This is the fourth class, so I'm going to go from the fourth to the fourth. I hope I can do more than one today. Maybe I'm too ambitious. If you have this text, page three, The title of this section, this discourse is the wondrous essence beyond assessments. Assessment. Dharma discourse. When we lift up the wondrous essence The standing pillars in the hall flow their blows.

[01:02]

When we depart from conventional patterns with profound conversation, a tortoise approaches fire rather than water. Praying reality is nothing special. How can praising or criticizing ancient or modern masters save yourselves? Moreover, how could we then save others? All of you, apart from this plain reality, are there any other special assessments to make? Apart from this, how do you assess it? Every four years, we encounter leap year.

[02:07]

In the ninth month is the double young day. Long months have 31 days. Short months have 30 days. Koshouji students. Anyone with such opinions as praising or criticizing ancient or modern masters should just be called a donkey in front with a horse's behind or a dragon head with only a snake tail. When I read this kind of discourse by Dogen, or when we translate with Taigen, this kind of discourse is like, how can I say...

[03:12]

a painting which can see, for example, like a young lady and old lady together at the same time. We can see one painting with two completely different motifs. When I read Dogen's writings, I often feel in that way. not only dog and writing, but also our life. From one side, our life is full of terrible things, and we are so stupid. But from other side, reality is perfect as it is. Why? We don't know. But those two are always somehow, always together. It's really wondrous. And we are confused because of this.

[04:17]

Anyway, let me read this discourse following our translation. And maybe I'll talk my another interpretation. It said, when we lift up the wondrous essence, wondrous essence is a translation. Maybe we should, first we should, I should say, lift up, lift up, is a translation of Japanese or Chinese word, nen tei. Nen is to hold like a, you know, when Shakyamuni Buddha hold a flower, When he transmits Dharma to Mahakasyapa, nen is to hold, and tei is to show it. So nen tei is not simply a discussion or talking, but actually hold with hands and show it to people.

[05:28]

so lift up i don't think this english word lift up doesn't you know convey such a kind of a active way of teaching that is how you know the masters do in the dharma hall The Zen Master doesn't really simply discuss about the reality or truth or whatever, but he picks it up with his own hands and shows it to you, the way you can see and experience it. So when we read this kind of discourse, it's kind of difficult to taste such a flavor, very concrete flavor and visual. But Dogen often use like a fist or a staff, or he sometimes show a fist or a finger.

[06:38]

Sometimes he throws the fiscal way. So it's not a simple lecture, but they must really show the truth. So lift up is a kind of an action, but by this action, Dogen or Zen masters show the reality to their students. That's the connotation of this word, lift up. If you have any better idea or expression in English, please give me a suggestion. Display, present. demonstrate? Okay. Not so bad. Okay.

[07:41]

Wondrous Essence. Wondrous Essence is a translation of Myo-Yo. Yo is essence, and myo is wondrous in case of wondrous dharma. Wondrous dharma is myoho. Ho is dharma. Wondrous means, as I said, we cannot grasp in one way or the other using our intellection. Something is missing. you know, our life is such a terrible thing. Then we try to grasp from this side, you know, escape to that side. And then we try to get that side to escape from that side, to that side. So somehow our grasping doesn't work.

[08:45]

So we are confused. And so, when we list up the wondrous essence, try to show, usually Zen masters try to do, but Dogen said, when we try to do such a thing, to show the reality to the students, Then he said, the standing pillars, standing pillars is, you know, in the monastery temple, Dharma Hall, there are huge pillars. which are often round and which is not hidden in the wall, but it's there, those big pillars. Pillars in the whole floor, they are blows. They don't believe it.

[09:51]

They don't believe it. They question it. They have a doubt. Is it really true? And in the next stanzas, he used tartas. Tartas, tortoise, or dog often use pillows, and lanterns. Lantern is a pair of lanterns by the altars, main altars. And in this discourse, in the next sentence, he points out the tortoise. Tortoise is often kind of curved on the bottom of the altar. So Dogen point out those things within that hole. So show the pillar and totus on the bottom of the altar or main altar called the shumidan.

