Good morning, everyone. Yesterday, I introduced one section of Stannyapada. This is a very old teaching in Buddhism. And in this section, Buddha taught the basic cause of argument and quarrels. tears and anguish, arrogance and pride, and grudges and insult. Those things we have in this world. And in this section, Buddha said the basic cause of these problems is action of contact. And so if this compound of

[01:07]

Here I said mind and object, or self and all beings as subject and object. If one of them is not there, there is no contact. So we can be free from both problems. That is the basic idea. And, you know, some people, you know, left society and lived in a cave or a forest or mountains. That is one of the ways to avoid conduct. And another way is to stop thinking. To not try to think anything. That is the second way, but both don't work so well, I guess, you know, especially in the Mahayana Buddhism. One of the points of criticism from Mahayana point of view to the early Buddhism is, you know, priests or monks lived in the forest or monasteries,

[02:20]

and they try to avoid contact with people in the society. That means monks didn't work in the society to teach and help others. That is one of the points of Mahayana Buddhism. So, to avoid contact or to meet with people, not only people, people and the situation or condition, it's very natural some, you know, something happens in our mind. So we cannot stop thinking in that way. So how can we, how can I say, avoid this problem within or with this contact? You know, that is that main point in our practice or teaching of Mahayana.

[03:25]

And, for example, in Nagarjuna's writings, this is a translation of Majamika Karika, and in this very, in the introduction of this writing, Nagarjuna says, Before this introduction, I pay homage to the fully awakened one, the supreme teacher who has taught the doctrine of relational origination. This is interdependent origination. And the blissful secession, blissful secession of all phenomenal thought. I'm sorry, all phenomenal thought constructions. So one of the major points of Nagarjuna's writing is to cease, to stop or destroy the construction constructed by phenomenal thought.

[04:40]

This phenomenal thought or thought construction is... what is that... keron in Japanese or Chinese. Keron means idle argument. But this is a kind of view. And Nagarjuna tried to do using the logic is to deconstruct any logical statement to show us the reality before forming any view. So Nagarjuna's way is a very logical way, using logic to show us the... how can I say... the reality of interdependent origination that is not so logical or beyond logics.

[05:47]

So this is also a kind of a way how to be free from this problem we have when we meet or contact with other things. I think that is one of the very essential points in Buddhism, from Shakyamuni Buddha to at least Dogen. And another thing, for example, in Chinese Zen, Linzai, Linzai is a founder of Linzai Zen. The Record of Linzai is my favorite Zen literature. beside Shobo Genzo. I like Rinzai. He is very simple. And basic teaching of Rinzai, I think, is the same thing. For example, In the beginning of Part 2, instructing the group, he says, this is very kind of a famous koan in Rinzai, Rinzai tradition.

[07:03]

In this translation, it is called Four Procedures, procedures. Rinzai said, at times, one takes away the person, but does not take away the environment. Environment. At times, one takes away the environment, but does not take away the person. At times, one takes away both the person and the environment. And at times, one takes away neither the person nor the environment. So, you know, he's also talking about the way how this person, the self, can relate or connect with things or environment or mere dharmas.

[08:12]

without creating the problem. The problem is like and dislike, or preference is attachment or detachment, or chasing after and escaping, or greed and hatred. How can we meet with all things, people and things, in that sense, without three poisonous minds? And his basic teaching is don't seek anything outside. And next section he says, I mean Rinzai says, when students today fail to make progress, here is The fault lies in the fact that they don't have faith in themselves.

[09:20]

So Rinzai says, we need to have faith in ourselves. If you don't have faith in yourself, then you will be forever in a hurry, trying to keep up with everything around you. you'll be twisted and turned by whatever environment you are in and you can never move freely. But if you can just stop this mind that goes rushing around moment by moment looking for something, then you will be no different from the Patriarchs and Buddhas, or Ancestors and Buddhas. So, what he is saying is, don't seek anything outside. In order to do so, we need a faith in ourselves.

