In Tendai, those ten suchness, first one is Nyo, Ze, So. According to Tendai Chi-I, he read this in three ways. The first one is, he changed the order of the words. Nyo De So is the order in the Lotus Sutra. But he read, Tendai Chi read, there are two more ways.

[01:08]

He just changed the order. Ze, So, Nyo. You're saying Chi-i? Chi-i. Chi-i. Chi-i is a person's name. The most important master in Tendai tradition. Chi-gi. In Japanese, we pronounce this Chi-gi. But in Chinese, Chinese pronunciation is Chi-i. He lived in the 6th century, around the same time with Bodhidharma. They saw Nyo. And another way is, I saw Nyoze.

[02:14]

He just changed the order of those three Chinese characters. This is the usual way to read the Rota Sutra. And so this is ze, so, nyo, and so, nyo, ze. And Chi-i or Chi-gi said, when we read this ze, so, nyo, This shows the ku-kan. That means this form is nyo. When we read in this order, it means this form is nyo.

[03:25]

And this nyo means Not necessarily, not always so. That means empty. And when we read this, nyo ze so, in this case, this nyo ze is an adjective to modify the so. So this means so as suchness. So as suchness. So that is nothing other than suchness. Right? So when you wrote it in the translation, it could be form as suchness, nature as suchness,

[04:26]

body as suchness. Yeah, that is what Dogen is doing in Shobo Genzo. I think following Chigi's way of reading these three things. I'm confused now. So as Nyoze is the third thing, and this second one is So that is like this. That shows particularity or provisionality. It's not an absolute thing. And yet, as a form of this being, it is like this. And in this case, this shō is also form is nyōsei.

[05:32]

This is kind of a very subtle way of reading things and the interpretation in Chinese. We cannot translate it into English well. So I'm sorry. And I can't explain well in English using my poor vocabulary. Could you say the first one again? Because the first one you started out saying, so as such. But then I thought you said the third one was so as such. Yeah. Let's see. The so-nyo is one first, and this is second, and this is third, according to chi-gi. This so, this form is nyo, is the way we read this as a ku-kan, a contemplation of emptiness.

[06:41]

So we see this so, this form as emptiness, or nyo. And the second one is this. Can we translate? Kakuno gotoki so. The so or form that is like this, this particular thing. That is ke. You know, this so, form of this thing is No. And the third thing is any soul, this soul, is itself Nyoze. Does this make sense? Yes, this is fast. I'm sorry.

[07:43]

Anyway, this is how Tendai Chi Yi or Chi Yi use this teaching from the Lotus Sutra on the true reality of all beings and the teaching of ten suchness. Another teaching in Tendai using this ten suchness is called Ichi-nen-san-zen. So, this is another thing. Ichi nen san zen. I hope there's books on Tendai teaching, but I can't find English book on Tendai teachings.

[08:56]

It's very interesting. Ichinen means one thought, one thought. And it also, it can also mean one moment at a time. And sanden means 3,000. This means each and everything at this moment includes 3,000. But 3,000, I don't know. These 3,000 refer to You know, there are ten Dharma worlds. The first six is the six realms of samsara.

[10:01]

You know, hell, the realm of hungry ghosts, animal, asura or fighting spirit, human beings, and heavenly beings. Those six. And asura vaka, Surabhaka, Pratyekabuddha, Bodhisattva, and Buddha. Those are called ten worlds. And the first six are called samsara. And the next four are the realms or world of spiritual beings, or Bodhisattvas and... not Bodhisattva, but... that we call holy people. And this Sanzen means those in ten-day teaching.

[11:03]

Within each of those ten worlds, another nine is included. So within the hell, that is, from hell to world of Buddha, Even in the world of Buddha, hell is included. So this makes 100 worlds. And each being in this 100 worlds has 10 suchness. That makes 1,000. And there are three kinds of... another three kinds of Seiken is... world. That is world of living beings.

[12:05]

World of living beings. And it's Shujo Seiken. And second is world of five skandhas. And the third is world of... like an environment. of living beings. Environment, environment. Those three, I think that means the world of human beings in which we are living as human beings and thinking and evaluating things. But that is one level of this reality. Another is we are all just a collection of five skandhas as elements. And the third is, you know, all those things as human beings or living beings and five skandhas are taking place. That is called three worlds.

[13:05]

And this makes 3,000. This means each and every, all, every beings in this entire dharma world is included within this one moment, or one thought. This is a very basic teaching in Tendai, and I think it is important to understand Dogen. That means each and everything and all other things in this entire Dharma world is one thing. you know, smallest being, entire ten realms is included. Because everything is connected and so this one thing and this entire thing, beings, are really connected.

[14:14]

So when we pick up one thing, we pick up this entire network. So, when that is... I think Fat Dogen says, for example, when one person is sitting even for one moment, this entire universe becomes enlightenment. So one person's activity or action influences the entire dharma world. It came from this kind of idea. I hope I can explain it in a better way. But for now, this is my limitation. Yes? Is that phrase Ichi and Sanzen, is that somewhere in this text? No. It's from Tendai teaching. But I think it's important to understand what Dogen is writing in this. It's almost 10.30, I mean 11.30 or 10.30.

[15:25]

Oh, another thing. So this is the teaching in Chinese Tendai. And another thing to understand what Fad Dogen tried to say is something to do with Japanese Tendai teaching. You know, Tendai Buddhism was transmitted from China to Japan by a Japanese master whose name is Saicho. He lived in the 9th century, and he founded a monastery on Mount Hiei, right near from the capital, Kyoto. And his school, Tendai, is one of the two most powerful Buddhist establishments from 9th century until today, especially from the time of Dogen.

