He who lies on the ground still is happy. He who is not contented, though he were in heavenly places, still wouldn't be contented. He who is not contented, even though he be rich, is poor. The man who is contented, even though he be poor, is rich. He who is not contented is pulled by the five desires and therefore he is pitied by the one who is contented. That is what is called contentment. The man of contentment, even though he lies on the ground, still is happy.

[01:10]

He who is not contented, though he were in heavenly places, still wouldn't be contented. He who is not contented, even though he be rich, is poor. The man who is contented, even though he be poor, is rich. He who is not contented is pulled by the five desires and therefore he is pitied by the one who is contented. This is what is called contentment. Probably, as you, as many know so well, the Japanese chess, Japanese chess.

[02:30]

In order to make Japanese chess play as one of plays, as one of Japanese plays, I think we need something. Then Japanese chess consists of 40 pieces and one board. I think it's a little different from Western chess. Japanese chess consists of 40 pieces and one board. So, if there are merely a collection of material and 40 pieces and one board, I think Japanese,

[03:58]

we may say that Japanese chess consists of 40 pieces and one board as materials. Then, total calculation of Japanese chess becomes 40 pieces of 41 materials, just 41 materials. In other words, there is only the collection of material, 40 and 40 pieces and one board. But under such a situation, the Japanese chess doesn't come into existence as a play, as a play of Japanese chess.

[05:09]

In order to make it play as play is, we need some rule, we need some rule which players should keep. Then, you know, the moment when the rule of Japanese chess comes into existence, the circumstances take on a new aspect. What is it?

[06:13]

It is the full element of function which Japanese chess possesses. So at that time, each piece is not merely a material as a piece. The ball is not merely a board as a material. Then, from this point, the most important thing is not to vote. But I think, oh, excuse me, under the situation of concurrence, concurrence, concurrence,

[07:22]

I think you will recognize the little difference among those such as the king is different from the bishop. The king is different from the pawn. The king is a little different from a knight, something like that. But still doesn't exist the full elements of functions which each piece and board possess. For this, in order to make, find the Japanese chess under the situation which the 40 pieces and one board work,

[08:45]

we have to have some rule. We have to have some rule. When you have some rule, we have some rule which players should keep. I think each is not merely materials. The circumstances which consist of each piece, 40 pieces and one board, turn to the big situation of the society, of their own life, their own life. Then, at that time, you can play. You can play when you obey, when you obey some rule.

[09:58]

In this point, the most important thing is not what king is, what king is. We don't care what materials, what materials each makes. Each is made. By what materials each is made. We don't care what kind of shape each has. The most important thing is how a king works, actually. How the knight works. How a pawn works on a board.

[11:06]

Actually. It means, it means the all, 40 pieces and one board has a great relationship with each other. As a full, as the full element of functions. Do you understand? If you search, if you search what kind of shape each possess, by what kind of materials each is made, it is impossible to play the Japanese chess.

[12:11]

For instance, if you are shot by a poison arrow, are you thinking what kind of poison is before pulling it? Or are you thinking who shot me? Who shot you? If you search what kind of poison, what kind of poison, by what kind of poison arrows you were shot, who shot you? At last you have to die before you can, you can complete, you can, you could complete by what kind of poison arrow you shot.

[13:21]

Then, at that time, the most important thing is you should understand, you should understand the great relationship between you and poison arrows. Poison arrows. You should consider, you should consider how poison arrow works. You should consider how you works. Then, practically speaking, you know, before thinking what kind of material, what kind of poison arrows you were shot, you already pulled it. The same is to be said to the Japanese chess.

[14:31]

It is important thing to think, things to consider how the king, how each piece, each piece works. At that time, it is not merely materials. Which consists of, which, no, each piece is not merely materials. Then, first, we have to...

[15:47]

We have to destroy, destroy conception of, conception of concurrence, concurrence. Then you should, you should consider, you should consider full function, full element of functions which it possesses. In mathematics, in mathematics, it is called combinations, combination or unity. What is, think what is unity. You know, the children, I think you have found many times, very often, the children playing a toss.

[17:13]

Like this, jankenpon, you know, piece. You know, the three kinds of this and scissors and papers and rocks. Now, what would you say? Play the toss? Play the toss? In Japanese, we say jankenpon, you know. Ah, paper and scissors. P-I-C-K-E-R, scissors. P-I-C-K-E-R, scissors.

