Let me read a few pages. Shufen, or Seppo, said, the entire great earth is the gate of liberation, but people are not willing to enter, even though they are drugged. Therefore, we should know that Even though the entire earth and the entire world is the gate, it is not easy to exit and enter. There aren't many who have exited and entered. Even when they are dragged, they do not enter. They do not exit. When they are not dragged, they do not enter. they do not exit. Those who try to take forward steps and enter will make mistakes.

[01:09]

Those who try to take backward steps will stagnate. What can we do? When grabbing the people and trying to make them get in and out of the gate, they are getting far and far. When grabbing the gate and trying to put it into the people, there is a possibility to get in and get out. Opening the gate of the expedient means is itself revealing the true and genuine reality. Revealing the true and genuine reality is entire time, and the beginning, the middle, and the end are cut off. The principle of the very opening itself of the gate of expedient means is that the gate of the expedient means is open in the ten-direction world.

[02:26]

At this very moment, if we truly see the entire 10-direction world, there are scenarios we have never seen. Holding one piece or two pieces, three pieces or four pieces of the 10-direction world, we enable each one of them to open the gate of the expedient means. Because of this, although it seems as if they are one and the same opening the gate of expedient means, it seems that various entire ten direction worlds, gaining the small portion of the opening the gate of expedient means, make that portion their manifesting faces, such a circumstance is caused by the power of belonging to this sutra.

[03:37]

Revealing the true and genuine reality is hearing and circulating the words and phrases of the true reality of all beings within the entire world. It is accomplishing the way within the entire world. It is enabling the entire person to see and understand the principle that the true reality is all beings, and enabling the entire being to actualize the principle that the true reality is all beings. We hold the true reality of all beings and study it. I'm sorry. 13. Therefore, the unsurpassable awakening of the 40 Buddhas and the 40 ancestors belongs to this sutra.

[04:54]

It is belonging to this sutra and is this sutra's belonging. The round cushion for the Zen and the sleeping stick that are nothing other than the unsurpassable awakening are all belonging to this sutra. Picking up a flower and breaking into smile Both are belonging to this sutra. These are this sutra's belongings. Opening the gate of expedient means is itself revealing the true reality. So, we start the Seppo's saying, this saying, the entire great earth is the gate of liberation, but people are not willing to enter even though they are drugged.

[06:12]

This saying by Seppo Washufen is quoted because in the last sentence of the previous paragraph, he said, even though this gate of expedient means is manifesting itself as the entire ten-direction world, so this gate of expedient means, or upaya, opens itself as the entire ten-direction world, that means this entire world, is the gate of expedient means. That means, wherever we are, we are right in the gate. And that is the gateway we can enter the true reality of all beings. Because we are all beings.

[07:15]

Wherever we are, whenever, you know, we are right at the gate. But Seppo said, you know, the ten great, I'm sorry, the entire great earth is a great gate of liberation. Gate of liberation and gate of expedient means is the same thing. Gate of expedient means means the concrete condition or situation for each one of us to enter the true reality of all beings. So, this entire world is a gate of liberation. But Sepo said, Sepo is a Chinese Zen master, He was a disciple of Tokusan and a teacher of Unmon.

[08:24]

Unmon? I think so. Anyway, Seppo is a person who once practiced with a Tozan, Don Shan, the founder of the Chinese Soto school. And Seppo was not a Tenzo, but a person who is in charge of washing rice. Then Seppo was washing rice, cleaning the rice. Tozan, the abbot, stopped by at where he was working and asked, do you select the rice from the dust or do you take the dust out from the rice? Then Seppo said, I take them both at once.

[09:28]

Then the abbot said, if take both out for the assembly for the community, people in the community eat. Then the seppo actually turned the entire container of rice and that away. That was the story. And Noro-chan said, you will find some other teacher. That means you are not my student. That person. And he, when he became the disciple of Tokusan, Tokusan was very famous for his kind of violent sort of teaching. He used a stick and always saying, if you say something, I'll hit you. If you don't say something, I'll hit you. That kind of person.

[10:31]

Anyway, later, Seppo became really a great Zen master. And he said, this is one of the sayings of Seppo. Even though this entire world is a gate of liberation, no one come in. No one. But people are not willing to enter even though they are drugged. Even, you know, Zen master, you know, take the hand of that person and come in. They don't want to come in. That means they don't want to be liberated. I don't know. We should ask to ourselves somehow, you know, liberation is not so comfortable place, I think. We have to be, you know, good boy or good girl. I mean, as Buddha said in the Sutta, in the Sutta Nibbhāna, in the Nirvana,

[11:43]

Not only suffering, but also pleasure ceases to exist. But we want to have pleasure. We want to be free from suffering, but we want to keep the pleasure. But pleasure and suffering are always together. So, you know, nirvana is not such a a place like a paradise or heaven where all of our desires are fulfilled. Everything we want is there. But nirvana is like a sesshin, a practice center. We have to be serious or sincere. become free from our desire to be, you know, to be satisfied. It's not easy thing and it's not a fun, I think.

