I deal with the third of Ten Merits which Kashaya, Kashaya possesses in itself. The first paragraph, first sentence, in the first sentence it says, putting on the Kashaya leads to be the manifestation of the spirit of priest life, putting on the Kashaya leads to be the manifestation of the spirit of priest life, did you understand, it's pretty difficult to explain it

[01:11]

anyway I have to, putting on the Kashaya leads to be the manifestation of the spirit of the priest life In Japan, at present, we have several groups which consists of laymen, laywomen, their activity is getting bigger and bigger rather than activities which priests do and also in our day of Japan, the laywomen, laymen and laywomen are very interested in the Buddhist principles

[02:30]

some aspects of Buddhist principles are delivered by laymen, not priests not priests because a priest is always speaking some aspects of Buddhism using the very technical terms, emptiness, nirvana, what nirvana is, what enlightenment is, nobody knows what it means on the other hand, laymen try to make possible effort to explain what enlightenment is, what nirvana is

[03:35]

in plain words, using plain words through their daily life, so I think such an explanation of Buddhism is very easy to accept for laymen so day in day out, in Japan, the activities of laymen is getting bigger and bigger I think it is pretty good, in a sense, I have to appreciate the laymen for their great effort to explain some aspects of Buddhism in plain words

[04:43]

particularly Zen masters use very difficult words without using the plain words in general which we use in our daily life so the laymen insist that in our day, the laymen should make good use of Buddhism, extend it into our daily life

[06:06]

because even though the people listen to the priest's lectures, particularly delivered by Zen masters the laymen don't understand clearly what he says so it is alright, whatever priest delivers some aspects of Buddhism using difficult terms, that's alright laymen say that none of their business

[07:14]

because that's the priest's business the priest tries to explain some aspects of Buddhism using the difficult words, that's the priest's business laymen's business is that we should explain easily, explain Buddhism, some aspects of Buddhism using the plain words so from this point, in a sense, Japanese Buddhism is divided into two types of which the laymen follow, or which the priest follows

[08:27]

in other words, the priest's life or the layman's life but strictly speaking, I don't think the Buddha's teaching is divided into two types of priest's life or layman's life I think the Buddhist teaching, the Buddhist way of life is just one, a simple way, only a simple way of life if there is some difference between priest's life and layman's life I think you cannot find, you cannot realize differences in the domain of Buddhist teaching itself

[09:51]

within ourselves, by the way of accepting some aspects of Buddhism, there is some difference which is called priest's life or layman's life so differences are entirely within the acceptance of Buddhist teaching you know, I believe that the priest's life

[11:12]

means to see deeper and deeper what the human being is always with stillness always with stillness according to the Buddhist teaching the human being is a man who is purged a man who is purged, various kinds of sediments, intractable sediments or spiritual sediments

[12:32]

originally, a man is a person who is purged, intractable and spiritual sediments completely originally, a priest's life never meant to see the human being, meaning of human being which is purged, their own intractable or spiritual sediments this is, I think, priest's life so through study of Buddhist teaching

[13:42]

it makes you read to see yourself deeper and deeper and wake up yourself who you are on the basis of the pure quality of the character which is purged, one's intractable or spiritual sediments in other words, the priest's life is that you yourself, you trust yourself you trust yourself, this is priest's life this is the meaning of priest's life

[14:46]

for instance, in the courtyard of Zen center, there are beautiful flowers you think there exist many kinds of flowers in the courtyard by touching the flower, touching upon the flower or touching upon the ground you feel something you feel something from the flower or from the ground that flower and ground completely exist

[15:56]

in a sense, we may say that such acceptance, such feeling is a sense of existence from the flowers or ground touching upon them and also, as soon as you feel that there exists a beautiful flower you feel how beautiful flower exists in courtyard nobody has doubt about this sense of this existence

[17:01]

through the reality that there exists flower and garden anyway, this is, I would like to call this is the essence of existence and also, let's imagine the existence of yourself try to ask yourself are you sure to exist in this world or in this room perfectly?

