Good morning, everyone. Once I come to San Francisco Zen Center to lead a seven-day Genzoe. I think this is the sixth Genzoe at this building. Does it work? Can you hear? I think it might be higher. Higher. Hello. Okay. I'm very happy I can visit this place and share practice and Dharma with people in this Sangha again. During this Genzoe, we are going to study one of the chapters of Shobo Genzo, entitled in Japanese, 行仏意義.

[01:07]

And the English translation I use for now is Dignified Conduct of Practice Buddha. The usual way of reading this Japanese title, 行仏意義, means 行 is practice and 仏 is Buddha, and 意義 is dignified form or conduct or behavior, the way doing things. So practicing Buddha's dignified form or conduct or behavior. But Dogen Zenji read this phrase in a different way. He read this as a dignified conduct of practiced Buddha. In this case, this Jōbutsu is a name of a Buddha.

[02:15]

So this is a Buddha whose name is practiced. That means our practice is Buddha. Buddha is not a human being, but our practice is Buddha. And what is this Buddha, whose name was practiced, behave or express its Buddhahood, is our practice using our both body and mind. And this particular chapter of Shobo Genzo is an origin of the idea in Sōtōzen tradition That is, 意義即仏法. 意義 is a dignified conduct. It is itself Buddha Dharma. This is a very important kind of a phrase in Soto Zen tradition.

[03:17]

When you visit some Soto Zen practice center, first thing you are taught is how to enter a home. and how to do gassho, and how to do naid prostration, and how to chant sutras, how to sit, and how to use oryoki, and how to eat, all those forms. Those forms are very important in Soto Zen tradition. But I think some people like that kind of practice, and some people don't. And I didn't like it. So Dogen Renji wrote in this particular chapter of Shobo Genzo is an original idea of this kind of formal practice, practice with formality.

[04:28]

And yet this idea or practice sometimes or often becomes just a mannerism or a formalism without genuine spirit or understanding. But the problem is Dogen Zen's writings are very difficult So even Soto Zen priest cannot understand what Dogen is really saying without deep practice and also sufficient understanding and special study. But he really, Dogen Zenji, really teach about our practice using our body and mind.

[05:33]

So we have to study and understand what Dogen really meant when he encouraged his disciples to do those formalities. That is a point of our study. this week. But this morning, I'd like to talk about this particular word, yinji, that is dignified conduct. The word yinji, of course, came from Chinese. And as a Chinese word, this was used even before Buddhism was introduced to China from India. And this means, you know, manners and the forms or the columns people have to follow as if they want to be a good member of the community.

[06:48]

Especially in the Chinese court, there are so many manners and forms people have to follow. Though that is the original word of iigi. So this word iigi from the very beginning has a connection with formalism or mannerism. So I'd like to find what is the meaning of this word iigi. in a Buddhist context. And I checked Dogen Zenji writings that he used this word, Igi. And I found one phrase within Eihei Koroku. Heihei Koroku is a record of Dogen Zenji's formal Dharma discourses.

[07:55]

It's a big book. It's a collection of more than 500 Dharma discourses of Dogen. He gave within more than 20 years. Anyway, here Dogen Zenji, not used, but a quote, a story in which this word, Iggy, in a Buddhist context, I think, is used. And this is a story from the very beginning of Buddhism in India, right after Shakyamuni Buddha started to teach. And this story is about Shariputra and Moggallana, Mahamoggallana, those two most important disciples of Buddha, Shariputra and Moggallana, or in Japanese we call him Mokuren.

[09:06]

These two people were born on the same day, in the close villages. And they were very good friends. And they are from a very good family. And I think they were a teenager. They together went to a city named Lazagraha to, you know, for the occasion of certain festival. And they had a very good time. They saw the plays or shows or, you know, so many exciting things. And the festival lasted three days. And the story said first two days they really enjoyed and excited.

[10:14]

But on the third day, Shaliputra said, you know, this is too much. And now we need to find a way to be, in the English translation, deliverance or liberation. That means liberation from the karmic life. And Magarana agreed with it. So they thought they need to leave home. So they left home and became way seekers or spiritual practitioners. And first they became disciples of one of the six major spiritual teachers at the time of Buddha. whose name was Sanja.

[11:20]

And because they are very brilliant people, soon they understood everything this teacher taught. And they asked, do you have more things to teach? And Sanja said, no. So now you can be the teacher in my community." But they felt something is lacking. So they left the teacher and started to travel all over Japan, no, India, to find a true teacher. But they couldn't find the teachers better than themselves. And they went back to the city, Rajagraha. That was the time Buddha attained, Shakyamuni attained Buddhahood. And first taught five monks.

