I vow to taste the truth of love at all times. I think there are many people who... Can you hear me? There are many individuals who misunderstand Zazen.

[01:10]

in the United States, but not only the United States, wherever you may go. Particularly, in the United States, there are many people who are interested in meditation, and also many kinds of meditations in this world. That's why you don't know what the meditation, what is What is the point? What is the real point which meditation teaches us? Many people use meditation as a means to an end. Well, real meditation is end itself. Today I want to mention to that point. Probably a little difficult for you, but anyway, listen to carefully what I say.

[02:25]

As a conclusion, meditation is absolutely not a means to an end. from the beginning to end. Whatever reason you have, it's not meditation. If you deal with meditation as a means, whatever reason, you slip off the course, right course, which is called peace, harmony. Meditation itself is concentrated at the to put you right in the middle of a flow of peace and harmony. Not concept of peace and harmony. Your whole body and mind must be peace, must be peaceful, must be harmonious before you think it, before you catch a certain feeling or a certain experience saying, I am peaceful.

[03:40]

before you get, okay? But most people get the peace, but this is not real peace, this is a concept of peace, because everyone are interested in the peace, what people have thought or have experienced. But real peace, you should think of it, what is real peace real peace okay what is a real peace real harmony it's not completely it's not the absolutely concept it's not absolutely experience you have had because if you have had so-called peace and harmony it's already you start up the water and dirty so it's not real peace real peace is totally your body and mind and including past present future all exactly right now right here you must be peace before you think before you start to talk about this you have to show it that is anyway if you this is a purpose main purpose of meditation all right

[05:08]

but most people completely slip off real peace but they feel peace they feel peaceful and harmonious but that peace and harmonious take them away completely from real peace, real harmony that's why next moment you don't understand what the peace is if you are right in the middle of confusion, you don't understand Why do you do practice Zazen like this? Because you are pretty excited with playing with the concept of peace you have had, you have experienced. Pretty excited. Don't you think so? Visually or imaginary and conceptually, in many ways, you are really excited. But if you don't have, you don't feel good.

[06:15]

You feel boring. With real peace, if you become real peace and real harmony, your intellectual sense, your feeling, your experience exactly feeling boring. At that time, it's a pretty good sign. If you feel boring from zazen, it's a pretty good sign. But don't stay with it. because you cannot stay with, you cannot play with the boring, OK? You have experienced, you have felt, because it is the same things as you play with peace, concept of the peace and harmony, same things. So you have to always go through, pass by, as soon as possible. Then you have to be constantly present in real peace real harmony. That is Zazen. Because Zazen is a simple circumstances, simple arrangement, simple management of your body and mind and right here all things are ready to do it.

[07:29]

Just jump into it. That's it. This is a meditation. It's a very simple situation. But you cannot find this kind of situation in your everyday life. so many things that's why we have to create this kind of situation, circumstances and etc. So, uh, Dogen's intimations are like this. Can I say, uh, when you simply release and forget both your body and your mind and throw yourself into the house of the Buddha. And when the functioning comes from the direction of the Buddha,

[08:39]

Then with no effort needed and no thought expended, free from birth and death, you become Buddha. When you simply release and forget the past, your body and mind, and throw yourself into the direction, into the house of the Buddha. Buddha is, Buddha is everywhere, okay? Buddha is everywhere. Each form, each aspect of your life. The Buddha is a technical term Buddhism uses, but in other words, Broadly speaking, Buddha means perfect real peace, real harmony.

[09:43]

This is Buddha. When you become real peace, exactly when you emerge with real peace, real harmony, you are called Buddha. So, the Dogon Dante mention, throw yourself into the house of Buddha, means not to find out the house of the Buddha out of yourself. In the realm of every aspect of your practice and behaviors and the circumstances, there is constantly Buddha there. In other words, peace, harmony. So all you have to do is, in order to become Buddha, you must be anyway jump into, okay? Heart means if you want to be one, if you want to swim, swim means aliveness your life and aliveness your life is expressed in a different way, so-called swim.