[18:07]

anyway, through the various experience, I think you feel something from yourself which is saying, I exist now thinking of yourself or touching upon your body twisting your nose, you know try to twist your nose, you say out, you know oh yes, you make sure of your existence, you know by twisting your body but if you compare the meaning of existence of which flower exists

[19:16]

with the existence of human being the essence of existence that the human being exists, you exist do you think the both is saying meaning? try to compare the sense of existence coming from your body coming from yourself with a sense of existence coming from the beautiful flower in courtyard when you see flower at the thought that flower exists you cannot have any doubt

[20:21]

whether it is sure that flower exists or not you are entirely straightforward to accept the existence of flower but when you see yourself when you feel a sense of existence coming from yourself in a sense, it may be difficult for you to accept for you to be entirely straightforward to accept a sense of existence coming from your body coming from yourself touching your body, touching upon your body

[21:25]

touching upon your nose, touching upon your ears I think in a sense there is some doubt which make you difficult to be straightforward to accept directly a sense of existence coming from yourself from the existence of flower I think you feel what would you say the very crisp sense of existence

[22:33]

crisp or refreshing, refreshing sense of existence that's why as soon as you see the flower oh how beautiful dahlia is you feel some crisp mood around the flower around a sense of existence which you feel from dahlia, existence of dahlia but from the existence of yourself I think you feel something like, something what would you call the muddy

[23:34]

something like muddy sense muddy mood or dull mood of your existence it's pretty difficult to realize the refreshing mood of the refreshing mood around a sense of existence coming from your body or saying, I am not a good person I am not a good spirit I haven't a good spirit of Zen students you say always, I am a very bad person then you come to see me and say

[24:37]

what should I do the more you practice Zazen the more you are confused because Zazen doesn't tell you anything how to do, what to do in which direction you should go the more you practice Zazen the more there is nothing but something that the more you find getting worse and worse how awful I am when you compare

[25:39]

when you compare the meaning of a sense of existence what you feel between the flower and yourself when you compare the sense of existence what you feel from the flower to the flower the width what you feel from your body from yourself there is a very different meaning between the two when you see the flower there is no doubt in order to accept accept the existence flower

[26:45]

but when you see yourself there is some doubt to there is something which make you hesitate to accept your body would accept your existence oh, wait a minute you say always, wait a minute you say you should Zazen excuse me, I don't like Zazen you should bow you should Gassho as long as you are here you say, oh what does Gassho mean? I don't understand what Gassho means please explain first then after understanding what Gassho means clearly, I will you know, when you see yourself

[27:51]

when you see a sense of existence what you experience from yourself there is always some doubt which make you hesitate which make you be difficult to accept straightforwardly and then I think the sense of existence coming from the flower is looks like a light a sense of existence coming from yourself a sense of existence what you feel from yourself

[28:55]

from your own existence looks like a shadow and then as long as you have some doubt you have to make sure what it is make sure to understand what it is I think to make sure is in a sense to have some question what it is or the other hand

[29:57]

in other words in a sense to make sure is to deny your doubt to deny the doubt first and you feel firmly who you are by making sure to make sure is I think to deny something, you know

[30:59]

I said please bow to the floor you said what? why? I don't understand what bow is of course I realize of course I allow in a sense you to have such a doubt such a questions what bow is because the mode of life is completely different you grown up in a different culture you have never seen bow the practice of bow the practice of gassho the practice of zazen before but strictly speaking to say what you are here is to say

[32:05]

there is some will that you are about to practice something whatever it is generally speaking you say zen buddhism so from this point gassho or bow the practice of gassho practice of bow, practice of zazen is a part of zen buddhist practice but you say always just a minute, what it is then you try to make sure what bow is what zazen is and then then after making sure again and again and you feel you feel some you feel the

[33:07]

refreshing mood around the sense of existence you know the bow or zazen or gassho or the eating meal according to a certain way and then you believe that zazen exists and bow exists bow exists and gassho exists and you believe you feel you feel a sense of existence what you what you feel from zazen, from bow from gassho after making sure

[34:10]

what it is again and again and you take it into your head that this is a real meaning of a sense of existence or like the sense of existence which you feel from the flower but actually you know the I think it is, I don't think I don't think it is real meaning of a sense of existence after making sure what it is again and again the real meaning of a sense of existence it should come from

