Tao Te Ching Chapter 73-9 Tao = Net

Today's Tao

Heaven's net is vast. Its mesh is not fine, but it doesn't lose any. (Ch.73)


天網恢々疏にして失せず [tenmo kaikai so ni shite shissezu]

In Japan, this is one of the best known sentences in Tao Te Ching.

What is "Heaven's net"?

It is the net of Tao's energy, which covers everything in your hologram.

In Chapter 11, Lao Tzu said: "30 spokes share one hub". (☞See 30 spokes 11-1)

In Chapter 28: "When the uncarved block scatters, it becomes vessels". (☞See Vessels 28-13)

Can you picture the images?

All of them are metaphors in order to explain the relation between Tao and a hologram, the projector and the projected.

In Buddhism, it is symbolized by the infinite light of Amida Butsu (Amitāba Buddha).

What is the infinite light, then?

It is the movement of Tao and true You.

And this is the light that projects your holographic world in the 360 degree movie theater, so to speak.

The content of the film is not important.

The light of the projector is.


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-Plan 73-8
-Tao = Net 73-9
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 73


Tao answers your question!



☞On the left, «The Promise of Amida Buddha: Honen's Path to Bliss». Honen is the teacher of Shinran. Amida Buddha is the pillar of Jodo Shin Shu / Pure Land Shin School of Buddhism. / On the right, «Living in Amida's Universal Vow: Essays on Shin Buddhism» is edited by Alfred Bloom and has some articles by him and Daisetz Suzuki among others. Later in his life, Suzuki, the author of «Zen and Japanese Culture», got interested in Jodo Buddhism as Zen Master Ikkyu did.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 70-5 Precious one

Today's Tao

The fewer people know me, the more precious I am. (Ch.70)


Why can't you see your face?

Because you don't have a face.

What?

But you can see it on the mirror!

No, it is not your true face.

It is just an image in the mirror.

Do you know who you are?

You are the most precious one, or "the only respectable being" as the baby Buddha said. (☞See No boasting 22-11 and Ordinary? 67-3)

True You are the light that projects the holographic world.

As the actors in a film aren't interested in what kind of a projector they use at the movie theatre, people in your hologram don't care who is lighting them up.

Others don't know you are the Buddha of Infinite Light.


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 70


Tao answers your question!



☞Buddha of Infinite Light is also called Amida or Amitābha. "Na mu Amida Butsu". Just call his name, and he will be always there for you. In fact, he is always there for all of us. He is the amazing power source of Tariki. This Other-power lights up all. A life is a process to learn Jiriki / Self-power is the same as Tariki. It is not surprising at all that Zen specialist Daisetz Suzuki was not only a Zen specialist. He was interested in Tariki of Shin Buddhism.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 64-21 Don't dare

Today's Tao

He doesn't dare to act. (Ch.64)


Do not act.

That is to say, do not intervene in the natural transformation of your hologram.

"But, what can we do? We have to eat and sleep! We've got to go to school or work!", you may say.

If you think so, just do it.

Your thoughts are part of the hologram.

So are your acts.

Whatever you do, you are in fact doing nothing.

Whether you are literally sitting or running around, you are doing Zazen 坐禅 (=so-called "meditation"), which is what Zen Buddhists call "sitting".

You don't have to meditate because life itself is your meditation.

Then, what do we have to do in our life, or our living meditation?

It's easy.

Do nothing.

That is to say, receive and send the maximum amount of Love (=Tao).


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 64


Tao answers your question!



☞Do you like sushi? The real simple sushi they serve in a authentic sushi bar in Japan. Not fancy California rolls with avocado inside. What is an uncarved block? A good example is a nigiri sushi ("nigirizushi"). An uncarved block is the state of being as you are. Without exotic sauces. With just plain wasabi and Kikkoman. You enjoy the quality and the freshness of the fish. The young girl in Yasunari Kawabata's «The Dancing girl of Izu» is another good example of being an uncarved block. This low-class dancer behaves with no awareness of class difference. She doesn't even mind running naked out of the huge rocky bath of the open-air hot spring to say hello to the boy student. The "uncarved block" attitude will surely lead you to "Kami nagara no michi", which means "the way like gods". Daisetz Suzuki explains this well in his «Zen and Japanese Culture».

Tao Te Ching Chapter 55-3 No attack

Today's Tao

Violent animals don't attack him. (Ch.55)


In your hologram, there is no danger.

Then, why are we fearful of the attack by our enemy or an animal?

Daisetz Suzuki tells us the story of a Japanese samurai swordsman and cats. (The swordsman and the cat, Appendices IV, «Zen and Japanese Culture»)

Let's ask the wisest cat.

"Why do we have the enemy?"