[10:48]

If you want to swim in the ocean, you have to jump into the ocean and merge with water and body exactly before you think it. but before you jump it you have to think it are you ready or not so using your consciousness anyway what ocean is where you stand up you what are you ready your body and mind your body and mind is exactly ready now to jump you have to think of it then if you are ready you have to jump if you jump it already there is a merging of your body and water. The merging of the body and mind, body and also water is what is called to swim because it's not concept. Merging is not concept.

[11:52]

Merging is exactly you must be jumping into anyway swim itself before you think I am swimming. No. When you eat the pizza You cannot say, I am eating pizza, you know? It's not real eating. Don't you think so? You have to just eat. That's real peace. Real peace. And then naturally, it helps your body and mind. But we don't do it every day. We always have breakfast, and we say, I am eating breakfast. Something like that. I am eating pizzas. Pretty nice pizzas, you know? I have to tell one of my friends to eat this pizza. Always we are thinking like this. We get used of living in that way. That's why it's very difficult for us to see real peace is real swimming is.

[12:54]

Real swimming itself is very peace, very peaceful, very harmonious, just the swim. But mind is very picky and choosing. Right in the middle of swimming you say, Oh, pretty good, Karagiri. You're swimming pretty good. Something like this. Always picking. Choosing. This is a characteristic of human consciousness. That's why you are very confused. Very confused. That's why in Zazen, anyway, let them be alone. and just be, just do Zazen constantly, right in the middle of Zazen itself. Please deal with this. But your mind doesn't agree. I want to have something, excited. Something like this. How can I get peace? If you cannot peace in Zazen, how can I get the peace and harmony in your daily life?

[13:55]

No way! Even though I say, I am peace. No. Next moment, your life completely take away to, anyway, hell. Hungry ghost. Far away from the peace. Completely. This is everyday life. That's why we have to continually to do this. But people don't like it. That's why teacher has to continually, please sit down, please sit down, please sit down. How ridiculous it is. How ridiculous we are. Don't you think so? How difficult teacher is. Teacher always guide this greedy human being, please sit down there. That is a point, time, opportunity, and place where you can take a deep breathing, slow breathing, and in peace enameling right there. But we don't. That's why always, but still teacher must be tolerant and open to listen to your grumbling, complaints and the good experience and every time, good, that's good.

[15:10]

But, it is good, it is good, but don't be carried away by good. So please sit down, please. Alright? Next moment you don't feel good from Zazen. So you grumble, like, that's fine. Please sit down again. That's all we have to do. You know, how stubborn we are. And then the teacher is very hard job anyway. That's why teacher cannot stand up in the right in the middle of such a greediness. That's why finally we try to find the technique, you know. Yes, sweet candy here. Eat this one. And then you can reach second stage. Next, what? You always ask. If you understand, if you reach this second stage, then what? Then give it. Some sweet candy, and you reach second, third stage.

[16:15]

Then next, what? You always do it. This is human greediness. You don't know why you say so. That's why Buddha says ignorance. Ignorance is you don't know from where ignorance comes. Because you are already right in the middle of ignorance. You do it. So that's why we have to continue to do this. So throw yourself into the house of Buddha means you have to be exactly merging with, anyway, you and your object. and you and then become one at that time it is called merging of human body and mind and ocean then it is called swim because it's no longer concept so-called unity of body and mind or body and water no no concept because right in the middle of concept you have to swim so how can you concept do it?

[17:22]

it is brought into it no way If you always play with the concept, so-called unity of the body and the ocean, you die. You will be drawn to death. But unfortunately, your body and your mind is very flexible. Whatever your mind says, you're flexible. That is called freedom, nature. Nature is really freedom. Exactly fit in, every moment. But we don't know it. Already mind is very stubborn. That's why if you don't understand, please swim. Sometimes teacher push you into the ocean. At that time you struggle. Finally you can know how to swim. This is another way. That's why Rinzai always push you immediately into the ocean before you grumble at. But Soto Zen is a little bit, you know, soft.