[16:32]

And Dogen became a Buddhist monk in his tradition, Japanese Tendai. And in Japanese Tendai, the teaching of Shoho Jisso is kind of transformed from Chinese Tendai. In Chinese Tendai, Shōhō Jissō is, as I translate it, true reality of all beings. So, all. Shōhō no Jissō. And yet, in Japanese Tendai, people start to interpret this as Shōhō is Jissō. All beings is itself true reality.

[17:42]

It's not a matter of true reality of all phenomenal beings. You know, all phenomenal beings is provisional and it's always changing. So we cannot grasp and we cannot rely on. So we need to see the reality of that concrete being which is always changing. Also, this dharmata, or true reality, is something which doesn't change, which is something changing. Like, as I said, like a human and humanity. Humanity doesn't change, but human beings are always changing. So this is a concrete being. And this is kind of a reality of those concrete beings. So this is something abstract and universal. And these are particular beings.

[18:46]

And that is how, you know, in the Lotus Sutra or Chinese Tendai, understand this expression, shoho jisso. But in Japanese Tendai, they started to say, to think, beside all beings, all this concrete, each and every particular being, which is coming and going, arising and perishing, there is no such thing called true reality. That is kind of different. between Chinese Tendai and Japanese Tendai. So in Japanese, they put a very strong emphasis on particularity, each and every being which is impermanent. Therefore, everything is always changing, and it's not reliable. But beside that thing, there is no such reality.

[19:57]

Does it make sense? It's not a matter of some abstract reality that is hidden within concrete reality, concrete beings. But these concrete beings, which are always changing and empty, is itself true reality. So we should not separate these two. And this is the same as Dogen said about the Buddha nature. In the very beginning of Shobogen's Buddha nature, Dogen quotes a very famous statement from the Nirvana Sutra, that all living beings have Buddha nature. he read this statement as all beings and entire beings are buddha nature. That means buddha nature is something which exists inside of each living beings.

[21:05]

But the way things are is buddha nature. Therefore, each being is buddha nature. And in the case of Shokhoji, Dogen also read this way. Beside each and every being, there's no such thing called true reality. Please. When we talk about Buddha nature, or when we talk about true reality, my mind seems to try to envision some has something to do with Western heritage of Greek thought, where a chair was supposed to be an embodiment, what I'm sitting on, of some perfect chair, which, of course, no one ever got their hands on. I think the relation between shoho and this is quite the same.

[22:12]

This is like an idea. Today, this is a real thing. This cannot be perfect. This is always imperfect. And this is perfect and universal and doesn't change. It's like a concept. And this is a real thing. And we think, you know, real things, actual things are always changing and imperfect. We cannot rely on. So we try to find something we can rely on which doesn't change. That is the way we try to search the truth. But what Tendai and Dogen is saying is this is the only way, this is the only place we can live. Right. Yes. Well, I think this is, these things, this point from the Lotus Sutra and Tendai teachings in Japanese, Chinese and Japanese, is kind of a helpful information to when we read Dogen's writings.

[23:35]

Otherwise, I don't think we can understand what he's saying. Any questions? Okay, thank you. Shall I pass this out? who has blue eyes.

[24:53]

And his Sanskrit name is something like Pingala. And according to scholar, Pingala doesn't mean blue eyes. It refers to some different color. So we don't know who this is. Some scholars try to find out this person, but no one can find anything about this person. Devil? I don't think so. Bodhidharma? Really? I don't know. I don't think so. He was called Blue-Eyed Balamon, but I don't know about Devil.

[25:57]

Anyway, this section 18 of Mahāyā Mikā Kārikā in Sanskrit is an English translation of Sanskrit name is Examination of the In this translation, it says, be a purified self. Does this make sense? I'm sorry. Be a purified self. This is a translation by Kenneth Inada. I don't know what the bifurcated self means. In English, spreading, that doesn't make sense to me. Anyway, this is a translation of the Sanskrit word Atman.

[27:03]

It's Atman. Atman is usually translated as a permanent self or a fixed self. So the title of this section is Examination of Atman, Fixed or Permanent or Individual Self. But in Chinese, Kumāra Jīva's Chinese translation, this is kāng hō hō, hō is dharma, so more like Examination of Dharma, not Atman. So this is also interesting. And according to Kumarajiva's translation, this entire section is about shoho jisso. And in the very beginning, in this commentary, it said the question

[28:15]

was allowed, it said, if all beings are ultimately empty, without arising and perishing, because if everything is empty, shunyata, then nothing arises, nothing perishes. And that is called shuho-jisho. Then, the question is, how can we enter? How can we understand and enter this reality of all beings? That was the very first question. So, now, it's very clear, at least according to Kumāra Jīva, this expression, shōhō jissō, or true reality of all beings, means emptiness, ultimate emptiness. And the answer to this question is because the attachment to the fixed self, the Atman, attachment to the Atman, and things belonging to the Atman, or possession of Atman, is eliminated

[29:46]

one can attain the wisdom of emptiness and no-self. This emptiness and no-self, negation of Atman, or that means Anatman, is what this Shohho Jisso, or true reality of all beings, means, according to Kumāra Jīva's translation of Nagarjuna's Madhyamaka Kārikā. And I don't think we have enough time to read all the verses. Maybe I just read the verses and make comments on important points.

[30:49]

First, to the answer of the question, how we can see the emptiness and selflessness, or egolessness, or anatman. Maybe before that we should understand what Atman means. Atman is, as I said, a fixed self, or a permanent self. This is, in India, even before Buddhism, said Atman is true self, and that is permanent. And that Atman is like a soul. Soul, when we you know, dying and born, being born and living and dying and be born again to the next life, you know, our body and mind, you know, disappear.

[31:57]

But Atman doesn't change. Atman exist without change. This is what this permanent self means. Our body and mind are changing, but this soul doesn't change and be born again in the next life. So this soul is something which doesn't change, exists permanently, and goes through the change. And the definition of this Atman in Buddhism, at least in Chinese Buddhism, is jōu, itsu, shū, Sai.

