Model case number two. Title is Body Dumber and the Emperor Wu of the Liang. Consider this. The Emperor Wu of the Liang asked Bodhidharma, What is the ultimate principle of the holy truth? Bodhidharma said, Vast emptiness and nothing holy. The Emperor asked again,

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Who is he then that confronts me? Bodhidharma said, I don't know. The Emperor failed to understand. Thereby, Bodhidharma crossed the river for Shorinji Temple and spent nine years there, sitting at the wall. This is the whole story. This is a very famous story, as you know so well. In the Book of Records, this story is in the first chapter, the first model case. But in Shoryo Roku, it is the second case. Consider this.

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The Emperor Wu of the Liang asked Bodhidharma, What is the ultimate principle of the holy truth? Bodhidharma said, Vast emptiness and nothing holy. The Emperor asked again, Who is he then that confronts me? Bodhidharma said, I don't know. The Emperor failed to understand. Thereby, Bodhidharma crossed the river for Shorinji Temple and spent nine years there, sitting at the wall. This model case, wants to tell us what is value.

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What is the value? What is the supreme value in life? It's not so easy to understand what the value is. What is the most, what the supreme value is like? It's not so easy. If it is, if it should be easy for us to understand it, there wouldn't exist Buddhas and Patriarchs who had practiced so long. How can you,

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how can you understand this supreme value in life? I think, by the nature of personality, the personal character, by the personal character, you have to understand it. What is personal character? What kind of personal character is it? By what kind of personal character can you understand this supreme value? So, I think,

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this, the personal character is called Buddha. Buddha. Buddha. You must cultivate your personal character as a Buddha, as a Buddha. At that time, you can understand what supreme value is like. That's the point what this story tells us. The Emperor Wu of the Liang Askedam

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Bodhidharma, what is the ultimate principle of the holy truth? The answer is Emperor Wu of the Liang was a very famous emperor in China who lived 465 to 546. It is said that the Bodhidharma went to China in 520 years or so. Before the Bodhidharma went to China, the Buddhism was

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transmitted. Buddhism was there already because this Emperor Wu in China was very famous regarded as Bodhisattva. Bodhisattva Emperor. The Buddhist Emperor. So he knows so well what Buddhism is. Then he heard Bodhidharma came to come to America, not America, to China. Not Bodhidharma, Emperor Wu heard that Bodhidharma come to

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China. So he really wanted to see who Bodhidharma is. Because he spent his life to practice and study Buddhism. For long years. Helping Buddhist organization, Buddhist priest, and Buddhist priestess. Priestess. Anyway, I immediately Emperor asked Bodhidharma, I have

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helped Buddhism for long years. Building the temple, helping the Buddhist priest, and Buddhist laymen, laywomen. And what profit? What profit me? Bodhidharma says nothing. And then at that time he was he is really confused. If if there is nothing to get after studying and practicing Buddhism, helping the Buddhist laymen and laywomen, and priest and priestess, building the temples, helping the

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Buddhist organization, whatever kind of activity they have. And what's what's the purpose of the Buddhism? He is very confused. What is Buddhism? And then Emperor asked, what is the ultimate principle of holy truth? Ah There is very famous novelist novelist writer in Japan

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named Soseki Natsume. You can read one of his works which was already translated into English. One of his works is title of that title of one of his works is Mind. He wrote lots of literature. He

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he practiced Zen Buddhism in 1894 under the famous Rinzai Zen master named Shakusoyen. You know so well, Shakusoyen. Shakusoyen who was abbot of Engakuji in Kamakura. Several times before he practiced Zen Buddhism under the Shakusoyen under the guidance of teacher named Shakusoyen he practiced he had practiced several times under the guidance of different teachers in Japan. Because

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this writer has lots of troubles in his life then day in day out he tried to get out he tried to get out his troubles. Walking in the darkness at night he is thinking I want to get out I want to get out. Then he felt he feels that his mind his mind is

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really terrible weak unease unstable coward stupid he really hate to see his mind he felt that his mind is really weak stupid terrible coward unease unstable terrible mind then he feels a sort of oppression sort of pressure sort of pressure like pressing his chest

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his heart he always feels a sort of oppression so anyway he want to get out this a sense of oppression in actual way in actual way because a sense of oppression is really actual practical not conceptual intellectual but but at that time the more he try to he try to get out of this trouble the more what would you call

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a mistake a mistake what he made in past which is cause of creating troubles his father separated from his actual daily life in other words he doesn't have any room he doesn't have any room to reflect upon himself who makes every possible effort to see what the cause of this trouble is like what he want

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his purpose is just to get out get out the trouble which he confronts in everyday life so at that time he doesn't care he doesn't have no room to think to put himself on others before he think before anyway he doesn't have any room to think about others his life is completely encompassed by the principle of eagerness individualism egoistic day in and day out he try to find some way

