July 20th, 1971, Serial No. 00261

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that there are a number of sutras and shastras which means thesis in Buddhist history during transmitting the Buddhism from India through China to Japan among those there is very interesting the sutra and shastra which belongs which belongs to a series of the psychological analysis of human life

[01:09]

world it is called Abhidharmakosha Shastra the those sutra a series of those sutra and shastra were compiled between 4th century and 7th century the as you know so well the after the Buddhist war and Buddhist death the number of his disciples

[02:14]

and followers were completely left in confusion what to do then after that they then they tried to have several conference conferences to compile sutra and shastra those are sort of regional texts of Buddhist sutra and shastras then before AD before AD and about hundred hundred and fifty BC those who put

[03:25]

emphasis on the discipline of Buddhist life established their own school which is called Hinayana Buddhism then through the Buddhist teaching they found what was the main what was the important key of the Buddhist teaching the Buddhist teaching the important point of Buddhist teaching was found in the discipline of these sunyata emptiness or nothingness but with the passing of the

[04:37]

ages the principle of sunyata and emptiness or nothingness was gradually misunderstood by those who put a strong emphasis on this the principle of Buddhist life then mostly one century people who tried to correct misunderstanding the principle of Buddhist life set up their own school which was called Mahayana Buddhism and then after that after one century the people who believe in Mahayana

[05:58]

Buddhism which stressed on the profound meaning what Shakyamuni Buddha what Shakyamuni Buddha taught us made a compiled number of sutra among those there are Vimalakirti Sutra the Sutra of Vimalakirti and Lotus Sutra which were compiled mostly one century and after that the there are the famous Shastra which is called I forgot the Sanskrit name the Churon in Japanese got anyway

[07:09]

compiled by the Nagyarjuna on the basis of the principle of hmm anyway that's okay on the basis of the principle of Buddhist philosophy which is called emptiness thereafter that the by Vasubandhu he tried to the analyze the

[08:11]

phenomena in life and the world in terms of psychological analysis starting pursue it is called Abhidhamma Shastra, Abhidhamma Kosha Shastra which was compiled maybe four century to five century. This sutra is devout to explanation of the agency of human consciousness human consciousness in

[09:16]

order to analysis and analyze the phenomena in life and the world because they didn't satisfy themselves with the principle of Buddhist philosophy on the basis of Sunyata compiled by Nagyarjuna so Vasubandhu tried to analyze the principle of Buddhist philosophy on the basis of Sunyata nothingness in terms of psychological the basis this is very interesting one of Buddhist Shastra

[10:18]

thesis but it is said that you will that it will take eight years for you to study the Abhidhamma Kosha Shastra eight years because it is very complicated system of analysis psychological analysis very complicated many number of technical difficult technical word so in order to master the technical difficult technical Buddhist words the students the Buddhist students must study first

[11:20]

of all the Abhidhamma Kosha Shastra anyway the I would like to explain just outline the the in terms of the psychological analysis in Buddhism the the phenomena in life in the world is divided into eight kinds of categories the first the five corresponding to the first sense perceptions which are sight

[12:30]

consciousness or healing consciousness, smell consciousness, taste consciousness or touch consciousness those are called five sense perceptions and also thus the sixth consciousness is the conscious conscious mind which you are usually supposed which is called mind human mind you know this is the usual conception conception of the mind which you are usually supposed this is sixth consciousness and also that there are two more consciousnesses corresponding to our unconscious and conception of unconsciousness the seventh and eighth

[13:41]

the seventh consciousness is called Manas consciousness which is root a root of the six consciousnesses six consciousnesses or anyway this seventh consciousness is the one of the unconscious self-conscious mind self-conscious mind which also is the root of six six consciousnesses unlike like the sixth consciousness the seventh consciousness is always functioning without ceasing even for a moment even though during the sleeping the seventh

[14:47]

consciousness is always constantly constantly functioning and also the seventh consciousness is sort of the the sort of attachment sort of attachment which which is which is curved into the six six consciousnesses deeply this is seventh consciousness then those are seven consciousnesses is called Hichitenshiki in Japanese. Hichitenshiki is what you call the seven transformed

