We, each other, follow various and different ways to live in this world for the purpose of finding ourselves and this world worth living. There are some who follow the way of their lives according to science, philosophy, or

[01:07]

ethics, or psychology, or business, or religion, and so on. Among the religions, there are some who want to follow the principle of their lives according to Buddhism. Some of them want to follow the principle of their lives according to Christianity, and so on. Anyway, if you follow, if you want to follow the principle of your life according to Buddhism,

[02:15]

or what is the principle of your life, the purpose of Buddhism is to realize the true self within the self, in other words, the purpose of Buddhism is to find the truth within the self, and also the truth must be extended into our daily

[03:36]

life, and enable you to live a life worth living in this world. This is the principle of your life if you want to follow the Buddhism. The truth is something which they find in the science of art.

[05:01]

Probably, some may think that the truth, the truth is the rational faculty in man. But anyway, the truth is, as mentioned before, the true self which exists within the self

[06:16]

according to Buddhism, in other words, the true self is sort of the holy, but not only in Buddhism, not only in Buddhism, but also even in the science of ethics, even in Christianity, even in any other religion, it describes what the truth is, what the holy is, what the true self is. Anyway, the question is, what is the truth, what is the truth of the self, of the true self, of the holy?

[07:38]

And how we can learn the true self, the holy, or the truth in our daily life, this is a very important problem for us. Whoever gives some aspect lectures about some aspects of Buddhism, they may always describe a human being and each other must find the true self. They must find the truth in their life. It is true, it is true.

[08:47]

And all of you have heard such a Buddhist term, true self, or a technical term, the truth, very often. But on the other hand, it is still nebulous, what is truth, what is the true self, what is characteristic of the true self, what is characteristic of the true, of the holy? It is still nebulous how to realize, how to learn the true self in our daily life.

[09:57]

If I ask you about this, I am afraid there is nobody who answers to this question completely in a proper way. So do I, I can't. But even though it is difficult, it is not so easy to realize how to learn the true or the holy, what the true self is like. At any cost, we have to learn, we have to research, we have to seek. In Buddhism there is three types of learning, which is called Sangaku, in Japanese, Sang is three, Gaku is learning.

[11:26]

It is the three types of learning, that is, precept, tranquility, wisdom, which are considered as all the aspects of Buddhistic doctrine and practice. So anyway, I would like to explain what is the characteristic of the true, the holy, the true self, and how to learn, how to realize it in our daily life. According to three types of learning, the first is precepts.

[12:36]

I think all of you have heard, all of you have listened to the word precepts very often so far. Every time when you have come into contact with Buddhists, it is paramount, lay ordination or priest ordination, all you have to accept is precepts. A truthful trader, we cure precepts, attempt prohibitive precepts, we thought. The Buddhist teaching precept is to live our life according to a regulated life, regulated way.

[13:42]

This is precept. But to follow, to follow regulated way of life is to find satisfaction with your life, within yourself. In order to live a life of worth living in this world. In other words, to follow regulated way of life is to fill up the purpose of purpose in life.

[14:49]

The question is what is purpose in life? What is purpose, the purpose in life? This is also very nebulous, whether human being are worthy able to have a certain purpose in life or not. Or, it is also very nebulous whether one should have a certain purpose in life. It is pretty hard. If you are asked by someone, what is the purpose of your life? Is there anyone to answer to this question?

[15:58]

Someone may say, well, the purpose of life is to eat to live. Someone says, oh no no, someone may say that the purpose of life is to live to eat. What is correct purpose? What is proper purpose? What tune are you supposed to choose? Anyway, now it is, I don't want to discuss what tune is right or wrong. Anyway, when, from where, the purpose of life comes?

[17:11]

Try to think, try to think of this point, of this problem. From where, when, does the purpose of your life come? Is it possible, it is, it is possible, you think, you may think that it is possible for you to find the purpose in life after your birth. Or before your birth. Okay, anyway, actually, is there anyone, is there anyone who can have, can have a certain purpose in life before your birth?

[18:18]

Do you think it is possible? If you can, if, if, if it was possible to find that you have a certain purpose in life before your birth, it would be possible for you to choose your mother, your father. Before you are, before you are in your mother's room, you say, oh, I don't like this mother. Well, I would like to princess, princess room, I would like to be in a princess room.

