As you know pretty well, since I came to the United States for 23 years, I have greatly had the opportunity to see American people and to teach Buddhist teaching. But when I look over the past of teaching Buddhism to American people, strictly speaking, I don't regret that there is nothing to teach to you, but I have lots of things to learn

[01:11]

from American people. And also the things that I have learned from American people are exactly fitting into the spirit of Buddha's and Patriarch's and Dōgen's teachings. So now I really appreciate your existence in front of me and listening to Buddha's teaching. I really appreciate it. And then the most important things I have learned from you is living in Ba. Not try to live by my effort, anyway, living in Ba. I think the entire talk mentions this morning about taking Ba, but I really feel that life is really living in Ba. Otherwise, it's very difficult to practice spiritual life, you say.

[02:29]

What is a spiritual life? What is a dharma? What is the way? The way is not to learn something about your life, but you have to learn about your life and also others' life, and also something more than you and others. So, it is really a big project for us to learn the human life. So, by your small ideas, by your desires, it's very difficult to learn the way of life. Of course, you can learn, but it's very difficult to last, to maintain the aspiration for studying and practicing dharma for a long time.

[03:37]

So, in order to learn the way of human life, anyway, you have to live in Ba. So, today I would like to talk about living in Ba. What is living in Ba? I don't want to explain it so difficult. I don't want to explain Ba philosophically and psychologically, but from my experience, I would like to talk about what is living in Ba. So, first, this is a very simple practice. First, living in Ba is to form a habit of doing something little, just little, small things, small details.

[04:44]

You have to, anyway, constantly, you have to be constantly forming a habit of doing small things. Don't expect big deal. So, what is a small thing? Small thing is everyday life, routines, getting up in the morning, going to work and doing something every day. This is a very small detail because everyone does. So, if you do something particular which other people don't, then you can get a big deal. But if you do something everyone does, it's not a big deal because everyone does. So, practice, study, and the way, and the Buddhist way is not a big deal to continually doing small things. That is, I say, form a custom, form a habit, form a habit of doing small details.

[06:04]

So, next. Habit is, what is the difference between habit and va? This is the next point. When you form a little habit, when you try to form a habit of doing whatever it is, you do always with a desire. Always desire. Desire means, according to Buddha's teaching, I think, three poisons. Greed, anger, hatred. Greed, anger, hatred, or ignorance. This is the three poisons we say. So, if I say desire, at least you can do, you can form a habit of doing something with somebody else, which is called desire.

[07:09]

So, let's do practice Zazen this morning. Consciously or unconsciously, you count something. You try to have a sense of give and take. If I do this, I can get this. If I don't do this, I lose something. So, always there is some calculation there. Calculation of your life. And between your life and your object, always. So, always making a habit of your life, of doing something, you do always with a desire. But a vow, living vow, has no sense of desire. So, all you can do is to do something, small details, with no sense of desire.

[08:16]

And also, this is one point, and also, if you make a habit of doing small things with a desire, and if you do something like this with a desire, it doesn't last for long. For a certain period of time, you can do it. For instance, while you exist here, living in the Green Gorge, and then settle in Taza, and then you can make a habit of doing Zazen, and Gassho, and chanting, and etc. You look like a Buddhist. But you are not exactly a Buddhist. Because for a certain period of time, and under certain circumstances, you can make a habit. But if you go out of that situation and circumstances, you don't want to do it.

[09:23]

So, that's a usual habit. Making a usual habit of doing something doesn't last for long. But always, under certain circumstances, and your desires, always, that practice is changing. But taking a vow, living in a vow, lasts for long. Under all circumstances. Even though you go out of the Green Gorge, even though you are in the Green Gorge, wherever you may be, wherever people criticize you, you can just practice. Continue. Small details. You know, when you do Zen practices, sometimes people... One of the Christian priests in Minneapolis told me,

[10:26]

I always went to his school to give a talk about Zen. And he is very friendly to me, and he always invites me to talk about his class. But he mentioned always, Zen practices are really tough for Americans. Maybe so, you know. Because you have to get up in the morning for a class. He always asked me, what time are you getting up in the morning? So I said, four o'clock. Wow, how can you get up in the morning that early? It's really tough for him. And then, next, you make a question. What is the use of getting up in the morning at four o'clock? What is the use? And then people say, it's too much, you know. If you don't know the reason why you get up in the morning,

[11:32]

you don't want to get up in the morning. So beyond whatever criticism from the people, or under certain circumstances, you just get up and do something. Can you do this? It's hard. But this is a living vow. Living vow. If you don't do this, it's very difficult to understand the core of human life and also living vow. Taking vow. Taking vow is not giving and taking. In the sense of giving and taking, you do something. No, it's not. So this is the most important, the second point. What's the difference between making a caste habit and also living a vow? What's the difference? You should know this. The third point is

[12:35]

you have to deal with yourself and others and your object as a Buddha. As a Buddha means there is no gap between you and others and your object. This is constantly Buddha's and ancestors' mentions. Doken's and Zen's mentions and the Shingi. When you deal with vegetables and plants and water, first of all, you should bring your mind into the vegetables and plants and then vegetables and plants come to your heart. We don't know which of the two comes first.

