Good morning, everyone. In this Genzo-e, we are going to study Shobo Genzo Bussho in Japanese. Bussho means Buddha nature. I use this translation by Norman Waddell and Masao Abe. Do all people have the text? OK. Actually, I had a Genzo event in February at San Francisco Zen Center. And I talked on the first half of this chapter of Shobo Genzo. So this time, I'm going to talk on the second half. But before starting to talk on the second half, I'm going to, as an introduction, first talk a little bit about the fathed buddhanature as a Buddhist term, before Dogen.

[01:19]

Otherwise, fat Dogen discussing doesn't make any sense. And I try to... briefly review the first half. And probably from tomorrow, I can start the second half of this chapter. First of all, I'd like to, how can I say, tell you the structure of this chapter. This is divided into 13 sections. 13. And if you have this book, the first beginning is page 60.

[02:21]

And if you have this version, same translation, But this is what I typed for myself. Of course, the first section is page number one. And second... Let's see. In this book, page 65, about the middle of this page, it says, Buddha said, if we wish to know the Buddha-natures. This is the beginning of the second section. First, let me talk about this book. And third section starts page 67. The 12th Patriarch, Ashibha Gosha, is the beginning of the section 3.

[03:25]

And page 69, the beginning of 69, says, the 5th Patriarch, Zen Master Taman, this is the beginning of section 4. And page 72, said, when the six Chinese patriarchs, Chan Master T'achen of Mount Tasho, this is beginning of section 5. And section 6, start page 75, said, the six patriarchs taught his disciple Hsinchang. This is the beginning of section 6. And page 77, section 7, says, the sage Ryūjū Sonja, the 14th Patriarch.

[04:32]

This is the beginning of section 7. And this section is very long. It continues until page 84. The bottom of page 84, it says, National Teacher Chang of Hangzhou. This is the beginning of section 8. On page 86, about the middle of this page, it says, Chang Master Ta Yang of Mount Ta Kui. This is the beginning of Section 9. On page 88, second paragraph, Chan Master Ta-chi of Mount Po-chan is the beginning of Section 10. And the bottom of the same page, Aishwampo was sitting in Nan-chan's tea room, is the beginning of Section 11.

[05:39]

Excuse me. Can you go back to what is section 10? Section 10 start page 88, second paragraph. The paragraph starts something like, Chan Master Tachi on Mount Po-Chan. OK? And section 11 start at the bottom of the same page. And section 12 begins page 91. The last paragraph of page 91 said, a monk asked Chao Chu Chen Chi Ta Shi. This is section 12. And the final section 13 start 94. The second paragraph from the bottom said, at an assembly of the practitioners under Chansha Tsim K'ien, Master Chu said.

[06:58]

This is the beginning of section 13. And this time I'm going to talk from section 8, page 84. But today I'm going to talk about what Buddha nature is as a Buddhist terminology. And also, maybe this afternoon, I'm going to review the first seven sections. This chapter, Shobo Genzo Bussho, was written in the year 1241. As you know, Dogen Zenji was born in the year 1200.

[08:05]

And he became a Buddhist monk when he was 13. So 1213. And he started to study Zen with his original Japanese teacher, Myōzen, in 1217. So he was 17 years old. And in the year 1223, he went to China together with his teacher, Myōzen. And he stayed in China until 1227. And he went back to Japan after he received Dharma transmission from Tendo Nyojo Zenji. And in this year he wrote Fukanza Zengi, the original version of Fukanza Zengi, or Universal Recommendation of the Zen.

[09:10]

This is a very short and poetic description of how to sit and what's the meaning of Zazen. And from 27 to 30, 1230, he stayed at Kenninji, the original Rinzai monastery he practiced together with Myōzen. But somehow he found that was not good place for him to transmit the Dharma and practice he received from his own teacher. So he left Kenminji and started to live by himself in this year. And the next year, 31, he wrote Bendowa. Bendowa is a description of what is his zazen.

[10:15]

And he named his zazen Jijūyū Zanmai. And Jijūyū Zanmai is the main first part of Bendowa. And he made up 18 questions and he gave his own answer to those questions people at his time may have. And he lived in that way by himself until 1233, so a few years. And in this year, he founded his own monastery, Koshoji. So Dogenzen became the abbot of this small temple. And maybe he had a small number of disciples. And in this year he wrote Shobo Genzo Makahanya Haramitsu. Makahanya Haramitsu is Mahaprajna Paramita. This is a kind of a very precise comment on the Heart Sutra.

[11:21]

And he wrote Makahanya Haramitsu during the summer practice period. And in the fall, in the autumn, he wrote Genjo Kōan. This is also a very well-known and important writing of Dogen. These Makahanya, Harami-chan and Genjo Koan is the first two writings of Shobo Genzo. So this is the beginning of writing Shobo Genzo, 1333. So Dogen Zenji was still 33 years old, very young. as a Zen master. And he continued, and after, several years after he founded his own monastery, I think he was busy to establish the Sangha and temple buildings, so he didn't write Shoto Genzo until 1237.

