Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘Dharma means that which is constantly supporting [or] upholding all beings, completely beyond human speculation.

Inside is hollow, nothing to grasp: this is a meaning of dharma. So dharma means that which is constantly supporting, upholding, helping, nurturing all beings, [and] on the other hand, dharma means the inside is hollow; nothing. Because that dharma is a state of the being which is really functioning; functioning and moving at super-speed. That is dharma.

That dharma is exactly unsurpassed and penetrating, and also perfect. The original says “supreme” – that dharma is exactly supreme. [There is] nothing more than that; it is completely the highest level of beings. So that is supreme.

And jin jin also means “profound,” very profound. We say “penetrating,” but originally it says “profound,” profundity. So it’s very deep; unfathomable. You cannot touch it. But you can be there, constantly. If you open your heart, if you open yourself, you can see it, you can be present there, exactly in peace and harmony. This is profundity.

And next we say “perfect,” but literally [it is] subtle, or wondrous. Inconceivable. You cannot pin down what it is, but it is working with us. If you see it objectively, you cannot know what it is, you cannot explain it. But practically speaking, subjectively, you can experience it. Exactly you can know: “Yes, it is with us.” But if you see [it] objectively, you cannot explain it; it’s very difficult [to say] what it is. That is so-called subtle, very subtle.

So dharma is supreme, and profound, and subtle, very subtle. This is dharma in Buddhism.’ (from Katagiri Transcripts)

I have been thinking about the Kaikyō ge – the Verse for Opening the Sutra – as I prepare for tonight’s talk at Zen Center. I struggled a little to remember the Japanese version that we used to recite before the English (I don’t know exactly when that got phased out in the city), and then saw that what I remembered was not exactly the same as the official Sotoshu version (p70 – 71 in the pdf). In any case, I was leaning on the idea of “tasting” the Tathagatha’s words. You are welcome to come along and taste my words this evening.