[13:38]

But anyway, simultaneously, if you do this, very naturally, vegetables come to your heart. I always mention mountaineering. If you climb the mountains, first of all, beyond your desires, like or dislike, anyway, if you want to be a mountaineer, you have to climb the mountains every day, always. Under all circumstances. Anyway, you have to continue climbing the mountains. Then your heart, your body, bring it into the mountains and then the mountains start to speak to you what the mountain is. Then you can learn. At that time, you say, I can learn the spirit of the mountains, the spirit of the secret heart of the mountains, the bird's life, the tree's life, the sky's life.

[14:43]

And also, they are not separate. There is a total unity of the working together between the mountains and birds and trees. Completely, total unity. You can hear the sound. You can hear the sound, you can hear the voice of the total unity of the mountains, birds and trees itself. At that time, you can really learn. And also, this, this is, this total unity of mountains and rivers and you and all other beings is exactly the Buddha's seed. Buddha's seed. Zen precept says, to facilitate the development of the Buddha's seed.

[15:49]

So Buddha's seed means a source of energy where its power comes up. Your life is really alive. So Buddha's seed is a source of your energy which your life is running very smoothly. You're saying seed or seed? Seed. Seed of the Buddha. So when you practice like this, you can really get the energies. That is a source of energy which you can take care of your life every day. And also, if you put the seed of the Buddha, that is simultaneously facilitating the development of Buddha's seed. So Buddha's seed is a source of energy

[16:57]

is simultaneously a source of energy to develop your life. So facilitation, facilitating development of your life. So seed, Buddha's seed is not something different from development of your life. Exactly the same. So from where development of your life comes? It's seed. It's really seed. Your energy, source of energy. How can you do this? That is, you have to listen to the total unity of the voice. Between mountains and rivers and then you can really touch the core of total existence. Then you can really develop your life. So called mountaineer. Then, the Zen precept says this is to maintain Buddha's lifeline.

[18:03]

That is practice, the way of life. To maintain Buddha's life. Buddha's wisdom life. If you maintain Buddha's lifeline, exactly there is a growth. Growth of your human life. With all sentient beings. So that is so called deal with your life. And your object. And your object with all sentient beings as a Buddha. I mentioned always in my talk when I go to the Christian church and schools they always ask me what is the main point of the Zen practice, Zen teaching. I mentioned taking care of a piece of toilet paper.

[19:08]

But people ask me finally, that is the point of the Zen teaching. I say yes, this is Zen teaching. Then people say like this. They are not interested in such a practice. But it is very important. Otherwise you cannot take care of your life with all sentient beings. One of my students went to India and visited Mother Teresa's hospital. He stayed there for a couple of weeks and worked together. Mother Teresa scolded a young nun who was hesitating to take care of a patient because that patient was really ugly.

[20:11]

Terrible disease. He had terrible disease. So young nun was a little bit hesitating to take care of that patient. Then Mother Teresa scolded her saying his body and life is not his life. He is exactly same as Jesus Christ. Then she really started taking care of his body and mind exactly as Jesus Christ's body. So there is no gap between patients and you. Patients and young nuns. But there is. If you use analytical, critical and analytical.

[21:21]

Knowledge. It is very difficult to deal with yourself and others as a Buddhist. But you have to use creative knowledge. Creative knowledge is not the imaginative mind or heart. Creative knowledge is to reach you to be one with you and your objects. Under all circumstances. Anyway, you have to do it. But in order to complete this life, that way of life, I think you have to maintain just simple small details. Even though your analytical knowledge makes complaints about this or you don't understand about this life, but you have to form a custom, a habit of doing simple life.

