Could you show me how to use this? Good evening, everyone. The day before yesterday, I briefly talked on the five sections of Heishin-gi. This evening, I'm talking on the... this evening and the day after tomorrow. I'm going to talk on the section of kannin in chi-ji shing-gi. That is the final section of ehe shing-gi. Before getting to the section, I'd like to talk on chi-ji shing-gi as a whole.

[01:17]

Chi ji shin gi. Chi ji means administrators. Chi means to know. Ji means things or events or affairs. So chi ji means people who know the things, who know the affairs, who know the business, how to do things. So that means administrators. And Shingi is the same as in Eihei Shingi, regulations. So Chiji Shingi all together means regulations for the temple or monastery administrators. And there are six administrators. Probably, as you know, there are Tuyusu, Kansu, Fusu, and Ino, Tenzo, and Shisui.

[02:24]

Those are six. But in Chiji Shingi, the first three, Tusu, Kansu, and Fusu, are combined into one as Kanning. Because originally, in Zenren Shingi, which is a Chinese Xingyi, Dogen Zenji wrote Ehe Xingyi based on, have only four Qiji, Tanning, or Kansu, and other last three. So Kansu, Tusu, and Fusu are originally one position. Tusu is the general manager who take in charge of overall affairs in the monastery. In the monasteries, the abbot doesn't be involved in temple affairs.

[03:28]

Abbot concentrate on teaching and educate the monks, students. So the other things were taken care of by those administrators. And those administrators, there are six main major administrators, and there are many other positions. And those people in the practice period, those people sat in the daitan or outside, you know, tan, because they have many things to take care of. They couldn't sit, you know, all day. So they support the monks or practitioners who concentrate on sitting or zazen and studying.

[04:29]

So in a sense, they are the supporter of practice. But what Dogen Zenji wanted to say is those are not mere, those affairs are businesses, are not merely the things which should be taken care of in order to support the practice in the Sodo. But he wanted to say those affairs, those small things. Something is small, something is not small. But those things, taking care of those things itself is practice also. And Chi-Zi Shing-Gi has mainly two parts. The first part is a collection of examples of the ancient masters when they were in positions of administrators.

[05:41]

So those are the collection of stories, kind of koan stories, about how ancient masters carried out the practice as administrators. And the second half is about the four main administrators, Kannon, Ino, Tenzo, and Shisui, the work leader. In this second half, Dogen Zenji excerpt or take out the part, a kind of a job description from Zenren Shingi. And he made his own, Dogen Zenji's own comment on that job. So now, the part I'd like to talk on is Dogen Zenji's comment on the

[06:52]

job of Kannin or directors. Before I start to talk on Dogen Zenji's comment, I'd like to talk a little bit more about Chiji Shingi. I mean, Since yesterday was, we had a wholesome, I had time to read. This is very, I really am grateful about the time since I come here. Because of Maezumi Roshi's and Yoshinami-san's compassion, I have plenty of time to study, to prepare these talks, these lectures. I don't have so much free time in Minneapolis, especially since last January I have been so busy because of so many things.

[08:00]

So I have time to read whole text of Ehe Shingi, and yesterday I was reading Eihei Koroku. Eihei Koroku is a collection of Dogen Zenji's formal, not informal, formal speech, formal lecture in the Hatto or Dharma Hall. I was reading the section in which his formal speech, Dogen Zenji's formal speech during the time he was writing Chiji Shingi. That was in the year of 1246. Tōge Zenji was 47, or 46 or 47 years old, depending upon how to account the year, number. He wrote Chiji Shingi in that year, and the date written in the end of Chiji Shingi was June 15th.

[09:16]

June 15th, 1246. That was kind of an important day for Dogen Zenji. I didn't know that until yesterday. According to Eihei Koroku, on this day, June 15, 1246, Dogen Zenji gave a speech, formal speech, Jodo, at the occasion of changing temple name from Daibutsuji to Eiheiji. Dogenzenji had a monastery in Kyoto until 1243.

