Chapter Fourteen In the previous chapter Buddha gave for prediction to Raghura and Yasodhara and also many Bodhisattvas and they took vows to teach Lotus Sutra

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after Buddha's death then Buddha taught them how to teach Lotus Sutra in the end of evil age so Buddha taught them lots of difficulties whenever they taught Lotus Sutra to all sentient beings so Buddha says they need to stand still steadily

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in the various difficulties whatever happens and continued to teach Buddha's teaching and also how to Buddha taught how to be free from various difficulties he suggested to pay homage to Buddha thoroughly so in the previous chapter Buddha showed lots of difficulties to them in this chapter, chapter fourteen anyway in the concrete way how to teach

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Buddha's teaching in the evil age to come so title of the chapter is happy life in Chinese it says An Raku Gyo An means peace Raku is joy Gyo means practice and other translation says peaceful life so literally An Raku Gyo means peaceful state peaceful and joyful state of practice peace means peaceful forbearance

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in Buddhism peace means peaceful forbearance forbearance means not like walking on fire with clenching one's teeth but Tendai in the Tendai school it says if being in peaceful endurance you can accomplish the way in well forbearance so to forbearance is not at least distinct from one's doing in one's daily life and daily living

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so then naturally one can accomplish the Buddha way so from this point peaceful and joyful state of practice means to overcome lots of difficulties with one's peaceful state of mind which is not different from one's everyday mind this is called An Raku Gyo peaceful life or happy life so in the beginning anyway Manjushri Bodhisattva really praised

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lots of Bodhisattva who took a vow to teach Buddha's teaching according to Lord's Sutra and asked the Buddha how can these Bodhisattvas preach this Lord's Sutra in the evil age to come so that is Manjushri's Bodhisattva questions so Buddha said they should be steadfast in the four methods these four methods are the peaceful practice of the body

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the peaceful practice of the mouth the peaceful practice of the mind the peaceful practice of the vows so first the peaceful practice of the body is divided into two parts Bodhisattva spheres of action and of intimacy Bodhisattva spheres of action is the principle practice the Bodhisattva spheres of intimacy

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is the practice contributed to the principle practice so look at the book of Buddhism for today at page 171 for second paragraph the Buddha taught the present practice of the body that means the peaceful practice I said peaceful practice of the body by dividing it into two parts

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Bodhisattva spheres of action and of intimacy Bodhisattva spheres of action means his fundamental attitude as the basis of his personal behavior Bodhisattva is personal behavior and also the peaceful practice Bodhisattva spheres of intimacy means how to take what kind of attitude Bodhisattva should take toward people others when they teach the Lord Sutra but the Bodhisattva spheres of action is

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the individual attitude who who who are who is the who try to teach Buddha's teaching so first Bodhisattva spheres of action it means his fundamental attitude as the basis of personal behavior so Bodhisattva is patient patient gentle and agreeable and first of all Bodhisattva must be very patient before in the previous in the chapter in the chapter Buddha taught to the Bodhisattva

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who are about to teach said they should be in the room in the seat in the platform of the emptiness and in the room of compassion and to wear the robe of patience so very naturally Bodhisattva should be patient patient and gentle and patient, gentle and agreeable and is neither hasty nor overbearing

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not to do something in a hurry, rushing into so taking time and do carefully and nor overbearing not too much to be patient so and his mind is unperturbed imperturbable is not to be agitated by circumstances etc always Bodhisattva must be calm mind and under all circumstances to teach continually Buddha's teaching and unlike ordinary people this is completely different from ordinary people mind is not conceited

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or boastful about his own good works he shouldn't be boastful he shouldn't be in the area of folly whatever he does so he has no laws by which to act this is very important even though he does anything whatever he does he always does just like water running, going constantly without leaving any trace of his doings that is no folly no arrogance no boast boastfulness but sees all things

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in their reality always he has to see all things in their reality means as they really are in the reality not seeing everything from their own viewpoint always he has to see something as they really are in reality nor does he take partial view of things he shouldn't take partial prejudice but acts toward all people with the same compassion compassion must be open to all kinds of people never making a sure of it never making a sure of it means the power proceeds