[22:25]

This simple life. This is living in Vow. Dogen Zenji mentions in Shobo Genzo, His life, his teaching is, he, excuse me, he in his whole life tried to introduce, what would you say, total picture of Buddha way, Buddha Dharma without creating a sense of denomination, sunday, etc. He tried to introduce total panorama picture of Buddha's teaching or core of Buddha's teaching, Buddha's way. In the text of Buddha's door, Buddha way,

[23:27]

he mentions like this, After the sermon assemblies of the Bhagavad Mahakasyapa, the first, second, fifth, sixth, Patriarchs and Tianyuan and Nanyue, there was no denominational name of Zen. No one knows when and by whom it was given. I suppose that those would be Buddhists who tried to destroy and, how can I pronounce, P-L-A-G-I-A-R-I-Z-E P-L-A-G-I-A-R-I-Z-E P-L-A-G-I-A-R-I-Z-E who tried to destroy or plagiarize

[24:32]

the Buddha's teaching began to use it. This is very strict, you know, criticism, but it is true anyway. In other words, we try to create a form of culture, a form of Buddhism as a culture. Then, Buddha's teaching, Buddha's way becomes a cultural form. At that time, very naturally, you can lose a kind of main spirit, spirit of the Buddha's way. Simultaneously. But most people don't pay attention to it. Because cultural aspect of the Buddha's teaching is enormously pleasing your life, pleasing human life. Because without this,

[25:33]

we cannot teach Buddhism. So, consciously or unconsciously, it depends on the cultural form of the Buddha's teaching. So, very naturally, we forget, unconsciously, the real important point of Buddha's teaching. So, that's why, Dogen Zenji mentions, I suppose, those Upi Buddhists who tried to destroy or plagiarize the Buddha's teachings began to use it. It is a disagree to the schools of the Buddhas and Patriarchs. That later day, trainees give such names as the formers have not yet permitted. Anyway, we don't know who, when,

[26:35]

and who made the school of denominational Buddhism. We don't know who. But this is, this is, anyway, maybe Pagans, we say. Pagans is a little bit strong word. But maybe Upi Buddhists. Upi Buddhists. If the words that the Zen sect were right, there seems to be some other Dharma than that of Buddhists and Patriarchs. If so, it would be the Dharma of non-Buddhists. We, as descendants, should study the original nature and born moral of Buddhists and Patriarchs. We have, we have to devote ourselves to Buddha's way, Buddha way.

[27:45]

So, to, what we have to do is, Dogen tried to introduce, they introduced just the Buddha way. But just the Buddha way is simultaneously to study, to practice, and to taste Buddhists, the born, and the moral, and skin, and, you know, fresh of the Buddhists and ancestors. It's not teaching, it's not the kind of philosophy and psychology of Buddhism. It is exactly the same as skin, and muscle, and born, and moral of the Buddhists and Patriarchs. This is what we call Buddha way. So, we must study, excuse me, it is due to the long training of the Buddhists and Patriarchs

[28:48]

that we happen to hear the Buddhist Dharma as human beings. Because it is due to the long training of the Buddhists and Patriarchs, Buddhists and ancestors practiced this Buddha way for a long time, maintaining constantly this Buddha way in their life, where this Buddha way is exactly coming from under your knees, everyday life. So, that's why Dogen Zenji mentions the great way of the Buddhists and ancestors is Trans-Emancipation and Total Manifestation. Buddha way means Trans-Emancipation and Manifestation.

[29:54]

Trans-Emancipation means emptiness or the truth, we can say. That is truth, all sentient beings are based on emptiness, total truth. That is called emancipation because in the realm of emptiness, all sentient beings can live in peace and harmony without interrupting each other. Not mixing up, not separating each other, exactly living in harmony. So, even though they are living freely, they don't notice the freedom of their life. Because their life is exactly one with the freedom of their life.

[30:57]

If you become one with the freedom, there is no sense of freedom is traced. In other words, if you do gassho perfectly, this gassho, if you become one with the gassho, there is no trace of the gassho you don't pay attention to. You don't notice. But this is exactly the so-called Trans-Emancipation. If you become emancipated, you don't pay attention to the emancipation. But while you can pay attention to, even a slight emancipation, it is not perfectly emancipated, liberated. So, that's why Dogen Dente mentions the Buddha way is Trans-Emancipation. It's a freedom, exactly.

[31:59]

But we can see exactly like that, usually every day. So that's why we are caught by the form. Because our analytic knowledge is working very strongly. Your consciousness is working like that, daily, everyday life. So it's very difficult to see trees, birds. It's very difficult to deal with the form of trees, the form of your five skandhas with creative knowledge. So this is called wisdom, we say. So, that's why Dogen Dente mentions the Buddha way is Manifestation and Trans-Emancipation. And also, Dogen Dente mentions Trans-Emancipation means that

[33:07]

Life emancipates Life. Death emancipates Death. Because, this morning, Tara Toku mentions, anyway, Death is exactly Death, beyond your senses. He talks about Death. So, you don't know what the Death is. Death, what you know, is not real Death. But if you know, if you really taste the real Death, there is nothing to know. But you are right in the middle of Death. So this is Manifestation and Trans-Emancipation. This is the Buddha way. We have to learn, we have to devote ourselves to learn this Buddha way. Buddha way is the total functioning of the universe, simply speaking.

