Before proceeding further, I would like to read some passages of Chapter 5 of Lord's Sutra for those who attend, who is first time to attend this lecture. I have two translations from Sanskrit and another one translated from Chinese.

[01:08]

Today I would like to read the translation from Chinese. This is Chapter 5, Medical Perks. At that time, the World Honored One proclaimed to Maha Kshapa and the great disciples, good, good, Kshapa has well stated, the Tathagata are real merits. Truly it is as he has said, the thus come one, thus come one means Tathagata. The thus come one also has incalculable, limitless of merit.

[02:19]

If you were for incalculable millions of kalpas to tell of them, you couldn't finish. Kshapa, you are to know, the thus come one is the king of the dharmas. If he has anything to say, it is never vain. Where all dharmas are concerned, by resort to wisdom and practical experience, he sets them forth. The dharmas he preaches, all without exception, reach to the ground of all knowing and all knowledge. The thus come one sees and knows that to which all dharmas tend, that to which they are reduced.

[03:27]

He also knows what the profound thoughts of all living beings do, penetrating them without obstruction. Furthermore, with respect to the dharma, he is perfectly clear, demonstrating all manner of wisdom to the beings. Kshapa, it is like the grasses, trees, shrubs and forests, as well as the medicinal herbs. There are varieties several, their names and colors each different. What's the mountains and rivers, the dales, are dales and valleys, other aeons.

[04:30]

A thick cloud spreads out, covering the whole universe, and raining down on it, equally, at one, and at the same time, its infusions, reaching everywhere. The grass and trees, the shrubs and forests, and the medicinal herbs, whether of small roots, small stalks, small branches and small leaves, or of middle roots, middle stalks, middle branches and middle leaves, or of large roots, large stalks, large branches and large leaves. Also, all trees, great and small, whether high, middle or low, each receives some of it. What was rained on by the same cloud, in keeping with its nature, gains in size, and its blossoms and fruits spread out and bloom,

[05:52]

though produced by the same earth. Moistened by the same rain, yet the grasses and trees all have their differences. The next new paragraph is, Kshapa, you are to know, that to the last come one is also like this. He appears in the world, and the great cloud rises. With the sound of his great voice, he pervades the world, with its gods, its men, and its asuras, demons.

[06:57]

Just as that great cloud covers the lands of the universe, in the midst of a great multitude, the prophets are those worlds. I am the last come one, the one worthy of offering, the one of ripened universal knowledge, the one whose morality and conduct are perfect, the well-gone, well-gone one, the one who understands the world, the unexcelled worthy, the one who regulates men of stature, the teacher of gods and men, awakened one, the world-honored one,

[08:06]

those who have not yet crossed over, I enable to cross. Those who do not yet understand, I cause to understand. Those not yet at ease, I put at their ease. Those not yet in nirvana, I enable to attain nirvana. For this age and all later ages, I know things as they are. I am the one who knows all, the one who sees all, the one who knows the path, the one who opens up the path, the one who preaches the path. I think how vast the merit of Tathāgata is,

[09:35]

is explained by the way of introduction of this chapter five, of fourteen taken paragraphs. In this respect, wherever you are, American, Japanese, clever or poor or poverty, wherever they are, man is entitled to live and receive the merit of water of one essence coming down from the big crowd. And they grow, they have great growth and bigness on one earth

[10:40]

and the same soil. Regardless of whether you are conscious of or not. Then, in the new paragraph, Buddha says, the verse of Buddha is like this, like the water of oneness, of one essence coming down from the big crowd, covering the whole universe. And he said, I am the totality, I am the totality. I am the totality.

