Seventh line. That's the seventh line from the top. From here, this chapter emphasizes the value of the Lord's Sutra. We go into the parable of the gem in the topknot. This is a parable of Manjushri. It is like a parable of Holy Wheel Rolling King. Holy Wheel Rolling King is a symbol of sovereignty who governs the mundane world

[01:10]

opposite to holy person, religious person, so-called Buddha. Two great symbols in Buddhism. One is the Holy Wheel Rolling King governing the mundane world. The holy person, spiritual person, so-called Buddha who govern un-mundane, super-mundane world. The Holy Wheel Rolling King supports the Buddha who governs the super-mundane world

[02:14]

by teaching the Buddhist teachings. That is the Holy Wheel Rolling King. Very often, this king occurs in the Buddhist scriptures. It is like powerful holy wheel rolling king who desires by force to conquer other domains. When minor kings do not obey this command, the wheel rolling king calls up his various armies and goes to punish them. The king, seeing his soldiers who distinguish themselves in the war, is greatly pleased and according to their merit bestows rewards,

[03:19]

either giving fields, houses, villages or cities or giving garments or personal ornaments or giving all kinds of treasures, gold, silvers, lapis lazuli, moonstones, agates, coral, amber, elephants, horses, carriages, litters, males or females, slaves and people. Only the crown jewel on his head he gives to none. Wherefore, because only on the head of a king may this sole jewel be worn, and if he give it, all the king's retinue will be astounded.

[04:21]

This is a simple parable how the Lotus Sutra is important for human beings. Through the parable of the gem and the topknot, the wheel rolling king is a person who has very strong powers to conquer the minor kings who do not obey his order.

[05:24]

So with his various armies he goes to conquer them and punish them. Then the king seeing his soldiers who distinguish themselves in the war is willing to give rewards. This parable is a little bit strange. Maybe for you, using the parable of the war, fighting and then giving rewards to the soldiers and the people who distinguish themselves in the war. But that's why next the Sutra explains that this is not exactly talking about the war,

[06:32]

but this is a mental war, spiritual, psychological war, which happens, which occurs very often in individual life. So, and also here the meaning, the person who distinguish himself in the war is given the rewards. That person is not the usual person who distinguish themselves in the war, but he has to have particular accomplishments,

[07:35]

particular things, particularly he has to distinguish himself in the war excellently, which is completely a little bit different from others. So that means, and then this person is given sort of rewards, but this reward is not usual rewards, that reward is teaching the Lord's Sutra. That is, what to say, that means that there is a person who is selected, who is elected to be a mission,

[08:50]

to be a person who has a mission to teach Buddha's teaching. Usually a general person cannot do it. A particular person who is elected to be so, you can understand this because even though you become a priest, even though you become a human in this world, but how many people can be, how to say, a human who has Buddha's compassion

[10:00]

to help all sentient beings to live with all sentient beings in peace and harmony? How many people? It's not, I don't think there are many. So if you can live in this world, living in peace with all sentient beings, you are really a person elected to do so. Even though you become a priest and a monk, I don't think that those who become priests will be accomplished to teach, to maintain,

[11:05]

to teach Buddha's teaching and to transmit Buddha's teaching to generations. I don't think so. So that's why if you read Buddhist histories, particularly Zen histories, Dogen Zenji also says in the Record of Things Heard, there were many monks, 2,000 monks in one monastery, but among them there were only one or two monks who accomplished perfectly receiving Buddha's teaching and transmitting Buddha's teaching to the next generation

[12:06]

as a successor of Buddha. It's not so many. So that's why this person is really a person who can deserve to have reward from the Buddha. That's what it means in this. So the king, king means anyway Buddha, the king seeing his soldier who distinguished themselves in the war is greatly pleased and according to their merits bestows rewards, either giving fields, etc. And then, nevertheless, the Buddha doesn't want to give the precious jewel on the head,

[13:13]

he gives to none. So because only on the head of the king may the soul jewel be won and if he gave it, all the king's retinue would be astounded. That's why he doesn't give the only one precious jewel to anybody. So this person is exactly a very valuable person elected among the many human beings who deserves to be a Buddha's successor. So next, the Tathagata is also like this. By his powers of meditation and wisdom, he has taken possession of the domain of the law and rules as king of the triple world.

