This is the fourth class, so I'm going to talk on the fourth. I hope I can do more than one today. Maybe I'm too ambitious. If you have this text, page three, The title of this section, this discourse is, The Wanderer's Essence Beyond Assessment. Assessment. Dharma discourse. When we lift up the wanderer's essence, the standing pillars in the whole flow their blows.

[01:01]

When we depart from conventional patterns with profound conversation, a tortoise approaches fire rather than water. Plain reality is nothing special. How can praising or criticizing ancient or modern masters, save yourselves. Moreover, how could we then save others? All of you, apart from this plain reality, are there any other special assessments to make Apart from this, how do you assess it? Every four years, we encounter leap year.

[02:07]

In the ninth month is the double young day. Long months have 31 days. Short months have 30 days. Koshoji students Anyone with such opinions as praising or criticizing ancient or modern masters should just be called a donkey in front with horses behind, or a dragon head with only a snake tail. When I read this kind of discourse by Dogen, or when we translate with Taigen, this kind of discourse is like, how can I say, you know, a painting which can see, for example, like a young lady and old lady together.

[03:25]

At the same time, we can see one painting with two completely different motifs. When I read Dogen's writings, I often feel in that way. Not only Dogen's writings, but also our life. From one side, our life is full of terrible things. And we are so stupid. But from other side, your reality is perfect as it is. Why? We don't know. But those two are always somehow, always together. It's really wondrous. And we are confused because of this. Anyway, let me read this course following our translation.

[04:28]

And maybe I'll talk about another interpretation. It says, when we lift up the wondrous essence. Wondrous essence is a translation. Maybe first we should, I should say, lift up. Lift up. is a translation of a Japanese or Chinese word, Nen Tei. Nen is to hold like a, you know, when Shakyamuni Buddha hold a flower when he transmitted Dharma to Mahakasyapa. Nen is to hold and Tei is to show it. So, Nen Tei is not simply a discussion. or talking, but actually hold with hands and show it to people. So, lift up, I don't think this English word, lift up, doesn't convey such a kind of active way of teaching.

[05:41]

That is how Zen masters do in the Dharma Hall. The master doesn't really simply discuss about the reality or truth or whatever. But he picks it up with his own hands and shows it to you. The way you can see and experience it. So, when we read this kind of discourse, it's kind of difficult to taste such a flavor. Very concrete flavor and visual. But, you know, Dogen often uses like a fist or a staff or he sometimes shows a fist or a finger. Sometimes he throws the fisk away.

[06:43]

So, it's not a simple lecture, but the Master really shows the truth. So, lift up is a kind of action, but by this action, Dogen, or Zen masters, show the reality to their students. That's the connotation of this word, lift up. If you have any better idea or expression in English, please give me a suggestion. Display, present. Demonstrate. OK. OK. Wanderous Essence. Wanderous Essence is a translation of Myo-Yo.

[07:54]

Yo is Essence and Myo is Wanderous in case of Wanderous Dharma. Wanderous Dharma is Myo-Ho. Four is Dharma. One Dharma means, as I said, you know, we cannot grasp in one way or the other using our intellection. Something is missing. You know, our life is such a terrible thing. When we try to grasp from this side, you know, escape to that side, and then try to get that side to escape from that side to that side. So, somehow our grasping doesn't work. So, we are confused. And so, when we lift up the wondrous essence, try to show

[08:58]

usually the master tries to do. But Dogen said, when we try to do such a thing, to show the reality to the students, then he said, the standing pillars, standing pillars is, you know, in the monastery, temple, dharma hall, there are huge pillars, often round, and which is not hidden in the wall, but it's there, those big pillars. Pillars in the hall flow their blows, means they don't believe it. They don't believe it, you know. They question it. They have a doubt. Is it really true?

[10:01]

And in the next sentence, he used a tortoise. A tortoise or a dog often use pillows, rochu, and lanterns. Lantern is, you know, a pair of lanterns by the altars, main altars. And in this discourse, in the next sentence, he points out the tortoise. The tortoise is often kind of curved at the bottom of the altar. So, Dogen points out those things within that hole. So, he shows the pillar and the tortoise. on the bottom of the altar, or main altar, called Shumidan.