[12:28]

1237 he wrote Ikka no Myōjū, or one bright pearl. And after 37, so during between 33 and 37, he wrote writings such as Endo Kyokun, or Instructions for the Cook, to give instructions, instruction how people need to practice that kind of inner attitude toward the Sangha practice. And also Gakudo Yojinshu. Gakudo Yojinshu is a collection of ten very short independent essays written in Chinese. And the translation of this one is, points to watch in practicing the way.

[13:33]

And he also wrote the description of precept ceremony, or priest ordination ceremony. So, and after 37, he started to write many chapters of Shobo Genzo. And 1241, 1240, He wrote chapters such as Raihai Tokuzui, Raihai Tokuzui's Attaining the Marrow by Making Prostration, or Keisei Sanshoku, Sound of Valley Stream and Colors of Mountains, or Uji, Being and Time, and Sansui Kyo, mountains and water sutra.

[14:36]

So he wrote very important chapters in this year, 1240. And also he wrote a Kesa Kudoku on the virtue of Kesa, this rope. And 1241 he wrote, how many? ten volumes besides this chapter, Bussho, and he kept writing many chapters of Shobo Genzo until 1245. 1246 is the last year he wrote Shobo Genzo. That was shukke or home leaving. But between 1237 to 1245 and 1243, he left Kosho-ji and moved to Echizen to found another monastery, originally named Daibutsu-ji, and later renamed as Ehei-ji.

[15:54]

So, Shobu Genzo is Basically, the main part of Shodo Genzo was written at Kosho-ji and in the process of moving, not at Heiji. So two years after he wrote the Buddha-nature, he left Kyoto and moved to Echizen. And together with Dendowa and Genjo Kōan, this chapter, Busshō or Good Nature, have been considered to be three most important parts of Shōbō Genzo. That is when this writing was written. And I talk about the Buddha nature.

[17:05]

Please. Well, the trip itself took about one week or so, from Kyoto to Echizen. Not so far. Maybe one week was enough. But when they moved, they didn't have temples. So they had to stay in one very old temple, which has no kitchen. So it's said that Tenzo had to cook at the farming house in the bottom of the mountain and had to carry each meal. So this move must be very kind of sudden and not well-planned. So there must be some reason they had to move suddenly.

[18:11]

And we don't know why. And we were in a cage, and the monk had to carry the box of noodles down. Yeah. Maybe it was a certain incident. Yeah, now the head is too big. But during, while he stayed at those small old temples, one or two temples, he wrote more than 20 chapters of Shobu Genzo. So he was very productive during this period of transition. I thought you said that's not part of your Shobo Genzo, though, right? Yeah. Today, we don't think Bendowa is part of the Shobo Genzo.

[19:17]

But until I was a student, it was. And Bendo was included within the 95 chapter version of Shobo Genzo. That was made up in the, let's see, 18th century. Because people in the 18th century knew Dogen Zenzu wanted to write 100 chapters. and yet he couldn't because he died. So they tried to make Shobo Genzo as close as his original plan. So they collect all possible writings of Dogen Zenji and include a few things which was never considered to be a part of Shobo Genzo, such as

[20:18]

This one, bendowa, and something like ju-undo-shiki. Ju-undo-shiki is more like a regulation or rules in the Second Sōdo at Koshoji. And jiku-in-mon. Those three and a few more are not considered to be a part of shōbō-genzō. But they put them, people in 18th century put them together and made 95 chapter version of Shobo Genzo. But that was not Dogen Zenji's intention. So today, we don't think Gendo is a part of Shobo Genzo. Sensei, is there any indication, looking back at the other five chapters, No one knows.

[21:21]

OK. Buddha nature. Buddha nature is, of course, a very important concept in Mahayana Buddhism. This is the word buddha-nature. We don't know the original word of buddha-nature in Sanskrit. Some people, scholars, think that is a translation of buddha-ta. Ta is a word which makes kind of a What is the word? Make this word as a... I forget the word. Something like a mess in English. So buddhaness or something like that.

[22:33]

But this Sanskrit word, buddhata, is translated into Chinese in a different way. It's never translated as busho. Does busho mean buddhaness and closer to buddhaness than buddhaness? Pardon me? Buddha Tha is not like, in the case of Bussho, or Buddha nature, it's a kind of a, it's not about a Buddha. It's about human beings, not human, but living beings. So, Buddha nature is more like a possibility to become Buddha. And yet, Buddha nature and Buddha Tha, or Buddhaness, is constructed with the same. I remember last time you were saying that water has wetness as a quality.

[23:40]

Is that the same sense? Yeah, whether water is in the form of ice, or steam, or cloud, or river, or essentially the same, waterness is the same. Is this the same sense then? Yeah, I think so. In Mahayana Buddhism, they, Mahayana Buddhists, need this concept, Buddha nature. Before that, in the early Buddhism, they didn't need Buddha nature. Because no one thought, beside Shakyamuni Buddha, could become a Buddha. So, no one has Buddha nature, no possibility to become Buddha. So there's no need of Buddha nature. But somehow in Mahayana Buddhism, people started to think all living beings have possibility to become Buddha.

