By Gyoji of the Buddhas and Patriarchs therefore one can analyze it and attain its ultimate nature. Also, by one's Gyoji he can actualize the Buddha's and Patriarch's Gyoji and attain its ultimate nature. Thus, the value of Gyoji is its all-encompassing nature. Thereby, the Buddhas and the Patriarchs are Buddha-abiding, Buddha-non-abiding, Buddha-mind,

[01:04]

Buddha-becoming, and non-extinction. It's pretty difficult to understand. Yesterday, I mentioned already that the component factor of all phenomena and spiritual being is the root of non-abiding, the root of non-abiding. Thus, Vimalakirti said after the consideration what human world

[02:21]

is like, Vimalakirti said mysterious, misconceived ideas or false conduct and anything else are the root of non-abiding. The root of non-abiding is non-root, non-root. This is very important. Non-abiding, the root of non-abiding, non-abiding is non-root of abiding. It has very close relationship

[03:29]

relation with the idea of Buddha. The conception of Buddha is completely different from the idea of the absolute, which another religion emphasizes, very different. That's why it is very difficult to understand what Buddha is, because it is completely evasive. If you try to get it, you will make a yield. But it is very clear, Buddha is very clear. If you see into the depths of human life, let's consider again the non-abiding, the root of non-abiding.

[04:38]

The other day, as I mentioned, there is absolutely nothing to put the special idea into anything, whatever you do. When you enter the house, someone's house, and find some beautiful antique, and then next moment you take it, it is already rubber. Regardless of whether or not people watch, people look at, even though you are not caught at the act, you are rubber.

[05:49]

Someone says always, the two persons who are very serious religious men, who believe Amitabha, the existence of Amitabha. My parents are also very serious followers of sin school, invocation of Amitabha. Everyday, they always chanted the name of Amitabha, then one day someone said to people, such people, after they look at their mistake, their misconduct, then they said, you are very serious religious followers of Amitabha,

[07:18]

people who believe in Amitabha. Why did you do such a thing? It is already criticized. Strictly speaking, in terms of the root of non-abiding, it is a little bit funny. The Yoga Daishi said, the twenty kinds of emptiness have no basis. And the oneness of the buddha body is naturally sameness. If you read the Prajnaparamita Sutra, you will find the twenty kinds of emptiness.

[08:27]

In order to let the people understand so well what emptiness is, the sutra explains what emptiness is. So there are twenty kinds of emptiness. The Yoga Daishi said, the twenty kinds of emptiness have no basis. I think so. This is true. No basis. Completely no basis. Then, the oneness of the buddha body is naturally sameness. From this point, the oneness of the buddha body is naturally sameness. The oneness is that the buddha and the devils have one essence of faith.

[09:46]

One essence of faith. So, serious religious followers who believe in Buddha Amitabha, then, this moment, they chant the name of Amitabha, Nami Amitabha. Then, next moment, they yawn, open their big mouth, like this. Then, the people criticize you, wow, why did you do such a thing? From this idea, people believe, very serious religious followers, who can never yawn, who can never break the weight.

[10:55]

It's funny. Then, next moment, they chant the name of Amitabha, next moment, they yawn. And then, different person, I don't think so, same man, I chant the name of Amitabha, next moment, I yawn. This time, I am Buddha, next time, I am not Buddha, maybe so. From the criticism, people's criticism, you are not Buddha. But, when you see the people, others, it is pretty easy to criticize, oh, why did you do in that way? You are very serious religious followers.

[11:58]

But, look at yourself, you always do that. Same face, Buddha and devil. Buddha and devil have just one essence of face, which is called no abiding, the root of no abiding. Now, I do zazen. Then, next moment, fight. You do the zazen now, then if you go out of the tendo, after the lecture, you immediately pick up a cigarette and smoke. Then, someone says, cigarette is not so good for your health.

[13:02]

You say, yes, just smoking. Just smoking, you say that. Like, just sitting. Zazen Buddhism is very delicate. One, no gap, just little space between, when you try to judge what is good, what is bad. Someone gave a lecture in Zen center, someone criticized him, you are smoke, it's not so good. He said, well, just smoke. Yes, I think so.

