The virtue of Gyoji is never hidden in the flow of time. Accordingly, one can practice the Buddha way awakened in him. The virtue of Gyoji is never hidden in the flow of time. Accordingly, one can practice the Buddha way awakened in him. Anywhere, anytime, Gyoji must be practiced or actualized. Now, the limitation of Zazen.

[01:03]

So, I think you will find some stories of Zen Buddhism. A monk went to a monastery and asked Zen master, I am really beginner. And start to practice under you. Would you have some suggestion to me? Would you have some suggestion to give me? He said, have you had the lunch? Have you had the breakfast? He said, yes, I have. Yes, I did. He said, did you wash your bowl? No, not yet. Why don't you wash your bowl? This story is very simple.

[02:15]

But in Zen Monastery, in Buddhism anyway, the practice must be vividly actualized in each and everything. Whatever you may do. Wash your face. Chanting sutra, walking street. That's why Dogen then says, the virtue of Gyoji is never hidden in the flow of time. Anytime, anytime, anywhere. You can do, you can practice.

[03:16]

But unfortunately, in Japan, there is quite few, quite few, where we will be able to practice Gyoji in Zen Monastery, strictly speaking. Many, many of Japanese priests are very interested in modern way of spreading Buddhism. Under the slogan, Buddhism must save all sentient beings. They are really concentrated on building mansions,

[04:22]

and let the many people to live there. For them, to build the mansion, and let the many people stay in that building, indicate to save all sentient beings. It is really nonsense. The question is, it is not so easy to practice Gyoji, even though the Gyoji is never hidden. Gyoji is never hidden in the flow of time. It is not so easy to practice Gyoji. If you see Japan, you will understand how difficult it is, how difficult the practice of Gyoji is.

[05:26]

The virtue doesn't manifest itself in time. Consequently, no one can see, hear, or perceive it. This is a big problem, which the Buddha and many patriarchs have researched for. In other words, what Buddha is. Buddha doesn't manifest himself in time. Consequently, no one can see, hear, or perceive it.

[06:46]

This is a big problem for us, not only for us, but also for Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha, and many patriarchs. That's why they practiced forever, life after life. One should know, one should know the truth, that the virtue is never concealed, although it doesn't appear, because it is not affected by appearance or disappearance, emergence or extinction. One should know the truth, that the virtue is never concealed, although it doesn't appear. Even though you practice the Zen, now you can see nothing, you can see nothing in front of you.

[07:51]

You can hear nothing, even though you practice. In the beginning, when you start to do the Zen, in my case, I was very surprised to see great results, which I have never expected. Before priest, before practice the Zen, I had no idea what Buddhism is like. I don't know completely. I couldn't speak, I couldn't talk about some aspect of Buddhism. Even though the people asked me, I don't know what it is. So I was just like ordinary youth, ordinary youth guy, that's all.

[08:56]

Then after, in two years, when I was at monastery, one day I came back to my temple. One of the people in my village told me, how wonderful you are. So I asked him why. Because your looks, they change, your attitude, they change. Your attitude, whatever you do, completely changed before. Before I did, I didn't notice what he said. Then after that, he asked me something about ghost. About ghost. There is in Japan, one of arts,

[10:03]

very old traditional song, which is called no, yokyoku, yokyoku. Takasanoya, something like that. You don't know it. It is called yokyoku. Very old traditional song. In this story, there are many ghosts. There appears many ghosts, who sometimes do bad, sometimes do good, helping the people. He didn't understand what ghost is. So I don't remember exactly how I explained ghost. But anyway, my mouth started to move, and talking about it. That time I was very surprised, because I didn't expect.