[12:48]

So not many people want to get in. I remember a teacher saying once, Buddha is someone who sees all of the suffering, all of the pain, Bob Thurman once said, in response to something I asked him, well, Buddha is someone who sees all of the suffering of all of the beings, all of the time. And I went... So I can understand. Well, Then Dōgen made his own comment on this thing and how can we enter this gate of revelation or gate of the expedient means. And Dōgen, first Dōgen agreed with Seppo and said, therefore,

[13:55]

We should know that even though the entire earth and entire world, wherever we are, is the gate, it is not easy to exit and enter. It's there, but it's difficult because of our motivation, because our aspiration. There aren't many, so there aren't many people who get in and get out. Even when they are drugged, they do not enter, they do not exit. That means when someone, you know, encourage and ask to come in, they don't come in and they don't get out, they don't go through this gate. And even when they are not drugged, that means they can make their own choice, of course they don't enter.

[15:07]

They do not exit. And those who try to take forward steps and try to enter, when the person has an aspiration to enter and try to. So many people don't have desire to get into, but even if there are some people who really want to get into the gate, so they try to take forward step and enter, will make mistakes. With intention? Yes. And those who try to take backward steps will stagnate, means stay there. These two expressions, forward steps and backward steps, are shinpo.

[16:16]

Taiho. As a common usage of these two words, simple forward steps or going forward has a positive meaning. That means we develop or improve, go forward, to study and master something. And taiho is backward step or backsliding or withdraw. So this usually, commonly, this has a negative meaning, and this has positive meaning. But in, for example, in Fukan Zazengi, the recommendation of Zazen, universal recommendation of Zazen, of Fukan Zazengi, Togen Zenji used this word in a positive meaning.

[17:35]

That is, Eko Henshou no Taihou. Are you familiar with this expression, Eko Hensho? In English translation of Fukanza Zengi, this is often translated as turning the light inward and illuminating the self. This is eco-hensho. And Dogen said, we should study backward step of eco-hensho. So Awazazen is not a forward step, but a backward step to study this Eko Henshou.

[18:44]

Awazazen is to study this backward step of Eko Henshou. And this Chinese expression, Eko Henshou, You know, the English translation, turn the light inward and illuminate the self, is not mistaken, but it's not a literal translation. A means to turn, ko is light, and hen is return, and sho Sho is illumination. Sho, OK. Illumination. And when I translated of Kanza Zengi, I looked up dictionary, Chinese dictionary.

[19:52]

And basically, this eco-hensho has three meanings, I think. The original meaning of this expression is, this is a scenery of the time of sunset. You know, when sun is set to the west before it's getting dark. the sky, the entire sky becomes really bright. That is what this echo henshou means. That means the sun is already gone. So there is no source of the light. And yet, at that time, the entire sky becomes really beautiful and bright. That is, right before darkness.

[20:53]

That is the meaning of this Eko Hensho. After sunset, the entire world becomes really bright. That is the first meaning. And the second meaning is It seems this is a common meaning of eco-henshou in modern Chinese. That is, when a person is dying, right before a person is dying, the person's face becomes, for a short time, very bright. That is called Eko Hensho. So, final kind of expression of life force. So, the person's life is almost gone. And yet, at the final moment, the person's face becomes really bright.

[22:02]

That is the second meaning of eko henshou. Is there any English expression for that? No? Okay. And the third meaning of eko henshou is second wind. You know, when we do some exercise, we become really tired, and we find we have no energy anymore. Then, somehow, the second wind comes up, and we find another, more energy to continue. That is the third meaning of Eko Hensho. And to me, it's interesting and very meaningful. to use this expression in our zazen. Please. So did you say that's modern Chinese? Did Dogen have those three meanings? Did he have those in his vocabulary?

[23:07]

I am not sure. Probably in Chinese language, not only in the modern Chinese, From the ancient times, Ekoheisho has that meaning. But this means the self is already gone. The sun is already gone. And it's right before getting dark, or right before the person is completely dead. The entire sky becomes really beautiful, and the face becomes bright. That means it's not our personal energy. Individual energy is already gone. During Sesshin, we, I think, and we, at least I feel, often feel this way. You know, I have no energy anymore. I can't continue this. You know, especially second, third day of Sesshin, I thought, I thought enough.

