I start paragraph 18, page 11. Let me read a few pages. Some people say that Buddha appear only in the realm of human beings. and they think that Buddhas never appear in the other directions or other realms. If it is right, they say, is everywhere Buddhas are residing the human realm. This is the saying of a human Buddha, I alone am the vulnerable one. There must be heavenly Buddhas and also Buddhas in the Buddha realm. If you say that Buddhas appear only in the human realm, you have not yet entered the innermost chamber of the Buddha ancestor.

[01:14]

An ancestor said, Shakyamuni Buddha said, having received the transmission of the true Dharma at the place of Kashyapa Buddha, went to Tushita Heaven to teach the heavenly beings in Tushita, and he still resides there now. We should truly understand that Shakyamuni Buddha in the human realm had spread the teaching of the manifestation of entering nirvana, while Shakyamuni Buddha in the heavenly realm still resides and teaches heavenly beings. Students should know that there are thousands of changes and 10,000 of transformations in the sayings, practices, and expounding of Shakyamuni in the human realm.

[02:22]

These are emitting radiant light and manifesting auspicious signs within only one corner of the human realm. It is stupid to know that Shakyamuni in the heavenly realm I'm sorry, it is stupid not to know that Shakyamuni in the heavenly realm teaches more than thousands of styles or ten thousand Dharma gates. The essential teaching of the great way that has been authentically transmitted from Buddha to Buddha. that goes beyond extinction and drop off what is beginningless and endless, has been authentically transmitted only within the Buddha Way. This is the virtue that other people do not know and have not yet heard.

[03:26]

In the places where practice Buddha teaches, There are living beings that do not belong to the four types of birth. There must be places that do not belong to the heavenly realm, human realm, Dharma world, and so on. When you look at the dignified conduct of practice Buddha, Do not use the eyes of heavenly beings or human beings. Do not use the heavenly and human sentiments. Do not try to measure dignified conduct with them. Even those in the ten stages of the sage and the three stages of the wise have not yet known or clarified it. much less can human or heavenly beings fathom them.

[04:27]

Since human measurement is short and small, human wisdom is also short and small. Since our lifespan is short, our thinking is also short. How is it possible to measure the dignified conduct of practiced Buddha with human sentiment? Excuse me. In the few paragraphs I talked this morning, Dogen Zenji kind of challenged our common understanding of life and death. And here he also again changing our common idea of what Buddha is. And it's kind of strange to me.

[05:30]

Anyway, first he said, some people say that Buddha appear only in the realm of human beings, and they think that Buddhas never appear in the other directions or other realms. Of course, we I think Buddha is Shakyamuni, a human being. It's a kind of a manifestation of formless dharmakaya in the form of human beings. But we never, I think, we never think of there are Buddha in the form of dogs or cats or snake or birds. we only think Buddhas are human beings and Buddha appear only in the human world. I think that is true. You know, almost all Buddha statues are shape of human beings.

[06:38]

I think this, as far as I know, Dogen Zenji is only one person who had such a question. And he said, If it is like they say, or we think, is everywhere Buddhas are residing the human feeling. That means, does dog practice, does dog can be a dog practice Buddha, or cat, or anything else. And there's no rule that dogs cannot be a Buddha. or a cat cannot be a Buddha, or trees. Five trees are not Buddha, cannot be Buddha. Five only human beings can be Buddha. And he said, this is the saying of a human Buddha, I alone am the Venerable One.

[07:43]

Human Buddha means, this is what Buddha Shakyamuni said when he was born, But according to Dogen Zenji, this is a kind of an arrogant thing. I'm only a vulnerable one. But if we say only human beings can be a Buddha, this is also saying only human beings can be enlightened. And this is very kind of a particular word. human-centered way of viewing things. And I think what Dogen is saying is that is not good. But no one else, I think as far as I know, no one else but Dogen Zenji said such a thing. So he's very kind of a, how can I say, liberated from even human point of view, human-centered way of viewing things.

[08:50]

You know, even today we think, you know, we are human beings are owner of this planet. And we can use everything on this planet as we want to make us happy or satisfied. We, you know, we are really still really, you know, human centered. But I think what Dogen is saying is we should become free from that kind of consciousness. We are the center of the world. We are the owner of the world. Not only self-centered, but also human-centered. Yes? Do animals and plants have a choice other than to be Buddha? I mean, it seems like they just are. without even, like they all are. We're the only ones that have difficulty making a day sometimes.

