August 26th, 1977, Serial No. 00094

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When I was a child, upstairs in my room, I saw a picture of heaven and hell, and it reminds me of a picture of hell, the difference is that in the mountains there is no devil, but they saw it in the mountains in honeymoon. I hope next year all mountains will grow green again. Before going further, I have one thing I have to correct.

[01:21]

Yesterday, I explained the letter of Gyo, I told this card is two men, but it's not. This card implies left foot, this card is right foot, so it means to go, to go or to walk. Left foot, right foot, left foot, continually walk like this. This is Gyo. And also, what do you mean to walk or to go constantly? It means spirit or energy.

[02:25]

Spirit and energy extending all the direction and create the action itself, walk itself, with all sentient beings, without being stagnant. That is the meaning of Gyo. That is what I want to correct. We call it practice. The inner principle of Daiji, in the explanation of the figure, it says the Buddha's, the world honored ones, only on account of the one very great cause appear in the world. The one great cause means to desire to cause all living beings to open their eyes to the Buddha knowledge.

[03:38]

By gaining this knowledge, the Buddhas in the triple world can turn the wheel of Dharma and save all living beings. By this attainment, successive patriarchs raise a flag of Dharma and build up their doctrine. The figure of the one great thing is represented by this attainment of Buddha knowledge, which signifies the ultimate nature of Buddha's knowledge, stamped with realization. Sekheto Daishi preached to the assembly and said the Buddha knowledge is only to attain the Buddha knowledge transmitted by previous Buddhas.

[04:39]

It is not a matter of discussion on the effort of jhana or perfect concentration. This figure of Daiji points not only to the inner principle of Sandokai, but also to having spirit-birth of patriarchs and of the teachings. A disciple entering his teacher's room to receive the Dharma transmission should first of all culminate in the quest of Daiji and Shisho and open his eyes to the Buddha knowledge, show it, apprehend it and enter its way. Even if some muscle is handed down from a teacher to his disciple, it sounds that a blind man holds on a mirror if there is no realization of the Buddha knowledge.

[05:51]

The day before yesterday, as the Banjin Dōtan Zen Master says, Daiji was created by Dōgen Zenji. Well, in Kenzeki, Kenzeki, the key is record. Kenze is the name of the Abbot of the Beiji Monastery.

[07:20]

So, the historical record written by Kenze Zenji. Kenze Zen Master was the 14th Abbot of the Beiji Monastery and he was there in 1468. In this Kenzeki, it says like this. In May 1st, in 1242, Daiji was restored upon Gien by Dogen. He lived from 1217 to 1300.

[08:39]

So, he was one of Dogen Zenji's disciples. In May 1st, in 1242, Daiji was bestowed upon Gien by Dogen. At that time, Gien was 25 years old. Well, the Kenzeki, the book, titled as Kenzeki, was one of the oldest materials in reference to the research of the Soro's history, as well as Denko Roku. So, I think during the Kenze Zen Master's age, there was plenty of the old materials in reference to the Soro's history in the Beiji Monastery.

[09:44]

So, I think Kenzeki is one of the very valuable materials which you can depend on, you can trust, what the Soro's history was going on. And also, one more proof is, there was a Zen Master, Mute Ryosho. Mute Ryosho

[11:04]

He lived from 1212 to 1361, and was one of the disciples of Gassan Zen Master. It is said he was the founder of Shobo-ji Temple in Aomori Prefecture. In one of his old writings, he said about Daiji like this, It was on the 18th of May in 1241. 1241, 1242 was the time when the Doken gave the Daiji to Gien.

[12:06]

In one of Mute Ryosho's old writings, he said about Daiji, On the 18th of May in 1241, Shomon Dogen was written Daiji. So, I think Mute Ryosho lived 13 or 14 centuries. So, it was not far from Dogen's ages. So, I think this is also a very good material which you can trust in. From this point, we believe Daiji was written by Dogen. The Ender Principle of Daiji.