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along the undivided way the Buddha preaches here that this is the fundamental attitude of the Bodhisattvas next the Buddha teaches Bodhisattva's fear of intimacy by dividing into the following ten parts first let me read first first a Bodhisattva is not intimate with men of high position and influence in order to gain some benefit nor does he compromise his teaching of the law to them through excessive familiarity with them so not to approach the high position and high status

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of the society and people who have high status of human society in order to gain some benefit and also he shouldn't compromise his teaching to them in order to curry favor in order to get benefit from them in order with feeling of curry favor with the doings of curry favor of currying favor second he is not intimate with heretics composers of worldly literature or poetry nor with

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lokayatas lokayatas and anti-lokayatas lokayatas means in the note a non-Bodhisattva whose members believe in following the ways of the world that means lokayatas means hedonist hedonist and anti-lokayatas means asceticist asceticist thus he is not adversely affected by their impure environment nor does he compromise the law the third he doesn't resort to brutal sports such as

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boxing wrestling nor to be nor to the various juggling performances of narutakas narutakas narutakam is in the note dancers singers and actors so this is the very dangerous performance performances of so-called dancers dancing singing acting very dangerous situation which which the people make their living so juggling performances of narutakas and others fourth he doesn't

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consort personally with those who kill creatures to make a living such as butchers fishermen and hunters and he doesn't develop a careless attitude towards engaging in cruel conduct fifth he doesn't consort with the bikus and the bikushinis who seek the teaching of the small biku and are satisfied with their own personal isolation from earthly existence moreover he doesn't become in fact infected by their selfish ideas nor develop a tendency to compromise with them in listening to the laws

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preached by them if they come to him to hear the law he takes the opportunity to preach it expecting nothing in return sixth when he preaches the law to women he doesn't display an appearance capable of arousing passionate thoughts and he maintains a craft mental attitude with great strictness he doesn't take pleasure in seeing women seventh he doesn't become friendly with any her [...]

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her [...] In the modern age, maybe we say the homosexuals and the lesbians, etc., I don't know if they are corresponding to this kind of thing. But he doesn't become friendly with any hermaphrodite. This means that he needs to take a very prudent attitude when he teaches such a performed, deformed person. Eighth, he doesn't enter the homes of other salons. If for some reason he must do so, then he thinks single-mindedly of the Buddha.

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This is the Buddha's admonition to the Bodhisattva to go everywhere together with the Buddha. Ninth, if he preaches the law to women, he doesn't display his teeth in smiles, nor let his breast be thin. Tenth, he takes no pleasure in keeping young pupils and children by his side. Maybe there is questions you may have, because it seems very prejudiced not to approach people who have higher status for human society and power, and not to approach the women and ask

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for discrimination here. But on the other hand, if you read other Buddhist scriptures, like Avatamsaka Sutra, and also Vimalakirti, they don't create a lot of discrimination between men and women in society, etc. I would rather praise the existence of women and men in the human society, human world. So a little bit difficult to understand here. Maybe we may have some doubt, we wonder if even the Buddha's compassion has its own limitations.

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Because Buddha's compassion must be open to everybody. So if the Bodhisattva cannot approach to those people or situations, they couldn't have a chance to be saved, and couldn't have a chance to listen to Buddha's teaching. So how can they have a chance to listen to Buddha's teaching? So we should know the meaning of intimacy. It doesn't mean just to approach, just to be intimate with somebody. So intimacy means not to approach somebody in order to satisfy the individual's soul.

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So very naturally, people try to approach to the politicians and also people who have higher status of your society in order to satisfy, in order to get the benefit individually, or in order to satisfy individually the one's very selfish desires, egoistic desires. So very naturally they make misuse. Spirit of Bodhisattva, spirit of intimacy. Look at the page 223 of this Lotus Sutra.

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Third line from the top. The father, Bodhisattva, Mahasattva contemplates all existence as void, emptiness. So appearances as they really are, neither upside down, nor moving, nor receding, nor turning, just like a space of the nature of nothingness, cut off from the cause of all words and expressions, unborn, not coming forth, not arising, nameless, formless, really without existence, unimpeded, infinite, boundless, unrestrained, only existing by causation and produced through perversion of thought.

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So this is a very important Bodhisattva attitude which they have to take as a second Bodhisattva sphere of intimacy. So they have to contemplate all existence as emptiness. So according to this, why we have to discriminate between the people, human beings, and the status positions. So I don't think the meaning of putting a certain label on each classes of human existence or people. Because Bodhisattva has to think all sentient beings as emptiness.

