Good morning. Yesterday afternoon I talked on the first sentence of this writing. Of the first sentence. I talked about the present, mountains and waters. But I think I didn't talk about the old Buddha. Old Buddha is also an important word in Dogen's teaching and writings. In order to understand what Old Buddha means in Dogen's writings, we have to read another chapter of Shobo Genzo. titled Kobutsu-shin, The Mind of Old Buddhas. But because we don't have much time, I'll just say one point from that chapter.

[01:10]

Kobutsu-shin, Mind of Old Buddhas. Kobutsu literally means Old Buddha. In my translation, I translate this. Some translators translate it as the first buddhas, or another translation translates it as Those three are not so different, but the last one is very much different. But this translation, eternal Buddha, came from Dogen's statement about the old Buddha in Kobutsu-shin, mind of old Buddha.

[02:21]

Dogen said, you know, this is old or ancient or past, but this word means going beyond or transcend past and present. So, as a meaning, eternal Buddha is not a mistaken translation, but it's not literal. So, this Kobutsu, Old Buddha, means kind of timeless, eternal, beyond time and space. So, you know, the present is time. This moment, next moment, and another moment. It's time. And mountains walk through the time. So, present mountains and waters is actual things, phenomenal things, which is moving around, changing.

[03:28]

And kobutsu means the eternal truth, beyond time and space. So here, these two are kind of two polars, moment by moment things, here, right here, and right now. and ko-butsu is timeless, beyond time and space. And in this sentence, Dogen said, these two are very one thing. So this is, in a sense, same as the sentence in the Heart Sutra. Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form. So, moment-by-moment things is the genjou or manifestation of eternal or timeless reality. And timeless reality manifests itself within moment-by-moment things. That is our life, that is our activity.

[04:32]

So, you know, this is the most important point of this Sansuikyo. That's why it took me so long to explain about only the title of this chapter and the first sentence. Unless we really understand the meaning or significance of this first sentence and the kind of attention, you know, those two are kind of, in a sense, contradictory to each other, like a form and emptiness. If there's home, it's not empty. If it's empty, there's no form. So, emptiness is a negation of form. And form is a negation of emptiness. But the Heart Sutra said, form is emptiness, and emptiness is form. This kind of tension, or logical twist,

[05:36]

Usually, our logical mind doesn't accept this kind of twist. We say, this is contradicted and doesn't make any sense. That's all. That's kind of a beginning of Buddhist study. Please. Yes. Well, Dogen called several Chinese Zen masters as kobutsu, or old Buddha, like Tendo Nyojo, his own teacher, and Wanshi Shogaku, and Joshu, and probably he called Unmon also as kobutsu. In that case, Kobutsu, or Old Buddha, means the person who awakened to that timeless reality and expressed that reality through their practice and teaching.

[06:46]

OK? I think in Kobutsu-shin, Dogen said, Kobutsu is a person who transmitted through Dharma. So people who have the true Dharma eye and see the reality with true Dharma eye and express it through their own life, both activity and teaching, or verbal expression, those are called kobutsu, other human beings. And another point is about former emptiness. In the Maka Hanya Haramitsu, that is the first, oldest writing of Dogen within Shobo Genzo, written in 1233, before Genjo Kōan, he said, You know, even though it's said in the Heart Sutra, form is emptiness.

[07:53]

Emptiness is form. As a reality, it's not right, or it's not complete. He said, form is form. Emptiness is emptiness. That's Dogen's way to express this reality. Because if we say, you know, there is a form, another kind of a concept, emptiness, And the Heart Sutra is saying these two kinds of contradictory things or concepts are one. But Dogen's point is, if form is really emptiness, we don't need to say emptiness. When we say form, emptiness is already mentioned, already included. And when we say emptiness, form is already there. Really, form and emptiness are one thing. We don't need to say form is emptiness. That is Dogen's logic.