[14:18]

But mala kings are unwilling to submit. So here, the Tathagata is also like this. By his powers of meditation and wisdom, he has taken possession of the domain of the law. So anyway, this Buddha Tathagata is a different expression from the sovereign who controls the mundane world, so-called Holy Wheel Rolling King. So Tathagata anyway has great power of wisdom and meditation jhāna and he can take possession of the domain of the law and rules. The world is not the mundane world.

[15:24]

The world of the law and rules as a king of the triple world. Not only this world. Triple world. World in the past, present and future. This is Tathagata. But the mala kings are unwilling to submit. Mala means obstacles. Obstacles. Interference. Interruptions. Sort of like this. Which prevents a person from achieving the Buddha's teaching. Achieving Buddha's teaching. Achieving the higher level of spiritual life, so-called enlightenment.

[16:26]

That is mala. So-called mala. But the mala kings are unwilling to submit to Tathagata's wise and holy generals. Tathagata's wise and holy generals. Tathagata's wise and holy generals. That is the original nature of human existence. Wise and holy generals. Fight with them. With those who distinguish themselves. He too is a priest. And in the midst of his four hosts. Preaches the sutra to them. Causing them to rejoice. And bestows on them. The meditation. The emancipation. The fortress roots and powers.

[17:27]

And all the wealth of the law. So as a reward. The person who distinguishes himself. In the spiritual battle. At that time he was bestowed. The three things. Meditation. That is jhana. And emancipation. That is liberation. And the fortress roots and powers. Three things. The meditation jhana. This is very important. Very important. The zen. The zen is. When the zen operates.

[18:31]

The zen works. Fully. That is the state of the function. Of the zen is called samadhi. That is really samadhi. Samadhi is sometimes translated as the meditation. Or concentration. So. Meditation this is. Perfect. Oneness. Between subject and object. So basically. You have. Continually stand up in the. Perfect samadhi. Perfect tranquility. Between subject and object.

[19:33]

Perfect tranquility. Is a state of person who is. Which is never. Agitated by. Perception or not. The notion of subject and object. So that means. Perfect. Tranquility stillness. Which is not stagnant but. Which is. Working. Which is working dynamically. With a great power of. Understanding. Equally. A total picture of. The human existence. Subject and object.

[20:35]

And all circumstances around the subject and object too. This is samadhi. And meditation. So called za zen. So za zen if you really do za zen. Through your body and mind. Regardless of whether you understand or not. Anyway if you do really your best. To do za zen with whole heartedness. Za zen really penetrate. To your. Penetrate. Each aspect of human life. So that is a meditation. And the emancipation. Emancipation means liberation. So right in the midst of this. Tranquility stillness. Which one can never be.

[21:40]

Agitated by notion of subject and object. This is called liberation. Emancipation. So whoever you are. You can anyway experience this. More or less. So that is emancipation. And then. The fortress roots and powers. This is. Quality of emancipation or liberation. So. I think there are fortress roots. Sometimes roots is represented as faculties. So fortress. Sometimes translated antified. Antified faculties. Or fortress roots.

[22:43]

There are three. Fortress roots. Three kinds of fortress roots. First one is. Great determination which one. Should know what. Is and not. What is and not. Second. State. Which one can attain the perfect wisdom. Through learning and practicing. The Buddha's teachings. This is the second.

[23:49]

Third. State which one can attain the perfect wisdom. And one's mind. Never be. Vacillated. Or want to say wobbles. Or carried away. That is the third. First one. The great determination which one. Should know. What is and not. Second one. What one. Cannot understand. Is that okay?

[24:55]

So what's the determination to know what is not known? No. You. You. You can make great determination. Force. But the determination of. What to say. Aspiration for. Knowing. What you don't know. Or what you don't know. Do you understand? No. Hmm? I don't understand. That means there are lots of things we don't know.

[26:02]

What we know is just a speck of dust. But in this world. There are many beings some millions of diamonds in this world. So we have to know this. We have to learn. Anyway. And also. And what you don't know means. You don't know means. The truth itself. You cannot know. You cannot know. You cannot understand it. But you can be there. You are already there. That's why you can anyway experience. You can approach to it. So. We should. We should have a great determination to approach to learn what we don't know.

