in the Sutra Samyutta Nikaya which is one of the old Buddhist scriptures there is very interesting story I am talking about this morning when Shakyamuni, the Buddha Shakyamuni was at the Jeta Park in Magadha the monks coming back from the practice of begging in the morning were chatting

[01:05]

with each other about some topic that topic was which of two has much property money military force forces the king Bimbisara the king Bimbisara the name of the king of Bimbisara of Magadha and the king Pasenadi of Prasarana in India

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in other words question the topic they were talking about was what for two kings has much of property money or military forces and so forth that time the Buddha Shakyamuni passed by them by chance he heard that discussion but he just passed by them the time passed the evening came the monk monks the monks still chatted about that topic then Shakyamuni Buddha told them you are all

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for all of you a monk you should think you should talk about Dharma and the secret of silence instead of discussing about how much the king the king possesses some properties or monies or military forces and so forth and the later in the sutra the Mugarana asked to himself what do you mean by the secret

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of silence Mugarana asked to himself again and again Shakyamuni Buddha said the Buddha Shakyamuni said you should think of the Dharma and the secret of silence Dharma means the phenomena human world which is appeared from moment to moment the Dharma what you can see what you can hear what you can listen to through your six consciousnesses this is Dharma what you can understand what you can what explain what it is this is called Dharma phenomenon you should the Buddha Shakyamuni say you should think the Dharma and the secret of silence secret

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of silence is what is not what is not explainable what is not describable what is what is invisible but it's there it's there and in other words the secret of silence is constantly with human human life whatever you do whatever topic you pick up from your daily life okay for instance instinct or knowledge or conscience whatever you pick up topic which happens so much in your daily

[06:44]

life suffering pleasure instinct or conscience or knowledge or enlightenment or diligence whatever or sex whatever okay the instinct or the diligence or enlightenment or Buddha whatever is in a sense describable explainable visible understandable but on the other hand they are you should keep in mind they are indescribable pretty unfathomable what you don't know same applied to

[07:46]

whatever human all kinds aspect of human life if you try to deal with take care of whatever pleasure or unpleasure the suffering or not suffering or comfortableness or uncomfortableness insect instinct or sex or its conscience or the Buddha and diligent whatever if you try to deal with them in terms of just what is understandable but what is a describable what is a describable explainable what is what is visible that is a big trouble that cause of trouble because you don't know you don't see you don't see the other aspect of what is not describable not understandable deep unfathomable if you don't see this

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aspect of human life which is indescribable or not understandable or unfathomable you cannot respect you cannot you cannot respect to human life you cannot respect to suffering pleasure whatever whatever you experience you cannot to respect respect means you shouldn't take care of everything well carefulness carefulness not a careful attention is not to make you a scare and fear careful attention is that to take care of what compassionate attention with compassionate attention sometimes you should be the patient sometimes you

[09:59]

should pat your head making your mind calm sometimes so you hit your head by yourself sometimes so you should move forward without stopping without instead of going backward toward your past life this is how the sacred of silence sacred silence so totally speaking the what is the human life human life is complete beyond the evaluation of good or bad right to wrong what is that well I can't explain that but why if I use the word the life total picture of life is what is just is completely beyond your

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control or speculation and so forth but you can understandably you can understand it or you can deal with it you can control but totally anyway life is what is just is according to the technical term of Buddhism it is easiness suchness as it isness from this point all of you here great bodhisattva whatever you feel from your life you all of you are great bodhisattva probably some of you say I don't think so but that is that you don't say to yourself I don't think I am bodhisattva this is that the understanding understanding of your life in terms of which is understandable or describable and so

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forth running through your self-consciousness that's all but on the other hand if you say if you say I don't think so I am not bodhisattva if so many people ignore your existence birds ignore your existence or birds doesn't care birds singing aloud you hello karagiri how is your lecture this morning fine thank you or even though I say or terrible lecture it doesn't matter birds singing around me beautiful with a beautiful sound voice thoughts comes on around the tassar even though I like or dislike so what is the karagiri's life what is the bird's life what is the fog's life completely different around me around the fog

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karagiri is existent the birds exist exist around the karagiri around the fog can you control that yes or no if you think your life your life I am not bodhisattva I am terrible evil man if so can you kill yourself maybe you may say yes but why are you you answer to this question yes you cannot die you can't die because answer answer answer yes is completed to lead you to see your life objectively one of my friend and they was about concern very concerned about his

