One day, Kassan and Jozan Zen masters took a walk together and discussed some aspect of Buddhism. Kassan said, Buddha wisdom birth and death means no illusion about birth and death. Jozan said, I don't think so. No Buddha wisdom birth and death is in itself no birth

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and death. Then, while walking together, they discussed about this point which is right. But they couldn't find a solution. Then, they went up the mountains to see the master died by Hojo Zen master. They asked, we are unable to decide which of our views is closer to the truth. Hojo

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Zen master said, go back, go back to your room and come tomorrow. Then, all night, he thinks what is right. In the morning, immediately, he went to Hojo Zen master's room again. Then, asked the same question. Then, Hojo Zen master said, the one who is close doesn't ask. The one

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who asks is not close. Then, after Kassan Zen master had become an abbot of a temple, Kassan said to himself, reflecting upon himself, at that time, at that time, I locked the eye. Kassan Zen master said, Buddha wisdom, birth and death means no eluding about birth and death. Then,

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Dogen Zenji quote, this story said, since there is a Buddha, within birth and death, there is no birth and death. This indicates absolutely the human revelation. Clearly, emphasizing that birth and death is entirely birth and death. Most of one's life is buffeted by the waves of

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karma. In Buddhism, karma has two meanings. One is the karma, which is general meaning. Second meaning is effort. When you say, I have a karma, that time you realize that there is life covered with a huge karma, which you have accumulated from since beginningless past life. It's sort of fake to

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show the continual aspect of life, because of your being in the continual time of your own history, from past through present to future. Then, the more you try to get out from this karma, the more you realize that there is something very strong to be tied up, to tie up your life with karma, which is a sort of

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fate. Then, some of people are completely collapsed and upset. But fortunately, Buddha says, and all patriarchs, many patriarchs say, Buddha within birth and death, means no illusion about birth and death. In other words, there is a Buddha within birth and death. That's why there is no birth and death. It means birth and death, the freedom of birth and death is absolutely within the birth and death. I feel really relieved to hear that.

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In terms of flow of time, for instance, take the Katage for example. I was born in Japan between my parents. I was born in the part of Japan, so-called Osaka. I don't like the people in Osaka, because people in Osaka has a very characteristic of trying to expert in the business, their own business, so-called business man. If you want to be successful in business, most of Japanese people are trying to go to Osaka. So I don't like that, because I'm not a business man, I'm not qualified to be a business man.

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That's why I don't like it. But it doesn't matter. Osaka is Osaka. But sometimes people judge me, oh, you were born in Osaka. You are really a business man, don't you? But I have never thought of it. I'm so business man. And also, unfortunately, my parents were born in the pre-cross to the Osaka, that's Shiga prefecture. Also the people in the Shiga prefecture have a very strong personality to try to attach to the business. So my parents are also business men. And then between those parents, my father, my parents, I was born. That man is called Katagiri-wa. I want to really get out of such a business spirit. But people judge me, you are a business man. You have a very not nice business spirit, very strong, craving.

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It is the desires, really strong desires. But that's okay, you know. Then I was born in Osaka and I grew up in Fukui prefecture. It is called Tsuruga. Tsuruga is also nothing. Tsuruga is located just between Osaka and Fukui. Fukui city. It's pre-cross to the Osaka. The people in Fukui prefecture also are very interested in business. And then I was brought up there. Then my parents run a Japanese restaurant.

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My whole life was brought up within the confines of business spirit. I remember that. I remember the business spirit, one of the business spirits. And really, I was very upset when I saw such. During the Second World War, we didn't have enough food. But fortunately, my parents run a business, Japanese restaurant. So we got the food for business. But usually people got the food for just their own life. But my family could get the extra food because my family ran a Japanese restaurant.

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So we had lots of sugars and rice, even though other people don't have. And noodles. And then we sold noodles. At that time, let's imagine how strong desire human being has. I will show it. My family has lots of things. Food, money, and also. Then, you know, the noodle. We got the noodle from the special shop. They produced the noodle. Every day, we got a certain, we got the noodles from the special store. The noodle is just one, what would you call one?

