In the culmination of its quest, the great way of all Buddhas is emancipation and realization. Emancipation means that life emancipates life and that death emancipates death. For this reason there is deliverance from birth and death and emergence in birth and death. Both are the great way totally culminated. There is discarding of birth and death and there is crossing of birth and death. Both are great way totally culminated. Realization is life, life is realization. When the great way is realized, it is nothing but life's total realization, it is nothing but death's total realization.

[01:03]

When a being is zenki, when a being is in the manifestation of total dynamism, it comes to be culmination of its quest. So culmination when a being is culminated, thoroughly it is in the manifestation of total dynamism. Zenki, total dynamism is not different from culmination of its quest. Culmination of its quest is zenki itself. If you research for human being, human world through and through, you realize it is true

[02:23]

that you will realize zenki, manifestation of total dynamism. That's why Dogen Zenji says in the culmination of its quest. The great way of all buddhas is emancipation and realization. Dogen Zenji says here that the zenki is characterized by two things. One is emancipation, second is realization. In emancipation, look at the note.

[03:27]

Here, all dharmas in the universe are the buddha dharma. Note one. The buddha dharma is manifested or realized, genjo, clearly in all dharmas. Dharmas for Dogen are being confirmed, shown by these dharmas that is proving the above fact. In oneself, in the zen, is the emancipation, todatsu, from all attachments. The breakthrough that constitutes enlightenment. Well, emancipation is pronounced to-da-tsu in Japanese, to-da-tsu.

[04:43]

Another expression is ge-da-tsu. Ge-da-tsu. We use the same English word when you translate. Ge-da-tsu and to-da-tsu. Ge-da-tsu is more general terminology in Buddhism. We use very often ge-da-tsu. But Dogen Zenji uses to-da-tsu instead of ge-da-tsu. To means literally transparent or penetrate. Penetrate or transparent.

[05:44]

Da-tsu is freedom. Be free from something. So, to-da-tsu is, how can I say, not merely emancipation, but transparent emancipation. Transparent emancipation. It means emancipation itself doesn't leave any trace. Emancipation leaves no trace. No trace of its own. It is called to-da-tsu, transparent emancipation. In Zen-ken-kyo, I forgot the name of this sutra in Sanskrit.

[06:54]

Anyway, Zen-ken-kyo, Sakamune Buddha used the terminology at that time, nirvana. Nirvana. Nirvana is, the connotation of nirvana is very different from ge-da-tsu. The term, the ge-da-tsu, the word ge-da-tsu was already popular for the monks, not only Buddhists. Brahmanism, Brahmanism for India. Indian people, ge-da-tsu is very popular at that time. But, Sakamune Buddha used nirvana. In Zen-ken-kyo, it says, it says, secret spirit,

[07:59]

secret and sacred spirit, tranquility and emancipation, all dissolve, dissolve, dissolve into nirvana. The sacred, sacred spirit, tranquility and emancipation all dissolve, dissolve. You understand? Dissolve into nirvana. So, sacred, sacred spirit is not good enough. Sacred spirit must dissolve into, dissolve into nirvana. And emancipation, transparent also, no, not transparent, tranquility. Tranquility also must dissolve into nirvana.

[09:07]

It means, tranquility is not merely tranquility. It means, tranquility in tranquility is not real tranquility. Tranquility in dynamism is tranquility. Stillness in dynamism. Static in dynamism is real meaning of static. But static in static is not real static. That's why Sakamune Buddha says, static must dissolve into nirvana. Emancipation also must dissolve into nirvana. Leaving no trace, leaving no trace. It's called Todatsu. I think Dogen Zenji tried to use that connotation, Todatsu, not merely emancipation. Okay.

[10:13]

Okay. And second one is Genjo. Realization. Genjo is manifestation or realization. Genjo has several connotations. Sometimes we translate it as realization, sometimes as manifestation. Realization.

[11:15]

Manifestation. The characteristic, the Zenki, total dynamism is characteristic, characterized by transparent emancipation. And second, realization or manifestation. Plainly speaking, manifestation is not merely phenomena. Of course, without phenomena you cannot understand emancipation, transparently emancipation. But through the terminology manifestation, we very often make a mistake, misunderstand.

[12:21]

We make a misunderstanding. The manifestation means phenomena, just phenomena. But manifestation means that it is exactly equal to emancipation, transparently emancipation. So you cannot separate emancipation from manifestation phenomena. You cannot separate phenomena from emancipation. So it's sort of, it's kind of a piece of paper with the back and front. You cannot separate. The piece of paper as a total is Zenki. Zenki, total dynamism. But it has, it has two characteristics, which is called emancipation, which is called manifestation.

