Last Sunday, I described the shortening effort a little bit, the subject to try will be continued from Sunday's lecture. According to Dogen Zenji's understanding of human effort, shortening is to proceed from the top of the 100-feet-high pole. Let me describe more about proceeding from the top of the 100-feet-high pole.

[01:10]

In Shoryo Roku, there is the mondo between Zen Master Sansho and Zen Master Seppo. So, the Shoryo Roku is an analysis of the collection of 100 mondoes. Mondoes means question and answer between the teacher and the student. By Wanshi Zen Master, Shoryo Roku is a little bit different from Hekigan Roku, Brooklyn

[02:18]

Record. Anyway, in Shoryo Roku, there is a mondo. The Sansho asked Seppo, I wonder what the great golden carp free from the net eats. In other words, what kind of food a golden carp free from net eats. Seppo said, I am waiting for you to come out of the net to tell me what to eat. The Sansho said, you who have 1500 disciples do not understand what I meant.

[03:21]

Then Seppo said, this old monk is too busy with temporal affairs to attend to you. He left. I wonder what the great golden carp free from the net eats. A great golden carp free from the net means to be free from human sensa, illusion, enlightenment, Buddha, whatever. What does an enlightened man eat after attain enlightenment? Then Seppo said, I am waiting for you to come out of the net to tell me what to eat. But then, Sansho was really angry with him.

[04:26]

Because Sansho already said to Seppo, I attained, I have attained enlightenment already. Free from the net. Then my question is, what kind of food the enlightened man eats? This is my question. But he said, I am waiting for you to come out of the net, then I will tell you. What does that mean? You don't understand what I mean. Who are you? Then Sansho was really angry with Seppo. You have 1,500 disciples. In other words, you understand how great Seppo was. Seppo had 1,500 disciples. So, Sansho was really angry with him.

[05:30]

He said, you don't understand what I meant. Then Seppo says, this old monk, oh, I am sorry. Maybe I misunderstood you. I am sorry. But this old monk was too busy with the temple affairs to attend to you. Well, bye-bye. When Seppo was young, he practiced under the teacher of Tozan Zen Master, who belonged to the line of Soto school. When he practiced under Tozan, one day young Seppo sifted sand from the rice.

[06:47]

Do you understand? In a way, Seppo cleaned rice, sifting the pebbles and tiny rocks from the rice. Then Seppo at Tozan Zen Master passed by him and asked him, Are you sifting the pebble or rock from the rice? Or are you sifting the rice from the pebbles? Which is which? Then Seppo says, I sift, I sift, I sift, but simultaneously. That's a good answer.

[07:48]

That's a very good answer. Cut off the delusion of enlightenment or delusion, whatever. He cut off both simultaneously. That's good. But Tozan's way was not something like that. Tozan's way is to proceed from the top of the hundred feet pole. Then Tozan must ask him again. Oh, that's good. But if you sift, if you sift both simultaneously, how do the monks practice? In other words, how? Pebbles refer to delusion. Rice refers to enlightenment. If Seppo takes away simultaneously both enlightenment or delusion,

[08:57]

how? How do the monks practice? Of course, nothing. No enlightenment, no delusion. In other words, what do the monks eat? If you take away simultaneously both rice and pebbles, then Seppo immediately turns off the tray. That is, Seppo, Zen Master, really puts the sifting, sifting the delusion and enlightenment both simultaneously into practice. He did it. So he turned off the tray. Then Tozan said,

[10:05]

You are not my disciple. Why don't you go to the Zen Master Totsan? Totsan was very strict, you know. Using the stick very often. Very strict Zen Master. But Tozan was not like Zen Master Totsan. Tozan's way was, anyway, to proceed from the top of the hundred feet pole. Then, to proceed from the top of the hundred feet pole means that Seppo's enlightenment must be free from his enlightenment. If he touches his enlightenment, his enlightenment doesn't work in his life.

[11:09]

So, Tozan said, You are not my disciple. Why don't you go to the Totsan? And practiced under him. And then he left Totsan's temple. But actually, Totsan didn't want Seppo to leave the temple. Of course, actually Seppo was ordered to exit from the Zen Master Totsan's temple in order to awake Seppo, Zen Master Seppo from the sickness of enlightenment. Anyway, but he didn't understand.

