Tonight I will have to explain about shuso ceremony according to a tooth and venous requirement. In Japan the big temple which has its own long history can have the regular training period twice a year.

[01:14]

Like in the A.H. Monastery, in Sochichi Monastery, they can have a regular training period twice a year, during winter and fall, spring and winter. Also the big temple which has its own old history can also have a regular training period as well as head of the temple. Because those temples are the Zen Monastery adequate to practice Zen Buddhism in Japan.

[02:28]

But now even the big temple, the present situation of even the big temple is very changed, very different from before in the ancient time. Usually, strictly speaking, in the big temple adequate to the Zen Monastery, there are many monks who are practicing Zen Buddhism. Like Sugi Roshi's temple, it is very big and also it has very old history. The other day his temple had 500th anniversary celebration, celebration of 500th anniversary.

[03:42]

Usually in the small temple they cannot have regular training period twice a year, with the shuso. Also, only when a newly master of the temple, only when the abbot of the temple changes, in other words, only when they have a newly master of the temple, we make it a rule to have a training period for 100 days.

[04:55]

So from this point the abbot, newly abbot of the temple must stay at the temple for 100 days, with shuso, with shuso. But now we don't follow in that way. They have just one day celebration, just a celebration. They don't practice anymore. It looks like a festival. It looks like a festival of the newly abbot gathering many monks wearing fancy robes, and drinking sake and eating fancy food. Just a celebration and it looks like a festival, priest festival.

[06:00]

It's really nonsense. You cannot find any meaning. It's really just a festival. Then they have the shinsan ceremony. This ceremony is just for the new abbot of the temple. I think they will have the same ceremony pretty soon in San Francisco. Then in the morning they have a shinsan ceremony for the newly abbot, and in the afternoon they have a special ceremony for shuso, shuso ceremony.

[07:04]

Then that's all. Nothing. After that they drink, they enjoy themselves to drink sake and eat. That's all. No practice. Yes. But they have just a ceremony. They have maintained just a formal ceremony, which is called hossenshiki. Hossenshiki. Hossenshiki literally means dhamma fight. Hossenshiki is a ceremony. Ceremony of dhamma fight. This is a special ceremony for shuso.

[08:04]

So in the ceremony the monks make a question to shuso, and shuso answers. Even this answering question is very formal in Japan. Before you have a ceremony, a shuso tries to make a question. Please make an answer. Don't make a special, extra answer. So the shuso writes the question. That's for you. Then in the ceremony you look at the paper, note, and question. Then the shuso before the ceremony tries to concentrate on memorizing. What is the right answer? I did.

[09:13]

I did in that way. Normally I didn't understand the question and answer too. Just the mouth moving. I don't know exactly when this question, the ceremony of the question and answer started. Strictly speaking, in the beginning of the ceremony, during the training period, lasting for 100 days, Roku-chi-ji and Roku-cho-shu. Roku-cho-shu is shuso,

[10:18]

and shoki is shuso-shoki. Shuso-shoki. Shuso and shoki is secretary of the temple. Secretary and shika is chief of the guests or new monks. Shika and chizo is chief of the librarians. Chiyoku is the chief bath-keeper. Chiden is the chief of the Buddha hall. So Roku-chi-ji and Roku-cho-shu, one by one, they try to give a lecture according to the koan.

[11:22]

They can pick up any koan as they like. Picking up from Hekigan, Blue Cliff Record, or another shoyo, roku, and so on. Then, one by one, they try to give a lecture about the koan, or one of the chapters of the Blue Cliff Record. In the Dogen's life, the Dogen Zenji asked his disciple named Ejo, who was the second patriarch of Ehei Monastery, to become shuso, and one evening,

[12:31]

to give a lecture on the platform, standing on the platform, and give a lecture about one of the koan to all monks. And at that time, they tried to make a question concerning the shuso lecture, and shuso answered to this question. It is said that the ceremony of the question and answer started from the Dogen's age at that time, but the formula of the question and answer

[13:38]

is very different from the ceremony which we have had. I think if you read the Blue Cliff Record and another Zen books named shoyo, roku, and so on, I think in China, also they polish their practice in their daily life making questions to his master what the Buddha is. So in their daily life, their daily life is really,

[14:40]

what would you call, right in the middle of discussing some aspect of the Buddha's teaching. What is Buddha? What is Dharma? What is Sangha? And so on. When the monks came across the famous Zen master on the street, they tried to make a question, what is Buddha? Always, their life was right in the middle of the Buddhism itself, Buddha's teaching itself. So I think in China they didn't have a special formal ceremony of making the discussion, making the answer and the question. But now, I think in Zen Center in Tassajara,

[15:54]

you are completely free from the question as you like. Whatever kind of question you make, but the question must be concerning with some aspect of Buddhism. Some aspect of Buddhism. For instance, in Shoryo Roku, the question is as following, looks like something like that. The monks asked the Zen masters,

[16:59]

I have been here out of the sea, and heaven and earth are completely tranquil. How can you deal with such man? In other words, you don't understand this question. I have been here out of the sea, and heaven and earth are completely tranquil. How can you deal with him? See, in this meaning, anyway, I am completely a person who attains enlightenment, who can completely absolutely control the universe.