[16:06]

consciousness which means the seven consciousness necessary lead a human being to repeat their own karmic life this is called the Hichitenshiki seven consciousnesses seven transformed consciousness but anyway those seven consciousnesses lead human being to repeat to all the field of human human life karmic life the point is point is that we have we have the function of

[17:11]

seventh consciousness called Manas consciousness which is a root of six consciousnesses this is very interesting point I think in the if you look around the our lives at present wherever you may go now only the in United States in Europe but also in Europe even in the Japan in Asian countries the people have the average tendency average the over

[18:16]

tendency that they try to put the stress on their own lives this is alright it's pretty good it's pretty good in a sense but in the terms of Buddhist studies psychological analysis even though how however you try to put emphasis on your own life which is called individualism the principle of individualism we must keep in keep in mind that even the

[19:25]

principle individualism is based on the conception of self-conscious mind named Manas conscious which is the root of root of the seventh consciousnesses curved into curved into the bottom of a human mind which the lead human mind to repeat that their own karmic life this is the tendency the tendency of human life in our day now only Europe but also in Japan if you go to Japan you will find this point so from this point I think it looks like the principle of

[20:35]

Descartes and thinking therefore I exist you know the Descartes according to the Descartes I think that he tried to deny the everything he tried to the analyze phenomena in life and the world with the with the lots of doubt then at last he found the list there exists something what is it this is this one you know this one that's why he said I am thinking therefore therefore I exist you understand so well you know even though you deny everything I don't like a Buddhism I don't like a Christianity I don't like the Confucius I don't like

[21:39]

eating or whatever it is you know you cannot escape of the existence the presence of yourself this one you know you can't then unless you say I am thinking therefore I exist this is pretty good you know but the ender within the principle of individualism according to the the principle I exist I am thinking therefore I exist there is the two conception to conception of a substantialism substantial conceptions one is one is there must be a conception of for ego ego you know this one ego and second is there must be the presence

[22:53]

of materialism materialistic viewpoint you know so there are two there must be the two conceptions the presence of ego and the presence of materialism materialistic being according to the principle of a principle individualism in terms of what is sort of a principle the saying the mentioned by Descartes and thinking therefore I exist all people in in our days not only American a lot of people or Japanese people are very interested in

[23:54]

this point and exist and thinking therefore I exist that's why you will you will realize that there are huge in huge the head of huge head established by the scientific technologies the civilization of scientific technology if you follow your life in terms of you know the the cause of the ideas and thinking therefore I exist you cannot help finding the presence of the civilization presence of the life and the world established by the the

[24:56]

civilization of scientific technology this is the our life our the press at the our our days you know well this is pretty good in a sense I don't I don't mean the the science civilization I don't mean I refuse the presence of civilization of scientific technology in a sense it is very good because it in every human being to lead to their life to their life under better conditions in the better condition but you must keep in mind that this the if you follow the your life in that way

[26:09]

I think there must be a thorough the strong stresses stress on humanity along humanity along the human being is the best you know in other words the human being always remains sitting with comfortably within the human's world for example if you said if you remain sitting if you remain sitting within the human world only without without the opening the eyes without looking without

[27:14]

looking at another the huge expanse of the human world the human being cannot see the all themselves as they are at last they have to create their own life in terms of civilization of scientific technology that's all for instance if I if I stay if I stay the if I stay the arm if I sit on this a certain chair which is called category without looking at another chair which is called Tim which

[28:16]

is called Japanese which is called American which is called Negro which is called you're not French or British or Chinese the category doesn't understand the category completely as he is because he always remains sitting with his own chair which is called category that's all you know it looks like as if it's it was it was a sort of a frog which which was which was playing with himself in a small world well which is called well what now well well well so

