Higher Metabolism Means More Bowel Movements

Fukan zazengi, Part 4,
translation of Dogen's authentic text

Below are presented the new, literal translation, as amended by Rufu-Bon:
is "General, if we seek for the truth that the fundamental truth the (entire) universe passes through, and therefore it seems (erroneously) to be quite unnecessary, that we build on the experience and practice (zazen). Furthermore, the methods to achieve the fundamental characteristics (the truth), are (yet) exist naturally. Why is it necessary that we exert ourselves to exhaustion (to attain the truth)?

In our case, we as Buddhists have left already the usual (apparent) values of human societies fully as waste and dust. Why is it for anyone (at all) need to believe in the need of methods to those (ordinary) secular Wegzubürsten values and wipe?
have said generally, we leave the right circumstances (as Buddhists) do not. Why is it (then) required that we use at all even a little of the outermost toes (zazen)?

If only the smallest gap (with practice and truth) is, then this gap is getting bigger and bigger, as if it were the vast distance between heaven and earth. If only the smallest difference between right and wrong to creep, we would completely lose our minds in hopeless confusion.
Although we extremely proud of our ingenious intellectual understanding , and (mentally) capable of extensive intuitive decisions would, it seems quite impossible that our ability of thinking through the (dualistic) understanding omit (one way) (can) so that we have so the powerful state of the real action on the real gain.

This is also true (the mental) if we get a subtle, intuitive enlightenment in a completely independent sector, if we attain the highest truth, if we identify the human mind and we will walk through all the elegant life. It also applies if we have a strong confidence that our intellectual found wealth has access to the real world and if we have a strong and astute mind that pierces the sky.

remains true that we can follow the clear footprints of Genius ( Gautama Buddha ) of Jetavana Anathapindikarama , who made great efforts and for six years practiced zazen. We can also now the doctrine of the famous master ( Bodhidharma ) heard in Shorin Temple , who for nine years facing the wall zazen practice. Even the great old masters have been similar excellent examples. How then can take it that we can pass during the day time, without practicing zazen?

Therefore we immediately terminate the (useless) intellectual efforts by analyzing words and speeches follow. We should begin to learn to step back and examine ourselves. Body and mind naturally (then the restricted awareness of) will immediately fall away from us and our original face and our eyes will reveal the original immediately. If we are to achieve such a situation immediately, we should do so immediately, without any hesitation at all.