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A lump of noodle for just one person to serve. Okay? And then, it's not necessary to make arrangement of this, just lump of noodles. You should just keep it warm and pour the, you know, the soup on it, over it. That's all. That's enough. But before my family, before we serve it, we try to take away three or four noodles and keep it. Each time, my brothers took three or four noodles, four piece of noodle and keep it. And if you serve five, I think you can make extra one noodle.

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I was face upset. What's the matter with you? That's business spirit. It's really craving, you know, desires. Oh, sorry. I forgot to walk. I forgot where I am. Oh, what's the point? Oh, come on.

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He's just... Talking about the flow of time. Oh. Yes, in terms of the flow of time, flowing time of my own history, you know, I cannot get rid of. That's a very strong craving, so called business spirit. You don't say, oh, Anna, I don't have a business spirit, but you have. You have the same quality as the business spirit. The more I try to get out, you know, because that's why I become a priest and try to sit Zazen, but the more I try to get out from this craving,

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the more I realize that there is something very strong to tie up me. It is called karma. It is called karma. It means my life is continuing, okay? My life is continuing from past through the present to future. It is really true. There is no doubt. No doubt. Yes. I was born in Osaka, and I was born between the parents who were born in a single prefecture, in which their people are very interested in the business spirit. But fortunately, I am free. There is something I can be free, okay? I can be free anytime, anywhere.

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It means you think the time of flowing the time of your own history is really continuing from past to future without ceasing. But there is, there is something intermittent. Intermittent. That's something, that intermittent which never continue flowing the time of your own history, intermittent. To be intermittent, to cut off. It means you can't be, there is something, there is some place, there is a place in which you can be free anytime, anywhere.

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Where is it? It is present. It is present. It is present. It is moment. It is moment. Within the confines of moment, which cut off continual, continual flowing of time of your own history, is free, is freedom, which you will find. Because I am a priest now, wearing the robe. I became a priest in 1940, 1946.

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Since becoming a priest, the priest life is really continuing from the past through the present to future, yes. If so, there is no freedom for me. I have to attach to those priest life forever. I don't think so. Anytime, anywhere. I can't give up. I have a free time, freedom, to give up priest life anytime, anywhere. That's my freedom. That's my freedom. I am a priest and I am giving lectures. After giving lectures, I try to, if I try to pick up some money from your pocket, I am called a thief.

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Yes, this is very true. Because I am a freedom. I have complete, absolute freedom to be whatever. Do you want to be a priest? Yes, I am. If you want to be a priest, why don't you say? That's all. There is no execution, no excuse. Do you want to be a robbery? Yes, I am. So, why don't you pick up money from the other's pocket? It's too easy. But most of people are just, most of people see their own life just one side aspect of life, so-called karma. Which enables your life to continue from past through the present to future. And then you can't move an inch at all.

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Then that's why Zen Master, many patriarch, many Buddha says, please make your mind calm and look at your life from another, different directions. It is called freedom. It is called, let's see your life again from different angles, so-called moment and present. Anytime you can be, you can be a robbery, you can be a priest, you can be a gangster. Yes, anytime. Anytime you can be devil, anytime you can be Buddha. Life is freedom. So freedom is called sometimes Buddha. This is Buddha. We call, we use the technical term Buddha.

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But Buddha is, Buddha means really freedom. Plainly speaking. So Buddha has two faces. Two faces. Good and bad. Good and bad. That is freedom. You can be free. You can be the Buddha. You can be, you can do something good now. Or you can do something bad now. So Buddha is not something complete. It's what you call, sanctification, sanctification, sanctification, sanctified, purity. Buddha has two faces. Simultaneously. That is freedom. That's why I said you are free. You are Buddha.

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If you are Buddha, please do something good, so-called Buddha. That's very simple. Because freedom is, freedom lies in the realm of moment, present. But moment is not a speck of time. Moment is not a speck of time just for you. The moment is not only a speck of time for you, not only for you, but also for everybody. For universe. The moment, moment is extending into everywhere. It's sort of complete penetration, sparkles all over. Universe, Milky Way, all the Milky Ways.

