Kashaya, or Okesa, has been called the robe of liberation. So, robe of liberation, or in Japanese, Gedapuku. In the first line of the verse of Kesa, or robe chant, Daisai Gedapuku. This Gedapuku means robe of liberation. This is one of the Many names of this robe are okesa or kashaya. Kesa in Japanese pronunciation is a transliteration of Sanskrit word kashaya. So I use in this translation the word kashaya. And o is Japanese way to call something in a kind of honorific way. We put o on almost everything.

[01:07]

You know, we say water is o-mizu. Mizu is water, but we say o-mizu. And cha is tea, but we say o-cha. And there are so many things. Chopstick is hashi, but we say ohashi. We put almost everything on oh, beginning of the name. This law of liberation, or Getapku, he said, can liberate us from all the hindrances, such as karmic hindrances, hindrances of delusive desires, and hindrances of retribution.

[02:09]

These are called three hindrances or obstacles. Those are karmic hindrances. Karma means our actions. When we do certain actions, mistaken actions, it becomes a hindrance to practice, or to study, or to be a student of Buddha, and to wear the okesa. But this okesa has power, or kudoku. Kudoku is virtue, merit, or power. This okesa has the power to allow us to be liberated from the mistaken actions we have done. and hindrances of delusive desires, or in Japanese, bonno.

[03:12]

We have 108 bonnos. you know, at the end of the year, New Year Eve, we ring the bell, the huge temple bell, 108 times, because we pray to eliminate all those 508 desires, or delusive desires. And it said, this keshaya, or kashaya, has a power or function or virtue or merit that helps us to be liberated from those delusive desires. The most basic delusive desires are so-called three poisonous minds, greed, anger or hatred, and ignorance.

[04:18]

And hindrance of retribution means because of the twisted karma in the past, somehow our way of life is influenced from that karma and that obstacle, even though we want to practice, or we want to be students somehow, we don't have a chance to meet with any good teachers or those things. These are called three hindrances, or three hindrances. But in this Kesaya, has power to change or liberate us from those kinds of hindrances. But if we think about it, I mean about myself, if we can meet the kathāyā, then it's not a hindrance.

[05:29]

So, how can we meet the kathāyā, or ukesa, Even though the orchestra has the power to liberate us from those hindrances, what happens if we cannot meet the orchestra? That is more to me a serious question. And even though I am, I have been wearing the orchestra for more than 30 years, still sometimes I feel I never meet Okesa. Or I sometimes feel I lost Okesa. But still, how can I say, I'm trying to put on my desire, Okesa, almost every day. And because of, I think, the power of this role, somehow I can return to that network of interdependent origination.

[06:41]

So if I have to only rely on my willpower, my desire to practice, and my aspiration, it's really difficult. to continue to practice. But this Ogesa or Kasaya means the network of interdependent origination because of the power or help from so many people and so many beings. you know, I can continue to practice even though I have so many hindrances and we have so many difficulties in our daily lives, you know, to continue to study Dharma and practice the Dharma. So this, as I said yesterday, when he said, okesa or kashaya, necessarily mean this one piece of cloth, but this is a symbol of this entire network of interdependent origination that helps us to be, to exist, to live, and to live in a more healthy way.

[08:06]

When a dragon gets a single strand of kashaya, it can be released from the three kinds of heat. It's said a dragon has three difficulties. One is very dry heat. You know, dragons live in the ocean. A dragon has a power, then the dragon has water. But when it was very hot and dry, you know, the dragon has a problem. And another one is, there's a kind of a big bird that eats dragons. So dragons are the food for The bird named Garuda. Garuda is a big bird.

[09:14]

And I forgot another thing. But dragon. Dragon is mentioned later, so I talk about a dragon where it is. Then it appears later. So I don't talk much about dragons. Dragons can be released from their troubles or difficulties when a dragon touches even a single strand of kashaya. And when an ox touches kashaya with its single horn, Its past wrongdoings disappear of themselves. This kind of a story, it said, appeared in a commentary of the Lotus Sutra, but I can't find it. But there are many, you know, similar kind of stories, so we don't need to find a particular source of this example.

[10:26]

And when all Buddhas attain the way, that means awakening, they all, without exception, wear kashaya. All Buddhas wear kashaya when they attain awakening. So we should know that receiving and maintaining kashaya is the most venerable and unsurpassable virtue. You know, when we see Buddha statues, all Buddhas wearing okesa. But if we think historically, okesa was invented after Buddha asked Ananda to make a design. We are not sure whether when Shakyamuni Buddha attained the way under the Bodhi tree, what kind of clothing did he wear. So, you know, this is about faith.

