Good morning, everyone. We have three more lectures, and we are still less than half of this text. I don't think we wasted time. But I'd like to go as far as possible on this text, so please limit your questions about what I said and what you don't understand. That means if my English is not clear or you need more explanation, please ask me right away. But if your question is from somewhere else, please don't ask during this class. You can come to Nokusan if you have a chance. OK.

[01:08]

Still, we are on page 10. Paragraph 16, page 10 in my version. Paragraph 16, the beginning of the section of mind in delusion. We are turned by the Dharma flower. Let me read this paragraph. Being turned by the Dharma flower means that the mind is in delusions. The mind under delusion is just being turned by the Dharma flower. Therefore, when the mind is in delusions, it is turned by the Dharma flower. The essential meaning of this is that even when the ten thousand forms are influenced and seen by mind in delusion, the forms as suchness are being turned by the Dharma flower.

[02:12]

Being turned in this way is not something to be delighted about. and it is not something to anticipate. It is not to be gained. It does not arrive. However, the Dharma flower's turning is neither two nor three, because the Dharma flower's turning is only the one Buddha Riku, and because it is the Dharma flower as four forms of suchness, whether it is turning or being turned, It is the one Buddha vehicle and the single great mother. Simply put, moment after moment, it is a sincere red heart, which is the only one thing we depend on. So Dogen started to talk on this Shinmei Hokke Ten.

[03:14]

And yesterday afternoon I talked about shin mei, mind in delusion. But I think one of the difficulties to communicate is I translate this mei as delusion. This mei is not exactly delusion. Of course, this is a very common translation of this word mei or mayoi as delusion. But this is more like the condition of our mind based on our delusion. In this case, this delusion is dualistic way of thinking. That means, you know, this Chinese character Mei has two parts.

[04:25]

This part and this part. And this part shows the sound, Mei. This is the same character as rice. Mei or rice. And this part shows the action of walking. This is the same as Dao. This part is the same. In the case of Dao or Wei, this part means head. Head or above neck. This Hubi can mean neck and head above the neck. This means, Dao means, you know, we walk, we can walk only our head is facing. That means there is some direction.

[05:30]

That is what Dao or Michi or path or way means. But in this case, so this Mayoi has something to do with walking. This means we are walking the bodhisattva path. If we use the parable of the son who left his father's home, when he left his father's home, he was wandering around here and there. looking for something he can satisfy. And yet he couldn't satisfy his desire so well. So his life was not successful. But somehow he returned to his father's house, that home. That is the time he started to practice.

[06:33]

He allowed bodhicitta and started to practice. And he continue to practice with his father. His father knew he was his son, but the son didn't know that person, the millionaire, was his father. So he, you know, worked, he was trained and worked for 20 years. And right before his father, that was Buddha, died, Buddha said, you are my real son. So all the wealth I own is yours. At that time, his son said, even though he was working for this person for 20 years, and in the beginning,

[07:35]

did not so important jobs but little by little he get a more and more important job and finally he was like a manager of his father's wealth but he didn't think that was his wealth his own and he didn't live in father's house but he lived in a tiny hermitage. But when he was told that he, that millionaire was his real father, he said, without, I didn't, I never expect this, but the treasure house is open and come to me. So this is a process of voice sattva practice. And I mean this is a traditional image or idea of how Goizotova practiced.

[08:49]

You know, before he reached his father's home, You know, he wanted to do anything he could do to get food and clothing and shelter, but he was not so successful. But, you know, he aroused bodhicitta and started to practice, and his father trained him. And this process is in the Lotus Sutra called Kaiji Gonyu. That means open, in my translation, display, realize, and enter. And open and display is done by the Buddha or his father.

[09:51]

And as a Bodhisattva, his son realized what he was told or taught, and he entered his father's way. This is our practice. And during this process, so there is an interaction between teacher and student, or Buddhas and living beings. This is how we practice as a Bodhisattva. And in this model, Dogen says, when we are deluded, we convey ourselves toward a myriad of things. That is the way we act in this stage. We try to find something we want. and try to get it. We want to stay away from something we don't want.

