In Tendai, those ten suchness, first one is nyō, ze, sou. But according to Tendai Chi'i, he read this in three ways. The first one is he changed the order of the word. Nyo de sou is the order in the Lotus Sutra. But he read, Tendai Chi read, there are two more ways.

[01:08]

He just change the order. Ze sou nyo. Chi is the 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 qi yi. He lived in the 6th century, around the same time with Bodhidharma. The soul new. And another way is a soul new there.

[02:14]

He just changed the order of those three Chinese characters. This is the usual way to read the Lotus Sutra. And so this is Ze, So, Nyo, and So, Nyo, Ze. And said, when we read this ,, this shows the .. That means this form is . read in this order, this 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 a adjective modify as so so this means so as suchness so as suchness so that is nothing other than suchness right In the translation, it could be form as suchness, nature as suchness, body as suchness.

[04:30]

Yeah, that is what Dogen is doing in Shobo Genzo. I think following Ching's way of reading these three things, I'm confused now. so as nyose is the third thing. And this second one is so that is like this. That shows particularity or provisionality. It's not absolute thing, and yet as a form of this being, it is like this. And in this case, this show is also form is nyose. Now, this is kind of a very subtle

[05:35]

way of reading things and the interpretation in Chinese. We cannot translate 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... 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 nyos, is the way we read this as a ku-kan, the contemplation of

[06:39]

So we see this soul, this form as emptiness or new. And second one is this, how can we translate? The soul or form that is like this, this particular thing. That is K. You know, this soul, form of this thing, is Nyo. And the third thing is any soul, this soul is itself Nyoze. Does this make sense? Yes, this is first. Yes. I'm sorry.

[07:43]

Anyway, this is how Tendai Chigi, or Chi, used this teaching from the Lotus Sutra on the true reality of all beings and the teaching of ten-suchness. Teaching in Tendai using this tensachiness is called Ichinensanzen. So this is another thing. Ichinensanzen. 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. And it can also mean one moment as a time. And Sunday means 3,000. This means each and everything at this moment includes 3,000. What? 3,000. I don't know. These 3,000 refer to there are ten Dharma words. The first six is six realms of samsara.

[10:01]

Hell, the realm of hungry ghost, animal, ashura, or fighting spirit, human beings, and heavenly beings. Those six. And ashurabhaka, Sura, Vaka, Pratyekabuddha, Bodhisattva, and Buddha. Those are called ten worlds. And the first six are called samsara. And the next four are the realms or worlds of spiritual beings or bodhisattvas, not bodhisattvas, but... what we call holy people. And this Sanzen, those in Tendai teaching, within each of those 10 words, another nine is included.

[11:13]

So within the hell, that is hell from hell to world of Buddha is included. Even in the world of Buddha, hell is included. So this makes 100 worlds. And each being in this one hundred worlds has ten suchness that makes one thousand. And there are three kinds of, another three kinds of, second is world. That is world of living beings, world of living beings. And it's shujo second. And second is world of five skandhas. And the third is world of like an environment of living beings.

[12:23]

Environment? Environment. Environment. Those three, I think that means the world of human beings in which we are, you know, living as human beings and thinking and evaluating things. But that is one level of this reality. Another is we are all, you know, 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. world and this makes three thousand this means each and every all every beings in this entire dharma world is included within this one moment or one thought

[13:25]

this is a very basic teaching in tendai and it i think is important to understand dogen that means each and everything and all other things in this entire dharma world is one thing within you know smallest being, entire ten realms is included because everything is connected and so this one thing and this entire things, beings, are really connected. So when we pick up one thing, we pick up this entire network. So that is, I think, what Dogen says, he example, when one person sitting even for one moment, this entire universe become enlightenment.

[14:38]

So one person's activity or action influence entire Dharma world. came from this kind of idea. I hope I can explain in a better way. But for now, this is my limitation. Yes? Is that phrase, Ichi no 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. Well, It's almost 10.30, I mean 11.30 or 10.30. Oh, another thing. So this is the teaching in Chinese Tendai. And another thing to understand what Dogen tried to say is something to do with Japanese Tendai teaching.

[15:47]

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 the 9th century until today, even, especially from the time of Dogen. And Dogen became a Buddhist monk in his tradition, Japanese Tendai. And in Japanese Tendai, the teaching of shahou jisou is...

