I believe it is really meaningful that the first verse of the four vows emphasizes the practice of Buddhist compassion, instead of the practice of research itself, practice of learning the Dharma, and practice of the Buddha himself. I think from this point, the four vows is not completely some of Buddhist conception

[01:21]

out of relation to daily life, then in order to reach the Buddha's teaching, there is some question of what we should do first in our daily life. Before anything else, the important point is to practice Buddhist compassion in our daily life. Whatever happens, we try our best to give great compassion, great compassion, great

[02:26]

sympathy with all sentient beings, including rock, even a rock, even a tree, even a wood, piece of wood, everything which exists around yourself. Then from this practice, you will realize many questions. From this confronting effort, you will realize many questions, how to take care of yourself who is about to practice, about to practice Buddhist compassion. Then the second verse, what is self, what is you, what are you, who are you?

[03:34]

Then the more you earnestly practice Buddhist compassion toward all sentient beings, the more you realize how strong, numberless delusions are covered, covers you, your daily life. Then, at any cost, we have to live a regular life according to some rules, regular regulations, moral regulations, religious rules. If you are in a Zen monastery, you try to live a regular life according to monastic

[04:46]

life, based on Buddhist rules, Buddhist regulations. This is second verse. Desires are inexhaustible. I vow to put an end to them. Day in and day out, we try to live a regular life according to rules, monastic rules, monastic regulations, as long as you are here. Out of the Zen center, out of the Tathagata, you try to live your life regularly according to some plan, some schedule, rules. Then, through this practice of following regular life, day in and day out, what should

[05:51]

we learn? Then, third verse, we should learn what Dhamma is, what Dhamma is. Yesterday, I mentioned Dhamma is to go, to let your life go in the direction of the uprightness, straightforwardness, and honesty in life. In other words, when you bow, you bow to before Buddha. The important part is you stand upright in the domain of bow, in the domain of gassho, in the domain of opening bowls, in the domain of chanting sutra.

[06:57]

It is the meaning of standing upright, meaning of standing upright on earth, on your foot. Through this practice, through this practice of standing upright, enable man to learn what Dhamma is, what is the principle, what is the principle which will lead a human to live in peace. This is Dhamma, this is Dhamma. Dhammas are boundless, I bow to most of them. So, boundless, Dhammas are completely boundless. Then, you understand how to stand, how to stand upright in your daily life.

[08:09]

In day out, all you have to do is to stand upright. Whoever you are, whatever kind of life you follow. Then, question is, where you should stand upright, where you should stand upright? Through the realization of the Dhamma, you can find, no, excuse me, excuse me, where question is, where you should stand upright? This is the meaning of fourth verse, the Buddha's way is unsurpassable, I bow to attain it. The important point is, you stand upright in the world of Buddha, Buddha's way.

[09:16]

This is important. To stand upright is not merely to stand upright according to the selfishness, according to our egocentric viewpoint, egocentric mindedness. To stand upright is to stand upright in the domain of Buddha's world, right in the middle of Buddha's world. Then, what is Buddha, what is Buddha? Through the realization of, when you realize what Dhamma is, through the practice of the regular life, according to some rule of moral life, moral regulations in your daily life,

[10:24]

you can learn what Dhamma is. To learn what Dhamma is, to learn what the wisdom is. In other words, through this practice, regular life, through the living, through living in regular life, according to moral, Zen monastic regulation, you will, you will aware yourself of wisdom, of wisdom. Then, when you realize what wisdom is, when you get taste of wisdom, your life is completely free from numerous desires, numerous illusions.

[11:27]

This is the Buddha, this is Buddha. Then, in the fourth verse, it try to explain, describe the ultimate, ultimate attitude of human life, based on freedom, emancipation. But, actually, in our daily life, it is not so easy to understand what freedom, what emancipation. So, I mentioned, what, where we should, where should we stand upright. This is right in the middle of the Buddha's world. Then, next question is, what is Buddha, what is Buddha?

[12:35]

Where is, where is Buddha, where is Buddha? Where is Buddha? When I was, Komuso University, Zen master says, in his lecture, one of Shishu priest came to him, that time Zen master asking him, Oh, you are said, you are said to have practiced chanting the Amitabha, day in and day out. If so, the many, number of people all over Japan,

[13:39]

who get epidemic disease, are about to die, what does Amitabha do? What does Amitabha do? At that time, the Shishu priest says, Oh, I don't know. I don't understand what the, what Amitabha, what Amitabha will do for such a people. Then, the master says, Amitabha is not the Buddha, not the Buddha who is running all over Japan, in order to save all sentient beings.