[10:22]

That is the basic teaching of Rinzai. And in order to show this, he used something like shouting or hitting. It's kind of very direct, dynamic, and in a sense, violent way. And I think what Dogen is doing here is the same thing. Same thing as Buddha said and Nagarjuna tried to do using logic and Rinzai did using shouting and hitting. He tried to avoid the poison caused by this contact between self and myriad things by examining our view. how our view is distorted and whether there is a fixed foundation in our view or not.

[11:24]

And he said no. So when we take a close look at the view and the things outside, then we can be liberated from our own view. That is a way In Dogen's teaching, we can liberate from the problems caused by this contact by checking out, by figuring out how our view is created and how our view is distorted. And Nagarjuna did it in a very logical way. but Dogen is doing kind of a very poetical way. So I think, you know, when we just read this, you know, strange writing, we are, you know, simply overwhelmed.

[12:33]

It doesn't make any sense. So I just, we usually often just throw this away. But if we find the thread of teaching from Buddha through Mahayana Buddhism and Zen tradition, now we can see what he's doing and what's the meaning of this strange writing to us. What Dogen wants to ask is not just to read this and make one understanding or theory or philosophy based on Buddha's teaching. I mean, not Buddha, but Dogen's teaching, Dogen's writings. If we do that, we completely miss the point because we create another problem, another system of view.

[13:33]

So, when we read this, we have to apply what he's saying in our life, in our relationship with this self and all the other things. Anyway, this morning I start from around the middle of page 14. 1, 2, 3, 4th paragraph. The Buddha has said, all things are ultimately liberated. They have no abode. We don't know where this quote is from. Some maybe, I don't know, because scholars don't know, I don't know.

[14:36]

Anyway, this is, you know, it's not so difficult to find this kind of statement in any Mahaprajna Sutras. All things are ultimately liberated. They have no abode. Nothing is fixed. Everything is coming and going, arising, stay for a while, changing, and disappear. You know, this is the reality of impermanence. So everything is changing, everything is moving, everything is working. Nothing fixed. Everything is free from self-nature. As I said yesterday, you know, a baby is liberated from babyhood. Because a baby has a power, or a life force, which negates babyhood. Baby can grow and become a boy or a girl, or a teenager.

[15:43]

and finally become an old person and disappear. So each thing, each and everything has power to negate itself. That's why everything can change. Things can come into being and leaving out of being and stay for a while within, you know, walking or changing. So there's no foundation. But what Fat Dogen said in the previous section. So this is a kind of a conclusion from his discussion. But in the next sentence, I mentioned the opposite side, not the opposite, but the point we should be careful not to lose it.

[16:48]

That is, we should realize that although they are liberated without any bonds, All things are abiding in their own particular state. However, when humans look at water, they have the one. Maybe I should talk about this second sentence first. So he's saying, although everything is liberated, so a baby is not a baby. But still, baby is dwelling in a dharma position of a baby at this moment. So everything is always changing, nothing stays at one place forever. But still, at this moment, a baby is a baby. You know, a child is a child. Teenager is a teenager.

[17:50]

And middle-aged person like me is just like this. You know, each moment, it's abiding its own dharma position. That means we have to be there. And we have to be, to practice, you know, a baby is practicing as a baby. This morning, Elizabeth first went up to the third floor and started to crawl. That's her practice. That's the way she is kind of negating the baby food and to go. And what we do in our daily lives as practice is the same thing. You know, practice is the manifestation of our life force at this moment. But through this practice, we negate this stage. And this practice allows us to grow and to go to the next stage.

[18:56]

So, it's a kind of strange thing, you know. We are completely right now, right here, and we take care of things that I have to take care of at this moment. That means, for now, my responsibility is to speak about Dogen in English. So, I don't like it. It's very difficult, but somehow I try to do. And by speaking, talking in this way, You know, I find something new, and I experience something new, and which, you know, allows me to grow and to do something else. So, what we do is really completely at this moment, but what we are doing at this moment as a function of this Dharma position, that allows us to go somewhere else. You know, that is life.

