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2002.03.10-serial.00080
The talk explores the intricate connections in Dogen's "Shobogenzo," focusing on the "Mountains and Waters Sutra" to elucidate the profound philosophy of non-duality and interconnection. The discussion centers around the interpretation of a key sentence attributed to Dogen and its translation variations. These interpretations explore the interconnectedness of time, being, and the immediacy of the present moment in Dogen's teachings, emphasizing the importance of wholly integrating Dogen's writings to appreciate their full meaning.
- "Shobogenzo" by Dogen Zenji: A central text in Zen Buddhism, "Shobogenzo" presents Dogen's teachings and philosophical inquiries. The specific fascicle "Mountains and Waters Sutra" is analyzed to understand Dogen's notion of reality and non-duality.
- "Genjo Koan": A key section in "Shobogenzo," discussing the manifestation of the way and how ordinary actions can express enlightenment. It serves to delve deeper into the idea of enlightenment as an immediate, ongoing reality.
- Inquire into the translation by Carl Bielefeldt: A translation of Dogen's work is critiqued for possibly simplifying the rich, multilayered meaning of terms like "Genjo" as "expression," demonstrating the essential challenge in interpreting Dogen's teachings.
- Heidegger's Philosophy: The comparison highlights Dogen's concept of "being-time" (Uji) that resonates with Martin Heidegger's existential philosophy, signifying time and being as inseparable.
- "Uji" (Being-Time) by Dogen Zenji: A crucial section from "Shobogenzo" is referenced to illustrate Dogen's view of time as an indivisible whole, where being and time are not separate.
- "Shinji Shobogenzo" by Dogen Zenji: Another pivotal text in understanding Dogen’s views on the interconnectedness between self and the universe.
- Yogacara Buddhism: Mentioned in the context of understanding consciousness, signifying the transformation of deluded, self-centered views into enlightened wisdom, demonstrating Dogen's resonance with Buddhist philosophies.
AI Suggested Title: Timeless Interconnection in Dogen's Teachings
Good afternoon, everyone. This morning I failed to talk on even one sentence, so I start again. The first section. These mountains and waters of the present are the expression of the old Buddhas, Each abiding in its own dharma state fulfills exhaustive virtues because they are the circumstances prior to the carpa of emptiness. They are this life of the present. Because they are the self before the domination of any subtle sign, they are liberated in their actual occurrence.
[01:07]
Since the virtues of the mountains are high and broad, the spiritual power to ride the crowds is always mastered from the mountains. and the marvelous ability to follow the wind is inevitably liberated from the mountains." This is an introduction to this writing, Mountains and Waters Sutra. And I think if we understand the first sentence of this writing, I think we understand entire Shobo Genzo. But this doesn't mean if we memorize this sentence and think a lot about this, we don't need to read another list of Shobo Genzo.
[02:13]
But it means in order to understand this one sentence, we have to study entire Shobo Genzo. You know, because... In the same way with each and everything, fat, dougen, almost each and every word, dougen, right, is interconnected with other words or other expression. So we have to study, if you want to study Shobo Genzo, thoroughly, you have to study each and every facet very carefully. And also, we need to think the connection between or among what he wrote in different chapters.
[03:16]
One thing I was interested in seeing the book of the painting of mountains and rivers by Sesshu is the way to see that, you know, role. Since it's a very long painting, we cannot see it at once, one time. So in the end of the book, you know, the author show the picture, photo, that how to see, how people see the paintings. You know, it's a roll, so, you know, what we can see is only this part. And there's a kind of a set of painting. And we see this and roll it and see another part. But everything is connected, really.
[04:23]
And I think when we did Dogen's writings, we also studied in that way. At one time, we studied one faucet or a chapter, or even we study one sentence or one word, but we need to remember this one word is connected with other part of Shobo Genzo. And not only Shobo Genzo, but also each and everything we encounter, what we experience, is also connected with everything. I think that is a basic point of this sentence. And I really like Karl Bielefeld's translation, but I have a few questions.
[05:26]
And one of the questions I have to this translation is this first sentence. So let me explain my question. we understand the question, we probably know the answer. Often, answer is within the question. So let me write the original sentence Dogen wrote. It's a very short and precise sentence, so it's not difficult to translate, actually. Sid.