[14:47]

Because, Amitabha is completely free, even though the people ask, please come, please help, Amitabha doesn't move. Amitabha doesn't run from the north to south of Japan, for the purpose of saving all sentient beings. Nevertheless, Zen master says, nevertheless, Amitabha always reflecting on the lake, on the water, under a drop of dew, even a pea, even a pea, he says.

[16:06]

Even though the water of ocean, water of lake, a drop of dew, a drop of pea, don't ask Amitabha to reflect upon themselves. Amitabha exists over there. I think, judging from this story, I think what is, you can imagine what the Buddha is. What Buddha is, just the outline, very huge, numerous, numerous outline of Buddha. What Buddha is, aha, Buddha is Sun Tzu. Very huge. He doesn't move, he doesn't run from the north to south of Japan, to save such a people who are about to die.

[17:21]

Nevertheless, Amitabha exists there. I think, briefly speaking, it is Buddha, it is Buddha. You know, the, one of the, I think there is very famous one of Chinese literature. Ah, which is entitled, titled by Journey to Western Paradise, Western Paradise.

[18:25]

You see, one of the famous Chinese priest went to India to study Buddhism, to get the sutras, Buddhist sutras. You know that? In Japanese, Genjo Sanzo. From this, in this story, it is said that a monkey, monkey followed this priest in order to help his journey from China to India. This monkey, since his birth in this world, had tried to become a wiser being, more than human being.

[19:34]

Because human being always, always, human being, he believed that human being was, human being were the wisest in this world. Then this monkey wanted, wanted to become wiser being, more than, than human being. So he, one day he went to, he went to travel to seek the one of a saint to practice, to practice asceticism anyway. Something magic practice. Flying ears, letting his body disappears immediately, something like that. Day in and day out he practiced. Then he got, he got certificate from the saint, you become, you become, you become great being, wiser than human being.

[20:48]

Then he came back to his village. He always test his capability, the capability of his experience before human being. He disappeared quickly. He tried to fly in the air. One day the untraveled Buddha gave a piece of advice. Because under the, his, the capability of his experience, he always was, he was always mysterious. Stealing something, or breaking, breaking the house, or speaking ill of, ill of priest, or speaking ill of others.

[21:52]

Running wild at the temple, hurting, hurting the village people. So untraveled tried, untraveled gave a piece of advice. Monkey, little monkey, don't do that. Monkey said, he, he. What did he say? Did you know that how great I am? Did you know what kind of practice I, I did? Untraveled said, I don't know exactly what, what you do, what you have done. Try to tell me what you have done. He said, with the express of smug self-satisfaction.

[22:55]

I practiced, I practiced sadism, magic practice, in order to magic power. Flying ears, let my body, letting, letting my body disappear. Getting anything what I want. So untraveled Buddha, you are great. Would you show me? The monkey said, okay. Untraveled said, what kind of capabilities are you supposed to show me? He said, well, I have a lot of things, but among those, try, I'll try to show the, the aligning, aligning at the end of space, anyway.

[24:10]

That's interesting, that's interesting morals. Okay, please try. Then the monkey said, one, two, three, pew! Immediately the monkey disappeared. Then he was running, rushing to the air in space. And for a while, he thought, I took long to, you know, I, I learned for a long time. But nevertheless, he continued to run on, in space. Suddenly, there was, something happened before him. That time he saw, he saw a huge, big, tall, huge, tall pole.

[25:26]

Four, four huge tall poles before him. Up, up, he kicked. Then he put the blade, pew! Stop, stop. What is it? But this is the, the four, four huge tall poles. Wow, so big, I can't go ahead anymore. Well, he tried to, he tried to check up, check up, where I am, where he is. Looking around, he thought, hmm, I think I was where I was at the end of space. Then he thought, I must leave the proof that I am here.

[26:31]

I am at the end of the space. Then he took the brush, you know, he took out the brush and, so taking in the ink. Then, he tried to put the mark of X at the bottom of the big, tall pole. Pew, pew, pew. Everything okay, that's good. Then, let's go back to my place, village. The moment when he, he is about to leave, over there, was his voice, come. Little monkey? Who are you? Who are you?

