Good morning. Yesterday I talked on the concept or expression Buddha-nature as a Buddhist terminology. And I briefly reviewed the first seven sections of Shobo Genzo Buddha-nature. So this morning I start to talk on section 8, that is page 84. From here, as I said, this Buddha-nature or Buddha-sho has 13 sections. So from here, number 8, Dogen Zenji discussed about the six so-called koans,

[01:04]

about a discussion about Buddha-nature. And it's kind of interesting. All those six people or Zen masters appear in those koan stories are all connected. And in section 8, in Chinese pronunciation, National Teacher Chi'an of Hsiang-cho in Yen-kan-shin, a distinguished priest and disciple of Matsu, this is the person. And because I don't know the Chinese pronunciation, let me use Japanese pronunciation. This master's name in Japanese is Enkan Sai'an. And in section 9, Chan Master Ta-yan or Mount Ta-kwei,

[02:21]

this is Isan Reyu in Japanese. And then section 10 is a discussion about the sayings of Chan Master Ta-chi or Mount Po Chan. This is Hyakujo Ekai. Hyakujo Ekai. Hyakujo Ekai. And number 11 is a story about Nanchuan and Hsuan-po. Nanchuan is Nansen in Japanese. Nan-sen-fu-gan.

[03:27]

And another person in this story is Hsuan-po or O-baku. O-baku-ki-un. And in this story, again, Isan Reyu and his student, Jou-san, Yan-shan, Jou-san, Ejak, appeared. And number 12 is a very famous koan of Dogu's Buddha nature. That is Jou-shu. Jou-shu. Jou-shu. Jou-shin. Jou-shin. And the final section, number 13, is a story or a koan, a dialogue, between Zen Master

[04:36]

Here it says, Chuan-sha-chin-chen. But in Japanese, his name is Chou-sha. Chou-sha-kei-shin. Chou-sha-kei-shin. Chuan-sha-kei-shin. All these people are very famous, well-known Chinese Zen Masters. Belongs to so-called Golden Age of Zen. That is about 9th century in Tang Dynasty. And these people are all, how can I say, Dharma descendants of a very well-known Zen Master, Baso Doitsu. Baso Doitsu.

[05:42]

Baso is a person who appeared in the story of Polishing the Pile. Baso's teacher was Nangaku Ejo. And Nangaku's teacher was the Sixth Ancestor Huinan, or Eno. So Baso is a second generation from Sixth Ancestor. And Hyakujo, Nansen, and Chou-sha-kei-shin. Those three people are direct disciples of Baso. Let's see, Chou, I'm sorry, not Chou-sha. But Enkan Saiyan is Baso's disciple. And Hyakujo Ekai is a teacher of Isan Reiyu and Obaku Kyun.

[06:57]

Both Isan and Obaku are Hyakujo's Dharmayas. And, of course, Joshu Jyushin is Nansen's disciple. And Chou-sha-kei-shin was also Nansen's disciple. So Isan and Obaku are Dharma brothers. And Joshu and Chou-sha are also Dharma brothers. And that is Nansen and Hyakujo. So these are all so-called Dharma relatives. And Dogen Zenji discussed about their statement, their expression, or discussion about Buddha nature. And I wondered why Dogen Zenji, in order to discuss Buddha nature, why he picked up all those people under Baso's lineage.

[08:04]

He never called our lineage, or Sekito's lineage, that goes to Soto. And this is my guess. In order to discuss my guess, I have to introduce one thing. And it has something to do with the story Dogen discussed about Wu and Mu Buddha nature. As I said yesterday, one point of Dogen's criticism against the mistaken view on the Buddha nature is

[09:06]

some people think Buddha nature as like Atman, expressed by so-called non-Buddhist philosopher, Indian philosopher, Seneca. And Dogen Zenji somehow repeatedly discussed and criticized this view from Bendowa. And one of the most, not important, but clear part of his writing is Sokushin Zebutsu. And Sokushin Zebutsu, Sokushin Zebutsu is, the mind itself is Buddha. And this, the mind itself is Buddha, is Baso's teaching, originally. I know, excuse my ignorance.

