Good morning everyone. I was asked to first 10 minutes to talk to children and that is most difficult thing for me because many children don't understand my English because of my Japanese accent. So I decided to just read a story from a book This is a story from this book, Buddhist Tales. This is a book about Buddha and a bandit. The title of the story is Angry Mara, the Brigand. Thousands of years ago, in the land of India, there was a prosperous kingdom called Kosala.

[01:12]

The king's name was Prasenajit, and his palace was in the glittering city of Shiravati. which was full of splendid shops, beautiful parks, and magnificent mansions. All was well and happy in the kingdom of Kosala until a terrible blight fell upon it. It was not the usual kind of catastrophe, a flood, famine, plague, or war. Rather, It was all caused by one man, a fearsome brigand, whose name was Angry Mara, which means finger necklace. This is because he had made a vow to kill 1,000 people and to keep count.

[02:17]

He saved a finger from each of his victims and wore it on a cord around his neck. No one could stop Angry Mara. The king's men could never catch him because he could run faster than the fastest horse and he was tremendously strong and very clever. Once a party of 40 men on horseback went out to catch him. and he killed them all and strung their fingers on his necklace. Whole villages in the countryside became empty as all the people took refuge in the city out of fear of angry Mara. No one went out of doors at night for fear of angry Mara. And even during the day,

[03:18]

people stayed far, far away from the part of the country where he lived. Now, at that time, it so happened that the great teacher called the Buddha, whose name means the Awakened One, was also living in Kosala, near the city of Sravati. He was called the Awakened One. because he had awakened from all the hopes and fears that torment human beings and keep them lost in a kind of dream. When they are happy, they hope to be happier and are afraid to lose the happiness they have. When they are unhappy, they fear they will remain that way. They blame other people for their problems and somehow hope to get out of them this way.

[04:28]

But the Buddha had awakened from all that. He was content to be just as he was. One particular morning, as he was on his begging round in Suwabati, he heard people complaining bitterly about angry Mara. They said that a great number of people were going to King Pasenajit's palace to demand that the king take his army and go out and catch the fearsome, invincible brigand. After hearing this, the Buddha carried his bowl of food back to his sleeping place quietly and put his things in order. Then he set out along the road that led to where Angulimala lived.

[05:30]

Upon the hill in the forest, Angulimala saw the Buddha coming. How amazing, thought the brigand. He can't have heard of me. People don't dare come this close, even in groups of a hundred armed men. And here comes this unarmed monk, all by himself. Wonderful. In a few minutes, I shall have another finger for my necklace. and with hardly any trouble at all. So saying, the brigand picked up his bow and arrows and buckled on his sword. Swiftly and nimbly he ran down through the trees. Without making a sound, he came out onto the road, a short distance behind the Buddha.

[06:34]

Then a strange thing happened. Angulimala couldn't catch up with the Buddha. As we know, Angulimala was a very fast runner, faster than a horse or a bear, but no matter how fast and long he ran, the Buddha was always just out of his reach. And the strangest thing was that the Buddha himself was not running at all. He was just walking along at his normal pace. Angry Mara could not understand this, and he became more and more furious at being unable to get his hands on the Buddha. He ran and ran, panting and sweating, panting and sweating. He ran until at last he could run no more.

[07:41]

Then he stopped in his tracks and shouted at the Buddha, Stop, monk! Stop! Stop! The Buddha kept walking quietly along, but now the amazing thing was that although the brigand had stopped completely, The distance between them grew no greater. I have stopped, said the Buddha, turning his head to look the Burigand in the eye. Now you should stop too. What do you mean by that? shouted the infuriated Burigand, who thought things were just the other way around. I've stopped living in dreams of hope and fear and soul. I have stopped hating and harming others.

[08:46]

So, instead of being stuck as you are, I can move just as I please. Now, listen, angry Mara. If you want to be able to go as you like as I can, you should stop too. When Angrimala heard these words and looked at the Buddha, who was gazing at him kindly from just beyond his reach, walking calmly along without getting any farther away, Suddenly he realized how stupidly wrong he'd been all those years. He wished with all his heart that he'd never done harm to anyone. He took off his weapons and threw them in the beach.

