At the bottom of page 1, let me read a few pages. Practice Buddha's transformative functions flow out through its speech, throughout all time, all directions, all Buddha, and all practice. Unless we are Practice Buddha, we have not yet been liberated from bondage to the Buddha, and bondage to the Dharma, and we will become Buddha demons or Dharma demons.

[01:09]

Buddha bondage means that by viewing and understanding that awakening is awakening, we are bound by nothing other than the view itself or the understanding itself. Although, within the extremely short passage of one moment, dignified conduct is actualized, we still don't know when we will be liberated and we vainly create mistaken understandings. To see and understand awakening as awakening, this must be the view that is in accordance with awakening. Who can say that this is an evil view? To think in this way is nothing other than binding ourselves without a rope. This binding will continue unceasingly, and the tree does not fall down with the wisteria withering.

[02:23]

we will vainly struggle within a cave in the vicinity of Buddhahood. We would not know that, in such a situation, the Dharma body is gotten sick and the rewarded body is suffering in poverty. Even one of the teachers of teaching schools, such as the masters of sutras, the masters of commentaries, and so forth, who heard of the Buddha way from far away, said, to allow the view of Dharma nature on the Dharma nature is nothing other than ignorance. The teacher of the teaching school, that is Tientai Chi'i, did not say to allow the view of Dharma-nature. On Dharma-nature is the bondage of the Dharma-nature.

[03:30]

He failed to say that. That is the bondage of Dharma-nature. And further, he added the bondage of ignorance. He did not know that there is bondage of Dharma nature. Although it is pitiful, the fact that he knew that in such a case we add the bondage of ignorance could become the seed of arousing awakening mind. Now, practiced Buddha has not been bound by such bondage. Here he is talking about bondage being bound with Buddha and with Dharma. And only practicing Buddha can be liberated from that kind of bondage.

[04:34]

To understand what he is saying, You know, this is really difficult writing because he, Dogen Zenji, used different phrases and expressions from mainly the Lotus Sutra and also Shinjinmei or Shinshinmei, the Zen poetry and other koan stories. So, we need to check each and every quote from the original, and what is the meaning in the original text, and what change did he make, and what is he trying to show us. In order to do so, I think we need to share what is the basic teaching of the Lotus Sutra. So, I'd like to talk about my understanding of really basic teaching of the Lotus Sutra.

[05:49]

And for Dogen Zenji, because he was originally became a monk and trained at Tendai Monastery in Japan, Tendai teaching is basis of his Buddhist understanding. So even when he became Zen master, he valued the Lotus Sutra. And he said the Lotus Sutra is the king of all the sutras. So I'd like to share my basic understanding of what the Lotus Sutra is saying. Let's see. Last year, during the Genzo-e, we studied Shobo Jisso, or true reality of all beings. And, I think that is the very basic teaching in the Lotus Sutra.

[06:52]

So, I'd like to repeat what I said about the true reality of all beings, or Shobo Jisso. The expression, Shōhō Jissō, appeared in the second chapter of the Lotus Sutra entitled, uh, Skillful Means or Tactfulness. And it said, uh, Only Buddha, together with Buddha, or yui-butsu, yo-butsu, penetrate through reality of all beings. So, through reality of all beings can be seen only by Buddhas, no human beings. And, interesting point is this, you know, Lotus Sutra was made by human beings.

[08:02]

So, they are talking about what they couldn't see. I think it's important. Why we cannot see the Shoho Jiso with our human point of view, I think is an important point here. Anyway, about the Shoho Jiso, this is the English translation of Lotus Sutra. This is a translation from Sanskrit to Chinese by Kumarajiva. So, Kumarajiva is an original person who used this expression, Shobo Jisso. In the Chinese translation of Kumara Jiva's translation of the Lotus Sutra, it says, Shobo Jisho is ten suchness, or Jyu, Nyo, Ze.

[09:07]

Jyu is ten. Nyo is like this, like, or thus. There is this, so like this or thus, ten thusness or suchness. And those ten suchness actually appear only in Kumāra Jīva's translation. There is no such thing in the original Sanskrit text. So this might be Kumarajiva's kind of addition or interpretation of this true reality of all beings. And he, Kumarajiva, used the same expression when he translated Nagarjuna's Majamka Kalika. And I forget the number of the section, but in the section Nagarjuna discussed about the Ga or Atman.

[10:34]

Nagarjuna used this expression, Shobho Jitso. That means, of course, Nagarjuna negates the existence of Gā or Ātman. And there are no such things called Ātman, yet things are going, we are living as a person and as any other things. That is the true reality of all beings without Ātman or something fixed. So, basically, the teaching of Shōhōji-sō is interdependent origination. And, now, Kumāra Jīva introduced this idea of ten suchnesses. And those ten suchnesses are... First, in Japanese, sō.