[19:59]

That is a life force. So, simply walking or moving or changing is, as Uchiyama Roshi said, that is half of the reality. Impermanence is half of the reality, not the entire. But another side is everything is always abiding peacefully in its own dharma position. So, actually, nothing is arising, nothing is changing, and nothing is, you know, perishing. Everything is always there at this moment. It's kind of a strange thing. You know, that is why this is called wondrous dharma. You know, we cannot grasp by thinking, so we don't grasp and we open our hand. That is our practice in the Zen. Just open our hand and leave everything or entrust everything in this moment.

[21:04]

And this body, condition of this body and this mind and the... In the community life, we try to play a role which is entrusted to this person at this moment. So, there is both sides. And in the Heart Sutra, these two sides are expressed as form is emptiness and emptiness is form. There is nothing called form. That is the meaning of emptiness. But emptiness is nothing other than form. This form. Form as, you know, shohaku at this moment. You know, as a... Well, I have to go faster. So, although everything is liberated from itself, but still everything is just as it is.

[22:10]

So we have to take care of this dharma position. However, when humans look at water, they have the one way that sees it only as flowing without rest. You know, this is a kind of a common view for human beings. You know, water is running or flowing in the stream or river. That is the most common image or understanding of water. But Dogen said, this flow takes many forms of which the human view is but one. So our idea of water, that water is running from high place to low place, is only one way of viewing the water.

[23:15]

And there are many ways that water moves. And water flows over the earth. That is how we see, commonly. And it flows across the sky. You know, dark clouds is a form of water. It flows up. Water goes up. You know, from the ocean, water goes up to the sky. And it flows down as rain or snow. So water is circling. It's not simply flowing from a high place to a lower place. And water flows around, bends, and into deep abysses. This is just an example of the shape of the river. It mounts up to form clouds.

[24:22]

It descends to form pools. The Wenzu says, the Tao of water ascending to heaven becomes rain and dew. Descending to earth becomes rivers and streams. This Wenzu is a kind of a Chinese classic. But I don't know who this person is and what this writing is about, and I don't think it's important. So I try not to explain about this book. For us, what this book or this person is saying is kind of a common sense. But thousands of years ago, this is a kind of unusual view, I think.

[25:32]

And Dogen is making comments on this thing. Such is said, even in the secular world, It would be shameful, indeed, if those who call themselves descendants of the Buddhas and ancestors were more stupid than the secular. I don't want to say anything about this. Because, you know, lay people are much, much more intellectual than Buddhist priests these days. But in Dogen's time, Buddhist priests were not only people who had education. you know, Buddhist monks or priests and scholars and high-class people. Those people are only people who were educated and who could read and write.

[26:40]

This passage says that although the way of water is unknown to water, So water doesn't know where the water is going. Water actually functions as water. Although the way of water is not unknown to water, water actually functions as water. So whether knowing or not knowing, water is just water. What he is saying here is our actual function, our actual activity, our actual practice is more important than whether we know it or not. That means our view. This is a very important point in Dogen. He used the expression like

[27:50]

Gyo-Butsu. Gyo means practice or action or activity. Butsu means of course Buddha. And there is a section of Shogogenzou titled Gyo-Butsu-Igi. Iggy means forms or decorum, the way Buddhas do. And a common way of reading this is practicing Buddha's Iggy, Buddha's decorum. So we should practice how Buddha did. This is a common way of reading this sentence. Please. Oh, gi.

[28:59]

Gi, like in Fukanzazen, gi. Gi is like forms or models. And ii means dignified. Dignified, dignified model or forms. But Dogen, Zenji read this as Gyo-butsu, one word, and Ii-gi, one word. So here again he destroyed or ignored the grammar, Chinese grammar. And he said, this Gyo-butsu, practice Buddha, is the name of the Buddha. Gyo-butsu is the name of the Buddha. So his interpretation of this sentence is a dignified form of practice Buddha, or Gyo-Butsu.

[30:02]

That is, you know, how can I say, how he explains or offers the meaning of our day-to-day activities in the Zen-do or Dharma Hall or wherever. You know, each form, according to Dogen, each form is a form or a dignified form of Gyo-butsu. So Gyōbutsu is a name of Buddha. And that means our action as Buddha, our activity as Buddha in the zendo or Buddha hall or kitchen or dining room is the Buddha actually. And the name of that Buddha is Gyōbutsu. I think this is a strange way of thinking. But I think that expresses the deep meaning of our each and every action, activities, as a manifestation of Buddha Dharma.

