Good afternoon. Good afternoon. This morning, I talked on the original story of Nangak's polishing a tile. In order to understand what Nangak is trying to teach Vaso, I also talked a little bit about the Diamond Sutra. Now I start to talk on Dogen's comment on this story. In order to read Dogen's comment, you need to forget everything I said. Empty your mind. And read what Dogen's saying with

[01:01]

fresh mind. Before talking on Dogen's comment in the Zen Shin, I'd like to briefly introduce how Dogen treat this story in his writings before the Zen Shin. It's kind of interesting. This is next to the original story of Nansen's polishing a tile. I quote one, two, three, or four, Dogen's writing regarding this polishing tile. The first one is from so-called 300 koans entitled Shobogenzo.

[02:08]

Dogen made a collection of 300 koans when he was young, about 35 or 36 years old. He just collected the koans and he didn't write any comments on it. But still he began to make his own story. And in this 300 koans, there's a slight difference from original koans. Actually, in Chinese, Dogen put four or eight characters into the story and try to make the story completely different.

[03:13]

It says, .. received transmission from . His dharma name is . practice under nangaku and intimately receive the mind seal. This is his instruction. And he put this word, intimately receive the mind seal from the section in transmission of Dharma lamp of sectional basal. So in the original story, this is not there. But now he put this, he made the shield of the mind shield here. That is a kind of a magic.

[04:16]

He was through carrier to other disciples. And bath filled up, then go in and practice religion every day. And the rest of the story is the same. But the difference is, in the original story, this conversation between Nangaku and Baso was the first encounter. When Baso was sitting by himself, Nangaku visited. So that was their first meeting. But according to this he and Nangak transmitted mind seal intimately before this meeting. That means Vassal has already received Nangak's mind seal.

[05:20]

That is almost like a transmission. So according to Dogen, this is not Nangak's instruction or admission to teach Basel, because Basel's practice is somewhat incomplete. That is the point. This is a kind of preparation of the Zen Shi for Dogen, I think. And the rest of the story is the same. And around the same time, I think He was 35 to 6. He commented on this story in in his answer to a question from someone, one of his students. Let me read the question and Dogen's answer.

[06:27]

The question is, How do you feel about the following view? Upon hearing that one's own self is a Buddha Dharma, one's own self is Buddha Dharma, and that it is futile to seek anything outside of oneself, the dog in self in Zen, even dog in self. To study Buddha way is to study the self. So we should not seek anything from outside. And a student wants to believe this deeply, give up practice and study, and spend his whole life doing good and bad according to his personality. So Buddha Dharma is in the cell. So why we have to study from others?

[07:30]

why we have to practice in order to make, you know, change, change itself. So, you know, why we have to practice? And we do, because we have already, we already have Buddha nature, you know, can do whatever we want to do. What's wrong with you? That's a question. And Dogen's reply is as follows. In this view, The person's words and reality are contradictory. Giving up practice and abandoning study because of the futility of seeking anything outwardly sounds as though something is being sought after by the act of giving up. This is not non-fitting. So he's pointing that by the action of killing up practice and study, the person is still seeking something.

[08:42]

And he continued, just realize that practice and study themselves are the Buddha Dharma. So he said, practice and study are Buddha Dharma. The Buddha Dharma is a self. Practice and study is a self. Not the self which, you know, want to do anything I want to do. It's not the self. It's according to Dogen. The self is practice and study. Without seeking anything, refrain from engaging in worldly affairs or evil things. if you have the mind to do so. Do not think of or hate the burden or the practice of the way. Just practice wholeheartedly. Practice without even seeking after the completion of the way or the attainment of the result.

[09:56]

This attitude is in accordance with the principle of non-seeking. So the true meaning of non-seeking is just study, just practice, just follow the way, without expecting anything, any reward, anything return. That is his answer. And he quote, wrote this story and said, through Nangaku's polishing a tile to make a mirror, he was admonishing bathwater seeking to become a Buddha. So the point of Nangaku's teaching is we should not seek to become Buddha. Still, he did not Restrain Basu from sitting Zazen.

[11:01]

Nainak did not say Basu not to practice Zazen. But he said, just practice Zazen without expecting anything in return. And next, a few sentences very important in Dogen's teaching. He said, sitting itself is non-doing. Sitting itself is non-doing. It is nothing but the true form of the self. Apart from sitting, there is nothing to see as the Buddha Dharma. He said, sitting itself is a practice of the Buddha. Sitting itself is non-doing. It is nothing but the true form of the Self.

[12:02]

He said, sitting is true form of the Self. Apart from sitting, there's nothing to seek as the Buddha Dharma. So according to Dogen, the point of this story is expectation. You know, sitting is not an easy thing. And it takes time. And as I said, it's boring. Sleepy, painful, cold sometimes, and sometimes hot. So it's not an easy thing. And when we make effort to do something not easy, we have something we want. I mean, Rinzai Zen Master, whose name is Morinaga Soko Roshi.

[13:07]

He died several years ago, I think. The usual action we do in our daily lives and samabi are a little bit different. And that difference is like, for example, a child playing at a sandbox, shoveling a sand into a bucket. He's playing, the kid is playing. And if someone asked the kid, do you want to play? He said no, maybe because it's fun. for the child. But when we do the same thing, shoveling a sand to a bucket or something as a job, you know, this action itself is not the purpose.

[14:16]

What I really want is, you know, money. Because this is work. So if someone asks me if you want to trade, and if still I'm paid, there's no reason to say no. So this action, this activity itself is not a purpose, but we have something different that we want. And because we think this is the method or way we get that one, we do this one, even though it is hard and not interesting. So when we do this, we don't really actually enjoy. You know, that's the difference, he said. I mean, Mori Nagaroshi said, that's the difference between our ordinary activity, human activity, and Samadhi.

