Good morning, everyone. During this community retreat, I continue to talk on this book, opening the hand of thought. Today, I start page 33, second paragraph of page 33. Let me read the paragraph. From the standpoint of Western thought, where everything must be defined rationally, a reality that goes beyond definition is nonsense and utterly impossible.

[01:03]

But from the point of view of Zen practice, the very power that goes beyond just thinking and creating definitions with words must be the reality of life itself. D.T. Suzuki wrote about spirituality as what transcends or includes all dichotomies. This world of spirituality opens up only when we actually practice the reality of life that transcends rationalism. So, in this section, Uchiyama Roshi has been discussing about the meaning of this Zazen practice.

[02:08]

And he said, to practice Zazen is to enter the world of practice of reality of life. And that reality of life is beyond thinking. And he has been discussing There are two ways to deviate from practicing, directly practicing this reality of life. And one way is our day-to-day self-centered way of doing things. And second way is to think rationally and make a concept. And using those concepts, thinking in a logical, discriminating, and logical way.

[03:10]

That is how Western philosophy, according to Jamrosch, Western philosophy, and also scientific way of thinking, And then he said, in Buddhism, this reality beyond those two ways of viewing things, or world of thinking, is considered to be the real to reality, or reality of all beings. This reality of all beings is, as he said in the previous paragraph, is something we need to experience, not a way of thinking. And he a little bit discussed about the existentialism.

[04:13]

And what he said in the beginning of this paragraph is a kind of a repetition. Even though from the Western way of rational thinking, the reality beyond thinking is, he said, nonsense and utterly impossible. Because the reality beyond thinking cannot be thought. So, if everything should be within thinking, rational way, then this something beyond thinking cannot be the object of thinking. So, it's kind of nonsense. But, in the middle of the 20th century, this reality beyond thinking became kind of attractive for, you know, Western people, I think.

[05:28]

One way is through existentialism. Another way is people started to realize the limitation of thinking and also limitation of you know, scientific and technological, therefore industrial way of development and that kind of materialism or materialistic civilization. When I was a The basic information I received from the entire Japanese education system is, you know, this world is getting better because of, you know, this rational way of thinking that is beyond superstition for superstitious religions.

[06:31]

and also the scientific way of doing things and technology. If we continue to make effort in this way, then all the problems we have will be resolved and we will be free from all difficulties we had. That was a very, you know, opportunistic idea. But that was a message I received when I was a kid, that means in the 50s. But after 60s it changed. People started to find, you know, that way of doing things and that way of life to make everything more and more convenient and enjoyable and become wealthy.

[07:33]

That way of life is based on not only rational way of thinking but a desire. So, people started to think, you know, that way of life is not really a healthy way of life. So, I think people started to find alternative way of life. And, you know, in this country, in the 50s, so-called B2 generations and B3 generations started to find something you know, else, and they found Buddhism or Zen or meditation practice from different tradition of Buddhism. That was a kind of a beginning of Buddhism or Zen practice in this country, or not only in this country, but in the West, I think.

[08:35]

And in this paragraph, Uchiyamura referred to D.T. Suzuki. And D.T. Suzuki was actually the pioneer of, you know, introducing Zen to the West. So I'd like to a little bit talk about this person, D.T. Suzuki. He was born in 1870 in Kanazawa. And according to his biography, his father was a doctor. And in the end of Edo period and beginning of Meiji period, to be a doctor means to be one kind of very well-educated people.

[09:57]

Some of the doctors studied Western medicine. In the Edo period, the only place Japanese people could study Western civilization was in Nagasaki, where only one small island outside of the port of Nagasaki called Dejima. Only people from Holland or Dutch were allowed to visit Japan and do some trading. And that was only a kind of a window of Western civilization for Japanese people since early 17th century. That means around 1600. Before, that means the beginning of Tokugawa or Edo Shogunate government started.

[11:05]

the government closed the country to the West. Because before that, from the 15th century, Western people like Portuguese and Spanish you know, came to Japan and Christianity became really, not so much, but really became popular, especially in the cities like Kyoto and some cities in Kyushu. But the rulers of Japan heard, not a rumor, but news, that Christianity, at that time Catholic, missionary is a part of the strategy of Western European countries to make those places colonies.

[12:12]

And that was kind of true. So that's why they banned Christianity. and close the country against the European countries. And only Dutch or Holland was allowed to continue because Holland was not a Catholic. It's a Protestant. So they thought they are relatively secure. And it lasted almost 300 years. until the end of the 19th century. So, during that period, people who wanted to study something about Europe, they had to go to this small island in Nagasaki.

[13:14]

And only part of the study they could do was medicine. So doctors could study Western medicine. And it seems D.T. Suzuki's father was one of that kind of doctor. So he was a very well-educated person. He knew something about Europe. And he also studied Confucianism. and many other things. But his father died when D.T. Suzuki was very young. So he said he couldn't, he had to stop going to school. But he had elder brothers who are already grown up.