[11:37]

So if we're too much kind of, you know, logical and intellectual, we lose the point. But, you know, I'm very kind of a skeptical person, so I have so many questions. Anyway, and next paragraph. Dogen said, truly, although we regret that we have been born, that we have been born in the remote land. For Japanese people, Japan is really remote from India. where Buddha was born. So, somehow Japanese people have kind of a, what's the word, inferiority complex toward the Chinese people that is closer to India.

[12:49]

But actually, at the time of Dogen Zenji, Buddhism was almost disappeared from India. That was 13th century. And at the time of Dogon, they thought they lived in the very degenerated age of Lhasa Dharma. Lhasa Dharma is one of the three ages. This morning Paulson asked a question, but it said, first 500 years after Buddha's death. The first 100 years was called Age of True Dharma. And in this period, Buddha's teaching and people who practice, study and practice Buddha's teaching and people who attained the awakening.

[13:53]

All three are there. But next 500 years, teaching and people who practiced are there, but no one attained enlightenment or awakening. And the third age was called Last Dharma. That means only Buddha's teaching remained. No one actually practiced, and no one attained enlightenment. And in Japan, people believed that this age of Last Dharma began in the year 1052. That was... The way how to count the number of the year after the death are various, so I don't have time to explain the numbers.

[15:02]

But people believe that they lived in the last dharma. So, no matter how hard we practice, it doesn't work. we cannot attain enlightenment. That was a very kind of a common idea of Japanese Buddhists in that time. But Dogen Zenji was a kind of original person who was against that idea. But here, using a common idea of his time, Dogen Zenji, They were living in the age of last dharma. But Dogen's point is, even though we lived in that degenerated age, still we could encounter with this Buddha's law.

[16:05]

So we should be really happy about that. So he said, we can rejoice that we have encountered the Dharma, Buddha's teachings, and also not only Buddha's teachings, but we are still living within the network of interdependent ordination. So if we practice There is no way that we cannot say there is no enlightenment or awakening possible. That is one of the points of Dogen Zenji, one of the most important points of his teachings. That is, practice and enlightenment are one. That means it has nothing to do with the quality of age. But when we practice wholeheartedly, enlightenment is already there.

[17:10]

So this practice and enlightenment are one, is his teaching, that even our age is degenerating, still if we practice wholeheartedly, awakening is already there. So the point is whether we practice or not. We don't need to worry about those three ages. And which other lineages have an authentic transmission of both the Lord Dharma and... Both the Lord Dharma, I think, is not a good English. Originally I said both the robe and dharma. So I have to fix this sentence.

[18:14]

Of Shakyamuni such as ours, so he was really happy that he could meet with this lineage, this tradition, through Nyojo Zenji when he went to China. So this is his expression of his gratitude that he received the lineage of genuine Dharma from his teacher, Tendo Nyojo Zenji. Upon encountering this raw Dharma, who do not venerate and make offering to it? Venerate and make offering is a translation of kugyo-kuyo. KU and GYO both mean to respect, venerate, revere.

[19:39]

And KU-YO, I translate this as offering, but this needs some explanation, I think. KU means to offer, and YO is nurture. And this word, kuyo, is kind of an important word in any tradition of Buddhism. And it says there are several kinds of kuyo. And one of the kind of categories of kuyo, there are three. And one is offering materials. Not only materials, but offering something to Buddha, Dharma, or Sangha.

[20:43]

For example, we offer incense. We offer candles. We offer flowers. Those are kind of a kuyo. And that is the first kind of Kuyo. And the second kind of Kuyo is praising the virtue of three treasures, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. So this is the Kuyo, offering and nurturing, by using words or speech. So, in a sense, all the Buddhist texts are a kind of kuyo. to make offering to Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

[21:48]

So almost all Buddhist texts, in the very beginning, said this is dedicated to Buddha, or to Dharma, or Sangha, or to a particular person, for the sake of a particular thing. So, and, you know, the chanting we do during the services, morning service, noon service, and evening service, those services are also a kind of Kuiho, offering, by, you know, reciting and praising Buddha's teachings. And the virtue or merit of this practice of chanting and praising Buddha, Dharma and Sangha is, you know, dedicated to all beings.

