There is a special chapter in Shobo Genzo, which is devoted to quoting the Buddha's last words, and an explanation of them, particularly among those what I am interested in is the idea of the effort which the Shakyamuni Buddha emphasizes.

[01:04]

The Dogen Zenji quoted this idea of the effort and explained it. The Dogen Zenji says the effort is to practice good things without cease. I think, I hope, I hope you will understand to do something without cease. The problem is that it may be difficult to understand to practice good things, to practice good things from the viewpoint of Buddhism, from the viewpoint of Buddha's teaching.

[02:16]

The idea of good things and not merely the idea of destination between good and bad, but it is beyond the category of our destination between good and bad. This is the idea of good things. The Dogen Zenji says to practice, the effort is to practice good things without ceasing. Then what is the idea of good things which is, which is beyond the category of our destination

[03:18]

between the good and bad, which you thought usually, which you thought usually. This is a very important point which we have to take into account. The other day, I met one of Japanese who is researching the special diet. I think all of you know so well who he is. At that time he said, so far the medical doctor recommend to take the pills of vitamin C.

[04:27]

To a patient, in order to improve the patient's health. But recently, the authority of the vitamin C, they hasn't recommended to take the vitamin C to the patients. So far, we think vitamin C is very good, vitamin C has been good, for the health. But lately, the idea of, the idea toward the vitamins is very changed,

[05:32]

is very different from early ideas, early medical treatment. Same is to be said of, you know, the one of famous American doctor, I don't know who, I forgot his name, who was interested, who researched, who was authority of the disease which is called, what to say, diabetes. As you know so well, the diabetes, the diabetes is characterized by the presence of abnormal amount of sugar in blood, and by sugar in urine.

[06:52]

Urine. So, in the first print of the authority of this disease, that medical doctor, they recommend not to take the sugar, don't eat the sugar, don't eat the starchy food. He emphasized, he emphasized in the first, in the first print of his book, even the diabetics, the diabetics should eat the sugar and the starchy food.

[07:55]

At all, even the cubic sugar, when you drink a cup of coffee. In the second print, second print of his book, his idea a little bit changed. Even the diabetic was all right to take the, just the cubic sugars when you try to drink a cup of coffee, that's okay. In the third print of his book, his idea completely different. Whatever kind of food, you are all right. This is very interesting.

[08:58]

The very clever man, like such an authority of the disease, medical doctor, always make an excuse for something, always. For him, it is not merely excuse, excuse for such a disease, the change of his idea. Maybe he said, or it is the development of medical treatment. This is a statement what the very clever man said, but put the emphasis on the change of his idea. What shall I, what shall I do, you know, like, what should you do, like you, like me? Nothing make excuse, you know, even though I have some change of idea.

[10:03]

One more thing, there is very interesting stories, you know. You know, the electric computer, electric computer. I think electric computer was discovered about in 1830s. But it is said, it is said that one of, it is said that the development of computer was the work of famous, the outstanding scholars. His name is John von Neumann, von Neumann, yeah, von Neumann.

[11:25]

The with the development of transistors, you know, the electric computer, the function of electric computer is increasing, increasing, increasing much better. Then the Dr. von Neumann, when Dr. von Neumann researched the electric computer, he believed completely how great, how great electric computer was. He believed that electric computer was better than the existence of God. So he didn't, he gave up believing the presence of God.

[12:33]

The with the development of computer, you know, transistor, the function of computer is, was, has been increasing much better. And the use of transistor instead of vacuum tubes, made the second generation computers smaller. And more, you know, more, what would you say, more dependable, dependable than earlier, earlier machines. Then at that time, this doctor, they changed his ideas, his mind.

[13:38]

Oh, anyway, so far I believed the existence of a computer, which was better than, better than God. But now something changed. So he, he, he changed his mind, starting to believe the God. Then it is said, when he passed away, he called, he called one of his, one of Christian fathers to his house and wanted him to speak about some aspect of Christian God. And then it is said that he passed away in safety.

[14:42]

He took, he took, he took in, he took in rest, in peace, anyway. This is very interesting story. Judging from this, those stories, you are, you are completely confused, which is good, which is bad. You know, even about the idea of God, even about of the Buddha, seems to be said of the Buddhism, not only Christianity. So, try to, try to go to the India and Ceylon. You will find the Hinayana Buddhism. Now you are studying, studying the Japanese Buddhism, which is called Hinayana, Mahayana Buddhism.

[15:50]

And when you go to Ceylon, or the India, or Thai, or Burma, at least you will, you will be confused about, about the some aspect of Buddhist, Buddhism, Buddhist teaching, you know. Particularly the precepts. The, in Hinayana Buddhist, Buddhism in Ceylon, or Burma, or India, they don't eat the meat. They are completely vegetarian, anyway. So, American, American students always study, has, have studied, you know, Buddhism translated from Pali and Sanskrit,

[16:57]

by one of famous, famous, famous Buddhist scholar in United States, or in England. Then you know so well about the Hinayana Buddhism, particularly precepts. That they have tried to, they try to live without eating the meat, just the vegetable. But you know the, the Buddhist priest, the living the, the priest have practice of begging in, on the street every day. So every morning, they go out of his temple, his temple, their temple, and asking some food from the people.

