signified conduct that is I also and you also when it has thus come as Buddha as it is and as self as it is it has something to do only with the ability of I and at the same time It is just the dropping off of being thus of Buddhas in the ten directions, and it is never simply identical. For this reason, an ancient Buddha said, after grasping the matter of that place, we return to this place. and practice each and every concrete thing. When we uphold and maintain thus, all dharmas, all bodies, all practices, and all Buddhas are intimate with the matter of that place.

[01:16]

These practices, dharmas, bodies, and Buddhas simply obstruct each other with acceptance. Because there is obstruction within acceptance, simply there is liberation within acceptance. Being obstructed by the eye, we see the clear, clear hundred blades of grass. We should not arouse our mind and say that not a single dharma is seen and not a single object is seen. Practice Buddha has thus reached to this dharma and has reached to that dharma. While practice Buddha carries out practice,

[02:21]

in either bringing in or taking away, and either leaving or entering through the same gate, because nothing is hidden in the whole world. The world-honored ones' intimate words, intimate verification, intimate action, intimate entrustment, and so on, are there. Leaving the gate, immediately there are grasses. Entering the gate, immediately there are grasses. Within 10,000 miles, there is no single inch of grass. The one word, enter, and the one word, leave, are useless, either at this place or at that place. The present grasping does not wait for the letting go, but this is a dream, a phantom, and a flower in the sky.

[03:36]

Who would hold this mistake and make another mistake, saying that this is a dream, a phantom, a flower in the sky? Stepping forward is a mistake. Stepping backward is also a mistake. Taking one step is a mistake. Taking two steps is also a mistake. Therefore, one mistake after another mistake. Whatever we say is a mistake. Because the separation is as great as that between heaven and earth, the ultimate way is not difficult. We should conclude that dignified conduct is conducting dignity, and the essence of the great way is boundless.

[04:39]

Maybe that's enough. I hope you understand. Now he points out one thing we should investigate about this dignified conduct of practice Buddha. The next sentence is really difficult to understand what he is saying. That is, although the dignified conduct That is I also and you also. When it has thus come, as Buddha as it is, and as self as it is, it has something to do only with the ability of I. And at the same time, it is just the dropping off of being thus, of Buddhas, in the ten directions.

[05:47]

And it is never simply identical. This is really... So we have to investigate each and every word that he is saying. It said, although the dignified conduct, this is of course easy, that is, I also is... Varemata, this is what Huinan said in the conversation with Nangaku. also I am also like this and you are also like this this I and you so this is a quote from the conversation between Huinan and Nangaku

[07:12]

And when it has thus come, thus come is a translation of inmo rai. This inmo is also thus or such. And rai is come. This is an expression from the original question of Huinan to Nangaku. That is, fat is it that does come. Somobutsu in morai. So, I also and you also means both you and I. came in thus came they come in thus that means you and I are come in this way in as a thusness and as

[08:42]

Buddha as it is and as self as it is, is a soku, butsu, soku, ji. I translate this Soku as it is, but it might not be a good translation. Anyway, Butsu is Buddha, and Ji is self. And this Soku is the word used in, for example, like a Soku Shinze Butsu. The mind is itself Buddha. This Soku Shin, and zei-butsu. The mind is itself Buddha. One's mind is nothing other than Buddha.

[09:47]

That is soku. So, soku-butsu and soku-ji. This soku-butsu and soku-ji refer to the two sides of gyo-butsu. One is, Gyo-butsu is done by certain particular person. We practice something. So, this is, from one side, this is my practice. Shohaku's practice. That is Soku-ji. And yet, this practice is itself Gyo-butsu practice Buddha. So, that is Soku-butsu. Nothing other than Buddha. And yet, At the same time, nothing other than the self, the person. So, you know, this gyo-butsu of, for example, prostration or sitting is from one side, 100% my practice.

[10:50]

Shohaku's zazen is only Shohaku's zazen. And Shohaku's talk is only Shohaku's talk. But at the same time, if I Do it for the sake of Dharma, not for the sake of shohaku. This is not shohaku's activity. Through this activity of shohaku, Buddha appeared. That is what the gyo-butsu means. Gyo, practice, is Buddha. So, within this gyo-butsu, gyo-butsu is nothing other than Buddha, and nothing other than the person. Both sides. Does it make sense? And is this sentence read in that way? I'm not sure. That is a problem. So, it has something to do only with the ability of I.