[06:30]
In Japanese, ni-kon, no, san-sui, wa, kobutsu, no, do, gen, jo, nari. Can you read? Okay. It's a very short sentence. And Nikon means, in this translation, Nikon is present. Sun is mountain. Sui is waters.
[07:58]
And kovut is, in this translation, old Buddha. And do is way. Genjo is the same word as genjo in genjokoan. whatever translation you like about genjo, manifestation or actualization or whatever. Gen means to appear. Jo means to become. And no is of. And wa shows the subject of the sentence. So subject of this sentence is this part, ni kon no san sui, the mountains and rivers of the present.
[09:03]
And kovuts, this noise also of way of Buddha. And genjo is manifestation. But in this translation, Calvary translated as mountains and waters of the present, is expression of old Buddha. Expression. It seems Carl thought this Dogenjo is one word. And he translated Dogenjo as expression. It seems. So he said, in this translation, he said, mountains and waters of the present is expression of old Buddha.
[10:10]
But this is my question. This way, this way, I think as you know, way or do or tao is very important word in Chinese and also Buddhism, Chinese philosophy or Confucianism or Taoism. And also, Do is important in Zen and Buddhism. And this Do has many different meanings. So if I start to explain what Do means in the Chinese philosophy or Buddhism, it takes another one day. So I don't say, but basically, there are two possibilities in the case of this sentence.
[11:15]
You know, this do means, of course, the way in Buddhist term. That means awakening. You know, the Sanskrit word body was translated into Chinese as way. So anuttar samyaksambodhi is supreme way. So in this case, this door could mean enlightenment or awakening of all the Buddha or Buddhas. And another possibility is words or speech. to say something. The meaning of this kind of Chinese word is to say something. Like, there's one chapter in Shōbō Genzo that means dōtoku
[12:18]
Toku means to get or to attain. And dou means to speak or tell or talk or express. And Dogen says, for us practitioners, doutoku means to express what we see, to express what we experience. as using words is really important. If you experience something and really understand that experience, you know, that experience naturally become words. That is what he's saying. But if we change the order of this word, dōtoku, instead of toku-dō, that means attaining the way, attaining the awakening, or Buddha way. So I think in the case of this sentence, there are two possibilities.
[13:30]
And when we read the commentaries on this Sansui-kyo, I found two, both interpretations. One person whose name is Tenkei, Tenkei Denson, thought this though is words or expression or statement. of the Chinese Zen masters Dogen quote in this writing, like Fuyo Dōkai or Unmon Bunien. In that case, this sentence means the present mountains and waters or mountains and waters at this present moment is the manifestation of the saying or statement of those old Buddhas.
[14:38]
In this case, these old Buddhas means Chinese masters, such as Fuyo Dokai or Unbon, Buyan. I think that is the interpretation by Carl, and that's why he translated it in this way. But somehow I don't agree with this. People like Menzan, Menzan Zuifo is another great Sotozen master in the 17th century. Tenkei and Menzan are almost contemporary. And they kind of argue each other about many points of Sotozen practice. But in this case, I agree with Menzan.
[15:40]
And Fat Menzan said, this door is not statement, but this is great way of Buddha. That means Buddha's way. So this Kobutsu, all the Buddhas are not those two, the masters, but these are all Buddhas. That is about my question about the translation. Yes, yes, not the statement or expression. That is my understanding following Menzan's commentary. Nari means... The previous word is following. Naring makes this as a statement instead of a question.
[16:43]
So this is that period. So I think this sentence means the present or mountains and rivers, not rivers, mountains and waters at this moment is the manifestation, or Genjo, you know, Genjo is one of the key words, very important expression in not only Genjo Koan, but in almost, we cannot say all, but many of his writings. Genjo is really important expression for Dogen. Within the mountains and rivers at this moment means the moment the mountain we are seeing, we are looking at, what we are living together is the manifestation of great way of all the Buddhas.