[10:54]

But they come, so we suffer. So this is a burning house. But even after we enter the practice, bodhisattva practice, we still act with this attitude. We need to. That means we need to take ourselves to the Dharma, to the Buddha's teaching. And we need to study and realize even after we entered. And even when we work for the Dharma, instead of work for fulfilling our desire, still we have to take ourselves to the Middle Dharma. And that means we have to make choice which is better. That is what this kanji, I think, means.

[11:57]

Please. Which part of the character is KUBI? This one, this part. KUBI in DAO or MICHI is head or neck. But in the case of mei, this shows only the sound mei. But what I'm saying is this mei, or mayoi, has something to do with walking. And I'm talking about walking this path. Please. Would you mind writing the romaji for those four words? Those four? Romaji? Hai, ji, go, ni. That means when we walk the path, when we don't really have a clear understanding of where we are going.

[13:10]

And on our path, you know, our path is not really straight. You know, our path is almost like a maze. This is a starting point, and this is a goal that means Buddhahood. And there are many streets. And especially when we are beginners, we don't know which is the best way to reach there. So each time we reach the intersection, we have to think which way we should go. You know, some paths might be longer and easier. But some paths might be shorter but difficult.

[14:13]

Or some paths go somewhere else. So, you know, each time we are at the intersection, we have to make a choice. And if we have a clear idea of which is the best way, But almost always we don't. So we have to make choice depending upon my idea, my understanding, or my intention, or my tendency. That is still we are acting within this model. That means taking or conveying our health toward the Dharma. In this case, not to fulfill our desire, but to work for the Dharma, still we have to, how can I say, make distinctions or discriminations, and try to find which is best way, best way for me, with this person who has a certain particular five skandhas.

[15:26]

So, each time we have intersection, we have to think. And yet, often we don't have clear criterion to decide which is the best way. So, somehow we have to make choice, make decision without certainty. So we still have uncertainty. When we practice with this condition, we are still working, practicing, working, conveying ourselves to a million things. So, in this case, this shinmei means even after we allowed bodhicitta and studying Dharma and practicing, we are still working with this attitude.

[16:35]

We have to. That is what shinmei means. So Dogen used this comment on this expression, shinmei hokketen, even we practice with such an uncertainty, still we are turned by the karma flowers. So this shinmei hokketen is not something negative, or this shinmei, mind in delusion, is not something negative, but that is only possible way we continue to walk this path. I think that is an important point to understand the fact he is writing here. So, even our mind is in delusion or shinmei, we are turned by the Dharma.

[17:39]

Therefore, when the mind is in delusion or in shinmei, still dharma is working. Dharma is working in that way within this person. The essential meaning of this is that even when the 10,000 forms, 10,000 forms are, you know, myriad dharmas, the same thing, myriad dharma in Genjoko and 10,000 forms here is the same thing. The 10,000 forms are influenced by, influenced and seen by mind in delusion. our mind, which has not yet a clear understanding about the Buddha's darshana, Buddha's insight. Still, we try to walk, doing our best.

[18:45]

Mind in delusion, the forms as suchness are so all beings, the form of all beings, and we are included. The person who is walking and all the things as a scenery of this person's practice are suchness as suchness are being turned by the Dharma flower. So, this is the fact, even we are in delusion or in this stage we need to, you know, take ourselves toward the middle Dharma still. That is how Dharma works or Dharma flower works through this person. And he said, being turned in this way is not something to be delighted. We don't need to be happy about this. Of course, it's still a very difficult way, because we need to make choice without, you know, definite understanding.

[20:02]

Still, we have to work. And it is not something to anticipate. It is not to be gained. There is nothing to be gained even though we practice in this way. And it does not arrive. It is not a matter of coming and going. But we keep walking. However, the Dharma flower's turning is neither two nor three, means not two or three vehicles. We are walking in this way with uncertainty within this one vehicle reality. Because the Dharma flower's turning is only the one Buddha vehicle, and because it is the Dharma flower as forms of suchness, whether it is turning or being turned, it is the one Buddha vehicle and a single great matter.

