As for cutting out and sawing kashaya, there are four kinds. Or, kassetsu-e. The rope of added borders, cho-yo-e. The rope of pleated borders, sho-yo-e. and the single-sheet rope, man-e. In terms of how to sew, there are four kinds. Kassetsu-e, or the first one, the rope of separate panels, is the one we, I think most of us, have. We cut the materials into pieces, and sew them together.

[01:02]

That is the usual okusa. And the rope of added borders means when we don't have enough material, we can, on the seat of a sheet of fabric without cutting, we can put the borders on it and sew it, the different clothes. Pardon? Oh, this one? Oh, come on! And next one, the rope of pleated borders is instead of putting under different clothes, make somehow, I don't know how, but somehow make a pleats like this, and sew and make borders.

[02:13]

in order to save the cloth. That is called sho-yo-e. And the single-seat rope, man-e, is simply one seat of cloth without borders. Only the edge is so. And this manye is for shami and shamini. That means novices, not for monks who received vinaya. And Dogen Zen says, all these are proper methods of making kashaya. we should receive and maintain kashaya, being sold with a suitable method, depending on the material we obtained.

[03:24]

So, depending on what kind of material and how much material, we can make a choice. The next one is about how to stitch. The Buddha said that the kashaya of the Buddhas, over three times, are always sewn back, stitched. Does it make sense? OK. I think in the Vinaya, I think that was Shaliputra or someone. Before they sewed with backstitch, they sewed a single stitch and somehow the stitch broke and it fell apart.

[04:29]

So in order to make it, how can I say, not stronger but solid, they made a decision to So, next, it is best to obtain pure material for the rope. He already discussed about what is the pure material. That what is called a funzo is the purest. All Buddhas, over three times, considered it to be pure, I mean funzo, the discarded rags. Beside this, the funzo-e is not available. Beside funzo-e, a robe offered by faithful donors is also pure. Also, in Vinaya, Buddha allowed monks to receive offered robes from the lay people.

[05:40]

And also, in addition, the material bought at the marketplace with donated money is also pure. Although there is a regulation regarding the limit of the number of the days to make a rope, We are living in the degenerated age of the last Dharma, and in a remote land, far from the Buddha's country. No matter how long it takes, it is better to sow, receive, and maintain prasaya whenever you are motivated by the faithful heart. This means in Vinaya, there is a regulation about the period of time, depending upon how many jowls.

[06:46]

I think five jowls to sow five jowls kesa, I think the limitation was two days, and seven jowls for five days, or something like that. Because, you know, lazy monks try to sow slowly, in order to avoid something they have to do. I think two days. I mean five days. But here, Dogen Zenji kind of modified the regulations. Pardon? I think so. I think so. I think he made this modification because he himself It said one of his lay students, a couple, I mean wife of the couple, herself woven a fabric.

[08:11]

I think they lived in Kyoto. The husband's name was Shorenbo. And they, the couple, donated the material to Dogen Zenji. And he sold okesa by himself. And that okesa was transmitted from Dogen Zenji to Ejo, the second abbot of Eheiji, and Ejo to Tetsugikai, Ejo's major dharma heirs, and Ejo to Keizan. Yeah, Tetsu Gikai to Keizan. And Keizan was the founder of Sojiji. And Keizan gave it to Meiho Sotetsu, one of his major dharma heirs, who took over Yokoji,

[09:19]

and Daijōji. Gassan Jōseki, another major disciple of Keizan, took over Sojiji. But this Dōgen Zenji's orchestra was transmitted to Meihō Sōtetsu. And from Meihō Sōtetsu, it was transmitted to Daichi Sokei. And Daichi was famous for his poetry. The collection of his poetry is still popular now. And Daiji Zenji was from Kyushu in Kumamoto Prefecture. So after he received transmission, he went back to Kyushu and founded a few temples. One of them was Shogoji. Shogoji in Kumamoto. Now, Shogoji is still there, of course. And Narasaki Ikkoro became the abbot of Shogoji.

[10:22]

Shogoji was almost abandoned until the beginning of the 20th century. And the person whose name was Murakami Sodo, tried to reconstruct Shogoji. Murakami Sodo Roshi was the avatar of Daijiji. No, not Daijiji, but Kotaiji in Nagasaki. And Murakami Roshi built a Buddha hall and living quarters, but Shogoji didn't have a monk's hall. So, when Narasaki Koroshi became the abbot of Shogoji, he and Katagiri Daininroshi had a kind of an idea that makes Shogoji into an international practice center.

