Yesterday, I mentioned that we, as Buddhists, need to give merciful, merciful attention to all sentient beings through and through, including not only human beings, but also even grass, even tiny flowers, even insects. According to the first verse of the four vows, sentient beings' numbers, we vow to save all

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sentient beings. To be merciful and considerate to all sentient beings is the Buddha's compassion. If you use English words, just one word, compassion, Buddha's compassion, but in Japanese, Buddha's compassion consists of two letters, ji, hi, ji is a meta in Pali, or maitriya, maitri

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or maitriya in Sanskrit, it means the awareness of desires to try to give benefits and happiness to people and all sentient beings, this is ji, maitri, maitriya, the hi means, hi is the karuna, karuna in Pali and Sanskrit, which means the awareness of desire to try

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to eliminate disadvantages and sufferings which people have faced. This is the karuna, hi, hi is literally a meaning of the sadness, pity, or anyway, hi is the awareness of desire to try to take away from, to eliminate the sufferings from

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others, so from this point, to be considerate or merciful to all sentient beings is not only to give great compassion, great mercy, great sympathy with others, but also to try to make every possible effort not to hurt others, physiologically or mentally,

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so you have to behave yourself, you have to be careful not to hurt the others or insect, to all sentient beings physically or mentally, so the meaning of compassion is to give considerate sympathy with others, and also to make unflinching effort not to disturb others, not to hurt the others feelings, physiologically and mentally, this is jihi, the meaning of jihi, Buddha's compassion. So generally speaking, it is said that jihi means mind and mental, mental condition,

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or being compassionate or sympathetic to all sentient beings. So in Buddhism, to be merciful or compassionate or sympathetic to all sentient beings is to save all sentient beings. To save all sentient beings is not to scoop something from the water, by giving some candy

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to the child who is crying, to save all sentient beings is to disabuse the all sentient beings of illusions. This is to save all sentient beings. In other words, to save is to disabuse the people of the fundamental delusions that are rooted into their mind deeply.

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It means, for instance, if you live at the apartment, or flat, the building and the flat house, anyway, the apartment, flat, you know, you stay, you live downstairs, and someone lives upstairs. So someone's run wild upstairs, for instance, children run wild upstairs,

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the moment when their parents went out, go out. Then the people who live in downstairs make a complaint, your child, your child is, your child is feel bad, because they run wild when the moment when you are out, yes, please give a piece of advice to them. The parent says, oh, that's the children's nature. Of course, that's the children's nature. I know, understand, you know, understand so well. But what you want, what you want to tell the parents is not to, not to, not, not, not the,

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how much, how much children run wild upstairs. Not the matter, not the matter to discuss the, how important the nature, the children's nature is. You know, you, what you want to tell him, tell them is, you know, the matter to discuss how much the running wild disturb the people or circumstances. That's the point. Then, day in and day out, you make a complaint to the parents. Then, at last, the parent says,

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let's change, let's change the place, you know, you live, how about to live in the upstairs, and live downstairs. Or how about the moving out to another apartment. This is very good solution, you know. But it looks like a good solution, but it is not completely good solution. Because there is nothing to solve the fundamental basis what human beings, human beings' problem, the human beings' problem. It looks like, you know, you move, you move, remove. You move from here to there, that's all.

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Then you try to, you try to move to another apartment. And such a parents, such a family will disturb the people who live there again. Same thing. The important point is, we have to know, we have to be aware of fundamental basis of human spirit. So, before, before, before we move out from there, the important point is that we have to make possible effort.

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How to live without disturbing the others. This effort is important before, before changing the place. So, even though you move out to new apartment, moving out doesn't make such a family safe. The problems which such a families possess. Then after you move out, someone, someone move in.

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The families, the children disturb them. The same thing, at the same way. So, the important point is not the matter whether you remove, you move out or not. As long as we live, we live our same building, wherever you live, upstairs or downstairs. The important point is that we have to make effort to live together in peace. That time you can learn what you are, you can learn what the peacefulness is. That time you can save, you can save others, you can save, you can help the others.

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So, to save is to disabuse a people of illusions. This is important. Which means wake people of fundamental basis of human delusions. Then, the Shakyamuni Buddha says, man makes his mind tranquil by effacing attachment to his own. And bend the mind of mindfulness toward the people. So, compassion, Buddha's compassion is make his mind tranquil, make the man's mind tranquil

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by effacing the attachment of his own. And bend the mind of mindfulness toward people. So, in this respect, to be merciful or compassionate to people, to all sentient beings, we need the tranquil state of mind. This is very important. In other words, the mind, the compassion means that in the human relations,

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the, to get rid of the adherence to self is to hold off the spirit of antagonism, antagonism, and conflict with others. This of itself brings us to express warm-hearted sympathy towards others. So, at any cost in human relation, there is nothing to disturb each other, nothing to hurt each other, physiologically or mentally. Then, important point is, then how to get that? How should we get, how should we practice the tranquil state of mind?

