The story concerning Shobo Genzo, the meaning of Shobo Genzo, goes way back to 2,500 years ago of Shakyamuni Buddha's lifetime, when he was about to transmit the discipline of Shakyamuni Buddha's life to his disciple named Kshapa. The story is very simple. When one day Shakyamuni Buddha tried to preach the Saddhama Kundalika Sutra,

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at the assembly on the virtual peak, Shakyamuni Buddha stands at the stage quietly and shows a smile on his face and holding a beautiful flower of

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Dumbala in his hand. At that time, among about one million congregated bodhisattvas, there is one of the Shakyamuni Buddha's disciples named Kshapa. Only Kshapa, the answered answers are to this, to the Shakyamuni Buddha's attitude,

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showing a beautiful flower of Dumbala with a smile. At that time, Shakyamuni Buddha says, I have Shobo Genzo, I have Shobo Genzo Nehan Myosin. Shobo Genzo, you know the meaning of Shobo Genzo, the eyes and treasure of seeing into the depths of being, Shobo Genzo. Nehan Myosin is an excellent mind based on Nirvana. Shakyamuni Buddha says, I have Shobo Genzo Nehan Myosin. I will want to invest a Kshapa into the secret of Buddhism, which is called

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Shobo Genzo Nehan Myosin. Then he gives, Shakyamuni Buddha gives the Okesa, Buddhist robe, and Oryoki, Buddhist ball, to Kshapa as a proof, as approval, which Kshapa is qualified to be successor of Shakyamuni Buddha. This is our story. But if you, if you take interest in this story as the glory of history left behind us, which

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happened 2,500 years ago, between Shakyamuni Buddha and his disciples. I think there is a legend, quite without foundation, which all you have to do is take interest in understanding this story as the glory of the Buddhist history, which happened 2,500 years ago. Let's imagine

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all pictures of the circumstances, which happened between Shakyamuni Buddha and the once millions congregated Bodhisattvas at the assembly on the Vulture Peak. I think, I believe, the moment when Shakyamuni Buddha stands at the stage, on the Vulture Peak, in the presence of, in the presence of, the once millions congregated Bodhisattvas. It makes all congregation quiet, calm, without any noise.

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Just looking at Shakyamuni Buddha. If you, let's imagine, if you see, if you see this scene on the movie picture, produced by the human being who lives in our day, you will find the symphonies, orchestra, symphonies. The moment when Shakyamuni Buddha stands at the stage, boom, boom, boom. But at that time, nobody, nobody speaks. Everybody keeps silence. I think, you know, the influence of Shakyamuni Buddha's attitude is

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something beyond, you know, the all imagination which you can make. Because Shakyamuni Buddha possesses the all virtue. Whatever he may do, if you read the Lotus Sutra, you will find, you will find how great Shakyamuni Buddha is. For instance, one of chapters of Lotus Sutra, titled as Preachers, the Preachers. The congregated Bodhisattvas asked,

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asked Shakyamuni Buddha, what is important? What is important for us to be about you? You know, when, what is important for us to do? Before, before they try to preach some aspect of the Buddha's teaching, in this case, the Lotus Sutra, at that time, Shakyamuni Buddha gives the three important things to the all congregated Bodhisattvas.

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Shakyamuni Buddha said, you should, you should do so after having entering, having entered, having after, having entered the board of the Tathagata. After having put on the robe of the Tathagata, and occupied the pulpit of the Tathagata. In other words, before you preach, you should be in the room, in the room of, in the room of Tathagata. You should be, you should, you should put on the Buddha's robe. And you should be on the stage of the Tathagata.

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Then Tathagata explains what is, what is the board of the Tathagata. It is abiding in charity, all kindness, to all beings. So, before you preach, to say what you are, what you are in the room of the Tathagata is to be kind, to be considerate to all beings. And it was to be compassionate to all beings. Now what is the robe of the Tathagata? Why is it we have to, we have to wear, we have to put on the robe, Buddha's robe? The Buddha says it is apparel, it is apparel of the sublime for, forbearance, forbearance.

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So to, to say what you, what you put on the Buddha's robe is to say what you be in the sublime forbearance. Now what is the pulpit, pulpit of the Tathagata? It is the entering into the voidness, nothingness of all things. To say what you are, what you are at the stage of the Tathagata is to say what you are in the sphere of the nothingness of all things. In the sphere of the nothingness of which everything is based on.