[24:47]

And they considered we can be all bodhisattvas. The word bodhisattva is used only referred to the Shakyamuni Buddha before he became Buddha. So Bodhisattva or Bodhisattva in Pali is only one particular person. And as a Bodhisattva, Shakyamuni practiced many lives in different forms of life. And finally, 2500 years ago in India he was born and he became really a Buddha. So, both Sattva and Buddha means only Shakyamuni, refers to only Shakyamuni.

[25:48]

But in the Mahayana Buddhism people started to think not only Shakyamuni, but all of us. All living beings, not only humans, have the possibility to become Buddha. Only if we allow the so-called body mind, or bodhicitta, that is a vow to become Buddha, and actually practice toward that direction, all of us can be Bodhisattvas. And that means we have possibility to become Buddha, all of us. Yeah. Of course there are many interpretations. But at that point Dogen is going to discuss what is Buddha nature. Anyway.

[26:50]

So, even though we are considered to be a bodhisattva, we allow body-mind and start to practice. Somehow we find we are not like Buddha. We are so self-centered and so deluded. Even our bodhicitta can be self-centered. I want to become Buddha. It's a very deep desire. And even though we try to practice as much as possible, still we are deluded, and we create so many problems, and we are not so strong like, you know, Shakyamuni. So, and yet, somehow we want to practice, and in order to practice in this way, we need a kind of a faith that even though now at this stage, at present stage, we are so deluded, so self-centered, and our practice is so incomplete, still if we continue to practice in this way,

[28:10]

for many years, there's a possibility to become Buddha. Without this kind of faith or trust, we cannot practice. And it doesn't make sense to practice in that way. So we need something which kind of assures that the future Otherwise there is no way to practice, practice is not so easy thing. We need to go through very difficult conditions. So without this faith or trust in the possibility to become Buddha, that means we are in a state, very immature stage as a Buddha's children.

[29:14]

And yet, if we are Buddha's children, if we grow, keep growing, and practice and study things, then we become Buddha when we grown up. So, for Bodhisattva or Mahayana Buddhism, this faith or trust is really important. It becomes, it's almost like a foundation of Bodhisattva path or practice. So this concept or word or expression, Buddha nature, was made up actually within Mahayana Sutra. Before that there was no such word in Buddhism. And the first Mahayana sutra which refers to this concept of Buddha nature or Buddha nature, another word for Buddha nature is Tathagatagarbha.

[30:25]

Tathagatagarbha. Tathagatagarbha is the same as Buddha. And Garbha means embryo. Embryo or womb. The first Mahayana sutra which discusses this word. In Indian Buddhism actually, Tathagata Garbha is more common than the word Buddha nature. The first sutra that discusses about Tathagatagarbha is named Tathagatagarbha Sutra. And this is one of the so-called, how can I say, middle Mahayana sutras. That means Mahayana sutras are categorized into three phases.

[31:34]

First, the early Mahayana sutras, such as Prajnaparamita Sutra, or Lotus Sutra, or Avatamsaka Sutra, those were written before Nagarjuna. In India, the history is not so clear, so we can only say that before Nagarjuna, the sutras made before Nagarjuna, I think Nagarjuna lived second to third century. So Mahāyāna sutras made before that was called early Mahāyāna sutras. And between Nagarjuna and Vāspandhū, Vāspandhū is another important Mahāyāna, Indian Mahāyāna philosopher. Belongs to a Yogacara school. And he lived around 5th century. So between the sutras made between Nagarjuna and Vasubandhu was called Middle Mahayana Sutras.

[32:46]

And the sutras made after Vasubandhu was called later Mahayana Sutras. And this is made between Nagarjuna and and after Nagarjuna, before Vasubandhu. Because within Nagarjuna's writings, we couldn't find this kind of concept of Buddha nature or Tathagatagarbha. And Vasubandhu wrote a thesis about Buddha nature. And when we read this sutra, Tathagatagarbha Sutra, it's kind of very interesting. In the beginning of this sutra, it describes, you know, the Dharma dance.

[33:51]

This entire universe is filled with lotus flowers. It's so beautiful and glorious. But somehow the lotus flowers wither and die out and rot and smell so bad. But somehow each and every, you know, not beautiful anymore, smells bad lotus flowers. There's Buddha. Each Buddha is sitting. So the rotten flower refers to each one of us. That means we used to be like a lotus flower, dharma flower, but somehow we are rotten.

[34:53]

It smells bad. And yet, within this rotten flower, Buddha is sitting. That is the beginning of this Tathagatagarbha Sutra. So the image of Tathagatagarbha or Buddha nature is even though we are covered with delusions, still within us a Buddha is sitting. That is the very basic image of Tathagatagarbha or Buddha nature. This sutra mentions four kinds of metaphors or images of Buddha nature. Not four, but let's see, nine. Those are, you know, sitting Buddha within the rotten lotus flower is the first one.

[36:02]

And second one is like a honey. Honey? Honey within the beehive. Honey is, you know, very sweet thing. But if we want to get honey, we have to somehow work with the bees. Until we have to do something with the beans, we cannot get the honey. That is another image of buddha nature or the Tathagatagarbha. That means those beans are our delusions. Even though honey is there, until we get rid of beans, we cannot get the honey. That is the second image of Buddha nature. Well, there are, you know, in each examples or metaphor, there are some points which fit and some points which doesn't fit.