[09:54]

Yes. To me, I don't know. Maybe so. I'm not sure. They are always making choice, probably. I don't know. I don't want to make such a decision. So he is saying there must be heavenly Buddhas and also Buddhas in the Buddha realm. That is the matter of course. In the Tendai teaching, it says, you know, there are ten Dharma realms. First six are six realms of samsara. And next, the realm of Shravaka, the Buddha's disciples, Pratheka Buddha, bodhisattva and buddha all together ten realms and in ten day teaching within those each of those ten other ten other nine are included that makes 100 realms that means even in the hell buddhas are there and even the realm of hungry ghost buddha is there so

[11:14]

you know, Buddha is everywhere. So, and yet we cannot imagine, you know, what is the shape of Buddha in the realm of, you know, animal or tree or something else. It's beyond our imagination. But it might be very simple just as they are. Please. I just changed it. It's only in the human realm that one has the opportunity to practice a Buddha. That is a common sense among Buddhist community. Only human beings can be a Buddha. But Dogen is challenging about that idea. Yes?

[12:19]

Is that different from... how is it different from the Shinto idea that every age is animated by some spirit? Maybe shared some common ground, you know, Dogen then said, all beings are Buddha nature. That might be the same, you know, idea, and came from the same ground. So everything, all beings in this universe have divinity, and it should be, how can I say, respected. Nothing is valueless and nothing is the object of our desire to fulfill my desire. We have to live together with respect with all beings.

[13:25]

So if you say that Buddha appear only in the human realm, you have not yet entered the innermost chamber of the Buddha ancestor. So we have to be really careful about that human-centered way of viewing things. And next thing he quote is interesting but strange to me. An ancestor said, Shakyamuni Buddha, having received the transmission of the true dharma at the place of kashapa buddha went to tushita heaven to teach the heavenly beings in tushita and he still resides there now well you know uh When we chant the names of our lineage, we start Pivashi Butsu Daiyosho, and the sixth is Kashapa Buddha, Kashobutsu Daiyosho.

[14:39]

And seventh is Shakyamuni Butsu Daiyosho. So Shakyamuni Butsu received Dharma transmission from Kashapa Buddha. That is a common idea in Zen tradition. Yet this saying said, after receiving Tora's submission from Kashyapa Buddha, Shakyamuni went to Tushita Heaven, and he's still there. So then he was here in this world. But Dogenzen's interpretation, and we don't know who said this statement. No. We can't find this statement in anywhere. Some commentaries said this might be said by Tendo Nyojo Zenji, but we couldn't find such a statement in Nyojo's record of Nyojo's saying or Dogen's record about his teacher's saying.

[15:49]

So we don't know who said this Anyway, Dogen's comment on this saying is, we should truly understand that Shakyamuni Buddha in the human realm had spread the teaching of the manifestation of entering Nirvana. So in the human realm, about 2,500 years ago in India, he entered Nirvana. As the Nirvana Sutra said, while Shakyamuni in the heavenly realm still resides and teaches heavenly beings. So the Shakyamuni Buddha was in two places. One is, one Shakyamuni Buddha was born in this world and teach for about 40 years after became Buddha and enter Nirvana.

[16:52]

But another Shakyamuni Buddha was staying in Tushita Heaven. What this means... I don't really understand. Anyway... They have an after-entering nirvana? Yes, so he returned to Tushita Heaven. And one commentator said, this is not about the Shakyamuni Buddha as an individual person. but he's talking about the lifespan of practice Buddha. As a practice Buddha, you know, the person in the Trista Heaven now, staying in Trista Heaven, is Maitreya. And that is the continuation of Buddha's lifespan. So someone, some commentator said, this refer to Maitreya.

[17:56]

But I'm not sure. Please. Can you explain what Tushida is? Is it commonly used term? Yeah, it's kind of a common, well-known phrase Tsushita Heaven is a part of the Indian Buddhist cosmology. Beyond this world, there are layers of heavens. The heavens in the realm of a world of desire and a world of shikikai, rupa, or material, and world of no material, or alupa world. There are three layers of the heavenly realms. And tsushita heaven is a part of the heaven within the realm of desire.

[19:01]

And Before Shakyamuni Buddha was born into this world, he stayed at this place, Tushita Heaven. And, excuse me, after Shakyamuni left Tushita Heaven, now Maitreya Bodhisattva is there and waiting there until the time he was going to be born to this world. That is a common kind of a story or story in Buddhism. So Maitreya will be the next Buddha coming to this world. That is the idea. Please. Wouldn't Buddha three times, I believe, say not to get focused on

[20:02]

metaphysics. Where did this pattern of stuff start coming from? This cosmology came from the Indian mythology. And the Indian Buddhists accept those, you know, myths and pantheon of gods. And they consider those Indian gods as a guardian gods of Dharma. Yes. Yes. Anyway, Dogen says, students should know that there are thousands of changes and tens of thousands of transformations in the sayings, practices, and expounding of Shakyamuni in the human realm. So he taught the Dharma in many different ways using many different skillful means.