[11:38]

SHO TAI RIKI SA IN NEN KA HO and HON MATSU KU KYO TO You don't need to write this down. I write this for myself.

[12:54]

So is form. Let's see. In this translation it says, Only a Buddha together with a Buddha can fathom the reality of all existence. This is to say, all existence has such a form. And second is such a nature. Shō is nature. And tai, in this translation, says embodiment. But I think this is body. And riki is energy. Sa is a function. And in is cause. En is a condition. Ka is result or effect.

[13:55]

And ho is, what is ho? Recompense. And the final tense is, in this translation, a complete fundamental whole. Complete. fundamental whole. But another translation is ultimate identity from the beginning to the end. Ultimate identity from the beginning to the end. From the beginning to the end means from number one to number nine. Ultimately, one reality, not ten independent items. And this is really important teaching, but not many people explain what this means.

[14:58]

I don't, you know, create a clear explanation of what this means. It's only said all Dharma, all beings, has these ten suchness, without much explanation. So this is my understanding. I think the first five is the uniqueness of each and every being. Each and every being has its own unique form, and unique nature, and unique body, and function, energy and function. So each and everything has its own unique way of being. But that each and everything can exist only within relationship, within time and space.

[16:06]

I think that is from six to nine means. Sixth and eighth, in and ka, is a relationship within time. As I always say, the example often used to explain the interdependent origination is a seed of a plant. One tiny seed of any plant is a result of the previous life activity. So this is a result and yet this is also a cause. Cause of things happening in the future.

[17:08]

And ka, this Chinese character ka literally means fruit. So the fruits of this life activity of this plant, it can grow bigger and bigger. And when it is fully mature, it has flowers and bare fruits. That is the result of the result of this seed as a cause. So, cause and result is a relationship within time. And, in and whole is, you know, this seed cannot grow without certain conditions.

[18:11]

Such as, you know, certain humidity. certain temperature and sunlight, all those things. Because of those conditions, supported by conditions, this seed can grow. This seed cannot grow by itself. So, without relationship with beings from outside, this seed cannot grow. cannot leave. And not only the element or factors that positively support or actively support this seed to grow, you know, such as those, you know, humidity, certain temperature and sunlight, things that didn't happen, like if a bird came to eat this seed,

[19:14]

then this seed cannot grow, cannot survive. But any bird didn't come. The fact that no bird came to eat this seed is one of the factors that support this seed to grow. So not only positive and active support, You know, negative things didn't happen is also an element or support for this seed to grow. So, you know, all the birds that didn't come to eat this seed support this seed to grow. Not only the birds, but everything happening that didn't disturb or disturb prevent this seed to grow, support this seed. That means everything.

[20:18]

Really, everything supports this tiny seed to grow. So, without the support of all beings, this seed cannot grow. That is what this end or condition means. So this entire universe supports this tiny seed to grow, to live, to exist. So without the relationship with all beings from outside, these beings which have unique features cannot exist. And hoe recompense means, you know, to bloom flowers and bear fruit is a result of life activity of this plant from seeds.

[21:30]

The main purpose or goal for this seed to grow is to continue the next generation. So to bear fruits and produce seeds for the next generation is the goal or reason of this activity. And yet that is not the only effect, the only result of this life activity. When flowers bloom, butterflies come, and the flowers offer nectar, or when the fruit the tree, their fruits, you know, again, birds and animals came and get nutrition from this plants.

[22:39]

And, you know, when we see the flowers, you know, we become happy somehow. And we offer the flowers to Buddha. That is not the reason or goal for those plants, you know, living. But somehow they offer something. So when we are mature enough, we have something to offer to other beings. So when we are a baby, we need support from all beings. But when we become mature, we have something to offer to other beings. That is what this recompense means. And this is, you know, one analogy of our spiritual practice, or our Buddhist practice. Please. A baby's offering is to be immature, so adults can be mature.

[23:44]

Sure. Yeah, that is one of the offerings. You know, baby and parents born together. That is what I think Dogen said. Because without a baby, we cannot be a parent. So baby is a parent of the parent. And baby offers us to become mature, to practice as a parent. So we need support, but also by supporting these small beings, you know, practice or participate within this interdependent origination. So each and every stage of our life, we are supported by all beings and also we support all beings. And, as I said, this is analogy of our bodhisattva practice.

[24:51]

When, you know, we allow bodhicitta or way-seeking mind, we are very immature. We need support from a teacher or Dharma friends, or we need to study the Buddhist teachings from the texts, many texts. and so forth. So we need support from others. And then in the process of study our understanding becomes little by little deeper and our practice becomes little by little mature. And then we are fully matured, not we, maybe, But Bodhisattva become fully matured, Bodhisattva become a Buddha. But as a practice of Bodhisattva to awaken to the reality is the goal.

