You know, you have some trouble in the bottom of your abdomen, something like that. Even if your health is well, you have to be careful to have the posture of your Zazen. That's why we emphasize on having the proper posture. Okay. Remember and accept. I vow to taste the truth of that doctor's words.

[01:29]

Okay. During Sechin, we had, I mentioned about four vows. The last verse of four vows, saying the Buddha's way is unsurpassable, I vow to attain it.

[02:59]

I think it implies that we all, as long as life induces, induces, endures, I'm sorry, endures, must be free from all kinds of delusions and sufferings, whatever they are. Because in underlying essence, as the Shakyamuni Buddha teaches us, all sentient beings possess Buddha nature,

[04:15]

or freedom, or the immense expanse of the free being. Then wherever you are, as long as life induces, endures, we must seek for this freedom. This is very important for the sake of attaining this important point in the history of human beings. All Buddhas and all patriarchs have been continuing to seek what the truth is, according to the practice.

[05:41]

But there are various ways to reach this highest stage of religious spirit. Someone stick to the support. The expanse of the human being. Someone stick to something which dreams to us, in your dream, during sleeping.

[06:51]

If you read the books by patriarchs or philosophers in India, in China, in Europe, in Japan, then you will find really the beauty of human nature, represented in the books by patriarchs. In order to get the religious life, which is called, this is God, this is Buddha.

[08:14]

Even though you continue to explain what God is, what Buddha is, those ideas, God and Buddha, seems to be the very far away of our daily life, of the expanse of daily life. The more you look upon yourself, reflect upon yourself seriously, the more the ideas, God and Buddha, are getting far away from the daily life. This is really true, what you have realized in your daily life.

[09:20]

But in Buddhism, it teaches us that those ideas, God and Buddha, they must be realized in the expanse of daily life. Not merely the object of the worship, which is called God, which is called Buddha. Recently, it is said that Christianity, they have tried to put stress on the conception of God, which exists in our daily life. I think it is a very good tendency for the human being anyway.

[10:34]

Whatever kind of ideas, particularly related with religion, they must be realized in the expanse of daily life. Buddhism particularly puts a strong emphasis on this point. Buddha must be something realized in the expanse of daily life. The Buddha is not something which is obtained by our effort. We must answer the object of the worship, of the religion, of Buddhism.

[11:47]

In terms of the man whose nature is exercised in the expanse of daily life, this man is called the Buddha, which means enlightened person, which means in words, the person who continues to advance to the Buddhahood. This is Buddha. So as long as you make every possible effort to seek something,

[13:16]

you might as well seek. The you yourself, the you who continues to advance to the Buddhahood. And in the primitive Buddhism, the word Buddha was used very often, regarded as the saintly person or enlightened one. On the other hand, we should keep in mind that there is more meaning,

[14:29]

as mentioned before, the Buddha is the person who continues to advance to Buddhahood. This is Buddha. This is Buddha. Zen, then Tozan Zen master says, we should keep in mind that we realize ourselves are to advance to the Buddhahood. They constantly are day in and day out.

[15:31]

Then immediately monks ask this Zen master, what is, what do you mean by the person who continues to advance to the Buddhahood, which is called the Bukkojo in Japanese. Bukkojo means Buddha. Kojo means to advance. That time the master says, non-Buddha, non-Buddha. In Buddhism, the word non or know, inflexible, inflexible word, inflexible, inflexible word,

[16:40]

no or non, are very meaningful to implies the immense expanse of Buddha's world. Then the monk asks, what is, what do you mean by the person who continues to advance to Buddhahood? Now Tozan says, Tozan Zen master says, non-Buddha.

[17:42]

But what is non-Buddha? Non-Buddha. Then Omon Zen master explains about this, the word non, what is non. Non-Buddha is something inexpressible. Non-Buddha. And also something indescribable. It is because this is what is called non-Buddha, non.

