I'd like to summarize what I said yesterday, and I want to discuss two more points before starting to talk on the text of Kesakudoku. As I said, what I introduced yesterday was the older version of 12 links of causation. And to me, the difference between this painting and 12 links of causation is very interesting. Is there a marker? You know, the Twelve Links of Causation is a kind of a result of the effort of early Buddhist monks who kind of made the formula of the Fat Buddha Code.

[01:24]

I don't think Shakyamuni Buddha himself, you know, made such, you know, system of teaching. But from that, Buddhist standard became big and many people come and they need certain foundation of teachings. And that effort started right after Buddha's death. And the 12 links of causation is the final kinds of result of that effort. But before that, there are many different versions. And after 12 links of causation was fixed, all the various versions created before was almost hidden. And not many people pay attention. to those older versions, and yet those remain as a part of the older scriptures such as Dhammapada or other Tathagatamitayas.

[02:39]

Well, the three links of causation is as First, let me write in Chinese character. First time, . . This is for myself. You don't need to. Let's solve. Soapy. When you pop. Jill.

[03:44]

I. Hill. Ooh. So, Roshi, in English, mumio is ignorance. Ryo is, in one translation, re-becoming, unskilled consciousness. Can you read it? In one translation, as I said yesterday, psycho-physically, personality, Oops.

[04:49]

Thank you. Six sense organs. And soku is, I'm sorry, contact. Ju is feeling or sensation. Ai is craving. Shu is grasping. U is becoming. Sho is bath. And orbeige and death. These are 12 links of causation. And we see these 12 links from this way and this way.

[06:01]

They tried to find the cause of old age and death and found birth. And the cause of birth is becoming And becoming, the code of becoming is grasping and go further and further and creating, feeling, contact, fix sense organs and psycho-physical personality, consciousness, re-becoming and ignorance. And traditional understanding is this is a cause and result of three lifetimes. This from 4 to 10 is a present lifetime. Somehow before, I'm sorry, from 3. Because of basic ignorance, somehow we become, we create karma, and we're becoming, and we are gone at this present lifetime.

[07:18]

And we experience things as a contact of six sense organs and some object. But in this 12 links of causation, object is not included. That was the point. and they have feelings, present and unpresent feelings, therefore we have a desire or grasping or a hatred. And when we find something desirable, we create it. And we want to make it by our own. And that activity becomes another cause of future lives. This is a basic teaching of Twelve Links of Causation.

[08:24]

But as I said yesterday afternoon, the older version from Stanipata is a little different. It start from very kind of a concrete day-to-day programs. You know, the first question was, from wherever there are argument and quarrels, there are tears and anguish. arrogance and pride and grudges and insults to go with them. Can you explain how these things come about? So the question is a cause of very day-to-day ordinary problems we all of us experiences. So it's not a matter of next previous life and next life. It's about this lifetime. And Buddha said the quote is preferences.

[09:32]

Preferencing is same as grafting shoe in Japanese. And this, in the story part, it goes that I, as impulse of desire, of desire, and from here comes from impulse of desire. And they found a... present and unpresent sensation. Then said, but why, sir, is it that we find something present and some unpresent? This is a sensation or feelings.

[10:35]

What could we do to stop that? And this idea of becoming and this intubation, could you explain where that comes from? And the Buddha said, it is the action of contact. Contact. And in this stanipata, contact means contact of... In this version, there are no six sensory organs. Contact means shiki, our consciousness. And in this version, myoshiki or nama rupa is not something like a psychophysical personality. This is an external object. So, shiki and something else, consciousness and myoshiki, contact.

[11:37]

Our consciousness and external object, contact. Then we have feeling and craving, grasping, and actually take actions. that is a cause of the problems we have. So in this version, it has only one, two, three, four, five, six links of causations. So this is only within this lifetime, within our daily lives, how we can avoid or become free from the problems we have with other people within our community life. The point of this teaching of dependent origination And when they, I think, this is my guess, but when they established that teaching of three weeks of causation, one of the point they want to make it clear is, you know, do that thought, there's no atonement.

