Good afternoon. This is the last class of this Gensō-e Sesshin. This afternoon, I'd like to talk on Sections 16, 17, and 18, because those three Sections are in Dogen Zenji discussed, not discussed, but picked up or introduced the same topics. 16 is Daiji Kanchu Zenji. Daiji Kanchu, this person lived from 780 to 862. He is a disciple of Hyakujo Ekai, the person who established the Shingi, or pure standard.

[01:04]

Then Master Daiji Kanchu said, expounding 10 feet is not like practicing one foot. Expounding one foot is not like practicing one inch. Let me read those three sections together. This sounds like that he admonished people of his time who were struck in their practice and seemed forgot penetration of the Buddha way. However, he did not mean that ten feet of expanding is wrong. He said that one foot of practice has greater merit or virtue than ten feet of expanding. It is not only limited to the measurement and the comparison between 10 feet and one foot, but also there should be a discussion of difference between the size of Mount Sumeru and the poppy seed.

[02:23]

Mount Sumeru has its own entire measurement, and the poppy seed also has its own entire measurement. The vastness of continuous practice is like this. This present expression is not Kant's personal expression for himself, but it is Kant's expression of himself. Great Master Tozan Go-hon or Dongshan Wu-bun said, Expound what cannot be practiced, practice what cannot be expanded. This is a saying of our founding ancestor. The essential meaning of this saying is that we should clarify the path which allows practice to penetrate expanding. And that there is a path which allows expanding to penetrate to practice.

[03:29]

Therefore, we practice throughout entire day what we expand throughout entire day. The essential point is that we practice what we cannot be practiced. I'm sorry, we practice what cannot be practiced, and we expound that what cannot be expounded. Great Master Kōkaku, or this is again Ungo, Ungo Dōyō, Tōzan or Donshan disciple of Mount Ungo, Having completely penetrated this utterance, said, when we expound, there is no path of practice. When we practice, there is no path of expounding.

[04:33]

This utterance does not mean that there are no practice and expounding. The time of expounding is not leaving monastery for entire lifetime. The time of practice is washing head and go in front of the temple. We should neither put aside nor misconceive their utterance. When we expound, there is no path of practice. When we practice, there is no path of expounding." So basically those three, the masters, are saying about the practice and expounding. Here, expounding means talking about dharma, discussing. So expression of dharma using words.

[05:36]

And the first Daiji Kanchu said, expounding 10 feet is not like practice one foot. you know, discussing, talking about practice or dharma for, you know, ten feet is not like practicing one foot means one foot of practice is much better than ten feet of discussion. And expanding one foot is not like practicing one inch. So one inch of practice is better than one foot of discussion. This is very basic Zen teaching.

[06:40]

Close your mouth and just do it. It's very famous teaching. Shut your mouth and do it. But Dogen Zenji's teaching is a little more complicated. This is a kind of common sense of Zen practice, but Dogen discusses more in detail. This sounds like that he admonished people of his time who were struck in their practice and seemed forgot penetration of the Buddha way. This is common understanding of this thing. However, Dogen always said, however, or bad, or nevertheless. However, he did not mean that ten feet of expanding is wrong.

[07:48]

He said that one foot of practice has greater merit than ten feet of expanding. So Dogen is saying ten feet of expanding is okay, but one foot of practice has more merit So according to Dogen, this master doesn't say we should shut our mouth, but we should speak out. For Dogen, Dōtoku, or expressing the Dharma, or way, or practice, is very important. So when we see the dharma and when we practice the dharma, we have to express it with our words, with using words, verbal expression. But still, you know, talking about practice or dharma is less important than practice.

[08:54]

It really leaves it out. That is for sure. And it is not only limited to the measurement and the comparison between 10 feet and one foot. So he's saying it's not a matter of comparison. 10 feet of discussion has its own value. And one foot of practice has its own value. And he's saying we don't need to measure Our weight fit is 50. and continue. But also, there should be a discussion of difference between a side of Mount Sumeru and a poppy seed. This is a famous expression in Mahayana Buddhist Sutra. I think in Vimalakirti Sutra, the expression that within a poppy seed, Mount Sumeru is stored.