[21:08]

And these are emitting radiant light and manifesting auspicious signs within only one corner of the human realm. So what Buddha taught in the human realm is only one tiny part of this world, or this universe. And it is stupid not to know that Shakyamuni in the heavenly realm teaches more than 1,000 of styles or 10,000 Dharma gates. That means the human Buddha Shakyamuni taught was only for human beings, but the heavenly, that Shakyamuni staying at Tushita Heaven teaches to the heavenly beings. It might be very different from the teaching for human beings. I don't really understand what he's saying, and I don't know whether what he's saying is true or not, but what he wants to say is his next sentence.

[22:29]

The essential teaching of the Great Way that has been authentically transmitted from Buddha to Buddha, that goes beyond extinction and drop-off, What is meaningless and endless has been authentically transmitted only within the other way. This is what he said. We should first go beyond extinction. This is Choetsu. Danzetsu. And Datsuraku. Mushimushu.

[23:36]

CHO-ETSU DAN-ZETSU ZATSU RAKU MU-SHI MUSHU CHO and ETSU both means transcend or to go beyond. And dan is to cut. And desu is discontinue. And datsuraku is a famous word that means dropping off. And mu is no, she is beginning. and no shoe is end.

[24:49]

And according to some commentaries, there is some, you know, Shobogen has been transmitted as a hand copy. so this might be uh miscopied and some people some uh you know monk scholars such as menzan thought this may not z but this means zoku the shape of the character is pretty similar and in this case this if this is zoku Zoku means continuation, to continue. So the meaning is opposite. If we transcend or go beyond, danzetsu means extinction, extinction.

[25:58]

So we should go beyond extinction and also we should drop off mushi mushi means to be eternal there's no beginning and no end there's no extinction so these these in if the the kanji is this this one this and this is uh opposite and we should go beyond extinction and we should drop off What is the word? Eternity. Everlasting, ever-continuing thing. Please. Is Don Zetsu the third noble troop? The third noble troop? Extinction? No, that is Metsu, not Zetsu. Metsu means to cease or to vanish.

[27:04]

And that can mean the same meaning, but that is never used to show the third noble truth. So danzetsu is, you know, extinction. And mushimushu is eternal, everlasting. So if this kanji, Dogen Zen used this kanji, this means we should go beyond extinction, means Buddha entered Nirvana and disappeared or extinct. And Buddha is permanent or eternal. We should go beyond the idea that Buddha disappeared or extinct when he entered nirvana. And we should drop off our idea that Buddha is permanent or eternal as a dharma body.

[28:11]

We should become free from both ideas. And if Dogen Zenji use this kanji instead of zetsu, this dan and zoku is opposite. That means within this, they are opposition. So we should go beyond. So in this case, dan is cutting off or what is the word? uh discontinuation or extinction and joke is continuation so we should go beyond continue this con uh discontinuation and continuation that so within this one word i know you know this uh pair are included In that case, we should go beyond the idea of the Buddha's body or Buddha's life continue and discontinue.

[29:22]

And also, we should drop off the idea of Buddha's life is eternal. We should become free from both ideas. This is kind of a famous Not a famous, but a common idea. We should become free from Dan Ken. Dan Ken and Joe Ken. Ken, both Ken means view. And what is danken in English translation? Do you know? Joken is eternalism. And danken is nihilism, or the view that things extinct, things disappear, cease to be.

[30:37]

Buddha said this is one extreme and this is another extreme. Does someone know the English translation of these two views that is negated by Buddha? Eternalism and nihilism. This is nihilism and this is eternalism. Noguen is saying the same thing. And we should become free from both Buddha is eternal and also Buddha, you know, one Buddha dies and next Buddha appear. I mean, this is the way, I think this is the way Dogen want us to see the life of gyobutsu or practice Buddha.

[31:45]

It is neither, you know, permanent or eternal in our human idea. And it's not individual, you know, person by person thing. So this means, as I wrote, we are living within the flow of time, conventional time, flows from past through present to the future. And here is time that doesn't flow. And I said, you know, this moment or each moment is a gateway between this time, this conventional time, to the time doesn't flow. This is eternal life of Shakyamuni.

[32:48]

That is what I said, the Dharma body. But if we think Buddha's life is eternal in this idea of time, our common idea of time, then that is a mistake. But Buddha's eternal life is manifested only moment by moment. If we think this continuation and continuation is happening within this common idea of time, then we misunderstand what Buddha is. But Buddha's eternal life doesn't mean he lived forever.

