Good morning, everyone. Today, we start from the second paragraph of page 12. OK. I'll read paragraph by paragraph. The Blue Mountains are not sentient. They are not insentient. We ourselves are not sentient. We are not insentient. We can have no doubts about these blue mountains walking. We do not know what measures of Dharma realms would be necessary to clarify the blue mountains. We should do a clear accounting of the Blue Mountain's walking and our own walking, including an accounting of both stepping back and back-stepping.

[01:15]

We should do an accounting of the fact that since the very time before any subtle sign, since the other side of the king of emptiness. Walking by stepping forward and back has never stopped for a moment. Let me read another paragraph. If walking had ever rested, the Buddhas and ancestors would never have appeared. If walking were limited, The Buddha Dharma would never have reached us today. Stepping forward has never ceased. Stepping back has never ceased. Stepping forward does not oppose stepping back. Nor does stepping back oppose stepping forward.

[02:17]

This virtue is called the mountain flowing the flowing mountain. I think here it is clear that the mountain walking, what he is talking about, is our practice. So, you know, we are in the mountains. We are persons within the mountains. And this mountain, this entire mountain, including us, is walking. And actually, this walking of the mountain is walking of each one of us. When we walk, the mountain also walks. And this walking, and this functioning, activity, is our practice. So this entire universe is walking. We are walking within the universe, and this walking is the practice.

[03:26]

Yeah, sure. If it's not impermanent, we cannot practice. impermanence allows us to practice, and impermanence allows us to become Buddha. Well, I think one of the sources of Dogen's idea of this entire world walking, and that walking of the entire universe is our practice, I think, is the teaching of the Lotus Sutra. Lotus Sutra is most important, fundamental sutra in the Tendai school.

[04:35]

And Dogen was first ordained as a Tendai monk. And in the very first several years he studied Tendai teaching. So Lotus Sutra is main thing for him. as his understanding of Buddha's teaching. And also, when he died, when he was dying, when he was 53, a few days before he died, he chanted a chapter of the Lotus Sutra. And he made a calligraphy on the pillar and wrote the Nam-myoho-renge-kyo-an, the Hermitage of Taking Refuge in the Sadharma Pundarika Lotus Sutra.

[05:38]

And also, Dogen was a person who put the name of the Lotus Sutra in the chant of Buddha's name. You know, we chant the ten Buddha's names, Before Dogen, the name of the Lotus Sutra wasn't there. Dogen was the person who put the Lotus Sutra as a name of Buddha. It's kind of a strange thing. But somehow it's there. Please. That is what I'm going to talk. In the second section of the Lotus Sutra, entitled Tactfulness, in this translation, it says that why Buddha appeared in this world.

[06:49]

These laws, in this translation, laws means Dharma, cannot be understood by powers of thought or discrimination. Only the Buddhas can discern them. Fearful, because the Buddhas, the world-honored ones, only on account of the one very great cause appear in the world. So, the Lotus Sutra says, Buddhas, not only one Buddha, but all Buddhas appear in this world because of only one cause or one reason. Shaliputra, why do I say that the Buddhas the world-honored ones, only on account of the one very great cause appear in the world?"

[07:58]

Question. Buddha, because the Buddhas, the world-honored ones, desire to cause all living beings to open, to open their eyes, open their eyes to the Buddha knowledge, I don't like this translation, Buddha knowledge. But this original Chinese is Buddha, Butsu Chi Ken. Chi means to know or to understand. Ken is to see or to view. So, as a translation, knowledge might be not a mistake, but it sounds something strange to me. Sanskrit word is Darshanan, Buddha's Darshanan. Maybe insight is better than knowledge. So Buddha appeared to this world in order to allow all living beings to open their eyes to the Buddha's darshana, Buddha's insight.

[09:05]

So there is a comparison between human eyes and Buddha's eyes, Buddha's view, Buddha's insight. So, Buddha's desire to cause all living beings to open their eyes to the Buddha knowledge so that they may gain the pure mind. Therefore, they appear in the world. That is the reason Buddha appears in the world. And because They desire to show all living beings the Buddha knowledge or Buddha insight. They appear in the world because they desire to cause all living beings to apprehend the Buddha knowledge or Buddha's insight.