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It's not a matter of whether they are good or bad, right or wrong. And wherever they are, Bodhisattva has to approach to teach Buddha's teaching. The point is, human beings are likely to approach to those peoples to satisfy their own individual selfish desires. That is a point they have to be careful. So, emptiness here, emptiness is described like this. Appearances as they really are, neither upside down, nor moving, nor receding, nor turning, just like a space of the nature of the nothingness.

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So, you have to live in this state of existence, so called emptiness. So exactly, no colors, no forms, no particular ideas, no particular prejudice. Anyway, but when you live there, you can dye it, you can make it a certain color, you can make it colorful. White, red, just like putting the colorful ink into water. If I say karagiri, that is karagiri's color, so if you put the ink, a drop of ink into this emptiness, it becomes karagiri's.

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So, first of all, this karagiri bodhisattva must be in this realm of emptiness, putting a drop of ink. But nevertheless, this bodhisattva shouldn't be stuck in this colorful world, complicated by a particular bodhisattva. So, from the beginning to the end, this bodhisattva has to act, just like water. Constantly on the basis of this emptiness. So, he has to be mindful, constantly, of being present in emptiness, constantly emptiness. So, there is a certain color of colorful ink, it's not the emptiness, but right in the middle of colorful ink, well, it's simultaneously emptiness, that's why we shouldn't attach to individual colorful ink, whatever you do.

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So, you must find the freedom in the realm of colorful ink you have put into the emptiness. So, Dogen Zenji also mentioned in the Gakudo Yojinshu, he said, if you want to study Buddhism, you have to believe that there are no confusions, no illusions, no misunderstandings, mistakes, etc. Nature is completely emptiness. Just like this, the Lotus Sutra said. So, this is very important for us. So, that is the second bodhisattva sphere of intimacy.

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Which means what kind of attitude bodhisattvas should take individually, wherever they may be. Because they always continually put a drop of colorful ink, individual colorful ink, in order to act, in order to teach. So, he must be mindful of himself, his existence. Nevertheless, in the realm of his existence, he has to be mindful of emptiness. Seeing his act, his behavior, his words, his object, anywhere on the basis of emptiness, constantly.

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That means, just think of water running smoothly. That's bodhisattva practice. Next, look at the Buddhist four today, the 172. The peaceful practice of the mouth. Next, following are the Buddhist admonitions concerning one's speech. First, the bodhisattva takes no pleasure in telling of the errors of other people or of the sutra. According to the emptiness, there is no reason why you have to speak of ill of others.

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Speak ill of others. Second, he doesn't desire other creatures. He doesn't despise other dear creatures. Third, he doesn't speak of the good and evil, the merits and demerits of other people. Nor does he single out shuravakas by name and broadcast their errors and sins. Fourth, in the same way, he doesn't praise their virtues and he doesn't beget a jealous mind. And Buddhists, even among the monks and even among the so-called famous Buddhist people, still there is jealous mind, envious mind by what people create fighting, psychologically, materialistically.

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That is the human history. Fifth, if he maintains a cheerful and open mind in this way, those who hear the teaching will offer him no opposition. To those who ask difficult questions, he doesn't answer with the law of the small vehicle but only with the great vehicle. And he explains the law to them so that they may obtain perfect knowledge. This is a pleasant practice of the mouth. Look at the textbook, page 227. And the 15th line from the bottom,

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By reasonings and parables, he expounds and discriminates it. By this tactful method, he starts to serve them all to earnestness, to steady advance and entry on the Buddha way. This is pretty interesting. Therefore, Bodhisattvas anyway, Bodhisattva has to have a skillful method to teach by reasonings and parables anyway, using the parables and teach the Buddhist teachings. And he expounds and discriminates it anyway, analyzing and criticizing, he has to explain. And by this tactful method, in order to lead the people to peaceful life,

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So, it says he serves them all to earnestness. To steady advance, steady advance, steady advance means not rushing advance, not quick advance, not slow advance. Anyway, steady advance, that's an interesting point. That is the human life. You should keep going, just keep going, that means a really steady advance. Not rushing, not slow, just like water in the Ganges River. Whatever you do to teach or to develop yourself, your job, your capability, anyway, this is very important. To steady advance and entry on the Buddha way.