[11:50]

I am the Tathāgata, I am the one worthy of offering. I am the one of right and universal knowledge. I am the one whose quality and conduct are perfect. I am the well-gone one. I am the one who understands the world. I am the unexhaled verses. I am the one who regulates men of stature. I am the teacher of gods and men. I am awakened one. I am the world-honored one. Tonight, I would like to... What does the Tathāgata mean? I think Tathāgata in Sanskrit

[12:56]

means the one who is going and coming in suchness, in his suchness, in his nakedness. In other words, Tathāgata is the one who has trodden the very same path as the other two supreme enlightenments, which is frequently the epithet of the Buddha. Do you know so well, the Buddha is the one, the Buddha is awakened one. In other words, the Buddha is the one who has continued constantly to walk,

[14:11]

one by one, step by step, with composure. This is the meaning of Buddha. If so, there is some interesting questions. How the Gautama Buddha explains to his disciples and to his followers as to the Buddha, as to the awakened one, as to the Tathāgata.

[15:14]

In the oldest sutra, which is called Agamas, there is very interesting stories, of which the Buddha Gautama preaches some aspects of Buddha's teachings, the disciplines of the Buddha's life, to the person who was about to pass away. His name is Bakan. So, when the Bakan lived,

[16:22]

at the, in the, I forgot the name of the town in Sanskrit. In the Magadha, in the Magadha, the country of the Magadha. He was attacked by a serious sickness. Then he decided to stay at a ceramist's house, at the house where a ceramist,

[17:35]

one of his friends lived, in order to take care of his sickness. But he couldn't show a sign of recovery. He couldn't show a sign of recovery. And his chance, his chance of recovery was said to be hopeless. Then Bakan thought that he wanted to see the Shakyamuni Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha.

[18:44]

At his dying recollections, then the Bakan's friends, or servants, were sent to the Shakyamuni Buddha. Who lived at one of the monasteries. Then, when Shakyamuni Buddha came to the Bakan's room, he said, I think this is the last day,

[19:51]

the last day of my life. So I wanted to see you even once as my dying memory. That time Shakyamuni Buddha said to the Bakan, who is about to pass away, it is of no use, it is absolutely of no use. Even though you can have a chance to see Gautama Buddha, whose physical body is about to decay,

[20:55]

you have to see, important point is, you have to see the Dharma. So, important point is, Shakyamuni Buddha said to the Bakan, who is about to pass away, he said to the, very interesting statement, he said a very interesting statement to the Bakan, which seems, which seems to be the shock, grateful,

[22:01]

to the Bakan, because he is about to pass away, because he wanted to see the Shakyamuni Buddha. Immediately he said, it is of no use, even though you can have a chance to see Gautama Buddha, whose physical body is about to decay. The important point is that all you have to do is to see the Dharma. So, thinking the Shakyamuni Buddha's life, I can't imagine how difficult the Shakyamuni Buddha explained the subtle and difficult principles of Buddha's life,

[23:16]

by using the vocabulary in Sanskrit or Pali anyway, because I think there was not enough vocabulary which Shakyamuni Buddha can use, in order to express fully some aspect of principle of Buddha's life. But, at that time, the word which Shakyamuni Buddha used was Dharma. So, Dharma is very important, the aspect of Buddhism. The answer, important, the aspect of Buddhist philosophy.

[24:31]

The Dharma is, literally speaking, the meaning of maintenance or perseverance, no, no, not perseverance, maintenance. In other words, Dharma is to perceive or to maintain. The word Dharma traces its source of the word maintenance or perseverance. This is very interesting point, which we have to take into account, again and again.

[25:59]

In this respect, the Dharma, which means to perceive or to maintain, is something which makes all beings exist in this world, regardless whether you understand so well or not. I think in the philosophical aspect, from the viewpoint of philosophy, probably you may explain the viewpoint of life or the viewpoint of the world.

[27:23]

But if you have strict, serious, strict pursuit, pursuit of viewpoint of life, viewpoint of the world, in terms of philosophy, in terms of philosophical aspect, I think you will recognize that there is a big question which evades all attention at the solution. And also, anybody can, no one can understand what it is.