[10:11]

Last time I remember that you mentioned the difference between Atman and Buddha nature. And I mentioned that, you know, I have some difficulty trying to explain what's the difference between the essence of both, Buddha nature or Atman. And I forgot. Good. That's good to forget. And that is what Dogen is discussing. What the difference between Atman and Buddha nature. Within this entire long writings. And it's very difficult. And very subtle. Anyway. So, when he discussed this expression, the mind is itself Buddha. This mind. And Buddha nature is the same thing.

[11:13]

So, depending upon how we understand this expression, Baso's expression, the mind is itself Buddha. We can be the target of Dogen's criticism. And Dogen discussed in this chapter of Shogo Genzo Sokshin Zebutsu, the Buddha, I'm sorry, the mind is itself Buddha, this point. He really focused on this point. So, I'd like to introduce what Dogen is discussing. In the very beginning of this chapter of Shogo Genzo, Dogen said, What every Buddha and every patriarch or ancestor has maintained and relied upon without exception is just mind here and now is Buddha.

[12:26]

This mind here and now is Buddha is this person's, Nishijima's translation of Sokshin Zebutsu. But he said there are many mistaken views about this mind is itself Buddha. He said, many students, however, misunderstand that mind here and now is Buddha. It did not exist in India, but was first heard in China. As a result, they do not recognize their mistake as a mistake. Because they do not recognize the mistake as a mistake, many fall down into non-Buddhism, non-Buddhist teaching. So this is really, at least according to Dogen, this is really important point, whether we are Buddha's student or not Buddha's student.

[13:37]

And the mistaken view, the point of mistake is, when stupid, I'm sorry, Dogen liked this one, when stupid people hear talk of mind here and now is Buddha, they interpret that ordinary beings' intellect and sense perception, which have never established the body-mind, are just Buddha. I don't like the word, establish the body-mind. This is allowing awakening or bodhicitta. That means allows the way-seeking mind and take a bodhisattva vow to study Dharma and practice Dharma. So, any, you know, without being, allows body-mind taking a vow and practice.

[14:48]

If we understand our human beings, ordinary human beings' intellect and sense perceptions, you know, as we studied in the Twelve Links of Causation, this intellect and sense perception is a cause of transmigration, is a cause of suffering within samsara. So we have to work on this thing. And yet if we consider this is Buddha-nature, then that is a mistake, very serious mistake. That means whatever we do is OK. Because that is action or activity of Buddha-nature. That is the point. So what Dogen wants to say is, unless we allow the body-mind and actually practice, there is no such thing called Buddha-nature.

[15:49]

That is just a cause of transmigration. And that is called karmic consciousness. So we need to clearly make distinction between karmic consciousness and Buddha-nature and also Atman. There is another kind of discussion whether karmic consciousness and Atman is the same thing or not. But here, now, this is not important point. So we can put it aside. So Atman, karmic consciousness, that is a kind of our energy, life energy. And which makes our life, you know, competition and chasing after something or escaping from something.

[16:51]

And as a result, our life becomes samsara. That is a cause of suffering. And when we allow body-mind and take a vow and practice and try to liberate from karmic consciousness, what is the difference between the source or cause of suffering and the cause and the energy which allows body-mind and practice and become Buddha? Are these two the same or not? That is the point of this discussion. And if we say that those two are the same, that's a mistake. That is what Dogen says. But are they really different? That's the point. And that is what we have to think.

[17:56]

And even Dogen didn't give us the answer. But he gave us how to think about it, how to inquire. What is this? How different? Is these two really different or not? That is koan. And there is no fixed answer. So we have to inquire. And our practice is a process of this inquiry. You were telling earlier that the mind itself is Buddha. It implies there is only one mind. That is what Dogen is discussing now. So whether it's a, what is this mind? So is he saying that when this mind is samsara, there is delusion. And when this mind is ceasing life, then there is Buddha.

[18:57]

Yeah. So what is it? That is the point of this question. Which mind? Yes. Well, still, you know, if it's one Buddha mind, and it is a thing we discuss, this one Buddha mind appears as a source of delusion and source of enlightenment. What is the difference? And if this one mind, or so-called Buddha nature, is something which doesn't change whether we are deluded or enlightened, then what is this one mind which doesn't change? That is Dogen's question. Is it the same or different with Atman, which doesn't change?