[33:02]

Jo is permanent, never changing. It is one, only one. And shu is like a lord or owner. And Sai is like an operator, operator, or driver of the car. So owner of the car and driver of the car, operator of the car. This means Atman is something which doesn't change, permanent, and only one. So Atman of Shohak is only one. You know, there's no other Shohak, only one. And it doesn't change. And it is owner of this body and mind. And operate or use this body and mind. That is what Atman means.

[34:14]

You know, when we are born, our body was very small. And since then, we grow. That means our body become bigger and bigger. and at a certain point we stop growing, so keep the same size, and then the body starts to shrink and disappear. So the condition of the body is always changing. So the body cannot be the Atman. And the mind is also always changing, our way of thinking. the function of our mind is changing. So body and mind are not atman. So the idea is there's something which doesn't change within this body and mind named shohaku.

[35:16]

Even though the condition of my body and the condition of my mind is always changing, but shohaku is always shohaku. When 58 years ago, I was born as a child, and that baby was me, Shogaku. And 58 years later, I'm already getting older, aging. But there must be something that doesn't change. And that something that doesn't change is the owner of this body and mind. and using this body and mind. That's something which doesn't change. No, this is a definition of Atman in Chinese Buddhism. That is Atman, something which doesn't change. And this something doesn't change, goes through impermanence, changing.

[36:21]

Things are changing, but this doesn't change. That is the Atman. And the fact Buddha taught is there's no such thing. There's no such thing which doesn't change and run and owner and operator of this body and mind. Only there is five skandhas. That means body and mind, which are always changing. So body and mind, you know, get together depending upon causes and conditions. and go through changing and disappear. It's like bubbles in the water. There's no such thing called a bubble as an existence. Bubbles is just a condition of air packed in the water. So there's only air and water. There's no such thing called bubble.

[37:24]

And Atman is the same as, or we are the same as bubbles. There is no such thing as a bubble. There is no such thing as Shohak. Shohak is a name for the condition as, you know, this body and mind. And that's all. That is what Muga. Atman is called Ga. And anathama is muga, no self. And this is very basic teaching of Buddha and also Nagarjuna. And this muga is same as emptiness. There is no such fifth entity as shohaku or bubble or anything. Everything is a collection of causes and conditions.

[38:31]

That is, basically, that is what this true reality of all beings means, what shohojiso means. And yet, this muga, or emptiness, does not mean this collection of causes and conditions does not really exist. But it is here. But there's no shohaku. This is just a condition or happening, movement. But somehow we name this as shohaku, And the definition of shouhaku is not a good example. Same as, you know, this is a pair of glass. This is a pair of glass only for a certain period of time when it was manufactured.

[39:43]

And I bought this because I need this to see, to read. And I use this as a reading glass as far as I can use. I have many broken pairs of reading glass. And I cannot use it anymore, so it's just a junk. But, you know... A reading glass, a pair of reading glasses, is just a name for a certain condition. But there is no such entity called a reading glass. That is for emptiness, or egolessness, or no-self, or enlightenment means. But it doesn't mean this doesn't exist. As a collection of causes and conditions, this is here. And I can use this.

[40:45]

But there's no fixed, permanent identity in this thing. This is a pair of reading glasses. Only when I can use as a device to read things. When it's broken, as I said, it's become a junk. Or I can use this for something else. Or, you know, this is... Is this a glass or cup? Anyway, this is a cup. When I put water and drink, but if we put some flour in it, this is not a cup, but this is a flour vase. So there's no fixed entity in each and everything.

[41:48]

Nothing is really fixed. Everything is changing, depending upon the relation between this person and this thing, an object. And that is what I, as I said this morning, Nama Rupa. And as a Nama Rupa, you know, a grass, Drinking glass is always glass. And reading glass is always reading glass. Never change. And as a, you know, nama rupa, or concept, shohaku is always shohaku. Or a desk is always a desk. But the real thing is always changing. And there's no such thing. That is the real reality of all beings. According to Nagarjuna's teachings and Kumāra-jīva translated and introduced that kind of idea or teaching of emptiness into China.

[43:09]

And in this section, as a translation of Nagarjuna's sentence, verses, Nagarjuna, I mean, Kumarajiva also used this word, shoho jisso. For example, verse six of this section of Majamuka Karika, In this translation, it goes as follows. The Buddhas have provisionally employed the term Atman and instructed on the true idea of an Atman. An Atman is no Atman. They have also taught Buddhas have also taught that any abstract entity as Atman or Anatman does not exist.

[44:22]

This is English translation. But in Chinese translation, this is English translation from Sanskrit. But in Kumarajiva's Chinese translation, Kumarajiva put one word which is not, which doesn't exist in Sanskrit, that is, shoho jisso. So something like, they have also taught that any abstract entity as Atman or An-Atman does not exist within true reality of all beings, shoho jisso. So there's no, within shoho jisso, there's no abstract entity as Atman or Anatman. So here Nagarjuna negates both Atman and Anatman.

[45:25]

Both don't really exist. Of course, you know, an Atman is a negation of Atman, so an Atman doesn't exist. So an Atman is also just a name. And verse 7, next one, English translation is, Where mind's functional realm ceases, this mind's functional realm, is a translation, is shingyo. Maybe I don't need to write. That means a function of our mind. So where mind functional realm ceases, then our mind doesn't work. And the realm of words also ceases, then our mind doesn't work, and then

[46:33]

you know, all words and concepts cease to be. For... that means when our mind doesn't work, our brain doesn't work, there's no such things called words and concepts, or Nama Lupa. For indeed, the essence of existence, this essence of existence, is dharmata. And this dharmata, in Chinese translation, is shoho jisso, is like nirvana. This is really important saying in this entire section. This, the essence of existence, dharmata, or shoho jisso, is like nirvana. So Shoho Jiso is another name for nirvana.

