of the record of Zing's hurt. It says, he distracted. There is a story, though I don't know if it is true or not, about the late lay monk, Counselor Jimyo-in, One time, when a highly treasured sword belonging to him was stolen, since the thief was among his own warrior band, the other warriors found him out and brought him to the lay monk who said, this is not my sword. This is an injustice.

[01:09]

So saying, he handed back the sword. Though it was certainly his sword, everyone knew that he had given it back out of consideration for the shame and disgrace of that warrior. In spite of everything, that time he let it go by without incident and therefore his descendants prospered. Even in the conventional world people with heart are like this. How much more so should leaders of home have such a heart? Since people who live whole never have any personal property, they consider without wisdom and virtue to be their treasure.

[02:20]

In a case where another is wrong, lacking in the mind of the way, one shouldn't bring it out directly and put him down. One should use tact and speak in such a way as to avoid arising his rejectment. It is said that the way of the coarse and violent doesn't remain long. Even if you chastise just desperately, If your language is rough, that justice won't last long. Teddy people of inferior capacities inevitably are angered at the slightest harsh word from others, thinking of their shame and disgrace.

[03:32]

Great people of superior character shouldn't be like this. Magnanimous people are otherwise. Even when they are attacked, they do not think of revenge. Nowadays in Japan, there are many petty people. It is necessary to be careful. This is all instructions given by Dogen in the number 16 of chapter 4 of this book. This is very interesting instruction. Not only two monks, but also everybody.

[04:42]

First of all, he took the example, but he didn't know whether it was true story or not. There is a story there, though I don't know if it is true or not, about the late lay monk, Counselor Jimyo, Counselor Jimyo-in. He's one of the famous samurai in the about 12th century. 10th century. He was a lay Buddhist. So that's why he says about the late lay monk. One time when a heavy treasure sword belonging to him was stolen since the thief was among his own warrior band.

[05:53]

So already he knew or some other warriors knew who was thief. So the other warriors found him out and brought him to the lay monk, lay monk means counselor, Jimyo-in. He said this is not my sword. This is an injustice. So saying he handed back the sword. Maybe you don't understand. Maybe you understand. But this always happens. If you are really compassionate toward all sentient beings, all beings, then naturally this kind of case occurs in your life, which seems to be erotic.

[07:02]

So, anyway, next he said, in the next clause, he says, though it was certainly his sword, it was very clear whose sword it was. So everyone knew that he had given it back out of consideration for the shame and disgrace of that warrior in spite of everything that time he let it go by without incident and therefore his descendants prospered. Well, I think everyone knew that he had given it back out of consideration for the shame and disgrace of that warrior After this, Jimmy O.Ing, Counselor Jimmy O.Ing felt sorry for this warrior to be brought into contempt in public so he knew it was his

[08:37]

treasured sword and also everyone knew but anyway he bring it back. So in spite of everything that time he let it go because at that time anyway why more to say, top rank of warriors had strong powers. If he orders, if he accepts a certain situation, everyone followed. Anyway. So, anyway, even though everyone knew there was this Jimmy O'Inn, anyway, refused to accept this sword so then everyone accepted this situation even though he knew so that time he let it go by without incident and without any incident particular incident anyway everything let it go smoothly so saying no excuse me

[10:06]

and therefore his descendants prospered. That means if a Khansur-Dimuyen had slain this warrior, it would have touched off or to say, revenge, or vendita, you know. Endangering the family and partisans of Jim Yong En. Do you know about this situation? In Japan, in history anyway. If one person made a mistake in the family and was ordered to be killed in so-called hara-kiri, you know the pre-war.

[11:21]

So all families complete. Well, the lineage of the families was cut off. Is that okay? Do you understand? So, in ancient time, not only Japan, but also everywhere, in Europe, in America. If you are very rude toward others, with rough language, words, very naturally it causes people to touch off, well, so-called revenge or hatred. So that's why he says, therefore, his descendants prospered.