[10:17]

They appear in the world because they desire to cause all living beings to enter the way of the Buddha knowledge. They appear in the world. So, all Buddhas appear in this world in order to allow all living beings to open their eyes and to realize and to comprehend or apprehend and enter to the way of Buddha's insight. The Sutra says that is only one reason that all Buddhas appeared in this world. And in this path, it doesn't say what is the Buddha's darshana, or Buddha's insight. But in the beginning of this chapter, Tactfulness, it says, essentially speaking, the Buddha has altogether fulfilled the infinite, boundless, unprecedented law, or Dharma,

[11:48]

enough Shariputra, there is no need to say any more." So he said, stop talking. Wherefore, because the law or Dharma which the Buddha has perfected is the chief unprecedented law, unprecedented law or Dharma. Difficult to understand. So this sutra says it's very difficult or almost impossible to see, to understand by discriminating mind, human interaction. But Buddha wants to show that insight to us. That's why Buddha appeared in this world. And then what is that law or Dharma?

[12:51]

Then he said, I mean, the sutra said, Only a Buddha, together with a Buddha, can fathom the reality of all existence. You know, this is a very famous phrase. One of the names of the chapter of Shobo Genzo, Yuibutsu Yobutsu, come from this sentence. Yuyibutsu-yobutsu means only Buddha together with Buddha. And reality of all existence is shoho jitso. Shoho is all dharmas. And jitsu is true and so is form. And this jitso is a part of, you know, the name of the dharma Buddha transmitted to Mahakasyapa. So this is fact. This true form of all beings, all existence, is fact.

[13:55]

Buddha, according to the Lota Sutra, Buddha wanted to transmit to all living beings. And actually, within Zen tradition, this is the the Dharma which has been transmitted, the true form of all beings, through Buddha, from Buddha to Mahakasyapa and until us. So this reality of all existence is what Buddha's ancestors have transmitted. And this is what Dogen wants to show us also. And then what is the reality of all existence? I think that is the next question. And the sutra says, that is to say, all existence has such a form, such a nature, such an embodiment, such a potency, such a function, such a primary cause,

[15:11]

such a secondary cause, such an effect, such a recompense, and such a complete fundamental whole. These are in Chinese or Japanese called the ten suchness. So, according to this translation, not this English translation, but that Chinese translation, it seems Sanskrit text is different at this point. But maybe so, some scholars think this is Kumarajiva's kind of interpretation. and he added this, or composed by himself at this point, about ten suchness. So, Shokho Jisso or true form of all existence or all beings, according to the translation of Kumara Jiva of the Lotus Sutra, is ten suchness.

[16:24]

Suchness is a translation of Chinese word, Nyoze. It is called ten-suchness. Jyu. Jyu Nyoze. Jyu means ten. Nyo... Actually, Nyo is like a life. And ze means this. So, nyo ze literally means like this. Or, D.T. Suzuki's translation of this word is suchness. Or, as it is-ness. Or, another possibility is thusness.

[17:26]

So, I think in Dogen's understanding, what has been transmitted through Buddhas and Ancestors is this reality of suchness, not teaching of suchness, but reality of suchness. And this is my understanding of this ten suchness. Let me write Chinese characters first. TEN is... SO SHO TAI RIKI SA IN NEN KA and HO And the last one is Hom Matsu Ku Kyo To.

[18:42]

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Yes. Good. In this translation, so... Let's see. I think I write down here. So is form. Sho is nature. And tai is embodiment. And riki is potency. And Sa is function.

[19:46]

In is primary cause. En is secondary cause. And Ka is effect, and whole is recompense. And the last one is, it's wrong, a complete fundamental whole. Hong Matsu Ku Kyo To.

[20:56]

Long name. Hong Matsu. Hong Matsu. Hong Matsu Ku Kyo To. This is very important teaching in Tendai, this ten suchness. And I don't really study, I haven't studied Tendai teaching, so I'm not sure whether my understanding is correct or not, according to Tendai teaching. But this is my personal understanding. You know, first, one, two, three, four, five, is... how can I say?