[18:23]

You grumble, yeah, okay. That's why you don't like it. So that is throwing yourself into the house of Buddha, okay? Into the house of Buddha. That is simultaneously release and release and forget, both body and mind. and throw yourself into the house of the Buddha. OK? That is simultaneously forget and release yourself. If you cannot release, how can you swim? No, you cannot swim. If you don't forget yourself, how can you swim in peace and harmony? Right in the middle of swimming, you have to always checking yourself, picking yourself. At that time, you become restless. so that's why Dogen then says anyway you simply anyway simply simply is no gap between you how can I do it anyway simply release and forget both body and mind and throw yourself that is simultaneously throw yourself into the ocean anyway that is called anyway unity or merging your body with ocean that is called

[19:52]

practice swimming in motion then it says he says when the function comes from the direction of Buddha at that time function is function swim in motion doesn't come from you your effort anyway that same function so-called swimming comes from unity of your body and ocean It's not. Very peacefully, it's come up. So the whole ocean helps your body. That's why he says, like this. And he says, then, when the function comes from the direction of the Buddha, and you go in accord with it, No thought, no thought, no effort needed.

[20:57]

No effort. You don't think. It's not necessary to think, I need effort. No. Just, it's the effort coming from somewhere. But it's not an effort. It's not completely beyond the concept of effort you try to create. Simultaneously, in the unity of the ocean and you, something happens. That is mentioned by Dokens like this. That's why, anyway, the function comes from the direction of the Buddha, and you go in accord with it. Then, with no effort needed, and no thoughts extended, It's not necessary to think of it. Being free from birth and death.

[22:01]

Birth and death is really complicated. Birth and death is sansaric word we say. Created by, fabricated by, discriminating mind. That is usually we say sansaric word. So you can be free from sansaric word so-called birth and death. And then you become Buddha. Buddha is pre-peace. Very peaceful and harmonious. Not checking or choosing the person who is swimming right in the middle of swimming itself. No. Behind. Behind the swimming. Behind you who are swimming. Not behind. I don't know. or right in, or right with, or right on, I don't know. If I say behind, you say you poke your head into the behind.

[23:03]

No, it's not. Not behind, not before, not without. Not right in, not right with. I don't know how can I say. Because it's simultaneously there. Peace and harmony is simultaneous there before you think it, before you pick. That is called temporarily, we say, swim. Because if you don't put the name on it, we are confused. Because we don't know what we are doing. That's why people say, you are swimming now. And then you feel good. Oh, yes, I am swimming. But that recognition is already concept. Do you understand that one? The same applies to the Zazen. Right in the middle of concentration and peace, you say, my goodness, I am a real peaceful guy. It's already noisy.

[24:04]

It's already noisy. So if you experience real peace and real harmony, it's not real peace, real harmony. Real peace, real harmony is behind peace and harmony you have, you have of it. Okay? Do you understand? That is most important point. You just continue, you carry that continuation of that kind of practice. It is called practice. Practice. It's pure practice. It's called refined practice. Pre-refined. Because it's simple. Simplest practice. But your consciousness is always functioning, but you are tossed away. You are never tossed away by. You are constantly be there and carry that practice constantly. That is called refined human action.

[25:05]

But not only that, this is whatever you do. Because if you want to be a pianist, if you want to be a sportsman, if you want to be an artist, You have to practice this one, basically. Otherwise, there is no development. Constantly you play piano, is there some gap? Is there some openness where you can poke your head into? No way. When you particularly play a piano, exactly merging the composer's feeling and with you. Nowhere, no gap, no openness. You jump into the piano. Jump into the piano means jump into the composer's life. Who exists in the past? And including audience, who listens to your music? And including your emotion, your feeling, anyway.

[26:09]

Exactly, there is something dynamic which is going on before you think. But our life is really getting use of taking care of our life based on I think therefore I exist. But strictly speaking, it's reversed. You exist, therefore you think. Do you understand that one? That thing is exactly experience. This one, you exist. before you think, I exist anyway. But we don't do it. We think first, I exist. Then we feel good. Next moment, you don't feel good, and you cry. This is a sensotic world, which make you fun. Make your life very fun.

