Recently, my head has been filled with the subject of no-mind. What is no-mind? Because I have to teach State College about this subject. What is no-mind? Actually, it's pretty difficult to understand what is no-mind is. When you start to practice Zazen,

[01:14]

I think there may be someone who started to practice Rinzai Zen under the Rinzai master. At that time, he gives you one of the koans as a first step. This koan is Mu. Nothing. Nothingness. Mu. I think it has the same meaning as no-mind. Then, during sitting meditation, you are concentrated on what Mu is.

[02:20]

What Mu is. Actually, it's pretty difficult to understand the koan Mu. During the training period, one of the students concentrated on the subject of no-mind and nothingness. Koan Mu. Koan Mu. Which was given by Yasutani Roshi. But, unfortunately, she couldn't understand. At last. Even though you started to study Zen Buddhism through the book, it is said that Zen Buddhism is based on the subject of no-mind or nothingness.

[03:33]

You will find some books written by D.D. Suzuki, Principle of No-Mind, Zen Principle of No-Mind. If you read this book, I think you will understand what no-mind is. The question is, what is its contents? Its contents of no-mind as a thought which no-mind possesses. No-mind possesses or koan Mu possesses. I think this is a very important point.

[04:40]

Carelessly, even though you try to practice Zazen, concentrating on koan Mu, more and more, you don't understand. The more, the more it leads to one complication, complicated, complex to another. You don't understand. And then at last, it leaves, it will leave you in bewilderment. And you will be upset. So, I think, in order to understand no-mind or koan Mu, I think it's important, it's very important, important,

[05:47]

that we have to consider what no-mind is as a thought which no-mind possesses. I think the question is, what thought is? If I say, you have to consider what no-mind is as a thought. All of you, perhaps, may refuse to think of something through your brain. In order to get rid of the thought which you possess, you practice Zazen, I think so. But the thought, the thought is also very important for us.

[07:01]

In order to understand the practice, the practice of Zen Buddhism, the practice of Shikantaza, or the practice of koan Mu, or the practice of no-mind, then I'll try to think of what a thought is. As long as we, our life endures in this world, we have to be confronted with your life, what it is, what life is.

[08:08]

In other words, at any cost, you have to be confronted with the true self, according to Zen Buddhism. Generally speaking, you have to be confronted with the absolute, God or Buddha, the existence of God or Buddha. In terms of being confronted with the existence of God or Buddha, how do you understand yourself? How do you orient yourself? This is very important.

[09:25]

I think that those who are interested in Zen Buddhism, Yesterday I described the meaning of Shikantaza. So tonight I will talk about the procedure of Zazen. First of all, when you stand in front of your seat facing the wall,

[10:27]

facing the wall, not facing the opposite to the wall, you do Gassho and make bow. Then make right-handed half-rotation with hand in Gassho. And bow again towards the opposite students. Both bows are silent salutation to the students' neighbors, your neighbors.

[11:47]

As long as you practice Zazen in Zendo, you cannot do Zazen by yourself. All students encourage you, all students help you to practice Zazen. First of all, you have to express gratitude to the students' neighbors. So both Gassho and bows are silent salutation to neighbors. Then take your seat.

[12:54]

You sit yourself on round cushion. At that time, the round cushion is very important for students, particularly for beginners. In order to make your Zazen comfortable, the lower round cushion is not good, nor too high. It's not good for you. So you should adjust, you should choose a better cushion, round cushion.

[14:02]

Then when you sit on your round cushion, maybe spine, your spine, your spine rests mostly in the center of the round cushion, spine. Don't sit at the edge of the round cushion like this. It's pretty difficult to continue doing Zazen. Or not to sit like this. Not to sit like this. If you sit like this, your knee is up. This posture is very unstable. If someone pushes you with one finger, you have to fall down like this.

