March 9th, 1979, Serial No. 00131

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Seventh, cultivating wisdom. Originally said, practicing wisdom. Seventh, cultivating wisdom or practicing wisdom. Practicing means, practice means action or deeds, but practice is not merely deeds or action including good or evil. Practice is represented shugyo in Japanese. Shugyo is action or deed. Shu of shugyo is to refine, to refine or to regulate, regulate.

[01:06]

So shugyo is, so from this point, activity or deeds or actions are not merely evil actions. This is refined, regulated, perfectly regulated action or deed. That is practice. So cultivating wisdom or practicing wisdom. Wisdom is aroused by hearing, thinking, practicing and realizing. We use very often term wisdom, but it's pretty hard to understand because it is too close to us. We use sometimes unconsciously wisdom.

[02:12]

We seem to understand it, but actually don't understand. If you are asked by someone what is wisdom, you don't understand what it is. But we use very often, that's why you seem to understand. So wisdom is to not understand, what should I say, to know, to see or to understand, to taste. Characteristic of phenomena, human world, and suchness, in truth, in truth. And what is, but still this is not understandable. So, what is the truth? What is the real state of human world?

[03:23]

According to Sadāmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra, particularly chapter 2, skillfulness. It says ten attributes, ten attributes or ten characteristics of truth, suchness. Suchness or truth is represented, nyōze, in Japanese, nyō is like or such or own being itself. That is nyō, nyōze. Ze is this, this. So ze is pronoun, pronoun.

[04:27]

So nyōze is just like this, like this. Two meanings, nyō has two meanings. One is like or such, looks like. But the other one is own being itself, exactly own being itself. That is nyō. So we translated suchness. Suchness has two meanings, looks like. But you cannot say it's different from something. But it's not exactly the same, but you cannot hit to the mark. Whatever you say, that's why you say it looks like, it looks like. But on the other hand, suchness means own being itself, own being itself. When you lose the word to explain what it is, finally you can touch the core, all being itself.

[05:31]

So that is own being, own being. So nyō, nyō is own being or like or such. Ze is this. So nyōze means, shall I say, shall I say, nyōze means, At this very moment, when this becomes, when this settles this in itself, that time, that is called nyōze or own being. Do you understand?

[06:31]

At this very moment, this very moment anyway, moment. At this very moment when this settles this in itself perfectly, right now, right here, that is called nyōze. Or truth. Or we translate it as suchness. Or D.T.Suzuki translated as it is-ness, as it is-ness. Anyway, this is nyōze. So ten attributes or ten characteristics of nyōze, suchness or truth. Form, own being, substance, energy, functioning or working,

[07:37]

cause, conditions, effect, and retribution, no, result and retribution. The last one is the ultimate, ultimate state of being, ultimate state of being. Form, form, own being, substance. Form is everything you can see from your physical eyes. Book, if you say book, book has a form. Form, all kinds of beings which have form of their own. Form and own being, own being is a little different from substance.

[08:42]

Substance is something which, substance means book itself, book itself. Soul of atom. Atom, or atoms, atoms, and many things. In other words, atoms, atom, I forgot the term. Is that okay? Atom. So atom, that is substance, but own being is different from atom, substance. So own being is that which makes it possible for substance to be, to be.

[09:45]

To be. So own being is a little deeper state of being. Do you understand? This is own being. So own being, we don't know, we don't know anyway. So we call this is two, or we call the total dynamic working, or we call, say, just activities, just movement, or just energy, which is working from moment to moment. This is substance, this is own being, form, own being, and substance. When you see something, when you see book, you have to understand form, and substance, and also own being. And next, the energy, energy or force, light force,

[10:47]

which makes it alive, that which makes something alive, that is energy, the motive of, how do you say, action, or function. That is energy, and next, that's all we have to, and then next action. Action means function or working. When you see book, you have to understand form, own being, and substance, own being, substance. You have to understand this form, and also the elements of the book, which is atom, or whatever it is, scientifically speaking. And next, more deeper state of being is own being. That own being is what? Energy. A sort of energy, or the motive of a function,