[28:39]

As the Lotus Sutra says, even though you try to explain what it is for uncomfortable period of time, you can reach what it is. You can realize that there is a big problem which you cannot have. You cannot help having some doubt, big doubt, what human life is, who I am, who you are. But even though you don't understand who you are, what the viewpoint of life and of the world is like, the world exists right now, right here, you exist right now, right here, going beyond objective senses.

[29:55]

So what it is? In other words, there is question what makes you exist, what makes you exist. What makes you alive? This is a big question and nobody knows. What makes you alive? And also what makes you alive makes you suffer, makes you suffer. And also nobody knows what makes you suffer. In other words, what makes you, what makes you, what makes you die? What makes you grow old? You cannot help having this big question, what makes you alive?

[31:12]

Maybe Shakyamuni Buddha put the emphasis on this point, what makes you alive. What makes you grow older? What makes you die? What makes you grow to death? And then Shakyamuni Buddha used the word Dharma, which means to perceive, to perceive, to maintain. You don't know what it is, you don't know what it is, but anyway, something makes you alive, what it is. It is, it may be called Dharma, which means something perceives you, something supports you, something maintains. And this is, I think, Dharma.

[32:28]

So what is, question is, what is, what is the, what is the Dharma? As mentioned before, the Dharma is, Dharma is to perceive the, to perceive the presence of the, to perceive the human being in the reality of the present, moment after moment. In other words, what is its substance, what is its substance, what is the substance of the Dharma? What makes you alive? What makes you alive? What makes you grow older? What makes you grow to death? Then Shakyamuni Buddha explained, explained this point using the word,

[33:47]

ah, the, the paticca-samuppara in Sanskrit, paticca-samuppara, ah, which means arising, which means the arising on the ground of conditions. But sometimes Shakyamuni Buddha used the word, ah, nidana, nidana, which means the trying down to, trying down to or foundation or origin. The nidana, there is a subtle, ah, the, and unique, ah, different meaning between the two, nidana and paticca-samuppara.

[35:01]

Ah, nidana puts a strong emphasis on the, ah, conditions by which all beings is produced, the conditions, soundness of the conditions. And paticca-samuppara is to put the emphasis on the, the being in its nakedness, the, that the all beings arise, all beings are produced on the ground of the conditions. Ah, this is paticca-samuppara. So anyway, from this point, the Dhamma is for Shakyamuni Buddha, the being in its, being in its nakedness,

[36:22]

or the law, the law by which all beings produced on the ground of conditions. See, the, in Buddhism, the question as mentioned before is, what makes you alive? What makes you grow older? In order to explain the paticca-samuppara, the being in its nakedness, which all beings produced by conditions, ah, Shakyamuni Buddha, ah, tried to explain the subject of conditions.

[37:51]

Conditions. In order to subscribe, subscribe what makes you alive, what makes you grow older, Shakyamuni Buddha questions, to, Shakyamuni Buddha asked to his disciple, what makes you alive, what makes you grow older? It is paticca-samuppara, the being in itself, or being in itself, which all beings arisen.

[38:54]

On the ground of conditions. And also, Shakyamuni Buddha says to his disciple, So, the good friends, my good friends, ah, what is paticca-samuppara? Paticca-samuppara is, in other words, what is the law, what is the law by which all beings are arisen, are risen, on the ground of conditions.

[39:58]

My good friends, the old and the deaf are based on the discipline of, ah, transiency. The old and the deaf is based on the law and the law by which all beings are produced on the ground of conditions. And also, you can validate the principle of the old and the deaf.

[41:09]

In other words, you can validate the root of attachment coming from the old and the deaf. This is the statement the Shakyamuni Buddha told one of his disciples. Also, the principle, even the principle of paticca-samuppara, the conditions, or being in its nakedness, is not merely a fixed conception which is permanent,

[42:27]

which emerges from injecting of faculties. The Shakyamuni Buddha wanted to tell us the old and the deaf is based on the principle of paticca-samuppara, which means something produced by conditions. Anyway, old and deaf is based on the law of conditions. Now, this is very important point. To produce something on the ground of conditions is nothing to attach, nothing to grasp with a strong attachment.