[19:28]

Yes, it would be possible. If it was, if you were, if it was possible for you to find a purpose in life before your birth, but I'm sorry for you, it's impossible, it wouldn't be possible. Nobody cannot make a choice of your mother before your birth. When you feel, I made a mistake, it's too late. Because you are already born in this world, you are already, you are already in your mother. You say, I, I, I mistake, I mistake, I don't want, but I'm sorry, it's too late.

[20:43]

But someone says, someone may say that, but nevertheless, that there are origin of your, of your, of the self named I, before, before he was born in this world. Because this origin is, origin of the self named I is, maybe some, a certain cause, to let you, to let you born in this world, maybe so, maybe so. And also it would be possible for you to be born in this world by the function of the origin of the self, which would seem to be in a cause, I, the I, and the power, energy of the mother and father.

[22:04]

But this, the origin of the self, which would seem, seem to be cause, the I, is not the I, is not the I, you cannot put a certain name on it. You cannot put this origin, this cause, of letting you to be born in this world, on a certain name, you can't, you can't put a certain name on this origin, of letting you to be born in this world, you can't. And when you realize, this is the I, you are, you are already born, before you are aware of yourself. Even though you say, I distinct, or you say, I am happy to be born between the different creases, whatever you say.

[23:25]

So what's this point, you know, that's why Buddhism says, a human being possesses a karma of their own. The Buddhism puts this origin of, origin of, origin of letting you to be born in this world, you know, the Buddhism puts the technical term, karma, on the origin of your being. This is the birth, which nobody can put a particular name on it. The Buddhism says, it is a sort of karma. So this karma is not, doesn't have, doesn't have a particular type.

[24:57]

What is called the I, or what is called you, or what is called American, or what is called Japanese, karma doesn't have a particular type. But anyway, keep in mind that nobody, nobody can have a certain purpose in life before he was born in this world. If so, if so, we have to, we have to create, we have to find a certain purpose in life after the birth. Yes, anyway, the purpose of life must be there after the birth.

[26:12]

But someone says, probably someone, someone may say, may say, oh, I don't want such a purpose of life, because it make me, it make me confused. Because a purpose of life is sometimes make, make human life complicated. So you say, I don't want, I don't want this purpose of life. So, well, let's go. According to the, according to some doing, according to, according to a principle, a principle as you like. A doing as you like. Ignoring a certain principle of your life. Let's go.

[27:24]

Of course, it is also a life. It is also life. And someone may say that it is very important for us to find a purpose in life. It is also a life. Well, in this respect, anyway, you can live, you can live a life, regardless of the idea of whether or not you find a purpose in life. Are you follow a certain purpose of life or not? You can live a life in this world.

[28:38]

A life is, a life is a life, regardless of the idea whether you can follow, you can follow a certain purpose of life or not. If so, I think it is better, it is better to eliminate your life, instead of, instead of eliminating your life at random. Without having any purpose in life. I think it is better to have, to have a purpose, to have a certain purpose in life, but never you end it, your life.

[29:50]

For instance, there is, let's imagine there are being very delicious dishes, very delicious dish, which is not served when you are hungry. Even though you don't want to eat, this dish is free, no charge. Even though you eat this food, it is also no charge. If so, what would you do? Maybe you eat. Well, I think if there is no charge, I think it is better to eat. If life is right, regardless of the idea whether you can find any purpose in life or not, it is better for you to find to follow a certain purpose in life, which will lead you to enrich your life.

[31:23]

It is true. Well, anyway, I think, I hope, I hope you have understood. We need certain purpose in life, if we want to live a life in this world. But question is, why is it we have to follow a certain purpose of life? Why is it we have to have the purpose of life? Because, I think all of you are trying to seek for something which never used to be happy.

[32:51]

Consciously or unconsciously. Or plainly speaking, anyway, not only you, but all human beings, even the poor, even the rich. Try to seek something which never used to be happy. So from this point, the purpose in life has very close relation with the idea of heart, happiness.

[33:54]

Which enable all human beings to find themselves and this world worth living. That's why Shakyamuni Buddha became a priest, living his family. To seek the truth. I think it is, it is, it is happy for Shakyamuni Buddha to seek to become priest.