[34:12]

So, Dogen Dente mentions in the Gakudo Yojinshu, Also, the way is to study and practice the Buddha Dharma for the sake of the Buddha Dharma. So, to devote yourself to learn the Buddha way, which is nothing but Manifestation and Trans-Emancipation. Learning the total functioning of the universe. What is it? How do you do this? This is the practice of the Buddha Dharma for the sake of the Buddha Dharma.

[35:25]

When you do Gassho, you have to do Gassho for the sake of Gassho. So, that is learning and studying and practicing the Buddha way. This is a simple practice, very simple. So every day you have to form a custom of doing this. Then this custom lasts for long under all circumstances. Every day when you do Gassho, you do Gassho anyway for the sake of the Gassho. But we always calculate. So when you calculate with your analytic knowledge, you cannot exactly do Gassho. So, that is why Dogen Zenji mentions that the way is to practice the Buddha Dharma for the sake of the Buddha Dharma.

[36:36]

The Buddha Dharma is the total functioning of the whole universe. This is what is called practice, our practice. Dogen Zenji mentions. So Dogen Zenji's teaching is practice, just practice. Not faith. But faith is exactly the same as practice, but the practice comes first. And then faith is right behind, with it, exactly. So, Dogen Zenji anyway emphasizes the practice, the practice coming first. And then, very naturally, there is the growth of faith. Development of human life.

[37:37]

That is a practice. That practice is not a practice in a dualistic world, but in the realm of non-dualism. When you do Gassho, for the sake of Gassho, that Gassho is exactly, that practice of doing Gassho is exactly existent right under your feet. And then, from that under your feet, anyway, that practice extends into every direction of the universe. So, many beings exist within this simple practice. And also, you can see the eternities right in the middle of moment.

[38:39]

Right in the middle of present, right now, right here, you can see the absolute. This is called wisdom. Wisdom. So, with your mind, you have to see this kind of practice reflected in your wisdom, anyway. And then, very naturally, next, you should put it into practice with your body. That is called compassion. You should, anyway, think of, you should think of a universe, you should think of your life, you should think of your object with the mind. It's called wisdom. It's called creative mind, creative knowledge. And then, next, you have to practice it.

[39:43]

That is with your body. This practice is based on compassion. So, compassion is something you can manifest with your body, not mind. So, every day, we have to practice like this. At that time, it is called giving DIMBHA. So, the Dogen Zenji mentions practicing in circle. Practicing in circle. Bodhicitta, arising, arising body, arousing bodhicitta, body-mind, the way-seeking mind, practice enlightenment and nirvana. This is the process of our practice. But those practices are not separated. Each of them are connected very closely.

[40:44]

Bodhicitta and practice and enlightenment and nirvana are becoming one. So, practice is functioning in circle. No beginning, no end. That is, where is it? This is exactly right under your knee. So, right now, right here, you can see the ramp, exactly extending into the universe. So, whatever you see, gassho, washing your face, having dinners, Anyway, whatever you do, piece of toilet paper, it is exactly total manifestation of trans-emancipation. This is the way of learning the Buddha way. Universe. Then, if you do continue to maintain, continually keep this practice,

[41:52]

then you can see individual different worlds, in peace, in harmony. You can understand this. Dogen Zenji mentions in the Shobo Genzo, most people believe, within the individual sects, of Santaka schools, Zen schools, and Shin school, Pure Land school, Tibetan Buddhism, and Japanese Buddhism, they believe that they can find the universe. But, Dogen Zenji mentions, it is completely reversed. Within the universe, you can't find individual sects. You can't find the universe, the truth, within the individual sects, denominations.

[42:55]

So, all you can do is, to learn the Buddha way. This is the spirit of the Buddha's practice, Buddha's teaching, so-called Buddhadharma. So, Dogen Zenji tries to, anyway, introduce this way of life. But, it is not discussion of the Buddha's teaching, psychologically and philosophically. All you can do is, just to practice. So, within this, practice reflecting in the pure, clean mirror. Then, you can see your karmic life, very clearly. Very clearly. And, ignorance, your human life, in the dualistic world. But, simultaneously, this is exactly denied by total devotion to the Buddha way.

[44:04]

So, total devotion to the Buddha way is, simultaneously, it leads you to face ignorance, and evils, karmic life, very clearly, directly. And, see it. But, simultaneously, the more you can see clearly, that karmic life, and the evils, and your devils, etc., you can more devote yourself to practice exactly the Buddha way. Right now, right here, you devote totally. Then, there is absolute negation of the evils. And, karmic life. Not you try to ignore, or destroy, or wipe away. No. So, that is absolute negation. Absolute negation.

