Last week, I explained the meaning of the title of the sutra, quoting one of the passages which occurs in one of the chapters of Shinchi Kangyo. Particularly, I described the meaning of Shinchi. Shinchi means mind. Chi is the earth. So, actually, I couldn't find a proper word to translate it into English.

[01:00]

A mental ground? Something like that. Shinchi, mind. The earth, ground. Kan means to observe. To scrutinize. Anyway, to observe. To examine. Examine. So, if you study Buddhism through practice dozen,

[02:06]

we have to realize the state of mind which is state of mind which is completely, absolutely identical with the existence of the earth where everything springs. Therein. This is the very important principle of Buddhism. So, one Buddhist school emphasizes the principle of mind only. But today, if the mind is like the earth, wherein everything, regardless of whether it is good or bad, right or wrong, springs vividly,

[03:16]

how should we learn the observation of the mental ground? The mental ground which is called Shinchi. The sutra says, all ordinary beings, anyway, this is all human beings, all ordinary beings try to get acquainted with good friends to listen to the dharma of the mind, mental ground, to observe a thing in accordance with the principle of the universal basis, to practice Buddhism as it mentions,

[04:17]

and by living the practice on one's own initiative, to guide the others, giving the expression to admiration, encouragement, recitation, and consolation. Thus, they really sever themselves from their three obstacles or hindrances to fulfill their practices perfectly and rapidly and to attain Anutta Samyak Sambodhi, or perfect universal enlightenment, knowledge or understanding. So, this passage emphasizes that how we should learn to observe

[05:33]

the human mind which is called mental ground, or which is absolutely identical with the function of the earth. All ordinary beings try to get acquainted with good friends. To get acquainted with good friends, who is good friend? Who is a good friend? Who is a bad friend? I think this is very difficult to judge who is good, who is bad. Last night, I went to a... I attended a party for children's birthday.

[06:37]

That time, there were many children there. The moment when I stepped in the house, the old children were very curious of my head, forehead, and of trying to touch my head. Then, the old children rushed into me, and, hey, may I touch your head? Sure, sure. One of the children touched my head and said,

[07:42]

Wow, your head is dirty. My goodness, all dirty. Then, one by one, children came to me and touched my head. Dirty, dirty. My goodness. Then, there was a very interested guy who, it seems to me that he was, he had a very, how to say, he has, his temper, his temper had something soft and pliable and gentle.

[09:03]

Gentle, like a priesthood temple. Like a person who cannot help in places, everything, including good and bad, anyway. Then, all children loved him so much. Always, the old children played with him, but they never came to me. But this man was also curious of my position as a Zen priest. Forehead, wearing black robe. But he didn't have any idea of what Buddhism was.

[10:05]

What he knew was just the name of Amitabha, just the name of the title of the Lotus Sutra, Myoho-renge-cho. So, like the people, Soka Gakkai people, chanted just the title of the Lotus Sutra, Myoho-renge-cho, something like that. He had no idea what Zen Buddhism was, what Shin school, the principle of Shinran's thought is. Then, he treated me, he was very delighted in treating me seriously, saying Myoho-renge-cho.

[11:08]

I have never chanted Myoho-renge-cho. But he always treated me. And also he treated Buddhism, because he has no idea about Buddhism. But his temper is pretty good. In common sense, he is very good. But why is it a good person treated badly? Buddhism treated badly priest, or whoever priest is. And then bad, dirty priest, dirty priest must pay respect to the Buddhism and practice Zen on the other. Why? What is good? What is bad? Then, in the Sutra of Practice and Enlightenment,

[12:17]

it says, we take refuge in the Sangha. We take refuge in the Sangha because its members are excellent friends to us. I say good friends. This, the idea of conceptual good, is beyond the idea which we have thought, usually. We have judged, usually, this is good, this is bad. Because good friend is the person who tries to follow, tries to follow the Buddha and Buddha's way, Buddha's teaching. Dogenzin says, it is the treasure of Sangha

[13:24]

for one to learn Buddhism, to Buddha, to the Buddha, to learn the Buddha, to learn the Buddha's teaching. It is called, it is, such a person is called Sangha. And also, such a person is good friend, good friend. In terms of common sense, whoever you are, no matter what, no matter what you, the category of your character belongs to, I don't know, good or bad. But wherever you are, in order to be good friends, we have to make possible effort to follow,

[14:30]

to learn the Buddha, the Dharma, Buddha's teaching. So, from this point, among the many ways of practice as a Buddhist, zazen, gassho, bow, eating, opening oryoki, opening your bow, walking passage, walking inside of the zendo, chanting the sutra, reciting the lecture, or whatever it is, if you understand even the slightest, slightest details of the Buddha and Buddha's teaching,

