Therefore, excuse me, those, you should keep away, excuse me, if you seek joy and peace in the serenity and tranquility of non-doing, non-doing is nothing to do, okay? Non-doing means uncreated state of being, which is called dynamic working, silence, but it's silence, still, tranquility, but it's working, dynamism. This is non-doing, Sanskrit, you should keep away, keep away from disturbances and droughts along in the quiet place, I told you before, it doesn't mean to keep away from anywhere busy world, human world, wherever you may go, anyway, sound is always there. That is, if you seek for while you are seeking for the quiet place, you'll never find the

[01:06]

quiet place. If you give up, you don't find quiet place. So, amongst, there is a very interesting story, the monk tried to find the quiet place, and because city life, he doesn't like the city life, because it's noise, so he found the quiet, in the heart of the mountain, but in the heart of the mountain still there are the birds and the trees and the winds and the streams, and so, still making noise. So he doesn't like there, so finally he found the top of the mountain, and there is nothing there, so he got up and climbed the mountain and sit on the top of the mountain, unfortunately, top of the mountain, nothing there. So, wind directly come, hit to the moss, hit to the trees, making more noise. So, finally he went back to the city again.

[02:10]

We do all, it's not a story, it's really all of us, all of us. Therefore, casting away attachment, those who dwell in quiet place are praised and respected and bought by Sakhirendra, chief of the gods, and by celestial beings. Anyway, if you continue to do it, I told you before, anyway, you get somebody who helps you. That somebody is not your friend, not only your friend, your parents, your teachers, but something more than the people. Anyway, you don't know. You don't know what it is, but anyway, more than human help, there is a lot of help. Believe it. I feel anyway. Anyway, it is true.

[03:14]

Well, maybe we think that is mysterious. I don't think it's mysterious. Mysterious means, mysterious means something which is not real. But in Buddhism, mystery is mysterious, but it's what? It's really true. So, it's not mysterious. Buddhism, mysterious. Of course, it is mysterious, but it's not mysterious because it's what? Neutrality. If I use the term gods or divinity, it will blow your mind. So do I. I don't want to use that big term, but sometimes we have to use term because no way to explain. That's why I use term. So, you get lots of help.

[04:27]

Therefore, casting away attachment to yourself and others. Yourself and others means, yourself means five scandals. Five scandals. Form, form, feeling, perception, consciousness, impulsive consciousness. Five scandals. Five aggregates. Your body, your body and mind consist of the five aggregates. That is your body. So, we believe five aggregates are something we should constantly depend on. So, this kind of you. Oh, I love this kind. Of course, I love this kind of you, but this, I love this kind of you. I'm sorry. Maybe if I die, my body is rotten. If I got asked, if I have friends, no one knows who he is.

[05:33]

So, this body is, of course, I like myself best in this world. I really first, I really want to be compassionate to this guy rather than to you. Do you understand? Yes, it is. I like it very much. But actually, unfortunately, I cannot like myself best for long. Sooner or later, I have to give up. So, what? Karate? Oh, yes, karate. Why don't you do something for others? Forget. Karate is, if you think karate is, if you like yourself best in this world, look at everybody. Everybody likes himself also best in this world. Why don't you share yours? So, nothing to hold with each other.

[06:38]

So, and they keep away, casting away the attachment, attachment to yourself and others means, others means objects, your objects. Objects are also, we grasp objects with strong attachment. Of course, we have a desire, as long as you have a desire, desire creates attachment, of course. But anyway, confine attachment to the minimum. That's why we, Buddha says, that's desire. Yes. Therefore, casting away attachment to yourself and others, dwell alone in quiet place and sever the source of suffering. This is the best way to cut off the source of human suffering.