[12:57]

and yet buddha didn't negate transmigration or reverse how reverse is possible if there's no atman And this is one of the answers by the Buddhist teachers, that there is no Atman. Still, because of the karma caused by our ignorance, our life continues from past life to the present life and present life to the future lives. But in the older version, that is not the point. Buddha only mentioned how we can be liberated, free from the problems we have in this lifetime. And one of the most important difference is the meaning of this nama rupa.

[14:03]

So our practice is in relationship with others. But in the case of 12 Links of Coordination, this is a kind of a personal effort, individual effort to eliminate basic ignorance that's the first cause of our problematic economic rights. So when we start to practice following twelve links of causation, our goal is to eliminate basic ignorance. And this basic ignorance belongs to the previous life and only Buddha. and only a small number of people named Arhat can see the past lives.

[15:06]

So this teaching can be completed by only Buddhas, and in the case of early Buddhism, Buddha is only one, one person, Shakyamuni. And small land of brilliant people could complete this process and enter nirvana. And they never come back. That's the point of practice. So in this version of dependent origination, the problem is not the ignorance in the past that is the first code of our lives, but the problem is how we encounter and interact with other people. To me, this is very different. But once the Twelve Kings of Causation was established, no one questioned.

[16:10]

Even Nagarjuna didn't question about this teaching. So this became a kind of authority after Amidharma-vyāsopami teachings were established. But when we study Dogen Zenji, you know, this teaching, you know, our delusion and enlightenment are within relations with others. It's very important. That is what he said in Genjo Koan. The order... all the problems, you know, the problems. Sorry.

[17:32]

Okay, thank you. You know, in the very beginning of Genjo Koan, I think you are all familiar with Togenden's... Wait a minute. My mind doesn't really work, so I have to read. He said, conveying ourselves toward all things to carry out practice enlightenment. is delusion, and all things, or niradharma, coming toward the self and carrying out practice enlightenment.

[18:45]

In this case, practice and enlightenment are one word, practice enlightenment, practice slash enlightenment, or shusho. Through the source is realization. So I think this is a definition of delusion and enlightenment by Dogen Zenji. And according to him, delusion and enlightenment, or realization, is losing relationship with self and all myriad things, or vampo, And he said, to study the other way is to study the self. And to study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be verified by all things, all new dharmas.

[19:47]

So to study Buddha's way is to study ourself. And to study ourselves is to study, you know, to forget the self. That means because there's no such thing as going forward. Then, you know, the self and all living, all media dharma, Uh, uh, how can I say? existing together. It's not a matter of subject, object, or consciousness, nama rupa, but we are living, existing together, or maybe coexisting or interbeing is the expression of this way of being together. And to be verified by all things is to let the body and mind of the self, body and mind of the self, and body and mind of others, all mere dharmas,

[21:08]

You know, this is a very important expression of Dogen's teaching, dropping of body and mind. And his teacher, Tendo Nyojo Zenji, said, dropping of body and mind is Zazen. So our zazen is the grouping of body and mind, and our zazen allows us to put our entire body on the ground of interbeing, or interconnectedness, or the network of interdependent origination. There is a trace of realization that cannot be grasped, so we cannot grasp the trace of what we realized, because realization is something we can do or we can experience as my own personal experiences.

[22:15]

If I can see and I can say, I experience such and such, then there is already separation between self and all living beings, or all beings. So even though we experience, but we cannot say, I experienced, because it's before our, how can I say, relationship as a subject and the amalupa as an object. So we can express this experience only in a negative way, like forget the self, or verified by all beings, you know, the self as independent entity somehow made away. So our practice is we endlessly keep expressing the ungraspable trace of this realization, living together with all beings, being together with all beings.

[23:38]

You know, this is a very important point when we study Dogen Zenji. He's not a definition, but he's understanding or teaching about enlightenment and delusion. Therefore, practice. Practice is something which connects delusion and enlightenment, or practice and enlightenment together. So the relationship between self and all new dharmas is very important in Dogen Rinpoche's teachings. It's not really a matter of eliminate our ignorance that exists inside and take it away.