[15:19]

In the case of Samadhi, you know, there's no different purpose, but doing it itself is the purpose. So we enjoy it. But even when we sit, we don't enjoy it. We are seeking something else. We kind of try to be patient in order to get that one, even though this is not enjoyable. Because of that thing, we I want, I practice at this moment. That's the difference between our usual action, you know, the starting point and the goal or purpose and method.

[16:21]

So what we do is not really what we want, but In order to get something we want, we have to do this. So this is a necessity. But according to Dogen, Zazen is not like that. Zazen is itself Samadhi. So we need to enjoy Zazen. There's nowhere to go. Just be here. That is our practice. So this sitting practice is itself Buddha's practice. It's not human practice in order to become Buddha. And this sitting is really non-doing. We do nothing but sitting. And in this sitting, in this posture, we just sit.

[17:22]

And we do really nothing. We don't control anything. Just sit. That is the meaning of non-doing. So this is not human action in order to get something we want. Human action means usually we are hunter. We hunt something we want. And there's some object we want. It's very difficult for us to have motivation to do something, especially if it is difficult. But according to Dogen, we need to play, like a kid plays in a sandbox. We need to play in the zendor by just sitting.

[18:24]

And the next quotation from Dogen's writing is Shobo Genzo Kokyo. Kokyo means ancient mirror. in this chapter of Shobo Genzo Togenzenji rewrote this story in Japanese the original story is in Chinese but because he wrote he rewrote the story in Japanese it's kind of a clear to how he read this story that's why I translate section. And he says, one time ago, five Kosei Vaso studied under Nangaku. Nangaku intimately transmitted the mind seal to Vaso.

[19:29]

So again, he said, Nangaku ultimately transmitted the minusc to the pastor. So this conversation is after, and this transmission is done. And Rogin said, this was the beginning of the beginning of Basso's polishing a tile. Basso practiced Zazen at Denbo In for 10 and some years. So this means after Nangaku and Basso received internet transmission from Nangaku, he started to practice Zazen at Denbo In. So when this conversation was taking place,

[20:32]

Nangaku was, I mean, Basso was already transmitted the Dharma, true Dharma. So this is not a demolition from a teacher to a student, actually. They both know the true nature of Zazen and true Dharma. Basso practiced Zazen in Denbo for 10 years, 10 and some years. Imagine how was it like sitting alone in such a heritage in a raining night. He never stopped sitting even when his cold seat was covered with snow. There's nothing like this in the original story. So according to

[21:33]

This writing, Dogen, you think, Basho, after Basho received Dharma Transmission, he practiced Zazen by himself for 10 years, for 10 or more years. He never stopped sitting, and Nangak once visited Basho's Hermitage. Basho stood attending by him, Nangaku said, what are you doing these days? So Nangaku knew Vaso very well. And Nangaku is asking, what are you doing these days? And Vaso said, lately, I am just sitting. This just sitting is . He said, I'm just doing Shikantada.

[22:39]

And Nangak said, what does the Zen aim art? What does the Zen aim art? Basho said, the Zen aim art becoming Buddha. Nangak immediately picked up a tile and polished on a rock by Basho's heritage. Basso saw it and asked, Master, what are you doing? This part is the same. Langak said, polishing a tile. He quote, Basso said, what is polishing a tile good for? Langak said, I'm making a mirror. Basso said, how can you make a mirror by polishing a tile? Langak said, how can you become a Buddha by the Zen? Until here, the conversation is the same. And he quote only this much, and Dogen made his own comments.

[23:45]

Since ancient times, for several hundred years, many people thought that Nangak admonished Basu, it is not necessarily true. The great sage's action is far apart from the reality of commoners. So Dogen interpret this story from very different angles. In the great sage did not have the dharma of polishing a time. How can he have a skillful means for others? The power to teach others is bones and marrow of Buddha's ancestors. So, Ndogen said Polshinathai, Nangak Polshinathai, is a kind of a skillful means to express the Dharma.

[24:52]

So Polshinathai, Nangak didn't meant... Polishing a pile is nonsense. In the original story, it sounds like that. But he said polishing a pile is self-practice. Even if that is fabricated, still it is furniture of Buddha's house. Only the furniture and utensils have been transmitted at the house of Buddha. So Dogen is saying this publishing tile is furniture and utensils transmitted within Buddha's house. Furthermore, Nangak taught births straightforwardly. We can see that the virtue that has been correctly transmitted

[25:57]

by Buddha ancestors is direct pointing. We should truly know that when polishing a tile becomes a mirror, basal becomes Buddha. So when polishing a tile becomes a mirror, Dogen think it's possible polishing a tile becomes a mirror. And when a person becomes a mirror, Daso becomes Buddha. Daso is a tile and Buddha is a mirror. And when Vaso becomes Buddha, Daso immediately becomes Vaso. To be Buddha means to be Vaso. To be Buddha means to be the Self. When Vaso becomes Vaso, I'm sorry.

[27:00]

When Vaso becomes Vaso, Zazen immediately becomes Zazen. When Zazen becomes Zazen, Vaso becomes Vaso. And that is how Vaso becomes Buddha. And that is how a type becomes a mirror. So within this setting, a vessel becomes a Buddha. And within this sitting, a tile becomes a mirror. But still, a vessel is a vessel. Tile is a time. Mirror is a mirror. Buddha is Buddha. Still, a vessel is Buddha. But a vessel becomes Buddha. And a tile becomes a mirror. Therefore, making the mirror by polishing a tile has been maintained within bones and marrow of ancient Buddha.