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Now at least when Shakyamuni Buddha is about to preach something, speak up something, whatever they are, he is already endured with the Buddha's compassion, sublime forbearance, the truth of emptiness or nothingness. That's why advantageous according to all congregated bodhisattvas from the Buddha's attitude,

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standing on the stage is something beyond the own imagination you can do. That's why all people they are completely keep, keeping quiet and just looking at Shakyamuni Buddha. Because the moment when they look at Shakyamuni Buddha, they feel, they feel unconsciously growth of living. In the presence of Shakyamuni Buddha.

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It is like a motherly, motherly person. Let's imagine how important, how important the baby, how important the mother is, motherly person is for her baby. Advantageous according to the baby from the mother's attitude is something beyond the own imagination which you can do. Whatever kind of, whoever she is, Even when the baby is crying, the moment when he, when he look at his mother, think, he stops, immediately crying.

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Before she tried to give something, candy, to the baby. I don't know why, you don't know why, just the baby did. She doesn't, the baby doesn't understand what kind of my mother is. Or whether my mother is, my mother, and my mother has ugly face or this universal face. He doesn't see, he doesn't know. Or whether she is smiling now or she is angry, angry with baby.

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She doesn't, he doesn't know. He doesn't matter. It doesn't matter whether or not the mother is smiling or be angry with him. Or whether she has ugly face or this universal face. The true nature of the baby requires just the presence of his mother. And also, the poor baby himself, he doesn't understand what is, what is my mother. What do you mean, what is it? All avail. To make me stop, to make him stop crying.

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He doesn't understand. But I think in the depth of the baby, he knows, he knows there is something beyond our imagination, the bounds, the bounds of the imagination you can do. It is, it looks like the, what would you call it, it looks like the dim image of the mothering smile. Which is situated in far away.

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Or in his, he can't, he can't grasp it. But he knows, he knows where the dim image of mothering smile is. It looks like, it's as if the Buddha statue with smile was, you know, situated in the presence of you. In the dark room. And then, this one, the light, you know, the lamp. Ah, no, the, just the, what do you call that? The dim ray of light,

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is coming up to the Buddha's face. It is just dim image, you can see just dim image of smiling Buddha's face, from the dark room, just one, one face. And that's when you feel the growth of relief, because you get frightened or startled at being in the darkness. You want to get comfort, but there is nothing. At that time, just dim image of smiling Buddha's face,

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makes appearance from dark room, with dim ray of light. But you can't, but you don't know what it is. But you know. But it makes you feel a growth of relief. Then it makes you feel, it makes you get assurance, religious assurance and relaxation of your existence. I think mother, motherly person, has this nature. When she is confronted with the hurt baby,

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that's why babies stop crying, before she tries to give something. Because mother, she is already at the end of Buddha's room, enveloped by compassionate, thoughtful mind. And being in the sphere of surprise, perseverance, I found sometimes a very strange thing in San Francisco.

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Young couples, in every week, leave their babies at home. She is about 2 or 3 years old. Every weekend, they leave the babies at their home, at their house, and go away. I don't know what they will do. Maybe they will go to enjoy themselves, do something at the park, go to the park, or to see the movie, or to play the golf, and so on, maybe so. And then baby, this baby always,

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always look at the, look out of the window, look. Look outside, out of the window. She cannot open the window, that's why the, the sister, she always touch with her face to the window, and just looking at, outside. Because there is nobody at her home, house. Every, every weekend, in the every weekend, they go, they leave for some place, in order to enjoy themselves. What is, what do you mean by

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raising children as human beings? At that time, such a thing makes me very pensive. What is, what is, what do you mean by raising the, raising the children as human beings? Of course it is all right, it is all, it may be all right to enjoy themselves, because they have a right to live. Other parents, they, from this scene, to changing the, what is it called,

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diapers, or giving the milk, or giving the some food, and giving the lots of toys, I think, you know, the, the, as long as, excuse me, if you become the mother, if you become a mothering person, you should know, you should know yourself, who needs, who needs being in the sphere of sublime perseverance, which means to take care of her baby

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as a human being, before you play with the benefit of the given cake, because the children as a human being needs a great, they need just the presence of their mother, their parents. Even though they do anything, they didn't, they don't do anything at all.

