Today, I would like to study with you the Lotus Sutra.
Can you hear me?
Well, I am Pasha.
Lotus Sutra is one of the very important sutras
for Buddhism.
Particularly, one of the Buddhist schools in Japan,
called Nichiren,
relies upon the discipline of this sutra.
But Dogen Zenji also expressed great respect to the Lotus Sutra,
quoting many passages from the Lotus Sutra
in order to make the profound meaning of Buddhism clearer.
Particularly, in terms of a practical side aspect of Buddhism.
Of course, this sutra is explained
by Shakyamuni Buddha's substance of his experience
as sitting under the Bodhi tree for six years.
If so, this sutra is merely open not to a particular person
who believes in a particular school of Buddhism,
a Buddhist school,
but also to everybody who believes in whatever kind of religion.
The story which occurs in this sutra seems easy to understand.
It looks like a child's tale.
But I would like you to understand the meaning of this sutra as a whole.
Extend it into your daily life.
In other words, what is the viewpoint of life?
Viewpoint of life.
Viewpoint of world.
The story, easy as it may be,
gives a great instruction to us through each chapter.
This chapter consists of twenty-five, twenty-eight chapters.
Today, I will start from the chapter five,
entitled, On Plants.
Today, I would like to explain just the introduction of this chapter.
Thereupon, the Lord addressed the Venerable Maha Kasyapa
and the other senior great disciples and said,
Very well, very well, Kasyapa.
You have done very well to proclaim the real qualities of the Tathāgata.
They are the real qualities of the Tathāgata, Kasyapa,
but he has many more innumerable, incalculable,
the end of which it would be difficult to reach
even were one to continue enumerating them for immeasurable eons.
The Tathāgata, Kasyapa, is the master of the law,
the king, lord, and master of all laws.
And whatever law, for any case,
has been instituted by the Tathāgata remains unchanged.
All laws, Kasyapa, have been aptly instituted by the Tathāgata.
In his Tathāgata wisdom, he has instituted them in such a manner
that all those laws finally lead to the stage of those who know all.
The Tathāgata also distinctly knows the meaning of all laws.
The Tathāgata, the Arahant, is possessed of the faculty of penetrating all laws,
possessed of the highest perfection of knowledge,
so that he is able to decide all laws,
able to display the knowledge of the all-knowing,
impart the knowledge of the all-knowing,
and lay down the rules of the knowledge of the all-knowing.
This is the introduction of this chapter on planets.
On the foregoing chapter,
Kasyapa, one of Buddha's disciples,
and the other peoples who are following the Buddha's teaching,
are expressing their faith,
taking the parable.
This parable implies the real quality of the human beings,
which means the two halves,
which means all human beings,
not only human beings, but also inanimate beings.
Animate beings, inanimate beings,
possesses the Buddha nature in unlying essence.
In other words,
the all beings in here,
the nature of all the real quality of duals,
regardless of whether you are conscious of it or not.
Then Kasyapa and all other disciples of people, followers,
realize this important point,
based on the whole, all beings possesses Buddha nature,
the great duals,
and express the infant confess, confess their faith,
religious faith, their awareness, religious awareness,
in front of Shakyamuni Buddha.
Then, in the beginning of this chapter,
Shakyamuni Buddha says,
thereupon the Lord addressed the venerable Maha Kasyapa.
Then Shakyamuni Buddha said to the Maha Kasyapa,
first of all,
very well, very well, Kasyapa,
you have done very well to proclaim the real qualities of the Tathagata.
So he allows the Maha Kasyapa's proclamation,
allows him to proclaim,
that all human beings possess Buddha nature in underlying essence.
But Shakyamuni Buddha says,
he has many more,
he has many more innumerable, incalculable,
the end of which it would be difficult to reach.
Even we want to continue enumerating them for immeasurable eons,
even though you make every possible effort to explain
what the Buddha nature is for immeasurable period of time.
It's very difficult to reach them.
If so, what is the real qualities of Tathagata?
In other words, real qualities of Buddha nature.
Then next paragraph, Shakyamuni Buddha explains more concrete way of explanation.
It is Kasyapa, similar to that of a great cloud with rain,
coming up in this wide universe over all grasses, shrubs, herbs, trees,
of various spices and kinds, families of plants of different names growing on earth,
on hills or in mountain caves,
a cloud covering the world universe to pour down its rain everywhere and at the same time.