[28:10]

Therefore, there is an old mirror made of a tile. There is an old mirror, or ancient mirror, made of a tile. When we polish this mirror from the beginning, there is no defilement. So we polish a mirror, even though there's no dust. You know, this is a fact. The sixth ancestor, Huynan said in the poem of, you know, when the fifth ancestor asked his disciples to write a verse and two One of them was a head monk, and he wrote a poem, something like, this body is a bright mirror. Right?

[29:14]

Maybe so. But don't let dust align on the mirror, so we should polish the mirror because take the mirror and the dust away. We should keep the mirror clean always. But Huynang wrote that the bright mirror has no dust at all from the beginning. And this is what Dogen is saying. And later in Maybe I continue to read. He said, we don't polish a tile because there are dust on it. He said, we don't polish a tile because there are dust on it.

[30:20]

This is tile. And there's no dust on it. We just polish a tile, which is nothing other than a tile. This is human body and mind. And he said, there's no dust on it, but still we polish it. Hereby, the virtue of making mirror is actualized. Then we simply polish a tile. polishing this body and mind. That is a collection of all different causes and conditions. And often, or almost always, we are deluded, or so self-centered. Still, we should polish it, polish the tile. And this polishing tile is itself making a mirror.

[31:23]

So our practice of polishing a tile is not making this person into something else. But when we polish our tile, this polishing tile itself is making a mirror. So polishing this body and mind by sitting and letting go. and being free from our ego-centered self. This person itself is making a mirror. And he said, this is practice of Buddha's ancestors. This person at time is practice of Buddha's and ancestors. If it is not possible to make a mirror by polishing a tile.

[32:26]

It must not be possible to make a mirror by polishing a mirror. Who can see that within this making, there is becoming Buddha and becoming mirror. So within this practice, Buddha is there. Within polishing a tile, Mirai is already there. That is, Kap Dogen meant our practice and enlightenment between one. Within this practice, using peace, body and mind, that is very self-centred. Still, this practice of letting go of self-centredness is making Mirai. There is no Mirai. I just read this quotation.

[33:36]

Someone may question, when polishing the old mirror by mistake, do we make the mirror into a tile? It might be possible. We may make... mirror into a tile by polishing, if we make a mistake, like, you know, like, as I said in the morning, you know, if we polish a tile with three poisonous minds, even the mirror becomes a tile. The condition of the time of polishing cannot be measured by other times. And yet, since Nangaku's saying is the expression of what should be expressed, ultimately, this is nothing but polishing a tile, making a mirror.

[34:39]

So polishing a tile and making a mirror is the same thing. People today also should try to make a mirror by polishing a tile. Suddenly, it will become a mirror. So he encouraged us to polish a tile. So the meaning of polishing a tile is completely different from the meaning of polishing a tile in the original story. It means nonsense. If a tile does not become a mirror, a human being cannot be a Buddha. If we disparage a tile as a lamp of mud, human beings are also disparaged as a lamp of mud. If human beings have a mind, a tile has a mind, who knows that there is a mirror that reflects a tile when a tile comes, also who knows that there is a mirror

[35:53]

that defect mira, when a mira comes. So this is another comment by Dogen on this story. So it's very clear that he understands the meaning of polishing a tile completely different way from the original story. Now I start to talk on Dogen's comment in the Zen Shin. Zen Master Daijaku, at page 3, the last paragraph.

[36:54]

Daji, or Baso Doitsu, or in Chinese, Madu Daoji, or Kougei, Janshi. While studying with Zen Master Daie, Daifi, Nangaku Ejo, or Nanyue Wairan. In Nangaku, Nangaku is the name of the mountain, this is the Master League. Always practice the Zen. after intimately receiving the mind steel. So, again here, he said, Doget and Daso was practicing Zazen after receiving the mind steel. And in Zuimonki, as I introduced, Brogen said, in this story, Nangaku, admonished Basho's expectation to become Buddha.

[38:02]

He didn't restrict Basho to practice Zazen, because Zazen is a Buddha's practice. But in Zazen-shin, it's kind of different. In those two people, nangaku and vaso together are expressing the true meaning of jazen it's not a teacher admonish or teach or give instruction to the student but two masters or two people who really penetrate the meaning deep meaning of jazen together express the true meaning of the Zen. So that's why I said we need to forget everything I said in the morning.

[39:07]

You know, to read Dogen's writing like this is like, you know, there's a painting It can be seen young man or old lady together. Then we see one way, the complete painting is a young lady. But then we see another way, the complete painting is old woman. Then we, I did, at least I did Dogen's writing like this, I feel like to see such a painting. The same painting can be seen from completely different way and may have completely different meaning. And the final point of studying this writing on Dogen's comment on this story is whether Fat Nangaku

[40:20]

and the person who made this story. I don't think this is true story, actual conversation, but someone made this story, and it's very interesting. The intention of the person who made this story and Dogen's interpretation are basically same or different. and there's no answer. So we have to create our own way of viewing this story by, you know, studying the original story and Dogen's comments. So to start studying this way is a kind of a creation. So we need to create our own version of polishing a tile.

[41:21]

To just memorize the original story or just memorize Fat Dogen's saying is not enough. That is not Fat Dogen on us. But we need to read the story and create our own version of our own practice. So reading Shobo Genza is almost a creation to me. So each time I read Shobo Genza, my interpretation or my understanding can be different and actually have been, you know, changing. And what I'm talking now is just a new version and already might be old version tomorrow.

