First of all, I want to recommend you to read the King of Samaritans' Samaritans again and again. Can you hear me? Of Shobo Genzo, this is very helpful for you to understand the meaning of Shikan Taza mentioned by Rogen. Again and again, read quietly the King of Samaritans' Samaritans. You can taste something from this.

[01:00]

The Fukanza Zengi consists of introduction, main subject, and conclusion, three parts. This introduction also consists of eight sections. Today, I would like to study with you first two sections. First section. The way is basically perfect and all-pervading.

[02:08]

How could it be contingent upon practicing realization? The dharma vehicle is free and untrammeled. What need is there for man's concentrated effort? This is first section. Indeed, the whole body is far beyond the world's dust. Who could believe in the means to brush it clean? It is never apart from one right where one is. What is the use of going off here and there to practice? This is second section. The first and second sections, Rogen emphasizes the four crucial points in the practice of Zazen.

[03:38]

The one point is the way is basically perfect and all-pervading. How could it be contingent upon practicing realization? This is one point. The second, the dharma vehicle is free and untrammeled. What need is there for man's concentrated effort? This is second point. Third, indeed, the whole body is far beyond the world's dust. Who could believe in a means to brush it clean? This is third. It is never apart from one right where one is. What is the use of going off here and there to practice? This is fourth point.

[04:41]

These four crucial points in the practice of Zazen are what we have to aim at. If you want to practice Zazen, these four crucial points are necessary for us to understand. But actually it is very difficult to understand. But always Rogen offers the first, well, something which is most important. But usually we don't understand. For instance, in the Genjo Koan, if you study Genjo Koan, first of all he said, when all dharmas are Buddhadharma,

[05:54]

there are delusions, enlightenment, enlightened ones, ordinary persons, life and death, delusions, enlightenment, etc. But we don't understand this. First of all, he offers something which is most important. But the title is Genjo Koan. That means Genjo is phenomenal world of we live, human life. The Koan is truth. Genjo Koan means a unity of phenomenal world and the truth. Then immediately he says, when all dharmas are Buddhadharma, there are many beings. Life and death, good or bad, right or wrong, man and woman, babies and boys, girls and boys,

[07:01]

Buddhas and ordinary persons. But we don't understand this. Instead of explaining the meaning of the phenomenal world and truth, philosophically, psychologically, or instead of explaining what human life is, philosophically or psychologically, he offers real reality to you immediately. Here they are. Reality is what state of being, what is present from moment to moment, complete beyond your affective preferences. So this is reality in life. So he offers directly to you this.

[08:07]

We don't understand, but usually we want to understand why we have to accept reality in life without researching, analyzing, synthesizing, philosophically, psychologically. This is the point we are curious of. We want to analyze and synthesize, but he doesn't. Immediately he offers reality to you without explaining philosophically, psychologically. But this is very important because this is practical point. You have to completely accept. For instance, if you become sick, you go to the doctor and get the medicine. All you have to do is take the medicine. Take the medicine. We don't want to take the medicine,

[09:09]

but actually you take the medicine. But according to the relation with your life, you usually don't take medicine. Instead of taking medicine directly, you first analyze what this medicine is. Do you understand? This is very common. But actually you cannot take care of life like this because life is, well, reality. Your life is vast. Your life is vast, which is called reality, completely beyond your analysis. So all you have to do is to take this reality as a whole. First, and then in the process of learning this reality,

[10:10]

and then if you have a time, or if you are interested in, you can research, you can study what reality is. This is Buddhist philosophy, psychology, and Buddhist teachings. And this is verbal explanation of reality in life. But reality is completely beyond your analysis. It is something you have to completely accept. Reality in dance, reality in singing, reality in swimming in the ocean, well, how can you explain it? First, you want to research reality in swimming in the ocean, right in the middle of swimming in the ocean. Are you interested in analyzing reality in swimming? If you do so, your body is thinking it.

[11:12]

Well, I don't think it is right. I don't mean you should ignore analysis of swimming. It's important. But first of all, there is something urgent you have to do. Urgent. This is anyway ambulance. The Buddhist teaching is really ambulance, okay? You should take it. Buddhist teaching anyway takes you to the hospital. Immediately. So, that's why in Fukan Zenki, first of all he said four crucial points. We don't understand, okay? So, the way is basically perfect and all-pervading. All-pervading. How could it be contingent upon practice and realization?

[12:21]

The way is basically perfect and all-pervading. It means Zazen must be the way, okay? Zazen is the way. Originally, we say do-moto. Do is the way. Moto is origin. So, the origin of the way. Zazen is the origin of the way. The origin of the way are not two things, okay? If I say the origin of the way, you believe here is the origin, not the other side. You see the way. I don't think this is real meaning. The origin of the way means the way itself. Way itself. So, Zazen is anyway the way itself.