[12:31]

Means a very compassion, there is a compassion. Because why the Jimyoen handed back that sword because he didn't actually feel afraid whether his family or partisans were destroyed could be destroyed or not but he was he really felt afraid that if he had slain him or scolded him with the very rough words in public, you know, that would hurt it.

[13:33]

what is a feeling or a mind which would cause to touch of revenge or hatred do you understand? so as much as possible even though it is true that sword of course was belonging to this man but anyway he He was afraid to raise that hatred and revenge. In other words, not hurt people's feelings. What you would cause to be hatred in the future or revenge, do you understand? Because if you behave like this, very naturally there is just a rough word without compassion.

[14:54]

If you use a rough language or word, you should be careful anyway. In your heart, there must be completely absolutely compassion still but you don't know what is compassion because when you're really angry or when you use rough words very naturally you forget the compassion so So even though that compassion is not something you try to know or you try to grasp it in your hand, to experience compassion is just your behavior in your everyday life, regardless of whether you know what compassion is or not.

[16:08]

So even though you don't think it is compassionate, but anyway, even though that sword is his, but anyway, so as not to raise a feeling of revenge in the future or hatred, anyway, he wanted to have it back. So that is real practice of compassion. He doesn't know. He didn't know actually. He didn't know actually what the compassion is, but that practice is identical with the compassion itself. You don't notice this, but this practice is very important because compassion is not the idea of It's not an idea. What you can understand through your experience or through your philosophical understanding or religious understanding of human life.

[17:17]

Anyway day by day you have to do this. That is a good path. Very naturally, someday, somewhere, when the time is right, conditions are arranged, compassion comes up. Very naturally. So very naturally, your life is going in the future with compassion. That's why, anyway, If you see this situation, the appearance, the thinking of the situation of a Japanese, you know, ancient Japanese warrior society, you know, you don't understand this. You don't understand this according to your life which most people handle their life according to the very reasonable, understandable way of life.

[18:32]

You don't understand it. So, anyway, but actually, whatever happens, whatever you think actually there, his descendants prosper. Even in the conventional world, people with heart are like this. How much more so should leaders of home have such a heart? Since people who live home never have any personal property, they consider wisdom and virtue to be their traitor. Even in the conventional world, people with heart Just like this. It's not the particular case open to a priest's life or monk's life, Buddhist monk's life, but to everybody.

[19:48]

Nevertheless, if you enter into Buddhist life or monk's life, Well, you must have a particular practice of paying particular attention or care for attention toward this, okay? For instance, regardless of whether you become a boss of a company or not, anyway, you have to think or you have to be compassionate or kind to any white people, do you understand? wherever you may go, because society is just like a company, you know. Big companies. Family is a small company, you know. If you become a father and a mother, if you become a boss of some companies, anyway you have to have a particular practice, paying attention, paying careful attention to peoples, you know.

[21:02]

Because you're a boss. Because you're a father, you're a mother, you know? So you have to be, you have to practice, you have to have a particular practice toward it. Do you understand? But regardless, broadly speaking, regardless of whether you become boss of a company or not, anyway, you must be. Anyway, consider you must consider in every way everyone's to be compassionate so that's why it says even in the conventional world people with heart are like this how much more so should leaders who have such a heart of course if you become a boss of company you should have a Big scale of the compassionate, generous, magnanimous mind.

[22:04]

Because ten peoples completely belongs to you directly. It's not the others. You have to live in peace and harmony with those peoples, whoever they are. Every day, always they are with you. So you need, anyway, particular practice. That's why Dogen then says, how much more should rivers flow? I told you, anyway, if you become a priest, monks life, well, you have to have a big, anyway, responsibility for living in peace and harmony under all circumstances. considering everyone, not only human beings, trees, birds, anyway, to be compassionate. That is a priest.

[23:07]

But even though you don't become a priest, you must be so. But if you become a priest, you must do it with no reasons, no excuse. Do you understand? So that's why he says, how much more should live as home of such any way heart. Since people who live home never have any personal property, means any way feet, basically should be supported by all sentient beings. Without any particular properties and any particular any way thing. Apparently, anyway, in modern age, we have, anyway, house, and temples, and clothes, and money. But we shouldn't forget, monks shouldn't forget this basic.