[42:24]

So don't cling to that I'm talking. OK? Everything is changing. OK, let's start to read his comments. Mangak visited the battle and asked, great worry, what do you aim at in practicing the Zen? What do you aim at in practicing the Zen? Dogen's comment. Let me first read Dogen's comment. We should quietly ponder and penetrate this question. Is there an aim? which might be superior to the Zen, is there a way we should aim at beyond the framework of the Zen that has not yet accomplished?

[43:33]

Should we not aim at anything at all? Just in the moment of seeking the Zen, what kind of aim is being actualized? We should diligently inquire in detail. Do not start in loving a curved dragon. We should go forward and love the real dragon. We should study that both the curved dragon and the real dragon have the power of forming clouds and rain. Neither value the remote nor disparage the remote. Be accustomed and intimate with the remote. Neither disparage the cloth nor value the cloth.

[44:41]

Be accustomed and intimate with the cloth. Do not take the eyes lightly. nor attach too much weight to the eyes. Do not put too much weight to the ear, nor take the ears too lightly. Make both the ears and eyes sharp and clear." Very interesting. What does he mean? That is a connection. with the question, what are you doing? What are you aiming at in jazen? And what Dogen is saying? It's really difficult. And it didn't make sense at all for a long time. As I said, I studied Dogen at university, and I have been practicing jazen according to Dogen's

[45:50]

teaching for 30 years, until recently, this kind of writing didn't make sense at all. But somehow I couldn't stop sitting, not because of my understanding of Dogen, but because, I think, because my trust to my teacher, or my teacher's teacher. You know, they had been practicing, and I wanted to live like them. That's why I didn't stop sitting. But I have to be very careful, but very patient to sit with this kind of Gogen's teaching. I don't really understand what this really means. And only recently it began to make sense.

[46:57]

Here, we need to understand what this one word means. In my translation, that word means it came up. Came up is in Japanese, zu. Zu means to came up. or to intend. You know, when we do something, we have some intention, some purpose, something we want to achieve. And that is the meaning of this word zhu. Another meaning of this Chinese character is, as I said, design, or illustration, drawing, or painting.

[48:05]

That means an expression, expression of something. So Dogen is playing with words between these two meanings. of this one world. So, in the original story, you know, another question, what do you want? What the purpose? What do you aim at? In this action of sitting? And, you know, Basel's answer is, of course, becoming Buddha. That is our intention. That is what we aim at in practice of Zen.

[49:06]

But here, Dogen interprets this Zhu as illustration or expression of what we are aiming at. That is Buddhahood. Samadhi of formlessness, formless Samadhi. That is what we are aiming at. And he said, this city is illustration or design or expression of this formless Samadhi. Make sense? So this does not mean . But it's very difficult to translate the same word into two different English words.

[50:12]

So I keep aim here. But read this aim as illustration or expression. That means, you know, Our sitting, using this body and mind, at this moment, is something close, that is what he was saying before, later. And the formless samadhi, or nirvana, or enlightenment, or Buddha food, something remote, or this sitting is curved dragon. And the Firmless Samadhi is a real dragon. And in the original story, what Nangaku is admonishing is don't cling to this form, form of sitting, or this hard dragon.

[51:20]

But we should aim at the Firmless Samadhi formless Buddha. So don't cling to this form of sitting. That is what Nangaku or the person who made that story is trying to say. We should go beyond this form using this body like polishing a tile. Polishing a tile doesn't make a formless Buddha. But here Doga is saying this sitting or personal time is expression of formless samadhi. Since we are human beings, we cannot live without this body and without this mind. This sitting using body and mind is only way we can express

[52:25]

Formless Samadhi. So, in order to actualize, manifest this Formless Samadhi, we have to use this body and this mind. That is, Fat Dogen meant using this word, illustration or expression or tzu. And then Logan's comment, I think, hopefully makes sense. He said, we should quietly ponder and penetrate this question. So this is not a single question, according to Logan. But he said, if they are an aim, it means expression. which might lead to the Zen, that the expression of friendless Samadhi decides this sitting or not.

[53:40]

Or is there a way we should aim at beyond the framework of the Zen that has not yet accomplished? some kind of sort of a timeless tamadi beside this sitting, using this body and mind, polishing a tile or not? Should we not aim at anything at all? Do we need to aim at or do we need to express if this body and mind is already formed? If form is emptiness and emptiness is form, do we need to erase or eliminate this form in order to see emptiness? That is not true. This form is itself empty.

[54:41]

So just be form is expression of empty. So this form is form of empty. So we have to aim at. Just aim at this posture. Just aim at letting go. Just aim at pulsing time. That is itself. So what else shall we aim at? In the moment of sitting in the garden, like when we sit in the garden, not when we think, or not when we observe someone in the sitting, or not when we are thinking about the garden when we don't sit, but light within sitting.

[55:45]

That means we get to go through. That means we don't think. No thing we don't think, or a thing we think of not thinking. Just in the moment of sitting in the Zen, what kind of thing is being actualised? What kind of thing is being actualised? What kind of, what is expressed when we really actually sitting and letting go of whatever coming up in our mind? It is, in my case, it is shohaku, while it's not something beyond shohaku. When I think of, for example, what I should talk to now, because this is my responsibility, this kind of thinking is shohaku's thinking in order to

[56:51]

achieve something but then I let go of thought you know thought is just coming up and go away I don't grasp then is this shohaku or is this the subject which is thinking is shohaku or not it's actually not and yet it's shohaku so yes and no This means, this is Pap Dogen talking next. Do not start in having a curved dragon. So this sitting, using this body and mind, within this aim, this posture, is curved dragon. And we should go forward and love the real dragon.