[22:57]

That is the meaning of the services. That is the meaning of the, you know, echo or dedication. So, morning service, not only morning, but any kind of service, There are many services or ceremonies, but those are all kinds of kuyo, offering and nurturing the Dharma. And this merit or virtue is dedicated to three treasures, basically. So it's not for the sake of receiving some merit to ourselves. That is what we say, you know, after all the chanting and echo, we say, all Buddhas throughout space and time, or three times and ten directions, and all beings, Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas, and Mahaprajna Paramita.

[24:11]

We chant this, we practice this, and we offer our practice to all Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas, and wisdom. So this is the second kind of Kuyo. And the third kind is practice. Not praising, you know, chanting is a kind of praising. But when we practice dharma, and when we practice something, there are many different kinds of practice, our activities, for the sake of dharma, not only dharma, for the sake of free treasure, all kinds of kuyo or offerings, even our practice is offering to the free treasures, And of course, you know, we receive some merit, but this merit that helps us to continue to practice and continue to grow and mature within the Buddha way is also a kind of offering.

[25:32]

And within the first kind of kuyo, to offer materials, of course making donations to the Buddha and to the Dharma, means making donations like writing a text, or printing a text, or publishing a text, is a kind of kuyo. So, you know, in Buddhist countries, lay people often make donations to publish Buddhist sutras. Many Chinese people do, you know, and distribute the Buddhist texts freely, you know, to the public. That is a kuyo to the Dharma. and make donation for the temples or sangha is also rakuyo to the Three Treasures.

[26:44]

And as an ordained monk, monks traditionally don't have any materials to offer. So their practice is practice, and their life, their way of life, and also their body and mind is an offering to the three treasures. So when we encounter the three treasures, because of our gratitude, We don't have to, but we can't avoid to wish to make some donation or contribution to the Dharma. The repaying, the kindness of Buddhas and ancestors and all people who sustain and continue, maintain the Buddha Dharma and allow us to participate to that movement.

[27:54]

So, even if we have to discard bodily lives, as nonetheless, at the sound of Ganges River, every day, we should make offerings to it. That means our life can be an offering. And this doesn't mean we have to kill ourselves. But if we do things, spend our time and energy, to, for the sake of Dharma, or for the sake of three treasures, then this is a kind of a, you know, discard our body and life. And there are many stories about bodhisattvas, you know, give up their body and lives. you know, especially from the Jataka stories. Later, not quote, but refer to one story, not one, at least two.

[29:12]

Yeah, one is okay. So I talk about that story later. So we should take a vow to meet with it, respectfully receive it, venerate it, and make offerings to it, life after life, generation after generation. So this is our vow as a Bodhisattva, because of the appreciation of this teaching and practice and tradition, we try to make some contribution. And, you know, depending upon who we are, our tendency, capability, and interest, and talent, there might be, you know, different.

[30:26]

But, you know, as a Bodhisattva we have to take four vows. That is what we chant after this lecture. Those are called general vows. All bodhisattvas have to practice to fulfill those four vows. But those four vows are very endless. There is no time to completely fulfill those vows. And it takes more than many lifetimes. But within this lifetime, using this particular body and mind, conditioned, each of us has something we can do and we want to do. My teacher, Uchiyama Roshi, said his vow, kind of a personal vow, is to write a text of Zen that can be understandable to modern people.

[31:44]

That means that in Japan, Buddhist texts are still Chinese. We never, really didn't translate Chinese Buddhist texts into Japanese. But we invented the way to read Chinese as Japanese. It's not really a translation. So we use Chinese words or Chinese expressions. It's not really Japanese. Think those are Japanese. You know, like Prajna is Hanya. Hanya is Chinese. But somehow we say Hanya in Japanese. And we think we understand what it is. But it's not Japanese, actually. And even the Buddha is not Japanese. even dharma or ho is not Japanese.

[32:49]

You know, monks or priests is so, but is not Japanese. But somehow, because we have been using those Buddhist terms, Chinese Buddhist terms, for more than one thousand years, we think those are Japanese. Anyway, so he wanted to write a text of Zazen practice as a buddhadharma in the way modern Japanese can really understand. And he would like to produce a real or determined practitioner of Zazen. He said that was his vow in his lifetime. And as his disciple, I succeeded his vow, and to me, to translate the text he wrote into English.