[11:25]

And Narasaki Roshi raised funds to build Sodo, or Monks Hall, and it became an international center. And I think about 12, 13 years ago, actually they had the first international Ango. Next year, Katagirishi died, I think. So around 1990 or 1991. But since then, even though Narasaki Koroshi passed away also, Sogoji has international ango. I think they still don't have electricity. They still cook with firewood.

[12:27]

Anyway, that was founded by this person, Daichi Sokei Zenji. And another temple founded by Daichi Zenji was Kofuku-ji, also in Kumamoto. And the orchestra sold by Dogen Zenji is still there. Actually, not at the temple, but the temple asked a museum of the Kumamoto city to store. to keep it in a perfect temperature and humidity. Anyway, so Dogen Zenjutsu Okasai is still in this world. Kumamoto. Kumamoto. Probably Dogenzenji was busy to do many things more.

[13:31]

He wrote Shobo Genzo. He had to give Dharma discourses at the Dharma Hall. you know, teach everything. So, I don't think he could saw the okesa so quickly. So, he took time. That's why he modified this regulation for himself. So, he said, because this is, we are living in the degenerated age of last dharma. When he discusses about anything else, he is not so, how can I say, tolerant about the idea of the age of the last Dharma. But probably this is only one place he kind of made a compromise. So anyway,

[14:35]

encourage us to sow Okesa by ourselves. The next section is about lay people, receiving Okesa for lay people. Dogenzen says, it is in It is an ultimate teaching of Mahayana that even lay people, whether human or heavenly beings, receive and maintain kashaya. Now, both King Brahma and King Sakura receive and maintain kashaya. These are heavenly beings. the king of certain heavens, and some statue of Brahma, and Shakra is Indra.

[15:42]

Those are both gods in the Indian mythology. But within Buddhism they became guardian gods of Buddhadharma. And some statues of these guardians We are okesa. These are excellent examples of the world of desire and the world of form. These are the first two of the triple world, three worlds. The world of desire, the world of form or rupa, and the world of no-form. In the human realm, there is no way to calculate such examples. It means there are many examples, so we cannot calculate how many. There are many lay people who received and wear okesa.

[16:51]

All of the lay bodhisattvas receive and maintain kashaya. In China, he picked up several examples of Pei people who received precepts, in this case, both sattva precepts and okesa. In China, both Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty and Emperor Yang of the Sui dynasty received and maintained kashaya. I think you know, you are familiar with Emperor Wu of Yuan Dynasty. This is the person who had a conversation between Bodhidharma. He supported Buddhism and built many Buddhist temples and allowed many people to become Buddhist monks. And financially he supported the Sangha.

[17:57]

and he himself received the precept and wore the okesa and gave lectures on certain sutras. And Emperor Yang of Sui dynasty, this dynasty is right before Tong dynasty, and this king or emperor was in the throne between 604 to 617. The interesting point of these emperors who supported Buddhism was, after these emperors died, the dynasty disappeared. Maybe they spent too much money to support certain religion. So, I'm not sure whether the emperor supports certain particular religion too much is healthy or not for the shape of the country.

[19:04]

I mean, the King Ashoka is the same. I think you know about King Ashoka. Well, I don't think I have talked about King Ashoka. Finally, before he died, he had only one, not one, but half piece of mango fruit to donate the sangha. Only half piece of mango. Anyway, and during Tong dynasty, Emperor Dai, or Daiso, and Emperor Su, Shikuso, both were kashaya, studied Buddhist teachings with monks and received the Bodhisattva precepts. Other laymen and laywomen who received kashaya

[20:15]

and Buddha precepts are excellent examples for the past and the present. In Japan, Prince Shotoku received and maintained kashaya. When he lectured on the Lotus Sutra, Sri Mala Devi Sutra, and so on, he experienced the marvelous omens of the heavenly beings raining jewel flowers. This person, Prince Shotoku, or in Japanese, Shotoku Taishi, is a very important person in the history of Japanese Buddhism. This person, Shotoku Taishi, lived between... he was born in 574. and died 622, and Buddhism was officially transmitted from Korea, one of the dynasties in Korea, to Japan in the year 552.