[45:07]

It is not something you try to remove. So, very naturally, the karmic life, and the devils can drop off naturally. How? You have to completely devote yourself to deal with yourself, your object, totally. This is called, and both, the clear clarity of karmic life, and total devotion, working together. Then, that is called, undefiled practice. Just like standing on the cliff, when you try to jump into the ocean, you just stand up. When you stand up on the cliff, very clearly, you can see your life. How scary it is. How awkward, not brave, coward, timid, how timid you are.

[46:26]

If you stand up on the cliff, top of the cliff, you can see how timid you are. Of course, intellectually, you know, I am standing. But still, you are thinking. It makes you scared. Or sometimes, it makes you happy. But most of the case, it makes you unhappy. But whatever you feel, it is your karmic life, so called ignorance. Ignorant aspect of your life comes very clearly right in front of you. On the other hand, you can see exactly nothing to pin down. All you can do is just stand up there. So, karmic life, and then nothing to pin down, nothing to say, so all you have to do is just stand up there.

[47:33]

So, total devotion to standing right now, right here. And then, simultaneously both, clarity of your life, cowardness. Clarity of cowardness and total devotion to standing right now, right here, working together. And then, nothing to pin down. What is you? I am coward? No, I am exactly standing. So, very clearly. And then, total picture of working together, merging of clarity of cowardness and also total devotion to being present there. That is practice in motion, so called standing. And then, the ocean starts to speak to you.

[48:39]

The ocean comes into your heart. The wind comes into your heart. Cliff and your life, the other's life, all things comes into your heart. Be one. That is ready to make your life ripe. That is the time and the opportunity which you can make ripe. That opportunity, ripe opportunity is ready to jump. So, this is so called practice in circle. Beginninglessly, beginninglessly and endlessly anyway, life is, practice is exactly like this. So, you can see whole world there. But on the other hand, the more you can see the total picture of the whole world by total devotion,

[49:42]

that time you can see your cowardness very clearly. But this is not something you are trying to remove. But, cowardness naturally drops off by itself. How? Total devotion of being present right now, right here. This is totally so called undefined practice. Undefined practice. When you do Gassho, just do Gassho. When you do Zazen, just do Zazen. So, we say just do Zazen. But we don't explain it. That's why you don't understand this. And also it's very difficult to maintain this kind of practice. But life is exactly like this. You don't understand your life. You don't understand who you are.

[50:43]

But every day, what you can do? Every day, you just take care of your life. When you get up in the morning, you just get up. When you have to eat a meal, you have to eat a meal. Thinking of yourself and thinking of others, thinking of trees and birds. So when you understand deeply all sentient beings, very naturally you can devote yourself to take care of every day, simply like this. That's why Dogen Zenji mentions, right thinking is GANZERI ZOSHIN. GANZERI means Buddha's eye. Within the Buddha's eye, ZOSHIN means, ZO means Garba. SHIN means bodies.

[51:45]

So your body is exactly in the Garba. Garba means UMA. So your body is in the Garba of the universe. It means you are exactly absorbed into the universe. In other words, you have to devote yourself, total devotion to the whole universe. That is called thinking, right thinking. If you understand the whole universe properly, according to the Buddha's teaching, Four Noble Truths and Twelve Chains Causation, next, you have to have right thinking. What do you mean by right thinking? Dogen Zenji mentions, this is GANZERI ZOSHIN. You have to be exactly absorbed into the universe. In other words, you have to change your eyes into the Buddha's eye.

[52:55]

Anyway, take out your eyes, naked eyes, and replace, anyway. Replace with Buddha's eye. At that time, your whole body becomes, anyway, Buddha's. Then you can see the whole world as Buddha's. And then next, ZOSHIN means you have to devote, devote your object, devote your everyday life, means you have to come back. Anyway, human beings, it means that you have to put your naked eye once more again. At that time, you can really take care of your life with the whole universe. This is called ZOSHIN. And as one of the practices in the Zoro tradition,

[53:57]

we have to learn this practice with, under the guidance of a teacher. So ZOSHIN means, completely, you have to, anyway, devote, throw away yourself to the teacher. To the teacher. This is pretty hard to American people because American people are always emphasizing individuality. Individuality, okay? I'm not criticizing, okay? This is one of the, this is a type of human life. Always emphasizing I. So always my life, separate from others. So taking care of people is very hard. So being present with a person, a dead person, not dead, a sick person's bed,

[54:58]

it's very difficult. It's very difficult to take care of a teacher. I say always take care of a teacher, but I cannot say take care of a teacher because I am a teacher. But I say you have to take care of a teacher, generally speaking. But they don't believe me. How can I take care of a teacher? Because they don't understand this. So if I don't say anything, they're always standing, just standing, whatever I do. That's pretty hard for me. So I say take it. The next day they don't feel good. So you are no longer a teacher. So they can leave. That always happens. It's very difficult to take care of a teacher.