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They need just the presence of their parents. That time they feel the growth of relief based on religious security of their existence, because they know, they know the Buddhist compassion children knows unconsciously, what the compassionate spirit, compassionate spirit, to show compassionate spirit is not to give something. And also Shakyamuni Buddha is

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in the sphere of nothingness, emptiness, like a mother, mothering person, she never expects something from the baby, after doing something, after taking care of, even though mother taking care of the baby's feces, she doesn't make complaint how terrible smell is, without expecting any reward, just taking care of the baby's feces, even though

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their mother's clothes are splashed, no, even the baby's splashes, his urine, no, the baby's mother's clothes with baby's urine, she never makes complaint, she just smiles. Strictly speaking, human being needs this attitude. Whatever you do, all we have to make every possible effort is to be in the Buddha's room,

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based on, not there, Buddha's room enveloped by compassionate, thoughtful spirit, to be in the world of the sublime perseverance, to be in the sphere of nothingness, enveloped by any expectation from anything. Before you do something, you need this attitude, you need this attitude. This is our practice. This is our practice. If you ignore this point,

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in a person, others always feel scared from you, or I don't, I want to keep away from you, whatever others feel, all you have to make every possible effort to do so in that way. At that time, the others feel, others feel, others feel the growth of the release, the moment when they face you. . That's why they all,

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the congregated bodhisattvas, are kept quiet. Then at that time, Sakamuni Buddha showed the beautiful flower of Udumbara. Udumbara is the legendary tree, one of the legendary trees, which is thought to have blossomed once in the three thousand years. Once, just once. This Udumbara blooms beautiful flowers

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once in the three thousand years. And then he shows, he showed beautiful flower of Udumbara, and he blinked his eyes. . It means, it means that to blossom the beautiful flower of Udumbara, what is thought of as thought to blossom once in the three thousand years is the rare opportunity,

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ripe opportunity, which you shouldn't miss. In other words, you know, the universe, rare opportunity, which you can't miss, which you can never miss, is great reality, which you are in the Tathagata now and here. This is great opportunity. Strictly speaking, the moment, in the twinkle, your life is going on. This place, now and here,

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now and here, the moment, or the great part, great opportunity, which you are in Tathagata, is to blossom the beautiful flower of Udumbara, blooming once in the three thousand years. This opportunity, strictly speaking, you can never come back again. Because everybody is existent

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on the basis of the changing, as the emerging order. You are very often, you have very often listened to this point. So you say, Oh, I know, I know. I know my life, which is based on the transiency, or the changing, stream of change. But actually, it's not so easy to get taste of it with your whole body and mind. For instance, as mentioned before, even though you are killed by the, you know, the hijackers on an airplane with revolvers, it is very simple to die

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because all you have to do is just to experience big shock, that's all. Then you die. But nevertheless, you think, well, even though I die, there is world. World exists. There exists the world. There exists others. Now also you say, you say, well, please, God, let me, let me alive, even though I die. Because you say, you say, please, take care of my dead, dead body. Saying to your parents, friends, please,

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perform my funeral service, great funeral service, and the reverence looking on arrival in Japan. Because you stick to your body, dead body, which is staying at the same period, at the certain period, during the certain period. Then you think, please, please keep my body safely, safe. Please carry my body to the Japan in order to perform funeral service. But who knows?

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Who makes sure? Then whatever you think, anyway, the airplane is going on, flying in the air. You are dead, carrying your dead body and with others, your friends, who are alive. Then right before the airplane land on, land on, airplane fall into the ground, everything disappears. Who makes sure? Who makes sure? Completely there is nothing to expect. If you want to expect, of course,

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you may say that there is something, what is called something just in move. Just something being in move, in perpetual move on the floor. That is going, that body going bad. Even though you say, please keep my dead body safe. Nobody knows. Your dead body, even though you say, please keep my this alive, living body safe. You can't. Step by step, your body is going on towards some direction, which you have never expect, expected

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before. I'm sorry for you, but I'm sorry for you, I'm sorry for Katagiri, you know. I'm sorry for the excellency president, the emperors of Japan, whoever they are. Everything is based on the same situation. Therefore, try to kick off your cross, expectation. Well, now I'm dead, I die. Well, you know, please keep my dead body safe. Who keeps your dead body safe? Others? I don't think so. Or airplane? I don't think so. Airplane or others also are at the

