The bodhisattva mind, which is rather dualistic, but if you understand bodhisattva mind in dualistic way, it is not right understanding. When you try to understand bodhisattva way by thinking philosophical way, it is dualistic. Each school has its system of teaching, but

[01:06]

Zen has no system of philosophy. Although Soto school has Shobo Genzo, that is not possible to understand just philosophical way. That is why, when some scholar writes something about Shobo Genzo, he will submit what he wrote to some Zen master. He does not announce

[02:11]

or he does not print before a Zen master, a checker. This point is pretty strict in our schools, because just philosophical understanding is not good enough as a work of Soto school. So we are pretty strict with this point. Whenever you write something, strictly speaking, it should be checked up by some Zen master. And mutual understanding is wanted.

[03:36]

Scholar and the master. It is very difficult to tell just by reading. Mutual correspondence is wanted. Mutual, you know, hi, how are you, this kind of friendship is necessary between a master and scholar. We have many scholars and Zen masters, and Zen masters and Zen scholars should be always, must be quite intimate.

[04:39]

And mutual understanding is wanted. You cannot be both scholar and Zen master. If it is possible, it may be wonderful, but we are not so capable. It can't be helped. If you want to read or understand, because it is necessary for a scholar to understand Shobo Genzo and other cultures too. Or else, you know, his teaching will not work. So for a scholar it is necessary to read many and many books and to understand Eastern culture and Western culture.

[05:58]

This is necessary for us. And Zen masters should devote themselves to our own teaching and practice. But as both scholars and masters' understanding is based on Shobo Genzo, the mutual understanding will be easier. At the end, the Bodhisattva's way in other schools is rather philosophical.

[07:14]

And that is why they have their own system. But for Zen school, Bodhisattva's way is, our practice itself is Bodhisattva's way. Not philosophy, but our actual practice is Bodhisattva's way. Our management of the monastery is itself Bodhisattva's way. As someone asked me last night, how is it possible to help others? Or what is the right way to help others? To help others, the most important point in helping others is to actualize Bodhisattva's way in its true sense.

[08:30]

So you can actualize Bodhisattva's way in your management of Zen center or in your management of a monastery or a temple. If you actualize his way, that is also Dana Prajnaparamita, that is to help others, to give something, to give most valuable things to the society. If you actualize your way in your actual life, that is the most valuable contribution to the society.

[09:39]

Even though you give something, if you give something in wrong way, it will create more trouble. So just to give something is not our way. It was given, everything was treated in right way, in Bodhisattva's way. So Bodhisattva's way of helping others is not some moral code or some written conditions. To help others does not mean actually to give something or to treat someone in special way.

[10:49]

So if you want to understand what is actual Bodhisattva's way, you should practice our way. That is why Dogen Zenji was particular to our everyday life. He was very, very particular because he thought it is impossible to express what does it mean by Bodhisattva's way. In word or in philosophy. Before he gave up philosophy, before he gave up art or literature or scientific approach,

[12:20]

he had pretty good understanding of science. Today we call it science, but at that time in Japan there was no idea of science. It was 12th century. But he was, in this point, he was wonderful person. He understood in his mind, he was very scientific mind. And he understood philosophy of history and philosophy itself. And he had good knowledge of philosophy of religion. As you started at, by, after Kant.

[13:35]

By the way, when we say science or philosophy, we mean pure science, pure philosophy. Not philosophy under the authority of God or some particular belief. It is the same philosophy after you have had, after, since renaissance. This is good point, one of the good points of Buddhism. We, you know, we treat human being as human being. Religion is not some particular thing.

[14:42]

Religion is to find, to find true meaning of human nature. We do not try to change human being to God. From beginning to end we are human being, we should be human being. There is no need to be God. Some religion, you know, treat us as a God. In Christianity, I think, it is impossible for you to be a God, the God. So, for Christianity, there is Christian, there is no danger in this point.

[15:50]

Human being is always human being. I don't know after you die, what you will become, what will become of you, I don't know. You go to heaven and you, will you become a God or what, I don't know exactly. Maybe, even though you go to heaven, you are human being and simple person, maybe. Unless you cannot be a God. Which is it? Are you supposed to be a God when you go to heaven or still human being?

[17:07]

I don't know. Angels. Some of them are in the tomb. Neither one. Neither. Anyway, that is not our problem. For us, even though you attain enlightenment, you are also human being, not... And Buddha is another name for human being. Buddha and human being is same nature, same quality. Same one quality, strictly speaking.

[18:14]

It does not mean you become Buddha or Buddha... depravated to human being. It is not so. Same quality. When you realize your nature, your true nature, you are called Buddha. And what is Buddha nature is the point. In this point, in your philosophy,

[19:19]

Nataraj came to nearly the same conclusion. It was not so hard for philosophers to explain or to establish authority of philosophy. Even over the religion. They thought they could understand religion in philosophical way, in scientific way.

[20:26]

So they tried, and tried, and tried, and discussed, and discussed. Until almost all the religious, almost his own religious mind can accept his own philosophy. And the conclusion was that the idea of God is not something better than human, idea of human being. Or less than, or less than the idea of human being. Ideal.

[21:29]

By ideal, what he meant was the same idea we have, our true nature. That ideal is not better than human being or worse than human being. It is human nature itself according to Nataraj. This is very close, you know. So in this way he replaced idea of God for idea of human nature.

[22:42]

In human nature there is authority which is nothing bigger than, nothing stronger, nothing better than human being. Which is nothing, which is not worse than human being. The human being, human mind can control themselves and everything. And this is what he meant by ideal. And the idea of Zain or Dzogchen is very close to our idea of Bodhisattva's way.

[23:45]

To the, when we stand crossing point or a fork road, which way to take? Here is our Bodhisattva mind, you know, which is better? Which should we go? This I is not possible to explain, but anyway we are always at the crossing or at the fork road and we don't know what to do. As long as we have our true nature, when we are conscientious enough we don't, we sometimes wonder which way to take.

[24:52]

That is Bodhisattva's way. If we don't mind good or bad, we will take either way. But for us it is rather difficult to choose one of the two. When it is difficult, there is true nature. Because of the true nature, true nature makes us difficult to choose. Here we have Bodhisattva mind. When we have difficulty in ethical sense, there is Bodhisattva mind. When you say, I am not good, there is Bodhisattva mind.

[25:57]

But we cannot explain why we have this kind of mind. It is impossible to explain why. But anyway, we have this kind of mind. And this mind is very important. And we call it Buddha mind. Which is impossible to explain why. This mind was accepted by your philosophers. And this mind is called by Nataraj, Idea. And this Idea means Buddha nature in our sense.

[27:06]

But philosophers found out in logical or in philosophical way what was our true nature. But no one bring it. No one had brought it in our practice. So that is why Zen we have in Buddhism heart, practice of Zazen. To bring something which is inexplicable to actual practice is Zen practice. This is one of the Eight Noble Truths.

[28:33]

That is why Zen is so important in Buddhism. Without Zen, the teaching of Buddha cannot be understood by us. So anyway, in East and in West, the truth is always same. And we are coming to the same conclusion, I think. Although the way is different. But more and more, your philosophy will become like Shobo Genzo. And our way will become more and more scientific.

[29:46]

And in this way, I hope we will achieve something very good. Now here in Zen Center, we are practicing very rigid way. After example of Japanese way. But it does not mean we are forcing our way to you. It does not mean so. But it will give you some suggestion. And it takes, I think, pretty long time before you establish your own way.

[31:02]

So, for you, the pioneer of Buddhism, it may be pretty difficult.

[31:14]

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