Good morning. Good morning. In this session we are going to study Shobo Denzo Zazen Shin. As I think you know, Zazen is the center of our practice at least the center of Dogen's teaching. So when Dogen came back and went back to Japan from China, first he wrote the manual of Zazen practice entitled in Japanese, Fukan Zazengi, or the Universal Recommendation of Zazen. And he rewrote this Kansazengi at least twice.

[01:08]

And the final version is what we decided this morning. Of course, there are many different translations, English translation. And not only Kan Zazengi, he wrote many writings about Zazen practice. Bendowa is the second. Gendo was a wholehearted practice of the way, with the second writing of Dogen. He also described what his zazen practice is like, and he named his zazen as Jijo-yu Zanma. This Jijo-yu Zanma is also recited during Sesshin, I think.

[02:11]

And this is one of the writings of Dogen in which he discussed the quality of his sitting practice. I think you know about zazen. But zazen is sitting. And zen is meditation. It came from Sanskrit word dhyana. So zazen is sitting meditation. And shin here means acupuncture needle. Now, today's acupuncture needle is iron. They use iron needle.

[03:17]

But in the ancient time, they used bamboo. They made a needle from bamboo. So this can be very thin. So this acupuncture needle is a kind of an instrument to heal some sickness. So my translation of this title, Zazen Shin, is acupuncture needle of Zazen. And so Zazen is a needle to heal our sickness. And that is our sickness. I think it's very clear. What is our sickness?

[04:22]

Somehow we are poisoned. I mean, the Buddha said, you know, we are shot with an arrow, with the poison of three poisonous minds. That is greed, anger or hatred, and ignorance. ignorance of impermanence and egolessness. Because of this ignorance of impermanence and egolessness and interdependent or the coordination, we think this being, this person is most important. And to make this person powerful, important and famous, wealthy, healthy, this becomes kind of a purpose of our life. And if we are successful, then we feel we are happy.

[05:27]

And if not, we feel we are miserable, like being in hell. And no condition stays forever. So we transmigrate. That is samsara. So, Buddha's teaching is often called medicine. And this akhytantra needle is the same thing, to heal the sickness caused by those three poisonous minds. That is the basic meaning of this title, Zazen Shin. Zazen is a needle, acupuncture needle, to heal the sickness caused by three poisonous minds. And it's very difficult to heal. It's very deep. And another, one more meaning of this zazen shin is even though Buddha's teaching, so Buddhist practice, and of course our zazen is part of Buddhist practice, somehow even when we practice Buddha's teaching, or even we practice zazen,

[07:00]

somehow this zazen can be a cause of poison. Or our zazen is also done by our stupid, poisonous mind. It can be. Really. If we have, you know, it depends upon our motivation, why we practice. If we practice for the sake of making this person important, stronger, more powerful, or more enlightened, or more whatever, whatever something we want, Then our practice is motivated by our greed.

[08:08]

I want to get this one or that one. It's not money or power, but something else we want to. And we practice in order to get that one. If we practice in this way, our practice is generated by greed. If we practice in order to escape from our present, current condition, then our practice is motivated by hatred or anger. toward the present condition of ourselves. So other than is often, I don't know about other people, but at least in my case, in the first, at least five, first ten years, my practice was motivated.

[09:18]

by greed and also under hatred. I didn't like who I was. That's why I practiced. I want to make my life more important or meaningful. In order to do so, I really practiced. I really devoted my entire life to practice. at least for 10 years. And without this greed, and under hatred, I couldn't practice. We call this way seeking mind. But our seeking mind can be very deeply influenced by three poisonous mind. And to see that kind of a contradiction,

[10:21]

In order to practice to be free from three-pointed mind, we need three-pointed mind. This is really basic contradiction. And when we practice certain length, we found that our motivation itself is a point then, you know, often we have a doubt about our practice. And often we stop, we quit practice, we feel it doesn't work. But I think that is the most important kind of a core for us, how we can go through that difficulty. It's like when we are sitting on the cushion, we are trying to take the cushion away from which I am sitting.

[11:28]

So it's very difficult. It's very important. It's really important. If we practice based on three-positive mind, our practice of darshan, not only sitting, but our entire practice, is part of samsara. And we suffer. because no condition lasts forever. Somehow, sometimes we think, you know, I had certain good experience, and I feel I'm getting better, or even I feel I'm enlightened. But such condition doesn't last forever. You know, we create samsara, we transmigrate within different conditions, even in our own realm. And we find, you know, that we are still within samsara.

[12:43]

Then how we can be free from this samsara? within our Buddhist practice, within our zazen practice. I think that is the sickness Dogen Zenji is discussing here. And how we can heal or cure this sickness I think is the main point of this writing. In my case, I first read my teacher's book when I was 17 years old, and somehow I wanted to be his student. I knew nothing about Buddhism or Zen, but somehow I wanted to live like him.

[13:52]

And because I knew nothing about Buddhism or Zen or Dogen's teaching, first I went to Komatsawa University to study Buddhism and Dogen's teaching. And I was ordained when I was 22. Before that, I started to really practice zazen when I was 19. And when I was 20, I first sat five-day sesshin at Antalji, where Ucha Maroshi lived. The sesshin at Antalji is something very unique. one period of thousand or fifteen minutes. and we had 10 minutes keeping and we wake up at four in the morning and we sat two periods before breakfast and we had breakfast and a short break after breakfast and we sat five periods in row from seven in the morning till noon

[15:15]

And we had lunch and short break again. And we sat from one to six, five periods in row. And we had supper and short breaks, about 20 minutes. And we sat again from seven to nine, another two periods. So we sat 14 periods a day. We had no service, no lecture, no work period. Nothing. I was 20 years old. And that was my first session. And it was in January. January in Kyoto was very cold. It was cold and painful. For the past two years, for me to sit in this posture means to have pain.