[12:20]

Totsan's way, saying, get out of the temple, was really Totsan's compassion, Buddha's compassion. Because there is a heavy blow that Totsan cracked down on Seppo's ego, stubbornness of ego. Seppo's advice didn't mean that Seppo had to go out of Totsan's temple,

[13:27]

but means that he should turn over a new leaf. But Seppo didn't understand, and he left. If you practice Zen, not only Zen, if you want to live in this world as a human, living together with all sentient beings, even though people order you to get out, you are not qualified to practice. Totsan, and me, and some other Zen teachers. Don't get out. Don't accept his advice according to it's literal sense.

[14:39]

Don't get out. When I went to a monastery, the old monk, the monk's newcomer, new monk, had to practice at the Tanga Ryo for seven days sitting. Seven days sitting. Before the old monk accepted the newcomer to enter the Tanga Ryo, he really teased, teased the new monk. Why is it you come here? The newcomer says very strictly, I want to practice in a monastery. Then the old monk says, it's not necessary to come to a monastery to do Zazen. Why don't you practice Zazen at your home? Why is it you come here? So if you don't say anything at all,

[15:43]

he said immediately, get out. If you don't get out, he took, he takes your neck, tore up, take you out, out of the temple. Then most of the monks left. Ah, that's a good chance. Let's go home. That is a big mistake. That is a big mistake. So you should stay until the old monk accepts him. You should sit in the temple, in front of the entrance or wherever. Outside. Then the teacher will accept you. Why, if you go to Japan to see the Zen master,

[16:45]

well, I understand you very well. You don't understand Japanese sense. Of course. Some of the Zen masters were very strict. For instance, if you tell him, that six months ago, I would like to visit you. Then, he really waiting, wait you, to visit the temple, the moment when you arrive in Japan. First. First. You should visit first. Throwing away anything at all. Then you should visit first. You don't visit him, but anyway he is waiting for you to come here. If you don't visit first, then two days later or three days later

[17:51]

and five days later, then you visit. Anyway, he doesn't accept you. Get out. You don't understand. And then, you understand him all. He doesn't like me. That's all. But if you do so, how can you understand human life? You never understand human life. Let's imagine, children learn what mother is. Even though mother hit you, hit the children, get out, get out. Children very hold on, fast, on the mother. Please, forgive me, forgive me. Anyway, children hold on fast,

[18:54]

on the mother. But mother says, get out, get out. But on the other hand, children really hold on. That's why he understands. He understands later, sooner or later, what his mother is. The same applies to Zen practice. If he refuses to accept you once, second time you should visit, please. I would like to visit you. The second time, maybe he may, he may refuse to accept, but that's all right. Continue to accept. Why don't you accept? That's great, that's great. If you think he is great Zen master, don't leave. But anyway,

[19:58]

step forward, left. Then, in the chapter of Gyoji, of Shobo Genzo by Dogen, Rinzai confessed himself, confessed himself, saying that there is suffering, there is suffering from the impossible of practicing under my teacher, under my teacher, even though he is alive. There is the suffering from the impossible, impossibility, the impossibility of understanding my master, even though he is alive. It means, of course, Rinzai Zen,

[21:02]

Rinzai Zen master practiced hard under the Zen teacher, but still there is some suffering from the impossibility of practicing enough under the teacher, even though he is alive. But unfortunately, his teacher was dead, in death. After your mother's death, after your mother's death, after your father's death, after your teacher's death, you will understand how great your parents are, how great your teacher is, but it's too late. If you realize that, it's too late. It's too late. Then,

[22:06]

in his latter days, the seppu Zen master realized that Tozen's heavy brood was going to seppu's heart. I think, probably, the seppu may feel the same feeling as Rinzai felt, Rinzai Zen master felt. Anyway, that's why seppu said, this old monk is too busy with the temple affairs to attend to you. Then this seppu very understood the sansho's feeling, sansho's mind. Sansho has

[23:08]

very big ego. I am enlightened man. But, if you attain enlightenment, if you attain enlightenment, you have to proceed from the top of the hundred-feet pole, which is called enlightenment. If you realize delusion, you have to proceed from the top of the hundred-feet pole, which is called delusion. If you make great effort to do something, you have to proceed from the top of the hundred-feet pole, which is called great effort. It is called shojin, shojin in Buddhism, which means effort. Then, if you practice

[24:13]

in that way, if you practice shojin hard, in terms of tassara, and to bring out your sensitivity, all you have to do is to make every possible effort to do shojin, to practice day after day, without leaving any trace of its own. That time, your effort, the root of your effort is going down into the earth. It is called the spiritual root of effort, shojin. Then,