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stage of perpetual movement, flow. What is, what will be in store for us, for them? Nobody knows. All they have to do is all your dead body is just right on the stream, all water, that's all. Sometimes the small fishes chasing after each others on the surface of the water. Sometimes very big fishes, boom, like this. The water is just going on. Who cares? Who cares big fish or small fish? Beings stay

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at the same place. Nobody can do. The water and fish, small fish and big fish must be on, right on the stream of the water. Something in motion, that's all. Right on something in motion. What you cannot put any ideas into it. You may say it is called transiency, or it is called perpetual flow and move, or it is called the truth of changes. If you pick up the some word in that way, it is just ideas. Actually what is, consider, what is the changes, what is in perpetual moving flow?

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This is pretty hard to catch it in your hand. Of course you can't catch this, the truth of the changes in your head. Yes, you can't. But you cannot catch it. This is true aspect of human life. Based on the truth of changes. Changes. So what should I do? What should you do? In the sphere of this changes. There is even the slightest space

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to put the idea into it. Yes, this is enlightenment, or this is delusion. You can't, you can't. Even though you say please let me alive, God, please God, let me alive. Maybe a hijacker give a sympathy, great sympathy to you and okay. And he will take you to Japan, to your destination, you know. And then you feel the surge of relief. Wow! Next moment the cars, boom! Bumped into, against you. This is so

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you have to see through this true aspect of life. Through and through. If so, maybe physicist, or a master of mathematics, or biologist says, if there is nothing, why is it you make a vow to Buddha? Why? Why is it you must practice Zen? If the Zen is the Zen was wasting time, or just felt the pain, just looking

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at the lots of thoughts running through your head, just watched how terrible your mind was, that's all. Why is it we have to practice? Maybe they may say. If there is nothing, there is nothing to expect to touch it. Everybody describes the truth of nothingness, emptiness, on which everything is based. Even a scientist, even a physicist, even a biologist in our day. But they don't know what to do. All they have to do may be not to

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be necessary. Practice. Making vow to Buddha. We thought. What is what is what is something allotted to you when seeing your life? The time which is moving swiftly. But you have to chant the self, who is if you want the self, who is vivified. You have to chant, you have to see this time which is moving swiftly, quickly. As mentioned before, it is to vivify is present.

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Present is based on the time which is moving swiftly, rapidly. In other words, the present is just a pinpoint of empty, emptiness. Pinpoint of the time which is which is emptied by what? Rapid streaming, rapid streaming toward future. So, strictly speaking, there is nothing but just a pinpoint of the time which is always emptied by the stream. If so,

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I stand, I sit here, I sit here, just a pinpoint. This is, this pinpoint of the time is something I wrote to you right now, right here. Now, where there is, you can do something, you can do something. If you want to see that your self is vivified, living vividly, then here, pinpoint, you know, just a point of the needle. You can move every inch. You can put any ideas into it. In other words,

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you can, but it depends on you. It depends on you how make, how you can make the best use of this pinpoint of the time. It depends on you. It's not necessary from where this pinpoint of the time comes. It is not necessary to think of it. Important point is how to accept, how to accept and handle, take care of this pinpoint of the time which is emptied. For instance, there are many numbers, countries, pinpoint of the time. For instance, there is Buddha statue. This is pinpoint of the time, okay? Let's imagine

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you raise the Buddha statue. Then most of each individual think of this Buddha statue in different angles. Well, it is just the Buddha statue. Some of, some person, some of you think, well, from where this statue comes? Then some of you think, well, it is very old statue. Maybe if I sell it, maybe I can get the four million dollars, four million dollars if you are antique. Then some of you think, well, it is just a sort of object of worship, considered as idol. Why is it?

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Why is it we need to make a vow to such a statue? It's not necessary. Then some of you think, well, this is great statue of Buddha. Then you bow. Then there are many different viewpoints. Many different viewpoints of looking at this, just pinpoint of the time. It depends on you. It depends on you how you can make best use of this pinpoint of time. As Buddha statue, as Zazen. You can create. You can create in different way. You can create

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many things in different way from just the pinpoint of the time considered as Buddha statue. Then, for instance, let's imagine the pinpoint of the time considered as Zazen. Some of you feel, well, I get enlightenment. Great Zazen is. Some of you think, well, some of you

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