[08:53]

And he often expresses in that way. So this, you know, moment by moment, phenomenal things such as mountains and rivers are the expression or manifestation of the timeless truth or reality of Buddha. That is what the first sentence is saying. And the second sentence, I go very slowly, but soon the mountain starts to walk. Then it becomes faster and faster. So don't worry." He said, I mean, in this translation, it says, second sentence,

[09:55]

Each abiding in its own dharma state fulfills exhaustive virtues. This expression, dharma state, is a translation of ho'i. This expression came from the Lotus Sutra. Each and every being stays or dwells within ho-i. And my translation is dharma position. Stay, I think is okay too. And Dogen talks about this dharma position. in Genjo Koan, if you remember, when he discussed about firewood and ash.

[10:59]

If you don't remember, I'll read it. Let's see. Genjo Koan. This is the eighth section of Genjo Koan. Dogen says, firewood becomes ash. Ash cannot turn back into firewood again. I think we understand this. However, we should not view ash as after and firewood before. We should know that firewood dwells in the dharma position of firewood. This is our dharma position. Firewood dwells in the dharma position of firewood.

[12:08]

And it has its own before and after. Although there is before and after, Past and future are cut off. Past and future are cut off. Ash stays at the position of ash, and it has its own before and after. As firewood never becomes firewood again, after it is burned and becomes ash, after a person dies, He's talking about our life and death. After a person dies, there is no return to living. However, in Buddhadharma, it is a never-changing tradition not to say that life becomes death.

[13:11]

So he's saying life doesn't become death. We die, but life doesn't become death. Life is life, 100%, and death is death, 100%. And there's no return. Therefore, we call it no arising. It is the laid-down way of Buddha's turning the Dharma wheel, not to say that death becomes life. Therefore, we call it no perishing. So life and death is no arising and no perishing, even though we are born and we die. Life is a position at one time. Death is also a position at one time. For instance, this is like winter and spring. We don't think that winter becomes spring.

[14:14]

And we don't say that spring becomes summer. I found that this is not true in English. But in Japanese, we don't say spring becomes summer. But unfortunately, in English, you say it. Anyway, what he's saying here is, you know, Changing of things. Firewood becomes ash when it burns.

[15:30]

And before it became firewood, it was a tree. And before it became a tree, it was a seed or something different. in kind of a stream of being within changing, within impermanence, it changes the state, the condition, depending upon the causes and conditions, depending upon what kind of seed was it, you know, the tree grow in a different ways. And when tree was cut in the forest and dried, it become fired. And when we burn it to heat, you know, fire would become ash. So, in our common understanding, this is within a stream of time.

[16:38]

But what Dogen said is, when it was a tree, the tree dwells at the dharma position or as a tree. And when it was a firewood, firewood dwells in the dharma position of firewood. And when it becomes ash, ash is within the dharma position of ash. So, in each stage, it's independent. Tree is not previous stage of firewood, actually. And firewood is not the previous stage of ash. But ash, when it ash, this is completely ash. When it is a firewood, it is completely firewood.

[17:42]

And when it was a tree, it was completely tree. preparation to be fired. Right? Or in the case of human life, this can be a baby, or under kids, and teenagers, and young adults, and middle-aged, and aged people. You know, baby food. When we are a baby, we are not kind of a preparation to be a kid. But when we are a baby, we are 100% a baby. You know, baby and kids are completely different in that sense, independent of each other. So, you know, this is a kind of a big, big change. But not only this big change, but moment by moment,

[18:43]

we dwell in a certain dharma position. And he said, Dogen said, as a firewood, there is a past and there is a future. Within this stage, as a past of this stage, this was a tree. And as a future of firewood, this firewood would become ash. But this before and after is within this dharma stage or dharma position. So there is before and after. But this before and after is cut off. So this is complete perfect moment. Complete, perfect time.

[19:45]

There's nothing lacking. That is what Phat Dogen said in Uji, as I said yesterday. Being-time. Being and time is one thing. So, this is complete. One completes time and being. And yet, it is flowing. you know, tree become firewood, firewood become ash. But in the case of mountain, we don't see this change because the mountains change so slowly, much slower than we change our You know, when we are born, man-pain is already man-pain. And when we die, man-pain is still man-pain. So we don't think man-pain changes, but actually man-pain changes as we know. Yes?