[21:14]

So, even when we practice as a beginner, when we don't have a clear understanding of Dharma, but within our step-by-step walk, moment by moment, and we make many mistakes. And we don't see the reality or things as they are. Still, this is the process of Dharma is turning using this body and mind. Yeah, if you don't stop reading it. Try to inquire what this means. So, in Dogen's teaching, not understanding is very important.

[22:17]

He often said, fū e. Not understanding. That means when we read and we encounter something we don't understand, we try to keep inquiring what this means. This is a condition of not understanding. And yet we don't throw it away, put it aside, but keep inquiring what this is. If we read or continue to study, that is how, you know, Dharma flower turning this person. So, whether we are turning or being turned, both are the function of Dharma flowers. Simply put, moment after moment, when we practice with this attitude, it is sincere red heart.

[23:27]

which is the only thing we depend on. So the only important thing we need to maintain is to keep this sincere red heart. Sincere red heart in Japanese is seki-shin. expression section is not a Buddhist term, not a Buddhist technical term, but this is a common Chinese expression that refers to a sincere, undivided, single-mindedness. often used to show or to modify or to refer to a very loyal minister towards the Lord.

[24:32]

So in our case, this is a sincerity or loyalty or faithfulness to the Buddha's teaching and also this structure of beings. We are living together with all beings. I'm not remembering the exact phrase, but does it say sincere I don't remember if Dogen Zenji used this expression in Fukanza Zengi but he used this Somewhere, I forget, maybe in Shinjin Gakudo. Shinjin Gakudo is body, mind, studying or practicing the way.

[25:36]

When he talks about practice the way with mind, he uses this word, Sekishin Henpen. Sekishin Henpen is a... what is that? bit by bit, sincere at heart, something like that. I don't think that was Seki Shin. So only important thing when we practice within this condition is keeping or maintaining this sincere heart, undivided, single-minded attitude toward ourselves and toward the Dharma and all beings. Please. Question about the maze. It has a beginning and an end.

[26:38]

There is really no end. Isn't there more to it? In the traditional, I said this is a traditional image of Bodhisattva way. From the time we arouse bodhicitta as a beginner until we reach the Buddhahood. And Mahayana Buddhism said it takes three Maha Asankya kalpas. That means longer than forever. That is the kind of idea or image in Mahayana teaching. There are 53 stages. But when we study Dogen, we should change the image. That is what he is trying to say here. That means there is no such starting point and goal.

[27:44]

It is a matter of moment by moment practice. OK, let me go to the next paragraph. Therefore, paragraph 17, therefore do not regret having mind delusions. Your activities are themselves the bodhisattva practices. Since we don't have much time, I read sentence by sentence, not paragraph by paragraph. So I read one sentence and make comments. So here he said, therefore do not regret having mind delusion. That means we don't need to regret we practiced in these uncertain conditions.

[28:44]

But we need to keep practice. Before he said, turning in this way is not something to be delighted. So we don't need to be delighted, but we don't need to regret or dislike this way of practice. And this is a process of patience. And when we practice this condition, we need, you know, open and displaying from the teachers. And your activities in this condition are themselves the Voice Tattva practices. They are our meeting and serving of Buddha. This is how we meet with Buddha. Meet and serve. Serve means make offering.

[29:45]

That means we offer our life to this Buddha way. Of course, this Buddha way includes this person. That is the original practice of the Bodhisattva way. So while we practice with this attitude, our practice is the same with what Shakyamuni did in his previous lives for 500 lifetimes. Even Shakyamuni did, you know, 500 lifetimes. Maybe we need to take more lifetimes. But still, we need to continue. So, important point is we have a faith that what we are doing is the same with what Shakyamuni did. Or, not only Shakyamuni, but all bodhisattvas practice in this way.

