Dōgen teaches, "A clay, wood, or plaster image of Buddha, however poorly done, should be venerated. A scroll of scripture, no matter how battered, should be respected. A priest, even if he be a hardened sinner, should be respected for his sacerdotal character. If one respects these with faith in his heart, he is surely blessed. If one is disrespectful of a priest because he is a hardened sinner, a statue because it is poorly done, a copy of the sutras because it is battered, then he certainly commits a sin. For according to the Buddha's teaching, the statue, the scroll of scripture, and the priest contribute to the happiness of men and gods. Therefore, one certainly profits by respecting them. One who treats them without faith is guilty of sin." Yet when Dōgen is asked why Tan-hsia burned the wooden Buddha, he explains, "That was a common means of preaching the Law" (Hajime Nakamura, Way of Thinking of Eastern Peoples, p. 458).
Submitted June 13, 2017 at 02:28AM by Dhammakayaram http://ift.tt/2slQT3b
No comments:
Post a Comment