[35:08]

In order to seek the truth, living his family, behind him. But if Shakyamuni Buddha was I, if I was Shakyamuni Buddha, I think it is not, it wouldn't be happy for me to live with my family. In order to seek the truth. But it is, it is happy for Shakyamuni Buddha to become priest and live with his family. Okay, this is also happiness. Happiness. But generally speaking, what is happiness?

[36:13]

What is happiness? Maybe all of you, all of you have practiced for a long time in Tathagata. In order to do, in order to carry out the Buddhist practice, which is called the Zen. But maybe, probably you are happy. You are happy, or you. To do the Zen, but some, there is someone who cannot feel happy. For him to do the Zen, probably he may say, oh it's nonsense, it wastes time. But anyway, for you it is happy to practice the Zen.

[37:17]

But it is also happy to do the Zen for you. Okay? Now probably there are some who, who are delighted in keeping the works of money. In order to become rich men. It is also happy for him. To keep the works of money. But there was someone who died. From unbalanced nutrition. In order to be excessively endowed. Endowed in keeping the money.

[38:26]

So as not to scatter the money, spend the money. So as not to spend the money. This is true, no? There was someone who can. Now probably there was, there is someone, there was someone who are delighted, who are delighted in watching the money, you know? In his whole life. Instead of spending money. And died. I'm sorry for him, he cannot tell you where he died. Maybe while he is alive. It is sure that he is happy, you know? He is happy.

[39:28]

To grab the money, to be delighted in watching the money day in and day out, wow, wonderful. Instead of spending money. The moment when he has to die, I'm sorry for him, he cannot. When yet, when yet? Probably, you know, there may be someone who escapes from the responsibility for tax, you know, tax, which he has to pay. Because he stick to the money, he stick to keeping the money. Because he want to, he want to make his mark in this world, in this society.

[40:36]

He try to, he try to keep the money, what the money at any cost. Using all means. Keeping away from the tax duty, which we have to pay once a month a year. Three years ago, I went back to Japan at that time, I got the visa. I got the permission to go out of the United States to Japan. Before, right before when I tried to get, when I get, when I got, when I tried to get the visa, the officer says,

[41:43]

Did you pay the tax? Well, I'm sorry, I didn't. So at that time, oh, you can't, you can't leave the United States. Then, I was very surprised, I didn't know, I didn't know that. Wow, that's a big problem for me. So I asked one of my friends to take care of my tax duty, because I have no idea of tax duty. And then, after a couple of days, I paid four dollars. Four dollars. And now, it's late. Just four dollars, it's very simple, but there may be someone who doesn't want to pay, even four dollars.

[42:52]

In order to keep money, you know. Because to keep the money is happy, make him happy. So he doesn't want. Then, right after that, he has to be put, he has to be put in jail. Then, immediately, he has to lose his marks, his marks, his position, immediately. Then, what is happiness? What is happiness? And just this time, you know, the happiness, this happiness, the idea of happiness, generally speaking, has a very close relation, very...

[44:02]

creative, creative, a sense of creative. Then, look at the modern life, look at our life in the 20th century. With the great development of technical civilization. It is sure that the ocean, our life is, no, it is, it is sure to, to enable ocean beings comfortable. Driving a car, using a, using a car, using an airplane, it is very easy to get any place.

[45:24]

I didn't, I haven't, I haven't, I have never thought before that I had to, I had to drive a car before I left Japan. I never, I have never thought before. The moment when I came to the United States, Bishop Yamada, who lived in Lasandra, pushed me to learn driving a car. He said, if you don't drive a car, your life doesn't make sense. Maybe so, maybe so. Look at the Lasandra, very...

[46:38]

Of course, there is a transformation, you know, bus, bus, using a bus. Transformation. But if you want to ride on the bus, you have to wait for a long time to get the bus. Sometimes in the early... If you, if I, if you walk for 30 minutes, it took me 30 minutes. But early, it doesn't cost very early. For five, five o'clock. So, every day, every morning, I had to wait for a long time. Maybe 30 minutes.

[47:41]

Then I had to get up for, get up for, I think, four o'clock or so, in order to wait the bus, for bus. Then I thought, well, I better to learn driving a car. According to the Vishnu Yama's ideas, your life doesn't make sense, if I didn't drive a car. So, I learned, I studied the law of, law of what?

