Good afternoon. Good afternoon. This morning I talked on the original story of Nangak's polishing attire. In order to understand what Nangak is trying to teach Baso, I also talked a little bit about the Diamond Sutra. Now I start to talk on Dogen's comment on this story. In order to read Dogen's comment, you need to forget everything I say. Empty your mind. and read Fat Dogen's saying with a fresh mind.

[01:03]

Before talking on Dogen's comment in Zazen Shin, I'd like to briefly introduce how Dogen created this story in his writings before Zazen Shin. It's kind of interesting. This is next to the original story of Nansen's Korushinga Tai. I quote one, two, three, or four Dogen's writings. regarding this polishing time. The first one is from so-called 300 koans, entitled Shodo Genzo. Dogen made a collection of 300 koans when he was young, about 35 or 36 years old.

[02:10]

He just collected the koans, and he didn't write any comments on it. But still, he began to make his own story. And in these 300 koans, there's a little slight difference from original koans. In Chinese, Dogen put four or eight characters into the story and tried to make the story completely different. It says, Koshu, or Honcho, Kosei, Baso, Daijaku, Zenji, received transmission from Nangaku.

[03:27]

His Dharma name is Doits. Practiced under Nangaku and intimately received the mind field. This is his insertion. And he put this word, intimately received the mind seal from the section in transmission of Dharma lamp of section of basso. So in the original story, this is not there. But now he put this, intimately received the mind seal here. That is a kind of a magic. He was superior to other disciples, and birthed people at Denbō-in and practiced dazen every day. And the rest of the story is the same.

[04:30]

But the difference is, in the original story, this conversation between Nangaku and Baso was the first encounter. When Baso was sitting by himself, Nangaku visited. So that was their first meeting. But according to this He, I mean, Nangak transmitted mind seal intimately before this meeting. That means Vaso has already received Nangak's mind seal. That is almost like a transmission. According to Dogen, this is not Nangaku's instruction or admonition to teach Vaso, because Vaso's practice is somewhat incomplete.

[05:41]

That is the point. This is a kind of preparation of the zenshi for Dogen, I think. And the rest of the story is the same. And around the same time, I think he was 35 to 36, he commented on this story in Shobo Genzo Zuimonki, in his answer to a question from someone, one of his students. And let me read the question and Dogen's answer says, the question is, how do you feel about the following view? Upon hearing that one's own self is a Buddha Dharma, one's own self is Buddha Dharma, and thus it is futile to seek anything outside of oneself.

[06:48]

It's often said in Zen, even Dogen said, to study Buddha way is to study the self. So we should not seek anything from outside. And as students, we are to believe this deeply, give up practice and study, and spend his whole life doing good and bad according to his personality. So, Buddha Dharma is in the self. So, why we have to study from others? Why we have to practice in order to make, you know, change, change this self? So, you know, why we have to practice? And because we already have Buddha nature, we can do whatever we want to do. What's wrong with you?

[07:52]

That's the question. And Dogen's reply is as follows. In this view, the person's words and reality are contradictory. Giving up practice and abandoning study because of the futility of seeking anything outwardly sounds as though something is being sought after by the act of giving up. This is not non-seeking. So he is pointing that by the action of giving up practice and study, the person is still seeking something. And he continued, just realize that practice and study themselves are the Buddha Dharma.

[08:53]

So he said, practice and study are Buddha Dharma. So if the Buddha Dharma is a self, practice and study is a self, not the self which wants to do anything I want to do. It's not the self. It's according to dogma. The self is practice and study. Without seeking anything, refrain from engaging in worldly affairs or evil things if you have the mind to do so. Do not think of or hate the bottom or the practice of the way. Just practice wholeheartedly. Practice without even seeking after the completion of the way. or the attainment of the result.

[09:56]

This attitude is in accordance with the principle of non-seeking. So the true meaning of non-seeking is just study, just practice, just follow the way without expecting anything in return. That is his answer, and he quote this story and said, through Nangaku's polishing the tile to make a mirror, he was admonishing basots seeking to become a Buddha. So the point of Nangaku's teaching is we should not seek to become Buddha. Still, he did not restrain Vassal from sitting zazen.

[11:01]

Nanak did not say Vassal not to practice zazen, but he said just practice zazen without expecting anything in return. And next, a few sentences, very important in Dogen's teaching. He said, sitting itself is non-doing. Sitting itself is non-doing. It is nothing but the true form of the self. Apart from sitting, there is nothing to see as the Buddha-dharma. He said, sitting itself is a practice of the Buddha. Sitting itself is non-doing. It is nothing but the true form of the self. He said, sitting is the true form of the self.

[12:05]

Apart from sitting, there is nothing to seek as the Buddhadharma. So, according to Dogen, the point of this story is expectation. You know, sitting is not an easy thing, and it takes time. And as I said, it's boring. Sleepy, painful, cold sometimes, and sometimes hot. So it's not an easy thing. And when we make effort to do something not easy, we have something we want. I mean, Rinzai Zen Master, whose name is Morinaga Soko Roshi, he died several years ago, I think, said,

[13:10]

the usual action we do in our daily lives and samadhi are a little bit different. And that difference is like, for example, when a child playing at a sandbox, shoveling sand into a bucket, he's praying, the kid is praying. And if someone asked the kid, do you want to pray? He said, no, maybe. Because it's fun for the child. But when we do same thing, shoveling a sand to a bucket or something as a job, This action itself is not the purpose.

[14:15]

What I really want is money, because this is work. So if someone asks me if you want to trade, and if still I'm paid, there's no reason to say no. This action, this activity itself is not a purpose, but we have something different that we want. And because we think this is the method or way we get that one, we do this one, even though it is hard and not interesting. So when we do this, we don't really actually enjoy it. You know, that's the difference, he said, I mean, Morita Garo said, that's the difference between our ordinary activity, human activity, and samadhi.

