Listen attentively and carefully. All ordinary beings try to get acquainted with our good friends, to listen to the truth of the mind, to contemplate and think in accordance with the principle of the truth, to practice Buddhism as it mentions, to put it into practice on one's own initiatives and guide the others, giving the expression to admiration, encouragement, felicitation, and consolation, and you really sever yourself from your three obstacles to fulfill your perfect practice immediately and to attain

[01:13]

Anuttara Samyuktambari. The other day I mentioned the great reality that all sentient beings possess the mind based on Buddha nature. Taking the example, the principle of the school where they teach us how to use lie detector through the experiment of whether the tree and grass possesses the emotions of joy and anger, such and such. Religiously speaking or scientifically speaking, as Shakyamuni Buddha mentioned 2,500

[02:32]

years ago, it is real truth that all sentient beings possess the Buddha nature. First of all, we have to believe this. As a Buddhist, the important point is not to look at this reality as a Lucason. The important point is that we have to become one with the all sentient being which possesses Buddha nature. The principle of that school is interested in discovering something more than lie detector, using the reaction shown on the cactus leaves, something more than lie detector.

[03:55]

So I mentioned in our future maybe cactus could appear in court as a testimony in order to examine a suspected criminal. Maybe it could be possible. I think it is alright, but for us the important point is that we have to know, we have to know, we have to get acquainted with trees, grass, which has Buddha nature, mind, emotions of joy and grass. In other words, we have to become one with them.

[04:58]

Then the sutra says, listen carefully and attentively. All ordinary beings try to get acquainted with good friends, to listen to the Dharma of the mind, to contemplate a thing in accordance with the principle of the universal basis, or the truth, to practice Buddhism as it mentions, to put it into practice on one's own initiatives and guide the others, giving the expression to admonition, encouragement, recitation, and consolation. And then really sever yourself from your three obstacles to fulfill your perfect practice, lovingly, and to attend to somebody.

[06:09]

To get acquainted with good friends, to listen to the Dharma of the mind, to contemplate a thing in accordance with the principle of the truth, to practice Buddhism as it mentions, to put it into practice on your own initiatives and guide the others. Giving the expression to admonition, encouragement, recitation, and consolation. It seems to us that it is a very evasive practice, a bored practice, which could take you a long time, long, long, long time to get what the Buddha nature is, to get what you are, to understand who you are.

[07:34]

But this is, even though it seems to us that this is very evasive practice, evasive practice which could take you so long, long time to get what you are, so long time to get the goal of religious life, but it is a very important point to observe it. Since the baby, a human being was born in this world, for 16 months, the baby tried to learn lots of things.

[08:48]

Man, it is said the baby learns what ordinal number is, what natural number is. You know that what ordinal number? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, something like this. Natural number is the number that the baby tried to learn from his daily life, his daily life or from nature surrounded by him. Practicing again and again for keeping hold of something in his hand, the baby tried to learn just number one, natural number one.

[09:57]

In his daily life, he is always holding, keeping hold of something, just one thing in his hand. If someone give the other thing, another thing, baby throw it which he has hold in his hand, throw away, he throw it away and he tried to catch another thing. Again and again he learned throwing away, holding, getting another thing, throwing away, getting another thing. Through this practice, the baby learns what number is, what number one is. It will take long time, long time.

[11:01]

Of course for you, you are asked by someone what number is, all of you understand, yes I know what number is. Because you already practiced in that way for a long time, since your baby. And then at that time, and then baby understand, baby acquired, baby acquires what number one is, this is natural number, natural number, what number one is. From the bottom of his mind, yes this is number one. Then the baby grow up, two or three years old, please bring the two things, he brings, he will bring two things.

[12:10]

Go get two candy, two candies, go get two candies, he will bring two candies to us. It means that this baby already learned what number is, what number one is, what number two is, not only with the interactive faculty. Even though baby can understand, baby can count number one, one, two, three, four, five, six. I think the two years child or three years child can count number one, two, three, four, five, six. Sometimes jump up, sometimes miss some number, six, eight, nine, that's okay.

[13:13]

But he can count number, but he didn't understand what number is, what number one is, even though he can count. In order to understand, in order to acquire what number one is, he need practice for a long time. Getting acquainted with number one in his daily life, the form and the nature, surrounded by him. Giving away or getting it, throwing away, getting it. If baby is practicing in that way, how much should we learn?