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And then, through this steady advance, you can educate people, you can lead them to Buddha's way. This is a very interesting point. So, as a peaceful practice of the mouth, anyway, we have to see the human beings on the basis of emptiness, and to lead them to the Buddha's way of life, step by step. Next, the present practice of the mind. Following are the eight admonitions of the Buddha with regard to the mental attitude of the Bodhisattva. First, Buddhism for today, page 173.

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First, he doesn't harbor an envious or deceitful mind. Second, he doesn't slight or abuse other learners of the Buddha way, even if they are beginners. Nor does he seek out the excesses and shortcomings. So, excesses and shortcomings means, don't criticize, don't pick up the weakness and strength in front of him, in front of the people. Third, if there are people who seek the Bodhisattva way, he doesn't distress them, causing them to feed up and regret.

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Nor does he say discouraging things to them. So, if you always teach something difficult about some aspect of Buddha's teaching, sometimes people are disappointed. Next, the present practice of the mind.

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Next, the present practice of the mind. Next, the present practice of the mind. Next, the present practice of the mind.

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Sometimes we have to teach our Buddha's teaching in an easy way, and also even though you see the people who are disappointed to practice and study Buddhism, it's not necessary to disappoint them. It's not necessary to cause them to feel doubt and regret, to discourage people. So always we have to think in a positive way and encourage people. Fourth, he shouldn't indulge, because this is encouraging people constantly is very important. If you disappoint, disappointment is not

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something objective. Before you disappoint, before you disappoint, you are disappointed. Well, your life is already disappointed, so nothing to do, nothing to go forward. So that's why if you're disappointed, you're criticizing yourself, always abusing yourself, and despise yourself constantly. It's very difficult to move forward. So even though you know how weak we are, well anyway, constantly encourage yourself to move forward. Because we have to do something, we have to be present right in the middle of emptiness.

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This is no excuse. Whatever you do, wherever you may be. So that is the third. Fourth, he shouldn't indulge in discussion about the law or engage in dispute, but he should devote himself to the discussion of the practice to save all living beings. This is also a little difficult point we always miss. If you discuss some aspect of Buddhism, always we discuss, and we feel it, and understanding Buddhism, but it's not. Buddhism is not a matter of discussion. Well, sometimes we need a discussion.

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We need to discuss, but people are very interested in a discussion constantly. But the most important point is we have to discuss how to save, how to live from human suffering. That is the main purpose of Buddhism. Practice. Practice. Because we are present in the realm of emptiness and the impermanence, constant change, et cetera. So, that's why he says like this. Fifth, he should think of saving all living beings from their suffering through his great compassion. Sixth, he should think of the Buddhas as benevolent fathers. Seventh, he should think of the Bodhisattvas as his great teachers.

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Eighth, he should preach the law equally to all living beings. This is the present process of the mind. So, sixth, he should think of the Buddhas as benevolent fathers, means he should completely pay a perfect homage to, he should offer himself to the Buddhas as benevolent fathers. As compassionate fathers, as servants, he should think of the Bodhisattvas as his great teachers. That means everybody is Bodhisattva in broad perspective. So, you should see them as great teachers. Everything is teacher for you. Eighth, he should preach the law equally to all living beings. According to this, it doesn't mean you should create a certain prejudice when you teach somebody.

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I don't think you should make a prejudice of approaching who you should, whom, approaching to whom, instead of discriminating. You should, anyway, approach to anybody, but the important point is we shouldn't make selfish use of anybody in order to satisfy individual selfish desires. Next, the present practice of the vow, that means in the last ages to come, when the law is about to perish, the Bodhisattva who keeps his law flower sutra should beget a spirit of great charity

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toward both laymen and monks, and should have a spirit of compassion for those who are not yet Bodhisattvas, but are satisfied with their selfish idea of saving only themselves. He also should decide that though those people have not inquired for, nor believed in, nor understood this sutra, when he has attained perfect enlightenment through his transcendental powers and powers of wisdom, he will lead them to abide in this law. The present practice of the vow means to have a spirit of great compassion and to raise the mind of vowing to lead all people to the Lotus Sutra and to practice its spirit.