[18:20]

Scissors and rock. And match. Huh? And match. One, throw one, say it's a match. Nerd, play with match. Matching? Match, to light a candle. Oh, match, M-A-T-C-H, too much? No, match, to light a candle, fire. That's part of the game in America. Oh, I see. Huh. Yes. Ah. Ah. If you, ah, if you, ah, represent, if you represent, ah, the relation between them,

[19:25]

ah, in order to make this play, you know, this play, it comes into, come into existence, you know, the, each, each part, each part doesn't, is not merely materials like this, materials like this, which you, which you represent, which you represent, ah, which, which it is represented by your hand like this, or like this, or like this. No, there must be, there must be the relationship between them, between them. Then if you explain, ah, express, this relationship may be like this, and like this, like this.

[20:33]

Scissors is little strong than papers. You can't cut the papers. And rock is little strong, little strong than scissors, because it doesn't cut it. Ah, and paper, paper can, ah, wrap like rock. So I think paper is little strong than rock. Ah. Then when you see, ah, when you see the, those three, three of those, as the four, four element functions, you have to express, express the relationship between them as mathematical symbols,

[21:50]

as mathematical symbols like this. Ah. At this time, it is not necessary to search what kind of paper is, what kind of scissor is, what kind of rock is. Ah. You know, at this time the, rather the distinctive mark which each possesses are standing in the way of the expression of great relationship between them. Don't you think so? Do you understand? Ah. Then, ah, even though you can express, express the relationship between them

[22:57]

as mathematical symbols like this, I think it is not enough to express completely how each, how all relation, how all works with each other. Ah. Ah. Because each character stands or stands in the way of the expressing, expression of the great relationship between them. Ah. Then, if we can, we may or we may, we may express, ah, that relationship. This is not for right, not for right.

[24:02]

Like this. This is paper. Here. Rocks. Ah. It means, it means the, ah, it means when the each, when the all works completely. Ah. Each character, each character, ah, each character, ah, this appears. Each character which the, which possesses, you know, each character as materials, you know, as materials which possesses. Ah. Universe, universe, you know, the, this is I. Ah.

[25:08]

You know, I am speaking something now. You are listening my talk. At that time it is not necessary what kind of person I am. Or what school I am graduate. Or what, it is not necessary to search what kind of person I am. If not Japanese or American, you don't care. Seriously. Anyway, the, under the situation of the four elemental functions, you know, I have to, I must speak something. You must listen to my talk. Whatever kind of topic I use, I deal with. Ah.

[26:12]

Ah. Probably my talk is very poor. Then, you know, if I discourage, if I despair, you know, if I despair how awful my talk, my talk is, it is impossible to speak something. And if you, if you have a preconception, how awful Rev. Karthikeya's talk is, poor, you know, how poor, how poor Rev. Karthikeya's talk is, it is impossible to listen. The now here important thing is that you have to listen, I have to, I have to talk, speak. At that time, I have, you know, I have to, I have to, I don't have,

[27:14]

you know, the, the, I don't have, I have no excuse. At that time, you know, the, ah, I mustn't, I mustn't have certain conceptions, how awful my talk is, or what kind of Rev. Karthikeya, person Rev. Karthikeya is. You know, if I have some selfish ideas, selfish ideas, how awful my talk is, what kind of Japanese, what kind of person I am, it is, it is far from easy to speak smoothly, you know,

[28:18]

before you. Then the most important thing is not to have selfish ideas, what I have. Then to forget myself, and I have to speak. All I have to do is to speak something, now, here. All you have to do is to listen to something, regardless what kind of topic Rev. Karthikeya deals with. Ah, then, Rev. Karthikeya's, Rev. Karthikeya's selfish ideas, selfish ideas disappear like this. And Caesar's selfish ideas disappear like this.

[29:21]

And Locke's selfish ideas disappear like this. At that time, a praying toss, praying toss, jankenpon, like that, comes into existence. And then you say, I win. Ah... But actually, but actually it is very difficult to believe such a situation. Then in mathematics, in mathematics, we have to put some mathematical symbols,

[30:27]

you know, like this, A, B, C, you know. And then you can't believe. Yes. But even this A, mathematical symbols, as mathematical symbols, is not merely the fixed conceptions, fixed conceptions. Ah, the, the, we, we just put the mark, we just put the mathematical symbols on each paper and scissors and rocks, when their selfish ideas disappear.

