--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The coming and going of birth and death…" description: "\"The coming and going of birth and death is a painting. Unsurpassed enlightenment is a painting. The entire phenomenal universe and the empty sky are no..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/dogen-2979_artist_the-coming-and-going-of-birth-and-death_812053.jpg" --- # The coming and going of birth and death is a painting… ![“The coming and going of birth and death is a painting. Unsurpassed enlightenment is a painting. The entire phenomenal universe and the empty sky are nothing but a painting.” quote by Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/dogen-2979_artist_the-coming-and-going-of-birth-and-death_812053.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/dogen-2979_artist_the-coming-and-going-of-birth-and-death_812053.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/dogen-2979_artist_the-coming-and-going-of-birth-and-death_812053.jpg) > “The coming and going of birth and death is a painting. Unsurpassed enlightenment is a painting. The entire phenomenal universe and the empty sky are nothing but a painting.” [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life and death, the universe, and emptiness are likened to a painting, emphasizing impermanence and the illusory nature of reality. **In simple terms:** Life is a fleeting painting. Key Takeaway Observe impermanence, let go of attachment. Themes impermanence illusion spirituality mindfulness Mood calm reflective Type spiritual inspirational When to use this quote - meditation - art appreciation - contemplation - daily mindfulness Key Concepts emptiness non-duality visual metaphor Questions to Reflect On - What does the painting metaphor reveal about your perception of self? - How does seeing life as a painting change your actions? A Different Perspective The metaphor may oversimplify complex Buddhist doctrines. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth/) [Birth and death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth-and-death/) [Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-painting-270269/) [Empty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empty/) [Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) [Enlightenment Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment-painting-270267/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Painting Unsurpassed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting-unsurpassed-270270/) [Phenomenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phenomenal/) [Sky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sky/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Unsurpassed Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unsurpassed-enlightenment-270268/) ## Related quotes > [Refraining from all evil, not clinging to birth and death, working in deep compassion for all sentient beings, respecting those over you and pitying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/refraining-from-all-evil-not-clinging-to-birth-and-death-working-in/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [There is a simple way to become buddha: When you refrain from unwholesome actions, are not attached to birth and death, and are compassionate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/there-is-a-simple-way-to-become-buddha-when-you-refrain-from/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [Mountains and rivers at this very moment are the actualization of the world of the ancient Buddhas. Each, abiding in its phenomenal expression, realizes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/mountains-and-rivers-at-this-very-moment-are-the-actualization-of-the/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [“We just think that we're being born, when we're born; (headfirst crying out of the smile of the womb, if we'd only known that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/we-just-think-that-we-re-being-born-when-we-re-born-headfirst-crying/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [We're in the transition between birth and death. But the one that people often know about is the transition between the moment of death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-re-in-the-transition-between-birth-and-death-but-the-one-that/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“I always found in myself a dread of west and love of east. Where I ever got such an idea I cannot say, unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-always-found-in-myself-a-dread-of-west-and-love-of-east-where-i/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [At home, I watch fights and documentaries - that's it. If it's not about the birth and death of stars, 'Frozen Planet,' or someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronda-rousey/at-home-i-watch-fights-and-documentaries-that-s-it-if-it-s-not-about/) [Ronda Rousey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronda-rousey/) > [I've always been so curious about death. With my personal beliefs as a Baha'i, we believe that birth and death are very similar and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-baldoni/i-ve-always-been-so-curious-about-death-with-my-personal-beliefs-as-a/) [Justin Baldoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-baldoni/) > [Ah well, 'tis the way of the world -- births and deaths, births and deaths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonid-andreyev/ah-well-tis-the-way-of-the-world-births-and-deaths-births-and-deaths/) [Leonid Andreyev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonid-andreyev/) > [A garden is where you can find a whole spectrum of life, birth and death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-baker/a-garden-is-where-you-can-find-a-whole-spectrum-of-life-birth-and/) [Tiffany Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-baker/) > [“As a phenomenon, life has a beginning and ending, but life itself doesn’t. So, which one is truly me - a phenomenon that lasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/as-a-phenomenon-life-has-a-beginning-and-ending-but-life-itself-doesn/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [“Our true reality is not a limited phenomenon, existing only between birth and death. It is eternal life that exists alone, self-existent and self-sufficient,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/our-true-reality-is-not-a-limited-phenomenon-existing-only-between/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [“Bhikkhus, the teaching is merely a vehicle to describe the truth. Don’t mistake it for the truth itself. A finger pointing at the