[09:49]

Then he fell on his knees and asked the Buddha to help him. You can come along with me and be a monk," said the Buddha. I'll teach you how to meditate. Keep your heart open, the way it is now, and everything will be just fine. So the Buddha walked back into Shravasti with angry Mara, walking humbly at his heels. So the bandit Angulimala became Buddha's disciple. The story is much longer, but since we don't have much time, I'll stop here. If you are interested in the rest of the story, please read this book. Anyway, I think this is the time to stop.

[10:54]

Thank you. Please, please. Does Kathleen do it? Kathleen would like to make a brief announcement. OK, I'll start again.

[12:30]

I usually talk on, in my Dharma talk, I usually talk on Dogen Zen's teaching or my Zazen practice. But this morning, I'd like to continue to talk on this story of Angry Mara. This story of Angry Mara, was very well known probably in any Buddhist countries in Asia. So, since I was a child, I knew this story. It's a very famous story. But this story was not so much meaningful to me until I was a teenager. When I was a teenager, I read a record of Shinran's sayings.

[13:36]

Shinran was the founder of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism. And the record of his sayings, recorded by one of his disciples, was called Tan Nisho. Shinran was almost contemporary of Dogen. Shinran was born in 1173. So Shinran was 27 years older than Dogen. Dogen was born in 1200 and Dogen died in 1253. But Shinran lived until 1262. So Shinran lived much longer than Dogen. Anyway, in this part of the conversation between Shinran and his disciple, Yuyen, since this is still very popular in Japan, I mean both Shinran and Dogen are very popular Buddhist masters.

[14:52]

Anyone who is interested in Buddhism in Japan knows both Shinran and Dogen. Especially this Tannisho and Dogen's Shobo Genzo Zuimonki was very kind of easy to understand because they are not so much philosophical. So I read this when I was a high school student. And in one of their conversations, Shinran asked Yuyen, Do you believe me in everything I say? In one of the translations of Tannisho, Shinran said, Would you accept anything I say? Would you accept anything I say?" This is a question from a teacher to his student.

[15:56]

And this is very important, whether the student accepts everything from the teacher or not. Especially in the Pure Land Buddhism, faith or belief is the most important thing, because they don't have any other practice than having a deep faith. and chant Amitābha Buddha's name, Namo Amitābha. Only their practice, so deep faith, is very important. Then, of course, Yuyen replied, Of course, I will. Then Shinran said, Are you sure? that you won't disobey me." So he wanted to make sure. And, of course, Yuyen said yes again.

[16:59]

Then Shinran said, Go then and kill a thousand people and your birth in the Pure Land is settled. So if you kill a thousand people, you will surely be born in the Pure Land. Next verse. Then Yuyen said, Even though that is your order, I protested, and even with all that is in me, I cannot kill even a single person. That was Yuyan's disciple's answer to his teacher. Then Shinran said, Then, why did you just say that you would not disobey what I said? I think this is a very difficult question.

[18:03]

And then Shinran went on, By this, we know that If we could act according to our thoughts, we could kill a thousand people for the sake of birth in the Pure Land, if so required. We do not kill, not because our thoughts are good, but because we do not have the karma to kill even a single person. Yet, even though we do not want to injure anyone, we may be led to kill a hundred or a thousand people. That was Shinran's teaching. I read this, as I said, when I was a high school student.

[19:11]

And this was a very big question to me. You know, what Shindran wanted to say is we can't kill even one person, even we want to do. And we may kill even thousands of people, even I don't want. It depends on, according to Shindran, according to our karma. In terms of pure land Buddhism, what Fatshina wants to say is that we cannot save ourselves by our own power through any effort using our willpower. But we have to trust and faith in the vow of Buddha Amitabha.