[20:45]

It seems like there are several things being said at the same time here. Yes. And we're just designating it as a tree, kind of artificially? Yes, as a condition of smoke. Okay. And so, past and present, or past, present, and future would exist within the phenomenal realm of trees, insofar as those causes and conditions can come and go, and come and go continually? Yeah, yes. Okay. So, in our life, you know, as I said yesterday, or the day before yesterday, you know, my experience in the past, is a part of my life at this moment. It's not really the past. It's not gone yet. It's still there. But as a part of my present life, my experience when I was a child, is past, the time of yesterday, or the time of 50 years ago.

[21:59]

But still that is part of my present life at this moment. So, each moment is completely independent. It doesn't flow. But still, this thing which doesn't flow is really flowing. It's a strange thing. Yes, yes. Yes, yes. And one more thing I should mention about Uji is, a little bit after that section I read yesterday, he used an expression such as Ga Uji. Ga Uji means being time.

[23:06]

And ga means self. So ga uji is one thing. The name of this reality, self and all other beings and entire time is one thing. And this one thing is myself. That is what Dogen is talking about when he uses the word self. Yeah, you know, within this dharma position of far out, there is a path within this moment, as I said, which is zero.

[24:18]

There should be no length. But within this zero stage, you know, entire past is there as karma in our case of in our life. And entire future is already within this present moment as our vow. or aspiration, or hope, or desire, whatever. So, within this present moment, which is zero, the entire past and the entire present is reflected, or included. And this self that is a very tiny thing, like a drop of dew, the entire universe is reflected. That is the image of self in Dogen's teaching. As Dogen said, also in Genjo Koan, even on a tiny drop of dew, the vast universal moonlight is reflected.

[25:26]

So, you know, within this entire time, from beginningless beginning and endless end, is included at this very moment. and all beings, myriad beings in this entire universe is reflected on this tiny thing. That is what Phat Dogen is trying to show us. It's a fiction, but without this fiction, there's no reality. No any other reality. This fiction is only reality. Fiction is a good word, I think. I mean, in another chapter of Shobo Gendo entitled, Gabyo Painting, Painting Rice Cake, said, our life is like a painting rice cake. It's an illusion.

[26:28]

It's a fiction. by our mind, but still, without this fictitious life, there's no reality. And this is Buddha's life. Strange things to say, but that is what Dogen is saying. It's very strange. And also another expression Dogen used is relating a dream within a dream. This life is like a dream. But within dream, we try to understand what this dream looks like. And without this dream, there's no reality. This dream is reality. Please. No, I don't think so. We are within the Buddha's dream.

[27:30]

And it continues. We cannot stop it. I think so. So, waking up means we see this is a dream. But we usually don't see this is a dream. We see this is reality. And we become really serious. And cling to, you know, this dream. And dream, each person has different dream. And within our personal dream, we are the center of the story. And we distort the dream. We don't see this strange reality as it is. That is what he is discussing later in Sanseikyo. We have different views. And how shall we deal with these different views? I think, you know, if it's a dream becoming a saint or not, and it's a dream being a home-girl.

[28:40]

So, you know, what's the importance of doing one or the other? And I can see, you know, a beautiful dream and a nightmare is what you're saying. But, you know, at the end of the day, what's the real importance, you know, of practicing or not practicing? This is a good question, I think, a very important question. Why we practice? We don't need to practice. We don't need to be here. We can be outside. And it might be, you know, a better dream. Now we are, you know, within what might be a nightmare. You know, discussing about this kind of strange thing. You know, you can enjoy walking on the beach. Which is better? I don't know. But somehow I'm here. kind of my role, I'm talking about my understanding or my dream about Dogen's teaching.

[29:42]

And you are listening to my dream. If you enjoy it, it's OK. But if you don't enjoy it, you can leave. But you cannot leave from this life as a dream. Who's first, please? What is the difference? Let's see. In our common understanding, I think, what I ate yesterday, the food, was reality yesterday.