[10:20]

He lived there with his students at Koshoji in Kyoto and he moved to Fukui or Echizen prefecture and he was planning to build, found his own monastery there. But in the first year, he didn't have his own monastery, so he lived in Yoshimune-dera, or Kippo-ji, near Eiheiji. And in the next year, 1244, the building, the temple was built. And the original name of the temple or monastery was Daibutsu-ji. Daibutsu means Great Buddha. So Temple of Great Buddha. And this year, 1246, he changed the name of the monastery from Daibutsu-ji to Eihei-ji.

[11:32]

Eihei means eternal peace or peace in eternity. The temple of peace in eternity. So I'd like to introduce his speech in Eihei Koroku. I think it has connection with Chizushin-gi. He said in the speech as follows, there is a way in the heaven. Therefore, the heaven is high and clear. So there is a way in the heaven, and there is the way on the earth.

[12:34]

Therefore, the earth is productive and in harmony. So there is a way on the earth, heaven and earth. And there is the way within human beings. Therefore, human beings are in peace. So he said, there is a way, or michi, or do. on the heaven, on the earth, and within human beings. And for this reason, when the world-honored one, Shakyamuni Buddha, was born, so this has something to do with today, Buddha's birthday. Dogen then said, when the world-honored one was born, He pointed the heaven with one hand.

[13:41]

I don't know which hand. And he pointed the earth with another hand. So he pointed heaven and earth. And walked seven steps in each direction and said, and under the heaven. That means on the heaven, or in the sky, and on the earth. I am only the venerable one. I am the only venerable one. This is a very famous phrase, so I think all of you know. So this has something to do with Buddha's birthday. When Buddha was born, he pointed the earth, the heaven and the earth, because there is a way in the heaven and there is a way on the earth.

[14:52]

And there is a way within himself. That's why he said, I am only the Venerable One. Not only him, not only Shakyamuni Buddha, but each one of us are I am, should say, not should say, but said, when we were born, each one of us said, I am only the venerable one. All beings are venerable ones. So he quoted this Buddha's saying. And he added, I mean Dogen Zenji added, the Buddha said so. However, Eihei, Eihei means Dogen Zenji himself, Eihei had something to say.

[16:01]

revered practitioners, that means his students, please approve it. So he'd like to add something, his own expression to this Buddha's saying. He said, after for a while, so he kept quiet for a while and said, above and under the heaven. That means on the heaven and on the earth. Right here is Eihei. Tenjo, Tenga, Tosho, Eihei. On the heaven and on the earth. This right place, this very place, right here, is Eihei, means peace in eternity, or eternal peace.

[17:08]

That is nirvana. That is the meaning of the name of the temple. So, this day, June 15th, 1246, was the birthday of A. Heiji. And the name Ehe has another meaning. Ehe was the name of the era in which when the Buddhism was first introduced from India to China. That was, it said, 67 A.D., the first century. Buddhism was first introduced to China. So one of the reasons Dogen Zenji chose this name, Eihei, was that for him, his monastery, this new monastery he was creating with his students, was the beginning of Buddhism in Japan.

[18:32]

So this day, June 15th, was a very important day for Dogen Zenji. That was two years after he left Kyoto, he left Koshoji. I think he had been preparing to found, to create this monastery, this sangha, this community, and he was trying to really found the true community, true Sangha of Buddhadharma. And on that same day, he publicized Chiji Shingi. So I believe what he is saying in Chiji Shingi was his idea or basic philosophy about what the Sangha or practitioners should be.

[19:42]

Anyway, I'd like to get into the section of kanrin or director. But the first two pages, in this handout page, from page, let's see, 136, the section of kanrin start 136. And the first one, two, three and a half pages are taken from Zenren Shingi. And when you read this part, you will understand this is a job description what a teacher should take care of. So I don't talk on

[20:59]

this part, but I get into the Dogenzen's comment on chi-ji or kan-nin. So, page 139, the third paragraph. Let me read a few paragraphs, please. Said, the director's job Kanrin's job is fulfilled for the sake of the public, i.e., everyone both in the community and all beings. To say for the sake of the public means without acting on private inclinations. Acting without private inclinations is contemplating the ancients. and yearning for the way. To yearn for the way is to follow the way.