[10:02]

can be stored. That means within the smallest thing, the largest thing can be stored. That means there's no measurement, no compartment. uh one tiny poppy seed has its own value as it is and one smell has its own value as it is like uh you know whichever I said a violet is violet and rose is rose you know to be for uh for a violet to be bloom the flower violet is 100%. And for a rose, to bloom a rose flower, we don't need to compare which is better or which is more variable or which is bigger or smaller.

[11:09]

So Logan said, Mount Sumeru has its own entire measurement. And the poppy seed also have its own entire measurement. So poppy seed is also, in Dogen's expression, 10-direction world, poppy seed. And Mount Sumeru is 10-direction world Mount Sumeru. And each one of us is a 10-direction world self. That is, you know, so there's no compartment, no kind of objective evaluation. What we should do as a practice is do our best and bloom our own flower. And the vastness of continuous practice is like this. So if you can practice one inch, that's OK. If you can practice one foot, that is also OK.

[12:18]

If you can preach or expand 10 feet, that is also OK. But this is a massage thing. One inch of practice has more merit than 10 feet of expanding. So this person is still measuring. But this is, in a sense, a way to encourage his children and saying, shut your mouth and practice when they don't like to go to lendo. As a responsibility of a teacher said, shut your mouth and go to lendo. And this present expression is not Kancho's personal expression for himself, but it is Kancho's expression of himself. I'm not sure this translation makes sense or not in English, but Dogen Zenji just repeats the same thing.

[13:27]

He said, the present expression of Kanchu is not Kanchu's personal expression, but it is Kanchu's personal expression. Just a moment. The personal expression is ji-i-do. G is self. E is for the sake of. And do is, in this case, speak or expression. So Dogen then said, this is not can choose GE do, but this can choose GE do.

[14:32]

So he just repeated the same thing. Usually, this doesn't make sense. So my understanding is that this expression of kanchu, is not, how can I say, to make certain evaluation for the sake of himself. But this expression, this saying is itself expression of Daishi Kanchu. That means by this saying, he expressed himself. It's not a matter of this expression is for the sake of this person or that person.

[15:34]

Jizo is a kind of opposition of taido, the saying for others. that means this saying is not for the sake of teaching his students, but this, well, maybe the first part, maybe we can say, you know, this is not Kanchu's Jido, this is not the saying for him, but maybe for his students. But in the second part, This is Kancho's Jido. That means Kancho expresses himself with this word. Does it make sense? Maybe not. Please. Well, what I'm wondering is those churches that you're thinking of, they present expressions.

[16:35]

In each phrase, there's a whole bunch of other characters. Could you tell us something about those other characters? I don't think so. Other characters are not so particular. Today, or not today, but this present moment, that dotoku is not conscious Jido, but conscious Jido. Please. Okay, please.

[18:47]

. Pardon me? . Painting of pipe. . Yeah, something like that. This is a saying, but this is not a saying. Something like that. This is a word, but this is not really a word. But this is Kancho himself. Okay, I'm going to Tozan. Tozan said, Expound what cannot be practiced, and practiced what cannot be expounded.

[19:48]

So he's saying, our practice, you know, the Dharma or practice, cannot be expounded, explained, fully expressed using words. So we need to practice. So our practice is a practice of something we cannot be expound. And when we discuss or say something or express something or Dharma or practice with words, then we are discussing or trying to discuss the realities which come to be practiced. Does it make sense? Uh, second part. Uh, practice that can't be expanded.

[20:49]

Uh-huh. Uh, how can I say? Well, you know, from Buddhas, you know, there are many teachers having expounded these things. And I think what Todain is saying is those explanations or expanding or preaching or teaching using words is, you know, how can I say, they expounded what they couldn't practice So when we practice, we practice but we cannot express using words. And when we use words, we express that cannot be expressed or practiced, cannot be practiced, cannot be done.