[11:55]

And at the same time, it is just a dropping off of being thus of Buddha in the ten directions. This is again, he used some expressions from the Lotus Sutra. The word I translate as the ability of I is yui ga no. and being thus of buddhas in the ten directions is jipo butsu mata shikari mata wa yaku

[13:07]

Zen Shikari. This expression appeared in the verse of the second chapter of the Lotus Sutra. That is a Hōben Hon or tactfulness or skillful means. And the meaning of that or the context of this expression is something like this. Not something like this. This is a translation from that book. Again, I say to Shariputra. So, this is Buddha's saying. Shakyamuni is saying to Shariputra. The faultless and inscrutable profound and mysterious Dharma I now have wholly attained. completely attained.

[14:12]

And he said, only I know this truth, as also do the Buddhas of ten directions. This is what is said in the Lotus Sutra. So, Dogen then changed this part. The original sentence in Garota Sutra is yui, ga, chi, zeso. Yui is only. Ga is I. Chi is no. And zeso is this form. This form is true form of all beings, true reality of all beings. So only I know the true reality of all beings.

[15:13]

That is what this sentence in the Lotus Sutra is saying. And next in the Lotus Sutra it said, as also do the Buddhas of ten directions. So only Shakyamuni knew this truth, this reality. And next he said, and also, this means all Buddhas in the ten directions, as also do the Buddhas of the ten directions, means all Buddhas in the ten directions also knew this reality. So this is same as, you know, Only Buddha, together with Buddha, can fathom this reality. This is kind of a strange logic to me.

[16:19]

First he says, only I can see, only I knew, I know this reality. But next he said, and also all the Buddhas in the ten directions know this reality. And that means only, you know, it is, the idea is in this, in each world or buddha land, only one buddha. And there are ten direction world and in each buddha land there are buddhas. That means only buddhas knows. No human beings or other living beings can see this reality. That is what this sentence in the Lotus Sutra is saying. This true reality of all beings can be seen only Shakyamuni Buddha and other Buddhas in the ten directions. No human beings. But, Dogen Zen changed this cheeses or knowing this form to know ability, know its ability.

[17:32]

So, only my ability. So, only I can see. Only I can know. And, at the same time, all Buddhas in the ten directions can see. In the case of Dogen's writings, there is no separation or discrimination between Buddhas and living beings or human beings. That means... I think in Shobo Genzo, Shobo Jisso, we studied last year, he said the same thing. About the yuibutsu, yobutsu. Only Buddha, together with Buddha. Please. So why is it that you put in about the dropping off? If I understand you correctly, he's saying it has something to do only with the ability of I, and at the same time, it is about what all Buddhas in ten directions can do.

[18:45]

So why does he say dropping off? Drop off is, of course, datsuraku. Datsuraku, same word in shinjin, datsuraku. That is, you know, these are kind of contradicted. I only know, this is only my ability. And yet all Buddhas are the same. That means this is contradicted. But this contradiction is dropped off within this one, this practice. That is, I think that is what it means. I'm not sure whether this English sentence says the same way or not. Please. Dropping off is our practice. Dogen said, Zazen is dropping off body and mind and body and mind is dropping off, dropped off.

[19:55]

So dropping off means the distinction between self and others or human being or the self and Buddha is dropped off. So there is no separation between the person sitting or person doing something. all other beings. But first, he said, only my ability or capability. That means this is again two sides of our life. One is, you know, I am alone. I am completely I. I cannot live for others. I cannot practice for others. I have to do this by myself with only my ability using my own five scanners. I cannot, you know, exchange my practice with others.

[20:57]

And all other beings are the same. They have to practice. They have to live out their lives. And that is a common ground of all beings. we can live together. This is another meaning of thisness and thusness. I'm alone. I'm completely alone. I have to live out my own life using my own karma. And each one of us is the same. So I have to do this by myself. My teacher cannot, you know, do this practice for me. And I cannot practice for other people. I have to do it by myself. So this is only... only depend on this person's ability.