[13:29]

Truth and phenomena. Manifestation means, in other words, truth. And manifestation is phenomena. But when you see phenomena, phenomena is not merely phenomena. You have to see emancipation, emancipation through phenomena. At that time, your, the attitude toward your human life is called the culmination of its quest. Through and through, you have to see it. So, this is one, two, okay. So emancipation is a transparent emancipation. In terms of practice, emancipation means, emancipation means to perfect, to perfect the thoroughgoing practice of whatever, okay, whatever.

[14:54]

To perfect, perfect the thoroughgoing, perfect the thoroughgoing practice of Gassho and Bao, okay. Eating, chanting, everything, okay, sleep. Second, the, in terms of enlightenment, in terms of enlightenment, in other words, in terms of original nature of being,

[16:15]

the transparent emancipation is, how can I say, life, or sleep, for instance, sleep doesn't impede sleep. Karagiri doesn't impede Katagiri. Karagiri, this Karagiri life doesn't impede you and even Katagiri. This is another meaning of emancipation, in terms of original nature of being. Okay. In other words, life doesn't impede, impede life. But you will see the, such explanation later, Dogen Zenji says.

[17:18]

Does or doesn't? Doesn't. Doesn't. Doesn't impede. So, flower pot doesn't impede cup. Cup doesn't impede pot. A stick doesn't impede this table and blackboard, anything. So, from this point, this stick is exactly transparent emancipation. Even though you don't understand. Even though no matter how long you make a question, what's that? What's that, this stick? Stick is stick. And then, that is emancipation, okay? That transparent emancipation, everything, everything which possesses, everything which is characterized by transparent emancipation is phenomena.

[18:38]

Manifestation of phenomena. So, through the phenomena you have to see, okay, that life doesn't impede life, which is called emancipation, freedom. So, from this point, everything is great, wherever you are. You are beginner or advanced student or poor or wealth, whatever, you are great. You are transparent emancipation. So, wherever you may go, let the flower of life force bloom. Then, next, Dogen Zenji described emancipation. Emancipation means that life emancipates life and that death emancipates death, okay?

[19:42]

Life emancipates life. When you say life, well, you immediately think that life is something opposed to death, okay? But life itself, when life is seen from transparent emancipation, life is completely emancipates life, freedom, okay? Freedom from any connotation, any notion, any thoughts, any ideas. What is called life or what is called death? It's called life emancipates life. Gassho emancipates gassho. Walking emancipates walking. At that time, walking is completely steady. But if there is even slightly some connotation, some notion and thoughts and ideas, well, very shaky.

[20:47]

Walking, gassho and bow, whatever, are very movable. Shakable. So, life, but strictly speaking, life must emancipate life. Death emancipates death. Question must emancipate question. Answer must emancipate answer. Good emancipates good. Bad emancipates bad. Because bad is not always bad. Sometimes through the bad you can learn something great, what human life is. You can learn what is the morality. Then through the good is not always good. Good is sometimes bad. What good is? Zen Buddhism is good in Japan, but in United States, sometimes Zen is crazy.

[21:53]

I think so. In San Francisco, when I walk on the street, everybody, of course, everybody look at me. Who is that? Who is that? But pretty friendly between Megan and I. Still I feel friendly and warm-hearted. In Minneapolis. If the people look at me, well, nothing else. Nothing completely between others, Americans and me, I. Very cold. Who's that? So, everything emancipates itself.

[22:58]

This is human life. This is life of grasses, life of trees, life of a bird. And that death emancipates death. I think death also, if I say death, you think death is something opposed to life. Or death is the end of life. But I don't think so. Death is completely free from life and death. When I went to a prisoner in Minnesota and gave a lecture on life and death, particular death, I explained death according to Buddhism.

[24:01]

The prisoner didn't understand at all. At last they said, you are Buddhist. You are Buddhist. It's alright. You have the understanding of death according to Buddhism. But we are Americans. We are Americans. We have another kind, different understanding of death. So-called Christianity and so forth. So they didn't try to understand what death is. Opening mind? No. They really, this is my understanding. You are Buddhist. I am Christian. You are Buddhist. That's okay. But it is very interesting. Then I asked one of prisoners, what do you understand?