[22:00]

The... uniqueness. Uniqueness of each and every being, everything, including human beings. And each being has its own unique form. And I think that is true. and its own unique nature. And it has its own... I don't like this translation, embodiment. Thay literally means body. Each being has its own body. Or another translation is substance. But I think body is okay. You know, each thing has its own No, physical body, I think. Form is appearance, looking, shape.

[23:01]

And the body is the thing itself. And we have our... nature is, in the case of human, makes like characters or personality. And potency, another translation of potency is energy. You know, each limb has its own energy. And side functions work. Not only human beings or living beings, all beings have energy and function or influence. So, these are the five elements of one unique being. Next four until nine is a relationship. Relationship within or through time and space.

[24:07]

In this paragraph, Dogen is talking about Buddhist practice. So, in the case of Buddhist practice, you know, Now we are practicing something. We are at certain dharma position. And each one of us has a different, unique personality and shape of body and mentality. Different. And we have some cause why we are doing this. You know, each one of us has different motivation or incident through which we enter this strange practice. So, there is some cause. Each one of us has some cause. And... So, cause is a relationship of what this being is doing.

[25:18]

within the time. So, what I'm doing has something to do with what we did, we experienced in the past. And, end is a condition or a situation we have at this moment. You know, there are many things which help us to practice this way. or many things which doesn't help us so much, or many things which say, better not to say, to do this. So that is a condition, or a secondary cause. The condition of this moment. So this is a condition with this moment, with all beings in this universe right now. That is the end. And ka is effect or result.

[26:21]

You know, maybe 10 million years later, we become Buddha. How many million? Maybe 10 million is too short. Please. Yes. Usually these two are translated as cause and conditions. In and in. In-Nen is cause and conditions. Please. Yes, in the case of our practice, arousing body-mind is in. you know, makes us to start to practice. An example often used to explain these ten suchnesses is a flower.

[27:30]

You know, seed is a cause. And conditions such as humidity or sunlight or temperature which is necessary to force it to sprout and grow are conditions or secondary causes that help us to grow or help a flower or plant to grow. So, a flower or a plant has a connection or relation with the things that happened in the past and things happening in this moment. And the result, and what we are doing now, bring about some result. And in the case, this is, in the case of plant, flower, or fruit, actually, Buddhahood is called a fruit of our practice.

[28:41]

And this result is a relationship with what we are doing now in the future. But that is not all. This whole recompense, or another translation, is a secondary result. That means, for example, when a flower blooms, that is a result of this plant's activity since it sprouted from the seed. It has influence to other beings. When we see a flower blooming, somehow we become happy. That is not the purpose. The flower is blooming. Or a flower of honey for bees or many things.

[29:49]

So, this result has an influence to all other beings. That is, I think, that is the whole. So, when we become Buddha, that is not the end of the story. That is not our goal. When we become Buddha, we have to teach. I don't think so. And all beings receive benefit from this person's or Buddha's teaching. So, this teaching of ten suchness shows us that all beings has its own unique nature, form, body, energy, and work. And yet, that uniqueness cannot exist by itself, independent from the relationship with all other beings throughout time and space.

[30:59]

And the final one, this one is most important. Honmatsu, Kukyo, To, literally means, Hon means first one, Matsu means last one, and Kukyo means ultimately. Ultimately. To means equal, or identical, or same. That means this entire, you know, how can I say, It's not a thing, but maybe a process in which we are practicing, or we are living, or all beings exist. From beginningless beginning to the endless end, and the entire universe, this is one thing. You know, I think this is what the Lotus Sutra is saying about the reality of all existence.

[32:13]

So, I think Dogen called this entire thing, the Honmatsukukyoto, as mountain. And we are within the mountains and we are walking. That is, I think, what he meant, mountains are walking. So, our practice is not our individual personal activity to get something for this person. But we are part of this entire, in Dogen's expression, our whole work, our entire dynamic function. That is, in Japanese, Zenki. So, even though we are so tiny, and we are so weak, and we are so self-centered, and our body-mind is not so, you know, determined, still, as far as we are taking a vow, Bodhisattva vow, and walking toward the fruits of Buddhahood, we are already in the way.