[27:10]

Lots of excitement. But if you really have a pure sense of practice like this, nothing too exciting. It's really peaceful. Silence. But it's dynamic. Dogen Zenji says like this, straightforwardness constantly changes. Straightforwardness means, in Japanese we say, sakishin means literally red mind. Red mind means naked mind. Complete openness of the mind. Innocent mind. Alright? Innocent. Pre-innocent. But you are an adult. But innocent. Mind functions innocently. That is, we say, Sekishin. Okay? Sekishin, straightforwardness. Very straight. Like intuition. but not intuition.

[28:13]

Intuition is part of your consciousness. But as a whole, your consciousness is straightforward. Very straightforwardness. Straightforwardness constantly changes. And its bits and pieces also changes. Bits and pieces mean. Straightforwardness always appears in every aspect of your practice, in your actions. Okay, play a piano, the straightforwardness exactly jumping into the piano, notes and composers, and then that means it's bits and pieces appear. But even the bits and pieces are changing. And then next he says, even true heart, true sincerity. Bits and pieces are constantly coming and going.

[29:19]

In other words, even though you manifest your straightforwardness right in the middle of playing piano, you cannot grasp it. It's coming and going. So you have to keep your eyes open and mind clearly and play a piano. So your hands moving quickly before you think it, but it's your consciousness clear. Okay. So that is bits and pieces of your strict mind is constantly appearing every circumstances, but you cannot grasp it. That's why it's going and coming. Next he says, even the true heart cannot hang around egoism. Do you understand? True heart, true heart never hang around selfishness.

[30:24]

Means true heart, I mentioned already, if you do anyway zazen with a true heart you say this is a true heart but if you say so if you catch the true heart with your consciousness it's already true heart hanging around your egocentric ideas so you never touch the true heart do you understand so what is a true heart? true heart is you have to manifest true heart but not right there behind or with it, or ready, or right on, or go beyond. I don't know. It's there, but it's silent. So I say behind. It's right there, and then in time process, it's behind. It's very quiet. Very quiet. That is what is called true heart, but it's very difficult to carry it for long.

[31:28]

But if you want to practice, you have to continue this practice. At that time, that practice makes your life deeper and also mature, very naturally. And also they bring you into real pure sense of thoughts, pure sense of mind, exactly, so-called wisdom. and that's why this silence and peace real peace which is silence real harmony which is silence before you think is something which it is difficult for us to carry it very naturally if I office tell your priest to practice this one you become pessimistic you don't feel good because nothing to get it because you don't understand it so I always please do it please do it you don't feel good that is called emptiness we say but emptiness is not pessimistic okay silence is not pessimistic

[32:52]

Peace, real peace is not pessimistic, even though you cannot grasp it, even though it is, really something silent behind your motivation, your actions, your practice, behind, constantly behind. That is, it's pretty hard. That's why emptiness, if you, if Buddhism teaches emptiness, most people feel pessimistic. Then Dogen then says, emptiness is a grass. One piece of grass. This emptiness grows its own flower. Just like a myriad of flowers blooming their own flowers. So emptiness is not pessimistic. Emptiness is one piece of grass.

[33:55]

Growing right now, right here. It's alive. It's life. Okay? This emptiness is... This emptiness grows its own flow without fail. He says, without fail. Means, emptiness is not a concept you feel. So-called pessimistic or vitality completely beyond. How can I say it? Look at the glass. Life of glasses. How can we know emptiness is there? Because glasses is growing anyway its own flowers. Without fail, constantly, means life of, really life of glasses, beings. What is that? Dogen then says, it is just like a myriad of flowers, actually blooming flowers. You can see it.

[34:56]

It's not abstract. It's not concept. It's not metaphysical. Emptiness is there. So from this point, emptiness, silence, or behind your activity, behind your practice, there is some real peace you don't understand. This is not idea which takes you a certain ism, so-called pessimism or optimism. No. It's something alive from day to day. But it's pretty difficult for us. But this is a life, real nature of life and death. You don't understand real meaning of life. That's why we, if you see the death, you really see what the life and death. That's why you struggle for the death. But life and death are exactly the same.

