Good morning. It's an honor and a pleasure to introduce Shihako Okamura Roshi, who's here visiting us from his temple in Bloomington, Indiana, Sanshin-ji. Whether you've met him before or not, surely you know his works. He's translated many of the texts that we've studied with Sojin Roshi, including the Tenzo Kiyoken, which include the commentary of his teacher, Uchiyama Roshi, The Wholehearted Practice of the Way, and Bendowa, also the commentary by his teacher, and numerous other books that we use, including two of his own commentaries, one on the Genjo Kalan, and most recently a book on commentaries on the chants that we use called Living by Vow. So we're quite fortunate that he considers us good friends and comes and visits us every year or two since he stays close to his home temple to focus on his writings these days. So please may we welcome him and enjoy his

[01:05]

continuation of the discussion of poems by Ryokan. Good morning, everyone. I'm really happy to be here again and have a chance to give a talk. I came to California on the 25th, and I had a six-day Genzo-e retreat at Green

[02:11]

Gulch until yesterday noon. During the Genzo-e, we studied Dogen Zenji's Shobo Genzo Yuributsu Yobutsu, or Only a Buddha Together with a Buddha, and I gave two lectures a day. Each lecture is one and a half hours, so I spoke on Dogen's writing three hours a day in English. It's really difficult. I'm tired, so I'm quite tired, but I could have a rest yesterday afternoon, so now I have some energy. Often when I visit the Vagration Center after Genzo-e, after I spoke so much about Dogen, I don't want to think about Dogen. He's too much complicated.

[03:17]

So, I decided to talk about Ryokan at the Vagration Center after Genzo-e, and last several times I talked on some Chinese poems by Ryokan, but this time I'd like to talk about Ryokan's Waka poems. Waka is very short, a little longer than Haiku. Haiku has only 17 syllables, but Waka has 31, 14 more syllables. Ryokan wrote both Chinese poems called Kanshi, and also Japanese poems called Waka. And this morning I'd like to talk on one poem, one Waka poem, if you have a handout on page two.

[04:24]

So, the second poem on page two, let me first read in Japanese and English translation. This English translation is from the book entitled Great Fool, translated and documented by Abe Ryuichi and Peter Haskell. So, the poem in Japanese is Sō no mi wa makoto wa irazu, jō fugyō, bosatsu no gyō no shushō, gyōzō shushō nari keri. In English translation, it goes, One who is a monk needs nothing, only never despising anyone, for this is the unexcelled practice of all bodhisattvas.

[05:42]

So, this never despising anyone also came from the Lotus Sutra. The fascicle we studied at Kuringa Uibutsu Yobutsu also came from the Lotus Sutra, and for Dogen Zenji, the Lotus Sutra is very important. And also for Ryokan, the Lotus Sutra is one of the main sources of his inspiration. Actually, he wrote two versions of a collection of verses on each chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Ryokan. And this is one of the waka poems about his own practice, perhaps his most important practice for him. I have not a question, but I have a little different way of reading this poem,

[06:51]

and I made my own translation. So let me read my translation. It's not so different, but a little different. One who is a monk does not need ten thousand things. Only the practice of the bodhisattva never disparaging is unexcelled. The difference is this average translation cut Jō Fugyō and Bōsat into two. Jō Fugyō is the name of the bodhisattva appeared in the Lotus Sutra, but I think this is the name of the bodhisattva. The bodhisattva never disparaging. And this bodhisattva appeared in the twentieth chapter of the Lotus Sutra.

[07:58]

But this is very kind of an interesting story. This person, this bodhisattva's name was never disparaging, but because he never disparaged anyone, he was disparaged by people. I mean, according to the story, after Buddha's extinction, the Buddha's name is Ōsan-samu, or I-on-o-butsu. After this person passed away, entered nirvana, there are more than 500 years passed. That means the era of true Dharma, in which people have the

[09:01]

Buddha's teaching, and there are many people who studied and practiced Buddha's teaching. And many of those practitioners could attain enlightenment, so-called enlightenment. But after 500 years, the age kind of degenerated, and called, in this translation, the age of counterfeit law. That means during this period, there are teaching, Buddha's teaching are there, and also people study and practice, but no one attained realization. During this period of time, many monks had separated into some groups, and they had their