[21:55]

You know, like, you know, That's a good example. Please. Saving all beings. Well, please. I think this is not an answer to your question, but I think basically practice and teaching, this expanding means teaching or liking, like what Dogen is doing here, and what the relationship between teaching and practice.

[23:01]

And I think these two are like actually traveling. and reading a travel guide or reading a map. As a personal experience or as a practice, no matter how long we walk around in this country, I think we cannot even imagine the shape of this country. But map is not a real thing. But map is a kind of accumulation of the information from long time ago. It's a fabrication. It's not a real thing. But still, if we don't have a map, we cannot even imagine the shape of the continent. So even when we try to practice as much as possible, our practice is based on our understanding.

[24:07]

And unless we have a whole picture of the practice or Buddha way, we may be lost in anywhere, and we cannot see the whole picture. So the teachings, like sutras or a commentary of sutras or writings like Dogen, they are the kind of a copy of their practice. And we have our entire library of Buddhist texts. Those are really just a collection of maps. And yet, you know, then if we just practice by our own without studying those maps, we may go astray, somewhere we should not go. So, teaching over those maps or scriptures are kind of, you know,

[25:13]

expression or explanation of what we cannot practice. If we don't study those things in our practice, we may go somewhere else. Please. Maybe. I think it can be one meaning of this saying. Please. Yes. But that is a part of reality. The map is a part of the earth, I think. Let's see. So Dogen continued. This is a saying of our founding ancestor, because Tozan is a founder of Soto Zen tradition.

[26:20]

The essential meaning of this saying is that we should clarify the path which allows practice to penetrate expounding. In this case, expounding means a teaching, I think. So through practice, we penetrate the teaching, Buddha's teaching. And there is a path which allowed expounding to penetrate to practice. So expounding or teaching should be practiced. So teaching and practice is not two different, separate things, but teaching is for practice, and practice is a practice of teaching. So those two should be one thing. I think that is what he's saying. In somewhere else Dogen is discussed about .

[27:29]

Pardon me? I think so. Yeah. Actually doing things and kind of a theory or a description of that activity. Those two, I think. So Buddhist teaching is supposed to be practiced, and practice should be the practice of the teaching. I think that is the basic meaning. Setsu is expanding, the Dogen used here, and Gyo is practice, and Shu is essential truth or reality, as I said in Shu-kyo.

[28:46]

And Dogen said just this Shu and Setsu and Gyo should be one. Sure, you know, our Buddhist teaching, expanding, Buddha's expanding Dharma is expanding a truth, basic truth. And our practice, our Buddhist practice, is a practice of the teaching about the truth. And the truth is about how we see the things in the true way. and how we live or practice. So these three should be really one thing. I think that is certainly the expounding or talking, discussing. Basically, what he's saying here is the same as this one.

[29:50]

Reality or truth, Buddha awakened to, and Buddha's teachings about that truth or reality, and Buddhist practice according to Buddha's teachings. So those three should be really one. Therefore, we practice throughout entire day. We practice what we expand through entire day. So what we talk all day long. should be that we practice all day long. So what we are doing and what we are talking should be the same thing.

[30:53]

Practice and our mind, our thinking should be one. But often, not really one. We think more than we do, usually. or what we do is a little different from what we think. It's twisted. Walk? Walk their talk. That means you should do what you say? Talk your walk. That is the same. That is Dogen. Please. Yes. Yes, he did. Actually, he wrote almost, not almost, but 75 volumes or chapters of Shobo Genzo by 1245.

[32:07]

And after that, he focused on giving Dharma discourses, Dharma talks. Of course, I think he continued to write or improve his writing. I think he talked a lot. He wrote a lot. And he practiced a lot. Yes. And Dogen saying, the essential point is that we practice what cannot be practiced. So Dogen again twisted. We practice what we cannot be practiced, and we expound what cannot be expounded. you know, this has something to do with this, you know, circle of the way. Said the center of the circle is empty, so there's no way to discuss. You know, there's no way to say, make distinction, good, bad, or delusion, enlightenment, samsara, nirvana, or living beings and Buddha.