[37:32]

So we need to make the image through all these images. So let me continue. And another one is a grain covered with husk. You know, like rice, until we take the husk out, we cannot eat rice. So nutrition is there, but for us human beings, unless we take the husk out, shell out, and refine, we cannot eat. So this is also again covered by something which is not useful. And the husk is our delusion. And the fourth image or example is a gold, piece of gold. Piece of gold fell into, what is the word?

[38:42]

I checked the word and talked at San Francisco. Yeah, that's it. Night soil. Night soil. Night soil. Do you understand? Could you explain? You know, in Japan we had a place to, you know, save, store the sheep in order to make it a compost. And, you know, the gold is a very precious thing and which never doesn't change. So even if, you know, the piece of gold is within the night soil, it's still gold.

[39:50]

It's not affected by the smells. And yet, you know, we don't know. Unless we found it and wash it, you know, we cannot use it as a piece of gold. So it's very precious and important and valuable, and yet it's hidden. It's a very dirty thing. That is an image of Buddha nature. And the fifth is a very poor family, built in a very, you know, half-broken house. But somehow, underneath of the house, there are treasures buried. So, but those poor people didn't know that the gold is there underneath the ground.

[40:58]

And someone who knew that visited the family and tell them, you have a really great treasure. And when they dug, dig the ground, they found the treasure. That is another image of Buddha nature. That means we don't know. even though we have a treasure. And yet, the treasure is hidden. So we need someone to teach me that you have a great treasure. And if we dig the ground, if we practice, we can find that treasure. So Buddha nature is something like a hidden treasure. Here, it says that somebody has asked to have a discovery for you. Pardon me? Does it say that somebody else from outside has to find it for you? Well, in this case, that person means a teacher or Buddha. Because up to now, before the exam, before, you have to do it yourself.

[42:03]

But in here, none of it says that the teacher has to do it. And sixth metaphor is seeds of trees. You know, within a seed, we cannot find anything like a tree, a huge tree. But when a seed is planted in the soil, and it has certain conditions which support the sprout and grow, the seeds start to grow and become a huge tree which provides a cool shade to all living beings. So tree is an image of Buddha. And we are like a seed of a tree. You know, within us there's nothing like a tree, huge tree.

[43:07]

But if we you know, allow the body-mind and start to practice and grow and if all other conditions help us to keep practice, in the future we can be like a Buddha, like a huge big tree. So that seed is another image of Buddha-nature, Watataigata Garbha. Does Garbha also mean seed? No. Garba means embryo has a baby within womb, or also means womb. It can be both. So something contained in the container. Both. So finally, put a seed in a variety of ancestors would be something different. Put a seed would be... Later, the... What shall I do?

[44:21]

The difference between araya consciousness and parvata-garbha, or nyorai-do, became kind of a topic to discussion, whether these two are same or different. And there are many interpretations. And seventh image is, according to the sutra it says, someone wants to carry a golden Buddha statue, but he's afraid of bandits. So he hide the golden Buddha statue with rags, very dirty rags, try not to sing something important. And as he expected, he was attacked by the bandit, and he was killed, and the golden Buddha

[45:34]

covered with rags were abandoned in the desert. So no one knew there was such an important Buddha statue within the dirty rags. But someone later came and found that thing and opened the rags. The person found the golden Buddha. That is another image of Buddha nature. So our Buddha nature was abandoned. We don't know. We don't care. We care more about how to take care of my desire and chase after something we want. But we don't care about the Golden Buddha hidden within that Iraq. I don't know.

[46:36]

I don't think so. S1 doesn't make sense to me, but it said in ancient India, A woman from a very, you know, in India, the caste is very strict. And a woman who is from a very low caste, if that woman has a baby of a king, then the baby of that mother from the humble birth can be considered the king's son and has a right to succeed the throne.

[47:40]

That is another image. Yet, if the empress had the baby of a man from humble birth, it doesn't work in that way. And ninth is like when we, not we, but they make a Buddha statue. First they make the original form and put a mold. And put gold within the mold. And so the statue is still covered with mold. So in order to take the Buddha out, we have to destroy the mold.

[48:47]

That is a nice image of Tathagatagarbha or Buddha nature. So, through those nine examples, we can see the concept or image of Buddha nature. That is something very valuable, precious thing, and yet it's hidden within something dirty or valueless. That is The basic image of Buddha nature or Tathagatagarbha. I think so. I don't know how many, how long was the period, but I think from the beginning of Mahayana Buddhism, but start I think around first century before Common Era.

[49:55]

And this was written I think around third century, so at least two or three hundred years. So, from this metaphor, we can see Buddha nature is something very precious, but it is hidden within something dirty or valueless thing. And like a gold, even though it was hidden and covered with dirt or shit, still gold is gold. Gold. It doesn't change. It doesn't reduce the value. I think that is an important point of this metaphor. And, as a Buddhist philosophy, this concept of buddhanature or tathagatagarbha is problematic.