[14:16]

helped him to continue to study at schools. And it said, you know, when he was a middle school student, one of his schoolmates, friend, was Nishida Kitaro. Kitaro is his personal name. Nishida is his family name. So D.T. Suzuki and Nishida Kitaro were very close friends since he was a teenager. And this person went to Kyoto University and he became a very well-known philosopher. As I said last time, Japanese philosophers did was studying Western philosophies and translate and introduce which philosophers said this and that.

[15:23]

And they never created their own philosophy. But this person, Nishizaki Taro, was only I think, still considered only one Japanese philosophy, which created his own system of philosophy. And both Nishizaki Taro and Suzuki Daisetsu, D.T. Suzuki, practiced Rinzai Zen. So their philosophies are influenced by Rinzai Zen. Anyway, Nishida went to Kyoto and Kyoto University, but D.T. Suzuki went to Tokyo University. Tokyo University and Kyoto University are two best universities in Japan at that time. Still today, even today, these are two most prestigious universities. So, they are kind of, you know, elites.

[16:26]

But while he was a university student, he started to practice Zen with a Rinzai Zen master whose name was Kosen Imakita. He was the abbot of Engaku-ji. in Kamakura. Kamakura was a capital city in the 13th, 14th century, while Dogen Zenji lived. And this Rinzai Zen monastery, Engaku-ji, was founded a little bit after Dogen Zenji's death. by one of the, not the Shogun, but Shogun's, what is it called, assistant, named Hojo Tokimune.

[17:44]

But actually that assistant had actual political power. And when he established this Engaku-ji, he invited a Chinese Zen master. whose name was Mugaku Sogen. So, B.T. Suzuki started practicing with this tradition of Rinzai-shu. Rinzai-shu is not like Soto-shu. In Soto-shu, Dogen Zenji was only one founder. even though there are so many lineages. And Heiji and Sojiji are two separate, until May, two separate, almost two separate sub-schools, but both are from Dogen Zenji. But in the case of Rinzai Zen, there are many lineages of the Chinese masters who came to Japan.

[18:53]

and also Japanese masters who went to China and transmitted their own teachers' lineage. And there are 24 different lineages, and each lineage has its own main monastery. In Sōtō, Eheji and Sōjiji are only two main monasteries. But in Rinzai, there are So, more than 20 main monasteries, and they are independent of each other. So, the system of Rinzai-shū, Rinzai school, and Sōtō-shū are a little bit different. Anyway, this Kōsen Imakita was a brilliant Zen master, but a few years after D.T. Suzuki, started to practice with this teacher. This teacher died. And his successor was Shaku Soen.

[20:05]

This was the first Japanese Zen master who visited the United States in 1893, when the World Parliament of Religion was held in Chicago. So, at that time, Daisetsuzuki was 23. But it is said, I'm not sure it's true or not, his, you know, Shaku Soen's presentation at that parliament was translated into English by Daisetsu Suzuki, even though he was still very young, university, maybe he finished university. So he was a very brilliant person, and he was very good at English. And when Shakyamuni Soen... Shakyamuni Soen was also a very unique person as a Japanese Zen master.

[21:19]

I think after he finished training and received Inca in Rinzai tradition, he was still very young, in his middle twenties. He decided to go to university because he thought, you know, education in the Western way is from that time necessary even to study and teach Zen. So he was the first Zen master who went to university. And after he finished university, He went to Thailand, Thailand or Ceylon, probably Ceylon means Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka, to study and practice Theravada Buddhism. He practiced there for a few years. So, this Shakyamuni Soen was a very, at that time, a very unique person who studied the Western way of

[22:32]

education, and also he didn't stay only within Zen tradition, but he tried to understand and experience the Theravada tradition also. So, he was a kind of very progressive person. When Shak Soen came to this country, he met one What is his name? Paul Kailas. I don't know the spelling. Paul Kailas. A person whose name was Paul Kailas. He was a kind of a scholar. And he wanted to translate Chinese classics to English. And this person, Paul, asked Shaksoen to send an assistant, young people who could help this person to translate Chinese classics to English.

[23:42]

And Shakyamuni recommended Daisetsu Suzuki to come to this country. So he came to this country in 1897. And he stayed in this country until 1907 or so. And he went to England and went back to Japan in 1909. So he was outside of Japan for 12 years. And during this time he translated Daijō Kishinron. Daijō Kishinron is Awakening of Faith in Mahāyāna. And he also wrote a book on the Mahāyāna teachings.

[24:47]

And he went back to Japan. At that time he was 33 years old. And he became a teacher at a Gakushuin University. He taught English. And he was at that university until 1921. So, during this time, until almost he was, not almost, but he was 51. Until this time he was an English teacher. He was not a Buddhist scholar. But in this year he became a professor at Ōtani University in Kyoto. And this Ōtani University is a pure and Buddhist university.