[15:19]

In the case of samadhi, you know, there's no different purpose, but doing it, Itself is the purpose, so we enjoy it. But even things we seek, we don't enjoy it. We are seeking something else. We kind of try to be patient in order to get that one. Even though this is not enjoyable, Because of that thing, I want, I practice at this moment. That's the difference between our usual action, you know, the starting point and the goal or purpose and method. So what we do is not really what we want.

[16:26]

But in order to get something we want, we have to do this. So this is a necessity. But according to Dogen, zazen is not like that. Zazen is itself samadhi. So we need to enjoy zazen. There's nowhere to go. Just be here. That is our practice. So this sitting practice is itself Buddha's practice. It's not human practice in order to become Buddha. And this sitting is really non-doing. We do nothing but sitting. And in this sitting, in this posture, we just sit. And we do really nothing. We don't control anything. Just sit.

[17:29]

That is a meaning of non-doing. So this is not human action in order to get something we want. Human action means usually we are hunter. We hunt something we want. And there's some object we want. It's very difficult for us to have motivation to do something, especially if it is difficult. But according to Dogen, we need to pray like a kid pray in a sandbox. We need to pray in the zendo by just sitting. And the next quotation from Dogen's writing is shobo genzo kokyo. Kokyo means ancient mirror.

[18:34]

In this chapter of Shōbō Genzo, Tōgen Zenji rewrote this story in Japanese. The original story is in Chinese, but because he rewrote the story in Japanese, it's kind of clear to how he read this story. That's why I translate this section. And he says, long time ago, Fai Kosei Basso studied under Nangakuru. Nangakuru intimately transmitted the mind seal to Basso. So again, he said, Nangaku intimately transmitted the mind-sea to Baso. So this conversation is after this transmission is done.

[19:45]

And Gogen said, this was the beginning of the beginning of Baso's polishing of tile. Basso practiced zazen at Denbō-in for ten and some years. So this means after Nangaku, I mean, Basso received intonated transmission from Nangaku, he started to practice zazen at Denbō-in. So when this conversation was taking place, Vassal was already transmitting the dharma, true dharma. So this is not an admonition from a teacher to a student, actually. They both know the true nature of zazen and true dharma.

[20:52]

Vassal practiced zazen in Denbō-in for ten and some years. Imagine how was it like sitting alone in such a hermitage in a raining night. He never stopped sitting even when his cold seat was covered with snow. There's nothing like this in the original story. Actually, Robin's addition. So according to this writing, Dogen, you think, after Baso received dharma transmission, he practiced zazen by himself for ten years, or ten or more years. He never stopped sitting, and Nangak once visited Baso's hermitage.

[21:57]

Basso stood attending by him. Nangaku said, what are you doing these days? So Nangaku knew Basso very well. And Nangaku is asking, what are you doing these days? And Basso said, lately I am just sitting. This just sitting is Dogen's word, shikantaza. He said, I'm just doing shikantaza. And Nangak said, what does zazen aim at? What does zazen aim at? Basso said, the Zen aim at becoming Buddha. Nangak immediately picked up a tile and polished on a rock by Basso's homepage.

[23:00]

Basso saw it and asked, Master, what are you doing? This part is the same. Nangak said, polishing a tile. He quote, Basso said, what is polishing a tile good for? Nangaku said, I'm making a mirror. Baso said, how can you make a mirror by polishing a tile? Nangaku said, how can you become a Buddha by the Zen? Until here, the conversation is the same. And he quote only this much. And Dogen made his own comments. Since ancient times, for several hundred years, many people thought that Nangak admonished Vaso. It is not necessarily true.

[24:01]

The great sage's action is far apart from the reality of commoners. So Dogen interprets this story from a very different angle. In the great sage did not have the dharma of polishing a time. How can he have a skillful means for others? The power to teach others is bones and marrow of Buddha ancestors. So Dogen said, Nangak's Polishing Tile is a kind of a skillful means to express the Dharma. So Polishing Tile, Nangak didn't mean Polishing Tile is nonsense. In the original story, it sounds like that.

[25:04]

But he said, polishing a tile is self-practice. Even that is fabricated, still it is furniture of Buddha's house. Only the furniture and utensils have been transmitted at the house of Buddha. So Dogen is saying, this polishing a tile furniture and utensils transmitted within Buddha's house. Furthermore, Nangak taught also straightforwardly. We can see that the virtue that has been correctly transmitted by Buddha ancestors is direct pointing. We should truly know that when polishing a tile becomes a mirror, basso becomes Buddha.

[26:12]

So when polishing a tile becomes a mirror, Dogen thinks it's possible. Polishing a tile becomes a mirror. And when polishing a tile becomes a mirror, basso becomes Buddha. Vaso is a tile and Buddha is a mirror. And when Vaso becomes Buddha, Daso immediately becomes Vaso. To be Buddha means to be Vaso. To be Buddha means to be the self. And when vaso becomes vaso, I'm sorry, when vaso becomes vaso, zazen immediately becomes zazen. When zazen becomes zazen, vaso becomes vaso. And that is how vaso become Buddha.

[27:17]

And that is how a type become a mirror. So within this sitting, Vaso becomes Buddha. And within this sitting, time becomes a mirror. But still Vaso is Vaso. Time is time. Mirror is mirror. Buddha is Buddha. Still Vaso is Buddha. But Vaso becomes Buddha. And time becomes a mirror. Therefore, making the mirror by polishing a tile has been maintained within bones and marrow of ancient Buddha. Therefore, there is an old mirror made of a tile. There is an old mirror or ancient mirror made of a tile.

