In order to be descriptive of Gyoji, Dogen takes Maha Kasyapa's practice as an example. The 8th Patriarch, Maha Kasyapa, who is the Dharma successor of Shakyamuni Buddha, unflinchingly practiced the 12-fold practice in his previous existence.

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The 12-fold practice is as follows. 1. Living on daily begging, without accepting the invitation of another, or a stop for money instead of food. 2. Dwelling in a mountain, keeping a roof from crowded urban or rural districts. 3. Avoiding to demand clothes of another or to accept even clothes given through the kindness of another. 4. Mending and wearing the clothes of the dead left at the grave. 5. Living in a forest or under a tree.

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6. Taking only one meal a day. 7. Using the sitting posture or Kihin instead of sleep. 8. Having only three robes or no blanket for sleep. 9. Dwelling at the graveyard without staying in a temple, not communicating with people, encouraging oneself to practice Zazen seeing the skeleton of the dead. 9. Living alone in solitude, keeping away from seeing people or sleeping together with them. 10. Eating first the fruit of grasses and then a rice,

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not eating them again after the time when one should cease eating. 11. Living in the open air without using a tree or a house. 12. Not eating meat or salpil manda, not using a fragrant oil for the body. Do you know so well? Mahakasyapa is a famous Buddhist disciple who is one of the great ten disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha. He was born of the family of Brahmanism.

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And after the Shakyamuni Buddha's, no, three years later, after Shakyamuni Buddha's enlightenment, Buddha's enlightenment, he became a priest. Then it is said that Mahakasyapa attained enlightenment which is worthy of becoming arahat. And then,

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when the first assembly of, designed for composing the sutra, Buddhist teaching, was held in Rajagraha, Mahakasyapa was a leader of the Shakyamuni Buddha's order. Then, he practiced hard in sitting zazen

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and he entered into nirvana sitting in zazen. Before his death, he transmitted his dharma to Ananda as a successor, dharma successor. In the Buddhist history, Mahakasyapa is a man of great noble characters who has the makings of integrity.

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So, he had confidence of many disciples and laymen. Particularly, he is noted for the man of great priest who has no attachment absolutely. So, in Zen Buddhism, we express great gratitude, respect to Mahakasyapa. So, every morning, we chant his name. Anyway, he is very famous for

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a great man who has no attachment. Because, as Dogen Zen says, he practiced twelve-fold practice in his previous existence. And also, in his life, in this world, he also continued to practice this twelve-fold practice. We should consider carefully why Dogen Zenji takes the practice of Mahakasyapa. For example, in order to be descriptive of the Gyoji,

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Buddhist practice. The eighth patriarch, Mahakasyapa, who is the dharma successor of Shakyamuni Buddha, unflinchingly practiced the twelve-fold practice in his previous existence. The twelve-fold practice is as follows. One, living on daily begging without accepting the invitation of another or a stuff or money instead of food. In India, they couldn't have the stuff or money or property for his life in order to support themselves. So they couldn't accept

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any stuff, any money, any amount of money instead of food. Just food is a merit to accept, to receive from the people. So, they had to live on the begging. They had to practice begging every day. The second, dwelling in the mountains, keeping away from crowded urban or rural districts. In a sense, it may be easy for a bird to live alone and sing songs, beautiful songs, every morning. Unfortunately, it is not so easy

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for a human being to be alone. If you are, if you live alone completely, at last, you will be neurotic, neurosis, neurotic. Neurosis, neurotic, neurotic. But in Twelve-fold practice, Mahakasyapa practiced and lived alone, keeping away from crowded urban or rural districts. A living alone,

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in isolated solitude, is really extraordinary practice for a human being. But he did, in his previous life, in his previous existence, the third, avoiding to demand clothes of another or to accept even clothes given through the kindness of another. Mending and wearing the clothes of the dead left at the grave. Mending and wearing the clothes of the dead left at the grave. Such clothes is called hunzo-e, the Buddhist robe, garment,

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made of cast-off rags. There is, there are ten ways, there are ten kinds of robes made of cast-off rags. The one is the clothes of defective quality not, not, not by a cow, by a cow. Hunzo-e, the robe,