[24:44]

It's not like a cancer part of our body. And when that cancer causes problem, we can take the cancer away. Then we become healthy. But that is not at least Dogen's teaching. Dogen's teaching is problems, is causes, caused within the relationship between third and others. So somehow we have to, how can I say, reshape the relationship between self and others. And in order to do so, we have to awake to the reality that we are dealing together with all the things, and there's no such thing called self. You know, self is like a famous analogy is bubbles in the water, bubbles in the water.

[25:49]

Now, we see bubbles, so we cannot negate that there are bubbles in the water. But we have no such thing called bubble. No, bubbles is just a condition of the air packed in the water. So only water and air are there. And certain condition or relationship relationship between air and water is called a bubble. So there's no such, you know, individual entity called bubble exists. And another relationship between water and the air is clouds. You know, clouds is a way a water exists, not exists, being in the air. So there are no such things called clouds.

[26:53]

It's just air and water, same as bubbles in the water. And we are the same. We are like the bubble, and we are like the clouds. To awaken to that reality, depending upon the causes and conditions of this entire network of interdependent origination, we are living and changing. That is so-called impermanence, and that is the meaning of egolessness. To awaken to that reality is the very basis to kind of reshape connection or relationship with others. That is, I think, the point of Dogen's teaching.

[27:56]

And as I said yesterday, the key point of this reshaping the relationship between self and middle dharma is zazen. In our zazen, we are sitting upright, facing the wall. Facing the wall means facing nothing. There's no object, only the wall. And yet so many different things coming and going within our mind. So in our zazen, it's really clear that all the things coming and going are just bubbles. It's illusion. It's not a real thing because we have no object in our zazen. And, you know, we have no object inside because we don't count breath, we don't watch breath, we don't work on koan, or we don't use mantra, we don't do any visualization, we just sit.

[29:00]

So there's no object. So no relation between self and object. both inside and outside. This is really the one. There's no separation between the person sitting and the entire world, or the all-medial dharmas. That is what Dogen Zenji described in the Jiyu-Zanmai in Vendôwa. When we sit and show the Buddha Mudra, this entire universe become enlightenment. That means, you know, to show Buddha mudra, means mudra is like, you know, mudra in Japanese word is in. that is like a stamp. And stamp in Japanese culture or Chinese too is like a signature in American culture.

[30:07]

That means if we found this stamp, this is guaranteed, this painting or calligraphy or writing was done by this person. So when we find a Buddha mudra in our activity, This belongs to Buddha, not belongs to this person. I think that is the point of Jijiru Zenmai. It's not our samadhi, it's Buddha's samadhi. It's a stunt by three treasures. You know, in our Kechinaku, we put the stunt of three treasures. That means this belongs to Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. And in our Zazen, we, you know, stamp this body and mind and this activity of three treasures. That means this is not my personal kind of effort to improve this person, become more kind of a desirable being.

[31:20]

to accomplish certain goals. But our practice of zazen is forgetting the self. Then, you know, with this activity of just sitting, the stance of three treasures or sandoin was there. But the point of this zazen, our practice, As Buddha said in the final part of this teaching from Stanipata, you know, there is a state where form ceased to exist. Form of Nama Lupa ceased to exist. It is a state without ordinary perception, and without disordered perception, and without no perception, and without any annihilation of perception.

[32:32]

I don't like the word state, but this is the same as, you know, beyond thinking. You know, within our Zazen, all different kind of condition within our mind, coming and going. But our Zazen has nothing to do with those things. Those are like bubbles in the water or clouds in the sky. But our zazen itself, being stamped by three treasures, or buddha-muddhara, is beyond thinking. Beyond thinking includes thinking and non-thinking, or not thinking, or shiryu and shishiryu. That is shishiryu. So our practice of our Zazen is the pivotal point of kind of reshaping or changing the relationship between self and all immediate things.