[29:23]

if the category if category want wants wants to see completely as he is what he is like he has to at any cost open his mind and look at the another the huge expanse of the world you know is the another world named American or European it's people the Chinese or Filipinos Vietnamese Japanese many races at that time he understands so well himself as he is so the important point is the

[30:37]

in a sense it is all right it is all right to put emphasis on the your own life in terms of individualism this is okay but the you should keep in mind the is the time when you have to go out of out of the principle of individualism in other words you have to keep away from the your own chair which is called category which is called team which is called the conception of American the conception of Japanese whatever it is the because the human being human life and the world are based on the

[31:49]

conception of 7th consciousness minus consciousness which is a tenacious root of attachment but tenacious root of attachment is not something wrong in a sense it enable men to develop to to lead to lead to their life to lead you to lead their life in comfortable conditions until human being find the goals of civilization of scientific technology

[32:51]

this is modern life modern world but everybody finds something something misses some missing you know find something missing in his daily life for instance in wherever you whatever kind of opportunity or the business you follow there are big questions how we handle the close relation between the humans humans and the human relation there there is missing something you

[33:59]

know then even a businessman stresses on how important the human relation is in order to accomplish his own business now only the tech scientific techno and technological science they pursue consciousness is sort of the mind sort of mind the in the bottom of the mind

[35:22]

conscious mind the sixth mind sixth mind which is tearing at staring at that the six consciousnesses constantly watching for what you for the unguarded moment in order to make appearance this is minus consciousness attachment of the root of attachment the root of attachment is always tearing at something staring at the six consciousnesses the sight consciousness hearing consciousness or smell consciousness taste consciousness touch consciousness of conscious mind

[36:23]

and also the consciousness is what you can you can see are the the just the consciousnesses those six consciousnesses are always what would you call the always the the egg the seventh consciousness the root of attachment on to give rise to the considered as its manifestation the sometimes the six

[37:35]

consciousnesses the the in test the gate the seventh consciousness which is rolling which is growing in the bottom of the mind sometimes padding packing the head of the seventh consciousness whatever you do whatever the sixth consciousnesses do towards the seventh consciousnesses cold or padding or intestigating seventh consciousness immediately make appearance within the world of the phenomenon based on the basis based on the six consciousnesses

[38:41]

but if you if you ignore if you pay no attention to the seventh consciousness the presence of seventh consciousness without doing without doing anything at all without padding without scoring him or without the intestigating without the smile without the smile to it the seventh consciousness just exist in the bottom of the mind this is pretty good this is pretty good you know the but in the daily life it's pretty hard to let him to let the seventh consciousness exist still exist still

[39:57]

without doing anything without doing anything without paying attention to it it's pretty hard but there is just only chance only one chance the when you are trying to devote yourself to do Zazen this is just one good chance you know but even do in Zazen many delusions happen but Zazen is pretty good pretty good for letting the seventh consciousness just exist in the bottom of the mind this is the seventh consciousness the seventh consciousness is not something wrong not something wrong when you are smile to smile it to smile when you smile to it when you score it when you instigate it it is

[41:05]

something wrong it is something wrong but seventh consciousness it in itself is not something wrong but it is the it is called the it has this sort of quality characteristics which is called Ufuku Muki in Chinese and Japanese Ufuku is there is something there is something which disturb the human effort to approach the truth to approach the truth so seventh consciousness is characteristic of the quality what enable man to prevent from approaching

[42:08]

to approaching to the truth from being on the road of the true practice you know but the Muki is the viewpoint of the moral viewpoint of morality the seventh consciousness is characteristic of the neutral moralities neutral moral neither good nor bad and this is very interesting so the even the seventh consciousness is beyond the judgment beyond the conscious conception of

[43:14]

judging the its own morality the good and bad good and bad it is characteristic of neutral nature neutral nature but if there is something wrong it will be something it will be something which enable man to prevent from going ahead going ahead towards the true practice towards walking on the road of human life as they are this is seventh consciousness the root of attachment so what if kind of principle you follow for instance that the principle of

[44:31]

individualism principle of substantialism the principle of existentialism the principle of linearism whatever they are whatever kind of principle you follow I think you it leave you leave you in the confusion at last this is true this is true Oh Did you understand a little bit about Mahayana Seventh Consciousness?