[14:04]

Because smoking itself is beyond criticism. Of course, even smoking is based on the root of no abiding. Of course, just smoking. The moment when you criticize him, of course, that's right, just smoking. Then people believe, that's Buddhism, that's Zen Buddhism. Big mistake, very big mistake. You have to, just smoking or just sitting, you have to chew, again and again, through and through, with your mouth, with your body. OK? Very dangerous, very dangerous. So, strictly speaking, there is no fixed idea,

[15:18]

you are good spirit of the Zen, Zen Buddhist. Maybe so, I believe you, all of you are very good spirit of Zen students, yes. But, I don't know. If, imagine if you are, if you are in a war, if I set you in a war, what are you doing? It's pretty hard, you know. But sometimes there is a man who is an exceptional man, who is very transparent, serious religious man, like one of my friends, as mentioned very often, he went to the Second World War,

[16:22]

and he didn't, he never shoot the gun to the person, he always shoot to the... Start, everybody start like this, boom, like this, boom. He never stop, he never shoot the man, he always shoot the sky, and then he was shoot by the enemies, and then he came back to Japan. So, what is good, what is bad? The just sitting, just smoking, is the, I think, the ultimate place,

[17:34]

where you cannot put any criticism into. But, as individual practice, you have to chew it, again and again, through and through. I think, you know, Rinzai Zen is very sharp, very sharp. Let's read the story of the Joshu cut the head of the cat. It's very sharp, you know. Say something right now, nobody say. Psss, very sharp. But Joshu knows so well, what is basis, what is basis for human world, human life. He knows so.

[18:36]

Then he use immediately, without chewing, this is sword. He use the truth itself, without any veil, before he chew it. He use in order to cut the monk's delusion. Sometimes it is necessary. But Dogen is completely opposite. Because anybody didn't answer to this question, the silence is already answered. Why don't you let him go? Why don't you let him go? Without killing. See, very different. That time Dogen didn't use the truth itself.

[19:37]

Before he chew it, carefully, he chew the truth again and again with his body and mind, and then he use it. This is different point. If you compare, ok, Rinzai and Soro, but this is not criticism, ok. This is not criticism. You have to know what is different. I think Rinzai, Ace, use very sharp sword. It is very good. So if you are interested in Rinzai practice, go to New York. So it is very good. It is very good.

[20:41]

Not bad, ok. It is very good. Because our conception is very strong. It is strongly rooted into whole body. So it is pretty hard to cut it. So sometimes you need a teacher who use sharp sword. He prepare for death. Then come to Soro school, just sit. Completely opposite. Then you want something. You want something. Soro school is something like sword.

[21:45]

The dog always watch care, watch carefully his life. And find the truth. What is the truth? And then he accept first, receive it with his body and mind and chew it again and again and then use it as his practice, Buddha's work, as a Buddha's work. That's why this is very different, very soft. Just sit. That's why just sit has very profound meaning. Anyway, you can do, you can be, you can be anybody

[22:50]

what you are expecting. I am the Zen man now. You can Zen. You can Zen man. Next moment, you smoke. Smoking. Next moment, pick up something, put it into pocket. You are a robber. Robber man. This is true. If so, then we are always criticize, look at only one moment when I am the Zen or you are the Zen priest, something like that. Zen student.

[23:51]

Then next moment, if I yawn, oh, you did. You yawn. How stupid you are. I'm sorry. But I don't, I never say, I just yawn. I never say just yawn. I'm sorry. I'm sorry is very good. According to the Dogen's way. I'm sorry. But I'm sorry is not, is not you crashed. You collapsed. I'm sorry is very stand upright. I'm sorry. It is the practice of straightforward. I'm sorry. Then next moment, the Zen man. Next moment, Zen man. When he has to do the Zen.