[18:51]

Then Dogen says, Dogen explains about this point, about non-Buddha. He says, non-Buddha is the person before he became, becomes Buddha. Non-Buddha is not the person, not the person before he became, becomes Buddha. Not the person after he became, he has become Buddha. Non-Buddha. Not the person who goes beyond the Buddha. This is what is called non-Buddha.

[20:03]

Non-Buddha. The non-Buddha is the full function of the person, the neither, the who becomes Buddha, nor the person who has become Buddha. Nor the person who goes beyond Buddha, what is non-Buddha. Can you, can you find that there is something, there is still something to explain what Buddha is in the world? Completely there is no amount of discrimination, you know.

[21:16]

This is Buddha or this is not Buddha, or that is Buddha or that is not Buddha. For instance, you know, when you practice Zazen, the four beginners, the beginners, they will find something marvelous. If they practice hard, more and more, they will find something marvelous which they have never experienced before.

[22:33]

But before you find something marvelous, great, in the practice of your Zazen, at least in the process of doing Zazen, you will find something troubles, you know, pain coming from your leg, or some doubt, saying what is useful, or why must I practice Zazen. Keeping away from the original native religion, Christianity or Judaism, why we must, why must I practice Zazen.

[23:45]

You see, let reflect upon yourself, in the process of your practice, while you have some doubt, why I must practice Zazen, how terrible pain is, I think your Zazen is really far away, you know, of yourself, from yourself. Then at that time, there are two kinds of practice, you know, the you who must, the you who must, who must look at the pain or doubt,

[24:50]

and the you, and also the you who try to jump in, to plunge into Zazen itself, whatever happens around, anyway. You push yourself to plunge into the Zazen itself, but in this stage of practice, at this stage of practice, I think there are two kinds of you, you know, who are always looking at some doubt, some question, some pain. On the other hand, there is the you who push yourself into practice Zazen, then at that time your practice is a little far away from yourself,

[26:08]

then sometimes, oh, I don't like, I want to give up, I don't want to practice anymore. But at that time, if you push yourself more to plunge into Zazen, day in and day out, without giving up, at that time you will find some joy, some joyous, how wonderful Zazen is, because through the hard practice of Zazen, you will realize something great, marvelous, which you have never experienced.

[27:09]

At that time, your practice is approaching yourself, your life, closely, more closely. In other words, even though I don't tell you, please practice Zazen more, at your own initiative, you want to try to practice Zazen, you want to practice Zazen more and more. We follow the regular schedule, twice, three times a day, in the morning, twice, two periods of Zazen, in the evening, two periods of Zazen.

[28:24]

But if you find, if you find something great, through your practice, you want to, you want to practice, you want to practice more, the five periods of Zazen, at your room, at your cabin, at that time, Zazen is, Zazen is very close, extended into your daily life. In other words, Zazen is coming up, Zazen is something to be, to develop, out of the bottom of your mind, bottom of your body and mind.

[29:31]

Zazen is coming up, springing, Zazen is the practice of Zazen, something which is called the practice of Zazen is springing up from your bottom of your mind, regardless of the idea of whether I tell you you should Zazen, you should do Zazen. Because you find that there is something great, you know. That time you, you feel, you feel that you want, you want to, the, the devote your whole energies to your practice of Zazen.

[30:39]

Which is springing up from the bottom of your mind. Not to the practice by force, you know. Something is coming up, something comes up from your bottom of the mind, at that time it is, it make you delight, it make you delightful and put it into practice day in and day out. Then you, you feel that I want to devote my whole energies to put it into practice.

[31:43]

In other words, I want to risk my life to put it into the practice. So in this, in this expanse of your life, I think Zazen is a little free, you know. It seems free, it seems to be free. Or your life is free. But strictly speaking, there is still something which is called, you know, the, some conceptions, which is called conception of the Zazen. Or your life, you know.

[32:46]

There is still something which make your life separate from Zazen. As long as you feel, I want to, I want to devote my whole life, whole energies to do practice Zazen, to do Zazen, you know. In other words, there is the, the something which is called Zazen coming up from before me, then oh I like it, then you, you plunge into grasp it, you know. Within joy, with joy. If so, there is something, there is still something, you know, which make your life separate from the practice, you know.