[13:09]

We write Daiji like this, Dai-ji. Dai-ji, Dai is great, Ji is thing. Dai-ji comes from Ichi Dai-ji En-nen.

[14:38]

In the first paragraph, it says, In the explanation of the figure, it says, The Buddhas, the world-honored ones, only on account of the one very great cause, appear in the world. It comes from the Three-Fourth Lord Sutra, page 95. Page 95, Chapter Tactfulness. The Sutra says, Explaining the reason why Buddha was born in this world, The Buddha, the Buddhas, the world-honored ones, only on account of the one very great cause, appear in the world. Shariputra, why do I say that the Buddhas, the world-honored ones, only on account of the one very great cause, appear in the world?

[15:49]

Because the Buddhas, the world-honored ones, desire to cause all living beings to open their eyes to the Buddha-knowledge so that they may gain the pure mind, therefore they appear in the world. Because they desire to show all living beings the Buddha-knowledge, they appear in the world. Because they desire to cause all living beings to apprehend the Buddha-knowledge, they appear in the world. Because they desire to cause all living beings to enter the way of the Buddha-knowledge, they appear in the world. So, this is called Ichi Daiji Innen.

[16:51]

In this Sutra, one is to open the Buddha's desires to open all sentient beings to Buddha-knowledge, Buddha-nature. Second, to show all sentient beings the Buddha-knowledge, say, to apprehend or to enlighten. Fourth, to enter the way of Buddha-knowledge.

[17:54]

These four are the reasons why the Buddha was born in this world. So, that's why here the Banjin Dōten quote quoted this paragraph, the Buddhas, the world-honored ones, only on account of the one very great cause. That implies Ichi Daiji Innen. I will explain later. One great cause appears in the world. The explanation of Daiji is exactly identical with the presence of Daizōkyō, the whole Buddhist canon.

[19:09]

It includes the three pitaka and the common ties on them. We call it Daizōkyō. Well, or Issaikyō, which means the whole Buddhist scriptures, the collection of all Buddhist scriptures. Well, Buddhist scriptures, as you know pretty well, are divided into three categories. One is Sutra, second is Vinaya, and fourth is Dharma or Shastra. Sutra is Buddha's teachings, Buddha's scriptures. Vinaya is Buddha's precepts, and Dharma or Shastra is various common ties on Buddhist doctrines.

[20:16]

So, three pitaka, the Issaikyō, the whole Buddhist scriptures, the collection of all Buddhist scriptures, which is called Issaikyō or Daizōkyō, includes three of them. Sutra, Vinaya, and Abhidharma or Shastra. So, the explanation, the collection of all Buddhist scriptures concentrates on the explanation of Daiji anyway. According to, in terms of Soto Zen, well, the explanation of Daiji is absolutely identical with that Shobo Genzo 95 first course. And also, the explanation of Daiji is exactly Buddha's teachings.

[21:20]

Buddha's teachings, about whatever aspect of the human life, is centered on the explanation of Daiji. That's why Daiji is very important. Well, let me explain briefly the Ichi Daiji in name, translated as the One Very Great Cause. Ichi means suchness. Ichi is one, literally means literally one. But, Ichi in Buddhism, suchness. Oneness or suchness. Truth, ultimate truth. We call Jitsu, Jitsu in Chinese. In Japanese, we call Jitsu. Jitsu is Jitsu.

[22:24]

Jitsu is truth. Truth. So is form. True form. So, we use Jitsu very often. Shobo Jitsu. We put Shobo. Shobo. Shobo means all phenomena, all sentient beings which exist. The whole means the Dharma. Or the short is various, variety of the Dharma. Which means all sentient beings. All sentient beings are exactly manifesting the true form. True form. That is, it implies ultimate truth. So, Ichi is Jitsu, suchness. Ichi Dai, Dai is the immensity of suchness.