[24:14]

I can't, you know, continue this Sesshin. I have no energy at all, both body and mind. So I have to give up. But somehow, next morning, I feel that very fresh, energy, and I feel this energy or life force is not from my personal willpower, but somehow the life force, which is larger than me, is working and allows me to continue to sit. So it's not my willpower or my physical power, but somehow some power that is larger than me, allow me to continue to practice. So I think this, to study the backward step of Eko Hensho has really deep meaning.

[25:27]

As an English translation, to turn the light inward and illuminate the self is not a mistake. That is, in the context of Fukanza Zen, it means we are always going forward, trying to go outside and get something to achieve. We want to practice even Zazen to achieve some kind of something like enlightenment, or awakening, or something better, something desirable. So we go out, go forward. But Dogen then said, you know, going forward to looking for something good is not our practice, especially in our Dazen. We should turn this light, which is trying to illuminate something outside, turn inward. and illuminate who this is.

[26:34]

Please. I think I have two questions. One is, in English, return means like you return something to the department store. You give it back. So return the illumination means, in English, it might have the connotation not just turn, but to return it, give it back to the self. Is that in Chinese? Does hen mean return to give it back? Like as though the self really belongs to the self and it went away, now you're going to give it back. You're going to return it. I think so. I mean, when I lived in Massachusetts, I lived at the valley Zendo. Our Zendo is on the east side of the hill.

[27:38]

And there are, you know, western Massachusetts is very hilly, so there are many hills. And so, because we, that building is in the Inside, the sun set very early, around 3 o'clock. Sun set. So the sky is still bright. And around 5 o'clock, the sun is really, you know, behind the hills. you know, the other hills in the east of the buildings, I mean east of our place, become really beautiful, really bright. And that, you know, that hills in the east side, east of where we lived, you know, return the

[28:44]

light and makes the sky more bright. That is my image. You know, the sun which is already gone is illuminating the sky and these mountains. And this mountain is illuminated by the sun which is already gone. And this mountain also illuminates turn the light received from that sun to the sky. That is my image of, you know, the sun, which is already gone, illuminates the entire world. And this world, which is illuminated by that sun, returns the light, and together makes this world really beautiful. And this is light before darkness. I think this is an important point also. That means during daytime, we are working.

[29:46]

When we are working, we have some, you know, we need to make a decision. What I should do, which is the best way, you know, what is most meaningful. But in the darkness means, you know, no discrimination. That means we just sit. and no discrimination at all. This is absolute reality. This is kind of expedient or conventional reality. And right between discrimination and non-discrimination, there is one moment which is very quiet, calm, and yet very bright. And I think that is our zazen. Our zazen is really kind of a border between this, you know, our day-to-day life, our daytime life, in which we have to make all different kinds of decisions based on discrimination.

[31:05]

You know, in modern times, you know, evening is not the time of resting. But in the ancient times, you know, they don't have light. So it's really dark. And they don't have, they couldn't do anything, any work. So just be quiet and rest. And we cannot distinguish anything in this complete darkness. So we just rest. That is, you know, no discrimination. And right between discrimination and non-discrimination, there is a very bright, beautiful, and yet... and yet it's not completely dark. I think, to me, that is what we experience in our Zazen.

[32:11]

If we are lucky. Please? Is it the same thing between sleep and waking up? Between what? You know, when you are asleep and you wake up. Sleep and wake up. Morning Zazen is like that. Did I answer to your question? Well, so Shinpo and Taiho. But here I think he commented both ways as a negative thing. Shinpo means to go. I wanted to get into that gate. So I tried to practice to be liberated, to attain liberation. Then Dogen said, that person will make mistakes. And those who try to take backward steps means

[33:20]

You know, sometimes we hesitate to get in. We think, that is not my thing. That is not something I want. It looks beautiful, but I don't want. You know, it seems so difficult and boring. You know, before we start five-day session, I feel that way often. This is not something I want. But somehow I have to. I have to because I live in the temple. There's no way to escape. And because I am the teacher, if I escape, no one sits. So I have to stay. And once we start to sit, You know, it's there. There's no hesitation.

[34:26]

The world of Zazen really opened. So we are 100% there. So that kind of hesitation really disappeared. And once we started to sit peacefully, and quiet, and very calm, so it's okay. But before that, before entering that gate, it's really difficult. Now I have been practicing almost 40 years. Still now, after 40 years, still, you know, I have kind of a hesitation, right before Five-Day Session. Anyway, so if we hesitate to jump into that practice, then Dogen said, who try to take backwards steps will stagnate. That means we cannot move.