[47:38]

Without origination and destruction, which neither allows nor perishes. This Shoho Jiso is another name of nirvana. I think we need to remember this. When we think about nirvana, the way all beings really are, is nirvana. And we create samsara. And verse 8, maybe you need to go to verse 9. Non-conditionally related to any entity, quiescent, non-conceptualized, non-conceptualized by conceptual play, non-discriminative and non-differentiated.

[48:49]

These are the characteristics of reality. This characteristic of reality is Tattvachalakshanam. That is the word, this one. So Nagarjuna uses this Tattvachalakshanam, the characteristics of existence. And Kumarajiva translates it as Shoho Jisso. I think that is the point. Kumāra Jīva translates those words into Chinese expression, shōhō jissō. So now we can understand what shōhō jissō means in original Buddhist teaching.

[49:52]

That is the way all things are. That is emptiness. And emptiness means interdependent origination. There's no fixed entity, but things are gathering, or a collection of all different elements. Please. So, Shogo Jizo is ultimate truth, or ultimate truth and convention? Both. I mean, it's confusing, but... Yes. In Nagarjuna teaching, there's only two truths. Conventional truth and absolute truth, or ultimate truth.

[50:56]

You know, sometimes the ultimate truth is shohojisou, but conventional truth is something we fabricate within our mind. So it's a kind of a copy, a copy of the truth or reality. But Nagarjuna said, we can see and understand the ultimate truth of emptiness only through conventional truth. So ultimate truth cannot exist without conventional truth. These two are also interdependent. So in that sense, this interdependence of conventional truth and absolute truth is true form of all beings, or reality of all beings.

[52:02]

This is kind of confusing in the way we think, but this is kind of important point that within absolute, relative are included. So there is a real absolute truth which includes relative and absolute. Does it make sense? It's really a basic idea of Tendai teaching. You know, about... let's see... about the... You know, there are expressions as three vehicles and ekāyāna, one vehicle. Three vehicles refer to Śrāvaka, Pratyekabuddha, and Bodhisattva. Those are three kinds of Buddhism, or Buddhists.

[53:06]

Śrāvaka means Buddha's disciples. And Pratyekabuddha is a practitioner who practices study by themselves without a teacher and attains certain awakening and doesn't teach, like a hermit. And Bodhisattva is a name for Mahayana Buddhist practitioners. So there are three kind of distinctions. And in the Lotus Sutra, it said, there are no such three vehicles, only one Buddha vehicles. But that is what is saying in the second chapter of the Lotus Sutra. And that is another source of this expression, shuho jisho. So I'm going to talk on the Lotus Sutra tomorrow morning.

[54:10]

You know, in the Lotus Sutra, there's a parable. It said, you know, a parable of a burning house. You know, there are three children playing with three different kinds of toys. And once a father left the house, and during the father's absence, the house started to burn. And the father returned. He found three children playing with three different kinds of toys and didn't want to come out of the burning house. So the father told his children, you know, come out of this burning house. you will find a much superior, much better toy.

[55:13]

So those three children get out of the burning house, and they only find one said white cow or ox vehicle. That means three vehicles, Shravaka, Pratyekabuddha, and Bodhisattva are kind of expedient. And real thing is one vehicle as Buddha's vehicle. And Mahayana is, how can I say, both Sattvayana and in Tendai tradition they have many different kind of discussions whether the Mahayana Buddhism which is relative with Hinayana or two vehicles, Nagashiravaka and Pratyekabuddha, is this Mahayana within the three vehicles and this

[56:28]

One vehicle, Mahāyāna, is same Mahāyāna or not. And there are many different theories. But in the case of one vehicle, Mahāyāna as one vehicle, and Mahāyāna as a bodhisattva vehicle, that is relative with Śrīla Bhāgavata and Pratyekabuddha. are same or different. This is kind of an important discussion in Tendai tradition. And this means something absolute cannot exist without relative things. If something absolute is beside or outside of relative things, then that absolute and that relative things become relative.

[57:29]

Right? Become relative. Relative? So, if absolute is really absolute, absolute need to include or embrace all different relative things. That is the idea of one vehicle or ekayana. So within one Buddha vehicle, all different kinds of practitioners are included or embraced. And that is, this is also another point Dōgen, you know, discussed in Shōhō Jissō, that all those relative things is called hōben, or expedient means. And ekāyāna is true vehicle, true teaching of Buddha.

[58:33]

And Dōgen's point is, beside expedient means, there is no such thing as absolute truth or ekāyāna. So, he is basically trying to clarify the relationship between things relative or expedient and absolute truth. And this is my understanding of Dogen's point in Shokhojitsu. Without expedient means, there's no absolute truth. Where expedient means is the way Absolute Truth manifests itself within the actual world. So those two should not be separated. In that sense, what Dogen wants to say is, this soul and this soul is the same soul.

[59:40]

As Dogen's insight, but as a translation, definition of word, these two should be distinguished. But Dogen's point is these are not two separate things, but one thing. That is, I think, that is the conclusion of Dogen's Shobo Genzou Shihou Jissou. I have to mention it here. The final verse, verse 12, might be interesting. Nagarjuna said, where the accomplished Buddhas do not appear and the Shravakas cease to be,

[60:56]

So Buddha in this world, when Buddha does not appear and Shravakas cease to be, that means no Buddha and no monks, the enlightened mind of the Pratyekabuddhas comes forth from independent disengagement of the well, we have to say, of the Atman, or fixed self. So, here even Buddha doesn't exist, and even Buddhist monks don't exist. That means even there's no so-called Buddhist, still, you know, the enlightened mind of the Pratyekabuddha comes forth. from independent disengagement of the fixed self, or Atman.