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friend who was always saying I want to committing suicide I want to commit suicide and then he came up to me they said what shall I do so I told him let him be alone but he said karagi he really told tell me always he told me always I want to commit suicide I want to commit suicide someday he ran away and he doesn't come back for many many days and then I asked him did he come back someday he said yes he came back anyway oh good then he came up to me see and asked me what should I do he ran away yesterday I was very concerned about him what should I do how can I help him he never died it is sure he will come

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back and then he come back anyway come back but let's ask it to yourself can you die or if you can answer to yourself yes that is not you are not the person who can see true meaning of death can you be alive can you be alive in this world are you living are you living free are you alive free in this world you say yes I am fully alive from moment to moment that is questionable watch out but fully alive the true meaning of fully alive is which is not describable visible not visible not understandable anyway completely beyond

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your answer yes or no your life is fully alive what is that it is very quiet silence now within the silence no word no words to express where you exist where you are what you are yes it is that that silence express express the your own presence from moment to moment that's why birds exist around you whatever you criticize to your life fogs exist around around you whatever criticize criticism you try to give the fogs life it's there no matter how long how long the fogs criticize your life you are not Bodhisattva are you Bodhisattva yes are you not Bodhisattva no whatever you say pay attention to the real fact what you

[17:37]

are listening to Buddha's teaching right now here what make you what compel you to exist to be here anyway that's why Shakyamuni Buddha the Buddha Shakyamuni told the monks you should think of the Dharma and the secret of silence and then the story in the story the Magadana asked to himself asked to himself is very important okay no one compel you to ask what Buddha is what my life is what human life is but you cannot help asking about something about

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something to yourself without and not by not by once once intentional compulsion not by once once creation not by one's others persuasion not by the regular regulation one builds up anyway you can't help asking to yourself no one compelled no one compels you to ask about whatever this is very important point because I told you before the life is totally silent what is just this beyond the model of discussing being the problem discussing of the problem part

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the problem of being or not being what yes or no or good or bad right or wrong anyway your life is what is just is as a Buddha manifesting Buddha nature if so the Buddha Shakyamuni told us you are Buddha everything is Buddha if so it's not necessary to sit to see the Buddha because we are already Buddha if you don't ask it to yourself if you don't see the Buddha the original nature of yourself what Buddha doesn't work doesn't work in your daily life for instance here is a scissor okay here is a paper here is a paper here is a rock

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you know pretty well what is a scissor what is a rock what is a paper and then the children replace with this paper paper and scissors rock how can you understand rock the presence of rock how can you understand the presence of paper or the presence of scissors you say scissors has a stronger energy than paper because scissors cut the paper it means how do you understand why what is it do you understand in that way because scissor is already acts towards something acts towards something which is called paper the same applies to yourself if you

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have a Buddha nature anyway you have to act it act it toward Buddha because scissor doesn't exist cannot exist alone without connecting paper and rock the moment when you understand oh that is scissor at that time the understanding of scissor is simultaneously based on understanding of paper and rock but strictly speaking according to the understand the idea of Buddha everything is Buddha idea that everything is Buddha okay the scissor is scissor is Buddha rock is rock is Buddha and paper is Buddha in other words

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equal completely equality no name in the equality no name what is called scissor which is called paper which is called rock no name because everybody is completely in equality but at that time that is all what you have to understand human life no if you don't act toward equality what it is as it is how can you understand the equality because the equality itself has no name so all that time or there you are if you try to take care of a daily life according to just the idea of equality that understanding will make your life confused it's really

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confusion comes up so mathematician put the mark on scissor A okay then put the signs on the paper B now put on the mark put the mark on the rock C A B C because you are the this is mathematicians compression because you confuse so much if if they don't give a mark you don't understand that so anyway mathematician try to put the name on poor boy I will give you a name karagiri, tree, bird, scissor, rock, paper oh thank you I understand scissor I

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understand karagiri that is differentiation world the world of differentiation and then at the moment when the mathematician gives us some marks A, B, C, tree, bird, karagiri, the Sun, the moon, immediately you understand yes that is scissor at the moment when you understand it is scissor there is already paper understanding of scissor is exactly based on the paper and rock without them you can't understand scissor because scissor that understanding implies the dynamic interpenetration interconnections with scissor with the papers and rock so same applied to Buddha nature same applied to the

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truth what which everything is Buddha everything is beautiful okay if you understand everything is beauty beautiful everything is Buddha well at any cost you have to act toward it then not have to you cannot help acting toward it you cannot ignore that so how do you act toward Buddha nature the Buddhism with the words with the words you can act toward it with the mind with the body first one with the words second one with our mind with mind