[18:04]

In the middle, they are completely in the situation of tranquility. This guy is very enlightened man, great man. He can control all universe. He came from the sea. The sea is always very busy. It means that he becomes free, completely free from the worldly affairs, worldly life. Then he attains enlightenment, and he deserves to control all universe. How can you deal with this man?

[19:08]

This is the question. At that time, the Zen master says, the Kunjicho is Garuda. Garuda is a king of the birds, with gold wings, with many companies. Many of his companies, they have huge, huge, huge birds. And it is said that this bird eats the dragon. It eats the dragon. So when this bird flies in the air, the water in the ocean, in Japan Sea,

[20:13]

completely dries up. And then the dragon who lives in the bottom of the ocean, in Japan Sea, suffers so much because the water dries up. Then this bird, eats it, eats it. This is called Kunjicho, Garuda, corresponding Buddha. This is Buddha. The Zen master says, the bird Garuda, the bird Garuda absolutely corresponds to the whole universe. The whole universe. I think so.

[21:14]

When this bird flies in the air, the water completely dries up. How can you, who is the man who sticks out his head to this universe, where big Garudas fly in the air? There is no room to stick out your head because this Garuda has strong super powers. Everything dries up. He makes everything dry up like a desert. If you try to stick out your head, your head disappears. Then the monk asked,

[22:21]

how can you deal? If I meet, if I meet a man who sticks out his head to the universe where Garuda flies in the air, how can you deal with him? Then the Zen master shows you the true nature of yourself. It looks like, as mentioned before, the monkey, the monkey who helped one of the priests

[23:29]

one of the priests tried to travel to India to get lots of sutras. This monkey has super powers and is proud of himself so much. One day he tried to fly, tried to arrive, tried to fly to the end of space. Then for a while he found four poles right in front of him. Then he stopped and looked at the pole. Wow, this is a pole. I can't go through. Then he put a mark on the bottom of the pole. Wow. And then he thought,

[24:35]

he thought, I reached, I reached the end of the space, end of the space. But that end of the space is just in the sphere of the Buddha's hand. Then the moment when he tried to come back to the human world, the Buddha grasped, the Buddha grasped the little monkey. Then this monk says, the moment when the Zen master says,

[25:37]

all you have to do is to show the true nature of yourself. Then he said, well, if so, let's go back. Let's go back to my place. With Shashu. With Shashu. Let's go back. I will go back to my room and so on. That's okay. I'll go back to my place with Shashu. At that time the Zen master says, you're stupid. Stupid. Because like a monkey, he's like a monkey. Well, I reached the end of the space completely. Then he tried to leave the proof, making a mark at the bottom of the pool. And then he wanted to come back to his place, the human world, and try to repeat his own samsara.

[26:42]

Well, a great monkey, he wanted to be proud of himself. That's why stupid. You are stupid. Buddha grasped, where are you going? You can't escape. Then the master, you are stupid. At that time, this stupid Zen master used a particular term, wukisu. You are wukisu. Wukisu is, there is a story concerning the technical term wukisu. In China, a man tried to build for someone. At that time, he tried to find the foundation,

[27:45]

the small rock and so on, but he couldn't. Then at that time, he found a turtle, a big turtle. Then he tried to use this turtle instead of the foundation, right beneath the pole. Then 20 years and 30 years later, this man died. Then he tried to tore down. He tried to move this house to another place.

[28:50]

At that time, he found the turtle again. Also at that time, the turtle started to move like this. For 20 years or 30 years, this turtle didn't eat anything at all. Nevertheless, he is alive. You are stupid. You are like this turtle, without eating anything. And then, he is proud of himself. Well, I attained enlightenment. That's why he said, the master said, you are stupid. This is the example of the question and answer between the monks and the Zen masters.