[27:12]

Or what the truth is. In other words. What the truth is. And to know all such beings which we don't know yet. Is that okay? Well, technically. According to the. Ah. What they want to say. Ah. I've done my caution. Um. Say.

[28:18]

But later. Anyway. Later. Let me say about this. But. Anyway. First one is. Even intellectually. Or in many ways. You try to learn. Okay. You try to learn. You try to have a great aspiration for knowing or learning. The all living beings. Which you haven't known yet. You don't know yet. Anyway. This is. So that's why from this point. Life is continuation to learn. All such beings. So that is a first. Okay. First point. First. Ah. Fortress roots. Ah. Second. Is that okay?

[29:21]

First one. Second is. A state. Which. Ah. One can attain. Perfect wisdom. Through learning and practicing the Buddhist teachings. So through the learning and practice. It means. One. Ah. One learns and practice the Buddhist teaching anyway. And attain. Perfect wisdom. In other words. In other words. Anyway. If. You understand. One thing. Through the first. You know. The first two fortress roots. Anyway. With your greater aspiration. Spiritual aspiration. For learning all such beings. Then at that time. You should. Ah.

[30:22]

Practice it. In other words. Until. It penetrates your skin and muscle. Born. That is so called practice. Ah. For instance. I would say. Ah. If you. If you understand. Even one thing. How. Value. Life. Of a tree. Or. Animals. Is. Anyway. You have to. Put it into practice. In your daily life. This is a practice.

[31:22]

Until. It. Penetrates. Your skin. And muscle. And born. At that time. You cannot cut. The trees. And ah. Or. You cannot take. The life of a dogs. And cats. And recklessly. So very naturally. You can. Take. Good care of. Trees. And animals. Let's say. Without. Taking. The life. Recklessly. That is. The second. Fortress. Root. Is that okay? You say a state. Where one. Can attain. State of. Human beings. I'm not. What do you mean by state? Ah. State of. Life. State of your life. You don't.

[32:24]

Just. The first one was the great aspiration. The second one. I quite understand. The first one was the great aspiration. To know. What is unknown. Well. In other words. State of the determination. In the first. First one. Okay. A state of. Maybe. Attainment. To Buddha's. Wisdom. Buddha's teaching. About that. State of attainment. Yes. Okay. Is that okay? Yes. Yes. The third. Well. A state of. The perfect wisdom. Which. One can attain. And. Never be.

[33:27]

Tossed away. Never be retreated. Retreated. From. Bodhisattva. State of. Bodhisattva state of mind. So. According to. In general Buddhism. We have. There is. So-called. Three. Terms. Of the law. When Buddha. Preach. Preaches. The Dharma. In Deer Park. Deer Park. Three terms.

[34:31]

Dharma field. Three terms. One terms is. Well just say. The. Indicative term. Indicative term. Third and. Quotative. Quotative. H-O-R-T-A-T-I-V-E. Quotative. You don't say that? H-O-R-T-A-T-I-V-E. You have never heard? I see. Indicative term. Well just say. Quotative. Term. No.

[35:36]

H-O-R-T-A-T-I-V-E. That is. Well just say. Recommendation. [...] Well third. Evidential term. Evidential. Term. In the history of Buddha. Preached. The teaching. In the Deer Park. About. Four Noble Truths. That time. He. Preaches. It. According to three terms.

[36:41]

Three way of turning. The Dhamma field. Do you understand? Confidence. Yeah. First one is. Indicative term is. Well dictionary says. Postulation and. Definition of the Four Noble Truths. That means. Even. Intellectually. Even. Well. Even. Intellectually or emotionally. Anyway. You should. Understand. You should. Understand. The truth. The truth. Four Noble Truths. Okay. And you should have. Great determination. Great aspiration. For. Learning. The truth. Four Noble Truths. Even. Intellectually. Emotionally. Anyway. Try to approach to it.

[37:41]

This is so called. Indicative term. It's really. A term. The. Dhamma field. In other words. If you have this. Spiritual aspiration. For seeking this. Even. Intellectually. Even. Thinking. In your mind. Well. Your life is. Turned. Over. You can turn over. Anywhere you live. See. If you don't have. Any aspiration. And just live. As you like. It's very difficult. To take care of your life. With all sentient beings. That's why. Even. Intellectually. Or emotionally. Psychologically. Anyway. We should have. Great aspiration. For. Learning this. That is so called. Indicative term. And then.