[21:35]

So, he was born right after Buddhism was imported, was introduced from Korea to Japan, and he supported it. There was a kind of a struggle or conflict between two political powers within Japanese court, imperial court, and they kind of fought each other. And Prince Shotoku supported Buddhism. During the kind of a fighting or battle, this prince, he was very young, but he vowed that if we can win this battle, I will build a Buddhist temple. And that was, so he built later, after he became a regent,

[22:40]

or crown prince. He built a temple in Osaka named Shitennoji. And another one in Nara named Horyuji. The Shitennoji was burned down and rebuilt many times. But the Horyuji, it seems Horyuji was once burned. after Prince Shotoku died. But the wooden structure of Horyu-ji is still the oldest wooden structure building in the world. It was built in the 7th century, and it's still in good shape. Of course, that is a national treasure. And Horyu-ji is a kind of a study monastery for Japanese yoga chara school.

[23:55]

In Japan, we call the school Hossoshu. And Horyu-ji was the place where Sawaki Kodoroshi studied Yogacara teaching. Shiten noji. Shiten-no-ji is in Osaka. At that time, Osaka is a kind of a sea. Osaka is a port facing the inland sea.

[24:56]

So when the ship came from China, Osaka is a kind of an entrance to Japan. And Osaka to Nara, the capital, at that time, not so far. So it takes maybe one day to go by a horse. So Shotoku Taichi first built this Shitenno-ji, and he built Horyu-ji, and he lived near the temple, probably in the temple, I'm not sure. And he, it said, traditionally it said he gave lectures on three sutras and he made commentaries. And the commentaries of those three sutras made by him still remain.

[26:02]

Those three, two of them are mentioned here, the Lotus Sutra and Shurimala Devi Sutra. I think you know this sutra. This sutra is a kind of a record of teaching by a queen, a woman, Queen Shurimala. And this is one of the sutras, one of the not the first, one of the sutras in which the idea of Buddha-nature is mentioned. And the third one is Yuinwa-kyo. Yuinwa-kyo is Vimalakirti Sutra. But, you know, today scholars are always skeptical. And many scholars doubt those three commentaries were made by Shotoku Taishi or not.

[27:11]

And many of them said no. Actually, John McGrath is studying these three commentaries by Prince Shotoku. And he said, you know, there's no evidence that these three were written in Japan. It could be written in China or Korea. So maybe these are not. 552. Or other scholars think 538. Anyway, when this person, Prince Shotoku, gave lectures on these sutras, it said, the omen of heavenly beings raining jewel flowers happened.

[28:14]

Same thing was said about the Emperor Wu. So this is a kind of common expression of something excellent. Since then, the Buddha Dharma has been spreading widely in our country. So after Prince Shotoku, Buddhism started to spread and take root in Japan. Although Prince Shotoku was the regent of the country, he was also the guiding teacher of human and heavenly beings, even though he was a crown prince. But at that time, the emperor was a woman.

[29:16]

The emperor's name was Suiko, Suiko Tenno. So, the emperor, Suiko, was Prince Shotoku's aunt. So, after he became a crown prince, he was a regent. That means he actually, he did, you know, the work of governing the country. So actually he was the, how can I say, he has the political power. But he also, you know, studied Buddhism taught Buddha's teachings. As a regent, one of the most important work he did was he made a constitution, seventeen constitutions, constitution with seventeen, what do you call, articles, and it's still there.

[30:31]

And within the constitution, it said we all should respect Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. So, he was the Buddha's envoy and father and mother of all living beings. These days, in our country, Japan, Although the material, color, and measurements of Kashaya have all been distorted, still we can hear the name Kashaya. This is simply a result of Prince Shotoku's efforts. So Dogen Zenji has a criticism against the kashaya Japanese Buddhist monks are using, but at least there is a kashaya because of Prince Shotoku's effort.

[31:39]

That is the point. If he had not destroyed the evil and established the truth at that time, we would be in a sorrowful condition today. That means if he didn't support Buddhism, Buddhism would not take root in Japan. Later, Emperor Shogun also received and maintained kashaya and the Bodhisattva precept. This Emperor Shogun lived between 724 to 749. This is the emperor who made the, what do you call, Daibutsu, Great Buddha in Nara.

[32:45]

While he, when the Great Buddha was, I think a few years later, after the Great Buddha was completed, the Chinese Vinaya Master, Ganjin, came to Japan, arrived to Japan. And this Emperor Shon, received the Bodhisattva Precept from that Chinese Vinaya Master. You know, the story of inviting Ganjin, the Chinese Vinaya Master, was written as a novel by a Japanese very popular novelist. whose name was Inoue Yasushi, and the title of the novel was Tenpyo no Iraka.