[25:53]

You know, same as Komada is a Sōtōzen Buddhist university. Pure Land Buddhism, especially Jodo Shinshu, established this university to educate their own priests. So, after he was 50, he started to teach Buddhism, and he lived until 1966. So, more than 40 years. He was a scholar. So, when he was young, he practiced Rinzai Zen as a lay practitioner.

[26:56]

and which said, before he came to this country in 1997, he had a Kensho experience. So he had some enlightenment experience. But after he started to teach at Otani University, he studied Zen. He studied the history, especially the history of Chinese Zen. Early history. from Bodhidharma until Sixth Ancestor. And also he studied many different aspects of Zen. So he was a Zen scholar, but not only Zen, but he also studied Pure Land Buddhism. And all together he wrote more than 100 books in Japanese. And according to the list of the books he wrote, he wrote about 30 books in English.

[28:04]

So all together he wrote, you know, 130 books in both Japanese and English. So he was really a great scholar. But probably in this country he was known only as a Zen teacher who introduced Zen from the East to the West. But Zen was not the only thing he studied. So he was really an important person who introduced Zen Buddhism to the West. But in Japan, he and his friend Nishida were considered as a kind of a founder of a school named Kyoto School.

[29:11]

Nishida's philosophy and Suzuki's Zen study are kind of combined. And this is because both D.T. Suzuki and Nishida Kitaro were very respected people, especially after World War II, that means after 1945. At that time, D.T. Suzuki was more than 50, 75. I think. And, you know, Nishida's students and D.T. Suzuki's students became very influential after World War II. And one of the books D.T. Suzuki wrote in 1944 was called Nihonteki Reisui in Japanese.

[30:30]

Nihonteki Reisui. This is a book. But I don't think this is translated into English. Nihon-teki means Japanese. Rei-sei means spirituality. Rei means spirit or spiritual, and sei is nature. Same kanji as us in Buddha nature. So, spiritual nature of us. This is translated as spirituality. Or, we should say, this Japanese word, Reisei, is a translation of the English word, spirituality. And, in this book, he discussed about what is spirituality.

[31:32]

So, this word, spirituality, is a kind of a new word for Japanese readers. And so he had to explain what this spirituality means. And he said, spirituality is different from mentality. Mentality or function of mind, thinking mind, is opposite of material, material and mental. Or this can be called subject and object. When he used this word, mind and material, he considered, I think he was thinking about materialism and idealism. That was a very big issue during the 20th century. Even politically, it's an important issue.

[32:37]

And in order to go beyond this materialism and idealism, this is the key. You try to introduce this idea, not idea, this way that this spirituality goes beyond this dichotomy between mind and matter, and subject and object. This spirituality goes beyond the basis of these two separations, mind and matter, or other philosophies, materialism and idealism. That was necessary in Japan after World War II. because Japan influenced both the Soviet Union and the United States.

[33:38]

And Japanese society was kind of separated into two parts. One is communist or socialist. Another is capitalist, you know, being familiar with the United States. and politically they are fighting. They had a conflict. And some people thought they need something beyond or include or embrace both. Probably that is why he started to use this word spirituality. That is, that is, before separation of these two, or beyond materialism and idealism. And this idea, philosophical idea, is again, you know, combined with Zen.

[34:46]

Of course, you know, Vijaya Sukhide's teachings came from Zen, and Nishida's philosophy was also based on Zen. we should say, Rinzai Zen. And that is considered, you know, after World War II in Japan, so-called Zen. So, Uchiyama Roshi mentioned D.T. Suzuki here, because many of Japanese people thought that is Zen in Japan at that time. And, as I said last week, last Sunday, you know, existentialism and Zen was combined. And Nishida's and D.T. Suzuki's, not D.T. Suzuki's teaching is really Zen, but Nishida's philosophy and Zen was also combined. And in this so-called Kyoto school, there are Nishida and D.T.

[35:53]

Suzuki's students, such as Ah, Hisamatsu Shinichi. Ah, Nishitani Keiji. They are all philosophers and professors of Kyoto University, but they practice also Rinzai Zen. And I don't know if Shishamatsu's book was translated into English or not, but one of Nishitani's books was translated. The title in English is Religion and Nothingness. Maybe you heard the title. but not so many people read it, I think. Anyway, those are kind of Zen, you know, in Japan at that time.

[36:57]

When Uchiyama wrote this book, that was early 70s, was still influential. But their philosophy was very difficult to understand, especially, you know, If you read D.T. Suzuki's books, or even Nishida Kitaro's books, it's very difficult. Well, Dogenryu is difficult, but their books are also difficult. And also, D.T. Suzuki's way of writing is, you know, of course, enlightenment or Kensho experience. It seems their teaching is something beyond ordinary people. only enlightened people or only very intellectual people could understand. is a point, you know, which I want to say, you know, this reality beyond thinking is nothing, is not something mysterious.