[38:42]

According to. The. Buddhist practice. According to the stages. Of Buddhist practice. It is called. Kendo. Kendo means. The way. Ken means. Sort of. Force. Viewing. Viewing something. Understanding something. Viewing. The world. So. Kendo means. The way. Of. Making. The. People. Free from. Delusion. Suffering. Created by. Intellect. And. Created by. Intellectual world. So. Seeking for. Anyway. The. Noble. For.

[39:46]

The truth. Noble. Truth. And. Learning. Okay. The. Having. The. Great aspiration. For. Learning. The truth. Noble truth. Intellectually. Really. To. Say. To. Let. Be. Free from. The. Suffering. Delusions. Created by. Intellectual world. That is. Anyway. So called. Kendo. That is the first. First. Stage. Of the. Buddhist. Practice. Anyway. Practice. Bodhisattva. Has to. Anyway. Be there. That is. So called. Kendo. So.

[40:52]

That is. Maybe. Studying. And. Buddhist. Teaching. And. Also. Reading. And. Buddhist. Teaching. Scriptures. And. Also. Learning. Beings. From. Different. Angles. From. Science. Sciences. From. Physics. And. Biology. And. In many ways. You can. This is. First. Stage. Of the. Buddhist. Practice. Anyway. We call. Kendo. And. Then. Second. Suffering. Should be. Diagnosed. Dictionary says. I don't know. But means. If you understand. The suffering. According. To the first. Stage. Of. Practice. I. Think. This.

[41:58]

Suffering. Should be. Penetrated. The. To the. Skin. Muscle. And. Bone. It means. You should. Chew. And. Digest. Suffering. That is. Called. Shu. Do. In. Japanese. Shu. Means. Practice. Do. Means. The way. The way. Of. A way. Of. Practice. That means. Practically. You have. To practice. That means. From. The. From. The. Second. Stage. Of. The practice. So-called. Shu. Do. It. Leads. The. People. To be. Free. From. The. Delusion. Created. By. Passionate.

[42:59]

Emotional. World. World. Shu. Do. Moshi. Are we still on. Indicative. Turning. Or. We've gone on. I just wondered. Which. Turning. You're talking. About. Yeah. That is. A turning. Of the. First one. Indicative is. First one. We're still. Now. Now. Second. I'm sorry. Holdative. That is. Holdative. H-O-R-T-A-T-I-V. Maybe I need this. I think I found. This term. In the dictionary. Anyway. That is. A very practical. Aspect. Of. Buddhist. Teaching. You have to. Anyway. Practice. So. Even though. You don't understand. Anyway. Day by day.

[44:01]

Practice. Actually. Samadhi. Jhana. And. Meditation. Anyway. That is. Great. For us. To. Let you. Be free. From. Various. Suffering. And. Delusion. Created. By. More. Emotions. Passion. Self. So. Third. A. Evidential. Term. So. Evidential. Term. Is. Your. Life. Anyway. If. You. Are. If. You. Practice. If. You. Can. Practice.

[45:02]

The. Truth. Of. Suffering. If. You. Can. Actually. Practice. The. Truth. Of. Suffering. I. Think. That. Suffering. Is. The. Of. Suffering. Fits. Exactly. The. Various. Aspects. Of. Human. Life. In other words. Human. Life. Prove. Your. Life. Proves. Various. Aspects. Of. Your. Life. Proves. What. The. Truth. Of. Suffering. Is. How. Much. You. Have. Understood. The. Truth. Of. Suffering. Is. Anyway. It.

[46:03]

Comes. Up. Very. Naturally. That. Is. Evidential. Term. So. Dictionary. Says. I. Have. Overcome. Suffering. That. Is. Overcome. So. Called. Liberation. Liberation. Or. Emancipation. So. Emancipation. Or. Liberation. Doesn't. Means. Perceptions. Or. Ideas. So. You. Have. To. Actualize. It. Day. By. Day. But. You. Don't. Cannot. Explain. But. You. Can. Do. It. Every. Day. I. That. Is. Evidential. Term. So. According. This. Three. Terms. Of. The. Low. Feel. When.