[23:38]

Dai, great. Literally, Dai means great. Big. But, in Buddhism, Dai is Maha. In Sanskrit, we call Maha. Maha Prajna. Maha. Maha Prajna or Maha Hinayana. Maha Yana. Maha Yana. Maha is very important. Maha is not the term opposed to small. Maha is immensity. Maha is always implying how immense suchness is. So, we call it Maha. So, very important, this term. Maha. Ji, literally, is a thing. Thing or things. It means that the advent of the Buddha brings to save all sentient beings and causes them to awaken to suchness.

[24:55]

This is the meaning of Ji. Ji means real reality. In means the fact. The fact. Ichi Dai Ji In, literally, cause. Cause. In is the cause of practicing suchness is the result. To bring the Buddha stage, the stage of Buddha. So, to practice suchness is a cause. To attain the Buddha stage is a result. So, this is In. So, In includes both. In and Ka, effect. Cause and effect.

[25:59]

Cause and effect. So, this In implies both of them. Cause and effect. If you practice suchness, immediately brings the result of Buddha stage, Buddha knowledge. This is the meaning of In. In, Nen, literally, this is condition. Condition. Condition or secondary cause. Secondary cause. Or A's. Various A's. To the presence of cause and effect. This is called In. In. In or Nen, when you pronounce both of them, we call In-Nen. We don't say In-Nen. In-Nen.

[27:03]

Because, after this, In, In-Nen, same applies to English. Do you understand? English also we say In-Nen. In-Nen. So, In means that cause and effect comes to existence and conditions of the Buddha's world. Buddha's world. Later I will explain again. Anyway, in Buddhism, cause and effect are not something different. Cause and effect are going and coming, where? Not in dualism, dualistic world. In the Buddha's world. In the Buddha's world.

[28:06]

This is understanding of cause and effect in Buddhism. I will explain later. And then, that Ichidaiji In-Nen is described as four reasons why Shakyamuni Buddha was born in this world, in Lotus Sutra. One is to open all sentient beings to Buddha knowledge. To show all sentient beings the Buddha knowledge. To apprehend or to enlighten Buddha knowledge. And to enter the way of Buddha knowledge. Those four are exactly the great problem of Ichidaiji In-Nen. Why Shakyamuni Buddha was born in this world?

[29:09]

Well, to open means... One by one, let me explain. Open is not to open our closed eyes by means of philosophical or psychological or religious or spiritual operations. I don't think this is the meaning of opening all sentient beings' eyes to Buddha knowledge. Because open means functioning already. Open means a state of being in which something is functioning, operating. Already. Beyond the notion of closedness or openness. Completely beyond that.

[30:14]

We are already open to all sentient beings. So to open means in real reality what you are like. Your eyes are already alive. Whenever you say your eyes are closed, well, closed eyes are already working, operating. Open eyes, the eyes are also operating constantly. So the operation of your eyes confirms their presence as they really are. Well, actually eyes cannot see themselves, by themselves. There is only one way which eyes themselves can see what they are. That is, without this, the eyes cannot see themselves.

[31:18]

So that's why the operation of your eyes confirms their presence as they really are. There is no way to know themselves without their operation in whatever situation the eyes are. Closed or open, it doesn't matter. Anyway, as long as you are a human being with your eyes. Eyes are already functioning. Beyond the notion of closedness or openness. So this is opening. So open means, anyway, realize through and through what your eyes are already functioning. Functioning is, well, this realization is so-called Buddhist faith.

[32:39]

Buddhist faith. Dōgen Zenji says like this, explaining about the root of faith, Buddhist faith. The root means, well, the root is the original figure of life. So everybody has, everybody's life is already endowed. Endowed with the original figure of life, which is called faith. So Dōgen then explains about the spiritual root of the faith. He says, spiritual root of faith is that which is free from oneself and another, that which is brought not by one's intentional compulsion, nor by one's creation,

[33:45]

nor by others' persuasion, nor by regulations one builds up. So, what do you mean, what is? What is your eyes? Your eyes is, do you believe that your eyes is really a matter of discussion, whether they are open or closed? No, completely beyond the notion of closeness and openness. Their eyes are already existent, which is working fully. So completely beyond the notion created by oneself and another, and also it is completely beyond one's intentional compulsions,

[34:48]

completely beyond the persuasion or creation or regulation one builds up. This is the real nature of your eyes. It's already open. It's already open means it's already working. Working, tuning in, universalism. So, Dogen then says, Therefore it is intimately transmitted, the Dharma, from West to East. This is called the Buddha nature. Buddha nature or the Dharma. What you have to transmit from generation to generation. And he said also, Faith is living and following within the stage of the Buddha. Faith is always living and following, which means faith is constantly going and coming.