[27:33]

Little monkey? Little monkey? Are you sure to alive, alive at the end of the space? Monkey said, yes, I am, certainly. That's why I, I left the proof that I was, I was, I am here at the end of the space. Can you see this mark? At the bottom of the big, tall pole? Amtavr Dukat looked at this mark. Yes, I can see it. I can see them. Then next, little monkey, what are you doing? Well, then, my business is over. Then, I have to, I want, I want to go back to my village.

[28:40]

Okay, alright, we should go back. Then, the moment when he tried to leave, there, the full pole, all full pole, big pole fell down. And then, monkey was completely under the big pole. He can't move. He can't move. Oh, help, help. Amtavr says, what's the matter, little monkey? Then, the monkey's, monkey, monkey left his head up. That time, he found something. It was Amtavr's face, just before his little monkey.

[29:48]

Wow, you are Amtavr, aren't you? Yes, I am. Then, Amtavr says, hey, monkey, little monkey. You believe yourself, you are alive at the end of space. But, you should, you should make sure, you should make sure where you are. Then, he looked around. Wow, this is Amtavr's hand. Little monkey, you are, it is sure, it is sure that you are right in my hand, not end of the space. Don't be infatuated with your, don't be elated with your, with the capability of your experience.

[31:06]

Whatever kind of practice you follow. This is the limitation of your capability of your experience. What you have done. Did you understand, little monkey? Monkey said, yes, I am sorry, Amtavr. Then, from that, from, then, from, from then on, monkeys was very gentle and followed the priest to help his journey from China to India. That is a story. So, wherever you go, you are completely involved, enveloped by the Buddha's world. So, don't worry about where you are.

[32:12]

Don't be elated with your capability, whatever kind of capability you have. Whatever kind of practice, how long you practice doesn't, it's not necessary to be elated. Then, important point is, what is, important point is that get taste of yourself which exists right in the middle of Buddha's world. In order to get taste of this immense expanse of Buddha's capability, many Buddhas, many patriarchs practiced zazen, practiced Buddha's teaching.

[33:24]

Then, the living, living his life regularly according to the rules, moral life. In a sense, immense, immense expanse of Buddha's world, Buddha's capability is completely beautiful, beyond explanation in words. The one of famous priest, Myohe Shonin, in Japan, he said to have taken the memo of his dream.

[34:29]

Since about 19 years old to 60 years old, until his death, day in and day out, he tried to take note of his dream. It has existed up to now in Japan, record of dream. One of these dreams, he said one day, in one early morning zazen, he tried to pray to Buddha to get rid of my delusions.

[35:39]

Just before he started to zazen, then he started to practice zazen. Then, 20 minutes or 30 minutes later, he got beautiful dream. Very beautiful long pole, made of marble, amber, made of amber. Big, huge pole was coming down from the heaven, right above his head, to the twat, above his head, very small.

[36:45]

Then when this pole appeared before him, he thought, I should get it. Then he kept hold of this beautiful amber pole. Immediately, this pole was getting up toward the heavens. So, he was, he also was lifting toward the heavens with this beautiful amber pole. Aha! But he tried to keep hold of this beautiful amber pole. For long times, his body, and beautiful amber pole stopped moving.

[38:01]

Then he looked around where I was, where I am. Then, there is a beautiful place, very beautiful place. There is paradise, heaven. And also, the top of the beautiful amber pole, very huge jewel, bowl. Also, from this jewel, huge bowl, on the top of amber pole. Pure, completely, absolute pure world, springing out, very slowly, very quietly, but beautiful. Shining in the endless time, beautiful.

[39:08]

He was, he was just looking at, looking at this beautiful scene. And this beautiful, absolute pure world, coming down over this priest's head. At that time, he felt very comfortable. Then, at that time, the voiceless voice comes again. Then, you are, you are Buddha, because your body and mind are purified by this absolute pure one.

[40:13]

Washing away all delusion which you have had. And this priest was completely impressed by this voice. Then, immediately, naturally, he bowed with the soul, thank you very much. Stories, that's all. This is story. Isn't it beautiful? At my, at the Sokoji Temple, one day I showed movie. I let the children, they showed the movie of the Burmese, Burmese Buddhism.

[41:22]

Burmese, the priest's life in Burma, in Burma. In the, in this film, the, the priest, all the priest walk on the street, very quiet, very quiet. Straighten the body, not smiling, but not making face, very soft, very gentle face. And walk with dignified spirit, step one by one, carrying the umbrellas. Then, his disciple, very small boy, followed his master, this old priest.