[30:51]

But I ate yesterday, so food is digested and already get out of my body. So the food I ate yesterday does not exist anymore. It was reality yesterday, but it's not reality today. It's already gone. And what Dogen is saying is that food is still here as the food is gone. The food I ate yesterday is still here. It's still here within my body. And it's changed into my energy. But, you know, so we cannot say the food was reality yesterday, but the food is gone, so we cannot... That is our common understanding. We say it's gone and no such food anymore.

[31:57]

But what the fat dog wants to say is this is complete time and this entire time, complete time lacks nothing. So the food I ate yesterday is still here as a part of my karma. And that karma helps me to talk right now. If I didn't eat that food, I'm hungry and I don't have energy to talk now. So the food is actually working right now as my energy. So the food is still part of this moment. And I don't know what is the difference between these two. But I think Dogen's point is this moment is really only reality even though it's a fiction.

[33:01]

This moment is not a step to next moment. You know, we usually think, you know, practice at this moment is a step to next stage. That means, you know, that is our common sense in the society, like a school. You know, what we study in the elementary school is a step to go to the higher study. But if we think in that way, you know, this moment is simply a step to the next moment. And if we have a goal, and to, how can I say, reach that goal is the most important thing. Then if we cannot reach that goal, what we are doing right now is meaningless. If we think, you know, this is only simply a part of the stream and going there, reaching there,

[34:14]

That means become Buddha in the case of Buddhist practice. If we think to become Buddha is the purpose of what we are doing right now. If we think in that way, you know, that is our ordinary thinking, goal-oriented. You know, when we study, you know, car driving to get a license is my purpose. So if I fail to get the license, my study and practice of car driving is nonsense, meaningless, valueless. But at least in the case of Buddhist practice, what Dogen wants to say is, this moment, what we are doing right now, today, even though we are not Buddha yet, we are not in the other shore yet. But if we really practice sincerely with whole-heartedly and mindfully, the Buddhahood is already here.

[35:28]

So Dogen put emphasis on the value of this moment, what we are actually doing, because this is only reality. The Buddhahood in the first is still a dream. Do you understand? Is this the answer to your question? I think the difference is the importance of this moment, what we are doing. Well, I'm sorry. You were about to say something about our differing views. What do you mean by differing views? Later, so let me talk about it later, please. We are one. We are one.

[36:50]

I think. You know, this self, I think it's one. I'm one person, you are another person. So we are different each other. So we are one. And this moment is zero. And each moment is eternal. Infinite. So one equals zero equals infinite. That's a strange thing to say. Pardon? Are you sure about that? Yes. That's my dream. So, you know, at each moment we are dwelling in certain dharma position.

[37:53]

For example, now I am a... lecturer during this session. I'm at the dharma position of a lecturer. So I'm trying to do my best to talk about Dogen's teaching, about Shobo Genzo. And each one of us has a certain position, as a Tenzo, or Ino, or branches not here, but above. These are all dharma positions. at this moment. But next moment we may change. As a Dharma position, I think we have 13 roles at this moment. You know, now I'm a father of my children, but now my role is a teacher, so I try to talk about Dharma.

[39:03]

No, I don't talk about family things. So, you know, we have different roles, even, at one moment, one present moment. And because I am here at the Zen Center and joining Sesshin, kind of make a choice, you know, this is my role. But as a dharma position, you know, to be a teacher is not really, how can I say, whole of myself. I'm from another, you know, side. I'm a husband of my wife. and father of my children. I'm a director at the Southern Education Center. There are many different kind of aspects of this person's life. But at least right now, right here, I'm a teacher.

[40:07]

So I try to teach, even though I'm not sure you study or not, or you like my teaching or not. But anyway, as a role or function of dharma position, this person's dharma position, I try to talk about my understanding of dharma. So, dharma position and role is kind of different. Does it make sense? Do you understand? Okay. Okay, so... Each one of us dwells in a certain dharma position. And yet, each and every one of us, not only human beings, but all things, has a virtue.

[41:11]

I don't really know the English word for virtue. good word or not, but I don't know other word. This translation says, exhaustive virtue. Each one of us has, whatever dharma position we are, this life, at this moment, has exhaustive virtue. Exhaustive, I don't know what exhaustive really means in English, as an English word. But the original word, gu jin, gu means to penetrate thoroughly, completely. And jin is to exhaust, means there's nothing lacking. So, there is a complete virtue, not without any lacking.

