Good morning. This morning I start at the last paragraph of page two. We are still in page two. Hopefully we finish that section of not doing evil. Maybe not possible. Let me read. Upholding our own mind. Do you find the place? Upholding our own mind. upholding our own body, there is 80 to 90 percent accomplishment before our individual efforts, and there is not doing after the intent.

[01:12]

In practicing holding your body and mind, and practicing holding whose body and mind. The strength of practice with the four great elements and the five aggregates manifest itself immediately. The four great elements and the five aggregates do not defile the self. The four great elements and five aggregates of today are also being enabled to practice. The power of the four great elements and the five aggregates of the practice at this present moment enables the four elements and the five aggregates in the previous times to practice. As the power makes even mountains, rivers, the great earth, sun, moon, and stars, those mountains, rivers, the great earth, sun, moon, and stars in turn makes us practice.

[02:31]

This is not the I of one time, but the vigorous I of all times, because all times are the I that is the vigorous I. It makes all Buddhas and ancestors practice, listen to the teachings, and verify the result. Because all Buddhas and ancestors have never caused teachings, practice, and verification to be defiled, The teachings, practice, and verification have never hindered all Buddhas and ancestors. For this reason, when Buddhas and ancestors are unable to practice, no Buddha ancestor avoids practicing either before or after the moment in the past, present, or future.

[03:36]

Even when living beings become Buddhas and ancestors, we do not obstruct any Buddhas and ancestors that already exist. We should consider this principle that we become Buddhas and ancestors very carefully within walking, standing, sitting, and lying down throughout the 12 hours. In becoming Buddhas and ancestors, we do not destroy, take away, or lose our beings as living beings. However, we allow them to be dropped off. The power of the four great elements and the five aggregates enables the causes and effect of either good or evil to practice.

[04:38]

However, we do not change the causes and conditions or fabricate them. The cause and effect sometimes makes us practice. The original face of this cause and effect is already clear. It is not doing, not arising, impermanence, not obscuring, and not falling, because it is dropped off. When we study thus, all evils manifest themselves as not doing. Being assisted by this manifestation, we are able to thoroughly see the truth that all evil deeds are not doing, and we can completely cut off evil deeds within sitting.

[05:40]

At this very moment, all evils manifest themselves as not doing in the beginning, in the middle, and in the end. All evil deeds do not arise from causes and conditions. They are simply not doing. All evil deeds do not perish by causes and conditions. They are simply not doing. If all evil deeds are inequality, all dharmas are inequality. People who know that all evil deeds arise from causes and conditions but do not see that the causes and conditions are naturally not doing, should be pitied. If the seeds of Buddha arise from conditions, the conditions arise from the seeds of Buddha.

[06:48]

It is not that all evil deeds do not exist, however they are just not doing. It is not that all evil deeds exist, however they are just not doing. It is not that all evil deeds are empty, but they are not doing. It is not that all evil deeds are forms, but they are not doing. All evil deeds are not not doing, but simply not doing. For instance, the spring pine trees are neither non-being nor being and they are not fabricated. An autumn chrysanthemum is neither being nor non-being and it is not fabricated.

[07:59]

All Buddhas are neither being nor non-being but not doing. Pillars, lanterns, whisk and staff and so on neither exist nor do not exist and they are not doing. The self is neither being nor non-being but not doing. Studying in such a way is manifested koan or reality and manifestation of the koan reality. We endeavor from the side of the host, and we endeavor from the side of the guest. Because it is already thus, even when we regret that we have done what was not to be done,

[09:05]

It is still, without exception, the power of the practice of not doing. However, if we intend to do evil deeds because it is not doing, it is like walking to the north and expecting to reach the country of ETS or Yue in the south. All evil deeds are not doing is not only the whale seeing the donkey, but also the whale seeing the whale itself. It is the donkey seeing the donkey, a person seeing the person, and the mountain seeing the mountain. because there is expounding the principle that corresponds with this, all evil deeds are not doing.

[10:12]

The true Dharma body of Buddhas is like the empty space, manifesting forms in response to things like the moon in the water, because responding to things is not doing. Manifesting the form is not doing. Being like the empty space is clapping on the left and clapping on the right. Being like the moon in the water is that the water is obstructed by the moon. These not-doings are manifestations that are impossible to doubt. This is how we practice this not doing of evil deeds.

[11:24]

Before he says we practice Often we study the supreme unsurpassable through awakening or antrathalmic somebody. That is what we practice and we study. When we hear that teachings do practice and verify the result, it is profound, far-reaching and wondrous. So in this section he is talking about how we study that teaching and how we practice and how we verify the supreme answer possible to awakening. So here he said, upholding our own mind and upholding our own body, there is 80 to 90 percent accomplishment before our individual effort, and there is not doing after the intent.