[11:05]

And this means, you know, in this case, I think Dogen himself try to show the truth or reality which has been transmitted from Buddha through the masters, ancestors in each generation. Thank you. Dogen says, temple pillars we will question what this stupid Zen master is talking about you know because the reality is reality of all beings when we start to discuss about it then we are already you know depart from that reality

[12:14]

Reality is already there. This microphone is here. This is the reality. And when I am talking about that reality, this is something extra. Whatever we discuss, whether it's logically correct or not, human thought about the reality, even though that is very profound and direct, as many Zen masters did, still that is something extra because reality is already here. So each and everything is already expressing the reality. Why this stupid master have to say something about it? And why students have to study such a reality?

[13:15]

Because actually reality is not only those things, but reality is reality about our life, about ourselves. Why we have to study such a thing? That reality is already here. Nothing is hidden, actually. Why do we have to study such a thing, please? So this would come up even though, as you say, the Zen Master is not just speaking words about it but is presenting it in a way that the students actually receive it. Even the most, whatever, subtle of teachings is still something extra. Correct me. Well, for example, Buddha didn't say anything but just pick up a flower and hold it.

[14:16]

That kind of story is a kind of attempt to eliminate all those kind of extra stuff. But reality is within the action and reality itself. So no discussion, no conceptualization. So that is how, at least in Zen tradition, how Zen masters try to show and transmit that reality. But still, this is what I'm doing now. I try to explain what this is. I try to transmit it. And that story, the Maha Kasyapa, already creates a distance. In a way. And we are puzzled what this means. And we start to think and create the world of thinking.

[15:22]

and world of imagination. And that is the way we miss, really, the direct insight of reality itself. That is inside and outside ourselves. We are actually living there. But we try to search the reality within the world of thinking, and whether this is true or that is true. And we are always running around. That is a problem, you know, when Dogen discuss in this way. So even when we try to teach or discuss this, you know, immediate reality, till that is already something extra. I think that is what he's saying here.

[16:25]

It seems like Dogen wants us to use our imagination, though, right? By saying, like, standing pillars grow their brows, these sort of things. I mean, that's imagination. Yeah, so there is another paradox here. Dogen tried to show this using words. And so we need to twist the reality again, that using words and thinking is also a part of reality. So we have to twist again and again. If we think simply our thinking is extra, so we better not to think, then we miss the reality that we are living with ability to think, the reality of human beings. So what Dogen is trying to show us is very kind of, how can I say, It's not one or two dimensions.

[17:33]

It has many dimensions. I see it from a different angle. It's not that there's something extra. Like you said, even though the master, when he shows them, they don't relate at all. But you don't believe it. The way I see it is like, even though the Master has shown them and presented them the Truth in their eyes, He's not just telling them to present it. They don't believe it. They have doubt. They mean the temple pillars? The students here, even though the Master showed them, they don't believe it. They have doubts. That's the way, one of the ways you can interpret this thing. So there's no explanation here. So we can interpret in many different ways. There's no one fixed right interpretation.

[18:36]

We are free. That means we are confused. And actually, there's no... There aren't many commentaries on Ahead for York so far. So we are really free. We can create our own way. And maybe one of our attempt may hit the mark. Maybe not. Second sentence, he said, when we depart from conventional patterns, conventional pattern is, depart from conventional pattern is shukaku. Shutsu means to exit or depart. And kaku is like a kind of making, how can I say,

[19:41]

dim it with certain things like a frame. We have a kind of a frame of mind, frame of thinking. And our frame is logics, concept and logics when we think. And depart from this conventional pattern or this conventional frame of thinking means go beyond conceptual thinking based on dichotomies. Usually, we have two pairs of concept. good and bad, or like and dislike, or enlightenment, delusion. That is how we separate the reality into two sides, and we think this side is okay, that side is not okay.

[20:51]

So we have to escape from this side and get into that side. That is what we often do. But depart from conventional pattern means go beyond those dichotomies, dualistic thinking. And with profound conversation or profound discussion about the lofty reality or truth, he says, a tortoise approaches fire. That means torches always or usually go to the water, not fire. So discussing, even though it's a profound discussion, when we discuss about the reality beyond any dichotomy, still we are going opposite side.