[33:23]

Those things are there, but still not there. That is the meaning of, you know, emptiness, or going beyond discrimination. But still those discrimination or distinction are there. So we, for example, in our garden, we sit with everything, those dichotomies, but we don't cling to either side, but we embrace all of them. That is the image of this circle. So when it's necessary, we can say anything. which Dogen doesn't worry or concern about this contradiction. Sometimes he said from this side, sometimes he said from that side. And logically speaking, those are completely contradicted.

[34:29]

But he doesn't matter. He doesn't mind. So in order to understand people or teaching like that, we need to see the same emptiness. Same, how can I say, emptiness which includes everything. Then third person is ungo, do-yo, again. He said, when we expound, there is no path of practice. When we practice, there is no path of expounding. This sounds like when we discuss, we just discuss, and no way to practice. And when we really actually practice, there's no way to discuss or expound. So when the time of practice, just practice, and time of discussion, just discuss, or expand, or express, whatever.

[35:41]

But Dogen is saying those two are not kind of separated. Those two include each other. Please. Yes, and expanding is itself practice. To say is a practice using our mouth and mind. So those two are not really two separate different things. So Dogen is saying these two include each other. This utterance does not mean that there are no practice and expanding. There are practice and there are expanding. But the time, he said, the time of expounding, time of talking or discussing or explaining, is not leaving monastery for entire lifetime.

[36:58]

Of course, this expression came from a Joshu's saying, if you don't leave a monastery, entire lifetime and say anything, say nothing, but you are not a mute. That means quiet practice, continuous practice is very eloquent expression of that dharma. And next one, the time of practice is washing head and go in front of Seppo. This is the expression from the story I talked the other day. There was a hippie monk from Seppo. from the Sepulveda Monastery and he had long hair and he took water from the deep valley stream and one monk from Sepulveda Monastery once met this person and they had some conversation

[38:16]

And I forget the question, but toward some question, this monk with long hair said something like, because since the valley is deep, the handle of the wooden cradle is long. Something meaningful. So in order to, you know, radle water of Dharma, we need a long handle, a ladle with long handles. And the monk reported this to Seppo, and Seppo beat the monk with a knife to shave his head. And Seppo said, if you can say something, I don't shave your head.

[39:20]

But if you cannot say anything, Then I'll shave your head." Then this monk just wash his hair and approach in front of sepals and put his head and let him shave. So this monk didn't say anything, but Dogen said this is a perfect expression or expounding of his understanding or practice. So both, you know, the time of expanding and the time of practice is kind of a silent practice. You know, keep practicing, continuous practice, you know, quietly, without saying anything, is perfect expression of, you know, our expanding of the Dharma, or this, you know, circle of the way.

[40:30]

And finally, Dogen said, we should neither put aside nor misconceive this utterance. When we expound, there is no path of practice. When we practice, there is no path of expounding. So this means, from Dogen's point of view, this ungod thing means when the time of practice is completely 100% time of the expanding. So there's no expanding besides this practice. And when the time of expanding, this action, activity of expanding is entire practice. So there's no such thing called practice outside of this thing. I think that is Dogen's interpretation of this ungo's saying. We have 10 more minutes.

[41:38]

Well, I'd like to, this is, I think, a fact I can talk about Gyoji. I'd like to introduce one. Dharma discourse from Ehe Korok. And he's talking about exactly the same thing, quoting the same quote from those three Zen masters and two more. And this is quite long, but I just read. And You know, Shobo Genzo Gyoji was written in 1242. Dogen Zenji was 24 years old, I mean 42 years old. And this Dharma discourse is made in 1252, ten years later, and the year, one year before his death.

