is the name of the tendo, the names of the tendo, and the ceremony. When I was in Japan, we talked about having an opening ceremony, and we said we should have a name. So I thought a little bit about names. to go home and think about a name and let me know what you think. But we did discuss certain things. And one possibility that I could think of was something to do with Plum. Plum is a very auspicious name, included Chinese and Japanese. And so I had a red plum because we had this beautiful red plum tree in the center of our property.

[01:47]

It's the 5th Patriarch's Monastery in China. And for the name of the window, I said, what about naming it after Suzuki or Shogaku Chi? And then he said, but that's coming from the side of the lineage, those names. have a king by the name of Shogakuji.

[03:13]

I guess that's pretty obvious. But let's maybe say something about Red Flower Mountain. About the mountain name and the general name. Do you understand what I'm saying? Mountain name. Mountain name. Koubaisan. Koubaisan. Shogakuji. How did you come up with the name Hojo? [...] How did you come Again, I would like to express my congratulations to you for your installation of Abbot.

[04:37]

Everything went very nicely, very well. Even in Japan, it's very rare to see that this ceremony happens in a familiar way. Very happy. In Japan, some big ceremonies like this Shinsanshiki, mountain seed ceremony, tend to become very, very formal and rigid. But here, it's more familiar, family feelings of everyone involved. Very, very nice. Prior to this Shinsan Shiki, Mountain Seat Ceremony,

[05:52]

He's been meditating. He was meditating on thinking of what would be a good name for this place. Because the temple traditionally has a name. Two parts of the name. First part implies the mountains. Other part When Sojun-san came to my temple in Japan, he told there is a beautiful red plum tree. in his Zen center.

[07:18]

Plum is a favorite flower of Dogen Zenji. And also in the Zen tradition, plum is compared to the mind of the Buddha. In Zen, there is a saying that says, Plum blooms after a cold winter, and at the very beginning, a flower blooms. It has a very good scent. In the old saying, Zen saying, there is a saying, that a plum blossom gives a pure, wonderful fragrance.

[09:05]

After coming through, going through, Ah, severe winter. After the cold winter, you can smell the freshness. Just like a practitioner. Like a practitioner. Like a practitioner. In the eyes of Togen Zenji. just like ones who practice just like a then practice after going through severe winter snow produces a wonderful lemon, pure lemon

[10:14]

That's how, I think, Dorian Genshin saw this flower. America's Zen and the teachings of Zen will surely endure the cold winter. So, I think, just like a plant blossoms, then in this country, we'll experience cold, severe winters. Then, flowers blossom.

[11:18]

Many, many flowers. producing wonderful fragrance. Please, raise much beautiful flowers. There is also about the plan of Dogen Zenji. talks about in the Shobo Genzo, there is a plan.

[12:29]

Please, if you have a chance, start it. Dozo. Watashi wa Shobo Genzo no sanjuu wa tarimasen. Please. I am not the authority of the Shobo Genzo. Right here, I don't want to talk about it. But there is a person who is studying the Shobo Genzo. Please ask if you have any questions about it. Well, it's easy to ask people.

[13:46]

Japanese people are like that too. I don't know how to say it. I'm sorry. Japanese people are like that too. Well, they are like that now. Ask people anything. Ask people anything. You can ask me anything. Ask me anything, and teach me. Teach me. I am convinced. I am convinced. There are many things like that. The path of Zen is not just about being taught. If you are taught, you can deepen it by yourself. Generally, nowadays, even in Japan, people, students, like to learn from the teacher.

[15:02]

Teacher teaches. Listen to him. And understand that way. But the study of Zen is important. Of course, it's important to ask the questions and listen to the answers the teacher gives. But it's very, very important to cultivate. Cultivate and deepen your understanding of yourself. The same goes for the name, Kobayashi-san. For the name, you have to feel each of them well. Feel the plum blossom. And then deepen it. It's important to say that.

[16:07]

About this name of the Koubaisan, Red Plum Mountains, it's the same thing. Each one, find the meanings. Listen to it. Deepen the meaning. Find your own meaning. From yourself. And then, there's the word. Next name is Jigo. Temple name is... This temple is Shogaku... Zen, Zenji. Shōgaku, Zen-Tenpo.