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with your heart third one with your body anyway act toward the Buddha nature anyway you act you act toward the sacred of silence why is it that Buddha Shakyamuni told us thinking of the Dhamma and the sacred of silence instead of discussing about the how much money do you have how much money for how much property do you have and etc when you act toward the sacred of silence or peace or harmony with the

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mind after strictly speaking everything is peace peaceful harmonious but you don't understand but even though you don't understand the peace and the harmony is constantly with you which is quiet still that's why you cannot help to speak toward peace harmony Buddha sacred of silence or who is Carnegie no matter how how long I can live to the hundred fifty years of fifty years of still there is a question who is Carnegie who is the Carnegie one of a

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Japanese why is it Carnegie has to come to the United States to speak of Buddhism as some aspect of Buddhism not in Japanese in English why don't you go back to Japan yes I would like to but I can't do so because the life of Carnegie's life is very quiet silent headache lots of headache I can't find a good topic of a Buddhist I have no no idea of talking about some of the Buddhist what shall I talk Suzuki Yoshi sometimes I don't have any any topic do you have some question well over I can't help asking to myself who is Carnegie what are you doing when

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you get up early morning hello Carnegie how are you fine are you sure well what's on me if you don't feel what's wrong I don't know what's wrong well how can I how can I help you I want to help you well I can't if you don't say anything I can't help you say something but I don't know I don't know why I feel I don't feel good anyway someday how are you every day I have to ask it to myself hello Carnegie hi good morning Carnegie hi good morning Carnegie are you all right yes I am all right are you sure not completely what's wrong what's wrong with you well such-and-such I have I haven't

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lots of things of such-and-such size but still that is the excuse all excuse nothing helped me you cannot help me at all anyway because life is Buddha life is exactly Buddha silence silence means in your life is exactly peace peaceful and harmonious that's why you have to ask to yourself who is Carnegie what you are doing the peace or harmony means life is unfathomable pretty not on not like a piece of paper piece of paper very thin okay but if you see your life in terms of piece of paper your life is very thin that is the justice aspect of

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your human life which is understandable describable explainable but fortunately like this could be how can you explain this anyway to ask it to yourself what is Buddha who is Carnegie even though you don't have complete answer to this question doesn't matter continue all you have to do is to continue to ask yourself who Carnegie is what you are doing are you all right yes I am I am all right next day I'm not all right so but you have to ask to yourself even though you say I don't want to ask to myself are you all right I am now all right it's ridiculous but ridiculous is

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important for you okay you have to continue to ask it to yourself about ridiculousness otherwise you don't understand what the ridiculous is next isn't okay but because if you don't ask what the ridiculousness is for ridiculousness is really up something cold separate apart from your life which is nothing to do with your life but actually ridiculousness is really with you okay ridiculousness really with you how ridiculous you are at that time ridiculousness is from the summer in some part of at the certain part of a universe I have to ridiculous where is my head it is here when you say how

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ridiculous you are anyway ridiculousness really is really with you right now I sure right on right on that's why I have to tell you you have to ask it to yourself no one compare you to ask because everybody hated ridiculous no one like nice but anyway you can't help asking to the ridiculousness or pleasure or uncomfortableness countenance Buddha's or delusion and Zazen and walking meditation and teaching of Buddhism whatever anyway you can't help asking to yourself who is karate what you are doing are you all right yes I am are you not all right I am NOT if you ask it to yourself anyway

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ridiculousness acts immediately toward you aha this is I guess I am really ridiculous if you don't act it toward ridiculousness ridiculousness really doesn't care with your life do you understand this is very important anyway constantly you ask you ask it to yourself what's ridiculousness anyway if you the moment when you ask it to yourself about ridiculousness ridiculousness tells you teaches you something about something something even though at that time you don't understand what you don't realize what ridiculousness teaches you because actually ridiculousness is very quiet very silent totally speaking no sound but anyway it's talking about speaking

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it's speaking constantly to to you that's no founded that sound you cannot listen to that sound you cannot but later you can listen to you can listen to even though at that time you cannot listen to the sound of ridiculousness but that's alright all you have to do is just to continue to ask it to yourself about ridiculousness about the Buddha about diligence and so forth then simultaneously they act toward you teaching something but we do always plainly speaking you create your circumstances circumstances completely create your life okay simultaneously you cannot ignore the circumstances you

