It's like the same class that we had before, with a few exceptions. So these next three classes will be devoted to Hakuin's, Zen Master Hakuin's commentary on the five positions. And since everybody's been here more or less before, I don't have to go through explaining everything from the beginning. Hakuin, as you may know, revived the Rinzai school in Japan.

[01:02]

Both the Rinzai and Soto schools in Japan in the 16th and 17th century, Hakuin lived in the latter part of the 17th and the early part of the 18th century. And both the Soto and Rinzai schools were corrupt and weak. If you've ever read much of Hakuin, he's always criticizing the Soto school, as well as the Rinzai school, but he was an adherent of the Rinzai school, so he was much more loyal to them, and revived it by systematizing the Koan study, which is making a systematic Koan study, which is used to the present day. So, I gave everyone, when we started the class, Hakuin's commentary.

[02:24]

And if you don't have that, which you should have, there were some more copies made. So who doesn't have a copy of Hakuin's commentary? One, two, three, four, five. It's called the Goi Koans. And I don't want to start reading it from the beginning, which is not

[03:26]

which is just an introduction by the author of Zen Dust. I want to go directly where it says, the five ranks of the apparent and the real. This is on the first page. Well, yeah. Page 26, which is the first page. section 63, just below section 63, where it says, the five ranks of the apparent and the real, the orally transmitted secret teachings of the monk who lived on Mount To is simply the first page. We have that as page 63. Yeah, that's right. 63? Yeah. No, it's not page 63.

[04:29]

It's section 63. 62, 63. Okay. Yeah, I see. Anyway, it's the first page. Does everybody have the first page? So Hakkawin was born in 1689 and died in 1769. And so he starts out talking about, we don't know by whom the jewel, I'm going to call it the Precious Mirror Samadhi was composed from Sekito Osho, Yakusan Osho, and Ungan Osho.

[05:35]

Osho means priest or ordained person. And Sekito was the author of the Sando Kai. And the Sandokai has elements of the Hokyo Zamai, you know, the light and the dark, the arrow points meeting, and many references, the same references. And the Hokyo Zamai seems to be a development of the Sandokai. So they have this connection. And it's like the teaching of the school. which is handed down. So he's talking about from Sekito through Yakasan. Yakasan was Ungan's teacher, and Ungan was Tozan's teacher, if you're familiar with lineage.

[06:44]

These are the Japanese names, or the names in Japanese. So when Tozan was leaving his teacher and he crossed the river and he saw his reflection in that river, he was leaving Ungan. Ungan was his teacher. But he visited Yakasan and Yakasan sent him to Ungan. So these guys are all connected in the lineage. It was transmitted from master to master and handed down within the secret room. Secret room is not, I don't think it's some special room, but it's like, it was, you know, intimately passed in the room, I think is probably more correct. Intimately passed from one to the other in the room. never have its teachings been willingly disclosed until now.

[07:50]

In Chinese Chan, there were many teachings that were not disclosed to everyone. Usually there's some teachings that were disclosed from master to disciple and more esoteric or just passed to those people who the teacher felt would understand. But you know, in later times, all the teachings get exposed to everyone. I think there was a time when the Bible was, you know, only monks could read the Bible. And now it's exposed to everyone. So these teachings, that's what happens, which is okay. Yes. After it had been transmitted from Tozan, Osho, I'm sorry, to Tozan, he made clear the gradations of the five ranks. So what Tozan did was develop this teaching and made the five positions, wu-wei, it's called, go-i in Japanese.

[09:04]

And he composed a verse for each rank. So we haven't talked about the verses, but in this study, Hakuin presents the verses, which, Tozan's verses, we think it's Tozan, but we'll say it's Tozan's verses. And then he has a commentary on each of the verses. So, After it had been transmitted to Tozan, or Sho, he made clear the gradations of the five ranks within it, and composed a verse for each rank in order to bring out the main principle of Buddhism. Surely the five ranks or the five positions, I think ranks is really not the correct translation, but surely the five positions is a torch on the midnight road, a ferry boat at the riverside when one has lost one's way. So Hakkoen really thought a lot of the five positions.