[29:51]

In the shuso ceremony, the shuso uses a shippe, like a stick, a long stick. I don't know either when this stick started to be used, but the custom of using this stick has been started since 10th century or so. When the second Kisho Zen master flourished, at that time, the second Zen master,

[31:04]

Shonen, Zen master, one day asked the second, showing the stick, what would you call this stick? If you call this is stick, it means you attach to this stick. If you are not called, if you are not called this stick, it is stick. You are against the nature of the stick. What would you call, how could you call this stick? Then at that time, this Zen master came in light. Anyway, in the 10th century or so,

[32:07]

the Zen master, I think the Zen master used so much the shippe in order to guide the monks, in order to, which means to cut, to eliminate the human delusions. I think this is the shippe, the meaning of shippe. The shippe is not the sword which is used for harakiri. The shippe is not the sword. The shuso is the person who is selected from among the many monks

[33:10]

in the Zen monastery, who is deserved to guide the monks instead of the abbot of the Zen monastery. So when the Shakyamuni Buddha found a person named Mahakasyapa who deserved to be the successor of the Shakyamuni Buddha, at that time he said, he said, I will share half of my seat. Hanza means half of the seat. So shuso, in other words,

[34:15]

we call the shuso hanza. Hanza is half of the seat. Because he is the person who is deserved to be the successor of the Shakyamuni Buddha. Teaching the discipline of Shakyamuni Buddha's life instead of Shakyamuni Buddha. In the Tang Dynasty, I think they used, they appointed a person

[35:16]

to lead the monks or to teach something, which is called shuso. Which is called shuso. So shuso is head of the monks, head of the people. In that time, the shuso must be the person who is acquainted with the teaching of Confucius. Buddhism and Taoism too. Some sutras say, the position of the shuso

[36:22]

must be given to the person who is intelligent. Because this person, shuso must be the person who is completely acquainted with the teaching of Confucius Buddhism and Taoism. So he is very intelligent. If you read, so from this point, the shuso is a very intelligent person. Who is disturbed, completely disturbed and deserved to guide monks and people. If you read the Brookleaf Record,

[37:25]

and any other books, Zen books, there are many people who have the position of the shuso, and tenzo, and the abbot of the temple. But usually, those, the tenzo, the people who occurs in the story of the Zen are, who is given to the position of the tenzo is the outstanding the outstanding Zen master. The very outstanding Zen master. The next great Zen monk is Jisha.

[38:28]

Tenzo is the greatest Zen master anyway, which occurs in the history, the stories of the Zen story. If you read the Brookleaf Record, there are many people there in the story, as tenzo, as Jisha, and the shuso. The next great man, great monk is Jisha. And next is shuso. But the shuso is, in the story, not a complete person. Of course, his eyes are open, but not complete. Not complete. For instance, in the stories of the Zen monks named

[39:30]

Shoyo Roku, the kyuho, Zen master, that time, who was, he was given to, given the position of the Jisha. Of sekiso Zen master. Then, when the sekiso Zen master passed away, he was, the Jisha, kyuho, was very concerned about the successor. I think at that time, in his monastery,

[40:31]

shuso was a great person. So he asked the shuso, how have you understood sekiso's, the disciplines, teachings of sekiso's Zen master? If you answer, if you answer, what is sekiso's teaching in proper way, I trust on you and I recommend you to become successor of this temple. The Jisha says, the sekiso Zen master always says, it's pretty difficult to translate, kangan koboku ni shite saru,

[41:33]

kangan koboku is like a tree, dead tree, like a cold rock, cold rock. You should leave immediately like a person, like a person, the dead tree, or cold rock. In other words, you should be, you should be a person who is very neatly, very neat, and open-hearted, and refreshed, refreshed. There is nothing to leave behind you. If you, if you drink a cup of tea, then you should leave. We call it kisako. If you don't have anything to do, if it is not necessary to live there,

[42:38]

and to stay there, you should leave after drinking a cup of tea. When I was at my temple with my master, I felt always loneliness. So, I was very happy to come down to the village to go shopping, and to go down to visit the village people's house to perform some Buddhist service. Then I stayed a little longer after the tenting with chat. I was sometimes pretty late to come back to the temple. Master says, don't know kisako.

[43:40]

kisako. Zen priest must leave. If it is not necessary to stay there, if you don't have anything to do, you should leave immediately after drinking a cup of tea, after performing Buddhist service. I was often scolded by my master. Kangan koboku ni shite saru. Kangan koboku ni shite saru. Anyway, you should leave if you don't have anything to do necessarily. Then the shuso said, well, I understand. I understand that such teaching. Bring the incense burner.

