Every Tuesday night, I am planning to describe about the law, Buddhist law, according to the sutra. But on Sunday, I would like to take another subject, I think it's better. Dōgen Zenji, very often described in the books.

[01:01]

By Dōgen, of the famous Zen master, Tōzan, Tōzan Zen master, who lived in 10th century in China, and who was one of the outstanding Zen masters. By establishment of the central philosophy of Zen Buddhism, which is called Goi, in Japanese. Dōgen Zenji, very often described about him, with great admiration.

[02:05]

In about 10th century in China, the situation was very bad, because the government didn't accept the present situation of Buddhism. So government let all priests return to their own previous life, keeping away from any touch of Buddhism. So some priest must be a carpenter, one of the priest must be digging a hole, one of

[03:27]

the Zen master must be the person who takes care of boat, in order to carry the people from this shore to the other shore. One of the Zen master must be fisherman. Nevertheless, they tried to keep Buddhism, as if submarine went to the bottom of the ocean. They made every possible effort to keep Buddhism.

[04:29]

At that time, Tōzan Zen master guided many of his disciples. One day, he gave a lecture on the subject of the truth of self-nature. In Japanese, hondai no menmoku, sometimes I translate it into English, in its spirit of the self, but nobody understands.

[05:36]

Even though I translate it into English, the truth of the self-nature, you don't understand. But that's all right. The Tōzan tried to describe about the self, the self-nature, how evasive it is, how difficult you can catch, you can catch it. As the sutra says, the mind, the past, in the past, present, future, cannot caught at all. So, at that time, Tōzan described about the human mind, how difficult you can catch it,

[06:48]

you can understand, how evasive it is. At that time, one of the monks asked Tōzan, if the mind is evasive, if the mind is difficult to understand, to catch it, why we have to practice zazen and get enlightenment? At that time, Tōzan didn't answer to this question, and just continued to give lecture. After his lecture, the Tōzan Zen master called this disciple to his room and tried to give

[08:05]

an answer to this question. The disciple made a vow with me, and the moment when he sat in front of the Tōzan Zen master, Tōzan Zen master said, you look like a devil, hungry devil, you look like a hungry devil who try to satisfy themselves by getting food. Then he said, I will give you some food, let's get this food and get out of this temple.

[09:18]

That time, the disciple was very angry with his master, he was very angry, he didn't see it. Then, but, that time he quickly stand up and get out of his room, but later he thought to himself that it was not so good, not so impolite behavior, he reflected upon himself. Then he sold all that he had, and got money, and gave all monies to this monastery, to all monks

[10:30]

by giving food. The chanting sutra in Sōdo Zen meditation hall, we have a custom to have a special ceremony when someone gave food to monks, chanting sutra in Zen hall. Then at that time, Tōzan had a special ceremony for this disciple. Then, since then, this disciple made up his mind to stay in the temple and practice under the Tōzan Zen master.

[11:36]

He said he practiced for three years. After three years, he tried to be given admission from his teacher. To go out of this temple in order to look for another teacher. Then, Tōzan Zen master thought, alright, he should go. When he was about to leave this temple, Tōzan Zen master said, Take care of yourself, goodbye.

[12:40]

Take it easy. One of the monks who attended to the Tōzan Zen master said to Tōzan Zen master, I think he is looking for another teacher in order to get enlightenment, in order to look for the truth of the self-nature. I'm wondering if he is looking for the truth of the self-nature by getting another teacher.

[13:55]

Tōzan Zen master said, Yes, well, he has known so well how he is trying to go on the religious life. In other words, if you try to practice Zazen, you think your practice makes good progress by practicing hard.

[14:59]

Because your mind is always seeking for the goal of religious life, something like enlightenment. Unfortunately, most people forget how important the place of where you stand at the stage of now and here. Then, the Tōzan Zen master knew so well about how this disciple had practiced. So, this disciple always practiced very hard in order to aim at the goal of the religious life, enlightenment, the truth of the self-nature.

[16:13]

On the other hand, he forgot how important the place where he stands at the stage of now and here. In other words, how important each progress, each step is. Then, Tōzan says, he has known so well how to get the goal of the religious life, but he didn't know, he hasn't known, he hasn't known how important his each step was. But anyway, this disciple went out of the temple.

[17:17]

Tōzan thought, and all his disciples thought. He was gone. He went out of the temple to get another teacher. But, there is something happening. Next morning, when someone passed by the Tōzan hall, he found this disciple sitting meditation without going out of the temple. This disciple was sitting meditation in the Tōzan hall.

[18:26]

He thought, oh, he is in. He didn't go out of this temple. How wonderful, he is. And then, the time came when all monks sit meditation in the Tōzan hall. And this disciple didn't move anymore, just sit. After Tōzan was over, he didn't move at all. So, everybody was wondering, what happened?

[19:31]

At that time, this disciple died, remaining sitting meditation. Wow! Then, one of his disciples described about this event to the Tōzan. Tōzan Zen Master. Tōzan Zen Master says, I think all monks thought his attitude of monastic life was very wonderful.

[20:37]

Because, the death, the remaining sitting meditation was, they were greatly worthy of becoming proud of priest. Themselves are the priest. Take for example, you will find many stories, that them monks, them priests died sitting meditation. But, Tōzan didn't think in that way. He said, his practice, his practice is not so much important.

[21:56]

The death, remaining sitting meditation is not so much important. Because he died, he gave up his life. Tōzan says, look at me. Look at me. My practice has been continued. Not only continued from the many past lives. Not only this life. Do you understand this point? My practice has been continued, not only this life, not only this life.