[34:07]

In other words, there is still some object which you try to aim at. This is what is called, this is what is called Zazen, Buddhist practice, or bow, or gassho, something like that. Then, at that time we need some more effort to break this, you know, wall, something wall, to make your life separate from the practice, you know.

[35:10]

In the beginning of the practice, you always look at the Zazen practice, you know, as onlooker. In the next stage of your progress, of the progress in practice, you know, your practice is getting close to your life, not far away. So there is, there are not so much, not so much doubt, you just, you are just delighted, delighted in doing Zazen, day in and day out,

[36:26]

regardless of the idea whether I tell you to do Zazen hard or not. Because Zazen is here, before you, very close. It is not good enough to practice according to the Buddhistic principle. We need to practice more, to practice more. In the last stage of the practice,

[37:27]

you know, the, first of all, your Zazen, the Zazen is always constantly coming up, springing up, from your mind, from your body, from your life. And at that time, your, the Zazen which is springing up from your body, from your life, is completely one with practice of Zazen, with your life. At that time, there is no need of the effort that I have to plunge into, I have to devote my whole energies to do practice of Zazen.

[38:35]

In other words, all you have to do is just to accept, just to hold it, just to keep the practice of Zazen, Zazen which is coming up, springing up from your mind, from your body, from your daily life. In your hand, just to hold it, you know. Then what should you do? The Zazen, the practice of Zazen, which is springing up from the mind, from your body, from your daily life, must be careful, must be taken, must be taken considerate care of this, as if you take good care of the baby which is coming up in this world.

[39:48]

Then let's imagine how do you deal with the baby, you know. Just when, just when he was born now, you know. He comes up now from the baby's, from her mother's womb, you know. You really carefully take care of this baby, you know, without reckless, you know, reckless feeling. So the, always the moment after moment, the Zazen is, the Zazen must be like, must be like the baby.

[41:26]

Who is born right now, you know, you just hold it, hold him in your hand with careful attention, you know. At that time, what do you feel? How do you deal with this baby who exists in your hand? If you were a mother, the mother is not merely to hold the baby in her hands without any feelings. She tries to constantly take care of this baby in her hands.

[42:44]

She is, she is always praying for this baby's growth. And safety, you know. Even though she didn't, she doesn't say anything in word. Please, saying please grow well in safety, I think she didn't, she doesn't say anything in a word. But the moment when she hold the baby in her hand, unconsciously or consciously she always praying for this baby, please grow well in safety, in health.

[44:08]

The Zazen is something like that, you know, in the last stage of your practice. When it is made, when the practice make progress, so during Zazen, your hand is like a baby, your head is like a baby, your eyes, your mouth, your body, all are like a baby, you see. Your cushions, your square cushion, your round cushion, you know. You always take care of your hand, your mouth, your eyes, like a baby, praying for them growing well in peace, in safety.

[45:29]

With considerate attention, you know. Without any word, please grow any way, please grow well in peace. If there is something, some doubt, or some question, Zen Master says straighten your back, straighten your head, about your mouth, about your eyes, your ears okay, you think immediately why, why is it important to straighten my back. If you take care of your hand, all parts of your body, as if, look at the mothers, you know.

[46:54]

Without any complaints, without any doubt. Even though the dung is spreading the vice perfume, the mother doesn't make any complaints. Mother is always looking at, mother is always wondering how about the color of the dung, you know. Because the color of the dung, baby's dung, reflects the degree of the baby's health. Mother is always looking at what the color is, what the color of the dung is, you know. Regardless of the idea of what it is, it has a very bad smell, very bad vice perfume or not.

