Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘Zazen is exactly right entrance. Right entrance is not to learn something step by step, but to emulate, to imitate the ancestors’ and buddhas’ doings, exactly.

Dōgen Zenji’s whole life was exactly to imitate, to emulate buddhas’ and ancestors’ doings. That is his teaching.

It’s not the parrot’s imitation, but human imitation is to emulate the ancestors’ doings and then you should have your own creative life. Otherwise, the imitation is merely just imitation.

That is human life. So Dōgen Zenji, his whole life he just emulated buddhas’ and ancestors’ life, and created his own thought and religious spirit. This is Dōgen’s very deep understanding and very stable, immovable practice. [This practice is] open to everyone – beyond sect, beyond religious denominations, beyond races – whoever you are. So his religious life is really creative, based on very deep understanding.

So that’s why he says right entrance.’ (from Katagiri Transcripts)

I was struck by the term right entrance; in the Okumura translation it is true gate. Do you find those have the same flavour?