[28:21]

When we polish this mirror, from the beginning, there is no defilement. So we polish a mirror, even though there's no dust. You know, this is a fact. The six ancestors, Shuinan said in the poem of, you know, when they... When the fifth ancestor asked his disciples to write a verse, one of them was a head monk, and he wrote a poem, something like, This body is a bright mirror. Right? Right. Maybe so. But don't let dust align on the mirror.

[29:23]

So we should polish the mirror. Because tape the mirror, sweep the mirror, the dust away. We should keep the mirror clean always. But Huynan wrote that the blood mirror has no dust at all from the beginning. And this is Fat Doggy's saying. And later in, maybe I continue to read, he said, let me read. We don't polish a tile because there are dust on it. He said, we don't polish a tile because there are dust on it. This is tile, and there's no dust on it.

[30:24]

We just polish a tile, which is nothing other than a tile. This is human body and mind. And he said, there's no dust on it, but still we polish it. Hereby, the virtue of making mirror is actualized. Then we simply polishing a tile, polishing this body and mind. That is a correction of all different cause and condition. And often, or almost always, we are deluded or so self-centered. So we should polish it, polish the tile. And this polishing tile is itself making mirror. So our practice of polishing the tile

[31:30]

is not making this person into something else. But when we polish our tie, this polishing tie itself is mirror, is making mirror. So polishing this body and mind by sitting and letting go and being free from our ego-centered self this polishing itself is making a mirror. And he said, this is practice of Buddha ancestors. This polishing of time is practice of Buddhas and ancestors. If it is not possible to make a mirror by polishing of time, It must not be possible to make a mirror by polishing the mirror.

[32:33]

Who can see that within this making there is becoming Buddha and becoming mirror? So within this practice, Buddha is there. Within polishing a tile, mirai is already there. That is what Dogen meant, our practice and enlightenment is one. Within this practice, using this body and mind that is very self-centered, still this practice of letting go of self-centeredness is making mirai. There's no mirror beside us. I just read this quotation.

[33:36]

Someone may question, when polishing the old mirror by mistake, do we make the mirror into a tile? It might be possible. We may make a mirror into a tile by polishing if we make a mistake. Like, as I said in the morning, if we polish a tile with three portions of the mind, even the mirror becomes a tile. The condition of the time of polishing cannot be measured. by other times. And yet, since Nangaku's saying is the expression of what should be expressed, ultimately this is nothing but polishing a tile, making mirror.

[34:37]

So polishing a tile and making a mirror is the same thing. People today also should try to make a mirror by polishing a tile. suddenly it will become a mirror. So he encourages us to polish a tile. So the meaning of polishing a tile is completely different from the meaning of polishing a tile in the original story. It means nonsense. If a tile does not become a mirror, A human being cannot be a Buddha. If we disparage a tile as a lamp of mud, human beings are also disparaged as a lamp of mud. If human beings have a mind, a tile has a mind who knows that there is a mirror that reflects a tile when a tile comes.

[35:49]

Also, who knows that there is a mirror, that defect mirror, then a mirror comes. So this is another comment by Dogen on this story. So it's very clear that he understands the meaning of personal title completely different way from the original story. And now I start to talk on Dogen's comment in Zazen Shin. Zen Master Daijaku, page 3, the last paragraph.

[36:54]

Da-ji, or Baso Dou-itsu, or in Chinese, Ma-zu Da-o-ji, of Ko-gei, Jiang-si. While studying with Zen Master Dai-e, Da-hui, Nan-gak-e-jo, or Nan-yue-e, in Nangaku, Nangaku is the name of the mountain, this is where the master lived, always practiced zazen. After intimately receiving the mind-stew, so again here, he said, doget and baso, he was practicing zazen after receiving the mind-stew. And in Zuimonki, as I introduced, Brogen said, in this story, Nangak admonished Basso's expectation to become Buddha.

[38:02]

He didn't restrict Basso to practice Zazen, because Zazen is a Buddha's practice. But in Zazen Shin, kind of different. Those two people, nangaku and baso, together are expressing the true meaning of zazen. It's not a teacher admonish or teach or give instruction to the student, but two masters two people who really penetrate the deep meaning of Zazen together express the true meaning of Zazen. So that's why I said we need to forget everything I said in the morning.

[39:07]

You know, to read Dogen's writing, like this, is like, you know, there's a painting. It can be seen a young man or an old lady together. Then we see one way, the complete painting is a young lady. But then we see another way, the complete painting is an old woman. When I read Dogen's writing, I feel like to see such a painting. The same painting can be seen from completely different way and may have completely different meaning. And the final point of this, studying this writing on Dogen's comment on this story, is whether Fat Nangaku and Basso, or Fat, the person who made this story, I don't think this is true story, actual conversation, but someone made this story, and it's very interesting.

[40:35]

The intention of the person who made this story and Dogen's interpretation are basically same or different. There's no answer. So we have to create our own way of viewing this story by, you know, studying the original story and Dogen's comments. So to start studying this way is a kind of a creation. So we need to create our own version of Polishing Our Tide. To just memorize the original story or just memorize what Dogen is saying is not enough. That is not what Dogen wants us But we need to read the story and create our own version of our own practice.

[41:48]

So reading Shobo Genzo is almost a creation to me. So each time I read Shobo Genzo, my interpretation or my understanding can be different. and actually have been, you know, changing. And what I'm talking now is just a new version. And maybe it might be old version tomorrow. So don't cling to what I'm talking now. OK? Everything is changing. Okay, let's start to read his comments. Once, Mangaka visited Basho and asked, Great Warren, what do you aim at in practicing Zazen?