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More than Milky Way. Complete penetration or complete omnipresent sparkles, shinings. That is your life. That is your life. It is called freedom, it is called Buddha. That's why Kassan Zen Master says, since there is Buddha within person-death, there is no Buddha and no person-death. Yes, you are Buddha. Yes. If you cannot believe something wrong, not only on the Buddha, not on freedom itself, not on the moment itself, something wrong on you, on you. If so, you try to control, you try to take better care of your body and mind until you can feel, you can feel freedom and Buddha with your whole body and mind.

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That is practice, okay? The practice is medicine, good medicine. The best medicine is you don't feel so good. Good medicine is really bitter. Very bitter. So practice is really good medicine. Very, very good treatment for your sickness. Even though you don't feel the Buddha, where is Buddha? Even though you don't feel the existence of Buddha, where is Buddha? That's okay. Why don't you chant, I take refuge in the Buddha continually with your whole body and mind. That's a very good treatment for you.

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Okay. So moment is So important point is how can you, how can you feel this moment which is alive? And how can you put it into practice in your daily life? That is always question, core. You don't feel moment, okay? Extended into all over the universe, you don't feel. You feel just a speck of moment, very tiny.

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Very tiny moment. If you think so, your practice is really based on the eagerness. I want to practice Zen in order to attain enlightenment. Whoever you are, I don't care you. Don't bother me, don't bother me, you get out. I want to practice Zen quietly, okay? Don't bother me. You always say, okay? That is ego practice, ego practice. Egoistic practice know nothing, nothing to cultivate you. Egoistic practice leads you to sink into the bottom of the hell. Okay, this is very true. You should remember this point. To say that moment is in the huge expanse, immense expanse of the ocean.

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This so-called space. Seeing your life in a different angle, this called space. In the space, your life has very close relation with everybody, everything. That is present. In which you are, you are. Thank you. The priests here, they are basically supportive.

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But they have to have good business sense to do their jobs here. If you run a restaurant, you got to have damn good business sense. If you are doing any job, if you are doing anything, you got to have good sense. And if you make money, it just seems not really quite right. I don't mean to defuse the existence of business spirit. I am talking about craving, coming from the business spirit. Craving. Business spirit, you know, whatever you do, not only business spirit, whatever you do. If you have over spirit, over spirit, too much, in other words, too much. In other words, over confirmation. Over confirmation. That is called craving.

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I don't mean to defuse. Business spirit, or good and bad, I don't think so. That's why Buddha says, even good and bad, birth and death is Buddha. Birth and death is Buddha. I don't mean you should make a choice, birth, ignoring death. You should make a choice of the death, ignoring life. I don't think so. Life, birth and death, both is Buddha. Important. Okay. Okay. And then, Jordan says, Buddha's wisdom, wisdom, birth and death, means no illusion about birth and death. Imagine, now, if you have too much, if you have something too much, even a good, even a good, you cannot be free.

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If you have Buddha, if you attach to Buddha too much, you cannot be free from the Buddha. The Buddha is very good for us. But if you attach to the Buddha too much, Buddha is really disturbing you. It is called craving, human desires, very strong desires. It is called ignorance. If there is no Buddha, no conception of Buddha which enables you to attach to it too much, birth and death is very free, very free. That's why, throwing away good and bad, not only something bad.

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Throwing away good and bad, and sit, and chant, I take refuge in the Buddha. At least while you're chanting, I take refuge in the Buddha, you can't do something else, anything else. Even though you think, I want to drink wine, I want to drink now, wine now, you can't. It means your desire is really transformed into taking refuge in the Buddha. That is shikantaza, that is practice of shikantaza. Even though you have good and bad, why is it that Patriarch and Buddha says,

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sit zazen, sit zazen, chant the name of Buddha, chant the triple treasures, continually, whatever you see, that's alright. Continue, continue, go ahead. It means, in the process of the practicing, there are lots of things. Yes, I want to drink beer, I want to drink wine, I want to drink shochu. At least while you practice, you can't do it. It means desire, what is coming up from the bottom of your mind, is really transformed into nirvana. Transformed into Buddha, transformed into zazen, shikantaza. The shikantaza is really beyond the good and bad. That's why I said always, you are Buddha, you are Buddha, you are Buddha.