[14:14]

A matter of spiritual subject. When I was a Kumazawa college student, I studied a sort of Buddhist psychology. Particularly I made a choice of the subject of the consciousness of ego, consciousness of ego. When I finished writing the thesis on consciousness of ego, I was very happy. Wow, I can understand what the ego is, wonderful, everything beautiful. Like your Zazen, you know. If you practice, if you started to practice Zazen, you are very happy, you know.

[15:15]

Everything what you can see is very beautiful for you. Wow, beautiful. So at that time, everything I saw was completely beautiful, you know. Because I know, I understand what ego is. So ego is not so good, you know. That's why I am practicing now, you know. But then in a couple of years, I started study another subject, you know. But at that time, I couldn't understand what Buddhism was, I was completely confused. At that time, I thought I could understand everything, you know.

[16:18]

I could understand what Buddhism was, but I didn't, I didn't. Up to now, I can't say, I cannot say, tell you, I understand what ego is. It's pretty difficult, you know. To understand is very difficult, you know. To understand something through your intellectual faculties is very easy, you know. Oh, yes. Yes, I studied Buddhism for 3 years or 5 years. Yes, I wrote the thesis on the consciousness of ego. Yes. Such a book, the Buddhist book, such and such, explained what ego is, you should study that.

[17:20]

And you understand what ego is. Yes, I practiced Zazen for 5 years, 6 years. But I don't know, I don't know whether you understand completely what Zazen is. You have to practice more and more constantly like a baby's practice. Throwing away, getting another thing. Sometimes I don't want to practice Zazen. I want, I want, I wanted, I wanted to throw it away. Then I want to get another thing, I Ching and Chinese philosophies, or Indian mysterious religions. Then you studied mysterious religion, wow, that's nice.

[18:27]

For a while you studied mysterious religion. What, what mysterious religion is? Then you throw it away. And then you come back to Zazen again. That's alright. We need such a practice. It's very difficult to understand, to understand through your, through your whole body and mind. It's very difficult, not so easy. Maybe it will take you for a long, long, long time. Life after life. Then the practice which this sutra says to get acquainted with good friends, to listen to the truth of the mind,

[19:35]

to contemplate a thing in accordance with the principle of the truth, to practice Buddhism as it mentions, to put it into practice on one's own initiatives and guide the others, giving the expression to illumination, encouragement, felicitation and consolation. Seems to be evasive practice. But this practice is very important. And then if you follow in that way, you really sever yourself from your three obstacles to fulfill your perfect practice rapidly and to attain Anuttara Samyukta Samyukta Bodhi. Three hindrances, three obstacles.

[20:38]

Three obstacles is, I think, generally speaking, the function of the mind which always interrupts your daily life. Interrupts your daily life. It's pretty difficult. It's very difficult to tell you what the three hindrances are. But anyway, unconsciously, you have anyway three hindrances, more than three hindrances, which interrupts you, interrupts your daily life, unconsciously or consciously. And these three obstacles

[21:45]

come from, I think, unconsciousness. You know, unconsciousness is a very strange mind. Very strange. Psychologists are very interested in studying the subject of unconsciousness, like Jung. Unconsciousness itself doesn't mean that there is nothing to think. When consciousness tries to get the relationship with your actual affairs, in your daily life,

[22:47]

you cannot tell. You cannot tell what unconsciousness is. Unconsciousness is. So unconsciousness is, I think, you know, there is no reason, there is nothing to tell you. When unconsciousness tries to get related with your daily life, but in your heart, in your heart, you know already what unconsciousness is. Because from unconsciousness, many things come from, many things come from unconsciousness. Three hindrances, 108 delusions, more than that. And then you realize in your daily life that how difficult,

[23:52]

how difficult you control, you control your daily life because of many delusions, many hindrances, hindrances. Whatever they are, a good thing, a good mind, or an evil consciousness, an evil mind, the unconsciousness is always existing in your daily life because you practice Zazen, you know. I think you know so well why, the reason why you practice Zazen. Then I ask you why you practice Zazen. But you can't tell, you can't tell this, you can't answer to this question, why? What's the reason?

[24:53]

Many people ask me why do you, why do you become a priest? Well, what reason? What motivation? What I had the motivation to become Zen priest? It's pretty difficult to explain. I know already. I know already. But when, when I try to, relate with my daily life, it's pretty difficult to explain it. So from this point our, the daily life, our daily life comes from very deep bottom of the mind anyway. This is unconsciousness. Even, even a good mind, even a bad mind, it's pretty difficult. You give up practicing Zazen

[25:58]

and you start at I Chin. Why do you give up? Why do you give up practicing Zazen? It's pretty difficult to answer to this question. If you ask your unconsciousness, you know, answer is very confused and complicated. Very complicated. Evasive answer. You will realize very evasive answer. If you try to, part of your answer, you try to pick up a part of your answer. Yes, my reason is such and such. Oh, no, no. It's not my real reason. Then you try to pick up another part of the reason or answer. Yes. Oh, yes. Sort of my reason.