[31:18]

You know, in the biography of Shakyamuni Buddha, it said, when Buddha was born, he stood up right away and walked seven steps. And it said, on each step of baby Buddha, the lotus flower bloomed. And Gyo-butsu is the same idea. When we do things as a practice or form of Jōbutsu, the lotus flower, the Dharma flower, blooms in each step. That is, according to Dōgen, that is the meaning of our formal practice. Some people don't like this. Some people like it. Actually, I don't like it. I don't like form. But I like this idea. For me, Zazen is not a form.

[32:31]

So what he is saying here is to know or not to know is not a primarily important thing. But to do, to practice, to work is more important. To know or not to know is not primarily important, but actually function, work, or do something is more important. He continues. Ascending to heaven, it becomes rain and dew. we should realize that water climbs to the very highest heavens in the highest quarters and becomes rain and dew. We know this.

[33:55]

Rain and dew is of various kinds in accordance with the various world. not in accordance with the various world. Here it means in accordance with the various world means in accordance of, how can I say, the condition or situation or environment or circumstance of each person, like heavenly beings or hungry ghosts or fishes. or human beings, or, you know, the form of rain and dew or water is different, you know, between tropical place and North Pole or anywhere. Somewhere it's very dry, somewhere it's very wet. So the form or condition is really various, different. But water goes everywhere.

[35:01]

And to say that there are places to which water does not reach is a teaching of the Hinayana Shravaka, or the false teaching of the non-Buddhist. I don't want to talk about this. It's said that in the Abhidharma Kosha, it's said there is some place where water doesn't go. But it's not important here, I think. And water extends into flames. It extends into thought, reasoning, and discrimination. It extends into awareness under Buddha nature. So here he's talking about not the water in the nature, but water as Buddha nature, or Buddha Dharma. Thought, reasoning, and discrimination is the way we, you know, the way our psychology, our mind functions as ordinary beings.

[36:15]

And awareness here is the translation of kakuchi, kakuchi is awareness or awakening, Buddha's awakening. So how we conditioned human beings see things and how Buddha awakened beings, awakened ones, see things are different. But water is both ways. Even in our discriminative way of thinking, water is there. Even in Buddha's awakening, water is there. Even in the Buddha nature, water is there. Because water is Buddha nature. And descending to earth, it becomes rivers and streams. I think I don't need to talk about this.

[37:18]

We should realize that when water descends to earth, it becomes rivers and streams, and that the essence of rivers and streams become sages. This is an interesting statement. When water goes down to earth, down to earth, it becomes rivers and streams. This is of course, this is a matter of course. But he said, and that the essence of rivers and streams become sages. Sages means, yeah, teachers, but how can I say? You know, it says there are 52 steps of bodhisattvas from beginning to the end, right before becoming Buddha.

[38:22]

And last 10 steps, or 10 stages of bodhisattvas is, I think, se, ken, se, ya, se, is bodhisattvas within that last 10 stages. So it's very... it's not the Buddha, but it's a kind of a high-class bodhisattvas. Sorry, I don't think I understood. Were you saying that sages are the last ten stages? Yeah. People before that were called wise men or Ken. Please. In that sentence, do you think there's a reason it says the essence of rivers and streams? yoku kenjin to naru. Yeah, it becomes. So... Yes. Yes.

[39:25]

You know, water works streams. And, as Dogen said in the Genjo Koan, the wind of Buddha's family makes the water into a cheese. So, when we see the water and practice as water, water becomes sages. I don't like the word sages, but it means, you know, in another Dogen's expression, Buddhas and ancestors. Please. We're becoming sages or we're creating sages. Does that really not matter? Water becomes sages. Not this person. I think. And again, this is a problem. The foolish common folks. The foolish common folk like us think that water is always in rivers, streams, and seas.

[40:32]

But this is not so. Water makes rivers and seas within water. In our common sense, we think water is in the river, or in the lake, or in the ocean, or in the bowls, or it comes out when we remove the taps. Of course, that is our common sense. But he says, where the water goes, that becomes river. Where the water stays, that become a lake. Where the water, big amount of water stay, it become ocean. So there's no such things called ocean, or river, or lake, unless this movement of water. So water is first, not those condition.