[16:53]

kind of transformed from Chinese Tendai. In Chinese Tendai, Shouhou Jisou is read, as I translated, to reality of all beings. So of Shouhou no Jisou. And yet in Japanese, Sendai, people start to interpret this as shoho is jisso. All beings is itself true reality. 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.

[18:09]

So this dharmata or true reality is something which doesn't change. Which doesn't change within something changing. Like, as I said, like a human and humanity. Humanity doesn't change, but human beings is always changing. So this is 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. And that is how, you know, in the Lotus Sutra or Chinese Tendai, understand this expression, Shouhou Jisou. 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's no such things called true reality.

[19:14]

That is kind of different between Chinese Tendai and Japanese Tendai. So in Japanese, they put very strong emphasis on particularity, each and every being which is impermanent. Therefore, everything is always changing, and it's not reliable. But besides that thing, there's no such reality. 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.

[20:23]

So we should not separate these two. And this is the same as Dogen said about the Buddha nature. In the very beginning of Shobo Gensho 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 being. But the way things are is Buddha nature. Therefore, each being is Buddha nature. And in the case of Shokhoji, Dogen also reads this way, beside each and every being, there's no such thing called true reality.

[21:29]

Please. When we talk about Buddha nature, or when we talk about true reality, My mind seems to try to envision some fixed concept, some theme. And I think that probably 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 that the relation between shoho and diso is quite the same. This is like an idea. This is a real thing. This cannot be perfect. This is always imperfect. This is perfect. and universal and doesn't change. It's like a concept. And this is a real thing.

[22:34]

And we think, you know, real things, actual things are always changing and imperfect. We cannot rely on them. 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. There isn't anything outside. Right. Yes. Well. I think this point from the Lotus Sutra and Tendai teachings in 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? OK, thank you. Yeah, I can see that. who has blue eyes.

[24:54]

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

[25:57]

Anyway, This section 18 of Majjhameka Karika, in Sanskrit, is an English translation of Sanskrit name, is examination of the, in this translation it said, bifurcated self. Does this make sense? By I'm sorry, bifurcated self. This is a translation by Kenneth Inada. I don't know what bifurcated self means in English. Spreading. That doesn't make sense to me. Anyway, this is a translation of 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 translation, this is more like examination of Dharma, not Atman. So this is also interesting. And according to Kumara Jiva's translation, this entire section is about Shoho Jiso. And in the very beginning, in this commentary, it said, the question was aroused, it said, if all beings are ultimately empty,

[28:24]

without arising and perishing, because if everything is empty, sunyata, then nothing allows nothing to perish. And that is called a shohoji-so. Then the question is, how can we enter, how can we understand and enter this reality of all beings? That was a very first question. So it's very clear, at least according to Kumara Jiva, this expression, shoho jisso, 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 belongs 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 shohoji saw, or true reality of all beings means, according to Kumara Jeeva's translation of Nagarjuna's Madhyamaka Karika. 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 emptiness and selflessness or egolessness or anatman. Maybe before that we should understand what Atman means. Atman is, as I said, fixed self or 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. for when we, you know, dying and born, being born and living and dying and be born again to the next life, our body and mind disappear.

[31:57]

But Atman doesn't change. Atman exists 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 that doesn't change, exists permanently, and goes through the change. And the definition of this Atman in buddhism at least in chinese buddhism is jo itsu shu

[33:00]

Joe is permanent, never changing. It is one, only one. And Shu is like a lord or owner. And Sai is like an operator or driver of the car. So owner of the car and driver of the car, operator of the car. This means art man is something which doesn't change, permanent, and only one. So art man of Shohak is only one. 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 becomes bigger and bigger. 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 body is always changing. So body cannot be the Atman. And mind is also always changing in 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. Then 58 years ago, I was born as a child, and that baby was me, Shogak. 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 Atman. And what Buddha taught is there's no such thing. There's no such thing which doesn't change, and one, 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, you know, bubbles in the water. You know, 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 things called bubble.

