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Teisho 2: Upholding Activity
Sunday, October 7, 2001
from the series “Turning the Wheel of the Way"
Commentaries of Dogen's "Gyoji: Continuous Practice"
Presented by Ven. Anzan Hoshin roshi
© Copyright 2001 White Wind Zen Community
The continuous practice or “gyoji” of the Buddhas and Awakened Ancestors is
simply the actualization of Reality. What Dogen calls “gyoji” I have translated simply
as “continuous practice” throughout this text. But many other translations are
possible. A consideration of a few of these alternatives might help to indicate the
vast range of what Dogen is trying to speak of and of what we are actually
practising.
There is a Sanskrit term, “brahma-carya” which means “pure or stainless
conduct”. It is very common in various Indian philosophical and religious traditions
even today, where it can often simply mean celibacy. The use of this term in
Buddhist contexts is quite different however and it tends to mean “to conduct oneself
stainlessly” or “highly” in the sense of having a panoramic view or perspective, doing
what establishes Dharma and not doing what does not establish Dharma. “Carya” is
“conduct” or “do” or “practice” and “brahma” is “highest”. So it means being aligned
or attuned or opened to a greater context. The Japanese version of this term is “bon”
for “brahma” and “gyo” for “carya” and occurs in phrases such as “bongyo-jikai” or
“the pure practice of maintaining the precepts.”
The term “gyoji” then can be understood as a shortened form for “bongyo-
jikai” or to bear an implication with it. “Gyo” means action, conduct, behaviour,
practice, what is done. “Ji” means to keep, maintain, uphold, preserve, to continue.
Keeping here does not mean holding on to something. Someone who holds or keeps
a set of precepts for example keeps them when they uphold them through living
them.
“Gyoji” then can mean the “practice of maintaining the precepts.” It can mean
“to sustain or uphold practice”. It can mean “endless activity”. It can mean
“ceaseless action”, “sustained exertion”, “actively upholding” and so on.
Sometimes Dogen says that you must continuously practice in the sense of
maintaining consistent application of the instructions. But he also says that “gyoji” or
“continuous practice” is what upholds or maintains or manifests the entirety of
reality. 
For example, continuing on, the text says,
The merit of such continuous practice upholds oneself and others. In a
moment of my continuous practice, the whole earth, the whole sky, the ten
directions are all pervaded by it. Although you may not be aware of it and
others might not be aware of it, that is the way it is. Through the continuous
practice of all the Buddhas and Ancestors, our own continuous practice thus
becomes actualized and the Way of the Buddhas is opened for us. Through
our own continuous practice, the continuous practice of all the Buddhas and
Ancestors is manifested, and the Way of the Buddhas is opened. Through our
own continuous practice, the merit of the Way turns without beginning.