[33:48]

you know, the separation between self and object, as Nama Lupa kind of disappeared, and we forget ourselves, and we don't disappear. It's there, but it's there as a part of the network of interdependent origination. And this teaching, I think, This teaching of Dogen Zenji came from the Mahayana teaching, especially the teaching in the Lotus Sutra about the reality of all beings, or in Japanese, shuho jisso. And this teaching of shōhō jissō, or the reality of all beings, and why in Dogen's teaching, you know, wearing okesa in a certain way, and using ryokyu in particular, you know, way.

[35:04]

and venerate even the room or space. When we enter the zendo, we bow to the zendo, and we bow to each other when we meet. why this practice is important, not important, but meaningful, I think, is coming from Dogen Zenji's understanding of the teaching of Shoho Jiso. And Shoho Jiso has something to do with, you know, this teaching of Buddha, you know, liberation exists within relationship between self and others. So that is called interdependent origination, not dependent. So I'd like to introduce Dogen's teaching about Soho Jiso and

[36:12]

our day-to-day lives. And I briefly talk about our zazen practice, and that is a key point to kind of run around the relations between self and others. And then how we can live or how we should live on the basis of that awakening is the point, I think. And one of the very important and helpful teachings about this point well, what is the best way or the best relationship or connection between self and all beings? And, you know, food and eating both and clothing and space to live or sleep are probably the most intimate, close things among media dharmas for us.

[37:21]

So what kind of attitude do we have toward those things, food, clothing and shelter? is kind of a point we can examine our attitude toward all living beings or all that media of dharmas. So we encounter with all media dharmas, we cannot encounter all of all media dharmas at once, but we encounter certain person, certain food which is offered, and certain clothing which is available to us. What kind of attitude and idea we should keep to make the connection or interdependent origination between self and niradharmas, is the point of Logan's teaching, in this case about the orchestra of clothing.

[38:40]

When he discussed about how to use Oryoki in Fushikohanpo, he really clearly mentioned this point. So I'd like to introduce the very beginning of Fushikohanpo. Fushikohanpo is a part of Ehe Shingi. I'm sorry, Fushikohanpo in English is The Dharma for Taking Food. This is a part of Ehe Shingi or the English title of our translation. Our translation of Ehe Shingi is Dogen's Pure Standards for Zen Community. So this is a part of regulations. And this Ehe Shingi is a collection of six independent writings about different aspects of our practice life.

[39:50]

And, of course, I think one of the most important and well-known parts of Ehe Shingi is Tenzo Kyokun. Tenzo Kyokun is an instruction for Tenzo. And this Fushiko Hanto is teaching for the people who receive the food prepared by Tenzo. So Tenzo Kyokun and Fushiko Hanto are one pair. So in Tenzo Kyokun, Dogen taught how some people who prepare food how they use that work as a method, not a method, but way to express this interdependent origination. And in Fushikohanko he teach how the people who receive the food prepared by Tenzo can express the same attitude toward all beings, but in this case food and bowl.

[41:04]

So those scripts, Kampo is the description of how to use Oryoki. Nothing philosophical, except in the very beginning, as introduction, he described a very basic principle of receiving food. And this is the same as our attitude toward Okesa, So I'd like to talk about this. And Dogen mentioned about shoho jitso, or the reality of all beings. If you have a copy of Dogen's Pure Standard for Zen Community, this is page 183. Dogen says, As Sotra says, if you can remain the same with food, all dharmas also remain the same.

[42:22]

If all dharmas are the same, then also with food you will remain the same. This same is a problem. The original word is . Literal meaning of this kanji or Chinese character is equality. And Dogen Zen used this word, for example, when he said, practice and enlightenment are one.

[43:27]

He used shusho itto. And first I translated this itto as one and rinkou. But someone said one and rinkou don't make sense in English. So we translate this as one and same. One and so makes sense in English, but one and equal doesn't make sense. So I translate this toe as say or sayness. This toe is a, I have to be careful, important word. So he discuss about this toe, equality. And this sutra he called here is the Vimalakirti Sutra. In the first part of Vimalakirti Sutra, Vimalakirti was a lay person, and yet he was very enlightened.