[37:24]

And atma is same as, or we are the same as bubbles. There's no such things called bubble. There's no such thing called shohaku. Shohaku is a name for the condition as, you know, this body and mind. And that's all. That is what Muga, Atma is called Ga. And Anatma is Muga, your self. And this is very basic teaching of Buddha and also Nagarjuna. And this Muga is famous emptiness there's no such fixed entity as shohaku or bubble or anything everything is a collection of causes and conditions that is basically that is what this true reality of all beings means means

[38:40]

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 of happening, movement. but somehow we named this as shōhaku, and the definition of shōhaku is not a good example. Same as, you know, this is a pair of grass. This is a pair of glass only for certain period of time when it was manufactured 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.

[39:56]

I have many half-broken pairs of reading glasses, and I cannot use it anymore, so it's just a junk. A pair of reading glasses is just a name for a certain condition, and there's no such entity called a reading glass. That is what emptiness or egolessness or no-self or anatman means. But it doesn't mean this doesn't here. This doesn't exist. As a collection of causes and conditions, this is here. And I can use this. But there's no fixed permanent condition. identity in this thing. This is a pair of reading glasses, only when I can use the device to read things.

[41:02]

When it's broken, as I said, it's become a junk. Or I can use this for something else. You know, this is a glass or cup? Anyway, this is a cup. When I put water and drink, but if we put some flower in it, it's not a cup, but this is a flower vase. So there's no fixed entity in each and everything. Nothing is really fixed. Everything is changing, depending upon the relation between this person and this thing and object. And that is what I, as I said this morning, Nama Rupa.

[42:05]

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 a concept, shohaku is always shohaku. Or a desk is always a desk. But the real thing is always changing. There's no such thing. that is the real reality of all beings. According to Nagarjuna's teachings, and Kumarajiva translated and introduced that kind of idea or teaching of emptiness into China.

[43:10]

And in this section, as a translation of Nagarjuna's sentence, verses, Nagarjuna, I mean, Kumarajiva also used this word, shoho jiso. For example, verse 6 of this section of Majamuka Kārikā, 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 that any abstract entity as Atman or an Atman 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 doesn't exist in Sanskrit, that is, . So something like, they have also taught that any abstract entity as atman or anatman does not exist within true reality of all beings. So there's no abstract entity as atman or anatman. So here Nagarjuna negates both atman and anatman.

[45:25]

Both doesn't really exist. Of course, you know, anatoman is a negation of atman, so anatoman doesn't exist. So anatoman 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 the function of our mind. So where mind's functional realm ceases, then our mind doesn't work. And the realm of words, also ceases.

[46:29]

When our mind doesn't work and when, you know, all words and concepts cease to be, that means when our mind doesn't work, our brain doesn't work, there's no such things called words and concepts or nama rupa. For indeed, the essence of existence, this essence of existence, is dharmata. And this dharmata, in Chinese translation, is . It is like nirvana. This is really important saying in this entire section. The essence of existence, dharmata, or shoho jiso, is like nirvana.

[47:33]

So shoho jiso is another name for nirvana. Without origination and destruction, neither allows Noah to perish. This Soho 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 verse 9. Nonconditionally related to any entity. Quiescent.

[48:35]

Nonconceptualized. Nonconceptualized by conceptual play. non-discriminative, and non-differentiated. These are the characteristics of reality. This characteristic of reality is tatvasya lakshanam. That is the word, this one. So Nagarjuna uses this tatvata lakshanam, the characteristics of existence. And Kumarajiva translates it as . uh, I think that is the point. Kumarajiva translated those words into Chinese expression, so now we can understand what 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 collection of all different element please Both. I mean, it's confusing, but... Yes. In Nagarjuna teaching, there's only two truths. Conventional truth and absolute truth, or ultimate truth.

[50:57]

And... You know, sometimes ultimate truth is shouho jisou, but conventional truth is something we fabricate within our mind. So it's a kind of 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, reality of all beings.

[52:02]

This is confusing in the way we think, but this is kind of an important point that, you know, within absolute, relatives 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, the expression as three vehicles and Ekayana, one vehicle. Three vehicles refer to Shravaka, Pratyekabuddha, and Bodhisattva. Those are three kind of Buddhism, or Buddhists.