[33:51]

Iraka is the roof tile of the temple buildings. And Tenpyo means, is referred to the name of the era that this master, Ganjin, came from China. And the story, you know, several Japanese monks went to China and asked Ganjin to come to Japan, and they had very difficult trips. They tried to come to Japan five times, and the first four times they failed because of typhoons or storms or some kind of political reasons. So it took them almost 20 years. And at that time, when people went to China sent by Japanese emperor or government, four ships go together.

[35:08]

But when Ganjin came, three of them were, how can I say, wrecked. So only one ship arrived. Unfortunately, on that ship, Ganjin was. So they could survive. I really liked the novel, and the novel became a movie. So I think, I don't know how long ago, maybe in 80s. So if you want to see, I think you can find somewhere. But I'm not sure with English subtitle or not. But I really like the final sentence the novelist wrote about you know, their adventure. As I said, at the time Ganjin became blind, so he couldn't see the Great Buddha.

[36:19]

But the Ordination Platform is in front of the Buddha. Among the several Japanese monks, only one of them survived and came back from China with Ganjin. And that person, this is in the novel, so it's not true. I mean, historically true. But in the novel, it says the person thought it was good Ganjin was blind. That means he couldn't see the great Buddha. That means the great Buddha is not so great. I mean, in order to build that Buddha, many of the common people worked so hard, and many of them died. They came from far away, so it was like building a pyramid, or many emperors built great buildings, constructions, many places in the world, but they are not really

[37:33]

for the sake of people, but for the sake of emperor's authority. And the monk thought the great Buddha was also one of them. So he said he felt happy that Ganjin was blind. How long did it take to build that great Buddha? I mean... I noticed that you only lived 25 years. I'm not sure, but it took many years. I think before start to build it, I think, of course, they had work on fundraising. And another famous Japanese Buddhist monk whose name was Gyoki worked for fundraising from many people. Please. Could you write down the name of the novel? Yes?

[38:56]

If I remember correctly, the emperor spent pretty much all of his money on building the country. And he used up almost all of the bronze. Right. So it's difficult to tell whether to build such a great thing is good or not for people. It has to be good, don't you think? Because we're still talking about it, and it's Buddha in our mind. So that generation to generation... Yeah, now, you know, many people have visited the great Buddha, and even people from outside Japan, and they you know, how can I say, bring some income to Japanese people.

[39:59]

So, it's not completely bad. And, you know, many people, you know, admire the Buddha and through the Buddha they appreciate, you know, Buddha's compassion. So as a We cannot tell it's really bad, but it's difficult to say it's really entirely good thing. That is another one. That was built, I don't know when. That was much newer. And that was in the open air. But this one in Nara, is in the wooden structure. And the wooden structure for this great Buddha still is the largest wooden structure in the world.

[41:04]

If you have a chance to go to Japan, I recommend you to visit that temple. It's really great. It's Todai-ji. Anyway, therefore, whether we are on the throne or in the position of retainers, we should immediately receive kashaya and bodhisattva precepts. For a human body, there is no greater happiness than this. And he picks up another point. Some say the kashaya received and maintained by laypeople is called a single-stitched robe or a secular robe. That is, backstitch is not used to sew it.

[42:13]

According to the commentary on Kesakudoku, this is said in the commentary, on Makashikan. Makashikan is... What is Makashikan in English? Shikan is shamatha and vipashyana and maha is big. This is a kind of a manual for meditation practice shamatha and vipashyana in Tendai tradition written by Tendai Chi-I or Chi-Gi. Tendai Chigi is the greatest master in Chinese Tendai tradition. So, because Dogen Zenji was ordained as a monk in Tendai tradition, he studied these texts when he was young. But in this Tendai text it says, you know, lay people receive and wear okesa, but their robe is sewed not with backstitch, but a single stitch.