[62:06]

That means even we have all Buddhist traditions cease to be. If the person is free from clinging to Atman, Good morning, everyone. Before we start to read Dogen Zenji's Shobo Genzo Shoho Jisso, I'd like to introduce a little more information about this expression and also a teaching about this expression.

[63:28]

I think that helps our understanding of what Dōgen wants to say in this writing. The expression shōhō-jissō, as I said yesterday, refers to the reality or truth of each and every being's So, shoho is beings, and jisso is like a...shoho is beings or dharma, and jisso is dharma-ta, something that makes dharma as dharma. It's like a human and humanity, or Buddha and Buddha-ta, or Buddha-nature. So this soul is something abstract, we cannot see, and universal.

[64:38]

Humanity is shared by all human beings. Each one of us is different as a concrete being, but humanity is all-pervading. All human beings share humanity. That is the difference between beings, or dharma, and dharma-ta. This Dogen's writing, Shoho Jisso, is his comment basically on the expression from the Lotus Sutra. And this Lotus Sutra is also translated by Kumarajiva, the person who translated Nagarjuna's Majamika Karika. And so, Komarajeeva's translation work was very important to kind of create the Chinese Buddhist philosophy.

[65:56]

Anyway, This expression, Dogen quotes in his Shōhō Jissō, is appeared in the second chapter of the Lotus Sutra. The title is, in the translation I used, tactfulness, or tactfulness? Another translation is skillful means. Skillful means or experienced means. The original Sanskrit word is upaya. This is the second chapter of the Lotus Sutra. In the first chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Buddha didn't say anything.

[67:01]

He was sitting in meditation called Muryo Gisho Zanmai, the Samadhi of something like infinite meanings. And Buddha emit the light and illuminate entire Dharma world. And people expected that Buddha was going to expound very profound and absolute Dharma. That is the end of the first chapter. And in this second chapter, the Buddha started to talk. It starts something like this. This is the very beginning of the second chapter. It said, at that time, the world-honored one, rising quietly and clearly from contemplation, this contemplation is Samadhi, addressed Shaliputra.

[68:20]

So Buddha spoke to Shaliputra, the wisdom of Buddha. is very profound and infinite. That's the first thing he said. The wisdom of Buddha is very profound and infinite. Their wisdom, in this translation, it says, wisdom school. But I don't know what this school means. The original word is a mon. Mon means gate. But the gate of wisdom, that means teachings, Buddha's teachings about Buddha's wisdom, is difficult to understand and difficult to enter, so that the suravakas and the pratyekabuddhas cannot apprehend it.

[69:24]

Buddha is talking to Shariputra and his suravaka. That means my understanding, my wisdom is too difficult for you. So you cannot understand it. And Buddha said, fearful. because the Buddhas have been in fellowship with countless hundred thousand myriad courtesans of Buddhas. you know, Buddha's practice with many numberless Buddhas in the past lives. Perfectly practicing the infinite law, law is Dharma, infinite Dharma of all Buddhas. Boldly and zealously advancing and making their fame universally known.

[70:28]

perfecting the very profound, unprecedented Dharma, and preaching as opportunity served, its meaning so difficult to understand. So Buddha has been expanding the absolute Dharma, which is very difficult to understand. Then, Shaliputra, ever since I became Buddha, with various reasonings and various parables, I have widely discoursed and taught, and by countless tactful methods or skillful means, have led living beings, causing them to leave all attachments.

[71:34]

So, because the reality Buddha awakened to, and Buddha's wisdom itself is very difficult to understand. So Buddha has been teaching using parables and also many different kinds of skillful means. He never taught the reality itself. He taught about reality using some skillful means. And the Lota Sutra wanted to say is now he is ready to show the reality itself without using the tactful means. Fair four. Because the Tathagata is altogether perfect in his tactfulness and parameter of wisdom,

[72:40]

Shariputra, the wisdom of the Tathagata, is broad and great, profound and far-reaching. His mind is infinite. His expositions are unimpeded. His powers, his fearlessness, his meditation, his emancipations, his contemplations have enabled him to enter into the boundless realness and to accomplish all the unprecedented dharma. So basically, Buddha is praising himself. Shariputra, the Tathagata, is also to discriminate to discriminate everything, preach the laws or dharmas skillfully, use gentle words, and cheer the heart of all.

[73:57]

Shariputra, essentially speaking, the Buddha has altogether fulfilled the infinite, boundless, unprecedented, Dharma. And next he says, he said, enough, Shaliputra, there is no need to say any more. So Buddha did not reject to say any more. You know, he started to talk about this absolute Dharma, but Buddha said, Buddha has hesitation, because it's too difficult for Shravakas because the law which the Buddha has perfected is the chief unprecedented dharma, or law, and difficult to understand. I think this hesitation of preaching or expanding came from the Buddha's hesitation of teaching after his

[75:12]

attaining awakening. He stayed under the Bodhi tree for three weeks and he had hesitation to stand up from the seat and to teach because the reality or truth he awakened to is too difficult to understand for many living beings. And the Indian god asked Buddha to start to teach, and Buddha rejected twice, and the first time he accepted. And here in the Lotus Sutra, Instead of the Indian god, Shariputra is asking Buddha to expound the Dharma. And Buddha rejected twice.

[76:15]

And the third time, he started to talk. That is so peaceful. part of Lotus Sutra and the beginning of Buddha's teaching. After Buddha stood up from his sitting under the Bodhi tree and started to teach, it has some connection. Anyway, before he started to talk about this Dharma, he said, only a Buddha, together with a Buddha, can fathom the reality of all existence. This reality of all existence is shoho jisso. And Dogenzen picked up this expression, shoho jisou, as a title of Shobo Genzo, from this place of the Lotus Sutra.

