Good afternoon, everyone. This morning I talked on the materials Dogenzen used to compose this paragraph. And I didn't talk about what he's writing, what he wants to say. So I'd like to start from the beginning of this paragraph. We are still in page 7 out of 30. And more than half of the Genzo is over. But after this paragraph, we can go faster. Hopefully. OK. First, he says, 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.

[01:04]

My understanding is leaving and entering the gate is our practice in our daily lives whether we enter the gate or leave out of the gate. We are coming and going in our daily lives as our practice. Or we can say we work within ourselves and also we work with other people and beings. Go out and come back. Or, in a sense, we go out in the morning and work outside in the daytime and return in the evening and go to sleep. That is what our living activity is. And that is, as Ferd Dogen said, this place.

[02:07]

Within this place, there are many activities coming and going. And within 10,000 miles, there is no single inch of grass. It is, I think, that place. or Sha-hen and Na-hen. But, what I think Dogen Zenji wants to say is this place and that place is exactly the same place. Right now, right here. With these five skandhas. And in each and every moment, and each and every activity, both are there. There is no such, you know, beyond discrimination, outside or beyond this world, or beyond where we are living.

[03:24]

So, these two are completely penetrated each other. I think that is what Dogen Zenji wants to say. And the one word, enter, enter, and another word, leave, new and shutsu, through the gate. Dogen said, are useless, either at this place or that place. Shato and Nato. Shahen and Nahen and Shato and Nato, the same word, same meaning. Because there is no such separation between inside and outside. Whether we enter or we leave, you know, There are grasses all over.

[04:29]

But this place is full of grasses. It is exactly the same place where there is no inch of grass for 10,000 miles. And next sentence. The present grasping does not wait for the letting go But this is a dream, a phantom, and a flower in the sky. This grasping and letting go came from the Shinjinmei I introduced this morning. He said, when we are... Shinjinmei said, when we are deluded, we create duality. And those dualistic ideas create, you know, the Mugen Kuge. In the D.P.

[05:48]

Suzuki's translation, he translated this Mugen as one word, as a vision. But, this expression Mugen came from the Diamond Sutra. And, in Diamond Sutra it says, all conditioned Dharma, all conditioned beings, are like or know Mugen. and Hō, Ei, Nyōmogen Hō, Ei, Nyō, same Nyō, Rō, Nyōrō, Hyaku, also Nyōden. So Shinjin-mei took first two examples from the Diamond Sutra.

[06:50]

And this is dream, phantom, ho is bubble, and e is shadow, and ro is view, and den is lightning. So, in the Diamond Sutra it says all conditioned dharmas are like a dream, like a phantom, like a bubble, like a shadow, and like dew, drop of dew, and lightning. Dream, phantom, and bubble, and shadow means They are there as a phenomenon, but there's nothing substantial. And dew and lightning are examples of impermanence.

[08:00]

Dew is on the blade of grass only in the morning. When the sun rises, it disappears. And, of course, lightning is only less than a moment. So these are the examples of no substance or emptiness and impermanence. And Shinjin may pick up first two examples. So I think, you know, better to translate this each of them as two things, dream and phantom, instead of making this one word as vision. And this next one, this Kuge, is, as I said in the morning, in Shinjinmei Kuge,

[09:03]

is an illusion. When we have some disease on our eyes, even though nothing is there, we see something like a flower floating in the air. That is ku-ge. But Dogen Zenji wrote one chapter of Shobo Genzo entitled Ku-ge. And he used this expression in a very positive way. So, his way of understanding of Kuge is flower of emptiness. And he said, every, all dharmas are the flower of emptiness. That means it's beautiful. And yet, it's... and it has... everything has form. And yet this form is a form of emptiness. This is all flowers.

[10:06]

All beings are flowers. And yet all those flowers are expressions or manifestations of emptiness. So we are all flowers of emptiness. And he used this expression as another word for true reality of all beings. Please. Is it like a container? Container? Like the way that water is in a glass. Is it like that? Like the flower would be like the glass and the emptiness is the water? I don't think so. These are not like a container and water, but this is one thing together. So, in the context of Shinjinmei, you know, those dream, phantom, and flower in the air are illusion.