[35:51]

Going and coming, not in the realm of dualism, but the dualism within the dimension of the Buddha's world. In the Buddha's world, something is going and coming means it is completely beyond your notion. It is. Everything is coming and going. And that is the place where everything is coming and going beyond your notion. It is called Buddha land. Buddha land. So, that's why Dogen then says, Faith is living and following within the stage of the Buddha. No manifestation of faith occurs without being at the stage of the Buddha. That is very interesting. Yesterday I told the students in Tassara,

[36:54]

the place is very important for us too. As well as you create your circumstances. Circumstances before you create is also very important. That's why I told them, please take good care of Tassara. This is Tassara before you create. And also this Tassara is something which you have created, both simultaneously. So that Tassara is completely beyond your speculation. It's there. That's why you can choose Tassara. For the purpose. So, whatever reason you try to go to Tassara, the other guests are using Tassara as a resort.

[37:55]

Or going to Tassara for the practice of Buddhism. It doesn't matter. Anyway, if you want to go to Tassara, before you go to Tassara, your mind and your body must be Tassara already. Why do you want to go to Tassara? Because Tassara is completely surrounded by nature which is still in dynamism. Nature is not merely still. Nature is still in dynamism. Calm in dynamism. That is very attractive to you. Tassara is just something still, just like water is stagnant. You cannot, it doesn't appear to you. Nature is still and simultaneously dynamic.

[38:57]

That's why it really appears to you. Anyway, that is the nature of your mind and body. Your mind and body is completely stillness in dynamism. That's why you really want to go to Tassara nature. Before you go to Tassara, your mind and body must be stillness in dynamism. At that time you can go. You can go to Tassara. But, if your mind and body are very busy, you cannot go. You cannot go. Even though you can think Tassara, you can think the image of Tassara which exists in the karmic body, but actually you cannot put it into action in your daily living. If your mind is very busy, this it is.

[40:00]

For instance, if you really express your anger, your body and mind must be occupied by the anger first. Simultaneously you can express. So what is anger? What is the expression of anger? Your mind and body is exactly at the stage of anger itself. So look at yourself. It is your anger. Look at the anger. It is you. So that's why we have to understand in that way. So you create Tassara circumstances and then simultaneously Tassara creates your life. This is Buddha's world. Everything is at the stage of Buddha. Completely beyond human speculation. So, no manifestation of faith occurs without being at the stage of the Buddha.

[41:03]

This is Dogen's explanation about the Buddha's faith. The Buddha's faith is really open to your eyes, to your heart, to Buddha knowledge. How can you open? How can you open your heart? It is very simple. Buddha's faith is pure, purity. Purity means with a true heart. With a true heart, let's do, let's work, let's practice. Let's practice. This is anyway open. So you are already Buddha and your eyes are already open.

[42:06]

And then closeness and openness are functioning in the dimension of openness, great openness. Yes, it is. That's why you can realize how your eyes are going on. Open or closed. To show is to make effort, to make effort. If you understand the original nature of your eyes, of your life, which is going on immensely, which is called Buddha's world. Simultaneously you cannot help making effort to put your openness into action in your daily living. That is called effort. Effort comes from your heart.

[43:11]

No one forces you to do something. Effort comes from your heart. Like a spring water oozing from the ground. This is effort. Well, in Shoyo Roku, there is a very interesting story. This is my translation. I gave a lecture, I gave the lecture the whole Shoyo Roku, so I have a translation of Shoyo Roku. But this is my translation. That's why I don't want to publish in the book. But if you want to read, I want to help you. If you want to read, I want to read it here. But I don't want to publish. My translation is misleading. But it's very helpful for you.