[17:54]
I think that is my understanding of this sentence. Next, I have to talk then fat is this mountain of the present, mountains and rivers at present. This word also very important expression. I think we know fat mountains and waters. And we know what the present means, but this word Nikon is also a very important expression, or maybe you can say one of the key words of Dogen's philosophy. So I have to talk about the present in this sentence. Yesterday, I said this Sansui-kyo was written in 1240s, the year 1240s, and the exact month is 10th month, or more exactly, 18th day, it said in the back of the translation, 18th days of 10th month.
[19:24]
of this year, 1240. And if we try to read the fascicle of Shobo Genzo in a chronological order, we find that in that month, he wrote four fascicles. It's kind of a question. But this was written in 18th day, Sansui-kyo. And the first day of the 10th month is the beginning of the winter. in lunar calendar. And at the monastery, they start to use a furnace or a fireplace in the soudo, or a monk's hall.
[20:25]
And on that day, according to the record, He, on the same day, he wrote three first books. I think it's not possible. But anyway, it says so. The first one is Uji, Being Time. And the second one is Kesa Kudoku, The Virtue of Kesa. And the third is Denne, Denne is Transmission of Love. Those two are pretty long. So even just reading takes me one day. So I don't think he really wrote at the same day. And also, you know, this Kesa Kudoku and Denne are both about Okesa. And both are pretty long.
[21:30]
So the common understanding about these two is kind of strange. Dogen, one person, wrote two different writings about the same thing in the same day. So a common understanding was kesakudoku, or was kind of a revised version of denne. Kesakudoku is not within the 75 volume versions, but within the 12 volume version that was considered to be the writings in his later day. So it seems he rewrote Denne or Transmission of Love and changed the title into The Virtue of Kesa.
[22:42]
So he revised it. And not only these two, but, for example, Shobo Genzo Hotsumo Joshin, Allowing a Supreme or Unsurpassable Mind, and Hotsubodai Shin, Allowing... body mind or awakening mind, those are also according to the date recorded in the end of the first. Those are also written on the same day. So that means he wrote it. And in the case of another example is Shukke, that is a very final, last chapter in the 75 version. This section about leaving home or becoming a monk.
[23:46]
is rewrote in the 12th volume version and become a virtue of shukke, a virtue of leaving home, and also receiving precepts. So it seems he rewrote the chapters in the 75 volume versions and wrote new version and tried to make, how can I say, not only 12, but he wanted to make it 100 chapters version. Some people, I mean some scholars in these days think those 75 volume version is just a draft.
[24:49]
Those are the materials using which he wrote. He started to wrote 100 chapter version of Shobo Genzo, but he could only wrote 11. And he found he was going to die. So he wrote the final one, the Hachidai Nengaku, or Eight Awakening of Great Being. And that was the end of his life. So some... scholars these days think the chapters of Shôbô Genzo within 75 volumes version is not really the final teaching of Dôgen. But we don't know. Anyway, that is one point of Dôgen's study today. And since I'm not a scholar, I don't care so much.
[25:54]
But I think as a practitioner, we have to kind of accept what we have now as Dogen's teaching. And the problem is sometimes his teachings are contradicted. So we have to make a choice which one, or we have to, how can I say, integrate two different or almost contradicted teachings into something larger context. Anyway, well... Oh, I'm talking about Uji. So Dogen wrote Uji and Sansui-kyo in the same month, within a few weeks. So it seems very clear that Uji and Sansui-kyo are closely connected.
[27:04]
And this word, Nikon, is one of the key words in Shobo Genzo Uji. I think you know what Uji means. Something. Who's there? What's happening? Uji in Japanese or Chinese, this U and G. And a common way of reading this is one time, or once upon a time, sometime.
[28:50]
But this U also means to be. or being and time. And Dogen read this as uji, as being time, being, in this case, existence. So time and existence are one thing. We cannot separate time and existence. And this is very important point of Dogen's teaching or philosophy. And modern philosophers, in Japan at least, think this idea, Dogen's idea of Uji, being and time are one, is same with Heidegger's philosophy.
[29:52]
And I don't know much about philosophy, so I don't know whether it's true or not. But in Uji, Dogen used this expression, nikon, or present, as a very important word or one of the key words of his idea of time and being. This is a translation by Norman Waddell and Masao Abe. This was not new, but old translation, but published recently. if I try to explain what Dogen is discussing about being and time in Uji, we need another Genzoe.