[11:13]

So, we should not grasp, but when we are deluded, we grasp, and grasp this and that, and we think, which is better? I like this, I hate that. But Shinjin-mei said, don't do that. That Shinjin-mei said, don't grasp. Don't take hold. And Shinjin-mei said, we let go of all good and bad. Zehi tokushitsu and win and lose. Gain and lose. So, in the case of Shinjin-mei, Grasping is negated. Something we should not do. And letting go is what we should do. Because these are illusions. But in this sentence, Dogen Zenji is saying quite different thing.

[12:23]

Grasping and letting go are two sides of our practice. Both are important. And he used this word, Mugen-ku-ge, as another name of Gyo-butsu. You know, Gyo-butsu has no substance. It's happening. So it's like a dream. When it's over, it's gone. And it's like a phantom. You know, I think in the Saturday morning during Dharma talk, you know, I talked about Narasaki Koroshi's way to do ceremonies and it was really beautiful and I was very inspired by his way of doing things. But his practice is gone.

[13:23]

His practice was only that moment. It doesn't stay. So it's like a phantom, really. And it stays in my heart, in my memory. And it still influences, you know, in my way of life. But still it's like a dream and phantom. And also like a flower in the sky. It's there, but it's not really there. That is what Kuge means. So, this is, this Mugen Kuge is an expression or another name for practice Buddha. And within this practice Buddha, there are two sides. One is grasping. Another is letting go. Grasping means when we do gassho, we just do gassho. We have to grasp this, what we are doing.

[14:27]

And yet, at that time, there is no such thing called gassho. So we have to let go. And also in each and every occasion or situation, there is something, some way we should behave. Please. So the structure of the sentence that you translated is a declarative sentence. The present grasping does not wait for the letting go. So letting go and grasping are not, how can I say, dualistic or relative. Within one word, both are there. So would it be accurate to make it a more active sentence? Don't wait. Don't wait for letting go. Grasp now or something like that. You know. This is very... This is like... says the way things are.

[15:31]

But we can live in that way. That is how we should do. That is how we should practice. We grasp means we just do what we should do and yet we should not cling to that. thing we do at the same time. We are sitting in Zazen, during Zazen, we should really focus on Zazen, nothing other than Zazen, but we should not cling to what we are doing. We should let go. You know, so this grasping and letting go is Two sides of one practice of Gyo-Butsu. Practice Buddha. Please. Well, it's not negative at all. You know, now my role is talking, speaking.

[16:38]

So I try to speak wholeheartedly. This is my way. This is my karma. You know, I came to San Francisco to give a talk on Dogen's teaching during this Genzo-e. So I think this is what I should do. So I'm grasping. You know, this is my duty. This is my responsibility. And when we do Gassho, we know this is the time to do Gassho. This is grasping. And yet at the same time we should let go. We should not cling to what I'm doing. That means next moment we should do something else. So it's moment by moment. Because we grasp we can do this wholeheartedly. And because of letting go we can do something else next moment. Please.

[17:40]

Does grasping have the meaning of engaging an activity? I think so. I think so. Next sentence. Who would hold this mistake? So, this, the word this in the previous sentence, the present grasping does not wait for the letting go, but this, this, this is gyo-butsu. Practice Buddha. Gyo-butsu is a dream, a phantom and a flower in the sky. Why is there a but? I'm not sure. Sometimes Dogen Zenji kind of twisted the connection of first and second sentence.

[18:46]

So sometimes even though he says but, but that means because. So therefore, so... we have to really think very carefully what is the connection of this part and the next part. So in this sentence, what is the connection? Literally, Dogen said, but, however. But I think actually it means the present grasping does not wait for the letting go, therefore, probably. So this Mugenho-e, or this gyobu is Mugenho-e. Dream, phantom, flower in the sky. Yes. Yes, yes, yes.

[19:48]

And next sentence, who would hold this mistake and make another mistake saying that this So, this is also Gyobutsu. Gyobutsu is a dream, a phantom, a flower in the sky. Yeah, I'm still a little confused about this. The present grasping does not wait for the letting go. There's no need to let go in order to grasp something else. I mean, we need to let go of the gassho in order to, you know, touch your head to the floor, you know, or, you know, like that sort of thing. Maybe the English word wait for is not a good translation. Wait for means I do something, waiting for something other, another, another thing happening.