[44:34]

And one time Yama Lakriti became sick. So Sakyamuni Buddha asked his disciples to visit Yama Lakriti to console. But all his disciples rejected because they had a very painful experience with Yama Lakriti. I think you are familiar with this story. And this expression appeared in the case of Shibuti. Shibuti and also Mahakasyapa both said when they were begging, you know, in India Buddhist monks beg food.

[45:35]

So begging and food is connected. And both Mahakasyapa and Shubhuti are very excellent monks. Of course, Mahakasyapa was the first ancestor in our lineage, and he became the leader of the Sangha after Shakyamuni died. And Shiroki was considered to be the person who most deeply understood the teachings of Sunyata. But then Mahakasyapa did hakuhatsu in a kind of a poor neighborhood. The volatility appeared and said, if you, you know, beg food only from the pure neighborhood, you don't really understand equality.

[46:39]

So you should, you know, beg for food from the rich people too. And Bhimara Kirti was a very rich person. So Bhimara Kirti kind of criticized Mahakasyapa's, you know, practice. His practice was kind of very conservative. He tried to practice simple and strong. And about Shibuti, Shibuti was also Takuhatsu, and he came to Vimala Kirti's house. You know, Vimala Kirti was a very rich person. So, Vimala Kirti, you know, if you really understand the Dharma, you have to really understand the equality of all beings. And somehow, you know, in that sutra, in that story, Shibuti didn't answer any question from Gunarakirti.

[47:54]

That was the story. This is a very interesting story, so if you... I don't have time to discuss in detail today, but if you are interested in it, please read the Sutra of Immortality. Anyway, this is the Fat Dogen quote. When he said, if you can remain the same with food, all dharmas also remain the same. those Mahakasyapa and Shibuti penetrate the reality of all beings because they are superior disciples of Buddha. So if you see the teaching of equality of all beings, that means no discrimination, There's no discrimination between fancy food and plain food.

[48:58]

Then if you understand the teaching or Dharma of equality, you should accept any kind of food without plain or fancy. If you want to get only plain food because fancy food cause attachment, then the person does not yet really understand the dharma of equality. That was the point of that story in the Malakirti Sutra. And here, Dogen Zenji is a little twisted about this equality between food and dharma. In the story in the Vimalakirti Sutra, Vimalakirti said, if you understand the equality of all dharmas, you also should understand the equality of all food.

[50:06]

But Dogen Zenji make a little twist, and he said, just let dharma be the same as food, and let food be the same as dharma. So it's a little different. Dogen mentioned the food and dharma are the same. instead of plain food and fancy food, that food and dharma should be the same, or to. That means food is something material, and dharma is truth or reality or teaching. We think dharma is valuable or important, but we don't usually appreciates so much about food with just the things we need to keep our life.

[51:10]

But what Dogen is saying is we should really value the food, same as Buddha's teaching, or Dharma as reality or truth. That is the point of this teaching of Fushiko Hanpo. So Dogen continued, for this reason, if dharmas are the dharma nature, the food also is the dharma nature. Dharma nature is same as buddha nature, as a kind of terminology. Buddha nature is about living beings, and Dharma nature is about things or beings, lifeless beings, basically the same thing, the reality of all, both living and non-living beings. So food and Dharma should be equal.

[52:13]

That is the point of dogma. So as we liberate and value and appreciate Dharma, we have to appreciate the food in the same way. That's why we have to venerate the food we receive. And we have to venerate the bowls we use to receive the food. And if the dharma is suchness, suchness is reality itself, thusness. If the dharma is suchness, food also is suchness. If the dharma is the single mind, food also is the single mind. If the dharma is body, or awakening, food also is awakening, or body. They are named the same.