[31:04]
So I just read and make a little comment of the part which is connected with Sansui-kyo. About time, So, you know, this Uji is about the time seen by a true Dharma eye, and he compares seeing with karmic consciousness. And in the case of Sansui-kyo, he discussed about the mountain and water seen by true Dharma eye or Buddha's eye and compare it with our karmic eye. He says,
[32:08]
as the time right now is all there ever is. Each being, being time, in this case, being time is one word, uji. Being time is one word. Each being time is, without exception, entire time. Do you understand? If you sit in the Zen, as Dogen said, if we show the Buddha Mudra with our body and mind, as Dogen said in Vendoa, we are one with entire space and entire time, past, present, and future. So each and every being time, that means each and every one of us, not only human beings, but each and every thing is entire time.
[33:19]
That means time cannot be separated into three parts, past, present, and future. That is our common idea. Time flies or flows from past to the future through the present moment. That is a common way we see time. But he said, if we see time and being with true Dharma eye, that means, as I said this morning, through our zazen, each and every one of us, each and every being, everything, is entire time and entire space also. That means everything is connected with everything in entire time and space.
[34:23]
That is also a teaching of Buddha about interdependent origination. Everything is connected with everything. So when we see one thing within this network of interdependent origination, we take everything. So if we take this being, this body and mind named Shohaku, everything in this entire universe and entire time, actually not from my birth actually, but from even the Big Bang, it said there's no time and space before Big Bang. But at least after Big Bang, you know, everything which has been happening since Big Bang is really myself.
[35:36]
If we say in this way, we may think we are, it's kind of an illusion. And I think it is. I mean, if we think only within our frame of common understanding, it's really a delusion, I think. And yet, if we let go of this frame of thinking, we are really one with everything. And when we sit in the Zen and letting go of thought, we really let go of that frame of thinking. So actually, what he's saying here, or writing here, is about our Zazen, how the all beings in the entire universe and entire time, past, present and future looks like.
[36:44]
That is what he's trying to show us. So I think without experience of the Zen, it's very difficult to what Dogen is writing or discussing about. But if we have certain experience, I think we understand what he's saying, I hope. Anyway, what he's saying is each and every being time, is one with all entire time and space. A grass being, he said grass, not grass, but plants, grass being, and the form being means each and everything, both times.
[37:46]
Entire being, the entire world, exists in the time of each and every now. Just reflect right now. Is there an entire being or an entire world missing from your present time or not? with each and everything, all beings, myriad dharmas, is there any one of those myriad dharmas which doesn't exist within your or our present time? Present time is now. We are sitting in this room, and I'm talking, I think you are listening, At this time and being, what is lacking? Well, according to Dogen, nothing is lacking.
[38:53]
Everything is really there at this moment with each and everyone else. Is this strange? I think it's strange. It's very strange. And yet, according to Dogen, that is reality, real reality. beyond our thinking. And so Dogen tried to explain why. And he said, in spite of this, a person holds various views. This is our karmic views. created by our study and thinking. A person holds various views at the time he is unenlightened and has yet to learn the Buddha's Dharma. Hearing the words, the time being, he thinks
[39:59]
or we think that at one time, that this at one time is one of the way we did this Uji, at one time, the old Buddha became a creature with three head and eight arms. The creature with three head and eight arms means Ashura. Ashura is a fighting spirit. So sometimes Buddha becomes asura. Like us, we are asura. We are always fighting against something, and we feel, I have justice. They are bad. So we are really asura. And at another time, he became a 16-foot Buddha.
[41:02]
16-foot Buddha is a Buddha said the Buddha is 16 feet tall. I mean Buddha statue. So sometimes we become Asura. Sometimes we become hungry ghost. Sometimes we become human beings. Sometimes we become heavenly beings. And sometimes we become a Buddha. And he imagines it is like crossing a river or a mountain. Here, river and mountain appears in being time. Crossing river and mountain, that means we are traveling. Our practice is like a travel, a journey from one point to another, our starting point and goal.