[36:01]

If I say that death is a very good example, you can directly see the rhythm, flow of energies, flow of vitality in your life. No excuse. How can I say? Should I give up? No way. Should I stop living? No way. Because you're still breathing. Should I give up? Should I become pessimistic? Because no hope? No, you cannot do it. Day by day, all you have to do is right in the middle of death, you have to alive. You have to be alive. So very strict, very strict situation there you have to face directly. It's pretty pure. What is real death? Pretty silent. Nothing to say.

[37:03]

It's very peaceful. But if we say death, at that time, that death is not real death. You say, I'm all right. I'm all right. Anytime I can die, but it's not real death. Behind that one, there is real death, which is silent, calm, nothing to say, nothing to comment. All you have to do is just to be present there from moment to moment. And then what do you do? Right there. When the time comes to get up, please get up and wash your face. When the time comes to have a breakfast, anyway, to have a breakfast, even a little bit. in the bed. So still, there is actions, life there. It's very simple practice. But behind this, there is peaceful silence of the life, silence of death.

[38:08]

But all we have to do is just to walk in that silence, always, and peace, and harmony. Dogenzin says, we walk, we walk, just in the mist. Practice is to walk in the mist. Your dress gets wet before your consciousness, before you are conscious of it. This is a practice. So very quiet, very silent, very boring if you think it. Very mad at this kind of life. Very mad. If you see it in terms of common sense, customs and heredities and your education, you're really mad at. Because nothing. But this is the nature of life and death. Nevertheless, whatever you say, all you have to do is just walk in this mist.

[39:12]

That's why teacher says, please sit down. Do you feel good? Wonderful. Please sit down. Did you attain enlightenment? Yes, I did. Pretty good. Please sit down. You don't feel good? I don't feel good. Please sit down. That's all we have to do. It's called shikantara, okay? Shikan, we say shikan. Shikan means wholeheartedness. Wholeheartedness means smoke. Smoke, for instance, is going straight up without moving. Just going. This is the zazen you do. So quite different, don't you think so? Quite different from the zazen you have taught. So please, remember, even though you don't understand this,

[40:18]

Well, please remember, the purpose of Zazen is just like this. Because the purpose of Zazen is to realize the real nature of life and death. This is Zazen, okay? Not to get something fantastic, or not to get an ism, nothing yet. But there is a vital energy there, which supports your life, basically. very naturally you can be master of the pianist, you can be master of dancer, very naturally if you do it. Okay, do you have argument? Any argument? Could you say a word about real peace and harmony?

[41:22]

Force? Force of harmony? Could you explain what is real peace and harmony? Real peace and harmony, in other words, that is silence. Pretty silent. But within the silence, that real peace is silence which has lots of words, lots of activity there. That way, through the silence of your life, people are moved by it. Silence is not the no word. Silence is silence, but it has a lot of rich words to teach. Do you understand that one? Well, for instance, if you fall in love with somebody, how can you say how much you love? Can you explain? No way. While you are making a noise, I love you, I love you. It's not real love. It's very shaky love. That's why you have to say, continue, I love you, I love you.

[42:26]

But if you really love somebody, that love is really stable in your life. So regardless whether your partner loves or not, you can love. So face silence. Do you understand? You don't? If you don't, you have never experienced real love. So silence has lots of words. So you're really happy. Just be present by him or her. That's enough. Before you explain, look at me. I love you. Look at me, my smile. How much I love you, it's there. Do you understand? Never mind. So, what I want to tell you is, silence is not always silence with no words. Lots of words to teach with mouth, with your mouth, with your body, with your mind.

[43:33]

It's called, mysterically speaking, hell. And how can I say that special lights? Oral. Oral? That's oral. Sure, everyone has. I don't know what kind of color you have. But anyway, everyone has. You don't say anything, but you have lots of energies there. I can see you. If you suffered a lot from your life, you say, I am not a good boy. I don't think so. It's a pretty good sign how strongly you have energy. If you don't have energy, it's not necessary to suffer from your life. Do you understand? I have energy, so that's why I suffered a lot. That's, in a sense, pretty good.