[38:09]

Only enlightened person can see, or understand, or experience. And also, this is not, this is actual ordinary reality. So, it's not only for the very, very educated intellectual people, but everyone can practice and experience this reality beyond thinking. That is what Uchamaroshi wants to say in this paragraph, referring to D.T. Suzuki's teaching. So, what here, basically what Uchamara-shi is saying here is, you know, this reality beyond thinking is not so difficult thing. It's not only for very educated or enlightened people.

[39:10]

We are all living out that reality beyond thinking. And, to me, one interesting thing is D.T. Suzuki and Sawaki Kodo Roshi were contemporary. As I said, D.T. Suzuki lived in 1870 and died in 1966. So, he lived for 95 years old. almost 96. And until right before his death, he was very, his mind was very clear and creative. So he continued to write books until he was 95 years old. He's a really amazing person. And Saoki Kodo Roshi was born in 1980, so 10 years younger than D.T.

[40:14]

Suzuki. And he died in 1965. So they died at about the same time. Less than one year difference. So Sawakiroshi was 85 years old. But these two people are very different. Almost, you know, how can I say, opposite. You know, as I said, D.T. Suzuki went to Tokyo University and studied English and came to the United States, so he was, you know, fluently speak and even write English, so he was a very intellectual person. And he wrote, you know, more than 130 books.

[41:19]

But Sawaki Roshi was from a very poor family. His parents died when he was... His mother died... His father died when he was five, and his mother died I forget which is first. But anyway, by the time he was eight, both of his parents died. And he was adopted by his uncle. And yet, after six months, the uncle died. So he was adopted again. by this person, Sawaki Bunkichi. And this person was a gambler. And the person's wife, Sawaki Roshi's stepmother, was an ex-prostitute.

[42:24]

So his, you know, condition when he was young was very negative. He had a very hard time when he was a kid. So he graduated only elementary school. After he finished elementary school, his step-parents forced him to work. as a lantern maker and also as a watch of, you know, the place for gambling. And he didn't like that way of life, so he escaped from his family, his parents, and he went to a heiji when he was 16. So he only finished elementary school.

[43:35]

So he was not buried at all. And after he became a monk, he was ordained. He was drafted. So he became a soldier and he was a soldier for seven years. During the war between Japan and Russia, he was almost killed. For seven years he couldn't study or practice at all. So he started to practice and study Buddhism again when he was 27. And he had no money. You know. So he studied Buddhism at a monastery.

[44:38]

Not Sotozen Monastery, but Hosō-shū, or Hosō-school. Hosō-shū is the name of a Japanese yogacara school. And the monastery, the name of the monastery was Hōryū-ji. Hōryū-ji is one of, not one of, but really the oldest Buddhist temple in Japan. It is located in Nara. So he studied a Yogachara teaching. And he almost finished the course of this teaching to become the teacher within this school. But somehow he quit. Because he found that, you know, many people, many Buddhist priests or monks at that time wanted to study and become scholars.

[45:50]

but not many people really practiced Dogen Zenjutsu Shikantaza or just sitting. So, he quit studying Yogacara and he asked an abbot of this Hossoshu Monastery, his name was Saeki Jo-in, to allow him to stay in a half-broken temple near from this temple, Horyu-ji. And he started to sit by himself. And he sat every day, all day, by himself. And he said he only ate some rice and daikon, and some beans. That was how he studied Buddhism and practiced Zen.

[46:54]

After that, when he had some questions about Dogen Zen practice, he visited a teacher whose name was Oka Sotan. Oka Sotan. So he was, Oka Sotan was kind of a teacher of Sākirōshi, but basically Sākirōshi was a so-called self-made teacher, self-made Zen master. He practiced by himself in that way until he was about 50. But when he was 50, he was invited to be the godō, of Soji-ji Monastery and also a professor at Komazawa University, even though he only finished elementary school. And after that, Sakuraji became a famous Sotozen teacher.

[47:59]

And he was a professor at Komazawa University for almost 30 years. But the difference between D.T. Susuki and Sawaki Kodoroshi is Sawaki Roshi never wrote any books. There are many books published with his name, but all those books are someone's transcription of his talk. So, Sawaki Roshi never write anything by himself. And his books are not scholastic at all. In 1965, I was 17 years old, I was a high school student, and I first read Uchiyama Roshi's book, and I became interested in Zen. At that time, those two people, D.T. Suzuki and Sawaki Roshi, were very popular Zen teachers, especially right after their death.

[49:05]

And so I read both D.T. Suzuki's book and Sawaki Roshi's book. I could find any of those books at any bookstores. And when I read D.T. Suzuki's book, I couldn't understand even one word. But Sawaki Roshi's, I didn't really understand Dogen's teaching or Dogen Zen, but his way of talking is very kind of funny. interesting and funny. He had a very good sense of humor. He never used philosophical or Buddhist technical terms. He talks like to ordinary people, because until he was 50 he was not a scholar, So, his audience was always, you know, common, you know, lay people. So, when I read both Daisetsu Suzuki's book and Saki Kodoroshi's book, I, to me, this is much more interesting and attractive.