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the Buddhist robe, made of cast-off rag, is made of clothes of defective quality not by a cow. Or second is, not by a rat. The third is a cloth with a hole made by burning fire. The fourth, a cloth abstained by the monthly period, woman's monthly period. The fifth, a cloth abstained by the milk. Sixth,

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an unidentified, unidentified cloth taken away by a bird or an animal from one place and left it to another place. It means that cloth there is owner, you couldn't find, you cannot find the owner of this cloth because bird or animals takes away from one place to another. Then you could find it, pick it up, and made a cloth. The seventh, a cloth left at the graveyard. In India,

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they have a custom, they have a custom to put on the, to put the dead on the cloth. Before the dead buried, dead is buried. They they took away, took off the cloth and put the dead without any cloth. That's a custom in India. For burial in India. The eighth, a cloth offered to a holy fiend in order to pray for the fulfillment of one's wish. Ninth,

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a cloth thrown away a person a the cloth, a cloth, cloth the cloth thrown away by a person every time fool or when he is advanced to the upper rank. Upper rank. They have a very interesting custom if you become if you become a teacher from the, a monk you throw away the clothes

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which you used to which you have with a war then you get a new cloth. In other words in every time when one, when a person is promoted to promoted from for instance a sectional chief to a bureau director you throw away old cloth and you can get new cloth. Or from general policeman to police, to police sergeant

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throw away the cloth for general sergeant a policeman general police then you can get a new cloth for police sergeant. Or from police sergeant to police inspector if you become a police inspector you can get new cloth for police inspector then you throw away the old cloth for police police sergeant Then monks pick them up and made a cloth made a rob for themselves A tenth the grave clothes

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taken off from the dead before it is buried the, what would you call it this well in Japan, even in Japan we had some custom which we tried to put the dead on a special cloth which is called what would you call it shroud shroud the sort of cloth, the same kimono small same kimono made by, made from the the white cotton cloth which is the cheapest cheapest then the back in the back of the death cloth in the center

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of the back of death cloth the some name of the Buddha in the center, Shakyamuni Buddha on the right side the Monjushri Bodhisattva left side up not up, sandakus Samantabhadra Bodhisattva Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha Monjushri Bodhisattva Samantabhadra Bodhisattva then in the neck sometimes they used some particular term which occurs in diamond sutra and so on for instance life is like

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dream dream cloth cloth vision and shadow and also like lightning or dew drop dew drop or sometimes we use special term statement it says there is the north east to west trend where is the north to south trend I wrote

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I have experienced I have experienced writing the characters on this cloth just once by requirement of the fellowships who lives in my village so I write I wrote the Shakyamuni Buddha Monjushri and Samantabhadra then here is Buddhist word so robe so called funzo made of cast of rags this cutting off

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unnecessary part making the best use of useful part implies that in monastic life we try to cutting off taking away unnecessary part and making the best use of necessary part of life of our lives for monastic life in order to cultivate in order to develop the monastic life so that's such a way of making the

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Buddhist robe is the best way of making the life force making making the cloth nature of the cloth alive in full revelation then when you make the robe during making the robe try to chant the triple treasure take refuge in the Buddha Dhamma and Sangha instead of instead of creating your delusions concentrating on

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the invocation of the triple treasure Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha the shape is also the form of the Kesa robe is also made in the form in the shape of rice field in which everything is grown everything grows in peace, in equality our fourth are living in the forest or under the tree our fifth are taking only one meal a day so taking one meal taking only one meal a day there is no rule

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to make a choice this is good or this is bad because you are always hungry so whatever kind of food you have to accept you are willing to accept receive the food taking only one meal a day the sixth using the sitting posture walking in instead of sleep we had we experienced just once last session in December we sit all night we had just 4-3 hours sitting sleep you are very enjoyed, you are willing to have this experience the whole life his whole life

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he used the sitting posture and came in instead of sleep what do you think about? I have one of one of my friends who who said who used just sitting sleep and came in he has very strong muscles who was born of the fishing family fisherman very strong, he has very strong muscle he never lie down always sitting sleep and came in instead of sleep I was very amazed I thought he was Maha Kashyap so far before I saw him

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Maha Kashyap's experience was really crazy, little bit crazy but actually indeed I saw one man who lives at present in front of me I was very surprised seventh having only three rows or no blanket for sleep blanket it's called we have a special blanket for the monks it's 6 by 9 or so and two cloth put together and made a case pillowcase