[25:16]

if you practice in that way, with shojin, with spiritual root of shojin effort, you will realize the power of shojin penetrates the skin, marrow, bone, and muscle bone and marrow. Dogen Denji says the power of effort is that preaching is a practice that is unattainable. The practice is preaching, that is unattainable. Preach and practice here, refers to human karma, which is

[26:24]

divided into three, mouth, body, and mind. You can speak, you can preach with your mouth. You can do something with your body. You can think with your mind. Briefly, Buddhism, karma is divided into three categories, mouth, preach, body, action, mind, thinking. But preach in Buddhism, even though you preach, you speak something with your mouth, you cannot speak with your mouth alone. That's all. You have to speak

[27:25]

with your mouth, body, and mind. So, my speaking, my preaching, implies manifestation of my body, my mind. So, speak not with mouth, speak with eyes, speak with body, speak with mind. Common sense, you don't understand. When Zen Sena was at Sokoji Temple, Suki Roshi put a sign under the bell, stand, stand, stand of the bell. It says chant with your ear, chant with your ear.

[28:28]

Then students said, what do you mean by chant with your ear? It's impossible. Of course, it's impossible. But, it's possible. If you speak, you speak with your body, with your mind. So, preach is the practice. This practice refers to activity with your body. The preach is the practice that is unattainable. Actually, you cannot attain, you cannot get, you cannot get the practice with what you are doing with your body. Because just you preach, you speak with your mouth. But within the speaking with your mouth, there is practice of

[29:29]

practice with body and thinking with mind. Simultaneous. There is no separation among them. If you stick out your tongue in front of me, I understand pretty well. How do you feel? If you do gassho, I understand pretty well. Even though you don't speak anything at all. So, gassho, speaking, thinking, your mind, think with your body, with your mouth. That is true. The practice is the preach which is unattainable. When you do zazen, exactly, straightly, without saying anything. But within the practice

[30:30]

of zazen, doing with your body, that is preach, great preach. It's true. There was famous Zen master who practiced for long by himself at his temple. One day, a little girl entered into his temple and she found Zen master sitting in the middle of the Buddha hall. Then, she sneaked in slowly and looked down at Zen master's face. Then, she ran away. Went back to her house and said to her mother, Mommy, the monk in the temple become Buddha. Become. Become.

[31:33]

She doesn't know what Buddha is. That's great. If you do a show, a show of preach, Buddha. If you walk on the street, or walking on the street, you will preach Buddha. One of Shakyamuni Buddha's Brahminist was really impressed by one of Shakyamuni Buddha's disciples who practiced praying on the street. At that time, he didn't say anything at all. Just walk on the street. Same applies to your daily life. If you understand

[32:36]

exactly what human life is, you cannot explain. You cannot explain what life is. Then, all you have to do is at last to accept, to take care of, to do your best, to take care of your life day after day without saving anything. But no one has lots of work because the attitude, that attitude toward your life preaches lots of things to others. The way how to live. That's true. If you really respect someone, you cannot explain how much you respect. You respect, not respect, respect. But no one,

[33:41]

it's not merely no word. If you love the person from the heart of your mind, their meaning of love doesn't say anything at all. But you enjoy yourself to be by the person whom you love, even though you don't say anything at all. So, your silence has got to work. Just be there, just do your best to take care of self, peace, to preach. Within the preach, there are practices how to live. Within the no preach, no speech, there is a practice. Therefore, preach manifests itself

[34:42]

in its purity. When you do preach, just preach. Just do your best to preach from your heart. That time, preach manifests itself in its purity, including activity and thinking of your mind. The practice manifests itself in its purity. When you do the same, just do the same. That time, just do the same with silence, preach, preach what you think. The strength that is attainable within the strength, this is strength. How can you get strength? When you do the same, just do the same. Within this strength, you can attain,

[35:44]

you can get strength. But intellectually, it doesn't make sense because no word, no explanation. But strength must be attained within the strength. When you do gassho, just do gassho. When you preach, just preach. Intellectually, even though intellectually, it doesn't make sense. Then Dogen Zenji says, the strength that is attainable within the strength is what is called the power of effort. This is called the power of effort. This effort, this strength, no amount of money

[36:59]

can buy this effort. Priceless. Because this effort is very priceless. Price. Because this effort, the strength of this effort is completely beyond the human speculation. That effort is called effort in enlightenment. Dogen Zenji says, the effort in enlightenment is not that which forces buying and selling on the effort at the market. The practice