[16:18]

It was very painful and it was sleepy. When I was in Tokyo, I went to school. I read books until midnight or even early morning and sleep until noon. So when I went to Sesshin, I had jet lag. Very sleepy. So sleepy, painful, and cold. It was really difficult experience to me. But somehow I felt this is where I should be. not in the call of Zen dog, but sitting on the cushion.

[17:22]

I didn't understand why. Still, I didn't know much knowledge or understanding about Buddhism or Zen. I was 20 years old. But somehow, I felt this is the place I return, I should return. I mean, I felt like, you know, since my birth till that time, I felt I was in dream. And during that session, even though it's not an easy practice, I felt I first wake up from my dream. I didn't know why. I didn't understand what is So after that, somehow this sitting practice became the most important thing in my life.

[18:27]

And since then, I have been practicing more than 30 years. It's still the most important thing to me. At Antares we had that kind of session ten times a year. And I practiced at Antares for five years. And Uchiyama Roshi retired in 1975, and he sent three of his disciples to this country, and I was one of them. And I lived in Massachusetts for five years. And we practiced in the same way. So we had a five-day session each month. I mean, twelve times a year. You know, to have a five-day session each month means every three weeks I have sessions.

[19:33]

Sat, you know, from four in the morning till nine in the evening for five days. I had to go back to Japan because my body was half-broken. It was too much work. But I continued to practice in this way until 1992. So I practiced really just sitting for more than 20 years. and I had more than 200 sesshin. So zazen is my life almost. I lived within zazen, or I lived between sesshin. So zazen is the most important thing in my life.

[20:42]

So the most important thing is to understand what is brazil, to understand what I'm doing, what is my life. So since I was 20 years old, I have been studying Buddha's teaching and Dogen's teaching in order to study what I'm doing. And honestly speaking, Dogen's teaching is very difficult. Until recently. Many of his writings didn't make sense at all to me. But in 1993, I came to America again. and I practiced at Minnesota Zen Meditation Center, established by Katagiri Roshi.

[21:46]

So I followed Katagiri Roshi's style instead of Uchiyama Roshi's style. That means I have to give lectures. It's very difficult. You know, just sitting is more, in a sense, more easier. You know? Somehow just sitting and giving a lecture is kind of contradictory. In order to give a lecture, I have to think, unfortunately. And zazen should not do thinking. In our zazen, we have to let go of any kind of thinking, even thinking about dharma. and unfortunately I didn't have time to prepare before the session. So I had to prepare the lecture during the session.

[22:48]

So to be a teacher in this kind of practice is very difficult. Please have compassion for the teacher. It was really difficult for me, but it was very helpful for me, too, because I have to explain everything in English. And during the session, because I didn't think I didn't want to think about something else. I decided to give lectures on Dogen's writing about Zazen. Then I can think about Zazen. This is where you think of not thinking. Anyway. So after 1993, almost eight years, I practiced.

[24:00]

I have been practicing in this way. I, giving my lecture, become part of my practice. Though it's hard, but it's very helpful for me to make my understanding clear. You know, when I think in Japanese, Somehow I feel I understand it. But then I have to explain in English. I have to really clearly understand what Dogen meant. Otherwise I cannot speak. And because English is not my native language, I have to say black or white. When I speak in Japanese, I can make any kind of gray zone. Even though I don't really understand, somehow I can say something.

[25:01]

But in English, I cannot. Because I don't have so many vocabulary. So I have been trying to make my understanding clear. And also my work on translation requires a specific meaning in each word. Dogen used it, and it's very difficult. Because Dogen, not only Dogen, but in Zen in general, many Zen masters used one word in more than one meaning at the same time, within one sentence or in one writing. So this is my karma.

[26:04]

I don't know if this is good karma or bad karma, but somehow I try to enjoy it. And I hope you enjoy, too. Anyway, in this writing, Shobo Genzo Zazenshin, Dogen Zenji discussed from, I mean, quote, three... two kind of a core story. The first one is Yaksan's think of not thinking. How do you think of not thinking, beyond thinking, in my translation. And the second part is Dogen's comment on the story of Nangaku's polishing the tile. And the third part is Dogen's comment on a poem written by Wanshi Shogaku entitled Zazen Shin.

[27:12]

So this title Zazen Shin came from the title of Wanshi's poem Zazen Shin. And finally, those are three a main section of this writing. And finally Dogen wrote a poem entitled Zazen Shin by himself. So basically this writing has three parts. And all of them are very interesting and important to understand the nature of Dogen's yaze. And I think since 1996, I have been giving lecture on this writing. but I could never finish.

[28:13]

Once I gave seven lectures on the first part during one session. and I couldn't go to the second section. So this time I'd like to start from the second section. So I briefly review what Dogen said in the first section. In the beginning, he quote, as I said, Yaksan's question and answer with his student. The monk asked, what is thinking in steadfast, immobile sitting? What do you think in that way? Then Yaksan said, I think of not thinking. Think of not thinking. Then the monk asked again, how do you think of not thinking?

[29:16]

And Yaksan said, beyond thinking, or in Japanese, hi-shiryo. And Dogen's comment on this, this koan is quoted in Afukanda Zen too. So this is very important. When I start to talk about this koan, it takes more than one hour. Perfect. The important point here is, after he commented on this koan, he said, what is the sickness of Dajin? And I think that is... most important in this first section to understand what is the problem for Dogen, what is the sickness of the Zen.