[11:08]

This means, you know, in this case, I think Dogen himself tried to show the truth or reality which has been transmitted from Buddha through, you know, the masters, ancestors in each generation. Then... Thank you. Dogen says, the temple pillars, will question what this stupid Zen Master is talking about. Because the reality is the reality of all beings. When we start to discuss about it, then we are already, you know, depart from that reality.

[12:14]

Reality is already there. You know, this microphone is here. This is the reality. And when I am talking about that reality, you know, this is something extra. It's a, you know, whatever we discuss, whether it is logically correct or not, you know, human thought about the reality, even though that is very profound, and direct, as, you know, many Zen Masters did. Still, that is something extra, because reality is already here. You know, so each and everything is already expressing the reality. Why this, you know, stupid Zen Master has to say something about it? And why students have to study such a reality?

[13:15]

Because actually, reality is not only those things, but reality is reality about our life, about ourselves. Why do we have to study such a thing? Reality is already here. Nothing is hidden, actually. Why do we have to study such a thing? So this would come up even though, as you say, the Zen Master is not just speaking words about it, but is presenting it in a way that the students actually receive it. Even the most, whatever, subtle of teachings is still something extra. Or, correct me. Well, for example, when Buddha taught me Pranayama to Mahakasyapa, Buddha didn't say anything, but just pick up a flower. and hold it.

[14:17]

That kind of a story is a kind of an attempt to eliminate all those kind of extra stuff. But reality is within the action and reality itself. So, no discussion, no conceptualization. So that is how, you know, at least in Zen tradition, how the masters try to show and transmit that reality. But still, you know, this is what I'm doing now. I try to explain what it is and try to, you know, transmit it. And that story with Maha Akashappa already creates a distance. In a way. And we are puzzled what this means. And we start to think and create the world of thinking and world of imagination.

[15:25]

And that is the way we miss really the direct insight of Reality itself, that is inside and outside ourselves. We are actually living there. But we try to search the reality within the world of thinking. And whether this is true or that is true. And we are always running around. Nothing is a problem, you know, when Dogen discusses in this way. So even when we try to teach or discuss this, you know, immediate reality, still that is already something extra. I think that is what he is saying here. It seems like Dogen wants us to use our imagination though, right?

[16:33]

By saying that the standing pillars grow their brows, these sort of things. I mean, that's imagination. Yeah, so there is another paradox here. Dogen tried to show this using words. And so we need to twist the reality again, that using words and thinking is also a part of reality. So, we have to twist again and again. If we think, you know, simply our thinking is extra, so we better not to think, then we miss the reality that we are living with ability to think, the reality of human beings. So, you know, what Dogen is trying to show us is very kind of, how can I say, It's not one or two dimensions. It has many dimensions.

[17:36]

I see it from a different angle. It's not that there's something extra. Like you said, even though the Master shows them the truth, they don't believe it. Pardon? You don't believe it? The way I see it is like, even though the Master shows them and presents them the truth, In their eyes, it's not just telling presented, they don't believe it. They have doubt. They mean the temple pillars? The students? The students here, even though the Master shows them, they don't believe it. They have doubt. That's the way, one of the way you can interpret this thing. So there are... There is no explanation here. So, we can interpret in many different ways. There is no one fixed right interpretation. We are free. That means we are confused.

[18:43]

And actually, there aren't many commentaries on Ehekorok so far. So we are really free. We can create our own way. And maybe one of our attempts may hit the mark. Maybe not. Second sentence, she said, when we depart from conventional patterns, conventional pattern is... Depart from conventional pattern is shukkaku. Shukk means to exit or depart. And kaku is like a... kind of making... how can I say... limit with certain things. like a frame. You know, we have a kind of a frame of mind, frame of thinking.

[19:56]

And our frame is logics, concepts and logics when we think. And apart from this conventional pattern or this conventional frame of thinking means go beyond conceptual thinking based on dichotomies. Usually we have two pairs, or pairs of concepts, good and bad, or like and dislike, or enlightenment, delusion. That is how we separate the reality into two sides and we think this side is okay, that side is not okay. So we have to escape from this side and enter that side. That is what we often do.