[15:08]

So this posture is very unstable. So you should sit yourself on a round cushion, such as your spine. Your spine rests mostly in the middle of the round cushion. Right in the middle of the round cushion. If you sit yourself on a round cushion in that way, the gravity, your gravity, the gravity of your weight rests in the middle of the base, middle of the base of a triangle in the three dimensions.

[16:16]

Zazen form, half forward position, a full triangle in three dimensions. The triangle of three dimensions. So if you sit in full forward position, you should feel stability. What you experience, what you experience, that your gravity, your gravity of weight rests in the middle of the base, base of triangle of three dimensions. This is very important.

[17:18]

So you should sit, you should adjust, you should arrange your posture. Then your back, if you thrust, thrust out a little bit your back, backward, backward. If you sit like this, the gravity of your weight, gravity doesn't rest in the middle of the base of triangle of three dimensions. So in order to make your gravity rest in the middle of the base, base of triangle in the three dimensions,

[18:20]

you have to thrust out a little bit the bottom, backward, backward. Not too strong, too much, not too much. Then if you do so, your back is naturally straightened. Upper back, upper back and your head are straightened. The head is, the posture, the head must be placed firmly on the top of your body. If your head is movable easily,

[19:25]

you know, you feel, you feel uncomfortable. You know, your mind is not stable, not stable. So you should, your head must be, must be placed firmly, steadily on the top of your body. For this, you have to, your head is kept in right posture. It is said your head, your head is, the head is very heavy. The heaviest part among your, among the part of your, the rest of the, rest of parts of your body.

[20:29]

So your head is naturally apt to hang down like this. You should, your head must be kept in right posture and straightened. Then next you should, your chin must be pulled in. Very often we said your chin must be pulled in. But you think to pull your chin in is to make your head hang down, to make your forehead fall forward like this. It's not to pull your chin. In order to pull your chin in,

[21:33]

you should feel pulling your chin. Toward the ear. You should pull your chin such that you feel like stretching, pulling, pulling your chin. Toward the ear, toward the ear, like this. Not like this, not like this. Okay? If you do so, your chin is pulled in. Not like this. Okay? And your eyes must be open. Neither wide nor narrow.

[22:40]

Look carefully at the Buddha statue image, which exists up to now in Japan. You will find a picture of Buddha's image. The Buddha's eyes, Buddha's eyes on the statue, they don't, he doesn't close. He doesn't close his eyes. Or he doesn't keep his eyes like this, you know. Not closed. Not, just not wide open. His eyes are always kept just natural, just natural.

[23:42]

Such as, such as his, what would you call this? Huh? Eye lid. Eye lid is, eye lid covered with eye naturally. Naturally. Not closed. Not open wide like this. You know, you feel like your eye lid covers your eyes. Natural. So this is, if you, if your eye, if your eye casts down about three feet ahead on the floor, not, don't look at, don't look at the,

[24:49]

on the floor. Your eyes cast down naturally on the floor. It is about three feet ahead. So that your eyes, your eyes is kept natural. Neither wide open nor narrow. Just as, just as your eye lid covers your eyes. The next, your lip, your lip and teeth are closed, are closed firmly. Don't keep the space, don't keep the space in your mouth.

[25:55]

Your tongue should be attached on to the floor, to the roof of your mouth, of your mouth, inside of your mouth. So that your mouth, your lips and teeth naturally are closed firmly. The impulse, the impulse of place and breath come from your mouth. Huh? Huh? The impulse, the impulse of your place and breath comes, comes from your mouth. So the, at least during sitting meditation,

[27:03]

the posture of your form, the form of your mouth must be free from, free from the situation. A situation which has been going in the daily life. In other words, your mouth, your mouth must be free from the words. The words expressed in the place and breath coming from your mouth.

[28:05]

Then completely your mouth is, is free from any words, any words. So for this, from this point your mouth must be closed. Not open, open. Then next is your hand. Originally the full lotus position, in the full lotus position your right leg, left leg, right leg is put on your left thigh like this.

