Japan Discovery Zen words is The best word “Meishu tanagokoro ni ari”
The pearls (Buddha-nature) is in the palm of your hand
en is difficult. Zen word is also difficult. That’s why I interpret it as I please. I think that’s fine. Enou Zenji, Dogen Zenji, Ikkyu-san, and Ryokan-san are likely to say, “That’s fine, that’s fine. Let it be."
Today’s Zen word is “Meishu tanagokoro ni ari" It means “The pearls (Buddha-nature) is in the palm of your hand."
The bright pearl is Buddha nature.
“The pearl of wisdom of Prajna is in my hand," is written in the Hekkanroku (Records of the Blue Rocks) from the Song Dynasty. Prajna is the wisdom to know the true nature of things (the three aspects of things: impermanence, suffering, and non-self). If you work hard, the diamond pearl (prajna wisdom) is in your hand. Once you obtain it, you will be able to see the true nature of all things.
It is difficult to reach this state of mind, but if you practice hard and become enlightened, you will be able to understand all things in the world.
Speaking of knowing everything, it reminds me of the scene in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull where Soviet female colonel Irina Spalko pleads with an alien with a crystal skull to “I want to know everything" and although her wish is granted, she cries out “stop" because it is so painful. It seems that knowing is painful.
It is difficult for ordinary people to hold the diamond’s bright pearl, a symbol of the wisdom of Prajna, in the palm of their hands, but they can polish the Buddha nature that they inherently possess.
A person’s Buddha nature can also be likened to bright pearl. Buddha nature is the essence of Buddha that all living beings possess, like the seed to become a Buddha, and it is present in everyone. If you know your Buddha nature, you will be freed from all worldly desires and can save all living beings. Even if you can’t get that far, it seems that good things will come from polishing your Buddha nature (bright pearl).
Paradise is a hanging thing above your eyebrows, and you don’t find it very close.
A person’s Buddha nature is originally pure. You can see this by looking at a baby. They smile like a bright pearl, shining with innocence. But as they grow up, the bright pearl becomes cloudy. They worry about various things about others and become envious of their talents and circumstances. Why don’t I have any talent or wealth?
Because they lost the parent lottery. I feel like attacking others by belittling myself as an incel. But is that really true? Do you really have nothing? You have a healthy body and a heart that does not lament your circumstances.Above all, you have Buddha nature.
“Paradise is like a hanging thing on your eyebrows, so close that you do not find it," said Zen Master Dogen. Happiness is so close that you do not notice it. But it is definitely there. Even if your Buddha nature is clouded, it does not disappear. The bright pearl, or Buddha nature, is in your palm.
However, the pearl is difficult to see, and it takes some training to see it.You have a bright pearl, and training is to think about what kind of pearl your bright pearl is.
Zen monks practice zazen to attain enlightenment. Even if you cannot do the same training, you can be aware of your bright pearl. If you open your palm and be aware of your bright pearl, you will feel that your heart becomes richer.
Everyone has bright pearl.
An honest heart is also bright pearl. If you have an honest heart, you can feel happy. When you are born, your heart is honest. As you go through life, your heart becomes clouded. It becomes clouded because you only complain. Every day you can’t help but complain about something. The company is strange, your salary is low, your wife is cold, your new boss is terrible.
Your friend points out that it’s because you don’t work hard enough. Your wife gets angry and tells you to earn more. I’ve had enough, I can’t take it anymore because of everything. You can’t see the world with an open heart. But won’t that friend greet you with a smile? Will your wife make you coffee with a smile when you get home late?
If you look around and pay attention to the kindness and consideration of everyone, you will see smiles everywhere. You yourself are smiling back at everyone. A smile is the radiance of the pearl (Buddha nature). The pearl shines in your palm. The pearl is invisible, but it is definitely there.