[20:58]

But apart from conventional patterns go beyond those dichotomies, dualistic thinking. and with profound conversation or profound discussion about the lofty reality or truth. He says, a tortoise approaches fire. That means tortoise always or usually go to the water, not fire. So, discussing, even though it's profound, It's a profound discussion when we discuss about the reality beyond any dichotomy. Still, we are calling opposite side. Right? Now, I'm discussing about what Fab Dogen is saying, and Dogen wants to show us the reality beyond discrimination.

[22:06]

And that is the way we discriminate. And we make another discrimination, that Dogen's way of thinking, Dogen's way of expression, is different from the rest of us. And we think, you know, his sayings are wonderful. At least, I think so. That is the way we create another Daigoto-mitsu. This is Dogen's profound teaching. And our usual way of thinking is not so right, not so good. It's very shallow and very biased, one-sided. So we admire Dogen. And this is the way we create another dichotomy. I think that is the first doggerman thing he said. When we discussed about the profound lofty reality, we are going opposite way from that reality.

[23:21]

We already miss it. Are you saying, well, this just came into my head, that when he says, And when you say it's something extra, the standing pillars for the crowds, we just naturally think that this is a bad thing. And the tortoise goes, approaches fire, we think this is a bad thing. At least unusual thing. But maybe we could not create an academy about that. Okay. And he says, Plain reality is nothing special. Plain reality is hei-jitsu. Hei is plain, flat, nothing special reality. And nothing special is our translation of Dogen's expression, buu-ji. Buu is no. Ji is matter. So, no matter.

[24:21]

And Buji is a kind of an important word in Zen literature. For example, Rinzai, the famous Zen master, Rinzai, or Rinchi, the founder of Rinzai school, said, being Buji is a precious person. This is a very well-known, famous expression, Buji Kore Kinin. To be nothing special is precious person. Precious or knowful person. So, this Bujji is same as Mui. That means no action. No, how can I say, karmic action using our mind or discrimination. So, just do ordinary things in the ordinary way.

[25:27]

Nothing special. But, sometimes this expression, bujji, is used in a negative sense. That means, because reality is already revealed always, why we have to practice, why we have to study, Just be ordinary is okay. If we stagnate on that understanding or way of life, then this is not the right way, the right understanding. So, people who have such understanding are called Bujji Zen. Zen of nothing matter. So, just be free. Whatever you want, just do it. And that is not really up to Zen.

[26:29]

So, we have to be careful about this point. So, basically, what Dogen is trying to show us is this plane reality. Nothing special. How can we praise or criticize ancient or modern masters? Save yourselves. You know, we often talk about ancient or modern masters, teachers, who are greater than others. Actually, Dogen often says this. So, maybe he's talking about himself. You know, talking or discussing about other people, whether great Zen masters in ancient China or Zen teachers in this modern times.

[27:39]

Discussing about, you know, other people doesn't help us, ourselves. We have to clearly wake up to that plain reality by ourselves. But we often discuss, you know, which is greater, Dogen or Rinzai. Or, you know, there are discussions within Zen, you know, the Koan practice and Shikantaza practice, which is better. This kind of discussion is, of course, based on discrimination, which is better. That is the difference. But, important point is, in any way, to wake up to that plain reality. So, discussing who was a good master or who was not,

[28:52]

We often do it this way or that way. Or we study many different teachings. Because there are so many different traditions and lineages. And we think, you know, Tibetan Buddhism is better than Japanese. Or Chinese is more authentic than anything else. You know, these kinds of things. Of course, it's nice to study. But if we put our actual life on that kind of discussion, we really miss the plain reality in which we are living. And that is the most important thing. So, Moreover, how could we then save others? We cannot save ourselves.

[29:54]

How can we save others in that way? By discussing which is good, which is not so good. Important thing to discover this frame reality. Apart from this, All of you, apart from this plain reality, are there any other special assessments to make? Assessment is a translation or kind of an important expression. Shoryo. What is shoryo? Shō is It's like a merchandise or trading. And Ryo is measure.

[30:56]

It's like two merchants discussing what is the appropriate price of this certain good. The person who wants to sell, of course, wants to sell as high price as possible. And the person who are buying, trying to keep it as low as possible. So we are always like this. This is called negotiation. And depending upon the condition, overall condition, and how much the buyer can spend, how much the seller want to really get, you know, according to the discussion, they find the right price. kind of discussion or negotiations called shoryo in Chinese colloquial language.

