This morning I want to introduce you to this fascicle of Dogen Zenji's called Kajo, means everyday activity. And Dogen says, in the domain of Buddha ancestors, drinking tea and eating rice is everyday activity. This having tea and rice has been transmitted over many years and is present right now. Thus, the Buddha ancestors vital activity is having tea, of having tea and rice comes to us. So he's saying the vital activity of Buddha ancestors is simply eating rice and drinking tea.

[01:05]

But he also uses it in the inverse way of whatever it is that is Buddha's and ancestors' vital activity. It's just called eating rice and drinking tea. Sazen is just eating rice and drinking tea. Steady is just eating rice and drinking tea. In other words, there's nothing unusual. Whatever our practice is, it's just usual. People look at our practice sometimes and they say, oh, this is very unusual. Before we started to practice, we said, oh, this is very unusual. But when you are completely engaged in practice, then it's just eating rice and drinking tea.

[02:19]

Nothing special about it. At the same time, it seems very unusual, maybe because we contrast it with other activities. And when we contrast it with other activities, we sometimes say, well, why are we doing this instead of something else? Because this is so unusual.

[03:29]

It's very difficult sometimes to have faith in our practice or to have real faith in what you're doing, because not everybody does it. And not everyone can understand what it is that we're doing. And sometimes we tend to doubt. And we say, but most other people aren't doing this. Maybe this is wrong. So we tend to think that what most people are doing must be right, because most people do it. Maybe so. Maybe that's right. Maybe we should be fighting wars.

[04:38]

getting up our desire to create interesting scenarios for ourselves. You know, we always come down to this When there's so much suffering in the world, why are we sitting down? There's a saying, don't just sit there, do something.

[05:44]

Thich Nhat Hanh says, don't just do something, sit there. You know, in this interdependent world, this is the world of emptiness. Emptiness means interdependent. When whatever happens in this world with one part, all the other parts are affected by it. That means, that's the world of emptiness. In the world of emptiness, when one part moves, it's felt by all the other parts. because the world of emptiness is one whole being.

[06:48]

So, when one part moves, all the other parts are affected. When a group of people sit zazen, it has an enormous effect on the world, even though You don't see what that effect is because you're just sitting zazen. Dogen uses the term imperceptible mutual assistance. We don't know exactly all the far-reaching effects of our practice. Because there is a place where people practice, many people come through this practice.

[07:57]

And not only locally, but from all over the world. And the practice is carried all over the world by people who come through the practice, who come through Zen Center. If you want to create peace, then you have to be peaceful. If you want to spread the understanding of non-duality, then we have to sit satsang. And the whole world is affected by that practice, even though you may not see it directly or right away.

[09:01]

There's a long-term far-reaching effect of this practice. People say, over and over, they say, I don't come to your Zen Dojo to sit zazen, but I really appreciate the fact that you're there. People, because there is a place where people practice, it gives other people confidence. It's a kind of touchstone. It's like knowing there's something that you have faith in. So, even though there are many people who don't practice exactly,

[10:07]

yet they're affected, their lives are affected by knowing that there are people that do. And those people, those people's lives are changed by the fact that there are some people who practice. And those people affect change in the world. So, just by taking care of our own space, by doing our own practice in the place where we are, taking care of this corner of the world, the effect radiates throughout the whole world. I firmly believe this.

[11:11]

If we want to affect change, you have to do it by doing the thing that you do best, or by doing the thing that you feel makes that possible. There are lots of different ways to affect change. But this practice is fundamental change, not just temporary change or putting patches on things. Putting patches on things and chasing around through the transformations of good and bad. is okay. It's good. It's necessary. But to introduce fundamental change into the world is rare.

[12:22]

The world will always be the same. There will always be people fighting other people. There will always be people taking food away from other people. There will always be people stealing all the money from other people. This will always happen. There will always be people persecuting other people. As soon as it gets together over here, it falls apart over there. Good and bad are just continually vying with each other. So we try to find what is the best side to be on, and we work for the benefit of that side, but it's endless. If we want to introduce fundamental change, then we have to have a fundamental practice, and we can't let that die out.

[13:28]

So people practicing the Dharma and sitting zazen has a far-reaching effect on the world in a fundamental way that people recognize and people need to be introduced to. Because this is what will, I don't know about changing things, but will introduce some fundamental help into the world. So, different people have different tasks to do in the world.

[14:45]

Some people fly food to starving Ethiopians. That's one thing. Some people work for social change. And some people work for fundamental change. or just reaching reality. But if you try to do everything, you don't have time for anything. So when you're doing one thing, we think we should be doing the other thing. And when we're doing the other thing, we should think we should be doing the other thing. Simply because we can't do everything, and we want to do everything.

[15:51]

We want to be able to do it all. We want to fly the plane, drive the truck, and steer the ship, and feed the hungry millions, and save the world from aggression. You can't even know all the information. And you can't even know if your information is right or wrong. But you can't take care of what's in front of you. Actually, the hardest thing is to just take care of what's in front of us, because our mind is way out there all the time. Anyway, I'm getting a little carried away.