[53:16]

There are many saying the word same occurred in this section, but the same is that toe. And what Dobin pointed, what this toe means, So I talk later. They are named the same and their significance is the same. So it is said that they are the same. They are the same means the food and dharma are the same. So we should keep the same attitude toward food and toward dharma. As Sotra says, name the same and significance the same, each and every one is the same, consistent with nothing extra. And Mazu, Mazu is one of the most famous Chinese Zen master, Mazu said, or Vaso doings, if the Dharma realm is established,

[54:26]

everything is entirely the dharma realm. Dharma realm is hokkai, or dharma world, or dharma universe. If suchness is established, everything is entirely suchness. So food and everything we receive or occupy is the same. Everything we encounter is suchness. If the principle is established, everything is entirely the principle. If phenomena is established, principle and phenomena is Ui and Ji, something ultimate reality and phenomenal or relative or concrete reality. If phenomena is established, all dharmas are entirely phenomena Therefore, this same is not the sameness of parity or equality.

[55:35]

Parity and equality. That's why, because Dogen said this Torah is not equality, that's why we translate as same. He clearly said this doesn't mean equality or not. by comparing two separate things. But this is oneness of all beings as reality of all beings. But the saneness of awakening to the true sane, this awakening to the true saneness is a transformation of anuttara-samyaksambodhi. The Chinese translation of Anuttara Samyaksambodhi or ultimate or supreme awakening is Mujo, Sho, Ho.

[56:50]

This to is sento. And Mujo is a translation of Anuttara. Nothing beyond this. So Mujo is unsurpassable. And this part Sho is Anuttara Samyak. This is part of Samyak. And this is a part of Sandodin. Both sum means true or real or right. Sho in Shobo Genzo. And To is equality or sameness. And Gak is awakening. So Pat, he said, the word Vimalakirti used as equality or To, sameness is, you know, with different fancy or plain food.

[58:12]

This To is a To within anuttarasambodhi. So this awakening is the way we see all myriads of dharmas as the same, as two, two equalities of all beings without any discrimination or classification. We see, or Buddha sees, everything equal. There's no value judgment. That is and that is how we should see the food in the case of eating. And we should see the things, you know, the material of orchestra, So this attitude of receiving any food prepared by Tenzo or donated by the people are the practice of this anuttara-pharmacism body.

[59:23]

Receiving everything with gratitude without making discrimination. That is very important point of when we practice takatsu. I think I'm going to talk on Ryokan's poem about Takahatsu at Ibarakure Zen Center on Saturday after this Bendo-e. And I think I'm going to talk on my experience of Takahatsu. But Takahatsu is really important and wonderful practice, but it's not possible to practice in this country yet. I think, I hope someday it becomes possible. But Takohatsu is really interesting, important, and difficult practice to, you know, receive, to encounter and receive all different things from all different people with same attitude, same, you know, gratitude.

[60:32]

Anyway, so Dogen said this equality or sameness is the sameness of Buddha's supreme or ultimate awakening. And awakening to the true sameness, this Anuttara Samyaksambodhi, is the ultimate identity of all the suchness, excuse me, ultimate identity of all the suchness from beginning to end. This is, let me read a little more. The suchness of the ultimate identity from beginning to end is the genuine form of all dharmas. This genuine form of all dharmas is translation of shoho jiso, true form of all beings, or reality of all beings, from the Lotus Sutra.

[61:45]

and which only a Buddha, together with a Buddha, can exhaustively penetrate. So this is Buddha's awakening, the reality of all beings. There also, food is a dharma of all dharmas, which only a Buddha, together with a Buddha exhaustively penetrating. So food, how we receive food with gratitude without making discrimination or saying preference or like and dislike, is the practice of anuttarasannaksambodhi and practice of reality of all beings And just at such a time, there are the genuine marks, nature, substance, power, function, causes, and conditions.

[63:03]

For this reason, dharma is itself food, and food is itself dharma. So he is discussing the identity of food and dharma. And these things I read are pensatiness, the teaching of pensatiness from the Lotus Sutra. Again, let me write down Japanese first, I mean Chinese. So, shou, tai, riki, sa, ii, nen, ka.