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to get out that's very actual troubles without looking at without looking at the cause of this troubles but it's pretty hard for him to get out no matter how difficult no matter how he find it difficult to get rid of this trouble something should be done he feels he feels something should be done right now in order to create a new life

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a new point of view in life a new point of view in life is not something what you can listen to it with your mouth with your head he thinks he has to listen to it with mind hara then he thinks I have to make my hara, make my mind strong then he got good ideas Zen is very good very good enough to make his mind make his hara strong then he decide to go to practice

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practice under the guidance of Zen teacher because at that time Zen is great religion which enables a man to give relaxation and assurance of one's existence if so I have to I have to he has to practice the Zen even though he was, he is absence, he is absence of his office for 10 days for 20 days he doesn't matter he is

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really like American student he gave up everything and to practice Zen, that's pretty nice anyway he went and practiced then when he arrived Zen temple a young monk who was about 28 years old takes him to his room please come this way that room was very empty nothing then please make yourself at home there is nothing it was the season

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when he went it was the season was the winter the room was really empty and just one small he watches that's all no heroes he immediately feels loneliness wow he didn't understand why I came here and then he thought I did something wrong I did something wrong but this monk was very calm with smile there is nothing

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so called stiff stiffness very smooth his activities very smooth please come this way please make yourself at home and then he left in 10 minutes and 15 minutes he came back to his room and said Roshi wanted to see you please follow me then he followed this young monk then he see he sat in front of the Roshi Roshi said welcome here

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first of all you try to think try to think which means the self who was born prior to his parents prior to the birth of his parents try to think the self prior the birth of his parents but he didn't have any ideas to think in what direction he should think

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he didn't know how to answer to this question he just said yes yes Roshi then he left at that time it is not regularly I think twice a day that's all most of time he had to sit in his room alone he felt a sort of duty thinking of the self prior to the birth of his parents then he thinking and thinking every day day after day but he didn't understand then one day

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the young monk asked him again please come to the Roshi's room because Roshi wanted to see you then he went to see him carrying some answers to this question but he didn't have any answers to this question but he had to do then he tried to get some answers then he explained what it is like at that time Roshi said your answer is very general which

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everyone which anyone who can study Buddhism answer to this question like you your answer doesn't come from your mind your heart he was really upset but anyway he feels still big duties to think of it the more he make every possible effort to think the more he feels that he has done something wrong and then he said in his words he said I am a stomachache I have a stomachache

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now that's why I come to Zen temple to find the method of remedy remedy then I asked I went to see the Zen master Zen master give me some remedy the method of remedy it is the self prior to the birth of his parents what does it mean by that he needs some medical treatment anyway actually but that's answer that's medical treatment given by the Zen master is completely far out

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impossible for me to think it seems ridiculous but but after that anyway for 10 days he tried to stay in the temple but at last he cannot he cannot be patience to practice Zazen to think of koan then he decided to leave the temple

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before he leaves temple so the young monk takes him takes him to see to the Roshi's room saying goodbye then at last at last of the story he said reflecting upon himself he said this is he this is he who cannot go through the gate who cannot

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who cannot the existence of who cannot ignore the existence of gate but all he can do is just to stand stand up before the gate until the date is dark the day become night until the day become night this is conclusion of his story conclusion of his practice this is he who cannot go through the gate nor

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who cannot ignore the existence of gate but all he can do is just to stand up before the gate in front of the gate until the day become night this gate is eagle he has this man is

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this man cannot go through this eagle nor can ignore the existence of eagle all he can do is just to stand up in front of this eagle until the day become night he completely collapsed he collapsed in front of the gate because he see he sees big eagle big eagle the more he think

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the corn the more he find he find big eagle so called gate he is not he is not brave enough to break this gate and go through this gate not enough brave to ignore the existence of eagle looking at facing confronting eagle again and again he just collapse because

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he expected he expects something some way to make his mind strong to make his heart strong but after after practicing there is nothing to make his mind to make his heart strong because he always he cannot help hitting his forehead against his big eagle and then this is ok this is ok this is one way

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one of ways to live one's life then at that time you will find some dead end dead end this is a person like a shinran shonin who is founder of shin school he is shinran always stand up stand up in front of gate until the day become night until the day become night means for shinran that he has to

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rely upon amitabha buddha throwing away his eagle plunging into amitabha buddha but then what is then then one of american buddhist scholar says in his book in spite of its growing popularity in the west it is unfortunately still easier to say

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that zen buddhism is not done to define what it is for it is not a religion or a philosophy not psychology or science according to him to his understanding zen buddhism is not religion not philosophy not psychology not science what is zen according to his understanding zen is a way of liberation liberation which means getting rid of the troubles which you confront everyday life what you mean a way of liberation