[42:18]

So, whether you are a devotee of this Zen Center, or a Ino, or a Tenzo, or just a visitor like me, you know, we, all of us, have an exhaustive virtue within this, you know, not a structure, how can I say, this, you know, entire time and being. Please. Purpose. The original word is kudoku. Kudoku. means function, or the result of function.

[43:26]

That is some merit. And tok is, what is tok? Virtue, yes. Virtue means good point. Something good quality. So, something good as a value. What? It's the same character as the dou in dōgen. Yes. That is the word dōgen used in the next sentence. Dōtoku. Dōtoku. Dō and toku is the name of the book of Lao Tzu. Dōtoku Kyō. In that case, a virtue of the way. So, this is a kind of important word in Chinese culture.

[44:34]

So, good, a kind of a good thing, good quality, value, a result of our function or work. And when this kudoku is fulfilled, completely fulfilled, that means we are Buddha. Buddha's kudoku is complete. But because we are beginners, our kudoku is not complete. But still, Dogen is saying, within our incomplete practice as beginner, the perfect kudoku, perfect virtue of Buddha is manifested. It's a kind of incredible statement because, you know, we make so many mistakes. Our work is not so great. But still, Dogen said, if we practice in order to

[45:48]

not in order to, but for the sake of fulfilling our vows, Bodhisattva vows, you know, saving all beings. Delusions are inexhaustible. We vow to put an end to them. Dharma gate is boundless, I vow to master them, and Buddha's way is unsurpassed. We vow to obtain it. And within, you know, this vow, the first half of four vows and the second half of four vows are contradicted. You know, if sentient beings are numberless, there's no time we can save them all. If desires are inexhaustible, there's no time we can put an end to them.

[46:53]

If Dharma is boundless, we cannot master it. If Buddha way is unsurpassable, there's no time we can attain it. So, it's very clear. So, when we take these vows, we vow to do something we cannot do. something we cannot complete. So, you know, a clever person cannot take such a vow, I think. Only a stupid person can take such a vow. You know, this is really contradicted. But I think this contradiction is important. This contradiction shows us the incompleteness of our practice. No matter how hard we practice, no matter how many good things we do to save others, still, you know, our practice is incomplete.

[47:56]

And to, maybe I said yesterday, to awaken to that incompleteness is repentance. So, vow is taking this stupid vow. And we feel, you know, always incomplete. We are still not complete. This is a vow, I mean, dependence. So, vow and dependence should be always together, or two sides of one coin. And dependence, or this awakening to incompleteness of our practice, strengthen our vow, our practice towards this vow. So, these two sides, this contradiction of two sides is really important. In a sense, this contradiction of these two sides is the same as Dogen is saying in the first sentence, that mountains and rivers are present.

[49:03]

is manifestation of eternal Buddha. So, both two cannot be really one. But Dogen said they are one. It's a strange thing. It's not logical. Logical mind cannot follow such a strange statement. But as a reality, when we practice, within practice, we really, I think, at least in my experience, I feel that's it. That is the only possible way to awake to the reality of, you know, stupidity of this person and make this stupid person to walk in the Bodhisattva path in a very practical, concrete way. Otherwise, you know, our vow becomes a dream, really. Please.

[50:04]

Toward the direction of infinity, and each step of our practice toward that infinity, infinity is manifested. Those vows that you were talking, that we can do it, that it's true, we can do it, I mean, I'm not saying something contrary of that, but can it mean somehow, can it mean the same as, you know, we are, those vows, they are going towards infinity? Yes. Yes. So we take a vow and practice towards infinity. Yeah. So, our practice is there, really. Well, I'm not sure if it's the same or not. When we observe objectively, it might be the same.

[51:35]

Yeah, it might be the same. But from inside, as Dogen said, we have to directly go get into the mountains and see the mountain peaks from inside. Whether we see the mountain from inside, Dogen later said, a person who said, Dogen said, people outside the mountain, people who don't have the eye, cannot see. And before that, he said, people in the mountain cannot see. And next he said, people outside the mountain can see. So none of us cannot see. So in that sense, we are the same. But it's from, you know, who really living as, you know, life.