[13:32]

Yesterday, I told you the way is a state of being that all sentient beings are existent in peace and harmony simultaneously. This is the way. The heaven and earth and I are in one and the same root. You can experience this. You can realize this. Well, even though you can't realize this, your life is right there. So, that's why Dokinrin says, Zazen must be done there, okay? In the way, in the sphere of the way. In the sphere of the way, in which all sentient beings are in one and the same root.

[14:38]

This is Zazen. So, if you do Zazen, that Zazen is not personal Zazen you can see. That Zazen is Zazen which is operating constantly, interconnected, interpenetrated with all sentient beings. Where? In the way. It is called the way. So, it's just like Zazen, if you sit down, and according to the instructions mentioned by Buddha, if you sit down correctly, that is really the beautiful flower of life force bloom, okay? Not in the personal sphere, in the universe. This is the future feature of Zazen and quality of Zazen.

[15:41]

So, even though a little boy, little girl, don't understand the meaning of Zazen, but if they see the future of Zazen, in many ways, they are impressed very much. So, that's why the way is basically, anyway, Zazen itself. Zazen must be practiced there. Also, if you do Zazen, not in the personal narrow view of the world, but in the sphere of the way, which all beings are interconnected, interpenetrated, at that time, Zazen, in the way, is perfect,

[16:48]

and all-pervading, okay? All-pervading, it means it's perfect. That's why it is beautiful. But you don't know, no one can explain why it is beautiful. But it is beautiful, blooming flower. But if you look at this, a beauty is analyzed. A little beauty, or a middle size of beauty, a big size of beauty, this is human speculation. Immediately, you analyze. But whatever you think, the beauty is beauty. Even though small, even though big, even though middle size, beauty is beauty. So, perfect and all-pervading, this beauty of life force blooming constantly, affecting, okay, everybody. Even a tiny flower blooms in the heart of the mountains, it is beautiful.

[17:49]

It is beautiful, completely beyond human speculation. But you say, poor, poor flowers, why don't you bloom in the beautiful garden? Everybody takes care of you in best way. But that is human speculation. Tiny flowers, life of tiny flowers, is just blooming wherever it is. So, this life of tiny flowers is absolutely not different from life of Himalaya mountains. Himalaya mountains, big and gorgeous beauty. But no difference between. So that is perfect and all-pervading. Okay. Yesterday, I told you

[18:54]

about labor and wages. Okay. If you want to work, if you want to get a job, very first, negotiate with a company. If you decide, anyway, take that job. That is first stage. You have to go through. Second stage, you should completely forget. Put aside the idea of wages. If you have time work, well, forget how much you can get money an hour. So all you have to do is to take care of pure sense of labor, which is called work. This is the way.

[19:58]

This is the way. If you see the task, all you have to do is to take best care of task without comparing with wages or, broadly speaking, expectation. But I don't mean you should ignore expectation or wages because you cannot support yourself if you ignore. So you should take care of this. But if you take care of that, well, next, you must be free from what idea of wages comparing with your task. So all you have to do is to take best care of task in the pure sense. At that time, this is zazen in the way. This is the task. This is the task, which is identical with the way itself. So very naturally,

[21:00]

you can let the beautiful flower of task itself bloom there. And then to bloom is sort of, what do you call, scenery, you can see. Or virtuous quality. Virtuous quality, when you take best care of task as it really is, well, that task, anyway, give forth a wonderful fragrance, which is called virtuous quality. That virtuous quality of task is what is called wages. Very naturally, you can get. And also, you can support your life. And also, you can live your life worth living. Very naturally. This is the, anyway, virtuous quality of task, if you really do your best

[22:03]

to take care of this instead of analyzing, synthesizing by wages and etc. So that is the zazen, the way is basically perfect and all pervading. First of all, we have to take care of zazen like this. Like this. But usually we don't. If you do zazen, you take a job, you take the zazen by the hours. Okay? Do you think so? Or sometimes, you take a zazen by years. Two years. Three years. Or sometimes, if you are very curious, you can take the zazen by moment. But if you do this, you will be crazy.

[23:04]

Okay? But anyway, usually we take the, we have the zazen by hours, or few minutes, and seconds, or minutes, or hours, or days. At that time, very naturally, you can expect something extra. Okay? Instead of zazen itself. So, in a sense, I told you before, that means that you really sell zazen by piece. Okay? By the piece. This part of my body, hey, it is zazen. This part, the left side, is anyway for enlightenment. On that side, upper part of your body is delusions. So you don't like delusions, so you really want to cut off your neck.