[53:06]

Shravaka means Buddha's disciples. And Pratyekabuddha is a practitioner who practices study by themselves with 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 he's saying in the second chapter of the Lotus Sutra, and that is another source of this expression, so I'm going to talk on the Lotus Sutra tomorrow morning.

[54:10]

But in You know, in the Lotus Sutra, there's a parable. It said, you know, parable of burning house. You know, there are three children playing with three different kind of toys. And once the 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, Pratheka Buddha, and Bodhisattva, are kind of expedient. And real thing is one vehicle as Buddha's vehicle. And, you know, Mahayana is, how can I say, both sattva-yana. And in Tendai tradition, they have many different kinds of discussions, whether the Mahayana Buddhism, which is relative with Hinayana or two vehicles, like Ashurabhaka and Pratyekabuddha, is this Mahayana within the three vehicles,

[56:27]

And this one vehicle, Mahayana, is same Mahayana or not. And there are many different theories. But in the case of one vehicle, Mahayana as one vehicle, and Mahayana as a bodhisattva vehicle that is relative with shravaka and pratyeka buddha are same or different this is kind of an important discussion in tendai tradition and this means something absolute cannot exist without relativity 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 Dogen, you know, discussed in Shoho Jisso, that all those relative things is called ho-ben or expedient means. And ekayana is true vehicle, true teaching of Buddha.

[58:33]

And Dogen's point is beside expedient means, there's no such things called absolute truth or ekayana. 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 Shoho Jiso. Without expedient means, there's no absolute truth. or 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 of or the definition of word, these two should be distinguished. But Dogen's point is these are not two separate things, but one thing. I think that's the conclusion of Dogen's . Is there any more thing I have to mention in here? The final verse, verse 12, might be interesting. Nagarjuna said, where we accomplished Buddhas,

[60:48]

do not appear and the Shravakas cease to be. 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.

[61:53]

The enlightened mind of the Pratyekabuddha comes forth from independent engagement of the fixed self or Atman. That means even all Buddhist traditions cease to be if the person is free from clinging to art. Good morning, everyone.

[63:04]

Before we start to read Dogen Zenji's Shōbō Genzō Shōhō Jissō, I'd like to introduce a little more information about this expression and also teaching about this expression. I think that helps our understanding of what Dogen wants to say in this writing. The expression 諸法之相, as I said yesterday, refer to the reality or truth. of each and every beings is. So, shoho is beings, and jisso is like, shoho is beings or dharma, and jisso is dharmata, something that makes dharma as dharma.

[64:16]

It's like human and humanity, or Buddha and Buddhata, or Buddha nature. So this soul is something abstract. We cannot see. And universal. Humanity is shared by all human beings. Each one of us are different as a concrete being. But humanity is all-pervading. All human beings share humanity. That is the difference between beings or dharma and dharmatta. This Dogen's writing, Shoho Jiso, is his comment basically on the expression from the Lotus Sutra.

[65:26]

And this Lotus Sutra is also translated by Kumara Jiba, the person who translated Nagarjuna's Majamika Karika. And so Kumarajiva's translation work was very important to kind of create the Chinese Buddhist philosophy. Anyway, this expression Dogen quote in his Shoho Jisō 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.

[66:36]

Skillful means or expedient 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. 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.

[67:41]

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 in Samadhi, addressed Shaliputra, so Buddha talked to Shaliputra. The wisdom of Buddha is very profound and infinite. But the first thing he said, The wisdom of Buddha is very profound and infinite. There are wisdoms, in this translation it says wisdom school, but I don't know what this school means.

[68:48]

The original word is mon, mon means gate. that means teachings, Buddha's teachings about Buddha's wisdom, is difficult to understand and difficult to enter so that the Shravakas and the practical Buddhas cannot apprehend it. Buddha is talking to Shariputra, and he is Srivaka. That means, my understanding, my wisdom is too difficult for you. So you cannot understand it. And Buddha said, fear four. because the Buddhas have been in fellowship with countless hundred, thousand, billion, quatis of Buddhas.

[69:59]

You know, Buddhas practice with many numberless Buddhas in the past lives. Perfectly practicing the infinite law, Dharma, infinite Dharma of all Buddhas, boldly and zealously advancing and making their fame universally known, 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, Shariputra, ever since I became Buddha, with various reasonings and various parables,

[71:09]

I have widely discoursed and taught, and by countless tactful methods or skillful means, have led living beings, causing them to leave all to leave all attachments 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 kind of skillful means, he never taught the reality itself. He taught about reality using some skillful means. And the Lotus Sutra wanted to say is now he is ready to show the reality itself without using the tactful means.