[35:28]

We can't go ahead. So try to go ahead using our willpower, intention, or aspiration. we make mistakes. But if we don't have that intention, we stagnate. So how can we enter the gate? Is it a problem to make mistakes? Whether it's a problem or not, I don't know. I mean, Is Dogen saying that it's a problem? So when he says, those who try to take forward steps and enter will make mistakes, is he saying we shouldn't do that, or that's? That's a good question. And Dogen doesn't answer. So we have to think, please. The other day, when you drew the line that we're talking about past, present, and future, and you make mistakes, but you become aware, and you're conscious of them, and then you move forward.

[36:33]

I find that that somehow is at odds with this, about making mistakes. Yeah, I see. Yeah, I understand. Well, it's up to how we interpret this word, mistakes. Please. I think the flavor of this, mistakes, is similar to the idea that Dogen writes that if we don't have a teacher, we shouldn't even start practicing because if we That might be one interpretation. Yeah. Because he doesn't explain, we can interpret as we want. Please. Well, let's see. Shinpo no mono ayamarinubeshi.

[37:35]

Shinpo no mono and taiho no mono. I'm sorry, the word try to is my addition. Literal translation is those who take forward step, and those who take backward step. So try not is not in the original. Is there something connected with the word liberation that people who are doing this to be liberated are doing this for, quote, the wrong reason? Wrong reason. You know, to get something, to be better. Yeah, that is another interpretation. Please. Pardon? Without going forward? How? How is it possible? Right now, right here.

[39:00]

Just being here without moving. That's a good idea. That is what we do in our zoo. Please? Later here in the quarter, it talks about moving the game instead of a person moving. We'll get to that in just a minute. Well, because Dogen just expressed and don't explain, so we can interpret in whatever way we want and it's okay. That is the way we study this kind of writings. We can, you know, interpret in different ways and our understanding is getting deeper and deeper. That is one of the ways we studied this kind of writing. And my interpretation is, what Dogen is saying here is, I think, you know, in Genjo-Koan, he said about

[40:25]

enlightenment or realization and delusion. Carrying ourselves toward all beings and carry out practice enlightenment is delusion. And all beings come towards us and carry out practice enlightenment through this person is enlightenment or realization or the word is satori. This means if we try to carry ourselves and to try to get into that gate, then according to Dogen, we lose it. We make a mistake. But, you know, This is what Dogen said next. After, what can we do? Dogen said, when grabbing the people and trying to make them getting in and out of the gate, they are getting far and far.

[41:36]

That is, when we carry ourselves into the gate of liberation or gate of expedient means, then we lose it. But then grabbing the gate, the gate of liberation, and trying to put it into that person, I think this means all beings come toward us and allow us to carry out practice enlightenment. So our practice, based on our personal desire or aspiration, or even we call it bodhicitta, if we try to take ourselves toward all beings and try to check out and find the true reality of all beings,

[42:39]

That is like we are kind of measuring things, observing things, and measuring things, and try to... what is the real reality of each and every being. We are kind of an observer, and we measure. As far as we are practicing with this attitude, taking ourselves towards all beings, This attitude itself is based on delusion. That is what Dogen is saying in Genjo-Kohan. Because there is a separation between this person as subject and reality of all beings as object. And somehow I want to get the Kaininga a device called prajna, or wisdom, to see the true reality of all beings.

[43:44]

This structure is the same as, you know, subject, object, and some kind of interaction between subject and object. That's why Dogen said this practice is based on this idea. A person who is looking for a reality is looked for, and there's some kind of practice, so-called practice. This idea, this idea of this structure itself, based on delusion. But when all beings come toward us, that means we have to surrender. It's not me that is searching the truth, but when we open our hand, and letting go, then all beings, we are part of this entire network of interdependent origination. Dharma fills us.

[44:46]

In Bendowa, he also said, when we open our hand, the Dharma fills the hand. But when we try to grasp it, we lose it. This is the same thing. So as far as we're trying to get into that gate, you know, we cannot never get into. And so, you know, this is a strange thing to grab the gate and put it into the person. But this is Dogen's expression, that all dharmas come towards the self. In that case, there's no separation between self and all dharmas, because self is, from the very beginning, part of this all dharmas. We are living together within a network of interdependent origination. So we are, from the very beginning, connected to each other and living together. And that is nothing other than true reality.

[45:55]

Please. But isn't that also what happens during Zazen? If you sit down, shut up, be quiet, be calm, it will reveal itself. That is what the fat dog meant. In Genjo-Koan, he is actually writing about our Zazen practice. We lost our personal willpower. And we find the power of this entire network working within me. I think that is what Togenzen said, dropping of body and mind. It's not my personal body and my personal mind, but this is within this network of all beings. I think that is what he is saying here. That is my interpretation.