[42:58]

What do you aim at in practicing Zazen? Dogen's comment. Let me first read Dogen's comment. We should quietly ponder and penetrate this question. Is there an aim which might be superior to Zazen? Is there a way we should aim at beyond the framework of Zazen that has not yet accomplished? Should we not aim at anything at all just in the moment of seeking the self? What kind of aim is being actualized? We should diligently inquire in detail. Do not stuck in loving a carved dragon. We should go forward and love the real dragon.

[44:03]

We should study that both the curved dragon and the real dragon have the power of forming clouds and rain. Neither value the remote nor disparage what is remote. Be accustomed and intimate with the remote. Neither disparage fatted clothes, nor value the clothes. Be accustomed and intimate with the clothes. Do not take the eyes lightly, nor attach too much weight to the eyes. Do not put too much weight to the ear, nor take the ears too lightly. make both the ears and eyes sharp and clear.

[45:08]

Very interesting. What does he mean? What is the connection with the Nangakujo question? What are you doing? What are you aiming at in Zazen? And what Dogen is saying? It's really difficult. and it didn't make sense at all for a long time. As I said, I studied Dogen at university, and I have been practicing jazen according to Dogen's teaching for thirty years. Until recently, this kind of writing didn't make sense at all. But somehow I couldn't stop sitting, not because of my understanding of Dogen, but because, I think, because my trust to my teacher, or my teacher's teacher.

[46:19]

You know, they had been practicing, and I wanted to live like them. That's why I didn't stop sitting, but I have to be very careful, but very patient to sit with this kind of broken teaching. I don't really understand what this really means. And only recently it becomes, it began to make sense. Here we need to understand what this One word means, in my translation, that one means aim at. Aim at is in Japanese, zu. Zu means to aim at or to intend.

[47:24]

You know, when we do something, we have some intention. some purpose, something we want to achieve. And that is the meaning of this word zu. But another meaning of this Chinese character zu is, as I said, design or illustration, drawing or painting. That means expression, expression of something. So Dogen is playing with words between these two meanings of this one word. In the original story, you know, Nangakut questioned, what do you want?

[48:39]

What's the purpose? What do you aim at? What are you aiming at in this action of sitting? And, you know, Vaso's answer is, of course, become Buddha. That is our intention. That is what we aim at. in practice of Zen. But here Dogen interprets this Zu as illustration or expression of that is Buddhahood. Or another word, samadhi of formlessness, formless samadhi. That is our, that is what we are aiming at. And he said, this city is illustration, or design, or expression of this homeless Samaritan.

[49:52]

That make sense? So this view does not mean aim art, but you know, It's very difficult to translate the same word into two different English words. So I keep aim here. But please, this aim, please read this aim as illustration or expression. That means, you know, our sitting, using this body and mind at this moment, is something close. That is what he is saying later. And the formless samadhi or nirvana or enlightenment or buddhahood is something remote. Or this sitting is curved round. And the formless samadhi

[50:58]

is a real dragon. And in the original story, what Nangak is admonishing is don't cling to this form, form of sitting, or this half dragon. But we should aim at the formless samadhi, formless Buddha. So don't cling to this form of sitting. That is what Nangaku, or the person who made that story, is trying to say. We should go beyond this form, using this body, like polishing a tile. Polishing a tile doesn't make a formless Buddha. But here Dogen is saying this sitting, or personal time is expression of formless samadhi.

[52:03]

You know, since we are human beings, we cannot live without this body and without this mind. This sitting, using body and mind is only way we can express that formless samadhi. So in order to actualize, manifest this formless samadhi, we have to use this body and this mind. That is what Fathogen meant using this word illustration or expression or zero. And then, in this, Dogen's comment, I think, hopefully makes sense.

[53:06]

He said, we should quietly ponder and penetrate this question. So this is not a single question, according to Dogen. But he said, if there are an aim, it means expression. which might be superior to Zazen, that is, the expression of friendless Samari beside this sitting, or not? Or is there a way we should aim at beyond the framework of Zazen that has not yet accomplished? It is some kind of sort of timeless tamari beside this sitting, using this body and mind, polishing a tile or not. Should we not aim at anything at all?

[54:09]

Do we need to aim at or do we need to express if this body and mind is already formed? If form is emptiness and emptiness is form, do we need to erase or eliminate this form in order to see emptiness? That is not true. This form is itself empty. So just be form is expression of empty. So this form is form of empty, or this form is form of formless samadhi. So what else we have to aim at? Just aim at this posture. Just aim at letting go. Just aim at pushing time. That is itself formless samadhi.

[55:13]

So katharsikṣa we aim at. Just in the moment of sitting in the den, like when we sit in the den, not when we think, or not when we observe someone is sitting, or not when we are thinking about the den when we don't sit, But right within sitting, that means we let go of thought, that means we don't think. Not saying we don't think, but saying we think of not thinking. Just in the moment of sitting dazen, that kind of thing is being actualized. What kind of aim is being actualized? What kind of... What is expressed when we really actually sitting and letting go of whatever coming up in our mind?

[56:21]

Is this... In my case, is this shohaku? Why it's not something beyond shohaku? Then, you know, I think of... For example, what I should talk to know, because this is my responsibility. This kind of thinking is a show-off thinking in order to achieve something. But when I let go of thought, you know, thought is just coming up and going away. I don't grasp. then is this shohaku, or is this the subject which is thinking it's shohaku or not? It's actually not, and yet it's shohaku. So, yes and no. This means, this is what Dogen is talking next.