[10:01]

own understanding, and theory, and doctrine about Buddha's teachings. So, they thought they are number one. They had their own authority about this is true teaching of the Buddha. That is the situation when this Bodhisattva appeared. But this Bodhisattva is kind of unusual. He didn't study any system of Buddhist philosophy, so he was not a scholar, scholastic. And his practice was not to meditate either in the Zen hall or in the monastery, but he was always walking on the street. So, walking on the street was his practice. And whenever he met with Buddhists, either male monks or female monks, or male lay

[11:10]

people or female lay people, whenever he found a Buddhist, he made a prostration to any of them. And he said, I never disparage you, because you are a Bodhisattva, you are practicing Buddha's way, so you will certainly attain Buddhahood or become Buddha in the future. That was his practice. He expressed his respect to everyone. You know, this is a kind of a strange practice. You know, when people have, you know, kind of argue with each other, and they say, I have the authority, or my teaching is

[12:14]

correct teaching of Buddha, and they are arguing. In such a situation, if one person said, you will become Buddha, and the people who belong to other group said, you will become Buddha, then, you know, such a person is not so welcomed by these people who are, you know, arguing. So, even though he expressed his respect to all of those Buddhist people, he was disparaged because of that practice. In the Lotus Sutra, it says, those people said, this monk does not devote his time to reading or reciting the scriptures,

[13:19]

sutras, but simply went about, walk around, bowing to people. And, if he happened to see any of the four kinds of believers far off in the distance, he would purposely go to where they were, bow to them, and speak words of praise, saying, I would never disparage you, because you are all certain to attain Buddhahood. Then, among the four kinds of believers, there were those who gave way to anger. So, those people became angry. Then, they were praised. Their minds lacking impurity, and they spoke ill of him, and cursed him, saying, this ignorant monk, where does he come from?

[14:30]

So, presuming to declare that he does not disparage us, and bestowed on us a prediction that we will attain Buddhahood. So, this person knows nothing about Buddhist teaching, and yet, he gave us, gives us the prediction that we will become Buddha. So, they don't trust this person's prediction. We have no use for such vain and irresponsible predictions. So, no one trusts him. So, when he spoke in this manner, some among the group would take sticks of wood, or tiles and stones, and beat and pricked him. So, he was beaten because of this practice. But, even as he ran away, when people attacked him, he ran away.

[15:39]

And, took up his stance at a distance. He continued to call out in a loud voice that, I never disparage you. This is his practice. And, later in that story, he finally became a Buddha. And, this was one of the first, one of the past lives of Shakyamuni Buddha. So, for this bodhisattva, his practice is simply meeting people, and venerate everyone, and say, I never disparage. But, because of that practice, he was disparaged by everyone. This is a very interesting contradiction. But, Ryokan says, in this poem, Makoto, in this poem, is literally ten thousand things, means

[16:52]

any miscellaneous things. But, he said, this practice of bodhisattva, never disparaging, is most excellent. So, what he's saying is, his practice, you know, Ryokan was a Soto Zen monk, and he was from a very rich family, and he was the oldest son. So, that was his responsibility to take over his family business. But, somehow, he didn't like it. So, he escaped, and became a Soto Zen monk. And, he practiced with his teacher. His name was Kokusen. He was a great teacher. And so, he went to the monastery of this teacher, and practiced more than ten years, until this teacher passed away. And, he received a transmission, and his teacher gave him

[17:59]

the name, the Dharma name, Daigu Ryokan. And, Dai means great, and Gu means fool. So, his nickname, Dharma name, is Great Fool. And, Ryo means good, and Kan is wide and flexible. That was his name. So, he was often called Great Fool. He was an excellent person, and he received transmission. So, if he wanted, he could be the abbot of some monastery. But, somehow, he also escaped from the monastery. First, he escaped from the family, the world, and second, he escaped from the monastery. And, after that, he never stayed or lived at a monastery, as a monastery or temple, as a priest.