[46:57]

If you don't agree, that's fine. Any questions? Okay. Let me go to the next paragraph. We are still less than half of this writing, but until page 13 he is discussing about this to reality of all beings. So we have to be really carefully read. But after the middle of page 13, he kind of, his style of writing is changed very radically. I mean, he started to complain about other people.

[48:02]

And that part you know, his writing or his words is very straightforward. So we don't need to, you know, take so much time to discuss what he is going to say after page 13. So if we finish, we can go on to page 13, then it's almost done. And the very final part of this chapter, Shōhō Jisō, he writes about his own personal experience with his teacher, Tendō Nyōjō Zenji. It was really beautiful and very impressive. And that is, this chapter is famous, not famous, famous, popular, but because of that part of, final part of this writing, about his own experience with Nyojo.

[49:14]

Not many people are interested in this part. because he used so much expression from the Lotus Sutra and he just twisted the meanings. So it's not so interesting, unless we really carefully check out the meanings of each and every word and expression in the Lotus Sutra and how he twisted the meaning. It takes a lot of time. But if we really carefully read these sentences, it's really interesting, at least to me. We can see how he thinks, how his mind or brain works. Anyway. Every word he's saying, this sutra, is he referring to the Lotus Sutra?

[50:16]

Yes and no. He's also referring to Yes, Shobo Jisso is itself a sutra. OK, paragraph 25. Opening the gate of the expedient means is itself revealing the true and genuine reality. He's still making comment on the quote from 10th chapter of the Lotus Sutra, that is, the unsurpassable awakening of all bodhisattvas entirely belongs to this sutra.

[51:17]

And in this quote, of course, this sutra means the Lotus Sutra, but he, I mean, Dogen, used this sutra, not necessarily the Lotus Sutra as a written scripture, but referred to the reality as it is, is this sutra. And this sutra, opens the gate of expedient means and reveals the true and genuine reality. So this quote means that this sutra opens the gate to the gate of the expedient means in order to allow reveal, mean allow us to see, to see the true and genuine reality. So this gate of expedient means and true reality is like a method and the result we want using that method.

[52:31]

So same as cause and result, or means and ends. But what Ferdogen wants to say here in this sentence is, opening the gate of the expedient means is itself revealing the true and genuine reality. That means there's no such, you know, relation as a cause and result, or means and purpose or ends. But revealing, no, opening the gate of ex-present means is itself revealing the true and genuine reality. So these are not two separate things, but really one thing. That is what Dogen wants to say. This is the same as, you know, practice and enlightenment are one.

[53:35]

Usually we think practice is a method to attain enlightenment. And expedient means is expedient means to see that true reality. But he said this expedient means, or hoben, is itself true reality. There's no separation between these two. And revealing the true and genuine reality is entire time. That means the reality is always here, right now, right here, right in front of our eyes, or we are actually living in, right within this reality. So it's all the time, entire time. There's no time it is hidden. And the beginning, the middle, and the end are cut off.

[54:38]

That means, you know, this is always. But in each moment, it is before and after is cut off. This is same as Dogen said in Genjo Koan. as when he talks about firewood and ash. You know, firewood is firewood. Firewood states the dharma position of firewood. And ash states the dharma position of ash. And there is a before and after. And yet, this before and after is cut off. That means the moment of firewood is just a firewood, and the moment of ash is just an ash. This is what this saidan or cut-off means. So each moment, each position is an absolute moment. That is Shochu-go-saitan, or beginning, middle, and end are cut off.

[55:45]

So it's moment by moment, each moment. And the principle of the very opening itself of the gate of expedient means is that this opening, this gate, is that the gate of the expedient means is open in the ten-direction world. That means this ten-direction world is this gate of expedient means to allow us to liberate from our self-clinging and making our life suffering. and make ourselves transmigrate within six realms of samsara. Yes? Maybe, I don't know if it's possible to make this distinction, but why does he say that's the principle?

[56:51]

Why couldn't he say, the manifestation of the very opening itself of the gate of expedient means is that the gate of the expedient means is open in the ten direction world? Why is it principle? Yeah, maybe principle is not necessary here. But Dogen used this word, dōri, and this dōri is really difficult word to translate into English. He often used this word, yes. principle and matters, anyway, ultimate reality and concrete matters, or D and G. Phenomena. Phenomena, yes. D and G. Phenomena, principle, of course, phenomena, like arrow points. Right, right.