[18:04]

At that time they don't know, they have no idea what kind of food they will give. All they have to do is just to hold the bowl, and chanting sutra, and standing at each door, in front of the door, that's all. They don't know, they have no idea completely, at all, what kind of food they will give it to them. Then they will come back to it, to their temple, and look at the bowl, many kind of food, vegetable, fish, and meat. But in Hinayana Buddhism, they have some rule, it is alright to eat the meat, which is given by people. So they eat the meat. What is, what is the principle of vegetarian, what is the principle of meat, eating meat?

[19:20]

In Tathagata, one of the students asked me, what would you think, what would you think when the students go out of the Tathagata, you know? You are recommend, you are recommend to them, to the student to eat the meat, or not? I said, oh, yes or no, yes or no. One of the students make a face, like, made a face. I said, oh my... I can't say that, I can't say anything about it, you know. You should eat meat, you should eat just only vegetable, I can't. The Buddhism is, you know, the other dogma then says, in order to explain the idea of effort, what Shakyamuni Buddha taught,

[20:47]

the effort is to practice good things, without cease. To practice good things is not to practice something good, emerging from the idea of dualism. This is good, this is bad. If you follow your life according to the idea, the category of your destination between good and bad, your life will be completely confused. If someone says vegetarian is, if you are vegetarian, you are really good student, spirit of Buddhism. Then you try to vegetarian, this is all right.

[21:53]

On the other hand, someone says, oh, you are vegetarian, oh, you are stupid. You try to ask why. Then maybe someone says, you try to take a trip, Europe, or even Japan, even Asia, and stay in a hotel. Nobody gives you vegetable dishes. What kind of food are you supposed to eat in order to support your life? At that time you are confused, oh, what shall I do? So, to practice good in Buddhism, the idea of good things is, plainly speaking, I think the spirit of adaptability.

[23:08]

Not according to the idea, not according to the idea of Buddhism, or Christianity, or Hinayana Buddhism, or Makaya Buddhism. Important point is to adapt, to adapt yourself to the circumstances about you, about your life. At least to adapt yourself to circumstances around you, your life, is not to be a slave, a slave. Not to be a slave, or slave to circumstances, slave to your life. Not to be captured, captivated, by a certain idea, vegetarian, or eating meat, or Makaya Buddhism, or Hinayana.

[24:33]

Even the idea of Buddha, or even the idea of God. Important point is how to adapt yourself immediately, immediately within your daily life. Before you think it is good, it is bad. This is very important. When you start to think it is good, it is bad, it is too late, actually. The important point is, right now, how to adapt yourself to your life, to any kind of circumstances around your life, daily life. That's why Zen Buddhism says, you must be master of yourself in what situation you may be.

[25:43]

It is called in Japanese... I forgot the Japanese. Sorry. My head is confused. Anyway, in English. You must be, anyway, you must be master of yourself in what situation you may be. For this, for this, I think we have to watch carefully who you are. In other words, you have to analyze who you are.

[26:46]

Because you are very youth, you know. While you are youth, you have to, you try to make every possible effort to analyze who you are. Because you have very sharp intuition, intuition, intuition, which the human being possesses in underlying essence. Regardless of the idea of whether you are crippled or poor. All of you have very sharp, very sharp intuition, function of intuition. So while you are youth, you try to, you try to analyze using the function of intuition.

[27:52]

Analyze who you are. Not only analyze who you are, and integrate, integrate your life as a whole. In other words, try to watch carefully yourself as a whole. For this, I think we need, we need some training. Physically, in a sense, as if, as if you try, you need some training, you need some training so as not to make yourself, make yourself, make your head be seeming when you go on revolving, revolving chair.

[28:54]

You know, in Japan, when you try to, when you want to become the Air Force soldier, you have to take, you have to take a test to see if your head is about to be too thin. When you go on the rotary chair, revolving chair, you have to sit in the revolving chair and how many, I don't know how many times, you have to, going round anyway. Closing your eyes, not opening your eyes. Closing your eyes, maybe thirty times, you have to revolving like this, round and round. Then immediately they stop it.

[30:02]

At that time, you turn over. If you turn over, if you fall into the floor, from the rotary chair, you are not qualified to become pilot. If you want to become pilot, you have to practice, you need some training, you know. Because it make you, it make you, it make you giddy, it make you giddy to go on rotary chairs. You need a practice, you know, anyway. Not only physical training, this is important too. If you miss a spiritualism, some of practice, some of training,

[31:10]

it is very difficult to adapt yourself to any circumstances. What is happening around your daily life, particularly when you grow older, it is pretty difficult to adapt yourself to circumstances. So as much as possible, as much as possible, while you are youth, you need some training to make your head soft. So as not to fall down to the floor from the rotary chairs. Even anybody stop it quickly, you should stay on the rotary chairs, that's all.

[32:20]

Just like they are sitting. At that time, you are completely qualified to become pilot over your daily life. So Buddhism, in Buddhism, to practice good things, to adapt yourself to any circumstances, which means not to be captivated by any circumstances, by any kind of ideas, any principles, which means you must make your life alive. You must create your life in what situation you may be. That's why Zen master says,

[33:22]

be master, be master of yourself in what situation you may be. The technical word, the Shakyamuni Buddha says, try to realize Dhamma, the presence of Dhamma. Presence of Dhamma. Presence of Dhamma is to practice good things. To practice good things is to adapt yourself to any kind of circumstances in order to create your daily life. Your own life. This is our, this is the idea of effort. The effort is not to follow the idea of Buddhism,

[34:26]

the idea of Christianity, the idea of your life which you have, you have thought. In order to do this, you need some practice, physically and spiritually. Vijnanam Buddha Vijnanam Buddha Vijnanam Buddha

[35:03]

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