[12:29]

Those five monks was, used to be Buddha's, Shakyamuni's friends practiced together, practiced asceticism together. But because Shakyamuni found ascetic practice is not meaningful, so he quit and he ate some food and sat under the Bodhi tree by himself. At that time, those five monks thought Shakyamuni quit practice. So they left Anyway, after Shakyamuni attained Buddhahood or so-called enlightenment, he thought those five people were the appropriate good people to first teach. So Shakyamuni stood up from the seat under the Bodhi tree and walked to the deer field.

[13:33]

and started to teach those five monks. When Shakyamuni approached those five monks at the Deer Park, first when they saw Shakyamuni coming from far away, uh discussed within themselves that you know that person was cook stop quit practice so we should not greet him we should not give him the seat or something like that but when shakamuni approached and get closer to them somehow they naturally you know bowed to him and uh behave like uh his

[14:35]

Anyway, so Shakyamuni started to practice and teach with those five monks. And after for a while, those five monks really understood what Buddha awakened to. That was the very starting point of the history of Buddhism. You know, Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha, and Buddha's teaching. and the Sangha, or community of those five monks, are there. Those are so-called three treasures in Buddhism. And that is an actual starting point of the history of Buddhism. And after a while, the king of that kingdom, Bimbisara, I think, asked, not asked, but offered a property to the Buddhist Sangha and made, established a first Buddhist monastery near the city of Lazagriha.

[15:52]

And Buddha and his disciples, I think at that time they had more than five, but they walked on the street of the city, holding a begging bowl, or oryoki, to beg for food. At that time, Shaliputra and Maha Moggallana was still looking for a teacher. And one day, when Shariputra was walking on the street, he saw a monk. That is a starting point of this story. If you have this book, this Dharma Discourse is number 381 on page 333 of this text. Dogen started like this.

[17:01]

Buddha Dharma is not something that can be understood, depending on brilliance and keen wisdom. Moreover, it cannot be patiently sustained by those who are without brilliance or keen wisdom. So wisdom is necessary but it's not enough. If those with keen wisdom were vessels of the way, Shariputra could not have attained the first fruit, stream entry. Stream entry is the first stage of awakening in the early Buddhist teaching by attending to the expound by Ashvajit.

[18:06]

This Ashvajit is the name of the monk Shaliputra saw on the street. And he quote this story. Once seeing Ashwajit, Ashwajit is a Sanskrit name of this person. In Pali, his name is Asaji. Anyway, once seeing Ashwajit's dignified presence and refined elegance, Shaliputra asked him, Who is your teacher? Who's disciple are you? This dignified presence and refined elegance is a translation of Iiji. Actually, Iiji shoujo. So this is an original usage of this word, Iiji. That means Shari Putra, when he was walking on the street, this monk, Asaji, or Ashwajit, is walking on the street also, holding a orioke, begging food.

[19:18]

And that is this dignified presence, in this translation, or dignified conduct. So this monk didn't do anything particular. He was just walking on the street holding a ryōki. Let me read that story first. Asivajit saw Shaliputra had some inspiration when he saw the monk just walking on the street with his dignified conduct or presence. So he wanted to talk with this monk. But because the monk was begging, he thought it's not appropriate to disturb him while he was begging.

[20:21]

So he walked behind that monk until he stopped begging and started to eat. Then Shariputra asked this question, Who is your teacher? Whose disciple are you? Then Ashvajit replied, Prince Siddhartha abandoned birth, old age, sickness, and death. Those are four sufferings. Left home to practice the way and attained supreme perfect awakening, anuttara-sameksambodhi. He is my teacher. Then Shaliputra asked again, What dharma does your teacher expound?

[21:22]

What is your teacher's teaching? He answered, I am like a young child having only studied the precept for a short time. How could I express the ultimate truth of the supreme meaning of what he widely expands? This person, Ashwajit, was one of the five monks first Buddha taught and also attained same awakening with Buddha. But he said, he, Asagajit said, he didn't practice so long, so he couldn't, you know, explain what Buddha taught fully. Then Shaliputra said, then explain the essential points in simplified form.

