion and there is no realization; there are no buddhas and there are no masses of people; there is no birth and there is no death.
仏道もとより豊倹より跳出せるゆゑに、生滅あり、迷悟あり、生仏あり。
Leaping free from the foundations of the Buddhist path and from abundance and absence: there is birth and death; there is delusion and realization; there are people and buddhas.
しかもかくのごとくなりといへども、花は愛惜にちり、草は棄嫌におふるのみなり。
But even though this is how it is, flowers fall in attachment and weeds spread in aversion. It is just that.
自己をはこびて万法を修証するを迷とす、万法すすみて自己を修証するはさとりなり。
To carry oneself and to comprehend all things is called delusion; that all things advance and selves are comprehended is realization.
迷を大悟するは諸仏なり、悟に大迷なるは衆生なり。
Those who greatly realize delusion are the many buddhas, and those who have great delusion of realization are the masses of people.
さらに悟上に得悟する漢あり、迷中又迷の漢あり。
Furthermore, there are men and women who have realization beyond realization, and there are men and women who in the midst of delusion are again deluded.
諸仏のまさしく諸仏なるときは、自己は諸仏なりと覚知することをもちゐず。
When the many buddhas are truly buddhas, there is no comprehension that they themselves are the many buddhas.
しかあれども証仏なり、仏を証しもてゆく。
However they are realized buddhas, and they carry on realizing buddhas.
身心を挙して色を見取し、身心を挙して声を聴取するに、したしく会取すれども、かがみに影をやどすがごとくにあらず。
Perceiving forms with the entire body and mind and hearing sounds with the entire body and mind, one experiences them directly, unlike a reflection housed in a mirror.
水と月とのごとくにあらず。
Unlike the moon and water.
一方を証するときは一方はくらし。
When one side is revealed, the other is dark.
仏道をならふといふは、自己をならふなり。
To grow accustomed to the Buddhist path is to grow accustomed to the self.
自己をならふといふは、自己をわするるなり。
To grow accustomed to the self is to forget the self.
自己をわするるといふは、万法に証せらるるなり。
To forget the self is to be revealed by all things.
万法に証せらるるといふは、自己の身心および他己の身心をして脱落せしむるなり。
To be revealed by all things is to shed one's body and mind and the bodies and minds of others.
悟迹の休歇なるあり、休歇なる悟迹を長々出ならしむ。
Traces of realization are lost, and the lost traces of realization endlessly go out.
人、はじめて法をもとむるとき、はるかに法の辺際を離却せり。
People, when first seeking the path, are far far away from even the path's edges.
法すでにおのれに正伝するとき、すみやかに本分人なり。
When the path has already been correctly transmitted, one quickly becomes a true person.
人、舟にのりてゆくに、めをめぐらして岸をみれば、きしのうつるとあやまる。
People, when riding in a boat and gazing at the shore, wrongly see the shore as moving.
目をしたしく舟につくれば、ふねのすすむをしるがごとく、身心を亂想して万法を弁肯するには、自心自性は常住なるかとあやまる。
But just as one knows a boat advances when keeping their eyes directly fixed on the boat, one wrongly believes their self and their nature are everlasting when trying to distinguish between all things with a confused body and mind.
もし行李をしたしくして箇裏に歸すれば、万法のわれにあらぬ道理あきらけし。
If one follows the path directly and returns home to one's self, the truth that there is no self in all things becomes clear.
たき木はひとなる、さらにかへりてたき木となるべきにあらず。
Firewood becomes ash, and it must never again become firewood.
しかあるを、灰はのち、薪はさきと見取すべからず。
However, do not perceive ash as after and firewood as before.
しるべし、薪は薪の法位に住して、さきありのちあり。
Know that firewood resides in the nature of firewood; there is before and there is after.
前後ありといへども、前後際断せり。
While it's said that there is before and after, before and after are separate.
灰は灰の法位にありて、のちありさきあり。
Ash is in the nature of ash; there is after and there is before.
かのたき木、はひとなりぬるのち、さらに薪とならざるがごとく、人のしぬるのち、さらに生とならず。
Just as firewood becomes ash and will never again become firewood, after people die, they are never born again.