[11:50]

the energy which makes it possible for all beings to start to work, to start to work. Next, function, or activity, action. And then you understand this. Then next, cause, this function, or this activity, or this movement, this energy, cannot happen recklessly. It happens according to the law of nature. Exactly, that is the cause. Cause, and condition, and effect. Cause, that is what is called causality. Cause, condition, and effect, and also retribution. Retribution is the resultant, karmic resultant. Karmic resultant, kargi. This is kargi form.

[12:52]

Kargi has form, and substance, and their own beings, and energies, and functioning, and the cause, and the conditions, and the effect. And finally, that is, what is that? That is, in a way, karmic resultant. This form. So, hi, kargi. It's a karmic resultant. Karmic resultant. And then last one is the ultimate. Ultimate state of being. Ultimate state of being is that which makes the rest of the nine, the characteristics of suchness work in unity, in harmony, in peace.

[13:53]

Working together. Complete. That is the last one, the ultimate state of being. So, all rest of the nine, from the form to the karmic resultant are working, are engaged in each other. Where? The ultimate state of being. What is that? It is, right now, right here. Time. We call time, in Sanskrit, samaya. Samaya. Samaya means, I told you the last Sunday at the Green Gorge, anyway. Samaya is, in a way, usual time. And also, samaya is not the usual time. Samaya is that which it regulates and adjusts and makes it harmonious.

[15:00]

That is samaya. So, sometimes we translate it into Japanese, like original vow. Original vow. Original vow means original aspiration. Aspiration for truth. Original aspiration. This is samaya. Samaya is original aspiration, everyone has. And also, that is the usual time. That means, right now, right here, what is called the ultimate state of being. Where? All the rest of the nine characteristics of the truth work together, in peace, in harmony. This is, right now, right here. Right now, right here, is moment. Moment is, in a way, according to the Atthasarani, which is called Buddhist psychology, which is very old. Moment is a good, proper place where you can dwell in.

[16:07]

And moment is a good friend which you can contact. Moment is a future vision, proper future vision you can see. Moment is, merits what you planted, the good seeds in the past. This is a moment. Moment. So, I told you anyway, last Sunday, anyway, how can you go there? This is very simple practice. Very simple practice. What the... Getting one, getting one dharma, you penetrate it through and through. Encountering one practice, you practice it through and through. That is, anyway, if you do it, under all circumstances, favorable level, unfavorable level, if you continue to practice,

[17:12]

at that time, that one moment, anyway, is gradually extending in all directions, huge. So, how that is, anyway, good, proper place you can dwell in. Whatever you feel, moment, you can experience is sort of bitter. But it's not bitter. Bitter moment is what you have understood through your coming life, that's all. But moment itself is broad. So, proper place you can dwell in. There's no way to escape. And also, moment is a good friend for you, you can contact with. Anyway, if you dwell in there, you can contact with a good friend. That is a moment. Moment. Very simple practice, okay? Moment. And also, if you dwell in the moment, and finally you can contact with a good friend,

[18:17]

and finally you can find proper future vision, you can see, which means many people try to help you. You can help others. And also, people try to create your future life. Even though you hate your life now. Anyway, stay, dwell in, moment, because it is proper place. Please stay with a moment, because that is a good friend you can contact. Without this, no way to contact with a good friend. And if you do that, well, you can see proper future visions. What do you mean? Can you see proper future visions in a moment? It's not. It's not something like that. Anyway, proper future vision is not something you try to create. You try to.

[19:18]

No, you can't. Proper future vision is something coming from direct your activity, you maintaining moment. Regardless, accept it as proper place you can dwell, a good friend you can contact, and finally you can see very naturally. You can see very naturally future, proper future vision. Because people, you can help people, and people help you. People very naturally help you, and then finally you can get proper future vision. Oh, I did something. So I should be alive to help somebody anyway. So, many people encourage you to exist, to live more, not for you, for others, for all sentient beings. This is a moment. So moment is, anyway, proper future vision.