[52:39]

I'm not judging, you know, other. OK. as a person, as a first person who is living this body and mind, you know, I can... I feel difference.

[53:44]

Whether when I just do whatever I want to do, following my personal desire, and following my vow, way to live as a bodhisattva, I think my quality of my life is very different from outside, you know. My life and any other people's life is the same. Just we are born and we eat some food and spend certain periods of time and disappear. That's all. But as a person who is really living with this particular body and mind, within this particular condition of society, you know, there is difference. And we have to make a choice which way we want to go, I think.

[54:45]

I don't know if this is the answer to your question or not. I would say, you know, it's the same thing, the beauty of the mountain, of being anywhere, you see that beauty. And my question is, you know, can you see the same beauty, or Dogan would say, you can see the same beauty as Christi, looking at the mountain, in that tragedy, you know, who's at the particular moment hurting himself and others, and you see the beauty in that situation, not only in the mountains and in the view, but here. Well, I think I think there are many, many terrible things happened in the mountain too. And if we only see the beauty of the mountain, then we are not Bodhisattva, I think. We need to see the reality of very ugly part of the mountain too, I guess. And somehow we need to take care of it, in any way we can do.

[55:54]

and each one of us has different tendency or capability or vow or desire or hope, wish. So, the way each one of us works for the sake of this mountain can be different. In my case, I think that best contribution I can do to human society is practice as a Buddhist practice, or so-called practitioner, and try to transmit what I studied and practiced in Japan to this country. So this is my kind of activity. to as a person who has a limited capability. I mean, because of our karma, you know, we are limited.

[56:59]

So, each one of us has to find a certain way to, as a bodhisattva practitioner, to do something. you know, we can appreciate the beauty of the mountain, but also we have to see the miserable condition, too, within the mountain. And our activity is how we can make this entire mountain a better place for all living beings. I think that is the meaning of Bodhisattva vow. So, I don't, you know, not only Dogen, but any kind of a dharma teachers, write a beautiful expression or poems. So, if we are careless, we only see

[58:01]

You know, to appreciate such a beautiful scenery in the mountain is our practice. But I don't think that is true. We have to see how ugly we are. And how can we deal with this? How can we practice with this ugliness within ourselves or within this mountain? I think it's a very important thing. So I don't think... If we think, you know, Things happening in the city is beautiful. We deceive ourselves. It's ugly. It's painful. It's terrible. Not only in this world. There are so many terrible things happening. And we cannot say, you know, this world is perfect as it is. You know, there are so many things that should be taken care of.

[59:03]

And our vow and activity for this has beauty when we work in order to make the situation even a little bit better. I think, in that sense, we can find beauty of mountain in such activities within the ugly part of the mountain. But it makes sense? Okay. Please. You talk about that in the way you said in the 20th day, in relation to the Daniel Cohen, and what you said about bringing yourself forward to experience the way of being a person, letting that come forth to you. In trying to find that way, how do we, I don't know.

[60:12]

I think there are many different, you know, cases. In my case, somehow, when I read my teacher's book, I felt... I really didn't... I didn't know what he's talking about. But somehow I feel I was sucked into that way. You know, that was when I was 17 years old. I knew nothing about Zen or Buddhism. But somehow, it was like a, how can I say, a magnet. I was just, you know, pulled towards that direction. And I'm still in that direction. So, you know, later he talks about fishing in the river. And he said, we fish a fish, but maybe we are. Or he said, we are fish by the way, or we fish the way.

[61:16]

You know, so there are so many different cases or different way of understanding or interpretation. I feel I'm sucked in, but each important time I have to make a choice whether I really want to be a disciple of Uchiyama Roshi or not. In order to do so, I have to give up other responsibilities in the society or in Japanese society. The oldest son, the first son, has the responsibility to take care of the household and parents. So, to me, to become a monk means to give up that responsibility. So, it was a kind of a very difficult choice. So, I think it has both directions.