[42:12]
That is our common understanding about our practice. And our starting point is samsara. And our goal is nirvana or becoming Buddha or Buddhahood or enlightenment or whatever. And we think each moment or each day we try to go further even one step. So we think our life is like a journey or trip going through different situations or conditions and sceneries. and we try to get better. In the case of Buddhist practitioner or bodhisattva, to getting better means getting closer to the Buddhahood. So we are traveling, crossing a river or mountains.
[43:14]
The river and mountain may still exist, This means when this person becomes Buddha and enshrined in the Buddha Hall, the mountains and rivers the person had been crossing are still there. The river and mountain may still exist, but I have now left them behind. And at the present time, I reside in a splendid Vermilion Palace, that means Buddha Hall. So we become Buddha. That is the goal of our trip. And we think, you know, we have been traveling through so many rivers and mountains, that means practice within so many different situations.
[44:20]
But now I'm in the Buddha Hall, enshrined as a Buddha. So I'm in the goal. To him, the mountain or river and I are as distant from one another as heaven from us, if we think in that way. That is our common way when we think about our travel or driving from one place to another after we reached to the goal. We think of many different sceneries, mountains, rivers, cities, whatever. When I arrived at the goal, we think now we are here, not there. That is our common, you know, understanding about time and our life.
[45:26]
Please. Mm-hmm. [...] Yeah, also this expression, far... Yeah, also, you know, Dogen, not only Dogen, but Dogen quote from the Shinjinmei, that when we have a slightest deviation, we are far, you know, distant from, like, heaven from earth. So it's kind of a very common Chinese expression. not only in Zen or Buddhism. Anyway, according to Dogen, if we think in that way about time, past and present, like steps and goal, and in the case of Buddhist practice, this is practice and enlightenment,
[46:46]
or long steps. According to Mahayana sutras, a bodhisattva needs to practice going through 52 steps in order to become Buddha. And it took almost forever. That is our kind of a common understanding about our practice to become a Buddha. But Dogen doubt about this common... He says, time is not a modality. What modality means? Do you know? Function. Function. Okay. Time is not a modality of going and coming. Usually we think time goes and come. And in past present moment go to the past and the future is coming.
[47:50]
So we think time has a function of coming and going. He said, as long as time is not a modality of going and coming, that time on the mountain is the immediate present. right now of the time being, or in parenthesis it says, being time. And this immediate present is the expression Dogen used in the very first of the Sansui-kyo, Nikon, is this immediate present of time being, or being time. So here, Dogen is saying time doesn't necessarily fly. Time doesn't necessarily flow.
[48:51]
Time is before coming and going. Do you understand? Please. I think it means simply this moment. And, you know, this moment is kind of a strange thing. I mean, present moment. Actually, there's no such things called present moment, right? You know, time is, you know, if there's even a slightest length of time, we can cut into two. And one part is already in the past. and another part is still in the future. Even when I say now, when I pronounce now, who is already still in the future?
[49:55]
When I say now is already in the past. So now, when we have any length of time, We can, you know, even if it's the slightest length, still we can cut into two. And one part is gone, another part is not yet come. So only thing, only thing which really exists is past and future. Present doesn't really exist, but this is strange. Present is only reality. Past is already gone, and the future has not yet come. Still, present doesn't really exist. It's really strange things. Time is really strange to me. And yet this, so present moment is really zero.
[50:56]
So we cannot separate into two. So present moment is really zero. It doesn't really exist. But this zero is only reality. Right? Yes. Yeah, that is present. That is Nikon. That is immediate present. Pardon? . So actually, I'm sorry, I don't understand your question. But actually, this present moment is ungraspable. We cannot grasp. you know, because it doesn't really exist. But still within this zero, this zero is only reality because past is already gone, future hasn't yet come.
[52:15]
They are not reality. But present moment is zero. So the real reality of our life is really nothing. It's really empty. It's a strange thing to think. But that's reality, actually. This is when we see that time has not a modality of going and coming. But this is one side of reality, according to Dogen. He said, yet as long as time takes upon itself a modality of going and coming, time also going and coming, he doesn't negate one side. So does not the time climbing the mountain or crossing the river swallow up the time of the splendid vermilion place?