[20:22]

You can see, and finally, moment is merit. You planted good seed in the past. That means coming result, which is called karagi, all of you. So you are beautiful person, beautiful person. So I always tell the students, when I give the instruction, why do we bow? Why we bow to the Buddha? Because you are great person, complete beyond judgment. Guru-bhagavan writes down, you are great. You are great. If you don't feel good, put your head, you are great. You tell yourself. But don't take pride too much. You are great, you are great. Put your head, just put your head. And then just live, just live. Then, at that time, anyway, you can really trust in yourself.

[21:25]

Then you can really feel grateful. Feel grateful for your existence. At that time, how can you show? Feeling grateful for your existence. Bow. Anyway, bow. To your boss? No. To your nose? No. To your lips? No. But this look is stupid. Or important, ornaments, so that's important. But anyway, not boss, not your body, not your nose. Anyway, blah, blah. Such. Impossible. But still you don't understand why. Well, that's okay. First, bow. If you bow to the Buddha, anyway, you become... Anyway, bow before you bow. Don't you think so? Yes, you become bow, before bow. Otherwise, you can't bow.

[22:27]

If you get angry, okay? If you really get angry to the Buddha statue and so forth, you cannot bow. Don't you think so? You cannot. So, what you can bow is, immediately, exactly the same meaning as you have already become Buddha. That's why you can bow. For instance, if you hit somebody, before you hit somebody, your whole body and mind must be occupied by anger. Hatred. So, before you hit, you're already anger or hatred. So what is anger? Hatred. Look at you. Who are you? You are not you. You are hatred and anger. Why? Because you hit. Very simple. So, anyway, we are great persons.

[23:31]

Because you are merits, which you planted good seeds in the past. So, we should feel grateful for your existence. How? Bow. This is the practice of bowing to the Buddha. So, Patriot says the practice of bow is the practice of egolessness. If you have an ego, I don't understand, or if you make a complaint, bow. You can bow. So, anyway, that is a moment. So, if you continue to do it, that moment is not the moment which is the shortest period of time. It's not a moment. That moment is really extending in all directions in time and space. That time, this is. This is samaya.

[24:33]

Ultimate state of being or terminating of bored. You can awaken to this. This is terminating of bored. A-B-O-D-E. Bored or ultimate state of being. All rest of the subtleness work there in peace and harmony. Then, because this moment, this moment is characterized by, anyway, coincidence. Coincidence. Because everything coexists, coincides simultaneously within the moment. Many dharmas simultaneously exist in peace, in harmony, in a moment. And this moment is not something, a particular period of time apart from usual time. It's really usual time.

[25:35]

Within the usual time. And then, that is the daily living. Daily living. And then, if you see the daily living, your daily living is really diversity. In diversity. Huge. Many things exist. Even though with your eyes, physical eyes, you can see lots. This is a phenomenal world. Human world. Also, this phenomenal world is produced by the law of co-existence. Very natural. So that is, anyway, ten characteristics of suchness. When you want to experience wisdom, you will be, at any rate, understand the characteristic of the truth, suchness. According to ten characteristics of suchness.

[26:38]

Then that is what is called wisdom. So, wisdom is, but nevertheless, we don't know how to practice wisdom. That's why it says wisdom is aroused by hearing, thinking, practicing, and realizing. There are four important points you have to practice in order to practice wisdom. Hearing, thinking, and practicing. Hearing means, I told you the last time, to listen to Buddhist teachings, to contemplate what you have listened to Buddhist teachings, and to know how to practice, how to put what you have listened to the Buddhist teachings into practice, in your daily living. That is hearing, thinking, and also practicing.