[33:27]

So, this entire thing is Buddha way. So, we allow the body-mind practice and awakening and enter nirvana or attain Buddhahood within the Buddha way. So, in each step, you know, we are already in there. I think that is the basic idea of Dogen's teaching. So, you know, we have... each one of us has unique... how can I say it? Features. And we do many things as our practice, as a process of this going from

[34:36]

The time we awake body-mind or vow as a beginner, we continue to practice or continue to do so many different things in order to fulfill this strange vow. You know, sometimes we work in the kitchen, sometimes we have to give a talk, And sometimes we have to work doing administrative things. And each one of us do it in a very kind of unique way. But uniqueness is very important. At Antaiji, during the five sessions, Joshin-san was Tenzo.

[35:48]

Joshin-san was one of Sawakiroshi's disciples, a woman monk. And Joshin-san is Balanchi-san's following teacher. She was Tenzo for five days Sesshin. She did, you know, Tenzo for ten years. Every month. You know, Joshi-san was a tiny person, a very small person, but she was a very energetic, very powerful woman. She was a very unique person. I heard that when she was very young, maybe in her early 20s, because her aunt practiced with Harada Sogakuroshi.

[36:55]

Once, Joshin-san, before he became a nun, he went to the Harada Sogakuro Shinsen. And she said, she told by herself, that she attained Kensho in one night. I mean, she really, you know, focused on sitting all night, all day, all night. And Harada Sogakuro said she got to attain Kensho. So, she was a really determined person. But later, at that time, she told me that that has nothing to do with enlightenment or anything. It's a matter of, how can I say, guts. So, she didn't think that has something to do with Buddhadharma. And, first, she was ordained by Hashimoto Eko Roshi. Hashimoto Roshi was Katagi Roshi's teacher.

[37:58]

But when Joshin-san met Sawaki Roshi, she wanted to be Sawaki Roshi's disciple. And in Japanese society or culture, to change a teacher is a very difficult thing. And, you know, she couldn't ask Hashimoto Roshi to leave. So, what she did was she imitated the second ancestor of Chinese Zen. To show her sincerity, he cut off the tip of her little finger. I hope you don't imitate this. But this kind of thing happens sometimes in Japan. I don't think it's a good tradition.

[39:02]

But Joshin-san was such a person. She was very determined. And other people said she was also a troublemaker. She was very good at making troubles. Anyway, She was such a small person. And when Sawakiroshi died, Uchiyamuroshi and Joshin-san took care of Sawakiroshi in his final days. And after Sawakiroshi died, Joshin-san asked Uchiyamuroshi to allow her to stay at Tantaiji. Then Uchiyamuroshi asked her to do Tenzo during Sesshin. and she accepted. I think, at that time, they don't expect, you know, so many people came. Actually, in the beginning, when I first... I think in the beginning, they didn't have many people.

[40:13]

But when I first attended, joined the Five-Day Sesshin, I was amazed. There are, I think, more than 60 or 70 people there. That was 1969. So, three, four years after Sawakidoshi's death. But, you know, still, Joshin-san cooked, prepared meals for 60, 70 people by herself. It was really hard work. You know, wood stove, yeah, and the pot is like this. Yeah, yeah, at that time we didn't have a gas or electric stove. So, she cooked with firewood. It was really... Of course, whenever we could, we helped her.

[41:16]

Before the session, we cut off the... washed and cut off the vegetables. But still, it was a had work. But since that was her practice and she accepted, only when she didn't cook during five-day session was when she was here. When she came to San Francisco, we took turn to prepare meals for five-day session. But that is her most important practice. So she really did it. That was one of the ways the mountain walks. Anyway. So, Dogen says, mountain is not sentient, neither sentient nor insentient, because mountain includes sentient.

[42:43]

And he said, we, ourselves, are neither sentient nor insentient, because we are one with the entire mountain. So, when mountain is walking, Actually, we are also walking. That's why we don't see mountain is walking. I think that is what I talked yesterday. And he continues. We can have no doubts about these blue mountains walk. We do not know what measure of dharma, dharma realms, would be necessary to clarify the Blue Mountains. The size of Blue Mountains cannot be measured even using the measurement of dharma realm or dharma world because it connects with all space and all time.