[25:53]

But that is not the end of the story. When we awaken to the reality, we have to teach. We become teacher or we become Buddha. And that is only the starting point of another kind of practice. We, as a teacher or senior practitioner, we have something to offer. This is, you know, Bodhisattva practice. And our practice has no end. This is my understanding of these ten suchnesses. Each and every being exists within time and space. within a relationship throughout time and space. So this is already the cause of previous life. So everything from the beginningless beginning until the endless end is one seamless reality.

[27:02]

Everything is connected with everything. That is what this ultimate equality or identity from the beginning to the end means. This is one seamless reality. I think this is the basic teaching of the Lotus Sutra. And this is really, I think, helpful to understand what Dogen is writing. So, we are like a seed planted and we are living together with the relationship within time. You know, I became my teacher's student. So, I studied Dharma and practiced Dharma following my teacher's

[28:05]

instruction, and my teacher's practice and teaching came from his teacher, and go back to the Buddha. So, this is the fact. It means, Zen Dogen Zen said, ji ho san shi, ten directions, three times. Past, present, and future. And ten directions means east, south, west, north, and halfway between. That makes eight. And up and down, that makes ten directions. That means ten directions means all space, all space. And three times means all time. And we are really one together with all beings within ten directions and three times.

[29:14]

You know, when we chant sutras during morning service, we dedicate the merit of this practice. And after reciting the dedication or echo, All people say, jiho sanshi shifu shisonbu sanmoku sanmoku hojya horomi. That is an expression that we are living together with all beings within ten directions and three times, including Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and all other living beings. This is a basic way of viewing things and thinking about practice in, I think, in Dogen Zen's teaching and, of course, in our practice. We are living together, practicing together with all beings throughout ten directions and three times. And in many chapters of Shobo Genzo, he discussed various realities of all beings from different angles.

[30:33]

Anyway, that is what I want to share with you before starting to read these sections. Here he says, because this practice Buddha actualizes dignified conduct through each and every action, Dignified conduct is actualized through its body. Practice Buddha's transformative functions flow throughout, through its speech, throughout all time, all directions, all Buddha, and all practice. So he's saying,

[31:42]

Our practice is Buddha. That is what Gyo-butsu or practice Buddha means. So practice Buddha is not an individual person, but our practice. And basically what it means is, without our practice, there is no such thing as I. And this is what Nagarjuna discussed. Without the action of walking, there is no such thing as a walker. So, without the action, action means a movement, within the relationship with all other beings, there is no such thing called a shohaku, or a fish, or a bird, or a flower. Those are all just like a knot of a net. This is a knot of Indra's net. You know, there's no such individual fixed entity named a knot.

[32:51]

Knot is a name for the condition, you know, these two or more threads are getting together. And as I said yesterday, like a bubble or a cloud, there's no such individual entity called Ga or Ai or Self or whatever or Atman. We are just not our relation of all different elements. So without those relations with others, there is no such thing called Shohak. But my practice, You know, sitting in the Zendo or now, my practice is talking about my understanding of Dogen. This is nothing my original. Whatever I'm talking is what I studied from someone else or from the text.

[33:54]

But I try to share what I experienced. So this action is real thing. But if I think this is Shohak's understanding, so this is my position, and because I have some understanding and you don't have understanding, I give my understanding to you. If I practice with such an attitude, it has nothing to do with Dharma. But there is no such thing called shogun and there is no such thing called each one of you. But somehow we are interconnected and I share what I received from others. That is the only thing happening. This happening is reality. If we say, this is Shakyamuni's teaching, this is Nagarjuna's teaching, this is Dogen's teaching, this is Uchiyama's teaching, and this is my understanding or my theory, then that is not a Dharma.

[35:05]

That is something fictitious. But we... kind of in a conventional world, this is, we think, you know, the opposite is more real. That means, you know, we suppose, you know, there's such an individual person named Shouhaku Okumura, and if I write something, then this is my position. And legally, you know, this is protected. to be strong. You know, this is kind of an idea in the conventional world. But, within the Dharma world, there is no such thing. There is no such position, and no such person. But, the actual thing is movement and happening. So, this practice Veda,

[36:13]

Buddha as activity. Actualized dignified conduct. So this dignified conduct, the source of this dignity is this ten directions reward. If this, you know, I represent only me, I am just an individual shock. But if I'm not sure, but if I'm talking about what Dogen is really trying to show us, and what Dogen is trying to show us is really the reality of all beings, then the reality of all beings is speaking through me. That is the source of dignity, if there is such a thing in my activity. If someone writes a poem or a painting, then, you know, through the poem, poetry or painting, if they express something larger than this individual person, then other people can be moved, can be touched and appreciated.