[30:23]

And he said, Nevertheless, if you have this quote, page two, the second paragraph from the bottom. Nevertheless, these days, some character people say, this is very dogmatic, character people say, He's not a gentle person. Practices are then, and do not be concerned with anything else in your mind. This is the tranquil state of enlightenment. He said, Rick's view is beneath even the views of Hinayana Saras. It is inferior to the teachings of human and heavenly beings.

[31:27]

Those who hold this view cannot be called the students of the Buddha Dharma. In recent Great Song China, there are many practitioners like this. How sad that the way of the ancestors have fallen into ruin. So Dogen is very strong to this kind of understanding of Zazen. Practice Zazen and do not be concerned with anything else in your mind. This is the twenty states of enlightenment. According to Dogen, this is one sickness. It sounds like just sitting. But according to Dogen, this is not just sitting. He said this is a sickness. I think this means we don't need to care about anything.

[32:35]

just sit in a quiet place and be peaceful. And according to Dogen, that is not the reason, based on Buddha Dharma or based on Buddha's teaching. Our practice is not simply enjoy peacefulness or quieting. That is one point. And second sickness is Others insist that the practice of the Zen is important for beginners, but it is not necessarily the practice for Buddhas and ancestors. Walking is Zen. Sitting is Zen. Therefore, whether speaking or being silent whether acting, standing still, the body of the self is always at ease.

[33:40]

Do not be concerned with the present practice of the self. Many of the descendants of Rinzai hold this sort of view. They say so because they have not correctly received the true light of the Dharma. That is a beginner's mind. That is not beginner's mind. What do you mean, can you stay beginner? So, according to Dogen, this is the second kind of sickness. That is, in order to attain certain kind of enlightenment or enlightenment experience, we need to practice of that sense. But once we attain so-called enlightenment, then zazen is not important anymore. And he said, many of Rinzai practitioners at Dogen's time was like that.

[34:45]

Zazen is a method, or mean, or step, or ladder to attain enlightenment or something, some particular experience. If you get it, then you don't need to practice dazen anymore. That is the second kind of sickness according to Dogen. And I think those two attitudes towards dazen, I think, was what Dogen found deep in the process of his searching the way. When he practiced at Mount Hiei, when he was a teenager, he had a question that in the Buddhist teaching it said all beings, all people have so-called dharma nature or buddha nature, so everything is okay as it is.

[35:59]

Then why do the ancestors have to practice? That was Dogen's original question. And this means, you know, everything is OK as it is. So, why we have to go through such a difficult, painful, cold, sleepy practice? I think it's a very natural question. And so our practice is not just thinking everything is okay as it is. If it's so, Buddha didn't need to leave his palace and become a beggar. And after he left Mount Hiei, he started to practice Zen.

[37:04]

And first, he practiced with Rinzai Zen. And I think that is what he's mentioning here. I think not authentic Zenning Rinzai Zen, but it's a kind of a mistaken attitude. misguided attitude within Rinzai Zen, that to have certain experience, so-called kensha, is a goal of their practice. But to do Rinzai Zen, the experience of kensha is a starting point of their practice. So this is not genuine Rinzai practice, but many I think according to Dogen, many of Rinzai practitioners practice in that way. And those two, the first one is often called Buzi Zen.

[38:08]

Buzi Zen means nothing is matter, everything is okay kind of Zen. And second is we need enlightenment. We practice in order to get something, some fancy experience. Then if we get such an experience, everything becomes okay. We have no problem at all after that experience. We become a so-called enlightened person. Those two are basic sickness according to Domo. So he tried to offer acupuncture needle treatment to become healed from such an attitude.

[39:11]

as I said, our motivation, our so-called motivation or aspiration or way-seeking mind can be influenced either everything is okay, nothing is matter, or I need to practice in order to attain something. These two are two ways of manifestation or symptom of free-poisonous mind. I think. And Dogen wrote this chapter of Shobo Genzo in order to offer acupuncture needed. I think. That is the point of Dogen in this chapter. So now I start to talk on the second section.

[40:22]

In the second section, Dogen comments on the story between other Nangaku and Baso. Nangaku Ejo was a disciple of the six ancestors Huinan. And Baso was Nangaku's basodoist, his very great Zen master in early Zen in China. And this story is very interesting and very important. Dogen Zenji quote each thing from the Koan story. and put his comment on it. So the story is not very clear.

[41:31]

And especially this section is really difficult to understand. This is one of the typical Dogen writing. Unless we really understand the original story, we really don't understand what Dogen is talking about in one sentence. So this morning I'd like to talk on the original story. Actually, Dogen quote only half of the original story. I think that is one of the reasons it's difficult to understand what is the point of this story. at the point of Dobin's twist. Dobin often twists the original meaning of the original story or expression.

[42:35]

And in order to understand the original, we don't understand Dobin's twist. So this morning, I'd like to talk on the original story of this koan. The original story of this koan appeared in Keitoku Dentoroku, or the Record of Transmission of Love. This is a collection of, it said, 1,700 koans. That means this is a kind of a collection of biographies of 1,700 Zen masters.

[43:41]

And as I said, Dogen quote only half of the story. But I'd like to talk on the entire story. I think that's helpful. for us to understand what the point of this story. And I think in order to understand this story, we have to go back to Mahayana teaching, the Mahayana Sutra, particularly in the Diamond Sutra. So I'm going to talk on Diamond Sutra too. Anyway, page two of this handout. So in this story, Nangaku Ejo is a teacher, and Baso Douzu was a student.