[44:42]

Bring the incense burner like this. Like this. Putting the charcoal in it. Then the jisha brought the incense burner to him. And put it before him. And the shuso said, I am burning incense powder now. Then, before the incense burner is burnt out completely, I'll try to die. I'll try to die. Then, he put the incense burner under charcoal. The smoke is rising. The shuso

[45:45]

just sat. The moment when the incense burner is burnt out, he died. Then at that time, the jisha said, oh poor shuso. Rubbing his back. Rubbing his back. Oh poor guy. You never understood. You never understood what the true meaning of the six sources Zen teachings. Oh poor guy. It is not the Buddha's teaching. But if you do the Zen, you can die like this. If you do the Zen strictly, hard and hard, you can die with sit.

[46:46]

Doing the Zen, you can die. It is possible. In the first war, one Japanese soldier died just standing. The moment when he was accepted the ballot, boom. Most people fall down into the ground. But this soldier just standing and died. This is great. You can do that. You can do. That's why in the Kanza saying, you always tend to zadatsu ryubo. Zadatsu means you can die. It is possible for you to

[47:47]

die just keeping the position of sitting. Ryubo is standing. Keep standing and die. You can die. But there is not complete enlightened man like Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha. The if you practice, if you practice hard for many years, staying

[48:51]

in the depth of the mountain by yourself, day in and day out, just sit. Ignoring of whatever kind of things happens around him. Whoever suffered, whoever they are, suffering from their delusions or diseases, sickness, he doesn't care. Just sit. It looks like a saint. It looks like an enlightened man. But

[49:53]

for Jisha, Kyuho, they named Kyuho, said, oh poor guy, you have never understood the true meaning of Buddha's teaching. It is not the true Buddha's teaching. On the other hand, if you go to Japan, the priest of Mahayana Buddhism put the emphasis on, we are all bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas are persons who doesn't attain enlightenment. Nevertheless, he tried to save all sentient beings from their suffering. The bodhisattvas tried to save all sentient beings from their suffering before they attained enlightenment. Then, the

[50:59]

Mahayana Buddhism in Japan always running to the east and to the west, to the north and to the east. In order to what? I don't know. If you go to Japan, you understand so well. Four years ago, I went back to Japan. At that time, I was very surprised because priests, like businessmen, they are very interested in building big mansions, big, huge apartments using the territory, using the Buddha's territory. Huge mansions in Tokyo. That's the businessmen.

[51:59]

And he said, this is bodhisattva's practice. What is bodhisattva's practice? Of course, if you build a big mansion, yes, you can accept many people to stay there. Maybe, in a sense, it is a very good practice of Buddhism in order to save all sentient beings from suffering. But, it looks like nonsense. It's far out. Far out from Buddhism. Completely far out. Even though you try to... It is not Buddhism. Why don't you sit there? They don't understand. Because they are already priest's business.

[53:02]

Not priest's business. Modern business of building. Business of performing funeral service. Memorial service. So, I think Dogen Zen says, zazen is comfortable practice. Zazen is comfortable practice. So you say, zazen is comfortable practice. Let's sit. Relax. Relax. Why don't you have strict posture? Because Dogen Zen says, zazen is comfortable practice.

[54:04]

Why don't you practice? Why don't you practice through and through in order to get taste of comfortable practice with your whole body and mind. Through the zazen. Through the strict posture. Then after that, you say, well, this is comfortable practice. That's alright. But before you do, you don't do zazen, you know. I think you do zazen just for two years, or three years, or five years. It's not true. Practice, you know. You have to practice life after life. Through hard practice, hard practice, and you should get taste of what the comfortable practice is.

[55:15]

Don't look at just one side of Buddha's teaching, you know. Comfortable practice is not merely comfortable practice what you usually think. If you think so, you will become the Japanese priest. Japanese priest who are interested in building big mansions in order to save all sentient beings from their suffering. It's nonsense, you know, in a sense. So, Shuso, in the history, in the story of the Zen book, Zen Buddhism, Shuso is not complete monk. Of course, he is

[56:23]

great man, great monk who is deserved to to keep sitting and to die. Like the Shuso in the Sekiso Zen Monastery. During training period, Shuso must polish his practice again and again and get taste of what the true Buddhism is. This is the position, this is responsibility for the Shuso, what he has to do during the training period. And also, this practice gives great

[57:25]

influence to other monks. Then, the ceremony is great opportunity of what the progress of Shuso's practice has been making during training period. So, you should first open yourself and crash into the Shuso with question, with some aspect of Buddhism. Shuso must answer to your question with wholeheartedness. Shuso must show full capability

[58:26]

of the experience of his practice, which he has experienced during training period. This is Shuso ceremony. Thank you.

[58:44]

@Text_v004
@Score_JJ