You know In Tassara and the Zen Center of San Francisco

[01:19]

We are Making our Buddhist law By our hand Particularly for the students who are about to receive lay ordination, Buddhist ordination Which is held the August 23rd In San Francisco The subject of my talk has been taken Concerning as to as to the traditional Buddhist law

[02:32]

So the Buddhist law which we are trying to make by our hand Completely different from one once That You will you could get you could get at the Buddhist shop In Shoko Genzo Dogen Zenji Describe The merit of Buddhist law This chapter The Dogen Zenji When the Dogen Zenji went to China

[03:37]

He had a great chance to see The traditional Buddhist law which Handed what had been handed down from Shakyamuni Buddha to the 33rd Patriarch Was named We named 6th Patriarch The Dogen Zenji Described his impression In times to see this traditional Buddhist law Which existed which had existed up to up to those days at Pulin Monastery in China He

[04:41]

Was great impression by this traditional Buddhist law And also the moment when had the great chance to see this Buddhist law He made up his mind to retain This traditional Buddhist law From generation to generation Making by his hand He really wanted to keep it As the Buddhist priest He Said in this Buddhist in this chapter in ancient time

[05:42]

not only Buddhist priest but also Layman Can aware Buddhist law But now The Buddhist law Are used just for the Buddhist priest But in Japan We have exception For layman They can have a chance to wear the Buddhist law one of Buddhist laws Which are making by your hand now It is called Rakusu in Japanese Today

[06:50]

In this chapter No, I would like to explain In what attitude Dogen Zenji Met traditional Buddhist law At the Pulin Monastery Zen Monastery According to this chapter He says He used the word technical word right tradition right tradition He Says When you are willing to seek for a

[07:59]

Buddhist way of life Buddhist way Buddhist way Buddhist way of life We Are we should be delighted in Settling, delighted in settling down on The Buddhist world Buddhist world In other words if you want to seek for Buddhism First of all you have to settle on yourself In the domain of in the right in the middle of the Buddhist world Buddhism Dogen Zenji took examples in this chapter

[09:06]

for instance Now when a priest Is about to succeed to the throne and perform to perform the ceremony of accession of the throne He Said that he has to wear the traditional dress Dogen Zenji says it's not it's It doesn't mean that You

[10:08]

Dilute milk with water This is very important point Even though Buddhism Buddhism is great in our day Let's Consider let's consider who who take care of this Buddhism By whom by whom it is supported by by whom it is supported Even though how great Shakyamuni Buddha was It is really impossible to borrow the Shakyamuni Buddha's eyes nose ears and mouth

[11:16]

But let's look around your life in all over the world We Are always try to borrow the Shakyamuni Buddha's eyes Jesus Christ eyes nose mouth and also at last They fight with each others My religion is really the best one best best things Now look at the Israel Look at the Indian look at the Indian They are always fighting with each other Under the name of religions under the name of Shakyamuni Buddha and the name of Jesus Christ

[12:24]

But It is real nonsense to borrow the Shakyamuni Buddha's nose eyes head mouth To tell the truth it is impossible But we make always great mistake that we try we are up to borrow the Shakyamuni Buddha's eyes nose mouth Forgetting the our life daily life Who take care of Buddhism Who take care of Christianity

[13:27]

Who take care of Judaism who take care of communism and also and so on Important point is However great however great The Buddhism is The human being who lives who live in the 20th century must learn it and Put it into practice extended into our daily life. This is important The You who live in 20th century must learn

[14:31]

Buddhism and put it into practice in our daily life It doesn't mean it means that it is impossible to borrow To lend To lend The Buddhism Shakyamuni Buddha's eyes nose mouth head Thought The human being who lives our human being who are alive Persecuting in 20th century Must accept it and put it into practice on any cost It goes without saying that it is it's impossible to get rid of this great fact

[15:39]

Then Someone asked me The tradition is always right Is the tradition is always good Someone asked me In a Sense tradition is not always good tradition is not always bad The what tradition is good or bad Depends on the human being who lives in 20th century how to accept and how to accept Tradition itself is doesn't have doesn't have the nature of good and bad

[16:55]

The good and bad depends on the ourselves According To how to accept according to learn how to accept how to study how to put it into practice in 20th century Unlike our prince who are about to succeed to the strong At any cost he has to wear the traditional dress In a sense it looks like the milk which is diluted with water No, it looks like a living Katagiri Katagiri is the human being This man is one of human being who lives in 20th century

[18:03]

He is not different from you He is completely one of human being and also He has to wear the traditional robe, Buddhist robe Like a prince who are about to succeed to the strong In a sense it looks like a milk which is diluted with the water But the Dogon then says if there is nothing but Water water in order to dilute milk You should accept you should accept water