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have created because that the circumstances you have created is not something cold or apart from your life it is circumstances is really with you constantly so on any course do you have to take responsibility anyway for your circumstances you have created because that circumstances creates simultaneously your life in the next moment so do the same okay do the same simultaneously create your life so to ask it to yourself with mind with mind anyway if you feel something from your heart with your heart if you feel something okay that's great if you see the tree pine tree well if you want to compose a poem about the pine tree anyway you have to project yourself into pine

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tree doesn't it yes it is if you cannot do so you cannot compose a poem about pine tree what you can what you can project yourself into pine tree means what you can feel something from the pine tree with your mind heart in other words you can ask to yourself about pine tree with your heart that time you can compose because there is some communication okay communion which is called spiritual communion spiritual rapport the second you have to ask it to yourself with the words if you don't understand the pine tree with your heart that's alright why don't you say good morning tree

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are you alright oh I see it says fine thank you if doesn't the pine tree say anything at all why don't you say and why this is great if you ask it to you toward pine tree like this after toward yourself pine tree like this is after to yourself what to yourself who has lots of problems topics Buddha nature the object is a psychological object which exists in your heart Buddha nature a delusion whatever peace and harmony whatever if you see the peace ask it to yourself hello peace so anyway if you see somebody who you you hate well

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without the without this man this man who you hate you cannot exist so you can do you think you can exist with a man who you you like not with a man whom you hate well you have to live with the both of them so even though in the emotional points on the points you don't like him but anyway say the exchange a greeting when you see him good morning that's enough if you act toward him like this with your body and with your words okay good morning immediately he said hey good morning then there is a communication communion there is a

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peace there is a peaceful way of life even though at that time you don't understand that well sooner or later you can listen to the sound of peace and harmony if you continue to practice in that way sooner or later yes you can listen to the sound then certainly you have to ask it to yourself with by anyway if you don't understand the what the if you don't understand the way how to swim well you cannot explain the right proper way of swimming in the ocean well first why don't you go to the sea ocean and jump into it then move your hand move your legs anyway at that time you can learn this is also the one way to ask it to yourself with by so the tribal governor asked to yourself there what is

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a secret of silence to ask it to himself is very important for him because he asked it to himself about the secret of silence with his mind with his words with his body at that time the scripture the Buddhist scripture says anyway you can at that time you can experience in Sanskrit is Samud Acharati you can experience Samud Acharati with Sanyin and Manasikara. Samud Acharati means somebody something acts toward you when you ask to yourself when you ask it towards some country or whatever topic Buddha or whatever kind of but

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psychological model emotion or anger or peace whatever anyway when you ask it to them simultaneously something acts toward you or somebody speaks to something speaks to you in other words I told you if you create circumstances circumstances acts toward you help to your life so the circumstances doesn't come up to you without doing if you don't do anything at all circumstances cannot come up to you so anyway if you want to be a good friend with the circumstances you have to act toward circumstances at any cost complete beyond the right or dislike so at that time circumstances acts to you or speaks to you that is me that that is

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the meaning of Samud Acharati. With Sanyin and Manasikara. Sanyin means stillness Sanyin means sitting down or sitting at well which is not describable it's pretty hard it is very stillness it is very still and that is the meaning of Sanyin and Manasikara means taking to heart but even though you don't listen to the sound of what the circumstances you have created for instance Zazen. Let's imagine you do Zazen when you do Zazen particularly for the beginner for beginners maybe you you listen beginners can listen to a lot of sound enjoyment hatred and anger

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prayers many things but if you practice for five years and ten years but it's pretty hard to listen to the sound of Zazen. But Zazen is because Zazen is just sit. What do you mean? Just sit. Acting, all you have to do is just to act continually toward Zazen toward Zazen means toward you that's all without doing anything so another most of case you cannot listen to the sound of the Zazen you do. At that time most of people give up but that is very important time you have to continue sooner or later you will you will be able to listen to the sound of Zazen. I don't know

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when in a two years or in a ten years in a twenty years or right before your death maybe next life maybe life after life next life that's all it doesn't matter anyway sooner or later sooner or later means a huge expanse of time you can listen to. Then at that time Zazen, you can take the Zazen that touches to your heart at that time you can listen to the sound of Zazen so if you continue to act toward yourself if you continue ask to yourself what is

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Zazen, what is gassho, what is bow, what is peace, what is divinity and so forth you can experience some good atari with Sanyal and Manasikara. In other words you are constantly spoken by stillness and dynamism. So do the Zazen, sitting in Zazen is stillness in a sense because nothing to listen to but it is really dynamic being because you are acting towards the Zazen. So you can you are in other words you are constantly spoken by Sanyal stillness and Manasikara dynamism