[10:09]

He says, but alas, the Zen gardens of recent times are desolate and barren. So he's talking about the Zen of his time, right? Directly pointing to the ultimate. Zen is regarded as nothing but benightedness and foolishness. And that supreme treasure of the Mahayana, the precious mirror Samadhi's five ranks of the apparent and the real, is considered to be only the old and broken vessel of an antiquated house. So it was disregarded. And the antiquated house is maybe the Soto school. No one pays any attention to it. Today's students are like blind men who have thrown away their staffs, calling them useless baggage. Of themselves, they stumble and fall into the mud of heterodox views and cannot get out until death overtakes them."

[11:15]

This is a quote from the Platform Sutra of Huineng. If you're familiar with the Platform Sutra, he has a long poem. And he says, unless you have correct views, you would just keep looking around until death overtakes you and you still won't get it. They never know the five ranks is the ship that carries them across the poisonous sea surrounding the rank of the real. the precious wheel that demolishes the impregnable prison house of the two voids." And in that poem, Huineng says, this teaching is the big ship that carries one across the poisonous sea and so forth. So that's a kind of quote from, well, the whole thing is kind of a quote from the Platform Sutra.

[12:18]

He uses that. But the precious wheel that demolishes the impregnable prison house of the two voids. The two voids is like the voidness of a person or ego, voidness of ego, and the voidness of dharmas. In other words, all dharmas are empty, and the person is empty, or the ego is empty. So he says, the poisonous sea surrounding the rank of the real which is the precious wheel that demolishes the impregnable prison house of the two voids. Prison house of the two voids means that one is imprisoned or one is held by the concept of the reality of a person or an ego and the reality of dharmas or things.

[13:27]

This is the prison house, is this misconception. of what is reality and what is not. So these are the two voids, the voidness of ego and the voidness of dharmas. The absence of any permanent nature They do not know the important road of progressive practice. They are not versed in the secret meaning within this teaching." So Hakkoen thinks of the five ranks as a progressive practice. There are various ways of thinking about the five positions. One is that each position is just simply a way of explaining or pointing out something from its position.

[14:37]

But the other way is to see it as a progression. So Aka one likes to see it as a progression. They are not versed in the secret meaning within this teaching. Therefore, they sink into this stagnant water of Srivaka-hood or Pracheka Buddhahood. Now, I think most people know what Srivaka is, but Srivaka is the listeners, and Pracheka Buddhas are, we talked about this before, Those who have insight but have no, whose compassion or ability to help others is not stimulated. They fall into the black pit of withered sprouts and decayed seeds. Hakuen loves to talk this way. He's a very dramatic speaker. They fall into the black pit of withered sprouts and decayed seeds.

[15:39]

Even the hand of Buddha would find it difficult to save them. He's very entertaining. I have days like that. I have days like that. I have a question for you. When he mentions prison house of the two voids, does this mean the prison of believing in a permanent self or the prison of getting stuck in voidness? The prison of being attached to a self and attachment to dharmas. And then he talks about, he gives his presentation. That's kind of his introduction. Now it's his presentation. Can I ask a question? Yes. Progressive practice versus ladder Zen. Ladder Zen? Oh, ladder, step ladder Zen.

[16:40]

Step ladder Zen. Yeah. And your question is, what's the difference? Yeah, what's the difference? Because you're talking about ladder Zen being inappropriate. Yeah. Step ladder Zen is like learning one thing and then learning another thing. And so it's gradual practice. Progressive practice is, I don't think it is the same as gradual practice. Because even though, you know, realization comes, doesn't come in stages, it comes at one time.

[17:46]

So learning by stages is very safe. And we do learn by stages. There are stages, but we don't say, now you're in this stage, and then you'll be in this stage, and then if you do this. Tibetan practice is more stage, step ladder stage practice. Whereas Zen practice is more like sudden enlightenment and gradual practice. So you do your gradual practice after realization. In other words, the gradual practice is your refinement of practice. So we don't have, in Zen we don't have, although we do study, you know, a Zen student should study all the business of Buddhism and be well educated.