[57:30]

Do not start in grabbing a curved dragon. So this sitting, yielding this body and mind, within this aim, this posture, is curved dragon. And we should go forward and love the real dragon. We should not stuck and cling to this curved dragon. And go forward and love the real dragon, true dragon, That is formless samadhi. That is Buddha. But Dogen said, we should study that both the curved dragon and the real dragon have the power of forming clouds and rain. Usually, or in common sense, you know, curved dragon doesn't make any good.

[58:35]

And the real dragon has the power to form clouds and make rain. And this analogy of the hard dragon and the real dragon came from a story in Chinese classic. In that story, there's an aristocrat who loved dragons, and he collected many carved dragons. So the real dragon, since the person loved even the miniature, dragon, if the true dragon beat him, he must be happy, very happy. So the real dragon appears in this window of his house. Then the person had fear and think.

[59:38]

But that's the story. That means a curved dragon. is a miniature of two or a real dragon, and this is valueless, or at least has no true value. And Dogen used this analogy in Fukanza Zen too. And usually in Zen literature, this analogy, true dragon and half dragon, is used as, you know, we should love the true dragon. We should not stack and collect the carved dragon that is a miniature, just a form. So we need to really love the true dragon. That is a common usage of this analogy. But here, Dogen said, not only true dragon,

[60:42]

but also this half-dragon that is our zazen, in which often our mind is very busy and the thought coming up is very kind of ego-centered and difficult for us to focus. So we often feel in our jasm, our mind is busier than usual. And that is true. I mean, it's not true, but because when we sit in a quiet place, we hear the noise made inside of ourselves. When we are outside of zendo and doing different things, the outside is much noisier.

[61:46]

So we don't hear the noise made inside of ourselves. But when we come to a quiet place like zendo, because there's no noise from outside, we start to hear the noise from inside. That's why we feel our mind is busier. than, you know, less of a time. But that is a good sign. So don't worry about it. To see our mind is busy is the starting point of practice. How busy we are. In our daily lives, we don't know how busy our mind is. Because we sit quietly, we find or we start to listen to the noise from inside. And noise is not something meaningless.

[62:47]

You know, unless someone, again, they don't make sound. So when there is a sound or noise, there's some cause. you know, without any cause, you have no noise, it will come. Anyway, so even though this zazen, our zazen, which often our mind is busy or sleepy or painful or bored, we don't feel, you know, this is good or bad. We don't feel this is a life, you know. This is half dharma. But still, at least according to dogma, dharma has the same power of forming clouds and make rain.

[63:50]

This rain is dharma rain. Clouds is also an analogy of old Buddha's compassion. which makes rain and nurture older plants. So, clouds and rain is an analogy, Buddha's teaching. So, even our zazen, that is carved dragon, has power. to form the clouds and rain. That means that there's action, there's activity. So, neither value the remote, the remote means true dragon, or frameless samadhi,

[64:58]

So she said, neither value the remote, nor disparage public remote. We do either. We put too much emphasis on the remote or too much emphasis on something concrete. But she said, we should not too much emphasis on media coverage. Neither value the remote, nor disparage what is remote. Be accustomed and intimate with the remote. Neither disparage what is cruel, nor value the cruel. Be accustomed and intimate with the cruel. So we need to be intimate with our own practice, using our own body and mind.

[66:06]

It is a hard problem, the form. And yet this form, formal practice, is the expression of the remote, something formless, our dharmaka, And do not take the eyes lightly nor attach too much weight to the eyes. And do not put too much weight to the ear nor take the ear too lightly. Eyes can see only inside of our eyes. But we can hear, you know, dictation. Something happened far away. So, eyes and ear is similar as remote and close.

[67:11]

So, make both the ears and eyes sharp and clear. So we have to keep our eyes and ears sharp and clear to really listen and see clearly what is going on. This is our zazen, to make our ears and eyes sharp and clear. in order not to overlook something close or something remote. We should see both, we should study both, and we have to practice using these limited stages, body and mind, and almost deluded. Still seeking practice using deluded body and mind,

[68:15]

is still the illustration or manifestation or expression of formless samadhi or Buddhahood? No. No one but Dogen can comment like this, only on this simple question. And it's really amazing. Vaso said, I am aiming at becoming Buddha. Let me read his comment. It's a long comment. We should clarify and penetrate these words, really simple words,

[69:16]

According to Shogun, this is very deep words. What does becoming Buddha mean? You know, we don't question. We just say, you know, I'm aiming at becoming Buddha. So Buddha was aiming at becoming Buddha. And we don't think what becoming Buddha means. But Dogen asked us to question what this means, what this becoming Buddha means. And does becoming Buddha mean that we are unable to become Buddha? Why Buddha? If we are aiming at becoming Buddha, How is it possible? Is it possible by the power of Buddha? Or can we become Buddha by my personal power?

[70:27]

Or that becoming Buddha means that we make Buddha into a Buddha. That means, you know, if our heart dragon, our dragon, manifests that Buddha or formless samadhi, then we create the Buddha. We make a Buddha into a Buddha by this simple sitting. So, in a sense, Buddha makes us Buddha. And we make Buddha Both ways. Without our practice, Buddha was only somebody that didn't appear and really exist. Buddha died 2,500 years ago. Unless without our practice, like now, like here, Buddha's teaching means nothing.

[71:34]

So in that sense, our practice creates Buddha. Because of our practice, Buddha is manifesting his eternal life. That's now right here. So we can say both ways. Buddha enables us to become Buddha. And we, not we, but our practice enables Buddha to manifest itself. Or does becoming Buddha mean the manifestation of one face or two faces of Buddha? One face or two faces means, you know... How can I say? Buddha as individual, like Shakyamuni Buddha.