[19:05]

After he left the monastery, no one knew where he was for more than ten years. But, when he was older than forty, maybe forty-eight or so, he returned to his hometown, home village, and he lived in a hermitage named Go-Go-An. Go-Go means five cups. That means, this hermitage was built for the retired abbot of a certain big monastery, big temple on that mountain. But, since no retired abbot was there at that time, they allowed Ryo-Kan to live there. And, five cups means that the retired abbot who lived in that hermitage was provided five cups of brown rice each day. That was the name of this hermitage. It was called Five Cups

[20:17]

Hermitage. But, probably because he was not the retired abbot, probably he was not provided with the rice. So, his main practice was begging, or takuhatsu. So, he was always walking around in that area. And, his practice was the same as Bodhisattva never disparaging. His main practice was walking in the village and town, holding, you know, oryoki, or begging bowl. And, he met many different people. So, he had no choice whoever he met. He just met. And, I think his main practice was to venerate all beings, not only people, but also,

[21:21]

you know, trees, birds, flowers, all things he encountered. He, you know, expressed his respect. And, there are many poems written by him. You know, in one poem, he was talking to one pine tree as if the pine tree was a person. And, often he, you know, wrote poems about flowers, and birds, and mountains, and oceans. Of course, he practiced Zazen also at his hermitage when he came back, returned from begging. But, he said in this poem, as a Buddhist monk, you know, no other

[22:25]

things are necessary. But, to this Bodhisattva's practice that is to venerate everything, including people, is the most excellent practice. That is only one necessary practice to venerate everything. So, this poem is pretty simple, nothing difficult, no difficult philosophy. His practice was just walking on the street, and whenever he met people, he showed his respect. Can you read your translation one more time? Okay. One who is a monk does not need ten thousand things. Only the practice of the Bodhisattva

[23:38]

never disparaging is unexcelled or excellent, most excellent. You know, as I said, for Dogen Zenji, the Lotus Sutra is very important. The Lotus Sutra is one of the main sources of Dogen Zenji's inspiration, and also Ryokan. And, because this poem is not so difficult, I'd like to introduce another poem, not by Ryokan, but written by a modern Japanese poet, and also he wrote many stories for children. He lived in the early 20th century, and his name was Kenji Miyazawa, and he also

[24:40]

you know, valued the Lotus Sutra. In the case of Kenji Miyazawa, his faith is in Nichiren-shu teaching. So, he was not a Zen person, but he was a school teacher. He taught at an agriculture school, and he was born in Hanamaki in Iwate Prefecture. That was where he lived, and that was the area, you know, last year they had an earthquake and tsunami, and that area was really damaged so much, and so many people were killed. And Koshin, when he visited that area to do some

[25:42]

volunteer work, I really appreciate many, not only Americans, but many people outside Japan helped Japanese people at that time. Because he, Kenji Miyazawa, was from that area, after that disaster, his poems and his children's stories were very much appreciated. And this is one of the poems he wrote, this very famous poem, so almost all Japanese know, because this poem appeared in the school text. But this poem was not published while he was alive. He died pretty young, I think 36 or so, because he had TB. He died very young. But recently I found that this poem, this very famous

[26:55]

poem, was written, inspired by the practice of bodhisattva never disparaging. It seems he had some plan, idea, to write a play, because that was one of his activities with the group of farmers. So, this poem was also inspired by the bodhisattva never disparaging. The title in Japanese is Ame ni mo makezu. And I found this English translation this morning through the internet. So this is something very new to me, but I don't think I need to explain. This is very straightforward, very simple, and I think it's very, how can I say, touching.

[27:57]

So, when he wrote this poem, he was dying. Right before his death, he wrote this poem on his notebook. So no one read this poem before his death. But after his death, they found the notebook and many people liked this poem, and it's become a really famous poem. So, you know, Dogen Zenji was an adult of a monastery, and Ryokan was a hermit, and Miyazawa Kenji was a school teacher. They are very different kind of people and spent different way of life, and their activities are different. But all those three people, not only those three, but there are many people in Japan who were inspired by the Lotus Sutra.

[29:02]

So, if you are interested, please read Lotus Sutra. Anyway, the poem is as follows. Ame ni mo makezu is, in this translation, unperturbed by the rain. Does it make sense? Not to be beaten. Unperturbed by the rain, unruffled by the wind, untold, unfurled by the snow, and unfazed by the summer heat. In Japanese, this English word, I cannot read. The same word, not to be beaten. So, we go through all those difficult conditions.

[30:06]

Of sound body, without desire, never angry, but always a quiet smile. Eating three square meals a day, of brown rice, some miso, and a few vegetables. In all things, free of self-interest, seeing and hearing well, understanding and remembering. In the shade of a pine grove in a field, a small thatched hut in which to live. If in the east there are sick children, going to nurse them.