[56:00]

But a Dzogchen is exactly, you have to throw away yourself to the teacher who is not the karmic life. It is. You have to see the Dharma or Buddha Shakyamuni this morning the Tarot Talk mentions teacher is Buddha Dharma and teacher is Shakyamuni Buddha. If you cannot believe, please use your creative knowledge. Still you can see Buddha Dharma, Shakyamuni Buddha behind the teacher, karmic life. Behind the teacher's karmic life, you can see it. For instance, still you don't believe it, but anyway for instance, if you go to India, huge trees, Bodhi trees there. Now around the Bodhi trees, something there. And small shrines right under the Bodhi trees.

[57:04]

And Buddha image there. And people offer something. Huge Bodhi trees. The way you stand up there, naturally you can see the Bodhi trees present right there now. And also you can see your life is gradually absorbed into the tree and also behind the tree. That means a history. Long, long history behind the trees. Which is unbelievable. Inexplainable. So very naturally you are impressed by these big Bodhi trees. You can see it. You can touch with creative mind. This is not imaginative. Imaginative knowledge.

[58:06]

Imaginative world. It's not. It is exactly creative knowledge. You can really, your body and mind naturally absorbed into the universe like this. That is called Dzogchen. So if you cannot see Buddhas and Shakyamuni Buddhas within the teachers, I think with your creative knowledge you can see Dharma and Buddha behind. Anyway Buddha teaches karmic life. Just standing and be present with taking care of. This time I went to the I went back to Japan with one of the students who practiced the Minneapolis. He finished the

[59:08]

Dr. Koh's physics. Space physics. He was very straightforward and open person. He just went there. He wanted to go with me. So he office with me. In the beginning he was still a student. I feel student. And also he behaved just a student. But end of the trip he was no longer student. My student. He was exactly with me. I was very surprised to see this. And also he feels and also his behave is completely different from the beginning of my trip. So he always standing, you know.

[60:11]

Standing in the beginning of the trip. He always standing looking at me whatever I do. But gradually I said do it this one. Carry this baggage. Buy the ticket. Go there and buy the ticket. I always say. So he said yes sir. Yes sir always he does. Like this. Finally in the end of the trip I didn't say anything but he always do it before I think it. I was very amazed to this. This is called Dzogchen. Dzogchen means total devotion to teacher. As a living Buddha. But if you see teacher with analytic knowledge you cannot do it. So that's why anyway Dogen Zenji mentions

[61:13]

right thinking is GAN ZE RI ZO SHIN So you have to completely devote yourself with your body and mind to your life to your object. What do you mean? This is exactly living within the Buddha's world. So called LIVING IN VA That is main point main spirit of Dogen Zenji's teaching. In the SHOBU GENZO constantly he tries to introduce this simple total devotion of the practice. He explains this one. So it's pretty hard to understand this. For for the analytic knowledge it's very difficult. But all we have to do is to continue to practice

[62:15]

to maintain this. For this anyway we have to live in VA So first of all if you want to practice spiritual life and live in peace and harmony with all sentient beings first of all you should have great spirit of living in VA First point forming a custom forming a custom of doing simple things. Second maintain it under all circumstances whatever happens and not within not in your lifetime life after life

[63:15]

forever you have to maintain this custom, making a custom. Third you have to deal with you and your object as a Buddha. Concentrate. This is a simple practice. Gassho is gassho. Not your gassho. It's universal gassho. You can see within the universal gassho you can see you very stinking you. But on the other hand if you completely devote yourself to deal with this practice of gassho very naturally stinky aspect of human life drops off naturally. That is total function picture of the practice in motion so called undefiled. So practice is what? Talk about

[64:16]

how to explain those teachings but human beings really complicated. Always that's what human beings always screaming, crying that's why Buddha always give something to the babies who is crying and screaming that is something given to given by Buddha is so called eighteen thousand scriptures. Then Ichiguro Tarotaku explain about this one. Finally problem is that you are caught by each teachings. You don't understand others. If you understand Saddhama, Pundarika sutra you don't understand other sainic sutras. You don't like it. If you understand Zen, you don't understand

[65:19]

you don't like other school, said so. So very naturally everyone is caught by one denominations one teachings. That's why again and again teaching becomes bigger and bigger. Finally eighteen thousand scriptures because in order to in order to remove that attachment remove attachment remove attachment remove attachment finally eighteen thousand scriptures comes up. But spirit of the eighteen thousand scriptures is very simple practice. Very simple. You can return to simplicity. That's it. That is total manifestation, total emancipation. That's why Dogen Zenji mentioned

[66:20]

Buddha way is manifestation and trans-emancipation. This is the picture of our life. This is the spirit of the way we can practice, we can learn. That's all I can say today. Thank you very much. If you have questions please. You were saying at the beginning the difference between a vow and a habit.