[32:04]

And the masters pick up this expression, shoryo. So this is not a scholastic word, but they picked up from a very colloquial down-to-earth expression. to... how can I say... to refer to the discussion between not only teachers and students, but also any students or practitioners to find the truth or reality. So, Zen question and answer in Zen literature not only in literature, but in our practice too. I use it called shoryo. Is there any good English for this? I don't like assessment so much. Please.

[33:08]

Special barter. How do you spell? H-A-G-G-L-E. And Fatima, what do you say? B-A-R-T-E-R. Water. Bargain. Haggle over. Haggle over. Is that so? Haggle... Okay. Okay. Okay. I'll talk with Tiger. Okay.

[34:24]

So, apart from this, how do you haggle over? Okay. And he started to express the plane reality. Every four years, we encounter leap year. This is not a literal translation. The original said every three years we encounter leap year. And because we try to follow the solar calendar, now we have leap year every four years. But in the lunar calendar, since one month, the lunar calendar actually exactly has 29.5 days, one month.

[35:28]

But, as he says, larger month or longer month has 30 days and shorter month has 29 because we cannot have 29.5. But still, 11 days less than 355 days. So, every three years they have, you know, 30 days extra. So, they had a leap month. So, every three years they have 13 months. That is the meaning in the original text. So, you know, We are only familiar with solar calendar. You know, we cannot understand.

[36:29]

But, that's kind of a strange thing, you know. They have 13 months a year, every three years. But that is reality for them. So, every three years, we encounter a rip-year. And in the ninth month, The Double Yang Day. The Double Yang Day is the 9th day of the 9th month. In the solar calendar, we say September 9th. As a number, the odd number is, in Chinese culture, the odd number is considered to be the Yang number. And even numbers are thought in numbers.

[37:32]

And nine is the largest number of yam. And ninth day of ninth month is two nine. That's why they call this double yam day. two largest young number there. So, in September, or nine months, they had a double young day, and they celebrated. I don't know how they did, but they had some celebration for this day. And this ninth I think that is about the time of harvest. So, in China or Japan, I think around this time, they have a festival for harvesting.

[38:36]

And long months have, originally said, 30 days. And short months have 29 days. but we changed it to adjust the solar calendar. Koshoji students, anyone with such opinions as praising or criticizing ancient or modern masters should just be called a donkey in front with a horse behind or a dragon head with only a snake tail. This expression, a donkey in front with the horses behind, is a kind of a common expression in Zen. This means, of course, also there are different interpretations.

[39:43]

One interpretation is a person behind or in front of donkey or behind the horse, means servants. The owner of the donkey or horse is an ombis. So those people who are walking in front or behind the horse or donkey are servants. That means they don't really have the insight of that reality, but following someone's teaching, here and there. And, in this translation, we think a person who put a donkey in front of a horse. You know, horse, you know, run or walk quicker than us or a donkey.

[40:46]

So, if we put donkey in front of horses, make, you know, problems. Right? So, this is a kind of a mistaken way of handling things. That means you are not smart. And dragon head with only a snake tail is, you know, dragon and snake are kind of similar creatures. But dragon is much greater and much powerful, and snake is really small, usually. So dragon head, snake tail is a very common expression, not only in Zen, but in Chinese and Japanese. culture.

[41:47]

That means in the beginning it seems great, wonderful, but at the end it means nothing. It becomes smaller and smaller. Why does it say Koshoji students? This course is taking place at Koshoji. Dogen founded Koshoji in 1233 and they lived there until 1243 for 10 years in Kyoto. And this course is taking place... probably this course is done in the year of 1240 or 1241. So, they were at Kosho-ji.

[42:49]

Actually, the volume one of Ehe-Korok is all a collection of discourses given at Kosho-ji. From volume two, Ehe-ji was first called Daibutsu-ji. So, from Volume 2, Daibutsu-ji, a discourse where Jodo starts. So, in this translation, Dogen kind of gives advice to his students that, you know, don't be too much, simply be involved in a lofty discussion. about reality or truth or Buddhist teachings or philosophy. Or just discuss the ancient or modern teachers. But we should ourselves see and wake up to that reality in which we are encountering day after day.