[22:04]

First, read the Shingi, this means Zen Ren Shingi, and understand as a whole. Then, act with your determination in accord with the way. When dealing with affairs, definitely consult with the temple administrators before carrying them out. Without taking things as large or small, to consult with people before taking care of business is exactly acting for the sake of the public. Although you conduct deliberations, if other words are not considered, it is as if you did not consult them. The director's duty is to accept all the monks and work for the peace of the assembly.

[23:06]

But do not take it as important for there to be many monks. Do not take the monks lightly when they are few. For example, Devadatta enticed 500 monks to follow him, but the result was wickedness. Leading a large assembly of monks but being outside the way is completely wrong. Yaoshan was an ancient Buddha, but there were not as many as 10 monks in his assembly. Zuo Chou also was an ancient Buddha, but there were not as many as 20 monks in his assembly. Fengyang's assembly was only as small as seven or eight monks.

[24:11]

Just see the Buddha ancestors together with great awakened dragons are not limited by the size of their assemblies. They only value having the way, not whether there is a crowded assembly. Now and hereafter, many having the way and having virtue are under the lineage of Yaoshan and descendants of Fenyan. We must value Yaoshan's family style and must venerate the excellent examples of Fenyan. You should know that even if there are 100, 1,000 or 10,000 monks Without the mind of the Way and without practice of contemplating the ancients, the assembly is inferior to toads and lower than earthworms.

[25:24]

Even an assembly of seven, eight, or nine monks who have the mind of the Way and contemplate the ancients is superior to dragons and elephants, and excelled the wisdom of the sages. This part, the print is a kind of a mess. What is called the mind of the way is not to abandon or scatter about the great way of the Buddha ancestors, but deeply to protect and esteem their great way. Therefore, having abandoned fame and gain and departed your homeland, consider gold as excrement and honor as spittle.

[26:26]

and without obscuring the truth or obeying falsehoods, maintain the regulations of right and wrong, and entrust everything to the guidelines for conduct. After all, not to sell cheaply or debase the worth of the ordinary tea and rice of the Buddha ancestors' house is exactly the mind of the way. Furthermore, reflecting that inhalation does not wait for exhalation also is the mind of the way and is diligence. Contemplating the ancients enables the eye of the ancestor's essence to observe intently and enables the ear of both past and present to listen vigilantly so that we accept our bodies as hollowed out caverns of the whole empty sky and just sit piercing through all the skulls under heaven.

[27:47]

opening wide our fists and staying with our own nostrils. This is carrying the clearly clear transparent sky to dye the white clouds and conveying the waters of autumn to wash the bright sun, bright noon, and is the fulfillment of the practice of contemplating the ancients. If such an assembly has seven or eight monks, it can be a great monastery. This is like being able to see all the Buddhas in the ten directions when you see the single Buddha Shakyamuni. If the assembly is not like this, even With a million monks, it is not a genuine monastery and is not an assembly of the Buddha way.

[28:52]

I think this part is the clear expression of Dogen Zenji's idea or understanding or philosophy about what the assembly, or monastery, or community of practitioners should be. In this part, he emphasized two points. One is yearning the way, or allowing body-mind, or way-mind, in Japanese, dou-shin. Do is way and Shin is mind. Way-mind. It's sometimes translated into English as way-seeking mind. But this way-mind has something to do with what Dogenzin said in Eihei Koroku, in the speech, that there is a way in the heaven, there is a way on the earth,

[30:05]

And there is a way within human beings. That way. That is reality itself. Reality of all beings is the way. And way-mind or doshin means to awaken to that way. The mind awakens to that way. That is one point. And another point is are contemplating the ancients. This is a translation of Japanese expression keiko. Kei means to review or contemplate or to think about or to follow and learn to follow ancient way, ancient people's way to do things. And this word keiko is used in many arts and sports in Japanese for the practice, like in tea ceremony, or flower arrangement, or judo, or small wrestling, keiko means to practice.

[31:33]

So keiko is still in the modern Japanese. It's a very important word. To follow, to learn, and follow the ancient way. So those two points are the most essential in the monastic life at Dogen Zenji's assembly. So this morning, this evening, I'd like to talk on dōshin, or way mind, or mind of the way. I talk following the sentence. said that director's job, kanrin's job, is fulfilled for the sake of the public.