[44:50]

Let me call them in Japanese pronunciation, Nangaku and Baso. According to his biography, and Basho's biography, Basho was born in Sichuan, that is a western part of China. And he was, he became a novice monk when he was very young. And he practiced in Shui Chin. And he was, he received a full Vinaya, a precept, when he was about 30 years old. And he moved to Central China. and met this teacher, Nangaku.

[45:51]

And this is a story when Vassal received Nangaku's instruction for the first time. That is the situation or background of this story. But actually, Dogen changed the situation. I'm going to talk about it later. So during Kaigen in Japanese, or Kaiwan in Chinese era, that is between 713 to 741, there was a monk named Doi. Doi is Basso's personal name. He lived at Denbo-in, or Changpa Yuan in Chinese.

[46:57]

This name of the temple is also important. And practice doesn't every day. I don't think this is a historical story. I think this is made up story by someone. So everything has meaning. And this name of the temple, Denbō-in, is Temple of Dharma Transmission. I think this is the theme of this story, Dharma Transmission. But anyway, Basho was about thirty years old, and he practiced at this temple. and really focused on zazen, sitting every day. The master, Nangaku, knew that the monk was a vessel of dharma and visited him.

[48:03]

So Nangaku heard of this young monk sitting by himself every day. Somehow he found he was really an excellent person. So he, Nangaku, visited this young man. And Nangaku asked, virtuous warrior, what do you aim at in doing the Zen? What do you want in the Zen? What do you practice?" Then, Basho said, I am aiming at becoming a Buddha. I'm practicing to become a Buddha. Then, at the time, Nangak picked up a tiling. In this case, tiling means, what is tiling in English?

[49:06]

Loose tiling, loose tiling. And this is not a new time. You know, Chinese buildings are built with wood. So often they have fire or earthquake. And within the history, there are many times central buildings were burned or destroyed. And those times are scattered around. and as some broken, lose time. So this time means something valueless, something valueless, something made of mud. But Nangak picked up a time and began to question,

[50:07]

against the rock in front of the homepage. So Nanak started to polish a tile. Batho asked, Master, what are you doing? What are you doing? Nanak said, I am polishing the tile to make it a mirror. So non-active, I'm polishing a tile in order to make it into a mirror. Mirror is an analogy or symbol of toda's enlightenment, the perfect mirror wisdom. or great perfect mirror wisdom that is wisdom of Buddha. So that means the broken tile is this person, this person's body and mind that is a collection of karma.

[51:25]

This is like a broken tile. Good for nothing. And practice brazen or practice for teaching is like approaching this hell in order to make it into Buddha. So this means we practice in order to become a Buddha. I think this is a very common understanding of our practice. We are deluded human beings and we want to become a Buddha. And our practice is a path leading us from samsara or delusion to nirvana or enlightenment or Buddhahood. So, you know, this is very common, usual understanding of Buddhist practice.

[52:31]

But somehow it's funny here. And that monarch is pointing me, no matter how hard we polish the time, time doesn't become a mirror. That is the point of this story. So Nangak said, I'm polishing a tile to make it a mirror, and I'm practicing Zazen, you know, that become Buddha. Basso said, how can you make a mirror by polishing a tile? This is a very natural question. Really. If we really, sincerely practice, we should have this question to ourselves. How can you make amida by polishing a tie?

[53:36]

Then Nangak said, how can you become a Buddha by doing jayam? This means your zazen doesn't make you a Buddha. That means your zazen is nonsense. Buddha for nothing. So this is Nangak's admonition for kind of a criticism against Vaso's practice of just seeking. Then Vassos said, what is the right thing to do? What is the right thing to do? If the Zen is not a method or path through which you can reach Buddhahood, what else should we do? Then Nangak said, suppose that a person is riding a cart

[54:45]

A cart pulled by a cow or ox. Then the cart does not move. Then the cart does not move. Which is right? To hit the cart or to hit the cow? So the cart is pulled by a cow. And then cow cart doesn't move. And then you are on the cart. which is the right thing to do, hitting the cow or hitting the cart. Of course, hitting the cart doesn't make sense. And so this means hitting in this posture, in this form, according to nanraku, is like hitting the cart. This means we need to hit the cow. And in this analogy, card means a body, something, a form.

[55:52]

And card is a symbol of a mind, or a Buddha mind. So Mangaka is saying we need the mind, not the body. So Nangak asked, when the cart does not move, which is right, to hit the cart or to hit the cow? Then Vaso did not reply. He couldn't say anything. And Nangak continued, do you study sitting meditation or sitting Buddha? Do you study or do you practice doing meditation with the Zen, sitting Zen, or sitting Buddha, the Buddha? If you study sitting Zen, Zen is neither sitting nor lying down.

[57:00]

Zen or meditation. has nothing to do with the form of sitting or lying down. Why do you sit? And if you study sitting Buddha, Buddha has not a fixed form. Buddha has no fixed form. Buddha is formless. So to study Buddha with this sitting form, is answered because Buddha has no strict form. And within the non-abiding dharma, this expression, non-abiding dharma, came out of the Diamond Sutra. I'm going to talk on the Diamond Sutra to explain what this non-abiding dharma means.

[58:01]

And you should, so within non-abiding dharma simply means we cannot steal, pick up from other, there is no fixed form. So you should neither accept nor reject If you do sitting Buddha, you kill the Buddha. So that means you don't sit. Don't sit. Because Buddha is timeless. But if we think this sitting is sitting Buddha, then you cling to this form. or you are searching something tremendous within this fixed form. So that doesn't make sense.