[22:05]

And that is the same with all beings. I think that is what Dogen meant by using this. And yet, within this practice, this kind of a contradiction, we are alone and we are together with all beings, are dropped off. Does it make sense? Please. So when he says there is one point to investigate, what he wants to investigate contradiction between I'm all by myself and I'm not by myself at all. That's what he's investigating in this section. Yes, and within our practice, this contradiction dropped off. I think that is what he's writing. I hope this English sentence conveys that meaning. Please. What does he mean by it is never simply identical?

[23:09]

These two sides are dropped off, but we should not mix. My practice is my practice. I cannot practice for you. And yet we practice together with all beings. But these two sides should not be so easily mixed up. So my practice should be done by myself and your practice should be done by yourself. And yet we do the same practice. Okay, please. Is this type of thinking or logic unique to Dogen? Well, at Sanshinji in Bloomington now we study Tenzo Kyokun.

[24:20]

And last week, we have a study group on Wednesday evening and we study that part. And, you know, Dogen Zenji introduced two experiences with Chinese Tenzo. dried mushroom in a temple ground on a very hot day. And another is that Tenzo Dogen first met him while he was still in the ship. And in the first story, Dogen said, not Dogen said, but Tenzo said, these others are not me. And he has to do this at this moment. There is no time to wait. So only this person, only this moment, at this right now, right here, with this person. And in the second story with the Tendo from Aiwa Monastery, he said, Fendogen asked, what is the meaning of words and letters

[25:34]

And FAP is the meaning of practice that Tenzo said 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. And Dogen used the expression Tenzo used in this writing, in this paragraph, that is, nothing is hidden in the entire world. This means everything. We are one together with everything. So, this is the two sides and that is what Dogen Zenji studied from Chinese actual living example, I think. And those were two experiences he had prior to that. Were they unique to Dogen Zenji? I am not sure because I only know Dogen. I don't have much knowledge about other types of practice. Shredder's poem. Shredder's poem is like about waves on the ocean, illuminated by the moonlight.

[26:39]

And under each and every wave, the boundless moonlight is reflected. And the poem said, the dragon's jewel is under each and every wave, meaning each and every being. And yet, each being is independent. So there are always two sides. And I don't think this is only in Dogen's teaching. You know, the idea of merging of different unity is the same idea, I think. But Dogen then discusses so much in detail. Okay, that is my understanding of this difficult sentence.

[28:00]

Here it is. And next paragraph. So, he continued to discuss about this point. Independence and interdependence. our dependence, independence, and interdependence. For this reason, an ancient Buddha said, after grasping the matter of that place, we return to this place. and practice each and every concrete thing. This statement appeared in the Dharma discourse of Ungo Doyo Daisho. Ungo Doyo is a disciple of Tozan Ryokai, or Don Shan.

[29:07]

So, he is in our lineage. But in Ungo's Dharma Discourse, this statement is quoted as an un-ancient said. So this is not Ungo's statement, but this is a statement quoted by Ungo. So we are not sure exactly who said this. And this place and that place is uh nahen and uh shari nah is

[30:10]

That hen is like a place, or a side. And sha is this. And ri, what is ri? Ri is something like inside, but that means this place, right here. This place. And now hen is that place. Na and sha refer to this place that is at hand, where I am, and na hen means something over there. And by using this na hen or sha ri or it can be sha hen, It means the ultimate reality and actual concrete reality or ultimate truth and conventional truth or concrete, you know, day-to-day activity.

[31:16]

So, this is also another word for Nahin and Shahin is G and D. D or, in Chinese, L-I-D. And G and D is, you know, for example, Sekito Kisen said in Sandokai, To cling to each and every concrete thing is, of course, delusion. and yet to be accorded with Rī, or ultimate principle, is not yet enlightenment. That is this and that. So, this statement said is we should completely understand Rī, or ultimate truth, or reality.