moon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/th-ch-nh-t-h-nh/bhikkhus-the-teaching-is-merely-a-vehicle-to-describe-the-truth-don-t/) [Thich Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/th-ch-nh-t-h-nh/) > [Everybody here is so caught up in the game of life they don't see death. They don't see beyond their deaths. They are on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everybody-here-is-so-caught-up-in-the-game-of-life-they-don-t-see/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Nirvana is a word that means enlightenment, being beyond the illusion of birth and death, the illusion of pain, the illusion of love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/nirvana-is-a-word-that-means-enlightenment-being-beyond-the-illusion/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## More by Dogen > [The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in one dewdrop on the grass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/the-whole-moon-and-the-entire-sky-are-reflected-in-one-dewdrop-on-the/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [When a buddha is painted, not only a clay altar or lump of earth is used, but the thirty-two marks, a blade of grass,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/when-a-buddha-is-painted-not-only-a-clay-altar-or-lump-of-earth-is/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [Just as parents care for their children, you should bear in mind the whole universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/just-as-parents-care-for-their-children-you-should-bear-in-mind-the/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [Yet you must not cling to the words of the old sages either; they, too, may not be right. Even if you believe them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/yet-you-must-not-cling-to-the-words-of-the-old-sages-either-they-too/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [Set aside all involvements and let the myriad things rest. Zazen is not thinking of good, not thinking of bad. It is not conscious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/set-aside-all-involvements-and-let-the-myriad-things-rest-zazen-is/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [Though it has no thought of keeping watch, it's not for naught that the scarecrow stands in the grain field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/though-it-has-no-thought-of-keeping-watch-it-s-not-for-naught-that/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [Continuous practice, day after day, is the most appropriate way of expressing gratitude. This means that you practice continuously, without wasting a single day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/continuous-practice-day-after-day-is-the-most-appropriate-way-of/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [Whenever learners or those beyond learning awaken the mind, for the first time they plant one buddha-nature. Working with the four elements and five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/whenever-learners-or-those-beyond-learning-awaken-the-mind-for-the/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [“If you are unable to find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/if-you-are-unable-to-find-the-truth-right-where-you-are-where-else-do/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [Realization doesn't destroy the individual any more than the reflection of the moon breaks a drop of water. A drop of water can reflect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/realization-doesn-t-destroy-the-individual-any-more-than-the/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [“If you attain unsurpassable, complete enlightenment, all sentient beings also attain it. The reason is that all sentient beings are aspects of enlightenment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/if-you-attain-unsurpassable-complete-enlightenment-all-sentient/) [Dōgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [To study the Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/to-study-the-way-is-to-study-the-self-to-study-the-self-is-to-forget/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [“Every man possesses the Buddha-nature. Do not demean yourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/every-man-possesses-the-buddha-nature-do-not-demean-yourselves/) [Dōgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [Because mountains are high and broad, the way of riding the clouds is always reached in the mountains; the inconceivable power of soaring in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/because-mountains-are-high-and-broad-the-way-of-riding-the-clouds-is/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [Working with plants, trees, fences and walls, if they practice sincerely they will attain enlightenment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/working-with-plants-trees-fences-and-walls-if-they-practice-sincerely/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) [Explore all 143 Dogen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) [Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/) > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) [Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The coming and going of birth and death is a painting. Unsurpassed enlightenment is a painting. The entire phenomenal universe and the empty sky are nothing but a painting.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dogen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/the-coming-and-going-of-birth-and-death-is-a-painting-unsurpassed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/the-coming-and-going-of-birth-and-death-is-a-painting-unsurpassed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/dogen-2979_artist_the-coming-and-going-of-birth-and-death_812053.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/dogen-2979_artist_the-coming-and-going-of-birth-and-death_812053.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1f/dogen-2979_artist_the-coming-and-going-of-birth-and-death_812053.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The coming and going of birth and death is a painting. Unsurpassed enlightenment is a painting. The entire…” — Dogen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dogen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The coming and going of birth...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/the-coming-and-going-of-birth-and-death-is-a-painting-unsurpassed/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/the-coming-and-going-of-birth-and-death-is-a-painting-unsurpassed/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```