Could you show me how to use this? Good evening everyone. The day before yesterday, I briefly talked on the five sections of Hei Shingi. This evening, I'm talking on the day after tomorrow, I'm going to talk on the section of Kanlin in Chiji Shingi. That is the final section of Hei Shingi. Before getting to the section, I'd like to talk on Chiji Shingi as a whole. Chi Ji Shin Gi.

[01:24]

Chi Ji means administrators. Chi means to know. Ji means things or event or affairs. So Chi Ji means people who know the things, who know the affairs, who know the business, how to do things. So that means administrators. And Shingi is the same as in Eihei Shingi, regulations. So Chiji Shingi all together means regulations for the temple or monastery administrators. And there are six administrators. probably as you know, the Tu Su, Kan Su, Fu Su, and Ino, Tenzo, and Shisui. Those are six. But in Chiji Shingi, the first three, Tu Su, Kan Su, and Fu Su, are combined into one as Kan Ning.

[02:39]

Because originally, there are in Zen-Nen Shingi, which is a Chinese Shingi, Dogen Zenji, wrote Ehe Shingi based on, have only four chi-ji, Tan-Ling, or Kan-Su, and other last three. So Kan-Su, Tu-Su, and Fu-Su are originally one position. Tsutsu is the general manager who takes charge of overall affairs in the monastery. In the monasteries, the abbot doesn't be involved in temple affairs. The abbot concentrates on teaching and educating the monks, students. So the other things were taken care of by those administrators.

[03:44]

And those administrators, there are those six main major administrators, and there are many other positions. And those people in the practice period, those people sat in the daitan, or outside tan, Because they have many things to take care of, they couldn't sit all day. So they support the monks or practitioners who concentrate on sitting or zazen and studying. So in a sense, they are the supporter of practice. But what Dogen Zenji wanted to say is those are not mere, those affairs or businesses are not merely the things which should be taken care of in order to support the practice in the Sodo.

[04:58]

But he wanted to say those affairs, those small things, something is small, something is not small, but those things, taking care of those things itself is practice also. And Chiji Shingi has mainly two parts. The first part is a collection of examples of the ancient masters when they were in positions of administrators. So those are the collection of stories, kind of stories, about how ancient masters carried out the practice as administrators. And second half is about the four main administrators, Kanlin, Ino, Tenzo, and Shisui, the work leader.

[06:15]

In this second half, Dogen Zenji excerpt or take out the part, a kind of a job description from Zenren Shinki. And he made his own, Dogen Zenji's own comment on that job. So now the part I'd like to talk on is Dogen Zenji's comment on the job of kanrin or directors. Before I start to talk on Dogen Zenji's comment, I'd like to talk a little bit more about Chiji Shingi. Since yesterday we had wholesome, I had time to read.

[07:28]

This is very, I really am grateful about the time since I come here. Because of Maezumi Roshi's and Yoshinami-san's compassion, I have plenty of time to study, to prepare these talks, these lectures. I don't have so much, you know, free time in Minneapolis. I have, especially since last January, I have been so busy because of so many things. So I have time to read whole text of Ehe Shingi, and yesterday I was reading Ehe Korok. Ehe Korok is a collection of Dogen Zenji's formal, not informal, formal speech, formal lecture in the Hattō or Dharma Hall. I was reading the section

[08:29]

in which his formal speech, Dogen Zenji's formal speech, during the time he was writing Chiji Shingi. That was in the year of 1246. Dogen Zenji was 47, or 46 or 47 years old, depending upon how to account the year number. At... He wrote Chiji Shingi in that year, and the date written in the end of Chiji Shingi was June 15th. June 15th, 1246. That was kind of an important day for Dogen Zenji. I didn't know that until yesterday. According to Eihei Koroku, on this day, June 15th, 1246, Dogen Zenji gave a speech, formal speech, Jodo, at the occasion of changing temple name.

