In a wedding ceremony, I used to explain on the triple treasure. I take refuge in the Buddha. I take refuge in the Sangha, in the Dharma. I take refuge in the Sangha. Each of these verses, I explain like this. The first verse is, life is completely still. It is, I take refuge in the Buddha.

[01:01]

The second is, the truth to live is to live. The truth to live is to live. The third is, to live is to make it alive. To make it alive. In other words, to live is to be lived. In the first verse, I take refuge in the Buddha. Which means, life is completely still. Completely still. This stillness absolutely goes beyond the conception of stillness or not stillness.

[02:09]

That's why I said completely still. Regardless of whether your life is dramatic. Dogen says here, transparent emancipation. I think the meaning of transparent emancipation is to take refuge in the Buddha. I think so. To take refuge in the Buddha. In other words, life is completely still. Completely still. There is nothing like a drug behind it. But this stillness is not something that you feel cold.

[03:20]

It is pre-warm. This stillness is pre-warm. Pre-warm. Let's imagine in your daily life, what is stillness? What is stillness? What is stillness? When there is no problem in your daily life, what happens around you? In Buddhism, stillness is not something that you feel cold. But stillness is pre-warm. In other words, all of you are not child.

[04:31]

All of you are not child. Each of you are adult. Adult. You must be adult. But sometimes we are adult with adult face and child face. No, no. Sometimes we are child with adult look. Adult look. This is big problem for us. Very big problem. This morning I explained to one of students about this point. When you take care of child, I think there is kindergarten teacher among you.

[05:49]

If you take care of a child, do you think you should be a child or you should be adult? I think you should be adult. If you are child, child like love so much hitting you. The moment when the child hit you, you really get angry with him. There is a reaction you want to hit him. To hit is okay. It is okay to hit the child.

[06:53]

Because you are stronger than the child. But if you hit the child, who are you? Asking to yourself, you are child or you are adult? The moment when you hit the child with anger, I think you are completely child. In other words, you are doing something at the same level, so-called child. So-called child. But you know the Ryokan Zen master? Ryokan Zen master played with a child all day. I don't know all day. I don't know whether he played with a child all day.

[07:59]

But anyway, if you read Ryokan, it seems to me that his whole life played with a child. Very wonderful. But why is it that he can play with a child without any problem? He is very good adult. He is completely adult. He knows everything. He knows adult. He knows child. That's why he can play. But if, let's imagine, if he should be in the same level of a child, what would happen? He would hit the child. He would fight with the child. So, when you are adult, when you are adult, how can you see?

[09:10]

How can you see a child? Even though you are hit, you are given a big blow by a child. You say, ouch, that's all. With a smile. That time is not hit for you. That time you are completely in a different level from a child. It is called adult. But if should be a child with adult look, sometimes you fight. Sometimes you make a complaint.

[10:13]

You must be, anyway, graduate from a child, OK? You must graduate from a child. If you graduate from a kindergarten, you become adult. You should be graduate student, OK? Graduate college student. If you become a college student, you understand so well what the primary school is, what the kindergarten is, what the middle high school or what the junior high school is. You understand so well. OK. So, stillness in Buddhism or Transparent Emancipation or Buddha

[11:24]

refers to the stillness which life is inherent in. But it doesn't mean that you should feel cold from the stillness from the Buddha. It is pretty warm because Buddha or stillness indicates you are adult or you are college student. Because you understand so well what children is. What the child is when you try to take care of them. Then, this is Transparent Emancipation.

[12:38]

Even though you don't understand, we chant the triple treasure. I take refuge in the Buddha. This is important. I take refuge in the Buddha. You must be there first. I take refuge in Buddha. Even though you think, your head thinks, oh, I am not adult. I am a sort of kindergarten. I would like to stay in the kindergarten. But you should be an adult. For this, by chanting that I take refuge in the Buddha, immediately you should be, you are, you are adult. Simultaneously, you are adult. Simultaneously, you become Buddha.

[13:45]

Again and again, we have to chant, I take refuge in the Buddha. Then, Dogen explains in the next paragraph. Realization is life. Life is realization. We are realized. Realized is nothing but life's total realization. It is nothing but death's total realization. He tried to explain what realization is like. In the first sentence, he said, the great way of all Buddha is emancipation and realization. The word realization is pronounced genjo in Japanese.

[14:53]

It is interpreted as genzenjoju. It means presently complete, presently complete or manifestly complete. This is genjo, manifestly complete. I said before, actual occurrence of practice itself. Sometimes genjo, realization is interpreted as genzenjoju, which means presently complete. Presently complete. And then, Dogen says, presently complete is life. Life is presently complete.