[18:54]

But you don't do, see, in Buddhist practice, there are the 37 meditation practices. And you do this one, and then you do this one, and you do this one. So it's very systematic. Zen is not systematic. Well, that's right. So Rinzai Koan practice or Soto Koan practice too. Soto school also has Koan practice and has had Koan practice, but it's not necessarily systematic. You don't pass from one Koan to the next necessarily as a system. So that's a kind of progressive practice, whether it's a step ladder practice or not, but it's gradually going from delusion to enlightenment, or it could be construed that way.

[20:05]

Soto Zen practice is swimming around in the big ocean. Simultaneously delusion and enlightenment. Just knowing where you are moment by moment. But if you think there's progress, that's wrong. If you think there's not progress, that's wrong. Okay? Well, if you think that having gone from the 16th koan to the 17th koan is progress, that's wrong.

[21:17]

Okay, so then Akkoen gives his presentation. That into which I was initiated 40 years ago in the room of Shouju, Shouju was his teacher. Shouju Rojin was Sakuma's teacher. So he's talking about something which happened 40 years ago. I shall now dispense with that as the almsgiving of Dharma. That into which I was initiated 40 years ago in the room of Shouju, I shall now dispense as the almsgiving of Dharma. When I find a superior person who is studying the true and profound teaching and has experienced the great death, I shall give this secret transmission to him. Since it was not designed for men or women of medium and lesser ability, so take heed and do not treat it lightly. The great death is when one drops body and mind. And there's a case in the Blue Cliff Record, case 41,

[22:31]

How is it when one who has died the great death comes back to life again? That's a koan. So one dies the great death in order to come back to life, but how does one proceed? How does one come back or how does one find their way? He says, don't go by daylight. Don't go through darkness, but go by daylight. So how vast is the expanse of the sea of the doctrine? How manifold are the gates of the teaching? Among these, to be sure, are a number of doctrines and orally transmitted secret teachings. Yet never have I seen anything to equal the perversion of the five ranks." I think what they mean to say is, I've never seen anything equal to the way the five ranks are perverted, have been perverted.

[23:38]

The carping criticism, the tortuous explanations, the adding of branch to branch, the piling of entanglement upon entanglement, The truth is that the teachers who are guilty of this do not know for what principle the five ranks was instituted. Hence, they confuse and bewilder their students to the point that even a Shariputra or an Ananda would find it difficult to judge correctly. So, this is what happened to the five ranks. It fell into disrepute because a lot of teachers didn't quite understand it, And they used it as a kind of intellectual tool, splitting hairs and missing the point. And so it was kind of left behind. And Hakuin's effort is to bring it back to its original meaning, present it in its original meaning.

[24:46]

Or could it be that our patriarchs delivered themselves of these absurdities in order to harass their posterity unnecessarily? For a long time I wondered about this. That's pretty good. He actually took that seriously. For a long time I wondered about this. But when I came to enter the room of Shoju, my teacher, the rhinoceros of my previous doubt suddenly fell down dead. Do not look with suspicion upon the five ranks, saying that it is not the directly transmitted oral teaching of the Tozan line. You should know that it was only after he had completed his investigation of Tozan's verses that Shouju gave his acknowledgment to the five ranks." Well, good. After I had entered Shouju's room, and received the transmission from him, I was quite satisfied. But, though I was satisfied, I still regretted that all teachers had not yet clearly explained the meaning of the reciprocal interpenetration of the apparent and the real."

[25:56]

This is in the Hokyo Zamai, the Mirror Samadhi. That's the place where it talks about the five ranks, the five positions. Like the six lines of the double-split hexagram, the relative and absolute integrate, piled up they make three, like the five-flavored herb, like the five-pronged vajra. embraced within the real, drumming and singing come up together. This is what he means by the reciprocal interpenetration of the apparent and the real. The dark and the light interpenetrating the absolute and the relative, right? They seem to have disregarded the words reciprocal interpenetration and pay no attention whatever to them. Thereupon, the rhinoceros of doubt once more raised its head.

[27:04]

In the summer of the first year of the Khan-N era, 1748 to 1751, in the midst of my meditation, suddenly the mystery of the reciprocal interpenetration of the apparent and the real became perfectly clear. It was just like looking at the palm of my own hand. The rhinoceros of doubt instantly fell down dead, and I could scarcely bear the joy of it. Though I wished to hand it on to others, I was ashamed to squeeze out my old woman's stinking milk and soil the monks' mouths with it." That's a very humble expression. All of you who wish to plumb this deep source must make the investigation in secret with your entire body. My own toil has extended over these 30 years. Do not take this to be an easy task. Even if you should happen to break up the family and scatter the household, do not consider this enough. You must vow to pass through seven or eight or even nine thickets of brambles.