[19:06]

And Then he said if you are willing to Seek for Buddhism Buddha's teaching First of all, you have to settle on yourself right in the middle of the Buddha's life Buddha's teachings It means That at any cost you have to take you have to accept Water whatever milk If there is nothing but milk To pour into the water you should accept milk

[20:20]

Even though the milk doesn't melt into water Don't take up anything else oil rocker And wine I think in a sense in terms of our days You know, you you always making the rakusu by your hand You always think about trying to make a rakusu with the sewing machine It saves the time you can save the time And Also, you can you can make it beautiful more beautiful than

[21:27]

One made by but by your hand You can get more beautiful rakusu if you make if you make by with the sewing machine And also you can save the time I think in a sense it's nonsense to make a rakusu by your hand Spending a lot of time Also the we You have to turn to the name of the triple treasures I take refuge in Buddha. I take refuge in Dhamma What's for Even though you turn to the name of the you you chant the triple treasure. I take refuge in the Buddha

[22:35]

There is no merit there is no merit just turn to the triple treasures And there is nothing carry your hand the sewing Carrying your hand stitching one by one. That's all But Dogen Zenji saw the traditional Buddhist law Made by hand Which had been transmitted from Shakyamuni Buddha to patriarch If

[23:43]

It enable a man to settle To be settled in the middle on himself in the middle of Buddhist world At any cost we have to maintain It With whole heartedness Even though it is it doesn't melt into the water Even though milk doesn't melt into water so well If there is nothing but milk We have to accept the milk in order to For the sake of The settling on the self in the Buddhist world Then Dogen Zenji says tradition right tradition is right tradition

[24:55]

You Know When you get tired When you get really tired After hard work You Need some place some space Where you will find out a Psychic peace Now physically including physical peace Physical comfortable Unconsciously you will try to find out Some place where you can rest and you can take rest in peace

[26:11]

Physically and mentally When you get really tired Moment when you find the tatami on the floor Now any place Where you could where you could think this is maybe comfortable You immediately just sit there Sometimes you take a you try to take a bath The moment when you take a bath, how do you feel? I Think the bath in Tassajara is very good

[27:19]

Very good health very good for our health But when you get really tired after the hard work You're trying to Just looking for the bath where it is and just jump into the bath Before you you think whether this bath is good for our health or not Even though you feel better you feel comfortable Physically and spiritually I think so When you sit on the floor After hard work

[28:21]

Say like this Stretching out your leg, stretching out the hand Yawning and laying down Now unconsciously It goes without saying that you can feel so well comfortable really comfortable Regardless of the idea whether you can get the comfortable or not Regardless of the idea whether it is good place good health for us good place for us All we have to do is to get to some place where we can take a rest in peace

[29:29]

This is first important point In our day All of us Would like to contact with all human beings regardless of Whatever regardless of the whether you are Japanese, you are American, you are German Anyway, wherever you are As long as we are We are studying religion We would like to contact with all sentient beings with considerate Thoughtful feeling

[30:32]

But there is someone who try to get contact with all sentient beings or with others Throwing away or ignoring His own his own life I Don't want my life Because my life is based on the selfishness he said I Don't like a selfishness. I don't like my own life My life is open to everybody. This is great Theory But actually actually it is pretty difficult to do so Throwing away throwing away your own daily life who take care of your daily life

[31:44]

Even though Buddha's how great Buddha is How great Buddhism is? Buddhism or Buddha or Jesus Christ don't take care of your life daily life who take care of life If you have to take care of daily life At any cost we need psychic peace where you can take rest in peace Wherever you may go Like a great experience when you take a bath The first important point is you have to take a bath first of all And then you feel how nice it is Problem is very simple This

[32:53]

Psychic peace. I don't know the dish. I don't know whether this word is right psychic peace Whatever kind of type you follow your life follow You have to take care of your daily life by yourself For this In your daily life Right in the middle of your daily life There must be some Some place where you can take rest in peace right now right here

[33:57]

I Always said What is? Assurance and relaxation of our existence In other words religious security religious comfortable Spiritual security Spiritual securities the assurance and relaxation of our existence is To research what it is What the feeling is when you get when you get the comfortable feeling in times to Sit on the floor after the hard work Assurance and relaxation of our existences

[35:37]

Really to Take a rest in peace at the stage of right here and right now In your own life not in the Shakyamuni Buddha's life not in Buddhistic life The Buddha and Buddhism just to help you help your life Just to show some suggestion How to in what direction in what direction you should go that's all Now actually you have to take good care of yourself by yourself By your daily life now you have to take care of your own life If so the moment after moment You have to take rest in peace

[36:45]