[32:29]

And we need to return to this place, this concrete place, and carry out practice. So, within our practice, ri and ji, and nahen and shahen, should be there. When we practice in this way, that means ji and ri are like just one thing. Both are included in our action. Then, that is gyo-butsu. So, when we uphold and maintain thus, thus means both this and that. All dharmas, all bodies, all practices, and all Buddhas are intimate. with the matter of that place.

[33:31]

This was in the bracketed edition by me, so it might be a mistake. I don't know what are these intimate with. I tentatively thought this is intimate with the matter of that place, or Lee. Maybe not. Maybe these four things, dharma, bodies, practice, and buddhas are intimate with each other. That is one possibility. Another possibility is those four are intimate with this action, this concrete practice, or this person. So, there might be several possibilities. and it's not clear what Dogen really meant. The next two sentences are also difficult to understand.

[34:39]

These practices, dharmas, bodies, and buddhas simply obstruct each other within acceptance. This acceptance is jōtō. And, uh, obstruct. Simply obstruct each other. This obstruct is a translation of keigei. Kei, Ge. Joto is accept or receive. So, in this case, when we practice, you know, Gassho or prostration, we accept this practice.

[35:50]

And when we accept this practice, that means I surrender to this practice. When we accept this practice, we also accept that matter. That is... What is that? I forget. Leave, yes. That means emptiness. We accept emptiness by making prostration. I give up my self-centered self within this activity. But this keige is a difficult word to understand. In Dogen Zen's usage, this word itself is not difficult. This appears in the Heart Sutra. Kege.

[36:53]

What is Kege? It says Mu Kege. Mu Kege Komu Kufu. And usually this Kege translates as hindrance. Without hindrance. And Mu is without. So, keigei is hindrance. Usual meaning in Buddhist text is hindrance. Or as a verb, hinder or obstruct. But Dogen Zenji used this expression in a kind of a strange way. and I still don't clearly understand what he meant. Sometimes he said, he used this word, keige suru.

[37:58]

Suru is like a do in Japanese. Ru keige. Suru. Japanese word. Su... suru. You know, Japanese is an interesting language. We can make a verb from any noun by putting this suru after the noun. Like a... No. S-U-R-U. This is Japanese word. Su-ru. For example, you know, Telephone is, in Japanese, is denwa. And to make a phone call is denwa suru. So, we can make a verb from any noun by doing suru.

[39:00]

For example, you know, zazen suru or shugyo suru. We practice zazen is zazen suru or do zazen. And Dogen Zenji use that method and make this as noun. So, this is hinder or obstruct keige suru. And, he used a negative way like keige seizu. Means, not keige. Do not keige. Keige suru, keige shinai. This is really kind of difficult to explain because I still don't have a clear understanding. But one of the usage Dogen used in that is in Fukanza Genri.

[40:01]

He doesn't use kei, but he only uses gei. But Fati's The sentence in Fukanzazengi, it is like being obstructed by Zazen. Anyway, that means being obstructed or hindered by Zazen. It means being protected by Zazen. Being completely one with Zazen is what kei-gei means. So one word, one meaning Dogen used for this word is to completely one. Please. I'm just going to say this. It's like reminding you what the politicians are

[41:03]

Yeah, we have to find what he's talking about. How he used this. His usage of language is very unique. Too unique. So we don't really understand. So we have to investigate. Well, not really. Well, so, please wait for a moment until I finish this talk.

[42:10]

In this meaning, the way Dogen used this word, gei in Fukan Zazen, this means we are really one with Zazen. That is, we are obstructed by Zazen. So, I am not free. I surrender. I give up. I was obstructed by Zazen. So I cannot do, you know, my self-centered things. That is one meaning. And Feng, he used this as a negative expression. not obstruct each other. Like, not obstruct each other means, you know, like the young lady and the old lady never meet each other. Because they are completely one.

[43:13]

That is how Dogen used this word, keige, when he used it with negation. So to do keige, to obstruct, means to become really one. And do not keige is they never meet each other because they are one. This is a very strange or unique usage of this word. No one else uses this word keige in that way. So, now we return to this text. These practices, dharmas, bodies, and buddhas simply obstruct each other. That means they are all one within acceptance. Those, you know, these practices and the dharma that is expressed through

[44:22]

this practice. And the practice is done with this body. So practice is the body, actually. And also this is practice Buddha. So those four are very intimate, each other. That means one. So when we accept this practice and wholeheartedly do it, We are shohaku disappeared, but only this practice is there. To me, that is what this sentence means. Is it okay? And because, next sentence, because there is obstruction within acceptance, because all those are one within one activity, one action or practice.