[43:57]

That is what we chant after each chanting. That is the expression of this oneness and also boundlessness. So it doesn't mean we're asking all Buddhas in ten directions or three times. to fulfill our desire. But, this is an expression of our awakening that we are one with all Buddhas in the ten directions and three times. So, that is what Dogen meant. And, we should do a clear accounting of the Blue Mountains walking. and our own walking, including an accounting of both stepping back and back-stepping.

[45:04]

Stepping back and back-stepping. I think this doesn't have so important meaning, but this is kind of a playing with words. The word Dogen used is Taiho. Taiho is important. And next one is Hotai. He just changed the order of the word. And this word Taiho is further translation, you recite Fukanza Zengi. Take a backward step to illuminate.

[46:15]

Turn the light inward. Yeah, that phrase. So this Taiho is a backward step. And this is really important thing for us. So backward step, usually backward step or backsliding, or another word, taiho, means withdraw. So usually this word doesn't have a positive meaning. It's a negative word. But dogen is this very positive way. And he said, our Zazen is a backward step to eliminate ourselves. We all usually go forward, and we think that is a good thing, a positive thing, and try to see things and understand things and change things. But in that case, we don't see this person.

[47:18]

So, backward step, or stepping back, means we should study ourselves. But as Phat Dogen said in Genjoko, to study the Dharma is to study the Self. So, to study the Self is a backward step. So, his thing here is we should clearly What does accounting mean? Add up. Add up. Numbers. If so, this is not a good translation. It's also a comprehensive assessment. Assessment. To evaluate. To evaluate, if it's able to evaluate, I think it's not so different.

[48:20]

But this word, kenten or tenken, means to inspect, examine, scrutinize, or check, or overhaul. So we have to investigate or inquire what this is. and we should do an accounting of the fact or examine or inspect the fact that since the very time before any subtle sign, since the other side of the king of emptiness views to expression or phrase is the same as the one Dogen used in the introduction. But he said, prior to the kalpa of emptiness, or before the germination of any subtle sign, so it's like before a big bang, before nothing happens.

[49:35]

That means in Dogen's expression, beyond thinking, beyond any discrimination, any separation. So it's not simply a time in the past, but this is beyond thinking, beyond discrimination, before anything separates. It's like a chaos. Since that time, that means since eternal past, beginningless beginning, walking by stepping forward and back, so here he said both stepping forward and stepping back, has never stopped for a moment, even for a moment. Constantly, you know, Blue Mountains are walking.

[50:37]

So maybe we can interpret stepping forward and stepping back in many ways. One way is, as I said, stepping back is to study the self, and stepping forward is to study myriad things. But we can say stepping forward is to, how can I say, practice, study and practice and improve ourselves or go upward. And stepping back is to come down and work together with all beings to help all beings. The first thing is called... What is the word?

[51:44]

I forget. Jōgu Bodai. And the second one is called Gekei Shujō. Jōgu. Bodai and Ge, Ke, Shu, Jo. Jo means go up, go high up. Gu is seek, seek. Bodai is body, awakening. So, we practice go up, go higher and higher, endlessly, to seek awakening, to study Dharma, awake to the reality of all beings. That is going up. And gei is to go down. And kei is transform, or in this case teach.

[52:49]

Or shujo is living beings. So, in our bodhisattva practice, we have two sides. One is to go up to really see the reality and live in accordance with that reality. That is our personal practice. And yet, we also have to go down. practice together with all beings and try to help all beings in need. And these two aspects of our bodhisattva practice, I think, is what Dogen said in the introduction. The virtue of riding on the clouds and the virtue of following the wind. So we try to go up high, but we also, at the same time, we try to go down.

[54:04]

And it seems these two are contradicted. You know, we often have questions. What is the relationship between the practice in the Zen Dojo and working in the world? It's the same thing. Same problem. And Dogen's understanding is those two are not contradicted at all. This is one walking, two virtues of one walking of Blue Mountains. He said, if walking had ever rested, if the Blue Mountains stopped walking, the Buddhas and ancestors would never have appeared. Because everything is moving, changing, working. We could practice.