[24:09]

Buddha's teaching. If you have it, well, you must not have, you must not have anywhere particular personal prejudice. Anytime, anywhere you can live. When I was in San Francisco, Zen Center in San Francisco, anywhere, I didn't, I have never thought I want to get the Zen Center or Sokoji Temple as a successor. I don't care. I don't care. Anytime I can live. So, that's why... Well, basically this is not only priest's practice, everyone's practice. But if you become monk, particularly you have to practice this. Maybe if you leave so-called temples and centers, maybe you cannot survive.

[25:15]

I don't know. But even though you cannot survive, when the time comes, you have to leave. When I came here, just a few people here, Beverly White, Mrs. Beverly White, and other few people supported me. But they all, anyway, they don't know, they didn't know how to support me. But anyway, when I have to leave, I have to leave. So, since people who live warm never have any personal property, they consider wisdom and virtue to be their treasure. Wisdom is always the important practice for us in Buddhism.

[26:17]

Wisdom is a very big term. We don't know what it is. Wisdom is not intuition. Wisdom is not intuition. Intuition is very important for us. Because when you command this zendo, you immediately catch total feeling, you know. Before you criticize, before you catch something particular. That is intuition. When you stand up here, whoever you are, rough one, rough person, or inferior person, or warrior, people, it doesn't matter. If you stand up here, you can feel. Immediately. You can catch it. That is through the intuition you can experience. But right after intuition, then your consciousness starts to work and catch particular things.

[27:23]

That is a consciousness. When you capture one thing, you don't know. You completely ignore other things. That is a characteristic of consciousness. Do you understand? That's why your understanding becomes narrow. Very narrow. Shallow. Do you understand? But intuition is very important for us. But it's not something you should Finally depend on, because nutrition is still, well, one of the human instinct. Do you understand? Instinct. Just like a wood stick. No, not wood stick. Wood tick. Do you understand? Wood tick. Wood tick is always waiting something, you know. going right beneath. Then if the dog passes beneath, immediately it will take, what?

[28:31]

Catch it. That instinct. So your instinct is pretty good, you know. When you come to the Zen door, you catch it. And when you see the people sitting, you catch it. When the time is right, you do it. You know? That's great. That's why you can survive in this world, wherever you may go. But, that instinct is not always you should depend on. Still, there must be some space you have to pay attention to what instinct is. Because, wood stick, wood pick, wood tick. Wood tick still has a mistake. It's a mistake to lose his object. Do you understand? That is an instinct. So wisdom is not only instinct. Sometimes people say wisdom was considered as intuition, but it's not wisdom.

[29:41]

Wisdom is more than intuition. Wisdom is represented as Chie in Japanese. E is represented as Prajna in Sanskrit. E is represented as Junyana in Sanskrit. So, T.A. means Junyāna Prajñā. Junyāna Prajñā. Translated as wisdom in English. I don't know what wisdom is in English. But in Sanskrit, Junyāna Prajñā, Junyāna is the great

[30:46]

capability to grasp a human world, a phenomenal world, perfectly in equality, without creating any feeling of prejudice. Prajna has always understanding inequality without any prejudice. So good about right, wrong, anyway, pure sense of religious, spiritual life, and also religion as a culture. Juniana can understand both without attaching to one idea.

[31:52]

If you attach to one idea so-called pure sense of spiritual life, you don't like religion or the culture. You always try to keep away because in the realm of religion and the culture, always there is a human tunnel maybe. Do you understand? Look at the Zen center. Now, most of the people really, maybe I'm angry with the Zen center. Maybe not. But you don't express, but in your heart sometimes, You don't like this kind of Zen center because you believe, according to your understanding, you want to keep a Zen center as a place where people should practice pure sense of speech and words. So you don't need a culture, you don't need others, you don't need a human society, you don't need any entanglement.

