"When you really want to know who you are or what the
real significance of human life, human suffering is, very naturally you come
back to silence, even though you don't want to, you return to an area of
no-sound. It cannot be explained, but in this silence you can realize, even if
only dimly, what the real point is that you want to know. Whatever kind of question
you ask or whatever you think, finally you have to return to silence. This
silence is vast; you don't know what it is."
Book donated by David Schneider - Thank you!
For twenty-five hundred years Buddhism has taught that
everyone is Buddha—already enlightened, lacking nothing. But still there is the
question of how we can experience that truth in our lives. In this book, DaininKatagiri points to the manifestation of enlightenment right here, right now, in
our everyday routine. Genuineness of practice lies in "just living"
our lives wholeheartedly. The Zen practice of sitting meditation (zazen) is
this not a means to an end but is the activity of enlightenment itself. That is
why Katagiri Roshi says, "Don't expect enlightenment—just sit down!"
Based on the author's talks to his American students, Returning
to Silence contains the basic teachings of the Buddha, with special emphasis on
the meaning of faith and on meditation. It also offers a commentary on
"The Bodhisattva's Four Methods of Guidance" from Dogen Zenji's Shobogenzo,
which speaks in depth about the appropriate actions of those who guide others
in the practice of the Buddha Way. Throughout these pages, Katagiri Roshi
energetically brings to life the message that "Buddha is your daily
life."
The book offers a basic understanding of Zen Buddhism. Special
emphasis on discovering the experience of enlightenment in the midst of
everyday life.
About Dainin Katagiri Roshi
Born in Osaka, Japan, in 1928, Dainin Katagiri was trained
traditionally as a Zen teacher. He first came to the United States in 1963, to
help with a Soto Zen Temple in Los Angeles. He later joined Shunryu Suzuki
Roshi at the San Francisco Zen Center and taught there until Suzuki Roshi’s
death in 1971. He was then invited to form a new Zen center in Minneapolis,
which, in addition to a monastery in the countryside of Minnesota, he oversaw
until his death in 1990. He left behind a legacy of recorded teachings and
twelve Dharma heirs. Katagiri is the author of several books, including Returning
to Silence and You Have to Say Something.
