Good morning, everyone. I start to talk paragraph 15, page 9. Let me read a few pages. In ex... I'm sorry. Yeah, that's okay. In expounding the Buddha way, people usually say that being born of womb and being born of transformation are the practice of Buddha way. However, they don't mention about being born of moisture and being born of an egg and so on. Much less they don't know, even in a dream, that there are other kinds of births besides being born of a womb, egg, moisture and transformation.

[01:07]

How much less could they see, hear, awake and know that There are births from a womb, egg, moisture, and transformation beyond the birth from a womb, eggs, moisture, and transformation. Now, in the great way of Buddhas and ancestors, it has been authentically and intimately transmitted. without being hidden that there are births from our womb, egg, moisture, and transformation beyond the births from our womb, egg, moisture, and transformation. We have already heard of these four types of births, but how many types of deaths are there? Are there four types of death corresponding to the four types of birth?

[02:12]

Or should there be three types of death or two types of death? Further, should there be five types, six types, one thousand types, or ten thousand types of death? Even having a little question regarding this principle is a part of the study of the Dharma. Make an effort to understand whether among the living beings born through one of these four types of birth, there are some that have only birth and no death. Also, are there some that singularly transmit only death and do not singularly transmit birth? We should study without fail. whether or not there are some kinds of living beings that have only birth or only death. There are those who, upon hearing the phrase, no birth, without clearly comprehending it, set aside making an effort with both body and mind.

[03:28]

This is an extreme stupidity. Those are not worth of discussing whether they are suitable people who practice based on their faith or their understanding of the Dharma, or suitable for sudden or gradual practice. Those should be called beasts. Fat is the reason. Even when we hear the word, no birth, we should inquire what the meaning of this statement is. Further, they do not make an effort to investigate whether it is no Buddha, no way, no mind, no extinction, not no birth, no Dharma world, no Dharma nature, or no death. This is because they are like animals that only think of water and grass. We should know that life and death is the instrument of the practice of the Buddha way.

[04:37]

Life and death is the furnishings of the house of the Buddha. When we need to use it, we use it as much as we need. And when we make an effort to clearly comprehend it, we are able to clarify it. Therefore, all Buddhas have clearly clarified this penetration and blocking of the Buddha way and are completely capable to use it. If you are ignorant of the boundary of this life and death, who calls you as you, who say that you are a person who has clarified and penetrated life and death. You should not think that you are immersed in life and death. You should not understand that you are within life and death. You should not believe and accept, not understand and not know life and death as life and death.

[05:46]

In the last paragraph, page 1, 2, 3rd sentence of page 8, Shogun Zen said, sharing one corner of the Buddha's dignified conduct is together with the entire universe and the great earth and also together with the entire coming and going of life and death. previous paragraph he discussed about this Buddha's dignified conduct together with the entire universe and great earth and here he started to talk about our conduct Buddha's conduct or dignified conduct together with the entire coming and going of life and death. So, this dignified conduct of practicing Buddha is not only while we are staying and practicing in the monastery and doing formal

[07:10]

you know, practice in the zendo or buddha hall or other places. That is only a small part of our life. You know, we are, as Dogen Zen said, to study the Buddha way is to clarify life and death. So, to clarify life and death is a great matter of all Buddhist practitioners. So, now it is clear that what he called dignified conduct or practice Buddha is not simply, you know, formal practice within the monastery, but throughout our life and death, birth, living, and dying, and even after dying, or before birth, you know, this continuation is you know, dignified conduct.

[08:12]

And now he starts to discuss about birth. Before talking about life and death, it is important to understand this word, life and death, or shoji in Japanese. I translate as life and death. Because shoji is one word as a compound. So life and death is one word. Life and death, shoji, together. And another possible translation of the shoji is birth and death. birth and death. Because this Chinese character, shō, means to be born or to be reborn.

[09:18]

Umu. And to give birth. No, to give birth is umu. And to be born is umareru. Same character. And also to live. So, it has you know, at least three meanings. To give a birth, umu, and to be born, umareru, and to live. And another important point to think about life and death in terms of Buddhism is life and death as a Buddhist term is equivalent of sansara. That means transmigration within six realms through birth and death or life and death.

