Genjo is life. Genjo is life. Life is genjo. Life is genjo. Wherever you are, your life must be genjo. Katagiri must be katagiri. Pine tree must be pine tree. Bamboo must be bamboo. When bamboo becomes bamboo, it is bamboo's full function of self-manifestation. Then revealing the genjo of life. Revealing genjo of life. It cannot be but life has the whole being of its genjo.

[01:04]

And but the death has the whole being of its genjo. So as mentioned before, when you are in the domain of the whole being of the genjo of life, you can find, you can recognize, you settle on the self at the stage of life. At the stage of life.

[02:07]

This life is to come of. It's before and after. Also they are. It has. It's before and after. Means firewood is firewood. And there we find it's before and after. And yet with this past and future, its present is independent of them. Ash is at the stage of ash. And there we find it's before and after. Just as firewood doesn't become firewood again after it is ash.

[03:11]

So man doesn't return to life after his death. So life is life. And the whole being of the life. Genjo of life. It includes death. The whole being of the genjo of death and life. This is genjo. This is the ultimate being of the great Buddha's path. So wherever you are, whatever kind of practice. Make progress. You have to reveal. You have to reveal the whole being of the genjo of your practice. At the stage of present and after present.

[04:16]

This is genjo. This is life. Do you have a question? You say firewood is firewood. But when wood burns, we experience a sense of time that it takes to become ash. Is this experience of time? What is this experience of time? What is the time what you said? The time is the time in the system of time which we usually think.

[05:20]

Time is always going on. The same would be experienced in the creek. We watch the water flow in the creek. We experience the flow of the water. We also experience time in that way. Our ordinary experience of time is like that. In Buddhism, the crystallization of time, as mentioned before, is that time is completely attached to the past and the present. Did you understand this? Not completely.

[06:31]

In other words, our life is a continuation of life, time, time, time, present time, present time, present time. The stage of the present, stage of the present, stage of the present. Otherwise, you don't understand the real meaning of time. That's why Dogen says the Zengo Saidan. Zengo Saidan means before. The time, the real meaning of time is cut off. Cut off before and after. Before and after means the present. There is nothing but the existence of the present. That's all. This present is completely, entirely the very slightest length of time.

[07:39]

You cannot explain it. You cannot take it. You cannot catch it. This time, life is a continuation of this time. So, Buddhism sometimes says nothing. I think... If you try to criticize... You know, the... What would you say? If you try to reduce the time, the length of time, you know, like this. Reduce. Make the length of time short, completely.

[08:43]

It is present. It is present. This present is always denied by past and present. Past and present. Then, the time which we have to get taste of is... You know, the time. Time, what... When you... Rest in peace. Rest in peace, regardless of the idea of whoever you are. Whoever you are. That's why Dogen Zen says, firewood is firewood. Then this, when you sit here, you have to feel.

[09:49]

You have to rest in peace here. When you move this, this place, move to this place, you also, you have to feel rest in peace. Resting in peace. But, if you, if your mind is distracted by this seat, it is not the manifestation, the true manifestation of your life. The true manifestation of imperturbability of your own. Wherever you go, first of all, you have to rest in peace at the stage of here. Even though you move to this place, this is present, you know, continuation of present.

[10:55]

So, Buddhism puts stress on the continuation of present. On the life, based on the present continuation of present. Do you understand? Next question. Tonight a young man walked in, and I had to talk with him. He wanted a place to stay. He has to keep his sleeping zone. I had to tell him to be in my quarters. After all the good things we've been through together. I'm talking about the young man who walked in this evening.

[12:04]

I felt badly because I told him to, you know, we couldn't accommodate him. And I felt that I missed an opportunity to be with him. The company was looking for something, a place where he could meditate and get into himself. And I felt that we should somehow provide this kind of place. I didn't feel right on the topic moment to moment. I felt like I wasn't being myself. Next question. You mean... You mean you have to give some place to stay to this boy? He needed something. And I didn't meet that need. What did you do?