[22:32]

So just tell me the essence of his teaching. Then Asobhajit said, all phenomena arise according to conditions. All phenomena arise according to conditions. His teaching expounds the causes and conditions of phenomena. These phenomena and conditions can be exhausted. My teacher expounds it like this. So this is the essence of Buddha's teaching, according to this person's understanding. Having heard this, Shariputra attained the first fruit of stream entry. So by hearing this very simplified explanation of Buddha's teaching, Shariputra attained the first rank, named stream entry.

[23:51]

Then, when Asivajit had gone out that morning, So before he started to go to takuhatsu, or begging, the Buddha had told him, the one you will meet today will be a bright person. You should expound the Dharma in simplified form. So in this story, it sounds Shakyamuni was already knew that this person will meet this Shariputra, even before the person went to Takuhatsu. Anyway, so Ashivajit expounded in condensed form three of the Four Noble Truths. So what Ashivajit told, said, was first three of the Four Noble Truths.

[24:57]

that all dharmas arise from condition is the truth of suffering. So first noble truth. And his dharma, expanding causes and conditions, is the truth of the combination of conditions leading to suffering. This is the second noble truth that is a cause of suffering. And third, that dharmas, together with conditions, are exhausted, is the truth of the cessation of suffering. So Asivajit said first three of the Four Noble Truths. And then Shariputra somehow attained the rank of stream entry.

[26:02]

So Shariputra was very happy. And it said, after hearing this, Shariputra returned to fear he was staying. So he was very happy. And so he wanted this experience to his friend, Magarana. So he went back to where the place he stayed. Then, monk Lerner first allows to meet him and then said, you have attained sweet dew. I want to taste it as well. So before they started to talk, Before Shaliputra said anything about his experience with Ashwajit, then Magarana saw Shaliputra coming towards him.

[27:10]

He saw, he knew that something happened to Shaliputra. So Magarana said, you have attained sweet dew, and I want to taste it with you. Shaliputra then explained what he had heard. A manga learner heard this and also attained the first fruit. So even before they met Shakyamuni Buddha, they attained the first fruit of the awakening. So they are very brilliant people. Anyway, this is a quote of the story. And Dogen Zenji comment, you should all know that Ashivajit saved Shaliputra, which is testimony to the Buddha Dharma.

[28:18]

The point is clear that within the Buddha Dharma, wisdom and wide learning are not of primary importance. He said, wisdom and wide learning are not of primary importance. That means the point of this story is this monk Ashiva, Ashivajit dignified presence in this story or dignified conduct. The way he walks on the street while he was doing takahatsu or begging. You know, this is the original idea of Dogen's Zenji's teaching of Igi or dignified conduct.

[29:19]

And in this story, you know, the form and the form is like a container and contents. What inside? What is happening? If something happened inside, his behavior, his conduct, his way of doing things, or even his appearance become changed and something, you know, become dignified. you know that is what this means and uh what happened is you know this uh very simplified expression of buddha's teachings suffering cause of suffering and uh cessation of suffering and uh you know this monk attained the revelation that means he

[30:24]

found the session of suffering, and he was practicing, you know, the Fourth Noble Truth is practice, practice of Eightfold Noble Path. And Ashokajit was doing, actually doing, you know, walking on the street, holding Oryoki was his practice. Because of his awakening, because of his liberation, his conduct, his way of doing things, his behavior became changed. And this is the same with Charlie Putra. When Magallana saw Charlie Putra came back, he found something changed. But that change is not simply something inside of Shaliputra, some way of thinking, but even his way of doing things, his behavior, his presence has changed.

[31:37]

And not only Shaliputra and Ashwajit, you know, from Buddha approach to five monks, somehow those five monks felt something different within that person, I mean Shakyamuni Buddha. So if something happened inside of ourselves, that's, you know, come out outside, outwardly. That is original idea of this Dogen Zen's teaching of Eiji or dignified conduct. So dignified conduct is an expression of inner awakening. If these two things get together, you know, if we just, you know, learn the forms, then the form without content or container without content is

[32:51]

empty form. And that is something I didn't like. And within Soto-den tradition, after Dogen Zenji, Dogen Zenji lived in the 13th century, that is about 800 years ago. within this history, long history, somehow not many people really understood the point of Dogen's teaching about, you know, formal practice, expression of inner awakening or liberation outwardly using our you know, body, speech, and mind.

[33:58]

Then the formal practice became just a formal practice, just formality. And my teacher, Uchiyama Kosho Roshi, didn't like, you know, that kind of practice. So he really focused on zazen practice, sitting practice. And we did nothing but sitting, almost nothing but sitting at an taiji. My teacher really focused on sitting practice without almost any formalities. We didn't have morning service. we didn't have noon service, we didn't have evening service. We never had service. And we had no ceremonies except ordination or tokuto ceremony.