[31:28]

We just put the A, B, C. Ah... I think, even in mathematics, I think this A is not fixed conceptions as A. I too fear, I too fear nobody get in, nobody get in. You know, you can stay in a hotel. There are many rooms. Before getting into, getting, getting into the room, you should find a number, number the just, number the gate, you know, entrance. Room number 1, 2, 2. 2, 1, 2. 2, 1, 2, room number 2, 1, 2 is not fixed conceptions.

[32:36]

Everybody can get in. Then, nobody can, no, no, we just put the number, we just put the number on the room because nobody can believe, nobody can believe this room, that everybody can get into this room. Then, we just put the number 2, 1, 2. But it is not still, it is not fixed conception of, of the numbers. Everybody can get in. Then, in mathematics, we put just, we put just mathematical symbols A, B, C. In Buddhism, we don't use,

[33:44]

we don't use even mathematical symbols, even this one, even this one. And this is emptiness, emptiness. That's terrible. But emptiness, the emptiness ballistic symbols, emptiness as ballistic symbols is not merely fixed conception, okay? Everybody can get in. Everybody can get in. This word is very freedom, freedom. So, in Buddhism anyway,

[35:16]

when you want to express the great relationship between, between all beings, the ballistic symbols is emptiness. The emptiness means that everyone can get in. Anytime, everywhere, anywhere, as you like. So, this, the relationship as emptiness, it's not conception of relationship which we usually think. You know, first, we, we recognize the existence of two things,

[36:28]

two things, paper and scissors. Then, you try to recognize the relationship between them. But in Buddhism, we don't recognize even to the existence of two before recognition, recognition of the relationship between two. You know, first, the all beings, all beings consist in the great world as great relationship, relationship. If you, if you say, if you express, express it in, according to Buddhistic term,

[37:37]

think it is to conditioned origination, conditioned origination. It is emptiness. Then, in this point, you must never, you must never recognize the, the existence of two before you recognize the relationship. Usually, we want to try, we try to recognize the existence of two, I and you. Then, you think, you take it into your head that there is something relating between you and I.

[38:45]

But if you thought, if you thought everything doesn't go well, even your friend, even you are very good friend of mine, you know, in the world of, in the relationship between you and I, it is impossible that everything goes well. Under the situation of relations between you and I, because, you know, you already recognize a preconception, the existence of you, existence of I.

[39:50]

Then, it means, you recognize your selfish idea as your own existence. You recognize the my selfish ideas as my own existence. And then, some relationship between them comes into existence. And you think, Rev. Kathegi is very good friend of mine. And one day, I hit your head. You said, oh, Rev. Kathegi is very bad guy. It's not a relationship. It's not real meaning of relations. Real meaning of relations should be recognized, whatever happens between you and I, even though I hit your head.

[40:59]

So, for this, for this, you know, in Buddhism, we don't recognize the existence of two, you and I. Because, you know, the world including the existence of you and I and all beings, should consist in the great relationship as we see in its conditioned originations. In other words, world is world, should be identical with the relationship itself. So, you know, if you recognize the existence of you and I,

[42:29]

before you understand the relation between man and all beings, it means you can occur, you occurred some space. Space. In some space occur, you know, the part of this world, part of this world, part of a certain rule. Rule. Then, it means that this world becomes narrowed, becomes little narrowed,

[43:33]

because you occur at the person part of this world. But the world is, what is the absolute place? Freedom, freedom, free place, the freedom, the absolute place in where everybody can get in. If you recognize your own existence as a selfish idea, it is impossible to get in this place, to get in to this place, because you occurred, you have occurred already. Then, Buddhism says, Buddhism teaches us always,

[44:45]

you should never have selfish ideas, preconceptions, because world is, or your own existence should be based on conditioned originations. Hmm. You know, try to, try to draw a circle of, of four inches, four inches in diameter, diameter, and suppose that it is earth, it is earth, okay? It is earth. Suppose, the line, the line drawn by a compass

[46:06]

represents something like atmosphere, atmosphere. Now, within this atmosphere, you know, the thickness, the thickness of lines, of lines drawn by the compass, represent is atmospheres. Now, within this atmosphere, a crowd, crowds is, crowds is going on here and there. Under this crowd, the atmospheres,

[47:14]

a human being exists. And also, the rain is something which happens, something which happens under these atmospheres. If a long rain continues, if a long rain continues under the atmospheres, we take it, we take it into our head that the, everything, everything turn to, turn to the rain. Everything turn to the dark, dark crowd, dark crowd.