[50:24]

So, I stopped reading P.T. Suzuki. And until several years ago, I never read T.T. Suzuki. I thought the first impression of T.T. Suzuki's books to me was not possible to understand. But several years ago, I started to collect his English books. His English books and his Japanese books are a little different. His English book are more to me, maybe because of my knowledge and understanding about Zen and Buddhism developed after 30 years. This is the good thing, it's not so difficult to me anymore. His way of saying, of course it's very difficult, different from Dogen's and Sawaki Roshi's and Uchiyama Roshi's.

[51:27]

But what he is saying is very straightforward. And also another difference is D.T. Suzuki was a scholar, and he was not a Zen master. So he said, Zazen is not really necessary to understand what he is writing, or the truth that is opened up by Zen practice. And to me, that is a very big difference. But then he wrote Training of the Zen Book. He wrote the English version of Training of the Zen Book. Yeah, I know that book. Of course, I think that was the first one I bought. Anyway, when you read that, it's all about... Yeah, the monastic practice.

[52:28]

Maybe, yeah. Yeah, that's why I said his Japanese books and English books are a little different. In Japanese books, he was really a scholar. But when he wrote in English, he was almost like a missionary of Zen, to persuade people to practice Zen. That is kind of an interesting point of D.T. Suzuki to me. Anyway, so Sawaki Roshi and D.T. Suzuki are contemporary, but very different. And Sawaki Roshi said we should practice Zazen. So, that is the reason Uchiyama Roshi mentioned about D.T. Suzuki, this word, spirituality, or reisei. And what he wants to say, referring to D.T.

[53:36]

Suzuki, is that this reality beyond thinking is nothing special. It's a very ordinary reality. It's not only for the people who attend enlightenment, or only people who are very well-educated intellectual people, like philosophers. But when we sit, we experience that reality beyond thinking. And Uchamaro was also an interesting person. I mean, his style of writing or explanation. Because he studied Western philosophy when he was young. So if he wanted to write in philosophical or scholastic way, he could. But he found that when he wrote in that way, no one read it.

[54:36]

No one read his writings. Because he was not a professor. He couldn't force his students to read what he wrote. So he found that unless he wrote in a way even common people could understand, no one read his writing. Because he had no authority. He was just a practitioner and a poor monk. So he tried to find a writing style in which he could explain, you know, that reality beyond thinking without becoming so much intellectual like P.T. Suzuki or Nishida Kitaro or their students. And Uchamara Shimon said, he wrote an essay about his takuhatsu practice. And part of that essay was translated by Tom Wright and appeared in the Buddhadharma magazine a few years ago.

[55:46]

I sent you a link to it on its website, too. Oh, really? Anyway, Uchang Ro said he wrote that essay in one evening. And he found the way he could write in that way. He also, same as Sākhiro, he didn't use Buddhist technical terms, but using his very concrete and interesting examples, he tried to say the same thing as those scholastic people trying to teach to the intellectual people. And this book is another example. You know, sometimes he, in order to show that what he is saying, because it's so kind of easy to understand, but he tried to show this came from his understanding and

[56:55]

and interpretation of very traditional Buddhist teachings. Sometimes he introduces the words such as, you know, in the previous page he is the emptiness of reality, reality as it truly is, or beyond logos, or inexpressive, ta-ta-ta, or true emptiness. In Japanese, these are traditional Buddhist terms. And Uchiyama Roshi didn't use these words. And yet, but he expressed the same reality with his own very comprehensive and contemporary way of expressing using ordinary expressions.

[57:58]

But in order to make sure that readers can see what he is writing with colloquial expression is the same as the traditional Buddhist technical term is trying to say. That's why he sometimes introduces these technical terms. That is why his writing is not so scholastic or academic, and his way of explanation is very understandable. But to me, that style of explanation has some difficulty or danger. That means, because what he is writing is understandable, we think, I understand it, I know it. but we don't really understand.

[59:02]

So, what I'm trying to do, you know, when I talk on this kind of text by Uchiyama Roshi, I kind of translate, you know, his very unique expressions of Dharma using a colloquial language into a kind of context of Buddhist teachings in a traditional way, or in the context of Dogen's teachings. Because, you know, when I was in Kyoto, at the Kyoto Sobo Zen Center, we had a small dormitory, and we had some visiting practitioners, and when they asked for something to read, I, you know, introduced my translation of Jama Roshis.

[60:09]

Then they read it in a few days. And they said, what's next? I understood this. That was a kind of a shock to me. I had been trying to understand what he's saying. And it's so difficult. But within a few days, they said, I understand this. What's next? That's why I try to explain, you know, this is not such an easy teaching. Anyway, that is what I am doing now. So... Then you read Uchamuro texts like this, or also, you know, refining your life. It's understandable. That is okay. But I hope people study also Dogen's teaching.