[32:44]

That is, everyone, both in the community and all beings. And to say for the sake of the public means without acting on private inclinant. That means Each one of us has different characters, different personalities, different capabilities, different ways of seeing things, different ways of doing things. So, you know, easily we do things based on my own preference. whether it is correct or not. But the problem is that what I think right is not necessarily right for other people.

[33:51]

That is the fact we have a conflict, even though both party is thinking for the sake of the public. we still have conflict. Because, you know, I think we are living with the whole world. And I have my own world. And the center of the world is myself. All people, other people, and all beings are part of my world. And yet I can see the world only from this perspective. And each one of us thinks we are the center of the world.

[34:57]

And my world, in which I am center, your world in which you are the center is kind of different. So how to see things, even one particular thing, it seems different, really different. So we should understand that I'm living in my own world, and the center of the world is myself. And you are living within your own world. You have your own world. And the center of your world is yourself. It's a kind of easy thing to see. I am the center of the world. Everyone thinks so. And yet, one more thing we have to understand is, for other people, They are the center of the world.

[36:03]

Each and every one of us are the center of the world. I think that is the same thing when Shakyamuni Buddha said when he was born above and under the heaven, I am the only benevolent one. And we see, you know, I am the only benevolent one. But we don't often miss the fact that each one of us is only the venerable one. So we have to see that for this person, the center of the world is this person. And for this person, the center of the world is this person. and we are seeing the world from a different perspective. So it might be different.

[37:06]

And yet we usually think, you know, this is the right way to do things. So to really listen to other people and also really see things not only from this position, but from other positions is important. It's very, very difficult, especially when we are kind of being involved in the affairs. And letting go of thought is one of the ways to become free from egocentricity. We are still in the center of the world, but we should let go of the scenery we see from this position.

[38:10]

And here, listen to others. Then, even though we cannot see the things from other positions, but we can understand how other people see these things. That's how we can become free from our thoughts. This is the letting of thoughts in our day-to-day lives. In our Zazen, we really completely let go of our thoughts in the purest form. We let go of everything. But in our day-to-day lives, we cannot let go of everything. Then we cannot do anything. So we have to make decisions. We have to make selections, make choices. In order to make a choice, we have to discriminate, or make a distinction among things, and take one. But we should be careful on what basis we make a choice.

[39:12]

Whether it's my own karmic way of seeing things, or is it even a little bit public? So we have to make sure whether we are letting go of thought and trying to see the reality and share the reality with other people. That is why Dogen Zenji put emphasis to consult with other people. He said, first read the Shingi and understand as a whole, then act with your determination in accordance with the way. So we should have the way mind, awakened mind.

[40:19]

When dealing with affairs, definitely consult with the temple administrators other administrators before carrying them out. Without taking things as large or small, to consult with people before taking care of business is exactly acting for the sake of the public. So to share the way of seeing things or taking care of things with other people is the meaning for the sake of public. Although you conduct deliberations, if others' words are not considered, it is as if you didn't consult them. That means even if you talk with other people, if you don't accept

[41:23]

listen and accept their opinions, it's better not to talk with other people. So when we talk with other people, listen and accept and think, consider it on the basis of reality. basis of letting go. That means basis of our zazen. Next paragraph. The director's duty is to accept all the monks. Director's duty, not only directors, but also the abbot, or directors, or other administrators, each one of the, you know, member of the Sangha, to accept all the monks, not only monks, all people, all beings, is most essential to accept.

[42:40]

So Sangha is like an ocean which accepts all the water from different rivers without any distinction. And so accept beings, accept people, accept people and work. Work for the peace of the assembly. So the director should work to how this whole assembly, whole community can be peaceful. Peaceful doesn't mean just quiet. Peaceful means vivid. It should be vivid, lively, and yet being in harmony. So peaceful doesn't mean just quiet and no action. But do not take it so

[43:51]

Director should accept all people, all people who want to be a part of or member of the community. And yet, according to Dogen Zenji, there is one important point that is, but do not take it as important for there to be many monks. Do not take the monks lightly when they are few. We usually or easily think to have many people is better than to have few people. But we shouldn't judge the size of monastery or sangha on the basis of number. That is what Dogen Zenji was saying repeatedly in many different writings. from Shobo Genzo Zuimonki or several chapters in Shobo Genzo.