[51:05]

From the very beginning, You know, if, you know, this Buddha nature, vatatagatagarbha, is something hidden inside of us, living beings, and if it doesn't change, something like a sound like Atman, you know, Buddha taught, only five skandhas are here. Where is Buddha nature? which doesn't change, which is there, even when we are deluded. So, you know, an Atman, or no self, or no ego, no soul, is a very important point of Buddha's teaching. Then, what is that thing which doesn't change and which always exists within five skandhas? What is that?

[52:12]

is a question. So, even today, some Buddhist scholars think that the idea or theory of Tathagatagarbha is against Buddhism. It's more like Hinduism. Of course, this idea is generated within a kind of interaction between Buddhist teaching and Hinduism, I think. So, even today, Buddhist scholars are discussing whether this can be Buddhism influenced by Hinduism, or this is not Buddhism. exchanges like that, like Advaita Vedanta, especially about some Buddhist ideas from the Garjuna, but then it looks like their idea of Advaita Vedanta school of Hinduism, Hindu philosophy, had this idea of Atman that sounds kind of similar to this.

[53:23]

There's a tendency to objectify, reify, make something a thing. I think the Charnyama Sutra Buddha pointed out that there is impermanence means there must, in the same sense, be permanence. So that which is observing change is, by definition, that which does not change, even though it's not a thing. Yeah. When we think about something and make a concept, somehow that concept seems to really exist. That is a problem. So we need to always, how can I say, destroy or deconstruct those concepts. And that is what Dogen is doing in this writing. So he is trying to kind of save Buddha-nature from that kind of path. You know, to consider Buddha-nature something like Atman, which exists within ourselves and which doesn't change.

[54:28]

Or something like a seed. And if it grows, it becomes a Buddha. When you drop everything, people experience it in different ways, even though it's not nothing. It's experiential. What Dogen is saying is, buddhanature is not something, some kind of existence inside of ourselves, but it's a practice. It's our experience. So, it's moving, it's changing. One of the most important statements by Dogen in this writing is, in permanence is buddhanature. That is kind of against the common idea of buddhanature. That is like a gold which never changes.

[55:31]

Dogen said, buddhanature, the reality of impermanence itself, is buddhanature. And that can be experienced. Yeah. What's the difference between buddhanature, the idea of the idea of the Tathagatagarbha, and the Savastavadin idea of I don't think they believe in soul. What they said is, they analyzed Dharma. more than five skandhas and analyzed them and categorized into five categories and seventy-five dharmas. And they said these seventy-five dharmas exist all the time. So the dharmas in the past, dharmas in this present moment, and dharmas in the future are all

[56:41]

existent. So, the dharma in the past is still there, in the past. This is the idea of, you know, the Sarvajna. I mean, I think it's interesting. You know, without this kind of idea, we cannot think of, you know, time trip. If we can travel through time, then if the past is still there, then we can visit the past. But if the past is already really gone, then there is no way to go back to the past. And I don't know whether it's really possible or not. But that is the idea of Sarvajnapartha. Please. Could you explain what space was added as a discounter? Space? Space. Yes, space. There are two kinds of space.

[57:47]

One is space in this glass. If we fill this glass with water, that space is eliminated, disappears. That is one kind of space. I think, considered to be a looper. But even, you know, this space is filled with water, this space itself never disappears. And that is not a looper. That is considered as one of the three unconditioned beings. So when you ask the question, five scoundrels, where's the limit of entry? not necessarily as a separate skandha, but as space permeating the five skandhas is the same as buddhanature? Well, so, there are many different discussions, but the dogmatic discussion is buddhanature is not something, it's one of the five skandhas.

[58:51]

But the way five skandhas are, is buddhanature. That means empty. It's very much like Yeah. Okay, any questions so far? What is the basic concept or image of Buddha nature in Mahayana Buddhism? Please. What I understand you to say is that in order to become Buddha, there has to be a higher state which will lead to being a Buddha. Pardon me? There has to be a prior stage or something. Yeah. It will need to be. Yeah, so within this image, Buddhist practice is first we need to find, discover the gold, the treasure, Buddha nature. And next, we need to work to break the mold or clean the gold in the sheet.

[60:01]

you know, we should wash it. Our most well-known image of a diamond covered with dirt. When we get diamond from the earth, diamond is covered with dirt. So first we find, we need to find the diamond even though it's covered with dirt. We need to take the dirt away and polish the diamond. And this polishing the diamond is a process of our practice. That is the basic idea of Buddhist practice within Mahayana teaching, based on this idea of Tathagatagarbha. Please. Perhaps also helpful, the Buddhist image of gold. It has to be smelted. The gold ore is impure. It has to be smelted again and again and again. Yeah. Please. I don't know if it's historically the same.

[61:10]

You can say all beings have buddha nature, or you can say all beings are buddha, but Dogen seems to be saying all beings are buddha nature. Am I correct here? So basically, Dogen Zenji is criticizing the idea that we need, we are, Buddha nature is something like a golden Buddha statue covered with dirt. And, you know, this is the kind of idea of, you know, the Rinzai practice, Kensho. Kensho, shou means nature. Kensho literally means seeing Buddha nature. That means we need to discover the Buddha nature. That experience of discovering Buddha nature is Kensho.