[31:08]

If in the west there are weary women, going to bear their sheaves. If in the south there are dying men, going to ease their fear. If in the north there is conflict, telling them to set aside their differences. Shelling tears in time of drought, and walling over a cold summer that threatens setting the harvest. Thought of by all are nobody, neither thought nor avoided by any. That is the kind of person I hope to become.

[32:12]

This is his poem. So, his body was not healthy. He had TB, so he was dying. So, this was his wish to become such a person. And his idea is this person, bodhisattva, never disparaging. You know, this bodhisattva verilates all people. Because of that, he was disparaged by all people. And Miyazaki also said, neither thought, neither respected by people, nor avoided by anyone. So, just be himself and do, practice whatever he needs to practice.

[33:14]

And he is very much, you know, careful of the people around him. In the early 20s, Iwate was still a very poor place. And often, in the northern part of Japan, it often has a cold summer. You know, I was surprised when I stayed, during staying in Green Garage, it was very cold. In Bloomington, Indiana, it's a very hot night. Almost every day, it's about 100 degrees. So, coming from that place, Green Garage was really cold. But in Iwate, where Miyazaki Enji lived, they often had a cold summer. And when they had a cold summer, the rice didn't grow well. This year, in the Midwest, because it's too hot and not much rain, they had drought.

[34:22]

So, the corn doesn't grow well this summer. Same thing happened when it's cold in the summer in Japan. They couldn't have good harvest of rice. So, because he was a teacher at an agriculture school, he was worried about those farmers. And if, you know, it's too hot and without rain, that is another problem for the farmers. And there are many poor people. And even all the women are working very hard. That is the people Miyazaki Enji met every day. And he wanted to help those people. And yet, for him, because his body is not so healthy, he was not so strong person, so what he could do is very limited.

[35:25]

So, this poem expressed his wish that he could be more healthy and strong and work more for those people. So, this is a kind of wish or pray for his future life, that he could be healthy and strong and work more for helping people. This is also aspired by this bodhisattva that appeared in the Lotus Sutra. So, you know, the Lotus Sutra was a very important source of many different kinds of people, like Dogen Zenji. He, as I talked during the Genzo-e retreat in Green Gorge,

[36:30]

his main worldview, not real world, but his view about time and space, came from the Lotus Sutra, I believe. So, his very unique and deep philosophy was inspired and also his practice of Zazen, and that is called just sitting. Just sitting means sit without any expectations or anything to gain. That idea basically came from or was inspired by the Lotus Sutra. And in the case of Rokan, his sense of beauty and appreciation of people and nature also came from the Lotus Sutra. And Miyazawa Kenji was more like an activist.

[37:33]

He wanted to help others. He never wanted to become a monk, but that aspiration or inspiration also came from the Lotus Sutra. So, when I read Rokan's poems also, not only Rokan, but these Buddhist practitioners' writings, I'm also inspired by some part of the Lotus Sutra. Well, it's already 11.05. I'm asked to finish 11.10. So, I'm going to talk more of Rokan's poems this afternoon. Any questions or comments? I'll just introduce Rokan's and Miyazawa Kenji's poems inspired by the Lotus Sutra.

[38:41]

Any questions or comments, please? Are there any poems about how he spoke to the trees and flowers and birds? There are many. Yeah, I hope you'll find English translation. There are many Rokan's poems. He directly talked to the pine trees or flowers. I'd like to read those. Yeah, please. Please. This is more of a question about the Lotus Sutra. Can you talk a little bit about how you see the Lotus Sutra as inspirational to Dogen regarding Zazen? Maybe it's too big a question. Actually, last week, before this, I talked about it. In the Lotus Sutra, there are two most important chapters.

[39:52]

One is the second chapter, which is the skillful means, or Houben Hon. Another important chapter is chapter 16, which is the lifespan of Tathagata. And in the second chapter, the Sutra talks about the independence of each being and interconnectedness within time and space. And I think that is a source of Dogen's insight about time and space. Each and everything is existing only within the relation throughout space and time. And the second half of the Lotus Sutra, especially chapter 16, the lifespan of Tathagata,

[41:04]

is our life being born, stay for a while, and disappear or die. And in the case of Shakyamuni, he was born a certain time in India and lived for 80 years and entered nirvana. And his Buddha's life as Nirmanakaya is a result of his long practice for more than 500 lifetimes. So, Shakyamuni became Buddha in that final lifetime as Buddha. This is called Sambhogakaya. And both Buddha's life as Nirmanakaya, as a past action person, and Shakyamuni Buddha as a result of many lifetimes' practice as a Sambhogakaya, are taking place within Buddha's