[27:42]

But this is not, those three are not, so for one, first stage, and second stage, and third stage, you can gradually climb. No, it's not. Those three are working simultaneously in unity. In harmony, simultaneously. So they are not three, they are one. The unity of those three is what is called realizing. Realization. Realizing. Hearing is, anyway, you can hear something from ears. So it means hearing, or thinking, or practicing, in other words, the implication of six senses, six senses, six consciousnesses. Six consciousnesses.

[28:45]

Hearing means the eyes, ears, and nose, and tongue, among of six consciousnesses, six organs, six sense organs, six sense organs, six sense objects. Anyway. And thinking is the mind of six consciousnesses, or six sense organs. This is the mind. With the mind, we can think. But in Buddhism, to think is not to think, not a head trip. To think doesn't mean just a head trip. To think is to practice, to actualize. That is the meaning of to think. If you just think, that is a head trip. That's a big problem. Your head is big, huge, big balloon.

[29:48]

Finally, your whole body is floating in the sky. Four balloons. Right above the red carfoam. Beautiful balloons. Four colorful balloons. Skating. And sleds are towed by horses, or fireworks. But no one looks at it, outside, because they're cold. No one. But anyway, we celebrate it in winter. So to think is not to think with your head. If you think just with your head, that is a real balloon. But it's beautiful. It's very beautiful. But sooner or later, you have to come down. Because if you always do it, your propane gas will run out.

[30:52]

It will pop up. So balloons are beautiful, but you cannot attach to balloons for long. You should realize. So anyway, balloons must be sooner or later attached to the ground. So to think is to do something actually. If you say, I know zazen, how wonderful it is, but I don't want. That is a little bit funny. Don't you think so? It's really funny. In Japan, there is a wonderful fish, which is called puff fish. Puff fish, you know that? Puff fish. Puff. But it's poison. It's very poison. But it's very delicious. Wonderful meat. Delicious. Soft, but not soft. Little bit hard, but beautiful, transparent meat.

[31:55]

Very beautiful, tasty fish. But if you don't cook in proper way, you die immediately. Very quick. Very quick. More than acid. You know, some people use that in Georgetown. Not in poison. Very quick. So, but this is very good example. You want to eat puff fish because it's tasty. I want to eat this puff fish. But you don't want to learn how to cook. Do you make sense? Doesn't make sense. If you want to eat, anyway, learn how to cook.

[32:56]

Otherwise, you have to die. To die means your life doesn't make sense. Just think, always thinking, thinking, thinking. It doesn't make sense. So, your life is very dead. Don't you think so? It's true. So, to think is not to think. Not head trip. Anyway, to do something, to show, to actualize what you have thought. Anyway, you have to do. That is to think. That is mind. And practicing is to practice with body. You have to do something with body. Different from religion. Zazen is not religion or Buddhism is not head trip. No matter how long you study Buddhism and understand perfectly Buddhism, it's not real Buddhism. It's not. It is just a Buddhism, just like a balloon.

[33:57]

It's beautiful Buddhism as a balloon, but it's not real Buddhism. Because it doesn't work in your daily living. So, if you understand it, don't take pride in yourself too much. Next, you have to practice. After. When I was in college, I studied hard. Someday, I studied Majamika, the central philosophy of emptiness. I read some book, which is called The Metaphysical Understanding of Being or Non-Being. I read it. After I finished reading, I was really happy. I was happy anyway. I attained enlightenment. Sort of like this. Sort of enlightenment. I was very happy.

[34:58]

I immediately ran, rushed into the mind of my friend, Yoko Hiroshi. His name is Yoko Hiroshi. So, I experienced how wonderful this book is, what I understood is, that's how I explained. Then he said, You are stupid. What do you think? You are stupid. Nothing to say. Just like, just like a torn cord, all of a sudden, fire, you know, shoom! So, that is anyway practice. Realization is,

[35:59]

if you understand Buddhism, and if you hear Buddhism, and if you think Buddhism, if you practice Buddhism, but don't leave trace of hearing, thinking, practicing. No trace. That time, that is called realization. Realization. Realization is really beautiful total picture of your life, at the very moment, when you sell yourself in self. Right now, right here. This is anyway realization. Realization. But in the realm of realization, there is no trace. Which is called, I have heard Buddha's teaching for many, many years. And then next, you think, I am ready to practice itself.