[62:14]

Then, you know, in Rinzai Zen that is not the goal of our practice, but that is the starting point of practice. Then we need to polish the diamond for many years. But Dogen Zen didn't like this idea of, you know, to discover the treasure hidden inside of ourselves. So he tried to show us very different form of practice. Not form, but different... the practice which is not, how can I say, which is free from the idea of, you know, delusion, enlightenment, or shit and gold kind of idea. What he said, well, I'm going to talk about this when I start to talk Dogen's writing, but he said, all beings are Buddha-nature, or entire beings.

[63:22]

So it's not half of the being. or the essence of being is buddhanature, and yet it just is covered with dirt. What Dogen said is, dirt is also a part of buddhanature, not a part of its buddhanature. So it's not the half and half. You may as well say, not to belabor the idea, but you know, when one polishes a diamond, the structure, there is some expectation that it will come right. Right. So does Dogen Do you have any idea, just for perspective's sake, that this practice will eventually materialize into something like a diamond? I don't think so. Our practice, according to Dogen, is only in this moment, right now, right here. But that's a diamond covered with dirt. Whether it's diamond covered with dirt or its entirety of being is diamond.

[64:25]

So completely different kind of an image. So he's criticizing this kind of image, a common idea of Buddha nature in Mahayana Buddhism. So he's trying to show then fat is Buddha nature. So according to him, Buddha nature is not a possibility to become Buddha in the future. But buddha nature is the way all things are right now, right here. So no future expectation. I'm not sure. Maybe before Dogen someone thought so. And if we go too extreme, that is a problem. That means then why do we have to practice?

[65:28]

That was Dogen's question when he was a high teenager. If everything is gold or buddhanature, why do we have to practice? So what Dogen wanted to find is, everything is gold and yet we have to practice. And this is, I think, his point is, Practice is the goal. Practice is Buddha nature. It's not something hidden, and it exists within ourselves. Okay. Okay. Next I'd like to discuss of Buddha Nature according to the Mahayana Parinibbana Sutra.

[66:30]

And Uchiyama Roshi, my teacher, gave a series of lectures on the same writing, Buddha Nature, and he caught from the Nirvana Sutra and tried to discuss his understanding of Buddha nature. And I think it's important and helpful. In the Parinibbana Sutra is the most important sutra regarding the idea of Buddha nature. And the first statement, Dogen quotes, in this Shogogendo Bussho is also from the Parinibbana Sutra. In the Parinibbana Sutra, it's said, Buddha nature is, well,

[67:44]

In Japanese, Dai-ichi-gi-ku. Ku is emptiness. Dai-ichi means number one. Gi is meaning. Number one literally means, in this case, ultimate meaning. Meaning. Ultimate meaning of emptiness. So, the Sutra, Parinibbara Sutra says, Buddha-nature is emptiness in its ultimate meaning. So, emptiness is Buddha-nature. And he continued.

[68:47]

I mean, the sutra continues. Daichin-ku, this emptiness in its ultimate meaning, is Chūdō. Chūdō means middle way. middle way or path. So, emptiness, ultimate emptiness is middle way. Middle way means middle way between wu and mu. The idea of wu or existence and mu is non-existence. And this is really important when we read Dogen's Abisho, wu and mu. In traditional Buddhist philosophy, to think this being as U is one extreme, and to think this as Mu is another extreme.

[69:57]

And Chūdō or Middle Age, he, U, him. He, U and him. Not U, not Mu. This is Chūdō. Things are, you know, arising and staying for a while, changing the shape or conditions, and disappear. You know, this is our life. Born, stay for a while, changing the shape, and disappear, and die away. And we think before our birth we didn't exist, and during Our life between the time of birth and death, somehow we exist and changing the shape. So this is Wu. And when we die, we again become Mu. And according to Buddhist teaching, that idea, Mu become Wu, and Wu become again Mu, is a mistaken view.

[71:05]

So neither Wu nor Mu. is called Middle Way in this case. Or sometimes this Middle Way is, you know, the way of life to indulge in the, you know, pleasure. Or another extreme is to kind of ascetic practice as Buddha did, to weaken our energy, our physical energy. And people thought that is a release from desires. But here, Chūdō means he or him, neither you nor me. And the sutra continues, this Chūdō is Buddha. And this Buddha is Nehang.

[72:08]

Nirvana. Nirvana. So, this Buddha nature is emptiness. And emptiness means middle way. And the middle way is Buddha. And Buddha is nirvana. And then father is nirvana. In the sutra, and Dogen, not Dogen, but Uchiyama picked up two points of nirvana. One is nirvana is a state or condition. Maybe better not to use the word state or condition, but nirvana is extinguishing the fire of ignorance and desires based on the ignorance.

[73:18]

That is nirvana. As we, you know, studied in the Twelve Strings of Causation, you know, the basic basic cause of transmigration within samsara, or suffering, is ignorance. And because of ignorance, somehow we cling, grasp, crave things. And we have a bond with object. So consciousness and nāma-rupa are contact and sensation of present and un-present. arises, and depending upon whether present or unpleasant, we kind of react in different ways, and we create samsara. And according to Nirvana Sutra, nirvana means to extinguish that fire.