[48:34]

Whatever they are, the mother always takes considerable care of the dung, or peace, or crying, any kind of motivation, movement. Baby tries to express, even though the baby cries all day, all night long, she's always taking care of the baby all night, without any complaints. They think Zazen, if you can have Zazen, the practice of Zazen,

[49:43]

as if you take considerate care of the baby, this is the person who is called, the person who continues to advance to the Buddha. There is completely nothing to insert between Zazen, between Zazen and you, your hands, your head, your body, whole body. I completely like a baby, which is always constantly springing up from your body, from your mind, from your daily life.

[50:49]

Then, as the Ummam Zen Master says, number is something inexpressible, something indescribable. There is no idea which is called mother, which is called baby. There is no idea which is called dung, which is called the vice perfume, which is called the pee. There is nothing bad to do for her, to take care of all of them, without anything to be left behind her.

[52:26]

I am insisting on the idea that I am a mother. He is a baby. There is only what she takes considerate care of the pee, or dung, or the crying, whatever they are. Through this, taking considerate care of all of them, dung, pee, or any expression of movement, crying, laughing. She can realize, she can realize she is a mother.

[53:31]

She can realize the true self, regarded as the mother. Through the realization of the mother, there is the existence of the baby. So during the Zazen, at least your whole body must be like a baby. You must be a mother. Your hands, your eyes, your mouth, your head, must be the baby. You and those babies are always springing up, moment after moment.

[54:44]

You see, they must collect your hand like this. Then for a while, you can hold the posture of your hand properly like this. Then after, in a little moment, your thumb is hanging down like this. Your hands, your eyes, your mouth, your head, your back, must be the babies who are always springing up, moment after moment. Just the birth, birth, right now.

[55:51]

If you take care of them recklessly, what would you realize? What would you find? So Shikantaza is something like this. Shikantaza is not to devote your whole energies to the dual practice of Zazen. Shikantaza is to take considerate care of all parts of your body. As if you take care of a baby who is just now born in this world.

[57:00]

Praying for the baby, praying for those babies who are growing well in peace. This is Shikantaza, you know, this is Shikantaza. Then this is a verse called Nambura, Nambura. It's pretty difficult to explain the word as to the Nambura. Because there is no amount of discrimination, you know.

[58:16]

What is Buddha? The person who continuously advance to the Buddha is to take considerate care of your hand, your head, your body, your eyes, your mouth. Which are springing up in the expanse of your daily life. If there is still even the slightest things, like dregs in the bottom of your bottle,

[59:21]

which is called a young mother, your baby, you have to take reckless care of your hand, your head. Even though you take completely considerate care of your husband, like a baby, there is no amount of discrimination. I am a practitioner, Zazen is Zazen.

[60:23]

All you have to do is just to continue to advance to Buddha. Which means, which implies the person who continues to advance toward Buddha. It means you take considerate care of your hand, your eyes, your mouth. This is Shikantada, without any complaints, without any dregs in the bottom of your mind bottle. Whoever you are, poor students or skillful students, even though you become Zen master, there is no dregs which is called Zen master.

[61:37]

You must just continue to practice Zazen. This is Shikantada. That's all. Okay. Do you have a question? Are you saying non-Buddha?

[62:42]

Non-Buddha. Non-Buddha is someone who is on the way. On the way? He is in the Buddhist way. Why is the term non-Buddha then? It seems like a funny word to use for someone who is practicing the way. It's not necessary to use the word Buddha. Because there is no way to express it.

[63:44]

You can't express the full function or the as-it-is-ness of man's function. The as-it-is-ness of man whose nature is exercised. There is no word to explain. Then that's why just the Buddha. But it's not necessary to explain it and to use the word. You see in the Lotus Sutra, in the first chapter, the Lotus Sutra expresses the huge world. Inviting many Buddhas, many Bodhisattvas.

[64:46]

Then this chapter says all human beings exist in the huge expanse of Buddha's world. The second chapter is devoted to the means, the way to lead all beings to approach the Buddha's world. In the Lotus Sutra, it is translated as skillfulness anyway. In the huge world, what the first chapter explains in the Lotus Sutra,

[65:57]

completely there is no amount of discrimination which is called Buddha, which is called the unaware, unawakened. But anyway, at any cost, we have to explain this huge world, which is called Buddha. Buddha, sometimes using the word Buddha or something like that. But those words, Buddha or the unselfishness or suchness, are sort of the way or means to lead all sentient beings to approach the truth, that's all.