[20:04]

That's the point. So, we hear his discussion. I'm pretty sure he didn't give us the answer. But he just pointed out his mistake. So, the point of mistake by stupid people is considering our intellect and sense perception, which have not yet established or aroused body-mind in Buddha nature. Or this mind that is itself Buddha. That is Dogen's point. This derives from never having met a true teacher. The reason I say that they become non-Buddhist is that

[21:08]

there was a non-Buddhist in India called Senka, and Dogen Zenki introduced the teaching of this person, Senka, whose viewpoint is expressed as the following. So, the following is a teaching by this person, Senka. He said, the great truth exists in our own body now, within this body now. This is not Dogen or Buddha, but this is Senka. Please be careful. It sounds very similar. The great truth exists in our own body now, so we can easily recognize its situation. In other words, a spiritual intelligence, a spiritual intelligence, or Reichi in Japanese, distinguishes between pain and pleasure.

[22:12]

Naturally senses cold and warmth, and recognizes discomfort and irritation. This is a function of six sense organs. And Senka said that is the truth. That is a function of this spiritual intelligence. The spiritual intelligence is neither restricted by myriad things, nor connected with circumstances. That means this intelligence has no connection with other things. It can be, it is independent. It can exist without connection or relationship with other things. Yes. Things come and go.

[23:14]

And circumstances arise and pass. But the spiritual intelligence, that truth, that real thing, always remains, so doesn't change. Doesn't come, doesn't go. Always there. Unchanging, remains unchanging. This spiritual intelligence is all around, pervading all souls, souls, common and sacred, whether we are beloved or enlightened. All of us have this spiritual intelligence, without distinction. In its midst, illusory flowers, illusory flowers, in space, exist for the time being. So phenomenal things are illusory flowers.

[24:16]

But when momentary insight has appeared, momentary insight sounds like a sudden enlightenment, has appeared, and things have vanished, and circumstances have disappeared, so those things happening around us is just an illusion. Then, the spiritual intelligence, the original essence, alone is clearly recognizable, peaceful and eternal. Though the physical form may be broken, body may be broken, the spiritual intelligence departs unbroken. So even though our body is broken, but this spiritual intelligence doesn't break, never broken.

[25:20]

It's permanent, really permanent. Just as when a house burns, a house burns down in a fire, the master of the house leaves. So body is like a house, and this spiritual intelligence is like an owner of the house. When the house was burned, the owner just got out of the house and bought a new house. That is reincarnation or rebirth. You know, many people think this is Buddhist teaching, but actually Dogen said this is not. This perfectly clear and truly spiritual presence is called the essence of perception and intelligence. It is also described as Buddha

[26:21]

and called enlightenment. So, this spiritual intelligence which never changes, which never ceases to exist, that is permanent, is called a Buddha or enlightenment. It includes both the subject and the object, and it permeates both delusion and enlightenment. So, let familiar dharmas and all circumstances be as they are. That means whatever is happening or going around us, it doesn't matter. However, that spiritual intelligence does not coexist with circumstances, and it is not the same as things.

[27:28]

It abides constantly through passing kalpas. We might also call the circumstances that exist in the present real, insofar as they derive from the existence of the spiritual intelligence, because they are conditions arising from the original essence. They are real things. Even so, they are not eternal as the spiritual intelligence is, for they exist and then vanish. So things arise and vanish, but this intelligence, spiritual intelligence, doesn't arise and cease. The spiritual intelligence is unrelated to brightness and darkness.

[28:34]

Because it knows spiritually, we call this the spiritual intelligence. We also call it the true self. We call it the basis of awakening. We call it original essence. And we call it original substance. Someone who realizes this original essence is said to have returned to eternity and is called a great man who has come back to the truth. After this, after we return to that truth, he no longer wanders through the cycle of life and death. So if we find that spiritual intelligence, we no more transmigrate within samsara.