[37:01]

And then you say, I have practiced for many, many years. Then you say, I am blessed. Of course you are blessed. So forget it. Forget it. And then you say, I am advanced student. Or I am, or a little bit good student. Good spirit of the student. This is sort of a, what we say, dregs. Dregs. Dregs pile up at the bottom of your mind. Bottom of your mind. So it's very difficult to realize it. Because that is always staying in the bottom. So, final goal, you have to practice is, don't leave any trace. You are beginner,

[38:01]

you are advanced, or you are anyway old, good spirit of Zen student. Forget it. Just practice. That is practice in realization. Practice in realization. That is just like a water is going on. Very smoothly. It doesn't seem to move, but it's move. It doesn't seem to be still, but it's move. That is anyway, practice in realization. So, wisdom, if you want to experience wisdom, you have to, you have to practice hearing, and thinking, and practicing in realization. Then Buddha says, Buddha says, when you have wisdom, you are without greed. Yeah. Greed,

[39:11]

I told you before, when I explained the first one, less desire. At that time I told you, in human world, we are a person. We are a person which is present, or being located in the intersection of time and space. But time is very conspicuous, because time is aspect. Aspect of human life in time is very close to us, to consciousness itself, from moment to moment, rather than a space. But anyway, simultaneously space is absorbed into time. time is space, space is time,

[40:12]

but if you want to experience, we have to decorate mind. So time is space. But actually, in reality, you are a person who is present, or being located, at the intersection of time and space. Intersection is like this. So you can say, I am in time, or you can say, I am in space. No discrimination. But anyway, even though you are dwelling at the intersection of time and space, you can see many things. That is many things which exist in time process. Time is very conspicuous for us. So time is very quick, passes very quick at super speed. You cannot get anything in your hand.

[41:14]

That's why if you study human history, century after century, we cannot stay right in the middle of time itself, because nothing to hold in your hand, nothing to satisfy yourself. That's why we cannot stay there directly, without thinking, without having anything. That's why we try to create something. That is, beginning of the world, we try to understand, from where the world comes. Beginning of the world, and then, from to where, are we going to? After, so end of the world. We try to know end of the world. This is theology, buddhology, and buddhist ecology, and many things. And also, cultural stuff,

[42:15]

tea ceremony, flower arrangement, fashion dress, and hairstyles, and boy hairs, and long hairs, hippie hairs, hairstyles, lots of things, and also, merits of cultivating personality, and characters, and studying hard, merits of studying sciences itself. That is many things. We create, century after century. Then we believe, believe that they are something we can depend on, depend on. And then we, oh, it is okay, it is okay, but, we are completely crazy about thinking the beginning of the world, end of the world, and merits of studying, and deepening a characteristic, a character's personality, and tea ceremony, flower arrangement, lots of things. We shouldn't deal with them,

[43:16]

but we shouldn't infatuate with, when you deal with. Because if you are crazy about those, there are lots of senses, which is called pros and cons, advantages, disadvantages, success and failures, those stuff really make you stumble over, again and again. But if you realize something true, true by stumbling over, that's when we don't. Because there are lots of choices to escape, the hurt, by stumbling over. So we escape from, looking, watching the TV, and watching the movies, and reading the science, science fiction, etc. Creating something stuff, the spiritual styles, etc. So we are crazy. We call, if you follow your life like this, we call,

[44:17]

suisei-mushi in Japanese, sui means, to be a drunkard. Sei of suisei-mushi means, to live, to live. Mu is, dream, a dreamer, a dreamer. And shi of suisei-mushi is, die, to die. So, so, if you translate it, that is living, living a drunkard, and dying a dreamer. That's wonderful. Living a drinker, and dying a dreamer, that's wonderful. We do all that. That is a drinker. Living a drinker is,