[61:12]

That is not so easy. But that is a source of inspiration by people like Sawaki Roshi or Uchiyama Roshi. So I hope, you know, American, not only American, but Western people study you know, the teachings by Shakyamuni and Abhidharma and Mahayana and traditional Zen teachings and Dogen. And what is the reality Uchiyama Roshi or Asaaki Roshi is trying to point out? And how, you know, you can express it in your own language? That is my wish. Well, we have 20 more minutes. So, I'd like to go to the next paragraph.

[62:13]

Maybe I can... The next few paragraphs are not difficult, so probably I can finish three or four more paragraphs. about the middle of page 33, is this reality of life that transcends definitions, language, and thought. Some mystical, esoteric world, deeply hidden somewhere, something we are unable to talk about or even imagine. No, of course not. Since, in actuality, we are always living out the reality of life. So, this is the point he wants to say, you know, in the teaching of such as D.T. Suzuki and Nishizaki Taro and their students.

[63:19]

It's really difficult. So, people tend to understand this is only for special people. But, at least, in Uchiyama Roshi's point of view, you know, this is really ordinary thing. All of us, all of us are living that reality beyond thinking. If you put your hand... Next paragraph. I don't think I need to explain this. If you put your hand up to your heart, you can feel it beating steadily. It does not beat because you are thinking about making it beat. Nor does it beat because of

[64:20]

physiological or medical definitions. The hypothalamus regulates your heartbeat, for example, but it is not the cause of your heart's activity. As long as your heart is actually beating inside you, it is the reality of your life. A power beyond words and ideas is at work. It is this reality of your life, of your birth and death, not definition of them, that I want to investigate here." So, he is talking about, you know, the reality of these five skandhas, you know, in all our entire body and mind, five skandhas. actually working.

[65:22]

And this work is not done because I think or because I, you know, control, you know, those things. Because I cannot, we cannot control our heart. And we cannot control our stomach with our thinking. You know, some part of our body, this is also Uchamaru said somewhere else, like a hand. We can use our hands when I think I need this. I can pick up this pair of glasses. So, I can use my hands, not completely, but until a certain degree. But I cannot control our stomach, or our heart, or even our thinking. Even the function of our mind is beyond control of our thinking.

[66:28]

So that actual energy, that function, or dogen, not dogen, but Uchamara's use it as force, life force, that allows both our body and mind function, is this reality. So this reality beyond thinking is not really beyond this world, something mysterious, beyond this world, and only certain spiritual people could find it. But we are always living within that reality beyond thinking. That is what Yamaroshi wants to point out. And in our Zazen, we settle down by letting go of this grasping, discriminating thinking. We settle down on that reality. that allows both our body and mind working.

[67:35]

That is another way, you know, when D.T. Suzuki said, you know, spirituality is beyond subject-object. And what the subject or mind is doing is thinking and making definitions. and making separations between self and others, or subject and object. In order to explain this separation and oneness, in order to explain this separation and oneness, our way of thinking has a limitation, because our thinking is only part of it. So, we cannot see this reality as a whole, as an object. That's why, you know, the explanation, any explanation we try to make in our mind, doesn't really work.

[68:42]

That's why, you know, Nishizawa's philosophy or the teachings of Zen teachings become, not only them, but even Dogen's teachings become so complicated. or same as Nagarjuna's teaching, becomes so full of contradictions and paradoxes. Because our mind is only part of this, and tries to see the oneness of this reality. And our mind is part of that. this objectivity as an object, because we cannot be outside of this. That is a basic problem for us, for our mind, to, you know, explain and discuss about this total reality. So, when we start to discuss or explain this total

[69:48]

reality beyond this separation between subject and object, our way of thinking, it seems like idling. It doesn't really work. That's why the philosophy and also Buddhist or Zen teaching becomes so much difficult to grasp with our usual logical way of thinking. But that reality itself is very ordinary. But, you know, we are living this reality 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And our thinking is part of it. So we don't need to take this thinking out. But we need to, using our thinking, we need to understand that thinking is not this reality.

[70:53]

That is a basic problem. It's tricky sometimes, you know. Of course. This is why things are, you know, like idling. Our thinking is idling. Whatever word, or concept, or logic we use, somehow it doesn't reach this reality. That is a problem. But when we let go of thought, we are right there. That is what Yu Chandra Rinpoche wants to say here. We have 10 more minutes, so I'd like to finish one more paragraph. My breath is a little more under my control than my heart rate. I can take a few breaths by thinking about it, but it is completely impossible for me to be in constant conscious control of my breathing.

[72:07]

It would be a terrible psychological problem to be afraid to go to sleep because I might forget to breathe so many times a minute during the night. I go to sleep entrusting my breathing to the great power of life beyond my control. Again, though this is not a power I control, Since it is really working inside of me, it is nothing other than the reality of my life. So this breathing is another example. We cannot control, but it's always working. So I don't think I need to explain this. So, let me go to the next paragraph.

[73:10]

Let us go a little further with the concrete realities of our lives. I was born Japanese, and perhaps you were born American. This is not something we choose by our so-called will, and yet, in fact, I am Japanese, and you are what you are. This is the reality of life that transcends our own measurement and discretion. Also, I am a Buddhist priest living a life of Zazen practice in a certain temple in Kyoto, Japan. Is this way of life a way I choose by my own power? Yes, of course, in a certain sense, I did choose it.