[46:15]

It sounds to me like what you described as the Second Consciousness sounds to me like what we usually call ego, is that like the thing that's trying to like survive and grow and feed itself by using the senses or trying to attach to the energy of the senses. Is that something like what it is? I think it's pretty hard to explain what the Seventh Consciousness is because there is nothing bad to do for you, nothing to do for you but the getting taste of it, getting taste of what the Seventh Consciousness is through your experience, your daily life.

[47:29]

Because the Seventh Consciousness is completely a sort of substantial consciousness, you know, not substance, self-conscious mind, self-conscious mind. Sort of individual force, individual force. But the conception of the ego which you are supposed to be in usually is something created by the six consciousnesses, you know, sight seeing, ears consciousness, sight consciousness, ears consciousness, nose consciousness, taste consciousness, touch consciousness, and general conception of conscious mind, you know. This is ego. But strictly speaking, the ego, conception of the ego, which exists in the Seventh Consciousness

[48:40]

is beyond the judgment of the discriminator, beyond discriminating the it is good and bad. Completely it is the neutral nature of itself. Excuse me. What can I explain it? So

[49:47]

um Okay. Okay. I think you know. For instance, if you study some Western astrology, the enthusiastic study for the Western astrology

[51:54]

you know, they fall into the depths of astrological world. And also it may be very difficult to escape from it, the more you study it. Because you believe how wonderful the sort of suggestion from astrological pursuit is for your life. But the other people give some advice to you, it's not so good, but you can't believe. Even though you understand so well, you know, you understand so well your life is sort of confusion.

[52:55]

Because you believe, you believe strongly the sum of suggestions in terms of astrology. So actually in a sense, in your mind, you want to get rid of it, but you can't. Something pushes you, something pushes you from the bottom, I don't know where, from the earth. Something pushes you, they push you to lead, to go another, to go in different direction. What you are expecting from what you are expecting. And then you try to touch it, it is already, you know, it is the function of the mind.

[54:15]

But what you try to attach, try to attach to the pursuit of the astrology strongly, you know. But actually you don't want, but there is something which pushes you, pushes you, you know, hey, go ahead. The study of astrology is not, I don't mean the study of astrology is not something wrong, you know, yeah. Astrology is astrology. Astrology in itself is beyond the judgment, the good and bad, you know.

[55:24]

So if you want to study, that's all right, it's all right. But as mentioned before, don't sit, don't remain sitting on the chair, you know, on the chair, a certain chair which is called astrology. With attachment in your life, in other words, don't remain sitting on your chair, which is called you, you know. Cherished self. You should keep in mind that the time comes when you have to forget it. The time will come when you must forget it, you will throw away, throw it away. In other words, open your eyes and look at another expanse, huge expanse of the human world.

[56:40]

So then priest, then master of study so much, then throw it away, end the study, throw away, study, throw away. Okay, did you understand? I understood, I think, what you said to me, but I'm not sure that the question I was asking was important. Because I wanted to know whether the attachment, like in this example, like you want to move away from some study, or you want to move away from something that you're doing in another direction, but you feel a sense of attachment. Sometimes you want to stay in your chair. And I was asking if that feeling of attachment, that power, is a function, or is that what the seventh consciousness is producing?

[57:54]

Rather than like one of the other kinds of consciousness. When you said that the seventh consciousness was like the root of attachment, that feeling of attachment is then what comes out of that seventh consciousness. So we have to be very careful, we must be careful, whatever to do, whatever you do. You have to watch yourself carefully. So, Te Dogen then says, when you do that, then throw away even the good, even the bad. This is free good, you know. Even the seventh consciousness, the seventh consciousness in itself is not something wrong, not something good. So, please, leave it alone, leave it alone.