[64:17]

Ho and what was the last one? In this translation, this soul is Marx. Is there another one? Marks, or a common translation is form. You know, I discussed about muso yesterday. That is no form, this form. And so is nature. Tai is body. In this translation, we translate as substance.

[65:21]

And 力 is power or energy. In this translation, we have power. And 作 is function or work. 因 is cause. 因 is conditions. Car is result. A hole is not here in this translation, but hole is total hole. Let's see. Oops. Retribution. And the final one, is the expression we translated as the ultimate identity from beginning to end.

[66:55]

Kukyo is ultimate. Toh is an identity or sameness or equality from the beginning to the end. And the beginning to the end means from number one to number nine. And my understanding of this teaching of ten suchness as a reality of all beings or true form of all beings is First five are the uniqueness of each and every being. Each being has its own unique form and unique nature and unique body and substance and power or energy and power. each one of us or each one of beings have its own function or work, something we can do.

[68:01]

So the first five refer to the uniqueness of each being. And the next four, from six to nine, is a connection or a relationship within time and space. You know, in and car is a relationship within time. Thank you. Most well-known example is sea and foods. When we plant a seed of a certain plant, we can get certain fruit.

[69:04]

If we planted an apple tree, then we get apple as a result. So the seed and fruit are in and out. Car actually means fruit. It's a relationship within time. When seed was planted on certain place, which had certain conditions, that is M. If seed is kept in a dry storage, it doesn't So in order to seed, in order for seeds to sprout and grow, we seed in certain conditions, such as humidity, or certain temperature, or sunlight, or nutrition from the earth, solid.

[70:09]

Those are the conditions that support the activity or practice of seas. So this number seven is a connection within space. without, you know, without a connection or support or relationship with others, from others, the seed cannot grow, cannot exist even. And when a seed has certain conditions and keep practice, keep living, keep working, then it, you know, bloom flowers and bear fruit. And that is not the end of the story. But when certain plants bear fruits, even flowers, it has something to offer to other beings.

[71:19]

When we see a flower blooming, somehow we feel good. The flower makes us happy. That is not the purpose of the plant to, you know, bloom flowers. But as the result of the practice of the plants, the plants makes us happy, even though that was not the primary, you know, goal of the fruit, of the plants. The goal for the plants is to produce seed for next generation and continue their lives. But somehow, a plant, their bloom flowers or their fruits, they offer something to others. For blooms, you know, famous Ryokan's poem is, you know, bees or butterflies come to get the nectar.

[72:28]

And these butterflies help the flower to spread the pollen. So there's an interconnection between the result of this practice and all other beings. So number seven and eight is a connection within space. So all together, the teaching of ten suchness, I think, is each and every being is unique. We are living as not of interdependent origination, and the thread is transparent. So we cannot see the interconnection, and yet we are all interconnected So without the support or relationship with others, the knot cannot exist, same as a bubble or clouds.

[73:41]

So we cannot say each independent entity, each kind of condition of causes and conditions within this entire network. And we are supported to be, to live as ourselves. And by living, free living our life, we also support others. That's how, you know, we are living together with all beings. So my understanding of this teaching is, first five is uniqueness of each and every being, and next four is interconnection with all other beings. And the final ten Alternate equality or identity from beginning to the end means those nine is not nine separate independent items, but this is just one thing.

[74:53]

That is the fact this expression, kkyo to, ultimate identity means. Please. Earlier today, before you came in, you said that this practice didn't work when you had it set. I didn't talk about that. Begging. Begging? It is not yet possible. That's what I said. Well, let me finish this teaching in Shukampo. Finally, he said that this Dharma is received and used by all Buddhas in the past and the future.

[75:58]

This Dharma means the identity of all nine things that means interconnectedness and each and everything all dharmas exists only as a part of this inter the network of interdependent origination and we kind of generate this entire network. That means we generate each and everything within this network. And in this case, food is a part of this network. So we should receive food as Buddha received any food he was offered. In practicing that attitude, we practice Buddha's awakening, that is, anuttara-sameksambodhi, to see things equally, as identical or oneness, without any discrimination.