[47:03]

The. Preached. In. Deer Park. Anyway. Corresponds. To. This. The. Three. Fortress. Roots. You. Know. The. First. Indicative. Terms. Corresponds. To. The. First. Of. Fortress. Roots. Anyway. Try. To. Approach. To. Truth. Intellectually. Or. Emotionally. In. Many. Ways. Try. To. That. Is. The. Bodhisattva. Who. Is. In. The. Process. Of. Kindle. Anyway. Kindle. And. The. Second. Rotative. Term. Corresponds. To. The. Second. The. Fortress. Roots.

[48:04]

Which. Means. The. Bodhisattva. Who. Is. In. The. Process. Of. Shudo. Anyway. Day. By. Day. Practice. Buddha's. Teaching. Regardless. Of. Whether. They. Understand. Or. Not. Anyway. Practice. Third. Evidential. Term. Corresponds. To. The. Third. Fortress. Roots. Is. That. The. Bodhisattva. Who. Are. In. The. Process. Of. Well. Freedom. Liberation. So. At. That. Time. This. Bodhisattva. Can. Attain. Wisdom.

[49:06]

Perfect. Wisdom. And. Never. Be. Retreated. Retreated. So. Okay. That is. Fortress. Roots. And. Powers. Roots. And. Powers. Faculty. And. Powers. Means. Faculty. Itself. And. The. Function. Of. The. Faculty. That. Is. Powers. So. Simultaneously. If. Faculty. Is. If. Faculty. Is. The. Exercise. Simultaneously. It. Creates. Power. So. In. Abhidharmakosha. The. Five. Faculties. And. Simultaneously. Five. Speech. Of. Powers. All. Five. Faculties. Are. Exactly. The. Same. Items.

[50:08]

As. Five. Powers. Faith. Efforts. Mindfulness. And. The. Samadhi. And. Wisdom. This. Is. Five. Faculties. And. Also. These. Five. Faculties. Five. Powers. Speech. Of. Powers. Are. Also. Same. Of. Faith. And. Mindfulness. And. Effort. And. Genre. Wisdom. Okay. So. Psychologically. Anyway. It. Is. Okay. About. This. Fortress. Of. Power. Okay. Let's. Do.

[51:10]

Question. About. This. And. The. All. The. Wealth. Of. The. Law. The. All. The. Wealth. Of. The. Law. This. Is. Also. One. Words. Because. Law. Is. So. Great. Greatly. Rich. To. Support. To. Help. Those. Who. Are. Supreme. Wealth. So. You. The. Wealth. The. Law. Which is. Really. Wealthy. Is. Given. To. You. In. Addition. He. Gives. Them. The. City. Of. Nirvana. A. City. Of. Nirvana.

[52:11]

Is. The. World. Of. Nirvana. The. World. Is. Your. World. Because. You. Are. Created. By. You. The. World. Nirvana. Is. Not. Different. From. The. Human. World. So. The. Mundane. World. Turn. Into. A. City. Of. Nirvana. Through. Meditation. Emancipation. And. The. Fortress. Roots. And. Powers. And. All. The. Wealth. Of. The. Law. Which. You. Have. Really. Awakened. To. So. That's. Why. In. Addition. He. Gives. Them. The. City. Of. Nirvana. Saying. They.

[53:12]

Have. Attained. Extinction. That. Means. Overcome. Liberation. And. Attract. Their. Minds. So. That. They. All. Rejoice. Very. Naturally. You. Rejoice. Means. Just. Like. Spring. Water. Coming. From. Bottom. Grounds. Means. Great. Feeling. Of. The. Appreciation. Gratitude. That. Is. Rejoice. Not. Usual. Joy. Rejoice. Means. Under. All. Circumstances. You. Really. Feel. Your. Life. Worth. Living. Worth. Living. Under. Favorable. Condition. Or. Even. Under. Unfavorable. Condition. That. Means. Rejoice.