[29:11]

And your left leg put on your right thigh. Like this. Then that time your left hand, your left hand palm up, right hand palm up, and put on your left, left foot, left foot. Most, actually your left, your right hand is put on the heels of your left, left foot. Like this. Okay? Then your right, left hand, left hand palm up,

[30:12]

is put on your right palm. Like this. This time your left hand, left hand is not supported by anything. You know, not supported by anything. So just your four fingers of right hand support your left hand. Your right hand is put on the heels of your left foot. Okay? And the thumb, if you have full, if you have half lotus position, your left leg, originally is put on your right thigh.

[31:23]

So your hand is placed in the same way as the full lotus position. Like this. Okay? And your thumbs, your thumbs are made to clap each other. Just touch. Don't place the thumbs too tightly, like this.

[32:27]

Nor the loose, like this. Just touch, the thumbs are touched with each other. And, and must be, must be in parallel, parallel, in horizontal. Not like this. Don't form the mountain with your thumbs. Don't form the shape of a river, valley. This is valley, this is mountain. Don't form the shape of the mountain with your, with the thumbs, with your thumbs. The thumbs are always in horizontal.

[33:30]

And then your thumb, both thumbs must be kept, the, the above the middle, middle fingers, above middle fingers. Did you understand? Middle fingers. Not first fingers. Not first fingers, middle fingers. Not third fingers. Not above the third fingers. Middle fingers. Okay? Then your hand, yeah, this way. Okay? Then your hand, your hand is closed to the bottom low belly.

[34:41]

But not tightly, not tightly. Not separate, not more separate from the belly. Okay? Just touch slightly, just touch slightly. Anyway, naturally, naturally your hand must be kept. Having relate, touching with, touching with your left heel, the heels of your left foot and the lower belly. The tongue, don't, your elbow, don't touch your elbow, your elbow are not touch to the, the both sides, side of your body. Not like this. If you do this, it's pretty difficult to have right posture, right form, right posture of your hand.

[35:51]

So, your elbow must be placed little bit forward, little bit forward. So that your hands is kept naturally. Okay? Not too much like this. Okay? Little bit forward. And your elbow, and also your elbow or your shoulder must be free and relaxed. The shoulders, how? Shoulder. You know, touch the sky is like pulling my shoulders back. Is that because I was too much like this, maybe? Uh-huh. I thought maybe I should be making an effort like this to push it back. If you, if you, your head, if your head is stretched out, such as you feel like pushing the seal with the top of the back of your head,

[37:02]

and your upper back will be stretched out, you know. Naturally, your back, your shoulder is, you know, not like this. Is kept. Okay? Uh... Then, that time, the Infkan Zengi, the Dogen Zen says, your nose and navel are kept in the vertical line. The ears and shoulders are kept in the same lines. Uh, respectively.

[38:07]

Uh, it means that your body, upper body, not lean forward or backward, nor to the left, nor to the right. Your body, upper body, upper part of your body must be kept properly, straightly. For this, if you keep, if your body is kept in properly, straightly, your nose and navel is in vertical line. Shoulders and ears, the same straight line. For this, at that time, don't stick out your chest.

[39:11]

Just stick out your chest. Don't stick up your chin. Don't hang down your head. Don't lean forward, don't lean forward, backward. Nor to the right, nor to the left. Uh... [...]

[40:17]

During Zazen, there may be someone who has a bad habit, posture, bad habit, bad habit in their posture. But for them, they think they themselves alone consider the best posture in the practice of Zazen. But when others look at their posture, that posture is not good. So you should avoid a posture that you yourself alone consider best.

[41:25]

Because sometimes you don't know what kind of bad habit you have. Even though you think this is the best posture, but when people look at your posture, your posture may not be good. This is why we need a teacher. Sometimes you should need, you should have the necessity of correcting your posture sometimes. Then next, you should remind the breath, you should control your breath.