[12:57]

I'm sorry, here's something missing. please add, after upholding our own mind and enable it to practice, or upholding our own mind to enable it to practice, or upholding our own body to allow it to practice. So we uphold our own body and mind and enable them to practice. You know, we practice using our body and mind. And in 12th August, I had a genzo at Austin, Texas, and we studied Shobo Genzo Shinjin Gakudo.

[14:02]

Shinjin Gakudo is Body and Mind Studying the Way. And in that chapter of Shobo Genzo about practicing or studying the way using our body and mind, he discussed what his body means and what his mind means. So I'd like to introduce what he discussed about to study the way using our body and mind, what this body and mind means. About a mind, he says, in any case, mountains, rivers, and the great earth, the sun, the moon, and stars are nothing other than mind. And he said, up fold the mind. That means up fold mountains, rivers, and the great earth.

[15:04]

The sun, the moon, and the stars. Those are the mind. or in the Shodo Genzo Sokshinzebutsu, where the mind is itself Buddha, he said, this mind that has been transmitted by Buddhas and ancestors, this thing is Saipho. and issai ho issin. Issin is one mind.

[16:06]

Issai means all, and ho is dharma, or dharmas, means all beings. And Isseiho is all beings are one mind. So when he says we practice with our mind, this mind is not our psychology, our thinking mind, but the mind Dogen is discussing when we practice is one mind that is all beings. And all beings are one mind.

[17:14]

That means, as I wrote yesterday, we are living within the connection of time and space. We are only one being, and yet we are connected with all beings within space. and within time. In this case, this one mind and this all beings within this entire time and space. are one thing that is what this means. And that is a mind we use to practice. That means the mind that is connected with all beings throughout time and space. So to translate this mind, one mind, as mind is a kind of a problem.

[18:30]

is the English word mind can mean such a thing or not. Chinese word xinjiang As I discussed about sin or kokoro in the Buddha Dharma magazine, this word sin is used as a translation to a Sanskrit word. One is Citta, another is Fridaya. And Citta is mind, but Fridaya cannot be mind. Because the title of the Heart Sutra is Prajnaparamita Fridaya Sutra. It cannot be translated as Mind Sutra. It should be Heart Sutra.

[19:32]

This Fridaya means the essence or truth or center. And citta means our mind or psychology. So bodhicitta is the function of our mind. And then Chinese Buddhist use this sin as one mind or in the case of Buddha mind. That mind is not psychology or function of our brain. This means essence of life or essence of Buddha. So Uchiyama Rose often said this mind is not our psychological mind, but this mind is rather our life. Our life can include these all beings. Our life is connected with all beings.

[20:35]

That important point is our psychology or our function of our brain is also connected with all beings. If we understand that point, I think it's okay to use this expression, one mind. So, when he said upholding one mind and use it to practice, means we practice all together with all beings. And about the body, studying with body, he says, in Shinjin Gakudo, he says, body studying the way is studying the way with our own body. This is studying the way with our lamp of red flesh, actual, actual this body. that he says, the body comes forth from studying the way.

[21:48]

He said, this body comes forth from studying the way. And everything comes forth from studying the way is the body. So a little bit different from our, you know, idea of our body. And often as a kind of a common concept, body or flesh is a source of delusion. or source of desire or defilement. But here, Dogen Renji is saying, the body comes forth from studying the way. So the body is not a source of delusion. I think that is a kind of unique or unusual point in Buddhism. Usually the body is a source of problems, even though mind or spirit is pure.

[22:59]

That is a kind of idea in Hinduism. You know, the Atman is pure, immaculate spirit, but unfortunately this pure spirit called Atman is imprisoned within this body or flesh. That's why Atman have to transmigrate life after life until the Atman become liberated from this body. So the idea of ascetic practice Sakyamuni Buddha did before he attained Buddhahood is to, by weakening the power of this body, the Atman can be liberated from defilement. and restore purity.

[24:00]

That is emancipation in that kind of practice. But what Satyamuni found was that there is no fixed spirit or spiritual entity called Atman. That is the point. So our body is not a prism of a pure spirit, but we need to use both body and mind to practice the way. So in our practice, body is really important. Body is not a source of problem. So he continued, the entire ten direction world, this entire ten direction world is nothing other than the true human body.

[25:09]

We think our body is, you know, this individual collection of five skandhas. But he said, this entire ten-direction world is true human body. And we use this true human body when we practice using our body. And coming and going within life and death is the true human body. So we transmigrate through life and death. And usually, even in Buddhism, this is called samsara. Life and death is another translation of samsara. We transmigrate through many times of life and death. But he said, coming and going within life and death is the true human body.