[59:05]

If you cling to the sitting form, you will never reach the principle. So Nangapura's teaching, don't cling to the sitting form. And upon hearing this instruction, Bhāso felt like drinking daigo. Daigo is fermented milk. It is used as an analogy of Buddha's teaching, or a sweet dew. Dogen quote until this part, but the original story continues. And it says, Batho made a prostration and asked, How can I enter the formless samadhi?

[60:08]

Samadhi of formlessness. So, you know, this zazen has form. So, and Basso, and Nangaku admonish, don't to claim to, or don't to search Buddha or Zen that is feminist. Then, so, Basso asked, how can I enter the samadhi or feministy? I think this is a very natural question. And this formless samadhi, or muso-dhamma, is, I think, the basic teaching in Diamond Sutra. So after I finish this story, I talk on Diamond Sutra. Then we can understand the meaning of Nangako's teaching to Basho.

[61:14]

Nangak said, you are studying the dharma gate of mind ground. It is like planting seed. Your practice, your studying, is like planting seed. And my expanding the dharma essence, which is Nangak's teachings, is like the rain from the heaven. Since your necessary conditions get together, that means Vaso's practice and Nangako's teaching getting together, you will see the way. Vas asked again, the way has neither color nor form. How can I see So now Basho started to understand something. The dharma eye, the dharma eye of the mind-ground can see the way.

[62:28]

So our eye, that is part of our body, cannot see something formless. We can see things which has color and form or shape. That is rupa, the object of our eyes. But we cannot see the way that is firmly. Then how we can see the formless way? And Nangarata said, the dharma eye can see. Dharma eye of the mind ground. So this mind ground, is one of the most important expressions here. Hated mind-ground or a dharma eye of mind-ground. It can see the way or reality or dharma or Buddha that is formless.

[63:32]

This is a point of this story actually. How can we see something formless? We cannot see something formless with our eyes. That's all. Are we arising and perishing within the way that we are alive? or the way perish, that means is it impermanence? Or is it within a cause and condition? Something appear, something disappear. The things we experience is always arising and perishing. Arising, stay for a while, changing and disappear. That is cause and condition. And the formless way, or formless dharma, or formless buddha, is beyond this arising and perishing.

[64:48]

That is this mind-ground of dharma. And that is this dharma, which has no form. This is the point of this story. And Nangak said, trying to see the way on the basis of arising and perishing, gathering and scattering is not the way. So we should see, we should find the way which is beyond arising and perishing, gathering and scattering. The point is, is there such a thing which doesn't arise and which doesn't perish? You know, in the Heart Sutra, all dharmas are marked with emptiness.

[65:58]

There's no arising and no perishing. It doesn't appear nor disappear. And Landak made a kind of a poem. And he said, listen to my verse. The mined ground has various seeds. Mined ground has various seeds. Seeds of Buddhahood. And when they have rained, all seeds sprout. So within the mild ground, the seeds are already planted. The seed of prajna is already planted. And when they have rain, that means Buddha's teaching, or your teacher's teaching, then all seeds sprout.

[67:00]

And the flower of samadhi has no form. The flower of samadhi This samadhi that is from the samadhi, this samadhi has no form. And this no-form samadhi is the flower, came from the seed planted on within the mind ground. And so, how can it be perished or alive? So this seed, and stem, flower and fruits, has no perishing and no arising. What is this? Basso was unable to open realization and his mind was transcendent.

[68:03]

He attended and served Nangaku for 10 years. Day by day, Baso deepened his understanding of the profound secret. So after this encounter, Baso became Nangaku's student and practiced together with Nangaku for 10 years. This story came out of Nangaku's section in the record of Dharma Lamp. And in the Basho section, in the very beginning of Basho's section, it said, During the Kaigen era of Tan dynasty, Basho learned meditation at Denboin on Mount... and met Master Nangaku Gejo.

[69:07]

Though there were nine core practitioners, only this teacher, Baso, intimately received the mindfulness. So after this conversation, Baso started to practice Nangaku and he practiced there for ten years, and only him, said him, intimately received the mind seal. This is the original story. And in order to understand the point, this story, Nyangak is kind of giving a caution to Bassov's practice, who was sitting every day. What is the meaning of this kind of criticism or admonition for a young practitioner who was really focusing on sitting practice?

[70:24]

And from the story it's clear what Nangaku wanted to teach Basho was formless practice, formless samadhi, which is nothing to do with form. And this idea of formless samadhi, formless in Japanese is muso, mu is no, so is form. So no form samadhi, no form samadhi. I think this idea of no form samadhi came out of the Diamond Sutra. Diamond Sutra is one of the group of Prajnaparamita Sutras. There are many The Prajnaparamita Sutra is a collection of many sutras.

[71:30]

It's not only one sutra. And this Diamond Sutra, or Kongo Anya Kyo, is one of the oldest sutras made in India. So this is one of the earliest Mahayana sutras. And... I found only one translation. This translation is done by who? By a person whose name is Red Pine. Do you know him? I'm not sure whether this translation has already been published or not.

[72:32]

Michael Wenger, given this copy, gave a workshop at the San Francisco Zen Center, and he talked on this translation of Diamond Sutra, and I'm not sure whether this has already been published or not. So I'm not sure whether I'd like to quote this translation, but I couldn't find another translation already published. So please keep in mind this is a secret. Because this is a very early Mahayana sutra, even within the Pajjana Paramita group, although this is a Paramita sutra, this sutra doesn't use the expression emptiness.