[54:13]

Appreciation. Or. Gratitude. So. Yet. He. Doesn't. Preach. To. Them. This. Law. Flower. Sutra. Manjushri. Just. As. Wheel. Rolling. King. Seeing. His. Soldiers. Who. Distinguish. Themselves. Is. So. Extremely. Pleased. That. Now. At. Last. He. Gives. Them. The. Incredible. Jewel. So. Long. One. On. His. Head. Which. May. Not. Wantonly. Wantonly. Be. Given. To. Anyone. So. Or. So. Is. It. With. Totality. As. The. Great. Law. King. Of. The. Triple. World. For. Teaching. And.

[55:16]

Converting. All. The. Living. By. The. Law. When. He. Sees. His. Wise. And. Holy. Army. Fighting. With. The. Mara. Of. The. Five. Mental. Processes. Mara. Of. Five. Mental. Processes. Means. Mara. Of. Five. Scandals. Five. Scandals. Five. Aggregates. Form. Perception. Form. Form. Feelings. Perception. Impulses. Consciousness. It's. A. Mara. Of. The. Five. Mental. Processes. Of. Because. This. Is. A. Human. Body. And. Human. Mind. Human. Body. And. Human. Mind. Of. Sometimes. A. Human. Mind. Human. Body. Sometimes.

[56:16]

Appears. As. Mara. Interaction. Of. Obstacles. In. Teach. In. Order. To. Reach. Buddhist. Teaching. Or. Ideal. Image. Beautiful. Ideal. Image. Of. Human. Life. We. Are. Seeking. For. Consciously. Or. Unconsciously. Enlightenment. Human. Really. Beautiful. Ideal. Image. Of. Human. Existence. Wherever. They. Are. Anyway. Consciously. Or. Unconsciously. We. Seek. For. This. That. Is. That. What. Is. The. Beautiful. Ideal. Of. Human. Existence. That. Is. Bodhisattva. In. Mahayan. That. Is. Bodhisattva. Is. Really. Image. Beautiful. Ideal.

[57:18]

Image. Of. Human. Existence. We. Want. To. Reach. So. If. You. Realize. This. Five. Scandalous. Five. Aggregates. Appearing. Very. Often. As. Interruption. In. Order. To. Reach. And. To. Prevent. From. Achieving. The Buddha's. Teaching. If. You. Realize. If. You. Realize. This. Five. Scandalous. Into. Anyway. Buddha's. Word. Because. Root. Of the. Five. Scandalous. Are. Anyway. Emptiness. So. Real. Deep. Realization. Deep. Awareness. Itself.

[58:18]

Anyway. That. Is. Emptiness. For. Instance. If. Really. Awaken. To. Well. Craziness. You. Can. Be. Free. From. Craziness. And. That. Means. Not. Exactly. Destroy. The. Craziness. But. The. Craziness. Is. There. But. If. Awaken. Really. Craziness. From. The. Bottom. Of. Your. Heart. You. Can. Accept. It. Instead. Of. Throwing. Away. And. You. Can. Do. Something. Else. Coarsen. Beyond. Craziness. That. That's. The. Five. Scanner. Doesn't. Mean. Five.

[59:21]

Scanner. Is. Wrong. You. Should. Completely. Destroy. All. Itself. Because. Without. The. Five. Scanners. We. Cannot. Practice. But. Five. Scanners. Are. not exactly something we should depend on. That's why we have to throw away our five scandals into Buddha's world regardless of whether you like or dislike and then practice with wholeheartedness. That is pretty hard but without this it's very difficult to be a person who is elected to receive Buddha's teaching and to transmit Buddha's teaching to next generations. So from this point religious life is sometimes resisting

[60:26]

a way of usual regular human life, usual human life. So the matter of the biomental processes, the matter of earthly cares, and the matter of death. The matter of earthly cares because we have already many ideas, many thinking, many thoughts which we have accumulated from the beginningless past and we really are attached to them.

[61:28]

Because if you don't follow these ideas and perceptions and sometimes it's very difficult to be a member of human society. That's why you really want to depend on your ideas and perceptions and general common conceptions, views of the human world and life anyway. But that is a matter of earthly cares because you are really involved in a mundane world too much. At that time you are really carried away by it. So we should know what the mundane world is, what the perception is, what the usual

[62:38]

usual way of life we do. And the matter of death means, well, for instance, well, to say, well, death is completely something something inevitable. Everyone has to be encountered with the death. Then if you think so, sometimes we think, well, we are dying.