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Then, I think, the next, second verse is desires are numbers. I vow to put an end to them. Then, in order to be considerate, compassionate to all sentient beings, we need the practice of being tranquil in mind. For this, you will realize that there is something very difficult to get rid of. It is the adherence to self, to the self,

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or attachment, or blind attachment. Generally speaking, it is desires or delusions. Then, second verse says, delusions, desires are numbers. In the Buddhist psychology, Abhidharmakosha, the list of forty-five shinjo, citta, in Sanskrit, citta, which means the mind, which means that which the mind possesses, that is the mental function, this is the citta, in Sanskrit.

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Then, in the Abhidharmakosha, the list of forty-six, forty-six citta, the mental functions, in the six categories. Then, in another Buddhist psychology, called Jōyūshikirō, the list of fifty-one, the mental functions, in the six categories. Generally speaking, the man is said to have one hundred and eight delusions, but not only one hundred and eight delusions, because there are various kinds, various types of mental functions.

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Which are combined by one hundred and eight delusions, mixed up, all mixed up, and something happens. So, if you, for instance, love, in Buddhism, love is not merely love, in Buddhism, love is, in Buddhism, the thought of delusions. So, I think you love, love is, of course, Buddhism doesn't ignore the existence of love, which is created between man and woman. In the old sutra, the Shakyamuni Buddha always explains, describes, the valuable meanings of love created by man and woman.

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But, the conception of love, in general, in general, is still a pair of ideas which is constructed, constructed with hatred, hatred. So, I think you will realize many events, many awful events in this world, created by relation between man and woman. Sometimes killing each other, because they loved each other anyway.

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Love immediately changed, turned into the hatred, impossible hatred. So, love is, in a sense, combined, love is a sort of mental function, mixed up by the blind attachment. Then, something happens, killing or hitting or divorcing, not divorcing, divorce. So, anyway, as the second verse says, the desires or the delusions are numberless.

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In the sutra, an old man asked the Shakyamuni Buddha, I am a free old man, growing weaker, growing weaker in energy, in sight, in ears, in healing, in health. Day in and day out, my body is getting fed away. Please, give some great instruction to me, how to live without, without wobbling in this world.

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You should get rid of the blind attachment to your existence, but you have a certain preconception, I am a free old, old man, growing weaker in energy, health, in sight. The Shakyamuni Buddha says, you should get rid of the blind, impossible blind attachment to your existence. How to get rid of this blind attachment is pretty difficult.

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Because, as long as our life endures in this world, we have, our lives consist in being in the form of body and mind. Enveloped by various delusions. Then, some students asked the Gautama Buddha, I would like to be free from my life. So, I would like to listen to your talk. Please, give some great suggestion to me.

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That time, Shakyamuni Buddha says, you should become wise man, wise man who is aware of yourself in this world. And take good care of your life, and make a printing effort to take charge of your daily life. That's all. From this point, the way to get rid of the blind mind is to become yourself, to become wise man who is aware of yourself in daily life.

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Take care of yourself, take good charge of your daily life. That's all. During the session in San Francisco, some couple stayed their own big bath and attended to the Zen morning and afternoon. Also, they planned to attend the session. But, this couple had five weeks bedding, baby boy.

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Someone looked at this baby, he said, this baby doesn't enjoy, this baby hasn't enjoyed his health. He seemed to, he seemed sick, he seemed to get sick. How about taking him, taking him to go to see the doctor. This man says, I think this man is said to have taught American students, American young generation or old generation about one of oriental religion. I don't know what kind of religion he taught.

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He has taught. From this point, he is a very good teacher of teaching one of oriental religion, Indian, India or China. He said, oh it's not necessary, it's not necessary to take him to go to see the doctor. Because, this baby himself knows, this baby knows himself so well, himself better than a doctor. So, he said, nature take care of this baby. I think this is very good principle, idea.

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But, unfortunately, there was very awful event which happened, because baby died. Then, this couple crying, crying, crying, it's too late. What I want to tell is, not to matter whether his idea is good or bad.

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But, what impels, what impels the baby to die, this is very important. Good idea, the idea of nature, nature's treatment, man himself knows better than others. So, you know yourself better than I, of course there is. I know myself better than you. But, you have to know how many delusions you have. You can control completely, as complete, numberless of delusions.

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Strictly speaking, it is really impossible to control even your own emotional problems, bubbling up of your mind. Nonetheless, this man attached to his idea, and impelled the baby, impelled babies to die. You know, ideas, it is alright to have certain ideas. How much you are grateful for, grateful for the nature, for yourself, this is okay.

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Without taking the babies, babies to go to see the doctor, without medical treatment, that's alright, this is very good idea. But, if your idea, if your idea is not in accordance with your own daily life, your idea is just merely ideas, which is as good as death. It doesn't have any function, vividly, in your daily life, just ideas. Then, you are the food treatment, just the food treatment, head treatment. You take always food treatment, you always take the head treatment.

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Then, this food treatment and the head treatment doesn't have completely any relation with your daily life. Because, you have just attached to the idea, that's all, with your mind, ignoring the actual phases of human life. The actual phases of human life, which baby has, is the sickness, sick. But, this couple didn't take care of this actual phases of baby's life.