[53:32]
Vermilion place, palace. That means Buddha hall. So that means the time a bodhisattva practicing through rivers and mountains means many difficulties. And this time of practice and time within Buddhahood are the same time. That is what he is saying. So he's asking, he doesn't make this statement, but he's asking, so does not the time climbing the mountain or crossing the river swallow up, swallow up, that means eat, become one. Swallow up the time of the splendid Vermilion Palace That means Buddhahood.
[54:37]
So this idea of time in being time is something to do with his idea of practice and enlightenment are one. That means within the time of the practice, like crossing the river or climbing up the mountains, it's difficult. we have to make effort. But this time of practice, or sometimes it's rather painful, still swallows the time of sitting in a Buddha hall. That means enlightenment. So he's asking, we have to answer. This is not his answer, but this is his question. And we have to answer through our practice. how we can practice in that way. Through each and every activity as a practice, we have to express or manifest or genjo the Buddhahood.
[55:49]
Or from the opposite side, how the Buddha enshrined in the Buddha Hall can manifest itself through our each and every activity. time of being Buddha and time of being studying and practicing at the same time. That is what Dogen is saying. I think this is really an unbelievable way of thinking. I think no one else but Dogen thought in this way. But this kind of understanding about time and the process of our life is necessary to explain why practice and enlightenment are one thing. I think that is the very basis of Dogen's understanding and teaching about our practice.
[56:57]
And the next paragraph, it says, the creature with three heads and eight arms, that is asura, or fighting spirit, is yesterday's time. He used the word is. That means present. is yesterday's time. Even though yesterday is past, he used present tense. That means yesterday's time is still here. That means... How can I say? 3.30まで... Maybe I should talk about my life. You know, to really understand what year studies time means, I think.
[58:09]
I was born in 1948, so 54 years ago. I'll be 54 in June. That was three years after the end of World War II. My family lived in Osaka for about 300 years. Six generations, my family was merchant. But one day in March of 1945, My family lost everything because of the bombing by American Air Force. Since my family had lived in the same place for six generations, they accumulated certain wealth, but it's gone in one night.
[59:16]
only thing left was broken Buddha, which was enshrined in our family altar. And after the war, my father wanted to become a farmer anyway, somehow. He was working at a bank and he, because he was from a family of merchant, he never done any farming, but somehow he wanted to become a farmer. So he moved to a countryside. It's still in Osaka. The name of the place is Nose. And that was where I was born. So when I was born, my family had nothing. And my family or my father has a small farming place.
[60:22]
And there was on the kind of a hill, And there is a stream across the road. And one of my earliest memory in my life was I think I lived there until I was four years old. So this memory might be when I was three years old. In the summer, I think, I prayed with other kids in that river. Other kids means my sister and their friends. I don't remember. Maybe something happened. I cried. I started to cry and ran back to my house.
[61:26]
That was the first memory in my life. I was crying, and there was a sound of a valley stream and the mountains. So actually, the San Suikyo, or mountains and river sutra, really, when I read this San Suikyo and also Keisei Sanshoku, I found, you know, this is about my life. at least first four years of my life, I heard the sound of a valley stream every day. And later, when I started Kyoto Soto Zen Center in Kyoto, that is a kind of a border between Osaka and Kyoto,
[62:28]
and I was born in the Osaka side of the same mountains and my temple Shorinji was Kyoto side of the same mountains and by car it takes only 20 minutes or so. But I lived in that temple since 1986. So almost 30, more than 30 years later, I lived in that area. And since it's very close, I tried to go there, where I was born. But what I found is that area has become a part of Osaka city. It's developed and houses are all over.
[63:33]
So I tried not to find that place because it's a really important part of my life. It's very, you know, the sound of valley stream, even though I don't remember. Still, that is very important part of my life. And I felt if I go that place and see, you know, things are changing, It seems, you know, part of my life is destroyed. Anyway, that memory has something to do with what he's saying about, you know, my, not a memory. Memory is a kind of a strange thing, I think. When I remember that scene, you know, I'm running, crying to my house.
[64:37]
Within my memory, it seems like I'm watching the movie. Within the scenery, the small boy is running. And it cannot be reality. I couldn't see the baby, but the baby sees the world. But somehow, in my memory, there's a river, and a road, and mountains, and a boy is running. So I think this memory is kind of my creation. It's not the direct experience, but using my function of my brain, I kind of created that scenery. So whenever I remember that time, you know, it's like watching a movie. I think that is how we are kind of creating our past, creating our experience in the past.