[33:54]

and share the teaching, his teaching, with the American people, because I live in America, and practice together with the American people, became my vow. And even though I'm not such a capable person, but still I have been continuing working on this. and I'm still working on it. So, you know, this is the way I have been trying to offer or doing kuyo to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. And yet, through these activities, you know, I have been, how can I say, supported by so many people. So this is really a kind of not one-direction activity, I offer something, but because of my practice, my activity of offering something, I receive offering, and supported by so many people.

[35:15]

So it's, again, it's a matter of supporting, being supported by all beings within the network of interdependent ordination. So by offering something, we receive offering from others. That is what interdependent ordination means. We support each other. If we expect something, we expect that we will receive offering or support from others before we offer, that is a problem. Or if we do something in order to receive some return, that is not a vow, that is a kind of trade. So we should be careful about that point.

[36:21]

As a motivation, our aspiration is making offerings. But as a result, we offer each other. So we offer and we receive. But that is how this Buddhadharma has been transmitted. through many years and within many countries. So although we live more than 10,000 miles from the country where the Buddha was born, and it is difficult for us to go there, such a long distance, across mountains and oceans. Because of the influences of our good karma in the past, we are not blocked by the mountains and oceans, and we are not rejected, so we are ignorant, though we are ignorant.

[37:32]

So he expressed his joy or rejoice or delight that he could meet, encounter with Dharma, this teaching and this practice. even though he was born in a remote country and lived in a degenerate age. And I also have the same feeling. In Japan, especially in modern Japan, Buddhism is, in a sense, dying. And today, Japanese society is so much materialistic, they don't care about spirituality so much. There aren't so many good teachers. Still, I don't know why, but somehow I could meet a very good living example.

[38:33]

even though I didn't know what is Dharma. I first read my teacher's book when I was 17 years old. I knew nothing about Zen or Buddhism, but somehow when I read his book, I wanted to become his disciple. Because, pardon me? No. The book was the first book Uchamuro-shi published. The title in Japanese was Jiko. That means self. And I'm sorry, but it's not yet translated into English. Yeah. I need more time. Actually, that book made a very decisive influence to my way of life.

[39:36]

I was a high school student, I knew nothing about Zen or Buddhism, but somehow it was very attractive to me. And I was almost sucked in that way, and I wanted to live like him. That was all my karma. I don't know. I really feel fortunate or lucky. I don't think this is because of my virtue or my choice. but somehow I was sucked into that way. So, I'm really, you know, I keep forgetting one word I'm trying to say. Destination. No. I forget. I remember sometimes. Not lucky or fortunate,

[40:38]

Please wait. So, to encounter with this kind of teaching is really, I think, rare. So we have to really appreciate our good fortune. Having met with this true Dharma, we persistently study and practice it every day and night. We receive and maintain this kashaya, and we always respectfully protect and maintain it. So we have to really take care of our orchestra. I have to go fast.

[41:41]

And he said, this is not because of our effort, or because of our choice, but he said, How could this be the effect of practicing the virtue under the guidance of only one or two Buddhas? We must have practiced all the various virtues under the guidance of Buddhas as numerous as the sons of the Ganges River. That means in our past lives. This is kind of a Buddhist idea, so if you don't want to believe it, you don't need to. But in our past lives, his idea is, we have been practicing with so many Buddhas, with so many teachers, life after life, as Shakyamuni Buddha practiced as a Bodhisattva, life after life.

[42:49]

Otherwise there's no reason we could encounter this teaching or this dharma. So even if it is ourself, even though that is done by ourselves, we should validate it and rejoice in it. That means our encounter with dharma. and our chance to practice with a teacher and also with co-practitioners. We have to really, even though this is my life, I have to generate this life. You know, now he's teaching about our clothing, robes. And in Fushikuanpo he teaches about our bowls.

[43:52]

We think these are ours. But these are not really ours. But these allow us to be a Buddhist student, or a Buddhist child. is to be really grateful. This particular orchestra was sung by my wife and sangha members. So this is a gift from many people. And now, as a convention, this is mine. And no one complained about that, I think. But still, this is not mine. And not only that, because this is a gift from many people's willingness or aspiration to make kuyo, two out of three pleasures,

[45:07]

you know, I'm really covered by the three treasures. So even though this is my rope, still I need to venerate this rope. And, you know, the Oryōki, the Oryōki I have been using is given from my teacher when I was ordained. So the Oryōki, except the Buddha bowl, the first big bowl, The order is more than 30 years old. Still it's there, and still allows me to receive offerings. So, I think it's really fortunate that we can wear the robe, we can venerate. And we can use the bowls, we can venerate and receive the food. When we receive food, we venerate it.