[11:06]

I had never thought what ghost was before. But my mouth started to move and speak. Wow, what? I don't think I am not going to say Zazen. It's not to say about this fact, which owe the origin of my experience to the practice of Zazen. But anyway, it was one of my experiences. I was very surprised to know about. Even though you practice Zazen,

[12:10]

in the beginning, I think you will find many things. Many things, something good. But if you continue to do Zazen, you realize that there is nothing to help you. Because you can't see anything. You cannot see anything to help you. But usually, in common sense, if you do something, we are asked to expect something. Expect something to help you. As if a mercury of thermometer is going up. If you do Zazen, your brain is getting warm. The mercury of thermometer is going up. Wow, wonderful.

[13:11]

That time you are very happy. But Zazen is not something like that. The more you practice Zazen, the more you realize that there is nothing bad. Just to continue to do Zazen, that's all. That's why most people are discouraged. Saying Zazen is completely pointless or purposeless. Completely a waste of time. It looks like a waste of time. That's why Dogen then says,

[14:22]

one should know the truth that virtue is never concealed although it doesn't appear. It doesn't appear. When I started to study English, I really wanted to speak English. But it's pretty hard to speak English, foreign language for me. But anyway, through the book I studied English. One day I had to see one of American Zen students at the airport, NATO airport in Tokyo. My heart was very beating, beating, you know. What should I do? Then I tried to learn some English pattern of greeting.

[15:32]

How are you? Fine, thank you. Very simple. Welcome here. Several patterns, I memorized several patterns of conversation in English. Very simple. How are you? Then next time... When I say how are you, I have to have little pause until she speaks something. Maybe she speaks something. How are you? Okay, next time I have to say, welcome here. She was Mrs. Mitchell in Massachusetts. Then the moment when I saw her,

[16:37]

met her, nothing to say. Because she started to speak very fast. She didn't say, how are you? She said, hello. Hello, what? Hello was not the expression which I have expected, you know. Hello, what? I was very surprised to hear, hello. Then while I was surprised like this, she continues to speak. How are you? Then she said, are you Katagiri? Katagiri? Nothing. Completely nothing.

[17:39]

This was my first experience of speaking English. Then... But anyway, I had to take her to A.H. Monastery. Even though I didn't understand what she said. It was my business. It was my responsibility anyway. So I took her to A.H. Monastery. Always I had cold sweat. Particularly when I was interpreter for her. But I couldn't escape from reality, you know.

[18:44]

I have to be interpreter. In front of many people. Roshis, monks. But all I had to do was just to be patient. Patience. Then just listen. Listen. Then I catch some meaning from her conversation. Not grammatically. Just intuition. Then interpret. Maybe so. Maybe there were many mistakes. I was very ashamed of myself. When I reflected on myself at that time. But gradually I could catch something what she said.

[19:51]

About in the end of her leaving the A.H. Monastery. She was... She stayed in A.H. for one month or two months. Maybe one month. I don't remember exactly. So at that time I was... I couldn't escape the fact which I had to be in the flow of conversation. I always thought in the flow of conversation. Regardless of the idea whether or not I understood. That's very interesting. Then about in the end of the staying in A.H. I could listen to her conversation.

[21:00]

Her speech. That's very interesting. But I didn't expect. I didn't expect anything. Even though I stayed with her for one month or two months. I completely at that time I gave up. But actually I couldn't escape from the world of relationship with her. With monks, rushes, A.H. And the English conversation. It was terrible for me but it is very good practice for me. So even though I tried to... I made every possible effort to listen to her speak. I didn't notice that my conversation made good progress.

[22:03]

I never expected. But moment after moment just do it. Just listen to. Just soak in. Soak in. The conversation in English. Just listening to it with concentrated effort. That's practice. That's why I could listen to her talk even a little bit. That's wonderful. Even though you practice Zazen. The same applies to the practice of your Zazen. Whatever you do. You don't expect. You shouldn't expect something big or many things.

[23:05]

So that's why Dogen Zen says one should know the truth that virtue is never concealed. Although it doesn't appear. At that time it doesn't appear. The merit of practice doesn't appear at that time. But merit of practice is never concealed. Someday it happens. Because it is not affected by appearance or disappearance, emergence or extinction. Because the practice is, as I mentioned yesterday, practice is not motion.