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something like a pillowcase and put the stuff this stuff is a piece a piece of paper a soft a piece of soft paper put it into this case then wearing it or you wearing on it sitting when it is cold or when you sleep but now in our day it is not practical or one Zen master made this blanket and he said he sat

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wearing wearing it when it was cold when he sleep he wore because this Zen master wanted to follow completely right way of Dogen or Shakyamuni Buddha he always wear such a blanket our eights are dwelling at the graveyard without staying in the temple not communicating with people not communicating with people no I think one of you experience sitting Zazen in the heart of the mountain that time you think

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I practiced Zazen by myself living alone I don't think so if you live if you live alone without communicating with people completely not communicating with nature or bird or animal at last you will be completely crazy but he did encouraging oneself to practice Zazen seeing the skeleton of the dead skeleton of the dead well it seems to us that to do seeing the skeleton of the dead

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encourage yourself to do Zazen do you think so it seems to us that it is sort of joke but it is really true because in ancient time all monks suffered so much from their delusion how they should they always thinking, concentrating on how they should get rid of delusion but it was so difficult it's not so easy then at last the monk found such a way of practice seeing the skeleton of the dead and do Zazen famous

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Zen master named Ikkyu walked on the street in New Year's in Japan New Year is auspicious occasion or happy occasion when a lucky fortune lucky fortune is provided for everybody so Japanese people shut out doors in order to shut out the priest to get in don't get in the priest the priest is symbolized of bringing unlucky fortune so they always hate the priest in New Year because New Year is symbolized very good happy occasion

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when the happy unlucky which will bring you into promising the future is provided they always shut out don't get in but Ikkyu Zen master walked on the street in New Year's carrying the stick the wither carrying the stick the wither skeleton human's head the top of the stick saying you think New Year is happy but

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happy New Year indicates to bring you into the grave then he walked in the street it's nice Japanese Buddhist are pretty far out I think if you want if you it is big good time but now is very good time if you want to convert into another religion because if you study more what Buddhism is you will find many funny things which is far out like a 12-4 practice

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I think it's better to get another religion the 9th are living alone in solitude keeping away from seeing people or sleeping together with them and 10th eating first the fruit of grasses and then I don't know what kind of fruit grasses anyway you are very interested in picking up fruit of grasses where grows in the top part I think many fruits there are many fruits which is eatable then eating first the fruit of grasses and then eat rice don't eat first rice

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but we always eat first rice not eating them again after the time when one should cease eating so if you miss the meal time you can't get you shouldn't get you shouldn't eat the meal in the monastery in Japan you hit the hand you hit the hand 3 rounds if you miss if you miss the getting in the zendo before the 3 3 rounds hand is over you can't eat can't eat if you try to get in the zendo they must score you get out very strict when I was in the age monastery Zen master was very strict

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the system was completely changed very strict so if a monk missed the getting in to get into the zendo before the 3 rounds hand is over he couldn't eat but now no trouble you can throw a hand when the hand 3 rounds is over monks they walk get in with improbably living in the open air without using the tree or house not eating meat

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or salpio manda not using frequent oil for the body salpio manda salpio manda is called daigo in Japanese which the I think briefly speaking it is the excellent good food excellent food to taste the one of the famous

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Buddhist priest was invited one day by by one of his fellowship that time whenever he visited whenever he was invited by the people the people always offer served mushroom independent independent of season then at that time he was served the mushroom was served by the people then at that time the myoe shonin asked

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why do you serve why do you serve the mushroom because now is good season for the mushroom the people says well I heard that you love so much you love so much mushroom that's why we have made every possible effort to grow the mushroom through all seasons that time she she made little bit sad with tear on his face and said it can be helped if I as a monk love so much Buddhism but

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I'm not glad to hear that how I love the mushroom then after that he stopped eating the mushroom completely then one day he was also served very delicious food that time the myoe shonin think the dust from a flame of a shoji screen and put it on the food, delicious food to eat same price to the the Saint Francis who is Christian father

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it is said even the Saint Francis ate the delicious food pouring the ashes of the rice of the food it implies that Saint Francis didn't want to eat delicious food which would create his delusion so one of twelve fourth practice it is the practice not eating meat or salpil manda salpil manda not eat salpil manda, delicious food there is