[37:31]

If only individual idea or desire is expressed, no one cares. So, this source of dignity in Igi is whether there is no ego, but through our activity or speech, the reality of all beings is expressed or not. someone's speech or poetry or painting, the reality that is larger than this individual person is expressed, then we feel dignity or we are influenced by that kind of expressions. So, when we practice sitting in the Zendo or working outside the Zendo in whatever place, if we do just for the sake of this person, then that is not Iigi.

[38:40]

That doesn't have dignity. That doesn't express this true reality of all beings. But then, self, this action is not for the sake of this person or for the but for the sake of Dharma. Then, not through this individual being that has unique features is a kind of, I don't like this word, but a tool or device through which this true reality of being expresses itself or actualizes or manifests itself. This actualization or manifestation is Genjo in Genjo Koan. And this is the word Dogen used here. This practice of Buddha actualizes dignified conduct.

[39:47]

This actualization is Genjo. Through each and every action, dignified conduct is actualized through its body. Its body means the body of the practice Buddha. And practice Buddha's transformative function. So each practice has its function. And it might be transformative. Like, you know, as I introduced yesterday morning Dharma talk, because of the dignified conduct of Asaji or Ashivajit, now Shaliputra somehow became, was inspired and became Buddha's disciple. That kind of function or influence.

[40:51]

either through body, through the action, or through the speech. So, if each one of us practice with this attitude, you know, we, through each of our activities, we express this reality throughout all time. all directions, all time, from beginningless beginning to the endless end. And all directions means ten directions. And all Buddhas, in this case, you know, this oneness, seamless reality of time and space, is the Dharma body of Buddha. And each and every being is like a Sangha member, really.

[42:04]

And each and every being which has a function to actualize this true reality of all beings are also Buddhas and also Bodhisattvas. So all Buddhas mean all practice Buddhas. and all practice, all activities. So everything is expressing the reality of all beings. And to awaken to this reality of all beings is, according to the Lotus Sutra, only one purpose or reason all Buddhas appear to this world. This is only thing Buddha has been doing to allow us to awaken to this reality and realize this reality and enter into this reality.

[43:16]

That is all Buddha has been doing. Next he said, unless we have practiced Buddha, we have not yet been liberated from bondage to the Buddha and bondage to the Dharma. That means, if we separate ourselves from other things and we based We practice, even if we study Dharma or practice Dharma, based on this me, in order to make this person more wise, wiser, or more important, or more powerful to make this person, you know, if we practice for the sake of this person, for the sake of this person. you know, this dharma is also, has nothing to do with real dharma.

[44:23]

So, and what he is saying here is, as far as we are thinking, our thought is connected with our ego-centeredness. So, letting go of thought is very important. In our Zazen, we let go of thought and we just sit That is practice Buddha. But if we think what we think is true, then that is a problem. We are bound by this thought about Dharma. And we become Buddha demons or Dharma demons. If we use the Dharma, or Buddha, or Sangha, for the sake of this person, we become demons. In the next paragraph, he discusses about this view or thinking.

[45:34]

Buddha bandage means that By viewing and understanding that awakening is awakening, we are bound by nothing other than the view itself or the understanding itself. To understand this sentence, five views or understanding is a problem. You know, as the Lotus Sutra said, this Shoko Jisto can be seen only by Buddhas, together with Buddhas. That means we cannot see this reality. When I first studied Lotus Sutra, I thought this is strange. You know, this teaching is quite understandable. And I agree with this.

[46:39]

And I can see, you know, this is true. But the Lotus Sutra said, the Lotus Sutra said, we cannot see it, what this means. And later I understood that we are born within this time and space. And we are living within this time and space. And we are dying within this you know, network of interdependent origination. We see things from inside. We cannot see this from outside. When I, you know, draw this kind of, you know, drawing and talking, then we feel like, you know, this is some, we are seeking, we are seeing this reality, object, objectively. But that is delusion.

[47:41]

There is no such thing. You know, from our point of view, we can only see from inside. We cannot really see this reality as object from outside. From inside we can see only some part of this reality. You know, because I am in this room, I can see only this part of the room. And you can see only this part of the room. And yet, because of my memory, I know there is a blackboard behind me. But as a reality, I don't see it. And yet, I kind of create, produce a picture of the world. And within my mind, you know, within this room, there is a blackboard behind me. That is my memory and that is not real reality I am seeing.

[48:46]

And the same thing is our life and this universe or this world. We can only see from where we are. And depending upon where we are, this, you know, world seems very different. Because I was born in Japan and grown up in Japan, so I think using Japanese language. And because I came to this country and studied English, I can think a little bit by using English words. But basically my point of view is Japanese Buddhist. and the Japanese Buddhist point of view and American Buddhist point of view or Christian point of view or Muslim or Islam point of view or whether we are in the upper part of the society or lowest part of the society, this view is very different.