[32:53]

You don't need business. You don't need money to support this building. Why don't you just come and sit down? Fine. But we have already this building. We have already country. I don't mean that I should. We should make this organization big or small. I don't care, okay? But pay attention to the present situation. Where you are, you are already practicing in this building. You have to support. In other words, your body is already building. You should pay attention in your building, OK? And then you can kill off its attachment to the pure sense of religious practice. I don't want the body, because body is stinky. Can't you destroy your body? You can't do it. Whatever happens, whatever trouble you have, physical trouble, anyway without body you truly practice spiritual life in a pure sense.

[34:05]

The same applies to these organizations. I don't want to make this organization big as a business, as a culture. Or, I don't want to make this organization small. I don't want to make this. OK? I don't want to maintain this organization in the same situation. Because it's impossible to do this. Because if you practice Zazen here, well, very naturally people notice. Then people come. People going, coming in and out. So sometimes it's big, sometimes small. Sometimes you can maintain in the same situation. Do you understand? So, wisdom is, that's why, why I don't

[35:10]

Most people don't want to participate in cultural activities because they want to practice spiritual life in a pure sense. So that's why in this organization, not this organization or any kind of organization, it's very hard to get the people Well, to help. It's very hard. That's why only particular person, one person, two person, or three person, always work hard. Do you understand? Very hard. And then those people has to emphasize, please help us, please help us. And then people met at them. This is a situation, so. And then when they are mad at them, they don't notice how terrible that madness are.

[36:20]

How much they hurt people. They are always standing off. Looking at the certain beautiful situation of the organization without participating, without doing anything. Always looking at the inner distance. and criticized and hated. Just like, you know, relationship by any kind of religions. Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and etc. The Christian people or Islam people say, anyway, hate the Buddhism, hate the Christianity. How much do they understand of Christianity and Buddhism? They don't understand because they don't have any chance to study deeply. Nevertheless, they criticize. Do you think that criticism makes sense? No.

[37:23]

Because they don't know how much they know. Same applies to criticism you do always in your daily life. How much do you know this situation of themselves? Maybe you know. But no. So that is anyway a human problem. That's why in the Middle East, always fighting, finally killing each other. But in this small religious organization, we are just expressing, just arguing, argument, and sometimes hatred, etc. But in the universe of huge nations, you know, It is. It is exactly the same as fighting each other, killing each other. So, wisdom. That's why we need wisdom anyway.

[38:24]

If you don't like to participate in active cultural activity of Zen center, that's fine. But why don't you? Why help even a little bit if as much as possible you try to have your own, your time to help? Why don't you do it? Before you putting it down. Criticism is fine. But before you criticize anyway, why don't you do it? And then understand deeply What is spiritual life is how spiritual life must be conveyed from generation to generation. Without any other culture, you cannot convey because you die. Personal, individual life, how can you keep your body forever?

[39:28]

Next generation, your life is maybe for 50 years and 60 years and maybe if you live long, maybe 90. This long later you have to die. When you die, how can you convey religion? Not only to particular person, so-called successor or Buddhist, but you have to convey truth to everybody, directly or indirectly. This is a religion as a culture. But unfortunately, in the realm of religion in the culture, lots of confrontation there. That's why you don't like it. It's impossible to escape. I'm learning some, or experiencing some very profound things about life and death.

[40:31]

Dogen, who as many of you know was a very famous Zen master of the 13th century, emphasized that death was very important for understanding impermanence. He himself lost both his father and his mother before he was seven years old. And so he had to face at a very early age being alone in the world in a sense. And his spiritual path was said to have started, as I mentioned in my last lecture, At the time of his mother's funeral, as she was watching the incense ascend, he thought of impermanence and made a great resolve to follow the spiritual path.