[43:35]

This is one thing. Another thing is, Another says, when lay people go to a practice place, they should bring three Dharma robes, tooth cleaning twigs, like a toothbrush, rinsing water, eating bowls, oryoki, and a bowing mat, and practice pure practice, the same as monks do. All these transmitted these instructions. So these are quotes from the texts in Tendai tradition. But Dogen Zenji doesn't agree with what is said in this text. And yet, as the authentic transmission through Buddha ancestors until today,

[44:42]

kashaya given to kings, ministers, lay practitioners, and the common people are all backstitched. I don't know how he knew that, but this is his opinion. So all the kashaya should be sewn with backstitch, please. The single stitch is a looser stitch, so it's more likely to come out. Maybe so. For him, all Mahayana Buddhist practitioners are Bodhisattva. So the distinction between lay people, lay practitioners, and monks or priests are not essential.

[45:45]

We are all bodhisattvas. In early Buddhism, the distinction between lay people and monks is really clear. But in Mahayana, they are both called bodhisattvas. And we, in Mahayana, we receive the same precepts. Especially in Japan, you know, both lay people and priests or monks receive only, in Soto tradition, only 16 precepts. There is no difference between a priest or a monk's precept and a lay practitioner's precept. Another set of regulations, named Shingi. Shingi is a pure standard for Zen communities.

[46:53]

And so monks follow the shingyi when they practice in a monastery. So, that's, you know... Lifestyles are different between monks who live in a temple or monastery and lay people. But in terms of precepts, we receive the same precepts. The lay worker Lu, that is the family name of Huinan, the sixth ancestor, had received Buddha's kashaya while he was a layperson. This is an excellent precedent.

[47:57]

That means even though Huinan was a layperson, when he received transmission from the fifth ancestor, but he received a Buddha's kashaya. So Dogen's point is, there is no distinction between laypeople's kashaya or okesa and monks' or priests' okesa. As I said, in Sawaki Kodo-roshi's lineage and also in Hashimoto Roshi's lineage in Japan, even lay people received three robes. And I remember some lay practitioners put on an orchestra when they came to Antarctica and participated in a session. I think in the introduction of the book Nyoho-e written by Tomoe-san, she also received three robes.

[49:11]

First of all, kashaya is a banner of the Buddha's disciples. If we have already received it, Day by day, we should venerate it by putting it on our head. As I said, you know, put okesa on our head means shows our respect and gratitude to the okesa and to the Buddha and Dharma and Sangha. And we place it on the top of our head, go do gassho and recite the following verse. how great the robe of liberation is. It is the formless robe and the field of happiness. Respectfully wearing the Tathagata's teaching, I vow to save all living beings. This is my translation of the robe chant.

[50:24]

Please. Yeah, I did. But I think it makes too long, so I omit it, unfold. But if you think it's okay to put it unfold, please add it. So after chanting this verse, we put it on. We consider kashaya or okesa as our teacher and as a stupa. Stupa, I think you know what stupa is. When Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha died, he said his funeral should be taken care of by lay people, not by monks.

[51:34]

And at Buddha's funeral, there are lay people from eight places, and they did funerals, so monks didn't. Because Buddha said monks should focus on studying Dharma and practice. And those lay people from eight places divided Buddha's relics into eight pieces and brought back Buddha's relics to their own place, and also the minute stupa in which Buddha's relics are enshrined. And also four important, four or eight, four I think, important places of Buddha's life, like Rumbini, park where Buddha was born, and where Buddha attained enlightenment.

[52:42]

When Buddha gave first teaching, first discourse, and where Buddha died, the lay people built a stupa. Since then, stupas have been maintained by lay people, not monks. And some Buddhist scholars think that lay people who took care of the stupa was a kind of original group of people who, how can I say, started Mahayana Buddhism. Anyway, so stupa. And at the stupas, there are certain groups of people who took care of the stupas.

[53:49]

And also, you know, many people came to visit as a pilgrimage from, you know, various places. There must be someone who kind of made explanation about Buddha's teachings. And so, in order to talk about the Buddha's life and Buddha's teachings, they made a relief of Buddha's life. And also a story from Jataka that describes how Buddha practiced in his previous lives. the material of those explanations became a kind of a group of literature that praised Buddha's life and Buddha's teachings.