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You should believe you are Buddha. This is really Buddha. If you can't believe, let's try to chant, I am Buddha. Well, I am Buddha, I will, I will chant the triple treasure, I take refuge in the Buddha. You can't do anything at all. Then you do zazen, having the same posture as Buddha did. Just do it. You can't do, you can't hit the others. At least while you sit zazen, having the mudra, how can you hit the others' head? Even though you have angers, you can't hit the others' head. You can't hit your own head, you can't. Why don't you have a mudra? Go ahead, continue.

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It means your angers, all desires, are completely plunged into the zazen, mudra, in the universe. That is shikantaza. That's why, Joseph says, since there is no Buddha within birth and death, one is not deluded by birth and death. It's not necessary to be enthralled by good and bad. Where I am going, after death,

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what I am doing right now, that's why you always say, if I do zazen, what will I have, something good result? Saying, if I have, if I practice, that is always a question created by consciousness. But, strictly speaking, consciousness itself is really based on the huge expanse of the world, which is called freedom.

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Before you realize, that's why Dogen Zen says, Dogen Zen creates one word, if I practice. Not the three characters. If I practice is completely one word. One word. If I practice, I am saying, if I practice. Where does if I practice exist? Now. If I practice, strictly speaking, if I practice doesn't indicate the future. Something future. If I practice means here. That's why Dogen Zen says, if I practice is present, don't expect another chance.

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Opportunities. In future. If you practice, you become Buddha. It's too late. You cannot become Buddha. At all. If you think, if I practice zazen, I become Buddha. You can't. You can't. The whole of your body and mind, what you think, if I practice, turns into the present, zazen. At that time, you can't become Buddha. If you miss this point, you are really upset. That's why Dogen says, for a person to seek Buddha apart from birth and death, would be like pointing the cart southward when you wish to go south to earth.

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Or like facing south to see Arthur Major in the northern skies. The cause of birth and death would increase all the more. And she would leave completely the way of deliverance. You are always facing south. Always facing south. And then you try to go to the north. It's impossible. What do you do always? Five Buddhas and patriarchs must say continually, you are Buddha, you are Buddha, you are Buddha. Buddha, the patriarchs always try to let the rain over your head. Buddha, so-called Buddha, [...] Buddha. Everything is Buddha. But you always try to see north facing to the south.

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Let's imagine your life. You know, Buddhism always tries to give not sweet candy. First of all, Buddhism always tries to give you bitter perceivings. Bitter perceiving. It's really hard. You know, Buddha says, life is suffering. What do you think about this? Someone says, Karagi, if you say life is suffering, life is transiency to the American people, it's pretty dangerous. Do you think so? Yes, maybe so. Maybe not. Buddhism always gives bitter perceiving, not sweet candy.

[47:28]

You know, the other day, you watched the Tibetan Buddhist movie in the dining room. I was very interested in Tibetan Buddhism. You know, you remember, the person who did something wrong, but taking away what is from the others, and killing the people. Anyway, they do something wrong, always. And then, Montessori Bodhisattva stands with a sword. And Fugen Bodhisattva, Fugen Bodhisattva took him, took them to the Montessori and took off their clothes. And with a sword, cut their necks. It's really deep, miserable, you see.

[48:34]

How do you understand this point? And then you say, wow, Buddhism is really miserable. That's why Buddhism always gives us some bitter perceiving, not sweet candy. Life is transiency. Look at that. If you want to know your life, come to me. Bitter perceiving. It is called transiency, suffering, no self. How can you accept this? But after that, those people were taken to the Buddha's place by Fugen Bodhisattva. And they have become Buddha. That's interesting. That's very important. If you read something in Indian, materials, book, materials, in Buddha.

[49:43]

The folk plays and so on, dramas and so on. Indian plays always show the very first, very miserable seeing of human life. First, cutting the neck, cutting the arms, breeze comes up. And then the last, the end of the story is happy end. All happy, no miserable. My parents were one of the Shin School's fellowship, fellows. I saw always that they hanged their pictures of hell. You know the hell in the white stuff, what happens? Many devils, green devils and red devils come to the people and cut the neck and burn the human bodies in the huge fires, kerosene.