[24:55]

In the Vimalakirti Sutra, there is very interesting story. If you read the sutra, very interesting, very, you know, sometimes very serious. Sometimes, it make me smile. Yesterday I read, after that, after this story, the, there is a conversation between the Montessori and the heavenly lady. Heavenly lady. The,

[26:09]

I think heavenly lady listened to the Vimalakirti's preach lecture to Montessori. Then at that time, the lady was very glad to hear Vimalakirti's lecture. Then, she did something. At that time, in Vimalakirti's room, there was a goddess, was a goddess who seeing all the great men and listening to the Dharma that was preached, manifested her body and then scattered heavenly blossoms

[27:12]

over the bodhisattvas and great disciples. When the blossoms reached the bodhisattvas, then they all fell off. When they reached the great disciples, then they stuck and didn't fall off. All the disciples used their magic powers to get the blossoms off, but they couldn't get them off. Very interesting. Vimalakirti said, everything, all phenomenal and spiritual beings is the root of no abiding. Then the goddess, heavenly lady, was very glad to hear that. Then, they scattered. She scattered the beautiful heavenly blossoms.

[28:13]

At that time, the blossoms stuck. Then, seriously, imagine this scene. I don't want. But they did it. Using the all supernatural powers, they couldn't get them off. At this time, the goddess asked Shaliputra, why get the blossoms off? He answered, these blossoms are unlawful. Unlawful. Unlawful means the priest don't have beautiful things. Beauty

[29:13]

always makes the priest mind. Wow. Therefore, we would get them off. The goddess said, do not consider these flowers unlawful. For what reason? These blossoms have no discrimination. Good sir, good sirs, it is only yourselves. I think it is only yourselves. I think so. Ideas. Ideas. Look at the memes. The priest don't have beautiful things. No, no, no. It really exists. It's his idea.

[30:15]

But the blossom itself is always based on not abiding. Not abiding. In the Buddha's Dharma, if a mendicant has discrimination, it is unlawful. If he has no discrimination, then it is lawful. It is lawful. Look at the bodhisattvas to whom the blossom didn't stick because they have cut off all discriminating ideas. The monk was very angry. He didn't answer to this question. From this story, we have always a certain conception rooted into body and mind.

[31:18]

It's pretty hard to cut off. Then, no abiding. No abiding. No abiding is the root of no abiding is completely liberated. Liberated. In other words, Dogen says the root,

[32:19]

in other words, Dogen says we call it, we call the root of no abiding transmigration, impermanence, or perpetual flow and move of completely no abiding. And then sometimes it says emptiness. Same thing. All the same meaning. From this point, no abiding is to belong. No abiding belongs to not only human beings, but also everything. The presence of Kataki

[33:23]

is based on no abiding. Perpetual flow and move. Including my idea too. Including my idea too. That's why the goddess said, how long have you been liberated? But Sariputra wants to know how long have you been in this room, in Tathagata. But it is already an idea. The moment when Sariputra compared him with the goddess. But it is an idea. How long have you been in Tathagata? How long have you, how long have I practiced Zazen?

[34:24]

It doesn't matter. Important point is how long have you been, have I been liberated? You too. Same is to be said of you. Because even the ideas, even the eye hairs, even the eye, even the eyebrows, even the hairs, even the Tathagata, even the Shakyamuni Buddha, even the conception of Buddha, even the Sugi Roshi, everybody is completely in perpetual flow and move. You can't stop it. So whatever, whatever you pick up something, even the, even the small, small things, even the insect,

[35:25]

you can't see, you can't see through your, with your eyes. It is, it also belongs to the root of no abiding. You pick up paper, this is also no abiding. You look at the river, listen the sound of the river. Even the sound of the river is always in perpetual movement flow. There is no room to put certain ideas into it. So, from this point, all, all human world, universe, the whole being of the universe consists of completely no abiding.