[44:01]

That is reality or truth how can I say, expressed or written in the sutras, or showed, pointed by the masters, is this reality in which we are really living. So, that is true kind of a sutra. I think that is our understanding. Awa means Taigen and myself. But I think there is another possible interpretation that this is Dogen is talking all about himself. You know, he discusses, actually, those things are what he did. He often discussed, you know, wondrous essence.

[45:06]

in Shogo, Gendo, and other writings. And his discussion is very, always, almost always, apart from conventional patterns. And he often prays, his teachers, a few Zen masters, and he always criticizes another group of Zen masters. So, these are all Dogen did. So, it might be possible to understand that Dogen is talking about himself. And he said, I'm doing in this way, I couldn't help even myself. And how can I help you? So I am like a person in front of a donkey, or behind a horse, or a person like a dragon's head and a snake's tail.

[46:21]

So it's a kind of, how can I say, self-criticism. in a very kind of a funny way. And through, you know, talking about himself, what he's doing, and how, how can I say, how much he himself being depart from the reality, Dogen cannot show the reality to his student. This is another twist. So maybe this is too much. But I think this is also a possible interpretation. So when we read Dogen, we have to try again and again. And it makes us more confused. So, if you don't like this way, I like this way, you know, twist again and again, but if you don't like this, you know, just read in a very kind of simple way.

[47:41]

That is also a good way of reading Dogen. Well, we have more time. I can go next. Any questions? He's a really interesting person. The sentence about the leap years and the month and stuff, although you explained what it meant in the Japanese context, what is its function in Dogon's little talk?

[48:45]

In other words, he goes from, apart from this, how do we haggle over it, and then this thing about the calendar, and then he says, anyone with such opinions is a donkey in front and a horse behind. So what is the calendar, what is that statement doing there? That is kind of an expression of plain reality all people experience. You know, all people know, you know, every three years they have a leap year. And every year on ninth day of ninth month we celebrate double young days. It's like saying the sun comes up in the morning and goes down at night. Right, right. You know, please. But if that's an example of ordinary reality, then what is awakening to ordinary reality? Is that also ordinary reality? You know, as

[49:51]

Sometimes Dogen said, or we do actually, if you live in this kind of place, when you hear the sound of hang, you go somewhere. When you hear the bell at the zendo, you go to zendo to sit. So, you know, as far as we live in this kind of practice place, We know, everyone knows, early in the morning, when the waking bell rang, we somehow wake up and go to Zendo. These kind of things. So, when we should wake up, we just wake up. And when we should go to Zendo, just go to Zendo. This is a very ordinary waking up. and just follow the schedule.

[51:02]

And if you are in charge of certain work, like if you are tenzo, working in the kitchen, or working in the field, or doing cleaning, those are very ordinary things. And try to put our entire energy into whatever we are supposed to do with waking mind. I think waking mind means letting go of our thoughts. In our zazen, we can let go of all kinds of thoughts. But when, for example, you are cooking, you cannot let go of what we are cooking. what we are supposed to do. So we just focus on what we are doing, cutting vegetables or, you know, when we cook, what we are doing is within the kind of a sequence from beginning or preparation to the end.

[52:19]

So, we have to keep this in our mind. So, we cannot let go of that, what I am doing at this occasion, at this moment. But, you know, still, when we are cutting, you know, chopping vegetables, still, the thoughts, many different thoughts, which have nothing to do with chopping vegetables, come up. Then, we have to, those, you know, distraction or thought go and just try to be attentive to what we are doing right now, right here. I think that is awakening into the ordinary reality. Does it make sense? Okay. I have to say something. Please. Maybe also for me, Kathakaris, We need to know that we cut carrots, because we make a soup and carrots come to the soup.

[53:24]

But maybe we can see, although this is carrot, this is not carrot. This is not discriminating mind. We can cut carrots and then tomatoes. This is not discriminating mind. Okay. Please. Worry about those months. Don't worry about the months. And it seems like the plain reality is that the month is 29.5 days. And that the long month and the short month and the leap year and yang-yang day is all extra. That is our way of thinking. But, you know, actually, you know, their actual ordinary lives are designed that, you know, we have you know, 29 days, 30 days, or 12 months, or 13 months.