[74:14]

But where did I get the power to choose it? I cannot help but conclude that this choice, too, has been given life by a great power that transcends my own willpower and thought, whether you call it chance, fate, life itself, or the providence of God. So, not only, you know, things happening within our body, like heart beating or breathing, but the way we live, as, in my case, a Japanese or a Buddhist. So he's questioning, you know, did I choose, can we choose to be born as a Japanese? And he said also he made a choice to become a Buddhist monk or a priest.

[75:22]

But what this, you know, power or energy to make such a choice. And in order to make a choice, we need to make discriminations, you know, which is better. In order to make judgment, which is better, to become a monk or not to become a monk? You know, we have to make discrimination. What is the difference between this way of life and that way of life? So, we have some way of this is this, that is that, and which is better. Or, you know, we live, you know, in that way, making choice. Without making choice, we cannot do anything. So, that's why we think, you know, our thinking and the way we make discrimination or distinction is important. And this is our life.

[76:23]

But what Uchanga Roshi wants to say is Where this ability or capability to make distinction comes from is this power or force, life force, is given to us because we want it. Was this our choice to have such ability or not? And of course not. So, what he's saying is even our ability to make discrimination is a gift from much larger power or life force. And that is what, you know, I'm always saying with, you know, drawing this Indra's net. We exist as a knot of this net of causes and conditions within time and space.

[77:34]

And without the relationship with others, you know, this one knot cannot appear or arise and stay and go away. So each and every knot can exist only as a connection or relationship with others. But the way we think is we see this connection or network from this side. So when we think in this way, separation between subject and object, we only see this part of the network. And when we think only this network, you know, that is what is happening. And in that sense, you know, this is inserting, within certain limitations, this

[78:38]

pattern or model is valid. But even the ability to make such way of thinking using ability, using discrimination and concept is a gift from this entire network. That is what he want to say. So he called this total function as a reality of life. And part of this reality of life, we have the ability to think and make discrimination. But often we think, you know, this is the owner of this person. But it is a basic problem. If we don't cling to this small part of our life or small part of this network as me and this is the center of the world, then our ability to think or make discrimination is not harmful.

[79:54]

But if we think this is the center of the world, we make our way of, you know, living, are upside down. So, what we do in our Zazen practice is, you know, since our way of life or the way of thinking is upside down, we turn it around. That's all we do in our Zazen. So our Zazen is not kind of a special mystical way to view, you know, this reality beyond thinking, like as an object, because it's not possible. But we just settle down on this ground of interdependent origination. But, you know, in Buddhism we call this a network of interdependent origination.

[81:05]

And it's possible to name this in many different ways. And he picked up something like chance, fate, life itself, or the providence of God. You know, each philosopher or thinker or religion may call this greater life. the life bigger than the self or thinking, with different names. And the final paragraph. I think we can finish this. Using our intellect to come up with some answer to this, we can only come up with a one-sided or abstract answer. By using certain expressions, you know, this interdependent origination or network of interdependent origination is a Buddhist term.

[82:11]

Or providence of God is a Christian term. Or we can use some more like a scientific term. But whatever name we use to refer to this thing, You know, we kind of, how can I say, limit. And it becomes another concept. And yet we can't avoid it when we talk. Because I'm a Buddhist, I have to use this Buddhist term, terminology. And Christian people can use Christian terms. Or philosophers can use philosophical terms. but whatever terms or words have some limitation because it has some relation with some position within this network. So, ultimately, all we can say is that the reality of life is as it is, just as it is.

[83:24]

The reality of the life of the Self is simply to live life just as it is. The Self does not exist because I think about it or because I don't think about it. Whether we think in this way or not think in this way, we are actually living that life beyond thinking. Either way, this life, universal and personal, is my life. Zazen is a way of truly putting this reality of life into practice. So, when we practice Zazen, when we sit facing the wall and letting go, we don't use the word, even the rest work of interdependent origination. When I try to talk about it, because I'm a Buddhist, I have to use the Buddhist term, So, I use this, you know, interdependence. But you can use in another words.

[84:32]

But whatever word we use, it has some limitation. But when we really sit and let go of even that kind of idea, even the reality of life or interconnectedness, that is what we do in our Zazen. We are simply being there as it is. whether we call it, you know, using Buddhist term, or Christian term, or scientific term. Whatever term is OK to use, but we need to understand that, you know, any term has its own limitation. Well, 33, so today I talk on several paragraphs very fast.

[85:36]

I think it's a record. But this is just a kind of a conclusion of what he has been discussing. So, tomorrow I'd like to continue from the next section. Any questions or comments? The history is very helpful. So Shakyamuni's other main disciple in the United States was, of course, Siddhartha Yogan. And he did not, he emphasized, as far as I know, practiced sadhana.