[50:02]

We cannot even try to figure out whether how different our view is. My view is only my view. And when I listen to other people's saying, you know, my view becomes a little broader. Still, that is my understanding of that person's saying. My understanding of that person's experience. So, we cannot be really free from where we are. That means our karma. So I only see and view things and think about things and evaluate things only my point of view. And because basically I'm a Japanese Buddhist and I'm a priest, so my view is Japanese Buddhist priest point of view. Or I have to say male. male Buddhist priest of view.

[51:05]

So, even when I'm talking about this reality, my understanding and my speech is kind of restricted with this karma, my karma. Because I'm studying and practicing in Dogen Zenji's tradition, my understanding of Dharma is restricted. And that is my karma. And if, you know, when someone from very different spiritual background, they might see this reality in very different way. So this is, although the reality itself is the same, but the view or the understanding we kind of create is very different. So this is only one example. This is only my understanding of the reality of all beings.

[52:07]

And my understanding is based on my teachers, and based on Dogens, and also based on Bodhidharmas, or Shakyamuni Buddhas. That is my karma. So here are two things. One is, this karmic person who is unique, can see this reality and try to express this reality. But still, the reality that is expressed is limited or restricted based on this person's point of view or position. So if I think what I'm saying is the reality of all beings, this is really true. So you have to believe what I'm saying. Then I'm bound by my understanding of what Buddha is, what Dharma is, what Sangha is.

[53:12]

So, what we can do is just keep practicing, just trying to express my understanding of Dharma without clinging to this is true. There might be other way of expressing the same truth, same reality. But in my case, this is the only way I can see and I can understand and I can practice. Does it make sense? So if we grasp our understanding, even about Dharma, then this Dharma understanding becomes bondage. So we have to be liberated. And the only way we can be liberated from this bondage is just keep practice and letting go of my thought. And yet when I have to speak, you know, I have to speak using my karmic, you know, experience.

[54:21]

Using, you know, very kind of poor English. Because I'm not American. You know, my English is different from your English. Because basically I'm thinking in Japanese and talking in English. So there's only a Buddha together with a Buddha. It's suggesting that such a Buddha together with a Buddha does not have that limitation. Yeah, Buddha has no limitation. And our practice is really... Together with the Buddha. Yes, together with the Buddha. Please. Do you think maybe one day you'll get tired of talking and thinking and you'll just like sit in zendo and you won't say anything and that'll be your teaching, you know, for people?

[55:25]

Maybe in the future, when you get older. I'm old enough. I'm looking for that time, that day. Well, here we are. Next sentence. Although within the extreme short passage of one moment, dignified conduct is actualized. We still don't know when we will be liberated, and we vainly create mistaken understandings. To understand this sentence, we need to understand his insight or teaching about time. You know, within this

[56:27]

network of interdependent origination throughout time and space. He has a very unique understanding about time. And he wrote one chapter of Shobo Genson entitled, Uji, or Being-Time. And he said, being is time, and time is being. These two are really one thing. And what he wrote in Uji is very difficult and it takes a lot of time. I can use the analogy he used in Genjo-Koan. He used the analogy of firewood and ash. When the tree is fully matured and getting older and older, maybe it is cut and split and dried, then it becomes firewood.

[57:32]

So this is a continuation of this analogy. And when firewood is burned, it becomes ash. And ash may go back to the ground, And through the ground, this can become a part of another tree. So this is a kind of transmigration or continuation of life. Although, you know, another continuation is from the fruit, a seed is formed into the ground and grows again. This is two ways to of continuing life. And here Dogen Rinzai said, you know, firewood is before, and when firewood is burned, it becomes ash.

[58:40]

There is before and after. But he said, this before and after is cut down. And firewood stays within the dharma position of firewood. And Ash, it stayed the Dharma position of Ash. So, this moment of firewood and this moment of Ash is completely independent. This is kind of a strange idea. But, according to Dogen, that is reality. That is based on his insight about time. This present moment of firewood has no length. If there is even the tiniest length, we can cut it into half.

[59:48]

And one part is passed, and another part is Future. Past has gone already and future has not yet come. So even there is a slightest length, then there is past and it can be divided into past and future. So present moment has no length. And at this, when a firewood is at this moment, with no rings, then this is not a continuation of this life activity of this plant. And ash is not a result of this continuation. But firewood is, at this moment, firewood is 100% firewood.