[33:51]

In terms of this idea of time. Does it make sense? Good. Thank you. Please. Are other Buddhists in the same realm? I am not sure. Dogen's idea is very kind of unique, but I'm not sure if other Buddhist teachers say the same thing or not. But Jogen, he thought that there were other Buddhas with Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha. Pardon me? Is this application just for Sakyamuni Buddha, or is it for other Buddhas also? Jogen is talking about Gyobutsu practice Buddha. She is discussing about practice Buddha. And even when he is called, you know, this Buddha with the name of Shakyamuni, this refers to practice Buddha.

[34:59]

That means our practice. So he's not talking about Buddhist mythology. Oh, thank you. Do you think that whenever the text refers to Shakyamuni Buddha, he's referring to Yobu Ishii? At least in this writing. So this is Buddha's lifespan, moment by moment. And at the same time, it's eternal life that is always there. It doesn't flow. It doesn't change. but it manifests only within moment by moment. Excuse me. And he said, this is a virtue that other people do not know and have not yet heard.

[36:07]

So this is his very unique idea. In the places where practice Buddha teaches, There are living beings that do not belong to the four types of birth. This is what he discussed in the previous paragraph. And there must be places that do not belong to the heavenly realm, human realm, Dharma world, and so on. There must be many other places, even we don't know the names. When you look at the dignified conduct of practice Buddha, do not use the eyes of heavenly beings or human beings. Do not use the heavenly and human sentiments. This is what he wanted to say when he discussed about life and death and about our idea of Buddha.

[37:13]

We see and think things and grasp things with this human sentiment or eyes of human beings. So that is how we can do. That is the only thing we can do. But he said we should be free from it. So, you know, in the section I talked this morning, he said we should doubt and question what are life, what are death, and what is Buddha. But when we question or inquire, we should not think and view things based on our human karmic way of viewing things. So it's really difficult to think. How can we inquire without using our human point of view?

[38:16]

That is the only way we can see. So what he is saying is there is another way of viewing things. That is the way we see within letting go of thought. That is our zazen. Do not try to measure dignified conduct with human point of view with them. Even those in the tenth stage of the sage and three stages of the wise have not yet known or clarified it. Much less can human or heavenly beings fathom them. These tenth stages or three stages refer to uh you know in the according to mahayana teaching from the starting point of uh bodhisattva practice when we are as bodhicitta until the goal that is buddhahood there are 50 second 52 stages and these

[39:34]

10 stages of sage and 3 stages of wise refer to upper stages within these 52 stages. If you want to find exactly where they are, you can look up some Buddhist texts, but I don't think I have time to talk about that today because We have a long way to go. But that means this idea of stages from a certain point to the goal, that is Buddhahood, is made by human beings who have never been to the goal. You know, it is said the final stage is the tenth stage of bodhisattvas, and it is said among the human beings, Nagarjuna, only Nagarjuna, went to the seventh stage of the final ten stages.

[40:49]

So we are much below there. And yet we discuss about these stages as if we are seeing the map that, you know, this is, according to Dogen, this is a very strange thing. We are discussing how to go there where we've never been there. Please. So would it be accurate, do you think, to say that these are all various encouragements from not to be small-minded, to recognize that our universe is so vast and that it's foolish to think we understand it? Yeah. Yeah, we think, you know, the way we think, the way we view things is absolutely right way of viewing things. And we don't know the limitation of our way of viewing things.

[41:51]

Yeah. Yes, even though sometimes he's saying sound arrogant. But in fact, he's saying that we should be humble, that we cannot see the absolute reality. We can only see from human point of view. So we should let go of our grasping of the human point of view. Especially since human wisdom is short and small. Yes. Since human measurement is short and small, human wisdom is also short and small. So we should see the limitation of our ability. We cannot see this world from outside objectively, but we are very tiny part of this world and we have to see this world from inside.

[43:02]

So we cannot be arrogant and we cannot say we know everything, we see everything. We cannot see without taking position within this world. So our view is limited. Since our lifespan is short, Our thinking is also short. How is it possible to measure the dignified conduct of practice Buddha with human sentiment? He said the dignified conduct of human Buddha, I mean practice Buddha, has no such limitation because we let go of our self-cleaning. Next paragraph. Therefore, do not accept the lineage that simply takes the human realms to be Buddha Dharma and that narrowly take human Dharma to be the Buddha Dharma.

[44:14]

As Buddha's children, They are simply living beings born according to the karmic retributions. So what he's saying is we should not, how can I say, grasp our understanding about Buddha Dharma and say this is Dharma, with our human sentiment, human point of view, human point of view means that I think the characteristics of human way of doing things is whether it's you know, benefit this person or not, or whether what I can get from this, what is the reward I can receive from this, how I can use this to make this person happy or satisfied.

