From tonight, the subject of my talk will be taking the about the Merit Virtue of Buddhist Law, about what Dogen Zenji described In Shobo Genzo, particularly, Kesa, Kudoku no Maki, this is the chapter which is called the Merit Virtue of Buddhist Law. Dogen Zenji are quoted in some part

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of Sutra, which I will take the subject of my talk tonight. This Sutra is called Shinchi Kangyo. Shinchi means mind. Chi means earth, or soil, or ground. Kan means to observe, or to scrutinize. Kyo means Sutra. I will translate this. Sutra of examining, or scrutinizing.

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The mind, like which is earth, the earth. Then tonight I would like to describe a little more only the title of this Sutra, Shinchi. The mind is the earth. Why is it in Buddhism we have to mind, which is identical with the earth, soil, ground. The chapter 8, in the chapter 8 of the same Sutra. They are describing, trying to explain about the reason why the mind must be the

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characteristic of the quality of the earth, ground, soil. This Sutra says, this chapter is titled Kanjin Bon. Kan means to observe, to observe. Jin means mind, observing mind. Kanjin Bon refers to the old explanation of Buddhist terminology, Bon, which means chapter. So the observing mind, observing mind. It says the good friends, in every Sutra, I think Shakyamuni Buddha

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described, gave a lesson to the people. Whenever he gave lecture, he has the audience without fail. So in the Sutra, always in the beginning it says Zen Nanshi. Zen Nanshi means good men, good men. But in this case, it means good men includes not only men, young and old, even a child, even an old sentient being. So Zen Nanshi means good friends. Some Sutra says, this is the Sutra of

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Six Patriarchs. It says in the beginning always the Zen Tishki. It means Zen Tishki is the virtuous and learned counselors. It's translated, this book is translated as Zen Tishki. Zen means good. Tishki means learned person, virtuous and learned person. So simply speaking, it is teacher. But broadly speaking, then the Zen Nanshi or Zen Tishki refers to the audience, audience of any

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kind, who are trying to listen to the Buddha's teaching. So the Zen Nanshi is good friends. The quintessence, the old quintessence in the three kinds of world, scrutinizing the movement of one's mind finally leads to its natural state of liberation. But the lack of scrutinous attention

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to one's mind leads to sink into obscurity. The one's mind sees the earth wherein grows the five destinations with the nature of good and bad in the worldly or unworldly beings. The possessing, no-possessing beings, Pratikabuddha, Bodhisattva and Tathagata. By this conditioning incident, the three kinds of world are characteristic of the structure of the mind only. This is,

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this is mind which is called the earth. The mind is of quintessence in the three kinds of world. The three kinds of world are divided into several meanings. One meaning is referred to the world of desire, the world of the four, the world of formless. This is one meaning.

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The world of meaning is the world of desire, whose inhabitants have made many kinds of cravings. In other words, those whose inhabitants are always steeped in the world of desire, then in Hinayana Buddhism, in order to get rid of these many kinds of the cravings,

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the Buddhist practice comes to being for us, particularly for the persons who want to become priests, completely isolated from their worldly affairs. Then the purpose of the practice is to keep away from the impulse of craving which human beings possess. Because human beings are always steeped in the world of desire, regardless of whether you are aware of yourself, what you are.

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The world of form is a state of human world, not only human beings, but also everything possesses a certain form. As human beings, as men, as women, as color, as red, as white, as black, as Japanese, as American, as European, as French, and so on. All beings which exist in this world are represented in the form, in the shape of a certain form, like a tree, a car,

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a child, a dog, a cat, something like that. And also, we are too attached to these four. When you see a beautiful flower, you feel how beautiful it is. Strictly speaking, it is enough to feel how beautiful it is. But our attachment, the attachment of our mind, will be continuing to keep something more than just feeling how beautiful it is.

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So, you feel, you think, you want a beautiful flower to remain. As long as possible, without falling down, falling, falling away from the tree. I want to remain a beautiful flower on this plant as long as possible. When you see the grass, which is not necessary for us. So, day in and day out, you have to pick up the grass.