[26:18]

That means, as I said, Bodhisattva is a person who takes a vow not to leave samsara and keep continuing practice within samsara. So practice within samsara. In order to practice within samsara, we need this human body. And if we practice with this bodhisattva vow, this body that is being born and grow for a while, maybe 15, 20 years, and stay for a while and shrink and disappear. This is, you know, that changing or impermanence of our body. And this body is he said, are necessary or a kind of a tool to study the way. Because this body and also this mind is connected with all beings.

[27:25]

So our practice really is with all beings. And keep turning this body You know, transmigrating within life and death. Turning this body, we depart from the ten unwholesome deeds. This is ten evil deeds. And keep the eight precepts. Take refuge in the three treasures. Give up our home and become a home-leaver. This is studying the way in its true meaning. So using this body and this mind that is connected with all beings, we depart from ten and four samadhis, receive and keep the eight precepts, and take refuge in the three treasures, and give up our home

[28:36]

and become a home-giver, become a Buddhist practitioner. This is studying the way in its true meaning, therefore it is called the true human body. And as a practice using this body and mind, he said, Dogen says, coming and going with the entire ten-direction world, This is the same as coming and going within the mountain. As two or three wings, two or three wings, the number is not important, going flying away and comes flying back. So this entire ten direction world is our wings. So using this entire ten-direction world as our wings, we fly away and come flying back.

[29:45]

And with the entire ten-direction world as three or five feet, this entire world is our feet, our wings and also our feet, steps forward and steps backward. This is, according to Dogen, how we practice using our body and mind. So we practice using this entire world, including entire time, space and time. We come and go using this body and mind. The true human body that is the entire ten-directional world turns the body and flaps the brain, our mind, with life and death as its head and tail.

[30:52]

So this entire network of interdependent origination is actually our body and mind. It's really different from our, you know, common idea of Buddhist practice or meditation practice. You know, we practice, you know, like a zazen or any kind of meditation to kind of reduce stress or other relaxation. That's okay. But if we understand our practice in that way, we are only thinking this individual body and mind, how to relax our body and mind, and how to live in kind of a healthy way without being too tired.

[31:57]

That kind of ideal practice as a kind of technique to live with too much stress and too much difficulties and avoid problems is not... really what Dogen Zenji is teaching. His way of practice, his practice is living as the, in Muchenroshi's expression, universal self. The self means this body and mind, this actual body and mind, in this case, Shohaku's body and mind, as the you know, entire ten-direction world. How can we live in that way?

[33:03]

And if we awaken to that reality and live with such a spirit, you know, almost all problems we have in our daily life are not problems. we are depending upon that relationship with other people or things or work we have to do. We have a lot of stress, problems, difficulties and we think whether this is good or not good and we want to find a good way of life for me. How can I live in a safe way? without too much problems. And of course that is OK.

[34:10]

It's not a matter of OK or not OK, like how we live. But if we see this kind of a boundless perspective of our life, those smaller things in our worldly life, in our society, in a sense, it's not really a problem. And to see that it's not a problem is really a kind of salvation to us, I think. Of course, we don't need to work with other people or other things within the society, but we should think how we can express this reality or awakening of this idea, not idea, this reality within

[35:17]

our day-to-day life when we work together with other people is the point of our practice. How can we live, express our life that is one with all beings using this individual body and mind is the point of our practice. and he said there is 80 to 90 percent accomplishment before our individual effort and there is not doing after the intent that means when we practice within with this kind of attitude then you know our personal effort using our personal willpower and our capability is really tiny part of our practice.

[36:20]

You know, he said 80 or 90 percent, but I think more than 90 percent of our activity, our practice, is done being helped by this, you know, causes and conditions of our life. Even this body is a gift from the universe. And even our delusions are gifts from the world. And even the aspiration to study and practice the way is also a gift from this entire network. So our practice is not really a personal project to improve this person. I think this means 80 to 90% accomplishment is already there.

[37:33]

Before we start to practice, it's already there. Our aspiration, our way of thinking mind, our bodhicitta is a very tiny part of it. and there is not doing after the intent means even when we practice you know actually we do nothing it's not my our personal action this practice is the manifestation of this entire network through this small individual body and mind named shohak. So actually this practice is not doing or maksa. It's not our personal actions. It is our personal desire. In practicing holding your body and mind, and practicing holding whose body and mind, the strength of practice with the four great elements and five aggregates manifests itself immediately.