[46:12]

This, you know, gratitude for this, you know, causes and conditions that we can somehow encounter with such a kind of a boundless teaching. So, we should humbly repay the profound debt of kindness to the ancestral masters for their transmission of Dharma. Not only ancestral masters, but all people, and not only people, but all beings, you know, waters, air, all flowers, trees, all make offerings to keep this network of interdependent origination. So we should be really grateful toward all beings.

[47:16]

And when we live in that attitude and try to repay the kindness of all beings, This world is the place to make offerings, instead of to take something to me, for me, to make this person happy. That is a difference of kind of a quality of life. Usually, because of the education in modern society, But I think, at least in Japanese society, when I was a teenager, I was expected to study hard, work hard, and go to a good school, and get a good job, and make a lot of money to make our desire fulfilled, to get satisfaction.

[48:28]

But this is kind of a taking by accomplishing things, by working hard. This is, you know, the final goal is to make this person happy, to fulfill this person's desire. And I felt when I was a teenager, I felt the entire Japanese society is one huge money-making machine, and the school is a factory to produce the part of that machine. And if we work hard and to be a good part, then we can be, you know, how can I say, spend get more income and spend a good life. But sooner or later, we need to leave this machine, or when the part doesn't work anymore, the part is just thrown away or replaced with other parts.

[49:43]

So we are really like a part of the machine, and I couldn't find any meaning to live in that way. So I wanted to escape. And that's why I started to search the way. And that was the time I read my teacher's book, and I found he had the same question. same problems, and he tried to find the answer to his original question, what is the meaning of life? How we can live a truly meaningful life? And he dedicated his life to find the answer. And after he found the answer, that was, of course, in his case, Zazen practice, he continued to practice and share the practice with people who are looking for the way.

[50:50]

To me, because I read many books on religions, I knew many spiritual teachers lived in such a way, but Uchiyama Roshi was the first actual teacher, actual person, I encounter. I think that was why I was stuck to his way of life. Do you have something to say? Well, this is a long story, but make it short. I had a friend, classmate, at my high school. And he knew someone who practiced with Uchiyama Roshi and Sawaki Roshi at Antaiji. So during the summer vacation, he went to Antaiji.

[51:52]

And he, my friend, had the same question as I had. And that was the year Uchiyama Roshi published his first book. So Sawaki Roshi was still alive. That was 1965. I was 17 years old. So Uchiyama gave a copy of the book to my friend. And when he returned home, he allowed me to read the book. That's how I encountered his book. And somehow I wanted to become his student. I didn't know what it means. My classmate and myself wanted to visit Taiji to do a session, 70 years old. But fortunately, we couldn't go.

[52:53]

If I went there at that time, maybe I had no desire to go there. But fortunately, I couldn't. And that was the fall of 1965. And in December of that year, Sawakiroshi died. So, fortunately or unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to meet Sawakiroshi. And next year, in February, that friend had some pain on his stomach, and he had surgery, and he died. In six months, he had cancer. That was really a kind of decisive experience to me. I really find impermanence and importance of living this moment.

[54:03]

I felt, you know, this friend is really talented person, very good person, and smart. And yet, when he died, I found that There was no reason he had to die, and I don't need to die. Of course, there's a cause, but not a reason. So I thought, you know, that means I have to die any time. And I cannot complain, because he already died. And that means, that teaching taught me that I have to live moment by moment in a, how can I say, most fulfilled way.

[55:05]

Fulfilled way? Or free. Without, otherwise I need to regret. If I wanted to do something I really want to do in the future, and I do something else, then I have to die before I reach that time, that occasion. But still I have to accept the death. That was what I thought when I was 17. So I had to make a decision what I really want to do. And because I couldn't find any meaning to live in that kind of a... living as a part of money-making machine, I left that kind of world. In a sense, I escaped. And, you know, that was, you know, second half of 60s.

[56:11]

During that time, so many people, even in this country, kind of escaped from that kind of, you know, money-making machine. And in this case, those people are called hippies. So I'm kind of a saint. Saint Bob. But I'm talking. So anyway, we have to repay the profound debt of kindness to the people who maintain that tradition or lineage or teaching and practice the way of life. Otherwise, it's so difficult. If I have to find this kind of life taught by Buddha or Dogen or my teacher, I think it took me my entire life. And when I found it, it's too late.