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Unfortunately, the ground, the earth, is huge, wide. Even though you spend all day picking up grass, you will recognize just the slightest part of the ground. Where you can finish picking up the grass, the next moment, you pick up the grass in another part, another place, another part of the ground. Regardless of the idea of whether we dislike or like, grass is always growing.

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So, at last, you are really angry with grass, because grass is so fast to grow. In contrast, in contrast with beautiful flowers, beautiful flowers are so fast to fall down into the ground. So, human mind is always apt to attach to anything, whatever. Then, the other second purpose of the practice is to keep away from attachment of any kind of form.

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Which everything possesses. If you keep away from any kind of form, you will become free. You will become completely free from attachment to form. The word of formless. I think even though you can get rid of attachment of form, or the desire, you recognize that there is something more than. There are many travels, much more than the travels which are created by the forms, and the world of forms, and the world of desires.

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The world of desire, it comes from mostly the physical being. Then, in the Nayana Buddhism, they have to practice more hard to get rid of the world of form, the world of desire. Where you are faced with distress. The problem is that there is still a spiritual world in contrast with the physical world.

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Then, they try to make possible effort to get rid of the world of spirit. Where they also are faced with distress, such as coming from emotion, many kinds of functions of spirit, psychological functions. This is very difficult to get rid of the troubles which comes, which is created by the mental, spiritual world, psychological world. But, in the case of this sutra, the three kinds of world refers to the mind, Buddha,

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and the ordinary beings, ordinary persons. The three kinds of, three worlds are the various phases of the human world, which are created by the mind, Buddha, and the ordinary beings, ordinary persons.

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In Buddhism, even though the Buddha's world is a kind of deluded world, So, in Buddhism, the three kinds of world refers to a sort of deluded world. In this sutra, it says that the mind is of existence in the three worlds. I think, although the world is divided into three, the mind, Buddha, and ordinary persons,

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in Buddhism, strictly speaking, the world is absolutely represented by just one, the mind only, which is called the mind only. You know, in the sutra of the Sixth Patriarch, the Three Names denies the vintage form posted on the wall, which describes the state of the capability of the experience of his practice. By asking, by being asked, because he was asked by his master.

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The teaching says, as you know so well, the body is a body tree, the mind a bright mirrored stone, whisking it continuously and zealously, allowing no dust to creep. At that time, the Three Names, to spend his life so long, it is said four or eight months, to make his life right, instead of running Buddhism, instead of practicing Zazen,

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all he had to do was to work instead of practicing Zazen. The work is completely a practice of Zazen. For him, the working is the same vibe as practicing Zazen. Also, he had no education. It is said he couldn't write letters, even though he wanted to express the state of the capability of his mind

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through the experience of his practice. So he asked one of the monks to write a poem, which describes the capability of the experience of his practice. At that time, the Three Names says, the very essence, the very essence of body, body has no tree, what is there a bright mirrored stone. In reality there is nothing. So what is there? The body is a body tree, the mind a bright mirrored stone, whisking it continuously and zealously, allowing no dust to creep. The important point why it is, why he had to deny, to accept his poem,

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So, I think what the mind is of quintessence in the three words means completely the feeling, the feeling of liberation, the liberation of the human mind. There is nothing to catch the other substantial being, which is called, the mind is the quintessence in the three words.

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There is nothing to catch as a substantial being which is called the Buddha nature. The self nature is clear and quiet. If there is still something, even the slightest being, something, thing to catch, what is called, what is called the mind, what is, you know, saying that the self nature is clear and quiet. The human mind is, human being possesses Buddha nature. If you have even the slightest being to catch, to advance in the thought,

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it means that you create a certain type of conception, which is called Buddha, such as wooden Buddha, a bronze Buddha, a rock, stone Buddha. If you create a stone Buddha, stone Buddha cannot cross the ocean. Wooden Buddha cannot pass over the fire. The mind, essentially, if the mind essentially is completely free from any attachment of desire from the psychological being, the mind must be, must pass over ocean or fires or any place.