[63:45]

So if you die, if we die, why don't you do well? Why don't you enjoy your life? Do as you like. It's not necessary to practice hard with the pain and like thinking, overcoming, suffering. What is suffering? Anyway, even though you suffer or even though you don't suffer, everyone dies. So why don't you live as you like? This is called the matter of death. And mara means interruptions, obstacles, okay?

[64:56]

Sanskrit, this is a Sanskrit term. And doing so with the great exploits and merits. Exterminating the three poisons, escaping from the triple world and breaking through the nets of the maras. Then the Tathagata also is greatly pleased and now at least preaches this low flower sutra, which has never before been preached and which is able to cause all the living to reach a perfect knowledge, though all the world greatly resents and has difficulty in believing it. Manjushree, this low flower sutra is the foremost teaching

[66:05]

of the Tathagatas and the most profound of all discourses. I give it to you last of all, just as that powerful king allows to give the brilliant jewel he has guarded for long. Manjushree, this low flower sutra is the mysterious treasure of the Buddha Tathagatas, which is supreme above all sutras. For long has it been guarded and not prematurely declared. Today, for the first time, I proclaim it to you all. Because the low flower sutra is a little difficult to understand. If you preach, if you give the teaching of the low flower sutra to

[67:07]

anybody, recklessly you get lots of resistance and agonies and interruptions given by others. So, that's why you have to understand the persons and situations and then you have to teach. Okay, next. Next, the verses, which are explaining the same things as these poems we have learned.

[68:13]

Okay, the last part of these verses. Okay, let's see. Let's see the page 235. The fifth line is from the bottom. And deep in meditation, seeing the universal buddhas,

[69:28]

golden colored are those buddhas adorned with a hundred blessed signs. He who hears and preaches to others ever has good dreams like these. Again he will dream he is a king who forsakes his palace and the king's walk and exquisite pleasures of the senses to go to the wisdom throne at the foot of a Bodhi tree. He sits on the lion's throne. After seeking the way for seven days, he attains the wisdom of a buddha. Having attained the supreme way, he arises and rolling the low wheel to the four horse to preaches the law for a thousand myriad of courts of cowards. After preaching the

[70:33]

fortress wonderful law and saving innumerable creatures, he shall then enter nirvana as a lamp. Lamp is extinct when its smoke end. If anyone in the ages to come preaches this preeminent law, he will obtain the great blessing of such rewards at the above. Interesting point is he did this Lotus Sutra in the verse of the various merits you can experience through teaching the Lotus Sutra. So one of them it says ever has good dream like this.

[71:35]

Even in dreams if you have buddhas and bodhisattvas which appears in the Lotus Sutra, it is very good for us. I don't mean you should always depend on dream, but dream is very interesting because in the dream you can repeat your life. As a whole, not conscious aspect of your life, including conscious or unconscious aspects of your life. And also not only the present world, including past, present, future,

[72:47]

in the dream you can see your life connected with those. That's what dream is. You can repeat. In other words, dream is a kind of repetition of your life. Kindly you can experience your life at the level of consciousness or unconsciousness. And through the past, present, future. That's pretty interesting. Complete beyond visible or invisible. In the spiritual world and also material world you can see this. So, if you want to dream, you can dream any kind of dream. Unconscious dream if you want. During daytime, if you concentrate, I want to dream, unconscious dream,

[73:55]

tonight or tomorrow, you can do it. One of the Buddhist scholars was forced, in other words, by, in order to, excuse me, forced to dream, in order to research the process of mental progress and finding the spiritual problem through his practice, Zen practice. And then finally he really wanted to test, analyze dreams according to human psychology. That's why he was forced to dream. So, day by day, he thought, I want to dream. So, every day he dreamed and took a note, he took a

[75:05]

record. But before that, he hadn't had a particular dream he really wanted to, he really had, wanted to memorize the right after dream, the awakening he forgot. But since then, he really memorized the dreams and he took notes and records of his dream. So, if you want to dream, you can really see the dream. But I don't think you should be concerned about dreams so much. Dream is dream.