[30:47]

And the phrases of opening, displaying, realizing, and entering, that is kaiji go-nyu, are all instances of being turned by Dharma flowers. You know, teacher and student, or Buddha's disciples, or Buddha's and all living beings, you know, working through the process of opening the true reality of all beings, or Buddha's darshan, and pointing out this is Buddha's darshan, or this is the true reality of all beings, and as a student we realize, oh, that is a fact we need to awaken to. and we enter the path of this Buddha's Darshan. So here is an interaction between living beings and the Buddha, or student and teacher, or even within ourselves.

[31:58]

We have to... how can I say? We have to teach to ourselves. When we read or hear some teaching, I understand intellectually, but we still don't know how to practice it. So we have to make effort how to make it as actual daily activities. That is how we teach ourselves. And from the next sentence he used the analogy of the analogies mentioned in Chapter 1, Chapter 3 about the two or three vehicles and the burning house and how Buddha helped his children to get out of the burning house.

[33:04]

Dogen says, in the burning house, there is mind in delusions. Right at the gate, there is mind in delusions. Outside the gate, there is mind in delusions. In front of the gate, there is mind in delusions. And inside the gate, there is mind in delusions. So in that parable, Again, a very rich person, that is Buddha, has a big house, a big old house, but not in good shape. A big house, and he has many children. And somehow, you know, this house started to burn.

[34:09]

Someone made fire. And in that house there is only one gate. And the Buddha or the father was still out of the burning house. So he wanted to allow his children to get out of the burning house. And this burning house is, you know, samsara. But those children didn't want to get out. They enjoyed being in the burning house. So the Buddha has to think of the Skillful means how he could let his children out.

[35:11]

And to do so, he made a toy. And he said, he told the children that if you get out, there are three interesting toys. That is a carriage or a cart. put by sheep or goat and deer and cow or ox. So Buddha said, get out from this burning house. Then you can get one of those three toys. So the children get out and out of this gate. And this place is called roji. It means open ground.

[36:15]

Open ground. And so they get out and they ask the Buddha, give me the toys. Give me the toys. But somehow, there aren't those three toys. But Buddha gave all of them, gave the dai, byaku, go, sha. Dai means big, byaku is white. Go is ox or cow, cart or carriage. So when children get out of the burning house, they, instead of three different vehicles, Buddha gave all of them this great, big, white ox-carriage.

[37:21]

That is the parable. And he, Dogen is using this parable He said, in the burning house, within the burning house, there is mind in delusion. Even when we are still in the burning house, there is mind in delusion. That is our practice. And right at the gate, right at the gate, there is mind in delusion. And outside the gate, even in this open ground, there is mind in delusion. And in front of the gate, there is mind in delusion. I'm not sure which side, this side or that side. But in front of the gate, there is mind in delusion.

[38:26]

And inside the gate, Inside the gate, I think, is a burning house. So he repeated, inside the gate there is mind in delusion. So, mind in delusion is everywhere. Whether we are in the burning house or get out of the burning house, or even at the gate, everywhere there is mind in delusion. was Shin Mei. And he said, within mind in delusion, and he says from opposite side. It's not that mind of delusion is everywhere, inside or outside. But he said, within mind in delusion, the place inside the gate, the place outside the gate, as well as the place right at the gate, the burning house, and so on, are all manifested.

[39:32]

So it's not, you know, all these places there is mind in delusion. But all these places are created within our mind in delusion. These are not actually different places, but these are created by our mind in delusion. Does it make sense? Therefore, the opening, displaying, realizing and entering, this process of practice, studying, practicing, understanding, realizing and entering, actually living within this way, all exist even in the white ox cart, means even in this one vehicle, one Buddha vehicle, there is mind in delusion, or even this is within mind in delusion.

[40:40]

And when we understand entering, entering is this entering. So this is a process of study and practice. When we understand entering, as the adornment of this carriage, this carriage being this one vehicle, one Buddha vehicle. So our practice is actually done within this carriage. So this entire process is done within the white ox carriage, that is one Buddha vehicle. Does this mean the mind will always be in delusion? Yes. We are always inquiring. Even Buddha, when he taught this son, he tried to do his best.