[10:04]

from Daibutsuji to a heiji. Dogen Zenji had a monastery in Kyoto until 1243. He lived there with his students at Koshouji in Kyoto. And he moved to Fukui, or Echizen Prefecture. And he was planning to build, found his own monastery there. But in the first year, he didn't have his own monastery, so he lived in Yoshiminedera or Kippoji near Eheiji. And in the next year, 1244, the building, the temple was built. And the original name of the temple or monastery was Daibutsu-ji.

[11:11]

Daibutsu means great Buddha. So temple of great Buddha. And this year, 1246, he changed the name of the monastery from Daibutsu-ji to Eihei-ji. Eihei means eternal peace or peace in eternity, the temple of peace in eternity. So I'd like to introduce his speech in Ehe Koroku. I think it has connection with Chiji Shingi. You know, he said in the speech as follows. There is a way in the heaven

[12:19]

Therefore, the heaven is high and clear. So there is a way in the heaven, and there is the way on the earth. Therefore, the earth is productive and in harmony. So there is a way on the earth. heaven and earth, and there is the way within human beings. Therefore, human beings are in peace. So he said, there is a way, or michi, or dou, on the heaven, on the earth, and within human beings. And for this reason, when the world-honored one, Shakyamuni Buddha, was born, so this has something to do with today, Buddha's birthday, Dogen Zen said, when the world-honored one was born,

[13:35]

he pointed the heaven with one hand. I don't know which hand. And he pointed the earth with another hand. So he pointed heaven and earth. And walked seven steps in each direction and said, above and under the heaven. That means on the heaven or on the sky and on the earth. I am only the venerable one. I am the only venerable one. This is a very famous phrase, so I think all of you know. So this has something to do with Buddha's birthday. When Buddha was born, he pointed the earth, the heaven and earth, because there is a way on the heaven and there is a way on the earth.

[14:52]

And there is a way within himself. That's why he said, I am only the venerable one. Not only him, not only Shakyamuni Buddha, but each one of us. are, I am, should say, not should say, but said, when we were born, each one of us said, I am only the Venerable One. All beings are Venerable One. So she quoted this Buddha's saying. And he added, I mean, Dogen Zenji added, the Buddha said so. However, Eihei, Eihei means Dogen Zenji himself, Eihei had something to say.

[16:01]

Revered practitioners, that means his students, please approve it. So he'd like to add something, his own expression to this Buddha's saying. He said, after for a while, so he kept quiet for a while and said, Above and under the heaven. That means on the heaven and on the earth. Right here is Eihei. Tenjo Tenga Toshio Eihei. On the heaven and on the earth. This right place, this very place, right here. is Eihei, means peace in eternity or eternal peace.

[17:08]

That is Nirvana. That is the meaning of the name of the temple. So this day, June 15th, 1246, was the birthday of Eiheiji. And the name Eihei has another meaning. Eihei was the name of the era in Fiji when Buddhism was first introduced from India to China. That was, it said, 67 AD, the first century. Buddhism was first introduced to China. So one of the reasons Dogen Zenji chose this name, Eihei, was that for him, his monastery, this monastery, this new monastery he was creating with his students, was the beginning of Buddhism in Japan.

[18:32]

So this day, June 15th, was a very important day for Dogen Zenji. That was two years after he left Kyoto, he left Koshoji. I think he had been preparing to found, to create this monastery, this sangha, this community. And he was trying to really found the true community, true sangha of Buddhadharma. And on that same day, he published Chiji Shingi. So I believe what he is saying in Chiji Shingi was his idea or basic philosophy about what the Sangha or practitioners should be.

[19:42]

Anyway, I'd like to get into that section of kanning or director. But the first two pages In this handout page, from page, let's see, 136. The section of Kanri starts 136. And the first one, two, three and a half pages are 136. taken from Zenren Shingi. And when you read this part, you will understand this is a job description that Chiji should take care of. So I don't talk on this part, but I get into the Dogen Zenji's comment on Chiji or Kanmin.

[21:07]

So page 139, the third paragraph. Let me read a few paragraphs, please. Said, the director's job, Kanin's job, is fulfilled for the sake of the public, i.e., everyone both in the community and all beings. To say for the sake of the public means without acting on private inclinations. Acting without private inclinations is contemplating the ancients and yearning for the way. To yearn for the way is to follow the way. First, read the Shingi, This means and understand as a whole. Then act with your determination in accord with the way.