"Because of the self there is the foe; when there is no self there is no foe."

The cat continues:

"You make no choice between right and wrong, like and dislike."

Both your own self and the enemy are part of the same hologram.


Daisetz Suzuki@wiki


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 55


Tao answers your question!



☞«Zen and Japanese Culture» was published in 1959 precisely a quarter of a dicace after the publication of «Manual of Zen» (in 1934 in Kyoto, Japan; in 1950 in London). The former includes the chapters on the story above and «Yama Uba». The latter has «Ten Ox-herding Pictures», which will tell you the ten steps of reaching Satori. Please remember that time is just a parameter. All the ten steps take place simultaneously.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 49-3 A Study of the Good

Today's Tao

I think something good is good. (Ch.49)


What is the good?

Let's ask a good friend, a high school mate of the well-know Zen scholar Daisetz Suzuki.

He is Japanese philosopher Kitaro Nishida, the author of «A Study of the Good».

He says:

"We have only one true good, which is to find out the true Self."

(Book III Chapter 13, «A Study of the Good»)


Watch out.

Nishida is not talking about a self that comes and goes.

He is talking about the true You.

The readers of Today's Tao surely know what it is.


Kitaro Nishida@wiki


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-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 49


Tao answers your question!



☞«A Study of the Good» and «An Inquiry into the Good» are the same book. They are the translation of «Zen no Kenkyu» originally written in Japanese by Kitaro Nishida. Kitaro Nishida might probably be the only Japanese philosopher whose works are fairly available in other languages than Japanese. He was a classmate of Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki at a high school in Kanazawa, Japan. The dynamic duo's contribution to the English-speaking Zen community is immeasurable. When you get confused with an oriental philosophy, ask Kitaro or Daisetz.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 39-17 Lords & Kings = Less virtue

Today's Tao

That's why lords and kings call themselves "orphans", "less virtue", and "no good". (Ch.39)


A: "Master Bonbon, I have a question."

B: "Excuse me, but what did you call me?"

A: "«Master Bonbon», Master Bonbon."

B: "You are wrong, idiot. You have to address me as «Your Serene Holiness Master Bonbon»."


Master Bonbon, you have to learn how to be humble first.

Don't brag that you are the master of your hologram.

Nevertheless, you don't have to belittle yourself by calling yourself «less virtue» or «no good».

If you don't judge, neither virtue nor good exists.

How about calling yourself «Big Clumsy»?

Not too haughty. Not too humble.

It is a good name, Dr Daisetz Suzuki.


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-Mean = Root 39-18
-No honor 39-19
-No jade 39-20
-Like stone 39-21
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 39


Tao answers your question!



Previous video / Ch.39 text / Next video


-Daisetz Suzuki, a Zen Buddhist, got more interested in Shinran, the founder of Jodo Shin Shu (Pure Land Shin school) as he got older. So did Ikkyu. Shusaku Endo, a Christian novelist, was more criticized for being too Buddhist-like as he got older. When we leave this floating world, we would like to be a good friend of the gatekeeper to the other side of the River.

Tao Te Ching Chapter 21-3 Formed objects

Today's Tao

Though it is vague and elusive, there are yet formed objects inside it. (Ch.21)


Here you are! This is one of the key sentences in Tao Te Ching.

Please picture the image.

First, you have Tao, the energy, the essence and in-form-ation. (Its etymology is interesting. The word knows what it means.)

Second, you have formed objects inside Tao the energy / information.

This second part includes your own self and the rest of the world, in other words, you (=your own self, not true You) and non-you.

In Tao and Zen, the radio receiver (=your own self, =«you» in the conventional sense) and the sounds it creates (=non-you) belong to the same sphere, which is your hologram.

Dogen taught it to us clearly.

Kitaro Nishida repeated it with modern terminology.

Daisetz Suzuki repeated it again in English.

We are not supposed to have a problem of «self», are we?


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-By Tao's name 21-10
-Tao by Matsumoto / Tao Te Ching / Chapter 21
-Tao by Matsumoto / You and non-you


Tao answers your question!



Previous video / Ch.21 text / Next video


-Important works by Kitaro Nishida

Tao Te Ching Chapter 14-11 Tao has no name

Today's Tao

It is omnipresent and has no name. (Ch.14)


You say: "Buddha".

I say: "Tao".

You say: "Zen".

I say: "Love".


Tao has no name.

So, any name can be its name.

Even if you don't know the word Tao, you can live happily.


Naoto Matsumoto says:

Don't you think some Buddhists are too concerned about terminology, Daisetz Suzuki and Master Dogen included? In this sense, Master Ikkyu is much more original. This drunken Zen bonze is a poet rather than an academic.


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Tao answers your question!



Previous video / Ch.14 text / Next video