Dialogues in a Dream: The Life and Zen Teachings of Muso Soseki

by Muso Soseki, Thomas Yuho Kirchner (Translator)

Overview

Drawing on his encyclopedic knowledge, one of the most famous masters in the history of Zen leads us on a grand tour of Buddhist theology in all its timeless relevance.

Muso Soseki, the renowned fourteenth century Zen master, is today most known for developing the art of traditional Japanese Zen gardening. Even more impressive is his creation of the institutional structure for all Japanese Buddhist temples, which still in use today.
Dialogues in a Dream is one of the many projects Soseki took on in this final period of his life. Written in the guise of a conversation between Soseki and the shogun, the work covers the breadth of Buddhist philosophy and practice, and includes insightful discussions of prayer, mediation, and the place of study in religious life. His penetrating analysis deepens our appreciation of even the simplest Buddhist practices.
Acclaimed scholar Thomas Yuho Kirchner painstakingly translates this classic text into English.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781614292531
Publisher:	Wisdom Publications MA
Publication date:	06/16/2015
Pages:	448
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Muso Soseki (1275–1351) was a Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk and teacher, and a calligraphist, poet and garden designer. The most famous monk of his time, he is also known as Muso Kokushi ("national Zen teacher"), a honorific conferred to him by Emperor Go-Daigo.

Thomas Yuho Kirchner was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1949. He went to Japan in 1969 to attend Waseda University in Tokyo for a year, after which he remained in Japan to study Buddhism. He spent three years training under Yamada Mumon as a lay monk at Shofuku-ji before receiving ordination in 1974. Following ordination he practiced under Minato Sodo Roshi at Kencho-ji in Kamakura and Kennin-ji in Kyoto. Following graduate studies in Buddhism at Otani University he worked at the Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture in Nagoya and subsequently at the Hanazono University International Research Institute for Zen Buddhism. He presently lives at Tenryu-ji in Arashiyama, Kyoto. Among his publications are the Record of Linji, Dialogues in a Dream, and Entangling Vines.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part I Dialogues in a Dream Part

1 Prosperity in the Present Life 65

2 The Way of the Buddha, the Way of the World 69

3 The True Meaning of Prosperity 71

4 Renouncing Avarice 75

5 Prosperity and the Search for the Way 77

6 The Merits of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas 79

7 Divine Protection 89

8 Prayer as an Upaya 95

9 Shingon Esoteric Rituals 97

10 Praying for Influential Supporters 101

11 Praying for Good Fortune in Future Lives 105

12 Advanced in Wisdom, Advanced in Compassion 109

13 The Three Types of Compassion 111

14 Mahayana Compassion 113

15 The True Meaning of Kaji and Kito Rituals 115

16 Offerings to Worldly Monks 121

17 Buddhism and Government 127

18 Demon-Work 133

19 Conceit 137

20 Dualistic Attachment and Buddhist Practice 139

21 Zazen-Induced Breakdowns 141

22 Dealing with Demonic Obstructions 143

23 Subduing Demons with No-Mind 147

Part II

24 The Profound Wisdom of Original Nature 151

25 Wisdom as an Impediment 153

26 Scholarly Understanding and Profound Wisdom 155

27 The Parable of the Raft 157

28 Deluded Thinking and Profound Wisdom 161

29 Stop Deluded Thinking 163

30 Words and Deluded Thinking 165

31 Nonpractice Is the Greatest Delusion 167

32 Koan Practice 169

33 Returning to Original Well-Being 171

34 Scholarly Understanding and True Practice 175

35 Fundamental Wisdom and Acquired Wisdom 177

36 Intent and Words 181

37 Bodhidharma's Intent 183

38 The Importance of Practice 185

39 Practice over Understanding 189

40 Bodhicitta 191

41 Reducing Worldly Passions 195

42 Practicing with Worldly Feelings 203

43 To See Things as Illusion Is Not the Ultimate 205

44 Enlightenment 209

45 Detachment Is Not Enlightenment 211

46 Judging Right and Wrong 213

47 The Effects of Practice 217

48 The True Meaning of Zazen 219

49 True Practice 223

50 The Striving of Nonstriving 225

51 The Abstruse Teaching of the Zen School 227

52 Direct Indication of Original Nature 229

53 Direct Guidance 233

54 The Use of Koans 235

55 Master Zhaozhou Said "Wu!" 237

56 Cultivation and Worldly Activities 241

57 The Buddha Law and Worldly Affairs 245

58 "Letting Go" in the Zen School 251

59 Original Nature and Supernatural Powers 253

60 Signs at the Time of Death 257

Part III

61 The Ground of Original Nature 265

62 Buddha-Nature and the Ground of Original Nature 267

63 The True Form of the Ground of Original Nature 269

64 Attaining the Ground of Original Nature 271

65 The True Mind 275

66 The Eternal Soul and the One Mind 279

67 True Mind and Deluded Mind 283

68 The Two Foundations of the True Mind 285

69 Dependent Origination and Spontaneous Arising 289

70 Mind and Nature 293

71 Delusion and Truth 297

72 Ordinary People and Sages 299

73 The Eye of the Buddha 303

74 Hinayana and Mahayana, Provisional and True 305

75 Capacities 307

76 The Mysterious Principle of the Separate Transmission 311

77 The Five Houses of the Zen School 317

78 The Reason for Praise and Censure 319

79 The True Meaning of the Buddha's Teachings 321

80 Doctrine and Zen 323

81 Teaching through Principle, Teaching through Devices 327

82 Easy Practice, Difficult Practice 329

83 Fully Revealed and Partially Revealed Teachings 333

84 The Fully Revealed Mahayana Nenbutsu 335

85 The Correct Practice and the Other Practices 337

86 The True Meaning of Praise and Censure 339

87 Keen Students, Dull Students 341

88 Zen and the Precepts 343

89 Meditation in the Zen School 347

90 Recognizing the True Dharma 349

91 A Separate Transmission Outside the Teachings 353

92 Regarding the Publication of These Exchanges 361

93 A Koan Given to Ashikaga 363

Postscript Zhuxian Fanxian 365

Postcript the Revised Edition 373

Index 415

About the Translator 435

Editorial Reviews

An astonishing book in its depth and breadth. This is a treasure of Buddhism.

Joan Halifax

Muso Soseki was a towering figure in the early history of Japanese Zen. The luminous gardens he designed remain on view in Kyoto, and now we have this excellent record of Muso's major writing. Tom Kirchner presents this text skillfully, with useful annotation and introduction, matching his exemplary volumes Tangling Vines and Record of Linji. Muso's teachings are valuable as an historical document, framed as dialogues with the shogun, and providing deep insights into traditional Buddhist and Zen lore. His teachings also offer gems of helpful spiritual support still relevant today. Muso warns of many available sidetracks and obstacles to clear awareness, how even ‘wisdom can lead to confusion.’ He clarifies the need to study the intent rather than the words, but how also studying words is necessary for beneficial guidance. These words from Muso Soseki still have power to shepherd contemporary students of the Way.

Taigen Dan Leighton