[57:14]

But because of this, you know, people have been transmitting, continuing this way of life even as a small lineage, small, how can I say, within a small community. Because of that, you know, I could find there is such a positive way to live, being free from self-attachment, not to, for the sake of fulfilling my personal desire, living the way of life, being together with all beings. You know, it's very difficult to live in such a way, especially how we, even we have such an idea, we don't know how we can live in such a way. But because there's a concrete kind of a tradition, somehow I could just join or participate to that kind of wave.

[58:23]

And I was really, I feel very fortunate about that opportunity. So, My activity or my vow is how can I repay that kindness, a little kindness to the tradition and also my teacher and all the people who have been supporting my practice. Twenty-five. Well, I'm still in the introduction. So the virtue of this Buddha love and Buddha Dharma cannot be clarified or known by anyone but an ancestral master who has succeeded to the Buddha's true Dharma.

[59:31]

So Buddha's Dharma has been succeeded, transmitted by ancestors, or I think it's opposite. People who have been succeeded that tradition are called ancestors. But we should really respect and appreciate those people's life and practice. And Dogen's wish is, even 100,000 million generations later, we should appreciate this authentic transmission as the authentic transmission. That means we should not change, twist, but we should transmit in the way we received from the Buddha. This must be the Buddha Dharma, the verified efficacy. It should be always miraculous.

[60:34]

He continued to tell us that we should venerate the tradition or people who have been transmitting this tradition. and we need to make some contribution, participate to that movement and make certain contribution. In this paragraph, he referred to a kind of a story about mixing water and milk. This is from the Mahayana Parinibbana Sutra. In that sutra, there's a story about a kind of a degenerate age. You know, the Dharma is kind of diluted, watered down.

[61:43]

The story is, you know, a farmer, you know, got milk with a cow. And then the farmer sells the milk to someone, in order to get more income, put some water to get more money. And that person sells to the next person and puts some water. And that person brought the milk to the city. and add more water. And one person was trying to buy milk for some kind of party, to prepare some delicious food. But the person could not find any milk other than that.

[62:46]

very thin, watery milk. So the person bought that milk and cooked, but it doesn't taste like milk. But Narottama said, still the milk mixture of milk and water is better than something bitter. It's still, there's still some milk. And the sutra is saying in regenerative age, you know, when people put more water to the dharma and make kind of a dharma and practice weak. But still water is permissible. This mixture of water and milk is okay, even though it's weak and thin.

[63:51]

But we cannot use another thing, like he said, something different from milk. Uchiyama Roshi often said, you know, Sawaki Roshi was a really great teacher. And he was a really strong, tough person. He was always scolding his students. And all people respect this person, Sawaki Roshi. And people call Sawaki Roshi as the last real Zen master. And Uchiyama Roshi was a very gentle and physically very weak person.

[64:54]

He had TB, so he was very weak. So he was not really like a traditional stereotype Zen master. So, Uchiyama Roshi always said, Sawako Roshi was like a rose flower. big, beautiful flower, but he said he was like a violet. Violet flower, tiny flower. And violet has no marketplace, so no one really appreciates the violet. Still, violet is small and has no marketplace. Still, it's pretty. And if we make judgment as a kind of a yardstick of marketplace, you know, rose is valuable and violet has no value. But Uchamaro said, for a violet, to bloom the flower of violet is enough.

[66:03]

We don't need to compare violet with rose. But violet should bloom real violet flower. If violet want to kind of pretend to be rose, even violet cannot bloom its own flower. So, and I think I'm smaller than Uchiyama Roshi, so I'm smaller than violet. It seems getting smaller and smaller. But still, flower is flower. I don't need to compare with myself, with my teacher, or my grandfather, or with Dogen Zenji, or with Shakyamuni Buddha, or Bodhidharma. But my practice is to really bloom the flower of myself.

[67:09]

So even though I am kind of a mixture of a lot of water and a little milk, but that is who I am. So I have to practice, accept that condition, and keep practicing. And the people who practice with me, have to drink that watery milk. But, you know, those people might be much greater than me. I mean, Uchamaroshi, I really respect that point of Uchamaroshi. He respected and valued young people like us. And he always said, you might be greater than me. If we practice wholeheartedly for many years, that means you are still not so good, but you have hope or possibility.