Then Kasyapa, the grasses, shrubs, herbs and wild trees in this universe,
such as have young and tender stalks, twigs, leaves and foliage,
and such as have middle-sized stalks, twigs, leaves and foliage,
and such as have the same fully developed,
all those grasses, shrubs, herbs and wild trees,
smaller and greater other trees will each, according to its property and power,
suck the humid element from the water emitted by that great cloud
and by that water which all of one essence has been abundantly power-poured down by the cloud,
they will each, according to its germ, acquire a little development, growth, shooting up and bigness.
And so they will produce blossoms and fruits and will receive each similarly their names.
Rooted in one and the same soil,
all those families of plants and germs are drenched and vivified by water of one essence throughout.
In one of the oldest sutras, Shakyamuni Buddha says,
the nature of truth has remained unchangeable.
Regardless of whether or not I was born in this world.
In other words, nature of truth exists, has existed already before all human beings were born in this world.
If so, I think you will have some question.
If it is true that nature of truth has remained unchangeable,
regardless of whether or not Shakyamuni Buddha was born in this world,
why is it that Shakyamuni Buddha has made every possible effort to teach the principle of his life based on the truth,
the discipline of the truth?
In common sense, it may be natural that you have some doubt.
It is not necessary to explain.
It is not necessary to put a strong emphasis on the truth by the Shakyamuni Buddha's enlightenment.
Why is it that we have to pay great respect to Shakyamuni Buddha who has realized,
who has attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree?
In Shobo-genjo, the one of temple named Genjo-koan,
the kotetsu zen master was asked by one of his monks,
in one of very hot days of summer,
when the monk visited to his master's room,
in kotetsu zenji's room,
he saw his master using the fan like this.
Then the monk asked the zen master,
the Buddha says the nature of wind remains unchangeable.
Why is it we have to use the fan?
Did you understand this point, what this story put the emphasis on?
The nature of the wind, true nature, true quality of the wind exists all over,
all over the world and the universe.
If so, why is it you have to use the fan in order to realize the nature of the wind?
Then kotetsu zenji said,
probably you may understand that the nature of the wind remains unchangeable in this universe,
in the universe, but you don't know exactly, absolutely what it means.
Then this monk asked again,
what is the nature of the wind,
which remains unchangeable constantly, always,
whatever happens in this world, the wind always exists.
What is the nature of the wind?
What is the real qualities of the wind?
Then kotetsu zenji just demonstrated,
just using, just used,
kotetsu zenji just used the fan like this.
Real qualities of the Buddha nature or totality,
real qualities of the wind exists all over the world, in the universe,
regardless of whether you are conscious of it or not.
This is true.
The point is,
the point is,
I think the point is,
how much I, Weybun Katagi, understand myself absolutely clearly,
in my daily life.
I know so well Weybun Katagi by the thought running through my head.
Yes, I know, I am Weybun Katagi.
But,
there is some doubt.
When I ask to myself,
are you sure to understand yourself clearly or absolutely or completely?
To understand myself clearly or absolutely is to be free from myself,
that was my problem in the beginning.
Weybun, I am always confronted in my daily life.
But every time, every time when I face variety of the difficulties,
I am completely dingu dangu, dingu dangu.
But when I realize,
oh, I am always swinging to the right, to the left, to forward and backward,
this is Weybun Katagi.
At that time, every time when I face a variety of the difficulties,
it enables me to understand a part of myself, not whole my life,
little bit, gradually, step by step, one by one.
Oh, this is Katagiri, this is real Katagiri.
Before that, I couldn't believe.
I am not dingu dangu one.
I am not completely swinging to the right, to the left, whatever kind of trouble I face.
I dream myself.
Because I practice for a long time, 20 years or 25 years.
But reality is completely opposite to my thought.
So important point is, I have, of course, I possess Buddha nature, as well as you have.
Why I am, why is it that I have to practice?
The Zen, day in and day out, getting up early morning,
sometimes, you know, sometimes, I cannot believe.
Why?
Not only me, but also you, cannot believe.
You must practice Zazen.
Particularly, Buddhist practice.
Buddhist practices, you are not completely familiar with Buddhist Buddhism.
I am completely familiar with Buddhism since my birth, before my birth.
But you are, for you, the Buddhism is not familiar, immediate.
From many different angles, you try to see yourself.
Who is practicing Zazen, Buddhist practice?
It's pretty hard to believe yourself who is practicing Zazen with firm confidence.
What kind of great discipline there are in this world?
According to the philosophy or religion?