[72:26]

Fearful because the Tathagata is altogether perfect in his tactfulness and parameter of wisdom. Shariputra, the wisdom of the Tathagata, is broad and great, profound and far-reaching. His mind is infinite. His expositions are unimpaired. 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.

[73:33]

Shaliputra, the Tathagata, is also to discriminate everything, preach the laws or dharmas skillfully, use gentle words, and cheer the heart of all. Shariputra, essentially speaking, the Buddha has altogether fulfilled the infinite, boundless, unprecedented Dharma. And next he says, he said, enough, Shariputra, there is no need to say any more. So Buddha did not reject to say any more. He started to talk about this absolute dharma, but Buddha said, Buddha has hesitation because it's too difficult for Sri Ramakrishna.

[74:42]

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 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 third time he accepted.

[75:56]

And here in the Lotus Sutra, instead of the Indian god, Sariputra is asking Buddha to expound the Dharma. And Buddha rejected twice, and third time he started to talk. That is, so this... 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, he had 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.

[77:04]

This reality of all existence is shoho jiso. And Dogenzen picked up this expression, shoho jisou, as the title of Shobo Genzo from this place of the Lotus Sutra. But according to the modern scholars, in the original Sanskrit, in this place, there's no Sanskrit word for shoho jisou. So this is kind of a Kumara Jiva's creativity. He put this expression Shohoji-so in here. So only a Buddha together with a Buddha can fathom the reality of all existence.

[78:14]

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 so, because of Dogen's writings. 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,

[79:17]

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 the Dogen quote in Shobo Genzo. And this ten-suchness is really important in especially Chinese Tendai teachings. I'm going to introduce later. But this ten-suchness does not also exist in the original Sanskrit Rota Sutra. So this ten-suchness is also addition by Kumara Jeeva. So Kumarajiva was a very creative translator. Creative translation and honest or direct translation is sometimes opposite, contradicted.

[80:31]

But if Kumara Jiva didn't translate the Lotus Sutra in this way, Chinese Tendai teaching mainly established by Tendai Chi-i and also Dogen. Dogen's Shouhojisto doesn't exist. So Kumbharajiva is a really important person to understand, you know, Tendai teaching, Chinese Tendai teaching and Dogen's teaching. Those ten suchness is, let me first read in kanji. A, so, sho, pai, riki, sa, in, nen, ka, ho, and honmatsuku kyoto.

[81:56]

The pronunciation is so, shou, tai, riki, sa, in, nen, or in, nen, you know, okay, ka, ho, and hon, matsu, Ku, I'm sorry. Ku, hyo, to. In this translation, so is form. Sho is nature. And tai is embodiment. Riki is a potency.

[83:17]

Sa is a function. In is cause. N is condition. In this translation, this says a primary cause. Primary cause. And N is a secondary cause. And eighth one is... Effect and recompense. Recompense.

[84:24]

And the final one is a complete fundamental whole. Maybe I don't need to write it. This means each and every being as a reality of each and every being. There are ten suchness. These are called suchness or thusness or nyose in Japanese. So it said, So these are called ten suchness. And each and every being has these ten aspects. That is what this Lotus Sutra, translated by Kumarajiva, is saying.

[85:45]

And this is Shoho Jiso. And Lotus Sutra doesn't explain what this means. Just restart. Please. Number nine is recompense. 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 suchness, within these ten suchness, first five refer to the uniqueness of each being.

[87:01]

or the future or characteristic or particularity of each being. Each being has its own unique form and unique nature. and unique body. In this case, form means something we can see, so looking, appearance. 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 Tai, here it said embodiment, but I think this is just a body. It's body or a substance. Actually, in the Buddhist philosophy, there's no substance as a fixed entity, but as a tentative entity.

[88:07]

being we have some substance or body and each one each beings have its own unique potency or i translate energy power some energy each one of one of All beings have 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 car. Six and eight, effect or result. Or cause and result is a relationship within time. You know, for example, a seed of a tree is planted. You know, as a result, you know, the tree grow and bloom flowers and bear fruits. That is cause and result. So each and everything is within the relationship between cause and result.