[60:49]

The dharma position of ash is 100% ash. When we think before and after, this is a continuation within time. But when we really see this moment, right now, right here, time disappears. And only fire is there. So this present moment is zero. So the only thing there is past that has gone and future that has not yet come. And this moment is zero. So time disappears. This is Dogen Zenji expressing the same idea in the Jijyu Zanmai. He says, you know, when we sit in the Zen, even for a short time, that means, you know, we woke up at 5 and sat at 2 p.m.

[62:10]

this morning, but it's a short time. within the schedule of this one day. But he said, when we sit at that moment, this entire world, through time and space, becomes enlightenment. That is really kind of a strange thing to say. When I sit in this posture, this entire universe becomes ten directions and three times becomes enlightenment. When we think our idea, thinking mind, this is really unbelievable. But this only means when we sit moment by moment, really sit and letting go of my thoughts about time,

[63:13]

past or future. We are completely in this present moment of zero. Then, as Dogen Zen said, this Zazen is one with all beings throughout time and space. That means when we are completely right now, right here, we are... and that means we disappear. Time disappears. And when time disappears, we are really one. All there is this entire network of interdependent origination. That's all. Please. But still we are trapped within this karmic body. Yes, this karmic body does not disappear. And within this karmic body we think so many stupid things. but is not included within this reality.

[64:16]

And those stupid ideas, foolish ideas, are not my position. It's coming from my life, and coming from this life force. Yes, yes. This is my view. What I'm talking is my view, my understanding. And I hope My understanding can be helpful for you to understand your practice. That's all that I'm doing. I mean, when we are sitting, still, we're inside of all of this. Yes. We cannot see. If we try to see, we miss it. Then letting go means we try not to see, not to do anything. We do just, really just sitting. We do nothing based on our thought.

[65:17]

That is what letting go of thought means. During Zazen, we make determination not to do anything based on the thought coming up from my consciousness. That is just sitting or Shikantaza means. So, during Zazen, I'm letting go. You know, we are free from those thoughts. Thoughts came from our karmic nature, karmic consciousness. So when we sit and letting go and do anything based on our thoughts, we are really liberated from our thoughts, from our karmic nature. But next moment, when I start to think, we return to the karmic nature. That is why, you know, Dogen Zen said, Zazen is itself liberation, Zazen is itself enlightenment, Zazen is itself Buddha's practice, not human practice to make this person a little bit wiser, to improve this person.

[66:29]

So, when we sit and ungrasp this knee, or shouhaku, then we are just one with this entire network of interdependent origination. And that's all. Nothing special. But I think that is very special. So in this extremely, extremely short passage of one moment, that means we cannot... This one moment is really zero, no length. Within each present moment, we are liberated. But in our thinking, we grasp the movement as a continuation. And because of my karma, I feel, you know, if I am here,

[67:34]

My role right now is talking about Dogen's writing. So I try to do my best. That is my karma. So I have to grasp my karma to play a role. That is my karmic nature. So I try to do my best as a priest or as a speaker now. But in each moment, I'm not a speaker. I'm not a priest. I'm not a husband of my wife. I'm not a father of my children. I'm just as I am. That is liberation. But this liberation does not mean I don't need to do my responsibility. Those two are two sides of one reality.

[68:38]

And Dogen Zen called this side as Mu-Buddha nature and this side as U-Buddha nature. And both are one. You are the husband of your wife. You are a priest. Yes. At the same time. Yes. I think that is the reality of our life Dogen is trying to show us. And how we can live both together at the same time is our practice. Please. Rinpoche, is that what you meant yesterday in this room when you said about the skandhas are all that there are, that's all there is, but on the other hand, you know, you're shihaku and you're alive, is that the same thought you just expressed? Yeah, this is how my five senses are at this moment.

[69:39]

My five senses function as a speaker. So I try to do my best. But next moment, I don't know. You know, I may die next moment. Then I'm not a speaker. Or often I go back to my home. I'm not a speaker, I'm not a teacher anymore. I have to behave as a husband or a father. Yes. That is how... Right. Yes. So five skandhas are empty. And this emptiness is a collection of five skandhas which has unique karma, unique features. So, form and emptiness are always together. And as a form, there's a certain continuation and certain karma. But when you're in zero, in a minute, so to speak, then that's the entire world and universe, right?

[70:45]

Yes. So, in a sense, you know, Each one of us is one individual person as a collection of five skandhas. And yet, at this present moment, we really, you know, be right now, right here. We become, we, time disappears and space also disappears. If, you know, here has some size, then we can Again, we can cut into two. And here and there. But here has no size. The same as the definition of a dot in mathematics. It only has a position, but there's no size. And here is the same. And there's no such thing called self or shouhaku.