[55:07]

And this practice is also a part of the walking. If we stop walking, no Buddhas and ancestors appear. So actually, we are, our practice, or the movement, or impermanence, of this world is Mother of Buddhas, actually. Please. So, another way of saying walking might be the continuing unfolding of karma and life force and evolution? Yes. That is mountain walk. And if walking were limited, If this walking of mountains have some limitation, sometimes we feel we are at the dead end. We can't walk anymore. But in the case of walking of blue mountains, there is no dead end.

[56:11]

There is no limit. Even when we are dying, still the blue mountains are walking. the process of dying is also a part of mountain walking. So maybe this, you know, stepping forward and stepping back could also mean being born and go away. Or arising and perishing could also mean the kind of two foot of blue mountains arising and perishing. So, birth and death is actually two feet of one mountain. And he said, if walking were limited, the Buddha Dharma would never have reached us today.

[57:21]

should be died away sometimes. And stepping forward has never ceased. Stepping back has never ceased. Stepping forward does not oppose stepping back. So when we practice in the Zen Do or when we study Dharma, to deepen our understanding. This is not opposed to helping others. Nor does stepping back oppose stepping forward. Working in the society does not oppose to studying Dharma, studying the Self. These two are only two virtues of one mountain. But because our view is limited and our time is limited, our energy is limited, so sometimes we feel we have to make a choice this way or that way.

[58:33]

But when we see Blue Mountain as one whole thing, those two are not different things. Of course, you know, one person cannot do everything. Each person has unique quality and unique tendency, unique capability. So, one person cannot do everything. But we need some person who study, focus on studying Dharma. We need some person who focus on sitting practice. We need some people who focus on working outside. But all people should do 13%. Even the scholar has to work outside, and even people who are working outside.

[59:36]

you know, studying Dharma or reading this kind of text to deepen our understanding of the meaning of activities outside of Zendo is really helpful, even though the person is not a scholar. Or sitting, you know, we need some people who are really focused on sitting, like Sawaki Roshi or Uchiyama Roshi, without those teachers who are really thoroughly, deeply sitting. You know, people who are studying or people who are working outside cannot really practice deeply. So their instruction is not only instruction, but their presence, their practice, their expression, through their deep, profound, dazen practice, benefit to all people who are studying, focus on studying, or who are focused on working in the society.

[60:51]

So, of course, sometimes we have to make a choice, and we don't know which is most suitable for this person. So, sometimes we have, you know, we are... how can I say? I'm losing English vocabulary. I talk so much. Confused. Sometimes we... I become confused which way I should go, whether I should go to Zendo or I should study something Shobo Genzo or I should do something very south side of the Zendo. But I think important point is not lose sight of the direction. If our direction is the same, whether we go from this angle or that angle or from this way,

[62:00]

All are the same, I think. So backward step and forward step is the same step. One step of walking of the mountains. Please. Do either one of these, the stepping back and the back stepping, do either one commentate on the difference of turning within one? But also, back squatting, I mean, you go off the path, you go, you go, you don't, you aren't concerned about others, or coding stuff about, is it factored in here? Maybe that is a possible interpretation. But I don't, I don't read in that way. I feel, you know, Dogen's just playing with words. I mean, sometimes he does. And, for example, in Shobo Genzo, Soku Shin Ze Butsu.

[63:04]

Soku Shin Ze Butsu. Usually, this phrase is translated into English as, Mind itself is Buddha. And that is the title of one of the chapters of Shogo Genzo. And in that chapter, he read this phrase as, you know, not only Soku Shin Zei Butsu, but he read Shin Zei Butsu Soku, or Zei Butsu Soku Shin. and butsu-soku-shinze, in that way. I think it's a playing with words, but also it means we have to really, how can I say, take a close look at this phrase from this way or that way. So, I think it means we should be very careful and attentive

[64:18]

to read any words or phrase by Buddhas and ancestors. So we should inspect any words or any koan from all possible angles. I think that is what he is saying. But, of course, you can interpret in that way. Please. I'm sorry. It may be also that, for me, Yeah, he's very good at it. He would try to make us confused and allow us to see the same phrase from very completely different perspective. Like, you know, when he says in the very beginning of Shobo Genzo Bussho, He quoted a sentence from the Mahanirvana Sutra that all living beings have Buddha nature.