[07:43]

Source of human suffering is, I told you before, ignorance. Ignorance is not something wrong. This is basic energy, vitality. You want to have, not want, completely beyond your will and the volition, you really be there. You really be there. You really want and you really live. So that is a very basic vitality. Vitality or vitality or will. The moving towards truth and attachment, grasping, this is ignorance. That's why we can seek for the truth forever. We can practice Bodhisattva forever. But if you misuse that, that's a big problem. Big problem. So, ignorance is just a piece of paper, back and forth, with two aspects.

[08:46]

It really depends on how to use it. If you misuse, it's immediately show the back. If you use in proper way, it shows front. Oh, very tricky. Not tricky, it's very sensitive, very delicate. So, the casting away attachment to yourself and others, dwell alone in a quiet place and sever the source of suffering. Those who desire, we don't understand. The other day I met Rinzai monk, two days ago. I'm not criticizing. It's very usual. He said, if you just do the thing, Shikantabha, you can't...

[09:49]

Shikantabha is really vague. You cannot know what the Shikantabha is. It's just sitting there. He said, that's what we need. Anyway, koan to gaijin. Well, maybe so. But this is, if you use koan or something particular, whatever, well, om, or thinking of the beautiful statements given by Buddha, or whatever. Whatever you bring into your zen, that is just the ultimate. If you bring anything, if you desire it, it's not real zen. That is a part-time zen. You have to do a full-time zen. In order to have a full-time zen, anyway, you cannot bring anything at all.

[10:55]

Even the mentally, even the materialistic stuff. Just be one with it. That's the art. That's why we want to have lots of ornaments. To decorate your satisfaction... To decorate, to satisfy your desire and success. But I don't think so. If you do it, you are spoiled. So, just sitting is not to spoil you. It's very hard. Well, it's very strict practice. In a sense, it's not strict practice. Just think. That's why, where is the point? The point is really with you. It's really with you. Well, even though I continue to tell you like this, teaching the Buddha's teachings, well, if you don't accept it, if you don't accept, if you don't practice it, it doesn't make sense. Do you understand?

[11:58]

So, Shikantaza, it really depends on your choice. Whether Shikantaza is alive, whether you can animate Shikantaza or not. Those who desire the company of other people, other people suffer from their relationship with them. This is also the same meaning as I told you before. Those who desire the company of other people suffer from their relationship with them. Other people means, anyway, objects. Objects you encounter, and anyway, you are stuck there. That is, anyway, if you do it, you suffer a lot from them. Just as those who desire the company of other people suffer from their relationship with them,

[13:04]

just as a tree will be broken and die when many birds roost in it. The bondage of worldly empowerment will draw you in suffering. Just as an old elephant drowns in the mud because he is unable to get out by himself. This is a very good example for us. We should taste it again and again. This is not an example. This is a very simple story. It is very understandable easily. But you should taste again and again. Because we do, always, like this. If you really see your object and try to deal with your object as you please,

[14:08]

usually we try to create circumstances and we try to deal with the circumstances as you please. At that time, you become a big elephant in the mud. You become a big tree. You become a tree with lots of birds. Finally, trees are broken. So, of course, it is okay sometimes to deal with the circumstances as you please, but you cannot do constantly. Because circumstances, you know, is just a speck of dust. Of the world, of the circumstances, total picture of the circumstances, there are other aspects of circumstances you cannot know.

[15:13]

If you want to, the important point is to deal with the total picture of circumstances, understandable or not understandable, you should accept both. You should deal with the circumstances, not always as you please. Sometimes you don't please, but that's okay. Anyway, get up in the morning. Well, recently I am busy. Well, not so busy, but busy. I make myself busy anyway. Get up in the morning, even though I'm tired. Anyway, get up. Anyway, get up. That is very nice, but I don't feel good sometimes. So, I get up and pour the cold water. It makes me awake. Awakens me up. That's pretty nice. So, get up in the cold water and do something. After that, I feel completely different.