[45:25]

Simply, there is liberation with acceptance. This liberation is also datsuraku, dropping off within this one practice. separation between self, shohak, and this practice, prostration, and the Dharma, or Buddha, all dropped off. And only this practice, this action is there. Dogen Zenji expressed this in his another waka poem, The title of the poem is Raihai or Making Prostration. I don't remember the English translation of the poem, but in Japanese it says, it goes as follows.

[46:28]

Karekusa mo mienu yukino no shirasagi wa Do you remember the English translation? I think it's something like the white heron hidden in the snowy fields, not even the long grasses of winter can be found. Yeah. Could you say that louder a little? The white heron hidden in the snowy fields, not even the long grasses of winter can be found. The last part is, Ono ga sugata ni mi wo kakushi keri, is the heron hide itself within itself. I'm not sure that part is in the English translation or not. But this is important point. Within this prostration, you know, the white heron is really white.

[47:34]

and that is staying in the snowy field, completely white. So there is no distinction between the body of the white heron, the bird, and the snow. So the white heron is hiding its own body within itself. And that, according to Dogen Zen, that is the meaning of this practice of making prostration. That means, you know, when I make prostration, I do with my own body and mind, nothing else. But when we do bowing this way, this means You know, when we do prostration, we put five parts of our body, both knees and elbows and head on the floor.

[48:43]

And we lift our hands a little bit above the height of ears. This means we put Buddha's feet on our hand. This means I am lower than the Buddha's feet. It means I give up everything. This is a complete expression of respect or gratitude and to the Buddha. You know, the lowest part of Buddha is higher than highest part of myself. This is the expression of complete surrender. That means, you know, the selfishness of this person is give up or letting go.

[49:50]

Within this posture, even though this is done, nothing other than by my five skandhas. Within this prostration, my shohaku disappeared. Or not really disappeared. It's there. And yet it is hidden within the white snow. So shohaku And Buddha, the separation between Shohoku and Buddha, the person who takes refuge and the Buddha that is a refuge, that separation or subject-object disappeared. And there is only white snow. That means only the Dharma is there. That is not the idea but the image of making prostration or taking refuge.

[50:55]

And that is what he is saying here. We are completely one with, you know, in the practice of Gyo-Butsu, the person who practices and the practice and Buddha are just one thing. That is what two, that is what keige means. Within this keige, become really one. We are our body and mind dropped off. Next sentence is another problem. Being obstructed by the eye, we see the clear, clear hundreds of rays of grass. We should not arouse our mind and say that not a single Dharma is seen and not a single object is seen.

[52:05]

So, he said, within this practice, you know, there is no separation between self and others. or practitioner and Buddha. And yet, he's always said, and yet. You know, this I and the object of I, that is colors and shapes or forms. So, the I and the form of the object are completely one and dropped off. And yet we cannot say we see nothing. We should not say we are really seeing. That means subject, object is still there. We should not forget that aspect as our life and practice within this place.

[53:06]

Sometimes we forget about this place and just go to that place. And say, we are just one. There is no self. Only Buddha is there. And we forget to make effort to even a little bit, you know, better job. So, even though body and mind are dropped off in each zazen, we have to keep sitting. each moment. So we cannot say there is no subject, object, or I and forms relation. We actually see the grasses. And this expression, clear, clear, hundred blades of grass, I think as I said this morning, is an expression by Raymond Pann. He was a layperson, lay practitioner, and he was a disciple of a student of Baso, I think.

[54:14]

What is the name? I think the Chinese pronunciation is Rayman Tan. In Japanese, it's Ho-un. P-A-N-G Tan. Thank you. Earlier about Zazen is good for nothing. The image of a heron in the snow, a heron is not invisible to itself. It's only if you're standing back, you can't see it. And as you were saying, in Zazen, you step back. Yeah. That's why it's good for nothing. It feels really parallel to that, where the Saharan has agency and is fully itself in the disappearance. Right. It's just a step out of the second.