[86:40]

But someone somewhere said that as far as communication between Soyden and his two students, it was very little to Senzaki and a lot with DT. And he spoke, he did a lot with poetry. I don't know if you've read his stuff. I did a few. It was very interesting, and he would say things like, just like you're saying, you know, Zen is here in America, why are we bothering with it? And also your remarks about getting away from technical terms, that's very helpful too, and I know Suzuki Roshi tried to do that. He was hanging around little kids as much as he could. But he also said the same thing you did.

[87:47]

That when he was talking about, I don't know, I found the sun. Is the sun okay? It was one of them that's very smooth and very, it's really easy to read. And then he said, but the trouble is, you read it and you think, I got it. Yeah, that's a problem. Yeah. And another person who was a kind of a pioneer of American Zen is Soke-yan Sasaki. He was not a disciple of Shakusou-en, but he was a disciple of Shakusoukatsu. Do you know this person? This is also a very interesting person. He was a disciple of Shakyamuni. And he became a teacher of a group of lay practitioners named Ryo Mo An.

[88:56]

Ryo Mo An. Ryo means two or both, and more is forget. So forgetting both or forgetting two or duality is the name of this group. This means duality of subject and object. And so he became head of the lay group, lay in the group. And this person came to this country, said 1906. Did he go to New York? No, this person, California. came to this country with 18 of his students, and he wanted to establish a Zen community in California.

[89:58]

And he purchased a land farm outside of north of San Francisco, I think, with these groups. He really wanted to establish a Zen community there. But it is said, and Sokeyan Sasaki was one of 18 students. Even though they purchased a farm, they failed. Sokeyan Sasaki's book said, they are all intellectual people who are artists. Sasaki was an artist. He was a sculptor. So all those people are very intellectual people. They didn't know how to grow vegetables, so their farm became failed. So, Chuck Sawcutt moved to the city of San Francisco and opened a zendo, but it didn't work.

[91:01]

So, he went back to Japan in 1910. So, his attempt to transplant Zen community and practice there in San Francisco, but failed. And all of them went back to Japan with Shak Sogat, except Sogeyan. After this, he lived in Seattle and moved to New York and founded the first Zen Institute of America in New York. And his wife, what was her name? Ruth Sasaki went to Japan. and continue Soke and Sasaki's teaching.

[92:05]

And from their group, one person got his name. He had a Zen center in Maine. Walter Noack. he went to Japan and practiced at Daitoku-ji with the Roshi, Zuigan Goto. And this Walter Noack was the first American, or first Western, who received Inca from within Rinzai tradition. And he had a Zen center in Maine. It was a small Zen group. And when I lived in Massachusetts, I visited that group. It was fun. It was a nice place. And they built a Zendo with material they were given from the building used to be a Dunkin' Donuts. Dunkin' Donuts. Donuts shop. But somehow, you know, Walter Neuwerk was a musician.

[93:09]

I think he was a pianist. So he quit teaching then and became a musician again. I'm sorry about that. Is that what happened to him? I wondered. Yeah, he found... Yeah, so he quit. I remember he played the classical piano, but I never heard what happened to him after that. Is he still alive? I'm not sure. I visited the place when... in the middle of the 70s. At that time he was there, but I heard he quit, so maybe in the 80s. I'm not sure if he's still alive or not. So from, you know, Shak Soen's lineage, you know, many important people as a kind of a pioneers of American Zen or Western Zen appeared even before Suzuki Shinryu Roshi came to San Francisco.

[94:10]

But maybe the time was not ripe for this person so they had to go back to Japan. Well, more questions or comments? I was just wondering, Hojo-san, did you know how, when Tawaki Roshi was practicing by himself at the temple, did he do takahatsu to support himself? I don't know. In his biographies, it doesn't say how he gets food. Maybe someone donated the food. I don't think he regularly did tako-hatsu. So, it's said he didn't eat much. So, you know, even though he was in his mid-thirties, it's said he looked like a 70-year-old person.

[95:18]

So, you know, when he visited Oka Sotan, the Roshi, Oka Sotan worried about his health, because he, you know, was just sitting. So extreme way of practice. That's why when Oka Sotan became the abbot of a big temple in Kyushu, Daijiji, he invited Sakyaraj to be the teacher there. because Okasotan had already his own temple, so he couldn't go. So he invited Sawakiroshi to be the teacher there. And in Kumamoto, the name of the temple was Dai-ji-ji. Dai-ji-ji. This temple was founded by Kangan Rin, who was one of the Dogen Zenji's direct disciples.

[96:23]

So this was a big temple. And according to Sawaki Roshi's biographies, when he became a teacher, not an abbot, but a teacher at this temple, he found some group of people who wanted to practice with Sankyroshi in his way, focused on sitting. So first he found, you know, other people who want to practice in his way. Until then, so he was, I think he was about 40, he practiced by himself. So I really don't know how he But it seems he didn't care. OK?

[97:26]

Any questions?

[97:30]

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