[21:53]

Right? Now I'm discussing about what Dogen is saying, and Dogen wants to show us the reality beyond discrimination. And that is the way we discriminate. And we make another discrimination. that Dogen's way of thinking, Dogen's way of expression, is different from the rest of us. And we think his sayings are wonderful. At least, I think so. That is a way we create another dichotomies. This is Dogen's profound teaching. And our usual way of thinking is not so right, not so good. It's very shallow and very, you know, biased, one-sided. So we admire Dogen.

[22:56]

And this is a way, you know, we create another dichotomy. I think that is the part Dogen meant to say. When we discussed about the profound lofty reality, we are going opposite way from that reality. We already miss it. Are you saying, well, okay, this just came into my head that what he says, or when you say it's something extra, the standing pillar spur, the brows, you just naturally think that this is a bad thing. And the tortoise approaches fire, we think this is a bad thing. At least I knew that. Yeah. But maybe we could not create an academy about that. And he says, plain reality is nothing special.

[24:00]

Plain reality is heijitsu. Hei is plain, flat, nothing special reality. And nothing special is our translation of Dogen's expression, buu-ji. Buu is no, ji is matter, so no matter. And buu-ji is a kind of an important word in Zen literature. For example, Rinzai, the famous Zen master Rinzai, or Rinchi, the founder of Rinzai school, said, being Buji is precious person. This is very well-known famous expression, Buji corrects me. To be nothing special is precious person. precious or noble person. So this Buzi is same as Mui.

[25:08]

That means no action. No, how can I say, karmic action using our mind or discrimination. So just do ordinary things in the original way. Nothing special. But sometimes this expression, Buzi, is used in a negative sense. That means because reality is already revealed always, why we have to practice, why we have to study, just be ordinary is OK. If we stagnate on that understanding or way of life, you know, this is not a right way, right understanding. So people who have such understanding is what's called a Buzi Zen.

[26:14]

Zen of nothing matter. So just be free. Whatever you want, just do it. And that is not really up to Zen. So we have to be careful about this point. So basically, Fat Dogen is trying to show us this plain reality, nothing special. How can we praise or criticize ancient or modern masters? Save yourselves. We often talk about ancient or modern masters, teachers, who is greater than others. Actually, Dogen often says, discusses.

[27:18]

So maybe this is, he's talking about himself. you know, talking or discussing about other people, whether great Zen masters in ancient China or Zen teachers in this modern times. Discussing about, you know, other people doesn't help us, ourselves. We have to really wake up to that plain reality by ourselves. But we often discuss which is greater, Dogen or Rinzai. Or there are discussions within Zen, the koan practice and the shikantaza practice, which is better. This kind of discussion is, of course, based on discrimination, which is better.

[28:28]

That is a difference. But important point in any way to wake up to that plain reality. So discussing who was a good master or who was not, we often do it this way or that way. Or we study many different teachings, because there are so many different traditions and lineages. And we think, you know, Tibetan Buddhism is better than Japanese or Chinese is more authentic than anything else. You know, this kind of things. Of course, it's nice to study. But if we put our, you know, our actual life on that kind of discussion, we really miss the plain reality in which we are living.

[29:33]

And that is most important thing. So, Moreover, how could we then save others? We cannot save ourselves. How can we save others in that way by discussing which is good, which is not so good? Important thing to discover this plain reality. Apart from this, all of you, apart from this plain reality, are there any other special assessments to make? Assessment is a translation or kind of an important expression.

[30:38]

Shoryo. What is shoryo? Shoryo is... It's like a merchant or trading. And ryo is measure. It's like two merchants discussing what's the appropriate price of this certain good. The person who want to sell, of course, want to sell as high price as possible. And the person who are buying, trying to keep it as low as possible. So we are always like this. This is called negotiation. And depending upon the condition, overall condition, and how much the buyer can spend, how much the seller want to really get, according to that discussion,

[31:51]

they find the right price. This kind of discussion or negotiations called shōryō in Chinese colloquial language. And the masters pick up this expression, shōryō. So this is not a scholastic word. what they picked up from a very colloquial, down-to-earth expression to, how can I say, to refer to the discussion between not only teachers and students, but also any the students or practitioners to find that truth or reality. So then question and answer in Zen literature, not only in literature but in our practice too, is called shoryo.