[55:18]

So, Dogen kind of describes in a very poetic way, not like a logical, you know, philosophical writing. So, his writing is very beautiful. That's why it's difficult to understand. Here we are. Oh, Raymond Pann. I think this is a part of the conversation between this person, Raymond Pann, and his daughter. The question was, what is the intention of the ancestral teacher who came from the West? And Raymond Pann said, this statement, bright, bright, 100 blades of grass. That means everything. And I think his daughter, his daughter said, you are so much other person, but you're still saying such a thing.

[56:23]

Then the father said, what about you? Then his daughter repeated exactly the same thing. I think that was the conversation. Anyway, still there are grasses. So we have to continue to work with the object in our day-to-day life at this place. So practice Buddha has thus reached to this dharma and has reached to that dharma. So we should be both this place and that place within our actual practice using our body and mind.

[57:27]

So we should be intimate and familiar with both sides. Otherwise, our practice is not a practice Buddha. While practice Buddha carries out practice in either bringing in or taking away, and either leaving or entering through the same gate. Because nothing is hidden in the whole world. This is the expression Dogen used in Tendo Kyokun. The world honored one's intimate worth, intimate verification, intimate action, intimate entrustment, and so on are there. bringing in and taking away is let's see NEN RAI NEN KO RAI is to come KO is to leave

[59:03]

or bow. And both Nen is the word used in the expression, when Buddha picked up and hold a flower. That is this word, Nen, to hold or to grasp. So, this Nen Rai is grasped to hold and come. And Nenko is holding this thing and go or leave. Coming and going. Holding this practice. This is two way. Coming and going. Holding this practice. Within our day-to-day practice. and either leaving or entering through the same gate.

[60:08]

This gate or moon, I think, came into Dogen Zen's mind because of the word or expression he used, the grasses. The grass and gate is connected within his mind because of the one another koan story. That is what he quotes in the next paragraph. So, you know, the Gyo-butsu, or practice Buddha, is our practice actually. We, in our daily lives, coming and going, whatever we do, we carry, we hold this practice of gyōbutsu. And we go and go in and go out in the same gate.

[61:14]

And the gate means Entrance or exit from or distinction or separate inside and outside. I think that is the point. So basically, what Dogen is saying is there is no such gate or gateless gate. No gate. And yet, there are same gates. You know, tentatively, we are coming and going. entering and exiting the gate. Each day we go somewhere and come back. That is how we live, but because nothing is hidden in the entire world. That is, everything within the entire world

[62:22]

inside and outside are all included. There is no such distinction entering the gate or getting out of the gate. This is how, you know, Buddhas and ancestors practice. There are, you know, there are gates and Bodhidharma came from West to the East. But there is another expression. Bodhidharma never comes from the West. And the second ancestor never goes to India. That means this entire world is one place. There is no such distinction between East and West, inside and outside. That is how Buddhas and ancestors are practicing.

[63:24]

So there are both. There are gates. And there are no gates. There are both sides. That's how they practice. Therefore, world-honored ones, intimate words for teaching and intimate verification and intimate action and intimate entrustment and so on are there. This is how, this is the way Buddha dharmas have been transmitted from Buddha to all the ancestors and towards ourselves. So, dharmas have been transmitted with or by or through gyo-butsu. with this, you know, attitude that this place and that place are one.

[64:32]

We need to be familiar or intimate with both sides. That is, both sides mean form and emptiness or D or G or whatever name or word we use. Could you say more about the word Intimate? Intimate is a translation of Mitsu. Actual meaning of this word Mitsu is secret. Like a Himitsu is a modern Japanese word for a secret but and sometimes this mitsu is used in as a secret like a mikkyo is secret teaching mikkyo refer to tantric buddhism or

[65:49]

esoteric Buddhism is called mikkyo in Japanese like Vajrayana Buddhism is mikkyo but when Dogen Zenji used this word mitsu he said this mitsu is mitsu in menmitsu men and mitsu and men means, literally means cotton. Cotton? Cotton fabric. You know, cotton is difficult to separate. You know, it's... How can I say? With each other, so difficult to make separate. So, menmitsu means like, this word menmitsu is often used to describe the practice style of Soto Zen.

