正法眼蔵行持の講義 (Muho talks about Dogen's Gyoji chapter)、2019年4月30日
Channel: Antai ji
Date: 30/04/2019

長慶の慧稜和尚は、雪峰下の尊宿なり。雪峰と玄沙とに往來して、參學すること僅二十九年なり。その年月に蒲團二十枚を坐破す。いまの人の坐禪を愛するあるは、長慶をあげて慕古の勝躅とす。したふはおほし、およぶすくなし。しかあるに、三十年の功夫むなしからず、あるとき涼簾を卷起せしちなみに、忽然として大悟す。
三十來年かつて郷土にかへらず、親族にむかはず、上下肩と談笑せず、專一に功夫す。師の行持は三十年なり。疑滯を疑滯とせること三十年、さしおかざる利機といふべし、大根といふべし。勵志の堅固なる、傳聞するは或從經卷なり。ねがふべきをねがひ、はづべきをはぢとせん、長慶に相逢すべきなり。實を論ずれば、ただ道心なく、操行つたなきによりて、いたづらに名利には繋縛せらるるなり。

The venerable monk Chōkei Eryō was a revered senior monk training under Seppō. For twenty-nine years he went back and forth between Seppō and Shibi, exploring the Matter through his training with both of them. During those months and years he wore out twenty sitting mats. There are people today who love doing seated meditation and, citing Chōkei, they take this beloved ancient one as their model. Those who idolize him are many; those who equal him are few. At the same time, his efforts for thirty years were not in vain. There was a time when he was rolling up a bamboo blind in the doorway of the Meditation Hall and suddenly had a great awakening. During those thirty years, he never returned to his home country, or visited his relatives, or chatted with those sitting on either side of him; he just put his efforts into the Principle Matter. The ceaseless practice of this Master went on for thirty years. For thirty years he treated his doubts and misgivings as doubts and misgivings: we should speak of him as someone of keen wit who did not ignore anything, as someone with great potential for realizing the Truth. Reports of such firmness in resolve are sometimes met with when studying the Scriptures. When we desire what we should desire and feel shame about what we should feel shame about, then we may encounter Chōkei. To speak the truth, it is only due to a lack of heart for the Way and a lack of skill in handling their daily conduct that people become vainly tied to fame and gain.
(https://www.thezensite.com/ZenTeachings/Dogen_Teachings/Shobogenzo/029gyoji.pdf)

Gudo Nishijima’s translation can be found here (scroll down to “[234] Great Chokei Eryo…” ): https://www.thezensite.com/ZenTeachings/Dogen_Teachings/Shobogenzo_2_NC.pdf