[24:09]

It's not a sort of motion. Of going up step by step. From the bottom to the top. The practice is not the sort of motion of going through the realization of going up the mercury of the thermometer. Regardless whether the mercury of the thermometer goes up or down. Practice just is.

[25:13]

Just is. Gyoji just is. Because it is not affected by appearance or disappearance, emergence or extinction. The practice is not affected by the up and down, encouragement or discouragement, pleasure or suffering. It doesn't matter. The Gyoji by which I am actualized at the nowness of its manifestation is not quite understood. No matter under what conditions it is brought into being.

[26:14]

For one's understanding of Gyoji is a product of his imagination which is extra. Gyoji by which I am actualized at the nowness of its manifestation is not quite understood. No matter under what conditions it is brought into being. Do you understand? Gyoji, as mentioned yesterday, is Plainly speaking, a living present.

[27:29]

Living present. Usually the present seems to be the creation of one's imagination which is extra. It is created by head. What you do, Zazen, let's consider. Let's watch carefully what you are doing. You are doing Zazen. Whatever you explain about the fact what you are doing.

[28:38]

I am here or I am doing Zazen. What is present? What is living present? Living present is to do Zazen. Yes, this is Zazen. This is Zazen. The Zazen is completely absolute state of human life physically and spiritually. In which the human being they exist in peace. This is Zazen. So just do Zazen. Just do Zazen. Just do Zazen is present, you think. Living present. Then you consider what living present. I am here.

[29:46]

Moment when you say I am here. I am here. It is the living present. But it is already the present. Living present which advances in your thought. Something in thought. A living present just is. Just is. While you are sitting you say I like Zazen. I like Zazen. I like Zazen. So you want to continue to do Zazen. The moment when you think I want, I want, I want, I want. Then turns Zazen is over. You have to stand up. Then while you think I don't like Zazen. I don't like Zazen. But you have to stay. I want.

[30:54]

I want to get out of Zendo. Because I pain so much. I want to stand up. Why don't you hit the bell? But you can't. Your head is very busy. But what is living present? Behind, beyond the busy noise. Noisy state of your mind physically and spiritually. Living present is just is. How can you explain? This, about this, about this fact. Which the living present just is. Or the fact which you just are. To say what you just are is to say what it is completely beyond.

[31:58]

Noisy, noisy, noise of your mind or pain. Feeling, the feeling of the pain or feeling of pleasure or feeling of suffering. Living present just is. This is living present. This is Gyoji. This is Gyoji. So, that's why the master don't move. Don't move. Just sit. Until Zazen is over. Just sit. Gyoji is mentioned, Gyoji is as I mentioned, the you which you just are.

[33:05]

It is the living quality of the you who is alive. The moment when you say this is I. This I is not the I who just is. The moment when you say this is I, the I is just idealistic quality. Ideals. Very delicate, very delicate. If you miss one moment, you may say it is.

[34:12]

It is the Gyoji. It is living present. But if you miss one moment, you wouldn't say it is living present. Just one moment. Gyoji by which I am actualized at the nowness of its manifestation. Gyoji by which I am actualized at the nowness of its manifestation is a living Gyoji, living practice. Living practice, wherever you are. By forever, it is actualized. The Gyoji is an act of conception of practice by which a people must go up from the bottom to the top.

[35:22]

At the nowness, Gyoji must be there. The practice must be there. So, the Gyoji by which I am actualized is completely living present. You cannot limit this living practice, putting a kind of idea on it. Like a stream, the function of the water in a creek. You can catch it. As a dynamic function of the water, you cannot catch it.

[36:33]

If you scoop the water in your hand, it is not the water in dynamic functions of its own. Just standing water in your hand. So, this Gyoji by which you are actualized moment after moment is living present, is life force. It is called life force. Because it is manifested at every turn at the nowness. So, that's why this Gyoji is not quite understood. No matter under what conditions it is brought into being, it's pretty hard. You can't.