[25:03]

What do you understand on death? He said, well, let's imagine. He said, let's imagine that there is a person who commits suicide. For him, that death is not something which he has to be afraid of death. Because he kills. He kills himself. At that time, he is not afraid to die. That's why he can kill himself. The moment when he kills himself, there is no death. That's why it is, no death is called death. Aha, that is very paracetral. No life, no nose, no eyes, no ears, no mouth, no body, no mind.

[26:05]

It is called eyes, your eyes. No eyes is called eyes. No nose is called nose. No ears is called ears. That's true. I was very amazed to listen. He doesn't study Buddhism, but he understands in that way. Of course. So, from this point, death completely emancipates death. Life also emancipates life. When death is really something objective, you cannot escape from death, which is objectified. At that time, you are very afraid to die of death. But when you become one with death, no death. That's all.

[27:08]

No death is called death. So, life emancipates life, death emancipates death. Yes. Because when you die, there is a death. There is a death, and there is a man who sees the death. See the death. Death is coming up to this man. At that time, he is scared. He is scared. No, I don't want to die. My master says, Daini, you are a great young man. You are a young man. At that time, you don't think death is coming to you.

[28:16]

But when you get old, and over 60 years, death is completely in front of you. Before 60 years old, death is completely behind me. Why don't you go there? Death is always pushing you. Go there, go there, go there. Go on, go on, go on. After 60 years, death is completely in front of you. How are you? Death pulls you. Come on, come on. So at that time, you are very scared. But when he becomes completely one with death, this is called oneness. When you sleep,

[29:18]

when you sleep, when you sleep, or whatever, zazen, sleep, or eating, or whatever, like Dogen Zen says, life emancipates life. Eating, sleeping, working, whatever. While you see eating, working, gassho, and bow, zazen, objectively, they are really coming up to you. At that time, it's very hard. Sometimes you can pass the examination in zazen, sometimes you fail to pass the examination in zazen, gassho, walking on the street. Of course, it is true. But when you scan the zazen, scan eating, scan sleep, that means you become completely one with eating, sleep.

[30:20]

At that time, completely oneness. There is only oneness between sleep and sleep. Eating and eating. No eating. At that time, you can eat everything as it is. No bow. In the practice of no bow, you can bow completely. In the practice of no zazen, you can do zazen. It is called shikan. Shikan means devoted, wholehearted devotion. Not merely wholehearted devotion. It's very hard to translate. In other words, shikan means emancipation. Shikan means transparent emancipation. When you do zazen, your zazen must emancipate the zazen itself.

[31:27]

Not looking at zazen objectively. You must become one with zazen. It's called transparent emancipation. In other words, pronounced as shikan. Shikan is the same meaning as todatsu, transparent emancipation. Shikan zazen, shikan eating, shikan talk, shikan bow. At that time, everything is sleep when you sleep. This is sleep, and also sleeper. Oneness. This is sleeper and sleep. At that time, when you call yourself sleeper, sleeper completely fills.

[32:34]

You sleep, and also sleeper. When you call, when you say sleep, sleep completely fills sleeper. So no sleeper, no sleep. Everything is, everything is completely sleep. No space to break into. No, no, any other, nothing else, nothing else to break into. When you say it is sleep, nothing else to break into, just sleep. It is called zenki, zenki. Oneness is represented as zenki, practically speaking, practically speaking. So zenki must be based on transparent emancipation and realization for manifestation. Truth and phenomena. So, sleep, in terms of manifestation, in terms of manifestation, there are two kinds of things, intellectually.

[33:52]

There is sleep, there is, there are sleeper and sleep. But in terms of transparent emancipation, there is, there is only oneness. Oneness. What is the oneness? In terms of zenki, total dynamism, there is only two, only two sleeping like a log, that's all. When you sleep like a log, there is no separation, no separation between sleeper and sleep. It is called zenki. Zenki enables you to see ultimate fact as it is. Before you analyze or synthesize, you have to see something as it is.

[34:52]

Buddhism says always, see something as it is. Well, a tree, a flower is red, willow is green. You have to see willow as it is. It means that the statements enables you to see something which is vivified in ultimate, ultimate reality, ultimate reality. Between you and willow, between sleeper and sleep. That is called zenki. Ultimate... factors, factors of contents of ultimate reality is called zenki. Zenki. Zenki. Total dynamism.

[35:53]

Both things, two things, two things both. Working dynamism, interfusing, interplaying, interdependent. This is called zenki. So, for this reason, there is deliverance from birth and death and emerging in birth and death. So, where are you going? Wherever you may be, wherever you may be. You are here or you are here. You are in Japan, you are in United States or you are in France, in Pali or wherever. Life is life. Life is life. Because life fills the universe, whole universe.