[16:55]

I want to get back to the text. Dogen says, he continues, and he gives us this little story about Fuyo Dokai and Tosu Gisei. This is priest Daokai, who is Fuyo Daokai, of Mount Dayang, asked Tusi Yikin, who is Tosugise, he said, it is said that the thoughts and words of Buddha ancestors are everyday tea and rice. Besides this, are there any words or phrases for teaching? Besides this, are there any words or phrases for teaching? And Tosu said, tell me, when the emperor issues a decree in his territory, does he need Emperor Yu, Tang, Yao, or Shun to tell him what to do? As Dayang was about to open his mouth, Tosu covered it with his whisk.

[18:07]

While you were thinking, you've already received 30 blows. Dayang was then awakened, and he bowed deeply and began to leave. Tosu said, wait a minute, Reverend. Dayang did not turn around, and Tosu said, have you reached enlightenment yet? Dayang covered his ears with his hands and left. From this, you should clearly understand that the thoughts and words of Buddha ancestors are their everyday tea and rice. This is the way they interact with each other, just their ordinary behavior. Ordinary coarse tea and plain rice are Buddha's thoughts, ancestors' words. Because Buddha ancestors prepared tea and rice

[19:17]

tea and rice maintain Buddha ancestors. Accordingly, they need no powers other than this tea and rice, and they have no need to use powers as Buddha ancestors. In other words, because they completely enter into the activity of practice, practice enters into their whole being. because they sustain practice, practice sustains them. Therefore, there's no need to say, what am I doing? Or, how will I get along? Or, how will I support myself? Or, what do I need to do? When one is completely entered into practice, practice enters into you completely, and you know what to do.

[20:20]

and your life is sustained. Strangely enough. But it means completely entering in. It means completely trusting. Completely trusting. When you completely trust, then you find out whether or not your trust is, or what you're doing is worthy of trust. And then when you can completely trust your practice and trust yourself, you find that you have faith. Faith is another word for trust. Trust and faith are the same thing. So, you know, When Dōtsu closed Fuyō Dōkai's mouth, Fuyō Dōkai had no place to go.

[21:38]

Nothing to draw on. He just had to be. This case that he's talking about, it's like, where do you get your authority? Where does your authority come from? Do you have to ask these old emperors every time you make a decree? Does the present emperor have to consult the other emperors in the past? Emperor Yao, Yu, Tang, Yao, and Shun are the old emperors of China, mythical emperors of China. Do we have to consult him every time the emperor makes a degree? No. He has to use his own authority. And where does his own authority come from? Well, because it's the emperor. Now he's the emperor, so he makes his own, he has his own authority.

[22:48]

Where does that come from? In China, they always say that the emperor is connected to heaven. And the decrees of the emperor are the decrees of heaven, good or bad, right or wrong. Where do your decisions come from? Where do you get your authority? How do you know what's yes and what's no? What's right and what's wrong? What do you rely on? As soon as Frio started to think about it,

[23:57]

He pushed it all back, way down there to the bottom of his being. He said, while you were thinking, you already received 30 blows. 30 blows can mean whether you did something good or did something bad. 30 blows. Here, it means while you were thinking, you got the blows.

[25:09]

So, you should investigate and study this expression. Does he need Emperor Yu, Tang, Yao, or Shun? Does he need them? You should leap over the summit of the question, of this question. Besides tea and rice, are there any words or phrases for teaching? We should try to see whether leaping is possible or not. Master Wuji, great Master Wuji of Shitu Hut, that's Sekito.

[26:22]

Sekito used to live in a hut on a rock. He used to live in a grass hut and do zazen on a big rock. And he has a poem, a poem called the Song of the Grass Hut. Maybe I'll read that to you tomorrow. Song of the Grass Hut. Great Master Wuji of Shitu Hut on Mount Nanyue said, I have built a grass hut where no coins are kept. Having had rice, I am ready for a leisurely Having had rice, words come, words go.

[27:24]

Words come and go, filled with Buddha ancestors' thoughts and words. Not to have rice is not to be filled. Yet, the point of having had rice and a leisurely nap is actualized before having rice, while having rice, and after having rice. To understand that having rice lies only in the domain of having had rice is the mere study of four or five shovels of rice. The mere study of four or five shovels of rice means just one way of looking at things. What does it mean, having had rice? Not to have rice is not to be filled, yet the point of having had rice and a leisurely nap, this is what the poem says, is actualized before having rice, while having rice, and after having rice.

[28:43]

Having rice means being full, right? Or being fulfilled. Or having rice is having Dharma. Dharma, realization before, realization now, and realization then. I'll read that again. Great Master Wuji of Shitu Hut, Nanyue, said, I have built a grass hut where no coins are kept. It means he's very poor. He doesn't have anything, which is okay with him. He doesn't particularly want anything. Having had rice, having had my meal, I am ready for a leisurely nap.

[29:46]

In other words, I feel okay." Having had rice, words come, words go, words come and go, filled with Buddha ancestors' thoughts and words. This is his state. Not to have rice is not to be filled, yet the point of having had rice and a leisurely nap is actualized before having rice, while having rice, and after having rice. To understand that having rice lies only in the domain of having had rice is the mere study of four or five shoa of rice. It's only one way of looking at it. My late old master, old Buddha, taught the assembly. I heard that a monk asked, That's Pai Chang, Hyakujo.