[41:35]

Those conditions are just a condition of one dharma position of this movement of water. So, you know, this kind of concept of river, lake, ocean, or pond is not fixed. But those become ocean, river, or pond as a movement, or action, or practice of the water. So water is first. And those conditions, or names, or concept of those conditions is second. But we usually think these are the first. And water is something contained with those things. And therefore, water is in places that are not rivers and seas.

[42:42]

It is just that when water descends to us, it works as rivers and seas. So water goes everywhere. And when water gets together and runs from the mountain towards the ocean, it becomes a river, same as our life force. You know, to be a lecturer right now, in my case, is not the first. But somehow, in the stream or flow of my life force, as one dharma position of this moment, I'm a lecturer, I'm a teacher, so I try to teach. But I'm not a teacher, actually. I'm a teacher only when I'm teaching. When I'm at home with my family, I'm not a teacher. If I try to teach, you know, they get angry.

[43:44]

Even, you know, they don't listen. And I try not to teach. Of course, I don't teach my children about Dogen. Anyway, so to be a teacher or to be a Buddhist priest is only a kind of a condition of the water flowing. Water of my life. But often we think, I'm a teacher, you know, I'm a Buddhist priest, or I'm a husband, or I'm a father of something. We kind of fixed who this is, depending upon the concept, or kind of a condition. And we think that is more real thing than this water. That is what Nagarjuna called mind construction.

[44:48]

So the water is a real thing. The movement of water is a real thing. But the condition of each moment, like a river, or a lake, or an ocean, or rain, or dew, there are so many different conditions of water. But we grasp that each condition as those things, and we think those things really exist. But what Nagarjuna and Dogen are saying is that is simply a construction of a mind. That is just a concept. So, therefore, water is in places that are not rivers and seas. It is just that. When water descends to us, it works as rivers and seas.

[45:54]

And, moreover, we should not study that. When water has become rivers and seas, there is, then, no world and no Buddha-land within water. In calculable buddha land, buddha lands are realized even within a single drop of water. So, buddha land is everywhere, even in... Example, Dogen used in Genjo Koan, that is, this tiny being. which, you know, appear and stay even less than a second and disappear. But within this tiny drop of dew, this eternity or boundless moonlight is completely reflected.

[47:03]

And consequently, it is not that water exists within the Buddha Land, nor that the Buddha Land exists within water. The existence of water has nothing whatever to do with the three times or the dharma realm. The water Dogen is talking about is not conditioned. It's conditioned. In each moment, water is conditioned. But this flowing water is not conditioned. Nothing to do with the three times. Three times means past, present, and future. And the Dharma realm here means each place or time and space.

[48:15]

So the flowing of water, movement of water is not limited within certain time and certain place or space. But each and every place, each and every moment is where water exists and where the buddha land is constructed or created. So we cannot say, please. Yes, or rather, How can I say? Both form is emptiness and emptiness is form.

[49:17]

Water contains both. It's not the side of emptiness. And it's not the side of form. But this water, as Dogen said about mountains, form and emptiness is two virtues of water. I think. Does it make sense? Okay. So, we can say water exists within the Buddha Land, because water is itself Buddha Land. And nevertheless, though it is like this, it is the koan of the actualization of water.

[50:20]

This actualization is translation of genjo. So what he is saying here is this is the genjo koan of the water. in flow from the beginningless past to the endless future, you know, moment by moment. But stay or dwell in each Dharma position in each moment and create the Dharma world or Buddha's land in each moment. That is what Dogen discussed in Genjo Koan. In each moment of changing or movement, the reality of all beings is manifested.

[51:28]

So, Genjo Koan, Shobo Gendo Genjo Koan and this Sanseikyo is really closely connected. Or this Sanseikyo is, how can I say, in a sense, more a commentary of Genjo Koan. Genjo Koan is such a short writing. I think he tried to expound or express more about Genjo-Koan and he used the example of mountains and rivers as one aspect, not aspect, but one example of Genjo and Koan. Genjo is right now, at this present moment, and Koan is beyond time and space or timeless reality.