[23:04]

From the many past lives up to now. Why is it, why is it this disciple gave up this life, his own life? I think this is very important. Of course, as long as we are living in this world, as human beings, you will find there are many, many things, which you are faced with. Sometimes you want, you would want to get out of your life.

[24:13]

Sometimes you would want to die, remaining sitting meditation. But if you die, however you, however you follow, however you follow, whatever kind of way of death you follow, the death is death. You know, the other day, some other day, I think I told you about Dōgen's explanation of nansen at the cutting the cats. The joshu, zen master, cut the cat in two.

[25:28]

That time I said, in your life, sometimes we have to cut off in two with very sharp. One sharp sword. I think joshu, zen master follow in that way. Say something right now. The cats, whether cats have buddha nature or not. Nobody answered. Then he cut the cats in two with one sharp sword. This is very good. Dōgen Zenji gave great explanation to joshu, zen master.

[26:31]

Why he follow this way. But nevertheless, Dōgen Zenji says, if I were joshu, zen master, I didn't cut the cat. He says that joshu, zen master knows so well the cutting the cat in two with one sharp sword. But he didn't know, he didn't know how to cut the cat in one with one sharp sword. This is very important. Now, how do you cut? What do you think? How do you cut the cat in one? Not two. If you cut anything in two, it's easy.

[27:32]

I don't like fish, I don't like meat. I like vegetarian. I am vegetarian. How? How do you think? I am very proud of myself. It means you cut in two. You cut yourself in two with one sharp sword. How wonderful. But you don't know. Most of the people don't know how to cut the cat in one with one sharp sword. What do you mean? You should consider this man again and again through your life, all your life. Then Dogen then says, if I were joshu, zen master, I would like to let the cat loose.

[28:34]

That's wonderful. Very gentle, very considerate. Dogen Zenji has very considerate feelings to all sentient beings. Not only cat. Not only enlightenment. But also to delusions. But also to the ordinary, ordinary person. You know, to let the cat loose. It's nothing happens special. It's nothing happens special. I think the biopractice is hard. I think you can't think. You think, I can't get.

[29:37]

I would. I could. I could get enlightenment. In the domain of practice, it's hard. Most of the people, it's packed. Something which happens in their life, like lightning thunder. Like this. Lightning thunder. You think lightning, all thunder is enlightenment. Like a joshu, zen master, cuts the cat in two with one sharp sword. This is wonderful. Like the lightning of thunder. But, the other hand,

[30:42]

Udon Buddha cannot, cannot through, cannot pass. On fire. Oh, I forgot. Anyway, bronze Buddha, forgot what he said. Whatever it is, that's all right. Bronze Buddha cannot pass the ocean. It means, if you create whatever kind of Buddha it is, you create for the Udon Buddha. Oh yes, cats have the Buddha nature.

[31:45]

The Udon Buddha cannot pass on fire. In other words, Udon Buddha cannot understand fire, or cannot understand himself. So joshu, what the joshu want, want to tell you, is don't create whatever kind of Buddha it is. So, what do you say? When you are asked by the joshu, zen master, whether cats have a Buddha nature or not. There is no answer. If you can answer to this question, it means to catch something in your hand. If you have something in your hand, it's not Buddha.

[32:48]

That's all. You know, this is very important. Then, nobody answers. All monks didn't answer to this question. Then, they kept silence. That's all. That's why the Ugen Zen says, no answer is proper, right answer to this question. Why did joshu have to, joshu has to cut the cat in two? If I were joshu, it wouldn't be necessary to cut the cat in two. Because right answer exists already. With silence, this is right answer. Then, for Dogen Zenji,

[33:59]

all we have to do is, how should you do? To let the cat loose. That's all. This is very nice. This point is very considerate feeling to practice, which Dogen Zenji has. So, I think, there are hundred people who has different character, different type of character.

[35:03]

Whatever kind of type of character you have, you should take care of. You should take care of yourself. Now, we are making a lakusu, Buddhist wall, by volunteers who are interested in sewing. I found many type of different characters, different character. Each student has. Someone sewed very beautiful. Someone sewed not so beautiful. Even though someone gave advice, he should do in that way. But his hand doesn't go smoothly, clearly.

[36:11]

Always zigzag. Nevertheless, they didn't give up. All day, all day they sit and concentrate on sewing. That's beautiful. I think, by practicing zazen, on Tuesday evening, I will describe how great lakusu, sewing, the practice of making lakusu is. How great merit the Buddhist law has. But please don't expect any kind of merit from making lakusu, from making law. Don't expect. I think someone would experience

[37:17]

how great merit through making lakusu. That's all right. Please keep it in your mind. All you have to do is to continue. Continue like a turtle, like a cow. Whatever type of character you find, you have found, in the practice of sewing, making lakusu, it's all right. You should go. That's why Todan says, look at me. My practice is continued, has been continued, not only from this life. My practice, my life,

[38:21]

has been continued from many past lives up to now. If you give up something, if you give up doing something, it looks like his disciple, who died, died in the main sitting meditation. In a sense, it is wonderful. But in a sense, it's nonsense. You should please continue to do something, to practice dazen. Because in a sense, all of you have listened to some aspect of Buddhism. All sentient beings exist in the realm of the Buddhist world. In a sense, you have listened to this.

[39:27]

Everything is Buddha nature. Everything, everybody exists in the big extent of Buddha. If so, you should take care of yourself. Without giving up. Something halfway, halfway.

[40:03]

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