[42:30]

This is a very difficult point. Because thought is the result of your process of your life, which is seriously confronted with yourself, your life, who you are, who I am. You are always asking yourself, even though during sitting meditation, why did I have to practice Zazen? Through this experience you have to orient yourself spiritually. How do you understand yourself? In terms of the true self, in terms of asking who you are, in terms of the practice of Zazen.

[43:40]

This is very important. I think it will take you a long time to understand. If you don't understand who you are, you have to spend all your life. It's alright, you have to spend. Even though it will take you a long time, not only this world, but also you have to spend life after life. You have to consider who you are. You have to confront, you have to be confronted with asking who you are. With the practice of Zazen, asking who you are in terms of the practice of Zazen. This is very important, never give up asking who you are.

[44:52]

Then you will find something. You will find something, sometimes you keep silence. Then sometimes you want to express yourself in a word. Regardless of the silence, what you have experienced. Then I think if Zen Buddhism has thought of its own, regarded as taught by Shakyamuni Buddha.

[46:04]

If Zen Buddhism is the principle of Buddhism in general, what is the thought of Zen Buddhism? Briefly speaking, I think the thought of Zen Buddhism is based on two kinds of thoughts. One is the principle of transcendence. The other one is the principle of interdependence. One of the Buddhist scholars says in the Buddhist history, we have been asked to ignore the principle of transcendence.

[47:24]

If we put a strong stress on the principle of interdependence, if we put a strong stress on the principle of transcendence, we have been asked to ignore the principle of interdependence in our history, in the Buddhist history. So in order to understand the totality of Buddhism, the total principle of Buddhism, we have to consider two principles of transcendence and interdependence.

[48:33]

I think these two are based on the thought of no-mind or kuo-mu. As mentioned before, in order to think of thought, we have to be confronted with the principle of existence of God and Buddha. In Buddhism, the question is what Buddha is. We have known through the sculptures of Buddha,

[49:49]

Buddha was founded in India. You will find many sculptures carved on stone. In ancient times, Buddha is the absolute which seems to be apart from our daily life. So on the sculpture, you will find many things on stone. The Buddha is represented by just a picture of his foot on the centre.

[50:51]

Then around the Buddha's foot, there are many human beings who are doing something. A devil, devil of fighting, something like a devil of fighting with each other. So it means human beings are drawn on the sculptures. They try to describe what human beings are in detail by carving on the stone.

[51:54]

But concerning the Buddha, the picture of Buddha, just the Buddha's foot is drawn, carved on the stone, that's all. It means the Buddha is the absolute which seems to be apart from our daily life. But after that, the Buddhists try to think of Buddha, which doesn't seem to be apart from our daily life. The Buddha is very close to our daily life.

[53:03]

Then you will find some statues of Buddha. In Japan, such a statue is like a human being, with a smile, with a warm feeling. That statue tells us the Buddha doesn't exist apart from our daily life. But nevertheless, for the Buddhists at that time, the Buddha still is something which seems to be apart from our daily life. As if Confucius described his own principle, such as the principle of Tao.

[54:09]

Tao is of course a great Tao, great things which nobody can reach. For the Buddhists, they think Buddha doesn't exist apart from our daily life. Then they try to express the Buddha by carving on stone, carving on wood, and statues. This is the Buddha image. Nevertheless, when they try to express what it is, they cannot get rid of a certain conception regarded as the absolute.

[55:19]

Then they try to describe Buddha regarded as Rihō. Rihō in Japanese means something like law, or the power of nature, something like that. The power of nature, the great powers which nobody can reach. Then when you try to put the Buddha into practice in your daily life, you cannot help finding yourself on the basis of a human being who has ignorance.

[56:23]

As long as a human being remains in the domain of ignorance, you cannot reach the goal of Buddha. You cannot reach the Buddha. You cannot express the Buddha of your own. Then how can we express the Buddha of your own? This is the thought of Bodhisattva. Bodhisattva. It is possible to try to put the Buddha into practice. This is Bodhisattva. But Bodhisattva is always aiming at the goal of Buddha.