[10:26]

So this, as a Buddhist technical term, shoji or life and death has negative connotation. So to be liberated or escape from life and death is going to nirvana. So this is a negative concept. That is one thing we need to keep in mind. Life is death is itself samsara or suffering, life of suffering. So to be liberated from life and death is enlightenment, or to become Buddha, or to enter nirvana. If we don't know this concept, you know, when we hear Dogen saying, life and death is Buddha's life,

[11:29]

His Japanese expression is Shōji wa hotoke. I think he used hiragana. Hotoke no on inochi. Hotoke is Buddha. Ino is orb. And inochi is life. And on makes this This noun is honorable or polite. In this case, honorable. So, there is no such word in English. So, I translate this as with a capital L, Life. Life of Buddha. So, Dogen Zen said, Life and Death is Buddha's capital L, Life. If we know this life and death means samsara, this is an amazing statement.

[12:38]

Samsara is Buddha's life or living within samsara is how Buddha lives. So again here, you know, samsara and nirvana are one. is expressed by Dogen when he said, life and death is Buddha's life. Otherwise, you know, this is just a simple statement. There's no strong impact. And so here, life and death is also, you know, always together. When we are born, we start the process of dying. Dying is not separate from birth.

[13:41]

At the time moment of birth is the moment of starting to die. Uchiyama Roshi talked about a Pure Land Buddhist priest in his teisho or lecture about Genjo Koan and he introduced a letter from that Pure Land priest. The priest had cancer. So, after he knew he had cancer, life and death really became his matter, his problem. So, he was, you know, very intimately thinking about what is life and what is death. And he, of course, studied, you know, Buddhist teaching about life and death.

[14:44]

He wrote in his letter to Chiyamaro, he found, you know, this kanji has this final stroke. Vertical stroke. And the Chinese character for this has a vertical? Horizontal. Horizontal stroke. And the priest found, you know, this stroke and this stroke is the same stroke. That means this is one word. He created, invented this kanji. Life and death together. He connected this line and this line. So this is one thing. Life and death. without separation. And the priest, the Pure Land priest asked Uchiyama Roshi how to read this kanji.

[15:48]

How to read this kanji. And I don't remember exactly what Uchiyama Roshi said, but probably he said he read this kanji as right now, right here. Right now, right here. Only this moment. Both life and death are there, manifest completely. That is only this moment. So life and death is the same as, you know, this place and that place. Or life and death and nirvana is this place and that place. But these are exactly right now, right here. Nowhere else. Shōji wa hotoke no onri no chi is in Shōbō Genzo Shōji. Anyway, in the Buddhist philosophical system,

[17:08]

called Abhidharma. It is said that there are four kinds of birth. This is appeared in the Abhidharma Kosha. And those four kinds of birth is mentioned in the beginning of the Diamond Sutra. It is said whether they are born from an egg or born from a womb, born from the water, or born from the air. In this translation, it says air. I'm not sure if this is a good translation or not. Those four are tai, rang, shi, and ke. Tai is womb. And lan is egg. And shitte is, here it said, water.

[18:14]

Water or moisture. And ke, I translate the ke as transformation. This is a translation of Diamond Sutra by Red Pine. He translates this shits as water and this kei as air. But this does not mean air. This means to change, to transform or change. It's not air. So I don't know whether this is a good translation or not. Anyway, in the commentary on this part, this sentence of the Diamond Sutra, Red Pine wrote as follows. In terms of birth, first are those who come from eggs.

[19:23]

You know, we know there are some living beings born from eggs. These range from great winged bars to lice, l-i-c-e, lice. And next are those who are born from the womb. These include creatures as big as elephant and as small as mice. So, those are animals including human beings. Next are those who are born from the water. This is kind of strange to us. These range from fishes and turtles to the tiniest pond creatures. So, they live in the water. Living beings live in the water. Or the small insects like a mosquito, you know, born in the moisture.

[20:30]

Ancient Indian people thought they are born from the moisture. But we We have more accurate knowledge, so we don't need to believe this categorization. And about the fourth, it said, and last are those who are born from the air. I don't know what this air means. Ting Fu Pao says, so he quotes some Chinese commentators. Those who are born from the air depend on nothing. I don't really understand what this means. This seems like an exception of causality. Depend on nothing. Born depend on nothing. The only thing they require for their birth is the force of karma.