[17:12]

Shōgaku, Tenpo. But because this is Zen-Tenpo, so Zen is after Shōgaku. Then, Shōgaku, Zen. Ji means Tenpo. My temple is called Rinso-in. My temple is called Rinso-in. Rinso, sometimes, My temple's name is Rinso-in. sometimes written Rinso Zen-in the same thing Zen, Zen-in, Zen-temple of the Rinso, Zen school temple Shōgaku ji no shō to iu, shōgaku to iu na moron kono kaisan

[18:32]

This Shōgaku is of course the founder of Shōgaku, Shōryū, the same Shōgaku. And this Shogaku is after, named after his founder. Shogaku's character, first character, Sho, is beginning. something beginning of the joy or shiawase, informal happiness, sign, indication, something happening, suspicious.

[19:58]

In the true sense of the word, this Zen-do will become something bigger, or rather, something more profound. That's how I feel. This character in Kusho is my wishes expressed. This zendo will deepen its practice more. and rich in the future.

[21:11]

Gaku means mountain. When we say mountain, we mean something like Buddha, or something big, something high, something noble. Gaku, second character, Shogaku. Gaku literally means mountain, mountain peak. Something very, very high, up high. And for us, say, something like Buddha, very high. The temple of the blissful Buddha.

[22:21]

The temple of the blissful Buddha. That's the name of the temple. Any questions about me? Anything? What? Is it written? Are these the kanji about here for the shogogens? Same thing? Both sides? No. That's the character. It's the temple's name.

[23:23]

There's one on this side also, but it's different. I think what you mean is the other name was on the outside of the door. This is Shogakuji. Here. This is Shogakuji. There's only one calligraphy on this painting. I wonder how he's seeing it on that side of the plane. Mountain name, outside. Korean inside. Traditionally, you carve it.

[24:37]

You have the calligraphy, and then you trace it on a block of wood, and somebody carves it in the wood. Plum. Pines and plums have symbolism in Japan. What does plum symbol for? What does plum symbolize? What does plum symbolize? It symbolizes purity. Plum symbolizes purity. Pine symbolizes unchanging quality.

[25:45]

Continuity. Unchanging quality. Always green. Matsu, ume, and bamboo. Bamboo and bamboo. Three things, especially pine, and plum, and bamboos are auspicious things. Maybe to trace back to India, China, not only Japan. Bamboo has fuchsia. Bamboo grows straight and there is a, what do you call, it's not a knot. Some sections. Above and below.

[26:45]

It keeps... That's it. [...] There's a lot that could be said about the different parts of the ceremony, and it might take too long, but I'm especially interested in the part about when the ryōban came and bowed to the empty altar. 空壇門神ですね。色々こう、四季について色々興味があるんですけど、特にその空壇門神、誰もいないところにみんなこう、門神をするっていう。 What do you mean by that?

[28:00]

Please tell me again. Worshiping in a place where there is no one else. This is from the time of Shakyamuni Buddha. Before Shakyamuni Buddha did the Seppuku, he worshipped in a place where there was no one else. That was the first. In bowing to the empty seat, it's practiced in India. Before the Shakyamuni Buddha, he was taught. The seat was empty. The disciple bowed to the empty seat and later Shakyamuni Buddha appeared.

[29:13]

The dog. That's the tradition. Yes. Isn't there also before Yes, well, that's true, but... About the place... From now on, from now on, I will give a sermon. About that precious place, I will go there. It's a very, very deep place. It's almost like a sanctuary.

[30:47]

Just like when you do the sitting, when you bow to your own seat. That kind of deep, deep feeling. I often bow to the Buddha when I practice Daze. Then the person next to me, This is the first Daihan of Zazen. bowing to the empty seat before we sit it has also the sense that the person next to you might be sitting so bow to it but the essential meaning is really sitting in this seat

[32:06]

expressing yourself by bowing and bowing. Same as this orca, by bowing, through that action, we express Ourself. To be with.

[33:22]

This kind of feeling is very important for expression for the buddhist practice. And when the ceremony was over, the next morning,

[34:26]

Sōjun-san, in a room where no one else was there, just the Buddha, the great Asoshi, and me, the master, in a room where no one else was there, did a lot of raihei. This is called Mujuhai. After the transmission ceremony was over in Japan Sojun-san did prostration in a room. No one was there. Empty space. He did prostration bowing. unlimited prostrations expressing his feelings to the founder Shakyamuni Buddha and to the teacher who did the transmission

[36:07]

What is the meaning of Hossu? What is the meaning of Hossu? Hossu, at the beginning... At the beginning, probably when you do Zazen, I think it's a way to get rid of insects. At the beginning, it's called a hose. A whisk. At the beginning, it has a practical use. When a bug comes. Mosquitoes. That's how it is. And then, it gradually changed. Eventually, it became a symbolic thing for the purification, purifying areas.