[62:25]

We are sucked, or we are fished, hooked by the way. But I have to make a choice, really. And there are many other, you know, situations. So each one of us, I think, is different. Please. As an illustration of that, the choice of the oldest son So I'm a Buddha's son. Yes. Yes. You know, Buddha made a choice to leave his family and give up his responsibility as a prince. But it doesn't mean he was irresponsible, I guess. Then you can look at the drug addict.

[64:13]

There's a part of that when you don't have the food without the drug addict, sort of. So, they are one and they relate. But it contracts and expands and deepens and makes what we are in existence. Well, can I go back to Sansekyo? I want to finish this paragraph this morning. This is my direction to finish this writing within a week. So, next he says, because they are the circumstances prior to the kalpa of emptiness, They are this life of the present, because they are the self before the germination of any subtle sign. They are liberated in their actual occurrence.

[65:18]

These are also kind of two sides, you know, prior to the kalpa of emptiness. And before the germination of any subtle sign means like before big bang, before anything happened. The kalpa of emptiness means... It's in... Bodhisattva Vimalama says there are a kind of a repetition of four kalpas. First is A kalpa of arising. And next is kalpa of, literally, abiding. And the third is kalpa of destruction. And the fourth is kalpa of emptiness. So, within the first kalpa, kalpa means very long time. It's almost forever.

[66:21]

In the first kalpa, things, you know, is forming. And in the second kalpa, it continues or maintains the form. And in the third kalpa, it starts to fall apart or destruction or deform. And in the last kalpa, it's gone, empty. But in this case, before or prior to the empty kalpa doesn't mean kalpa of destruction. But this means before those all four kalpas, means before nothing happened, before anything happened. That means complete emptiness. you know, beyond any discrimination. That is prior to the culpable emptiness and also before germination of any subtle sign.

[67:37]

This is, I think, comes from the image of seed germinate. and a little tip comes out from the earth. So, before that, nothing is there. So, before any human activity, that is, so that means same as ancient or old in old Buddha. That means eternity. And there is a life of the present. This present is the same as the first present, Nikon. This is a life. I think life in this case means our day-to-day activities. The original word is kakkei.

[68:44]

Kakkei is life, but Kakkei is kei, literally means calculation, or managing things in order to... So, in this case, this life is almost like a livelihood. You know, we do so many things in order to maintain our livelihood. Those concrete activities in our daily lives So, the eternity and moment-by-moment things we have to take care of is one thing. So, this is a practice, and this is eternity. So, eternity manifests itself as our day-to-day activity to keep our livelihood. Another one is Genjo, liberated.

[69:51]

They are liberated in their actual occurrence. Actual occurrence is a translation of, again, Genjo. Genjo. Gen means appear. Also, Gen also means present. And Jo means to become, or to form. So, Genjo The usual translation of Genjo is manifestation or actualization of moment by moment. It's things, you know, coming and going within moment by moment. You know, like a fire with ash or whatever things we need to do to, in this case, to maintain this Seshin is a Kakkei. And this is something, you know, going on at this present moment. And yet, this Sat Dogen's thing is, each moment, each moment and each activity we do, in order to keep our livelihood, our day-to-day life, is liberated from itself.

[71:09]

because that is the manifestation of timeless or eternal truth of Buddha. Maybe we have to say, if we practice, live and practice following Bodhisattva vows, that means if we live based on or to fulfill our personal egocentric desire, then I'm not sure whether we can say that is still also manifestation of eternal timeless reality or not. Maybe so. But as a practitioner, these activities, as practice to fulfill this stupid vow, is a manifestation of, you know, eternal Buddha.

[72:13]

And, since the virtues of the mountains are high and broad, the spiritual power to ride the clouds is always mastered from the mountains. And the marvelous ability to follow the wind is inevitably liberated from the mountains. In this translation, the spiritual power is a translation of dōtoku, this word, virtue of the way. And, next thing, marvelous ability, is myō, myō-ku.