[71:54]

So time, space, and being all disappear. So we become zero. And when we are zero, we are one with this entire time and space. So in this idea, our understanding, we are one equals zero equals infinite. That is my formula of the reality. We are one, but we are zero, and yet we are together with all beings. So one equals zero equals infinite. That means this present moment, right now, right here, is a gateway to the eternity. Even though we are living within this day-to-day time, kind of a conventional time, we wake up in the morning and work in the daytime and sleep in the night.

[73:05]

This is the way we do day after day. But when we really focus on this moment, what I'm doing, then time, space and self disappear. This, you know, reality of ten directions and three times appeared through this reality, this moment, through zero. It's kind of a crazy idea, I think. But I think that is my understanding of what Dogen is saying from my study of 40 years of my study of Dogen. That is what Dogen is trying to say. So to see and understand awakening as awakening.

[74:14]

You know, when we have some experience of awakening, you know, in our Zazen or when we do something else, sometimes we feel, I have experience of awakening. And if we think, we grasp such idea, such experience as awakening, and because of this experience, I'm awakened person. I'm enlightened. If we think in that way, we are completely deluded. Because there is a separation between person who experiences that and that experience itself. And I observe this experience and think this is awakening. That is completely, as I said yesterday, using the example of the first sentence of the Heart Sutra says,

[75:14]

separation between the person as an observer and experience, then that is delusion. So each action, each activity when we do wholeheartedly is an action of liberation or action of awakening. So awakening is not a matter of This person, this deluded or sleepy person awakens and sees the reality as an object. But Buddha Shakyamuni is always saying awakening is not this sleepy person becomes awake, but this total reality awakens to itself through this person's five skandhas. I cannot say, I am awakened. That experience was my awakening.

[76:20]

Please. It's making me think of Nagarjuna when he says, believers in emptiness are incurable. Yeah. Awakening can be a sickness or a delusion. So we need to become liberated from this kind of grasping. Because of that experience, I am awakened. I really see the truth. Because there is still, when we say and think in that way, there is still ego clinging there. I did, or I experienced. When we open this clinging, you know, we see each and every activity we do is a function of this network of interdependent origination.

[77:29]

So I think what Dogen Zenji taught is a profundity or depth. of each and every ordinary, nothing special activity. We really appreciate the boundless reality within each and every nothing special actions. But we are often seeking after something special. some spectacular experience of awakening. But that is not what Dogen is talking about. So, to see and understand awakening as awakening, this must be the view that is in accordance with awakening.

[78:33]

So, this is my experience. So, I know this. I know, really, I was awakened. But it's still grasping. Who can say that this is an evil view? Because I did. But Dogen Zen said, to think in this way is nothing other than binding ourselves without a rope. Nothing is, you know, tied us. we tie ourselves by our own thinking, by our own, how can I say, evaluation. And I feel I am an enlightened person. And that is a very deep delusion. This binding will continue unceasingly. And the tree does not fall down with the wisteria withering.

[79:40]

We will vainly struggle within a cave in the vicinity of Buddhahood." So he's talking about the sickness of people who are already practicing. Even though we practice somehow, you know, when we start to practice, almost always, we have some questions or problems. And we want to find the answer to my question, or we want to find a way to exit from this problem I have. And we start to study something spiritual. And when we find the answer or the exit, we think, you know, this is Dharma. I understand, you know. And that is a problem. That makes us like a donkey, you know, tied on a stake.

[80:48]

And the donkey tied on a stake can walk only around the stake. and think, this is dharma, this is truth, this is enlightenment. But that is a basic delusion. We need to be free from that kind of, you know, idea. There is something fixed and that is truth or that is dharma or that is liberation. But sitting in a zendo, that's fixed, right? Really? That's not going to change in Soto Zen, right? You're not advocating, surely, that you could dispense with sitting. But we cannot sit 24 hours, 6 days a week. I will be 60 this year. You know, depending, because of my physical condition, I'm not sure how long I can sit in the way I have been sitting.

[81:52]

So, everything is impermanent. Of course, I'm still young. Younger than Branch-san. So, I cannot complain. But, when I think of when I was in my twenties, you know, I felt my Zazen was much better. So, Zazen is also changing, depending upon our condition. But, somehow, you know, we have to continue to sit. Anyway, this tree does not fall down in the wisteria. This tree is the basic core of self-cleaning. And because of this self-cleaning, there are many wisteria or vines intertwined with each other.

[82:53]

And we are really bound and we cannot become free. But what we have to do is to cut the tree and cut all the vines. Vines means our karmic way of thinking. Then, Last sentence. We would not know that in such a situation the Dharma body is gotten sick and the reward body is suffering in poverty. This Dharma body and reward body does not mean, you know, like a Vairocana Buddha somewhere out there or reward body is Sambhoga Sambhogakaya is not referred to Amitabha Buddha in the West or Ashoka Buddha in the East.

