Dogen explained that you should not think firewood becomes ash. Firewood has its own period, and ash also has its own period. Ash has its own past and future, and so does firewood. So firewood is independent and ash is independent. When we understand self in that way, that self includes everything: its own past and future and everything which exists with fire or ash. That does not mean to have some substantial idea of ash or fire. It is not some substance, but it’s something named ash, which includes everything and is related to everything. This is also the understanding of reality and understanding of our self. Only when we understand in this way, can we understand Buddhism and understand other’s lives, and understand science and everything.
—Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-06-28 - as found on
shunryusuzuki.com
edited by PF. Go to
instagram.com/cuke_archives or cuke.com/ig
for links to the full Shunryu Suzuki lecture and the source of the photo.
The Big Sur–Marble Cone forest fire burning at night, 1977.