[42:47]

So this is kind of a final conclusion. of Dogen, I think. Pardon me? Eihei Koroku. Eihei Koroku is a collection of Dogen's formal Dharma discourses given at Dharma Hall. This is discourse number 498. Ehe Koro includes 522. That's many. And that's 10 volumes. And Taigen, and I have been working on translation of this text for three and a half years. And right before this session starts, we finished 10 volumes. Try that again.

[43:50]

Of course, we have more work to make it a book. But the translation part was done. Anyway, so this is Dharma Talk by Dogen, one year before his death. Those who are truly endowed with both practice and discernment. Discernment is a translation of ge, that means understanding, so same as expanding, intellectual understanding, or practice and wisdom. are called ancestral teachers. So a person who endowed both practice and understanding are called ancestral teachers.

[44:54]

What is called practice is the intimate practice of the ancestral school, intimate practice, being one with everything. What is called discernment or understanding is the discerning understanding of the ancestral school. The practice and discernment of Buddha ancestors is simply to discern what should be discerned and to practice what should be practiced. Ancestral teacher Nagarjuna said, all the Zen people reside in the deep mountains. You should know that for departing the traveling vassal and traveling vassal and attaining quiet serenity, there is nothing like the deep mountains.

[46:03]

Even if you are foolish, you should abide in a deep mountain, because the foolish abiding in towns will increase their mistakes. Maybe it's true. Even if you are wise, you should abide in a deep mountain, because the wise abiding in towns will damage their virtue. This is his conclusion of his life. You know, 20 years before, when he talked about the talks recorded in the Zuimonki, he said, you know, being practiced in a hermitage, a quiet place, or founding a monastery to share dharma with many people.

[47:09]

And he started to work. and founded a monastery in Kyoto. And when he wrote Gyoji, he was still in Kyoto. And 10 years later, he was saying, here, this one, either you are stupid or clever or wise, you should live in deep mountains. Of course, we can interpret this deep mountain as not a place, but as our Dazhen, quiet Dazhen, of course. I, Eihei, in my vigorous years, searched for the way west of the Western Ocean. That means he went to China. And now, in my older years, I abide north of the northern mountain. Although I am unworthy, I yearn for the ancient traces.

[48:17]

Without discussing our wisdom or unworthiness, and without discriminating between sharp or dull functioning, we should all abide in the deep mountains and dark valleys. Then he introduced five people's sayings about practice and expanding. First, Da Ji, or this is Da Ji Kan Chu, instructed the assembly saying, being able to expand 10 feet does not match practicing one foot. Being able to expand one foot does not match practicing one inch. Dong Shan said, expand what you are not able to practice and practice what you are not able to expand. Unju or Ungo said, when practicing, when practicing, there is no way to expound.

[49:28]

When expounding, there is no way to practice. Neither practicing nor expounding, which path should we tread? This is something he didn't say in Gyoji. And Rupu, another Zen master, said, when both practice and expanding do not arrive, that means do not complete, the original matter exists. There's something important matter to such. But when both practice and expanding arrive, complete, the original matter does not exist. So nothing to seek anymore. And finally, Dogen quote said, transcend right and wrong, going beyond discrimination.

[50:29]

Transcend right and wrong, and erase all traces. It is all the traces we have been doing. although encountering each other, we do not recognize our faces. In this case, meeting each other means practice and expanding with each other. But we do not recognize our faces, you know, both practice and expanding don't recognize each other. If we recognize If we recognize our faces, we do not recognize each other. These four venerable masters all have good points. This is one thing still. On the tip of their tongue,

[51:31]

At the present moment, there is no barrier at the crossroads. Right beneath our feet, right beneath our feet, there are no links attached to the five sense object. There are no links attached to the five sense object. So completely free. If you want to practice, just practice. If you want to expand, just expand. This want can be need to. When you need to practice, just practice. When you need to expand, just expand. Suppose someone asked Chuang-lu, this means Wang Chi himself, what is this wanting to practice? Just practice. I would say, walk on.