[57:57]

The word Dogen uses here is dōri. Do is way or Dao, and Ri is same Ri as a principle in Ri and Ji. Phenomena is in Sandokai, phenomena is Ji, and the principle is Ri. So this Ri, same word. And this is principle of the way. But Do-Ri is not particularly Buddhist or Zen term. This is a very common word in... not only in Japanese, but I think in Chinese also. Sometimes, this is a very vague word, so we can translate it in many different ways. Ri is principle.

[59:01]

Do is way. Principle way. Way of principle. Principle of the way. Question? And many people use, not only Dogen, but many people use this word, do-ri, in many different ways. So sometimes it's better not to translate this. I translate because it's there, the word is there. I try to translate, make a literal translation, as literal as possible. Because this is still a working draft. I'd like to work with a native English speaker who can really make this into real English.

[60:06]

This is not yet real English. So, here are the principles. Let's see. 開放弁文の小島会の道理 The principle or the very opening itself of the gate of expedient means. I think here this word principle is not necessary. That means this opening, the gate itself. Anyway, this means that this gate is open within this ten-direction world, this entire ten-direction world. So this is not a particular place. this entire ten direction world is itself the gate. You know, that is what Seppo said.

[61:07]

At this very moment, at this moment, that means any moment, we are, right now, right here, at this very moment, If we truly see the entire ten direction world, there are scenarios we have never seen. Do you understand? Do you want to say something? I think this, we can see, You know, the world is the same, but we can see, how can I say, with very fresh eyes, them, and what is a desirable relationship between me and those things.

[62:11]

Something is desirable, something is not desirable. Something is beautiful, so I want to make this my possession. Or I don't like these things, so I want to stay away. That is how we usually see things. Fat is useful for me to satisfy my desire. whether this can be useful or not useful, or valuable or not valuable, or present or not present. And we start to chase after something we want and escape from something we don't want. This is the, you know, the first cause of transmigration within samsara. Whether we are successful or not successful, we have to always chase, always run after something or from something.

[63:20]

That is really samsara. But when we see, you know, this entire ten-direction world, as a network of interdependent origination, and I'm simply part of it, and me and everything are living together, and I'm not the center of the world, and those things are not the materials I can use to make this person happy. Of course, we still have that kind of desire, but we let go. Then we can see things with very fresh eyes. I think that's the time each and everything starts to reveal as it is, as they are. don't see things, you know, meaningful or useful for me or not, then this thing is Nama Rupa to me.

[64:34]

But when we let go of this Nama Rupa, then this thing starts to reveal the real reality of itself. I think that is what Dogen is saying. and not only things outside of ourselves, but, you know, we also always think, you know, what this person is, whether this person is good enough. And sometimes, you know, we want to, I don't want this person, I don't like this, so I want to make it better. This is, usually we see ourselves, But if we see everything, all dharmas, including this person, this five skandhas, as a real reality, nothing is lacking. It's neither useful nor useless, neither valuable nor valueless.

[65:41]

But these are just as things as they are. then we can see this world, including this self, from very different ways. And I think AWA doesn't allow us to see in that way. Please. I find this sentence really beautiful. At this very moment, if you truly see the entire ten-dimensional world, there are sceneries you can never see. I think so. I think sort of like the movies, you know, sceneries we have never seen in the world.

[67:03]

I have this idea of something beautiful that we have never seen, something that is beautiful. And I'm not sure, just now when you were talking about what we haven't seen, there's also negative things we don't want to see. So maybe, I don't know. Well, the word expression Doge use, and I translate it, scenarios, is yosu. Yosu. What is English word for yosu? Yosu is... Yosu is the way things are.

[68:07]

The way things are. It can be either or both. The way things are. Realities? Realities or actualities. Circumstances. Circumstances. Yo-su. I use this word, scenarios, because this is the expression Uchiyama-roshi uses. He uses the expression, scenarios of life. Please. He's implying we have scenarios. Now we're looking at, like, I mean, if I were to see this with new eyes, because one time I took a four-year-old girl around the block where I work, where I live, and I decided, well, I'm just going to let her, I'm not going to control her, I'm going to let her control everything.

[69:15]

And everything, every step was amazing. She brought joy into every object, and I had seen that object I have one experience. At Green Gorge, several years ago, I think that was in the spring, you know, there was a flower garden at Green Gorge, and during some meeting or something, I took a walk in the flower garden, and those flowers, you know, blooming there, almost all of them are foreign to me.

[70:15]

That means I didn't know the names of the flowers. When I was in Japan, when I see flowers, I have some... I know the names of the flowers. I know... I have some memories about the flowers. And I know, for example, some poems about the flowers. So when I see a flower, I start to associate with my memory and knowledge and feelings I had in the past. So not really seeing the flower itself, but by seeing the flower, I start to play with my memory and thinking. I go into my mind. But I didn't really see that flower itself.