[65:50]
So that experience is actually part of my present life, this immediate present, this immediate moment right now. I have that experience. Do you understand what I'm saying? That is not gone. That is not in the past. That is not separate from what I'm talking about. what I'm doing right now. It's a part of it, even though I don't, that is only one memory, and I forget almost everything else. But all those experiences I forget is also part of my life at this moment. So I think what Dogen is saying here is not something really strange, but usually we don't think in that way, but actually I think that is reality of our life.
[66:55]
And when we sit in Zen-do, I think we experience that, you know, whatever experience we did in the past is really there, even things we don't remember. You know, since I started to practice Dajang, I don't listen to music so much. But sometimes some music comes from my consciousness, the music I had in my childhood. because I don't know much music in these days because I don't listen to radio or I don't have TV. And I'm not so much interested in music. But somehow the music I had in my childhood somehow come up. And that music is a part of myself or part of my personality.
[68:03]
So the music I heard when I was 10 years old is actually part of me when I'm 54. I think that is... That kind of reality of life we experience not only in Zazen, but outside of when we live outside of Zen-do, we don't think in that way. And that kind of immediate moment doesn't really appear because we have so many things to think. Our mind is too busy. Those things don't come up. But Zen is I have consciousness. And I would like to understand how that is different from the kind of moment in memory. I mean, you talk about that memory gets put into a story.
[69:06]
I think that's just one of the ways we could tell it. But how is the, I mean, what is the difference of how they... I think not different. It's the same thing. I mean, those things come up from my alaya consciousness, those experiences. And that is still part of my life, myself. But a problem is, I think, We, through our seventh consciousness, or ego consciousness, we grasp this is me. And we make a story. And the hero or heroine of the story is always this person. And we even distort the story. You know, we're really creative in that way.
[70:09]
And that is the way, you know, how our view, our way of thinking, our understanding are distorted. And yet, according to Yogacara's teaching, when we become Buddha or when we are released from delusion or this karmic consciousness nothing different I mean but the way those consciousness functions become different. It's said that when we are enlightened, our consciousness starts to function as daien kyōchi. Daien kyōchi is wisdom of great perfect mirror. That is same as hōkyō in hōkyō-zanmae.
[71:13]
And it says, the seventh consciousness, ego consciousness, which discriminates things and makes us egocentric, functions as a wisdom of seeing equality, seeing equality or equanimity of all things when it is released from grasping And the sixth consciousness, our usual psychology, our mind, thinking mind, becomes a wisdom of myokansatsu chi. What is myokansatsu chi? The wisdom to see things as they are when we are released from this ego attachment. And the first five consciousnesses start to function as the jō shōsachi, wisdom which, let's see, jō shōsachi, allows us to take action, to do things.
[72:26]
So actually the karmic consciousness, And those five wisdoms of Buddha are the same thing. But the difference is whether we grasp, cling to this and make this being, not only consciousness but body too, body and mind, as my personal, individual, own position. or not. So what Dogen, Fendogen says, you know, conveying ourselves toward all beings and carry out practice enlightenment is delusion. That means whatever we use these eight consciousness, not only consciousness, but our own body and mind with self-clinging, whatever we do, even we practice Zen, or we study Buddha's teaching, or whatever thing, that is ego-centered, because that's based on our ignorance of grasping ego-attachment.
[73:46]
But when all beings come toward us and make us practice. That means it's not because of my personal desire, even to practice. But because, you know, of the, how can I say, the insight, maybe insight of, you know, we, each one of us, and all beings are living together, interconnected, You know, we cannot live in the egocentric way. I think that is the difference. And that is also in Dogen Zenji's expression. What's his expression? Shinjin Datsuraku. Dropping of body and mind. And that is what our zazen really is.
[74:52]
He said, our zazen is dropping off body and mind. And Nyojo Dogen's teacher said, dropping off body and mind is zazen. And this dropping off body and mind is really being released from our clinging to this being, body and mind. So we open our hands. Well, does it make sense? I'm not sure. Anyway, that is my understanding of what he's saying here. Let me read it again. The creature with three heads and eight arms. This is our condition of our life in samsara as clinging to me. And I try to fight against whatever I think bad or whatever I don't like, even against ourselves.