If you put them into the practice in your daily life,
it will be difficult for you to understand the real quality of human life,
on the basis of quality of happiness, or justice, or peace.
If you understand the all-pervading being of this,
the Buddha nature in all-encompassing essence,
the important point is how to realize, how to put it into the practice,
how to expand, expand, expand into the daily life.
How to feel, how to get a taste of Buddha nature through your whole body and mind.
In other words, how to live to the heart.
So you know so well, the air exists here now.
By the thought running through your head, you can expand so well.
But what makes you understand clearly the existence of the air in this room?
The existence of the air enables you to be alive right now, right here.
In other words, enables to breathe.
That's why you understand, you get a taste of the existence,
the presence of the air in this room.
Even though you understand clearly the nature of the air in this room through your head,
it's not enough to understand it.
To understand the presence of air clearer is to understand the nature of the air in this room.
To live, to live by proof that you are alive in the reality of the present right now, right here,
and enable you to be comfortably in rest.
Regardless of whether you are conscious of the presence of your existence.
This is real quality of the realization.
Real quality of realization enables you to be completely in rest, in peace.
Going beyond the thought running through your head.
So from this point, the nature of the air is the great fact that you are alive.
In other words, you are breathing now.
This is the nature of the air that identifies with the great fact of breathing,
of making you alive.
This is the nature of the air.
Then at that time you say, yes, I understand the presence of the air.
That's why I wanted to use just a fan, like this.
Then, what is the nature of the living category?
I say, yes, I understand the nature of the living category.
But what is the thing we do every time when we are confronted with difficulties or troubles?
The true real quality of the category is how much, how much, how much I get things for myself in daily life.
This is the nature real quality of a category.
Whatever you criticize me, you don't understand clearly what category is like.
I know so well myself.
The question is how to realize, how to put the real quality of the Tathāgata into the practice,
how to extend into our daily life.
This is great question, big question, which we are always facing with.
So Shakyamuni Buddha, as Shakyamuni Buddha said,
by the water of one essence, all kinds of forms of plants, names of plants are growing on the earth in the same soil.
How they are growing is business.
Which means, it means there are variety of human beings.
A small size, or big size, Japanese or American, Danish, and any other kind, races.
All races of human beings have same growth, same business, in the same soil, acquiring a human essence of the water, of one essence.
Coming down from big cloud, covering all the universe.
In this respect, we have to considerate care, kind care of yourself and others, and all races of human beings,
inanimate beings also.
This is very important.
To all others, to all the inanimate beings, to all the animate beings, we must be considerate, thoughtful.
First of all, at any cost, this is first important.
But on the other hand, self-centered conception, self-centered idea, compare you to distinct race.
For you are Japanese, I am American, so I don't understand clearly what Buddhism is.
Buddhism is like a mysterious, mysterious, mysterious thing.
Buddhism is like a magician.
But even though you thought, you think in that way,
very important point is to make every possible effort to take care of yourself and all sentient beings,
in peace, in balance, in equality.
In equality.
You know, when I came to the United States,
one day, I went shopping to buy, to have bought a snap.
Snap.
Then, first of all, I was looking for where a snap was.
And that time, the elderly maid lady said to me, may I help you?
Then, immediately, I said, no.
Then, her reaction, compelled her to say, shame on you.
Shame on you.
It is true, you know, she is right, she was right.
I am completely ashamed of myself, because I said no.
She tried to take, you know, very good feeling, you know, to me.
May I help you?
Now, maybe I may say, I am just looking at, looking for, and that's enough.
If I said at that time, I was, I am just looking at, just looking at.
Or I am looking for a snap.
Maybe she was willing to help me, you know, to do something with cooperation,
instead of being angry with me.
But at that time, I said no.
So, she was angry with me, because shame on you.
Because no, no implies to distinguish, you know, to get rid of.
To get rid of, consider it a treatment.
Consider it treatment, thoughtful treatment to me.
I don't want it. It won't work.
So, she said, shame on you.
She was right.
This morning, we discussed about how to take care of guest, you know,
who is looking at, watching at the vendor, inside of vendor, what you are doing.
With the curiosity, you know.
Someone said, we should refuse, you know, get away.
But important point is, whatever kind of feelings he has,
important point is, first of all, we have to take care of them
at the same level of the peace, or happiness, or justice, anyway.
Growing on the same soil.
If so, you should say, may I help you?
This is very good. This is very important.
Then, if the guest don't want to, don't want to get in,
maybe she, she probably, he, he may, he may leave immediately.