[54:53]

And one of them was Jataka literature and another is Poetic literature such as Buddha Charita, the kind of poetic form of Buddha's biography was written probably among those people. Those people started to think, you know, the tradition of monks at the monastery, they are practicing only for themselves. to enter nirvana, to attain enlightenment and enter nirvana. And those people started to doubt or question whether the monks practiced, and they mainly studied Dharma and created a system of philosophy, so-called Abhidharma. And from the lay Buddhist point of view,

[55:56]

but they are doing like a very scholastic work. And meditation looks different from that of the Buddha did. Buddha taught lay people and travelled all over India and helped lay people also. That was one of the theories about the origin of Mahayana Buddhism. So, from Dogen's insight, we consider kashaya or okesa as our teacher, and as a stupa, means when we put on okesa, this is stupa, and Buddha's relics is in it. That means our practice is Buddha's relics. So in that sense, we don't need to visited those places, Buddha's relics are here.

[57:04]

That is what this means. So, after washing the robe also, we put it on our head and recite this verse, as he described before. And the Buddha said, when a person shaves the head, and wears the kashaya, this person will be protected by all Buddhas. When a person leaves home to become a monk, this person will receive offerings from heavenly beings. So when a person becomes a monk and receives okesa and put on okesa, they are protected by Buddhas and supported by heavenly beings. This is a quotation, and Dogen Zenji said, We should clearly know that, after shaving head and wearing kashaya, we are protected by all Buddhas.

[58:21]

Because of all Buddhas' protection, the virtue of unsurpassable awakening will be completed in the future if we keep practice wearing kashaya. I really think I have been protected by not only kasha or kesa, but including koromo and also oryogi, teachings and traditions. You know, especially when I practiced takuhatsu, begging, I practiced begging first while I was practicing at Antaiji, because Antaiji was a small, poor temple. We had no income.

[59:24]

from race community. So we supported our practice thoroughly by begging. And we didn't judge the people who were coming. But our food is really, you know, not so expensive. Actually, Joshin-san was tenzo. For ten years, she did tenzo every month. I mean, not every month, but ten times a year, except February and August, because it's too cold and too hot. And usually we had about let's see, 40 to 50 people for sesshin, for five-day sesshin.

[60:31]

So, Joshin-san cooked by herself for 40 to 50 people with firewood. We didn't have electric gas or electric stove. So it was really hard work for her. She's a very small person. But she was very tough. Sometimes, for example, New Year Sesshin, we had 80 to 90 people. But she did. Of course, we did help her as much as possible. We made preparation for the materials, washing vegetables or cutting them up before sessions start. And we did dishing during the break.

[61:38]

Our break was only 20 minutes or so. But all the people worked together and done. within 20 minutes, and we ran to the zendo. Anyway, when I did takuhatsu, while I was at Antaishi, we did takuhatsu with at least several monks together. So I really liked takuhatsu. It was like taking a walk. Especially we do takuhatsu in Kyoto. So pretty. But after I went back to Japan from Massachusetts, I lived by myself. So I had to do takuhatsu by myself. And it was really different from the takuhatsu I did at Antaiji.

[62:39]

It's really difficult. When we do takuatsu, we hold ōryōki in front of our face, and we put on a bamboo hat, and we wear koromo and rakusu, and put on the straw sandals, and walk on the street. Yeah, I heard that from a little son. Yeah. It seems they are doing well. So maybe in the future, we can do tako hats in this country also. I heard someone in Marin County are doing tako hats, right?

[63:42]

Aha. Anyway, when I did takuatsu by myself, I felt, you know, kind of intimidated, of course. It's very different. And I felt I'm good for nothing. I felt I'm doing takuatsu because I'm lazy. I was translating, I was, you know, living by myself as a caretaker of a very small nun temple. My friend who owned the temple allowed me to live there, free. So I lived there and sat by myself and we had a session with a few people and I lived solely on takuhatsu. I had no other source of income. Actually, that is not true. When I had some income besides Takahatsu, I bought books. The result of buying books are in Bloomington now.

[64:57]

Anyway, I did Takahatsu two or three times a month, and I received about $300. And that was my income. And I spent about half of that amount of money for like a telephone bill and health insurance. And so I lived about half of it, that means about $150 a month. And I was sitting by myself daily, and I had a five-day session each month with a friend of mine, actually a friend, one of my Dharma brothers, and a few lay people every month.

[66:01]

And I worked on translation of Dogen's and Uchiyama Roshi's texts into English. and I did Takahatsu. At that time, you know, although I'm practicing with small number of people and I was working on translation, still, you know, no Japanese people read English translation of Dogen. They don't need to. I have no contribution to Japanese people. Still, I did begging to ask. In a sense, I didn't say, please support me. But doing takuatsu itself means, please support me. So I felt, sometimes, I felt guilty to do this way.