[44:59]

Probably because his Sangha wasn't so big. He didn't have so many, you know, students. And yet he thought, you know, even the Sangha is small, if there are people who have real body-mind, body-mind or way-mind, and really carry out Buddha's work, then that is a great Sangha. He said, for example, Devadatta. Devadatta is Buddha's cousin, who tried to become independent from Buddha's Sangha. Enticed 500 monks, many monks left Buddha's Sangha with Devadatta. to follow him, but the result was wickedness. Beating a large assembly of monks but being outside the way is completely wrong.

[46:09]

Outside the way means non-Buddhist. There are so many, you know, religions outside of Buddhism. And there are some, not all, but there are some which are really strange. Especially, you know, newly established religions, there are some really strange religions. And so many people are attracted and followed in Japan. There are so many so-called new religions. I really don't understand why so many people are attracted to such a cult. It's really strange. I really don't understand. But somehow they have so many people and so much money.

[47:12]

But according to Dogen Zenji, such a great number of people don't mean anything. If they don't have, they don't... ancient Buddha. But there were not as many as 10 monks in his assembly. This is, I don't know the English pronunciation, I mean Chinese pronunciation, but this is Joshu. Joshu also was an ancient Buddha, but there were not as many as 20 monks in his assembly. And Fengyan's assembly was only as small as seven or eight monks. Fengyan is in Linzai lineage. Renyan's disciple is Jimyō Soen, and his disciple was Yōgi Hōei.

[48:18]

Yōgi Hōei and his Dharma brother Ōryū Enan became the founders of two sub-schools in Rinzai. The Rinzai schools, or Rinzai practitioners at the time of Dogen was the descendant of Fenyan. So even though Fenyan's assembly was very small, but later his descendants became really big. Just see that. Buddha ancestors, together with great awakened dragons, are not limited by the size of their assemblies. So, Buddha ancestors means practitioners. Has nothing to do with the number of the practitioners.

[49:23]

They only value having the way, not whether there is a crowded assembly. Now and hereafter, many having the way and having virtue are under the lineage of Yaoshan or Yakusan and descendants of Fenyan or Hunyou. we must value Yaoshan's family style and must venerate the excellent example of Fengyang. You should know that even if there are one hundred, one thousand, or ten thousand monks, without the mind of the Way, or Doshin, And without practice of contemplating the ancients, keiko, the assembly is inferior to toes and lower than earthworms.

[50:38]

It's really a strong expression, strong statement. Even an assembly of seven, eight, or nine monks, less than 10, who have the mind of the way, who really have the mind of the way, awakened mind, and contemplate the ancients is superior to dragons and elephants, and excels the wisdom of the sages. So even there was small number of people, if those people have real body mind, way-seeking mind, The sangha was really great sangha. When we went to Massachusetts, that was 1975, three months from Antaiji, I was ordained and practiced at Antaiji with my teacher, Uchiyama Kosho Roshi.

[51:49]

He sent three monks, myself, Koshi-san and Eshin-san, three monks to Massachusetts to found a small community of practice. And what he told us when we left Japan was, don't make advertisement. Don't work on fundraising. Don't collect money. That means don't collect number of people and don't collect money. Just sit. And we tried to follow his advice. So our sangha was really small. First two years, only three Japanese monks were living together in a small kind of hut, small cottage in the woods in New England. And the first six months, we didn't have a car.

[52:56]

No one had a driving license. So in order to do shopping, we had to walk for one and a half hour to the town. So three hours round trip. So we didn't have time to go shopping. So we asked, you know, a friend of ours to bring some food once a week. They did some shopping, grocery, and bring us. And we spent, I think, about $15 a week for three people. And we just sat and, you know, cleared around. We cleared about one acre of land. We cut the trees and dug the stumps. It was really hard work, one by one. We had no machine. We get up at four o'clock every morning and sat for two hours, two periods.