[16:16]

Perfectly. So, even though you don't please, can you do it? Please do. If you have to do, do it. To liberate oneself from complicated environment is called detachment. That's why enjoying serenity and tranquility is simultaneously you can experience detachment. Detachment. Is it clear? For instance, if you do Zazen, totally all you have to do is be one with Zazen. Basically, keeping the balance. With full concentration, simultaneously something wrong, which is called thoughts, ideas, disappear by themselves.

[17:27]

By themselves. But if you try to kick them out, then you get more trouble. More trouble. So, all you have to do is anyway enjoy serenity and tranquility. That's why I told you, anyway, concentrate on breath. Be one with breath. Be one with Zazen. That's all you have to do. If you do that, well, you can keep, anyway, your body and mind is kept perfectly in balance. Very naturally, something wrong, anyway, disappears. That's why it means, that's why in the bottom, to liberate oneself from complicated environment is called detachment. That detachment is how to experience detachment. Detachment is not to some experience after kicking away attachment.

[18:30]

You can't do it. Anyway, in order to experience detachment, all you have to do is to enjoy, to be present right in the middle of serenity and tranquility. In Zazen, in kasho, in eating meal, and chanting, walking, and studying, that's all we have to do. That time, very naturally, anyway, you can experience detachment. Next. This is very simple. One more. Anyway, I have to finish. Exerting, this translation is not good, exerting meticulous effort.

[19:34]

What do you think, meticulous, meticulous effort? It's not good. Do you think it's good term? Meticulous effort. Meticulous effort. I want to use precise, precise effort. If you want particular term before effort, we call shojin, shojin in Japanese. Sho of shojin is precise, be precise, to be precise. Very clear, and everything is clear. Very clear, just like pure white rice. If pure white rice, it becomes blue. Blue is white. Do you understand? Can you see? Why, it is true. Look at snow in Minneapolis. Snow is completely white.

[20:36]

At that time, you cannot see the white. It's blue. Beautiful. Very beautiful. You cannot experience in San Francisco. Unfortunately for you. That is sho. Sho of shojin. Sho of shojin is proceed, proceed, for, toward, for, to go forward. To go forward means not to go back. Thank you. Not go back. Anyway, shojin, effort, shojin is to go forward with perfect purification. Perfect purification. So, purification is not to exist in celestial beings, celestial heaven, heavenly beings.

[21:46]

You cannot be a celestial being. Anyway, purification is to awaken, to awaken everything. To awaken everything, but you are not completely put away by something you have awakened. Still, you awaken everything, but they are present with you in peace and harmony without disturbing your practice, your life. This is purification. In other words, completely full awareness and all things, and nevertheless, there is a freedom. Completely free. That is purification. That is shojin. Shojin, shojin, effort, Buddhist effort. That's why Dogen expressed Buddhist effort like this, saying, take one step forward from the top of the pole 100 feet high.

[22:52]

Can you imagine? Top of the pole, 100 feet high. It means every moment is no excuse. No excuse. Anyway, that is gassho, the chanting. All are, anyway, all aspects of human life is something just on the top of the 100 feet high pole. And nevertheless, you cannot stay there. Anyway, take one step forward from the top of the pole. Ha. It's going. It's going. You can do it. You can do it. That is effort with purification. Maitreya Goshi translated, exerting meticulous effort. No. I don't know exactly. Maybe precisely is better. Don't you think so? Exerting myself, that's why I collected here, exerting myself.

[23:56]

He says meticulously and unceasingly in various beneficial practices is called meticulous effort. So exerting oneself precisely and unceasingly in various beneficial practices. This is not good translation. Not beneficial. This is good Dharma. Originally it says good Dharma. Good Dharma. Dharma is perfect good, supreme good. Because Dharma is a state of being before you create. Before you create. It means your life is perfectly silent. Perfect silent. Your nature or the nature of your life is silent. Completely nothing to put a certain label on your life. Good or bad, right or wrong. Nothing. It's silent. That is called Dharma.