[41:50]

What is the best way to train this person? That is Buddha's mind in delusion. The energy which makes us inquire what is true is our mind in delusion. And even Buddha has mind in delusion. And he invented those toys. Even though he made those toys, those three did not work so well. So finally he gave the large one. So Buddha is trying. That is the best way to enable all living beings to realize the Buddha way. So Buddha created so many toys. So, when we understand entering as our practice, as the adornment of this carriage, so our practice is part of the adornment of this one Buddha vehicle, should we expect the open ground, open ground outside the burning house, as the entrance,

[43:13]

That means where we should enter, or should we recognize the burning house as the exit, means we should leave. When we think this entire process of practice, study and practice, is taking place within this one Buddha beings, is there such separation between burning house, or sansara, and nirvana, or open ground. And is there such a point that is called a gate? Is there such entering or leaving? That is his question. and this is a rhetorical question. That means there is no such separation and leaving and entering.

[44:16]

That is, you know, I have been talking from the very first lecture, you know, the very important or essential point of Mahayana teaching is samsara and nirvana are one. There is no such separation between people in burning house and people in nirvana. So both are included within this one Buddha vehicle. And he asked again, should we free investigate the place right at the gate? Right at the gate is, you know, this pivotal point to transform our life from burning house to nirvana.

[45:21]

Right at the gate as being simply the place of coming and going. This gate is simply coming and going, but this gate is this moment, and what we do, here and now. And if we do this with self-cleaning, then even our practice in the zendo can be done in the burning house. But if we open our hands, then even our activity in the burning house can be, you know, Buddha's practice. You know, Sawakiroshi always said, we have Buddha nature, but we also have a thief nature. Thief nature.

[46:24]

always trying to get. So, to gain something and make it my position. That's the thief nature. Even though we have both Buddha nature and thief nature, depending upon what we do, our actual activity, our actual experience, made us thief or Buddha. If we practice following Buddha's teaching, then we manifest Buddha nature. And this practice is Buddha. But when we do such things to fulfill our personal desire, then our thief nature is manifested, then we become thief, real thief. So, according to Dogen, this is not like a common understanding or theory in Mahayana Buddhism.

[47:37]

This is not a matter of starting point and goal. But in each moment, depending upon our attitude or our motivation, we manifest or create with a burning house. Our entire life becomes a burning house or we create nirvana or create or manifest nirvana. But Dogen said that in either way that is taking place within this one Buddha vehicle So, we should know that within the carriage, within this carriage, that one Buddha vehicle, there is turning of the Dharma flower, enabling Buddhas to open and display.

[48:52]

So, Buddha open and display. and enabling living beings to realize and enter the burning house. I think in this case, entering the burning house is not negative. That means Buddhas and Bodhisattvas need to enter the burning house to work with people there. And there are more people in the burning house than nirvana. That's why we take vow not to enter nirvana. And on the open ground, open ground is here, open ground, there is turning which causes us to open, display, realize, and enter the burning house. So even outside the burning house, there is practice.

[49:55]

You know, if we think, when we get out of the burning house, we don't need to do anything. That is a mistake. we still work outside the burning house, as Buddha or other millionaires did for his son. So this is in Dogen's expression in Shobo Genzo, entitled Daigo. He, Dogen, discussed an expression such as dai-go kyaku-mei. Kyaku-mei means person who has a great realization returned to delusion. That means when the son reaches this point, he inherits his father's wealth, but he needs to do it to return to this process as a teacher, as a co-practitioner to help others to do the same thing.

[51:25]

That is fat returning to delusion or returning to burning house. Yes, pointing out this is the Buddha darshan or this is the true reality of all beings. Yes. and next sentence. There are cases in which the turning activates opening. Turning activates opening is playing, realizing, and entering through the whole gate. Whole gate is zenmon. This Zen is whole or entire, means, and this is opposition of Tomon.