[42:26]

Sometimes he ran in order to catch up with this old man. Sometimes he played, he stopped just for a while and played with the insect or butterfly, which were, which were playing on the beautiful flowers. But this old man never looked at, looked back, what my disciple was doing. Just looking at the street, carrying the umbrella, and walk, continue constantly walk. At the same place, same place.

[43:31]

I was very impressed by this attitude of this priest. You know, wherever you are, wherever you are, as long as you are human being, we are, we have surely such a beauty of nature within our mind, within our mind. Maybe a scholar, biologist, or the doctors, medical doctor, will measure the definition to a human being,

[44:44]

recklessly, carelessly, such as man, human being is a sort of animal. Human beings are a sort of animal who has rational, irrational, rational, or reason. But whatever kind of definition of human being you make, you name it, you cannot help realizing the absolute beauty of human nature,

[45:51]

and what the Myohe Shonin, or Berners Priest, possess. I think Myohe Shonin's dream, or the attitude of life of Berners Priest, will be a great instruction to those who tries to make the certain definition to human being, man is a sort of animal, man is a sort of animal with rational. We have to, if you want to live in this world, you have to seek this absolute beauty of human nature.

[47:05]

Also, even Dogen, until his death, not only until his death, but his life after his life, Dogen tried to seek this point, what human being possess. In order to seek this point, the absolute beauty of human nature, we should know how hard Dogen practiced, according to the Zen, the same way as Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment with the Zen.

[48:13]

Dogen's, the beauty of nature, human nature, which Dogen tried to seek, is a little different from Myohe Shonin's, or Berners Priest. The beauty of human nature, which Dogen tried to seek, is absolutely, has absolutely close relation with human daily life, human daily life. The, I think, in a sense, I use, I have used the word, the beauty of human nature.

[49:35]

But in Buddhism, human nature, the absolute beauty of human nature is called Buddha. Dogen explained, according to Dogen's experience, the Buddha is called the Bukkojo in Japanese. Butsu is Buddha, Bukkojo is to advance, to advance. So, the literal meaning Bukkojo is to advance beyond Buddha, beyond Buddha, or to advance toward Buddha. But there is absolutely nothing to exist, to exist above, beyond, beyond Buddha.

[50:57]

The Bukkojo is to advance constantly toward Buddha, toward Buddha. But it doesn't mean that there is, there is no substance which is called Buddha, or which we are, we are about to aim at. In other words, Bukkojo is the forever we have to, we have to continue to advance toward Buddha. And also, Buddha is expressed, you know, Buddha is omnipresent right under your step, one by one.

[52:15]

Every time when you walk, then the word Buddha means, you know so well, the enlightened one, enlightened. Or the person who has continued to advance, to advance. This is Buddha. The person who has continued to advance, this is Buddha. So Bukkojo, Bukkojo is Buddha according to Dogen's viewpoint. So from this point, Buddha is not some stage, some rank which we have to reach at.

[53:23]

The Buddha is completely the Bukkojo, which means the huge, immense expanse of the world based on the Buddha. Showing immediately, showing immediately right under your step, this is Bukkojo, this is Buddha. So, when you, in order to learn what Dhamma is, in order to get taste of the truth with your body and mind, all you have to do is to stand upright, aware, on the Buddha's world.

[54:32]

In the Buddha's world is to exist right under your step. Every time, whenever you walk, it means, concretely speaking, when you bow, you just bow with your body and mind. When you chant, you chant with your body and mind. When you gassho, you do gassho with whole body and mind, and also there is nothing to be left behind your gassho, your bow, your chanting, your walking on the street.

[55:44]

Just walk with calm, with dignified spirit. But, actually, it is not so easy to do something without anything to be left behind you. If you do gassho, if you do gassho, then there is something to expect. In your mind, what does it mean? You say, I am poor spiritual student, then student, because even though I hard practice, as I practice, doesn't mean very hard.