[35:05]

So I was really fortunate to practice in that way. But my Uchiyama Roshi practiced a little kind of extreme. I mean, we sat 15 minutes, one period of 15 minutes, and during five-day session, we had five-day session almost every month, except February and August. because it's too cold in February and too hot in August in Japan. During those five-day sessions, we sat 14 periods a day for five days. We had nothing but sitting, besides three meals a day, three meals and a very short break after each meal.

[36:14]

And only occasions we did chanting was when we went out for takkha or begging. We did a few times a month. So what I practiced at Anta Jiwa was really just sitting. And he also, Uchiyama Roshi, didn't like, you know, formality. So, for example, you know, one of the meaning of iigi, or dignified decorum, is about the clothing or robes. You know, last night, Brunch-san apologized with apology because she wear yakuzu. but other priests wear at the orchestra.

[37:18]

That is something to do about this word, igi, idea of igi. That kind of clothes or robes we should wear is very important. But Uchianos didn't like that idea. So whenever we visit him wearing koromo, not Okesa, but Koromo and Rakusu. He always said, take it out, out, take it off. And he, besides when he practiced Zazen and when he gave Dharma talk, he almost never put on Koromo. He was just putting on a kimono. And whenever people, priests visited him, first thing he said was, take off the koromo and be a kimono.

[38:25]

So he didn't like this idea of dignified conduct or easy. And that is the point I liked him. But I have to say that he didn't like form, but his way of doing things, his behavior, his way of talking with people has dignity and beauty and very gentle. It's not formal, but his presence has dignity. we must be very careful about this point. You know, dignity and forms should be together, then it can be practiced.

[39:33]

But without form, there can be a dignity and compassion and a practice of identity action. So I think that is a very important point when we study this way, I mean, formality. You know, in Sotozen tradition, first, as I said before, first thing we are taught is how to do things, the forms. And that is a kind of a preparation. to study what Buddha taught about our liberation of suffering. And when we are liberated, we do things in certain ways, or our awakening to the reality of all beings requests us to behave in certain ways.

[40:47]

So dignified conduct is not really, how can I say, prescribed manners in certain texts. But because at the time of Dogen Zenji, Zen Buddhism is something very new. So Dogen Zenji had to introduce how Zen Buddhist in Chinese Zen monastery practiced. And so he wrote about how to do things. But some, unfortunately, his descendants, because of their respect to Dogen Zenji, they tried to do everything as Dogen Zenji wrote. That is the reason, you know, Dogen Zenji's tradition continue until today.

[41:50]

But there can be something very important is missed. It's easily missed. When we put too much emphasis on forms or manners, what is the inside? And the inside is, as in this story, Buddha's teaching about Four Noble Truths. How can we liberate it from suffering to the soul? How can we practice using this body and mind? I think that is the essential point of what Dogen Zenji wrote in this chapter of Gyobutsu Igi. This is what I have to say this morning. Any question? No question. Good. Please.

[42:51]

Pardon me? I'm sorry. I don't understand. He didn't hear the word form. Form. Forma. Oh, I'm sorry. Form. Formality. Okay, please. You talked about the personal truth, and I've heard the word impermanence. Where does that come from? Like, suffering, or, you know, conditioning? Suffering, the first noble truth, and impermanence, the connection or relationship between suffering and impermanence. Well... When we like something, or when we love something, we want to be together with this thing forever.

[44:31]

But because of impermanence, sometimes we have to say goodbye. This is a cause of suffering, one of the sufferings, that is to separate with something we like. Or another kind of suffering or pain we experience is we have to be together with something we don't like. But somehow, because of impermanence, things are changing. We cannot control it. Things are Internal permanence means we cannot control. So sometimes we have to separate with whom we love, and sometimes we have to be together with something we don't want, we don't like. That is, I think, relationship between suffering or pain or sadness or dissatisfactory

[45:36]

of our life and impermanence. We have a tendency to grasp and keep it with me, grasp things and keep it with me. But as reality things are going, we cannot grasp anything. So that is one of the causes of suffering we experience. Okay? Okay. Please? Do you think that the forms can teach dignity? I don't mean? Do you think that the forms can teach dignity? Forms can teach dignity. I think so. As I said, at Antanji our practice was really just sitting.