[54:26]

Of course, you know, that kind of, how can I say, way to, kind of a cutting off time, actually is not really, really, real reality in that sense. in the sense of thinking or philosophical way of thinking. One year is simply the time the sun, not sun, sun doesn't move, but the earth moving around the sun. So one year doesn't make any much meaning. But still, one year is meaningful for us, for us human beings. That is the way we count our lives, how many years I have been living. So I'm... It's not so fun to count the years after 50 years old.

[55:31]

But I think that is a reality for human beings, not reality for God, maybe. Can I go next? Thank you. Next one, Dharma Discourse 5, The Range of Pilgrimage. This is very short, only three lines. Upholding Dharma within Kwan-in or Guan-in. This is a Chinese pronunciation for Kannon in Japanese.

[56:34]

That means Avalokiteshvara, Kannon Temple. And, Upholding Dharma within Xuan-lan Temple are both pilgrimage. free-pervading mountains, free-surveying rivers, wearing through straw sandals, is also pilgrimage." Here, pilgrimage is a translation for Chinese or Japanese expression, angya. Angya. is, you know, the monks travel around the country to visit teachers. So, it's not a usual kind of pilgrimage.

[57:38]

I'm not sure about the English word, pilgrimage, but pilgrimage is a translation of another in my brain. Another expression in Japanese is Junrei. Junrei is traveling to visit kind of sacred places. That's a kind of... I mean, we have different expressions for these two different kinds of traveling. Does pilgrimage have such a meaning? Then, that's okay. Zen pilgrimage is a good word. So, Dogen is talking about traveling, visiting teachers, and he said, upholding Dharma, that means to show, as I said, to teach or instruct students as a teacher.

[58:45]

So, upholding Dharma within Kannon Temple means upholding Dharma as a teacher at this temple. And Kannon-in is the name of the temple. Zhou Shu, you know, the famous Chinese Zen master, Zhou Shu. You know Zhou Shu? Okay. Yeah. Dogu's Buddha nature. and upholding Dharma with Shandong Temple. Shandong Temple is... actually the name was changed, but this was a temple where Baso, or Mazu, taught. So, teaching like Joshu did, or like Baso did. at their monasteries, Dogen said, is pilgrimage.

[59:50]

Not for students, not for their students, but their activity to teach is pilgrimage. And free-pervading mountains, free-pervading mountains, free-surveying rivers. Mountains and... actually, the original word is water. Mountains and waters. Dogen wrote a chapter of Shopo Genzo titled, Mountains, Waters Sutra. So, this is the same thing. Wearing straw sandals is also pilgrimage. So, this is a common understanding of pilgrimage. Monks travel, you know, walking through mountains and rivers to visit teachers.

[60:57]

So, this is a usual common understanding of pilgrimage, so I think there's no difficulty to understand this second. All over the country, no matter how far, no matter how steep the mountain is, and no matter how difficult to cross the rivers or even the ocean, In the case of Dogen, he crossed not the river, but the ocean. That is really a pilgrimage for searching the truth. But the first sentence is kind of a strange thing to say. This discourse reminds me of what Dogen said in Shobo Genzo Tsuimonki.

[62:14]

Tsuimonki is a collection of Dogen's informal talk at Koshoji. When Dogen was about 35 years old, so he was still young, and his Sangha was still very new. Dogen talked about his own experience. Probably when he was about 15 years old. He was ordained as a Tendai monk when he was 14 years old. And soon after his ordination he had a question and he didn't like that monastery. He started to think to escape from that monastery. And it seems the first teacher he visited from that monastery was called... or the mountain

[63:28]

The name of the mountain which the monastery located was Mount Hiei, outside of Kyoto. And he visited a teacher at the temple named Miidera, or Onjoji. That is the foot of Mount Hiei. When I lived at Antaiji, I often climbed Mount Hiei. It was a very beautiful place. And it takes about two hours or three hours to that temple. And there was a teacher whose name was Ko-in. So Dogen was still 15 years old. And he asked the question, you know, if all beings have Buddha nature, why do we have to practice? all Buddhas and ancestors had to practice. According to Dogen, what he said is, the teacher said, according to Dogen's biography, this teacher recommended Dogen to study Zen.