[24:05]

But actually, you cannot do this. That's why finally, you don't know what to do. So you always, we do always sell your body and mind by piece, by the piece. Don't you think so? Some person always says, I used to do zazen very seriously for 7 years, 10 years, and get the certification of enlightenment from a Zen master. But it doesn't, it has nothing to do with reality in life, where you are present right now, right here. No. Because every day is changing. The certificate of enlightenment is just a piece of paper. It has nothing to do with reality in your life. Anyway, zazen must be going in the sphere of reality in life,

[25:09]

which is constantly changing, completely beyond human speculation, good or bad, right or wrong. There is nothing to compare with wages, delusions, enlightenment, whatever. All you have to do is let the beautiful flower of life blooms there. That is zazen as pure sense of your doing. So, sometimes people try to bring a piece of paper in zazen time with a pencil. If you get good ideas, you take a note, put it aside under the cushion, sit down, and immediately, in the next moment, take a note. This is also. Now, we all zazen, don't you think so? This is a part-time job. It's a very part-time job.

[26:11]

But we do always part-time jobs, in a sense, psychologically or physically we do. Sitting always, your body and mind are in pieces. Here is a calendar, here is a stinky calendar, here is a wonderful Zen master. Even though right in the middle of sitting, I, oh, good zazen. This is, I become Zen master. I don't think so. It's just a speck of dust. It is not real zazen. It is not real zazen. So, the way is basically perfect and all-pervading. How could it be contingent upon practice and realization? That's why, how could it be contingent upon practice and realization?

[27:15]

Well, practice and realization. I do zazen, and next moment, you would like to attain enlightenment. So, already, your doing is divided into zazen, enlightenment, delusions. That means to sell your body and mind by pieces. But, but this is not real zazen. Because you sell the zazen by pieces. For enlightenment, practice, Buddha, delusions, all. So, you cannot take care of zazen as a whole. So, finally, you cannot bloom the flowers of zazen you do. Because you cut the pieces, zazen. So, you immediately kill the life of zazen. That is not real zazen.

[28:18]

So, even though you can see right in the middle of zazen, you can see the practice. That is just a flickering light running through your head. That's all. If you don't meddle with it, it disappears sooner or later. Next moment, blue light comes up, which is called enlightenment. But that enlightenment is also just a flickering light running through, before you. If you don't meddle with it, it disappears. But if you meddle with it, well, it becomes a monster, ghost. Sometimes beautiful buddha. Sometimes beautiful Avalokiteshvara. But a beautiful Avalokiteshvara is not always a beautiful king. If you are really obsessed with Avalokiteshvara, Avalokiteshvara is a really big trouble,

[29:25]

troublemaker for you. So, when you see the beautiful Avalokiteshvara, you must be free from Avalokiteshvara. Avalokiteshvara, that is the final goal we have to do. If you see, practice. You must be free from practice. There is no reason to be stuck there. Put it aside. All you have to do is continually to let the beautiful flow of life force right in the middle of the way. Oneness of all sentient beings. Interconnected, interpenetrated. Constantly from moment to moment. At that time, that is real satsang. So that is whatever you see, the practice and realization, or delusions, or buddhas,

[30:29]

or life and death, or whatever kind of light, flickering lights. They are completely something in flux. It is not something fixed you can depend on. Nothing to depend on. Dogen Zenju says, Although in realization, the mind of the zazen practice and its objects both arise and disappear. Within the stillness of samadhi, you know pretty well. Within the stillness of samadhi, of zazen, you can see subject, practicer.

[31:32]

You can see object, zazen. But there is completely nothing to depend on. Because they are nothing but flickering lights which sooner or later would disappear, even though you want to hang on. So, that's why Dogen Zenju says, Although in realization, in the way, in realization, in reality, in reality, in doing zazen, you can see your mind, delusions, enlightenment, subject and object, many things. Sometimes appears, sometimes disappears. Within the stillness of samadhi, since it occurs within the sphere of self-joyousness, self-joyousness,

[32:33]

Jiju-yu, it doesn't disturb a single mot of dust nor infringe upon a single phenomenon. That means, sitting zazen, sitting zazen, immediately bubbles, which is called yellows, coming up. But, when it appears, next moment it disappears. But usually we hang on this. Don't you think so? And then judge it. If you hang on, immediately you judge it. Oh, but zazen. But zazen is nothing, also nothing but a flickering light, which disappears sooner or later, in the next moment. But we hang on again. So, always hang on. So, if you judge but zazen, you hang on this,