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I saw always, every day. Oh please! But in the last, Fugen Bodhisattva took them to the Buddha's place and let them become Buddha. You know, you try to take away bitter taste first and then let them become sweet. It's impossible. It's impossible. It looks like you try to let the boiled seed, boiled nut, brew the flower. Is it possible? Do you think is it possible?

[52:02]

It's impossible. So Buddhism, strictly speaking, Buddhism tells you to become yourself from the bottom of weakness. Weakness. Completely weakness. Not from the bottom of strongness. Strongness. From the weakness you must become stand up. You must become yourself as you are. You must stand up.

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That's why Buddhism shows you immediately the weak aspect of human life. Transiency. Suffering. No egos. At that time, you are completely at a loss. How to integrate weak point and strong point? You have. Then most people try to get out from the bitter taste and then become sweet. It's impossible. You have a bitter. Bitter taste. You are really bitter. That's why you become.

[54:07]

You become sweet. Become sweet. Svay Dogen says, For a person to seek Buddha apart from birth and death would be like pointing the curve to the south, northward, when you wished to go south to the east. Or like facing south to see Arthur Major. In the northern skies, the cause of birth and death would increase all the more. And he would leave completely the way of deliverance. How can you find a strong point in life? Except Buddha's practice, Buddha's life. Except realization of Buddha's life.

[55:08]

Doesn't make you Buddha. Immediately. You should believe it. I bet you. I really bet you. If it is. If I lie. Please kill me. That's okay. Zen Master says, You shoot the Zen. Continually. If I tell lie. After my death. Please make pedal, scoop. Scoop. From my bone. Sculpting. For using the, scooping the shit. It's really interesting. So my body is, my body is really Buddha. Buddha is, Buddha appears everywhere.

[56:17]

Everywhere. If you, if I tell lie. Please. Make us pedals. For the scooping. Your seat. That's all. The Buddha sits under the Bodhi tree. Under the Bodhi tree. I don't think. Buddha sit. Buddha was, Buddha sit. Easily. Under the Bodhi tree. I think. He feel. Very hard. Because he try to get something, some strong point of his life. Practicing ascetic. Asceticism. But he couldn't find.

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Then after that. He said Zazen. Without doing anything. How difficult it is. You do Zazen. And then you see. You see always. Moment after moment. Your weak point. Not strong point. You are really upset. Yes I know. Buddha knows so well. But there is. Buddha exist. There is. Please stand up. Please sit. Continue. Continue. Forever. Life after life. Taking refuge in the Buddha. When you forget your ego. How you feel.

[58:23]

How I feel. From the practice. It doesn't matter. Why you feel. From the practice. There is some ego. You can't practice. Absolutely. You forget. Your ego. Just turn to take Buddha. Take refuge in the Buddha. Plunging into Zazen. Again and again. That time. There is very true meaning of taking refuge in the Buddha. Because you become Buddha. You become Zazen. Become Buddha. That time. All your body and mind is very Buddha's teaching. Teaching something from your body and mind. It's sort of lotus flower. Lotus flower.

[59:23]

Has very wonderful fragrance. In shape, in color. Beautiful. You feel something more than. More than you feel. From the lotus flower in the shape, in the color. You cannot explain. If you do Zazen. You can. From your body and mind. Inscrutable. Inscrutable fragrance. Comes. From your body and mind. It doesn't come from your karmic life. It's.

[60:30]

That fragrance is called. Kudoku. Or Fukubun. Kudoku. You chant the sutra. Kudoku. Sutra in the everyday. After chanting sutras. Kudoku means merit. If you translate it. Merit is. Beyond the. Beyond the spirit of give and take. Which goes in the human life. You can't explain. But you feel. You are really impressed by it. Like a lotus flower. Like a Buddha. Like a lotus. One of our teacher. In Komusawa. Said to me. People do Zazen. And walk the street.

[61:33]

His body speaks. How long he do Zazen. From his body and mind. He speaks Zazen. His. His body and mind. Put forth. Put forth. Some fragrance. More than karmic life. Karmic life. You were. While Sukiroshi was alive. In this world. Many people criticize him. Many people criticize him. I know so well. But. On the other hand. It is very true. There is something. What you cannot criticize. The moment when you see him.

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You Kassho. Do bow. And take care.

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