[67:20]

The habit was a desire. A vow wasn't based on desire. Can you give an example like going to Tassajara or being involved in practice like that could be a habit. When you leave the place you don't do practice anymore. So how do you but you might think when you're at Tassajara doing that practice you might think vow practice but actually it's habit. So how do you discriminate between how do you find your balance so you know or try to practice vow practice how can you keep the balance because if you try to keep a balance

[68:22]

it is no longer living in a vow. You cannot maintain simple customs of doing something simple wherever you may be. So beyond balance or unbalance all you can do is just maintain these simple customs. So if you continue to do this you can see the idea of balance the idea of unbalance. But this is just a pendulum going this way and that way. The maintaining of a simple custom is a very pure and defined practice. So you maintain a simple custom and it becomes a habit and then you have desire and it's a habit so then what?

[69:22]

Well that's why whatever you think I try to keep a balance it is already your desires. You cannot maintain your simple customs. Then you stop. Yes you stop and then you don't like it. And if you don't like it that is already your desires. So we are always feeling and you are caught. See the object see the you and evaluate it. And then next after evaluation you are creating emotional preferences so called like or dislike. So very naturally you stumble over and you are caught by and scream and hate it and leave. That always happens. Give up. Is that ok?

[70:27]

If a teacher are watching your students how can you help them see whether they are doing their custom out of habit or vow? What's one way or some ways you might show them or help them what they are doing? You mean how the teacher helps a student to develop that custom maintaining a custom? Or to check on it. No a teacher doesn't have no particular pattern no particular way to check or to create to develop that simple customs based on living in vow. But you just be together and living together then you can learn. You can learn through this through living Buddha

[71:36]

through the living activity activity of his life emotions you can learn. For instance my teacher my teacher I always mention my teacher didn't teach me anything. But I learn now I notice now that living in vow maintaining simple customs getting up in the morning wash your face and go to the village performing services etc. That's all I can do and that he does that's all. But that is from that I always my analytic knowledge I always criticize him make angry with him but on the other hand I cannot escape from that situation because his life is very peaceful his life is just going. So

[72:37]

he doesn't have particular pattern particular way how to but anyway you and teacher I and teacher anyway facing each other living together serve tea if it is necessary just like taking care of the sick persons by the bed who cannot do anything but actually you cannot help anything to him or to her who is going to die nothing to help so what you can do is just be there and serve the tea and feed the food when he or she opens his or her mouth that is great help. Through that practice you can learn that is called Zoushin we say that is right understanding

[73:38]

which means in Ganzeri Zoushin you have to really devote through yourself into Buddhist world that is you have to learn through the teacher in Japan naturally we can do it but in United States we can't imagine for me it is very hard what you are describing is a relationship depends upon classical model of living together and that is not the situation we have very often quite different situation that is what you mean? yes but I think it is necessary for us to have a particular place and buildings to practice this one

[74:39]

that is my hope always somewhere some place I want to make that place to practice together with the teachers very closely just peaceful practice that is what I want to do even though I am poor I cannot have totally not perfect building I want even small scale of the building like a matchbox that is all I want to make that building and practice together like this I guess I am still asking the question to understand more now sounds like we were both talking almost the same kind of question so I might think

[75:39]

now I am going as I was in but I look at myself and I see this is just a habit that is no good I should practice tomorrow so tomorrow I won't go I might say that or the teacher might say so and so so I will tell the student not to do that it sounds like what you are saying is no the vow includes the habit too that we don't discriminate look and see it is habit or vow but anyway we just keep doing we decide we just keep doing it and it includes all the different possibilities whether it looks like a vow or a habit immediately you think your life is just like a machine just like doing when you do Zazen breathing and then the mind is gone

[76:41]

and then bring your mind back the whole period of Zazen you always do it breathing mind is gone and take your mind back and then finally you say what are you doing so I can say just bring your mind back and then you say it is a machine just like a machine going and coming back but that machine thinking machine is already your thinking but what you can do is just bring back mind that's it that means don't take the custom as a customs just take it then custom becomes or to say enhanced so called vow