[72:39]

Abhidharma Buddha, Mason, Master Buddha, or Garam, numerous Buddhas. And our practice manifests one Buddha or another. He's aiming at becoming Buddha. That is what Vaso said. He's aiming at becoming Buddha Dropping off all body and mind? Or is it aiming at becoming Buddha, dropped off, aiming at becoming Buddha? Buddha is formless. So aiming at becoming Buddha means aiming at becoming formless. And that is the meaning of dropping off body and mind. And dropping off body and mind is Ardha Zen. Like Dogen's teacher, Kinojo, said, zazen is dropping of body and mind.

[73:50]

And Dogen asked, what is dropping of body and mind? Kinojo said, dropping of body and mind is zazen. So this zazen and dropping of body and mind is same as card dragon and real dragon. So this aiming at becoming Buddha is a dhropi-moktaryana mind. And this dhropi-moktaryana mind should be dropped off. Do you understand? Otherwise, this is not dhropi-moktaryana mind. If I'm thinking I'm dhropi-moktaryana mind, it's not dhropi-moktaryana mind. Right? Dropping of body and mind should be dropped off. That is the meaning of to study the self, to forget the self.

[74:54]

And when Vasu says, aiming at becoming Buddha, does he mean that even though there are 10,000 methods or dharma gates to becoming Buddha, Becoming Buddha continues to be entangled with this aiming, this aiming with this illustration or this expression that is this formal Zazen. So there are many hitting is not only way, gathering is not only practice to manifest this formless samadhi. There are many other practices, and that is okay. But Dogen is asking, Sven Bach said, ending up becoming Buddha, does he mean that?

[76:00]

Even though there are 10,000 methods or dharma gates to becoming Buddha, becoming Buddha continues to be entangled with this zazen. Entangled. What does entangled mean in English? The original word dog in use is katto. Katto is, do you know kuzu? It's a kind of vine. And that is, katsu is kuzu, and to is wisteria. Both are wine. So intertwine each other, and we don't know which is which. This expression, kattō, or entanglement, is used to refer to our delusion, our making karma based on delusion.

[77:13]

We cannot stop kattō. So one bad karma entangled with another karma, and we cannot stop this growing. But Dogen uses this same expression as the way that dharma has been transmitted from teacher to student. Teacher's vine and student's vine entangle each other and there's no clear separation. So my teacher's practice and my practice is kind of the same practice. But my teacher's practice is his practice, not mine. And my practice is my own, not my teacher's. Still, my practice is a continuation of my teacher's practice, and his practice is kind of entangled with his teacher's practice.

[78:27]

And this vine goes back to Sakyamuni Veda. This is how the Dharma has been transmitted. And this vine, or the growth of the vine, Vandasalmada, is like my zazen and my teacher's zazen and his teacher's zazen. Dogen Zazen and Bodhidharma Zazen and Shakyamuni Buddha Zazen, those are all entangled. Not only sitting Zazen practice, but all activities, all practices in the living are entangled with each other. That means interconnected with each other. And since this one life reign,

[79:29]

That is what we call an kechinyaku. When we receive dharma transmission or we receive tricet, we receive the linear chart. And on this linear chart we see the red line. That is called kechinyaku or blood line, blood vein. And that is how this dharma has been transmitted. So what we are saying here is my sitting is my sitting. But this sitting is intertwined with my teacher's sitting for any other people's sitting. not only sitting but any other practice, all connected and express the Buddha nature or Buddhahood that is interconnected origination.

[80:45]

So, even though my practice is my personal practice, still this is really connected with all Buddhas and all ancestors and all other people. We should know, Basho is saying that zazen is without fail aiming at becoming Buddha. If we don't aim at becoming Buddha, the other then is not Buddhist practice. So in the original story, Nangaku admires not to see becoming a Buddha. But here Dogen said, we should aim at becoming Buddha. And he said, Zazen is always the aiming of becoming Buddha.

[81:53]

And again, this aiming is illustration or expression of, in this case, becoming Buddha, I put a hyphen, becoming and Buddha. Here it means becoming Buddha is name of a Buddha. Often, sometimes, Tōgen used the word like this, Sa-butsu, literally, become Buddha. But this Sa-butsu is name of one Buddha. And another expression he used, Jō-butsu. or in 行仏意義, 意義 means forms, and 行 is practice. So 行仏意義 means practice Buddha's decorum, Buddha's form. 行仏意義 is one of the chapters of Shobo Genza, and within that chapter he uses the word 行仏 as a name of Buddha.

[83:04]

Our practice is Buddha. Not this person, but this person's practice is Buddha. That is ryo-butsu. So here, becoming Buddha is a name of Buddha. So this zazen, our zazen, as a curved dragon is expression or illustration or painting of the Buddha, whose name is Becoming Buddha. And the aiming may be prior to becoming Buddha. Again, this aiming is illustration. It can be before becoming Buddha, or it may be after becoming Buddha, and it may be just at the very moment of becoming Buddha.

[84:16]

That is always. whether our mind is busy or sleepy or painful, whatever condition, can we try to apply sitting, keep our eyes open but not sleep, and letting go of whatever is coming up in our mind? no matter what the condition is, that is the illustration of becoming Buddha. So our practice in whatever condition by the intention or aiming at the upright posture, awakening and letting go. is always the illustration of becoming Buddha.

[85:23]

We should inquire as to how many instances of becoming Buddha does one aiming entangle, one aiming, one seeking. So we are really connected with all Buddhas and ancestors and all practitioners at this moment. So our practice is not really a personal activity, but we practice together with all Buddhas and ancestors and all bodhisattvas and all living beings. And this entanglement further entwines with entanglement. So my practice entangled with all other people, and each one of us, each one of you practice is also connected with other people.