[57:30]

But there is still an interval between Buddha and Bodhisattva. Bodhisattva cannot reach the Buddha. Bodhisattva has to see Buddha always in front of him. But in this century, particularly in Mahayana Buddhism, Buddha is not something like that. Buddha is not something like the law. Or principle or the power of nature. Which no one can reach. If Buddha is something like that, which no one can reach,

[58:41]

even though you can express what it is, regard it as the law or the power of nature. You have to see always the Buddha in front of you. The more you try to reach, the more the Buddha is apart from you. The more the Buddha is far from, getting far from you. Such is the principle which human beings create. Buddha is not the principle. Buddha is not something like the law. Buddha is not some stage after you practice Buddhism.

[59:55]

Buddha is not something like the stage which you can reach by practicing Zazen. So as mentioned before, the Buddha is not the result, something like a result which is given by the after practice of Zazen, practice of Buddhism. The Buddha is to make human beings open. In other words, then Buddha is, Buddha means to enlighten one.

[61:01]

Enlightened one, according to the general understanding in Buddhism. It means, Buddha is that human beings must be aware of themselves, themselves. It means the human beings must open themselves, open themselves. In other words, who you, who they are. Then if you try to the Lotus Sutra, why Shakyamuni Buddha, why Shakyamuni Buddha was born in this world? Lotus Sutra says, in order to make human beings to open, not to open,

[62:11]

to be aware of themselves, in Japanese, Kaiji Gonyu, I will explain this later. Shakyamuni Buddha was born in this world. Kai means to open, to open. Zi means to express, to show it, to show it. Gonyu means to enlighten, Go means to enlighten. Nu is to settle, to settle himself, to settle himself. So, according to the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha was born in this world in order to make human beings, Kaiji Gonyu, to do Kaiji Gonyu.

[63:15]

Means to open. To open means, you say, not to reach, not to reach something, you know. Not to reach something. Whoever you are, that's alright. It means you are aware of yourself at any cost, in the domain of yourself, in the domain of whoever you are. If you reflect upon yourself strictly, you will find how terrible you are. How awful you have strong ignorance. Then you try to practice Zazen.

[64:20]

Then you try to get rid of the ignorance and try to reach a certain stage, so-called enlightenment. It's not Buddhist practice. It's not Buddhist practice. Wherever you are, even though you find yourself how awful you have strong ignorance, Buddhist practice is that you be aware of yourself how strong you have ignorance, how strong your ignorance is, through and through. This is to open, Kaiji Gonyu.

[65:23]

Then, the Shikantaza is, according to Dogen Zen says, eliminate the overboard of the cherished self, known as you, known as Katage, anyway, through and through. This is Shikantaza. So during, at least during sitting meditation, even a slight conception, idea, how strong your mind's ignorance is, cannot be inserted into your practice. Your Zazen is just Zazen. By this experience, you can be aware of yourself, how strong your ignorance is.

[66:47]

Not to try to reach, not to try to reach a certain goal, certain goal, certain level, so-called Buddha, so-called enlightenment. This is Kai, Kai. It means to open, to open. Whoever you are, anyway you try to open in terms of Zazen, in terms of Zazen, without any conception, how strong you are, how strong your ignorance is, how wonderful you are. This is Kai, to open. Ji means to show, to show.

[67:51]

As mentioned before, on any coast, wherever you are, you try to show, you try to show yourself, who you are, in terms of Zazen, in terms of practice of Zazen. This is Ji, this is Ji, to show, to show. To open is not to understand, not to merely understand, how strong your ignorance is through your head. To open means to show yourself, whoever you are. To open is not to reach something through the practice of Zazen.

[68:54]

To show is to enlighten. This is Go, this is Go, to enlighten. To show is to enlighten. So, on any coast, wherever you are, your important point is to show yourself, to show yourself, not in the domain of your ignorance, in terms of Zazen, the practice of Zazen. In terms of Zazen means, the practice of Zazen is, to show yourself without any conception, good and bad, right or wrong. Just do it, just to show, to reveal, the depth of your feeling, the depth of your experience.