[73:44]

The word or expression emptiness or sunyata is not used or created when this Diamond Sutra was made. So they expressed, tried to express the idea of emptiness without using the word emptiness. So it's very interesting. Anyway, what this sutra is saying is about In the very beginning of this sutra, Shibuti, or Shibodai in Japanese, who is one of the ten greatest disciples of Buddha, asked a question to Buddha.

[74:49]

Shibuti's question was, Question. Ah, here it is. If a good son or a daughter should set forth on the Bodhisattva path, Bodhisattva practice, how should they dwell? How should they practice? And how should they control their thoughts? And the rest of this sutta is Buddha's answer to this question, how bodhisattvas have to practice what kind of attitude we should toward our own practice.

[75:54]

Then the first goal, Buddha said, The Buddha said to him, Shibuti, those who would now thus set forth on the Bodhisattva path should give rise to the thought. However, many beings there are in whatever realm of being that might exist, whether they are born from an egg, were born from a womb, born from the water, were born from the air, material or not material, conscious or not conscious, or neither conscious nor not conscious, that means everything exists or not exists. In whatever conceivable realm of being one might conceive of being in the realm of complete nirvana, I shall

[77:10]

liberate them all. So, as a bodhisattva, we should take a vow to save all beings. And that we chant. Then we chant the four bodhisattva vows. We chant it after this lecture. So save all beings. is the main thing, the first thing that Bodhisattva should keep in mind. I shall liberate them all. And yet, and though, this is today's thing, and though, I thus liberate countless beings. numberless beings called centered beings. Not a single being is liberated.

[78:14]

This is the practice of Buddha. It's not me. It's not me, not Buddha. Even we have saved all living beings, there's no single being which is saved. This is the main point of this sutra, teaching of this sutra. We should save all beings, but if we think there are some beings which can be saved, then we are mistaken. Even a single being can be liberated. And why not?

[79:15]

Why not? It's a very good question. Why not? Surely, a bodhisattva who forms the idea of a being cannot be called a bodhisattva. So if we have some idea that the other living being can be saved, he is not a bodhisattva. And why not? Surely, they cannot be called bodhisattvas who form the idea of a self. or the idea of a being, or perform the idea of a life, or the idea of a soul. Those are one, two, three, four, five ideas.

[80:16]

Idea of a being, a self. The third one is also a being, so thought. Idea of self, being, life, thought. And this translation is from Sanskrit, but in Chinese translation from Sanskrit, this idea is thought. So in Chinese Diamond Sutra, the expression used is a form of being, form of self, form of being, form of life, form of soul. So if we see those forms, and try to save those beings with those forms, then that kind of practice is basically based on delusion or ignorance of non-self, or knowing nothing is substantial or empty.

[81:36]

So then how we have to practice? And in Prajnaparamita Sutra, the main thing is prajnaparamita is most essential within the six paramitas. And there are six paramitas, and prajnaparamita or wisdom is the sixth, the last one. And next he says, Buddha said, moreover, Shibuti, when bodhisattvas give a gift, give a gift is his translation of dharana parantra, giving or offering. When bodhisattvas give a gift, they should not be attached to a thing. So when a bird starts to practice the dana parameter, that means the parameter of giving or offering, we should not be attached to a thing.

[83:01]

A thing means a thing to be given. because there is no such thing called this person as self, the form of the self, and a form of person who is given, and the thing which is given. You know, in the middle chant, we chant, you know, in the very first verse, we chant, three wheels, that is the English translation. The original verse in Chinese is three wheels should be empty. and quiet. The three wheels, I mean, the third wheel means the person who is offering and the person who receives the offering and the thing which is given.

[84:23]

Meditative pre-trajects? Maybe that is not literally translated, but I think one translation is being free from self-clinging. Anyway, so we have to practice yubi or dharma without attachment to this person or to that person or to that thing. That is called emptiness of the three vipers. And that is the way we practice dana paramita. So in order to practice dana paramita, we need a wisdom of prajna paramita, which sees the emptiness of self

[85:32]

and other people and the theme. So that is the point. That is the practice of giving or dharma without being attached to anything. Ourselves or other people and the theme. That's that. In the case of our meal, the food, in the case of eating, we are receiver. And food is the gift. And the server, or tenzo, or the farmers who grow the food, are killed. And we should see the emptiness of all beings.

[86:35]

So there's no attachment. So no attachment of any form, self, other, and thing. That is formless samadhi. Practice without attachment to any particular form. That is formless samadhi. When they give or give, they should not be attached to anything at all. They should not be attached to a sight when they give a gift . Nor should they be attached to a sound, a smell, a taste, a touch, or a dharma . We should practice giving or offering without attaching to any form.

[87:48]

These six objects, but those are called form in Chinese translation. Thus, Shibuti's careless bodhisattvas should give a gift without being attached to the idea of an object. And why? The body of merit of those bodhisattvas who give a gift without being attached is not easy to measure. How do you think stability gives the space to the East to reach a major, as you discussed earlier, vast place? And what we think is when we give something for certain particular person, And we often, when we try to do something good for someone, we attach to that person.

[89:10]

Who is that person? And whether that person can be worth to be helped. Or if my help can be appreciated or not. whether this gift can be really helpful or not. So we value, we value the person. And if we think this person is, for example, like my child, without any question, without any hesitation, you know, I help. But if this person is something I don't know, if this is a stranger, I start to think whether this person was to be helped, or if my action of helping can be really helpful to this person or not.

[90:12]

And even if I have a good heart, somehow our heart is limited. And if my gift is appreciated by that person, I become happy. But when the person doesn't appreciate my gift, we become, you know, we become angry. That is because our action over our gift is influenced by three poisonous minds. We expect something. Even when we try to help others, we attach to who this person is and what this gift is. And what Buddha is saying here is, without being attached to certain person or certain thing, and the merit of this person's action, just do it.