[28:08]

And when you have passed through the thickets of brambles, still do not consider this to be enough. Vow to investigate the secret teachings of the five ranks to the end." So he really feels that there's a lot to go through. And it's not just something that we pass over. For the past eight or nine years or more, I have been trying to incite all of you, he's talking to his students, who boil your daily gruel over the same fire with me, to study this great matter thoroughly. But more often than not, you have taken it to be the doctrine of another house, the Soto school. and remained indifferent to it. Only a few among you have attained understanding of it. How deeply this grieves me. Have you never heard? The gates of Dharma are manifold. I vow to enter them all." The third vow. How much the more should this be true for the main principle of Buddhism and the essential road of Sanzen?

[29:10]

So here's the first teaching. Shoju Rojin, his teacher, has said, in order to provide a means whereby students might directly experience the four wisdoms, the patriarchs, in their compassion and with their skill in devising expedience, first instituted the five positions. What are the so-called Four Wisdoms? They are the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom, the Universal Nature Wisdom, which we call the Great Equality Wisdom, the Marvelous Observing Wisdom, and the Perfecting of Action Wisdom. Now, I have talked about these before, and we will discuss them again. The Four Prajnas, the Four Aspects of Prajna. the great, perfect, round, mirror wisdom, the great equality wisdom, which they call the universal nature wisdom, the marvelous observing wisdom, and the perfecting of action wisdom.

[30:21]

I will explain those, but not right now, because I want to talk about them in connection with the eight vijnanas, or consciousness, eight aspects of consciousness, and the three bodies. The three bodies are the dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirvanakaya. So this is a kind of eight, four, and three combination. So then he says, followers of the way, even though you may have pursued your studies in the threefold learning, which is discipline, meditation, and study, shila, samadhi, and prajna, continuously through many kalpas, a long time, if you have not directly experienced the four wisdoms, you are not permitted to call yourselves true sons and daughters of Buddha.

[31:42]

Followers of the Way, if your investigation has been correct and complete, at the moment you smash open the dark cave of the eighth or alaya consciousness, the precious light of the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom instantly shines forth. But strange to say, the light of the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom is black like lacquer. This is what is called the rank of the apparent within the real. So this is the first rank, the first position. So what he's doing is just touching on each one of the ranks, and he's not explaining them, he's just touching on them, giving you some idea, and then later he goes into each one more thoroughly. You know, there's the eight, but I will talk about the eight levels of consciousness because the more I talk about them, the more they will be embedded in your consciousness, in your vijnana.

[33:10]

in your alaya vijnana, as a matter of fact. The eighth consciousness is the alaya vijnana, or the storehouse of memory and seeds. And the seventh consciousness is manas, or ego consciousness. Mano vijnana, ego consciousness. consciousness of self-consciousness. And the sixth consciousness is individuating consciousness or consciousness which discriminates between spheres of sense and thinks. And then there are the five sense consciousnesses that makes eight in all. Five, six, seven, eight. Those are the eight consciousnesses. And so he says, if your investigation has been correct and complete, at the moment you smash open the dark cave of the eighth or alaya consciousness, smash open the dark cave of the alaya consciousness, the precious light of the great perfect mirror wisdom instantly shines forth.

[34:34]

When he says smash open, you know, that's a little funny, that's dramatic. Usually we say paravrtti, which means turning on the basis. When consciousness, when each one of these consciousnesses is inverted or turned over, it becomes the wisdom, one of the wisdoms. So he says, when you smash open, actually, when all the sutras say turned, when inverted, when the alaya consciousness is inverted, the precious light of the great perfect mirror wisdom instantly shines forth. So it's no longer called Consciousness.