[21:36]

Force of karma. Only the power of karma. So, those beings are born only depending on the force or power of karma. No material. I don't understand what this means. They include, so those are, they include the devas of the various heavens. So, according to this commentary, those heavenly beings are born from the air. I don't really understand what this means. And the sinners of the myriad hells. So, hell dwellers are also born, depend on their karma. So, they are not born from eggs or womb. They are born depending on the power of karma. I don't really know, I don't understand what this means.

[22:42]

Anyway, as well as the beings, at the beginning of every kalpa. Beginning of every kalpa means before there is an empty kalpa. That means there is nothing there. And there is the beginning of the kalpa. This is the beginning of the world. So, before this beginning of the kalpa, there is nothing there. No existence. So, the beings, you know, appeared in the beginning of the kalpa were born from nothing. I don't really understand what this means. Anyway, so those are the examples of the people or beings born from air or the transformation.

[23:48]

And one interesting thing is red pine added. To this category also belong bodhisattvas. So bodhisattvas are born not from wounds but from transformation. I think this is really interesting. What about butterflies? Butterflies. I don't know. Originally it's from egg, right? But it changed, transformed a shape once in the middle of its life. So, I don't know. Anyway, this means Bodhisattva belongs to the four kinds. is very interesting to me.

[24:49]

That means, you know, this is... these types of birth is not simply about biological matter. But, you know, in the Lotus Sutra, Shariputra said, I was born from the mouth of Buddha. That means I was born from Buddha's words. That means spiritually we are born from Buddha's teaching. Of course, biologically we are born from the mother's tomb, womb. But that is not only the way we are born. Bodhisattvas are born because of some transformation. Of course, I was born from my mother's womb as a fruit of my parents' life.

[26:01]

But in my case, I was born from my parents, but I was born and I really respect my ancestors through my blood, but I feel more kind of intimate with my teacher. My parents didn't teach me how to live, what is life, but my teacher tell me how to live and what is life is. So, you know, We use the word ancestor, but in my case ancestor means, you know, the lineage from Buddha, not a lineage in my, you know, blood. I'm not sure this is a good thing or not, but somehow I feel in that way. So I'm not sure whether I was born, you know, of course both.

[27:06]

But when we talk about life and death as a Buddhadharma, it simply means how we are born as a biological being. Anyway, what he is saying in this first sentence is, it says in the Abhidharma, this one, living beings born from womb and born from transformation can practice Buddhadharma, but living beings born from egg and moisture cannot. But Dogen questioned about this theory.

[28:10]

Much less, second sentence, much less they don't know, even in a dream, that there are other kinds of births besides being born over womb, egg, moisture, and transformation. So, when Dogen is talking, discuss about life and death, he doesn't discuss talking about the way living beings born as a biology. So we should know there are other ways of being born. How much less could they see, hear, awake, and know that there are births from a womb, egg, moisture, and transformation, beyond the birth from a womb, egg, moisture, and transformation. Now, in the great way of Buddhas and ancestors, it has been authentically and intimately transmitted, without being hidden, that there are births from a womb, egg, moisture, and transformation beyond the births from a womb, egg, air, moisture, and translation.

[29:27]

What kind of group of those who don't hear, study, know and clarify this statement belongs to? So this is Dogen's question to the traditional Buddhist kind of theology. And this is very unique thing. I think it might be the same in Christian theology. Once, you know, some kind of system of theology becomes authority. Not many people question, doubt about those teachings. In the Buddhist tradition, you know, those definitions made in Abhidharma text, not many people discuss about these are right or wrong. So, this is very unique way of thinking. Dogen was very critical and creative, but not many Buddhist texts are like this.

[30:35]

They just, you know, the first thing we have to do when we study traditional Buddhist philosophy is memorizing those so-called Dharma numbers. like Four Noble Truths, Five Skandhas, Six Realms of Samsara. Those are numbers in order to make them easy to memorize. So, when I studied Yogacara teaching, you know, the basis of Yogacara teaching is analyze all beings into five categories and 100 dharmas. And I had to memorize all those 100 dharmas with this definition of those 100. That is how, you know, in the Buddhist tradition we started studying dharma.