[77:10]

That is why we receive food and use Ōryōpi in a very, how can I say, most respectful and thankful way. This is an expression of our gratitude toward this network of interdependent ordination. and each and every being or living beings, especially the Kenzo and people working in the kitchen, were people who offered the food or in the nature, which any food is a gift from the nature. So by receiving food without saying like and dislike, we express our gratitude and also awakening to the reality of all beings in which we are part of it.

[78:16]

And finally he said, this food is a fulfillment that is the joy of dharma, joy of dharma and the delight of meditation. The joy of dharma is all key. And the light of meditation is zen-metsi, the light of zen. Zen? The light. D-E-I. I'm sorry. A-Y-G-H-T. The light, joy. You know, this is Kind of a Dogen's teaching, why we have to use Oryoki in certain ways to show our respect, gratitude, and awakening to the interdependent origination that supports our life.

[79:20]

That's the only way we can exist. And when we study, you know, Kesa, this is really important. You know, this text, Kesa Kuroku, is not so difficult to understand. It's not like a Buddha nature or Uji. It's not so philosophically difficult. It's rather simple, and we can see another aspect of Dogen Zenji. When we did Kesakudoku, he is not a scholar, and he is not a philosopher, but he is a very, how can I say, what is the word, good student of Buddha with faith.

[80:27]

Not so much a philosophical idea, but he is really a Hindu student of Buddha. Well, we don't have much time. I wanted to mention another point. But this morning we don't have time, so I will talk in this afternoon and start to talk on the text. Any question or comment? Please. I hope that this slide is of what Sean These ten are called ten suchness. Okay. And also this is called shoko jisso, reality or two form of all living, all being, all dharmas.

[81:39]

Okay, please. Yeah, also. I think this includes both teachings. Within time, we need to work with the, how can I say, sequence of this continuation of our karma within time. And within space, we are living together with all beings. So this is a kind of integration of both. So it's not a direction of one thing undertaking another thing.

[82:44]

It's very simple, but I really wondered, why did you pick this thing to study? Because the Shakyamuni Buddha is four books, and I looked yesterday, so many things are there. Yeah, there are so many things, but we have to study one by one. And why is this sign important? Or is it important? I think we understand why Okesaiti is important for Dogenfeng. We read this text. And okesa is also important personally in my lineage. And my teacher's teacher was Sawaki Kodo Roshi, and he put very much emphasis on okesa. One of his most famous saying is, shave your head and put on wearing okesa and sit.

[83:54]

That's all. Very simple. So in my lineage, you know, okesa is really important. And also, you know, many of you have already been wearing laksu. This is a simplified form of okesa. And why you wear okesa or laksu? the meaning of this wearing. That is what Dogen-ji is writing about in this text. So at least in our practice as a student of Dogen-zen-ji, this is one of the most important part of his teaching. And to me, important point is, you know, Dogen's philosophical teaching is very difficult and subtle and deep.

[84:55]

But because of this kind of formal teaching, like using rôryôki as an expression of our awakening and gratitude and wearing okesa, we can do this. Even if we don't understand Dogen, that kind of difficult teaching, we can practice what Dogen taught, and we can really do. what Dogen is discussing in his very difficult writings. So if, you know, we cannot, we don't have such a kind of formal concrete practice, only people who can understand, you know, very difficult teaching of Dogen can be Dogen's disciples. But because there are many concrete practices using our body, even though we don't really understand intellectually what he is discussing, still we can practice what he is teaching.

[86:09]

To me, I have been practicing as Dogen's student for more than 30 years, but at least the first 25 years I really didn't understand what Dogen was talking about. Of course, I understood some, you know, expressions, but I didn't really understand, you know, the deep meaning. But still, because there's a form, like a sitting, and using oryoki, and takuhatsu, or wearing robes, you know, I could continue to practice. until I really start to understand or the Dogen's teachings start to make sense to me. So I think this is really important teaching and also practice.

[87:13]

Thank you. Thank you very much.

[87:21]

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