[35:11]

your existence your experience what you feel from the flower without any doubt when you as soon as the moment when you see it oh this is flower this is this is the meaning of being the meaning of existing existence the meaning of existence uh I think between two

[36:14]

between the meaning of between the the between two what you feel from the flower from your own existence there is very different quality of the meaning like a separating or like a separation of heaven and earth um

[37:22]

I think this is very crucial point what you have consider again and again between two what the meaning of the existence is through your experience if you try to seek for the refreshing or crisp a sense of existence by making sure again and again the you can't you can't reach you can't reach the the real meaning of existence

[38:43]

like your experience that you feel from the existence of flower or or then I think to trust yourself means to accept of refreshing sense of existence what you feel from yourself the same as when you see the flower when you can't trust yourself completely absolutely there is no doubt to trust yourself to trust yourself is

[39:54]

to accept straightforwardly a sense of existence of what you feel yourself yourself then to trust yourself straightforwardly is to trust the present being of your life whenever whatever you are faced with when you are confronted with the difficulty

[40:57]

there is nothing but trusting yourself through the experience of accepting refreshing or crisp sense of existence what you feel without any doubt I think this is the meaning of trusting yourself from this point I think life is the continuation of trusting yourself the practice the practice of continuation of trusting yourself you can see yourself

[42:05]

deeply and deeply who you are, what man is whoever you are the priest life enable man to see himself deeply in that way to trust himself trusting himself to accept accepting himself straightforwardly whoever he is whatever kind of races he belongs to hmm

[43:11]

then in terms of the way of life in terms of the way of closing in a sense kashaya, this love enable man to lead to understand himself deeply and deeply who he is what a man is hmm

[44:21]

hmm hmm hmm

[46:19]

hmm [...]

[47:23]

hmm [...]

[48:24]

hmm [...]

[49:26]

hmm hmm hmm which is called which was titled philosophy of closing do you know that book? the philosophy of closing written by in Japanese do you know that, this book? this book was very popular in Japan right after second world war I think he explained how mysterious religious love is

[50:32]

from this sense from this respect in this respect I think even kashaya has some sense of mystery whatever you feel that's alright the important point is not how mysterious this kashaya is important point is that important point is how you how to accept how to accept a sense of existence what you feel from the Buddhist love without any doubt

[51:38]

can you trust yourself when you wear the Buddhist love can you trust yourself you have to anyway you have to trust yourself you trust yourself when you wear the Buddhist love you have to trust yourself when you wear the general cloth even the general cloth clothing try to ask yourself are you sure to trust yourself completely when you wear the Buddhist love or when you wear the general clothing in a sense it's pretty difficult

[52:48]

to trust yourself if all you have to do is to trust yourself whatever kind of dress you wear you have some question that it is alright to wear the general clothing why we have to close the Buddhist love I think the I think I mentioned before the Buddhist love is made very carefully in terms of what kind of color we should use what kind of color should be used

[53:51]

for Buddhist love what kind of material should be used for it how to take measurement so as not to the the or evoke the impulse of the human's courageousness ah at this point

[55:08]

I will be devoted to the explanation of how to make how to use what kind of color should be used or how to make it how to choose how to choose materials how to take measurement ah anyway anyway today you should remember that the Buddhist love particularly which is transmitted from Shakyamuni Buddha to now to patriarchs now up to now is has been made very carefully with thoughtful

[56:11]

considerate attention so as to practice with not only oneself but also with others without stimulating the impulse of the human courageousness this is kashaya this is the meaning of kashaya that's why the third merit says putting on the kashaya causes to leads to the manifestation of priest life the spirit of priest life but I don't want

[57:12]

I don't want to force I don't want to force yourself force you to wear Buddhist robe right now you know Buddhism is very tolerant a sense of very tolerance in sutra it says good and evil these are are recompensed in three different times firstly in the present life secondly in the next life and thirdly in one of the lives after the next these are called

[58:14]

three phases of recompense so some of you will have a chance to wear the Buddhist robe in this world in this life some of you will could wear the Buddhist robe in their next life some of you could wear the Buddhist robe in one of the lives of the next, after the next if you read if you read Shobo Genzo in the chapter of Kashaya the