[64:51]

At that time, Zen was something very new. And he went to China, go to China. Before going to China, he recommended to study with Eisai. Eisai was the first Japanese master who introduced Zen from China to Japan. But what Kōin said in The monkey is... He said, body-mind is way-seeking mind. Is... Maybe this is not a good translation. To allow the body-mind is to study the the Dharmagate, or teaching, a certain philosophical teaching.

[66:00]

And he said, to meaninglessly wander around in confusion with a bamboo hat hanging around one's neck is called a deed influenced by a demon. pardon, to meaninglessly wander around in confusion with a bamboo hat. You know, monks wear bamboo hat often travel. Hanging around one's neck is called a deed influenced by a demon. That means, that is what Dogen started to do. to wander around to find a teacher to search the answer to his own question. And this master cautioned him, you know, to wander around, to travel around, you know, wearing a bamboo hat is not really the right thing, but you should study Dharma.

[67:19]

So, it seems Dogen stayed three more years at Mount Hiei. And, when he was 17, he started to practice Zen with Myozen. And, he went to China. So, this caution, these coins, instruction is really a kind of a, how can I say, starting point of his, Dogen's pilgrimage. And he studied, practiced Zen with Myozen in Kyoto for seven years until he was twenty-three. And Dogen and his teacher Myozen went to China together. So I think this instruction was very important for Dogen.

[68:29]

And in Shobo Genzo, Henzan. Henzan means widely visiting teachers. In that chapter of Shobo Genzo, Dogen says something like, Henzan, visiting teachers widely. Henzan is not idly entering one monastery and leaving another monastery. You know, this is a common understanding of Henzan or Angya or pilgrimage. to visit one teacher at one monastery and leave that monastery and visit another monastery. But Dogen says, in Henzang, Henzang is not idly. He said idly or maybe meaninglessly.

[69:39]

Entering one monastery and leaving another monastery. So, to wander around is not Henzang. I think here Dogen follows Koin's instruction. But he says, visiting and meeting, his expression is Zen Ganzei, that means entire or whole Ganzei's eyes. Here, eye means Buddha's wisdom. is henzan. To really visit and penetrate Buddha's insight is henzan, or true pilgrimage is to really penetrate Buddha's insight. And attaining thorough penetration is henzan.

[70:44]

really see, deeply see the reality is henzan, not walking around. And thoroughly seeing how thick is the skin of the face, how thick is the skin of the face is henzan. That means to study ourselves. How thick our, you know, skin of the face. how thick our karmic consciousness is hensang. So, walking around is not really hensang. So, you know, what he is saying in the first sentence of this Dharma Discourse is, you know, the way Joshu taught, or the way Baso taught, is the way

[71:46]

They express the deep awakening and insight of who we are. That's the reality of our life. And that is what Dogen is trying to do at Koshoji. Koshoji is his first monastery. He practiced with his own students. At that time, Dogen himself was a teacher. He was still about 40 years old. So, as a Zen master, he was very young. But somehow, he had to teach. And, probably, I think he reminded the coins' instruction. Walking around, you know, hanging the bamboo hat. on the neck is not really a pilgrimage. So, now he is a teacher, so he is teaching, but still this teaching, as a teacher, he is still visiting the reality, visiting Buddha's insight.

[73:04]

I mean, that means he tries to deepen they are his own insight and understanding and a way to express it. So, that is still his... it's difficult for me to pronounce... Pilgrimage. Pilgrimage. Thank you. So, for Dogen to give a lecture or Dharma discourse like this, he is really still making pilgrimage. Any reason why he mentions those two teachers? I don't think there is some particular reason, but those two are two of the well-known teachers, so any other teacher could work, I think.

[74:19]

I think. I think this course is kind of a simple one. But I think it's important for Dogen that, you know, even though he was already a teacher, he still continues his journey to search the way or way-seeking mind. So, even though he is practicing as a teacher, so our practice is really no end. Well, we have another 15 minutes. Well, this takes more than 15 minutes.

[75:22]

Let me talk about Discourse 7. This is another short one. Very shorter than 5. The title of this discourse is Dragon Holes and Tiger Roars. Dharma discourse. A dragon holes in a dark cave. The whole universe quiets. A tiger roars at the edge of a cliff. the cold valley becomes warm. Cut. That's it. It's very short and precise. What do you think? Here, yeah, it's beautiful. Here we need to understand what is tiger and dragon.