[44:01]

Because everything is existing, existent, on the basis of arising on the ground of conditions, moment after moment, there is no fixed conception which is called the old, which is called the deaf, which is called Katagiri, which is called Tom, which is called Bob, which is called Nancy, and etc. Everything exists on the ground of conditions. To arise on the ground of conditions is that there is possibility, if you cannot get rid of the conditions,

[45:19]

if you cannot eradicate the root of causal conditions, the root of conditions, you can't get rid of the root of attachment, the root of all the something coming from old and the deaf. In other words, it is subjectively speaking, if everything is produced on the ground of conditions, and there is nothing to grasp with fixed attachment,

[46:33]

we face events and things as you come into a contact with moment after moment. This is the point in our daily life, concretely speaking. In other words, how should you handle, how should you handle the events and things on the basis of the principle of the paticca-samuppada, that everything arising on the ground of conditions. How should you handle? This is very important. How should you handle?

[47:38]

There is nothing to grasp with attachment. This is category, no? I say, who are you? You ask, if I am asked by you, who are you? I say, yes, I am category. My name is category. How do you view? That's okay. I don't mean there is something wrong. But important point is, there is nothing to grasp with attachment, which is called category. Because even the name which is called category is based on the principle of paticca-samuppada, arising on the ground of conditions. You see?

[48:39]

If so, how should I handle myself? Even I, which is called category, even the cherished self known as, known well, so well, which is called category, is based on the principle of paticca-samuppada. There is nothing to grasp with attachment. What should I handle this? Including physical body, including spiritual being, what should I do? But, unfortunately or fortunately, I have some, you know, great agency of the spiritual view.

[49:44]

When I see the moment, when I see the margaret, my mind starts to act to the object which is called the margaret, or it is margaret. And then, at that time, immediately, my thoughts compel me to think something else. She is pretty good, very beautiful girl. But this is never true, you know, fortunately, unfortunately. You cannot get rid of this thought. But strictly speaking, Shakyamuni Buddha says, Gautama Buddha says, there is nothing to catch with attachment, saying, oh, margaret is very beautiful girl.

[50:53]

This is attachment already. The moment when I am, my thoughts compel me to think, oh, margaret is beautiful girl. This is already attachment, which you can catch, which I can catch in my hand. Oh, yes, you know, for instance, when you sit there, then you can see the beautiful imagination of enlightenment, or bodhidharmas, or avalokiteshvaras, and many buddha series. Sometimes beautiful colors, sometimes beautiful nature, you know. Deep trees, birds singing, streams are going. Then you think, wow, that girl.

[52:01]

Then you think, oh, this is enlightenment. Then when you go to the Zen master, you confess what you experienced in your zazen. Saying, I got enlightenment in my zazen. What do you think? The master says, oh, I'm sorry for you. It is also sort of delusion. So, you know, there is completely nothing, nothing to catch with the attachment. What should I, what should I handle myself? If I fail, if I fail to give a lecture, not so well, you know, give a lecture, you know, if my lecture is not so good, I discourage you, poor Katagiri, poor Katagiri.

[53:20]

But just my thought, saying poor Katagiri to myself, that's all. But actually there is nothing to catch which is called poor Katagiri, even though I give a poor lecture. If I attach, if there is, if there is something to grasp with attachment, saying, oh, poor Katagiri, I can't give a lecture anymore, you know, I don't want. But it is not to understand how, what, how I should handle myself. In terms of the principle of pratityasamutpada, rising on the ground of conditions.