[15:33]

such as the bow, the walking meditation, zazen, proper posture of your zazen, the hokkai-join mudra, it means, it means that you acquire, you acquire the Buddha's teaching, the Buddha, the Buddha's Dharma, Buddha's way. So, actually it is pretty difficult to understand everything. So, even just one gassho, walking meditation, if you understand even one practice, one principle, one principle, for instance, conditioning, the principle of conditioning,

[16:35]

incident, in other words, the causation, the principle of causation or principle of transcendence, if you understand even this, it means that you acquire the principle of Buddha, the Buddha and Buddha's teaching. Such a man, such a person is called good friend, good friend. Of course, Dogen says in the Genjo-koan chapter, which is called Genjo-koan, he says, when first we begin to seek the Dharma or Buddha's way, we are far away from its environs, environs. I think the more you reflect upon yourself,

[17:44]

you will realize, the yourself, the who is, who is getting far away from its environs. When you try to seek the Dharma or Buddha's way, think this is fact, what you have experienced in your daily life. But, Dogen then says also, when we discover that the truth has already been transmitted to us, we are ourselves at that moment. So, this is a very important point for the Buddhists,

[18:45]

the Buddhists, for Buddhists to realize, to comprehend the full experience of this fundamental, this fundamental wholeness, wholeness. The, we are, in other words, the full experience of the fundamental, the wholeness, it means that you exist already in the middle, right in the middle of the truth, the Buddha's teaching. So, wherever you are, our effort, focus, our effort, focus, to become good friends, to become good friends, which means you make every possible effort to learn the Buddha and Buddha's teaching.

[19:52]

Then what is Buddha, Buddha and Buddha's teaching? Then we have to, what is Buddha's teaching? What is Buddha's teaching? Buddha's teaching follows, Buddha's teaching must have the truth of its own. I think the, I think one month ago, I remember I told you the thought, the background of Zen Buddhist thought is based on the principle of the conditioning event.

[20:57]

In other words, principle of causation and transcendence. Ah, when I became a priest, and my teacher, my teacher says, that Zen Buddhism is the best school to learn the Buddhism. At that time I didn't know why it was the best one. So unconsciously, my master's statement inspired my mind into some idea that Zen Buddhism was the best thing to learn the Buddhism.

[21:58]

Then after that I went to the age monastery and practiced the Zen. Then during the practicing there, I realized just a little bit, just a little bit, a little bit how good Zen Buddhism was. Just a little bit. But now I didn't understand. I didn't understand. Then every moment when I describe some aspect of Buddhism, I always, how, how wonderful, how excellent Zen Buddhism is. According to Dogen's statement, because Dogen says,

[23:03]

the practice of Zazen is the right gate to enter the Buddhism. In other words, Zazen is the proper gate to understand Buddhism. That's why Buddhism, Zazen is the best. But this is a little funny. I always quoted the Dogen's statement. Zazen is the right gate to enter the Buddhism. That's why Zazen is the best. It means, there is no, there is nothing, there is nothing that, nothing to learn. How Katagiri himself learned what Buddhism was. Just quoting, just following Dogen's statement,

[24:07]

just following the Shakyamuni Buddha's statement. Shakyamuni Buddha says Zazen is best. But why Zazen is best? But I myself, if I strictly speaking, I ask myself, are you sure? I am not sure. It's pretty difficult to answer to this question directly, yes. Taking the answer, yes. Then last, at last, I realize myself, ah, I became, I took my head, I have some illusion, firmly, that I became Zen priest, because Zen Buddhism is best. Because I believe,

[25:11]

because I believe that Zen Buddhism is best. You know, there is some reason, you know, I become a priest. Why? You know, because I believe, I believed Zen, that Zen Buddhism is best. Dogen thought Buddhism is best, among many schools of Buddhism in Japan. That's why I became Buddhist priest, as Zen. But it is a very big mistake. Because strictly speaking, I always ask myself, why is it you become Zen priest? There is, it's pretty difficult to find the particular reason.

[26:16]

Why you become priest under this master, my master? Why do you, why did you become, why did you become Zen priest, belonging to sorrow school? I think there is nothing particular reason, nothing particular reason, that I have to put a strong emphasis on the reason why I became Zen priest as sorrow school, as Zen Buddhist priest. Because the reason, if I may say, that reason is, you know, if I may say, that, if I may say it is,

[27:19]

just because of, you know, the the conditioning cause conditioning cause of occasion and opportunity, that's all. At that time I didn't know, I didn't know, I didn't know any idea what Buddhism was. How wonderful Dogen's thought was. I had completely no idea. I didn't know my master before. I had never seen my master before. But we may say, we may say that there is some reason that it is just because of conditioning cause,

[28:24]

conditioning cause of occasion or opportunity, that's all. I think Buddhism emphasizes that everything exists in the domain of principle that everything is going on.

[28:58]

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