[75:55]
And even that time is yesterday's time. And the 16-foot Buddha is today's time, yesterday's time and today's time. Nonetheless, the nature of the truth of this yesterday and today The nature of the truth of this yesterday and today lies in the time, lies in the time when you go directly into the mountain. This has connection with Sansrikyo. We should go directly into the mountains and look at the myriad peaks, around you, hence there is no passing away. You know, I introduce a poem by, one poem by Suu Kyi, or Suu Tung Bo, about Mount Roo.
[77:09]
In his poem, he said, if we don't see that true face of Mount Roo, that is because we are right within the mountain. And Wanshi Tsenji, Wanshi Shogak, made a comment on this, I think, on this poem by Suu Kyi and said, we are a person within the mountain. We are the people within the mountain. And mountain is me. Wanshi said, mountain is my body. And my body is myself. And that is why we don't see the mountain. So not seeing is a positive thing in the case of Wanshi.
[78:14]
And Dogen made a comment on this Wanshi's saying. Do I have that? Dogen's comment on Wanshi's statement is, the person, this is also something to do with Sansui-kyo, the person in the mountain, must be a person who loves the mountains. This is a kind of a difference from Wansi. But Dogen also writes in the Sanshikyo that mountains belong to the people who love mountains.
[79:17]
So this love is important. You know, we are in the mountains. And we love the mountain. That is important point. We are living the life, so we love our life. This basic point, basic thing for Dogen. The person in the mountain must be a person who loves the mountain. Going and coming, going and coming, we are going and coming within mountain. The mountain is my body. This is same as what she said. But Dogen said, my body is not myself. Do you understand? Once she said, my body is myself.
[80:20]
Mountain is my body, and my body is myself. But Dogen says, mountain is my body, but my body is not myself. This is his expression of not grasping my body, not only body, but my body and mind as myself. We open our hand, then our body is there, but this body is not myself. This is dropping off body and mind. So dropping off body and mind doesn't mean this person's body and mind disappear, but it's still there. But this body and mind function as part of interdependent origination, living together with all beings. And last line is, where can I find a single sense organ and its object?
[81:30]
That means there's no separation between eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, and the object of, you know, color, sound, smell, taste, touch, and object of the mind. There's no separation between this self and all beings. So, actually, fat... It's already 4.25, so we have to finish soon. So Fathogen is here saying in the very, I have to go back to San Suikyo, here using this expression, Nikon, or mountains and waters of this present. Doesn't really mean the mountains and rivers outside of ourselves, but he's talking about the reality of our life. before separation of self and others or our body and mind and things usually we think object of our body and mind.
[82:44]
This is one entire life and one entire time. And we experience this not only in Zazen, but we don't see in this way usually. But in our Zazen, it becomes more clear that we are living the same life with all living beings. Not only living beings, but all beings. And that is mountain. And that mountain, so mountain, and when Dogen discuss about mountain, we are already in the mountains. Mountain is not outside of ourselves, but we are in the mountains, and we love the mountains.
[83:47]
And that That is not a view, but that reality is expression of ancient Buddhas or old Buddhas' way. That is awakening. That is the reality to which old Buddhas awaken to. This is my understanding of this first sentence. Any questions? Do you understand what I'm saying? I hope not. Because I don't think I understand what I'm saying. Please. I've been thinking about this for years. Louder. I've been thinking about this for years. If I try to understand Dogen's perspective, do mountains and waters have their own Laya Vijnana?
[85:00]
Do they have their own location? I think that is what he is saying in the next sentence. Tomorrow. You know, in the next sentence he said, each abiding in its own dharma state, that means position or condition, fulfills exhaustive virtues. I think that is what I think you are asking. Yes. Please. Yes. Aren't you, if you're part of the mountain, you say that you love the mountain, but weren't you a part of it even if you don't love it? Yes. Our practice is based on, I think, love.
[86:01]
I mean, positive attitude towards. But if you have a negative attitude, it's still... Of course. Okay, thank you for listening for a long time.
[86:19]
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