[38:55]

The four great elements and five aggregates do not defile the self. the four great elements and five aggregates of today are also being unable to practice. So when Dogen said, holding your body and mind, he said, you are. And in next, he said, whose body and mind? This your body and mind. That means, in this case, my body and mind as Shohak. That has some, you know, limitation. I cannot use only this body and mind. And I cannot use other people's body and mind. So this is my body. And yet this body, this collection of five candles, is not really Shohaku's.

[40:00]

That in fact means whose. Whose means You know, this Five Scandals is really Shohak's Five Scandals. And yet, actually, there's no such thing called Shohak. So we cannot name whose body and mind it is. So there are two kind of sides of one reality. This is Shohaku's body and mind, which was born in 1948 in Japan, and being educated and trained as a Buddhist priest. So this is my Shohaku's personal body and mind. And yet this body and mind is not really Shohaku's.

[41:04]

This is just a collection of different elements. Because I was born and grown up in Japan, my way of thinking is, of course, Japanese. Even though I create very kind of self-centered, egocentric thought using Japanese language, even those Japanese language I use to create a selfish idea is a gift from Japanese society. So nothing is mine. And there's no such thing called me or my or shouhaku. So there are two sides. One is actually this is shohaku. You know, I can give you any information about shohaku, when this person was born and what I've been doing. Like information I write in a passport or resume, that is shohaku.

[42:11]

And that is really shohaku has been doing. But the actual thing of this Five Scandals is not really Shohakus. And because I am a Japanese and I am a Buddhist, I am a priest, my way of thinking and my way of doing things is Japanese, Buddhist, priest. But actually this body and mind itself is not Japanese, and it's not Buddhist, and it's not a priest. Those are kind of definitions or naming or labeling on this being. we say, I, you, him, them, all those things, we point out that side that is limited and defined and described with certain informations depending upon the karma we have.

[43:21]

But the same thing is really ten-direction body and mind. And to point out Dogen, not only Dogen, but in literature, this expression, whose, or what, or those words without meaning is used. And this is one of the examples. So in practicing holding your body and mind, and holding whose body and mind, this same body and mind, But from one side, this is shohakus, so I have to take care of and I have to responsibly have to use this body and mind. This is my responsibility. But actually there's no such things called my responsibility from other sides. This body and mind is just a collection of all different kinds of causes and conditions within this entire network.

[44:35]

But anyway, we practice using this particular body and mind. And the strength of practice with the four great elements and five aggregates. Four great elements refer to chi suika fu, earth, fire, chi suika, earth, water, fire, and wind are called four great elements. And those are not actual ground or earth. or water or fire or wind. For example, in our body, the bone that is solid is called the earth element, and the blood is called the water element. And heat, our body has heat.

[45:42]

Heat is called a fire element. And we can move, our body can move. This movement is called wind element. So our life consists of those four elements. That was an idea from ancient India. and when those four elements are dispersed, then shohaku disappear. But shohaku is just a collection of those four elements. This is even before Buddhism in India. And of course, as you know, five aggregates are form, or rupa, or material, and ju-so-gyo-shiki. What is ju? sensation, perception, formation, and consciousness.

[46:48]

So five aggregates mean, the first one, Dupa, is body, material, and other four, a function of our mind. So five aggregates means body and mind. And this body and mind, as I said, is shōhaku from one side, but this is just a collection of, you know, all different causes and conditions without being named. That's why Dōgenzen's here used four great elements and five aggregates to point this beam. So strength of practice with the four great elements and the five aggregates manifests itself immediately when we practice holding this body and mind.

[47:50]

That strength of practice manifests itself. And these four great elements and five aggregates do not defile the self. Those five elements or five aggregates do not cling to this self. It's just a collection. So without complaining, the time of dispersed, just dispersed, alighting and perishing, you know, like the leaves on the tree falls in the fall without, you know, struggle. When the time has come, it just falls. So when we are born, just, you know, five skins just get together. And when we die, it's just, you know, take part, spread, and go next stage.

[48:57]

So there's no defilement, no clinging, no attachment, but only we attach to ourselves. So five aggregates does not defile the self. Five aggregates doesn't cling to me, but me or I cling to five aggregates. these five aggregates. So our practice is a practice of five aggregates, not for the sake of this need that attach ourselves to these five aggregates. The four great elements and the five aggregates of today are also being unable to practice, and unable to practice by this total movement or total function of entire time and space allowed these five aggregates of this present moment to practice.