[32:58]

Is there any good English for this? I don't like assessment so much. Please. How do you spell? H-A-G. H-A-G? G-G-L-E. And what did you say? B-A-R-T-E-R. [...] OK, so apart from this, how do you haggle over?

[34:11]

OK. And he started to express the plain reality. Every four years, we encounter leap year. This is not a literal translation. The original said every three years, we encounter leap year. And because we try to follow the solar calendar, now we have Libya every four years, every four years.

[35:12]

But in the lunar calendar, since one month in lunar calendar, actually exactly has 29.5. days, one month. But as he says, larger month or longer month has 30 days, and shorter months have 29, because we cannot have 29.5. But still, 11 days less than 355 days. So every three years, they have 30 days extra. So they had a deep month. So every three years, they have 13 months.

[36:14]

That is the meaning in the original text. So when we are only familiar with solar calendar, we cannot understand. But that's kind of a strange thing. They have 13 months a year, every three years. But that is reality for them. So every three years, we encounter rip year. And in the ninth month is the double yam day. Double yam day is ninth day of ninth month. In solar calendar, we say September 9th. As a number, odd number is in Chinese culture, odd number is considered to be the young number.

[37:22]

And even numbers thought in numbers. And nine is the largest number. And ninth day of ninth month is two nine. That's why they call this double yang day. Two yang, largest yang number day. so in september or nine months they had a not double young day and they celebrate i don't know how they did but they have some celebration for this day and this nice i think that is about the time of harvest so in

[38:28]

China or Japan, I think around this time, they had a festival for harvesting. And long months have originally said 30 days, and short months have 29 days. But we changed it to adjust the solar calendar. Koshoji students, anyone with such opinions as praising or criticizing ancient or modern masters should just be called a donkey in front with a horse behind or a dragon head with only a snake head. Hmm. This expression, a donkey in front with horses behind, is a kind of a common expression in Zen.

[39:36]

This means, of course, also there are different interpretations. One interpretation is a person behind or in front of donkey or behind a horse means servants. The owner of the donkey or horse on this. So those people who are walking in front or behind the horse or donkey are servants. That means they don't really have the insight of that reality, but following someone's teaching here and there. And in this translation, we think a person who put a donkey in front of horse.

[40:38]

Horse run or walk quicker than us or donkey. So if we put donkey in front of horses, it make problems. So this is kind of a mistaking way of handling things. so that means you are not smart and dragon head with only a snake tail is you know dragon and snake are kind of a similar similar creatures but dragon is much greater and much powerful, and snake is really small usually. So dragon head, snake tail is a very common expression, not only in Zen, but in Chinese and Japanese.

[41:45]

culture. That means in the beginning, it seems great, wonderful. But at the end, it means nothing. It becomes smaller and smaller. What does it say? What does it say? Koshioji student, not an agent. This course is taking place at Koshoji. Dogen founded Koshoji in 1233, and they lived there until 1243. for 10 years in kyoto and this discourse is taking place in that probably this uh this course is uh done in the year of 1240 or 41 so they were at koshoji

[42:49]

Actually, the volume one of Eihei Koroku is all a collection of discourses given at Koshouji. From volume two, Eihei was first called Daibutsuji. So from volume two, Daibutsuji discourse or Jodo started. So in this translation, Dogen kind of give advice to his student that don't be too much be simply be involved in a lofty discussion about reality or truth or Buddhist teachings or philosophy. or just discuss the ancient or modern teachers. But we should ourselves see and wake up to that reality in which we are encountering day after day.

[44:01]

That is reality or truth. how can I say, expressed or written in the sutras or showed, pointed by the masters is this reality in which we are really living. So that is true kind of a sutra. I think that is our understanding. Our means, Taigen and myself. But I think there's another possible interpretation that this is Dogen is talking all about himself. You know, he discussed actually those things that he did. He often discussed, you know, wondrous essence in Shogo, Genzo, and other writings.