[77:41]

But according to the modern scholars, in the original Sanskrit, in this place, there's no Sanskrit word for shoho jisou. So this is a kind of a Kumara Jiva's creativity. He put this expression, shoho-jiso, in here. So, only a Buddha, together with a Buddha, can fathom the reality of all existence. My translation is true reality. I put true reality of all beings. I'm not sure true reality makes sense or not. It's kind of redundant. But I want to use two words, jitsu and sou, because of Dogen's writings.

[78:47]

And that is to say, this reality of all beings is, that is to say, all existence or all beings, has such a form, such a nature, such an embodiment, such a potency, such a function, such a primary cause, such a secondary cause, such an effect, such a recompense, and such a complete fundamental whole. Here, the Lotus Sutra lists up ten suchness. And that is Dogen quotes in Shobo Genzo. And this ten suchness is really important in especially Chinese Tendai teachings I'm going to introduce later.

[79:55]

But this ten suchness does not also exist in the original Sanskrit Lota Sutra. So this is also, this ten suchness is also addition by Kumāra Jīva. So Kumarajiba was a very creative translator. Creative translation and honest or direct translation is sometimes opposite, contradicted. But if Kumarajiva didn't translate the Lota Sutra in this way, Chinese Tendai teaching, mainly established by Tendai Chi-I and also Dogen, Dogen's Shobojutsu, doesn't exist.

[80:59]

So we, Kubarajiva is a really important person to understand, you know, Tendai teaching, Chinese Tendai teaching, and Dogen's teaching. Those ten suchnesses is, let me first read in kanji. SO SHO TAI RIKI SA IN NEN KA HO and HONMATSUKU KYOTO The pronunciation is so, sho, tai, riki, sa, in, nen, or in, nen, ka, ho, hon, matsu,

[82:34]

In this translation, so is form, so is nature, and tai is embodiment. Riki is a potency. Sa is a function. In is cause. En is condition. In this translation, this says a primary cause. Primary cause. And N is a secondary cause.

[83:53]

And 8-1, 8-1 is Effect and recompense. Recompense. And the final one is a complete fundamental whole. Maybe I don't need to write it. Hole. Yeah, W-H-O-L-E. Hole. This means each and every being. As a reality of each and every being.

[84:55]

There are ten suchness. These are called suchness. Or thusness, or nyousei in Japanese. So it said, Nyoze-so, Nyoze-sho, Nyoze-tai, Nyoze-riki, Nyoze-sa, Nyoze-in, Nyoze-en, Nyoze-ka, and Nyoze-ho. So these are called ten suchness. And each and every being has these ten aspects. That is what this Lota Sutra, translated by Kumāra Jīva, is saying. And this is Shōhō Jissō. And Lota Sutra doesn't explain what this means. Just list up. Please. Number nine is recompense.

[86:04]

Recompense. Another translation is retribution. I'll explain later what this means. So the Lotus Sutra doesn't explain what this means, but my understanding is these ten suchnesses. Within these ten suchnesses, the first five refer to the uniqueness of each being. or the feature or characteristic or particularity of each being.

[87:09]

Each being has its own unique form, and unique nature, and unique body. In this case, form means something we can see, so looking, appearances. And nature is each person has different personality, in the case of human beings. And dog has dog nature. Cat has cat nature. And each thing has its own nature. And Thay here said embodiment. But I think this is just a body. Each thing has its body or substance. Actually, in the Buddhist philosophy, there is no substance. as a fixed entity, but as a tentative being, we have some substance or body.

[88:15]

And each one, each being, has its own unique potency or energy, power. Some energy, each one of all beings has its own power, or energy, or potency. And function. Some work. Even the mountain is working. Or the blackboard is working. And I'm working. Everything is working. So each and every being has its own unique features. And next four, I think, shows that each and every unique individual being cannot exist without relation with others.

[89:19]

And six and eight, in and ka. Six and eight, effect or result, or cause and result, is a relationship within time. For example, a seed of a tree is planted. As a result, the trees grow and bloom flowers and bear fruits. That is cause and result. So each and everything is within the relationship.

[90:23]

between cause and result. You know, seed is a result of previous, you know, life. And this seed is a cause of future life. So each and everything is a result of something previous and cause of something in the future. So everything has connection with the past and with the future. This is what cause and result, I think, means. So without the causality, the sequence of cause and effect, nothing can exist. And I think 7th and 9th, this translation says secondary cause, but usually this is translated as conditions.

[91:36]

Pardon me? Conditions. And how is the compensation or retribution? That is, for example, you know, even if a seed of some certain plant is planted on the soil, if there's a certain condition helps this seed to sprout and grow, the seed cannot live. All the conditions that help a seed to sprout and grow is N, or conditions such as a seed needs humidity.

[92:42]

humidity, uncertain temperature, and sunbeam, all those, without all those conditions, seeds cannot sprout. If a seed is, you know, put on the table, it doesn't sprout. And the seed is, you know, cooked by human beings, you know, it cannot sprout and grow. So all those conditions that help a seed to grow is the relationship between this seed and all other beings. And not only the conditions positively or actively help or directly help a seed to grow, such as humidity and temperature,

[93:52]

Things or the fact that, for example, a bird didn't come to pick up the seed to eat. That fact, something didn't happen, is part of the conditions. So negative thing didn't happen is also a condition to help a seed to sprout and grow. So not only things happening to help a seed grow, but also things that didn't happen is also a cause, condition, for a seed to grow. That means everything within this universe, is a condition for a seed to grow, even, you know, a certain distance between sun and earth. If the distance is too little more closer, then the earth is much hotter.