[57:55]

So we should not stack and cling to this curved dragon. And go forward and love the real dragon, true dragon, that is formless samadhi. But Dogen said, we should study that both the curved dragon and The real dragon has the power of forming clouds and rain. Usually, or in common sense, you know, curved dragon doesn't make any good. And the real dragon has the power to form clouds and make rain. And this analogy of curved dragon and real dragon came from a story in Chinese classic. In that story, there's an aristocrat who loved dragons.

[59:04]

And he collected many hard dragons. So the real dragon sees the person loved even the miniature dragon. the true dragon with him, he must be happy, very happy. So the real dragon appears in the window of the house. Then the person had fear and faint. But that's the story. That means a curved dragon is a miniature of true or real dragon. And this is but at least had no true value. And Dogen used this analogy in Fukanza Zen too. And usually in Zen literature, this analogy, true dragon and have dragon, is used as, you know, we should love the true dragon.

[60:19]

stack and collect the curved dragon that is a miniature, just a form. So we need to really love the true dragon. That is a common usage of this analogy. But here, Dogen said, not only true dragon, but also this curved dragon, that is our design in which, you know, Often our mind is very busy, and the thought coming up is very kind of ego-centered and difficult for us to focus. So we often feel in our Zazen, our mind is easier than usual. And that is true.

[61:20]

I mean, it's not true. But because when we sit in a quiet place, we hear the noise made inside of ourselves. You know, when we are outside of Zendo and doing different things, the outside is much noisier. So we don't hear the noise made inside ourselves. But when we come to quiet places like Zendo, because there's no noise from outside, we start to hear the noise from inside. That's why we feel, you know, our mind is busier than, you know, less time. But that is good science. So don't worry about it. To see our mind is busy, is the starting point of practice.

[62:24]

How busy we are. In our daily lives, we don't know how busy our mind is. Because we sit quietly, we find or we start to listen to the noise from inside. And noise is not something meaningless. you know, unless someone, again, they don't make sound. So, when there is a sound or noise, there's some cause. You know, without any cause, there's no noise occur. Anyway, so, even though this Zazen, our Zazen in which often our mind is busy, or sleeping, or painful, or bored.

[63:25]

We don't feel, you know, this is just practice. We don't feel this is a life in mind. This is hard, Dagen. But still, according to, at least according to Dagen, Dagen has the same power of forming clouds and make rain. This rain is dalimane. Cloud is also used as an analogy of Buddha's compassion, which makes rain and nurture all the clouds. So clouds and rain is an analogy. Buddha's teaching. So even our jazen, that is curved dragon, has power to form the crown and way.

[64:34]

That means Buddha's action, Buddha's activity. neither value the remote, the remote means true dragon or frameless samadhi. So she said, neither value the remote, nor disparage public remote. We do either, we put too much emphasis on the remote or too much emphasis on something concrete but he said we should not too much emphasis on neither value the remote nor disparage the remote the accustomed and intimate police were remote neither disparage the clothes nor value

[65:50]

the cloth. Be accustomed and intimate with the cloth. So we need to be intimate with our own practice, using our own body and mind. It is a hard problem, a form. And yet this form, formal practice, is the expression of the remote, something formless, our dharmakaya. And do not take the eyes lightly, nor attach too much weight to the eyes. And do not put too much weight to the ear, nor take the ear too lightly. I mean, I can see only inside of our eyes.

[66:56]

But we can hear, you know, a reputation. Something happened far away. So, eyes and ears are the same as remote and closed. So, make both the ears and eyes sharp and clear. So we have to keep our eyes and ears sharp and clear to really listen and see clearly what is going on. This allows us to make our ears and eyes sharp and clear in order not to overlook something close or something remote. We should see both, we should study both, and we have to practice using these limited pages, body and mind, and almost diluted.

[68:08]

Still sitting in practice using diluted body and mind is still the illustration. or manifestation or expression of formless Samadhi or Buddhahood? No. No one but Dogen can comment like this, only on this simple question. And it's really amazing. I am aiming at becoming Buddha. Let me read his comment. It's a wrong comment. We should clarify and penetrate these words.

[69:12]

Really simple words. According to Dogen, this is a very deep word. What does becoming Buddha mean? You know, we don't question. We just say, you know, I may move up to becoming Buddha. So, but I was aiming at becoming Buddha. And we don't think what becoming that means. But Dogen asks us to question what this means. And does becoming Buddha mean that we are unable to become Buddha? Why Buddha? If we are aiming at becoming Buddha, how is it possible? It's possible by the power of Buddha.

[70:17]

Or can we become Buddha by my personal power? Or that becoming Buddha means that we make Buddha into a Buddha. That means, you know, if our heart dragon, our dreams manifest that Buddha, or formerly Samadhi, then We create the Buddha. We make a Buddha into a Buddha by this simple thinking. So in a sense, Buddha makes us Buddha. And we make Buddha. Both ways. Without our practice, Buddha was only Samaritan appear and really exist.

[71:22]

Buddha died, you know, 2,500 years ago. Unless without our practice, like now, like here, Buddha's teaching means nothing. So in that sense, our practice creates Buddha. Because of our practice, Buddha is manifesting his eternal life, that's now right here. So we can say both ways, Buddha enables us to become Buddha. And we, not we, but our practice, enable Buddha to manifest sin. Or does becoming Buddha mean the manifestation of one face or two faces of Buddha.

[72:25]

One face or two faces means, you know, how can I say? Buddha as individual, like Shakyamuni Buddha, Abitava Buddha, Medicine Master Buddha, There are numerous Buddhas, and with our practice, manifest one Buddha or another. He's aiming at becoming Buddha. That is what Basho said. He's aiming at becoming Buddha, dropping off all body and mind, or Is it aiming at becoming Buddha dropped off? Aiming at becoming Buddha. Buddha is formless. So aiming at becoming Buddha means aiming at becoming formless.