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That's why if you study the Lotus Sutra, you feel the Lotus Sutra is the best Buddhist scripture in Buddhism. So that's the way naturally it is. Nichiren school and Tendai school are based on, depending on only, the Lotus Sutra. But if you misuse this sense, feeling, you become aggressive. It's not the perfect way. Dogen Zenji respects the Lotus Sutra very much, using the quotation, quoting very often the last passages of the Lotus Sutra, but he doesn't say the Lotus Sutra is the best.

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So Zen Buddhism is very broad, seeing the Buddhist scriptures in a broad perspective. Zen Buddhism doesn't depend on a particular sutra, the so-called Lotus Sutra, which is best. So Zen Buddhism depends on all Buddhist scriptures. That's why it's a little bit difficult to understand. When you research what kind of Buddhist scriptures Zen Buddhism depends on, in comparison with other schools, because it's broad. But this is a very good attitude for Buddhist teaching. If you depend on certain scriptures, you are very naturally aggressive and prejudiced.

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So that's why Dogen Zenji always respects this one, but next moment he always emphasizes to be free from that. Be there, but free from. Be there, free from. That is because you have to approach all sentient beings, but you have to see everything as emptiness. So you have to go, but your attitude must be constantly present in emptiness. So you cannot stay there. So you have to study all Buddhist scriptures, but you can't stay there. That's Dogen's attitude. That's not Dogen's attitude, this is a general Buddhist attitude, based on Buddhist philosophies. Okay, that's all today.

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Maybe next week I would like to go on. If you have some questions. I was trying to come up with some idea as to what Dave was talking about. Not as much as discriminating among people if you look at Bodhisattvas, but if you look at these people, you're looking at their strict points. It's to just saying that you're looking at people's strict points as the purpose. And at the same time, these people who are practitioners, who come,

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but they're not the kind of, they say they're Bodhisattvas, but in a sense, they're just as evil people as they're little and too young. Some follow them, but most of them have been discriminated amongst themselves. That's all I can do about it. I had a friend who came up to me and said, I couldn't say. For butchers and throwers, sometimes you could be associated with them, without any excuse, sometimes.

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So at that time, you can't discriminate. It's a certain situation, present situation for existence. Wherever you may go, you have to, sometimes you could see that various kinds of people. So at that time, individually, a Bodhisattva must be strict for us, and patient, and gentleman, and compassionate, and then talk, and more help. When he has to teach, and he has to talk, and human life, anyway, not according to the narrow viewpoint. That's why the Buddha said, don't teach anything from a Himayana point of view, but according to the Mahayana means, don't talk, don't tell,

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picture the human world from a small, narrow viewpoint. Anyway, from Bodhisattva's view, from the universal perspective, even though you can't give any conclusion, sometimes you can give a hint, how huge, how vast, the vastness of the human existence, you can tell, to anybody. So that is a very important point. Can you help me? Can you help me?

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Can you help me? OK? So... Yeah, much more compassion, because if they become aggressive, and, you know, they... very naturally, they suffer a lot, particularly after the Second World War. So, recently they became very gentle, calm down. Yeah, Nichiren Buddhism takes two ways when they teach.

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One way is to teach Buddhism, just to teach Buddhism. On the other hand, it's a spirit of converting people to Nichiren school. For this, they have to justify, justify the spirit of their religion. Very naturally, they become aggressive, because they want to convert people to Nichiren school for this. They have to show how wonderful it is. So, very naturally, they have to criticize others. That is a very weak point. Because they depend on their very strong... They're still... Oh, everybody.

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Everybody. Everybody. I met Soka Gakkai's people when I was in San Francisco. He knew who I am, because I was there. But he converted me. He tried to convert me. Nichiren. And also, he said... He believed that Soka Gakkai already conquered Japan, and the United States, and the next. He believed that they were trying to conquer Europe.

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But he didn't say the Russian. Russian? Russia? Russia. Because if you lie to a wife, then why not? He said, they are communists. Communists are not human beings. If he doesn't want to convert, then he converts him. It's funny, you know. Very offensive. Innocent. But now, they're quiet. Well, there's another direction, objective. Sort of... Well, he's squeezing my neck with, you know... Cutting me. Sometimes, criticizing Zen Buddhism.

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Nichiren already criticized Zen Buddhism, Nembutsu school, and his school itself. So, he believed exactly Nichiren school is best in this world. Nichiren school, I don't know. Zen, he said, Zen is a devil. In Mara. Mara demon. Ghost. Zen is a ghost.

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