[54:26]

So, how should I handle myself? Moment after moment there is nothing, how should I handle myself? Then, subjectively speaking, how I should handle myself is by what attitude I face myself. By what attitude I should be confronted with the presence of myself on the basis of principle of pratityasamutpada. Moment after moment, the true understanding of myself which is called Katagiri is based on pratityasamutpada.

[55:35]

There is nothing completely to catch, to grasp with strong attachment. Then, what should I do? Ah, if you, if I, as mentioned before, if I, if there is even the slightest, slightest thing to grasp with attachment, saying, oh, poor Katagiri. It means there is something, there is something to catch with attachment, saying, poor Katagiri. Which is characteristic of poor Katagiri.

[56:40]

At that time, there is something to catch with attachment, saying, poor Katagiri means that I create, I create some of, some conditions, some conditions. By what, by what something is produced by it. The moment when I catch it, I can say, poor Katagiri. It means I can, I produce, I produce a sort of conditions. Which I can envision. So important point is, in order to get rid of something coming from old or the death.

[58:09]

To get all, not to create, not to create a certain conditions which you can envision. This is saying, poor Katagiri. This is Katagiri. Saying, this is Katagiri, it means a sort of cherished self, known so well. Who is difficult for me to get rid of. So in order to handle myself as I am, important point is nothing to create, nothing to grasp. Nothing to create a certain, a certain conditions which I will be enabled to, will be able to envision.

[59:17]

By what I will be able to create something. So, the strictly speaking, or in terms of actual practice in daily life. Important point is always getting something, important point, left behind me. What, how should I handle me? By what, in what attitude should I handle myself? By what attitude should I handle Zazen when I am confronted with Zazen?

[60:30]

Always, there is always questions, always questions. When you think of it, when you, when the thought is, when you think of it, with intellectual sense there is always question, by what attitude I should face Zazen as I should, as I have to Zazen. So practically speaking, just there is nothing to think, there is nothing to complete, to think of it with intellectual sense, but there is something to show, to reveal, to reveal. It is attitude, it is attitude, what is called attitude. Which is possibility, which is possible to reveal moment after moment.

[61:45]

By what attitude should I handle, should I handle Zazen when I am confronted with Zazen? But the moment when you think of what Zazen is, it makes you confused. One confused to another, what Zazen is. But even if Zazen is based on the principle Pratityasamutpara, it is true, if so, how should you face this Zazen moment after moment? You can think of it, but there is something to show, to reveal, this is true. This is attitude, in the attitude what you can show, you can show moment after moment.

[62:46]

Then the Dogenzin says, if you do Zazen, throw away everything, even the good, even the bad. You seek Zazen, you think you can see the beautiful imagination, you should throw away. You can't see, you feel bad, you feel bad from your Zazen, you throw away, you should throw away. Then you have a question, you have a question. Well, but nevertheless, a sort of illusion comes up to my head, what shall I do? What you should throw away, what shall I do?

[63:49]

Then you have some doubt. Oh, okay, I can't throw away the question, what I will do. If so, if so, there is nothing to do, you know. You should throw away, there is nothing to do. Then you have some doubt, if there is nothing to do, it's nonsense to do Zazen. You should throw away the idea that there is nothing, it is nonsense to do Zazen. Then you think, that's ridiculous, you should throw away that ridiculous.

[64:58]

Then you think, what is it, what is it? You should throw away, what is it? And then you have some doubt, there is Buddhism, there is Buddhism, it looks like a magic, it looks like a trick. You should throw away the trick. You should throw away the thinking that it is a trick. Then you think, practice hard, you can experience a sort of enlightenment, or this is enlightenment, I got it now, you throw away enlightenment. And then, if so, what shall I do, what shall I do when I have to sit in the reality of the present,

[66:17]

as I have to do Zazen in small Christian, what shall I do? There is nothing to explain, it's vague as all descriptions, but there is something to show, to live, it's justice, it is justice, it is Shikantaba. Shikantaba is, by what attitude you are confronting, you should confront it with Zazen when you have to do Zazen. Shikan, shikan sleep, shikan sleep, means sleep with wholeheartedness. Sleep with wholeheartedness is called shikan sleep, is to sleep, which means by what attitude you should be confronted with sleep as it is.