[37:45]

Is it possible to see this Gyoji with your eyes? You can't. Is it possible to hear this living practice or living Gyoji with your ear? No, you can't. Is it possible to taste it with your tongue, with your body? No, you can't. Is it possible to perceive it with your body, with your mind? No, it is impossible. Because one's understanding of Gyoji is a product of his imagination which is extra. We always create extra, extra, extra, extra.

[38:48]

So, you can catch the living present in which you just are. When you create extra, you understand, yes, this is practice. It is not practice. It's too late. It's too late. Only when you create extra, something extra, you can trust on the practice. Because this practice helps you, you know. Why don't you practice more? Because it is possible to attain enlightenment. It is possible to see wonderful imagination of bodhisattvas. Why don't you practice more? But before you create something extra, the living present just is. What? What? I don't know what. Just nothing.

[39:53]

There is nothing to explain for Buddha, for patriarchs. But to say about it, it is nothingness. That's all. That's all. But usual, in common sense, the usual religion and any other religion put emphasis on believing in God, believing in some absolute object of worship. Shh. If you believe in certain object of worship, you can be born. You can be born in the paradise. Wonderful. What is paradise? That time paradise is already something extra you create. But they don't know. You don't know. You are completely believe.

[40:57]

Yes, I believe. Because I want to. I want to be born in paradise. You will realize, you will notice that there are many kinds of religion which put emphasis on this point. In Japan, too, there are many kinds of moody religion. Dancing. Close your eyes. They are always concentrated on dancing like this. Singing songs. This is fantastic world which is completely beyond reality. And then people say that is pure religion. What is pure religion? I don't think so. It is not pure religion. It seems to me that such a religion puts a mask which is called pure religion.

[41:58]

But it is not pure religion. It is fantastic, fantastic religion. Of your own creation. That's all. And then it is sure, it is sure you are in the state of religious bliss. If you continually concentrate on the object of image, absolute, worship, the Buddha or Bodhisattva, whatever, Avalokiteśvara or misery block of Arhat, whoever, it is sure you are really in the state of religious bliss. Then people say that religion is pure religion.

[43:00]

What is pure religion? Dogen Zen says pure religion is not understood, not quite understood with your head. Whether it is pure or not. If you say Soto Zen Buddhism or Dogen's Buddhism is pure religion, it is not pure. Because when you say that, you are already in the state of religious bliss. Of your creation, of your own creation, which is called the product of your imagination, created by yourself.

[44:03]

That's why you say, why don't you say Zazen? Please, Zazen. Zazen is good. Zazen is good. Please good. Strictly speaking, you can't. You can't recommend others. You can't recommend others. You can't recommend Zazen to others. Because Zazen is beyond something extra which you can create. What is Zazen? So Zazen is just silence. Again and again, you try to ask to yourself, what is pure religion? What is pure? What is purity? What is right? What is wrong?

[45:04]

The more you consider again and again, through and through, what you are doing in Zazen, you cannot put any other ideas on Zazen itself. Because you can't explain Zazen. After you create something extra, a fantasy or deity of your creation, it looks like a pure religion. It looks like pure activity. No, I don't think so. The pure or right or good in Buddhism is in the state of silence.

[46:19]

Beyond creation. Beyond creation, beyond explanation. When you go to the age monastery, the other day, even though it's not necessary to go to the age monastery, I think some of you saw me wearing the fancy robes, red robes, and beautiful, gorgeous, you know, K-sign, and wonderful hat in Tsukiroshi's funeral service. I was very surprised at seeing myself, how wonderful I was. Very beautiful. So I thought, well, I became a very good Zen master. Then one of the Japanese people said,

[47:26]

how wonderful Katagiri-sensei are, because I have never seen before you who wear such a wonderful robe, red robe, gorgeous K-sign. Then she bowed very deeply. You know, very wonderful. Red scarlet robe, gorgeous gold K-sign. I take you to a paradise. Yes. Even though you don't like, even though you don't like, it naturally drifts towards, it guides you to drift into the paradise. It is very true. This is usual common sense of believing religion.