[44:13]

Already Maezumi Roshi translated half. Well, now one of the American scholars is translating Shoyo Roku. But that's okay. Until they finish translating, you can use this. Model case 21st. Here it is. Discussion between Ungan and Dogo. Ungan Zenji, who lived 782 to 841. And Dogo Zen Master lived from 769 to 835. Well, Ungan and Dogo are Dharma brothers. Story says, when Ungan was cleaning up his temple yard, Dogo Zen Master came and said,

[45:20]

You are hard at it. Ungan said, You should know that there is a self who is not working hard. But Zen stories are really not straightforward. Zen Buddhism always calls you to be straightforward. But Zen itself is not straightforward. Always crooked. So Ungan said, You should know that there is a self who is not working hard. Dogo said, If it is so, is there a secondary consideration? Well, that is very interesting. Well, it means what is the practice? Practice is hard practice or easy practice. Now, what Dogo thought was anyway hard practice.

[46:31]

Which Ungan did. That is why Dogo said, You are hard at it. But actually, practice is not hard practice. If you practice hard, you don't like hard practice. Sometimes you want to practice the easy way. So practice is completely limited by the notion of hard practice? No. That is why Ungan said, You should know that there is a self who is not working hard. So he should. You should understand the outside of the practice. And then Dogo pushed him, What do you mean?

[47:32]

So Dogo said, It is. If it is so, is there a secondary consideration? It means here it is. According to your explanation, here is a dualism. Hard practice, I told you, you work hard, but you say the easy practice. You should know the easy practice. If it is so, it is something specific, which is called not hard practice, not easy practice. Sort of in between. So that is a secondary consideration. And then Ungan immediately raised his broom and said, What categories, considerations does this belong to? Secondary consideration is not hard practice, nor easy practice. Nor practice between hardness or easiness.

[48:35]

Real practice is just activity, which is fully alive. That is why Ungan raised the broom. This is not a secondary consideration. This is one moon, second moon, three moons, whatever. Buddha nature appears in many forms. When you work, when you clean the temple yard, that is cleaning. This is one aspect of Buddha's function. So that is why Ungan lifted the broom and said, What categories, considerations does this belong to? No consideration. No consideration. No consideration. Lifting the broom is not a consideration. It is really activities, which is fully alive. Beyond hard or easy or between.

[49:37]

No, no excuse. Look at your life. Look at your life. You are a priest, or some of you are going to be a priest in life. Now you really want to be a priest, but sooner or later you don't want. You will not want, probably. Some of you think, now I don't want to be a priest. Well, whatever you do, like or dislike, where are you? You are just in the middle of priest life. If that is a very important point which you have to pay attention to, where are you? You are right in the middle of priest life. If so, priest life, which is fully alive, is completely a kind of a category belonging to the notion of hard or easy or between.

[50:41]

No, no excuse. Just be there. Just be there. If you understand your priest life through your notion, well, you can quit anytime. You can quit anytime. And then through this notion, you will feel good. But this good, feeling good, is not always feeling good. Why don't you go back to the previous life? Well, wearing the jeans and cowboy boots and cowboy hats and smoking a cigar, what do you feel? You are just a usual guy. Cargays, I'm wearing love. That's why this is a priest life. If I understand this priest life by my notion,

[51:42]

well, sometimes I don't like. If I don't like, anytime I can return to cowboy life. Wearing cowboy hats and wearing jeans and cowboy boots and walking in San Francisco. No one pays attention. Hey, guy. Hey, guy. Hey, guy. Well, no excuse. Anyway, actually no excuse. Even though you return, there is still questions. That question is a notion of like or dislike. Wherever you may be, always there is a notion. Like or dislike, afflictive. Affective, preferences, always there. But go farther, one more step. Then what happens? Nothing to say. Nothing to comment.