[38:01]

of Zen Buddhism is not something which you can sell and buy at the market. Well, the Buddhist practice is very quiet. There is no market to sell. There is no drum to hit. Emphasizing that is the Zen. There is no market to sell or to buy enlightenment even though you attain enlightenment. Enlightenment is very quiet because enlightenment is really working with your daily life, proceeding from the top of the hundred feet pole. It means you should be stupid. You are really stupid. But if you are even slightly quick to enlightenment, ideal of enlightenment, or a sense of enlightenment, you are really

[39:02]

a clever man. A clever man is not always clever. Who can live in this world in peace, in harmony with all sentient beings? I don't think so. If you become clever, you have to proceed from the top of the hundred feet pole, which is called cleverness. At that time, you can be stupid. If you can be stupid, well, you can live with people, really, in peace, in harmony. So, Rinzai Zen Master criticized Soro Zen, Oh, Soro Zen is really stupid. I think so. Soro Zen is really stupid. Yes. Soro Zen doesn't put emphasis on attaining

[40:04]

enlightenment, doesn't show the goal of practice. Daily life is practice. Well, it doesn't satisfy me. Then Rinzai Zen Master read Dogen's Shoppo Genzo. They criticized Dogen's. Dogen's is really like a mother who chews food to give her baby. In other words, too much. Too much. If you read Dogen's Shoppo Genzo, Dogen really tried to explain how to practice. What is Buddhist practice? What is Buddhist practice? Cutting off the tanglement of delusion, thoughts, ideas, notions. Always the ghost of notions, thoughts,

[41:04]

ideas are haunting over your head. Such is human being. Even though you attain enlightenment, always ghost of notion is haunting over your head. In order to cut off this ghost of notion, ideas, thoughts, you shouldn't give up. See Zen Master. If you think he's great Zen Master, even though he kicked you out several times, you don't get up. You shouldn't leave. Several times. Until he accepts you, you should visit. This is practice. Now only Zen practice. Zen practice is the practice in human life. So, Zen practice,

[42:07]

sort of Zen Buddhist practice is very quiet. There is no market to sell or to buy. So that effort which has no market to sell or to buy is called priceless price. Valueless value. The effort which is bought and sold by itself has a regular price and precious, the precious quality. Precious quality means priceless price. You can't put that price on the practice and enlightenment.

[43:08]

Buddhist practice and Buddhist enlightenment. You can't put the price on your life. What is Buddhist life? Can you put the price on your life? If there is anyone who can put the price on your life, I really want to buy it. Life after life, you cannot put any price on your life. Because life is Buddha. Life is very quiet. Silent, quiet, but it's still working. It's really working. That time that life is priceless, priceless price. Life has priceless price and precious value. If so, life is

[44:10]

something that you cannot put any price on it. No. It has great price. What's price? Priceless price. Then, Zen Master says, it looks like withdrawing oneself and pushing others out. Means, you say, life is priceless. You can't put any price on life because life is Buddhist life. Then, how can you buy? It is called priceless price, priceless value. So, if you push one side, the other side is out. If you push the other side, one side is out. That's why,

[45:13]

Dogen says, it looks like withdrawing oneself and pushing out, pushing others out. But, it is, well, this translation doesn't make sense, but I will explain. It is to eradicate the whole body without to break down. It doesn't make sense. Priceless price. Life is very priceless price. Life is very priceless. But, how can you value that life, Buddhist life? In other words, life is precious value or priceless price. So, which is right? Life is priceless. Which is right?

[46:15]

How can we understand life is priceless or life is priceless price? Can you touch to the priceless price? Can you touch the life which is priceless? No. You cannot touch to both. What do you do? Shortening effort. Do your best to do. Do your best to do means to eradicate the whole body means there is no ego. No sense of ego. There is no sense of ego consciousness. Just plunge into the Zen when you do the Zen. At that time

[47:17]

when you feel you don't feel comfortable because there is no self. There is no self. Then, you don't think, oh, I'm afraid to lose myself. So, it's really so. Just plunge into the Zen day after day from the beginning to end, from your birth to death. Just do the Zen. How can you satisfy yourself? It's very hard. But all you have to do is just to eradicate the whole body means just do it. Without leaving any sense of ego consciousness. At that time, your body doesn't break down.

[48:18]

Your body is really self-sufficient. When I was at the temple when I was in Tokyo living with Yokoiro, he visited Zen Center two years ago. He always scolded me. He was stupid. That time I was very afraid to lose myself, to lose my personality. I felt that I felt my personality was shrinking. Shrinking smaller and smaller. So I was very afraid. I really wanted to myself. I really wanted my caragate. I really wanted

[49:11]

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