[59:04]

Leave it alone. Leave it alone, there is another, there is a very huge expanse of the world where everything is included, included, absorbed, you know, absorbed. This is the eighth mind, alaya vijnana. Alaya is in Sanskrit, which means the storehouse, storehouse. So you have to move away from the attachment, means to open your eyes and look at this huge expanse of the world, where everything is absorbed, completely in equality, even though, even the conception of the enlightenment, even the conception of the diligence.

[60:18]

You say, I got the enlightenment. This enlightenment must be absorbed, sucked in, absorbed by the huge expanse of the world, beyond the discrimination of good and bad. Thank you. You mentioned that one should not pay attention to the seventh consciousness, and you try not to, especially when sitting beside him. Then, what does one pay attention to?

[61:24]

What does? What does one, what does one pay attention to? What does one pay attention to? Both. Both. What? You know, the, I mean, the, what, the, the, all you have to pay attention is, to pay attention to, what would you call it? It's pretty hard.

[62:26]

The, a minimum, whatever you do. When you do zazen, a minimum, okay? Do you, do you understand? A minimum. No. Even in zazen, there are many things happen, you know? You understand all that. So please handle those, a minimum. Okay? Do you understand? So, a minimum, handling your zazen, a minimum means,

[63:28]

your body, breathing, posture, that's all. And then, if you, if you, leave the function of your mind, go along, on their own way. From the body, from the posture, from your breathing, lots of things make happen, you know? Oh, this breathing is not so good. And then from the leg, oh, I feel pain. Many things happen. But you should handle, handle, you know, the, your life, a minimum. A minimum is, you know, the, just your posture, just your breathing,

[64:29]

that's all. But even though whatever happens, good or bad, or sleepy or something, don't pay attention to that. So, strictly speaking, pay attention to the present, the reality of the present, that's all. A moment? A moment? You say, when you say, I feel pain, when you say, the, I don't like pain, you know, that statement, the, egg of the seventh consciousness, you know, asks, hey, say something. Say something. And then, you say,

[65:31]

Zen Master says, don't escape from the pain, stay with the pain. Okay. Now you say, pain, you feel pain? Oh, pain coming. But Zen Master says, stay with the pain. Okay. Oh, wonderful. When you say, oh, wonderful, that statement, the eggs of the seventh consciousness, on, they're patting the head of the seventh consciousness. Oh, good. Pretty good. Whatever you do, that's attachment. Okay? So, how I hold my mouth, how I hold my tongue. But it seems like, moving around, to all these different places, that I get lost.

[66:34]

I was wondering, if there is, somehow, to, either pay attention to all of them at once, or if there's some place, where I can put my attention to, as a base, to be, to move to these other places in my body, without getting lost. Hmm. The, the conception, focuses on, the breathing, in the zazen. That's all. You can't, it's, it's pretty difficult for you? Hmm. I'm sorry, too bad.

[67:38]

But you try to practice more, okay? Not only you, but everybody, pretty difficult. And fortunately, unfortunately, you, not only you, but everybody have, their, very, vivid function, of their, sixth consciousnesses, or seventh consciousness. So, in order to, let them, still, it's not so easy. It's not so easy. Or if you find, some difficulty, you try to, concentrate on, just one thing, one subject, concentrating on the breathing, according to the instruction. Okay?

[68:39]

Questioner 2 I think I find contradictory in this. If, I'm trying to keep my attention on, say, breathing, and not saying, I'm doing better, or I'm doing worse, or whatever, feeling, seventh consciousness. K. Oh, feeling. Oh. I can shut that voice up, if I want, if I try. I can tell that, you know, be quiet. It's oppressive. But that seems to contradict, some advice I heard, that Suzuki Roshi gave, which was that, if you want to control, sheep, give them a wide pasture. Practically said that, at some point. And I interpreted that, as meaning, let these, things go on. Don't suppress them. And I find, I can't control, both ways. I don't know whether to suppress,

[69:47]

or let each other. The concentration is not, the sort of, suppress, suppress. It's not suppress. For beginner, I think, yes, the concentration on the, having the proper posture, straight posture, is a sort of, But it's not, something like that. the concentration, having the proper posture, is, the, to, the lead, the, all organs, the function, all function, the function of all organs, works smooth, works smooth. This is,