[67:09]

If there's not much difference between saying Buddha and non-Buddha, what is the difference between telling a lie and telling the truth? Not telling a lie. In Buddhism, the means to lead all sentient beings to approach the truth is not to tell a lie or to human beings. In order to, for the purpose of approach the truth. The means in Buddhism is manifestation of the truth itself. In other words, means or word which is called Buddha or true nature, or emptiness, or interdependence, or whatever they are,

[68:24]

has a direct relationship with the truth or Buddha. A huge, immense expanse of the world, anyway. What I mean is, is it necessary sometimes to say words that sound like a lie in order to tell the truth? I don't think so. Words that contradict either themselves or what actually happened. To say what seemed to happen to everyone might be to mislead them as to the actual truth. Not only words. What I mean is, the way words work, you may have to, in order to get at the truth behind the words,

[69:28]

you may have to use words in a way which isn't what we usually call telling the truth with the words. Words that don't contradict each other. Words are not merely words. In Buddhism, it means to get a taste of the meaning of the word, meaning what the word expresses the truth. Words are not merely words. For instance, Zazen is not merely the posture of Zazen, or not merely practice of Zazen. When you practice Zazen here, the important point is not the problem of the amount of the Zazen,

[70:33]

the posture of Zazen. The important point is who you are. Who you are. And the expanse of Zazen itself. Are you free or are you operated upon by delusion or many thoughts running through your head? The important point is you must be free. You must be free in the expanse of Zazen if you do Zazen. The word is not merely words. In Buddhism, the word is transmitted undistortedly, directly,

[71:44]

from the truth. This is the word. This is the word. Then you say, Buddhism says, the emptiness, Buddha nature, this is word. You say, this word is something like to tell a lie to us. If so, if you accept the word in this way, you cannot accept the truth through the word. The effort must focus to realize what it means. Emptiness, what it means. Zazen, what it means. So, I think that the word or any kind of word,

[73:00]

we have to take good care of it. The intention to be attentive while sitting sometimes slips into a condition of worry, becoming agitated and fearful. And the further intention to become attentive produces more worry. It seems as though I become afraid that something is wrong, or going in the wrong direction. The problem is what we have, the function of the mind,

[74:09]

or the head, a thought, impairs you to be left in bewilderment. So, as mentioned before, you have to take considerate care of your hands, your eyes, your mouth, your head, as if you take good care of the baby, playing for them in peace, growing in peace. This means, an important point is that you have to always play for the baby.

[75:12]

It's a thought that the baby is growing in peace, in health. It means not to leave something that you are distracted by. For instance, as mentioned before, if the baby has a dog or a pea, it is really natural that the pea and dog spread the vice perfume,

[76:28]

that smell. But you have to take considerate care of the baby and of them without any complaints, without any doubt. All you have to do is just to take care of the dog and the pea. If you think, I smell bad, it means that your head starts to work, or it's a bad smell. I don't like to take care of this stuff, this pea. You should take care of yourself. You should take care of it by yourself.

[77:32]

If so, mother doesn't come to existence, or baby doesn't come to existence too, in this world. Without any conception of good smell or bad smell, it means you stop, that your brain is working, working. Then all you have to do is to take care of your, to take care of dog or pea, at the thought that you are all concentrated,

[78:37]

actually praying for the baby to grow in peace. So as long as we have a brain, a functional brain, some thoughts or some doubts, some questions, are running through your head. This is a natural situation, but you should keep in mind that all you have to do is to take considerate care of your body, whole body and mind. As if you take care of baby, you know.