[86:33]

You know, time and space. At this time, the entanglement that each and every instance of entire becoming Buddha, entire becoming Buddha means absolute Buddha, or Dharmakaya of Buddha, and each one of us' practice, manifestation or each instances of one entanglement are without exception precisely the entire becoming Buddha. Each and every one of them is detaining each one of our practice that is becoming Buddha in the manifestation or thinking.

[87:44]

We cannot avoid any single instance of aiming. We cannot avoid it as we avoid sattva. We have to be a part of entanglement. of this interdependent origination. We should be a part of the network of all living beings. There is no other way to live. And our Zazen allows us to wake up, awake to that reality. We are connected with all beings. Not only Buddhas and ancestors were Buddhist practitioners, but all, not only people, but all beings are connected with this being. But in our thinking, we cut off that kind of entanglement and I think I am independent.

[88:54]

I can live without other people's help. I have to be, you know, an intelligent person. But it's a kind of illusion. As a reality, no matter how independent we are in the kind of conventional meaning, we are still connected with gold rings. And our zazen manifests that entanglement or entanglement to resignation. When we try to avoid a single instance of end, we lose body and life. So we should not try to do that, or otherwise we lose our life. But again, he said, when we lose body and life, it is an instant of entanglement, of the feeling.

[90:07]

That is, no matter how hard I try to avoid being a part of the interstellar imagination, still we are there. And our zazen allows us to be really there. You don't have much time. Nangak then picked up a tile and started to polish it on a rock. Vaso eventually asks, Master, what are you doing? This is also a very simple statement. What are you doing? But Dogen's comment is very unique. Truly, who could fail to see that he is polishing a tile?

[91:12]

Very simple action. But he said, who can see it as polishing a tile? He can see it as polishing a tile meaning he can see the true deep meaning of polishing a tile. Nevertheless, the Thai policy has always been questioned in this manner. So what are you doing is not a simple question, but this is the way we investigate, inquire, or study this event. What are you doing? So in our practice, you should always keep asking, what am I doing? What is this? What is zazen? Or not only zazen, what is our life?

[92:15]

Just keep asking, what are you doing? What am I doing? This is the way we deepen our understanding. We deepen our awakening to the reality. So we should keep asking, what are you doing? What am I doing? What is this? So this is not a simple question according to dogma. Master, what are you doing? It means, Master, what you are doing is this questioning. this entanglement, or this formless samadhi. What are you doing? This doing what? He again twisted it and read as not a question but as exclamation.

[93:26]

What are you doing? That means what you are doing is fat. You are doing fat. Doing fat, in this case, this fat is not a question. But in Zen literature, we often use this word, like a fact, or thus, or like this. It's used to refer to the reality before naming. It cannot be defined. So what are you doing is not a question. But this is, you are doing fat. You are doing fat. So you are practicing this reality before naming. The reality which comes to be named or defined or grasped, you know, that is progress.

[94:34]

So fat, doing fat refers to doing something formless. So actually this, what are you doing, according to Dogen, what are you doing is the statement, pointing out the frameless samadhi. What are you doing is the precise expression of frameless samadhi, something we cannot grasp, something we cannot measure. This doing fat is always the tide polishing. Tide polishing is our practice. Our practice is doing fat, doing something we cannot name. That means something homeless. In this land and other world, though people are diverse, the tire polishing has never ceased.

[95:43]

In the original story, tide polishing is something nonsense, something that makes sense. But here Dogen is saying that Buddhas and ancestors have been practicing and transmitting this tide polishing, this sitting with body and mind, human body and mind. And there is an essential meaning in it. We should be completely certain that not only do we not fix our own view as our own view, but also there is the essential meaning to study in the 10,000 activities We should know that although we see Buddha, we do not know or understand Buddha.

[96:50]

Though we see water, we don't know the water. Although we see mountains, we don't see the mountains. If we hastily assume that there is no further path to penetrate the things before us, that is not Buddhist study. So, you know, when we encounter something, we create some kind of a concept. And we think this is a mountain, this is a river, this is a human being. That is Buddha. And there is delusion, and there is enlightenment, and this is a notebook, this is a log. We create those concepts, and then we put

[97:52]

that thing into such a door of concept where we think, now I understand this thing. This is not good, and this is a person. So when we make separation or discrimination, we think we understand that is this. This is different from this, and this is different from that. And that is okay. It's not a matter of okay or not okay. That's how we live within our brain. And once we kick certain concept, we caught up within concept. And we think Buddha is Buddha. Enlightenment is enlightenment. Human beings are deluded. And these concepts become tricks.

[99:01]

But what Dogen is saying here is we should inquire further. What are you doing? Is this really human beings? Is this really deluded? Is that really Buddha? Or is it just a form? Or is he really enlightened? Or is it the trees? Just the trees? Or is it something else? So, what Dogen is saying here is that we should see the reality. Not the reality outside of ourselves, but also the reality inside of ourselves too. that some other way of doing the same thing. As I said, when we do Dogen's writing, it's like a painting which can be seen by a young lady or an old lady.

[100:12]

It's not only about Dogen's writing, but our life too. Our life can be an expression of Buddha's enlightenment. And our life can be a manifestation of samsara. Actually, we make pain, create pain, or we create suffering. We create suffer and we, how can I say, as a coming self, Sometimes we feel, you know, being together with this person seems like hell. Seems, you know, giving each other only pain. And we can't, really we can't create such a situation, or often we do.

[101:14]

Or that's why there are so many problems and suffering in this society. But that is not the only way to view this world. This is one way to view this reality. And there is another way to view the same reality. Because we are connected, all beings, all people are connected, you know, We fight each other. We can fight each other. We make problems with each other. But we can also create nirvana by offering something, by helping each other, by supporting each other. We create completely a different world.