[22:19]

When dealing with affairs, definitely consult with the temple administrators before carrying them out. Without taking things as large or small, to consult with people before taking care of business is exactly acting for the sake of the public. Although you conduct deliberations, if other words are not considered, it is as if you did not consult them. The director's duty is to accept all the monks and work for the peace of the assembly. But do not take it as important for there to be many monks. Do not take the monks lightly when they are few. For example, Devadatta enticed 500 monks to follow him, but the result was wickedness.

[23:32]

Leading a large assembly of monks but being outside the way is completely wrong. Yaoshan was an ancient Buddha. but there were not as many as 10 monks in his assembly. Dzogchen Cho also was an ancient Buddha, but there were not as many as 20 monks in his assembly. Fengyang's assembly was only as small as seven or eight monks. Just see the Buddha ancestors together with great awakened dragons are not limited by the size of their assemblies. They only value having the way. not whether there is a crowded assembly.

[24:35]

Now and hereafter, many having the way and having virtue are under the lineage of Yaoshan and descendants of Fenyang. We must value Yaoshan's family style and must venerate the excellent examples of pen yin. You should know that even if there are 100, 1,000, or 10,000 monks, without the mind of the way and without practice of contemplating the ancient, The assembly is inferior to toad and lower than earthworms. Even an assembly of seven, eight, or nine monks who have the mind of the way and contemplate the ancients is superior to dragons and elephants and excel the wisdom of the sages.

[25:44]

This part, the print is a kind of mess. What is called the mind of the way is not to abandon or scatter about the great way of the Buddha ancestors, but deeply to protect and esteem their great way. Therefore, having abandoned fame and gain and departed your homeland, consider gold as excrement and honor as spittu, and without obscuring the truth or obeying falsehoods, maintain the regulations of right and wrong, and entrust everything to the guidelines for conduct. After all, not to sell cheaply or debase the worth of the ordinary tea and rice of the Buddha ancestors' house is exactly the mind of the way.

[27:00]

Furthermore, reflecting that inhalation does not wait for exhalation also is the mind of the way and is diligence. Contemplating the ancients enables the eye of the ancestor's essence to observe intently and enables the ear of both past and present to listen vigilantly so that we accept our bodies as hollowed out, caverns of the whole empty sky. and just sit piercing through all the scars under heaven opening wide our fist and staying with our own nostrils this is carrying the clearly clear transparent sky to die the white clouds and conveying the waters of autumn to wash

[28:09]

the bright sun, bright noon, and is a fulfillment of their practice of contemplating the ancients. If such an assembly has seven or eight monks, it can be a great monastery. This is like being able to see all the Buddhas in the ten directions. When you see the single Buddha Shakyamuni, If the assembly is not like this, even with a million monks, it is not a Jain monastery and is not an assembly of the Buddha way. I think this part. is the clear expression of Dogen Zenji's idea or understanding or philosophy about what the assembly or monastery or community of practitioners should be.

[29:16]

In this part, he emphasized two points. One is yearning the way, or allowing body-mind, or way-mind. In Japanese, dou-shin. Dou is way, and shin is mind. Way-mind. It's sometimes translated into English as way-seeking mind. But this way-mind has something to do with what Dogenzen said in Eihei Koroku, in the speech, that there is the way in the heaven, there is a way on the earth, and there is a way within human beings. That way, that is reality itself. Reality of all beings is the way. And way mind, or doshin, means to awaken to that way.

[30:28]

The mind awakens to that way. That is one point. And another point is contemplating the ancients. This is a translation of Japanese expression keiko. Kei means to review or contemplate or to think about or to follow and learn and follow ancient way, ancient people's way to do things. And this word keiko is used in many arts and sports in Japanese for the word of practice, like in tea ceremony, or flower arrangement, or judo, or small wrestling.

[31:31]

Keiko means to practice. So keiko is still in the modern Japanese, it's a very important word, to follow, to learn and follow the ancient way. So those two points are the most essential in the monastic life at Dogen Zenji's assembly. So this evening, I'd like to talk on doshin, or way mind, or mind of the way. I talk following the sentence.