[48:31]

Then you have to practice. What is practice? Practice is always chanting the title of the sutra, just with the mouth. With the mouth. Expecting something. Always creating something extra. It is a product of the imagination. It is not pure. Before that, why don't you look at the living presence? Who are you? Practice must start from this point, living presence. That's why Dogen then says, This practice is, what you have to return to yourself intimately. Return to the self intimately. So when you return to the self intimately,

[49:35]

what's left? What's left? Well, you can explain. Well, this is I. That's all. All you have to do is just to display the real reality which you just are. You just are. Because I don't think, I don't think you can go through the motion of becoming yourself. If you try to go through the motion of becoming yourself, there is some struggle. There is some struggle. In order to get something extra, this is fantasy or deity

[50:40]

created by yourself. While you make a struggle of religious assurance or relaxation of existence, you must make every possible effort to go through the motions of becoming yourself. What is it? I have to do something. I have to do something. I have to do something. That's all. Then what is it possible to experience? Let's imagine this point. As a result, what is in store for you? What will be in the store for you? See? But you don't understand. If I say something,

[51:43]

if I explain something extra through practice of Zen, you can be very happy. You can be very happy. Wow, how wonderful. Then I have to practice something. Then I say, on the other hand, I say, there is nothing to expect. There is nothing to get something extra. You're completely upset. That's it. But please keep in mind that Yogi is completely emptiness. The practice is to strike the emptiness continually. Emptiness continually. How wonderful, you know? Very relaxed. When you strike the emptiness, why is it you have to expect something extra?

[52:46]

I am very lucky through my Zazen because it is not necessary to expect something extra. Completely nothing. Then all I have to do is just Zazen. How wonderful. Becoming. Becoming the realization of just being. Just being. All myself. Just being, becoming myself. Even the slightest, even something slightest extra, which can create what is called, maybe something will be there after practicing Zazen. Maybe I will explain some aspects of Zazen

[53:57]

more clearly with my mouth. It's pretty hard. It's pretty hard to practice because I have to have a struggle of becoming myself through Zazen. It's pretty hard. If you forget anything extra, it's very relaxed. I feel very relieved. The moment when I realized there was completely nothing to get through in Zazen, I felt very relieved. I think that's true. Then just Zazen. Yeah, that's wonderful. But unconsciously or consciously, we are always apt to seek,

[54:59]

create something extra. That's troubles. That's why Dogen Zenji says, the one's understanding of Joji is a product of his imagination, which is extra. Our understanding of whatever, not only Joji, not only practice, you as you are, or Buddha, or God, or plant, or tree, or stream, the sun, the moon, as they are, are all a product of your imagination, which is extra. Before the product of the imagination, which is extra, there is pure essence of living present,

[56:03]

which is called Buddha, which is called Zazen, which is called the star, which is called the sun, which is called the stream. Then our practice is continually strike the emptiness. Also you should get away the idea of emptiness. Just striking of emptiness. Before you create extra, which is called emptiness, which is called I, which is called Zazen, just striking continually. At that time, the sound echoing continually all over the world. So, this is our life.

[57:04]

This is practice. Through this practice, you should know what life is like. If you understand this point, you can live in your life. After living Tathagata, when you live the Tathagata, life is life. All you have to do is the continuation of your life, which you just are. In the city, in the center of the mountain, in the heart of the mountain, in the Tathagata, wherever you may go. Don't compare. Don't compare Tathagata with city life. If you compare the Tathagata life or Tathagata monastic life with city life, you are completely upset.

[58:05]

As long as you compare Tathagata life with city life, you will never understand what life is like. While you are in Tathagata, all you have to do is just to continually strike emptiness, which is called Buddha himself, which is called pure nature of your own, which is called the Zen. If so, everywhere, through the universe, there are many gyoji you can do. When you wash your face, you can practice gyoji. You can practice gyoji.

[58:57]

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