[52:36]

Zenmon is whole or entire gate, and Tomon is this particular gate. in my translation, which is nothing other than this particular gate. That means, I think what he is saying is, this entire thing and our practice, this entirety is the gate. Gate is not the border or boundary between this and this. But this entire world, the entire universe is a gate. And whatever we do here and now can be the gate. So we are at a particular gate, depending upon who we are and what we are doing. But this particular gate is the entire gate. interrogate this entirety of this white ox challenge.

[53:50]

Likewise, there are cases in which the turning is a practice moving. activate opening, displaying, realizing and entering through the single gate. Single gate might be what we are doing, this one single thing we are doing now, here and now, which is no other than the universal gate. This universal gate is Fumon. This is a part of Chapter 25 of the Lotus Sutra, Kanzeon Bosatsu Fumon Bon. This is the universal gate of Avalokiteshvara. So what he's saying, you know, each and every particular thing or practice we do,

[55:00]

is nothing other than this universal gate or that entire or whole gate. So we don't need to think, you know, there's no gate here. There must be some, you know, larger gate somewhere else. So in order to get out from the burning house we need to go there to find the gate. But wherever we are, whatever You know, difficulty we are. That point is the gate to get out. Please. Yes. Zen key is this Zen and key. And this key is function, so total function. OK, so basically what he is saying, our study and practice as an interaction between Buddha and living beings, or teacher and student, this is how, you know, this entire White Ox Card works, functions.

[56:31]

And sometimes we need to enter the burning house. But there's no such separation between burning house and nirvana. So next sentence. Phase it. Within each of the phases of opening, displaying, realizing, and entering, there is the turning that opens, displays, realizes, and enters into the universal gate. So our study and practice is the way we go through this universal gate and actually there is no such gate we can go through leaving this place and entering the other place, that is nirvana, samsara and nirvana.

[57:42]

Depending upon what we do and how we do, what is the motivation of our activity, motivation or aspiration. This activity makes this entire world a samsara, or as nirvana, or buddhaland. So, within the gate, there is a turning that opens, displays, realizes, and enters. Within the gate means within samsara. Outside the gate, there is a turning that opens, displays, realizes, and enters. Within the burning house, there are instances of opening, displaying, realizing, and entering the open ground. So within, open ground is outside. But through our activities within the burning house, we can manifest the outside.

[58:52]

That is nirvana. Activity means not just our actions, but also our attitude, feeling... It's our activity as a practice for the sake of Dharma, not for the sake of fulfilling this person's desire. I guess what I'm asking about is, activity doesn't mean just action like physical karma, Yeah, our mental attitude or our motivation why we do these actions. But only thinking and desire doesn't work. We have to do something, I think. And next paragraph, he continues using the same paradigm.

[60:00]

of the burning house and outside the burning house. Therefore, the burning house is not understanding. The open ground is not knowing. That means these two are not two separate things. Therefore, they cannot know each other. or understand each other. You know, this is the same logic as Dogen used in Jijūzanmai. You know, all those things, when one person sitting, all beings in the, you know, entire universe become, reveals their own enlightenment and their own enlightenment come to the person sitting and influence the person sitting. And this, you know, work together.

[61:02]

And so many things happen, but Dogen said, all those things happening in this zazen cannot be perceived by the person sitting. Because person sitting is part of it. There is no way the person understands what is happening within the Zen. Not understanding is fue, the same word I mentioned this morning. Fue. And next one, not knowing is fushiki. This E means understanding, but E also can mean meet.

[62:11]

Meet, encounter. So, not encounter means because these are one thing. There's no way to encounter each other. And this word, fushiki, is the expression used in the conversation between Emperor Wu and Bodhidharma. When Emperor Wu asked, who is the person in front of me? And Bodhidharma said, I don't know. This I don't know is fushiki. And that is an expression Dogen used here. So, because, you know, burning house and outside the burning house, or roji, or open ground, are not two separate places, so they don't know each other, or they don't encounter or meet each other, and they don't know each other, because they are one thing. Or, as I said, this is manifested through our actions or practice.