[54:02]

One period was 15 minutes. So we sat two hours until six, and we had breakfast and started work at seven, and work until six in the evening. Of course, we had lunch and a short break after lunch. We had completely no energy to do anything, so we directly go to bed at seven after dinner. And we woke up at four in the morning again, and it lasts for a few months to make a garden to grow vegetables. So it was a great experience for me. our sangha was really small. I mean, in the Vinaya it said, there are three or four people who live together and practice.

[55:08]

It can be called sangha. So three people are the minimum to be a sangha. So we were the smallest sangha in the world. But, you know, we did nothing but sitting. and working. And, you know, I had a question. You know, we came from Japan to practice with American people, but no one was there. It's really strange to me. And I was always questioning what we are doing here in the woods in New England, three Japanese monks living together and practice and just sit silently. What is this? That was in the 70s. There are many other Zen centers who have a lot of big number of people. And it was really strange for me.

[56:10]

Why we are here? I was always questioning about that. It's something wrong. We should think about how to invite more people. I often think how we could invite more people. But each time I had this question, I persuaded myself with my teacher's sayings, don't collect money, don't collect people, just sit silently. And finally, I make my mind that, you know, as far as we are practicing, even three people, the smallest sangha, smallest size of the sangha, if we are really practicing for the sake of Dharma, this is the greatest, biggest, largest sangha.

[57:16]

because it permeates with all beings, whole world, whole universe, and all time. So if we separate ourselves into this sangha, this group of three people, and make a kind of wall, separation from other people, we are really isolated. Really isolated. We didn't have TV, we didn't read the newspaper, we didn't have radio. So we didn't know what was going on in the world. And yet, as far as we are practicing wholeheartedly, and don't isolate ourselves, don't make separation, then everything is really permeated to everywhere. So even though only three people practice together, this small sangha includes the whole world and the whole time, from past to the future.

[58:24]

And I try to settle down what we were doing. And we really focus on sitting only for ourselves. don't, you know, care for the number of the people. So, I stayed there for five years. Even when I left there, the community was really small. Still, it is small. I mean, Barezendo, now Isho-san, who was a translator for Narasaki Roshi, lives at Barezendo. But the sangha is still small. And yet, the practice is really steady. People never thought to make the sangha larger.

[59:27]

But the people who are sitting with me, almost 20 years ago, is still sitting. Now, at Minneapolis, we have a kind of a problem, not a problem, but the point we have to think whether we grow the sangha, we make the sangha larger in order to stabilize the financial situation, or we keep the sangha small in order to keep the quality of practice. I think this is always a kind of a point we have to think, to practice with more people, but to keep the practice small, or the Sangha small, and keep the quality of practice, which is better. When we start to think, there's no conclusion. So I think the point

[60:33]

we have to keep in mind is this Togen Zen's teaching. The number is not a problem. Not a problem doesn't mean we shouldn't have large number of people. But it means whether the member of the Sangha have body-mind or not, have the practice of, according to Dogen, contemplating the ancient, following the ancient way of practice. This has something to do with the transmission of Dharmapoji. So, when we have to think about which way we should go, I think we should come back to this point.

[61:36]

And in the next paragraph, he talks about way-mind or dōshin. He said, what is called the mind of the way is not to abandon or scatter about the great way of the Buddha ancestors, but deeply to protect and esteem their great way. Therefore, having abandoned fame and gain and departed your homeland, consider gold as excrement and honor as spittle, and without obscuring the truth or obeying falsehood, maintain the regulations of right and wrong, and entrust everything to the guidelines for conduct.

[62:55]

After all, not to sell cheaply or debase the worth of the ordinary tea and rice of the Buddha ancestors' house is exactly the mind of the way. So this is the definition of, one of the definitions of body mind or way mind, according to Dogen Zenji. According to my understanding, Dogen Zenji discussed about body-mind in three ways. It seems there are three aspects in body-mind according to Dogen Zenji. in Gakudo Youjinshu, or the point to watch in practical way.