[70:49]

proper posture, in zazen, physically and spiritually. So, it's not necessary to tell the, to tell the seventh consciousness, be quiet. Even though you continue to say, be quiet, it doesn't be quiet. I think it's more, such a feeling is, enough the seventh consciousness, to become wild running, you know, running wild. It's pretty hard. So, important point is, that your body, your mind, the status of the, your life, the, now and here, must be still. Must be still. You know. Correcting the posture,

[72:03]

the, let the breath, going and coming, as, it goes, naturally and smoothly. So, in the beginning, you think, it's sort of a suppress, you know. That's okay. That's all right. So, it is, it is pretty good for you. So, try to control, because you have already, a sort of bias. My, by saying my posture is, my posture is right, you know. You don't know exactly, what the right posture is. You don't know exactly, what the mind is, still, you know.

[73:11]

So, in order to find the, composure of the mind, in the right posture, you have to, correcting the, the bad posture, which you have, hot, one by one. Okay? On putting your, attention, concentration, when you're sitting, there,

[74:17]

I was wondering, what you felt about that, when you talk about breathing, do you mean, specifically breathing deeply, into that area? Hmm. Is that, they were saying, it fills up the lower stomach. Hmm. That's, about, a place to, to concentrate on, as a basis for these others. In the, Chinese, medical, medical way of, treatment, medical treatment, I think the, all energy, all energy come from the, lower abdomen. So, in the, in terms of, for Chinese medical treatment, the mind exists here. Not here. Mind exists here. So when you, sort of, a candle, stick,

[75:19]

bamboo stick, stand up like this, if your mind is here, you can stand up, you know, upright, with the dignity. Because, you always pay attention, you always pay attention, to your opponent, with attachment. If your, your mind exists in your bottom, just stand up, you know. The others, I think the, real, the composure, composure or stillness, comes from, exist, exist, the lower abdomen. Not here. Not here. No, not, not think. It's not necessary to think of it. It's not necessary to ignore.

[76:22]

Free out, anyway. Please, even, only, when you do Zazen, please, take good care of your breath, your nose, your abdomen. That's enough. A couple of points. First, the question of, where you put your attention, where your mind actually is. I don't know, when I, when I, try to think of my mind as being, any place else but up here, I can do it for a moment, but it always, it always comes back up here, and I think, you know, this is where I really am, you know. This is, it's, it seems, you know, at this point, rather unnatural to think of the mind as being, you know, center of being or something,

[77:25]

but being down here rather than up in the head. Is there any way of, you know, it's almost, it's almost fear kind of thing, you know. I think it's not good enough to concentrate on. You try to more to concentrate on her heart. It's not, your practice of concentration is not good enough. While you are thinking, while you concentrate, while you think, while you think of concentration, what is going on in your head, within your head, it's not still good enough. The real concentration is beyond the conception of the concentration, which you are used to suppose.

[78:26]

In what part of your body, physical body, concentration is working on, working. You can't, you can't notice. It's not necessary to be, to worry about whatever happens. Even though you think, you have some doubt, you know, my concentration is not good enough. All you have to do is just to continue to concentrate on zazen itself. As mentioned, they often, they like a spinning top, spinning top. Yes. Do you understand? I think I do.

[79:27]

I, the thing about it is that I think of zazen as something that requires an effort. Whenever I, I think of something that requires an effort or concentration, I think very hard about it, you know. I think so. Yeah. Yeah, I think so. But you can't jump, I am sorry, I am sorry for you, but you can't jump over, from here to there. You have to walk by yourself. Even though you try to, you try to fly with, by airplane, I think you have to fear. When airplane is falling down to the ground,

[80:29]

whatever you do, there is some fear. Okay. Now, does this kind of thing act as an impediment? I am sorry, I don't understand exactly. His back is not straight, you know, it's physical deformity.

[81:02]

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