[67:00]

That is intimate. Like, you know, cotton. It cannot be easily separated. That is what this Mitsu means. So the Dharma has been transmitted intimately from Buddha to Mahakasyapa and Mahakasyapa to Ananda and going through the around about more than 80 generations it comes to us. That is what this Mitsu or Intimate means. OK, next is about the gate. This is three expressions. Leaving the gate, immediately there are grasses.

[68:04]

Entering the gate, immediately there are grasses. Within 10,000 miles, there is no single inch of grass. These three expressions came from one koan story. Are you familiar with these expressions? This is about Don Shan again. Don Shan or Tozan. Excuse me. This appeared in the... 89th case of Shōyō Roku, or A Book of Serenity. The case is as follows. Dongshan, or Tōzan, Tōzan Ryōkai, the founder of Chinese Sōtō Zen school. Dongshan said to the assembly, It's the beginning of autumn.

[69:12]

the end of summer and you brethren will go some to the east, some west. You must go where there is not an inch of grass for 10,000 miles. This is what Donson said. This saying is within the discourse on the occasion of the end of summer practice period. So, end of summer practice period is the end of the summer and beginning of the autumn. And after the practice period ended, the people in the assembly leave the monastery and go somewhere else. Some people go to west, some people go to east. And at that time, at the occasion, Donshan or Tozan said, you should go where there is not an inch of grass for 10,000 miles.

[70:24]

There are many words in English, but in Chinese, only, ten thousand miles, no inch of grasses. The Tozan was the abbot. And the abbot said to the practitioners, you can go wherever you want, but you should go where there is no inch of grass in the 10,000 miles. So this grass means our delusion. And he also said, but where there's not an inch of grass for 10,000 miles, how can you go?

[71:43]

How can you go? I mean, Tozan is asking, you should go to such a place without grass. But he's asking also, how can we go? Then, in the case, another comment, someone else's comment is there. That is, shishuang. Shishuang is sekisho in Japanese pronunciation. Sekisho, keisho. I'm sorry, Seki Sho, Kei Sho.

[72:45]

He was a dharma cousin of Tozan. Tozan's teacher was Ungan Donjo. And Ungan's dharma brother and very intimate and longtime friend, dharma friend, or dharma brother, is Dogo Enchi. Ando Goenji's disciple is Sekisho Keisho. And he... Sekisho is famous for his style of practice. It seems he really focused on just sitting. So, his zendo was called Koboku-do. Koboku means dead tree. Dead tree hole. That means people are sitting without moving. Like a dead tree, just standing. So, he is a kind of an important person.

[73:47]

And also, he is the original person who used this expression, nothing is hidden in the entire world. Do you know that? This is a part of his conversation with his student. When he was staying at his abbot quarter, by the window, a monk is walking outside. And I... maybe the monk asked to take care of the head monk. No, the abbot. I'm so close to you, but I don't see you. Why I cannot see you?" Then, Sekisho said, you know, Henkai Fuzozo. Nothing is hidden in the entire world. Maybe nothing, this translation is not good in this context.

[74:53]

What he said is, I am not hidden. in this entire world. But the monk didn't understand what it means. So the monk visited some Zen master and asked what Sekisho meant. Then I think that, I forget who was that Zen master, but the Zen master said, because Sekisho is everywhere in the world. That means, Sekisho, he himself, and the entire world has no separation. That's why, wherever we go, we see Sekisho. That's why we don't see Sekisho as this person, as an individual person. That is the original meaning of this expression, Henkai Fuzozo. Never being, never hidden in the entire world.

[75:55]

That means the Self and this entire world are one thing. Anyway, when Sekisho heard this Todan's saying, Todan's statement, you should go where there are no inches of grass in 10,000 miles, Sekisho said, his Todan's Dharma cousin said, Going out the gate, immediately there is grass. Tozan said, you should go without placing fear. No grass are there in 10,000 miles. But Sekisho said, when you get out of the gate, even one step,

[76:57]

There are glasses. And when that monk returned to Tozan and reported that Sekisho said such a comment about Tozan's statement, Tozan said, he must be the teacher of 1,500 monks. And actually later, he, Sekisho, became the abbot of big monastery. Anyway, so Tozan, you know, recognized sexual things. And in this case, there is another person's comment. That is, here it says, da-yan. Da-yan is tai-yo. In Japanese, His name is Kyogen. Taiyo Kyogen Daigosho is also a master in our lineage.