[71:17]

But at that time I felt, because I knew nothing about those flowers, I could really see, you know, the shape and the colors and the beauty of the flowers. I had no concept, idea, association, memory, or whatever. So I was like a four-year-old girl. It's really amazing. It's different. I think that is, to me, that is a completely fresh scenery. Even though, you know, these are not special flowers. Maybe similarly, one time a Japanese person said that Suzuki Roshi, when he spoke the Dharma, In Japanese, it's not so interesting. But in English, it's very powerful. Maybe it's similar.

[72:20]

Probably so. You know, someone said, when I speak Japanese and I speak in English, one person said, my personality is completely different. You know, when I speak in Japanese, I can make any gray zone. But when I speak in English, I have to say black or white. Because my vocabulary is poor. So I have to be very straightforward and clear when I talk in English. But when I talk in Japanese, make everything as a kind of vague, and yet it sounds like meaningful. So it's nice to speak in some foreign language. At least when, you know, I study Shobo Genzo and try to translate into English,

[73:27]

Even though in Japanese I think I understand, but when I try to find an English equivalent, I found that I don't really understand. I have some feeling and vague idea but I don't really know what this word really means. There are so many such vague things in our mind, so to face something which is really falling is a kind of a shock, and I have to struggle with this, but this is really hard but good practice. to see things with very fresh eyes. Well, here we are. Okay.

[74:30]

This is kind of strange. He said this entire world, and he said one piece or two pieces, three or four pieces of this entire world, So there are many pieces of this entire world. I'm not sure. I don't know why. Maybe it's just a variation. I don't think there's some special meaning. Mai is a word to use to count something flat, like a paper or a plate. And ko is a word to count something, you know. Yeah. But here, I don't think he makes distinction with these two.

[75:37]

But I think this means When we sit in the Zen, you know, this entire world becomes the world of the Zen. When we, you know, now we are studying Dogen, we are complete, our ten direction world becomes the world of studying Dogen. And when we take a walk outside, you know, the ten direction world of walking, is open. So in each moment, depending upon what we do, we see a very fresh scenery. But when we are living only within our mind, we cannot see different sceneries. We are caught up who I am, what I should do, what I can expect next.

[76:43]

If we think in that way, we don't really see each and everything. But everything is kind of a concept. For me, Cherry Blossom has some concept. And when we see cherry blossom, I don't really see the cherry blossom. I'm just grasping that object as a cherry blossom, as a concept. I don't really see each and every... flower and see the color and vitality of each and every flower. But I just see, you know, this is spring, April, the time of cherry blossom blooming, and they are blooming, and beautiful, that's all. That is very different from merely seeing as a fresh being, as a living being.

[77:52]

as a part of impermanence, and this is really only reality. So it is like a Buddha. So when we see, not only cherry blossom, anything, when we see like a, we can see, we can encounter, see and encounter with this only once, within our lifetime. That is what is important point, important things in tea ceremony. Ichigo ichie. That means, you know, we have tea ceremony with other people, but this particular gathering is only once. Not only in our lifetime, but from Big Bang. This particular meeting, particular encountering is only once. So it's so precious.

[78:55]

And we may have, or of course, we cannot have the same gathering with the same people, with the same condition or situation. So this is really only a one-time thing. Then, you know, even though it's just an ordinary meeting, it's really precious. That kind of way to meet with each and every being. Yes. Pardon? I think so. So, holding one piece or two pieces, three pieces or four pieces of the ten direction world, We enable each one of them to open the gate of the expedient means. So in whatever condition or encountering, this particular encountering is really the gate of liberation, the gate of expedient means to see the

[80:14]

true reality of all beings. Next one is a little difficult. Because of this, although it seems as if they are one and the same, opening the gate of expedient means, you know, each time, each opportunity, it seems that various entire ten-direction worlds Gaining the small portion of the opening, the gate of expedient means, make that portion their manifesting faces. Manifesting is genjo. So each and every thing, really manifesting means happening, revealing, right now, right here, is, you know, this part of gate of revelation. or expedient means of this ten directions.

[81:22]

So there is no exception. So we are always right there at the gate of liberation or gate of expedient means. We can live with that kind of attitude or way as an awakening in each moment, not only sitting in the Zen. Such a circumstance is caused by the power of belonging to this sutra. So we are belonging to this sutra of, you know, the network of interdependent origination. or the true reality of all beings. Because we are already part of that reality, we can, if we are mindful, we can have that, you know, kind of very fresh encountering in each moment with each and everything we meet.