Right in the middle of your life Whoever you are what kind of time what kind of time your life follow You know the Japanese Japanese Carpenter Japanese Carpenter always now when you want to Japanese Carpenter His master his master recommend you to just Sharp the soul or playing that's all day in and day out Now only for one day now only one month Two years or three years four years five years Instead of cutting the wood with saw with saw

[37:48]

Day in and day out you have to sharp the soul and playing What's the use You know For instance if you want to great great painter It is impossible to become great painter, you know Suddenly If you want to become great painter You have to practice just a little rhyme You know you have to practice drawing little line curve line the straight line Day in and day out instead of drawing whole whole being of human being whole whole the human being on the canvas draw rhyme

[38:51]

Same rhymes day in and day out Over and over again For years for two years Then after that when you are lastly you draw whole figures of human being on the canvas Each Line each line Make the picture make the drawing the figure of human being being completely in balance harmoniousness So we need on we need the teacher Under the teacher and the master you have to sharp the soul and the playing day in and day out

[39:52]

Don't sharp the playing and the soul at random Under certain under the master Because this line even the small line straight line about this length Is very important One year two year three years several years later It become huge length very long line It Means this small line make your life make your Make your life as a painter become harmonious harmonious When you draw our pictures when you draw the figure of human being

[41:01]

When I was at the temple I practice calligraphy by myself without the teacher I saw always my master drawing and writing the Chinese character By him day in day out So I thought I thought I don't I didn't need I don't I didn't need teacher So I can I could I could practice by myself. So every day I practice calligraphy So now I can I can write the calligraphy you know any Chinese letters or Japanese hiragana and katakana And Every time when I when I write the calligraphy look at the I looked at this calligraphy

[42:06]

for a while I found I found something strange Now each calligraphy each calligraphy is very good very nice Very nice Now if if I write the calligraphy with five letters you know five letters I Look at the each letters Each letter is very good. Oh, but this is wonderful. Oh, this is wonderful, too You know and each one is very each one. It is very wonderful But on the whole and to look at my calligraphy is something funny Because it is balance off completely balance off You know one calligraphy look at this way the other calligraphy look at that way

[43:06]

One calligraphy leaning this way the other calligraphy leaning that way. What's the matter with you? But I don't know when how where I made a mistake I Don't know I didn't know really But mistake is always here. That's funny Then I thought that's right, you know I didn't practice I didn't practice under the teacher I Didn't practice. I didn't have I didn't experience fundamental way If you want to paint a great if you want to become great painter You have to practice day in and day out just This line only this line For you for two years for three years

[44:10]

Even though it is nonsense in terms of our our thought So Teacher always give a suggestion Suggestion to learn how how to learn how to make your life How to make your calligraphy of how to make your paint the being in balance completely Even though each line is good Important point is each line Integration integration Integration Integration of all lines

[45:13]

Make your paint picture, you know Being in balance being harmonious, this is important For instance if you want to if you want to become beautiful you try to make up You try to make up your face day in and day out Putting the cream On your face and powder your face Putting the lips And then you're proud of yourself how beautiful I am And you you can you can be walking you can walk on the street with proud how beautiful I am But even though it is beautiful Such a beauty is disappearing when you when you sweat

[46:20]

You know, I think it's it is all right now I don't I don't mean don't I don't mean that It's not necessary. I don't mean that I refuse I refuse To make up your face It is all right, please if you if you are woman, I think woman it's bit woman woman is Beautiful. It's it's very good. It's very good It's very good that woman is beautiful So that's all right, please make up your face But what is real meaning of beauty Even though put to put the lips lip Lipstick on your lip It must be it must be it must make your life

[47:33]

Make your life on the whole Being in balance, it's important Even though your makeup disappear when you sweat, that's all right Beauty is identical beauty is identical beauty what you have Is completely identical with Your own life as a whole Not a certain one part of your body If the practice of your making making up your face Is like my calligraphy Each calligraphy is very good each part of your body is very good. Your face is very good

[48:41]

Your nose is beautiful nose, you know Your eyes is very beautiful. Your eyebrows is beautiful Covers total of your existence Even though your nose is twisted like this, it doesn't matter Twisted nose is not not always the bad Angry face is not always bad. Angry face is sometimes make your life beautiful Being in balance So Each part You have to you have to look at you have to look at your life on the whole on the whole You have to understand your life on the whole this is important

[49:46]

In order to understand your life on the whole We need at any cost Fundamental practice like a painter great painter like a calligraphers Day in and day out like carpenter day in and day out you have to sharp the knife so Plane Drawing the just little line day in day out Then Technological speaking it is Called in Tok in Japanese in Tok or Kudok

[50:49]