[91:25]

Just offer. And it's very difficult. Almost impossible. For me, at least. But according to this Diamond Sutra, that is the practice of bodhisattva, without attachment to anything, just offer. That is the practice of dhyana-paramita. And not only dhyana-paramita, in this sutra dhyana-paramita is only discussed, We should apply this attitude in our practice of dazen. Or dazen is the fifth parameter, and sixth is prajna parameter. Then we apply this attitude of no attachment to our own sitting. That is samadhi of formlessness.

[92:28]

We don't attach to this form. and we don't attach any reward or any result, but just sit. That is what Dogen meant, just sikan taza, just sit, without practice sitting, without attachment to the form. And that is what Nangako is talking about. that in Dogen's comment on this story, he twisted the meaning of each sentence actually, each and every sentence. But I think still Dogen is expressing the same attitude with what Nangaku is saying, or more kind of a deeper

[93:30]

and more concrete attitude toward our practice of sitting. In the case of zazen-shin, Dogen discuss about sitting. But we should practice zazen like this Diamond Sutra talking about giving without any attachment. According to certain understanding of this story, something we read this story carelessly sounds like Nangaku is talking, teaching Paso not to practice. But that is not the case. But I think Nangak recommended him to practice without attachment to the practice. So we should sit without attachment to sitting.

[94:37]

And that is just sitting or sikantata. Otherwise, you know, as when we make offering, we have some attachment to that person or to the human. So when we sit in this posture, somehow we have some attachment to this posture or to this person or to the result which we expect. But we should be really free from those attachments. Attachment means three poisonous minds. And we think this thing is something valuable. We want to get it. That is greed. Then we encounter something we don't like or we don't value.

[95:40]

We try to stay away. If we try to stay away, they come somehow. And we become angry. And we hate it. And because of this greed and hatred or anger, we chase after something we want. And we try to escape from something we don't like. And this chasing after and escaping from creates samsara. Sometimes we are so successful and happy like we feel we are heavenly beings. And sometimes, even in our jasm, we feel we are like a hailed wearer. Not sometimes, not often. None. As far as we are practicing based on those three persons' minds, the basis is ignorance, ignorance of emptiness of all beings.

[96:59]

Because of emptiness of all beings, we attach something, this person, that person, and this thing. But when we really see the emptiness of all beings, That means nothing arise, nothing perish. That later in Prajnaparamita Sutra that is expressed with the word emptiness, vashinyatā, no attachment, or the wisdom which sees impermanence, egolessness and interdependent origination. If we practice based on that wisdom, called prajna, then we see that there is nothing to attach ourselves.

[98:03]

That is what Dogen calls just sitting, in the case of sitting practice. So we should apply this attitude not only sitting, But, you know, the first parameter is giving, and second is getting a preset. We should keep precepts, maintain precepts without attachment to the precepts, and without attachment to the merit of keeping precepts, or without attachment to... without hatred or anger to the people who don't maintain precepts, including this person. You know, we cannot maintain all the precepts, actually, you know. After my ordination, in the ordination ceremony, we receive the precepts.

[99:14]

And within the ordination ceremony, the precept teachers recite each of the precepts. and students or the students need to say, yes, yes, I keep it. And after my ordination ceremony, Uche Amaro said, that is a fast violation of the principle of not telling a lie. And I think that is true. You know, to see that is a kind of freedom from attachment to the precept, or attachment to our good deeds. Of course, to be free from good deeds doesn't mean we can do bad things.

[100:15]

We should be free from bad things too. But the more important point is being free from our good deeds, not attached to our good actions. When we attach to our good action, we think we are good people and they are bad people. There is separation between people who keep the precept and people who don't keep the precept. And we think we are good people, they are bad people. We are going to heaven and they are going to hell. the practice of keeping precepts. So to keep precepts means not to attach our own precepts. And the third parameter is patience.

[101:18]

If we think, you know, you are making me trouble, but I, because I'm a bodhisattva, I am patient. If we try to practice patience in this way, that means attaching to that person, this person's good practice, You know, then we can be patient until a certain degree, but somehow we will say we cannot stand anymore. That is not a parameter of patience. And that is also making effort. or diligent effort. If we attach our effort to reach certain goal, then if we have to die before we reach the goal, then our diligent effort doesn't make sense.

[102:39]

And we are sad and disappointed And we feel, you know, my practice is nothing for me. So we have to make diligent effort without, how can I say, the attachment to reaching the goal. But practice at this moment our diligent effort at each step we are already in the goal. That is what Dobin said when he used the expression, practice and enlightenment are one. When we practice, we are already there. Buddhafield is already there. Enlightenment is already there. Within our diligent effort, Buddha's wisdom is manifested.

[103:44]

And our fifth one is dhyana paramita, or samadhi, or sleep meditation. So our practice should be the practice of paramita, which should be done without attachment to getting help. and this any form include this sitting form. But as Buddha said, Buddha recommended Bodhisattva to practice giving or offering, Buddha didn't say we should not sit. We should sit. But we should not attach ourselves to the form of sitting. Practice without attachment to the practice.

[104:48]

That is the most difficult thing. And that is what Nangak taught to Basho. And Dogen, I think, wanted to express and taught to his students. Ah, yeah. Ten more minutes. I think that is the meaning of the original story of polishing the time. Any questions? This term, mind around, is that's referring to historical consciousness, or is it meaning something else? It can be... It can be our consciousness.