[32:34]

said that director's job, Kanin's job, is fulfilled for the sake of the public. That is, everyone, both in the community and all beings. And to say for the sake of the public means without acting on private incline. That means each one of us has different characters, different personalities, different capability, different way of seeing things, different way of doing things. So easily, we do things based on my own preference, whether it is correct or not.

[33:40]

But the problem is that what I think right is not necessarily right for other people. That is a fact, we have a conflict, even though both party is thinking for the sake of the public. We still have conflict because I think, We are living with the whole world. And I have my own world. And the center of the world is myself. And all other people and all beings are part of my world.

[34:43]

And yet I can see the world only from this perspective. And each one of us think we are the center of the world. And my world, in which I am center, and your world, in which you are the center, is kind of different. So how to see things, even one particular thing, it seems different, really different. So we should understand that I'm living in my own world. And the center of the world is myself. And you are living within your own world. You have your own world. And the center of your world is yourself. You know, it's a kind of easy thing to see, you know, I'm the center of the world.

[35:51]

Everyone thinks so. And yet, one more thing we have to understand is, you know, for other people, they are the center of the world. Each and every one of us are the center of the world. I think that is the same thing when Shakyamuni Buddha said when he was born above and under the heaven, I am the only venerable one. And we say, you know, I am the only venerable one. But we don't often miss the fact that each one of us is only the vulnerable one. So we have to see that for this person, the center of the world is this person.

[36:55]

And for this person, the center of the world is this person. And we are seeing the world from different perspective. So it might be different. And yet we usually think this is the right way to do things. So to really listen to other people, and also really see things, not only from this position, but from other position is important. It's very, very difficult, especially when we are kind of being involved in the affairs. And letting go of thought is one of the ways to become free from egocentricity.

[38:00]

We are still in the center of the world, but we should let go of the scenery we see from this position. And here, listen to others. then even though we cannot see the things from other position, but we can understand how other people see this thing. That's how we can become free from our thought. This is the letting of thought in our day-to-day lives. In our Zazen, we really completely let go of our thought in the purest form. We let go of everything. But in our day-to-day lives, we cannot let go of everything. Then we cannot do anything. So we have to make a decision. We have to make a selection, make a choice. In order to make a choice, we have to discriminate or make a distinction among things and take one.

[39:07]

But we should be careful on what basis we make a choice. whether it's my own karmic way of seeing things or is it even a little bit public. So we have to make sure whether we are letting go of thought and trying to see the reality and share the reality with other people. That is why Dogen Zenji put emphasis to consult with other people. He said, first read the Shingi and understand as a whole, then act with your determination in accordance with the way.

[40:13]

So we should have the way mind. awakened mind. When dealing with affairs, definitely consult with the temple administrators, other administrators, before carrying them out. Without taking things as large or small, to consult with people before taking care of business is exactly acting for the sake of the public. So to share the way of seeing things or acting, taking care of things with other people is the meaning for the sake of public. Although you conduct deliberations, if others' words are not considered, it is as if you didn't consult them.

[41:16]

That means even if you talk with other people, if you don't listen and accept their opinions, it's better not to talk with other people. So when we talk with other people, listen and accept and think it. Consider it on the basis of reality. Basis of reality means basis of letting go. That means basis of our zazen. Next paragraph. The director's duty is to accept all the monk's director's duty, not only directors, but also the abbot or directors or other administrators or each one of the members of the Sangha to accept all the monks, not only monks, all people, all beings,

[42:34]

is most essential to accept. So sangha is like an ocean which accepts all the water from different rivers without any distinction. And so accept beings, accept people, accept people and work, work for the peace of the assembly. So the director should work to how this whole assembly, whole community can be peaceful. Peaceful doesn't mean just quiet, but peaceful means vivid. It should be vivid, lively, and yet being in harmony. So peaceful doesn't mean just quiet and no action.