[46:43]

So I had no knowledge and experience about formal practice. But after Uchannoshi retired, I practiced at Zuyoji for six months in order to be qualified as a teacher. In order to come to this country, in order to get a visa from the United States, I need to get qualified as a teacher there. So I practice there at the Zuyoji. Zuyoji practice is really different from anti-age practice. Everything is formal, from wake up until go to bed, even during sleeping. there are certain forms to sleep.

[47:44]

So 24 hours, everything we do within 24 hours is forms. And I didn't like it. So before that we practiced, we sat nine-hour, nine-carat a day, daily, besides five-day session. you know, we really focus on sitting. But when I started to practice at that monastery, they set one period in the morning and one or two periods in the evenings. But evenings were often cancelled to study forms or to do some rehearsal of ceremonies. So I was not really happy there. But I think that was, I think, Buddha's birthday, that is, April 8th.

[48:50]

We had, after morning zazen, during the morning service, we did a ceremony, memorial ceremony for Buddha's birthday. out of that monastery, Narasaki Ikoroshi. You know, I had no appreciation to that kind of practice, but his presence and his way of doing the ceremony was really one expression of what he has inside. So it's not To me, that kind of formal practice is kind of a shock. But at that time, in the early morning memorial service, that was before Narasaki Roshi became a famous teacher, after he became the god of Eiheiji.

[49:54]

So at Zuyoji, we didn't have many monks. So with a small number of monks, Narasaki Hiroshi did the ceremony, and his conduct or behavior really taught me this is a genuine practice, even though I didn't like it. So I think our forms can teach the dharma, I think. Okay? Please. What do you observe about our relationship to forms in this country, those of us who are adopted, so to say, practiced? That is a very interesting and important question. You know, those traditional forms from Japan is something foreign to American people, so many of American people has, I think, difficulty.

[51:13]

When I taught at Minnesota Zen Meditation Center, Minnesota Zen Meditation Center was founded by Katagiri Dainin Roshi. And Katagiri Roshi's practice and Zuyoji practice are kind of similar because Katagiri Roshi, Narasaki Ikko Roshi, and Tsugen Roshi share the same teacher, Hashimoto Eko Roshi. So Katagiri Roshi's style of practice is pretty formal. And I went there three years after Katagiri Roshi's death. And before I accept the position, I decided I continue Katagiri Roshi's style of practice. That is a formal practice.

[52:14]

But I, of course, talked about my teacher's practice. without formality. And some of the members of that center, I said, they like Uchiyama Roshi's style of practice better. So why don't we eliminate those formalities? Then I asked the person, if we reduce formality, do you think people will sit more? And the person said, no. So to less formality and less zazen doesn't make sense to me. I mean, formality itself is not evil. But whether it makes it a genuine practice or not is based on our attitude. You know, those forms for American people seems like Japanese forms, but actually those are not Japanese.

[53:33]

Those are introduced by Dogen Renzi from China. So those are not really Japanese. Of course, some of the forms became Japanese, changed, transformed into Japanese culture. But basically, that is not Japanese or Chinese or American or Indian, but this is Buddhist. I think that is important. And one of the things Dogen Zen said is when we discussed about whether certain practice is appropriate or not, Dogen Zen said we should think whether if Japanese people think this is not suitable because this is not Japanese but this is Chinese, then we miss the point.

[54:37]

We should think whether this is Buddhist or not. So you need patience. you know, and in a certain period of time, it become American, sooner or later. Part of your culture or part of your life. Okay. Well, please. It was about like, I got my attention that this monk that was casted with a bow explained the three core truths. And that is what this monk was doing by walking on the street. So it doesn't need to be discussed. It is something to do, to be done. That is another point of Dogen Zenji's It should be done.

[55:50]

It's not a theory or philosophy. It's an activity using this, you know, body, speech, or mouth and mind. Please. Well, it's okay. I'm not sure. But I think it's his karmic problem. It was his karma. And that was my karma. I mean, Dogenzen put emphasis on formal practice. That was his karma. I mean, he was from an aristocrat family in the Japanese court.

[56:58]

One of the most important things for the aristocrat in the imperial court was studying those forms and carrying out the ceremonies. So that was how he was grown up. And my family was a merchant in Osaka for six generations. So I have no such background. That's why I don't like something formal, I think. Do you think that Uchiha Moroshi was sort of rebelling against forms because they were taken to extremes at that time in Japanese culture? I think so. Okay, thank you very much.

[58:00]

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