[67:04]

Sometimes, I thought maybe, I should do some kind of job in order to make some income to support my practice. But somehow I didn't want to. I had a kind of a question and answer within me. But I continued to do takuhatsu. And sometimes I was questioning to me, why these people make donation to me? They don't know me, and they don't really know what I was doing. So even if they make donation, they don't really know how I spent the money. But somehow, because I put on

[68:06]

Buddha's rope, and I did takat in a traditional way, somehow they trust me, trust my, not me, but trust, they didn't know me, but they trust my activity. So, you know, their donation is not to me, but to the Three Treasures, really. So, during that time, I really felt I was protected by that tradition of Buddhist practice. And, okesa, you know, people knew how Buddhist monks did begging or takuhatsu. That's why, even when I did takuhatsu, they made donations. not to me, but to this robe, I think.

[69:09]

They trust the robe, not me, because they have no reason to trust me. And during that time, there are kind of fake monks who did takahatsu to make money. So some people are very kind of skeptical whether I was really a Buddhist monk or not. But still, you know, they somehow made donation. You know, the donation was very small, usually 10 cents or so a person. Sometimes some people give me, you know, 100 yen, that means Wanderer today. Anyway, so I really still feel that I could continue to practice even though I didn't live in a monastery.

[70:23]

I could continue to practice because of the protection by Okesa. And all the people, you know, not only so-called ancestors in Zen tradition, but all people who transmitted, maintained the Buddhist tradition, supported my practice. So I don't think I could continue you know, practice and working on translation with only my personal willpower and effort. Actually, my willpower is very weak. I couldn't continue by myself if someone, you know, support me. So, I really appreciate the protection from orchestra. Well, we have five more minutes, and I don't think that's enough time to start to talk on the next section.

[71:38]

So if you have any questions or any comments, please say something. Please. I think it's because Buddha had no form and also, how can I say? Yes. Right. That is Dogen's point. Even though Brahmā could see everything, he couldn't see the top of his head. That means the top of his head is... The top of his head, Buddha's head, is higher than the top of the heavens.

[72:51]

Okay? Please. Forty-three. Or the world of desire and the world of form. Oh, these are means King Brahma and King Shakra received and maintain kashaya. These two kings of the heavens are the good examples in the world of desire and the world of form. Okay? Please. How long?

[73:54]

Let's see, I went back to Kyoto in 1981. Between 1981 to... I started Kyoto Soto Zen Center in 1984. Actually, we married in 1983. And she was at Antaiji for one year. And after we started to live together, I did takuatsu once for a while, but not regularly. So maybe between 81 to 84, so three years. Okay? Please. Yes, Uchiyama Roshi retired in 1975. And I went to Massachusetts within that year, 1975. And next year, in 1976, Antaisi moved to the current location.

[74:58]

Please. I worked for a Japanese man and I showed him this. He looked at the Japanese and he said that even university students in Japan wouldn't understand. Dogen? Dogen's? Is that true? You mean Dogen's writing? Yes, he said it. Yeah. Nobody speaks that way at all. Of course. You know, this is written 800 years ago. Yeah, you can imagine, you know, English literature written in 13th century mixed together with Latin and Greek. I don't think common Americans read that kind of writing. You know, Dogen freely quotes and uses quotes from Chinese, you know, translations of Buddhist sutras, and freely uses Chinese expressions. So it's actually written in Japanese, but it's not really Japanese.

[76:23]

So no one, even when we start to study Shogo Genzo, we cannot study without commentaries. And today, we have many, not too many, but several translations of Shogo Genzo into modern Japanese. without translation or the commentaries, unless we have special education to study Dogen. We cannot really read Shobo Genzo. It's not really forgotten, but Shobo Genzo was you know, copied by hands and stored at a temple or monasteries as a kind of a treasure.

[77:28]

And they almost worship Shobo Genzo. And if a person, a monk, wanted to read Shobo Genzo, they had to travel to that temple and ask permission to copy Shobo Genzo. And it took them, you know, several months at least to even copy it. So it's not intentional, but the number of people who could read Shobo Genza was limited, only within certain kind of intellectual people within Sōtō tradition only. And in the 17th century, they started to, probably I'm going to talk a little bit about the history of Sōtō then in the 17th century tomorrow.

[78:38]

So I'll talk about it. But they wanted to rediscover Dōgen. you

[78:53]

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