[36:27]

I think so. No abiding. No abiding. And then, in Buddhism, when you say I am Buddha, this Buddha is a man who is enlightened, means who understand what the root of abiding is like. Also, who get taste of it through his body and mind. After, who chew it again and again through and through after understand it even through, even with his intellectual sense. So,

[37:34]

this is Buddha. It is, it is called Buddha. This man is called Buddha. Then, the, in order to become Buddha, we have to see first into the depth of human life based on no abiding. Through and through. Through and through. Look at, look at your, that face. If you read the Lotus Sutra, whatever kind of Buddhist sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha always say, look at, open your mind. Look at, open your mind. Look at your life.

[38:35]

Open your eyes. Look at your life. It's not so easy, but there is no better way in to get, to come into contact with liberation, liberation, freedom. Then first, important thing is to see again and again one's life. Then, when you understand what the basis for human life is, which is called no abiding, then you try to chew it through practice again and again with your body and mind. At that time,

[39:39]

through Zazen, you try to chew it again and again at last you feel, ah, abiding, no abiding is something like that. You can understand. At that time, it is, you are called Buddha. So, Dogen, watch carefully his life. His life, what Buddha teaches us, emptiness, nothingness, what is right and wrong. Then he find, he find the truth based on no,

[40:41]

no abiding. Then he didn't use no abiding without, before he chew it carefully. He just accept, accept, he just receive with all his whole body and mind. At that time, at that time, no abiding, the truth of no abiding is not merely principle, not merely principle, not merely conception of the truth. Because this no abiding, the truth of no abiding help the Dogen's practice, help Dogen's practice awake, Dogen's eyes open widely. But when

[41:46]

you understand no abiding as conception, the conception is always here, in front of you. When you understand even a little bit with your head, that's alright, you try to accept, you try to receive it, then practice it, chew it, at that time you will understand this no abiding, the emptiness will support, support your life, and encourage your life, encourage your life, encourage you to stand up, stand upright, walk forward. At that time, no abiding is not merely conception or

[42:46]

philosophical conception, religious conception, I don't think so. When you understand the, how great the truth of no abiding has help, has helped you, awake you, awake you, your eyes open, the, you realize that you can turn the conception of the truth of no abiding into Buddha, into Buddha, because you are enlightened by the truth of no abiding, always, always. But while you are

[43:49]

attached to something with conception, it's pretty hard to understand it. If you open your eyes, wherever you pick up paper, yourself, your hand, your nose, your eyes, your mouth, everything belongs to the root of abiding, no abiding. This is true. So if understand, if understand your life, if understand the meaning of no abiding, emptiness, only through your life,

[44:49]

that understanding is to understand whole world, because whole world is always based on no abiding. It looks like pick up the net, one square, you pick up the one square, net, you understand net? For catching a fish, the net consists of lots of squares. You pick up one and lift it. Every, all, whole net pick up, you can pick up whole net, but you pick up just one. But whole, whole pictures of net, you can't pick up like this. If you understand the root of

[45:51]

no abiding, emptiness, only through your head, through your life, your understanding is based on understanding whole picture of universe. By Shakyamuni Buddha says, all beings are Buddha nature when he attained enlightenment. From this point, you know, Buddha exists everywhere. In a paper, in a paper, in a stream, in a sun, in a moon, everywhere. Because everything

[46:54]

consists of the root of no abiding. This is truth. And also this truth helped teach something. Wake you up wake you up. From this point, Buddha's world is very huge, very big. In other words, logically speaking, no abiding world, the world which consists of no abiding, the truth of no abiding is very big. Moklin, one of our Buddhist disciples, tried to test Shakyamuni Buddha's

[47:54]

voice to see if from where it comes. One day, he listened Buddha's voice from somewhere. You know, I think, I think even in the Shakyamuni Buddha's age, I think there is TV set and the radio set. I think so. Moklin, Moklin Shakyamuni Buddha Moklin can see his mother who suffered in the hell as hungry ghost. Then he asked Shakyamuni Buddha, how can I

[48:56]

how can I help her? How can I save her from her suffering? That time, Shakyamuni Buddha says, chant the sutra and offer the offer the food and any other things to all monks. This is origin of the ceremony which is called Obon's Obon Semen in Japan in August, held in August. Anyway, Moklin could see her his mother suffering in the hell. It looks like a TV set. Then Moklin