[37:37]

Before a priest says something, formally, in a formal situation, purifies the place by doing. Then, It's not just about Buddhism, but when African people talk about Buddhism, When I give a speech, I do this.

[38:58]

And then I give a speech. In Japan It's also a similar thing used in similar occasions, even in Japan. Some military commanders give a signal before the audience.

[40:04]

You use something like that. Like HOSU. But... We... HOSU... is the Buddha's landmark. Rahotsu means hair. It's about hair. You know that, don't you? Kudon, the Buddha's Rahotsu is this hair. This hair is the Buddha's Rahotsu. That's how it's said. It's a big deal. But for the Buddhists, for us, the horseshoe is understood as a symbol, considered as a symbol of Shakyamuni Buddha's head, Rahotsu's hair, like a shishero kind of thing.

[41:16]

During the ceremony, there were a lot of names all around the seats on the side, and some of them I recognized, like the Ino and the Tenzo and so forth. Were all of those various temple offices, is that what they were called? Well, there were names on both sides. There were names on both sides, including the name of the governor. Which one? There are some that are recorded. Some of them you can tell by yourself. For example, what is the name of the priest in the temple? Can you tell? Shuso. Shoki. Shoki means secret. Shuso. Head practice? Shoki. Secret means? Secret. Who takes care of the...

[42:40]

Water. Bathing. All those things to purify ourselves. Bath. It's something like that. Bath. Water. Taking care of water. So we can take a bath to purify. Tenzo. Shikawa-san. Shikawa-san. Not here. Shikawa-san. [...] Shikawa-san So, Kenzo... Tsusu.

[44:07]

Tsusu. [...] Tsu-su is the general manager of the temple, business side, general of the whole. And Kansu is Zeus has a lot of responsibilities, so need help. Like a vice manager, general manager.

[45:12]

And the next one, Futh, is a treasurer, one who takes care of the money. And then Tenzo. Ino Tenzo. Tenzo Ino. Tenzo Ino. Tenzo. Ino. Ino. Practice manager. Then Shisui. Work leader who takes care of the physical property of his son. What's nice about having those names up there, even though we don't have someone who fills all those positions, but we do have a lot of positions.

[46:23]

We don't recognize them in that way. There was a sign that said, That one is a bit bigger, isn't it? This one is a bit bigger, isn't it? This one is a bit bigger, isn't it?

[47:25]

This one is a bit bigger, isn't it? [...] This one is a The person who sat here, in the position of Seido, who did the mountains ceremony, used a wooden stick. That person, Seido person, is an advisor. or to the Abbot, or someone who can help him to be him.

[48:34]

Some established teacher. Yes, someone help Abbot to be Abbot. I don't know what that is. Do you know what that is? In the ceremony, the third person, may I ask you to read it? It's a little pocket book, and when you confirm it, it's sweet tea. Sweet tea. Do you remember that? Before Buddha started to preach, before he started to preach, The Buddha's teaching is... Oh, I'm sorry.

[49:54]

When the Buddha's lecture is over, the bell rings. The Buddha's teaching is like this. It's a precious teaching. This teaching is a very precious teaching. In the Buddhist tradition, Manjushri Bodhisattva appears when Shakyamuni Buddha starts to talk in front of the student. And after each talk, Manjushri do the teaching, confirm, let the people know Buddha's talk is, Dharma talk is just like this.

[51:09]

Each time. They are making dharma like this. What is the origin of the Mountain Seat Ceremony? And what does it have to do with the original teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha? What is the origin of the Mountain Seat Ceremony? And what does it have to do with the original teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha?

[52:09]

What is the origin of the Mountain Seat Ceremony? And what does it have to do with the original teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha? What is the origin of the Mountain Seat Ceremony? You're from Osaka, right? Yes, I'm from Osaka. You're connected to Osaka. From the era of China, from the era of China, there was the Go-Koei, Go-Koei. They would raise a flag, raise a flag, and I would go to this mountain, In China, before, when formally some teacher appears, abbot appears to announce that he's gonna start teach the Dharma.

[53:32]

Then, that time, that ceremony, that occasion is called Gōkoe. That time, they put the flag up in China. In Goko, there is a lake. In China, there is a lake. There are a lot of places where you can train. I want to go to Goko and meet other people. Gōko, Gōko-e, this occasion.