[29:42]

He experiences and enters the essential ocean, where there is neither appearance nor disappearance. There is no reality other than this. But as long as this essence has not emerged, that means until we discover it, the three worlds and the six states of samsara are said to arise in competition. And Dogen said, this is the view of the non-Buddhist senka. So this is non-Buddhist idea. And we need to make the distinction very clear. What Buddhism, Buddhist teaching says,

[30:50]

and what this kind of non-Buddhist teaching is. What is the difference? What is the point of Dogen's discussion? Please. Well, I think this is Dogen's interpretation of this person's teaching. So senka is all about the contemporary of Shakyamuni Buddha. So he was one of the spiritual religious leaders at the time of Shakyamuni. Please. Anything, anything that exists, I mean our illusion, or anything that we experience,

[31:59]

it is itself, our true self, yet it is independent. Understanding this, I mean having more insight, I think that's an idea that helps the practice of just... I don't know if I make you know all your questions. OK, let me continue Dogen's discussion. So, Dogen introduced this kind of teaching. It sounds similar with Zen teaching of true self, or true, you know, my way, true self is enough. And unless we are very careful, we think this kind of idea is Buddhism. And Dogen introduced one Chinese Zen master who criticized this idea,

[33:05]

and he pointed that many Zen masters at his time had the same idea. That Zen master is Nanyo Echu. Nanyo Echu is one of the Dalai Lama's six ancestors, Huinan, or Eno. So, that was Dalai Lama's uncle. So, Nanyo Echu, national teacher, Daisho, of the great kingdom of Tang, ask a monk, from which direction have you come? So, someone visited this Zen master from the South. Again, South. People from South see the problem. Somehow. Somehow. From which direction have you come?

[34:09]

The monk says, I have come from the South. The master says, what good counselors, I don't like this word, counselors, this means master, or Zen master, or teacher, are there in the South? The monk says, good counselors, good teachers are very numerous, so there are many good teachers in the South. The master says, how do they teach people? The monk says, the good teachers of that quarter in the South teach students directly that mind here and now is Buddha. That is Vassal's teaching. Sokshin Jeibutsu. The mind is itself Buddha. Buddha means consciousness itself. So he said, Buddha is consciousness.

[35:12]

You now are free and endowed with the essence of seeing, hearing, awareness, and recognition. So, as said in Senka, we can sense cold and heat, or present and present. This is a function of consciousness, and this consciousness is Buddha. That is the teaching in the South, according to this monk. And this essence is able to raise the eyebrows, and to wink. We can move our eyes because of this consciousness. And to come and go, and to move and act. It pervades the body, so that when something touches the head, the head knows it.

[36:22]

When something touches the head, the head knows something is here. And when something touches the foot, the foot knows it. Therefore, it is called the true, all-pervading intelligence. This is all-pervading intelligence. Apart from this, there is no Buddha at all. So, the function of consciousness, which knows when it's cold, it's cold. When it's warm, it's warm. When it's hot, it's hot. And he said, that is Buddha, and nothing else. Sounds like wind. And this body must appear and disappear. But the mental essence, same as spiritual intelligence,

[37:24]

mental essence has never appeared or disappeared since the limitless past. This never appeared nor disappeared, sounds like what the Heart Sutra is saying, neither arises nor ceases. So we need to make distinction, what the difference between this kind of teaching is saying, when he said, never appear nor disappear. That means it's eternal, permanent. But the Heart Sutra says, neither arises nor ceases. It means, because there are no such things. That's the difference. Where is it? But, okay. The appearance and disappearance of the body

[38:24]

is like a dragon changing its bones, a snake shedding its skin, or a person moving out of an old house. So same idea. This body is inconstant, that is impermanent. Body is impermanent. The essence is constant or permanent. So, within our body, essence is permanent, but the form of our body is impermanent. So there are two parts. And the permanent part is Buddha, and the impermanent part is, you know, like dust covered by diamond. That's the same idea of so-called common view of Buddha-nature.

