Selections from The Zen Poetry of Dōgen (vegetarian) – Verses from the Mountain of Eternal Peace: Part II, Chapter 3

Zen Buddhist Master Dōgen Zenji was the founder of the Sōtō school of Zen Buddhism in Japan, which promotes sitting meditation as the way to enlightenment. The Buddhist Master was one of the most remarkable Zen Masters in history and was also an outstanding poet. The book, "The Zen Poetry of Dōgen - Verses from the Mountain of Eternal Peace," is by Dōgen scholar Steven Heine. It is a complete translation of Dōgen’s collection of thirty-one-syllable Japanese poetry, or waka, plus a translation of a selection of the Master's Chinese verse, or kanshi. It offers a distinct and revealing insight into Master Dōgen’s unique style of Zen naturalist and aesthetic philosophy. "My companions Trekking The six realms - I recognize my father! There is my mother! Contemplating the clear moon Reflecting a mind as the open sky - Drawn by its beauty, I lose myself In the shadows it casts. Traveling the six realms, Seeking the primordial words Of the seven Buddhas of Nara, Which are ceaselessly Pervading all paths."