[35:37]

Consciousness is called wisdom. So when the consciousnesses are inverted or purified, is what it means, purified, then it's called wisdom rather than consciousness. So he says, But he says smashing open, right? It's dramatic. At the moment you smash open or turn around, the dark cave of the eighth irelia consciousness, the precious light of the great perfect mirror wisdom, instantly shines forth. But strange to say, the light of the great perfect mirror wisdom is black like lacquer. This is what is called the rank of the apparent within the real. So the rank of the apparent within the real is the first rank, the first position.

[36:40]

And this is the position where the phenomenal side or the light side, the revealed side, is hidden within the dark side. which is where everything is taken away. This is where all, this is retreating from the world. It's like Zazen. When Zazen is totally Zazen, it's not, although it's within their phenomenal realm, It's retreating from worldly activity, retreating from phenomenal activity, from all discrimination.

[37:45]

So this is the realm of no discrimination and no activity, no phenomenal activity. And it's where there's no distinctions, the realm of no distinctions beyond sense and beyond thinking. So the light shines forth, but it's black, it's dark. So we should be careful, you know. Uman has a koan, koan number 86 in the Blue Cliff Record. He says, everyone has their own light, but when you go to see it, when you look for it, it's dark, dark, dark. And then Dogen has a commentary on that koan, which he calls Komyo, where he talks about the light.

[39:07]

People think, you know, have certain ideas about what is the light, and so they have all these conceptions. He said, but it does not fit your conceptions. This light does not fit your conceptions. So then he says, having attained the great perfect mirror wisdom, you now enter the rank of the real within the apparent, or the position of the real within the apparent. This is the position where the dark side is hidden within the light. where everything is revealed, all phenomena are revealed in their forms. This is like entering the world. Entering the world of phenomena.

[40:13]

The first one is withdrawing from the world of phenomena. The second one is entering the world of phenomena. the real within the apparent. When you have accomplished your long practice of the dual mirror samadhi, you directly realize the universal nature wisdom and for the first time enter the state of the unobstructed interpenetration of noumenon and phenomena. He didn't say so, but you directly realize the universal nature or the equality wisdom. It's usually called the equality wisdom, but different translators call it different things. Here they call it universal nature, and we call it equality wisdom. This is where the ego, the seventh consciousness, seventh level of consciousness, self-consciousness, when it's turned, inverted on its basis, turned on its basis, inverted, it becomes the great equality wisdom.

[41:26]

In other words, one sees everything equally, sees the equality of all phenomena. So whereas before, the ego sees itself as the center and everything else around as objects. So the seventh consciousness discriminates subject from object. and creates a persona or an eye based on discrimination. And when it's inverted, there's no self, so to speak, that's being created. But everything is seen equally. And the mirror wisdom, where the alaya is turned,

[42:31]

The mirror wisdom sees everything without bias. Everything is clearly seen in the mirror of a clear mind without discrimination. So then he says, but the disciple must not be satisfied here. he himself must enter into intimate acquaintance with the rank of the coming from within the real. That's the third position. After that, by descending upon the rank of the arrival at mutual integration, which is the fourth position, he will completely prove the marvelous observing wisdom and the perfection of action wisdom. Now, He doesn't explain these as well as he does the first two. But the person must not be satisfied here. He himself must enter into intimate acquaintance with the rank of the coming from within the real.

[43:39]

This is the third position where reality, the absolute is all of our activity is based on, one's activity is based on reality. It's that little dark dot in the center of the white circle. And the white circle is phenomenal activity, and the dark dot is the real. So the activity is based on big mind. small mind is based on big mind, the integration of the big and the small. That's what it is, it's the integration coming from within the real. After that, and, when, and this is the consciousness

[44:48]

of discriminating discernment. And this sixth consciousness, when it's inverted, becomes the marvelous observing wisdom. So this is the wisdom which sees everything just as it is in its individual phenomenal position. So the marvelous discerning wisdom is vertical, the hierarchy. I explained this before. The hierarchical, everything is in relation to everything else. And the equality wisdom is the horizontal, where everything is equal to everything else. So we don't see things from just one perspective.

[45:56]

Usually we see things from the vertical, hierarchical aspect. This is the realm of comparison, the world of comparison, comparative values. And the horizontal is the realm of equality. No comparative values. Everything has the same value. It's hard to imagine that everything has the same value, but it does. But at the same time, everything has different value in a comparative sense. So then, he says, after that, by depending, those last two positions are the perfecting of action wisdom. This is where one's practice is over the five, the sense consciousnesses are inverted and become the perfection of action wisdom, those two together.