[65:31]

That is a very accurate translation of the Chinese sentence. But he read this as all living beings and entire beings are Buddha nature, not have. You know, this kind of, how can I say, interpretation of our way of living, I think was possible because he was not a Chinese. You know, when we study foreign language, you know, we can see, read, you know, different ways from native speakers. For example, when I started to study English, Once I visited an American person at his apartment, and he said he was going to eat. And I thought, where was he going? I thought he was going somewhere to eat, but he started to eat right there.

[66:36]

So I was surprised. Why did he have to say to go? I thought English is a strange language. Or, you know, in English, it says, it is raining. Or, it is snowing. What is this? It's very mysterious to us. You know, in Japan, we say, rain is falling or rain falls. Why don't you say it in this way? I studied English grammar. It is just a formal subject. It means nothing. If it means nothing, why is it there? Foreigners to read the language makes us to think in very unique ways.

[67:47]

in the way native speakers never thought of. I think that is what Dogen is doing. He uses it as a kind of technique to express some very deep meaning that native Chinese people, Chinese speakers, never thought of. So, you know, this kind of a transition of something from one culture to another is very interesting. Something very stupid could happen, and yet something very creative could happen, too. Now we are in the process of transition, so there are many stupid things. And also, there might be many great profound misunderstandings. It can be there.

[68:50]

So I'm really interested. Even what I'm saying, I'm thinking in Japanese and speaking in English. So I'm not sure whether what I'm thinking and what I'm speaking is the same or not. And, you know, because you don't, I think many of you don't Japanese, don't know Japanese, so you don't, you cannot imagine what I'm thinking in Japanese. You only hear my English. So there might be, you know, misunderstanding. And this misunderstanding might create great profound misunderstanding. You know, some scholars think that Dogen's expression, Shinjin Datsuraku, body and mind, dropping off body and mind, might be misunderstanding of Chinese word.

[69:54]

I think I don't have time to talk about that misunderstanding. But, because in Nyojo's record of Nyojo's saying, Dogen's teacher's saying, in the record, there is no such expression Nyojo used, dropping of body and mind. But, a similar expression was there. That is, dropping of the dust of mind. Dust of mind is also shin-jin. So it might be Dogen's misunderstanding. But I don't think so. That means our delusive thought. Delusive thought, delusion. So dropping off delusive thought or discriminating thought. If so, it's a very simple thing.

[70:58]

in Buddhism or Zen. But dropping off body and mind is very unique and very profound. It might be a production of misunderstanding. I don't know. Please. The first character that you wrote on the far right side, down, is that Soku? Soku, yes. S-O-K-U. S-O-K-U, yes. of the person who directs the meal serving? No. No. The meaning of that word, soku, it means, so means to deliver. Ku is offering. So, soku is a person who delivers food from kitchen to zendo. Well, what's next? So, stepping forward does not oppose stepping back.

[72:02]

And, Noah does stepping back oppose stepping forward. And, this virtue is called the mountain flowing and the flowing mountain. This is the same thing. He just changed the order of the word. Mountain flowing and flowing mountain. Maybe we can try to find the deep meaning of this change. But I think it's better to go forward, taking a forward step. The Blue Mountains devote themselves to the investigation of walking. The East Mountain studies moving over the water. So, he's saying it's the subject of this walking, or this studying.

[73:10]

You know, he's writing about mountains and waters. And, when we read this, we think Dogen, or we are studying Dogen's teaching about mountains and waters. So, the subject of this study is me, or this person. I'm not only studying particular writing, San Sui Kyo, but when we study Dharma, or when we practice Zazen, or anything else, we think, this person is studying the Dharma. Or this person tries to understand the reality of all beings. This person wants to find the purpose or meaning of our life. But I think what he's saying here is that person's study, practice, or inquiry is not simply this person's inquiry.

[74:13]

But mountains are studying mountains. And in a sense, this entire world is studying itself through this person's question or inquiry. you know, actually, you know, we are all human beings are product of this, you know, evolution of this universe. So we are part of the universe. And somehow, we observe the universe and try to find the meaning or cause or how this thing happens. That is our attempt trying to see the reality, to understand the meaning of this life, our lives, and this world. But in a sense, you know, this entire world is seeing the entire world itself through or using human beings.