[50:00]

can hear the Shakyamuni Buddha's voice. He wanted to try he wanted to test his voice to see if where where that voice come. Then listen then walk from where looking out he look look out for voice from where it comes. But wherever he may go voice Buddha's voice doesn't change. You can hear the voice Buddha's voice here and you can hear the Buddha's voice in San Francisco. No difference. Completely same. Then he had some doubt. What's matter? Then

[51:02]

his curiosity his curiosity more compelled him to test to see if from where Buddha's voice come. What what kind of voice it is. Then sutra says he he he go he pass he pass four hundred thousand billion country. Four hundred thousand billion countries. He passed. Then after passing the four hundred thousand billion country there is a glory land which is called Komyo or where the Komyo

[52:02]

or the king of Komyo sort of Bodhisattva lives in. Then there in the Chakramuni Buddha the Buddha exists there. That Buddha is what would you call eighty eighty Yojana high. this is a Yojana is a unit of distance about about hundred miles hundred miles hundred miles one one one Yojana is a unit of hundred

[53:04]

miles distance. Chakramuni Buddha is eighty Yojana high. Let's imagine this high Bodhisattva you can't imagine you know huge big big and then let's imagine how big how huge the glory the glory land is where Buddha lives Buddha lives in. That Buddha is eighty Yojana high. If you compare with this the earth where human being lives earth is just like this like an incense burner like an incense burner

[54:05]

like a Tathagata bathtub you sit Tathagata bathtub and you start water with your foot sometimes you play starting water with your feet sitting bathtub If you compare with the glory glory land earth is like a bathtub and Buddha or Buddha just enjoy he's starting the water in the bathtub in the earth in the Tathagata bathtub which is called earth where human being lives then

[55:08]

there are many many Arahats then McKenna walked then he falls down into this land at that time the Buddha and the many Arahats are eating the lunch eating the lunch with big ball let's imagine this how huge this Buddha ball your ball is like this Buddha ball is very huge the place where McKenna falls down is

[56:08]

just edge of the Buddha ball with which one of Arahats use walk then Arahats look at oops very tiny then Arahats look at oops something here then he asks the Buddha sir there is a small insect with bear head wearing Buddha robe what is it Buddha said don't worry about it if you if you pass if you

[57:09]

pass after you pass you pass 400 thousand billions country you will find the small land which is called Shara Shaba Shaba Shaba means the world in which in which Shakyamuni Buddha preaches his teaching in other words the world is the world in which we live in this world Shaba if you after you pass 400 thousand billions country you will find the land which is called Shaba there in this human being one of the human

[58:10]

being which is called Mukenling with bear head wearing the robe in the swamp then there is also Shakyamuni Buddha who is always teaching his teachings Shakyamuni Buddha says well that's alright don't worry about it Shakyamuni Buddha knows so well he said to the Arahant I know the Mukenling have been in order to test my voice to see if from where it comes then

[59:10]

at last he arrived here then after that he said voice never change he said voice never change even though you pass how many countries you pass wherever you may go Buddha's voice never change you can't listen to Buddha's voice in the same way the teaching it means it means wherever you may go wherever you may go there is logically speaking there is just root of no abiding no abiding there is no conceptions no ideas then

[60:10]

also this no abiding teach you something teach you something and help support you sustain your life but just your head if you just your head think the moment when you come to the Tathagata you hate Tathagata you hate Zazen or you love Zazen you love Tathagata this is your idea but wherever you think you hate you love strictly speaking there is just truth based on no abiding no abiding support sustain your life that's why Togenzin says just sit just sit there is no better way

[61:11]

wherever you may go no abiding just no abiding there trees and sun Katagiri is north or Buddha too then if I know so well this guy through and through what who I am I am based on the completely the root of no abiding that time wow it is called maybe enlightenment but there are many kinds of enlightenment why you have to chew this understanding again and again through your body and mind that's why

[62:20]

Buddha says open your eyes then when he attained enlightenment everything is pure nature yes everything is pure nature this is true

[62:32]

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