[48:17]

You know, the, above the atmospheres, above the atmospheres there exist blue skies in where the sun is always shining. Regardless of long rains under the, you know, under the atmospheres. You know, there, as a human being exists,

[49:43]

exists under the atmospheres. If long rains continues, you think everything is, everything turn to darkness, dark clouds. You think everything turn to the rain and cloud. That's why you, you become very melancholic when long rains continues. The moment when the weather is clear, you become very happy, wow, wonderful. It is lovely today, isn't it? The same is to be said to the human beings.

[50:50]

Sometimes we are involved in anger or ambition or affliction or delusions. These times we cannot know that there exists a shining sun and blue sky above the clouds. When we are angry, when we are, we have too much ambition or when we are afflicted with our delusions, everything turns to delusions, everything turns to dark clouds. Then, strictly speaking, the human being

[52:29]

seems that we are wanting here and there under the atmospheres. We are always tossed by the rains or clear weather, delusions, anger, many things. Besides, at that time we don't know, we cannot know the blue sky's existence above the clouds. The other day I visited Palo Alto, Palo Alto Hospital to see the lady who is one of the members of the Los Altos Zen Center

[53:30]

who gets cancer. She was very upset because of his feminine wife. She lives in her room with another lady who gets the same disease. Very often, her friend, who rides in her bed next to hers, explains how awful her suffering is. When I visited to see her, she said,

[54:38]

I don't want, I don't want to listen to her complaints or voice, how awful my suffering is. For her, to listen to his complaints, to voice, to shouting, to crying, listen to her explanation how awful her suffering is. Make her feel pain, as if it makes her to dug, dug out. Make her hard to hold, be cold, because she gets sick.

[55:43]

She gets the same disease. She feels the same suffering as her, as her friends. And she said, such a voice, voice of suffering, doesn't come from the waves, like waves, doesn't come from the surface of water. It comes from deep bottom of our mind. But in Buddhism, suffering, whatever kind you get disease, whatever kind of disease you get, suffering doesn't come from the truth.

[56:49]

Suffering is appearing or disappearing under the atmosphere, even though whatever kind of disease you get. At that time, you don't understand, you don't understand how wonderful blue sky exists above the atmosphere, because for her, everything turned to dark, dark cloud. Everything turned to the cancer, disease of cancer. Even though my face, even though my face turned to the cancer for her. Even if you are poor, your heart, how terrible your suffering is,

[57:54]

how you hate terribly the cancer, can you stop promoting the advanced stage of cancer? You should consider from where the suffering, the voice of suffering comes. You are only afflicted with, afflicted with cancer, because cancer has a great relation with death. That's why you always suffer. But if the modern medical way of modern medicines,

[59:00]

when modern medicine develops so much, maybe it would not be necessary, it would be unnecessary to be afflicted with even cancer. Because it is a possibility, it is a possibility that modern medicine never meant, never meant to recover the cancers. It is very possible. But now, it is not so easy to. Mostly impossible. That's why when you get the cancer as a disease, you suffer. If next moment, someone discovers great medicines to recover the cancer,

[60:10]

probably you might be, you might not be afflicted with the cancer. Then you are under a certain situation. When nobody recovers cancer, that's why you suffer. Then you outpour, you try to outpour your heart. How terrible my suffering is. You know, that's why suffering is appearing and disappearing under the atmospheres. Did you understand? The most important thing to understand,

[61:18]

to understand that even the suffering when you get the cancers comes from the world and the atmospheres in where all beings, all human beings are struggling. All human beings are tossed by delusions, 180 delusions, and more than 108 delusions. In Buddhism, the most important thing is to understand the existence of blue skies above the atmospheres, atmospheres.