[47:08]

And after all comes back to sit among the coals and ashes, that's the last, the fifth rank, the fifth position. Andrea. We can. If we ask for it, we can have it. It's fine. Anybody need a break? Like to have a break? You can say so without being criticized. Yeah, let's take a few minutes. Yes. where big reality is seen, small minds see the big mind, and things are kind of balanced. What's the student's relationship to reality in the first and second rank? Well, the first rank is, if you want to call it samadhi, is absolute samadhi.

[48:23]

where form is emptiness. And the second one is relative samadhi, where emptiness is form. So these two are the basis. The first two positions are the basis and one goes back and forth between those two. And they're like opposites, right? They are opposites. And the third position is where the opposites are integrated. And the other two positions, the opposites are also integrated. So they don't have opposites.

[49:27]

Third, fourth, and fifth don't stand alone. Whereas the first two are the polarities of the absolute side and the relative side. There are further and further integrations. That's the progression aspect, is that there are further integrations and they express different aspects of integration. The first two also show aspects of integration, but these are like absolute integrations. They're like the relative hidden within the absolute and the absolute hidden within the relative.

[50:40]

So there is integration, but you only see one at a time. when the moon is, when you see one half of the moon, it's light, but you know that the other side is dark, even though you don't see the dark. And when the moon is dark, you only see the dark side, but you also know that the other side is light. So it's one whole moon. with dark and light sides. And that's the expression of the latter ranks? The first two ranks. When you see the dark, you know the light is there, but it's not revealed. And when you see the light, you know the dark is there, but it's not revealed.

[51:43]

Light is darkness and darkness is light. And what is the view of the moon in the fourth position? The fourth position is where? Well, it's not the moon there. But if you want to use the moon, you can say it's enlightenment. If you want to use the moon as a metaphor for enlightenment, it's enlightened practice. That's the fourth position, is enlightened practice, where one is in the world, working in the world, and practicing with total dynamic activity. That's why it's light.

[52:50]

Totally light. I mean, it's like total engagement in compassionate activity. Charlie? Well, I had a question about mirroredness. Well, I won't say anything. I'll just ask you, would you tell me something about the nature of a mirror? Well, a mirror has no mind of its own. The mirror doesn't project anything. In other words, when something comes in front of the mirror, the mirror doesn't make a discrimination. It simply reflects what's there. So this is called seeing things as it is, rather than seeing things as I think they should be.

[53:57]

Well, what about what's behind the mirror? You can't see what's behind the mirror. Well, there's nothing at the bottom of the mirror. But what about what's behind the mirror? You've got a mirror on the wall. Oh yeah, well, there has to be something. behind the mirror so that the light doesn't just shine through. Unless it's a partially silver mirror. Yes, but the metaphor only goes so far. Okay. What's the relationship between the mirror and the wisdoms and the four wisdoms and the five ranks? Well, we'll get to that. This is just the very beginning as a foundation. And so, you know, I don't want to get ahead of myself. It'll all be revealed. Yes? I think that it does.

[55:17]

It's like to take a backward step and illuminate the self, right? So illumination means to see things clearly, right? To see everything just as it is. So in that sense, that's the mirror, yeah. So any more questions? So then he says, well, he says, at last he reaches the rank of unity attained, which is the fifth position, which is the black circle. and after all comes back to sit among the coals and ashes, which means to be fully integrated.

[56:24]

That's the full, the total integration is the black circle and the fifth position, where there's no need to strive anymore. So then he says, do you know why? He says, pure gold that has gone through a thousand smeltings does not become ore a second time. My only fear is that a little gain will suffice you. Dogen in Genjo Koan says, once something has been Firewood becomes ash but does not become firewood again. In the same way, one does not return again to be born again.

