Because a buddha is in birth and death, there is no birth and death.
It is said also…
Because a buddha is not in birth and death, a buddha is not deluded by birth and death.
These statements are the essence of the words of the two Zen masters, Jiashan and Dingshan*. You should certainly not neglect them, because they are the words of those who attained the way.
* Jiashan and Dingshan are ninth century Chinese masters.
Translated by Arnold Kotler and Kazuaki Tanahasi
From Moon in a Dewdrop, Writings of Zen Master Dogen, Editor Kazuaki Tanahasi, San Francisco: North Point Press, 1985. Image: Stillness, and more Stillness by nik gaffney, CC by-SA 2.o, from Flickr.com