[52:36]

So this moment and eternity is both there as an intersection of our life of this moment. And wherever the Buddhas and ancestors are, water is always there. Wherever water is, there the Buddhas and ancestors always appear. This appear is also a translation of Genjo. And in the very first sentence of this writing, he said, the mountains and the waters of this present is expression of old Buddha.

[53:47]

This expression is also Genjo. So I'm not sure the expression is a good enough translation. Maybe I said at that time, but Genjo is really important, you know, one of the key words of Dogen, so we need expressions somehow which doesn't convey the same power, I think. Please. I apologize. I don't think I quite understand Genji. Okay. I know some words. Okay. Genjo is part of the name of the very first school of Shobo Genzo, Genjo Koan.

[54:50]

Actually, Dogen used this. The pronunciation is the same. Gen means appear, as above. Appear. And as an adjective, this means present. And another possible meaning is real or true. Or actual. Maybe actual is better. And jō means to become. Or to accomplish or achievement. To complete. And this genjō is Dōgen's favorite expression

[56:08]

And the meaning, I think, is present becoming. You know, this means moment by moment things becoming something. As I think Buddha said in the Stanipata, becoming and disintegration, or disappear. this moment by moment becoming something and change to next stage. This kind of happening, the things happening at this moment, the actual reality of this moment, is Genjo. And Uchiyama Roshi kind of paraphrased this Genjo as present moment, becoming present moment. And koan, I think you know the word koan.

[57:16]

Koan is a koan in koan stories. And it seems this word koan is used in China as a kind of a public document. in a government office. And in China, all the government documents are issued by the emperor, with the name of the emperor. And when something is issued by the name of the emperor, it has absolute power, absolute authority. No one could argue about it. No one can question about it. From that meaning, koan becomes the expression of absolute truth by many Chinese Zen masters. That is one of the meanings of koan in Zen literature.

[58:22]

The expression of absolute reality with absolute authority. So we have to study it. We have to learn and master it and try to live and take action based on that authority or teaching with that authority. That is the meaning of koan. And Dogen, I said, Dogen used this Chinese character instead of this one. This character itself means paper, or actually the desk. This part means wood, and this part, an, means to place. So there is something made of wood and put something on, and that is a desk.

[59:24]

Right? So, an means a desk or the document that is placed on the desk. And also, this an means to think. That is what we do at the desk. So, a desk or a document or a document is a kind of a production of our thinking. So, I basically have those three connotations. But this one, this side means handa, handa. And this side is the same as this, to place hand on something. And this means, this kanji is used as a part of amma, that means massage. You know, when we do massage, we place our hand on the place where the patient has a problem and try to heal or give a treatment.

[60:41]

And so this an has a connotation of do something to solve the problem, to make the situation better. So Dogen's, one of Dogen's disciples, who made the oldest commentary of Shobo Genzo, interpret this word, koan, with this kanji. And so, this koan, in this sense, this koan means a public work. The way public officers should work. Not, you know, public officers should work for the sake of the public, not for the sake of this individual person. So in that sense, this koan in Dogen's writing is not simply, that is one meaning, but this is not simply absolute truth or reality with absolute authority.

[61:53]

But this koan means something we have to do. using our body or hands to help others or to make the situation better. So in this case, this koan is also a function, work. So this is a manifestation of total reality or universal and eternal reality at this moment within time and space and function to be one with all beings. Okay? So, what Dogen is saying is, wherever the Buddhas and ancestors are, water is always there.

[63:05]

And wherever water is there, the Buddhas and ancestors always appear. That is the genjo, or manifestation of Buddhas and ancestors. within our practice at this moment. In this way, then, the idea that water does not climb up is to be found neither in Buddhist nor non-Buddhist writings. You know, we know this as a common sense, but maybe in Dogen's time this is not a common sense. The way of water penetrates everywhere, above and below, vertically and horizontally. Right before this session started, I read a news through internet, a news from a Japanese newspaper, and I found one news that, I don't know where, but some Japanese scientists find that, how can I say, inside of the earth,

[64:36]

you know, below the earth, there are five times as much water in there as the ocean water. We cannot imagine water in such a, how can I say, hot place. But somehow water is stored inside the earth. And we don't know the condition of that water. But anyway, so water in the ocean or on the surface of the earth is a very tiny part of the entire water. So in that sense, this earth is sometimes called a planet of water. But not only this earth, but 70% of this body, our body is also water. So, this analogy of water as Buddha nature, I think it's very literal.