[67:28]

There is nothing to describe, what is the real quality of sleep. You cannot explain, but you can show it, you can show it. It is attitude, it is attitude what is called sleep. When as you come into a contact with the present, presence of sleep. Did you understand this point? Shikan sleep, shikan taza. But if you think, even though you make every possible effort constantly, you do Zazen based on shikan, with wholeheartedness,

[68:33]

you do something with wholeheartedness moment after moment, but there is something, some doubt, by what attitude I should do, I should handle. That's okay, that's okay. Or is it enough, it is good enough to handle something as it is with wholeheartedness? There is always questions left behind. But question is, always answer means, means, there is something to show, to reveal, instead of thinking of it with interpretive sense. First show it, to reveal it. It is attitude, it is attitude involved in the reality of the present.

[69:45]

This is called shikan, this is called shikan. Or in terms of Buddha's idea, this is called dhamma, this is called dhamma. That's why Shakyamuni Buddha taught the Vakari, who is about two paths away. It is of no use to have, even though you can have a chance to see me, whose physical body is decayed. All you have to do is to see the dhamma. To see the dhamma is by what attitude the Vakari should be confronted with the death, death. That's all, just face, just to face, all you have, all he has to do is just to face the death.

[71:04]

That's all. I mentioned some day, one of old lady, who was the followers of sin school, pure land school, wanted to invite the famous priest, in order to make her mind be in rest, in peace, on the occasion of her death. Then she asked her, please make me rest, please make me comfortably in rest, in peace.

[72:06]

What shall I do? The priest says, let's chant the name of Amitabha. Then this old lady started to chant the name of Amitabha, namandabu, namandabu. Then she saw a beautiful imagination of above the Shiva with many, a number of Bodhisattvas. And then they said, come on, come this way, come this way. At that time she was hesitating what she should do. Then she asked the priest, what shall I do? The priest says, that's okay, let's chant the name of Amitabha again. Yes, yes sir.

[73:09]

She chanted, she chanted the name of Amitabha, namandabu, namandabu. Next moment she saw the ugly imagination of the Zen priest, Arahant, with a shaving comb, with a shaved head, with a bare foot. And then they said, come on this way, come on this way. I invite you to the paradise. At that time she was hesitating, what should I do? What should I do is the question, what should I do is something, something what advances in thought, immediately. Immediately the moment when she saw the ugly imagination or beautiful imagination. Bodhisattvas, Zen priests, but priest said, all you have to do is just to continue to chant the name of Amitabha.

[74:20]

Just to continue to chant the name of Amitabha means, by what attitude she should be confronted with death. With beautiful imagination of, no, just with the death, reality of death. Without being swayed away, tossed away by beautiful or ugly imagination of beautiful or ugly looks of Bodhisattvas or Arahants. All she has to do is just to continue to face the presence of the death.

[75:27]

That's all. There is nothing to say from the suffering of the death, which emerges from her intellectual sense. If you chase after the death, conception of the death, with her intellectual sense, probably they may have to continue forever to ask, what should I do? What should I do? No means to be tossed away by her intellectual sense. There is no complete, there is no peace, no rest. If she wants to peace, to have a peace, to have a peaceful rest, all she has to do is just to face the presence of death.

[76:45]

The same is to be said to all our daily life. All we have to do is, by what attitude I should be confronted with events and things, as you come into a contact with, moment after moment. When you understand this point, it is called wisdom. It is called number in terms of principle of Buddhism. Do you understand? Next time I will explain about this more, taking an example from some stories of old stories.

[78:01]

Sutra, arguments, the Shakyamuni Buddha mentioned to his disciples.

[78:15]

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