[36:56]

Life is completely become one with you. So, deliverance from birth and death, at that time there is no place, nowhere to deliver. To deliver from birth and death. Or no place, nowhere to enter, to enter the birth and death. Wherever you may be, life is life. When it is life. Death is death. When death comes. When you gassho, when you do gassho, wherever you may be, gassho is completely filled. Filling the universe, gassho is gassho. That time, that gassho really steady. Even slightly there is some ideas, another ideas or thoughts. That gassho is something opposed to something, another ideas.

[38:03]

At that time, it is very hard to make yourself, make yourself at home. No. Then, and emerging in birth and death, there is nowhere to emerge, immerse in birth and death. Both are the great way, totally culminated. Then, when life comes, yes sir, life is life. When bow comes, yes sir, bow, just bow. It's called shikan bow. That's why Dogen Zenji says, both are the great way, totally culminated. Good and bad, happiness or unhappiness. Both are not something wrong, not something good. Happiness or unhappiness are total great way.

[39:08]

Great way, totally culminated. It's great, so happiness comes, yes sir. Unhappiness comes, yes sir, it's not. Both, there is discarding, discarding of birth and death. And there is crossing of birth and death. Crossing means to save all sentient beings and so forth. To save myself, to save others. Well, when you do gassho, the gassho fills universe. That time there is nothing to save or to go or to get out. So gassho is, gassho completely fills gassho. At that time, there is some individuals who are strongly impressed by gassho. And then awaken to the truth.

[40:10]

When you do gassho, you must do gassho in that way. When you eat, when you do the Zen, you should do the Zen in that way. So, and there is crossing of birth and death, both are the great way, totally culminated. Realization is life. Next to this sentence, realization is life. You'd better add another sentence, realization is death. Realization is life, realization is death. Life is realization and also death is realization. Please add another sentence to be easier to understand. Realization is life and realization is death.

[41:19]

Life is realization, death is realization. So, that is human life, human life. Emancipation, transparently emancipation is life. Through the life, you have to see, you have to see transparently emancipation. If you understand transparently emancipation, you have to take best care of life and death phenomena. So, you cannot ignore either. You should take care of both. If you attain enlightenment, enlightenment must emancipate enlightenment. At that time, you can see phenomena, which you can take care of. Then, the emancipated phenomena must emancipate phenomena.

[42:21]

Then, at that time, it's not desirable for you to be too much confused, to be too upset by the phenomena. Noise and tranquility and whatever. Zazen, enlightenment or trees, birds, nature and city life and country life and so forth. See, you should perfect the Thalagoing practice of Geshe-la. When you do Geshe-la, when you perfect the Thalagoing practice of city life and country life, whatever. At that time, through the phenomena, you can see transparently emancipation. Then, this birth is really interfusing, interfusing interdependent. When the birth is working in dynamism, it is called the manifestation of total dynamism.

[43:27]

So, realization is life, realization is death, life is realization, death is realization. When the great way is realized, it is nothing but life's total realization. It is nothing but death's total realization. So, when you understand that, transparently emancipation, question is not merely question. You should understand question until it turns into answer. At that time, question emancipates question. At that time, you understand the question as a phenomena, as a phenomena. Aha, that is question. So, within the question, there is answer. Answer is not always answer. Answer, well, sooner or later, turns into question.

[44:37]

Concentration in Zazen. Zen teacher says, concentrate on breathing. That is great answer. Oh, that's good. It's pretty easy. Let's go. Then concentrate on Zazen, on breathing. But in the process of practicing concentrating on breathing, you can have a question. What is the concentration? What is the concentration? So, answer is not always answer. Answer will sooner or later turn into question. Because answer is, answer itself emancipates. Answer. Everything should be so. Then at that time, you can understand the answer as a phenomena. If you don't understand, well, sometimes, you don't, sometimes time will, you know, time will come.

[45:42]

When you don't understand, what Zen Buddhism? What's that? I'm getting confused. At that time, this is the first beginning. The beginning of understanding. On the way of the beginning. The beginning of understanding. But while you understand life and Zen Buddhism, it is just on the way to understand. It's not real understanding. But when the time comes, you don't understand completely. At that time, it is really just the beginning of understanding. So, because Zen Buddhism, I always emphasize emancipates Buddhism. Emancipates Buddhism. So Buddhism doesn't have its own particular dogma. What is Buddhism?