しかあるを、生の死になるといはざるは、仏法のさだまれるならひなり。
However it cannot be said that birth becomes death; this is a long-settled rule in Buddhism.
このゆゑに不生といふ。
Therefore it's called non-birth.
死の生にならざる、法輪のさだまれる仏転なり。
Death does not become birth; this is a long-settled Buddhist tenet.
このゆゑに不滅といふ。
Therefore it's called non-death.
生も一時のくらゐなり、死も一時のくらゐなり。
Birth is an instantaneous state; and death too is an instantaneous state.
たとへば、冬と春のごとし。
For example, it's like winter and spring.
冬の春となるとおもはず、春の夏となるといはぬなり。
It is not thought that winter becomes spring, and it's not said that spring becomes summer.
人のさとりをうる、水に月のやどるがごとし。
A person attaining realization is like the moon residing in water.
月ぬれず、水やぶれず。
The moon doesn't get wet, and the water doesn't break.
ひろくおほきなるひかりにてあれど、尺寸の水にやどり、全月も弥天も、くさの露にもやどり、一滴の水にもやどる。
While the light is great and spacious, the whole moon and the whole sky reside in a puddle an inch wide, or even in the dew on the grass, or even in a single drop of water.
さとりの人をやぶらざる事、月の水をうがたざるがごとし。
Realization does not break a person, just as the moon does not pierce the water.
人のさとりをけい礙せざること、滴露の天月をけい礙せざるがごとし。
And a person does not hinder realization, just as a drop of dew does not hinder the sky or the moon.
ふかきことは、たかき分量なるべし。
Its depth must be its height.
時節の長短は、大水小水を検点し、天月の広狹を弁取すべし。
In this long or short moment, know the width or narrowness of the sky and moon by the greatness of the water or the smallness of the water.
身心に法いまだ参飽せざるには、法すでにたれりとおぼゆ。
Not having followed the Dharma (the path, the law) completely with one's body and mind, one thinks the Dharma is already enough.
法もし身心に充足すれば、ひとかたは、たらずとおぼゆるなり。
If the Dharma completely fills one's body and mind, a person recalls that it's not enough.
たとへば、船にのりて山なき海中にいでて四方をみるに、ただまろにのみみゆ、さらにことなる相みゆることなし。
For example when riding on a boat in the middle of the mountainless ocean and looking in the four directions, it looks perfectly round, taking on no other shape.
しかあれど、この大海、まろなるにあらず、方なるにあらず、のこれる海徳つくすべからざるなり。
However this great ocean is neither round nor square; the ocean's merits are endless and cannot be used up.
宮殿のごとし、瓔珞のごとし。
It's like a palace, like a jeweled necklace.
ただ、わがまなこのおよぶところ、しばらくまろにみゆるのみなり。
It's just that from where one looks out, it begins to take on a circular appearance.
かれがごとく、万法またしかあり。
All things are just this way.
塵中格外，おほく樣子を帶せりといへども、参学眼力のおよぶばかりを見取會取するなり。
In the midst of the dust and what's beyond, one only sees and comprehends the conditions (the state of things) that he or she is able to grasp with the strength of his or her practice, studies, and insights.
万法の家風をきかんには、方円とみゆるほかに、のこりの海徳山徳おほくきはまりなく、よもの世界あることをしるべし。
To know the nature (the home wind) of all things, one must know the world (in all four directions), not just whether things appear square or round, and not just the many and endless merits of the ocean and mountains.
かたはらのみかくのごとくあるにあらず、直下も一滴もしかあるとしるべし。
It is not just what's surrounding oneself; one must know what's directly beneath oneself and what's in a single drop of water.
うを水をゆくに、ゆけども水のきはなく、鳥そらをとぶに、とぶといへどもそらのきはなし。
A fish swims in the water, and no matter where it swims, there is no end to the water; a bird flies in the sky, and no matter where it flies, there is no end to the sky.
しかあれども、うをとり、いまだむかしよりみづそらをはなれず。
However, from long ago until now, the fish and the bird do not leave the water or the sky.
只用大のときは使大なり。
It's just that when the task is great, the use is great.
要小のときは使小なり。
When the need is small, the use is small.