[45:11]

And his discussion is very always, almost always, apart from conventional patterns. And he often prays his teachers, a few of the masters, and he always christened another group of the masters. So these are all fat dog and deep teachings. So it might be possible to understand that Dogen is talking about himself. And he said, I am doing in this ways. I couldn't help even myself. And how can I help you? So I am like a person in front of a donkey or behind a horse, or a person like a dragon's head and a snake tail.

[46:21]

So it's a kind of a, how can I say, self-criticism. in a very kind of a funny way. And through, you know, talking about himself, what he's doing, and how, how can I say, how much he himself being depart from the reality, Dogen cannot show the reality to his student. This is another twist. So maybe this is too much. But I think this is also a possible interpretation. So when we read Dogen, we have to try it again and again. And it makes us more confused. So if you don't like this way, I like this way, twist again and again, but if you don't like this, just read in a very simple way.

[47:41]

That is also a good way of reading Dogen. Well, we have more time. I can go next. Any questions? Well, the collection of koans and all kinds of literature is full of commentary, full of assessments and stuff like that. So the fact that Dogen could conceivably refer to a large body of literature and not exclude himself from that is... She's a really interesting person. A sentence about the leap years and the months ago, although you explained what it meant in a Japanese context, what is the dysfunction in... in Bellwood's little talk.

[48:45]

In other words, he goes from, apart from this, how do we haggle over it, and then this thing about the calendar, and then he says, anyone with such opinions is a donkey in front and a horse behind. So what is the calendar, what is that statement doing? That is kind of an expression of plain reality all people experience. You know, all people know, you know, every three years, they have a leap year. And every year, on ninth day of ninth month, we celebrate W Day. It's like saying the sun comes up in the morning and goes down at night. Right, right. You know, please. But if that's an example of ordinary reality, then what is awakening to ordinary reality? Is that also ordinary reality? You know, as...

[49:52]

Sometimes Dogen said, or we do actually, if you live in this kind of place, when you hear the sound of hand, you go somewhere. When you hear the bell at the zendo, you go to zendo to sit. You know, so, you know, we, as far as you, we live this kind of practice place. We know, everyone knows, you know, early in the morning, when the waking bell rang, we somehow, we wake up and go to Zendo. This kind of things. So when we should wake up, we just wake up. And when we should go to zendo, just go to zendo. This is a very ordinary waking up. And just follow the schedule in zendo.

[51:02]

And if you are in charge of certain work, like if you are working in the kitchen or working in the field or doing cleaning, those are very ordinary things. And try to put our entire energy into whatever we are supposed to do with the waking mind. I think that is waking mind means letting go of our thought. In our zazen, we can let go of all kind of thought. But when, for example, you are cooking, you cannot let go of what we are cooking, what we are supposed to do. So we just focus on what we are doing, cutting vegetables or, you know, when we cook, what we are doing is within the kind of sequence from beginning or preparation to the end.

[52:20]

So we have to keep this in our mind. So we cannot let go of that what I'm doing. at this occasion, at this moment. But, you know, still, you know, when we are cutting, you know, chopping vegetables, still the thought, many different thought which has nothing to do with chopping vegetables come up. then we have to those, you know, destruction or thought, go and just try to be attentive. But we are doing that now like here. I think that is awakening into the ordinary reality. Does it make sense? Okay. Please.

[53:43]

I'm worried about those months. I'm worried about the months. It seems like the plain reality is that the month is 29.5 days. And there's a long month, and a short month, and a leap year, and yang, yang, yang. It's all extra. That is our way of thinking. Actually, their actual ordinary lives are designed that we have 29 days, 30 days, or 12 months, or 13 months. Of course, that's kind of, how can I say, way to kind of cutting off time. actually is not really reality in that sense, in the sense of thinking or a philosophical way of thinking.