[95:03]

Then certain seeds cannot grow, or even we may cannot live. So, there is a certain distance between Sun and Earth. These are one of the conditions. One small, tiny seed can sprout and grow and produce something. So, actually everything is a condition for everything. Everything is connected with everything other conditions. And then the seed sprout and the plant continue to grow. As a result, you know, the tree blooms flowers. This is the result of this cause.

[96:07]

But this result is not only the result or effect of this seed, living activity of this seed. But when a flower blooms, somehow it has its influence from to others. You know, when we see, especially for us Japanese, when we see cherry blossom blooms in the spring, we feel happy. So that is not the purpose of a seed of, I don't know, cherry blossom, cherry tree has seed or not. But, you know, that is not the purpose for a cherry tree to make us happy.

[97:08]

But somehow it has the effect that we become happy. Or because of, you know, many flowers, blooms, we can offer the flower to the Buddha. You know, this is not the reason the flowers bloom, the plant living. But somehow, when a plant blooms flowers, it helps us to practice. And also, when there are fruits, you know, animals or birds can eat the fruits. And the fruit eaten by the bird can be carried somewhere else and next generation, the seed in the next generation can grow somewhere else.

[98:11]

So, and also, as Ryokan wrote in his poem, When a flower blooms, you know, what is that? Butterfly. Butterfly visits the flower. And even though flower doesn't invite butterfly, somehow butterfly visits the flower. And butterfly and flower help each other. Butterfly does something for the flower. and the flower, you know, offer honey or nectar. So somehow, as a result, also, you know, has connection with all other things in the universe. I think that is what this retribution or recompense means. In the case of Buddhism, this of course means a seed is an arousing body-mind.

[99:20]

This is the starting point of our practice. And we study and practice and we grow and become mature. And when we mature to a certain degree, In the beginning, we are helped by many things. We need support from all beings, actually. Not only teachers, or Buddhist books, and also the Sangha. Those are the conditions we can practice. And we become mature, grow and mature as Buddha's children. And when we become mature to a certain degree, we can offer something to other people as a support or help of other people's practice, as a co-practitioner or as a teacher.

[100:31]

And ultimately, Bodhisattva becomes a Buddha. This is not the end of this process. When Bodhisattva becomes a Buddha, you know, Buddha needs to teach, as a Buddha's practice, to teach all other beings. So, in the beginning or in the process, we are helped by all beings. And when we become matured, we can also support others. So this recompense means a fruit that has something to offer to other beings. Please. I don't understand the difference between eight and nine, a result. A result is like a When we study something to become a teacher, we study and we master something, we attain certain knowledge and understanding.

[101:47]

That is a result of study. And when we master a certain degree, we get a license to teach, to become a teacher. You know, to get certain understanding, knowledge, and skill is a result. And become a teacher is a recompense, a retribution of the result. So result is a connection within this person. I didn't know in the beginning, but by studying something, now I understand this. And when I understand this, you know, I can teach. So this is a... Inga is a connection within me, within time.

[102:50]

And En and Ho is a connection with me and other beings. So when our bodhisattva attains awakening, that becomes Buddha. That means Buddha needs to teach. I think that is kā and ho. Please. I said these four is relation with others. These first five is a uniqueness of each being. And the next four is a relationship with others. Relationship? Relation? Relationship? Any being cannot exist without relationship with others.

[103:56]

So this is my understanding of these nine suchness. Please. Number one, can you say more about that? Form. How is that different from three? Three? Three is body. Difference between form and body. Form is appearance-looking. You know, each one of us has a human body, but looks different. Right? That is appearance-looking form, something we can see. Okay? And number 10. This Hon is beginning and Matsu is end. This Hon, beginning, means number one and Matsu means number nine.

[105:08]

That means from number one to number nine. Kyo means ultimately. And to means equal, one and equal, or one and same. That means these nine is not nine independent items. But these nine is one thing as a whole. Does it make sense? That means these nine are not different parts of one being, one existence, one thing. But these are just one thing. Everything has these nine, for the best word, aspects.

[106:17]

nine aspects, and these nine are not separate from each other. This is one thing. That is what Honmatsu Kukyo-to, in this translation, said, their consistence, complete fundamental whole, another translation is, their consistency from beginning to end. And another one is absolute identity of their beginning and end. Absolute identity. So actually these nine are one thing. This is my understanding of this teaching in the Lotus Sutra about the reality of all beings. That is, each and every being has its own uniqueness, unique form, nature, body, energy, and function.

[107:32]

And yet, each unique being, we are unique beings, each one of us is a unique being, and yet this unique being cannot exist without relationship or support with others. So this shows two sides of interdependent origination. One is each and everything is connected with everything. like a knot of the net. This is the Indora's net. Everything is connected with everything. So each knot looks like independent being, individual being. We don't see this thread. This thread is transparent, so we don't see the thread.

[108:35]

So we think each and every knot or being are independent and individual and unique. And that is true. And yet, without relation with all other beings, this cannot exist. In that sense, each being as individual is empty. No self-nature. Without connection or relation with others, it doesn't really exist. And yet each knot has its own unique form, nature, body, energy, and function. So this shows two sides of the reality of all beings. One is uniqueness of each being. Another is connection with all other beings within this network of interdependent ordination.

[109:37]

Could you say a little bit more about Nyoze, about his suchness? So, for example, you just described it and you didn't use the phrase such, but in the translation it's such a form, such a nature, such a body, etc. What does the such, what does that add to it? Actually, this word, Nyoze, means particularity and beyond particularity, both. This is kind of an interpretation in Tendai tradition and also interpretation of Dogen by Soto Zen masters.

[110:44]

Nyoze has two sides. Nyo and Ze. Nyo literally means like. Ze is this. Like this. This means this particular thing. And Nyo is this is not really this. Something like this. You know, it is like in Zazenshin, Rogen Zenji says, a bird is flying like a bird. It's not really a bird, but it's like a bird. It's like this. Yeah, this one. So, nyo is like, something like, and this.