[45:20]

we are completely crazy about cultural stuff, because there are lots of fun. But unfortunately, you have to stumble over, again and again, by cultural stuff. But this is very natural. So at that time, you should, anyway, awake, you should wake up, by stumbling over. But if you don't wake you up, if you don't wake you up, you really enjoy, again, stumbling over, escaping, seeking for something else, and then finally, you have to put your feet into casket. But if you realize, the fact that your one foot is putting into the casket, you are very confused. That's why you struggle more. Getting something fun,

[46:20]

getting something for one fun, running this way, running that way. Finally, you have to die, but nothing to get in your hand. What you have done? Nothing. So why should I die? So you create beautiful dream, please, paradise, after death. And then, please, meet you. You want to die? No, I don't want to die. Please, in the beautiful world, yes, I will give you beautiful world. Paradise exists in thousands, thousands miles to the west, after death. Then you say, you still are skeptical. So, you still ask the priest, are you sure? The priest says, with confidence, I make promise. Then you die with an agreement.

[47:22]

You die, beautiful dream. Then you say, thank you. This is, anyway, a usual human life, these things. But if you do, what you can do, in that way. But this is not real buddhistic way of life. No. All you have to do, if you are to stay on the surface of water, creating lots of cultural thoughts, and theology, buddhology, and ethics, and psychology, and many things, and crazy about, this is, anyway, nothing but the same, living a drinker, and dying a dreamer. But there are lots of fun, as a drinker, as a drunker, as a dreamer. But buddhistic way is, no. You have to stay

[48:25]

with time itself. Where nothing to be, nothing to make you be a drunker, or a dreamer. Nothing. It's very hard. Very hard. But it is not difficult. It is not difficult practice. But it is hard. It is not easy. It is not easy. But do you understand, not easy is little different from difficult, okay? Difficult. But that practice, staying in the time itself, is not difficult. Because you are already right in the middle of time. Even though you don't realize, you are right in the middle of time. So it's not difficult. Consciously or unconsciously, you can be there, already. But unfortunately, you have a head,

[49:25]

big balloon, that's why you, it's not so easy to make you dwell in there. Immediately you escape from. Because you feel bored. That's why Zen practice, particularly Soto Zen, not Soto Zen, this is Buddhism, okay? Buddhism. Buddhism puts you right in the middle of time itself. That's wonderful. I like it very much. But unfortunately, you don't like it. But this is really important, okay? But I don't mean you should ignore. You should ignore cultural stuff, theology or whatever it is. But you should study. You should study, you should take care, you should take care of your daily routine, etc. But don't be crazy about it. Just pass by. Anyway, study, pass by. All you have to do is,

[50:27]

as the final goal or terminating the bored is dwelling in time itself. This is just sitting, just sitting, just sitting, that's all. That is the moment you have to dwell in. And this is, that's the time it's good for you, you can communicate. This is, anyway, proper future vision you can see. And also this is good merits you planted, good seeds in the past. Yes, it is. I promise. I promise. Because you don't want. That's why I promise. So,

[51:35]

suisei-mushi, do you understand? That is, if you stay there, suisei-mushi, way of life, based on suisei-mushi, living a drinker and dying a dreamer, that is a cause of creating greed. Greed again and again. Samsara, this is real samsara. That's why we have to practice wisdom anyway. Don't say, if you practice the Zen, maybe you say, well, I am not following the living a drinker and dying a dreamer. I am a Buddhist. I am an awakening person. Awakened person, you say. But still, what you can have to say, what you have to say is this, you are not a real person who wakes you up. Still, you are drunk.