[54:50]

One year is simply the time the sun, not sun, the sun doesn't move, but the earth moving around the around the sun, so one year doesn't make much meaning. But still, one year is meaning for us, for us human beings. That is the way we count our lives, how many years I have been living, so I'm... It's not so fun to count the years after 50 years old. But I think that is a reality for human beings, not reality for God, maybe. Okay? Can I go next?

[55:57]

Thank you. Next one, Dharma Discourse 5, The Range of Pilgrimage. This is very short, only three lines. Upholding Dharma within... Kwan-in or Guan-in, this is a Chinese pronunciation for Kannon in Japanese. That means Avalokiteshvara, Kannon temple. And upholding Dharma within Shwandan temple are both pilgrimage. Free pervading mountains, free surveying rivers, Wearing through straw sandals is also pilgrimage.

[57:05]

Here, pilgrimage is a translation for Chinese or Japanese expression . is the monks travel around the country to visit teachers. So it's not a usual kind of pilgrimage. I'm not sure about English word, pilgrimage. pilgrimage is a translation of another in my in my brain another expression in japanese junde junde is traveling to visit kind of a sacred places that's the kind of I mean, we have different expressions for these two different kinds of traveling.

[58:13]

Does pilgrimage have such a meaning? Then that's okay. Then pilgrimage is a good word. So Dogen is talking about traveling, visiting teachers, and he said, Upholding dharma, that means to show, as I said, to teach or instruct students as a teacher. So upholding dharma within Kannon temple means upholding dharma as a teacher at this temple. Kannon-in is the name of the temple, Joshu, famous chinese master uh joshu you know joshu okay yeah dog's buddha nature lived and upholding dharma with shandan temple shandan temple is

[59:26]

Actually, the name was changed, but this was a temple where Vaso or Mazu taught. So teaching like Joshu did or like Vaso did at their monasteries, Dogen said, is pilgrimage. Not for students, not for their students, but their activity to teach. is pilgrimage. And free pervading mountains, free pervading mountains, free surveying rivers, mountains, and actually the original word is water, mountains and waters. Dogen wrote a chapter of Shobo Genzo titled Mountains, Waters, Sutra. So this is the same thing.

[60:31]

Wearing straw sandals is also pilgrimage. So this is a common understanding of pilgrimage. Monks travel walking through mountains and rivers to visit teachers. So this is a usual, common understanding of pilgrimage. So I think there's no difficulty to understand this second. All over the country, no matter how far, no matter how steep the mountain is and no matter how difficult to cross the rivers or even the ocean. In the case of Dogen, he crossed not the river but the ocean.

[61:36]

And that is really a pilgrimage for searching the truth. But the first sentence is kind of a strange thing to say. This discourse reminds me of what Dogen said in Shobo Genzo Tsuimonki. Tsuimonki is a collection of Dogen's informal talk at Koshouji. Dogen was about 35 years old, so he was still young. and his Sangha was still very new. Dogen talked about his own experience.

[62:42]

Then probably think he was about 15 years old. He was ordained as a Tendai monk when he was 14 years old. And Soon after his ordination, he had a question, and he didn't like the monastery. He started to think to escape from that monastery. And it seems the first teacher he visited from that monastery was called Mountain The name of the mountain which the monastery located was Mount Hiei, outside of Kyoto. And he visited a teacher at the temple named Miidera, or Onjoji.

[63:44]

That is Futo, Mount Hiei. When I lived at Antaiji, I often climbed Mount Hiei. It was a really beautiful place. And it takes about two hours or three hours to that temple. And there was a teacher whose name was Ko-In. So Dogen was still 15 years old. And he asked the question, If all beings have Buddha nature, why we have to practice? Why all Buddhas and ancestors had to practice? According to Dogen, what he said is, The teacher said, according to Dogen's biography, this teacher recommended Dogen to study Zen.

[64:51]

At that time, Zen was something very new. And he went to China, go to China. Before going to China, he recommended to study with Eisai. He was the first Japanese master who introduced them from China to Japan. But what Ko-In said in Zuimonki is, He said, body-mind is way-seeking mind. Maybe this is not a good translation. To allow the body-mind is to study the dharma gate or teaching, starting philosophical teaching.

