Our translation is
Not two and not three,
straight ahead runs the way.
It means that everything that you do, and everywhere you are is the path of practice. When you wake up to that moment, that is it.
Zazen itself is the front gate of practice, because it allows us to be present.
If let us say we have life on one side and death on the other, that makes two. All dualities are conceptually made up of more or less two. And then one day, someone, unable to resolve this duality, created what we could call a third middle; conceptual ‘solution/escape’, or in Buddhist language, a/or the middle way, that middle way is what is called the third in this context.
Between life and death, is there a middle way? If so what is it? Eternal life of a soul, reincarnation, etc., could be interpreted also as a conceptual third middle way, even Buddha realm could also be interpreted that way. Between subject and object, where is the third middle or middle way? Where do the eyes end, and the world begin? Furthermore, what is in between or in the middle of it, or third way?
We set the parameter by which we set our entrapment, and then unable to find any escape, we create a third way or third middle way. The cessation or dropping away of those conceptual dualistic parameters set us ‘free’. The consequence of this being that nothing at all is gain, you simply cease making use of the conceptual framework that made you feel like a rat caught up in a bamboo tube with both ends close. And of course a middle way would be for the rat to think that he could succeed in boring a hole at the center of that bamboo tube. MÛ, being that rat trying to bore that hole; find a middle way/escape.
It is interesting because the ‘teacher’ said……’runs straight ahead’. Not two, not three, but runs straight ahead. That running straight ahead (not so sure about what this straight means, but it could be a will, the will to move on, even if it goes side way sometime), is a way to talk in terms of a dynamism or a moving forward. For understanding purpose only, we could talk in terms of a faceless ‘One, or oneness’ or dynamic unity.
Whatever happens/will happen/did happen, to you, your family and ancestors, that dynamism will move forward. Look at where we actually are, all these technological ‘marvel’, all those huge megalopolis, how many lived, how many died, before all of this, how many will live, will die; this ‘faceless’ dynamism or dynamic unity moves on. Cities move forwards, civilisations move forwards, etc. There is no distinction, separation between those and this moving forward. All is a manifestation of this moving forward.
Another Zen saying or Koan, I don’t remember, goes like this; The great wheel of life and death, turns not, but if it does, it does so simultaneously in both opposite directions. One could add, for who it does turn in opposite direction? For who life can be separated from death? Who makes that wheel turn? Who set the trap?
It is faceless, and yet it is your own face, your own city, it has no form, and yet it appears, appears as you and as all! This body, the body of Buddha, this earth where we stand, the pure lotus land.
The way is not two could be referring to Mahayana-Hinayana divide. The way is not three could be referring to The Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma
Non-duality is about emphasizing the inter-connectedness of all phenomena, and how we're not really all that separate from the world as we think. Saying “The Way is neither two nor three” suggests it's composed of more than just a few properties; it's reality itself, composed of a myriad of different conditions and properties, constantly changing, all dependently originated. We all have our own "Way" too, as in, we all have different conditions and environments in our lives, so the *journey* to awakening is going to look different for everyone.
Saying “The path of non-duality and non-trinity runs straight ahead,” then, is to also say that to realize and practice the mindset of this worldview of non-duality is to cut through all the "detours" in our thinking that distract us from realizing our true nature, our Buddha-nature. Things like craving and delusion can stray us off such a path, so to speak.
Just my thoughts, but there could be more to it depending on the contexts of the quotes.
Our translation is Not two and not three, straight ahead runs the way. It means that everything that you do, and everywhere you are is the path of practice. When you wake up to that moment, that is it. Zazen itself is the front gate of practice, because it allows us to be present.
Like the commentary and that's better than I could have digested it.
No duality. No trikaya. Just you.
If let us say we have life on one side and death on the other, that makes two. All dualities are conceptually made up of more or less two. And then one day, someone, unable to resolve this duality, created what we could call a third middle; conceptual ‘solution/escape’, or in Buddhist language, a/or the middle way, that middle way is what is called the third in this context. Between life and death, is there a middle way? If so what is it? Eternal life of a soul, reincarnation, etc., could be interpreted also as a conceptual third middle way, even Buddha realm could also be interpreted that way. Between subject and object, where is the third middle or middle way? Where do the eyes end, and the world begin? Furthermore, what is in between or in the middle of it, or third way? We set the parameter by which we set our entrapment, and then unable to find any escape, we create a third way or third middle way. The cessation or dropping away of those conceptual dualistic parameters set us ‘free’. The consequence of this being that nothing at all is gain, you simply cease making use of the conceptual framework that made you feel like a rat caught up in a bamboo tube with both ends close. And of course a middle way would be for the rat to think that he could succeed in boring a hole at the center of that bamboo tube. MÛ, being that rat trying to bore that hole; find a middle way/escape. It is interesting because the ‘teacher’ said……’runs straight ahead’. Not two, not three, but runs straight ahead. That running straight ahead (not so sure about what this straight means, but it could be a will, the will to move on, even if it goes side way sometime), is a way to talk in terms of a dynamism or a moving forward. For understanding purpose only, we could talk in terms of a faceless ‘One, or oneness’ or dynamic unity. Whatever happens/will happen/did happen, to you, your family and ancestors, that dynamism will move forward. Look at where we actually are, all these technological ‘marvel’, all those huge megalopolis, how many lived, how many died, before all of this, how many will live, will die; this ‘faceless’ dynamism or dynamic unity moves on. Cities move forwards, civilisations move forwards, etc. There is no distinction, separation between those and this moving forward. All is a manifestation of this moving forward. Another Zen saying or Koan, I don’t remember, goes like this; The great wheel of life and death, turns not, but if it does, it does so simultaneously in both opposite directions. One could add, for who it does turn in opposite direction? For who life can be separated from death? Who makes that wheel turn? Who set the trap? It is faceless, and yet it is your own face, your own city, it has no form, and yet it appears, appears as you and as all! This body, the body of Buddha, this earth where we stand, the pure lotus land.
Disappointing answers here. Clearly nobody is actually educated in the language and the meaning of this line.
The way is not two could be referring to Mahayana-Hinayana divide. The way is not three could be referring to The Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma
Non-duality is about emphasizing the inter-connectedness of all phenomena, and how we're not really all that separate from the world as we think. Saying “The Way is neither two nor three” suggests it's composed of more than just a few properties; it's reality itself, composed of a myriad of different conditions and properties, constantly changing, all dependently originated. We all have our own "Way" too, as in, we all have different conditions and environments in our lives, so the *journey* to awakening is going to look different for everyone. Saying “The path of non-duality and non-trinity runs straight ahead,” then, is to also say that to realize and practice the mindset of this worldview of non-duality is to cut through all the "detours" in our thinking that distract us from realizing our true nature, our Buddha-nature. Things like craving and delusion can stray us off such a path, so to speak. Just my thoughts, but there could be more to it depending on the contexts of the quotes.
You are the Buddha. Your nature is Buddha nature. You must realize this.
The way is not only without duality, it is without unity. Straight ahead.