[52:35]

Keep walking. And two, fat is this wanting to expand, just expand. I would say, ah, A-H, expand. This is why she, you know, discuss about expanding and practice. And finally Dogen makes a comment. The teacher Dogen said, each of those five venerable masters spoke in such a way. Today, how can I, Eihei, not speak? Expounding horizontally and vertically, this means completely, from different perspectives. Expounding horizontally and vertically is one and the same as wondrous intimate practice.

[53:38]

And wondrous intimate practice is one and the same as expanding horizontally and vertically. So he's saying practice and expanding or teaching or understanding are completely not the same, but one thing. So our silent practice can be, you know, expanding. And our expanding, our discussion or teaching or understanding or studying is part of this, you know, quiet continuous practice. Those two are really one thing. I think that is what he's saying. So, you know, the point whether we should keep the practice pure and pure, simple and strong, or to share the Dharma with many people,

[54:51]

as a vow to save all living beings. I think this is Dogen's conclusion. He lived in deep mountains. In a sense, he escaped from the city and started to practice with a very small number of disciples. So that is his conclusion. And I think from the beginning, he had that kind of tendency, more to keep the practice pure and strong. And after he moved to a haze from Kyoto, he really went to that direction. But I think that is not the end of story. I think that is not the end of the cycle of the way.

[55:56]

It's already 4.35, but let me read one paragraph from the Lotus Sutra. A few days before Dogen died, Togen Zenji recited a part of the Lotus Sutra, and he wrote it down on the pillar of the house he stayed in during his final day. And this is a part he recited. Pardon me? Page number of this book, 298. The name of the section of the Lotus Sutra is Power of the Tathagata. Power of the Tathagata. In Japanese, Nyorai Jinriki Hon. Nyorai Tathagata Jinriki, Divine Power. Divine Power of Tathagata.

[57:04]

He said, this is the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, you should, after the extinction of the Tathagata, after Tathagata enter nirvana, wholeheartedly receive and keep, read and recite, explain and copy, cultivate and practice it as the teachings. in forever land, whether it be received and kept read and recited, explained and copied, cultivated and practiced as the teaching. Whether in a place where a volume of the sutra is kept or in a temple or in a grove or under a tree or in a monastery or in a lay devotee's house,

[58:11]

in a palace or a mountain, in a valley or in the wilderness, in all these places, you must elect a chaitiya. Chaitiya is a kind of stupa, another name for stupa. So elect a stupa means build a temple and make offerings. were fearful, you should know that all these spots, all these spots, all those spots, it said, all these spots are the thrones of enlightenment. The thrones of enlightenment, I think is the phrase for Shakyamuni Buddha in enlightenment, but it's under the Bodhichitta. On these spots, the Buddhas attain perfect enlightenment.

[59:14]

On these spots, the Buddhas roll the wheel of the law. On these spots, the Buddhas enter parinibbana. This is dog enchanted. After this, distortion death. That means everywhere in this world is a place where Buddha attained enlightenment and turned Dharma field, Dharma wheel, and entered nirvana. So we should build a temple. Temple means a place to practice. So even though his conclusion, his choice was to live in a mountain, in a deep mountain, but I said, you know, that was not the end of his practice, I think. His practice, or the cycle of his practice still, you know, going on.

[60:16]

And, you know, in the history of Soto then, four years, not four years, four generations after Dogen, Keidan Jokin really educated many disciples, and Foto-den temples were built all over Japan. And from that stream, you know, Foto-den had been practicing even outside of Japan. many places in the world. So I think his practice, Dogen's practice, and Dogen's continuous practice, Gyo-ji, is still going on. I think that is what we should remember when we study Gyo-ji. OK. OK. Thank you very much for listening.

[61:21]

This Genzoe has been kind of difficult for me, because I couldn't make enough preparation. So I prepared after lunch and after evenings again. So I was sleepy. Thank you very much for studying and practice with me. I hope this is not the last time. Thank you again.

[62:03]

@Transcribed_UNK
@Text_v005
@Score_90.79