[20:50]

But this... Well, Dogen Zen used the word Matsu. Matsu, right? Yes, Matsu means to wait. Literally. But, this Matsu also means... used as a compound. Taidai. Two things waiting for each other means relative. And absolute is zetai. Tai means pair. Two things at the same time. So two things.

[21:52]

are facing each other is relative in Japanese. And zetsu means no. No such fear is absolute. Taidai or sotai is relative. In this case, grasping and letting go is not relative. That means if this one happens, this one disappears. Or we have to make a choice, this thing or that thing. That is a fat weight for our, I think, dogen means. But they are at the same time. Does it make sense? Maybe not. Yeah, within single action both grasping and letting go are there.

[23:01]

At the same time. And they never meet each other because they are the same thing. That is the idea. So, any practice, either grasping or letting go, is a mistake. That is what he is saying in this sentence. Everything is a mistake. We would hold this mistake. So, we should hold this mistake. That means we should keep this mistake. Keep, you know, making this mistake. and make another mistake. I think Dogen Zenji used this word, make one mistake after another mistake, as a continuation.

[24:03]

This is the same as Tozan said in Hōkyōzanmai, in the very last part of Hōkyōzanmai, continuation is an expression. Host within host. So this mistake has not a negative meaning. But this is something we do without fixed identity or self-nature. Pardon? Denial. Denial. Denial. No, no, without self-nature. That's the action of saying to yourself, it really is a mistake.

[25:08]

Yeah, we should continue it. But because this expression mistake is used because, you know, if we use a positive word, we grasp it. We cling to it. So this is a mistake. And therefore we can, you know, how can I say? we need to make effort to do to even a little bit better way next time. Even when we do the same gassho or same prostration or same, you know, cutting vegetables or, you know, talking about dharma. We have to, you know, what I'm doing now is a mistake. So I try to make effort to do it a little, even a little bit better next time. So there's no Perfection. I think that is another possible meaning of mistake. So, incompleteness of our practice as gyo-butsu.

[26:12]

So, we keep going. So, who would hold this mistake and make another mistake saying that this gyo-butsu is a dream, a phantom, a flower in the sky? So, he is asking us, urging us to keep this practice of dream, phantom, and flower in the sky as a gyo-butsu. Because this Gyo-Butsu is a dream, phantom and flowers in the sky. There is no trace. That also means traceless. Practice without trace. So, we can say I practice so much. Of course, in my memory I can say I have been practicing this for 30, 40 years. But that 30, 40 years in the past is already gone.

[27:14]

It's not here. That is a phantom actually. And the practice I'm going to do next, I don't know how many years, but that has not yet come. So reality is only what I'm doing right now, right here. And this is like a phantom. It's gone. Next moment. So it's very beautiful in each moment its flower is blooming and yet next morning next moment if we don't keep this making this mistake it's gone so it's moment by moment so stepping forward next sentence stepping forward is a mistake Stepping forward is same as getting out or leaving the gate, I think.

[28:16]

And stepping backward is return to the inside. So, this stepping forward and stepping backward is same as entering and leaving the gate. Both are mistakes and wherever we go we find the grass. Stepping forward is a mistake. Stepping backward is a mistake. Take one step. First step, outside, going out the gate, that is already the mistake. And second step is another mistake. But we keep, you know, going. So, you know, making mistake. Please. Is the kanji for stepping backward here the same kanji as in the statement, taking the backward step to illuminate the self? Yes. Stepping forward is shinpo.

[29:21]

And stepping backward is taiho. And this is our expression Dogen Zenji uses in Fukanza Zenri. He said we should study the backward step of Ekohensho. Ekohensho is turning the light inward and illuminate the self. This backward step. And forward step or stepping forward is to go out and work with other people or other things. So, Taiho is getting home and Shinpo is going out. But, as a common expression, Shinpo means progress and Taiho means... that is the opposition of progress.

[30:32]

Regress, yes. So, this is negative and this is positive in common language. But Dogenzen uses these two sides of practice. So, whatever we say is a mistake. Maybe this sentence in the bracket is not necessary. And next sentence, because the separation is as great as that between heaven and earth, the ultimate way is not difficult. This is also, these two are also from the Shinjin-mei, but these two You know, in the Shinji Meiji said, the ultimate way is not difficult, and yet it rejects our preferences.