[73:23]

So, he split this word, kudoku, into two and made another compound. using this myo and this do. So, both are the virtue of the mountains. And myo is myo in myoho renge kyo, or myoho, that means sad dharma, true dharma. And usually this is translated as wondrous. So, the virtue of the way and wondrous ability, activity, or merit. So the mountains have... Mountain means, you know, this ga-u-ji, self being time. This mountain has the virtue to, he said, to ride the clouds.

[74:28]

Ride the clouds means to go up. and follow the wind means to go broad. Go up could mean to go up toward the Buddhahood, or to fulfill bodhisattva vows. Or sometimes go up, or vertical, To be vertical means time. So, go up and down. Go up means to the past or entire stream of time. And follow the wind means go everywhere in this space at this moment. So, this mountain in which we are there, we are in the mountains. That is the way, you know, mountain walks moment by moment.

[75:33]

That is what Dogen meant when he discussed about mountain is always walking. Mountain is always walking in this way and moment by moment it's a perfect mountain. It has a perfect virtue which allows us to practice and go higher and higher, and also go broader and broader to help others. You know, this is the introduction of this writing, Genjo Aimin, Sansui Kyo. So, this mountain and the waters actually means our life. It's not mountains and rivers and waters outside of our life, or it's not how can I say, environment of our life. But we are in it. And if we call this strange thing, you know, mountain including self, we can call this entire thing is the self.

[76:50]

The self includes all entire mountains. And also, including self, this is a mountain. And in Shobo Genzo, or Zenki, Zenki means total or entire, complete function or work. Togen describes this as, where is it? as follows. This is a translation by Nishijima. He said, Life, our life. Life is the manifestation of all functions.

[77:51]

In this case, all functions is a translation of Zenki. complete, dynamic, total function, a work of these mountains, each moment. Life is a manifestation of all functions, and death is the manifestation of all functions, both life and death. And remember, among the countless dharmas that are present in the self, There is life and there is death. So both life and death is within this life. Let us quietly consider whether our own present life and the miscellaneous real dharmas... I don't understand this translation, but this means all dharmas, all things, is living together with us.

[78:53]

which are coexisting with this life, are part of life or not part of life. There is nothing, not a single moment, nor a single dharma, that is not part of this life. So, each and every time, moment, and each and every thing is part of this life. Life can be likened to a time when a person is sailing in a boat. Dogen used this analogy in Genjokuan also, but he used the same analogy in here. On this boat, I am operating the sail. I have taken the rudder, r-u-d-d-e-r, I am pushing the pole, so we do some work.

[79:59]

At the same time, the boat is carrying me, and there is no I. No I belongs to the boat. Through my sailing of the boat, this boat is being caused to be a boat. Let us consider and learn in practice just this moment of the present. At this very moment, at this very moment, there is nothing other than the world of the boat. So when we are sailing in the boat, this entire world is a world of the boat. The sky, the water, the shore, have all become the moment of the boat, which is utterly different from moments not on the boat.

[81:05]

So, life is fat. I am making it. And I am fat. Life is making me. So life makes me in this way, in my case, talking about these strange things. And I'm expressing my life in this way. So from the side of the self and from the side of a network of this interdependent origination, you know, work from each, both sides, and that creates my life, not only my life, but each one of us' life. So, actually, this co-working, mutual working, is our life. You know, society makes this person as shohaku, and I have, through my action, I make in the society, or we create in the society,

[82:18]

So, while I am sailing in the boat, my body and mind and circumstances and self are all essential parts of the boat. And the whole earth and the whole of space are all essential parts of the boat. He said, when we are sailing on the boat, The entire world becomes a part of the boat. It's kind of a strange thing. The boat is part of the entire thing, entire world. But he said, in our activity, in our practice, in our life, this entire life, entire world, is part of me, or part of my practice, part of my life. What has been described like this is that life is the self, and the self is life. Basically, he's saying the same thing in the Mountains and Waters Sutra, that we are part of the entire world, and the entire world is a part of our life.

[83:39]

I think that is the basic structure of Dogen's teaching. So, we create the world, and the world creates me. mutual work is actually our life and our practice. Well, I think it's time to stop talking and go back to the Zen. Thank you.

[84:10]

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