[33:34]

and then but zazen is getting worse and worse. Finally, well, you don't want to do zazen. So, you shouldn't hang on. So, all you have to do is, just put them aside. So, it doesn't disturb. If you don't meddle with those flickering lights, and whatever kind of colors appear flickering in front of you, zazen, right in the middle of stillness, of smile, it doesn't bother you. So, that means, continually to let the beautiful flower of life force bloom, which is called zazen. You see? Now, also Dogenzen says, when even just one person at one time sits in zazen, he becomes imperceptibly

[34:38]

one with each and all of the myriad things, and permeates completely all time. How could it be contingent upon practice and realization? Practice is not usual human action. Practice is a refined action. Refined action. Refined action means, in Buddhism, to try to tune in to a dial of oneness with all beings, interconnected, dynamically. That is a pure sense of practice.

[35:40]

Pure sense of practice. Without setting your body and mind by peace. For practice, enlightenment, delusion, ordinary person, life and death, good or bad, right or wrong. That is practice, meaning of practice. So, practice is not usual human action. Usual human action is limited by a certain category, good or bad, right or wrong. But refined practice is completely beyond a certain category of good or bad, right or wrong. This is refined practice. That's why you have to try to tune in to the dial of all beings. Your zazen is not yours. Your zazen is universal rhythm of all beings.

[36:43]

Personally, all you have to do is just to bloom, concentrate. That is practice. The enlightenment is realization is the virtuous quality of the practice manifests itself in the sphere of body and mind. That is realization. When you really take care of practice in the pure sense, that time, practice you do manifests itself as quality, a virtuous quality, frequency, coming from each pore. Each pore. That is realization. So what is real practice and realization?

[37:52]

All you have to do is zazen, which is perfect and all-pervading. It's just like a single sheet of paper with its back and front, which is called practice. Enlightenment, good or bad, right or wrong. So when you use the front of a piece of paper, front, just the front appears. Front is something you should use, but the back completely is hidden. Not appear in the surface. All you have to do is to use the front. But even though you use just the front, that front is not merely front. You use whole piece of paper. That is, anyway, practice is going on

[38:54]

in the way. So Dogen then says, practice is whole world. The self is whole world. If you see your practice, if you see your practice, that practice is the whole world. Occupying whole world. That means don't sell your body and mind by piece, for enlightenment, delusion, loss of expectation. All you have to do is just to take care of the practice as it really is. That time, practice becomes completely universe. The universal practice means to leave no words. To leave no words of what is called practice, opposed to enlightenment, etc. Because your body and mind

[39:55]

are completely one with practice. Just one. So that time, beautiful flower of life was blooming is what? If you see it, from the angle of practice, it is temporarily called practice. So that is using the front, front piece of paper. But intellectually we see I use just the front. But actually you cannot use just the front. You should. Using the front is to use whole piece of paper. This is Sazen. This is real practice. If you see this, if you use the back, which is called enlightenment, or realization, realization anyway, occupies whole world. That time there is no idea of

[40:56]

the realization. Publicated by consciousness. This is the first point. First point. First crucial point you have to aim at if you do Sazen. The second crucial point is the Dharma vehicle is free and untrammeled. What need is there for man's concentrated effort? The Dharma vehicle is synonymous, synonym. It's synonym with previous words, the way. The way. So the way must be something

[41:58]

which operates from moment to moment, which is called vehicle. Vehicle is something you can get a ride. And carries you, takes you to a certain destination. So all you have to do is anyway to get a ride. What kind of ride you should take, that is the way. The way. But the way is not ideal. In other words, truth or reality. In dance, in having a breakfast, whatever it is, the way, the reality, in dance, ballet, playing music, are completely something which operates. It must be vehicle. You can take a ride. At that time, that reality is very naturally operating.

[42:58]

Then this vehicle must be open not only to a certain particular person, but this vehicle must be open to everybody. That's why this is the dharma vehicle. Dharma vehicle. So if this vehicle is used for everybody without discrimination, at that time this vehicle is the best, best one. Vehicle. And or the most respectful. Vehicle. Opening to everybody. That is called the dharma vehicle. Dharma vehicle. The dharma vehicle. So the zen is the most respectful

[44:01]

vehicle. Or the dharma is the best vehicle which everyone can take a ride. This is the zen. And this dharma vehicle, the function of the operation of vehicle must be free and intramural. The dharma vehicle must be characterized by free and intramural. Usually we feel free and intramural if there is nothing to interrupt around our life. In order to

[45:03]

get free, we try to do satisfactory gradually. Finally we get angry with it because we cannot.

[45:12]

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