[50:03]

Being, verb. Verb. For this passive. And the power of the four great elements and the five aggregates of the practice at this present moment enables the four elements and the five aggregates in the solution. If there is no space between aggregates and in, please put that space. This is a typo. Five aggregates in the previous times to practice. This means not only five aggregates at this moment, but also five aggregates in the past is unable to practice this kind of strange

[51:16]

But I think this means if we continue to practice, you know, sometimes we become lazy and we want to stop practice or we want to do something else. You know, there are many good reasons to do something else. Of course. And sometimes we make a mistake so we sometimes or often deviate from this track of practice of voice to a vow. But whenever we find this is not right way, so we return as a practice of repentance, and continue to practice. Then those times we made mistakes, or we are too lazy to practice, or we are too busy to do something else, become a part of the practice.

[52:24]

I mean, from the mistakes, we study, learn more. about Dharma, about our life, then we are successful. When we are successful, we are just happy. We don't think so deeply. But when we do something wrong, some mistakes or evil deeds without intention, then we deeply look into ourselves and the actions we did. So the past activities or past conditions of five aggregates become a part of the practice, really good and meaningful, powerful practice if we continue to practice. So the power of practice of this moment makes or allows the five aggregates in the past

[53:33]

makes practice. Does it make sense? I'm sorry. That means when we keep practicing, you know, this entire time and space become time and space of practice. So even before we start, things we did before we started to practice become a part of our practice. And often we start to practice when we have problems or we have difficulty or we have a question about our lives and we think, you know, this is not good or this is not a right way to live. So we negate the way we live and start to find something else. So some often the life we spend before starting to practice is a negative thing.

[54:41]

But if we see that part of life from the time we are practicing, that is the kind of a cause and condition which allow us to seek the way. So in that sense, the mistakes were not a healthy way of life. Buddha was really a good teacher for us to allow us to find the way. So even the things we did in the past, even before we even knew what is buddha, dharma, or even what is practice, becomes a part of practice, very important part of our practice. So our practice at this present moment allow our five standards in the past

[55:42]

Even when we know nothing about practice, makes practice. I think that is what he is saying. So, depending upon what we are doing, the entire past and the entire future is the time of practice. So his, you know, way of thinking or doing things is really beyond our common way of, you know, using our words and concepts. He's really free and, you know, too free to, sometimes I feel, you know, he's too free and I cannot catch up with him. This kind of writing has been a kind of a puzzle to me for many years.

[56:51]

And this started to make sense only recently. So this is kind of my offering. you know, from my long-time practice and study, Dogen, I start to a little bit understand what he meant. And I'd like to share my understanding and my experience with you. And I hope it's meaningful. And next, as the power, the same power of practice, as the power makes even mountains, rivers, the great earth, sun, moon and stars. Let's see, there's one word missing.

[57:57]

Power makes those things to practice. So other power makes even mountain without the great us, sun, moon and stars, practice. So our practice makes those things practice. Then at the same time, simultaneously, Is there an extra copy of the text? Do you have your own? Okay. Simultaneously, those mountains, rivers, and great earths, sun, moon, and stars, in return, make us practice. This is the same thing as he said in Vendoa, in the section of Jiju Zammai.

[58:59]

he said, when one person sitting in the Zen, then entire universe become enlightenment, manifest enlightenment, and the enlightenment of all beings in the entire universe in return makes the person sitting enlightened. That means the person who is sitting or practicing and all beings in this entire network of interdependent origination, working and practicing together. And that is what it meant when Buddha said, when he attained enlightenment, that mountain rivers and great earth and myself attained away simultaneously. That means, when Buddha attained enlightenment, those mountains and rivers and everything in his world attained enlightenment.

[60:10]

So this entire world becomes the world of enlightenment. So even though we are really tiny individual beings, but depending upon our condition, whether we are awakened to this reality of connection, or we are blind, our eyes are not open. The quality of this entire network is completely different. It's really amazing. And that is the beginning of this entire tradition of Buddhism because Shakyamuni Buddha and his world become enlightened simultaneously. That has been transmitted and continued until today. So ourselves and all beings in the entire world

[61:20]

practice together. When we practice, the entire world becomes the world of practice. That means some part of the world helps us to practice. Some part of the world appears as a difficulty of continuing to practice, but the difficulty can be a better teacher. So this entire world becomes the world of practice. If we play baseball, this entire world becomes a world of playing baseball. If we drink, this world is a world of drinking. Everything in our zazen practice becomes part of our world of drinking. So depending on what we do, the quality of entire network or entire world is changed.

[62:22]

So what we do with that kind of attitude is really important. Not only our psychology, psychological condition, but also as the condition or quality of entire world depending upon how we live. within this world. And this is not the I of one time, but the vigorous I of all times. Because all times are the I that is the vigorous I, it makes all Buddhas and ancestors practice, listen to the teachings and verify the result. Dogen Ren doesn't explain what this I means and what this vigorous I means. These two same words or different words.