[45:31]

That is human point of view. So we Dogen said, we should not use Buddha Dharma as a kind of a method to satisfy our human-centered desire. That is, you know, Bodhisattva practice. We try to find the best things for both self and others. We try to live together With all beings, fat is the best thing to do for all beings, not only for this person. That is bodhisattva practice or bodhisattva way of doing things. But human view is fat is good for me, always for me. But we often use Buddha Dharma to satisfy our mind desire to be happy.

[46:44]

That is a problem. If we practice, study and practice Buddha Dharma with such an attitude, Togen said, they have not yet listened to the Dharma with their body and mind. They don't have a body and mind that have practiced the way. They are not born following the Dharma. They do not perish following the Dharma. They do not see following the Dharma. They do not hear following the Dharma. They do not walk, stand still, sit, or lie down following the Dharma." So his statement is very strong. He repeated the same thing so many times. Excuse me. This group of people have not yet received the benefit of the Dharma.

[47:48]

Practiced Buddha is not attached to original enlightenment, is not attached to gradual enlightenment, is not without enlightenment, is not with enlightenment. This is the description of the above principle. So whatever word we use, if we think of Buddha's teaching, Buddhist teaching, for the sake of this person or for the sake of only human beings, then whatever word we use, like awakening or awareness or enlightenment or whatever, that is limited only within human system of value. He continued the same thing. Such concept as having thought or unen and being without thought, unen or munen,

[49:00]

Mu, say, nen. Unen, who is being. Mu is no being. And nen, here is thought. So unen is our usual way of thinking, using our mind. And munen is no thought. And commonly in Buddhism, we think The goal of our meditation practice is to eliminate thought. So munen is enlightenment. So munen is good things and unen is a busy mind. Or having awakening, that is ukaku. And Mu Kak.

[50:20]

Kak is one of the Chinese characters that can be translated as enlightenment. The literal meaning of Kak is awakening. That is, while we are sleeping, we dream. And dream is not a real thing. But when we wake up, we see the real thing, that is one meaning of enlightenment, that is kaku. So mukaku is good thing, and usually mukaku is not good. We are still deluded and dreaming. But sometimes mukaku is used beyond mukaku, beyond awakening. we are completely awake. We have no such things called awakening.

[51:22]

That is called mukaku. So depending upon the context, mukaku and ukaku is used either positive or negative way. For gradual enlightenment, For original enlightenment, these are also the expressions used in Buddhist texts. Gradual enlightenment is shikaku, and original enlightenment is hongaku. These specific terms are used in the texts named Awakening of Faith in Mahayana. but all those words or terms or concept used in the buddhist text if we understand and grasp those things for the sake of for the benefit of this human being this self or only human then he said that is just a human how can i say view

[52:31]

Those terms which are thought by the common people of these days, common Buddhist people, are thoroughly the thoughts of the common people. They are not what has been transmitted from a Buddha to another, from a Buddha to another Buddha. When we make it a concept and use it for the sake of this person's understanding or discussion, then we miss the real thing as a practiced Buddha. Please. So would it be accurate to say that if we hold on to these ideas, then that's the common peak? Yeah. If we let go of these ideas, then that's Buddha. Let go and just do, practice it. just keep not instead of just keeping those uh concept and play with those concept within discussion and argument that is what have been doing you know buddhist scholars at the time of dogon but we have to do it and in doing do it means uh uh practice buddha in doing it

[53:53]

You know, we don't need such concept, those concept, because those are actually done, actually actualized. Does it make sense? I'm trying to understand the difference between common people and Buddha. Yeah, in here, common people means people who are living for the sake of that person's benefit. So if one moment you're living for the sake of that person's benefit... Yes. ...and the next moment you let that go, then you're a Buddha. Yes. So how the people that are Buddhists are not... Not two different group of people, but whether we practice it or not. Yes. That's why he... So having thought or unen of the common people and having thought of the Buddhas are extremely different from each other.

[55:07]

Do not compare them. That means Buddha's thought is how to help people, and our thought is how to benefit this person. The original enlightenment sought by the common people and the original enlightenment verified by the Buddhas are as far apart from each other as heaven and earth. These are beyond comparison. This expression apart far apart from each other as heaven and us is also from shinjime but he here he used in a in a common usage common meaning that is you know very different so he sometimes used without twisting the meaning

[56:08]

The discussions among the bodhisattvas in the ten stages of the sage and the three stages of the wise are still different from the way of all Buddhas. How is it possible for the common people who vainly count the grains of sand to fathom it? This refers to Buddhist scholars only memorizing the number you know as as i said this morning when we study buddhist teachings first we memorize those dharma members dharma numbers like uh you know hate for noble path for noble truth those things and it's like uh you know uh calculating amount of this is often said you know this is memorizing all those things is like a calculating the amount of money at the bank, by the worker at the bank.