[76:39]

In his Fukanza Zen, he also said, you know, when we really understand, not understand, really understand, but get the meaning of the Zen, we are like a dragon with water and tiger in the mountains. So, dragon and tiger is somehow symbol of our Zazen. So, he's talking about Zazen. And, this is not Buddhism, but it's kind of important to study Zen, or Fat Zen Master saying, Fat Tiger, Dragon and Tiger means in Chinese culture, I think you know the famous movie. Last year we had the crouching of the tiger and the hidden dragon.

[77:42]

The Yin and Yang? Yes. I think the dragon is Yang and the tiger is Yin. And I think the original idea of Yin and Yang is, I think, Chinese people thought the difference between northern half of the mountain and southern half of the mountain. On the southern half of the mountain, the sun is always shining so it's bright and things grow well. And the northern side of the mountains is always dark, not much sunlight. So the way the trees and plants grow are different. I think that is the basic idea.

[78:46]

So basically, Yan is the southern side, the brighter side, and Yin is the dark side. These two are kind of a dichotomy. But the reality includes those two sides. And as a kind of a movement of energy between yin and yang, things are changing. This is a Chinese idea, not Buddhist, of course. But Zen is very much influenced by Chinese idea. and Dogen is not an exception. So here Dogen expressed Awaza Zen using this symbol of Yin and Yang.

[80:03]

A dragon holds in a dark cave. A dragon holds in a dark cave. So, it's really in. And, actually, you know, I think Chinese people knew there's no such thing as a dragon. Dogen wrote another chapter of Shobo Genzo called Dragon Roar. And that is, you know, the dead tree. The inside of the tree, some of the dead tree, inside of the dead tree are empty. And there's a hole. And when wind goes through the empty hole of the dead tree, the dead tree makes sound.

[81:21]

And Chinese people thought that is dragon roar. And this dragon roar, not roar, howl, In the dark cave, it is the same thing. When there is a cave in the mountains, and the wind goes through the cave, it makes a sound, and the Chinese people say, that is the dragon's howl. So, here, that emptiness, empty space, made a really great sound. like a dragon's howl. And yet, Dogen said, that's quiet. That's whole, quiet. Because of that whole, the world, the whole universe is quiet. Do you know the haiku by Basho?

[82:26]

You know, the skadoes, skadoes, do you know skadoes? Cicado. [...] with the sound of a skater, the world becomes quieter. So one kind of sound makes, in our sense, makes the world more quiet.

[83:29]

Does it make sense? Because of, you know, within the quietness, a skater or even a bird sings and stops it, then we know how quiet this world is. And I think that is what he is saying here, by using the dragon's howl. And, you know, this great sound of the dragon And quietness is a kind of dichotomy. It's the opposite thing. But both are there. Because of this sound, we see how quiet the universe is. So, dichotomy works together and makes this world perfect and quiet and peaceful. and the tiger roars at the edge of a cliff.

[84:37]

The cold valley becomes warm." Well, the dragon is yang and the tiger is yin. I have to remember it. So, yin is coldness. Right? is dark and cold. And when a tiger roars at the edge of a cliff, so it's very cold. Maybe also strong wind blows. It's very cold. But because of the tiger's roar, this cold valley becomes warm. Does it make sense? I think this is also about our zazen.

[85:46]

Within our zazen, the power or energy of yin and yang works together. And, you know, young energy or power, like a dragon, makes us quiet. And I think this discourse is done in the winter. It must be very cold in the zendo. But young energy, like a tiger, keeps us warm, even in sitting. So, even though we are sitting in a dark and cold place, or dark and cold condition, still this zazen, as a whole, help us making warm and quiet and peaceful.

[86:57]

And I don't like cats. I think this is only one place Dogen... I'm not sure whether Dogen used this, really said cats or not. But this is, as far as I remember, this is only one place these cats appeared in Dogen's writings. So, I don't know, maybe he wanted to say it. Maybe this is Dragon's Holes and Tiger's Roars, these cards. Well, it's nine o'clock. Any questions or comments? Is this interesting? Yes. Do you enjoy?

[88:01]

Yes. Good, good. I hope so. Okay, next week, next week I think is the last week. I start from this course, let's see, six and if we are I hope we can do another one, this course 8.

[88:30]

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