[63:26]

Even because she doesn't explain, we don't really know, so this is like a puzzle to me. What this means, I don't really understand. So we have to guess, or we have to interpret. But he wrote about eye and vigorous eyes in another chapter of Shobo Genzo. So when we study one chapter of Shobo Genzo, we have to study with all other chapters of Shobo Genzo. It's like this entire network. In order to study one writing, we have to study all writings. because everything is connected. And I, because, you know, Dogen Benji wrote those chapters of Shobogen to the people who were practicing with him, who were actually living with him.

[64:38]

So they remember what he said, what he wrote, you know, last year. So we have kind of a handicap to study Dogen. Yes, yes. There's one in the chapter of Shogogenzo entitled Eyes. The original word is ganzei. And vigorous I is katsu, gen, or gam.

[65:53]

Katsu, gen, or gam. I think we read as katsu, in this case, gen, and in this case, gam. In the case of shōbō, gen in shōbō, genzō is the same Chinese character. Sometimes we read this as gen, sometimes we read or pronounce this as gan. But same word. And zei means, what do you call, eyeball. So, ganzen is this eyeball, and katsu means life, or as an adjective, lively, or alive, and as an adverb, lively, or dourous.

[67:05]

or it can be vitality. And in this chapter of Shobo Genzo, entitled Ganzei or Eyes or Eyeballs, it seems Dogen Zenji's teacher, Tendo Nyojo, often used this expression, Ganzei. And in this Shobo Genzo Ganzei, he quotes several of Nyojo's Dharma discourses in which he uses this expression, Ganzei. And in the very beginning, Bogenzenji quotes one of Nyojo's Dharma discourses. Let me read a few paragraphs from this chapter.

[68:17]

If coitus, I'm sorry, coitus, coitus is a Sanskrit word, of thousand-milliard calipers, these are lengths of time. If coitus of thousand-milliard calipers of learning in practice are gathered together into a, I don't like this kind of strange translation, a happy circle. I don't know what this means, happy circle, happy circle. I don't really understand what this means. If quarters of a thousand-year compass of learning in practice, that means long, eternal practice, are gathered together into a happy circle, it will be 84,000 eyes. 84,000 eyes, because 84,000 is used as a number of dharmas or teachings.

[69:28]

These eyes in the Buddhist teachings are dharma. So this gandhi refer to dharma gates, dharma gates are numberless. That is danzen. And of course, teaching, dharma as teaching, also in the case of Dogen, means the dharma as truth or reality itself. And my late master Tendo, the eternal Buddha, while the master of Zuiganji Temple, informal preaching in the Dharma Hall addressed the assembly as follows. Pure the autumn wind, pure the autumn wind, bright the autumn moon. So in the autumn, winds are pure.

[70:31]

That means the autumn wind blows all the leaves forth and the sky becomes very clear. And in the fall we can see the very clear moon. Earth, mountains and rivers are clear in the eye. In this translation it says, earth, mountains and rivers are clear in the eye. In the eye, if we translate in this way, in the eye means the collection of teachings, dharma teachings. So in the autumn, wind is clear, moon is clear, and earth, mountains and rivers are clear within this eye. So this eye means actually this lie. This is one eye.

[71:33]

Zuigan, means Nyojo, brings the eye. That is his teaching. Brings this entire eye. And we meet afresh. Sending staff and shouts by tongues, this is a practice, they test the patch-lobed monks. I don't know what this they refer to, maybe all these things. Test the patch-lobed monks. Anyway, from this birth by Tendo Nyojo, this eye is a collection of teachings, Dharma teachings, and also this eye is the reality of this entire network. And Dogen's comment on this Nyojo's saying is as follows,

[72:41]

Testing the patch-robed monk means verifying whether he is an eternal Buddha. So all things are testing or verifying whether the no-jo is really practicing and awakening to this network. The heart of the matter is that earth, mountains, and rivers send stuffs and shells charging forth by turns, and he called this blinking. So this movement, including Nojo's own practice, is a blinking of this entire eye. The vigorous state realized like this is the I. So, including this vigorous practice, this entire network is the I.

[73:55]

And if the I is used as a plural, that means each and every being within this one entire I as a part of the network of interdependent ordination. Each and everything are really clear and vigorous and support this network. Let's see. Mountains, rivers, and the earth are a creative occurrence, such as clear manifestation of the eye. Not happening. This is the autumn. I'm sorry, this is the autumn wind being pure, which is perfect maturity. It is the autumn moon being bright, which is perfect immaturity.