[63:22]

So in that sense we can say, I really don't know. That means the person who is practicing and this environment manifest through our practice is one thing. So, there's no such separation. So, as Dogen said in Jijyu Zanmai, the person cannot observe whether we create samsara or nirvana, because we are part of it. That means we need to keep trying, keep doing. without evaluation if I create samsara or if I create nirvana. Yes, yes, yes. Please. That was my question. When I did Diju Zanmai, For the first time, Dogen said, we cannot perceive those things.

[64:40]

Then, why Dogen knew that? That is the question, and I have no answer yet. I'm still asking, why Dogen knew that? Why Dogen could write this kind of thing? Somehow, it's interesting, and to me it sounds right. But how Dogen knew that? That is a big question to me. And why I think this is right? That means I don't see the result of our activities. Still, somehow, I think this is good. This is a good thing to practice and live with this attitude. How can We think in that way. Probably something inside of ourselves.

[65:41]

Feel comfortable to live and practice and do things with this attitude. So here he said there is no separation between the burning house and the open ground. And he keeps asking, who could consider the turning of the wheel in the three worlds? So turning the wheel in the three worlds means in the burning house. as a carriage and ride it as one vehicle. So even our transmigration within samsara is within the one Buddha vehicle. But how can we know that? And who could enter and exit opening, displaying, realizing, and entering as the gate?

[66:53]

Is there such a gate as a border between this and that, if these are not two things? When we seek that courage from the burning house, that means if we understand this and this and this are different places or different stages, Then we see the white carriage or open ground from the burning house. It's so different. And we don't know how to get there. We cannot measure how far away to get out of the burning house. We think in that way, you know, we have to think, understand our practice, bodhisattva practice with this model.

[68:02]

That means from the time we arouse bodhicitta until we reach the Buddha way, or Buddhahood, it takes more than forever. But when we see this way, There is no such separation. These are actually one place. But if we think in this way, what Dogen said is, when we see the burning house from the open, from the open ground, so whether we see outside from the burning house or we see the burning house from outside, There are, you know, so much distance. First he said, when we seek the carriage from the burning house, how many times must the wheel turn? How many times we have to live and die?

[69:06]

Be born, live and die, and continue life after life, like Shakyamuni did before he became Shakyamuni. How many times we have to you know, go through, you know, lifetimes. There's no way to reach if we think this way. And when we see the burning house from the open ground from outside, we only see so much depth and distance of separation. So, that means if we understand Buddhist teaching in this way, you know, there is no time to reach nirvana and leave samsara. But samsara and nirvana are within our activity in each moment.

[70:07]

Depending upon our attitude, this world becomes samsara or becomes Buddha Land. then there's no such distance. In this view, is there such a thing as awakening? And if so, what would that be? Yeah, this realization is awakening. So are we always awakened and deluded? Dependent? I mean, if it's not linear and it's always going on, are we always awakened? Well, as Sawakirya said, As Savaki Roshi said, depending upon what we do and with what attitude or motivation we do, even our practice in the zendo wa, in the monastery, could be create samsara. But even our activity in the marketplace could be nirvana.

[71:13]

could manifest the Buddha Land. So it's actually moment by moment. Then, the next sentence is kind of difficult to understand to me. Should we understand that Vulture Peak is peacefully placed on open ground? Or should we practice on vulture peak as a place that is as flat and even as open ground? What is this open ground and vulture peak? Of course open ground is here when we leave the burning house outside the gate. And probably that means when we are still looking for three toys. And Bolchapik probably referred to this one Buddha vehicle.

[72:21]

That is, praise Shakyamuni expounded this teaching of one Buddha vehicle. That means he probably is talking about three people who belong to three vehicles and one vehicle, possibly. Should we understand that vulture pig is peacefully placed on open ground, means vulture pig refers to this one buddha vehicle or white ox cart or carriage, peacefully placed within here. That means this one buddha vehicle can be within three vehicles. Does it make sense? That means Shravakayana, Pratyekabuddhayana and Bodhisattvayana, those are three toys.