[102:16]

Whether this world becomes like hell or the realm of hungry ghosts, then we are only trying to get things from the world. Then our world becomes the realm of hungry ghosts. And we can be like animals. For human beings, animals are happy when their stomach is full. And human beings cannot. We human beings need something more than food. That is fame and wealth. Right? Animals are happy when their stomach is full. They sleep, they have no desire to murder enough. and they start to do something, often they are hungry.

[103:22]

But we human beings still want to get more, even when we have almost too much nutrition, too much food, we still want more, or we want to assure the food for tomorrow, or ten years later, or even after our death. That's the difference between animals and human beings. Anyway, what Dogen is trying to say here is we should see the reality from different angles, from all different possibilities. Our reality is not fixed That is another meaning of no form, or another meaning of empty. This is a tie, but still this can be a mirror.

[104:30]

This is a deluded human being, but still using this deluded body and mind we can express Buddhahood, we can express selflessness. We can express their interdependent origination. What we are doing. So, Master, what are you doing? It's not a simple question. But this is our practice. So we should keep asking, what are you doing? What am I doing? Our action can mean more than one thing.

[105:38]

For example, when I was in Massachusetts. Excuse me. Of course, we have been working for establishing the community. And we bought a land in the woods. We didn't have a well. We didn't have a house. Anyway, we bought a small land in the woods. And first thing we did is cut the trees and dig out the stumps and dug a well. And we built a small house and zendo and made vegetable gardens and made a small, shallow well. This is for the sake of Dharma. But because of this practice, I killed many living beings.

[106:46]

So with this practice, we are killing. It's killing. But still, this is for the sake of dharma. This is only one example, but many things, almost everything we do, in our daily lives can mean more than one. So even if we do things with a good motivation to help someone, it can be harmful to others. So we have to be always very careful, very alert to see even one action from different angles. So our practice is not so simple like when we sit in discussion, sometimes we have certain fantastic experiences, then I become an enlightened person and I have no problem anymore.

[108:04]

Our practice is not so simple, at least according to Dogen. Even if we are practicing Buddha's dharma, or Buddha's practice, still we can be harmed. So what we need is, as a bodhisattva practice, what we need is repentance. Of course, vow is important, taking bodhisattva vows. But within those four vows, is in each line of both four valves. There's a basic contradiction. Sentient beings are nonetheless. We vow to save them. Save them means save them all. If sentient beings are nonetheless, how can we save them all? There's no time. If we understand this contradiction,

[109:09]

We see the incompleteness of our practice. No matter how hard we practice, we cannot fulfill these verbs. That awakening to the incompleteness of our practice makes us practice repentance. And repentance is not simply saying, I'm sorry, I made such and such mistakes. That is a part of repentance, trying not to make the same mistake. But repentance in Mahayana Buddhism has much deeper meaning. Not only when we do bad things, in doing good things, we may create bad karma.

[110:20]

Do you understand what I mean? I mean, especially when we do something good, for example, to help others or to give something to someone, it's kind of difficult to see or to make dependence because I feel I'm doing a good thing. And the person who received my help said, thank you. And people around us prayed that. So it's really difficult to make repentance. And we do good things. But still, by doing good things, it's possible that arrogance is gone.

[111:25]

when I think I am a good person because I did such and such good thing to help so many people. That is, as a bodhisattva, that is bad karma that makes us arrogant. And this kind of bad karma is really difficult to repent because everyone are happy. But in Buddhism there are two kinds of repentance. One is dependence as G, that is, when we did some mistake, we actually say, I am sorry I made such and such mistake. I try not to make the same mistake.

[112:31]

This is one dependence about something, about mistake. But another form of repentance is sitting. Sitting in zazen and seeing the reality of all beings is repentance. Our zazen is repentance, in which we awaken to the incompleteness of our practice. So we don't need to say, I'm sorry. but which allow and encourage me to practice more and make us free from bad karma created by good feelings, good actions. What am I talking about? Well, I think it's time to stop talking.

[113:33]

I have to make repentance. I talk too much. I really appreciate your questions. We have one more. lecture tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to talk on the section of one sees, doesn't see. And tomorrow afternoon, I continue to talk on this, because Taitakusen said we'll have people who are not here now. OK? Any question or comment? No question. Zoo, fame? Pardon? Zoo? Excuse me, if you could add also an auctioning term? Oh, I think that would be an important point.

[114:34]

Zoo is used as, like in archery, used as a bullseye. So that's the center of what we should aim. So Uchimaru interprets this zoo, or aiming at, and said, our zazen is hitting the bullseye of what? What is this reality of our life? So zoo can be the target, can be also the target. But according to some of my reading, sometimes you aim without looking at the target. Pardon me? According to my reading, in some of the Japanese forms of archery, you assume your form and you aim without looking at the target.

[115:43]

So that would be your thought? I think, yeah, I would arrange the same. We just aim at our posture, not aim at the target. Then target it here. Make sense? Yeah. So we just keep our posture, upright posture, and keep our eyes open. That means awakening, sleep, and breathe deeply and smoothly from our abdomen, and let go of whatever is coming up from our mind. This is just what we do. We do nothing else. And when we ending up this posture, like an archery, Japanese archery, actually that is the target. And when we actually really do, we hit the bull's-eye and bull's-eye over there, not target something outside.

[116:54]

In my favorite kanji dictionary, I looked up polish. Two words, ma, which is to grind, which is what Nangangu does. Also, taku, also to polish. Yeah, taku and ma together as compound means like polishing a diamond. or polishing this diamond? Yes. Question or comment? Okay. Thank you very much for listening. May our attention equally penetrate every building and place.

[118:09]

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