Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘As to the existence of the buddhas of the three times, I do not know their existence. As to cats and white oxen, I know they exist.’

We came across this reference in our Dogen study last week. These animals also appear in the Jewel Mirror Samadhi. We’ve all seen them, so we know they exist; but are there really no buddhas in the past, present, and future? Sounds like blasphemy – how can Nansen get away with saying that?