[73:25]

Is this one big cow or oxen cart or this one vehicle can be each of them? And this is a question but I think he said yes, please. Is liberation one of the tools? Pardon? So your question is, is enlightenment a toy? Is that your question? Probably. I think it's up to our attitude. If we want to get it, then that is our toy. We make enlightenment as my toy and I want to get it, my toy, and I want to play with it.

[74:32]

Then the enlightenment can be a toy. Failure. So, Dogen's questioning is whether one Buddha vehicle can be each of three vehicles. And I think his answer is yes. That means those three vehicles, Shravaka, Pratyekabuddha, and Bodhisattva are not negated, but they are part of one Buddha vehicle. That is why Shakyamuni gave prediction to those Shravakas, the great disciples. That means all those great disciples or Shravakas are also Bodhisattvas. When we see in this frame, So, Shravaka or Pratyekabuddha are not negated, or even the Bodhisattva Jñāna that criticize and exclude those two vehicles are also not excluded.

[75:52]

That means not only those three, but we are, in Buddhist tradition, there are so many different approaches. but all are included within this one vehicle. So we don't need to say, you know, what I'm doing or my practice is better than others. You know, all approaches, all practices go to the same direction. So vulture peak is peacefully placed on open ground. That means one vehicle is peacefully placed in three vehicles. Or should we practice on vulture peak as a place that is as flat and even as open ground?

[77:00]

You know, open ground is flat. outside the burning house. And I'm not sure how steep the Borja Peak is. I've never been to India. So anyway, Borja Peak is a mountain, so it's not flat. So we need to make some effort to go up, to climb up. But what he's saying is the practice on the vulture pig is as flat as a practice on the open ground. That means the practice in the one Buddha vehicle and practice as three vehicles are the same practice. Otherwise, one vehicle loses inclusiveness.

[78:03]

The place where living beings enjoy themselves. has been eternally present as my pure land that is never destructible. And right there, we must meticulously practice as our original practice. These two expressions, the place where living beings enjoy themselves and my pure land that is never destructible, came from the chapter 16, the Buddha's or Tathagata's life span. And in the next paragraph he also, Dogen also, quotes many phrases from the same chapter.

[79:09]

So I I'll explain about these phrases, but basically what he's saying is the place where living beings enjoy themselves is Buddha's land, Shakyamuni's land, and that land is in never destructible, indestructible. So those people are not referred to this one Buddha vehicle or the great white ox cart carriage. But within there, we have to practice, we have to work hard. And in order to work hard, we have to, we need a shinmei, mind in delusion. Does it make sense?

[80:13]

Yes. Yeah, then we have no aspiration to do anything. Yeah, Dogen said even though we are already in the Buddha land, still we have to work. To do work, we need some aspiration or some inquiry. What is this? And what I should do? Still we are in this process. So this process is happening within Bambutta Viku. This is very basic kind of insight of Dogen. You know, usually we think Bodhisattva practice or Bodhisattva path is one linear process from the time we are at Bodhicitta and going through the 53 stages and finally reach Buddhahood.

[81:25]

And it takes more than forever to reach there. That is our kind of image of how bodhisattva practice. But what Dogen is saying here is it's not a matter of this long process, but it's moment by moment practice. Whether we create samsara or nirvana, it's up to our actions and motivation, our attitude. And another point is we should not try to escape from samsara or burning house. Burning house is a place where bodhisattva works. That is what the first of the four bodhisattva vows means. You know, beings are numberless, we vow to free them or save them. This means, you know, all beings are

[82:31]

within the burning house. So we need to stay within the burning house to work with the people within the burning house. So as I said before, this first vow of the Four Boys Sattva Vows means I would like to be the last person to get out of the burning house. And when we practice with this attitude, and all of us in the Burning House practice with the same attitude, this Burning House is transformed as nirvana. That is a very basic idea, insight of Dogen. Well, I think this is a good time to stop. So we continue from here this afternoon.

[83:35]

@Text_v004
@Score_JJ