[59:15]

Dogen explains one of the Buddhist priestess named Renge, lotus which means lotus in her first life she was one of what would you say what would you say something like geisha girl entertainer who is concentrating on

[60:21]

treating men and women pleasure by showing, dancing or talking joke joke one day she was completely faced with the difficulties how to treat the people who who come up to her home in order to enjoy their pleasure she has

[61:22]

she had completely nothing to show it show in front of the the guest the people to make them pleasure to make them enjoy their own pleasure then she had some good idea that she would try to show some interesting play of putting on the Buddhist robe then putting on the Buddhist robe made the people all enjoy very much

[62:23]

by this chance of putting on the wear putting on the Buddhist robe kashaya Dogen then says that this the priestess that this the lady could be born as one of the Buddhist priestess Buddhist nun in her next life then in her next life she became one of Buddhist nun unfortunately she was very beautiful face look beautiful look so she always broken broke Buddhist precept

[63:33]

and then after her death he had to fell he had to fall into the hell on the ground on the ground wide she had broken the Buddhist precept the Buddhist precept in one of her life after the next she became again Buddhist nun as the Shakyamuni Buddha one of Shakyamuni Buddha's disciples ah

[64:36]

in my case you know the I myself don't know exactly what what was my motivation to become of becoming priest several time I was asked by the people why I don't know exactly why it's pretty difficult to point out the reason why I became priest ah but in a sense I may say motivation might traces might traces the source of becoming priest the source of

[65:40]

my parents or my grandparents who were very enthusiastic Buddhist worshippers day in and day out every morning my parents they chant the sutra in the family altar in front of the family altar every morning every night before they went to bed my grandparents too but at that time I didn't know how wonderful Buddhist was I paid completely no attention to the chant

[66:43]

the practice of chanting every morning I really hate but my parents always called me if I didn't attend the ceremony performed by my parents every morning and every evening if I shouldn't attend attend the ceremony I wouldn't have breakfast and dinner so I was very scared you know after the fasting after the fasting to breakfast or dinner on the other hand

[67:47]

I had a very bad habit I had to eat the incense I don't know why so I was always called by my by my fathers because every day he had to buy the new incense a box of new incense every day every day I I took the incense breaking in piece and put them into my pocket and little by little I ate it I think the

[68:54]

first very important motivation of becoming priest traces to I think source of eating the incense or listening to the chanting the sutra transmitted by my parents or grandparents that time I really hated but when I reflect upon myself right now I feel I'm very happy to become priest anyway but maybe

[69:58]

I myself don't know exactly whether I might break the Buddhist precept or not in a sense probably I may I may have already broken the many Buddhist precepts in my priest life in a sense I don't want to give up the priest life I don't want to give up practicing Zazen I want to commit suicide with Zazen with the breaking the Buddhist

[71:03]

precept I want to commit suicide with Zazen and Buddhist love then if I should fall into if I should go to the hell I would like to it would be alright it would be willing to accept it then from this point I don't like to force you to wear Buddhist robe right now what I want to tell you is that you should take good care of the present being of your existence

[72:09]

in the reality of the present in a sense you should trust yourself in the reality of the present you should trust yourself whoever you are whatever kind of dress you wear as I mentioned before the life is the priest life is Buddhist way of life is the continuation of trusting yourself moment after moment in other words accepting a sense of existence which you feel from your existence

[73:16]

which is pulsating in the reality of the present to accept the reality of the present without any doubt without any doubt is to trust yourself but it doesn't mean to accept everything without any criticism in a sense you should

[74:24]

accept yourself you should trust yourself without any doubt while you should take good care of yourself with considerate thoughtful attention moment after moment this is priest life this is the meaning of priest life hmm I think coming Sunday I will explain

[75:27]

the next paragraph next paragraph it says putting on the kashaya leads to do the proper practice oh no no excuse me the the putting on the kashaya leads to be the manifestation of the spirit of priest life with one's covetousness apart and to do the proper practice with one's extinct five-fourths views

[76:29]

on the coming Sunday I will explain what the covetousness is and what the the five-fourths views are and what the

[77:04]

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