[20:14]

And only Amitabha could save us. So the faith in Amitābha also not came from ourselves, but it came from Amitābha's power. That is the point of this teaching in terms of Pure Land Buddhism. But unfortunately I couldn't have such a faith in Amitābha. That means there's no hope. Then, how could I live based on my thought, my willpower, my determination, my forever? So, Shinran says, we may kill even a thousand people, it's very clear that he referred to the angry mother.

[21:26]

So I think we need to understand why the angry mother made a vow to kill one thousand people. This has been my own question since I was a high school student. And I decided to talk on this story today because of the event of September 11th. It was a really terrible thing. I'm very sad and I'm almost despaired. And I thought many things. And one of the thoughts I had was, or it occurred to me, was those terrorists who

[22:40]

hijack the airplanes and hit the World Trade Center building, might be a victim also. Because they killed themselves. But not only that they killed themselves, but why they could do such a thing? Why? And I thought if I was born in their condition, I may do the same thing. As Shinran said, if the causes and conditions worked in that way, I may do the same thing. So, there might be a terrorist within myself. And actually, before I was born, 1948, three years before World War II ended.

[23:48]

Young Japanese during the war were like those terrorists. You know, some of them, so-called kamikaze pilots, attacked American warships with their own airplanes. And they died. And they knew. And those are not terrible people. They were not bad people. They were teenagers. Younger than 20. And they had really a pure kind of motivation for themselves. So, I'd like to talk about the story of Angulimala. How he made this determination to kill a thousand people.

[24:51]

According to the sutra, well, there are a few texts I can read, but This morning I'd like to use a story from the book The Hungry Tigress by Ralph Martin. According to this version, there are many versions of this story, but according to this version, Angry Mara was not, of course, his original name. But his original name was Ahinsaka. Ahinsaka means harmless one. Harmless. Hinsaka is harmful. Ahinsaka means harmless one.

[25:56]

His parents named their baby Ahinsaka because it said, when this baby was born, it says, long ago in India, a child was born to a noble family that dwelt in the city of Sravasti, in the kingdom of Kosala. At the moment of his birth, every weapon in the city, from the most elegant ivory-inlaid hunting spear to the crudest cold-hammered iron sword, glittered with a piercing light. this strange thing happened. So, the king asked one of his ministers.

[27:01]

He said in another text, he was a chaplain. So he was a kind of a religious person. And that was the father of this child. And this person cast a horoscope and said he found that this baby would be a bandit, a very violent person. And so the father asked the king, shall I kill him now? And the king asked, Will he be the lone bandit or the leader of the group?" And the father said, he will be alone. Then the king said, then let him alive.

[28:05]

So they decided to keep this baby alive. That fight The parent named the baby Ahinsaka, a harmless one. They wanted this baby to be a harmless person. And they did all efforts to educate him to be a gentle, compassionate, person. And, actually, Ahinsaka became really gentle, compassionate, very educated, and also physically strong person. And when he was about 16 or 17 years old, he

[29:13]

went to somewhere to study with a very well-known teacher. Because he was really a smart person and strong, the teacher really loved this student. And the co-practitioners of that teacher That means other students become envious and jealous and told their teacher, according to this version, it says, The teacher, impressed with the boy's kindness, intelligence, and willingness to learn, devoted special attention to Ahinsaka's education.

[30:19]

But the other students get jealous and began to plot against him. Sometimes alone, sometimes in groups of two or three, they came before their teacher claiming to have seen Ahinsaka embracing the teacher's young wife. At first, the teacher laughed them out. But as his students continued to bring their tales of unintrigue, a seed of doubt was planted in his mind. Well nurtured, the seed at last blossomed. And the teacher's love for the innocent boy turned to hatred.

[31:22]

After much pondering, the teacher devised a plan that would send Ahinsaka to his death. So the teacher wanted to kill his student. But because the student Ahinsaka was a very strong person, he made some uproar. He called Ahinsaka to him and said, My son, your spiritual training is almost completed. Only one more task remains. When it is finished, Your life of suffering will be over. Listen carefully. The task you must achieve is this. You must single-handedly slay one thousand men.