[31:44]

And if we make some preferences and make even a slightest deviation, then it separates, or we are far from the supreme way, like heaven and earth. So, you know, these two cannot be, how can I say, connected as equals. So he made some twist here. Please. So he's saying, he's turning Shin-Shin-Ming on his head. He's turning it completely over. So, he's... Shin Shin Ming says it's impossible. He's saying, actually, they're causally related. They actually have to be. Yeah, so... Yeah, these two are opposite, contradicting each other.

[32:49]

But, he said, because there's such a deviation, this supreme way is not difficult. So, there must be some twist, and we have to understand the meaning of this twist. And that is a difficult point to understand Dogen. I mean his usage of language. I think he is same kind of a strange logic that heaven and earth or ten and chi are of course separate. Ground or earth and sky are two separate things. And as a common sense, you know, these are far away.

[33:51]

So there is a separation between ten and chi. And this separation is, what is the word, Separation is as great as that between heaven and earth. Later, in this writing, he used this separation as kaku. Kenchi ken kaku. This means there is a separation between this and that. But later in this writing, he used the expression, daikaku. Dai means big or great. Big and great separation. And in this case, I think he used this word, separation.

[34:59]

The separation between young lady and old lady. They are completely separated, so they never meet each other. And yet they are the same thing. That means grasping and letting go never meet each other. And they are the same thing. And this place and that place are completely the same place. Therefore they never meet each other. So they are completely separate. This is a strange logic, I think. But this is how Dogen's logic has been interpreted in the tradition of Soto Zen. Because those two are completely one, they are completely separate. They never meet each other. So, because

[36:02]

This place and that place are completely separate. That means completely same. You know, this is the way, the supreme or unsurpassable way is not difficult. I hope it makes sense. And next one, next sentence. We should conclude that dignified conduct, I'm sorry, dignified conduct, our practice, our activity, as a practice, is conducting dignity. He's again playing with words. He, you know, he just changed the word, iigi. I'm sorry, ii, gi, as, gi, ii.

[37:12]

He said ii, gi, and gi, ii. He just changed the order of the word. ii, gi, and gi, ii. That means this place and that place can be, you know, changed, exchanged, the place, and nothing different. Therefore, the essence of the Great Way is boundless. This essence of the Great Way's boundless is also from Shinjin-mei. The expression is tai-do tai-kan In D.T. Suzuki's translation, this line is translated.

[38:18]

This is section 15 of Shinjinmei in D.T. Suzuki's translation. And he translates this as, The great way is calm and large-hearted. Calm and large-hearted. This kan is vast or boundless. Same kan as the kan in Ryokan's name. It also means flexible. Also means generous. Generous, yeah. And tai in this case means essence. Essence of great way. is boundless, flexible. And the next line in Shinjinmei is, for it, nothing is easy, nothing is hard.

[39:27]

So Shinjinmei almost repeats The same, you know, message with the very first line, Supreme Way has no difficulty. But here, he said, not only no difficulty, but no easy. Neither easy nor difficult. So maybe, even in the first line of Shinjinmei, this means The supreme way is neither difficult nor easy. It's beyond easy or difficult. So, to practice Gyōbutsu is neither easy nor difficult, but just do. This is my understanding of this paragraph.

[40:27]

Do you understand? Any questions? Please. Dignified conduct is conducting dignity? Is or and? Is or and? Dignified conduct and conducting dignity? Oh. If you put is for is, there has to be a relationship. I see. Two different things related. I see. We would say, well, why is conducting dignity dignified conduct? Why is? Why is dignified conduct dignity? Tell me the point.

[41:31]

Excuse me. I read that as zazen says zazen. That's okay. You know, zazen is like a zenza. Our Buddha practiced zazen, and zazen practiced Buddha. Our Buddha expound Dharma, and Dharma expound Buddha. That is the main... see one of the main themes of this writing. Dharma and Buddha is the same thing. And the person practicing and the action that is practiced is the same thing. That is the point of this writing. OK. Please. I'm sorry, I missed it. Kaikei, Kaikan, what is the name of that? Kaikan? The essence of great way is boundless or broad or vast or flexible.