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famous one of famous there is something to drink drink in Japan named Calpis Calpis that name comes from salpil manda selected by one famous Buddhist scholar the boss of company factory in which they made this drink named Calpis asked one of famous Buddhist scholar what is best name suitable for this drink

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then this Buddhist scholar selected the name from salpil manda delicious food in this respect this drink called Calpis which implies symbolize to taste to taste love [...] do you understand to get taste of to get taste of feeling of first love this is

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meaning of Calpis for this drink Calpis salpil manda I'm sorry why is it Dogen takes the Mahakasyapa's practice for example what he practiced in his previous life his practice is identical with Gyoji mentioned by Buddha by Dogen because the practice

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is not to reach a certain stage from lower part to upper part regarded as Buddha not from the lower stage to upper stage the practice must be identical with Gyoji which means to manifest the ourselves which is in the realm of Buddha nature underlying essence Gyoji is to manifest itself Gyoji is to manifest the truth, Buddha nature not to manifest

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the human mind, human being who has a stinky bug stinky bug who is filled with feces or eagerness when you do practice according to Buddha's teaching the practice is Gyoji which implies to manifest Buddha nature of your moment after moment it is the practice which is absolutely identical with the root of a tree Gyoji is a root

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of a tree moment after moment Gyoji becomes a root the root of a tree but it is not so easy to for us to see the root with our eyes but root is very important for our lives the root is always penetrating the earth which is Buddha nature in which everything exists in equality everything visible and invisible exists in equality and peace then all we have to do is

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is the effort which the root is placed right on earth which is Buddha nature the root if you put it on earth many things visible invisible support sustain the life force of the root and leaves trunks branches but we should keep in mind in the Buddha's world that there is not only something good but also something bad such as

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natural disaster flood fire or mold or rabbit or many kinds of animal damaged fruit or root even a root or any kind of animals any kind of natural disaster exists in peace in harmony then all we all the root has to do is to put it on earth so called Buddha nature for example when you go out of the Tathagata many disasters

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many troubles coming up in front of you it's pretty hard to live in this world you are scared the other day someone asked to a lecturer many when I go up when I go to New York you are always scared someone's coming it is fatal it is pretty usual that you are scared also on the other hand it is very true but you cannot get out because it is such a world which is based on

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Buddha's world you can't get out so as long as human being exist in this world based on Buddha's world all we have to do is to practice continually one by one step by step penetrating root the root of our tree penetrating earth so called Buddha's world this is our practice so called Gyoji it is not the practice which you have thought such a practice is something which carry you from lower stage to upper stage our practice is

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must be Gyoji which moment after moment make your leave your root leave the root of your tree penetrate earth moment after moment sometimes big flood comes even a big tree fall down like Tasa big tree on a lot of Tasa but never less that's why moment after moment moment after moment is the practice moment after moment is very important the moment when you look at

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such a natural disaster big tree fall by the flood, by the rain heavy rain you are completely disguised why is it you have lots of doubt why is it we have to make effort and then such understanding of your life leads you to wondering to be wondering about leads you to one confusion to another wherever you are whatever kind of no matter how big your tree is disasters exist you can't get up because even a disaster even a good, even a bad exist in equality

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you have to accept to this you have to settle on yourself on the earth, steadily with the strength of your root this is Gyoji that's why my Hakushapu practice very hard according to twelvefold practice that's why Dogen Zenji says as I mentioned before accordingly an attempt to stay from Gyoji indicate an attempt to conceal a perverted mind that would avoid Gyoji Zen book says sleeping, standing is Zen practice why is it we have to practice the Zen hard

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or let's go to cabin and sleep if so you know your tree the tree of your own fall down before flood comes before heavy rain comes one may say that all activities are Gyoji even though one does not practice such Gyoji would seem to be the aspiration for authentic Gyoji but this is like a poor man who leaves the valuable treasure in his true father's house what is valuable treasure what you have when the sleeping comes

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sleep comes in the time that time comes when you have to sleep you should sleep time comes when you do the Zen you should do the Zen this is Gyoji which implies root of your tree then when you go out out of the desire maybe your tree moves to the right to the left, all directions maybe so, it is ok if your life is continually swaying away by such atmosphere which happens in appearance how can you support your life force how can you sustain your life with impermeable

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spirit it seems it seems our practice is really nonsense wasting time but it is very important

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