[41:44]

So often, Dogen emphasizes impermanence. Impermanence, or transiency, or change, whatever you want to call it, is pretty scary to us as human beings in a way, it seems like the cause of a lot of suffering. But actually, the change itself is not the cause of the suffering. The real cause of the suffering is resistance to change, because change is the nature of life itself. So to be with life, to flow with life, is to be with change, birth and death. Dogen went so far as to say that the Bodhi mind is the mind, the Bodhi mind is the mind that's really in communication with Buddha or with

[43:00]

You want to say God if you're a Christian. That's in communication with the universe. The Bodhi mind is the mind that faces impermanence directly. It takes account of impermanence. So it also says that this mind, this Bodhi mind, that faces impermanence directly without anything in it. Wisdom is very important. That's why we have to look at the human phenomenal world understanding deeply inequality without prejudice. It's pretty hard. But this is wisdom in healing in everybody. And next he says, they consider wisdom and virtue. Virtue is so-called merit.

[44:04]

Merit is not to get something as a reward after racing, okay? After having a horse race and they suffer. Anyway, merit or virtue, virtuous quality, in the Buddhist practice is not something conspicuous. Sometimes it is something inconspicuous on the surface of your life. But regardless of merit, conspicuous or inconspicuous, anyway, you have to understand deeply and well to say be consider and be compassionate to you to us so even though you don't like it sometimes you can help thank you well even once a week you can help that's help

[45:22]

is actually you don't want. You don't want. But as a whole, just help as a process, activity, emotion, is great help. Because it's great help for the center of the people. Do you understand? Process of help. Not idea of help. Just help. And then if you think, if you help something or somebody, you think that help is helpful or helpless. That is already extra. You can think. The real help is you must be right in the middle of process of helping everybody. Do you understand? That's great help. That is called shikan zazen, zazen, shikan taro, just sitting.

[46:30]

But if you sit zazen, immediately this zazen is good or bad. And then immediately you think, oh yes, it's good. Why? Because your concentration is good. But that is already your thinking. That is the issue. The real good Zazen is nothing but the process of being one with Zazen. So that is a virtue. You don't understand. You don't know. If you know it, you can put a certain label on it. It's good or it's not good. All these two aspects. of the judgment, evaluation comes up. You never stay with the one. Good. If you say good, immediately there is a not good behind it.

[47:35]

Because this is a dualism. So, they consider wisdom and virtue to be their treasure. This wisdom and virtue is very treasure. It's really treasured. Virtue is... Virtue is... Virtue's quality, you can practice it as something hidden. But this something hidden you have practiced becomes want to say a very strong stable power to support, to help you and to help others. In the case where another is wrong,

[48:43]

lacking in the mind of the way, one shouldn't bring it out directly and put him down. Well, he said that if there is someone who lacks his mind of seeking the way, seeking the truth, you should be very careful to handle him. That's why you say one shouldn't bring it out directly. You can't express your feeling or you can't behave directly, raising from him and put him down. You can't do it. Even though you want to do it sometimes, you shouldn't do it. Why?

[49:50]

Dogen then says, one should use tact and speak in such a way as to avoid arousing his resentment very naturally. You can put him down, if you put somebody down, immediately you let him to touch of, you touch of, anyway, revenge or hatred which would appear in the future. Not in the future, right now, right here. So as not to, anyway, raise, create this kind of feeling. Even though you think it is right, but you shouldn't do it. So he said, it is said that the way of the cause and violence doesn't remain long.

[50:55]

Of course it is. Look at the now between Israel and the PLO and a lot of trouble there. That is really good example for us. Violence and the cause behavior Doesn't last long anyway. Even though it is right. Because what is right? Right. In terms of Israel, this way is right. But this way is not right. According to some other PLO. PLO has their own right. Do you understand? And then according to in terms of is right or is real, he, they always use rough course and behavior. It doesn't last long anyway. I have my experience in Japan.

[52:00]

At that time I thought it was right. So one day I carried the relics of the a friend of the person who died when he was 30 years old. So I took care of him until his death. So I carried his relics in order to bring it back to his family. But at that time, you know, Japanese train Very crowded. Very crowded. And people don't care some moral way to get the train, you know. Before trains arrived, everyone made a line, straight lines, and we you know, very gentle man, very polite and kind, and everyone very quiet and sometimes chatting, but the moment when the train arrived, and at the park home, everyone rushed into the train.