[65:59]

And he said, to meaninglessly wander around in confusion with a bamboo hat hanging around one's neck is called a deed influenced by a demon. Pardon? To meaninglessly wander around in confusion with a bamboo hat You know, monks wear bamboo hat often travel. Hanging around one's neck is called a deed influenced by a demon. That is what Dogen started to do, to wander around to find a teacher to search the answer to his own question. And this master cautioned him, you know, to wander around, to travel around, you know, wearing bamboo hat is not really right thing, but you should study Dharma.

[67:19]

So it seems Dogen stayed three more years at Mount Hiei. And when he was 17, he started to practice Zen with Myozen. And he went to China. So this caution, this coin's instruction is really a kind of a, how can I say, starting point of Dogen's pilgrimage. And he studied, practiced Zen with Myozen in Kyoto for seven years until he was 23. And Dogen and his teacher Myozen went to China together. So I think this instruction was very important for Dogen.

[68:29]

And in Shobogenzo, henzan. Henzan literally means widely visiting teachers. And again. In that chapter of Shôvô Genzo, Dôgen says something like Henzan visiting teachers widely. Henzan is not idly entering one monastery and leaving another monastery. This is a common understanding of henzan or angya or pilgrimage, to visit one teacher at one monastery and leave that monastery and visit another monastery. But Dogen says in henzan, henzan is not idly, he said idly or maybe meaninglessly, entering one monastery and leaving another monastery.

[69:44]

So to wander around is not henza. I think here Dogen follows Koin's instruction. But he says, visiting and meeting, his expression is zen ganzei, that means entire or whole ganzei's eyes. Here, I means Buddha's eye, or Buddha's wisdom, is henzan, to really visit and penetrate Buddha's insight, is henzan, or pilgrimage, true pilgrimage is to really penetrate Buddha's insight. And attaining thorough penetration is henzan. Really see, deeply see the reality is henzan, not walking around.

[70:53]

And thoroughly seeing how thick is the skin of the face, how thick is the skin of the face is henzan. That means to study ourselves. How thick our skin of the face, how thick our karmic consciousness is hands-on. So walking around is not really hands-on. So, you know, what he is saying in the first sentence of this Dharma discourse is, you know, the way Joshu taught, the way Baso taught, is the way, you know, they expressed the deep awakening and insight of who we are, but the reality of our life.

[71:57]

And that is what Dogen is trying to do at Koshoji. Koshoji is his first monastery. He practiced with his own students. And at that time, Dogen himself was a teacher. He was still about 40 years old. So as a Zen master, he was very young. But somehow he had to teach And probably I think he remind the coins instruction, walking around, you know, hanging the bamboo hat on the neck is not really a pilgrimage. So now he's a teacher, so he's teaching, but still this teaching as a teacher, he's still visiting the reality visiting Buddha's insight.

[73:05]

I mean, that means he tried to deepen his own insight and understanding and a way to express it. So that is still his . It's difficult to me to pronounce pilgrimage. Pilgrimage. So for Dogen to give a lecture or Dharma discourse like this is really, you know, he's still making pilgrimage. Please. Any reason why you mentioned those good tips? Pardon? Any reason? I don't think there's some particular reason, but those two are two of the well-known teachers.

[74:15]

So any other teacher could work, I think. I think. I think this discourse is kind of a simple one. But I think it's important for Dogen that even though he was already a teacher, he still continued his journey to search the way or way-seeking mind. So even though he is practicing as a teacher, so our practice is really no end. Well, we have another 15 minutes.

[75:16]

Well, this takes more than 15 minutes. Let me talk about discourse seven. This is another short one, very shorter than five. The title of this discourse is Dragon Holes and Tiger Roars. Dharma discourse. Are dragon holes in a dark cave? The whole universe quiets. A tiger roars at the edge of a cliff. The cold valley becomes warm. Cuts. That's it. It's very short and precise.