[78:13]

He is a teacher of Toshi Gisei. And this person, Taiyo Kyogen, is several generations from Tozan. So Taiyo Kyogen said, I would say, even not going out the gate, still the grass is boundless. Even we don't get out of the gate, There are grasses, even in the monastery, even within our practice, even in our zazen. There are many grasses. So, those are the origin of those three expressions. Those three is leaving the gate,

[79:18]

Immediately, there are grasses. This is Sekisho's comment. And, entering the gate, immediately, there are grasses. This is Taiyo Kyogen's. Taiyo doesn't say, entering the gate, but he said, without even, he doesn't get out of the gate. But, meaning the same. And with 10,000 miles, there is no single inch of grass. This is Tozan's saying. What do you mean by 10,000 miles, there is no single inch of grass then, here? He just, you know, how can I say, put these three phrases or expressions together and he didn't say anything.

[80:36]

So we have to think what this means. And this means, I mean, this is my understanding. You know, there's no guarantee this is what Dogen wants to say. He said, the gate, in the previous paragraph, and inside and outside the gate, coming in, entering, and go out. And Tozan said, we should go to the prayer sphere, no inch of grass are there. But Sekisho said, when we get out of the gate, there is already many grasses. And Taiyo said, even when we don't get out of the gate, there are many grasses. And what Dogen wanted to say, he said, no inch of grasses or no, within 10,000 miles there's no single inch of grass.

[81:51]

Means because everything is grass. You know, same logic. Because everything is grass, there's no grass. You know, this is also something to do with another koan about medicine herb and monjushiri. Then someone, maybe monjushiri asks someone to get out and bring a medicine herb. And the person, maybe that was monjushiri, I forget, said, there is no grass that is not medicine. That means everything is medicine herb. So I cannot get anything. I think that is what Dogen wants to say. If both are inside and outside are outside of the gate, that means there is no such separation between this side and that side.

[82:56]

This entire world is a world of grass. So, there is no grasp. Does it make sense? Please. So then, we could translate that as, because everything is delusion, there is no delusion. Right. That is what he is going to say, everything is mistake. Mistake after mistake. Everything is mistake, then there is no mistake. That is our practice. I'm just wondering if it has anything to do with time, because he uses grass to make uji. Can you talk about time? Well, I'm not sure about time, but in Shobo Genzo Uji he also mentioned about grass.

[83:58]

He said in Uji, all the grasses exist. I think I wrote down. Yes, in Shobo Genzo Uji Dogen says, since such is this fundamental reason, we must study and learn that Myriad phenomena and numberless grasses, grasses in this case means things, exist over the entire earth and each of the grasses and each of the forms exist as the entire earth. These coming and going

[85:02]

These coming and going means each and every grass as individual being. And yet these individual beings exist over the entire earth. And each of the grasses exist as the entire earth. So all the grasses are entire earth. both inside and outside the gate. And he said, these coming and going between individuality, each and every being, each and every one of us, are, you know, this entire earth, entire world. Nothing is hidden in this entire world. You know, he said, this coming and going between individuality and universality are the commencement of Buddhist practice.

[86:08]

So, when we see or when we awaken to the reality We, as we are, that is, we are completely alone, completely independent, and yet we are together with all beings in this entire world, these two sides, and coming and going, back and forth between these two, he said, is the commencement or beginning of Buddhist practice. When you have arrived within this field, within this field of suchness, it is a single grasp, a single form, each and every single independent grasp. And the forms are understood and not understood.

[87:12]

Understood and not understood is the same as grasping and letting go. The glasses are grasped and not grasped. This is what Dogen said in Uji. So he's not saying about time, but of course, based on this understanding, he discusses about his insight of time.

[87:39]

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