[54:57]

That occasion was called Gōko-e. Gōko is named after the lake. It's called Gōko in China. There, along that lake, big lake, many villages and temples. And when someone... This is to make announcement. Put the flag up. Here I'm going to teach the Dharma. So if you have any questions, please come and ask. So everyone can see from the other side of the way. Go to the flag. Flag up. Thank you. So that the Shinsanshiki Mountain Seat Ceremony is the occasion of the new Abbot. For the first time, he will give a formal Dharma talk.

[56:00]

Many of the forms that we as Americans have adopted as a means to express ourselves, vowing, our chanting in Japanese, many, many forms. And slowly, we have started looking at these forms and I wonder what you can say about or what advice you can give us in finding our own American way of expressing ourselves. In Zen, we take care of our forms. In the United States, these people first learn it and make it their own. About that, how to do it, It's not about that.

[57:55]

It's about yourself. Do you think you'll become a part of the American people? I don't think it'll happen all of a sudden. It's the same for me. I've always been a fan of Sojiro and Tenshin. It doesn't We don't feel it.

[58:55]

It doesn't become yours right away. It's a practice. He said, I'm sure that even Sojo-san and us, we feel at home bowing and Mind, who is at the home, feels not fear, not fear, not fear. Not enough. Does it? I'm not sure if I understand. The form of the zazen is the same as the form of Buddha's zazen and mine.

[60:10]

And the same thing happened when they came to Japan, and now it's here in America. And there are many rituals and forms that we go through that really, for me at least, have nothing to do with, it goes beyond language, it goes beyond form. It's just that. But we still struggle with, more specifically here at this temple, sometimes we struggle with, well, can't we do this chant in English, or what is, And if we are to look at these expressions as a real deep expression of our understanding, then it seems that in some ways we have to see that in our culture around us.

[61:42]

I understand. Not only Zazen, but there are many other forms of meditation. When I came to China from India, I was told that if I entered China, I would become Chinese. And if I came from China to Japan, That direction. That direction. Of course. Dogen Zenji also came to Japan from China and created the Heihei Shinri.

[62:53]

Heihei Shinri is the Shinri that existed in China, the Hyakujo Shinri, etc. He did a lot of research and brought it to Japan. He created the Heihei Shinri. Dogen Zenji In Japan, Dogen Densho brought this teaching to Japan and he said he precepts, monastic conduct, rules, rules, etiquette.

[63:58]

After studying about the Hyakujo Shingri, Hyakujo Shingri, ancient Daishi and other material in China and in order to and he wrote his Shingi called Dai Shingi, A. A. Dai Shingi, in order to adapt the practice from China, from ancient to Japan, and also in order to, yes, So it wasn't neither Chinese Buddhism, Chinese rules, nor Japanese rules. But he simply studied ancient material. And he studied present situation in Japan.

[65:01]

They are heroes. That was original. But what we should protect, what we should leave behind, what we should pass on, should be passed on. That is important. So first, It's the same as what is done in Japan. It's similar, isn't it? In a way, it's the same as what is taught here. And in this culture, the way in which Oshoha-san's teachings are spread is the problem of the people here. Something... Something... Something... Something needed to be... Something essential needed to be transplanted to different places.

[66:30]

And... Not everything. So... This practice here It's very... transferred from Japan in a very similar way. Not exactly the same. But eventually, something will remain. Something will be changed. That is not... That is your... So, what should we change, what should we protect, and what should we change, we have to be very careful about. So, what needs to be changed, what needs to be maintained is a very important matter, subject.

[67:52]

If we change everything around, Something very, very essential, important thing might be lost. So that point, that way, it's very, very important. Please feel free to change your posture.

[69:01]

Please ask questions that you feel are really important to you. I don't know how to ask this exactly, but I'm wondering how ceremonies help us practice and how it is we decide when they're just forms and not our hearts. I don't know how to ask you this, to be honest. There is a Shiki, and by doing the Shiki, How will that be beneficial for your training? the expression of gratitude.

[70:26]

That's what I think. That kind of feeling, that kind of feeling, To express gratitude to your teacher in the form of a ceremony is an important part of practice. There are many teachings in the Shikiri itself.

[71:30]

For example, as I said earlier, there are important teachings in the Kusamonjin, or in the Mondo, and many other things. Experiencing them And to experience the ceremony. And in the ceremony, each part of the ceremony have a lot of teaching, deep meaning. To experience it is to enrich your understanding. give an opportunity to study about it. Wonderful. I would like to invite people to come here. [...]

[72:31]

I would like to invite people to come here. [...] I And having many people, guests from outside, and taking care of the people. Just taking care without any... gaining idea. Expectation.