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Just left him alone, left his sick alone, that's all. By his blind attachment to his own ideas, strong ideas, this couple made babies, impaired to die. Someone says, at that time, in the doctor, someone says, I am very interested in food. So, I said, that's good idea. How about your health? How about your health?

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She asked the baby. And, she said, my health is not so good. How about your baby? Baby too, not so good. This is problem. The idea of food, the food here for her, completely didn't have any relation with her daily life. Herself, her babies, her husband. Then, just her head is always enjoyed, delighted in taking the food trip, that's all. This is very dangerous.

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If you have idea, that's ok. Your idea must be in accordance with your daily life, including your body and mind, physiologically and mentally. This is very important. Then, Shakyamuni Buddha says, you should get rid of blind attachment. This blind attachment always creates trouble for us, in our daily lives. Shakyamuni Buddha says,

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Escape from the physical torture. When he was confronted with his sickness, by the, if you think, if you believe, that physical, even physical torture or sufferings, could be disappeared from your daily life, it is really impossible to get rid of physical tortures, physical sufferings.

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When you feel sick, you feel pain. If you sit down, you feel pain. On your leg, it is true. Then, if you read sutra, the, some, one of the superior priest said to one of king in Greek, Shakyamuni Buddha become almighty, almighty, like a god, become almighty. Throwing away all evil.

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But he, he has felt, he has perceived, perceived physical sufferings. For instance, in the castle which Osha, Osha-jo in Magara, Shakyamuni Buddha hurt his leg by a piece of rock. Or one day, he was, he had been attacked by epidemic.

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When his body stopped functioning, Dr. Jivaka gave her medicine. Dr. Jivaka asked Shakyamuni Buddha to use some medicine. Also, when Shakyamuni Buddha caught a cold, the eye used to bring hot water to him. The, even the enlightened person who accomplished his own practice,

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he experienced the sufferings physically. But he, he is completely free from this suffering. From this point, the, in primitive Buddhism, even the Shakyamuni people realized that even the enlightened person must perceive physical torture. But mentally, he can, can be free from sufferings.

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In this respect, to get rid of, in order to get the peace, in order to live our lives in peace, what we should practice, in this respect, there is nothing for you to do but to seek for yourself, to seek yourself based on the true nature. To be free from the blind attachment,

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which your mind creates. So, Shakyamuni Buddha says, keep away from a blind mind, a blind attachment of your mind. Do not stay, do not stay the action which you have done in past. Do not worry yourself over again and again at present.

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If so, there is nothing to worry about. Worry yourself about, toward the direction of the future. So, from his Shakyamuni Buddha's statement, the, first of all, we have to keep away from blind attachment of your mind. If you think, if you are, when you are confronted with very difficulties, sometimes you think, I wish I could, I wish I could die.

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Shakyamuni Buddha says, before you die, before you die, try to make the effort to get rid of the blind attachment of your mind. Saying, I would like to, I wish I could die. This blind attachment is a big problem for human beings, whatever you do. Whenever you study Zazen, when you study, when you learn, when you practice Zazen, when you study Buddhism, when you have whatever kind of good idea you have,

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you cannot help, you cannot help to realize some of what the blind attachment, even though, even when you are confronted with difficulties, you think, you always may complain, I would like to die. Then, in Zazen story, take one step forward, take one step forward.

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When you climb up, climb up on the top of the pole, when you climb up the pole, take one more step forward. We always stop here. Then you say, what shall I do? Shall I go? Shall I take one step forward? Or shall I take, shall I withdraw one step? Shall I take one more step backward, to the left, to the right? Who teaches you how to do? There is nobody to tell you, to give a suggestion to go forward, to go backward,

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to go to the right, to the left. As mentioned yesterday, there are some problems created by the fly or cockroach. Then you have to stand up, you have to stand up on the top of the pole. Should I kill them, or should I leave them alone? What shall I do? Nobody gives a good suggestion to this question.

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Because whatever you, whatever I give a suggestion, it is a sort of explanation in a word. Then Shakyamuni Buddha says, kill the root of the blind, root of the anger. If I say, if I give some suggestion to you, there is nothing for me to do but to kill the anger, root it into the mind, that's all, like Shakyamuni Buddha says. If I use the modern word, don't take a head trip, don't take a food trip, that's all.

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But actually you don't understand so well what does not to take a food trip or a head trip mean. Then always you are wandering on the top of the world, top of the pole. And who, who takes care of this blind attachment? This is you. Then, then if you practice Zen, particularly in the Rinzai school, like a Rinzai Zen master, who is founder of the Rinzai school,

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you will realize, you will find a lot of stories of Zen. The Rinzai Zen master always gives a big blow to you, ten blows or thirty blows. But on the other hand, Dogen Zenji always says, Shikantala, instead of giving the big blows, Shikantala throwing away anything, everything, throwing away any kind of blind attachment,

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due to Shikantala constantly falling. you have to practice Zen. You have to practice Zen. You have to practice Zen.

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