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Such is human mind. For Jinshu, for Jinshu, he knows so well what human being is. That's why human being, human mind possesses Buddha nature in ultimate essence. But the purpose, he has something, something more than the Buddha nature. Because he always accepts the Buddha nature as a certain conception, a sort of conception, ideas, which is apart from his daily life, which was vivid and salutating situation of his existence.

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In other words, Buddha nature is hanging down in front of him. He is always facing the Buddha nature in front of him. So he has to have some idea, what is purpose of practice. That's why the purpose of practice for him is to get rid of, make beautiful mirror dirty. So he has to always wipe out, clean out dirt, day in and day out.

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Then, the freedom says, there is nothing to clean out dirt from the beautiful mirror. Because mind itself essentially is completely free, like a fish, like a bird, swimming and flying higher. Even the bird have something, some idea to catch this is air. Some attachment, this is, which is called this is air. I think this idea, this attachment will disturb the real movement of the bird, which is trying to fly in the high air.

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The bird itself must be free, which means completely become one with airs and birds, movement of the bird. Such is bird, such is real movement of bird, such is real movement of the fish, such is real movement of human mind. If there is something to attach, dirt, beautiful mirror, body, body means awareness, body means wisdom, awakening. If you have some purpose of practice, you say the purpose of, what is the purpose of Zazen?

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The purpose of Zazen is to get rid of some desires, some troubles, certain kind of mental psychological problems. The purpose of Zazen is never mind to settle absolutely on the himself with impermanent being. In what occasion you may be, in the Buddhist terminology, become master of yourself in what situation you may be. So you say, if you learn this Buddhist terminology, yes, the purpose of Zazen is to become master of myself in what situation we may be.

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That's good. Then you can spur yourself to practice Zazen hard and hard. But if the master says there is nothing to reach at the goal of practice, you completely disguise, then, oh, I don't like that practice. You know, whatever they are, just practice Zazen, or conceptual Buddha, or conceptual ordinary person, what is a crucial point which we must scrutinize day in and day out?

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Question doesn't exist within the conception, which is called Buddha, which is called tree, which is called beautiful building, so-called Zen center. Even though you live in a beautiful building of Zen center, it doesn't make your mind change. Your mind is your mind. Whatever you may be, what is crucial point which you observe, examine day in and day out? If someone says the purpose, we have a great purpose of practice Zazen, we should do, then you practice Zazen hard. But many person ask me, no change, I recognize no change, nothing to change.

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Even though I practice Zazen for long, three years, how long do you practice Zazen? It's called three years. I'm sorry for you. Then that time, oh, you are completely at a loss what to do. At a loss what to do with yourself, with your mind, with your Zazen, with Zazen, what is practice Zazen? It means you always attach it to a certain something, a certain phase, which is called the purpose of Zazen. What is purpose of Zazen? You are always expecting, if you practice Zazen, Zazen bring me to get enlightenment.

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So, all of you imagine, imagine that how wonderful enlightenment will be. But actually you can't, you wouldn't. Even though you would experience wonderful experience, you have, you would have. And I ask you, did you get the enlightenment? It's pretty difficult to answer directly, yes. If you have something to leave the room for, the direct answer, yes. Such an enlightenment is pre-Christian enlightenment. So, we have to, whatever they are, whatever kind of, whatever religion they are, in human being, in the world of human being,

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Christianity, or Judaism, or the principle of communism, or whatever. So, the crucial point doesn't exist within those. Where is the important point, which we have to examine? Then, scrutinizing the movement of the mind finally leads to its natural state of liberation, liberation. But the lack of the scrutinized attention to one's mind leads to think into obscurity, obscurity.

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So, I think the religion, what is religion? What is the assurance and relaxation of our existence? In other words, religious security of our existence. The religious security of our existence doesn't come from, doesn't create, is not created by any kind of principle. Even how wonderful Buddhism is, even how wonderful Buddha is,

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the religious security of our existence is not created by even Buddha, even God, even principle of Buddhism, even principle of Christianity. Because, you have to swim, you have to fly in the high airs, you have to sink, in what situation you may be, in the ocean. Whatever happens, even though storm comes, you have to swim, even the eternal peace, eternal peace of spring day, you have to swim, you have to fly in the air, you have to fly, you have to fly, you have to fly in the air, you have to swim in the ocean.