[79:39]

So, down is down, pea is pea, you know. Pea is spread, bad smell, that's okay. Not that okay. Important point is how you take care of it, how you deal with it. Important point exists within yourself, not within the dog, not within the pea. So it's not necessary to fear the bad smell of the dung, the bad smell of the pea. It's not necessary to fear the bad smell of your brain or of your head. That's okay. But you have to take care of your body, even if the bad smell coming from your brain

[80:54]

is a part of your body or your life, you have to take care of it, take considerate care of it. Thank you. Did you think so? I'm still trying to understand and take care of the idea of non-dualism. Will this be a way of understanding that? When you talk about a mother and a child, did I say non-mother? The mother that you were speaking of, who knows these things, takes care of her child,

[81:56]

she's a non-mother. Okay, non-mother, non-baby. Baby? Sure. So the Hogan Zen Master says the Hogan Zen Master explains about non-Buddha. He said, Buddha, no. Buddha, no. The other Zen Master says, what is the person who runs towards Buddha? It's non-Buddha. The Hogan Zen Master, Buddha, no. Then there is no confession, no dress

[82:59]

to be left in the bottom of the bottle, which is called non-Buddha. So Hogan Zen Master says, Buddha, no. Buddha, no. So that's okay, non-baby, non-mother. Non-dozen, non-dozen. Non-you. It is called you-non, dozen-non. What is the word in Chinese that means moon? Moon. The noun. Yeah. Same.

[84:00]

It depends on the word. I must say, the moon, you have seen most of the moon. What is that? Noun. Moon. In Chinese, moon, moon. Hmm. So any kind of the negative word in Buddhism, you or who, who, or the he, has a very profound meaning. It's trying to explain a immense expanse of the Buddhist world. You mean, which means,

[85:03]

immense expanse of the Buddhist world is who you are, why you seek meditation, who you are. The immense expanse of Buddhist world is not to to let you explain yourself, or you yourself, how you start to work. How you start working in the expanse of yourself. Perhaps it is important to receive the answer that is non-Buddhist, as if the answer was Buddhist. Maybe the answer he already had was Buddhist, but the answer he received was non-Buddhist. The question is,

[86:16]

the think the unthinkable. The question is, what do you mean by think the unthinkable? To which he says, non-thinking. Non-thinking is to completely take good care of. You know, your hands, your your eyes, your mouth, which is moment after moment spinning up in the expanse of the other than. This is non-thinking, thinking. In other words, it is the complete state in which you take good care of

[87:20]

the reality of the present in your daily life. Just as you take care of babies, or pray for them to grow in peace. So, even though you take good and considerate care of the babies with wholeheartedness, the babies may get sick. You may make a mistake to empower the babies to get sick. But, the important point is

[88:22]

to continue to practice non-thinking, or non-Buddha. That's all. To continue to advance towards Buddha. But, the thing that is important is completely nothing which is called the stage of Buddha. There is no stage which is called Buddha. If I say you have to advance to the Buddha, you think there is some stage which is called Buddha to approach it. But, there is no stage. The stage of Buddha is to be something, to manifest a manifestation,

[89:24]

to express the manifestation of the the I-ness of what your nature, what your nature is wanting. That's all. Always, always, [...] always you cross the James Avenue.

[90:27]

That's all. I think there is some reason why you have to, you know, try. You should see it, but it doesn't work. Yeah. I think so. You try to live, live. What's the point? I don't know. Who? I mean,

[91:32]

say, increase the problem. You mean it doesn't work? Increase the sick? Well, I think it depends on the situation, your health, you know. If you have the sick, it's pretty difficult to take care of your zazen, even for a moment. At that time, your zazen is

[92:35]

getting worse and worse. Then, the zazen which is getting worse and worse increases, you know, the worse sick. The idea, the fact, that which makes you sick gets worse. So, if you know the situation of your health, if you know that you are sick now, you should take care of the sick first. If your situation, if your state of your body is in the balance completely, I think the zazen doesn't hurt you. If you find something wrong to

[93:41]

take care of your zazen, you should take care of it.

[93:45]

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