If you say, don't, don't watch, get out.
How do, how do you feel?
This attitude, a small detail as it may be, is very important for us.
In our daily life, in order to realize the real quality of the topological movement,
we always say, may I help you, so you don't feel, you don't feel so much,
how important this statement is.
But may I help you is very good.
Thank you.
In the guest season, we have faced lots of problems, difficulties.
You know, the will for taking care of variety of the guest,
short-tempered guest, the guest who has short temper,
very variety of characteristic, you know.
So whatever kind of difficulties you, you are confronted with,
important point is that you shouldn't forget to say, may I help you.
To have, to have thoughtful, considerate attention.
To what the people, the guest, the student or to yourself.
The sorrowful statement, may I help you.
Because everybody grows, everybody grows on the same soil,
in order to seek peace or happiness.
Happiness.
And everybody is fortified to have great weakness, great growth,
according to his faculty,
capabilities, his characteristics,
according to his makings of small size or big size human being, wherever you are.
If you are, if you are tiny flowers, tiny flower blooming at the side, side wall,
nobody attention to it.
Are you completely free from showing your beautiful flowers,
which is called life force?
Whatever kind of criticism people bring up in front of you,
if so, individuals have a great right to accept
the real quantity of totality, the water of one essence,
wherever you are.
If so, towards others.
What you have to make effort is,
to pour the water over individuals.
Individual's head, regardless of how much he accept,
this is first important thing for you to do immediately.
Immediately.
And then, individual must make every possible effort to show his own life force,
day in and day out.
This is the practice which individual will continue to do,
continue to follow.
In other words, tiny plant, the constant tree,
it shows its own life force,
in order to let the beautiful flowers bloom,
accepting the humid essence of water of one essence.
Coming down big clouds, big clouds.
Constantly pour down over all kinds of plants,
not only this tiny plant.
That's why this tiny plant
realize the time for rightness to accept
the water, the humid essence of water of one essence.
If you ignore the effort, showing the life force, your own life force,
letting the beautiful flowers bloom,
it's impossible to accept the humid essence of water of one essence.
You always compare one with another
and you are always reluctant to show your own life force.
In other words, you don't want let the beautiful flowers bloom.
In comparison with another,
you are always competing one with another.
It's very difficult to settle on yourself.
To settle on yourself is to have the time for rightness,
which you are qualified to accept
real quality of the water of oneness.
Coming down through universe,
this is individual practice which he has to follow.
When you face others,
you always must have considerate attention towards others, towards all sentient beings.
You must be considerate, thoughtful, honest.
That's why the Law of Sutra says
they will each, according to its germ, acquire a regular development,
a growth, shooting up, and weakness.
And so they will produce blooms, blossoms, and fruits,
and will receive each severally.
Their names, rooted in one and the same soil,
all those families of plants and germs are drenched and vivified
by water of one essence throughout.
We must be vivified by water of one essence.
In zazen,
the teacher always says,
straight your back, regulate your breath,
it is very important.
It implies that what you have to do, right now, right here,
by, in what attitude, in what attitude you are here.
Now,
in zazen, in small square krishnas, in small round krishnas,
what you are doing, what are you doing,
in what attitude you are.
If you have, it is true, it is true that all sentient beings possess this Buddha nature,
which enables you to be comfortable in peace, in happiness, in rest, absolutely.
We have to show moment after moment.
To show moment after moment is,
when you sit on your round krishna,
all you have to do is to show yourself in what attitude you must be, you are.
How much you settle on yourself.
How much you are comfortable in rest, in peace, in rest, in happiness.
That is why Dogen Zen says, throw away all things, even the good, even the bad.
Even though you get the enlightenment through zazen, throw away.
You should throw away the enlightenment.
In other words, as Sahaja Yogis use the firm, in order to acquire the feeling of cool,
just use it, just use the firm, just use the firm with great composure.
This is individual practice.
If you ignore this individual practice, it is pretty hard to be considerate or thoughtful towards others, towards all sentient beings.
First of all, that is why we need to practice, we need to practice.
When you sit, at least when you sit on your krishna,
when you sit on the hilt with whole heartness,
sitting on yourself, wherever you are, good or bad, it makes no difference.
Whether you are good or bad.
Those, all those who have nature of good, nature of bad,
or being, growing in the same soil,
and vivified in this world,
sucking the water of oneness, sucking all composure, moment after moment.
This is real practice, which, real practice revealing real quality of totality,
the Buddha nature, which all sentient beings possess in unlike essence.