[64:05]

Dogen then said, body mind is the mind to see which sees in permanence. He said as follows, though there are many names to imply body mind, they all refer to the one mind. The ancestor Nagarjuna said that the mind that solely sees the impermanence of this world, of constant arising and extinction, is also called body mind. Truly, when you see impermanence, egocentric mind does not arise. Neither does desire for fame and profit. Out of fear of time slipping away, way too swiftly, practice the way as if you are trying to extinguish a fire enveloping your head.

[65:17]

So this is first point or first aspect of body-mind, to see impermanence. And because of seeing impermanence, that means we have to die sooner or later, anytime. There's no time to waste, so we practice diligently. We put our whole energy into practice. That is one aspect of body-mind. And this is wisdom. Body-mind has wisdom to see impermanence and egolessness. And the second aspect of body-mind, or way-mind, Dogen Zenji said in Shobo Genzo, Hotsu Bodai Shin. Hotsu means to arouse. Bodai Shin is body-mind. He said, to arouse body-mind is to vow to ferry all living beings across the river to the other shore of Nirvana, before oneself, and to actually work to fulfill the vow.

[66:42]

One allows this mind, even if one's appearance is humble, the person is already a leading teacher of all living beings. So here, Dogen-denji said, body mind, or awakening mind, or way mind, the mind to vow to save all living beings. So this is an aspect of body-mind as compassion. So body-mind could work as wisdom and also as compassion. Those two a basis of body-mind. And in this section of Ehe Shingi, he's talking another aspect of body-mind, or mind of the way.

[67:50]

That is, as he said, following the ancient, ancient way. So maintain the tradition. He said, what is called the mind of the way is not to abandon or scatter around, scatter about the great way of the Buddha ancestors. So we should really study the way of Buddha ancestors, Buddhas and ancestors. How Buddhas and how ancestors practiced and carry out the Buddha work. How they practice, study, and how they teach, how they let other people to the other shore. That is a tradition.

[68:51]

And we should follow that way. but deeply to protect and esteem. He said deeply. It's kind of strange, deeply to protect. But the protection should be really deep, really profound. It's not a matter of imitation of the form. But we should really see the deepness of Buddha's work. shouldn't be the shallow understanding of forms or customs. And therefore, having abandoned fame and gain, the fact we human beings want to get, want to obtain, is fame and profit.

[69:58]

Name. And wealth, but we should give up the desire to searching fame and profit. Fame and profit is kind of a really, you know, shallow way of life, to seek after only fame and profit, really, you know, shallow way of life. When we are deep into ourselves, fame and profit don't help us anything. Especially when we face life and death. Life and death is a great matter. When we face life and death, fame or money or wealth don't help us.

[71:01]

at all. We have to face our own life and death with really this body and mind. No one else, nothing else can help us. So what we should do is really deeply understand that this body and mind, that is life. and depart your homeland. Homeland means where we are grown up, the place where we are from. And we often, not often, but always, almost always attach to our homeland. That means our own system of value, our own picture of the world,

[72:05]

You know, when we study geography in Japan, we use a world atlas made in Japan. And Japan is a world atlas. The center of the world is Japan. And since Japan is so small country, the Japan is colored, has red color. You're not to see that this is the center of the world. So when, you know, I went to Massachusetts. I felt like I was on the edge of the world. Because within my mind, this world picture was input. So Japan is the center. North America is the edge of the world. And the other edge was Europe. For a few years, I thought I was living in the edge of the world.

[73:11]

And when I see the West, that is the center of the world. But then once I had a chance to visit a friend of mine from Japan, and they have kids. They studied geography in American school. In the kids' room, they had, you know, world atlas made in America. And I was surprised. The center of the world is the United States. So, you know, once those really basic things, not only geography, but also a kind of a system of value, what is good, what is bad, what is worth to do, what is not worth to do, how we can satisfy ourselves, We are input those things when we are kids. And when we grown up, it's really difficult to become free from those things.

[74:16]

But to awake the body-mind means to become free from, to cut off such a root of our tendency, our karma, and see things really free from our own self. That is, depart your homeland. Consider gold as excrement and honor as spittle. So again, wealth and money and fame. And without obscuring the truth. Truth is not certain doctrine. man-made doctrine, but truth is what Phat Dogen said, the way in the heaven, and the way on the earth, and the way within human beings, that is truth.