[26:58]

Sort of reason. But, oh, no, no. It's not my real reason. Then you try to do another thing. Try to pick up another thing. It means your answer is if you ask your unconsciousness, the answer is not simple. Answer is not simple. Answer is very complicated. For this, you know, this is the in order to those three obstacles, in order to get rid of, in order to sever from those three obstacles, simply speaking,

[28:00]

this is unconsciousness, you know. Simply speaking, the three obstacles coming from the unconsciousness. So, those three obstacles are very complicated. Very complicated. Your will impel you to go straight this way and going to this way. But something impels you to the other way. You should go this way. It's very interesting. How about this? Ichi. Here is ichi. Ichi is very interesting. Try that. So, something impels you. Yes. Yes, I walk. But your mind there are reality of your, through your mind

[29:02]

telling you no, no, no. You should go this straightly. But you can't. Then people ask you why? Why you go the other way? How about this way? This is very good place, you know. But you don't know. I don't know why. I don't know why. Where before when I when I am aware when you are aware of yourself you are already this way the other way in different direction. So in order to sever yourself from those obstacles we need practice that will could take you long, long time. Long, long time. For

[30:14]

couple of years you practice Zazen and expected getting the enlightenment then you think my practice is over. That's all. Because I am I get enlightenment. If you think your practice if you think your life in that way you cannot understand what ego is what you who you are what the Buddha nature is what what tree is what grass is who has Buddha mind Buddha nature. So again and again day in and day out like a baby

[31:15]

who is throwing away one thing and another thing getting another thing. In order to learn the natural number one natural number one not ordinary number which means the which means number one by understanding of your intellectual faculty. We try to plunge into the good friends who acquire the principle of Buddhism and Buddhist teaching. And to listen to the truth of the mind. Or

[32:17]

to get acquainted with a good friend doesn't mean to look at the good friends as Lucas on. You try to become one with the good friends through the practice. If good friends practice the Buddha's Buddha and Buddha's teaching you try to become one with Buddha and Buddha's teaching which your good friends studied learned. In other words when you gassho when you do gassho you try to become one with gassho. If you follow in that way you can listen to the truth of the mind. You can listen to

[33:21]

the truth of the mind which all sentient beings possess. Like the experiment of the principle of the school which they teach us how to use lie detector. The things which we can we could learn is something more than the experiment of experiment of experiment by the experiment made by the principle of that school. And to

[34:27]

contemplate the all sentient beings in accordance with the principle of the truth then you contemplate what the truth is. Now even though you understand something the truth truth of the things through the book Buddhist book watch carefully yourself at that time and then try to put it into practice. It is very important. And to practice Buddhism as it mentions to put it into practice on your on your own initiative before you explain it in word you put it into practice on your own initiative. This is very

[35:28]

good help for others to others great help and guide the others and giving the expression to relation encouragement felicitation and consolation. We once we once practice in that way and we give expression to accumulation encouragement felicitation consolation. In other words we encourage ourselves with each others. You really and then you really sever yourself from your three obstacles to fulfill your perfect practice perfect practice

[36:28]

lovingly and to attain some some body for the baby to practice throwing away keeping the one thing in his hand. It seems to us that it's not important practice but for baby this is very important because for baby this practice is this practice will provide him to become one with natural number one with great opportunity of becoming number one this is natural number one. So practice

[37:29]

doesn't even for moment it seems to us that it's not important because nothing to us nothing to give us but that's your divisions that's your obstacles tell you something in order to understand in order to understand the truth of their mind or truth of their zazen the zazen which you plunge into it with mindfulness will provide us with great opportunity of becoming one with zazen when you become

[38:33]

one with zazen this is to attain anuttara samyukta sambhori anuttara samyukta sambhori so day in and day out whoever you are this practice is very important you have to show anuttara samyukta sambhori when you do gassho when you do zazen when you do mikpah you should show anuttara samyukta sambhori which means becoming oneness with zazen gassho all sentient beings this practice is very important maybe it will take long time maybe life after life but you have to do

[39:25]

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