[39:27]

What they teach in the South is, for the most part, like this. And this is one, at least one interpretation of Master's teaching. And then the Master, Nanyo Echu, says, if it is so, they are no different from the non-Buddhist Seneca, he said. In our bodies, he said, means Seneca said. Again, Dogen introduced Nanyo Echu's explanation about this Seneca's idea. In our body, there is a single spiritual essence. This essence can recognize pain and irritation. When the body decays, the spirit departs. So when our body is dead, the spiritual essence leaves the body and

[40:33]

by another body and continues to live within that body. This essence can recognize pain and irritation. When the body decays, the spirit departs. Just as when a house is burning, the master of the house departs. The house is inconstant or impermanent. The master of the house is constant or permanent. When I examine people like this, this is Nanyo Echu. This I is Nanyo Echu. When I examine people like this, they do not know the false from the true. How can they decide what is right? When I was on my travels, that means when Nanyo Echu was young, he traveled to visiting teachers, I often saw this kind.

[41:35]

Recently, they are very popular. You know, those people, disciples of Batho were really popular. Batho had, I think, more than 80 Dalai Lamas. They are very popular. They gather assemblies of three or five hundred people and eyes gazing toward the heavens, they say, this is the fundamental teaching of the South. They take the Platform Sutra, Platform Sutra of the Sixth Ancestor. They take the Platform Sutra and change it. This is said by a Shurinan disciple.

[42:37]

They change the Platform Sutra and mixing in folk stories and erasing its sacred meaning. So Nanyo Echu was complaining that those people changed Shurinan's Platform Sutra. So Shurinan's sacred or authentic teaching was missed. They delude and disturb decent students. How could there be called the spoken teaching? How painful it is that our religion is being lost? Very strong criticism. If seeing, hearing, awareness and recognition could be equated with the Buddha nature,

[43:39]

immorality would not have said that Dharma is transcendent over seeing, hearing, awareness and recognition. When we use seeing, hearing, awareness and recognition, it is only seeing, hearing, awareness and recognition. It is not pursuit of Dharma. So this person, this general associate, that kind of idea is not Buddha Dharma at all. Please. I think Nanyo Echu is talking about these people. They call themselves Southern School and they criticize so-called Northern School.

[44:45]

And their teaching is Southern Enlightenment. And teaching in the Northern School is gradual enlightenment or gradual practice. I think so. Nanyo was, I think, much older than Baso. But only one generation difference. Nanyo was Baso's Dharma uncle. Actually, Nanyo didn't believe this stuff. Pardon? He didn't have these same years. That is what Togen is trying to check. If Baso and his disciples taught the same as Seneca or not.

[45:48]

That's why, that is my guess, why, you know, in Shodogen or Bussho, Togen Zenji picked up those people's examples and statements and whether this is Buddha Dharma or not. And I think he said, basically he is saying their teaching is not Seneca's but Buddha Dharma. That is my guess. But we need to study more closely. Seneca is, yeah, Japanese. No, Japanese pronunciation is sen-ni. And Seneca is Sanskrit. OK. And in Sakushinzebutsu, after Togen introduced this teaching of Seneca

[46:53]

and mistaken view in so-called Southern school, and later he said, then fact is the mind that is Buddha. So he didn't negate this expression, the mind is itself Buddha. Then fact is this mind. If we mistakenly consider this mind is something like a spiritual intelligence, that is not Buddhist teaching, then fact is this mind that is Buddha. And Togen said, Realization in practice like this is just mind here and now is Buddha, picking itself up and authentically transmitting itself to mind here and now is Buddha. Authentically transmitted like this, it has arrived at the present day.

[47:59]

And he said, the mind that has been authentically transmitted, the mind that has been authentically transmitted through Buddhas and ancestors, means one mind as all dharmas, and all dharmas as one mind. This is, I think, a very important point. Thank you. And Uchiyama Roshofu quoted this, one mind is all dharmas and all dharmas are one mind. That is Isshin. This is Isshaiho. And Isshaiho Isshin. And Isshaiho Isshin.

[49:13]

So the mind that is Buddha, as Rui said, is one mind. And this one mind is nothing other than all dharmas. So one mind is exactly all dharmas. And all dharmas are one mind. This means the network of interdependent origination, the entire network of interdependent origination, in which everything is interconnected, is one mind. So this mind is not something stored and hidden within this person's body, and which is permanent, and which sends the stimulation from outside.