[73:33]

And that is the meaning of dropping off body and mind. And dropping off body and mind is other Zen. Like Dogen's teacher Myojo said. Zazen is dropping off body and mind. And Dogen asked, what is dropping off body and mind? He just said, dropping off body and mind is Zazen. But this Zazen and dropping off body and mind is same as card of dragon and real dragon. So this aiming at becoming Buddha is a dropy-morphodian mind. And this dropy-morphodian mind should be dropped off. Do you understand? Otherwise, this is not dropy-morphodian mind. If I'm thinking I'm dropy-morphodian mind, it's not dropy-morphodian mind.

[74:41]

Right? dropping of Buddha and mind should be dropped off. That's the meaning of to study the self and to forget the sin. And when Basso says aiming at becoming Buddha does he mean that even though there are 10,000 methods or dharma gates to becoming Buddha, becoming Buddha continues to be entangled with this aiming, this aiming, this illustration or this expression that is this formal jazen. So there are many fitting, it's not only way, jazen is not only practice to manifest this formless formality.

[75:44]

There are many, there are many other practices and that is okay. But Dogen is asking, Sven Basko said, ending up becoming Buddha, does he mean that? Even though there are ten certain methods or dharma gates to becoming Buddha, becoming Buddha continues to be entangled with this jajan. Entangled. What entangled mean in English? The original word Dogen use is kato. Kato is, do you know kuzu? A plant? Kuzu. Kuzu. It's a kind of vine. And that is, katsu is kuzu. And to is wisteria. You know, both are lying, intertwining each other, and we don't know which is which.

[76:56]

This expression kato, or entanglement, is used to refer to our delusion, or our making karma based on delusion. we can't stop. So one bad karma in Thalimuru is another karma. And you cannot stop this growing. But Dogen used this same expression as the way the Dharma has been transmitted from teacher to student. Teachers' and student line entangle each other and there's no clear separation. So my teacher's practice and my practice is kind of the same practice.

[78:04]

But my teacher's practice, he's practice, not mine. And my practice is my own, not my teacher's. I think my practice is a continuation of my teacher's practice. And his practice is kind of entangled with his teacher's practice. And this vine goes back to Shakyamuni Vida. This is how the Dharma has been transmitted. or the growth of vine, one of the other. It's like my jasen, and my teacher's jasen, and his teacher's jasen, and Dogen's jasen, and Bodhidharma's jasen, and Sakemuni Buddha's jasen, those are all entangled.

[79:12]

Not only sitting in the Zen practice, but all activities, all practices in the living is entangled with each other. That means interconnected with each other. And since this one life brain. That is what we call Enno Ketsunyaku, when we receive Dharma transmission, or we receive preset. we received a linear chart, and on this linear chart we see the red line. That is called Ketsinak or blood line, blood vein. And that is how this darma has been transmitted. So what we're saying here is my sitting is my sitting.

[80:17]

But this sitting is intertwined with my teacher's sitting or any other people's sitting. Not only sitting but any other practice. All connected and express the Buddha nature or Buddhahood. that is interconnected coordination. So even though my practice is my personal practice, still this is really connected with all Buddhas and all ancestors and all other people. We should know, Basel is saying that the Zen is without fail, aiming at becoming Buddha. If we don't aim at becoming Buddha, rather than it's not Buddhist practice.

[81:21]

So we, in the original story, Nandaku admitted not to see becoming a Buddha, but here Dogen said, we should aim at becoming Buddha. And he said, Zazen is always the aiming of becoming Buddha. And again, this aiming is illustration, an expression of, in this case, becoming Buddha, I put a hyphen, becoming an Buddha. Here it means becoming Buddha is the name of a Buddha. Often, sometimes Dogen is... the word like this, sabutsu, but this sabutsu is the name of one Buddha.

[82:28]

And another expression, he used gyobutsu, or in gyobutsu iji, iji means forms, and gyobutsu is practice. So Gyobutsu means practice Buddha's decorum or Buddha's form. Gyobutsu is the name of one of the chapters of Shobu Genza. And within that chapter, he uses the word Gyobutsu as a name of Buddha. Our practice is Buddha. Not this person. But this person's practice is Buddha. That is Gyo-butsu. So here, becoming Buddha is a name of Buddha.

[83:29]

So this Zazen, our Zazen, as a curved dragon, is expression or illustration or painting of the Buddha whose name is becoming Buddha. And the aiming may be prior to becoming Buddha. Again, this aiming is illustration. Can be before becoming Buddha. Or it may be after becoming Buddha. And it may be just at the very moment of becoming Buddha. That is always. Without regarding whether our mind is busy, or sleepy, or painful, whatever condition, can we try to apply to sitting, keep our eyes open,

[84:43]

that means not sleep, and letting go of whatever coming up in our mind, no matter what condition it is, that is the illustration of becoming Buddha. So our practice in whatever condition by the intention or the upright posture, awakening and letting go is always the illustration of becoming Buddha. We should inquire as to how many instances of becoming Buddha does one enemy entangle, one enemy, one second. So we are really connected with all Buddhas and ancestors and all practitioners at this moment.

[85:53]

So our practice is not really a personal activity, but we practice together with all Buddhas and ancestors and all bodhisattvas and all living beings. And this entanglement further entwines with entanglement. So my practice entangled with all other people, and each one of us, each one of your practice is also connected with other people, you know, time and space. And at this time, the entanglement That are each and every instances of entire becoming Buddha. Entire becoming Buddha means an absolute Buddha, or dharmakaya of Buddha. And each one of us practices the manifestation of each instances of one entanglement.

