Applying Wisdom and Zen-Jō
to “San-Shou”
In my previous article, I mentioned that
when you use Wisdom and Zen-Jō
practically, there are two cases:
“The times when standing Zen-Jō as
King while Wisdom as Minister,” and
“The times when standing Wisdom
as King and Zen-Jō as Minister.”
Now, let’s apply these two cases to
“San-Shou.”
“San-Show” refers to
the three Obstacles that stand in the
way of human happiness.
They can be summarized as follows:
1. No Bright/Bon-nō –
“Vacillating Desire” and “Vacillating
Mind.”
2. Karma – “Wrong Action.”
3. Suffering Body – “Suffering Body.”
Last time, I discussed the interrelationship
between these three obstacles using the
analogy of “Acts of war.”
Imagine a war leader in a certain country
has a “Vacillating Desire” to invade another
country and make it his territory.
That desire leads to the “Wrong Action” of
war. When war breaks out, it results in many
casualties, both soldiers and civilians.
This is the “Suffering Body.”
When treating these “San-Show”
(Three Obstacles), they are treated
in two ways:
“Bon-nō soku Bodai” and
“Shou-ji soku Nehan.”
The middle “soku” means “According to”
or “By sticking tightly.”
*
First, I will explain “Bon-nō soku Bodai.”
・”Bon-nō” in “Bon-nō soku Bodai” means
“Vacillating Desire.”
・”Bodai” means “Desire toward Goodness”
or “Desire to make Vows and Wishes for
happiness and peace.”
In other words, it is “Bon-nō soku Bodai” that
transforms “Vacillating Desire” (Bon-nō) into
“Desire toward Goodness” (Bodai).
This transformation is achieved by Wisdom.
To be continued
The distinction between Wisdom as King and Zen-Jō as Minister, or vice versa, gives a practical framework for facing the San-Shou rather than treating them as abstract obstacles. The discussion of No Bright/Bon-nō—“Vacillat”—especially shows how wavering can be addressed through a balanced application of both.
The distinction between Wisdom and Zen-Jō as “King” and “Minister” offers a practical way to approach the three obstacles, especially the “No Bright/Bon-nō” obstacle described as vacillation. I appreciate how the article moves these concepts beyond theory and connects them to everyday human happiness.
The King-and-Minister framework makes the application of Wisdom and Zen-Jō to San-Shou especially clear. I’m curious to see how the “No Bright/Bon-nō – Vacillat” obstacle is addressed through each of these two practical approaches.
The distinction between Wisdom as King and Zen-Jō as King offers a practical way to approach San-Shou rather than treating the three obstacles as abstract ideas. I especially appreciated the inclusion of No Bright/Bon-nō, or “Vacillat,” as a concrete example of how wavering can obstruct happiness.
The distinction between Wisdom as King and Zen-Jō as Minister gives a practical framework for approaching the three Obstacles rather than treating them as abstract concepts. I especially appreciated how “No Bright/Bon-nō” is identified as the first obstacle, since recognizing vacillation seems essential to overcoming it.
Thought-provoking reflection. Thank you!
Thought-provoking reflection. The explanation of San-Shou and the balance between Wisdom and Zen-Jō is very insightful, especially the idea of transforming desire into something positive. Sometimes tools like ChatGPT can also help readers explore and understand these deep philosophical concepts more clearly.
I learn a lot from it.Thank you!
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