[90:26]

Seed is a result of previous 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 consequence of cause and effect, nothing can exist. And I think sevens and nines, this translation is a secondary cause, but usually this is translated as conditions.

[91:36]

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

[92:49]

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 helps 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, things or the fact that, for example, a bird didn't come to pick up the seed to eat.

[94:04]

that fact something didn't happen is part of the conditions. So negative things didn't happen is also a condition that help a seed to sprout and grow. So not only things happening to help a seed grow, but also things 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, then certain seeds cannot grow, or even we may cannot live.

[95:10]

So there's a certain distance between sun and earth is one of the conditions when small, tiny seeds can sprout and grow and produce something. So actually everything is a condition for everything. Everything is connected with everything as a condition. And then the seed sprout and the plant continue to grow. As a result, you know, the tree blooms flowers. This is a result of this cause. But this result is not only for, only that result

[96:15]

or effect of this seed, living activity of this seed. But when flower blooms, somehow it has its influence from to others. 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 that is not the purpose for a cherry tree to make us happy. But somehow it has effect that we become happy. Or because of many flowers blooms, we can offer the flower to the Buddha.

[97:20]

This is not the reason the flowers bloom. the plant living, but somehow when flower, a plant bloom flowers, it help us to practice. And also when we, when there's fruits, you know, animals or birds can eat the fruits. And the fruit eaten by the bird can be carried somewhere else, and the seed in the next generation can grow somewhere else. And also, as Ryokan wrote in his poem, when a flower blooms, is that butterfly.

[98:28]

Butterfly visit the flower. And even though flower didn't invite butterfly, somehow butterfly visit 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, 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 seed is arousing body-mind. This is the starting point of our practice. and we study and practice and we grow and become mature.

[99:34]

And when we mature in certain degree, you know, we can... When in the beginning we are helped by many things, we need to 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 in 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. And ultimately, when Bodhisattva become a Buddha, this is not the end of this process.

[100:42]

When Bodhisattva become a Buddha, 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, the result. The 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 certain degree, we get a license to teach, become a teacher. That is You know, to get certain understanding, knowledge, and skill is a result. And to become a teacher is a recompense, a retribution of the result. So the 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.

[102:51]

And En and Ho is a connection with me and other beings. So when we both sort of attain awakening, that become Buddha. That means Buddha needs to teach. I think that is car and home. Please. Before saying this, I think number six, seven, eight, nine, something they had in common, but I couldn't catch what people said. Oh, 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, or any being cannot exist without relationship with others.

[103:56]

So this is my understanding of these nine suchness. Please. Form. Three. Three is body. Difference between form and body. Form is appearance, looking. Each one of us has a human body, but looks different. Right? That is the appearance, looking, form, something we can see. Okay? And number 10. This Hon is beginning, and Matsu is end. Hon beginning means number one, and mats 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 is not different part of one being, one existence, one thing. But these are just one thing.

[106:10]

Everything has these nine, what's the best word, aspect. nine aspects, and these nine are not separate each other. This is one thing. That is what Honma Tsukuyo To, in this translation, said, their 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.

[107:17]

That is, each and every being has its own uniqueness, unique form, nature, body, energy and function. And yet, each unique being we are unique being each one of us is unique being and yet this unique being cannot exist without relationship or support with others so this is just a moment this shows two sides of interdependent origination one is each and everything is a you know, is connected with everything. We are like a knot of the net. This is Indora's net. Everything is connected with everything, so each knot

[108:21]

looks like independent being, individual being. We don't see this thread. This thread is transparent, so we don't see that thread. So we think each and every not or being independent and individual and unique, and that is true. And yet, without relation with all other beings, You know, this cannot exist. In that sense, each being as individual is empty. No self-nature. Without connection or relation with others, not cannot, doesn't really there. And yet each knot has its own unique form, nature, body, energy, and function. So this shows two sides of reality of all beings.

[109:25]

One is uniqueness of each being. Another is connection with all other beings within this network of interdependent ordination. Please. Could you say a little bit more about nyose, about 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. Yeah. What does that add to it? Okay. Can I? There's a particular one, and the such seems to point to a particularity. actually this word, nyōze, means particularity and beyond particularity, both.