[57:22]

Those are just a number. Nothing belongs to themselves. So to memorize all those concepts has nothing to do with real Buddha Dharma. So those people are called people who vainly count the grains of sand. And yet there are many people who consider the mistaken views of the common people and non-Buddhists as the realm of all Buddhas. we must be careful what is really Buddhadharma, what Buddhadharma really means, and what is it, how we can practice instead of make it a concept. Excuse me.

[58:27]

All Buddhas have said that the unwholesome roots of such people are deep and heavy. This is also a quote from the Lotus Sutra. And they are to be pitied. Although the unwholesome roots of those people have no particular beginning, their burdens are deep and heavy. You know, we don't really know why we think in this way as human beings, why we can be so much human-centered or self-centered. We don't know, but somehow that is the way we think, we view things. We don't know when it starts. We are not taught, and yet kind of naturally or as a karmic nature, We think in that way. So I think Dogen includes himself as human beings.

[59:40]

And for a while, they should let go of their deep and heavy burdens. So we should let go of this heavy burden that we very difficult for us to be free from this you know self-centeredness but for a while we should let go that is our practice put on their eyes and carefully look even if they grasp such burdens and invest themselves It is not something happens for the first time. I don't really understand what this means. So I cannot say anything. I'll try to understand next time.

[60:43]

But anyway, the fact he's saying is we should let go of our human-centered or ego-centered way of viewing things. Then we really study Buddha Dharma and practice Dharma. Please. So, I had a question about benefit myself. I think we should say benefit only myself. even we injure others. So there's a natural way that we want to benefit ourselves. I want to benefit myself. When I'm hungry, I want to eat. When I need to use the bathroom, I want to go to the bathroom to benefit myself. Is there something wrong with that? I don't think so. I think problem is that that is a meaning of our life. That is a goal of our life.

[61:48]

That is a reason to be. To benefit ourselves. To, if we think, you know, to satisfy our desire. I think need and desire are different. You know, when we are hungry, we need food. But we don't need, you know, how can I say, chocolate or fancy food. I need chocolate. So I think necessity and desire more than necessity should be, how can I say, make distinction. So to live, we need some necessity. We need some water. We need some food. We need some clothing. But if we think my goal of my life is to have to eat the fancy food every day and to wear expensive, luxurious garment every day,

[63:06]

and so on, and have fame and wealth, even as a kind of result of competing and fighting with others. I want to, you know, desire, fulfill my desire. And if that is the goal of our life, I think that is a problem. So this is very narrow. Your theory of this problem is very narrow. Maybe Dogen is saying to be wider, a wider idea, rather than to benefit myself is wrong or bad. This is a very common idea that we have is, well, if I'm benefiting myself, that's bad. Oh, that's a bad thing. Stop doing that. But I think we get on that trip. And we think we're not supposed to ever benefit ourselves.

[64:13]

Well, Dogen said, don't benefit yourself. This is... Well, not only Dogen, but in Buddhism in general, or at least in Maha Bodhisattva practice, it benefits both self and others. Yeah, I think you said earlier on benefiting yourself at the expense of others. Right. I think that's different than just benefiting yourself. It's benefiting yourself and harming others in order to benefit yourself. What you said earlier in the conversation. Yes. Yeah, that is the point. Self becomes the sole purpose for existence. That's a problem. Okay. Please. What he's saying is that perceiving in terms of seeing enlightenment or non-enlightenment in terms of evaluating rather than freedom, then you get into worrying about how to benefit yourselves by telling yourself

[65:35]

going, how that works, and we lose the freedom of not getting into all that thinking about it, and instead doing the practical stuff, which is more in this realm of freeing our minds from the clueless. Yeah, that is the way we liberate ourselves from self-clinging. by letting go, opening the hand, I think. Next. We have some more time. Good. Now she starts to talk about this again, this dignified conduct of practice Buddha as a revelation. Now, the dignified conduct or practice of Buddha is free from any obstruction.

[66:45]

It is beyond any obstruction because being obstructed by Buddha is disinterested. It has been penetrating the vital path of being covered with mud and soaked in water. This expression, being covered with mud and soaked in water, is kind of a common expression in Zen literature. DAI TAI SUI the day is mud and sui is water.