[53:14]

Completely, they didn't care, you know, more or less. So if you stand up in front of the, you know, some place, in front of the entrance, you don't need any effort to get in. Push you into the train. See, it is true. If you went to Japan, you will realize. Still there. Still there. So at that time I was, I had a box of, you know, box of his relics. And that box is now wooden. It's ceramic, so it's breakable. It was pretty easily breakable, so I tried to be kind of careful. But people, anyway, pushed me. Almost I was framed. So I always hold. Not my body, I protect all these relics.

[54:22]

Then immediately I turned over to look at the people and they screamed. Quiet! Get in there quietly. Make a line. But people didn't care. Then finally I pushed him. I was pushing him inside. So nothing to do. It didn't make sense. So I sit down to sit. And then the next moment, my friend, the priest, he was a friend and also kind of teacher, great teacher. He came. But, just he came to see me and said, Hey, come on. Who are you? You are? You are a usual person?

[55:23]

No, not usual person. I am a priest. You are a priest. Quiet. He didn't, he didn't blame me in public, very quietly, just like a dog and then says, you know. considering, considering, in the consideration for the shame and the disgrace itself. But I felt, you know, right after screaming, because I thought it was right, but it didn't last long. It didn't last long. It really turned off. So I completely, in a sense, I was completely put down, you know? But it's not actually he put me down, but I felt shame, shamed. So, anyway, even though you're right, it doesn't last long. For instance, in the Koran, you know, there's Nansen.

[56:27]

Nansen killed a cat. Do you know that? It is right. in terms of educating, in terms of awakening the mind. But to enlightenment, anyway, it's right. But White Dawkins then says, if I was non-sense, I would like to let it go. Okay? Because, Cat is complete beyond whether he is Buddha nature or he is not Buddha nature. complete beyond, this is called Buddha anyway. That is a Buddha. When you discuss whether cats are the Buddha nature or not, this is a point you are interested in. But it's not a real Buddha nature. Real Buddha nature is complete beyond real state, real cat's life. In reality, whether you dis-argue

[57:33]

about pure nature or not pure nature. Cats is living being from woman to woman. That is a pure nature completely beyond your speculation. Do you understand? So that's why Tolkien then says, if I was anyway nothing, why don't you let it go? It's really true. So, I don't mean it is wrong, it is right, about nonsense did. Nonsense behavior, I don't mean this. Dogen doesn't mean nonsense behavior, nonsense way, was wrong or right. You have to, Dogen suggested us, pay careful attention to, one more time, what nonsense did. But it's a cruel nature. Okay.

[58:44]

So, if your language loves that justice won't last long, and petty people of inferior capacity inevitably are angered at the slightest harsh word from others, thinking of this shame and disgrace you understand if you are in the human society you see these kind of people always you experience this great people are in superior character shouldn't be like this mononymous people are otherwise mononymous people are otherwise monogamous people believe sometimes you don't understand you don't understand but for long range you will understand you will understand but at that time you don't understand but if you see human life for long range you will understand even when they are attacked they do not think of revenge

[60:00]

Nowadays in Japan there are many petty people. Do you know the petty people? Petty people means, well, ungenerous, small-minded. Just like a person being in a commotion or bathroom. Do you know bathroom? Or... flying, being flying like a restless badger or raccoon in a cage. Do you understand? You know the badger and raccoon and the tigers in a cage? Raccoon dogs are going this way, that way in a cage.

[61:03]

They never stop doing this constantly every day. Because he was, he is in a small cage, small worm. But originally he is. Anyway, moving everywhere in the nature, in the nature. But he was, he is in a small cage. That's why he doesn't know, he doesn't know what to do. So your life, your consciousness is anyway in the universe. At that time you don't notice how busy your mind is. But if you are in a small cage, you realize how busy your mind is. Just like a zazen. That's why I say zazen is staying in a motel. If you stay in a motel, you don't know how to deal with your mind because mind is always Restless, going there, here and there.