[76:22]

What do you think? Here? Here, yeah, it's beautiful. Here, we need to understand what is tiger and dragon. In his ,, he also said, we really understand, not understand, really understand, but get the meaning of the Zen. We are like a dragon with water. and tiger in the mountains. So dragon and tiger is somehow a symbol of our Zazen. So he's talking about Zazen. And this is not a Buddhism, but it's kind of important to study Zen. What Zen master saying, what tiger dragon and tiger means in chinese culture i think you know the you know famous movie last year we had the crunching tiger and uh hidden dragon yes uh i think dragon is young and tiger is in

[77:49]

And I think the original idea of yin and yang is, I think, Chinese people thought the difference between northern half of the mountain and southern half of the mountain. On the southern half of the mountain, The sun is always shining, so it's bright, and things grow well. And the northern side of mountains, things are always dark, not much sunlight. So the way the trees and plants grow are different. I think that is a basic idea. Still... So basically yang is southern side, brighter side, and yin is dark side.

[79:01]

These two are kind of a dichotomy. But the reality includes those two sides. And as a kind of a movement of energy between yin and yang, things are changing. This is a Chinese idea, not a Buddhist, of course. But Zen is very much influenced by Chinese idea. And Dogen is not an exception. So here Dogen expresses our Zazen using this symbol of yin and yang. A dragon holds in a dark cave.

[80:19]

A dragon holds in a dark cave. So it's really in. And actually, I think Chinese people knew There's no such thing called dragon. But Dogen wrote another chapter of Shobo Genzo called Dragon Lore. And that is the dead tree. The inside of the tree, some of the dead tree, inside of the dead tree are empty. And there's a hole. And when wind goes through the empty hole of the dead tree, the dead tree makes sound.

[81:21]

And Chinese people thought that is Dragon Roar. And this dragon roar, not roar, howl, in the dark cave is the same thing. When there's a cave in the mountains and wind goes through the cave, they make a sound. And Chinese people, that is dragon howl. So here... That emptiness, empty space, made a really great sound like a dragon's howl. And yet Dogen said, that's quiet. That hole's quiet because of that hole, the world, the whole universe, quiet. Do you know the haiku by basho?

[82:26]

That, you know, the skeidos, skeidos. Do you know skeidos? Skeido. Skeido. Not mosquito. Skeido. Semi, in Japanese. Yeah, yeah, yes. Skado. Thank you. With the sound of skado, the world becomes quieter. So one kind of sound in our sense makes the world more quiet.

[83:30]

Does it make sense? Because within the quietness, or even a bad thing and stop it, then we know how quiet this world is. And I think that is what he is saying here by using dragon's holes. And this great sound of dragon and quietness, it's kind of a dichotomy. It's opposite thing. But both are there. Because of this sound, we see how quiet the universe is. So dichotomy works together and makes this world perfect and quiet and peaceful. And the tiger roars at the edge of a cliff.

[84:37]

The cold valley becomes warm. Well, dragon is yang and tiger is yin. I have to remember it. So yin is coldness, right? Yin is dark and cold. And when a tiger roars at the edge of cliff, so it's very cold. maybe also the strong wind blows. It's very cold. But because of the tiger's roar, this cold valley becomes warm. Does it make sense? I think this is also about our zazen.

[85:46]

Within our Zazen, the power or energy of yin and yang works together. And, you know, yang energy or power, like a dragon, makes us quiet. And I think this discourse is done in the winter. It must be very cold in the Zen door. But young energy like a tiger keeps us warm even in sitting. So even though we are sitting in a dark and cold place or dark and cold condition, still this Zen as a whole help us making warm and quiet and peaceful.

[86:57]

And I don't like cats. I think this is only one place Dogen I'm not sure whether Dogen used this, really said cards or not, but this is, as far as I remember, this is only one place these cards appeared in Dogen's writings. So I don't know, maybe he wanted to say it. Maybe this is Dragons' holes and tigers' roars, these cards. Well, it's 9 o'clock. Any questions or comments? Is this interesting? Yes. Do you enjoy it?

[88:01]

Yes. Good, good. I hope so. Okay, next week. Next week, I think, is the last week. I start from this course, let's see, six. And if we are, I hope we can do another one. This goes eight. Okay, thank you very much.

[88:34]

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