[42:47]

OK. Let me go to the next paragraph. We should know that when we are born into life, we come into being together with the way. When we enter death, we live together with the way. From the light beginning until the light end, dignified conduct that is like the jewel turning birth, and the pearl spinning death is manifested. Sharing one corner of the Buddha's dignified conduct is together with the entire universe and the great earth, and also together with the entire coming and going of life and death.

[43:57]

It is together with dusty lands and the lotus flowers Each and every one of the dusty lands and the lotus flowers is a corner of Buddha's dignified conduct. Students often think that the entire universe refers to this southern continent of Jambudvipa, or to all the four countries, I mean four continents. Otherwise, they associate it with a single land of China or the entire land of Japan. Also, when they hear of the word Great Earth, they simply think of the three thousand great thousand worlds, or some of them image only one state or one province. When we study the words, the entire Great Earth, and the entire universe.

[45:01]

We should inquire into them repeatedly three times, five times, or more. Do not stop thinking with saying, it is simply a vast space. This statement means that the reality that is going beyond Buddha and going beyond ancestors That is, the extremely large is the same as the small, and the extremely small is the same as the large. Neither large is being with particular form, nor small is being with particular form. This is similar with doubting. but this is practice Buddha manifested through dignified conduct. We should study the dignified conducts of the entire universe and the dignified conduct of the entire earth mentioned by the Buddhas and ancestors as a principle of nothing is ever hidden in the entire world.

[46:17]

This is not simply that nothing is ever hidden in the entire world. This is nothing other than the dignified conduct of the oneness of practice and Buddha. Well, the first sentence, so he started to talk about life and death and the Gyōbutsu or practice Buddha. In the first sentence, it says, we should know that when we are born into life, we come into being together with the way. And when we enter death, we live together with the way. This together with the way also came from Shinjinmei. Ah, here is it. In D.T.

[47:21]

Suzuki's translation, section 17, it said, Obey the nature of things. Obey the nature of things. And you are in accord with the way. This is only four words. Ni, sho, go, Nying is... Diti uses the word obey, but this is more like entrust. Entrust the nature. Entrust the nature. Then, you are in accord, that is go, in accord with the way.

[48:23]

So, Dogen uses this word, go-do. in accord with the way. And I translate this as together with the way. Go means to get together or to merge. So whether we are born, when we are born, we are born with the way. And when we die, we pass away, you know. We die together with the way. This is the same thing when Uchamara says, when we are born, we are born together with the entire universe. And when we live, we are living together with the entire universe. And when we die, we die together with the entire universe. So, we and the universe are living

[49:29]

born together, living together, and dying together. They cannot be separated. So, from the light beginning means when we are born, until the light end means when we die. We are always together with this great way, great way, or supreme way, or unsurpassable way. We never get out of the way. That is also what Dogen Zen said in the very beginning of Fukanga Zengi. Dōmoto Enzū Ikade Kasshō Karambis. Dōmoto Enzū means the way is... What is Enzū? What is the translation? Perfect and all-pervading. Because the way is perfect and all-pervading.

[50:31]

It's pervading to ourselves also. We are not outside of the way. We are part of the way. And yet, within the way, we lose the way. And yet, we are together with the way. So, our life is together with this great way and it is like a dual turning dual turning and power spinning this is a not so common but this is a expression you know from birth and death Our life is, you know, the movement of Buddha nature.

[51:33]

This jewel or pearl refers to the Buddha nature. Same as a dragon's pearl. You know, that is why Dogenzari said, entire beings are Buddha nature. So, entire beings are jewels or pearls. So, when we are born, we are a jewel. Like a jewel is turning and we are born as a baby. And pearl is turning and disappears. So when we die, it's like a pearl is spinning. It's a movement of Buddha nature. Where does that come from? I am not sure. I'm sorry. And sharing one corner of the Buddha's dignified conduct is together with the entire universe and the great earth.

[52:44]

So, we are born within the way, living within the way, and dying within the way. So, our practice as a dignified conduct of Gyo-butsu practice Buddha is together with this entire universe and the great earth. And also, together with the entire coming and going of our life and death. This is in the Uchiyamuro-eshi expression. we are living the universal life. Not kind of a separate, individual, independent life. There is no separation with other beings, with the rest of the world. We are part of this network of interdependent origination.