[50:19]

So this one mind and the spiritual intelligence is a completely different thing. This is the reality of interdependent origination, and that is one mind. So Uchiyama Roshi often said, this mind has nothing to do with our psychology or consciousness. So always he translates into modern Japanese as inochi wa seimei, that means life. Life. So this one mind is the reality of our life. And that is all pervading with this entire dharma world. So the reality of this interdependent origination is one mind. And that is Buddha mind. It has nothing to do with our spiritual intelligence.

[51:24]

It's not something within ourselves. Please. Is that, before you said, perception and interaction is not, Dogen was saying it's not pervading nature or karmic consciousness. How is that different? That's the point we need to think or understand what the difference is. That is a question from Dogen. And we have to answer. Please. Sokushin zebutsu. Sokushin means this mind itself or this very mind is Buddha. What is your question? Character for sokushin zebutsu is sokushin zebutsu.

[52:33]

Soku Soku Soku in the Heart Sutra said shiki soku ze ku ku soku ze shiki That's the same soku. Rupa or form is itself emptiness. And emptiness is itself form. That's the same soku. And this mind is Buddha. According to Dogen, this mind is not special intelligence, but the reality of interdependent origination. What was the Japanese term for... the non-Buddhist teacher? Seimei.

[53:41]

Seimei. Seimei is Japanese word for life. And of course our consciousness and function of our consciousness such as perception, sensation, perception, are of course a part of this life and part of this, you know, interconnectedness. But it's not Buddha nature. But it's a function of life. And it allows us to create twisted karma and create samsara. And it also allows body-mind and start to practice So this mind is much kind of a deeper and broader than our consciousness. Consciousness is just a tiny part of it. Okay?

[54:43]

Anyway. That is my guess why Dogen Zenji picked up those examples of vassals, Dharma heirs and their disciples whether their teaching so-called Zen teaching in its golden age is really Buddhist or not. So this is kind of a very serious question. Please. It's kind of related. One of the teachings he brought back to Japan was the Book of Records. As I recall, the majority of the koans in there are actually from the Zen school. Oh yes. These are... Those people are kind of a big stars of Zen. And their important koans came from those people. So what Dogen, to me,

[55:49]

what Dogen is doing here in this show is to review if Zen is really Buddhism or not. So it's a big discussion. Ten. This morning I just talked about my guess why Dogen picked up these examples and tried to check their teachings. So now I think I'm ready to start to talk section 8. Please. The question about his method. I don't know if it's about his method. You said he doesn't give us the answer. That seems to be the way he approaches it. He goes through it and tells us it's not this, it's not this, it's not this. Just destroys it all. No. What's left? No. It reminds me of Is it Fa Yen?

[56:50]

The fifth school? Fa Yen? Something like that. The fifth Chinese school. Fa Yen? Fa Yen. Is it Fa Yen? Fa Yen. Or Hogan. Hogan, yes. And here there are several koans in the famous collections where somebody comes to him makes a statement about the five gods coming or something like that. And he says no. He hits him with a stick. So what is it? He says the five gods coming. It's the same words. Well, the method is Hogan's method is the same or at least similar with Nagarjuna's method. They negate they negate all possible ideas. And try to not try to but ask us to show the reality itself

[57:51]

before thinking before being processed or cooked with our thinking mind. That is the point. Anyway so let me start to section eight. After this section eight and section nine section eight is about this Zen Master N. Kansai An and section nine is they say completely opposite thing. N. Kansai An said all living beings have or are Buddha nature or ubusho. And Isan said all living beings not have Buddha nature. Completely opposite thing. And these two came from one story. So I'd like to introduce that story.