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interconnected, interpenetrated with all beings. Then sooner or later all of a sudden you can listen to the sound of Zazen. That is called indictment or friendly speaking that is ha-ha. That is ha-ha. Ha-ha is a very simple word but within the ha-ha it refers to a lots of things explaining in a word, in a heart, with the body. With the body, with the mind, with the words, with the heart. Because that ha-ha is what you can experience, get taste of it, of something through your skin, muscle, bone and mouth. At that time you can say ha-ha but if you understand just something just

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with your skin you cannot say ha-ha. That is, yes I understand, that is knowledge. If you go to school you can understand many things. What is the instinct? Instinct is such and such but actually instinct is really complicated. Anyway you have to experience it. What instinct is like through your, not only through your skin but also skin, muscle, bone and mouth. At that time you can understand what instinct is like. Saying what? Ha-ha, that's all. Sometimes more. Because when you cannot say anything at all you really respect to the instinct. At that time you can do gassho with the instinct. Thank you. When you act toward yourself, when you speak to yourself without anyone to

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prepare you to ask, you should continue to ask to yourself, how? How do you ask to yourself? Dogen then says in Zazenji, explanation of Zazen, cast off all kinds of environments, throw away all ideas, Guru-Bhakti, right wrong, do not think of even becoming Buddha. This is the best way. Then Magadana said, Magadana said I experience peace and harmony by throwing away all environment, Guru-Bhakti, right wrong,

[53:53]

and then I experience now peace and harmony. This is the way how to ask to yourself, with words, with mind, with body. So, if you exchange greeting, just say greeting, good morning, from your heart. But this just as exchange greeting is not the verbal explanation, not even verbal explanation. This verbal explanation affects your life and others' life, doesn't bother anything at all. But most of people misunderstand Zen. Zen is just do it, as you like. Yes, it is innocent. But most of case, that way of living, just do it, as you like, disturb others, interrupt others.

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That is called ego, individualistic way of life. I don't think it is Zen Buddhism. Just the exchange, the greeting, good morning, is not, anyone, not interrupt anyone, anything. Because that greeting affect your life, others' life. And save others from their anger. Little boy, exchange greeting in the morning, good morning. The other day, little boy said, at the meal time, we were eating silently at the green garden, and then the croppers,

[56:15]

no one hit the croppers once. And then the boy said, now it's time to talk. And his father said, yes, it is. And he said, little boy said, hi, immediately, hi, to the man who was about to carry the food to the tables. And he said, immediately, now it's time to talk. Yes, hi. And then he said, hi. No excuse, no matter of discussion. What did you say? No. All you have to do is say hi, that's enough. Even though there is no discussion, you are angry with me or you are not angry, or you are angry with someone or someone else. No, it doesn't matter, no excuse. Anyway, he said, hi, now it's time to talk. Yes, hi, that's enough. And then immediately,

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this little boy is not a little boy. This little boy is Buddha who can save him, save you from your anger, whatever kind of emotion you have. Because you immediately say, hi, acting toward him, jumping into the ocean, no excuse. All you have to do is immediately let your hands, let your legs move, start to move. So this is throwing away all environments, throwing away good or bad, right or wrong. When you have to exchange a greeting, say greeting, that is in a pure sense. Anyway, with compassionate feeling, attention, you have to say good morning with a heart, with a heart. If you feel something, if you see the tree,

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anyway you should see the tree, so with a heart. If you don't anything at all, if you don't anything, if you don't feel anything from trees, from mountains, anyway, you should see the tree, you should see the friends, with the body. Throwing away all environments, good or bad, right or wrong, well, just kachon or just bow, singing. At that time, anyway, the other trees immediately speak to you, act toward you. And then at that time you can experience what is called spiritual rapport, spiritual communion between you and that tree, Buddha. Then at that time you say how wonderful the tree is, how beautiful the tree is,

[59:31]

and then how can you explain how wonderful, how beautiful the tree is. Then someday, well, sometimes you can explain it with a word, sometimes you can explain it with a heart, sometimes you can explain it with a body. Composing a poem, then this is a spiritual rapport. If you experience a spiritual rapport, most people really want to stay with it, because that spiritual rapport or spiritual communion is a wonderful thing, it's something more than experiencing dualism and human life, because in the human life there are lots of things miserable. If you experience spiritual rapport, spiritual communion,

[60:36]

you really want to stay with it, but actually you can't stay with it. Look at any other religion which exists around your life, particularly in California, lots of religions. California is really a paradise, where any kind of religion, international religion exists, but in Minneapolis, there is no choice.

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