[13:05]

I told him we were having a training for him. And that we were not open to the public. We would not accommodate him. And we would be happy to have him come back next month. I didn't offer him dinner. I didn't feel right. Mere existence, mere existence, moment to moment. This moment has a relation, a big relation with all sentient beings. So if you, as long as we are practicing at Tathagata, each of us, Tathagata is not open, it's not only you. All of us. So in order to practice under the better condition,

[14:16]

we need some rules, we need some policies. So we have to obey some policy or rules in order to make our practice progress well. This is important. Then, in your case, you must, of course you are right to tell him about the situation of Tathagata. What is going on? I think this is, it is right. It's not necessary to feel not so well. Not to feel well.

[15:17]

Even though it is not necessary for him to sleep here. He has a sleeping bag? Actually he had a car. Car? Car. Oh, he has a car. But, you know, that wasn't the point. He was looking for a place to be. He has a car and he has a sleeping bag. It's all right. I somehow had the feeling that if you had met him, you would have taken the time to talk. Okay. If you feel difficult to tell him, I will. Hmm.

[16:41]

Last night someone asked me why it is we have to have ordained. The same is to be said to such a case. You know, if all we have to do is to live moment after moment, it is not necessary to have ordained as a Buddhist. But why it is we have to have ordained? Because ordained makes your life progress pretty well. This is ordained. Ordained makes you confirm what your life is. That time you can accept ordained.

[17:47]

It means you have to retain. You have to retain the Buddhism of your own. Buddhism of what you believe, you follow. But to retain the Buddhism of what you follow is not to fight with other groups. If you are retaining, if you are believing, if the believers, if you are believing as Buddhists, are caused to fight with other groups, Christianity, or Jewish, or any other religious group,

[18:49]

your ordination doesn't make sense. So the group in Tathagata, we have to have self-realization what is going on. In order to have self-realization what is going on at the Tathagata, we try to practice Zazen, we try to practice Zazen following some rules or policies. It doesn't make you fight with another person. So that guy just comes here, just comes here without noticing,

[19:54]

without knowing anything at all. That's why he has to accept this policy, our situation, if he doesn't have the bonus of his ego. It is right that he has to do. It is a very important point that he has to do. He has a car, he has a sleeping bag. He doesn't have a sleeping bag, he doesn't have a car. At that time, maybe there are some expectations. You should give some place to live, that's all right. He has a sleeping bag, he has a car. Anytime he can go any place. Any questions?

[21:22]

Characteristics, characteristics. Of its own. Then, only when I see, when I see the liquid, poison liquid in front of me, the relationship between the poison liquid and me, comes into being in the plain level, plain level. But through the existence of poison liquid, I think, oh, if I drink this poison liquid, I will become, I will, I will be killed by myself.

[22:35]

I will be killed by myself. By drinking the poison liquid. Then at that time, there is something, something more than the relationship, which comes into being in the level, in the plain level. In the domain of the idea, if I drink this, I will be killed. At that time there is, there are the, the, I am thinking, I am thinking, that some cause and result.

[23:41]

I am thinking of some result and some cause. In other words, I am thinking, I am thinking of a future. And then, through the concept, ideas, if I drink this poison, poison liquid, I will be killed. Or I will want to be killed by myself. By drinking this. Now through this idea, I am thinking of my past life, because I did, I did, I didn't do the good things. I felt, I felt some great punishment. Then I don't want, I feel, I am feeling,

[24:42]

I have felt that I don't want to live in this world anymore. That's why I want to die. Then through this, through this existence of poison liquid, which is situated at the present, at present, right now, in front of me, then through my thought, I am thinking of my past life, and I am thinking of my future. This past, this conception of past and future, are established by the intellect senses, by my thought. Then how does the present,

[25:46]

the conception of present and the time, come into existence? It looks like the present is completely attached to both sides, both sides, the past and the future, which are completely refusing, refusing to become, to be, to be, refusing to exist. No, but the refusing, which refuse, which refuse the present. This present, you know, the present exists between the past and present, past and future. So this present has very slight length,

[26:48]

length, very slight. It's pretty difficult to explain, just slight length of time. Because, you know, this present is always cutting off, before and after. As Dogen then says, firewood, firewood, you know, firewood, firewood is firewood. But firewood becomes, turns into ash. It is real, it is real, it is true. The present is absolutely attached to both sides, of past and present, which try to deny the existence of present.