[77:41]

maintaining for long so get up in the morning even though you think a custom this is your understanding it's already ideas so beyond this whatever you think just go if I understand the point you're making I think maybe part of the difficulty is using the word habit in two different ways because in my experience when I talk about my habits I'm talking about the activities of my life where I'm the most asleep where I kind of go on automatic and when I'm doing something that includes my vow to be more awake I can't incorporate some new way of doing something unless I actually do it so I do have to have some experience

[78:45]

for example if I don't have the experience of just getting up in the morning I don't have any it's not in my possibility of things to do I have to actually do it so I think maybe part of the difficulty is to talk about habit in some way that includes that quality of vow or awakeness the language I think yeah that's why I mentioned when you form when you make a habit or custom I think you have to do it with no sense of desires this is important otherwise more or less we do always with a desire together so even though you say it's custom that is already desires you are already calculating your life so that's why custom or habit must be maintained with no sense of desire

[79:47]

this is very important for us and also that custom is really maintaining for long life after life seems to be a difference my feeling from Zen and I'm a very new student was that I come and I say I want to practice and I immediately get my zazen instruction to sit and watch the breath and in listening to Rinpoche speak and some other Tibetans I've heard they say no breath meditation is emptiness meditation that's very advanced meditation you need understanding first so here read 20 volumes of this and 40 volumes of that

[80:47]

and so forth and then when you understand and truly have the intellectual understanding then you can begin to do the meditation and I'm wondering this seems very different to me well I think it seems very different but I think broadly speaking it's not different it's not different because you often think of zazen when zazen appears in front of you you always see the zazen with analytical knowledge you know Tibetan Buddhism mentions you should understand first zazen analytical and then completely separate exactly doing zazen with all sentient beings you cannot separate so understanding is not only to understand something with only analytic knowledge no, you cannot understand even in the world the whole world

[81:50]

with only analytical world knowledge no so analytical knowledge can be functioning pretty well with creative knowledge too ok but creative knowledge is to understand something invisible behind your life behind your mind including past, present, future ok just like standing in the big body trees naturally people put the straw rope around and got shown above why? with analytical knowledge it's stupid because it is just a tree huge, that's it well there is understandable trees but on the other hand you have to understand total picture of the trees

[82:52]

including past, present, future that is you have to understand that trees with creative knowledge and then that is, at that time it is called understanding the tree so you cannot separate so I don't know which comes first it's not necessary it's not necessary you can separate very naturally you can learn whichever you take this way or that way but intellectual understanding according to your talk intellectual understanding no end no end and no chance no opportunity to touch universe you are always going parallel ok so sooner or later you cut off that is way

[83:54]

ha this is point 2 so Zen emphasizes cut off the intellectual right now well no, not cut off cut off well I put you right in the middle of total functioning of intellectual analytical knowledge and creative knowledge total functioning ok and then you can see both analytical knowledge and creative knowledge huge world come up but still you have your own karmic life that's why if you said oh this is I am doing just like machine so very naturally oh I like Tibetan Buddhism oh Zen Buddhism always saying intuition doing something

[84:55]

so very naturally you clearly see but you attach to it so that's why at that time teacher cut off but all teachers responsibility is just to put yourself right in the middle of total functioning of total functioning of the merging of and creative world ok and then you can see really clear picture alright but still we are stinking so very stinking so very naturally we attach but dualistic world we are drifting we completely lose how to cross how to sail across the ocean we just drift between intellectual analytical knowledge

[85:56]

or creative knowledge we are always drifting we don't know what to do because this is a total universe big boat big boat so called universe in the boat there is intellectual analytical knowledge and creative knowledge creative world and analytical world ok both going that is your total picture of your life then finally we are always going this way that way this way that way finally we say I don't know what to do so just drifting in the ocean look at the human world now ok if you look at the human world everyone not everyone is fighting and killing and creating nuclear weapons and etc and then how can I create a peace but as long as we exist

[86:57]

in this world let's do our best to live in peace and harmony and then after making the best effort and then we say let's leave the rest to fate that way of life is complete drifting drifting in the ocean of life this is not a boat away you have to sail across ok in the ocean alright you have to use a tail tail and row the boat ok is that why you watch everything you do concentration because that's the sailing right that's true to concentrate you have to do what you have to do exactly do it that is exactly

[87:58]

you can see the destination in which to go the direction of the goal is not far from you even though you cannot see it it's exactly under your knees it's too close to see so under your knees exactly there and then many worlds many beings exist in this under your knees this is Buddha's teaching not Zen teaching so I am not ignoring denying that ok any questions

[89:02]

why

[89:03]

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