[30:51]

What is the most extraordinary thing? And Pai Chang said, sitting alone on Dazhong Peak. The assembly cannot move him. For now, let him totally sit there. Today, if someone were to ask me, what is the most extraordinary thing, I would say, Is anything extraordinary? Do you know what it means? The bowl of Jing Chi has moved, and I am having rice in Tiantong. This has a little bit of explanation. Jing Chi is where Ru Jing formerly was, and now he's in Tiantong. So he moved his bowl from Jing Chi to Tiantong. Today, if someone were to ask me, what is an extraordinary thing?

[31:54]

I would say, is anything extraordinary? Do you know what that means? The bowl of ching chi has moved. I'm having rice and tian tong. There's some kind of play between extraordinary and ordinary. Ordinary, extraordinary. What's extraordinary is just ordinary. And what's ordinary is extremely extraordinary. If you say, this is extraordinary, no it's not, it's just ordinary. And if you say, this is just ordinary, no it's not, this is extraordinary. Every moment is extraordinary. There's nothing to compare it with. It's extraordinary.

[32:55]

And yet, this extraordinary thing is just ordinary. It's just the daily rice and tea of all of you Buddhists and ancestors. In the domain of Buddha ancestors, there is always something extraordinary. Sitting alone on Ta Tsiang Peak, being allowed to totally sit, is itself an extraordinary thing. Even more extraordinary is the bowl of Jing Chi has moved. I'm having tea and Tian Tong, rice, rice, tea and Tian Tong. Each and every extraordinary activity is simply having rice. Thus, sitting alone on Ta Siong Peak is just having rice, just ordinary activity.

[34:02]

The monk's bowl is used for having rice. And what is used for having rice is the monk's bowl. Therefore, it is the bowl of Ching Chi. And it is having rice in Tian Tong. Being filled is to know rice. Eating rice is to be filled. To know is to be filled with rice. To be filled is to continue eating. To be filled is to continue eating means after enlightenment you continue practice. To be filled with enlightenment means to continue practice. You know, there's a saying in Buddhism that the Dharma teaching is a raft. And once you take the raft across the river, you don't carry the raft with you when you get back onto the other shore.

[35:05]

That's when you consider the teaching a raft to get to the other shore. But for Dogen, dharma is not a raft. Dharma is the shore itself. The dharma is already the other shore. There's no need to carry anything. Practice after enlightenment doesn't mean carrying the raft. It means after enlightenment The practice is development of enlightenment. Development, enlightened development. We say sudden enlightenment, gradual practice. It's not that you gradually get up to enlightenment.

[36:13]

Enlightenment, eating rice, is not so hard. Before, during, and after. Enlightenment is always before, during, and after. Before, during, and after, all eating rice. So he says, being filled is to no rice. Eating rice is to be filled. In other words, enlightenment is practice, and practice is enlightenment. To be filled is to know rice. Eating rice, meaning practice, is to be filled with rice. To know is to be filled with rice.

[37:16]

To be filled is to continue eating. Now, what is the Matspo? I say it is not wood and it is not black lacquer. Is it an immovable rock? Is it an iron person? Is it bottomless? It has no nostrils. One mouth swallows the empty sky. the empty sky is received with palms together. You know, the eating bowl with oriyoki means Buddha's head, figuratively speaking. And it means one portion, one complete portion. But one complete portion means swallowing the whole ocean in one gulp.

[38:21]

He says, now what is the monk's bowl? I say it is not wood and it is not black lacquer. Is it an immovable rock? Is it an iron person? Iron person means someone who's enlightened. It is bottomless. It has no nostrils. Nostrils, you know, if you have nostrils, you can put a ring in your nostril and then you can tie a string to it and someone can lead you around. So, you have no nostrils. In other words, no place to attach a ring to be led around. One mouth swallows the empty sky. The empty sky is received with palms together. It's a wonderful phrase. The empty sky is received with palms together. The one mouth swallows the empty sky.

[39:33]

Sky is a... two characters for emptiness. One means empty and the other means sky. So sky is a kind of synonym for emptiness. But it also means the whole Dharmadhatu. One mouth swallows the empty sky and the empty sky is received with palms together. This is Our monk's bowl receives everything. Monk's bowl here, is it lacquer? Is it wood? Is it mine? Is it Iron Man? Iron Woman? Is it a big solid rock? Anyway, I'm going to stop there.

[40:45]

This is one of Dogen's kind of poetic imagery. He uses a lot of poetic imagery in this classical. And he uses rice to mean various things. Sometimes he means rice. Sometimes he means enlightenment. Sometimes he means practice. to mean various aspects. Sometimes it means ordinary, sometimes he uses it to mean extraordinary. sitting on Mount Tayugo.

[42:02]

What's the most extraordinary thing? Sitting alone on this peak all day, but there's nothing extraordinary about it. It's just the usual tea and rice of this instant.

[42:27]

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