[67:50]

And here, da is translated to be covered. And tai is soaked, so we become very completely wet and covered with mud. This is an image of For example, the water buffalo working in the rice paddy in China. It's really hard work working in the muddy water and covered with dirt or mud and soaked in the water. You know, Dogen Zenji used this image of water buffalo in Tendo Kyokun. But that is a kind of a symbol of bodhisattva practice. And this expression, I think, appeared in the second case of Brogue Cliff Record.

[69:02]

So this practice, dignified conduct or practice Buddha is both a practice like a water buffalo working in the rice paddy. It's a really hard work and it's not a neat work. And not many people want to do this, this kind of work. But this is the work for the Bodhisattva. And some Chinese Zen masters, like, who is that? Isan, they used to say, when I die, I will be born as a water buffalo. at a farming family at the foot of the mountain. So bodhisattva vow is to work like a water buffalo in the mighty water.

[70:21]

So this sentence, The dignified conduct or practice of Buddha is free from any obstruction. Free from any obstruction is muge. This ge is same ge in keige. he used before, that is obstructed. So there's no obstruction in this practice of practice Buddha or gyobutsu. Excuse me. And it said, it is beyond any obstruction because Being obstructed by Buddha, he said, you know, this Jorutsu is obstructed by Buddha.

[71:35]

So there is obstruction. It's kind of a strange thing to say. But when he said it is obstructed by Buddha, means protected by Buddha or become really one with Buddha. As he said, he used the same expression in Fukanzazen, being obstructed by Zazen. It has been penetrating the vital path of being covered with mud and soaked in water, means vital path of the bodhisattva. So in the heavenly realm, or that is that place, Above, practice Buddha transforms heavenly beings. And in the human realms, this place, practice Buddha transforms human beings.

[72:40]

Practice Buddha has the virtue of opening a flower and the virtue of the world arising. This is the same expression he used before when from blossom blooms, the world, entire world, wake up and spring is there. So, practice Buddha has that, excuse me, that power to bring the spring by, even though the practice Buddha is tiny flower, when it blooms, you know, other flowers follow this first flower. And this entire world will become a spring. There has been no gap between them at all.

[73:44]

Between them means the flower and the world. You know, this is the same as when we sit even for a short time, this entire world becomes spring, or this entire world becomes world of enlightenment in Jiju Zanmai. You know, the person's practice or action and the world in which the person is living or doing is exactly the one thing. That is very basic point of Dogen in this writing. So the dignified conduct has dignity because this is one with all beings in this entire time and space. For this reason, there is complete dropping off of self and others. And there is this dropping of separation between self and others, self and the world.

[74:54]

This is what Dogen said in Genjo Koan. And there is incomparable surpassing within coming and going. This surpassing is not a matter of comparison more than other people, but because The person and the world is one thing. This person's action is this entire world's action. So when a tiny plum blossom is blooming, the entire world is blooming. That is his idea of dignity, dignified conduct. even though we are so small, tiny, and even the Buddhist Sangha is small and tiny.

[75:55]

But when we practice with this attitude, our practice is, you know, making echo with entire world. Please. It's not like Ten Commandments or something. Ten Commandments. It's not like that. number of rules on how to act. No, no. And what I'm trying to get at is, in Uchiyama, where she had the wonderful phrase of opening the hand, and what we've just been reading is, where, I know I'm acting very nice, but there's the dialogue in the program, he says, and she And I assume that it is saying, having thoughts, unen, is that the same as unen? And then not thinking.

[76:55]

Unen. And then how do you think? He doesn't say anything. But is that what is being implied by when he says people should let go of their heavy burdens by not thinking? Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Basically, what he's writing here, or discussing in this writing, is based on his zazen practice. So he's, yeah, and he said not only in zazen, sitting in zazendo, but in all the activity we do with the same attitude, is same, is same, like one small flower blooming, in the world, while blooming together with all beings in the world. Yes. Yes. I think we can finish this paragraph.

[78:07]

Please. I still don't understand this surpassing thing. It's not a matter of comparing with others, but unsurpassing is beyond any comparison. So this practice of letting go of thought, There's no competition with others. I just do it. And this is unsurpassable. Does it make sense? Yeah. And next line is next two lines. The expression is also again from the Lotus Sutra. Practice Buddha is instantaneously going to Tushita Heaven, instantaneously coming from Tushita Heaven, instantaneously Tushita Heaven itself.

[79:21]

Practice Buddha is instantaneously going to Sukhavati. Sukhavati means peace and joy, or ,, pure land. instantaneously coming from Sukyavati pure land, instantaneously Sukyavati pure land itself. It is instantaneous and complete dropping off of tushita, instantaneous and complete dropping off of Sukyavati pure land. It is instantaneously crushing both Sukyavati and tushita into hundred pieces. instantaneously grasping and letting go of Sukyavati and Tushita. It is swallowing up them all in one single gulp. Do you like this? There is an expression that friends, people, accept and maintain this teaching in the Lotus Sutra.