[70:02]

Then to enlighten is Nu, means to settle yourself on the self. So, Kai Ji, there are four points. What is Kai, to open? Ji means to show, to reveal. Go means to enlighten. Nu means to settle yourself on the self. Then in Lord Sutra, what is Buddha? Buddha is a human being, a human being who tries to make every possible effort, to open himself, wherever you are, wherever he is, to show, to enlighten, to settle himself.

[71:13]

This is Buddha, this is Buddha. Then, as mentioned first, the thought is the result and the process of your life, which you are seriously confronted with the existence of Buddha, or the true self. So, what is Buddha? The question is, what is Buddha? This Buddha is yourself who makes every possible effort, to show, to open, to be aware of yourself,

[72:18]

to show yourself, to enlighten, to settle yourself. This is thought, this thought. So, to open is not to reach some stage of relative experience. To open is to show immediately, regardless of whoever you are. To show means to show yourself in the domain of the practice of Zazen. Because in the domain of Zazen, it is the absolute place where you can reveal yourself,

[73:18]

without any conception of good and bad, right and wrong. This is the best way. The Zen is the best way to reveal yourself. This is Shikantala. Then, to show yourself in the domain of Zazen. Then, to show is to enlighten. To enlighten is to settle yourself. This is, the thought is, the thought must be based on this experience. To open, to show, Kaiji Gunyu. The thought is based on the Buddha. The way of understanding the Buddha, what Buddha is. Then, from this point,

[74:22]

the thought of Zen Buddhism, as mentioned before, is two kinds. One is transiency, the principle of transiency, the principle of interdependence. That they are not merely understanding them inward, through interactive senses. Because they are, there must be something crystallized by the experience, actual experience, which you are always strictly confronted with,

[75:25]

the existence of Buddha. Which means, which means to make human beings to enter the world of Kaiji Gunyu. Kaiji Gunyu. Kaiji Gunyu. So, from this point, the thought, the thought of principle of interdependence, and transiency, is very important points for us to understand what go-mu is, what skantaza is, what no-mind is. So, briefly speaking, transiency is to get rid of the understanding of transiency is

[76:27]

to deny the self, to deny the cherished self, known as the Katagiri, anyway, who has many kinds of ideas, as a priest, or as a Japanese, or anyway. This is the principle of transiency. Because everything is changing. Then, this Katagiri, this Katagiri, even though you get rid of the cherished, get rid of cherished the self, known as Katagiri, this Katagiri, this self, the self,

[77:28]

the eliminated, thrown over, eliminated, the cherished self, self, is the real self, who has a great relation with all sentient beings. This is the principle of interdependence. For instance, if you were born in this world, it is really impossible to be born in this world suddenly, regardless of, regardless of ignoring, regardless of the interdependence with all sentient beings.

[78:35]

It is said that the earth, the earth, is created one billion years ago. Then, after that human being was born, was born in this earth, this earth, one hundred thousand years ago, it is said. You know, the great part of which you were born in this world has great relationship with this long history. If you ignore this history, it is really impossible to exist in this world.

[79:38]

So, try to consider who you are, again and again. In other words, what is, what is Shikantaza? What is Shikantaza? What Shikantaza is? What Mo-mind is? What Ko-mu is? Being confronted with the existence of Buddha, the true self, this is all that I want to tell you tonight. Do you have a question? Do you understand,

[80:52]

do you understand the meaning of Kaijiko-nyu? This is very important. Kaijiko-nyu. Our practice doesn't make, our practice doesn't mean to make human being to reach some stage. Okay? Our practice means to enter the world, so called Kaijiko-nyu. Kaijiko-nyu. You can do right now, at the stage of right now. This is Buddha. Do you have some question?

[81:54]

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