たき木、はひとなる、さらにかへりてたき木となるべきにあらず。しかあるを、灰は

のち、薪はさきと見取すべからず。しるべし、薪は薪の法位に住して、さきありのち

あり。前後ありといへども、前後際斷せり。灰は灰の法位にありて、のちありさきあ

り。かのたき木、はひとなりぬるのち、さらに薪とならざるがごとく、人のしぬるの

ち、さらに生とならず。

生も一時のくらゐなり、死も一時のくらゐなり。たとへば、冬と春のごとし。冬の春

となるとおもはず、春 の夏となるといはぬなり。

現成公案

Firewood becomes ashes and it cannot become firewood again. Although this is so, we

should not see ashes as “after” and firewood as “before”. You should know that

firewood abides in the configuration of firewood, for which there is a “before” and “after”.

But although there is a “before” and an “after”, both the past and the future are

disconnected from the present. Ashes abide in the configuration of ashes, and there is

an “after”, and there is a “before”. Just like this firewood, which will not become firewood

again after it has become ashes, a human being will not return to life again after death.

Life is a momentary configuration, death is a momentary configuration. This is like

winter and spring. One does not say that “winter” has become “spring”, one does not

say that “spring” has become “summer”.

—The Challenge of Becoming-Immanent (Genjōkōan)

Küttepuudest saab tuhk ning tagasi küttepuudeks nad enam ei muutu. Sellegipoolest ei

saa öelda, et tuhk on sama asja hilisem, küttepuud aga varasem aste. Saa aru:

küttepuud on see, mis viibib “küttepuude” mustris, ja sellistena on neil olemas oma

“varem” ja “hiljem”. Aga kuigi “varem” ja “hiljem” on olemas, on nad neist ära lõigatud.

Tuhk on see, mis viibib “tuha” mustris ja ka temal on oma “hiljem” ja “varem”.

Samamoodi nagu küttepuud ei saa pärast tuhaks muutumist enam küttepuudeks tagasi,

ei saa ka inimene pärast suremist enam elavaks tagasi.

Elu on ühel hetkel kehtiv muster, surm on ühel hetkel kehtiv muster. See on täpselt

nagu talve ja kevadega. Me ju ei mõtle, et “talv” on muutunud “kevadeks” ega ütle, et

“kevadest” on saanud “suvi”.

— Ilmsekssaamise väljakutse (Genjōkōan)