[74:28]

That means calm down. And in the short sutra that teaches the older version, original version of this dependent origination, that condition is mentioned by Buddha as a state of without ordinary perception, without disordered perception, without no perception, and without any annihilation of perception. So that is nirvana. And in my understanding, that is what we do in our zazen. So our zazen is nirvana. Anyway, another expression which I'm going to speak back from the sutra is hi-cho-hi.

[75:36]

Hikkyo means after all, or at the end, or as a conclusion, or ultimately. Ki means to return, to return. This ki is in like a ki-e. I take refuge in Buddha is nano ki-e butsu. This ki is to return. And another expression for taking refuge. Taking refuge is ki, same ki and myo. Ki-myo is another translation of namu. Namu, ki and butsu. And this myo means life. And Utena likes this expression, ki-myo. And he said, returning to the life.

[77:07]

So, nihan, or nirvana, is to return to the place we need to ultimately return. That is an expression Saokiroshi said in Japanese. Yukitsuku tokoro e yukitsuita. That is, I don't know the good translation into English of this expression. It's a very unique Japanese expression by Sawaki Roshi. Yukitsuku tokoro e yukitsuita means the way of life in the How can I say? Having returned or reached to the point or place we have to be returned or reached.

[78:18]

That means the ultimate or undeniable reality of life. Whether we deny it or negate it or we are living within that reality. That is, according to Buddhist teachings, that is impermanence, egolessness, and interdependent origination. That is whether we negate it or not. That is basic reality. And using our mind, almost always deviate from that reality. And when we find, you know, our life is depart from that reality, we feel sick, something not healthy. So we try to return to that original reality in which we are living. This returning to the undeniable reality

[79:24]

is kinyo, returning to the life. And, according, no, this is Uchiyama's interpretation of the expression from the sutra, that this is what nirvana means, to return to the undeniable reality of life. Yeah, dropping off body and mind. is returning to our life. And this is the fact we do in our Zazen also. I mean, when we sit in Zazendo, we sit facing the wall, and we keep this upright posture and breathe through our nose, deeply from our abdomen, And we keep our eyes open.

[80:27]

That means we don't sleep. And whatever idea or feeling or thought coming up, we just let go. That means we don't resist any thought. Most of them are like dust or shit. But we let them come up, and let them go away freely. And it stays for a while, changing the shape, and disappears. So our, our zazen, in our zazen, you know, those thoughts, feelings, or whatever is happening in our mind is like a cloud. Somehow it appears. And stays for a while, changing the shape, and disappears. And we don't control this movement of clouds. But what we do is keep this upright posture, deep and peaceful breathing, and keep our eyes open, and let go of whatever is happening in our mind.

[81:42]

And this is the point we need to return. Whenever we find we are deviating, we return. Sometimes we find our posture is not upright. And sometimes we sleep. And sometimes we interact with our thought. We're chasing after the thought. Whenever we found we are deviating from that point, We return to that point. Upright posture, breathing, awakening, and letting go of thought. That is how we return to the life. And that is what we do in our zazen. So, important point in our zazen is to return to that point. Of course, if it's possible to stay there forever, that's OK.

[82:46]

But more often, we are deviant. So whenever we find we are deviant, we return. This practice of returning is what Dogen Zenji called shikan taza, just sitting. Just sitting. And whenever we find we do something else, we return to just sitting. That is our practice. You know, in our daily lives, I think our precept and vow is a direction. And whenever we find we are deviated from that direction, we try to return. And taking this direction is our vow, bodhisattva vow. And yet, more often we deviate from that track. Then we need to make repentance.

[83:50]

So repentance is an awakening. But we are not on that track. Then we try to return. There are so many ways we deviate from that track. So whenever we find we are not there, we return. This returning to the path of Bodhisattva vows. It's actual practice. And this practice, according to Generos, is nirvana. So nirvana is not, how can I say, motionless state of our mind. But nirvana is actual You know, very active, lively process of going, keep practicing toward the direction of Buddhahood.

[84:55]

I think this point, you know, our nirvana, or therefore Buddha, and also middle way, and also that is emptiness, and that is Buddha nature. is all the same thing, and that is not some motionless, lifeless condition. But the way we practice, the way we live, that is Buddha nature. So Buddha nature, according to Dōgen, Buddha nature is not something precious hidden within the shit. But if we understand that point clearly, Fat Bogen is trying to say, you know, his writing is very difficult to follow. But we can see his point. So please keep this point in your mind when you read this chapter of Shobo Genzo.

[86:08]

Dogen is trying to show us different idea of, not idea, but reality or practice of Buddha-nature. That is different from the original, the common idea of Buddha-nature within Mahayana Buddhism. I think that's all I have to say as an introduction of this writing. I'm thinking this has huge implications and I don't even quite know the question to ask. One of the things it means is that when we talk to other people, we must understand each other well. But, I don't know, maybe, you know, something to say about it.