[73:33]

Expectation is a wonderful expression, opportunity expression of your practice. How deep your practice is. Purely. Are you I'd like to ask, is there some specific thing that you were thinking about, some specific ceremony or something? Why did the question come up? The question came out of my resistance to doing service more than anything.

[74:38]

I felt the Narrative Ceremony was very beautiful, but the things are there to put your heart in or not, and I really appreciate it. Self-deepening Meaning, practice.

[75:45]

Meaning. You find meaning deep in yourself. Study about it. Deep. I think that's the best way. For example, if you add 1 and 1, it becomes 2. This is... It's the same no matter who hears it, but my position and the position I think of as 1 plus 1 is 2. The position you think of as 1 plus 1 is 2. It's the same 2, but the weight of 2 is different. The depth of 2 is different. Yours may be deeper. Yours may be deeper. Each has a different 2. It's not the same 2. This is the path of Zen. Tsu no michi wa ichi tasu ichi wa ni. Dare mo onaji ni dakedo. Zen no michi no ichi tasu ichi wa ni to iu no wa ni ga chigau.

[76:46]

Zen no michi ga. Kore wa omosa ga chigau, fukasa ga chigau, ookisa ga chigau. Kore ga zen no michi da to omou. Sore wa nani ni yotte ka tsutara. Sore wa jibun de sore wo fukameta ka tou ka. Doredake fukameta ka. Iu koto ni yotte chigau. This is important, importance. That's what I think is important. Zen. Practice of Zen. Deepening of Zen. Each one deepens the practice. Usual ways. Usual understanding. One plus one is two. No difference. Other person says one plus one is two. But how we cultivate, deepen the practice makes two difference.

[77:52]

Depth of the two, each one, is different. Some person might deeper two. Two, same two. But Zen practice, each one, Deepened means cultivate ourselves. So it's also the same two, but two different two. That's how I think about it. There, on top of Naruma-san, it says, 日日これ後日日日これ後日日日日これ後日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日日 That's why I think, yes, that's right. You all listen to it and think, yes, that's right. Yes, that's right. But it's different. It's not that I'm more profound.

[78:54]

You may be more profound. You may be more profound. The depth is different. Or the way you receive it is different. There is a scroll of Bodhidharma put on the wall. The character says, every day is a good day. It's the same for everyone. Every day, everyone lives the same way. But appreciation of it, understanding of it, and receiving that Word to our life, wide and deep, differ, each one, different.

[79:57]

Maybe, he said, some of you have a much deeper understanding, brother, that we don't know. So, then practice this twice. Deepen what it is. No matter how much or how many times you do zazen, if you don't have that kind of feeling, it's the same as exercising or doing gymnastics. So, to keep the attitude or the way we practice fundamentally is very important.

[81:12]

If we don't start practice with the mind, it may be like we are practicing gymnastics, doing a sport, some kind of sport. Gymnastics. Do it again and again. We may be sitting. We may sit a long time and get good at it. The important thing is attitude, deepening attitude. Although we sit a very short period of time, if we have a mind to it, it's the most important thing. If we sit, one minute, one second, or one inch is one inch of Buddha.

[82:38]

Buddha of one inch. Even in Japan, some people become proud of sitting a long time, 3 years, 10 years, 15 years. Sometimes that shows the prize of how long they sit. If our practice becomes like that, maybe

[83:44]

We don't need to do that. Maybe it's better not to do that. After the zazen, after the zazen, the mind becomes very pure, and then it becomes a big feeling, or a kind feeling. I think it is a very good zazen to be able to feel that way after the zazen. Or, after the zazen, to be able to feel that you can't do anything against the Buddha, that you can't help him. If it is such a zazen, I think it is a very wonderful zazen. After we sit, after zazen, our mind is open and gentle and kind and cultivated.

[85:05]

More appreciation appears, something. bow to something we think is very important. If our Zazen causes us to be like this, it is a wonderful Zazen practice. Zazen is the development of the Buddha's mind. Zazen is the expression of the Buddha's mind. What is the expression of the Buddha's mind? It is compassion and piety. Compassion and piety are the Buddha's mind. Compassion and piety Zazen is an expression of the Buddha's mind.

[86:12]

What the mind is Compassionate mind and being mind at which The mind who appreciates Buddha's presence We can have tea and continue more informally outside.

[87:42]

Thank you very much for your time. Shabbat shalom.

[88:16]

@Text_v004
@Score_II