[58:52]

I couldn't find anywhere else but in Shinji Shobo Genzo. This is a translation of there are two different Shobo Genzo. One is the Shobo Genzo we are reading written in Japanese. And Dogen made another Shobo Genzo. Another text entitled Shobo Genzo. And it's not really Dogen's writing but this is a collection of 300 koans. And scholars consider this was made pretty early. Right after he established Koshoji as a kind of a text for his students to study Zen teaching. This story appeared

[60:02]

on page 160. This is the 15th case of book two. It has three books. Book one, book two, book three. And each book has 100 koans. Actually this is not Dogen's writing. Dogen just collected those stories. He didn't write any comments on it. Pardon? No, that's different. That is a book with record. This is different. He collected 300 koan stories. This is a story. I think this is a very interesting story. Of course this is not really happened. Yeah, this is

[61:10]

translated by Google Nishijima and published from Windbell. Anyway, this story is something like this. In former times Master Isan Reiyu Isan Reiyu was a person caught in section 9. So here Isan's saying appeared first. In former times Master Isan Reiyu preached to an assembly no living beings have Uda-necha. No living beings have Uda-necha. That is, Isai-shujo, all living beings no busho.

[62:12]

Busho. And at the same time Master Enkan Saiyan this is the Zen Master appeared in section 8. Master Enkan Saiyan one day preached to an assembly all living beings have Uda-necha. This have Uda-necha is U busho. So Ngu and U are of course completely opposite each other. So they said something completely contradicted. In the order of Master Enkan so a monk in the assembly of Master Enkan

[63:23]

not one, but two. In the order of Master Enkan there were two monks. And eventually they purposefully set off for the order of Master Isan Reiyu to resolve this problem. So these two Zen Masters said opposite thing. So the disciples of Enkan Saiyan who said all living beings have Uda-necha visited Isan's assembly, Isan's monastery to figure out the difference between these two Zen Masters' preaching. Arriving at the order arriving at Isan's monastery although they listened listened to Master Isan's preaching they could not fathom the Master's teachings at all.

[64:27]

So the people who came from Enkan's assembly did not understand Isan's teaching of Ngu busho at all. It didn't make any sense to those people. They were rather proud of themselves. And one day when they were sitting in the garden they saw Master Kyozan coming. This Master Kyozan is Isan's disciple. So that means those two monks thought Isan didn't understand Uda-necha. That means Isan didn't understand Uda-dharma. And they became their teaching or their teacher's teaching about Uda-necha all living beings have Uda-necha is superior to Isan's. And

[65:31]

they saw one day they saw the major disciple of Isan whose name was Kyozan and asked started to talk to Isan's disciple. They decided to taunt Master Kyozan by saying Elder Brother Monk we recommend that you study Buddhism diligently. That means Isan's teaching was not Buddhism. Because he was saying something against what the Nirvana Sutra is saying. So he said, don't slacken off. Elder Brother Monk we recommend that you study Buddhism diligently. Don't slacken off. So they had compassion to this poor disciple of Isan. Then

[66:37]

Master Kyozan or Kyozan or Kyozan Tejaku drew a circle in the air. He drew a circle in the air. Spread out his two arms. Spread out his two arms. And leaning backward spread out his arms again. As if spreading out a seed. Then he asked the two monks to reply. So Kyozan asked to say something. The two monks were astonished and did not know what they should do. So Kyozan just, you know made a circle

[67:38]

and I'm not sure what this English translation means but to me when I read the original he formed that circle with both hands and threw it away backward. So there is no circle. And he asked what is this? Or you should say something. So the circle you know the circle is the same circle as the circle appeared when Nagarjuna sat in the Zen. That is Buddha's full moon shape. That is Buddha nature. But so he you know drew a circle or round full moon shape and hold it and threw it away. So it's not there. And he asked what this is.

[68:39]

That is what muda shu means. At least according to this story. But these two monks didn't say, couldn't say anything. So Master Kyozan exalted them saying encouraged them saying you should study Buddhism diligently right away. Don't slacken off. So Kyozan said exactly same thing those two monks said to him. Then he said goodbye and left. The two monks were returning to Master Enkan's order. So these two monks didn't understand Isan's teaching and Kyozan's

[69:41]

you know teaching neither. So he left the monastery and went back to Enkan's monastery. And after traveling some miles in the original story it says 30 miles. So they walked 30 miles. One of them suddenly realized something. So he said he said passionately we should be clear that Master Isan's words that no living beings have Buddha nature cannot be wrong. Then he returned to Isan. So one person understood what move she means. And he returned to Isan's monastery. The other one went several miles

[70:41]

further. So this person didn't understand at all. And when he was crossing a river he had a realization too. He said to himself fervently the words of Master Isan that no living beings have Buddha nature are excellent. And it is natural for him to say so. He also returned to Isan. So those people understood Isan's teaching or move she is superior to Enkan's, their teacher's teaching of move she. That's the story. I think so.