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So, life is vivid, palpitating, with revelation, with revelation. If you stick, if you attach to even the slightest beings, to catch, your life, it makes your life stop completely. Like an interesting story, concerning of one of the saints, which is called Kumano-sen, even though you get enlightenment and was born in the heaven. It is said that Kumano-sen, the moment of when Kumano-sen has some attachment to his own desires.

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And fall into, he has to fall into the ground, from the heaven. The heaven is paradise, whose inhabitants have freedom, anytime, anywhere, can get anything, anytime, anywhere. Which, what we want to get. Paradise is always free, but free is not always free, in Buddhism, in terms of Buddhism, viewpoint. Freedom is not always freedom, even though you can get the freedom, or I get freedom, I am free, I have no attachment, at that time it's attachment.

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Because even attachment, even Buddha, even the God, even wonderful principle, wonderful precept, exists in the same stream of river. Which is, which is going on, without ceasing, even for a moment. Who is created? Who is created trouble? Who is created trouble? Or what, what creates, what creates your own trouble? The point is, directed always to the mind.

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So, three words, the three words is divided into three, mind, Buddha, the ultimate person. But, the important point is the mind. The mind only, that's why this sutra says the mind is of quintessence in the three words. Then you have to checking out, always, your mind, the movement of your mind. Scrutinizing the movement of one's mind finally leads to its natural state of liberation. But lack of the scrupulous attention to one's mind leads to sink into obscurity, obscurity. Like your zazen, like your zazen.

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The lack of the, if you diskind the practice of zazen, I don't want to practice zazen. I think it means the lack of scrupulous attention to your mind, leads to the sink into obscurity. Then you feel completely milled, how awful I am. I have been, you, you say to yourself, you see, I have practiced for a long time. Why? You couldn't have even get enlightened. Then you spur, you spur yourself to practice hard more and more, but you wouldn't. I think this is a very important point.

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So, the mind is, the mind grows, mind grows attachment for depth and detachment. Mind grows the seed of attachment to detachment. Detachment? No, no attachment. Even Buddha, even Buddha, even enlightenment devotees or ordinary people, they keep, mind, mind includes, includes everything. Mind includes everything, Buddha, delusions, ordinary people, attachment, detachment.

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Whatever they are. Nevertheless, the mind is free, mind is free, because mind is, mind grows everything. Trees, life, body, many kinds of cereals, many kinds of fruits. Even though you don't, you don't like it, you don't like to grow delusions, the mind is, such is mind. Mind grows, mind must grow, not only Buddha, not only enlightenment. But you always pay attention to make possible effort to grow just enlightenment, just Buddha, not delusions.

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The more you dislike the delusions, the more you dislike the grass, growing the growth of the grass. Grass are willing to grow by itself, regardless of the idea whether you like this life. Not terrible, but this is true. For you it is terrible, but for the huge expanse of ocean, it's really true, it's really true. Otherwise you can live, otherwise you can fly, you can swim. In the ocean you can fly in the highest. The one's mind seems the earth, wherein grows the five seals. In this case, five seals refers to rice, barley, millet, bean, and corn.

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More than five seals. And five, the fruits, five fruits refers to plum, or damson plum, you know that, damson? Damson plum, apricot, chestnut, and juju. Juju. In Japan, in my childhood, I loved so much juju. In the country, the juju would grow, grow very much. And for children, the juju, juju, most favorite fruit for Japanese children. Always picking, always pick out the juju.

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Climb the big trees, pick up the fruit. But it's pretty difficult for Japanese children, particularly in the country, to find the apricot or any other kind of fruit, melon or something such. And thus, the soil of one's mind grows the five destinations with the nature of good and bad in the worldly and unworldly being.

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The blessing, non-blessing being. Pratikabuddha, Bodhisattva, and Tathagata. Thank you.

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