[57:28]

Does not return again after one's decease. That's an interesting statement. But pure gold that has gone through a thousand smeltings does not become ore a second time. It's gold. Once it becomes gold, it's gold. But my only fear is that a little gain will suffice you. How priceless is the merit gained through the step-by-step practice of the five ranks of the apparent and the real? By this practice, you not only attain the four wisdoms, but you personally prove that the three bodies also are wholly embraced within your own body. And then he talks about the eight consciousnesses, and the four wisdoms, and the three bodies, and how they relate to each other. Have you not read in the Daijo Shogun Gyoron, which is a sutra that I'm not familiar with, when the eight consciousnesses are inverted, as I was telling you about, turned on their bases, the four wisdoms are produced.

[58:42]

When the four wisdoms are bound together, the three bodies are perfected. Therefore, Soke Daishi, that's the sixth ancestor, Daikan Edo, composed this verse. And if you're familiar with the Platform Sutra, this verse is in the Platform Sutra. Your own nature is provided with the three bodies. Now, the three bodies are the Dharmakaya, the Sambhogakaya, nirmanakaya, which we chant every time we have a meal, right? When its brightness is manifested, the four wisdoms are attained. He also said, the pure dharmakaya is your nature. The perfect sambhogakaya is your wisdom. And the myriad nirmanakayas are your activities. So this is a little simplification. both Daikon Eno and Rinzai gave these simplified descriptions of the three bodies, whereas if you read the sutras, they're very complex and lofty and intellectual, right?

[60:03]

So he brings them out of the intellectual realm into the actual realm, yes. No, that's different. The dharmakaya is your true body, which is the whole body of the universe. The dharma realm, which is the great potential that produces everything. Sometimes called the dharmadhatu. It's the matrix or the essence body of everything, the essential body. And the sambhogakaya is, well before I explain the sambhogakaya, I want to say what the nirmanakaya is.

[61:07]

The nirmanakaya is the manifested body, like this body with the nose and ears and stuff. This is the nirmanakaya is the earthly body of a person or a Buddha. And so the sambhogakaya is in between. And sambhogakaya is technically called the reward body of a Buddha. It's the wisdom body. It's like Suzuki Roshi says, the Sambhogakaya is the Buddha body who composed the Lotus Sutra. But it's not like some Buddha over there, some body of some Buddha over there.

[62:10]

It's the body of each person. Each person is the tricaya. In order to explain or to express what was Buddha, it wasn't enough to say that he So as time went on, this question came up, well, Shakyamuni is the Buddha, but there has to be something celestial, something greater than the person. And so they devised the Dharmakaya, the Dharma body, which is the huge body of Buddha, the all-inclusive body of Buddha. and then as well as the manifested body. And that the manifested body was an expression of the huge body, the entire universal body.

[63:11]

And then the Sambhogakaya was the action body, the spiritual body. You know, the spiritual aspect of Buddha, of our Buddha nature. Yeah. It sounds a lot like the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Yeah, it's like that. I will admit that it is just like that. And it's interesting that both religions had to devise this. because there's some necessity for it, which makes sense. Probably, well it's very interesting because if you look at the history of the East and the West, you see how similar ideas and similar spiritual practices arise together

[64:17]

very much at the same time. Very interesting. And you can see the evolution of religious practice through... Yeah, much later. Much later. And of course, a lot of the ideas of what we call the Christian church didn't arise until much, much later. Much, much later. Jesus wasn't a Christian. Well, anyway. The sixth ancestor makes the Trikaya very simple.

[65:23]

He says Dharmakaya is your nature, which is true. It's your Buddha nature, big nature. And the Sambhogakaya is your wisdom. The myriad Nirmanakayas are your activities. So when the three bodies, when its brightness is manifested, the four wisdoms are attained. When the brightness of the three bodies is manifested. In the five ranks, or the five positions, the first and the second ranks, which are the absolute, the first and second positions correspond to the mirror wisdom, but sometimes it's the other way around.

[66:49]

The first and the second correspond to the mirror wisdom. And the third rank corresponds to the equality wisdom. And the fourth rank corresponds to the marvelous observing wisdom. And the fifth rank refers to the perfection of action wisdom. And next time, I will make a diagram where you can see this very clearly. I'm trying to think a little bit.

[68:03]

It's better if I have a diagram because then it's easier to explain. We can look at and see what the correspondences are between those four. So it's actually close to nine. So I didn't want to continue anymore.

[68:58]

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