[24:58]

But this silence has a lot of terms. I told you that's why it is dynamic working. Dynamic working. And this dynamic working as Dharma really supports, upholds your life. So silence is really supports, helps your life. It's really true. That is the original nature of your life. So that's why it says, originally it says, in various good Dharma. Not beneficial practice. If you say beneficial practice, that is something you can choose. You can choose by your actual please. Pleasure. Please. Please. So, exerting oneself precisely and unceasingly in various good Dharma is called precise effort.

[26:02]

And sho of shojin is not defile. Not defile. Sho is purification. That's why not defile. Not defile is, if you become perfectly pure, there is something which is called bluish. But that bluish is not blue. It's not real blue. It's very white. But real white is not real white. It's bluish. So bluish is not real blue. It's white. You understand? So whatever you do, if you become perfect, you can be free from perfection. That's why we chant the sutra. No perfection, no imperfection. You say all this. You chant every morning. But you don't understand. So if you do something perfect, at that time, very naturally, you can be free from ideal perfection.

[27:06]

That's why that is white. If white becomes perfectly white, it's bluish. But it's not bluish. It's very white. It's not real white. Perfect white is free from white. At that time, it becomes bluish. But bluish is not something extra. Not adding to the white. It comes up from the white itself. This is a relationship with phenomena and truth. Truth. It's very simultaneously working dynamically. That's why if you see the snow, beautiful. I can explain how beautiful it is. In front of my zendo, the whole lake is frozen. Snow. No trees. Big ground. White ground. Beautiful. Bluish.

[28:07]

It's beautiful. So, sho, or shojin, is not defiled. Nothing. Nothing to defile. Shin, proceed for, means do not regress. Regress. Not withdraw. To go is to go forward and not regress. Just like riding on the stool. Riding on the stool. If you ride on the top of the stool, you cannot move forward, backward, to the left, to the right. But you have to go. But you are there and your life is on the top of the stool. That is not regress.

[29:12]

Not regress. On the top of the stool, you can walk. On the top of the pole, 100 feet high, that is not stamina. It is not the regress, but you can do. You can do something free. You can walk. That is, take one step forward. The Buddha says, if you exert precise effort, nothing will be difficult to accomplish. Therefore, you should make an effort to practice carefully. For when water flows constantly against a big rock, even a small amount of water will eventually dig out a large hole. This is very true. For each moment, if you do zazen,

[30:15]

anyway, even for a moment, you become Buddha. In that, you should do zazen, just like such zazen should be done. If you do zazen, even for a moment, you become Buddha. If you do it constantly, anyway, you can make a big hole, or whatever. But if one who practices becomes lost, it will be impossible to accomplish anything. It is like trying to start a fire by rubbing two sticks together. If you stop rubbing before the wood gets hot, you can't start a fire. This is what is meant by precise effort. Precise effort is constantly we have to make, day after day, how?

[31:17]

Anyway, with less desire, with satisfaction. When you encounter a big hole, you do zazen, but you can't get to the mouth. Whatever it is, that's okay. It's all right. But you should practice under the guidance of a teacher. Sometimes, teachers pick you up from far off the ocean, deep, far away. But, on the other hand, teacher is not compassionate. Teacher is cold. And just a pretty teacher picks you up, anywhere right in the middle of the forest, where nothing should get to the mouth. But this is very good for us, because this is the essence, problem of life and death. Sooner or later, everyone has to meet. Just like an 18-year-old boy says,

[32:19]

you there, a day, just a day. How can he get this idea? You there, a day, perfectly. Because you don't know tomorrow. That's why they have come to start. How can he tell you this? It's not an easy problem. That's why from day of today, anywhere from day of today, we have to practice this. Zazen, Shikant Sabha, is just like a, anywhere in life and death, you are directly connected with this essential problem of life and death. That's why, you are a teacher, you put yourself right in the middle of big forest. It's so tough. That's why you need practice, and the guidance of teacher. Because teacher, sometimes,

[33:22]

compassionate to you, and picking up from itself.

[33:26]

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