[87:14]

Well, whenever we read Buddhist texts, you know, the same word is used in very different ways. So, we need to, it's important to make, to make, what this person is saying, using this word, is really important. So, if when we read Dogen, if we interpret the expression like Buddha-nature as a common usage in Mahayana Buddhism, that Dogen thing doesn't make any sense at all. I forget about your question. Yeah. Dogen's point came from the understanding of nirvana in Mahayana Buddhism.

[88:18]

That is, samsara and nirvana are one. That means we cannot go to nirvana giving samsara. But we need to find nirvana within samsara. Please. I think his main point he's making here is nirvana is not hidden. Right. It's not at all hidden. Yeah, nothing is hidden, is his point. Everything is revealed. So buddha nature cannot be something hidden. That is his point. Buddha nature is always revealed, always here, right now, right here, if our eyes are open. Do you think that maybe underneath this there's a kind of cultural kind of like reconciliation going on? Of everything, it's important for everything to kind of be in this life, in Japanese, Chinese culture, because they didn't have this karma idea as a foundation in their culture.

[89:26]

You mentioned that before, like in Confucianism, there's an idea of ancestor, heaven, and I think so. I'm not sure about Chinese people or Chinese culture, but in Japanese, in Japan, we have different idea about life and death. And we don't really believe in the idea of transmigration or rebirth. Because no Japanese Buddhist negate the idea of, you know, transmigration, because that is Buddhist teaching.

[90:33]

But as an actual kind of feeling, somehow we are different. I mean, in Japan, you know, before, even before Buddhism came to Japan, we had some idea about life and death. And the basic idea in Japan is, when we die, we go to the realm of the dead. And that is not too far. For Japanese people, you know, when they died, our ancestors stayed in the mountains or the ocean. We cannot see them, but they are there. So... How can I say? Even after we become Buddhist, the idea is still there. That's why, you know, at least two, twice, or three times a year, the soul of ancestors come back, revisit their house.

[91:43]

And in every Japanese Buddhist temple, there's a hall enshrined the names of the ancestors of each family. When I lived in a temple, I thought it was really Strange. Then we think in logical way, very logical way. If, you know, the transmigration, the teaching of transmigration is true, you know, after 49 days, that person reborn something else. So, there's no such thing, you know, the ancestor. You know. And yet we think, we really not think, but we feel our ancestors' soul is somewhere in the mountains. And they sometimes, at least a few times a year, they come back.

[92:45]

So we are still in relationship with the ancestors. That is so-called ancestor worship in Japanese Buddhism. And to me, ancestor worship and the idea of transmigration or rebirth doesn't go well. In Indian culture, you know, reverse or reincarnation or transhumanization is something, you know, never doubted, never doubted, never questioned. But I think when Buddhism came to China, maybe Chinese people didn't really like that idea.

[93:51]

Not like, but understood. That idea. And, in Indian Buddhism, it says, from the time when we, or a bodhisattva allows bodhicitta, or body-mind, until we reach the Buddhahood, there are 52 stages, and it takes more than forever to reach there. So we need to practice life after life. Chinese people didn't really understand this idea, to practice life after life in order to reach the Buddhahood. So they thought they wanted, and one of the most well-known ways in Zen is the Buddhahood is Tathagatahood also, or Nyorai-chi.

[94:52]

an expression, Icho Jiki Nyonyo Raichi. Entering to the Tathagata-hood within one jump, directly. Directly entering to the Tathagata-hood or Buddha-hood with one jump, but in this moment. So Chinese people want to reach the Tathagata-hood now and here and now. That's the difference. So even though the idea of karma and rebirth is not negated as a Buddhist philosophy, somehow, deep in our mind, we don't believe it. I'm sorry, but I think that is true. At least in the case of Japanese Buddhists. I'm not sure about American Buddhists. It's worship, the word they use.

[95:55]

Is that called worship? Yeah, senzou, shuuhai, shuuhai means worship. Yes. That means in Shintoism, our ancestors, they become god. Not capital G god, but protectors. Any other question, please? I'm trying to suggest the impact of this. I'm thinking about what Roger Lipson said. Well, Zen isn't Buddhism. And right now, that's what I'm thinking. It's like the distance between the impact of Dogon's statement is enormous. That is a very interesting and important question. Yeah. I think Dogen believes his teaching and practice is Buddhism.

[97:00]

And I believe so. But, yeah, it's true. It's very different from original form of Buddhism. Maybe I would just not ask you to answer, but just to help me somehow along the way, The connection between Dogen and the original teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha. You talked about that not so long ago. Yeah, I think there's a common ground. And I think Dogen's teaching came from Chinese Zen. Chinese Zen came from Mahayana Buddhism. And Mahayana Buddhism also from Shakyamuni Buddha's teachings. So there are some, of course, connections. Instantaneous Theory of the Universe, whereas the, the abiding rising decay happens in a shana, you know, very microsecond.

[98:09]

At this moment, it's reborn different every moment. So I think this is the resolution of the graduate, if you will, I can come. That is Chinese or Japanese or Zen approach. So, now, we are going to study, thought of anything about the Buddha-nature.

[98:38]

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