[87:12]

are without exception precisely the entire becoming Buddha. Each and every one of them is retaining each one of our practice that is becoming Buddha in the manifestation or thinking. We cannot avoid any single instance of aiming. We cannot avoid it as a bodhisattva. We have to be a part of entanglement of this interdependent organization. We should be a part of the network of all living beings. There's no other way to live.

[88:17]

And our jazen allow us to wake up, awake to that reality. We are connected with all beings. Not only Buddhas and ancestors were Buddhist practitioners, but all, not only people, but all beings are connected with this being. In our thinking, we cut off that kind of entanglement, and I think I'm independent. I can live without adaptable help. I have to be, you know, an intelligent person. But it's a kind of illusion. As a reality, no matter how independent we are in our kind of a conventional meaning, we are still connected with gold rings.

[89:24]

And our jazen manifests that entanglement or entanglement to resignation. When we try to avoid a single instance of aim, we lose body and life. So we should not try to do that. Or otherwise, we lose our life. But again, he said, friend, we lose body and life. It is an instance of entanglement, of the enemy. That means, no matter how hard I try to avoid being a part of international generation, still... We are there. And our zhen allowed us to be really there. We don't have much time.

[90:33]

Nanak then picked up a tariff and started to polish it on a rock. Eventually he asks, Master, what are you doing? This is also very simple statement. What are you doing? But Dogen's comment is very unique. Truly, who could fail to see that in the Persian attire? Very simple action. But he said, who can see it as polishing of time? Who can see it as polishing of time? You can see the true deep meaning of polishing of time. Nevertheless, the time polishing has always been questioned in this manner.

[91:43]

So what are you doing is not a simple question But this is the way we investigate, inquire, or study this zazen. What are you doing? So in our practice, you should always keep asking, what am I doing? What is this? What is zazen? Well, not only zazen, what is our life? Just keep asking, what are you doing? What am I doing? Is the way we deepen our understanding. We deepen our awakening to the reality. So we should keep asking, what are you doing? What am I doing? What do you do this? So this is not a simple question, according to the dogma.

[92:47]

Master, what are you doing? It means, Master, what you are doing is this question, this entanglement, or this pointless Samadhi. What are you doing? This doing what? He again twisted and read as not a question but as exclamation. What are you doing? That means what you are doing is fat. You are doing fat. Doing fat, in this case, this fat is not a question. But in Zen literature often use this word, like a fact, or a dust, or like this.

[93:55]

It's used to refer to the reality before naming. It cannot be defined. So what are you doing is not a question. This is, you are doing fat. You are doing fat. So you are practicing this reality before naming. The reality cannot be named, or defined, or grasped. You know, that is a problem. So, fat, doing fat, refers to doing something false, for actually this what are you doing, according to Dogen, what are you doing is the statement pointing out the flameless Samadhi.

[94:57]

What are you doing is the precise expression of flameless Samadhi, something we cannot grasp, something we cannot measure. This true fact is always the tide polishing. Tide polishing is our practice. Our practice is doing something we cannot name. That means something famous. In this land and other world, though people are diverse, the tide polishing has never ceased. You know, in the original story, tired policy is something nonsense, something makes sense, and it doesn't make sense. But here, Dogen is saying that Buddhists and ancestors have been practicing and transmitting this tired policy.

[96:05]

You know, this sitting with body and mind, human body and mind. And there is an essential meaning in it. We should be completely certain that not only do we not fix our own view as our own view, but also there is the essential meaning to study in the 10,000 activities. We should know that. Although we see Buddha, we do not know or understand Buddha. Though we see water, we don't know the water. Although we see mountains, we don't see the mountains. If we hastily assume that there is no further path to penetrate the things before us, that is not Buddhist study.

[97:13]

So, you know, when we encounter something, we create some kind of a concept. And we think, you know, this is mountain. This is a river. This is a human being. That means Buddha. And there is delusion. And there is enlightenment. And this is a notebook. This is a rock. No. We create those concepts. And then we put that thing into certain door of concept. We think, now I understand this thing. This is not good. And this is a person. When we make separation or discrimination, we think we understand what is this.

[98:20]

This is different from this, and this is different from that. And that is okay. It's not a matter of okay or not okay. That's how we live within our brain. And once we kick... certain concept. We caught up within concept. And we think Buddha is Buddha. Enlightenment is enlightening. Human beings are deluded. And these concepts become fixed. But what Dogen is saying here is we should inquire further. What are you doing? Is this really human being? Is this really deluded? Is that really Buddha? Or is it just a form?

[99:22]

Or is he really enlightened? Or is the trees just a tree? Or is it something else? So what Dogen is saying here is we should see the reality, not the reality outside of ourselves, but also the reality inside of ourselves, too. That's some other way of doing the same thing. As I said, when we do dog and writing, it's like a painting which can be seen as a young lady or an old lady. it's not only about golden lighting, but our light too. Our light can be the expression of Buddha's enlightenment. And our light can be, you know, manifestation of self-power.

[100:31]

Actually, we are, you know, make pain, create pain. We create suffering. We suffer... suffer and we, how can I say, as a coming self, sometimes we feel, you know, being together with this person seems like hell. It seems, you know, giving each other only pain. And we can't really create such a situation. Or often we do. Or that's why there are so many problems and suffering in this society. But that is not only way to view this world. This is one way to view this reality.