[32:28]

What? cried the astonished boy. Kill a thousand men? Why, I couldn't kill one, not not even a dog. Please, Master, do not say such a thing, not even as a joke. You know that killing is the worst of all sins." So Ahinsaka was like Yuyen to Shindran. He said, I couldn't. And his teacher said, this is no joke. Replied the teacher, I have pondered long and it is clear to me. Slay a thousand men and your freedom is assured. Freedom in this case is revelation from bad karma. Fall, fail and you are lost.

[33:37]

Come, Ahinsaka. My instruction has always brought you happiness. Has it not? Don't be confused. Have courage. The race is almost won. Don't stumble or falter now. All shall be well. You shall see. That night, Ahinsaka paced his little room. To kill is a grievous sin that I know. My teacher has always praised kindness. He has always taught me well. Always his words have brought me benefit. Perhaps then he thought on. There is some teaching here which I do not, cannot as yet understand.

[34:46]

Can I refuse this command? Yet how can I carry out such a horrible task? I cannot do this, yet I must." That is why he made the determination to kill 1,000 people. And according to the story, until he met the Buddha, he killed 999 people. So he needed only one more person. And according to another version of this story, before Buddha, his mother, Angulimala's mother wanted to save him and went to Angulimala. And Buddha came right when Angulimala tried to kill his own mother.

[35:57]

That was the situation. Anyway, we don't have much time. So, what I'd like to, I think, I'm not sure whether I really understand that story. The story, I think, is not only within this text. I think the story is within me. I mean, I feel I have a possibility to be like Angry Mara. I could be like angry mother. That is what I feel. And I don't know how to do this or about this. And so we need Buddha. And in the Pure Land teaching, because of this

[37:06]

We cannot really save or attain revelation with our own personal power. We need help from Amitabha Buddha. But what about within our Zen practice? That is probably what I would like to say now. And that is the only thing I could say. this morning, I have to say, I have to think much more, but the only thing here is that actually, often, I felt like I'm like an angry mother. When, you know, I get angry, and then I felt someone did something wrong.

[38:07]

And even I have very negative feelings toward myself. In such a situation, what can I do? I have been practicing Zazen since I was 19 years old, and now I'm 53, so I have been practicing this for more than 30 years. And when I'm sitting, I felt really like the angry mother, when I have such a negative thing. You know, I'm trying to run after something, after the object which causes me such negative feelings.

[39:15]

So I run and run like angry mother did. But somehow I couldn't catch up with the Buddha who is walking very quietly, calmly and peacefully. And I sometimes feel, you know, just run until I lose all energy and finally calm down. And I, not always, but sometimes I find, you know, Buddha and angry mala are not two different people. Within this body and mind, both Angulimala and Buddha exist. And the Angulimala part of myself is always chasing after something, trying to kill everything I don't like.

[40:26]

But because this world is not created for these persons, There are so many things I don't like. And there's no way to kill a thousand people, and I cannot. I'm not such a strong person. So I feel, you know, give up. And this, I think, giving up and lost all my energy in my zazen. I started to listen, or not listen, I don't listen, but I started to hear Buddha's voice. I experienced this kind of thing, especially during Sesshin. During Sesshin, we had to sit, facing war for long hours, long time, during five days or seven days.

[41:41]

And in the beginning, I feel I was like angry mother. I complained everything and tried to kill everyone who I don't like. And I think this is for my revelation. This is for my enlightenment. But after two or three days during session, I really get tired. Really tired. And I felt no energy to fight anymore. Then I started to hear the Buddha's voice. Be peaceful. You don't need to fight against everything you don't like. But calm down. And I think that is the ground we can start to work with something we don't like.

[42:45]

First we should calm down. Then we find more, how can I say, in my teacher's expression, deeper, or universal life force which allows all beings, including this person and people or things this person doesn't like. To find that common ground, I think, is the most important thing. And in the case of Pure Land Buddhism, that common ground was called Amitabha Buddha. And in our practice of zazen, I think, when we sit and let go of whatever is coming up inside of ourselves, just letting go, and sit calmly, peacefully on the cushion, it's where we found that common ground.

[43:55]

Thank you very much for listening.

[44:07]

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