[65:45]

So, water is everywhere. So, water is everywhere, above and below, vertically and horizontally. Still, he said, still in the Sutras, it is said that fire and wind go up, while earth and water go down. These fire, wind, earth and water are called the four great elements, or shi-dai. And it's said These are not real, actual fire, wind, or earth and water, but these are elements of everything. For example, in the case of our body, you know, the heat is a fire element, and wind is movement, is a wind element in the case of our body.

[66:56]

and bones are earth element and blood is water element. Anyway, there is one sutra which said fire and wind element go up and earth and water element go down. So he found there is some contradiction between what is said in the sutra and what Dogen said. right now. So he tried to make a kind of an interpretation. But this up and down in the sutra, there is some study. We have to study something about this up and down. The study of the up and down of the way of the Buddha. So we need to study fear is up and fear is down in the Buddha way.

[67:58]

And in the way of the Buddha, where earth and water go is considered down. But down here does not mean some place to which earth and water go. He is saying the same thing. Do you understand? Wherever earth and water go in the Buddhadharma, it is called down. So if water goes to heaven or sky, sky is down. So there is no fixed, how can I say, when we discuss about up and down, or go this way or that way, within our, I think, within our mind, somehow we are making an axle and this is the original point.

[69:09]

Without this original point, we call this original point, what do you call this? Origin. If there is no origin and axle, horizontal and vertical, there is no way to decide, fit it up, fit it down. So there must be some fixed point, the origin, to measure or to decide where this anything is located. But what Dogen is questioning is whether such an origin is really there. But this is also a kind of mind construction. the idea that there is some fixed, immovable, or absolute origin to measure the things.

[70:12]

Not only space, but also value. When we make a value judgment, we also, based on certain kind of, you know, origin and access. And usually we think this is something we want to do and this is something we don't want to do. And this is something we don't want but we should do. Or something that we don't want to do and we should not to do. So we kind of categorize those things based on where is our origin. That is the way we make judgment. But the problem for human beings is this origin is always moving, always changing.

[71:14]

So what he's saying here is there is no such origin and a way to measure it. measure the movement of water. It's prior to such a way to measure or grasp by using our interaction or any kind of way of thinking. And he, Fakudogen is saying that thinking is also a part of this movement. We can't put this timeless, spaceless movement within my thinking. It's opposite. Our thought is a part of this movement. So we can't contain this entire movement into my thought. I think it's a very obvious thing, but we try to do, and we think we do.

[72:23]

I think that is a basic delusion, according to Dogen. So, what we have to see is, you know, this origin and way, system of measuring things is part of our life force. but we cannot measure this life force with using this measurement. So we don't need to, you know, take or eliminate this system of measurement, but we need to know that this is part of this, you know, universal flow, and we cannot contain this movement within our system of value. I think that's all Buddha, Nagarjuna, Rinzai and Dogen are saying.

[73:30]

So we need to free from our measurement, our way of doing things and attachment to my measure, to our measures. That's the way we can avoid the poisonous contact between self and medial dharmas. That makes our life more peaceful, more harmonious, more, how can I say, compassionate and flexible. Yeah, I was Where fire and wind go is up. So where the earth and water go is down. Where fire and wind go is up. So actually everywhere is up and everywhere is down.

[74:33]

Because no origin to our viewer to observe this movement. Everywhere is everywhere. That's all we can say. So, while the Dharma realm has no necessary connection with up and down or the four directions, simply on the basis of the function, basis of the function of the four, five or six elements, we provisionally set up dharma realm and directions. So based on the function of the four elements, means, as I said, fire, wind, earth, and water. And five is plus ku, shi, ki, plus one, space.