[75:22]

So we shouldn't lose the sight of that way, that is way mind, that is awakening. And not obeying falsehood. Falsehood means anything fabricated in our mind is falsehood. Even justice. Even peace. Even love. If we fabricate what love is, what peace is, what justice is, those are all falsehood. So we shouldn't obey those fabrications in our mind. And maintain the regulations of right and wrong, that is precept or shingi, and entrust everything to their guidelines for conduct. After all, not to sell cheaply or debase the worth

[76:28]

of the ordinary tea and rice of the Buddha ancestors' house. Ordinary tea and rice, ordinary tea and rice, saham, kajo saham, has no worth, has no, how can I say, price. It's not for sale. We cannot exchange with money the ordinary tea and rice. Rice. And yet, ordinarity and rice are the most important things for us in our life, which keep us alive. And yet sometimes, you know, we try to sell it. Try to sell, you know, zazen, our practice, and our way of doing things, our chanting. You know, we try to make it a kind of a commercial good. That is a problem. And don't try to make our practice for sale, something for sale.

[77:38]

According to Dogen Zenji, it is exactly the mind of the way. I think it's time to stop. Any questions, please? a physician of 37 months, mind of the way. What happened? Where did we go wrong? Two generations, it had spread all over the country. We have 15,000 temples, 40,000 monks, the biggest school of Zen in Japan. What went wrong? Given that the Shin is here and from a family school, What was wrong? I think

[78:44]

the body-mind was lost at certain times. I mean, in the beginning of the history of Soto school, the temples are mainly in the countryside, like Eihei was in the mountains, and Soji-ji and Yoko-ji are also in the mountainside. So, Dogenzenji's school or lineage was spread quietly. But at a certain stage in the history, you know, people start to, how can I say, in a sense protect the temples. I mean the samurai or warrior classes. And When temples become, in a sense, protected and become rich, then the problem is even though people who don't have a body-mind wanted to be a priest,

[80:34]

And that was one of the ways to make their lives important. So on the other side, once temples were built, funded, temples need caretakers. So whether, you know, Priests have body-mind or not. In order to take care of the temples, you know, we need priests. So, how can I say, in a sense to become flourish, to spread the number of the temples or number of the priests is, how can I say, is a sword with two, how do you call, two blades. I mean, as a bodhisattva, we should have vowed to save all beings.

[81:44]

So we cannot avoid to invite people to practice. And yet, on the other hand, it's a kind of vengeance. So it's a really difficult point. We have to be really careful how we can spread the Dharma without losing the essence. And almost always, when we study histories, all schools or lineages lose, lost their original spirit when they become big. I think so, each school or lineage or religion is like a tree. When they are young and small, it has a lot of, you know, vivid energy.

[82:45]

But when it really becomes big, huge, it gradually loses energy, original spirit. So I think the most important point is even though this huge tree becomes rotten and falls down, there should be, if this religion or school has real energy or dharma, something new comes up from the roots. What do you call this? from the big tree, something new comes up. Shoot, yeah. That is, I think, most important. So even, how can I say, Japanese Buddhism as a whole is kind of dying, in a sense.

[83:50]

And yet, there is something new. Shoot is coming up. Because of, I think, because of Dogen Zenji's teaching, when Soto, in this Dogen Zenji's case, Soto school, becomes lose the body-mind, Dogen Zenji's teaching criticize the situation. So, people who has the body-mind trying to go back to Dogen Zenji's spirit could be a new shoot. So I think in the very beginning of the history, the founder of the temple or monastery should be really careful. Sooner or later, when the sangha or school flourish, it loses a vivid life. then it's lost the vivid life.

[84:52]

There should be something come up if the beginning or origin has eternal life. So I think, you know, right now, at this present moment, is really important for the future of American Buddhism. Depending upon how we do, how we practice, Buddhadharma, the future of Buddhism in America, may be completely go astray or become really, maintain really vivid spiritual life. Is this the answer to your question? Thank you. Other questions? Thank you very much.

[85:57]

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