[75:23]

Because we are a part of the universe. So in that sense, this entire universe is studying itself. through us, but we don't see in that way. We see our study is for the sake of this person. And we always think, how is it, how can I say, beneficial to this person? But when we see our activities from a more broader perspective. Our study is the universe, our world is studying itself. If we see that reality, you know, we can't be so selfish. We cannot use those things around us as a kind of a resource or material to make this person happy.

[76:27]

But we often do. I think that is a very important difference. Who is studying? Who is inquiring? And at least in the case of Buddhadharma, or our practice, Buddha studied Buddha's way through our practice. Or Dharma studied Dharma itself through this person. Because this person is part of Dharma. Dharma means all beings. Capital Dharma means the way all beings are. So, Dharma means how we are. try to get something from Dharma. That is a kind of distortion. So, at least according to Dōgen, when we sit, it's not Shōhaku sitting.

[77:36]

It's Zazen is sitting Shōhaku. It's not Shōhaku is sitting Zazen. Zazen is sitting Shōhaku. So this study or practice is part of walking of Blue Mountains. And the East Mountain studies moving over the water. This is about U Mon's saying. He quote and comment later. So I talk about this. when we reach that part. And the mountains, without altering their own body and mind, with their own mountain countenance, have always been circling back to study themselves.

[78:42]

So, he's talking about our practice, or his own practice. But he said, this practice or study is mountain study. And the mountains does not alter their own body and mind. Mountains are just mountains. And with their own mountain continents. So mountains are just mountains. But has always been circling back to study themselves. Circling back is a translation of kaito. kaito Kai means to circle around.

[79:59]

And to is to, what is to? Path. Path, road, street. And this is kind of an unusual expression. I don't think Dogen used this expression in any other places, any other writings. But, according to commentaries, this kaito means, you know, he says, here and there. Here means this present moment, and there means eternal Buddha, or prior to anything happens. prior to Kalipa of emptiness. And Nikon, this present moment, is here.

[81:02]

And eternity is there. And in the first sentence of this writing he said, this present moment is one with eternity. or that is the meaning of the mountain and water at this present moment is expression or manifestation of eternal or old Buddha. And this expression, kaito, means turning around both this place or this moment, this present moment and eternity. we, or mountains, turn around always, in a sense, back and forth. Back and forth between this moment and eternity. I think this is the same as, you know, Dogen said in Tenzo Kyokun, that when you work in the kitchen as a Tenzo, you should invite

[82:14]

the Buddha from the Buddha Hall, and make the Buddha into the vegetables. And, do you remember? Do you know? I cannot remember the exact sentence, but it said, invite 16 feet Buddha body and make it into one stalk of greens. That means any greens or vegetables we are working with or cutting or chopping or cooking should be Buddha's body. Not should be, but actually it is. So, also the person who is cooking or the activity of the person who is cooking should be also manifestation or expression of the sixteen feet of Buddha body.

[83:14]

That is one of the way, you know, we back and forth. This present particular moment, this particular person is working with some certain particular thing. But this particular action should be, you know, the practice of this turning around, back and forth of this moment and eternity. or this particular person and universal world. So this oneness of this moment and eternity, and oneness of this particular thing and this entire universe, both within time and space, is what Dogen is always trying to show us. like a moon in a dew drop. It's the same expression. We are so tiny like a drop of dew.

[84:19]

But within this tiny drop of dew, that stays only less than a second. The entire universe is reflected. within not only Dogen, but in many of Japanese culture, this is very important point. Eternity manifests or expresses itself within impermanence. You know, when you read many haiku, people express, you know, haiku is not some abstract, you know, statement about, you know, philosophy, like Dogen, but in just describing the things are, the haiku poet tried to explain, not explain, but express the eternity.

[85:22]

Eternity within this moment. That is one of the important features of Japanese culture. So we try to make things small. like a tea house. And we see the entire universe within one cup of tea. I don't think American people like in that way. Do you? That's fine. That's good. Anyway, if you are aware now, So, our practice, our study and practice is the practice of blue mountains and waters. We have 50... Ah, time to stop.

[86:28]

Okay, so I continue this afternoon. Thank you very much. I don't know.

[86:40]

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