[62:30]

You should try to sit in the blue skies. If you try to sit in the blue skies, those atmospheres, the rains, even the long rains turn to become a beautiful scene, which expresses a big world, a big world. From this point, even though sitting meditation, it is impossible to recover your suffering. Even though I give a great, a kind word

[63:40]

to the lady, to the lady who gets the cancer, it doesn't make sense for her. It is impossible for even a kind word to stop promoting an advanced stage of cancers. Of course, if the medicine develops so much, you can find a great situation to recover the cancer. At that time, when you as a human being discover the great medicines to discover and recover cancer or any kind of disease,

[64:55]

it is not necessary to suffer, it is not necessary to fear. It is not necessary to fear. Of course, you know, we derived, no, diverse, we can diversify our mind from any kind of suffering by great medicine or playing gamble or anything else. But even though you can diversify your mind from the disease or sufferings by medicine, it doesn't mean to recover the fundamental elements of suffering as death.

[66:01]

That's why she suffered, she suffered cancer. She suffered from cancer because cancer has great relation with the death, the progress of death. If the cancer has no relation, has no relationship with the progress of death, probably she might be suffering. She might not suffer from cancer. But then, in Buddhism, for every kind of disease you get,

[67:08]

even when you confront the great fact of death, even though you try, practice hard more and more than before, it is impossible to stop the proceeding of death. Death. Then, first important thing, we first, we try to sit in the blue sky, in the birds' atmospheres,

[68:11]

casting aside even the suffering of coming from the cancers. And you should find the imperturbable composure in the world of blue skies. Even you sit, even though you sit in the blue sky with imperturbable composure, probably it may be possible, it may be impossible to recover the suffering, recover the cancer. But we need, we need great imperturbable composure to sit in the blue skies, like big mountains.

[69:16]

At that time, even this world, even this world turns to the Buddha's world. it is not limited to those practicing zazen, not practicing zazen but to everything, whatever you do. Inside of Buddha's world, inside of Buddha's world,

[71:01]

the world, the world in where the human being exists, should become Buddha's world, should become, should be a Buddha's world. Then, all we have to do is just to accept this Buddha's world. How can we, how can we accept this Buddha's world? The dog in the village says, the dog in the village says, you should walk step by step with a contentment, contentment.

[72:05]

Buddha says, a merit, a merit of contentment. Dog in the village says, a merit, a merit of contentment. A merit, a merit of contentment. When you attain one thing, you should complete that, you should complete that. When you account, when you are in account, in encounter,

[73:09]

in encounter, one thing you should complete, you should complete this. Practically speaking, all we have to do is to complete one thing with you in account, in encounter. Because the world, the world in where the human being exists should be Buddha's world. Wherever you go, whatever kind of suffering you have, while you are struggling, while you try to escape to the suffering, it means to struggle for your life under those atmospheres.

[74:12]

Under those atmospheres. We should cast aside such a struggling which happens under those atmospheres and sit in the blue skies, sit in the blue skies, which means Buddha's world. In other words, Dogen then says, contentment, contentment. Contentment. Then the man of contentment, even though he lies on the ground, still is happy.

[75:16]

He who is not contented, though he were in heavenly palaces, still wouldn't be contented. He who is not contented, even though he be rich, is poor. So, wherever you live, in whatever situation you may be, poor or rich, the first important thing is that you should understand the world in which all you have to do is to accomplish one thing when you encounter. When you put your hands together, all you have to do is to put your hands together

[76:20]

with wholeheartedness. At that time, even if you are poor, even if you are rich, it is not necessary to be tossed by the circumstances of rich or wealth, or powers, honors, or poors. You can find yourself to sit, sit in the blue skies, Buddha's world. He who cannot understand this world is tossed by five organs of sense, five organs of sense.

[77:27]

When you encounter the cancer, you have to shout, you have to outpour your heart, how terrible my suffering is. This is the actual situation. Even though we try to, we try, even though you think, I can't understand now such a world, but when you will confront the actual reality of the death or cancer, you cannot help outpouring your heart, how awful my suffering is and gone.

[78:31]

That's why we need practice, day after day. We need practice to sit in the blue skies, day after day, with improbable compulsions, even though whatever happens around you, even though you don't understand what kind of Buddha's world is, even though you don't understand Buddha's world is useful or not. We need the undefiled practice, which means to just sit in meditation, just sit in the blue skies, Buddha's world. This attitude, this attitude of human life is the merit of contentment, merit of contentment.

[79:37]

Easily speaking, in everyday life, you walk firmly, calmly, step by step. Thank you.

[80:35]

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