[52:45]

You are a priest life. Tsukiyoshi was criticized by one of the Indian, one of the guys belonging to the Indian religion and so forth. You are not a real priest. He was quiet. He didn't say anything. I was also criticized very often in Minneapolis. Because there are lots of Indian religions. You are not real spiritual teachers. Whatever it is, I don't deny. I don't deny. I am not. I am not real spiritual life. I accept. But I don't destroy. I don't want to destroy. I don't want. There is nothing to destroy my life, which is called priest life. All you have to do is, where are you going?

[53:48]

You are going to the hard practice or easy practice, or priest life or not priest life. Which are you going? Wherever you may go, always there is a notion of like or dislike. Well, and also your life. Who is your life in which you are creating a certain notion, like or dislike, are all going on, going and coming in the where? Buddha's world. The Buddha's world is what? Well, shut up. Anyway, shut up. You are not for me. Anyway, shut up. Do your best. Do your best means, not having too much tension, not to lose. No lose, no tension. Anyway, all you have to do is just to move in the Buddha's world. Doing your best. Well, one reason people criticize me is,

[54:54]

you are marriage priest. Oh, of course. Some of you have some questions about this. Someone don't marriage. Someone marries. But if you discuss about this, no end, no end. And then the Japanese priest, if you ask, let's see, sometimes if you see the Japanese priest, ask about this. Well, they are very simple. Well, even the priest is human. This is very dangerous. Very dangerous. Because you already, you already categorized. Priest is also human. If you say so, you are not Buddha. You are human already. The priest's life is not human.

[55:55]

Keep in mind. Remember that. You cannot bring your life down into the human world. The priest must be continually keeping hold of great, great ideal image of human life, which is called Buddha. Whatever happens, under all circumstances, you have to keep hold of it. If you return to cowboy life, that's okay, that's okay. The story is different. You should be right in the middle of cowboy life. So, at that time you can say, cowboy is human, that's alright. But priest is not. Something like that. Of course, priest is human, but you cannot be, you cannot be categorized by a certain notion.

[57:01]

You are human or you are Buddha. You cannot say so. But continually, without attaching to the both of them, you have to watch carefully yourself move towards the Buddha's world. That's why in the discussion between Dogo and Ungan, the Ungan left, the bloom is completely beyond the human speculation, just the function. Be silent and just do it. Just do it, that's all. Keep your mind, remember that if someone criticizes you, you should suffer. You should suffer. Your whole life, in your whole life, you should suffer. It is alright. You should suffer. If you don't suffer from your life as a priest,

[58:02]

you are not a priest. You should suffer more than a layman, layman's life. Of course, if you become a priest, suffering is getting bigger and bigger. That's why I felt I made a big mistake after becoming a priest. Because before becoming a priest, well, priesthood is pretty easy. Everybody brought the food to me and the temple master said thank you. They eat. It's very simple. It's not necessary to be a white collar businessman or engineer. It doesn't matter. Just stay in the temple. It's very simple. But after becoming a priest, lots of things happened. I never expected. So I felt I made a big mistake. So I tried to escape from that.

[59:03]

But I couldn't. Well, this is anyway an effort to show all sentient beings Buddha knowledge. This is our reason why Buddha was born. Buddha was born means you were born in this world. This is the meaning of showing all sentient beings the Buddha knowledge. Third, enlightenment. To enlighten or to apprehend. Enlightenment is I will tell you three categories of enlightenment. One is this is kaku. Second is go.

[60:04]

Third is sho. Kaku is awareness. Awakening. Awareness. Go is satori. You are very familiar with this term satori. Kaku is awakening or awareness. Sho is very often translated as realization. Realization. But take this literally means verification or certification. Certification. Or sometimes it is translated as confirmation. Confirm. Confirmation.

[61:07]

Confirmation. Well, you should remember this. One category is kaku, awareness. Awareness is everybody. If you study Buddhism or reading the Lord Sutra and listening to Buddha's teaching you can experience awareness. Seeing all sentient beings in universal vision. This is awareness. This is awareness. This is In other words, this is The second is satori. Satori is through the

[62:07]

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