[101:35]

And there is another way to view the same reality. Because we are connected, all beings, all people are connected. We fight each other. We can fight each other. We make problems with each other. But we can also create nirvana by offering something, by helping each other, by supporting each other. We create... Completely a different world. So whether this world becomes like a hell or the realm of a hungry ghost, then we are only trying to get things from the world.

[102:39]

Then our world becomes the realm of a hungry ghost. And we can be like animals or human beings. Animals are happy when their stomach is full. And human beings cannot. We human beings need something more than food that is pain and wealth. Animals are happy when their stomach is full. They sleep. have no desire to murder enough and they start to do something until they are hungry but we human beings still want to get more even when we have almost too much nutrition too much food we still want more or we want to assure the food for tomorrow or ten years later

[103:44]

or even after our death. That's the difference between animals and human beings. Anyway, what Dogen is trying to say here is we should see the reality from different angles, from all different possibilities. Our reality is not fixed. That is another meaning of no form, or another meaning of empty. You know, this is a time, but still this can be a mirror. This is a deruded human being, but still using this deruded body and mind, we can express blackwood, we can express selflessness.

[104:46]

We can express, you know, their interdependent orientation. Well, what do we are doing? Master, what are you doing? It's not a simple question. But this is our practice. So we should keep asking, what are you doing? What am I doing? Our action can mean more than one thing. When I was in Massachusetts, excuse me.

[105:47]

Of course, we have been working for establishing the community. And we bought a land in the woods. We didn't have web. We didn't have house. Anyway, we bought a small land in the woods. And first thing we did is cut the trees and dig out the stems and dug a well. And we built a small house and zendo and made a vegetable gardens and made a small shallow well. You know, this is for the sake of Dharma. But because of this practice, I killed many different beings. So with this abstract practice, we're killing.

[106:50]

It's killing. But still, this is for the sake of Dharma. This is only one example, but many things, almost everything we do in our daily lives can mean more than one. So even if we do things with good motivation to help someone, it can be harmful to other ones. So we have to be always very careful, very alert to see even one action on different angles. So our practice is not so simple like when we discuss and sometimes we have certain fantastic experience, then I become an enlightened person and I have no problem anymore.

[108:03]

Our practice is not so simple, at least according to dogma. Even we are practicing Buddha Dharma. or Buddhist practice, still we can be hammered. So what we need is, as a bodhisattva practice, what we need is dependence. And of course, vow is important, taking bodhisattva vows. But within those four vows, Each line that brought forward, there's a basic contradiction. Sentient beings are nonetheless, we try to save them. Save them means save them all. If sentient beings are nonetheless, how can we save them all? There's no time. If we actually understand this contradiction,

[109:11]

We see the incompleteness of our practice, no matter how hard we practice, we cannot fulfill these verbs. That awakening to the incompleteness of our practice makes us practice repentance. Dependence is not simply saying, I'm sorry, I made such and such mistakes. That is a part of dependence, try not to make the same mistake. But repentance in Mahayana Buddhism has much deeper meaning. Not only when we do bad things, in doing good things, we may create that karma.

[110:20]

Do you understand what I mean? I mean, especially when we do something good, for example, to help others or to give something to someone, It's kind of difficult to make repentance, because I feel I'm doing good things. And the person who received my help said thank you. And people around us, pleasure. It's really difficult to make repentance and we do good things. But still by doing good things, it's possible that arrogance is going.

[111:30]

I am a good person because I did such and such good things to help so many people. that increase as a bodhisattva, that is that karma that makes us arrogant. And this kind of bad karma is really difficult to depict because everyone is happy. Why I have to make that sense? But in Buddhism, There are two kinds of dependence. One is dependence as G, that is when we did some mistake, we actually say, I'm sorry, I made such and such mistake. I try not to make the same mistake.

[112:31]

This is one dependence about something about mistake. Another form of dependence is sitting. Sitting in Zazen and seeing the reality of all beings is dependence. That means our Zazen is dependence. In which, you know, we awaken to the incompleteness of our practice. So we don't need to say, I'm sorry. but which allow and encourage me to practice more and make us free from bad karma, created by good things, good actions. What am I talking about? Well, I think it's time to stop talking.

[113:35]

I have to make repentance. I talk too much. I really appreciate your questions. We have one more lecture tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to talk on the section of 1C's Jazeng Shin. And tomorrow afternoon, I continue to talk on this. Because Taitak San said, we have people who are not here now. Okay? Any questions or comments? No question? Zou? Pain? Pardon? Zou? Is it also an archery term? Oh. Thank you. That reminds me of the important kind. Zou is used as

[114:39]

like in actually, just as a bullseye. So that's the center of what we should aim. So Ucha Moroshi interpret this zhu, or aiming at, and said, our zazen is hitting the bullseye of what? But according to some of my reading, sometimes you aim without looking at the target. Pardon me? According to my reading, in some of the Japanese forms of archery, you assume your form, and you aim without looking at the .

[115:43]

So that would be your . I think, yeah, I was saying we just aim at our posture, not aim at the target. Then target it here. Make sense? Yeah. So we just keep our posture, upright posture, and keep our eyes open, that means awakening, must sleep, and breathe deeply and smoothly from our abdomen, and let go of whatever coming up from our mind. This is just what we do. We do the fingers. And then we end up this posture, like that. Actually, Japanese archery. Actually, that is the target. When we actually really do, we hit double mark and move that over there, not target something outside.

[116:55]

My favorite Kanji dictionary. looked up, polish. Two words, ma, which is to grind, which is what Naogaku does. Also, taku, also to polish. Taku and ma together as compound means like polishing a diamond. Polishing this diamond? Yes. Thank you very much for listening. And shall unequally penetrate everywhere.

[118:08]

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