[84:04]

But those Dharma body, Reward body or Sambhogakaya body or Nirvana body all means about this practice Buddha, our practice. You know, this is Dharma body. This entirety of network in which we are born, living and dying within connection. This is dharma. This entirety is dharma body. And we are a result of all beings are working in some way. And I am right here. This is reward body. And also this body and mind living moment by moment is nirvanakaya. So those three bodies, dharma body, dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirvanakaya is about our practice, about our life.

[85:16]

It's not, those buddhas are not something outside. Later he discussed about the eternal life of Buddha in the Lotus Sutra. That is the same thing. So I talk about this later. But this is the time to stop talking and going back to Zen Do. Any questions? Please. You are teaching all of this which is something that a lot of people believe we might not really want. You know, there's this kind of, it's a little scary. It sort of blackens us in a way. And so I wonder, you know, the only way I can understand and continue is by keeping a kind of healthy diet.

[86:21]

But I don't think that's so comfortable. Pardon me? You don't... I don't think that's so comfortable. So comfortable? Yeah, for most of us. What is not comfortable? This teaching? I'm not sure. What I'm talking is what I have been trying, the result of what I have been studying through my own practice of Zazen and reading Dogen and studying teaching in Buddhist traditions.

[87:27]

So, you don't need to believe this. This is just a kind of a report of my study, my understanding. So, you know, if this is not comfortable, you can forget it. And just practice. The same thing, I think, what I'm doing. Basically what Dogen is saying is just sit, just practice, just doing things. But if we question why we have to do things with this just, just do. You know, this is my understanding of Dogen's explanation. Not the explanation exactly, but his expression. So if you are not comfortable, you can forget this. At all. In a way of saying, can we just say, you're going to be uncomfortable.

[88:32]

That's what I was thinking. Because it is a different sort of trust. Yeah, when I started to understand this, you know, the view of my life or the view of this world is almost completely upside down. So it might be uncomfortable, but sometimes I feel it's risky or dangerous. I have to accept this or I have to leave this alone. And I couldn't stop it. So I have been continuing. Please. When he's talking about the wisteria binding the tree, it's like it's falsely holding the tree up.

[89:33]

And so the tree is actually dead, but it doesn't fall. And it seems like what Lindy is saying, like out of discomfort people reach toward like some kind of certainty. And that idea that he brings in at the beginning when he talks about a dharma demon, where someone's just like, they've come to a kind of false certainty, and they hold on to that. But actually in that situation you don't know that the dharma body has gotten sick and they're going to die. When our ego clinging is dead, this person's ego is dead, we are living together with all beings as a part of impermanence. And to me, this is the most safe way of life, the safest way of life, because I don't care.

[90:36]

This will disappear sooner or later. That is fine. Because that is the way things are. So, you know, this clinging to make these five skandhas together forever could, I think, cause the suffering. It could make a struggle. It always surprises me why Jobin comes up with this concept of the dharma position. Because it also seems to have some, like, I mean, why is he talking about reality like this? There's also some positive, like this point A is one thing, or being at one moment. So I wondered if you could

[91:39]

Well, the reason he wrote in this way is to encourage us to practice moment by moment wholeheartedly. And when we are really one with what we are doing, then that is complete Buddha. That is enlightenment. So we don't need Buddha or enlightenment, something outside, something in the future. But it's right now, right here. Does it make sense? OK. Please. Earlier, you were talking about Dr. Junna. You said something about without a practice, there's no such thing as I. So, I'm wondering about nice people who are footloose and have no Dharma, no parent.

[92:52]

I mean, they really don't think, you know, maybe, I'm just an example, a nice person who kind of doesn't have any particular spiritual heading and just kind of enjoys their way through life. What would this kind of a person, or perhaps a person who seems to be enjoying themselves through life, but then has difficulties, maybe more severe. What would Bernard do to think about this person in the Dharma world? I mean, he seems to say that this wouldn't be a person in the Dharma world. It wouldn't exist. Is that what it would be? And what is our responsibility to this kind of a person? This responsibility of that kind of person means the person... For a Buddhist? Because we're here to save all beings, does this person need to be saved?

[93:55]

Our Buddhist responsibility to those people who are not... That's part of the question. That's the second part of the question. The first part of the question is, what is this person's standing in our Buddhist view? Well, I think in Nagarjuna's view, all beings are there. So the person is included as one of the beings that has ten suchnesses. Ten suchnesses are part of this network. And we are the same. There is no difference. But as a Buddhist, somehow because of my karma I became a Buddhist. So I studied Buddhism and I tried to practice as Buddha taught.

[94:55]

So I tried to do my best. I think that is... and I tried to share my practice and my understanding with as many people as possible if they wish to do so. I think that's all we can do.

[95:17]

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