[15:56]

When you think your life, you think immediately, my life is not complete. Before you think what my life is like, life is presently complete. Presently complete. It's sort of the abstract explanation on human life, but it's not abstract. It is very true. The realization is life.

[17:06]

Life is realization means, I mentioned before, the truth to live is to live. In other words, your life is completely presently complete. Presently complete. In other words, all of life is Buddha. You are Buddha. You are Buddha. Then, in the second verse, you chant, I take refuge in the Dharma. I explain the truth to live is to live. There is nothing, no better way. No better way. To live in peace that the truth, to follow the truth that the truth to live is to live.

[18:08]

The truth is your life. Life is the truth. In other words, your life is not for yourself. Your life is for everybody. But it's not so easy to understand. I'm sorry for you, you have to practice for long years. You will be, you will practice for long years. If you want to give up the Zen Buddhism, please give up right now. It's better. It's better. If you poke your head into the Zen Buddhism, two years and three years, you can't get out. It's pretty hard. It's pretty hard. See, if you want to get out, I think one or two years,

[19:12]

in one or two years, please get out. Give up. It's better. In two years, I hated it. I hated Zen Buddhism. I really hated it. And also priest. The moment when I see the Zen priest, you know, I felt, I felt, you know, I start, I am booming. I hate it. I really hate it. That's why I suffered so much. Then I said, I would like to give up Zen priest. Teacher says, OK.

[20:15]

I expected more good suggestion from him. That was first big shock for me. I want to give up. OK. Second shock was, wherever you may be, everything is same. Wherever you may be, everything is same. Wherever you may be, everything is same. That was second shock for me. Well, I expected something better, something better than, better than Zen priest.

[21:18]

You know, let's imagine Zen priest. Priest's job is really nonsense. Not nonsense, you know. I'm sorry, Buddha. Not nonsense, it's pretty good. But if you want to be successful in a priest's job, it's really nonsense. If you want to be successful in something, I think you should do some business.

[22:20]

You should be, you will be successful and you will be happy. But let's see. And in United States, Zen priest is little bit good job because organization give salaries monthly, after monthly, priest. And priest... But in Japan, nobody gave me, nobody gave me salaries. And then when I was at the temple, you know, let's imagine, 10 cent a day. 10 cent a day. But fortunately, people brought some vegetables

[23:25]

and rice. That's why little bit happy, you know. But let's imagine, financial situation was really poor. 10 cent a day. I wanted, I wanted to buy something, but I couldn't, you know. Then my master says, I asked him always, what shall I make? What shall I make for the dinner? He said, well, let's find, let's find something. Let's find something. Where? He said, that's all. Let's find something and make it for us,

[24:28]

for our dinners. Where? Only rats, you know. And the frogs, you know, all the pond. Priest job is really out of the model of business. Completely out of model of business. If you want to successful, successful in priest business, I think it's better to give up now. I think it's better not to be a priest. I think it's better not to be a priest.

[25:50]

God damn. The Aztokan then says, realization is life. Life is realization. You are doing your best to do Zazen during session and suffering, suffering pain from your leg, and yet you are doing your best to do Zazen. I hope you will learn lots of things through this experience such as pain,

[26:53]

patience, and human effort. if pain should be just for individual experience, or if pain should be limited by individual experience, you would have lots of doubt. Why is it? Why is it I suffer pain now? What is use for? What is of use? What is it that is of use? In modern day, in our day,

[27:58]

and you cannot be agitated by this pain, and patience, and effort. But pain, and patience, and human effort, you suffer now. All are generous enough to be shared with others. And to understand others' pain, and patience, and effort much better, deeply, much deeper. Otherwise, your pain,

[29:18]

the pain, the patience, the effort you suffer, all are really useless. The pain you suffer now must be shared with people, others, in some day, some day. The patience you suffer now must be shared with others, some day. And to be understand, to be to understand much deeper, human effort, human patience, human pain, human suffering.

