SO TO ZEN - Shasta Abbey

78 Sōtō ZenBuddhism, the two are one and the same. Since trainingembraces enlightenment, the very beginning of trainingcontains the whole of original enlightenment; as this is so, theteacher tells his disciples never to search for enlightenmentoutside of training since the latter mirrors enlightenment.Ó [Zenis Eternal Life, 1999, p. 186.] This is what we describe as theidentity between original enlightenment and wonderful training.Although we do not deny the existence of training andenlightenment, we say that one must not cling to theseconcepts. This non-attachment we call untainted enlightenmentand training. It is correctly transmitted Buddhism and is characterizedby the harmony, not opposition, of enlightenment andtraining. Some may ask, ÒSince enlightenment and training areone, isnÕt the practice of meditation superfluous?Ó To this wemust clearly answer, ÒNo.Ó It is easy to fall into such erroneousthinking about practicing meditation. D‡gen writes in hisSh‡b‡genz‡ Zuimonki, ÒMy idea of the untainted man ofreligion is the person who gives himself completely toBuddhism and leads a religious life without troubling himselfabout the attainment of enlightenment.Ó If we devote ourselveswholeheartedly to Buddhism without any desire to reachenlightenment, we become a living embodiment of Buddhism.Because Shinran, the founder of the Shin School of Buddhism,placed such emphasis on the reality of mankind, he was able tosay, ÒBecome a plain man!Ó Because D‡gen placed stress on