[46:43]

Buddhism is life. Look at the lamp. Lamp is Buddhism. Buddha's teaching. Tree, look at tree. Tree is Buddhism. So very simple. So, Dogen Zen says, Buddhism manifests Buddhism. Lamps manifest lamps. Lamps be free from lamps, any kind of dogmatic teaching. At that time, you understand lamps as a phenomenon. So, it is nothing but life's total realization. So if so, when you see the lamp, that's enough. All you have to do is just to see the lamp. Because lamp implies Buddha's teaching. So, Zen teacher always tell, answer to the question from the monks.

[47:48]

What is the essence of Buddha? Look at the tree in the garden. Look at the lamp in this room. That's enough. The lamp is really Buddha's teaching. Because this lamp, this lamp's life fills the universe. To fill the universe means life emancipates life. You should keep in mind this. In Buddhism, we have to understand any activities. When you do gassho, gassho is not something what you do gassho. This gassho is who does. Who does? You do gassho with universe. At that time, there are still two connotations, two ideas. I and universe.

[48:49]

But I don't think so. When you do gassho, who does? Who does gassho? Universe? Completely fills universe means no space, no ideas, no names between you and universe. Completely one. So, when you do gassho, gassho that's enough. Because all world, all universe is completely gassho. So, it is nothing but gassho, gassho's total manifestation, total realization. It is nothing but bow's total realization when you do bow. This is Buddhistic practice. So, not necessary to compare with another kind of meditation when you do zazen.

[49:53]

In many office, there are yoga practice is very popular for people in many office or twin city. Then, many people come to zen center and practice zazen. I gave some instruction how to sit. Then, I mentioned in office posture is very important first. Why don't you have straight back, head? Then, oh my, that's too much. Because they immediately compare our zazen with yoga practice. At that time, it's very hard to find what is a true practice. You can't find a true practice if you running about, hanging around everywhere. You can't find anything at all. Where is the truth? Where is the true meditation?

[50:57]

That true meditation is really within you right now, right here. Because true meditation is what? Zazen you do now is what? It's emancipation itself. It is your zazen as a phenomenon. That's enough. If so, hear this. Zazen true, zazen you do. At that time, Dogen says, it is nothing but zazen you do. Zazen is nothing but zazen's total realization. That's all. This is called true zazen. True practice. Even when you're hanging around looking for what is the best practice. You never find. True zazen, true practice. So, when you are here, you do. Just you do. But if you don't want, anytime.

[52:00]

Anytime, you can't go out. Then, you practice another practice. That's enough. You should do practice. Different kind of one. Don't compare it with this practice. Okay. This dynamic working readily brings about life and readily brings about death. That attitude towards human life brings life, your life. When you do gassho, do gassho. Right now, I hear nothing to compare or to be compared. At that time, that attitude towards gassho brings about really gassho, which is vivified. So, Dogen Zen says, it is called dynamic working of gassho.

[53:01]

Dynamic working gassho readily brings about life and readily brings about death. At the very time, this dynamic working is thus realized. It is not necessarily large. It is not necessarily small. It is not limitless. It is not limited. It is not long or far, short or near. Once present life exists within this dynamic working, this dynamic working exists within this present life. At the very time, this dynamic working is thus realized. It is not necessarily large. It is not necessarily small. What is dynamic working? What is the ultimate reality, which is vivified from moment to moment? It is small or it is big.

[54:04]

It is wonderful or it is not wonderful. Zen monks ask Zen master, where is the Buddha? He says, it is big. The monk asks, how big it is? Zen master says, it is immense. Then, next day, he asks again the same question because he didn't understand, what is Buddha? So, he asks again the same question, what is Buddha? He says, it is small. Then, monks ask again, how small is it? He says, it is like a microbe. So, it is big. It is big. The other answer is, it is small, very small. Then, this monk was completely confused, which is right? Which is which?

[55:09]

Then, he asks, which is right? Which is true Buddha? Then, Zen master says, is there something wrong? Is there something wrong? Is there something wrong? Do gassho. Just do gassho. What's that? Big gassho or small gassho? Big self does gassho or small self does gassho? Well, sometimes, yes, small self does gassho. Sometimes, big self does gassho. Which is right? Is there something wrong? Just do. That's all. Just do it. Or, sleeper. I always took example, sleeper and sleep. It's very easy to understand. Relation between sleeper and sleeper. Who is sleeping? Sleeper is sleeping or sleeper is sleeping?

[56:10]

So, big sleeper is sleeping or small sleeper is sleeping? Or, big sleeper is sleeping or big small sleeper is sleeping? You don't understand. Which is right? Which is sleeper? Which is sleep?

[56:29]

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