[43:47]

But do not take it so director should accept all people, all people who want to be a part of or member of the community. And yet, according to Dogen Zenji, there is one important point that is, but do not take it as important for there to be many monks. Do not take the monks lightly when they are few. We usually or easily think to have many people is better than to have few people. But we shouldn't judge the size of monastery or sangha on the basis of number. That is what Dogen Zenji was saying repeatedly in many different writings, from Shobo Genzo Zuimonki or several chapters in Shobo Genzo.

[44:59]

probably because his sangha wasn't so big. He didn't have so many students. And yet he thought, even the sangha is small, if there are people who have real body-mind, body-mind or way-mind, and really carry out Buddha's work, then that is a great sangha. He said, for example, Devadatta. Devadatta is Buddha's cousin who tried to independent from Buddha's Sangha. Enticed 500 monks, many monks left Buddha's Sangha with Devadatta to follow him. But the result was wickedness. leading a large assembly of monks, but being outside the way is completely wrong.

[46:09]

Outside the way means non-Buddhist. There are so many religions outside of Buddhism. And there are some, not all, but there are some which are really strange. especially, you know, newly established religion, there are some really strange religions, and so many people are attracted and followed. In Japan, there are so many so-called new religions, and I really don't understand why so many people are attracted to such a cult. It's really strange. I really don't understand. But, you know, somehow they have so many people and so much money.

[47:12]

But according to Dogen Zenji, such, you know, great number of people don't mean anything if they don't have, they don't have ancient Buddha. But there were not as many as ten monks. in his assembly. This is, I don't know the Chinese pronunciation, but this is Joshu. Joshu also was an ancient Buddha, but there were not as many as 20 monks in his assembly. And Fengyan's assembly was only as small as seven or eight monks. Fengyan is in Rinzai lineage. Fengyan's disciple is Jimyo Soen, and his disciple was Yogi Hoie.

[48:19]

Yogi Hoie and his Dharma brother, Oryu Enan. became the founder of two sub-schools in Rinzai. So the Rinzai schools, Rinzai practitioners at the time of Dogen was the descendant of Fengyan. So even though Fengyan's assembly was very small, but later his descendant become really big. Just see that Buddha ancestors together with great awakened dragons are not limited by the size of their assemblies. So Buddha ancestors means practitioners. It has nothing to do with the number of the practitioners.

[49:23]

They only value having the way, not whether there is a crowded assembly. Now and hereafter, many having the way and having virtue are under the lineage of Yaoshan, or Yakusan, and descendants of Fenyan, or Hunyok. We must value Yaoshan's family style and must venerate the excellent example of Fengyan. You should know that even if there are 100, 1,000, or 10,000 monks, without the mind of the way, or doshin, and without practice of contemplating the ancients, keiko, the assembly is inferior to toes and lower than earthworms.

[50:38]

It's a really strong expression, strong statement. Even an assembly of seven, eight, or nine monks, less than ten, who have the mind of the way, who really have the mind of the way, awakened mind, and contemplate the ancient is superior to dragons and elephants and excels the wisdom of the sages. So even there was small number of people, if those people have real body mind, way-seeking mind, The sangha was really great sangha. When we went to Massachusetts, that was 1975, three months from Antaigi, I was ordained and practiced at Antaigi with my teacher, Uchiyama Koshio Roshi.

[51:49]

He sent three monks, myself and Koshi-san and Eshin-san, three monks to Massachusetts to found a small community or practice. And what he told us when we left Japan was, don't make advertisement. Don't work on fundraising. Don't collect money. That means don't collect number of people and don't collect money, just sit. And we tried to follow his advice. So our sangha was really small. First two years, only three Japanese monks were living together in a small kind of hut, small cottage in the woods in New England. And the first six months, we didn't have car.

[52:56]

No one had driving license. So in order to do shopping, we have to walk for one and a half hour to the town. So three hours on round trip. So we didn't have time to go shopping. So we asked a friend of ours to bring some food once a week. They did some shopping, grocery, bring us. And we spent, I think, about $15 a week for three people. And we just sat and cleared the land. We cleared about one acre. We cut the trees and dug the stumps. It was really hard work, one by one. We had no machine. We get up at 4 o'clock every morning and sat for two hours, two periods.