[48:55]

Driving a car, driving, law of the course. Vehicle course. But not in Japanese. In English, I had to learn, study. A vehicle course in English got me both terrible trouble for me. The Vishnu Yama pushed me so hard. What's the matter with you? Why is it, why is it you are hesitating to take a test? But I didn't, I didn't hesitate. But it's pretty hard to master, you know, vehicle course in English. Because I have never studied before. To get the word, to get the, look at the, maybe ten words or twenty words each page.

[49:59]

Dictionary, in the dictionary. Japanese, English, in the English, Japanese dictionary. It took me so hard. Sometimes I might, it's a waste of time. But Vishnu Yama pushed me so hard. Hey, what's the matter? Hurry up. So, I, in a day, I studied. Then in a, in a, in a one month, I finished the study. Then I took a test, a written test. That time, you know, if you got the mistake, six, six points. If you lost, if you lose the six points, you know, question of three, there are thirty questions.

[51:05]

Damn, if you lose the six points, you can't pass. So at that time I got the nine, I got the, I lost, I lost the nine points. I missed, I didn't pass. Then I studied again, and one of my friends said, said, Kargi, are you stupid? Why is it you are studying hard at the vehicle course? It is pretty easy to pass. But I didn't think so. So at any course I had to master, master completely. So I studied again. Maybe it took me a week. Then I did the examination again. Unfortunately, unfortunately,

[52:09]

I passed. The next practical test, you know, it was very hard for me too. Nobody, nobody taught me. Nobody taught me driving car. No, I don't want. Even my friend doesn't like, he don't like to teach me driving car. So I went to the driving school, spending the hundred dollars. Hundred dollars was very big money for me at that time. Anyway, I have to spend hundred dollars. Anyway, in a month, fortunately I got the pass, practical test

[53:17]

of driving car. Then I, every morning I drove, I drove. Then next, next moment, I want to say, you should, you should get a car. Well, I asked him how much the car is. Well, he said, I didn't know, I don't know how much. You should ask your friends. I asked the friends. If you want a new car, you need the three hundred, three thousand dollars. Well, three thousand dollars, I can't, can't buy it. If you want the second car, second, second hand. Well, maybe you can, you should, you should need a thousand dollars

[54:23]

or six hundred dollars. Then I, I looked around for motor vehicle companies, looking for a used car. At that time, I found a very, it was, I was very lucky to find a used car. Four hundred dollars. It was a station wagon of Lambra. I was very happy. Well, I got car. I thought, I thought I was, I was born in heaven. Got car. Every morning I drove the car from my house to the temple. Then after the infant, infant driving,

[55:27]

I tried to drive my car in order to see my friends who lived, lived, got in. But today was terrible for the beginners. One day I drove the car, you know, I missed. I missed the entrance, I missed the exit, where I should go to get off. Immediately, just one minute, I missed that kind of big truck behind me, blah, [...] blah. So I missed. Then I went to projection, I hit. I had lost completely my way. The next, next exit, I get off. I went off from the next, from the freeway to

[56:31]

next, next exit, but I have never been there. Oh, unfortunately I didn't have a map. What should I do? Going around, around the creek, I asked someone to show, show the way, how to, how to get to the freeway in order to get, you know, but time passed quickly, you know. Nine o'clock, ten o'clock, I didn't understand the English so well. In appearance I said, oh yes, thank you very much, but I didn't understand completely. Then I have to go around again looking for, looking out for the, my entrance, entrance to get to the freeway. Then, 11 o'clock,

[57:37]

I got, I found the entrance to get to the freeway. But at that time I thought, it's too late. It's too late to go to my friend's house. Then, I, I thought I should, I better to go back to my temple. Next, I have to, another entrance to get to freeway for Lausanne. For the blessing of my temple, you know. But it was a new trouble for me. It took me one more hour. Just 11 o'clock I got the entrance to get to the freeway, to get to my temple. But I was very happy to experience in that way.

[58:38]

Anyway, I got, I can drive, I could drive a car. I have never experienced before in Japan. I was very happy. The Yamada was so surprised. What's Yamada? Anyway, whatever kind of, you experience, through the benefits of development of technical civilization, you may be, you may be happy. You may feel pleasure. But this is very important point. I am telling you.