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ignoring religion philosophy psychology or science that is your koan it will depend on all of you whether zen buddhism will develop in united states you should think this is very important zen buddhism is religion or philosophy or psychology or science or zen buddhism is not religion not philosophy, not science not psychology zen buddhism is a way of liberation what do you think about this this is very important big koan this writer

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like emperor wu he did many things for the buddhists for the sake of studying and practicing zen buddhism buddhism but he doesn't understand actually he is very famous in china at that time he is called bodhisattva emperor he is called buddha emperor many people pay respect to him according to his bodhidharma it seems ridiculous

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because he didn't understand what buddhism is because he asked what is the ultimate principle of the holy truth in the small intention extension not intention in the small extension small expanse in the small expanse this writer emperor wu tried to seek buddhism in order to get rid of some trouble in order to get something

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good after practicing but whatever you seek whatever you think is really ridiculous according to the bodhidharma because all what writers this writers and emperor wu tried to seek is done in the small expanse then bodhidharma says vast emptiness and nothing holy vast emptiness means

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the world you live is vast in the vast expanse of being beyond the imagination beyond your expectation vast emptiness means in this case equality freedom you know equality what is equality there are lots of human beings

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in this world american, japanese french chinese lots of people the other day i mentioned they all you think they all exist in the world so called buddha the equality what you have thought usually is something which you try to make something plain taking something from the higher place and

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put it into lower place it is so called equality make something plain taking something from higher place and put it into lower place then you think this is equality i don't think so if if it is freedom or vast emptiness you are really like this writer

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and emperor wu even though you think i can't make it plain there is still some trouble because this equality is seen in the duality opposite to discrimination that's why you try to take something from the higher place the higher place is something seen from dualistic idea opposite to lower place

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that's why you have to take something from the higher place and put it in the lower place it is not freedom it is not real actions so called liberation so called equality in buddhism equality is which higher place itself is equality lower place itself is equality in its expanse in its world this is very important

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higher place is also equality in its own world is equality no matter of discrimination completely equality lower place and lower place is equality in its own world kataki is man bob is man kathleen is man then world at that time you can't find equality i am man

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you are man but if you say kataki if you call me kataki kataki represent sort of discrimination sort of world discrimination he is same priest he is japanese he is japanese but he is getting american he is becoming american and then if you find something wrong on me hey kataki why don't you correct because you are zen master taking something

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from higher place so called zen priest zen master and put it in the world of person so called zen student you want to you like equality zen student or zen master equality of course zen insist on equality no discrimination that's right then the other day i mentioned some one of student hit the teacher this is pretty good for me kataki

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this man is completely free completely free you are completely free you are man not american you are man i am a man at that time let's imagine the world consisting of these men men men all men completely equal but before we are apt to see we are very curious of seeing something in appearance before you try to see you make every possible effort to see

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real meaning of equality a man so called a man that's true in buddhism in buddhism whoever i am whoever this man is poor man we interact doesn't matter this man is this man himself is completely free equal in his own world at that time he is called a man before you try to give a certain form to him japanese or kataki or zen priest and so on the doken says

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kojo wa kohe tejo wa tehe kojo means higher place higher place is higher place itself is inequality in its own world tejo wa tehe a low place in itself is inequality in its own world then when you walk in the kitchen you have a lot of shelf a pillow made by the wood is alright to be put on the higher higher place

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of the shelf because even though it falls on the ground it's not so easy to break to be broken it is ok but grass or something which is breakable should be put in the lower place because this cup itself is inequality in its own world so you have to take best care of the cup and the cup before you compare with the wood if you see something whatever Zen Buddhism

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enlightenment the enlightenment you think is something opposite to the delusions as long as you think enlightenment like this in the dualistic world opposite to delusion you are really like these writers and Emperor Wu you always hit your forehead against the big gate enlightenment in Buddhism enlightenment itself is inequality

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in its own world delusion itself is inequality in its own world from this point delusion is not something you hate thinking in your day thinking usually delusion is also free in other words delusion is your life so in the true meaning of equality freedom we have to take care of enlightenment and delusion in the same way at that time you can understand

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what enlightenment is but you usually always try to take something from the delusion and put it into the world of enlightenment and make it play and then at that time it is called freedom I don't think so as long as you see something in dualistic idea you cannot get rid of comparison with others immediately you compare something with others at that time you cannot help taking something from the higher place and put it into lower place and then you believe it is equality I don't think so

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through and through higher place itself is inequality in its own world lower place in itself is also inequality in its own world you should see in this way through and through at that time you can take best care higher place as higher place you can take best care of lower place as lower place like a grass like a petal made by wood that is first emptiness there is nothing holy an ordinary uninvited man I am ordinary I am dude I am ordinary uninvited man

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