[82:37]

Next paragraph. Revealing the true and genuine reality is hearing and circulating the words and phrases of the true reality of all beings within the entire world. Here he starts to discuss about communication about this true reality. So when we hear the experience or hear the expression of this true reality, you know, not only just hearing, we also circulate. That means our practice, our activity, our speaking becomes the expression of this true reality. That's how this wind of true reality, you know, circulates. within our life.

[83:45]

And no matter how our power of communication is small and limited, still it is accomplishing the way within the entire world. Even if I speak using this very poor English vocabulary, Still, if what I'm saying is from this true reality of all beings, my poor English is circulating this entire ten directions. It is unabling the entire person to see and understand the principle that the true reality is all beings. and enabling the entire being to actualize the principle that the true reality is all beings, not only

[84:50]

the people, but also each and every being. Both people are subject and object, a person and things around the person. All, both become the expression of this true reality of all beings. Because true reality is all beings. Here, Dōgen says, used or said, Jissō Shōhō. You know, the title is Shōhō Jissō, but here Dōgen write Jissō Shōhō. He changed the order and tried to say all beings as true reality. not both people and things around the person.

[85:52]

We don't have much time, but let me... The next paragraph is not difficult, so let me finish the next paragraph. Therefore, the unsurpassable awakening of the forty Buddhas and the 40 ancestors all belong to this sutra. These 40 buddhas and 40 ancestors are from Shakyamuni to the sixth ancestor, Huinan. In, I think, Shisho, or Menju, he said, you know, from Shakyamuni to the sixth ancestor, Huinan, are 40 buddhas. and also 40 ancestors. So they are both Buddhas and ancestors. So he is talking about this lineage or tradition. All of them belong to this sutra, in this reality of all beings.

[86:57]

It is belonging to this sutra, not the Lotus Sutra, but sutra of this reality, and is this sutra's belonging. Belonging means part of this sutra. The round cushion for the Zen, the Zafu, and sleeping stick. Do you know sleeping stick? It sounds like Kyosaku, looks like Kyosaku, but it's not Kyosaku. There is a stick to support our chin when we sleep in the sitting posture. I never used that kind of thing. But when Uchiyama Roshi was first ordained, first three years he practiced at a temple with Sawaki Roshi's students. They had one week session without lying down.

[88:04]

During, between midnight and two in the morning, they didn't use kyo-saku. That means they could sleep. And when they sleep on the cushion, they use this stick, sleep stick. So, I never used it, and I don't want to. But this is a kind of a tool for practice Zazen. Anyway, that means our practice of Zazen, Zazen practice. are nothing other than the unsurpassable awakening and all belonging to this sutra, this sutra of the reality of all beings. And picking up a flower and breaking into a smile, this is about Buddha's dharma transmission from Shakyamuni to Mahakasyapa. Picking a flower, I mean, Buddha picked up a flower and Mahakasyapa smiles.

[89:16]

This means, this Dharma transmission. Both are belonging to this sutra. And these are this sutra's belongings. He just changed the order. final statement is opening the gate of expedient means is itself revealing the true reality. He repeats the same thing he said in the first sentence of paragraph 25. I reach the goal. Any questions? Please. Zoku. Zoku.

[90:28]

Please. Are there other teachers that are saying that you need to do something else besides expedient means to open the gate of true reality? He's saying that's enough or something. Is he trying to expound some teaching that other teachers are denying, or is he saying somebody's incorrect or something like that? Yes, that is what he's going to write after this part. Yeah. Yeah. Please. Well, sometimes it feels very powerful impression and influence.

[92:13]

That kind of powerful experience doesn't last forever. It stops. Things become ordinary. And almost all the time, things are ordinary. Like eating meals, food, and washing bowls, like Joshu said, if you finish eating breakfast, we should, you know, clean up, wash the bowls. That is kind of our daily routines, and nothing looks like fresh. But I think not only in our daily life, but even in our Zazen, sometimes we feel I'm doing the same thing every day, every morning. Nothing is fresh, nothing is new. But still, I think what Dogen is saying is not our feeling, not our thinking, not our judgment or evaluation, but each meeting, each experience is new, fresh, and, how can I say, taking place within the entire 10 directions.

[93:42]

even though we don't feel in that way. Sometimes we feel, and we think that is a special experience, and sometimes we feel this is an enlightenment experience. But I don't think that kind of special experience is so important. But to appreciate each and every kind of ordinary day-to-day things, is, even if we don't feel so, is fresh and precious. And it is taking place within this entire network of interdependent origination. Does that answer your question? Right. Yeah, if we think, grasp, this is enlightenment experience, and then we want to experience the same experience again, and we chase after, and this creates samsara, another kind of samsara.

[94:58]

So, we should open our hands. Okay, thank you very much.

[95:05]

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