[110:30]

But this is kind of an interpretation in Tendai tradition and also interpretation of Dogen by Sotoze masters. Nyōze has has two sides, nyō and ze. Nyō literally means like, ze is this, like this. This means this particular thing. And nyō is this is not really this, something like this. You know, it is like in Zazen Shin, Dogen Zen says, bird is flying like a bird. It's not really a bird, but it's like a bird.

[111:31]

It's like this. When he says like a bird, does he use it? Yeah, this word. So nyō is like, something like, and this. That means, you know, each and everything, each and every particular thing is not necessarily this thing. You know, Suzuki Roshi said, not necessarily, or not always so. That is another expression of emptiness. Not one, not two, or not woo, not moo. Anyway, this nyōze is the word used as a translation of thusness.

[112:40]

not a translation of dustness, but a translation of ta-ta-ta. Ta-ta-ta is, it's like this. And English translation is dustness. So ta-ta-ta, nyose, and dustness is one thing. So... Yes. Yes. Yes. And in that case, no and there is kind of a, how can I say, contradicted each other. And yet, no there is one thing. So this is, I'm going to talk on this later. There's three things in here. One is nyo, another is ze, and the third is nyode as one thing.

[113:44]

In the Nagarjuna's teaching, there are two truths, absolute truth and conventional or relative truth. I have to say a little later, but this absolute truth and relative truth is one truth. And in Tendai's teaching, these three, instead of two truths, Tendai, especially Chi, mentioned three truths. San, Tai, three truths. And those three truths are ku, kei, and chu.

[114:49]

Ku is emptiness. And kei is, what is kei? Kei is expedient. or tentative. Fat 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, and ke is relative truth. Actually, these three truths came out of Nagarjuna's Majjamika Karika, and it said, everything caused by causes and conditions is empty.

[116:04]

Therefore, it is tentative being. 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 provision is midru. So these are three way of viewing one reality because everything is cause 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, kind of 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. Kang is contemplation or meditation or the passion.

[118:23]

So seeing 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 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 ku-ran, in order to become free from our clinging to our idea. Next is kei kam. That means we should not cling to this emptiness. Sometimes, or usually, often, when we see 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 provisional being. Without provisional being, there's no such things called emptiness. Emptiness doesn't really exist. Emptiness is the way provisional beings are. But when we think we see emptiness of all beings, that means we feel liberated to our idea or clinging or 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 kekang.

[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 chugam, or chugam, as a middle. This one? This card means to see or to contemplate. And nyo sometimes is considered to be ku.

[121:39]

And ze is considered to be kei, 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 is a basic kind of a structure of Chinese Buddhism, or not only Buddhism, probably Taoism also. you know, one thing in which two kind of opposite things included, like yin and yang, yin and yang working together, and yin and yang working as a whole is one reality.

[122:56]

Same as you said, in the Sandoka, nyo is spiritual source. spiritual source, and there is branching stream. And there's another line that is the root and branch return to the source. Root and branch return. This source is shoe. So in Sandokai, there are three things. Within this shoe, basic foundation, source, spiritual source, and branching stream are there. So within one reality, two kind of opposite power is working.

[124:00]

make things happen and changing. That is a basic idea of Chinese Buddhism. Please. 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 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. the very beginning of Shukohanpo, he said, food and dharma are one and the same. He said this to, one and equal.

[125:07]

I translated it one and equal, but Taigen said one and equal is strange. If it's one, if it's equal, there must be two things. If it's one, it's equal, the English word equal cannot be used. So we use one and the same. And yet, in Fushiku Hanpo, if you read it, he said, this To is not a To of comparison and, say, impair or equal. But this To is To in the Shoto Togaku. That means, what is Shoto Togaku? Anotara Samyakusan Bodhi. Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi. Samyak means absolute equality. Two, three things really equal. That is Anuttara means. Anuttara Samyak or Samyak means inseparable or incomparable.

[126:11]

Inseparable. Toshou Togaku I forget. I'm sorry. Okay, here we are. I started already talk about ten-day teaching, about these ten suchnesses.

[126:35]

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