[57:05]

I can't get anything to help me. Then you think I am very poor student. Well, how poor I am. It means, you get something, you get something to be left behind you, which is called, which is called dregs, something like a dregs, at the bottom of the bottle, wine or water. In other words, let's imagine that you put your little water into the bottle,

[58:15]

which means you have a little knowledge, what buddhism is, what buddhism is. At that time, you are very happy, you are very delighted in having knowledge about buddhism, about buddhism. Then you want, you try to go back to your home and to teach what buddhism is to the people. Then, you say, oh, continue to flush the bottle in. In order to make the people pay attention to my knowledge, how wonderful, what kind of knowledge, how great knowledge I have. Hey, look at my knowledge, look at my knowledge.

[59:25]

It looks like you are always shaking the bottle, you know. In order to make a noise, hey, look at this. Can you hear this noise, noise, this noise? If you shake, if you have a little noise in the bottom, in the bottom of the bottle, if you shake, it makes the bottle make too much noise, the thing. But actually, the water is just a little bit, not much. There it is. Now, if you put the water completely, fully into the bottle, now, also, you have something to be left behind you, something like enlightenment,

[60:30]

and actually enlightenment. When I was a college student, I finished reading a term book on the metaphysical study of, metaphysical study on the being and non-being. I was really impressed by this book. Wow, how wonderful. Then, immediately, I got into a friend of mine and explained how nice. This book was devoted to the study of what would be nirvana,

[61:34]

what would be enlightenment. I got something on what enlightenment is, what nirvana is. I was very happy. So I dragged it into a friend of mine's house and explained how nice. Then, my friend said, What is the metaphysical study on the being or non-being? It's nice. It's nice. Whatever you experience, there is something left, left in the bottom of the bottle, what is called enlightenment, what is called a pure mind,

[62:35]

what is called purified. That's what it is. What is called delusion, what is called hallucination. Very quickly, in a very easy way, in the book, it's titled, The Painting of God, written by Hedgehog Hickey. He was the poet, the spiritualist. He wrote a funny story in this book. There was a very, I think, an old lady, an old woman, following a priesthood, following a priesthood of Amitabha.

[63:39]

Then, she wanted to invite, she wanted to invite one of Amitabha's priests, a king priest, because he was at the moment of her death. So, he wanted to invite a king, a great king, to make her a mind god, in the Buddhist world. Then, he went to the king, to the ordinary house. He said, he asked the king,

[64:47]

would you do me a favor and talk to me about the practice of this teaching, in order to make me a priest. So, he continued to live in the Buddhist world. This priest said, let's come to the name of the Amitabha. Then, this old man, old lady, tried to talk to the priest, but the Amitabha said, no one knows who I am. So, that's it. Then, in a dream, he closed her eyes, and started speaking continuously, to ten millions of Buddha,

[65:50]

no one knows who he is. Then, meanwhile, he asked, thank you, the way, now, beautiful, teacher, of Amitabha Buddha, Buddha, is trying to come down to me, to my home, home of heaven. This, came by bodhisattva motion. What should I do? He said, at the end of course,

[66:52]

let's thank the name of the Amitabha. Then, this old man started again to many, many times, many, [...] ten, ten millions of Buddha himself, he asked again, this time, this time. You know what I said. So, he said this time, you have to go to the Amitabha Buddha. You have to go to the Amitabha Buddha. You're coming down in a hurry to get to your home in San Diego, which is where you're going to have to leave.

[67:56]

This is the local police department. They're going to do what they do best. You're five minutes out. This is what you're going to do. Once you get to San Diego Police Department, you're going to walk up to San Diego Police Department. You're going to walk up to San Diego Police Department. Once you get to San Diego Police Department, you're going to walk up to San Diego Police Department. Once you get to San Diego Police Department, you're going to walk up to San Diego Police Department.

[69:14]

Marc Christianson arrives, It's time to act. Let's do this. What I'd like to say is, let's start to change the meaning of life out there. Today, it's already happened. Let's change the meaning of life out there. Today, it's already too late. Too late. This world is dying in time. It is. This is the answer. Let's do this. Yes, I want to like, to quickly, to quickly do,

[70:16]

to freely do what we need to do now, to practice some patience, to take a little on it on the way. And every afternoon, think about Yes, there is a big guy, I see him. He's got big red eyes. He's got a long, long hair. He looks like he's carrying a weapon.

[71:19]

He's a lot. He's a bad ass guy. He's a bad ass. He says, Ten times fifty cents, fifty times twenty times thirty cents, fifty times, five thirds, twenty times fifty cents. What's your number? Do you want to be my driver? You don't say. Why? Thank you, God. He loves me. Thank you. He loves me. Thank you.

[72:02]

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