[42:12]

eternal life. That is Dharmakaya. So, the important point in the Lotus Sutra is those three bodies of Buddha, Nirmanakaya as actual human beings, and Sambhogakaya that is a result of long practice, and Dharmakaya are really one. These are not three different. And our life, not only Buddha's, but our life, not only human beings, our each and every existence is within this Buddha's eternal life. That's why our practice, you know, when we encounter Dharma and start to study and practice and continue, and little by little mature, the process of our practice is also taking

[43:15]

place within Buddha's eternal life. So, basically, what Dogen is saying is, when we started to practice, even before we started to practice, even before we knew nothing, we know nothing about Buddhism, we are already within the way, within the Buddha's eternal life. And within the way, we practice the way. We study and practice toward the way. So, our process of studying and growth is taking place within Buddha's Dharmakaya. So, from the very beginning, we are already in the goal. But, and yet, we have to make effort to getting closer to the goal, that way. That is, we are already there.

[44:18]

This kind of, you know, contradictory view, I think, came from the Lotus Sutra. That is, his main point of his expression of practice and enlightenment or verification are one. When we practice, we are already there, within the way, or within the Buddha's eternal life. So, this is not something we need to go and get it, because we are already there. And yet, as our practice of each moment, we need to go toward the way. So, our practice is like, you know, like a river which flows toward the ocean. The river has direction toward the ocean. And yet, this entire process of flowing toward the ocean is happening already within the ocean.

[45:27]

There is an expression by a Japanese poet, a modern Japanese poet. That expression is a river flowing in the ocean. The river flowing in the ocean is a kind of my image of Dogen Zenji's practice. It's inspired by the Lotus Sutra. Does it make sense? Please. What about the practice of not despising anyone? Is there such a practice outside of Zen then? Dogen Zenji? Outside of Zen then? Outside of what? Zen then. Outside of Zen then? Practice of not despising anyone. I think he did. And what is it? What is it? Mountains and rivers. You know, the sound of a valley stream is Buddha's, what do you call, long and wise tongue.

[46:39]

That means Buddha's expanding dharma. And the colors of mountains are Buddha's body. So he... What about when meeting people? I think he respected all beings. But when we read Shobo Genzo, we see many examples he didn't... He criticizes other people from his point of view, mistaken view. So he has some anger about that. But I think basically he venerates all beings. And he doesn't use the expression of being one with all beings. So in his instruction to the people who work in the kitchen, he said we should not call rice as rice. You know, rice in Japanese is kome or yone.

[47:40]

But Dogen Zenji requests his students to call kome or yone as okome. Okome is a polite way to call something. So almost everything we put o. Like okome is, what is the word? Honored rice. And we say o-mizu, that is honored water. Or almost everything we put o even today. Not only within Buddhist monastery, but in common Japanese. But I think Dogen is one of the people who asked his students to venerate all beings. Does it make sense? Okay. Please.

[48:42]

There is a passage from one of Ryokan's poems that I like very much. And I won't be able to remember it correctly. But the essence is, when there is a finger pointing at the moon, are subject and object bound? This is a question for beginners wrapped in seas of ignorance. Would you speak to that for just a moment? The nature of subject and object and finger pointing at the moon. And how we in our ignorance walk this way. Well, moon refers to the reality itself, or truth, or dharma itself. And finger refers to the words written about that truth or reality. But we often caught up within the finger. We don't see the moon, but we watch the finger. And we think about the concept or teaching as a concept, only as a theory or philosophy, without seeing the reality itself.

[49:50]

So, common understanding of this analogy of finger and moon is, forget about finger, but we should see the moon, the truth or reality itself. Through our practice or experience, Ryokan and also Dogen said the same thing. If we think that fingers and moon, or verbal expression of dharma and dharma itself, are two separate things, this is already dualistic. So, for Dogen, studying texts like Sutras and other texts is very important. So, between the language and reality, there is no such separation. So, both are important.

[50:53]

The finger is a part of the moon. That is Dogen's and Ryokan's understanding about finger and moon. It's time to stop. OK, thank you very much.

[51:13]

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