[59:41]

Of course, a sense of pleasure is most important for us to make our lives comfortable. We need a sense of pleasure. We need experience, which you can undergo through a sensuous, sensuous path. The question is, you cannot, the question is that you cannot, you cannot accumulate a sensuous experience. You cannot pile, you cannot pile sensuous experience.

[60:46]

In other words, sensuous experience make you feel pleasure, make you feel happy, because it is easy for us to experience. Using a car, according to the civilization, modern civilization, modern civilization, You know, when I came to United States, it was a perfect experience for me to dance, to dance go-go. Maybe it seems very happy.

[61:50]

It seems to make me happy. If I dance go-go like this, even though I didn't have any idea how to dance, but I just follow, I just follow the rhythm of the music, you know, like this. But after that, after that, I feel always something in vain, in vain. But when I am dancing go-go, it make me happy, and make me feel pleasure. But after that, it make me painless, it make me, you know, sort of vain, vain. There is nothing to satisfy myself. There was a friend of mine who lived,

[62:54]

who lived in my village in Japan. But he always, he lived by himself, by himself, he lived alone in a small temple, small temple. He was at that time twenty, twenty-four years old. He had a very strong energy. But in a small temple in Japan, there is, there are not so much, not so many things to do. So he had little time to do. He had little spare time. He had his little spare time. That time he was completely at loss,

[63:55]

at loss what to do. Sometimes he went to the, to perform the funeral service, but he always feel the loneliness, you know. So sometimes he, right after the funeral service, he went to the, he went to the small town, small town in order to drink beer or wine. And then he came back about eleven or twelve o'clock. Before he went, always he said to me, I am going to drink wine, to drink whiskey, to drink beer, to enjoy his life. I said, OK. But I thought, unfortunately at that time I didn't have enough time.

[64:57]

I didn't have my spare time to go to the town to drink beer because I was very busy. So he went by himself and came back at twelve o'clock, sometimes one o'clock. And then the next morning I went to, I went to the Heath Temple. And then at that time he said, Kapiji, I feel confused. I feel lonely. Please help me. What can I do? What should I do? What's the matter with me? You enjoyed yourself last night. Yes, I did. But what's the matter today, this morning? But I feel alone. And then the next morning, the next day, he went to go, he went to the town again to enjoy his life. I think it was, it is called samsara, you know, samsara.

[66:09]

It's called samsara. Enjoy, enjoy yourself, drink a beer, dance a go-go, and next morning, confused, confused, or lonely. And then next morning, he went to, he went to the town to drink a beer, and that, that's samsara. It means, it means essential experience, which it is very easy to undergo. Cannot be, cannot be piled, cannot be piled. What's going to enable you to satisfy yourself? Immediately it has gone. After that, immediate sense of, sense of experience has gone immediately after undergoing. This is true, that's why you have to feel.

[67:13]

You see it? Or ominous, or vain. But this is clear. This is the nature of the sensuous state, sensuous state. Even when you feel happy, you feel happy through the sensuous experience, sensuous experience. Such a happiness is not true happiness. Of course, it doesn't mean to ignore the presence, the presence of sensuous experience. It is very important point. Think. You have to take good care of sensuous experience. But important point is that

[68:15]

you shouldn't be in doubt in doing that. I'm going that. If you, if you are in doubt excessively in doing, in following sensuous experience, you have to repeat and thought about it, and thought about it. Then, what shall I do? If so, you have to put the brake immediately. You have to put the brake of your own car. So as matter goes quickly ahead to sensuous experience, that's why you have to control yourself. For instance, even though you want to go to the town to drink a beer and drink wine,

[69:21]

in order to enjoy yourself, in order to enthuse, enthuse your feeling of loneliness or painedness or melancholy, sometimes you have to tell you, you have to say to yourself, well, wait a minute. I think it's better to use that in here. Sometimes when I wash temple, my temple, all day I have to spend my time, I have no time, no spare, no my spare time. I have to spend all day cleaning house, cleaning the temple, washing clothes, taking the glasses.