[53:49]

So in that sense, entire network of interdependent origination is the self, is me. And yet from other side, from other side, there is no such thing called me. It's just a, me is just a knot of this net. But from other side, when we take one knot, when we, you know, pick up one knot, This one not. We pick up entire net. So we can see from both sides. This is just a network of interdependent originations. So there are no such things called a shoahak. And yet from other side, shoahak is this entire network. Nothing other than this entire network. So we see this.

[54:53]

reality that we are connected with all beings and there is no independent separate entity from the rest of the world. From two sides, from this place and from that place. From that place there is no such independent person, but from this place this entire network is this person. Entire, you know, That is what Uchamaro meant when he said universal self. We are connected with this entire universe. So we should not say there is such a big entity as the universal self. But this is the expression of this interdependent origination. Excuse me.

[55:54]

And next sentence is, it is together with dusty lands and the lotus flowers. Both are plural in this translation, but I'm not sure what this means. But I think this Dogen doesn't explain, so we have to guess. But this Jinsatsu and Renge refer to Jinsatsu is, of course, dusty world where we are living. That is, you know, sansara. And, probably, lotus flower, or Renge, refer to, you know, the description in the very beginning of the Bonmokyo, or the Sutra of Indra's Net, or Brahma Net Sutra.

[57:16]

This is a sutra in which the ten major precepts and the forty-eight minor precepts are mentioned. In the very introduction, very beginning of this sutra, Bonmo Kyo, there is the name of the world in which this, you know, in the meal chant, we chant Pure Dharmakaya by Rochana Buddha and complete Sambhogakaya Rochana Buddha. This Rochana Buddha came from this part of Bonmo Kyo. So, Rochana Buddha is Sambhogakaya and Shakyamuni Buddha is Nirmanakaya. You know, Bonmo-kyo and the Abbasantaka Sutra, or Flower Ornament Sutra, are very closely connected.

[58:25]

So, Vairochana Buddha or Dharmakaya is a Buddha in the Abbasantaka Sutra. And Rochana Buddha as a Sambhogakaya is in this Sutra. And also Nirvanakaya Shakyamuni appeared in this Sutra. And the world in which this Rochanna Buddha is staying is called Lotus Dice Treasury World. Lotus Dice. D-A-I-S. Does it make sense? Seed. Seed, yes. Chinese expression is Dai, Zō, Sekai.

[59:38]

Dai is seat or stand. And Zō is treasury. Same Zō in Chōbō Genzō. This is the name of the world this Rōchanan Buddha is staying. And it said, at that time, in the Lotus Dice Treasury World, upon the dazzling, heavenly, brilliant lion's throne. In this translation, it said, Nishanda Buddha. I don't know what this Nishanda, but this is Roshana or Roshana Buddha. Emitted light. And a little bit later it said, again it said, at that time all the thousands of hundreds of millions of Shakyamunis rose atop the thousand blossoms

[60:48]

arose from their dazzling lions' thrones in the Lotus Dice Treasury World. This, you know, the thousands of hundreds of millions of Shakyamuni Lord is Shakyamuni Buddha as a Nirvanakaya. And a little bit later it said, These Shakyamuni Buddhas, millions of Shakyamuni Buddhas are staying on each and every seat of the lotus. And all those millions of... So, Shakyamuni Buddha is not only one. Millions of Shakyamuni Buddha, as Nirvanakaya, are there on the seat of lotus. And they descended from the Lotus Dice Treasury world. So he left this world.

[61:49]

And upon their descent, they entered the Substance Nature Empty Space Floral Brilliance Samadhi. I don't know what this is. and returned to their original homes underneath the Bodhi Tree in Jambu Deepa. So, from this world, those millions of Shakyamuni Buddhas, as the Nirvana Kaya, returned to the seat under the Bodhi Tree. So, the world of lotus flower and this ground under the Bodhi tree are connected. So, Shakyamuni entered this renge or lotus flower world and returned to this dusty place.