[27:54]

This is present. That's why in Buddhism present is called mu, nothing, emptiness. Because there is no amount of explanation, just slightest length of time. Even though the, even in the domain of this scientist, you know, the length of time, from the viewpoint of Buddhism, it includes, it embraces all sentient beings. It is quite, quite, quite inscrutable, inscrutable. Hmm. Then, the, our faith,

[29:06]

our faith is, you know, the, our faith is not to, not to consider what the past, what the future. Our life is continuation of present, the slightest, the slightest length of time, so called present, or moment, the continuation of present. The important point is how to, how to settle on the self, in the domain of slightest length of time. Then the faith is, our faith is to become yourself,

[30:14]

on the basis of improbability. At the stage of now, at the stage of present, this is our faith, this is right faith, right faith, not fanaticism, fanaticism. In order to settle on the self, you mustn't be infatuated with, even, even the experience of enlightenment, even experience of happiness, even experience of unhappiness, even in experience, experience of delusion. Ah, this is the right faith.

[31:22]

In other words, this is emancipation, this is emancipation. Ah, transparently, transparently, ah, you become yourself, you become yourself based on the stream of transience. Present after present. Then, ah, Dogen then says, emancipation is life beyond life, life beyond life. Life beyond life, death beyond death. Therefore, there are outgoing life-deaths, and incoming one. Both is the ultimate being of the great path, Buddhist path, Buddhist path. There are abundant life-deaths, and retained one.

[32:30]

Both of them is the finality of the great Buddhist path. Thus, ah, emancipation is life beyond life, death beyond death. Ah, therefore, the life beyond life, death beyond death is to find yourself, to find yourself, to settle in yourself at the stage of present, after present, after present. This is life, ah, life beyond life. Ah, then when you, when you find, recognize that you can settle on yourself

[33:36]

at the stage of life present, at the stage of present, after present, ah, ah, I think your life is the full, ah, manifest, a full function of self-manifestation. This is the real meaning of life, real meaning of life. This is genjo. In terms of, in terms of complete settlement on yourself at the stage of present, after present, you know, you will recognize that there are many kind of, ah, great Buddhist paths, like Arhat, who are trying to, who are trying to practice abandonment,

[34:41]

abandon, ah, throwing away his life. Like Bodhisattva, who is, ah, plunging, who is plunging into the human world and practice, ah, six parameters, six parameters. That's why Dogen then says, emancipation is life beyond life, death beyond death. Therefore, there are outgoing life, death. Outgoing life, death is like Arhat, Arhat's practice. By throwing away his life and concentrate on practice Zazen or Buddhism.

[35:44]

And incoming one, incoming life, death is like Bodhisattva's life. Bodhisattva share his life with human being and practice the six parameters to save human being from their suffering. Ah, both is the ultimate being of the great Buddhist path. The Arhat practice life or Bodhisattva's life are following the way of ultimate being of the great Buddhist path. Ah, in other words, ah, when you, no, when I was, ah, when I became a Zen priest,

[36:52]

ah, I had, I had never experience, ah, making rice, fixing rice. So I was, at that time I was, it was very difficult for me to fix the rice. Besides, I had to use the firewood, sometimes dry straws, using dry straw. It's pretty difficult, it's pretty difficult to make the rice, you know, using the firewood or dry straws. Gas is much better than firewood or straw, dry straw. Besides, there was no menus, no menus how to cook, you know.