[75:05]

The autumn winds autumn wind state of purity is beyond comparison, even with the four great oceans. The autumn moon state, I don't like the word state. In this Nishijima translation, he often uses the word state, and I really don't like this word. There's no such thing as state in Dogen's teaching, or in Dogen's writings. So the autumn moon's state of brightness is clearer than a thousand suns and moons. Purity and brightness are mountains, rivers, and the earth, which are the I. So mountains, rivers, and earth, that means each and everything within this world, are the I.

[76:10]

The patch-robed monk is a Buddhist patriarch, one who, without preferring great realization, without preferring non-realization, And without preferring before or after the sprouting of creation is the I itself. So the Buddhist patriarch or Buddhist ancestors are the I. Buddhas and ancestors are the I. So this entire network is one entire I, and each and everything in this network are I's. And Buddhas and ancestors who are awakened to this reality and express this reality are also I. This is a Buddhist patriarch.

[77:20]

Verification is a clear manifestation of the I, is the realization of blindness, and is a vivid I itself. This vivid I is Katsugen. Meeting is mutual encounter. Meeting or mutual encounter is the eye being sharp and the eye being a thunderbolt. Thunderbolt? In sum, do not think that the whole body is big, but the whole eye might be small. Even those considered in past ages to be venerable and great have understood that the whole body is big, but the whole eye is small.

[78:29]

This is because they were never equipped with the eye. Anyway. If I discuss with this, you know, it takes another one hour, so I don't get into that, what he's saying in this, but I think we understand what I refer to. That is, you know, this entire reality. and each and everything within that network. And the practice and activity of people who awaken to and practice and manifest that reality are called eyes. And that vitality is called kachugen or vigorous eyes. So he said, this is not the time of one time, but the vigorous eye, I'm sorry, this is not the eye of one time.

[79:34]

That means this awakening is not something happening at one time within the flow of time. So here we need to, how can I say, remember what Dogen said in Shobo Genzo Uji, This one time and all times. One time is one of the times, the flow of times from past to the future. But when he uses the word all times, that means this entire time. So this practice, I mean, one's practice together with all beings, all mountains, rivers, and everything, is not only one-time practice at certain time of time, but this practice at this moment is a vigorous eye of this entire time, all times.

[80:47]

That means practice at this moment, at this particular moment, is an entrance of practice and realization of eternity, the time which doesn't flow. Because all times are the I, that is a vigorous I, it makes, and it also refers to the power of practice of the five aggregates, it makes all Buddhas and ancestors practice. So, you know, our practice makes all Buddhas practice. You know, this is the same thing as Dogen said in Shobo Genzo Gyoji, or continuous practice.

[81:55]

He said, the practice, continuous practice, or Gyoji of Buddhas and ancestors allow us to practice. And our practice at this present moment allows the Buddha ancestors to practice. So their practice allows us to practice, and our practice allows their continuous practice alive. You know, if we don't practice, their practice is already over. It's already in the history, in the past. But because we continue their practice, you know, their practice can be continued. Does that make sense? So, you know, each one of us practice and all Buddha ancestors practice are really connected and one thing.

[82:55]

Because all Buddhas and ancestors have never caused teachings, practice, and verification to be defiled. The teachings, practice, and verification have never hindered all Buddhas and ancestors. This means Buddha ancestors and their teaching and their practice and their verification are really one thing. Not that this person or Buddha's teaching is different from Buddha, and Buddha's actions or practice is different from Buddha, or Buddha's enlightenment is separate from Buddha. That means the person who do those practices, do those things, and those practices are really one thing. This is a kind of argument made by Nagarjuna.

[84:05]

For example, without a learner, there's no such action as learning. And without learning, there's no such person who is a learner. Learning and the action of learning are really one thing. So learning and the learner never meet each other, never hinder each other. So our service and our actions, activities or practice are really one thing. So that thought means Buddha ancestors never defied their practice and their practice never hindered Buddha ancestors because they are simply one thing. And our practice should be the same. That means, you know, me and the practice we do are really one thing.

[85:13]

That means we cannot, you know, how can you say... We cannot think, you know, I have been practicing, you know, 30 years, 30, 40 years, 50 years, and I said, you know, so many terrible things. If we think and calculate in such a way, we think our zazen and me are separate, and my zazen I did in the past is there, and I can calculate. that my Zazen I did and my Zazen I'm doing now are really one thing. So it's not possible to calculate how many periods I sat or how many years I have been practicing. Me and my practice, me and my actions are really one thing.