[75:40]

And six is another one, consciousness. Those make four elements used since early Indian Buddhism. And five elements, one, space or emptiness, is added, I think, in Mahayana Buddhism. And last one, shikhi or consciousness, is added in Vajrayana Buddhism. and make it six elements, six great elements. Anyway, based on the function of those elements, as a kind of an experiment, we make the origin and access and try to measure where something is, and how it is, and whether it's good or bad. So every judgment or value judgment is really tentative things, not absolute things.

[76:49]

That is what he is saying. Did you say that consciousness is also one to five in a way? Pardon me? That if you thought of it, consciousness is also one to five and containing it. One to five. I'm sorry. Does consciousness contain the other five? Is that your question? Does consciousness contain the other five? You mean? I don't know. I don't know. I'm sorry. Well, so, it is not that. The heaven of non-conception, heaven of non-conception is the highest heaven of the three worlds.

[77:54]

Three worlds is world of desire, world of material or form, and world of no-form. And world of no-form in the world or realm of meditation or samadhi, and the highest heaven, highest layer of this samadhi is called the heaven of non-conception. This is the name of the kind of samadhi Shakyamuni Buddha first studied with his Indian teacher, whose name is Arama Karama. Alamakarama, yes. Anyway, is above. It is not that. The heaven of non-conception is above. And the Abhikheru, Abhikheru is the lowest place of this Indian Buddhist cosmology.

[78:59]

The most difficult, painful place in the world is called Abhikheru. is below. So he says, the highest heaven is not up and the lowest hell is not down. But Abhikhi is the entire Dharma realm. And the heaven of non-conception is the entire Dharma realm. So each condition of our life is within the six realms. within transmigration, in which we are transmigrating, is the entire world, the entire Dharma realm. So it seems that Dogen doesn't really believe that the theory of transmigration within the six realms from past life to present life to present life to next life.

[80:04]

I think he's saying that the six realms are right now within our life at this moment. And we are always transmigrating within six realms. And in whatever condition, that condition is the entire dharma realm at this moment. Five minutes more. Let me read a little more. One more paragraph. Nevertheless, when dragons and fish see water as a palace, just as when humans see palaces, they do not view it as flaws. He returned to the analogy of water and dragon or fish, heavenly beings, hungry ghosts, and humans.

[81:10]

So for dragons and fish, the water is their palace. As we think this kind of building is our dwellings. And if some outlooker were to explain to them that their palace was flowing water, they would surely be just as amazed. As we are now, to hear it said, the mountain flows. I think so. Because, you know, that is completely against their perception. So, Dogen knows, you know, mountains flow is against our perception. Still, there would undoubtedly be some dragons and fish who would accept such an explanation of the railings, stairs, and clams of palaces and pavilions."

[82:23]

So he's saying there must be some fish or dragon who could see or who could accept such teaching. And he's asking to his student, you should see that one thing works. We should calmly consider over and over the reason for this. So we should think of, really, thoroughly think about this strange thing. By thoroughly thinking, we are liberated from our thinking. So this kind of studying or reading Dogen's writing is a kind of, I think, same as koan practice in the teacher. Whatever you say, the teacher says, no. And we have to try, you know, repeatedly many times.

[83:29]

unless we get tired to think more and give up thinking. So we do this, you know, using thinking. This is called, in Zen, this is called, you know, taking the wedge, wedge out, using the wedge. Do you know this expression? Wedge. When we split wood, we use a wedge, you know, hit into a wedge, and sometimes, not sometimes, but it couldn't get out and couldn't go further. Then we use another wedge to make the space larger, bigger. Then we can take that wedge out. So we use our thinking in order to be liberated from our thinking.

[84:32]

If our study is not liberated from these confines, we have not freed ourselves from the body and mind of the Komona. We have not free comprehended the land of the Buddhas and ancestors. We have not free comprehended the land of the Komona. We have not free comprehended the palace of the Komona. So by being liberated from our fixed or ready-made way of thinking created by our karma, including our education or the process of learning languages or concepts, we don't really see the reality of our life. That is what he is saying. So we have to go through it. I think I have time to finish. I continue this afternoon.

[85:38]

Thank you.

[85:39]

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