[54:02]

One period was 15 minutes, 15 minutes. So we sat two hours until 6, and we had breakfast and start to work at 7, and work until 6 in the evening. Of course, we had lunch and short break after lunch. We had completely no energy to do anything, so we directly go to bed at 7 after dinner. And we woke up at 4 in the morning again. It lasts for a few months to make a garden to grow vegetables. So it was a great experience for me. our sangha was really small. I mean, in the Vinaya it said, there are three or four people live together and practice, it can be called sangha.

[55:10]

So three people are the minimum to be a sangha. So we were the smallest sangha in the world. But, you know, we did nothing but sitting. and working. And I had a question. We came from Japan to practice with American people, but no one was here. It's really strange to me. And I was always questioning, what we are doing here? in the woods in New England, three Japanese monks living together and practice, and just sit silently. What is this? And, you know, that was in the 70s, and there are many other Zen centers who has lot of big number of people. And it was really strange for me. Why we are here?

[56:12]

I was always questioning about that. It's something wrong. We should think about how to invite more people. I often think how we could invite more people. But each time I had this question, I persuaded myself with my teacher's sayings. Don't collect money, don't collect people. Just sit silently. And finally, I make my mind that you know as far as we are practicing even three people the smallest sangha smallest size of the sangha if we are really practicing for the sake of dharma this is the greatest biggest largest sangha because it you know permeate with all beings whole world whole universe and all time

[57:24]

So if we separate ourselves into this sangha, this group of three people, and make a kind of wall, separation from other people, we were really isolated. Really isolated. We didn't have TV, we didn't read newspaper, we didn't have radio, so we didn't know what was going on in the world. And yet, as far as we are practicing wholeheartedly and don't isolate ourselves, don't make separation, then everything is really permeated to everywhere. So even though only three people practice together, this small sangha includes the whole world. And the whole time, from past to the future. And I tried to settle down what we were doing.

[58:31]

And we really focused on sitting only for ourselves. Don't care for the number of the people. So I stayed there for five years. Even when I left there, the community was really small. And still it is small. I mean, now Isho-san, who was a translator for Narasaki Roshi, lives at the . But the sangha is still small, and yet the practice is really steady. People never thought to make the sangha larger. But the people who are sitting with me almost 20 years ago is still sitting.

[59:34]

You know, now at Minneapolis we have a kind of a problem, not a problem, but the point we have to think whether we grow the sangha, we make the sangha larger in order to stabilize the financial situation, or we keep the sangha small in order to keep the quality of practice. I think this is always a kind of a point we have to think to practice with more people, but to keep the practice small, or the sangha small, and keep the quality of practice, which is better. When we start to think, there's no conclusion. So I think the point we have to keep in mind is this Dogen Zen's teaching.

[60:41]

The number is not a problem. Not a problem doesn't mean we shouldn't have large number of people. But it means whether the member of the Sangha have body-mind or not, have the practice of, according to Dogen Zenji, contemplating the ancient, following the ancient way of practice. This has something to do with the transmission of Dharma torch. So when we have to think about which way we should go, I think we should come back to this point. And in the next paragraph, he talks about way mind, or doshin.

[61:58]

He said, what is called the mind of the way is not to abandon or scatter about the great way of the Buddha ancestors, but deeply to protect and esteem their great way. Therefore, having abandoned fame and gain and departed your homeland, consider gold as excrement and honor as spittle, and without obscuring the truth or obeying falsehood, maintain the regulations of right and wrong, and entrust everything to the guidelines for conduct. After all, not to sell cheaply

[63:01]

or debase the worth of the ordinary tea and rice of the Buddha ancestors' house is exactly the mind of the way. So this is one of the definitions of body-mind or way-mind, according to Dogen Zenji. According to my understanding, Dogen Zenji discussed about body-mind in three ways. It seems there are three aspects in body-mind, according to Dogen Zenji. in Gakudo Yojinshu, or the point to watch in practicing the way, Dogen then said, body-mind is the mind to see which sees impermanence.