[30:19]

If the suffering you suffer should be limited by individual experience, such suffering would be very narrow. Keep it. Let's imagine there was one of Shakyamuni Buddha's disciples. Let's see, let's see the mother whom Mokenren, one of the disciples, Shakyamuni Buddha's disciple, Mokenren tried to try to save her from

[31:22]

the suffering of hungry ghost where his mother suffered. You know, to share the to share the suffering with others is not merely to share the suffering with others, but also to be patient, to be patient in the presence of suffering which you are confronted with right now, right here. Because there are lots of cases which you wouldn't, you couldn't, you couldn't help others even though you would, you would like to do. That's why let's see the mothers whom Mokenren

[32:24]

tried to save her from the suffering of hungry ghost. There are lots of kinds of suffering. In the Buddha's world, in the Buddha's world there are lots of suffering. The suffering of hell, the suffering of hungry ghost, the suffering of fighting spirit. Sometimes you could, you could help, sometimes you couldn't, even though you would like to. Nevertheless, you have to try to, you have to try to share the suffering with others' suffering. You have to understand you are the person who understands much deeper others' suffering.

[33:27]

For this, your suffering must be universe, must be universe. Your suffering must be for everybody. The pain must be for everybody. Let's imagine Shakyamuni Buddha. In the Shaka clan, in the Shaka clan, when the Shaka clan was about to be destroyed by the country next to the Magadha, people asked Shakyamuni Buddha to help, to save the Shaka clan's people from the suffering of

[34:31]

fighting spirit. Then he accepted. But he didn't join in war. He said he did zazen under the dead tree which grew right near his native country. It grew at the side of the road through which enemies went and passed. Then the general of the enemies looked at Shakyamuni Buddha and asked him, why is it you sit under the dead tree?

[35:32]

Because the sun is very strong now. The sun shines very strongly. Why is it you sit under the dead tree with no leaves? Shakyamuni Buddha said, even a dead tree even a dead tree will grow right near my native country. Make me cool. Make me cool. At that time the general of enemies experienced a big shock. He was impressed by his his mind.

[36:33]

Then he gave up attacking the Shakyamunis. But the human anger human anger, which means human ignorance is rooted very deeply in the bottom of your mind. Now only this general of the enemies everybody then anytime that ignorance appears then the first time he gave up but he wanted to attack and destroyed Shakyamunis second time or third time. The Shakyamuni Buddha

[37:39]

knew so well how strong how stubborn human ignorance is rooted in the bottom of human mind. Then all he could do was just to watch the people are being destroyed. That's all. So consider this point again and again. The students of Zen Center are very kind. Everybody said I want to help others. Yes,

[38:42]

you should. But you should you should keep in mind there are many cases which you couldn't help the people even though you would like to from the bottom of your mind like a Shakyamuni Buddha like a McKinley's mother How can you be patient? How can you be patient? In the presence of this suffering human suffering. This is very important. Now you are sitting on the cushion of pain and Zen master says stay with it. Well, what is it? Why is it we have to stay with it

[39:44]

and we have to be patient? Patience. The patience you feel you suffer is limited by individual experience. You cannot you can never save others from others suffering. Whatever you do pain patience human effort are not only for yours for everybody That is Buddha's effort. Why Shakyamuni Buddha made every possible effort to preach Buddha's teaching

[40:45]

for 45 years. But maybe someone there may be someone who understand Buddha's teaching but actually it's not so easy it's not so easy to make the people understand what Buddhism is like. Let's go back to your home. Let's go back to see your friend who are not interested in Buddhism who are not interested in more deeper aspect level of human life. You try to explain to them but they don't understand. Are you crazy? Selling Zazen?

[41:47]

Fucking being fucked? With a straight fuck? It's really nonsense you know. But Shakyamuni Buddha had to make effort to preach Buddha's teachings because his effort is not only for himself for everybody. Regardless of whether the people understand well or not sometimes sometimes Shakyamuni Buddha is just be there without speaking. Sometimes he speak he speaks sometimes he laugh sometimes

[42:53]

he scold sometimes he help people sometimes he didn't just watch. Whatever you suffer now should be should keep in mind you should keep in mind are all are all for everybody. They are great generous enough to be shared with people to understand the people much deeper someday. To share is to share with people and to be patience

[43:54]

to be patience. This is realization is life realization is life life is realization pain, suffer pleasure, whatever are life for yourself not only for yourself for everybody. Otherwise you can never help people you can never understand the people much deeper. That's why the master says stay with pain. Of course when you pain everybody pains there is no better way

[44:57]

to live in proper way that to stay than to stay with pain when you face pain. So I take refuge in the Dharma it is the truth to live is to live for everybody that's why we chant I vow to save all sentient beings how can you save? How can you save?

[45:58]

You think I want to save now OK Don't be in a hurry save yourself first for this accept your life fully because your life is Buddha Buddha's container please take care of your life OK Thank you very much

[46:41]

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