[38:02]

Anyway, I have to just practice, you know, using my brain, using my whole energies. Using whole hearted being of my mind. But nevertheless, I couldn't fix, I couldn't fix rice completely. I always, the bottom of the pan, bottom of the pan was charcoal rice. Both sides is brownish rice. The top of rice is gruel. Top of rice is gruel. That's funny rice. You know, for opener, the opener lid of the pan,

[39:05]

wow, it looks like gruel, you know, like this. Very gruel, it was really gruel. Then I scooped the depth of rice deeply, you know, the bottom. I scooped the rice. I found a little something, it looks like rice. But little brownish. Both sides is completely brownish rice. The bottom is charcoal rice. You couldn't eat it, you couldn't eat it. Funny smell. Even though with whole heartedness, I couldn't. It was very difficult. It was very difficult. But now, you know, I can fix very easy.

[40:07]

To fix rice using either firewood or dry straw. Instead of gas or propane gas. I can, I can easy. Without using whole heartedness. All America, you know. Because my inspirations, my, my inspirations, you know, can impel me to do something, you know. It's pretty easy. But while I, I couldn't, I couldn't fix meal, my practice, you, you think, you think my practice was not so good.

[41:13]

But it is, I don't think so. I think it's alright, it's alright that, it's alright to exist. So called, what is called charcoal rice, so called the practice of charcoal rice or brownish rice or the gruel rice is alright. This is one of, for one of practice. You know, the, you, let you reflect upon your Zazen. With whole heartedness, you practice Zazen. You know, it's pretty difficult. It's pretty difficult to, to be spinning completely in the domain of Buddha's Zazen.

[42:19]

Nobody thinks so, you know, nobody thinks so. Someone experience completely nothing around me, just Zazen is, just Zazen exists around me. And feeling the all sentient beings coming from the bottom of my life, bottom of my questions. Wow, very good experience. That time, you think, you think, you lose, you think, you may think that something miss, something miss. Because there is nothing to, nothing, nothing like nothing. What is called road, there is no road to drive. It looks like to be infatuated with your Zazen, your feeling itself.

[43:27]

Then you try to, try to, try to, you know, rush into the catch, you know, rush into the getting back to yourself. I think it is your Zazen, it is your Zazen. The other hand, your Zazen is not so good, even though using the, even though with whole heartedness. I think, so, as Dogen says in Kanzi Zenki,

[44:30]

Eliminating the even conception of good and bad, right and wrong, you should speak in the domain of the Zazen itself. This is very important. So, don't worry about of your Zazen, your Zazen, which is, which is criticized by concept, the idea of good and bad, right and wrong. The Zazen, based on the idea of good and bad, right and wrong, is streaming at the stage of transiency. So, at the stage of transiency, in the domain of streaming of transiency, a change, important point is, you must find yourself to settle on the self, at the stage of present after present.

[45:53]

From this point, Dogen Zazen is maybe, maybe alright in a sense, but not alright, not alright. Because if you say it is alright, you miss something, immediately. Because, if not alright, if not alright, is going on, at the stage of streaming of transiency. So, charcoal Zazen, brownish Zazen, gruel Zazen, you have to settle on the gruel Zazen, charcoal Zazen, brownish Zazen, with wholeheartedness. That's why Dogen Zazen says, birth is the ultimate being of the great Buddha's path.

[47:03]

Whatever kind of practice they are, Arahant's practice, Arhat's practice, Bodhisattva's practice, Buddha's practice, whatever they are, they are, they all, they all aim at the same goal, which is called the ultimate being of the great Buddha's path. Then, this is Todat, this is, Todat is emancipation, Todat is emancipation, or transcend, transcending, transcend, transcendence, transcendence. This is, at once, religious faith and comprehension of human being.

[48:09]

The universe emancipation, Todat, is at once classification of all purity. And also, it is the full function of self-manifestation, which is called Genjo.

[48:43]

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