かくのごとくして、頭頭に邊際をつくさずといふ事なく、處處に踏翻せずといふことなしといへども、鳥もしそらをいづればたちまちに死す。
And just like that it can be said that each one covers its entire realm and that every single spot is tread upon; if the bird leaves the sky, it immediately dies.
魚もし水をいづればたちまちに死す。
If the fish leaves the water, it immediately dies.
以水為命しりぬべし、以空為命しりぬべし。
One must know that from the water there is life, and one must know that from the sky there is life.
以鳥為命あり、以魚為命あり。
From the bird there is life, and from the fish there is life.
以命為鳥なるべし、以命為魚なるべし。
From life there must be the bird, and from life there must be the fish.
このほかさらに進歩あるべし。
There is even more progress beyond this.
修証あり、その寿者命者あること、かくのごとし。
One's life and days, practice, revelation, they are all like this.
しかあるを、水をきはめ、そらをきはめてのち、水そらをゆかんと擬する鳥魚あらんは、水にもそらにもみちをうべからず、ところをうべからず。
However, if after reaching the end of the water or the end of the sky, the bird or fish tries to move further, no further road nor place arises in the water or in the sky.
このところをうれば、この行李したがひて現成公案す。
If one reaches this place, one follows this path; this is the Genjo Koan (statement on becoming the present).
このみちをうれば、この行李したがひて現成公案なり。
If one reaches this road, one follows this path; this is the Genjo Koan.
このみち、このところ、大にあらず小にあらず、自にあらず他にあらず、さきよりあるにあらず、いま現ずるにあらざるがゆゑに、かくのごとくあるなり。
This road, this place, it's neither great nor small; it's neither self nor other; it does not come from the past; it is not arising in the present; it is just like this.
しかあるがごとく、人もし仏道を修証するに、得一法通一法なり、遇一行修一行なり。
While things are like this, if a person practices and reveals the Buddhist path, attaining the path is surpassing the path, and reaching a step is practicing the step.
これにところあり、みち通達せるによりてしらるるきはの、しるからざるは、このしることの、仏法の究尽と同生し、同参するゆゑにしかあるなり。
The place is in this: as one grows proficient on the road, knowledge progresses and knowledge halts; and as one masters the Buddhist path, this knowledge simultaneously arises and passes away.
得処かならず自己の知見となりて、慮知にしられんずるとならふことなかれ。
What is attained and lost is certainly unknown and unconsidered by one's self.
証究すみやかに現成すといへども、密有かならずしも現成にあらず、見成これ何必なり。
While it's said that the proof immediately becomes present (genjo), the secret certainly does not become present (genjo); this much for sure is seen.
麻浴山宝徹禅師、あふぎをつかふ。
Zen master Hotetsu of Mt. Mayoku was using a fan.
ちなみに、僧きたりてとふ、「風性常住、無処不周なり。 なにをもてか、さらに和尚あふぎをつかふ？」。
A passing monk came up and said, “The nature of wind is permanent, with neither source nor perimeter. What are you carrying? Teacher, why do you use a fan?”
師いはく、「なんぢただ風性常住をしれりとも、いまだ「ところとしていたらずといふことなき道理」をしらず」と。
The master said, “While you know that the nature of wind is permanent, you don't yet know the meaning of ‘there is no place it does not reach.’”
僧いはく、「いかならんかこれ「無処不周底」の道理？」。 ときに、師、あふぎをつかふのみなり。
When the monk said, “Well then, what is the meaning of ‘without source, perimeter, or base’?” the master just kept using the fan.
僧、礼拝す。 The monk bowed.
仏法の証験、正伝の活路、それかくのごとし。
The proof of the Buddhist path and the correctly transmitted way of life are like this.
「常住なればあふぎをつかふべからず、つかはぬをりもかぜをきくべき」といふは、常住をもしらず、風性をもしらぬなり。
Saying, “If the nature of the wind is permanent, you shouldn't use a fan, or without one, you can still feel the wind,” is to misunderstand permanence and to misunderstand the nature of the wind.
風性は常住なるがゆゑに，仏家の風は，大地の黄金なるを現成せしめ，長河の蘇酪を参熟せり。
Because the nature of the wind is permanent, Buddhists' wind brings forth (causes to become present, genjo) gold from the wide earth and milk from the long river.