[44:34]

Pretty good sign. Proving I am alive. But if you are misused, completely different situation come up. That's why I have to use that energy in proper way as best as you, I can. Okay. Same apply to all of you. Okay. Talk about real peace, harmony and silence. What, where do, Yeah, peace and harmony appears in different circumstances, so-called pain. At that time, peace and harmony comes up, you know, making a little noise. But actually, strictly speaking, peace and harmony appears but doesn't make a noise. But when it appears in certain circumstances, so-called pain, it makes a noise.

[45:39]

That's it. Next moment, if you don't fight so much, it disappears. You return to the peace again. But if you continue to fight, it's getting bigger and bigger, bigger. Do you understand? Anyone comment to this? Basically, all of you are peace, all right? Basically, all of you complete peace, just like this table. That is called in Buddhism, Samadhi. We say Samadhi. Samadhi is one point in this. Completely Samadhi. Whole world is completely Samadhi. Peace. Peaceful. We say Samadhi. That Samadhi is nothing but the deep vitality you live. It's supporting your life. Mentally, physically, whatever.

[46:42]

Wherever you may go. And then, fortunately or unfortunately, you have your own customs, education, and the, you know, the habits which you have accumulated. And then that vitality which is pure, which is very pure and very vital, very deep, very profound, appears in a certain realm of your custom, so-called MAD, and then it becomes MAD. That's it. So vital energy, deep vital energy, which is pure, is veiled with some so-called At that time, it becomes mad. That's it. But basically, it's very pure. Pure, human, deep vitality.

[47:43]

That's why you cannot ignore it, but you cannot throw it away. You have to close your eyes. You cannot close your eyes. So you have to keep your eyes open, and to see it, and how to deal with it. Don't stay with it long. Don't be mad at it. accept it and you should keep your eyes open and to find out how to deal with it this is all we have to do but we don't do it we sit mad first if you're mad you cannot deal with so it's become a big huge monster so that's why i said You know, real peace is always real peace, but that real peace is nothing but vitality, okay? Energies. Which is pure. And it appears as certain circumstances at that time we put the name on it. That is called mad, anger, etc.

[48:46]

But the nature of the anger and the hatred becomes originally very peace. You said that before you jump in the ocean, you have to... your body and mind has to have the consciousness or the intention of doing that. How is that different from thinking? Because you have already consciousness, okay? And you have to use consciousness because you already live in a conscious world, separating subject and object. So, very naturally, if you separate subject and object, there is a gap by which you cannot be exactly intimate with your object.

[49:50]

That's why you need a certain adjustment between, alright, how to come close to your object. For this, you have to use your consciousness. Ha. This is called, in other words, technique, or this is style of climbing the mountain, or tools, boots and ropes and many things. Understanding weathers, mountains, etc. And then, you have to use it perfectly in the actual situation and keeping your body and mind balanced between you and the mountains. at that time you can really be one with the mountains. So style, technique, those are coming from our dualistic world, created by consciousness. But that is not something wrong because through this you can find a way how to come across between. So constantly you have to keep your body and mind in peaceful balance between

[50:59]

Mountain and you. All right? This is a mind. And then if you do it through and through completely, you can feel something, strength or proof. What your strength is going in a smooth succession between you and the mountains. And then at that time you feel good. Really feel good. Mountains teaches me something like this. But I can talk with the mountains like this. So, in other words, consciousness, you should use consciousness, but don't use it halfway. You should use consciousness through and through, right in the middle of certain circumstances. Then, if you do it, very naturally you can go beyond. You are free from consciousness. That is called no-consciousness in Buddhism, how we say.

[52:01]

Because I always mention, see, if you do something at the playing pianos and then the beginning of it there is a form, you know, fabricated by the consciousness, form of keys, form of notes, you know, form of fingers, how to move, you know, soft touch or strong touch or middle touch, you know, you always pay attention to it. At that time, there is a gap between. But you have to continually learn how to cross to the keys without thinking a form of strength or weak or neutral. You don't. You shouldn't think of it. Until this, anyway, you have to practice. Finally, your finger moves naturally. But your consciousness works. Very naturally, your finger is consciousness. When natural consciousness tells you, touch the thought. That is called beyond consciousness.

[53:12]

Sincerely, sir.

[53:49]

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