[62:04]

Going to Japan, Monterey, California, the heaven and the earth. Always do it. But when you are free, it's not actually free, but you feel, you believe, I am free. Strictly speaking, you are free. In the universe, you don't know. You don't know this because lots of space. So very naturally you do always going that way, this way, taking a long time as you like. But if you are in a small cage, you don't have enough time to do slowly or even though at the same pace moving, you know, in the universe. If you are in a cage and move at the same pace, do you know how busy, how busy it is? Because no long distance. But you have to move this way and that way. Just like that.

[63:07]

That's why if you sit down, you really notice how busy you are. So if you become very small, not magnanimous, you really just like a person of battle. Like a badger in a cage. That's why they naturally want to express, you know, you're feeling immediately and anyway, well, put somebody down immediately. But it's not the Zazen way. It's not a way of a person who practices Zazen. If you want to anyway practice Zazen extending into your daily life, Even though you want to do it directly in a public anyway, a little bit, take one step.

[64:09]

Step up. You should step up once. Look at yourself. And then find skillful experience what to do. you don't like it because your life is busy and your mind is very hustle and your mind really want to do that but anyway if you want to do zazen practice to do zazen extending into your daily life this is very good practice for you then very naturally you understand what zazen is So, finally, Darwin says, nowadays in Japan there are many petty people.

[65:10]

It is necessary to be careful. Okay? So, you must be careful, anyway. Do you have a question? Is there anything that is not Indonesia? Huh? Is there anything that is not Indonesia? Yes, it's necessary for non-Buddha nature. You mean that? Yes? Is there any object or any action that is not in the nature? Do you understand what kind of action? which is not our nature?

[66:13]

Well, it seems to me that things like violent action... ...was told at his birth that he would either be a king or a Buddha. And since his father was a king, his father really wanted him to have his kingdom. So his father was predisposed for that choice. He really preferred the king route, not the Buddha route. And one of the wise men who consulted about all this said that he would choose to be a Buddha when he saw the four signs. And the four signs were an old man, a sick man, a dead man, and a monk. And so when he was seven, he had a kind of enlightenment experience spontaneously at a plowing festival. And this was attended by miraculous signs, so it was noticed by everybody. And his father remembered what had been predicted at his birth and got nervous.

[67:16]

So he made up his mind to build three castles for each of the seasons, one for each season. And he made up his mind to keep Siddhartha in the castles. He was not to leave the castle grounds. And everybody was told, that they must keep old men, sick men, dead men, and monks away from the castles. So, you know, Siddhartha was kept, in a sense, in a long period of, you might call it, dependency. He was educated, and he was allowed to marry his father, a nice princess. cousin, her wife, and he had a son. But eventually, of course, he ventured out of the castle grounds, quivered out, and saw these four signs.

[68:27]

By this time, he was already 28 years old, so this was a pretty extended period of childhood, you might say, or whatnot. leaving home. And his leaving home was not easy for him. It's pretty clear by the fact that he didn't tell anybody he was leaving. Once he saw the four signs, he felt a great urgency to go and find the meaning of life. And he felt he could do that by becoming a monk himself. That was why that fourth sign was important. He saw this was a potential way out to understand what is the meaning of life and death. But we're told that he stole away in the middle of the night, and he didn't talk to anybody, and that he hadn't even seen his newborn son. In fact, this had been announced to him that it had happened, and he had exclaimed something like, another bond to timing.

[69:34]

But nevertheless, the bonds were important to him. It's said in one of the versions of the legend that he stole into his wife's chambers and looked at his wife who was holding the baby child whom he had never seen. And that her hand was over the child's face so that he couldn't see Dracula's face. Dracula was his baby boy. But that he didn't want to move the hand Because if he moved the hand, his wife might wake up and prevent him from leaving the castle. So then he left the castle without even having seen the face of his child. Of course he made the thought that he would come back once he discovered this treasure. He was going to bring it back and he, as you all know, did come back once he had attained the Great Enlightenment. He came back and Rahula became the head monk of his order.