[62:56]

And he practiced and attained Buddhahood in this world, not in the lotus world. I think this is the source of this expression, jin-satsu, or dusty land, and lotus flower. That means, that also means this place and that place. Ultimate reality and this day-to-day conventional, you know, good for nothing, full of trouble, full of problems, praise. So, it includes both. This practiced Buddha, or Gyōbutsu, is one who is both this dusty land and this lotus flower world. So, please,

[63:59]

Some Chinese chants use the word dust to refer to death. Dust to refer to death. Really. I think it's an Amitabha. It's death. It's what happens to you when you become the red dust. That is true. I don't think so. I don't remember, at least. Maybe in the Pure Land Buddhism, they have such expressions. So, it is together with the Dusty Land and the Lotus Flowers, means together both, this practice Buddha is together with dignified conduct of is together with that place, named like a lotus world, and this place, like a dusty land.

[65:09]

And each and every one of the dusty land, wherever we are, and the lotus flower, or a lotus flower world, is a corner of Buddha's dignified conduct. So our dignified conduct, our practice, is together with this entire world, our universe, including this dusty land and also the lotus flower world. That place and this place are all within our practice. The students often think that the entire universe refers to this southern continent of Jambudvipa or to all the four continents. This refers to the Indian Buddhist cosmology.

[66:14]

In the center of the world, there is a huge mountain called Sumeru. And in the four directions, there are four continents. And there are oceans. Anyway, so the place we are living in is called Jambudvipa or Senbushu. That is in the south of Himalaya, I mean south of Mount Shumail. And this seems like India, in the Indian cosmology anyway. Or to all the four continents, not only where we live, only the continent we are living, but all four continents. Otherwise, they associate it with a single land of China or the entire land of Japan.

[67:23]

So, when we hear the word, entire world or entire universe, we grasp with certain concept or certain image. But Dogen said that is not right. And also, when they hear of the word Great Earth, they simply think of the 3,000 Great Thousand Worlds. This is this entire Dharma World in appeared in the Buddhist scriptures. Or some of them image only one state or one province. Then we hear the word Great Earth. But Dogen asking us, when we study the world, the entire great earth and the entire universe, we should inquire into them repeatedly three times, five times or more.

[68:34]

But that means endlessly. But this means this boundless or great or big or large. what this means. Do not stop thinking with saying it is simply a vast space. So we have to really carefully think what this means. And this great way means something bigger than smaller ways. But, as Uchamaru always said, this Dai, or big, or great, means beyond comparison. Beyond comparison. As far as there are two or more things and compare, this is bigger than this, and this is bigger than that, there is no end. And we cannot tell which is big and which is small.

[69:37]

So, when this word, great, or big, or large, or boundless, is appeared in the Buddhist text, or at least Dogen's writing, this means absolute, absolute, beyond any comparison. And this is what is meant in Shinjinmei. This statement means that The reality that is going beyond Buddha and going beyond ancestors, that is extremely large is the same as small, and extremely small is the same as large. This is also quoted from the Shinjinmei. In D.T. Suzuki's translation, it is appeared in section 28.

[70:41]

It said, infinitely small things are as large as large things can be. And for here, no external conditions obtained. And infinitely large things are as small as small things can be. For objective limits are here of no consideration." This is an expression in Shinjinmei. And, you know, this is the same as, you know, Mount Sumeru is included within a poppy seed. I think this appeared in the Yoyuma-kyo or Vimalakirti Sutra, I think.

[71:44]

So, there's no size without comparison. Something small is something smaller than something. If there's no comparison, we cannot say, we cannot tell whether this is small or large. So, when we stop comparing things. We cannot tell fat is large and fat is small. And that is what we do in our Zazen, by letting go. We stop comparing things. So we cannot say this is large or small. Or even we cannot say this is good or bad. Then we let go of this comparison. or we cannot say this is a dusty land or a lotus flower world. Neither large is being with particular form nor small is being with particular form.

[72:55]

There's nothing fixed as big or as small. It's a matter of comparison. This is similar We hear this kind of statement, we think that is skeptical. We doubt. But, according to Dogen, this is, there is no fixed size. That means there is no comparison. Whether practice, or practice by beginners, you know, or practice by experienced practitioners, or Dogen Zenji's practice, or Buddha's practice. The gassho is the same gassho, whether we are first time to do gassho, or after 40, 50 years of practice, we do gassho. There's no difference.