[70:26]

It was very, I was very exhausted completely. So the people in the village, even my master, made it a rule to take a nap. Noontime or noontime. Just one hour or one hour. I thought always, I really want to sleep. I really want to take a nap. Because I was very exhausted. Exhausted. But my master was very expert, very good at writing calligraphy. I always looked at, I always looked at, you know, I always looked at his writing calligraphy. And after that I tried to write the calligraphy very fast,

[71:34]

but I couldn't. I couldn't. I couldn't write calligraphy like my master did. I was, I discouraged completely. Then my master said, you should learn calligraphy. But he didn't teach. He didn't say, I will teach you. But he didn't. Why? Why? I was always asked, to me, asked me, why is it you didn't, you say, you didn't say, you didn't say, I will teach you. Why? But he never said, he never said, please come, I will teach you. He didn't say that. He just, he write, he write, he just write. On a paper, on a board, on a flat, flat board. On a big paper, just write.

[72:38]

He didn't say anything. This point was very important. What, what skill? He didn't say that. Just write. And then I, all I had to do was just to look at it. Just to get a chance. I got. Every time I got. That's all. So I look at that. I stared. I write, he's writing the calligraphy like this. Open your eyes. Open your eyes. And then, in no time, everybody, during the time when everybody took, took a nap. All people in village opened their mouth. They knew they are a part of themselves.

[73:42]

It was very good for me. So I think, you know, I don't want, it doesn't mean, it doesn't mean to ignore sensuous experience. It is very important. But sometimes you shouldn't be in doubt. In ongoing excessively sensuous experience. This is very important. And then you try to study. Instead of taking a nap, I will study. What I will want to study, I will study. Instead of taking a nap, it is very important which method you use to enlighten, enlighten your life. Enlighten your life.

[74:46]

Self-control. Only self-control enlightens, cultivates your personality. The self-control enlifts your life. According to the, if you use Buddhist term. First of all, the self which you are usually supposed is negative. You have to negate. You have to negate the self, first of all, which you are usually supposed. In other words, you have to realize negative aspects of the self first. Negative aspects of the self is to experience something beyond sensuous experience, sensuous experience.

[76:02]

Controlling the self, controlling the self. But everybody has. Everybody has self-control, self-control. Everybody has such a feeling, I want to study, I want to study. Instead of taking a nap. Not only me, but also everybody has. This is true. Even though you can't carry out 100%, you can, you can put, you can put the 60% or 50% into practice. By self-control, by the experience of self-control,

[77:07]

this is very important, this is very important. Then, if you use Buddhist term, it is called precept. Precept. So from this point, precept is self-control. Just do something, just do something beyond self-control, self-control experience. Just do something. If you are in self-control, going beyond sensuality, as mentioned before, sensuality experience cannot be piled in your eyes. It immediately has gone after your experience. But negative, through the negative aspect of the self,

[78:19]

you can pile, it can be piled in your life, which enables you to enrich your life. This is what is called precept. But precept is not the order. You should do this, or you shouldn't do that. In appearance, if you listen to the precept, prohibitory precept, maybe you said, oh, it is prohibitory precept. Prohibitory is a sort of order, which you shouldn't do. But self-control is called, in other words, prohibitory aspect, prohibitory aspect of the self, of the self.

[79:21]

Such as trying to, driving you to study Buddhism, instead of taking a nap, even for a minute, driving you to do something, instead of taking a nap, even for a moment, everybody has this nature. So, what everybody has this nature is not the sort of, is not based on a sort of idea of order, or prohibitory. Prohibitory, which you usually support. The embodied in precept is sort of bar, bar. This is very important, bar. Not order, not prohibitory precept.

[80:27]

So, even once, even once you try to bar, to do loving, to do, to study the Buddhism, staying at the temple, instead of enjoying yourself by drinking a beer and wine. This is precept. This bar, this bar makes your life, makes you, this life, this bar makes your life, makes your life, this life cultivates your personality, cultivates your character. Precept. Okay, so precept is not the salutation, salutation in army, like this.

[81:36]

If you go to the, if you serve the army, you have to always practice like this, you know, in order to organize in harmonium. A friend of mine went to the, went to the police, metropolitan police office. He wanted to be policeman. Fortunately, unfortunately he passed the examination. The moment when he went to the police office, all the people who passed the examination, incomplete examination, made an order, wine, and the leader says,

[82:41]

let's practice salutation, like this. Again all day, you know. Automatic, like this. Then at night he said, he went to the chief leader and said, I have a stomachache, please let me back to, please let me go back to my home. Then he never went back to the police office. He gave up for the time he takes now. Precept is not something like that.

[83:22]

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