[71:44]

So this move and move is the main topic of next six sections. And Dogen's point is we should see or we should understand Buddha nature as from two sides. Wu and Mu. It's not a matter of Wu is Buddha nature or Mu is Buddha nature. But we should see because Buddha nature is the reality of Enkan dependent origination. It's not simply Wu. And it's not simply Mu. And in some way Dogen Zenji interprets a saying from the Diamond Sutra. In the Diamond Sutra it says to see

[72:45]

so-so, to see various or all forms, to see all forms as no form, is to see true form. So in that sutra said the form is negated so form is phenomena, it's just appearance. So we should see something formless beyond these phenomenal forms. Then you can see the true form. But Dogen he's always reading different way. But he reads to see both to see both form and no form is to see true form. So that's the difference between the ordinary kind of understanding of the teaching of shunyata or emptiness. Usually

[73:47]

the teaching of emptiness is negation of forms. So to see formlessness, emptiness that is negation of our usual way of thinking. These things exist as a form. But actually there's no such thing. That is a common understanding of teaching about emptiness. But Dogen's point is that is not enough. He said we should see both form and formlessness or form and emptiness. That is the way we see the true form. That is middle way. Emptiness is also emptiness.

[74:50]

Please. Four. Right. U, mu. Both U and mu. And neither U and mu. Those are four statements. And Nagarjuna often negates all of them. And what Dogen is doing is I think the same thing. Then how things appear. That is what I think the same thing. That is same thing as we do in our Zen. Negating of thought is negate all possible way of thinking. And that is in the teaching of dependent origination from the Stanipata.

[75:53]

Without ordinary perception. Without disordered perception. Without no perception. And without no any annihilation of perception. This is what we do in our Zen. By letting go of whatever coming up in our mind. That is the meaning of opening the hand of thought. And what Nagarjuna and Dogen is doing in their writings is do the same thing using words and logic and concept to show the limitation of the validity of concept, logic and thinking. And allow, try to allow us to see the reality itself. At least face the reality

[76:55]

beyond this any possible idea or thinking or opinion you know, happening in our mind. So, this is a kind of Zazen within writing and within thinking. So, using thinking we go beyond thinking. That is the method of Dogen. And that is our practice actually. When we study this kind of writings like Dogen's or Nagarjuna's you know, we are always you know, being challenged. And whatever idea we have is negated. So, we are really kind of confused and irritated and it's kind of painful. But that is the way

[77:57]

you know, we can see the reality beyond thinking, beyond grasping or beyond, how can we say you know, the way we think or the picture of the world created by our thinking is something like an atlas or a map of the world. And that is not the real world but it is a very incomplete copy of the world of the earth. Because the map has only two dimensions and the earth has three dimensions. There is no way to produce a perfect copy of the earth on the flat space. So, something is distorted and our way of doing things is the same. Something is distorted. Around the center, relatively accurate

[79:00]

but the edges are all distorted. So, we need to I think, study how this map is produced. What is the method and what kind of distortion is caused by the way of making this map or atlas. I think that is one of the things we have to study through Buddhist teachings and also not only Buddhist, so-called Buddhist teachings but all other, you know teachings or books or whatever we study we study how distorted our view is and we try to make our map of the world even a little bit more accurate.

[80:03]

That is what we do in our practice of studying Dharma. And yet, Zazen is different. Zazen is not a practice to make correction of our atlas. But, when we sit facing the wall we sit on the ground of earth not on the atlas. We let go of the map and sit on the ground that has, you know, three dimensions. So, our practice of letting go is not a correction of distorted view but by letting go of distorted view we put our entire being, body and mind on the real reality. Thank you. I don't think I have time to start to dance Section 8.

[81:13]

So, any questions? Any questions? No questions. Wow! Okay, thank you very much. Okay, thank you very much.

[81:32]

@Text_v004
@Score_JJ