[80:31]

In one place, such people can instantaneously go to Tushita Heaven. And Tushita Heaven is a heaven where Maitreya Bodhisattva is staying now. And of course, Sukhavati is the name of the Pure Land created by Amitabha Buddha. These two are kind of popular places people want to go after dying. Seriously. I mean, in medieval Japan, there are such, of course, still, you know, faith in Pure Land Buddhism. is still very popular, most popular form of Buddhism in Japan. But faith in Maitreya Buddha, I mean Bodhisattva still, and be born in Twister Heaven was also pretty popular at the time of Dogen.

[81:40]

But so these two are places people wish to go after their death to be a practice to practice. Those are the good place to practice. This world is a worst place to practice because we are in the age of final Dharma that is degenerate. There's no way to practice and no way to attain enlightenment. So their wish is to be born in the Tushita Heaven and practice with Maitreya Buddha or practice with Amitabha Buddha. So Pure Land and Tushita Heaven is like a practice center. So it's not like a paradise. They can practice there. But here what Dogen is saying is when we practice with this attitude, we are

[82:44]

instantaneously going to Tushita Heaven or Sukhavati Pure Land. It is here. We don't need to wait until we die to go there. When we practice, those Tushita Heaven or Pure Land, Buddha's Pure Land, are here. That is what it said. instantaneously going to citta heaven and coming from citta heaven. So coming from, we go and return and just be right now, right here. And instantaneously citta heaven itself. So citta heaven is in our practice. We don't need to wait until we die. And same thing is about Sukhavati Pure Land.

[83:50]

So it is instantaneous and complete dropping off of citta, heaven, and Sukhavati Pure Land, which we need to drop off. That means our kind of, you know, this is not a genuine faith in Pure Land, but some common idea among common people about this faith in Pure Land Buddhism is to chant Nami Amida Butsu. Nami Amida Butsu means, I take refuge in Amitabha Buddha. It's like buying a ticket to go to the Pure Land. so if we practice in that way that is not without practice at all but you know when we practice that then if we think we can get some you know good result that is the same thing so we need a dropping off drop off to heaven or pure land and

[85:12]

We should crush both skavati and tsushita. That means we need to be free from going there, but it should be here, right now, right here, with this body and mind. So it should be crushed into a hundred pieces, instantaneously grasping and letting go, grasping and letting go. not only citta-heaven and pure land, but our idea of enlightenment or practice. Then, our practice Buddha or gyobutsu appeared. And finally he said, our practice or our dignified conduct of practice Buddha is swallowing up them all in one single garb. So, nothing outside.

[86:16]

Everything is swallowed. Swallowed up means become one. I think this is a good place to stop talking. Any questions? Please. In teaching about Jesus, if you're not asked where you will find the kingdom of heaven, where the kingdom of heaven is within you, it's similar. Yes, yes. I see one question. Is that in the sacrifice? Mm-hmm. In the Pure Land, are these the equivalent of the common person wanting personal benefits?

[87:18]

And if that's the case, why do we want to swallow when we have them inside ourselves? Swallow means, you know, become free from that kind of desire or idea that if we do this good thing, we can be there. We can get that ticket to go there. That is kind of a self-centered idea about You know, they just practice. Right. You have that practice. You swallow it. You swallow it. That means it's inside you. So that means you incorporated it with yourself. It seems to me like you still want it. Swallow the citta heaven and pure land. Yeah. So it's inside of ourselves. It's okay to have it inside of us. It's not okay to grasp for it. Is there a difference? Yes. Here, grasp and be one, become one is different, yes.

[88:19]

What's the difference? Become one means we don't need to grasp. It's here. It's me. It's not my position, but these five scandals. Oh, the five scandals. There may be a lot of them. Yes. And that brings up another question I have. Sorry, . goes to heaven, and he's teaching the heavenly days. And before we went over the other day, we were teaching the people on this plane. We were teaching about how we shouldn't let the scandals self-sacrifice, instead to give up the path. Is that what Buddhist, practice Buddhist teaching can happen to the heavenly beings? I am not sure.

[89:23]

I am not sure if I understand your question or not. What is the point of your question? Well, we were talking about the river yesterday and we want to get over the river to the other shore. And the other shore is heaven. That shore is nirvana. Heaven is still in this shore. Heaven is in this shore. Okay. Thank you very much. Okay. Thank you.

[89:56]

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