[64:15]

He said as follows, though there are many names to imply body-mind, they all refer to the one mind. The ancestor Nagarjuna said that the mind that solely sees the impermanence of this world of constant arising and extinction is also called body-mind. Truly, when you see impermanence, Ego-centric mind does not arise. Neither does desire for fame and profit. Out of fear of time slipping away, way too swiftly, practice the way as if you are trying to extinguish a fire enveloping your head.

[65:17]

So this is first point or first aspect of body-mind, to see impermanence. And because of seeing impermanence, that means we have to die sooner or later, anytime. There's no time to waste, so we practice diligently. We put our whole energy into practice. That is one aspect of body-mind. And this is wisdom. Body-mind as wisdom. To see impermanence and egolessness. And the second aspect of body-mind, or brain-mind, Dogen Zenji said in Shobo Genzo Hotsubodai Shin, What does it mean to allow? Bodhaisin is body-mind. He said, to allow body-mind is to vow to ferry all living beings across the river to the other shore of nirvana before oneself and to actually work to fulfill the vow

[66:42]

When one allows this mind, even if one's appearance is humble, the person is already a leading teacher of all living beings. So here Dogen Zenji said, body-mind or awakening-mind or way-mind is humble. mind to vow to save all living beings. So this is an aspect of body-mind as compassion. So body-mind could work as wisdom and also as compassion. Those two a basis of body-mind. And in this section of Ehe Shingi, he's talking another aspect of body-mind, or mind of the way.

[67:50]

That is, as he said, following the ancient, ancient way. So maintain the tradition. He said, what is called the mind of the way is not to abandon or scatter about the great way of the Buddha ancestors. So we should really study the way of Buddha ancestors. ancestors, Buddhas and ancestors, how Buddhas and how ancestors practiced and carried out the Buddha work, how they practiced, studied, and how they teach, how they led other people to the other shore. That is a tradition.

[68:51]

And we should follow that way. But deeply to protect and esteem. He said deeply. It's kind of strange, deeply to protect. But the protection should be really deep, really profound. It's not a matter of imitation of the form. But we should really see the deepness of Buddha's work. It shouldn't be the shallow understanding of forms or customs. And therefore, having abandoned fame and gain, what we human beings want to get, want to obtain, is fame and profit, name.

[69:59]

and wealth but we should give up the desire to searching fame and profit Fame and profit is kind of a really shallow way of life. To seek after only fame and profit really is a shallow way of life. Fame we deep into ourselves. Fame and profit doesn't help us anything. especially when we face life and death. Life and death is the great matter. When we face life and death, fame or money or wealth don't help us at all.

[71:02]

We have to face our own life and death with really this body and mind. No one else, nothing else can help us. But so what we should do is really deeply understand what this body and mind, what is life. and depart your homeland. Homeland means where we are grown up, the place where we are from. And we often, not often, but always, almost always attach to our homeland. That means our own system of value, our own picture of the world. You know, when we study geography in Japan, we use a world atlas made in Japan.

[72:18]

And the Japanese world atlas, the center of the world is Japan. And since Japan is so small country, the Japanese color has red color. You want to see that this is the center of the world. So when I went to Massachusetts, I felt like I was on the edge of the world. Because within my mind, this world picture was input. So Japan is the center. North America is the edge of the world. And the other edge was Europe. For a few years, I thought I was living in the edge of the world. And when I see the West, that is the center of the world. But once I had a chance to meet a friend of mine from Japan, and they have kids, and they studied geography in Japan.

[73:30]

American school. In the kids' room, they had a, you know, world address made in America. And I was surprised. The center of the world is, you know, United States. So, you know, once those really basic things, not only geography, but also a kind of a system of value, what is good, what is bad, What is worth to do, what is not worth to do. How we can satisfy ourselves. We input those things when we are kids. And when we grown up, it's really difficult to become free from those things. But to awake the body-mind means to become free from, to cut off such a root of our tendency, our karma, and see things really free from our own self.