[73:57]

So there's no comparison. When I first received Zazen instruction when I was 19 by the teacher at Komodo University. I think he was Kakuden Suzuki Roshi. He said, your first Zazen and Zazen done by very experienced practitioner is the same Zazen. And even Zazen by Buddha is the same Zazen. I couldn't really understand what it means. But I remember that word and that was 40 years ago. So I have been practicing after that 40 years and now I really think that is true. My first Zazen when I was 19 and now I'm 59. You know, Zazen is the same. You know, five skandhas just be five skandhas.

[75:08]

That's all. Of course, the thinking, the thought coming up from my mind or brain is different. When I was 19, I had so many foolish thinking and so much energy to do so many foolish things. But 40 years later, I don't have so much energy. And my mind doesn't work so quickly. So I don't have so many foolish thinking. But that doesn't mean I become enlightened or I become better. This is just changing within time and space. Because in our Zazen, we let go of whatever is coming up from our thought. The thought might be different, but Zazen is just sitting and letting go of whatever is coming up. So, as Zazen, you know, my first Zazen when I was 19 and my Zazen today, 40 years later, is the same Zazen.

[76:19]

If we compare when I was 19 and when I'm 59, I didn't understand what this thing means. But now, after 40 years of study and practice, as I'm thinking, I understand what it means. So, even when I was asked, when I was 19, I couldn't explain it anyway. And no one asked me to talk about that. But 40 years later, you know, people ask me to say something. And I have something to say. That is difference, if we compare. But in our Zazen, we stop that kind of comparing. So, Zazen is just Zazen. Forty years ago and five scandals, you know. Forty years later. That's all. So, no comparison.

[77:24]

We should study the dignified conduct of the entire universe and the dignified conduct of the entire earth mentioned by the Buddhas and ancestors The principle of nothing is ever hidden in the entire world. So, he again mentioned this expression. Nothing is hidden in the entire world. Henkai fuzo zo. That means there is no separation between the self and the rest of the world. So, nothing is hidden or, you know, we are one with this entire world. we are connected with this entire world. And when we practice Zazen and practice prostration or working in the kitchen, you know, like, for example, cutting vegetables or cleaning the garden or whatever we do as a practice for the sake of Dharma, we are really one together with all this entire universe.

[78:38]

So this expression, henkai fuzouzou, this is not the only expression, but this attitude, there is no separation between this person and the rest of the world, or universe, or all beings. With my attitude, by letting go of this separation, that is for this dignified conduct which is one together with entire universe or entire world or this great way is actualized. So it's up to our attitude. If we do those things, those actions for the sake of, for the profit of this person, our goal is to get something for this person. then this practice is separate from the rest of the world.

[79:46]

But, excuse me, but our practice together with all beings, and that is what we try to do. That's why, you know, after the chanting, we say, recite dedication. So this practice, the merit of this practice, practice is not for this person, but for all living beings. And we chant, Ji-Ho-San-Shi-I-Shi-Fu-Shi-Son-Bu-Sa-Mo-Ko-Sa-Mo-Ko-Ho-Ja-Ho-Ro-Mi. That means we are together with all Buddhas in the ten directions and three times. And all bodhisattvas and all beings. That is the expression of this attitude. Me and all other beings are not separate. And last sentence.

[80:52]

This is nothing other than the dignified conduct of the oneness of practice and Buddha. This oneness of practice and Buddha is translation of Gyo, Butsu, I'm sorry Gyo, Butsu, Ichu Gyo is, of course, practice, and Butsu is Buddha. In this writing, Dogen uses this Gyo-Butsu as one word, as a name of the Buddha.

[81:53]

That is our practice. Gyo-Butsu-Icchu-no-Ii-Gi dignifies the conduct of Gyo-Butsu-Icchu. Ich is one, and Chu is the center. or middle. But in this case, this one ichu means the, what do you call, the core or the, another word is bull's eye. Bull's eye of this practice, Buddha. That is our attitude of Henkai Fudozo. There is no separation between self and all other beings. Well, I think it's time to stop talking.

[82:59]

Any questions? Okay, thank you.

[83:04]

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