正法眼藏現成公案第一
The true teaching (correct path) revealed, Genjo Koan, number one
これは天福元年中秋のころかきて，鎭西の俗弟子楊光秀にあたふ。
This was written in mid autumn of the first year of Tenpuku (1233) and given to my student You Koushuu of Kyuushuu (Chin-zei).
建長壬子拾勒
Revised in the year of the water rat during Kenchou (1252)
The Genjo Koan has been translated many times by many people in many languages.
I'm no expert on Japanese (modern or ancient), translation, poetry, Buddhism, Dogen, the Genjo Koan, or anything really. All I've got is my little bit of experience, so looking out from my vantage point, everything appears rather round.
I recently read 19 Ways of Looking at Wang Wei by Eliot Weinberger on the recommendation of a friend and was influenced by the idea that translators are often overly keen to introduce their own phrases and interpretations, changing texts liberally. Weinberger suggests that the best translators know that the original author could have written anything, even the alterations you're considering, and they didn't. They wrote what they wrote. And they meant what they meant, which of course we'll never truly know. Yet we try.
As such, I went for a more literal translation and tried to preserve word order and the variations in sentence structure where I could.
A couple early examples:
- Sentence 1: "すなはち迷悟あり" (sunawachi meigo ari) = "which is to say: there is delusion and realization"
- Sentence 2: "まどひなくさとりなく" (madohi naku satori naku) = "there is no delusion and there is no realization"
- Sentence 2: "生なく滅なし" (shō naku metsu nashi) = "there is no birth and there is no death"
- Sentence 3: "生滅あり" (shōmetsu ari) = "there is birth and death"
I also tried to keep the poetic/visual imagery (e.g. "the home wind") where I could and indicate when Dogen used the titular phrase 現成 (genjō). I inevitably had to leave out or just plain missed some bits, meanings, and wordplay.
I was primarily working off of Kazuaki Tanahashi's English translation for the San Francisco Zen Center, Nishijima's English translation, and these two translations to modern Japanese: one by Sougen Yoshikawa and the other by Hakuun Yasutani.
I consulted two dictionaries: Jisho for modern English translations of still-used Japanese words and Weblio for Japanese definitions of ancient words (when definitions existed).
A few words were particularly difficult to translate:
- 現成 (genjō) – The characters mean "present" and "become," so "becoming the present" feels right to me. I think it captures both an intention of meditation, i.e. returning to the present, and an inevitable truth of nature, i.e. the present moment is all there is. "Just this is it," as they say. However, probably the most popular English translation is "actualizing the fundamental point".
- 時節 (jiseki) – The characters mean "time" and "season," but I went with "this moment."
- 諸法 (shohō) – I'm translating this as "all things" as is commonly done. The first character means "various" and shows up in 諸仏 ("many buddhas"). The second character means "law" or "dharma" or "way" or "path" or "thing" etc. etc. 法 is quite the word to translate and I translate it differently in various places.
- 万法 (manpō) – This means 10,000 things, but once again I'm going with "all things." 万 was/is often used to mean endless, e.g. 万歳 (10,000 years! banzai! may you have eternal life!). Dogen frequently uses slight variations in words and Kanji to describe the same thing (or to capture multiple meanings), which creates rhythm and variety in the text. I tried to use different English synonyms when I could to reflect this, but sometimes (as in this case) I used the same English translation for different Japanese words.
- 行李 (anri) – This word shows up in critical passages (although all passages are pretty critical...) and was especially difficult for me to translate. I went with "follow the path." I've seen "practice" or "action" or "carrying on each day" and other translations. There are more explicit ways to say the path, e.g. 仏道 or 法, but I felt that "follow the path" captured the spirit of Dogen's words. The characters mean "go" and "plum tree" and one meaning of 行李 (kōri) is "wicker luggage." Maybe this represents what we carry with us as we move through life?
- There were many others, but you gotta call it quits somewhere ;)
In the past, I've also read Dogen's Genjo Koan: Three Commentaries, which is a fantastic resource on the Genjo Koan, highlighting various translations over time. I can't recommend it enough if you're interested in going deeper.