[74:35]

That is, depart your homeland. Consider gold as excrement and honor as spiritual. So again, wealth and money and fame. And without obscuring the truth, Truth is not certain doctrine, man-made doctrine. But truth is what Dogen said, the way in the heaven and the way on the earth and the way within human beings. That is truth. So we shouldn't lose the sight of that way. That is way mind. That is awakening. And not obeying falsehood. Falsehood means anything fabricated in our mind is falsehood.

[75:42]

Even justice. Even peace. Even love. If we fabricated what love is, what peace is, what justice is, those are all falsehood. So we shouldn't obey those fabrications in our mind. And maintain the regulations of right and wrong, that is precept or shingyi, and entrust everything to their guidelines for conduct. After all, not to sell cheaply or debase the worth of the ordinary tea and rice, of the Buddha ancestor's house. Ordinary tea and rice, ordinary tea and rice, has no worth, has no, how can I say, price.

[76:48]

It's not for sale. we cannot exchange with money the ordinary tea and rice. And that ordinary tea and rice is the most important thing for us in our life, which keeps us alive. And that sometimes we try to sell it, try to sell the Zen, our practice, and our way of doing things, our chanting, We try to make it a kind of a commercial goods. That is a problem. And don't try to make our practice for sale, something for sale. According to Dogen Zenji, it is exactly the mind of the way. Well, I think it's time to stop.

[77:53]

Any questions, please? Given this very idealized position, as you said, in Marx's mind of the wave, what happened? Where did we go wrong in two generations that spread all over the country? We have 50,000 temples and 40,000 mosques. The biggest school was there in Japan. What went wrong? That the Shinkansen is here and from the family of the school. What was wrong? It doesn't seem to look right. The spirit that you speak to. I think... The body-mind was lost at certain times.

[79:12]

I mean... In the beginning of history of Soto school, the temples are mainly in the countryside, like Eheji was in the mountains, and Sojiji and Yokouji are also in the mountainside. So Dogenzen's school or lineage was spread quietly. But at certain stage in the history, people start to, how can I say, in a sense, protect the temples. I mean, the samurai or warrior classes. And then temples become, in a sense, was protected and become rich. then the problem is even though people who don't have a body-mind wanted to be a priest.

[80:34]

And that was one of the ways to make their lives important. So on the other side, once temples were built, founded, temples need caretakers. So whether priest have body and mind or not, in order to take care of the temples, we need priest. So, how can I say, in a sense to become flourish, to spread the number of the temples or number of the priests is, how can I say, is a sword with two, what do you call, two blade. Pardon?

[81:37]

Yeah. I mean, as a bodhisattva, we should have vowed to save all beings. So we cannot avoid, you know, to invite people to practice. And yet, on the other hand, it's kind of dangerous. So it's a really difficult point. We have to be really careful how we can spread the Dharma without losing the essence. And almost always, when we study histories, all schools or lineage lose, lost that original spirit, then become big. I think so each school or lineage or religion is like a tree.

[82:38]

When they are young and small, it has a lot of vivid energy. But when it really becomes big, huge, it gradually loses energy, original speed. So I think most important point is even though this huge tree become rotten and fall down. There should be, if this religion or school has real energy or dharma, something new come up from the roots. What do you call this? From the dead tree, something new come up. Shoot, yeah. You know, that is, I think, most important.

[83:41]

So even, how can I say, Japanese Buddhism as a whole is, you know, kind of dying, in a sense. And that there is something new should is coming up. Because of, I think, because of Dogen Zen's teaching, when Soto, in this Dogen Zen's case, Soto school becomes, lose the body-mind, Dogen Zen's teaching could decide the situation. So people who has the body-mind trying to go back to Dogen Zen's spirit could be a new shoot. So I think in the very beginning of the history, the founder of the temple or monasteries should be really careful Sooner or later, when the sangha or school flourish, it loses vivid life.

[84:48]

But when it loses the vivid life, there should be something come up if the beginning or origin has eternal life. So I think right now, at this present moment, is really important for the future of American Buddhism. Depending upon how we do, how we practice the Buddha Dharma, the future of the Buddhism in America maybe completely go astray or maintain really vivid spiritual life. Is this the answer to your question? Thank you. Other questions?

[85:49]

Thank you very much.

[85:57]

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