[70:39]

He was the disciplinarian. Very strict, reportedly. And his wife, let's see, his aunt became the head of the nuns, and his wife was one of the nuns. So everybody got involved, finally. So in a way, this was not an abandonment, but it was a leaving in the name of a greater treasure in the South. There's a story that Dogen tells about the 17th patriarch, which is very similar. It's kind of interesting in its similarities. He talks about, you see, the 17th patriarch could speak at birth. And when he was seven years old, he wrote a note to his parents asking to be made a monk. And his parents refused. His father was also a king, and he lived in a castle. So the 17th patriarch began to fast.

[71:43]

He refused to eat anything else until his parents gave him permission to be a monk. In other words, he would have died had they not given permission. So they said, okay, you can be a monk as long as you don't leave the castle. They called a teacher in, named Zenrita, who instructed the 17th Patriarch in Zen, or in Buddhism, whatever. And for 19 years, he stayed in that castle. Now, he would have been then 26, I guess. So again, it's an extended period of time. And he kept wondering, well, how can I be a monk and stay in this castle? But he had this opportunity to study. Well, Dawkins says that one day he went out in the evening and he saw a level road which reflected the sunlight opening before him.

[72:55]

A level road with sunlight reflected on it. And in spite of himself, he began to walk slowly down the road. In other words, he felt some resistance to go on. But in spite of himself, he began to walk down the road. He went a distance of 10 ri, and I don't know how long that is exactly, but at the end of the 10 ri, he passed in front of a huge rock. And at the bottom of the rock, there was a cave. He went into the cave. And he stayed there. He stayed there for 10 years. Noticing his absence, he got very upset and looked for him everywhere, but couldn't find him. And he dismissed Zenrita in anger and sent him away to another country. It seems to me that these stories are very important for understanding.

[74:04]

the nature of the attachment between parent and child. As parents, we really are bound to let children go at the time they need to go. It's as if for the child, or for all of us, all of us being children, in a sense, of parents, for all of us, that if you stay alive, the road appears, the road out appears. But it's impossible not to walk that road. It's necessary to walk that road. In Buddhism, this theme about relinquishing attachment is really the bodhisattva theme.

[75:35]

In the long run, it's necessary to relinquish small things for big things, to relinquish small attachments for sake of all sentient beings. There's a very beautiful thing. I like Dogen because he's such a poet. He put it this way. After awakening to this mind, because he's talking about the Bodhi mind, a very alive that faces in front of us. After awakening to this mind, everything we touch is changed. The earth becoming gold, and the ocean nectar. So there's the treasure. The treasure is in the being alive. The world becomes alive.

[76:39]

When this happens, even soil, sand, rocks, and pebbles manifest the Bodhi mind, as do ocean spray, bubbles, in flames. Therefore, to offer others our castle, family, seven treasures, servant, head, brain, flesh and limbs is a living manifestation of the Bodhi mind. Offering everything to which we are attached, be it grass, trees, tiles, pebbles, gold, silver or rare treasures for the sake of the Bodhi mind is also equivalent to waking that mind. He also talks about Buddha saying this

[77:47]

I left my parents, brothers and sisters, wife and son, relatives and acquaintances to become a monk and train myself in the way. Now is the time to study what is true enlightenment, not delusion. A truly compassionate person is one who has compassion for all sentient beings as if they were his own children. I think I'll stop there. Are there any comments? When you were talking about the quote that you just read by Goldman. Which one? This one. I'm just wondering about a person's attitude in doing that. Is it in the doing or in the attitude?

[78:53]

Is it the belief? In other words, if you're trying to give up things because it's good for you, so make a resistance. You must be a lot of resistance. Oh yeah, a lot of resistance. Well, the point is not to give up things because it's good for you. And of course attitude is the important thing. you know, the purposes. The real point is that to be truly alive you cannot be attached to anything in the sense of trying to stop it. I think that noticing is extremely important because the noticing And consciousness is a transforming energy. This is the main point in psychotherapy.

[79:58]

That consciousness itself has a transforming quality so that if you notice truly that you want that color TV set, and what it's doing to your life, if you really notice it, if you really look at it, that's like looking at impermanence. If you really see it for what it is, you see impermanence. If you see impermanence, you can let it go.

[80:25]

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