[68:13]

But he really respects young people because of the possibility. So, even in this age, we don't have such a great teacher like Buddha or Dogen, but still, we have so many teachers, and it's really fortunate to encounter those teachers who have been trying to transmit this tradition. So we should be really grateful for that. Let me go to page 8.

[69:17]

Paragraph 8. The Tathagata Shakyamuni entrusted the true Dharma I treasured unsurpassable awakening to Mahakasyapa and Mahakasyapa received it together with the Kasyaya or Okesa authentically transmitted from Kasyapa Buddha. Kasyapa Buddha is from the very early stage of Buddhist history, even before the first division, separation of Buddhist Sangha into two kind of schools called Theravada and Mahasangha. There is a kind of a belief that Buddha Sakyamuni was not the first Buddha.

[70:27]

And Sakyamuni Buddha himself said he didn't create anything new. But what he awakened to is like an old castle, hidden and forgotten within the forest. Shakyamuni was the person who rediscovered that castle, that's all. So Buddhism, or Buddhist teaching, is not Shakyamuni's personal creation or production, but he awakened to the reality, same reality as many of his so-called predecessors, already found. And Buddhists thought there are six Buddhas before Shakyamuni.

[71:35]

And including Shakyamuni, there are seven Buddhas in the past. And this Kasaya Buddha, I'm sorry, Kashapa Buddha, was the sixth. When we recite our lineage, we start from Vibhashibutsu Daigosho. Vibhashi Buddha, or Vipasha, Vipashi Buddha, is the first of the seven. Vibhashibutsu, Shikibutsu, and Shakyamunibutsu. Those are seven Buddhas in the past. And it said, here it said, you know, Shakyamuni Buddha received his okesa from Kasyapa Buddha. We don't know how long did it pass from the last Buddha to Kasyapa Buddha and Shakyamuni.

[72:46]

It said, in the time of Vipassi Buddha, people lived in 80,000 years. People's longevity was 80,000 years. And the longevity gets shorter and shorter. And at the time of Shakyamuni, we only live at most 100 years. So getting shrink and shrink. and said the body in the time of past Buddhas might be much bigger than our body, but somehow getting smaller and smaller. So, and as a history, you know, this okesa was invented, created by Shakyamuni and his disciple Ananda. Okesa could transmit from Kashapa Buddha to Shakyamuni.

[73:49]

And how could he put on Okesa when he attained enlightenment before it was made? This is a really interesting question. And I think Dogen Zenji had the same question. And he asked to Nojo Zenji, It said Shakyamuni Buddha received transmission from Kasyapa Buddha. And was it true? Kasyapa Buddha was already gone before Shakyamuni was born. How such transmission was possible? So, Dogen Zen was a very kind of a critical person. And Nojozen's teaching is you should believe it. You should have faith in it. So I think it means if we think in a logical way, it's a kind of nonsense.

[74:58]

Of course it's nonsense. So here, I think, this is my interpretation, that here, this okesa transmitted from Kashyapa Buddha, or even from Vipassi Buddha, for six or seven Buddhas, is, you know, this okesa as a network of interdependent ordination, or the reality of all beings, or shobo jisso in Japanese, And in Mahayana Sutra, it says, the reality of all beings, or Shokho Jisho, is the teacher of all Buddhas. So all Buddhas awaken to the reality of all beings. And that is Dharma. And this Dharma is called Kashaya, or Okesa.

[76:03]

And that was transmitted from all the Buddhas from the past. So I don't think we need to believe that a piece of cloth or fabric has been transmitted so many years. So, finally, in the last sentence of the instruction, he says, the method of washing the kashaya and the method of receiving and maintaining the kashaya cannot be known without studying the innermost room of the tradition of the face-to-face transmission from a legitimate master to a legitimate disciple. So we don't really understand what kashaya means.

[77:08]

Of course, Togen Rinpoche talks about this particular style of clothing. This is a tradition from Shakyamuni Buddha within the Buddhist community. But this is not simply a piece of fabric. But this is a symbol of the reality of all beings. That is really okesa. That is kashaya. And the important point is that reality of all beings, and also this okesa, is free from attachment. free from desires, free from cravings, and it has no value. Later, Dogen-senji discusses why Okesa has no value. It has virtue, but no market value.

[78:15]

I think that means precious, but priceless. We cannot measure that value. I think it's time to stop.

[78:32]

@Text_v004
@Score_JJ