[86:15]

So for this reason, when Buddhas and ancestors are unable to practice, no Buddha ancestor avoids practicing either before or after the moment in the past, present, or future. Because without practice, there are no such people who are called Buddha's ancestors. So if they avoid practice, they are not Buddha's ancestors, because they don't avoid practice and teaching and realization. They are Buddha's ancestors. So we cannot separate Buddha's ancestors and their practice. And they, as far as their Buddha ancestors, they continuously practice in the past, present and future, all times.

[87:30]

And what he's saying is our practice should be the same as to the ancestors' practice. That means our practice is not a kind of a personal project to get certain desirable result. But we practice as a family practice. That practice is connected with entire space and time. That what dogma means. This practice itself is enlightenment. And this practice itself is Buddha. Ready that? Watch. Maybe I didn't bring my watch for time being.

[88:34]

Or I put some here. Pardon? 10.35. Okay, time to stop. Let me talk. Even when living beings become Buddhas and ancestors, living beings means we, who do not obstruct any Buddhas and ancestors that already exist. We should consider this principle that we become Buddhas and ancestors very carefully within walking, standing, sitting, and lying down throughout the 12 hours. This means there are Buddhas and ancestors who have already become Buddhas and ancestors, and when they become a Buddha or ancestor, we don't need to ask them to leave, because I want to get there.

[89:43]

Someone needs to leave. Buddha ancestor is not like a time for membership. So Buddha ancestor doesn't reject anyone to become Buddha ancestor. So when we awaken to ourselves and practice and manifest our own life force that is connected with all beings, all of us can become Buddha ancestors. And no problem, no one complain about that. So we don't obstruct Buddha ancestors to become Buddha ancestors, and they don't obstruct us. You know, you are too early. So you have to practice more to become Buddha ancestors. But at the moment we practice, Buddha ancestors are manifested. So actually Buddha ancestor is not a certain individual group of certain individual people who get the license to become a Buddha or ancestor.

[90:55]

But when we manifest this reality, this manifestation or this practice is itself Buddha ancestors or manifestation of Buddha ancestors. And therefore, we should consider carefully within walking, standing, sitting, and lying down means whatever we do in our daily lives, how we can manifest our Buddha ancestors. That means how we, in a sense, produce Buddha ancestors through our practice. That is how we should be mindful in each and every actions in our daily lives. We need to make effort to do things

[91:59]

in the way Buddha ancestors appear or manifest through our practice, through our sitting, through our chanting, through our way of eating, through our talk with other people, through how to sleep. And in becoming Buddha and ancestors, we do not destroy, take away, or lose our being as living beings or as human beings. We don't change our forms. We need to use these five skandhas. And so we don't change the form of being. So I need to continue to do shohak. But using this body and mind of shōhaku, somehow we try to become Buddha and ancestors. So we don't lose anything, and that means we don't gain anything.

[93:06]

And yet, however, we allow them to be dropped off. Dropped off. Them means this buddhian mind and also our buddha ancestors and our practice. Everything is dropped off, means no clinging. So even we practice long time, we cannot lose our body and get something else. We cannot change, we have to use this body and mind. And yet we have to drop off this body and mind. If drop off means being released from clinging to this as ego, that means dropping off body and mind. That is what our zazen means according to Dogen.

[94:07]

Dogen said our zazen is dropping off body and mind. And when we see dropping of body and mind, we become Buddha, an ancestor. Not we, not shohaku, but this practice is Buddha ancestor. And that is what Dogen meant when he said dropping of body and mind. That means we don't live simply as an individual person, as one of the all beings, but we live together with all beings. Any questions? Please. The continuous practice of ascension allows us to practice Is the word continuous there?

[95:09]

Is that related to Megarius or why is that in there specifically? Well, the expression continuous practice is a translation of the expression Dogen used as Gyōji. Jyo is practice, and ji, what is ji? Ji is to hold, maintain, grasp, and the very common compound is jizoku. Jidoku. Jidoku means to keep or maintain, continue to do things. And Dogen Zen is used in Shobo Genzo Gyoji as Gyoji is like a circle, Gyoji Dokan.

[96:19]

Our practice is not same as time. It's not... kind of a process from starting point to goal, but he said our practice is hoshin shigyo buddha in hand, so arising body-mind, practice, awakening, and entering nirvana. We think this is a kind of a process as a common idea. But he said all those four are manifested within one moment of practice at the same time. And yet it's like a circle. And this circle continues. So each moment is perfect moment in which all arising body-mind practice, awakening and entering Nirvana is actualized.

[97:30]

And yet we need to continue this practice endlessly. That is the idea of Gyoji. Okay? Thank you.

[97:51]

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