[76:05]

But dream is also a teaching for us. But even though you don't see the dream, I don't think it's necessary to be concerned about. So, that's why he says, even if you dream, if you dream a dream of Lotus Sutra and beautiful scene of the Bodhisattva Buddha which occurs in Lotus Sutra, it will be helpful for you. So, that's what the Lotus Sutra says. It's interesting. Okay, do you have a question? What are the evil ages to come? Hmm? What does that mean, evil ages to come? Evil ages to come, that traditionally in Buddhism, three ages.

[77:09]

So, first one is the Dharma, right Dharma age. And also, next is artificial age. Artificial age? Counterfeit Dharma? Huh? Counterfeit Dharma? Huh? Counterfeit Dharma? What was it? Counterfeit. Counterfeit, yes, counterfeit. Counterfeit? Counterfeit. Yeah, counterfeit Dharma. Oh, work. And last is evil age to come, decay. No, not decay, evil age. So, I think 500 years between, after Buddha's death. 500 years. 500 years after Buddha's death. So, it's called right Dharma age. And then, 500 years after this right Dharma age, we call it the counterfeit age.

[78:19]

And 500 years later, after this too, we call evil age. Oh, work. Means, in the Dharma age, we have three. The practice, and teaching, and personal experience, I think. But in the counterfeit, practice, and the practice, and the teachings, and no, just saying, teaching, and, which was, I forgot exactly, counterfeit. Practice, no, excuse me. First age, in the right Dharma age, we have, there are three, still there are three. Practice, teaching, enlightenment there. Okay?

[79:21]

And in the counterfeit, there are the practice, and the teachings are left. And evil age, only teachings are left. So, no enlightenment, no practice. Only teachings there. Left. That is called evil age to come. Is that, you know, like when Dogen talks about going back to your evil ways. Is that the same sort of thing that's implied in that? Going back to evil ways. Your evil ways, you know. Going back to evil ways. Evil ways. Your evil ways that you've behaved in the past. I've been trying to figure out what does evil mean.

[80:27]

Evil ways. Do you want me to go and get it and read it to you? Evil ways. It's in the record of things heard. Maureen, can I ask a question? You mentioned at some point, and you've mentioned mayhead before, the phrase myriad dharmas. And Dogen sometimes says all dharmas. What are myriad dharmas? Conscious. Arising from where or referring? Myriad dharmas are visibly, invisibly, well anyway, conscious dharma. And a dharma, is there a teaching or a manifestation? Manifestation and all things that are sometimes dharma. And teachings are sometimes called dharma. It says to abandon your former evil.

[81:47]

You know, and the word evil, I just can't figure out what it means. It's sectioned. It's book three, number 10. It's page 64. He says that, you know, he's telling about all of these things that you should do. And then he says cultivate virtues. And then he says abandon your former evil. Page 64, it's number 10. It's in the second paragraph, and it's the fourth line down. I mean, he talks about evil in other places too. And I just don't understand what he means, what is meant by evil.

[82:53]

Do you find it? Uh-huh. Ah, here it is. Oh, I see. Um, this is, uh, Dogen Zenji really want to say, uh, to travel the way.

[84:09]

How to travel the way of Buddhas and Patriarchs. So he said, don't expect anything. Seek nothing. Grasp nothing. Without thought of a profit, you should go the way of former sages and practice the behavior of the successive Patriarchs. That's all we have to do is to follow the Buddhas and Patriarchs. Um, but usually, not usually, often. Not often, always. I come first. And, uh, I come first in the understanding of Patriarchs and Buddhas. And Patriarchs and Buddhas, you, you know, pull the Buddhas and Patriarchs toward your level. And then, uh, if you feel good, then you follow.

[85:14]

If you don't feel good, you don't. You don't care. Do you understand? But Patriarchs and Buddhas, Buddhas and Patriarchs are not something you pull them back to you, toward your life, toward your world. And that time, well, you can't, uh, you can't, uh, progress and develop your life. For instance, I always tell that if you practice calligraphy, anyway, regardless of whether you feel uncomfortable or, well, inconvenient, because, um, you should, anyway, you should anyway, have a great textbook written by any great teachers. Even if you compare with it, your calligraphy is completely far away from, you don't know when you are twice, how much you should practice, and then you can be exactly the same as the

[86:18]

teachers. You can't understand it. But, but, but,

[86:25]

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