[111:48]

That means, you know, each and everything, each and every particular thing is not necessarily this thing. You know, Tsurukiroshi said, not necessarily, or not always so. That is another expression of emptiness. Not one, not two, or not who, not move. Anyway, this Nyoze is the word used as a translation of thusness. Not a translation of thusness, but a translation of tatata. Tatata is like this.

[112:54]

And English translation is thusness. So tatata, nyoze, and thusness is one thing. So... Yes. Yes. Yes. And Nyo and... In that case, Nyo and Ze is kind of a... How can I say? Contradicted each other. And yet, Nyo and Ze is one thing. So, this is... I'm going to talk on this later. There are three things in here. One is Nyo. Another is ze. And the third is nyo-ze as one thing. You know, in the Nagarjuna's teaching, there are two truths. Absolute truth and conventional or relative truth.

[113:57]

I have to say a little later. This absolute truth and relative truth is one truth. And in Tendai's teaching, this means three. Instead of two truths, Tendai, especially Chi'i, mentioned three truths. San tai, three truths. And those three tools are ku, ke, and ju. Ku is emptiness. And ke is, what is ke?

[115:02]

Ke is experience. or tentative. That is a noun for tentative or expedient. Anyway, chu is middle. This means instead of ku is considered to be the absolute truth in Nagarjuna's teaching. is relative truth. Actually, these three truths came out of Nagarjuna's Mahajanmika Karika, and it said, everything caused by causes and conditions is empty. Therefore, it is a tentative being.

[116:09]

It doesn't really exist. Provisional being. Provisional. Provision. So it's there, but it's not there. And this is, Nagarjuna said, everything coming and going within causes and conditions is empty. Therefore it's provisional. And that emptiness and That is a noun. Provision is middle. So these are three ways of viewing one reality. Because everything is coming and going, arising and perishing within time and space. It's empty. And it's provisional. That is the meaning of the middle.

[117:12]

And in the case of Nagarjuna, emptiness and provision is called two truths. But in Tendai, especially Tendai Chi, these are three truths. And he kind of, not create, but teach, taught, meditation based on those three truths. First, we should see all provisional beings are empty. So we should see emptiness of provisional beings. This is called ku-gan or ku-kan. Kan is contemplation or meditation, or vipassana.

[118:22]

So seeing provisional, you know, each and everything we see is provisional beings. And yet we have a tendency to see this is a real thing, and I want this or I hate that. But to see the emptiness of all beings is to be free, released from that kind of clinging or attachment. So first we have to see the emptiness of each and every provisional being. That is called Kugan, in order to become free from our clinging to our idea. Next is kei-kan. That means we need to... How can I say? We should not cling to this emptiness. Sometimes, or usually, often, when we see the emptiness of all beings, we cling to emptiness.

[119:29]

And we forget the importance of each and every being in our daily lives. So we have to return from emptiness to a provisional being. Without a provisional being, there's no such thing as emptiness. Emptiness doesn't really exist. Emptiness is the way provisional beings are. But when we think we see the emptiness of all beings, that means we feel liberated to our idea, our clinging, our attachment, then we feel we are free and we can do anything we want. That is a kind of a sickness of empty or emptiness. Sickness caused by clinging to emptiness. So we need to return from emptiness to provision. This is called keikan.

[120:35]

So we need to go from here to there, and there to here. We have to return to provisional beings, because that is the place we live, actually. And to see both ways at the same time is called Chugan, or Chugan, as a middle. This one. This kan means to see or to contemplate. And sometimes it's considered to be ku.

[121:39]

And ze is considered to be ke, this particular thing. And this particular thing is provisional, and it has no self-nature. It's empty. That is what nyo means. It's like this. And yet, it is this, but it's not really this. It is like this. That is the meaning. So nyo and ze are contradicted. And nyo ze, as one word, includes two sides. These three truths are the basic kind of structure of Chinese Buddhism, or not only Buddhism, probably Taoism also. You know, one thing in which two kinds of opposite things are included, like yin and yang, yin and yang working together.

[122:49]

and in and one working as a whole is one reality. Same, as you said, in the Sandokas, nyo is spiritual source, spiritual source, and ze is branching stream. And there's another word, Another line that is the root and branch return to the source. Root and branch return. This source is shu. So there are, in Sandokai, there are three things. Within this shu, you know, basic foundation, source, spiritual source and branching stream are there.

[123:50]

So within one reality, two kind of opposite power is working and make things happen and changing. That is a basic idea of Chinese Buddhism. Yes, yes. Which one? This one? Kukyo is ultimate. To is equal. Equal. But it's not equal, really. I mean, that is what Dogen discussed, or not discussed, but saying, said in the very beginning of Fushiku Hanpo. You know, Fushiku Hanpo is a part of Eihei Shingi, in which Dogen described how to use Oryoki.

[124:55]

The very beginning of Fushiku Hanpo, he said, food and Dharma are one and the same. He said this To, one and equal, I translated it one and equal, but Taigen said one and equal is strange. If it's equal, there must be two things. If it's one, it's equal. The English word equal can't be used. So we use one and same. And yet, in Fushiku Hanpo, if you read it, He said, this Tō is not a Tō of comparison and, say, impair or equal. But this Tō is Tō in the Shōtō Tōgaku. That means, what is Shōtō Tōgaku? Anuttara Sannmyaku Sambodhi. Anuttara Sannmyaku Sambodhi. Sannmyaku means absolute equality.

[125:57]

To see things really equal, that is Anuttara means. Right? Anuttara Samyak, or Samyak means inseparable or incomparable. Inseparable. I forgot, I'm sorry. Okay, here we are. I started to already talk about Ten Rai teaching, about this ten suchness.

[126:35]

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