[52:36]

Do you understand? If you drink, I experienced twice, completely drunk. Unconscious. Unconscious. But, before that, the first I drink wine for sucking, next enjoying sucking, continue to drink. Finally, I don't know what kind of sucking I am. I was drinking, so finally, just pour the sucking into my mouth. Then finally, the sucking drunk me, swallowed me. Not I swallowed the sucking. Sucking swallows me. Finally, I said, Karagi, no, my friend says, Karagi, watch out. You don't drink anymore. I said, no, I am not drunker. I am not drunker.

[53:38]

I am a normal person. I was not. What you say, oh, I am completely drunk. This is still drunker. Because you are not an awakened person. If you are completely awakened, you are completely unconscious. You cannot say, I am drinking, or I am drunker, or I am not drunker. You cannot say. Completely, you fake it. It is not true. That's not perfect. So, someone says, I want to die, I want to die. While you can say, I want to die, you never die. Because that death is still an image of death. You are looking at it objectively. That is nothing but delusion. So, you feel all this delusion, image of death. If you become one with,

[54:40]

in a way, death, nothing. You completely fainted, right in the middle of death. So, you cannot say anything. You can die very peacefully. Very peaceful. Because, no fear. So, anyway, that's why, Buddha says, when you, when you have wisdom, you are without greed. You can be free from greed. Anyway, wisdom without greed, you are free from greed, means, you are completely a person, who awakens perfectly. You wake up completely. When you wake up, you can, that is what is called wisdom. No greed. You can be free from greed. That's why, all we have to do is, right in the middle of time itself,

[55:42]

where you cannot get anything at all. It's hard, but it's not difficult. You can do it. So, you should overcome hard practice. You can do hard practice. It's not easy, but it's not easy, it's not a problem. It is difficult, it is a little bit of a problem, but it's not easy, it's not a problem, because you can overcome. Whatever you do, you have to overcome hard work. Climbing a mountain, or painting, or bus drivers, whatever you do, any way you should, hard work. Always reflect upon yourself, but do not lose this wisdom. Reflect upon,

[56:56]

always reflect upon yourself means, anyway, we are always present in time itself, always. We are nothing to in your hand. This is skandhara, skandhara. But, it's a very simple practice, but it's not so easy. That's why we have to reflect upon ourselves. We have to reflect upon ourselves means, to deal with yourself with careful, or tentative, or compassionate attention. Anyway, whatever you do, washing your face, and walking on the street, gassho, and bow, whatever, anyway, you should deal with your practice with compassionate, compassionate, attentive, and tolerant, non-anonymous attention. That is reflect, because it is not so easy.

[57:57]

Nevertheless, you are right in the middle of time itself. You are a perfect person, but it's very difficult how to deal with a perfect person, because it depends on you. That's why Buddha says, always reflect upon yourself. Do not lose this wisdom. So, Dogen then says, Seeing forms and hearing sounds with their body and mind as one, they make them intimately their own, and fully know them, but it is not like a reflection in a mirror, or like the moon and the water, when they realize one side, the other side, is indifference. Anyway, all important point is seeing forms and hearing sounds with their body and mind as one,

[59:01]

as one. First, I always tell you, in this talk, in the series of talks, the three processes, First, see the book. First, see Zazen as an object. Think and know how to deal with Zazen. Technically, to the minimum, anyway, you have to see Zazen. Next, anyway, Zazen must penetrate your body and mind, and skin, muscles, bones, and mind. For this, anyway, jump into Zazen. If you jump into Zazen, finally, you can feel enjoyed. You can feel worthy. You can feel your life worth living with Zazen itself. So you feel good from Zazen. That is the second stage. The second process. The first process, second process. Finally, third process is completely ensure one with Zazen

[60:05]

without leaving any trace. That is not so easy. But it is a very simple practice. Very simple. Just be with Zazen. Be with Zazen. That's all. But without leaving any trace between you and Zazen, just being with Zazen, it's not so easy. That's why we have to reflect. You have to reflect upon yourself with compassionate, kind attention. Compassionate, kind attention. So... Zazen is... Shikankali is...

[60:58]

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