[105:58]

But it might be different. It's very different. That means this mind, another interpretation, another possible interpretation is this mind is not consciousness. This mind in mind ground is not consciousness. But this is so-called Buddha nature. Our consciousness is part of our mind. I'm a psychologist. But this mind-ground is not kind of a psychology. But Uchiyama Roshi expressed the same thing as reality of life. Not the mind, but the life. And, you know, Suzuki Roshi

[107:02]

I use the expression Zen mind, and in the book of Zen mind, Zen mind, this mind includes self and others. Usually our psychology doesn't include others or objects. So Ucchiamalos' expression, this mind or mind-ground is our life. Life includes our consciousness or psychology, but it's not really the same with our psychology. It's much deeper and broader. It includes everything. So we should practice non-attachment for years and years. So it must take a lot of caring to practice non-attachment for years and years.

[108:07]

A lot of caring to care, to practice non-attachment. So what's the source of the caring? Caring. Wanting to be caring about it. Desiring it. That is what I think I said about our body-mind or aspiration. You know, this kind of teaching of practice of non-attaching is really important, and that is how we should practice. But it's almost impossible to practice in this way for many of us, at least for me. And I knew we should practice, we should sit without attachment even to our practice, sitting practice.

[109:18]

You know, my teacher, my teacher's teacher was Sawaki Kodo Roshi, and his most important and well-known teaching was, Zazen is good for nothing. And I knew that expression since I really started to practice, or even before I started to practice. Right after I read my teacher's Fuchan Roshi book, I started to read Sarat Roshi's book too. So even when I knew this expression, that there is good for nothing, and I wanted to practice this good for nothing, but this is the point. I wanted to practice this good for nothing. This desire to practice something good for nothing is really kind of a paradox.

[110:25]

It's a basic paradox in Buddhist practice. And we need desire or motivation or aspiration or even called body-mind or way-sitting mind And we know our goal is no attachment. But without attachment to that goal, one can take fast steps. Are you saying that at some point that we might drop away? I think so. And, you know, as I said, I really devoted on this practice, which is good for nothing. And I thought I was practicing Kampada just sitting without any expectation to any result.

[111:30]

I really completely devoted my entire life into that practice for ten years, or past ten years. First five years I practiced at Antaiji, and second five years I practiced in Massachusetts. And because my body was half broken, I had to go back to Japan, and I couldn't practice in that way. And I was in trouble. And I felt now I'm good for nothing. Because I couldn't practice in that way. And I tried to find why happened this problem I have. You know, if Zazen is good for nothing, Fine, it's a matter if I don't practice.

[112:35]

And I found that I practiced in that way. I practiced just sitting because that practice makes me happy or allow me to feel that my life is better than something else or other people's life. And I thought this is the best way of practice as a Buddha's disciple were Dogen students, or my teacher students. So I really want to be a good student and a good Buddhist. So I tried to always go to Zendo, and I wanted to study more than others. And I felt that is how I should practice, and ideally practice in that way.

[113:36]

But then, because of my physical condition, I couldn't practice in that way. I felt my life is not good anymore. I tried to find out this, you know, kind of despair or disappointment. And I found that the real basic thing which supported my practice, that kind of practice, hard practice for many years, is self-satisfaction. I didn't expect any reward from outside. But I thought, I want to be a good student of Buddha. I wanted to be, how can I say, a good Buddhist. And this practice has supported me to feel that I'm a good person.

[114:44]

good Buddhist and a good practitioner. And I found basically that practice is based on arrogance. I could practice in that way because I was young and strong, healthy. And I found that is not what Dogen meant or Tawakiroshi meant. And at that time, I heard my body was half-broken, and I had no place to live. I had no job. I had no work. So I did takohatsu and tried to have treatment to keep my body. But doing takohatsu, I need to hang my bag, my net, That is the place I have pain.

[115:46]

So my chiropractor, I had a chiropractor say, as long as you practice takuhatsu, your neck will not be better. So I have to give up doing takuhatsu. I cannot do anything immediately. And in such a condition, I didn't have a sangha. I had no place to sit with other people. I lived in my brother's apartment by myself. Somehow I found myself on the cushion. I had no reason to sit. I had so many good reasons not to sit. And no one expected me to sit. And no one watched me. But somehow I found myself on my cushion. I have no desire at all to sit.

[116:50]

And there's no reason, no good reason to sit. But somehow I was there. And somehow I felt peaceful. And fast. I found that is what Svakyosi said, you know, discerning is good for nothing. Doesn't need to be good for something, but just see, that's enough. I think that is a time I really become free from my seeking mind, my aspiration or my desire to practice. So, you know, I think this is really difficult. As I said, being free from our aspiration, as I said, it's like taking out a cushion on which I'm sitting. But I think when we practice on a long time, we face this problem.

[118:01]

And somehow, if we stop practicing, then there's no way to go through it. But somehow we have to keep practicing with this. Actually, this is a kind of a dead end, in order to do anything with my own willpower, my own strength. So finally I have to really give up everything unjustly. Then at least I found that this just seeking is not actually done or motivated by my willpower. But actually, from the very beginning, even though I thought I practiced because of my wish or desire, even that desire came from Buddha.

[119:11]

So I think that means we should find the deeper... It's not a motivation. I think according to Chiang Rui's work, this is life force. It doesn't come from here, but it comes from the bottom of our life. And I think that is mind ground. Does that make sense? Well, I'll talk to you later. Thank you very much for your questions. So this afternoon I started to talk on Dogen's comment on this story of Pursing Time. May God bless you.

[120:01]

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