Kudok means merit virtue In Tok mean is literally meaning is Shadow in is shadow Tok is virtue The In Tok is I Think in Tok is fundamental practice like a carpenter like a painter like a calligrapher Like Zazen The in Tok is Invisible Invisible things, but nevertheless At any cost we have to accurate

[51:51]

Accurated accurate this merit This merit Regarded as No Coming from coming from fundamental practice of our daily life I Think when you jump into the bathtub when you want to take a rest After the hard work Throwing away everything and take jump into the take bathtub. That's all Nevertheless the tired exhaustion doesn't doesn't disappear completely But even though even though you feel just a little bit slightly slightly

[52:58]

Comfortable We need this Immediately at the present or at the stage of right now and right here You jump into the you jump into the bathtub and you feel something Even though the exhaustion doesn't disappear completely Day in and day out you have to jump into the take bathtub Just bathtub in day in day out This is a fundamental practice Then tradition is Tradition is to

[54:01]

Just to plunge into to plunge into The psychic peace Where you can take rest in peace before you are aware of yourself Even Though it is nonsense Even though it is nonsense for a painter to practice a short line day in and day out For painter he has to settle on himself Right in the middle of this practice Drawing the short line Drawing the short line

[55:06]

Whoever he is No matter how capability he has Now the beginner he has to settle on himself Drawing the picture drawing the line today for the today For him at the stage of the time at the stage of right now right here This is fundamental practice for not only Buddhists But also any kind of occupation human being follow As a painter as a carpenter As an engineer We have to do that

[56:07]

Particularly all of us practice religious life Religious practice implies to learn Fundamental spiritual fundamental life fundamental way of life So all what you have practiced Is completely fundamental way of life Whatever it is practicing and doing a show Making bow to the Buddha walking inside Zen Dog Eating meal Moment after moment Each practice each practice is fundamental essence of life Like painter like carpenter

[57:11]

If you ignore this practice You never find out yourself Who are Being in balance taking rest in peace You never find out psychic peace Where you can completely Settle on yourself With improbability Then The When the prince wear traditional throng with traditional dress and crown It looks like the milk which is Which is watered

[58:16]

But If there is nothing but to get the comfortable Succeeding succeeding to the throne no nothing, but the traditional wearing traditional dress Traditional crown in order to succeed to the throne He has to all he has to do is to plant into this traditional dress traditional crown That time he can settle he can settle on himself as a prince and as Emperor As a successor If he want to get

[59:27]

Don't use He couldn't he couldn't use he cannot use Any other dress any other crown Even though there is great crown in Japan English prince the prince in England never use it If You want to become if you want to study buddhism The tradition is important for us But important point is how to learn the tradition how to accept tradition Then We have to accept tradition as Intoku the practice of Intoku

[60:40]

invisible accurate virtue That time you can forget the frame of tradition Japanese tradition or English British tradition or American tradition And then you can show this tradition In turn in the light of Yourself who live in 20th century not in the past not in the future You Japanese tradition is Japanese traditions Buddhist tradition is Buddhist tradition You should accept tradition

[61:47]

As the practice of Intoku or invisible accurate virtue It means When you accept tradition all you have to do is just to plunge into the tradition the world of traditions Like carpenter like a painter In order to great painter Painter or painter has tradition how to learn the paint How to learn how to learn many things as a great carpenter you have tradition great tradition Then after practice this

[62:55]

Fundamental way of Carpenters life Painters life according to tradition their own tradition They can reveal themselves as a carpenter as a painter By being going beyond Beyond a certain frame of tradition as a carpenter as a painter That's why So in the world in the extent of Fundamental way Fundamental practice there is no amount of merit

[63:58]

As a reward Just plunge into it and accept as a practice of visible Accurated Merit Virtue Just do it That time you can't forget Any form of tradition any form of type any type of Buddhism Then after that You can leave you can leave you can leave Buddhism Which is pulsating in the 20th century Not in the 2,500 years ago This is

[65:01]

the Understanding the way of understanding Tradition According to Dogen's thought That's why Yeah For the students who are about to receive lay ordination We make it a rule to make their own Buddhist law by their hand Chanting Namu Kye Butsu, I take refuge in Buddha In every stitch At that time This robe is not made from made from cloth Materials It's made up of it's completely made up of

[66:07]

Buddha's name I take refuge in the Buddha All Patriots, all Buddhas, all Patriots Made up made Buddhist law by their own hand that way from generation to generation With the development of Civilization It's impel, it impels human being to be lazy In a sense it's wonderful, but in a sense it's awful Because you will find some lack of spiritual life So each stitch in every stitch

[67:15]

If you can make Buddhist law Without any thought without any destructive thought Your love is Absolutely Buddha's love Which is Handed down from generation from Shakyamuni Buddha to you This is Buddha's love This is a Buddhist love which we are aware I

[68:14]

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