[31:41]

So there's no way to doubt against it, no way to criticize, no way to create it, because there are so many things to memorize. And when we finish memorizing everything, we have no extra energy to think something unique. That is a problem in the study and teaching in teaching schools. This is a general question. This is extraordinary. And so who was his expected audience? His writings were a lot to his disciples or practitioners within his assembly. I don't think he expected his writing was read in America in the 21st century.

[32:42]

So for whom was his larger work? For whom? I think basically, you mean Dogen's work. Directly toward his disciples and his descendants. He's a people who practice in his lineage, I think. It actually didn't get collected into a collection until after he was dead. Right. Please. So, you know, he takes these lists and rips it up, throws it in the air like a fish. So, he's asking to his disciples, you should doubt. You should question. So in one sense the meaning of birth beyond birth, you know, birth from womb egg, moisture transformation, beyond the birth from womb egg, moisture transformation, just means doubt, just means bring your life force to the question?

[34:03]

Yes. Does it mean anything more specific? Do you have a feeling for what he means when he says beyond? I think, what he is talking about, what is the life of Gyo-butsu? How Gyo-butsu is born? What type of birth does Gyo-butsu practice Buddha has? Is it born from womb? Or from egg? From moisture? Or from transformation? So, he is talking about Buddha's life. What is Buddha's life? It's not, you know, necessarily, you know, born... Buddha's life can't be contained in, born from, moisture, womb, the other two. So, I think he's talking about Buddha's life, you know, that appear in the Rota Sutra, the eternal life of Buddha.

[35:06]

How this Buddha was born is this Buddha died. That is, I think, the basic question Doge is talking about. And gyo-butsu is moment by moment. That is the relationship between eternal life of Buddha and gyo-butsu's life moment by moment. So this is not a simple, easy question. Excuse me. And not only life or birth, but he said we should question about death. How many kinds of death is there? We have already heard of these four types of birth. But how many types of death are there? Are there four types of death?

[36:08]

corresponding to the four types of birth? Or should there be three types of death or two types of death? Further, should there be five types, six types, 1,000 types, or 10,000 types of death? How many types of death? I think there are innumerable ways. Each and everyone dies in a different way. So even having a real question regarding this principle, I don't think this word principle is necessary. This is the translation of dōri, but dōri doesn't mean anything. Having a real question regarding this, this, you know, what kind of, how many types of birth and death is it?

[37:12]

You know, as Buddhist Abhidharma said, four types and I don't know how many types of death. But we should ask, what is life? What is death? How we are born? How we die? This question, as Togen said, is a part of the study of the Dharma. We have to study what is life, what is death, what is birth, what is dying. This is what we just think about life and death as a common sense. And life is something we want or something positive. Death is something negative. So we don't We want to live as long as possible, and we don't want to die. That is a very common idea. So, life is something desirable, and death is something not desirable.

[38:17]

This, you know, positive-negative dichotomy. So, life and death become dichotomy, and I like this, I hate that. This is something usually happening in our mind. And that is a problem. So we should see the oneness of life and death. Either is negative or positive. But both are together Buddha's life. So how to live? How to die? Both are included in Buddha's life. So both are important practice for us. So is Dogen Zenji also sort of objecting to these Dharma numbers and suggesting that these things cannot be counted or categorized in that way? Well, I think he studied those things and he is very familiar with those things.

[39:22]

So he could use those concepts and numbers freely. He was not imprisoned in that kind of way of thinking. He understood them and he could use them, but he was free, I think. So, he didn't say you should not study those things. I think he's saying we should be free from that kind of fixed system of teaching or philosophy. So, Dogen's teaching and practice is not simply stop thinking. You know, he encouraged and even requested us to think and to doubt, to question, and to see what is our life inside and outside is like.

[40:26]

Next paragraph. Make an effort to understand whether among the living beings born through one of these four types of birth, there are some that have only birth and no death. There are some living beings which have only birth and no death. And also there are some that singularly transmit only death. and do not singularly transmit birth. It is such a thing. We have to think. And we should study without fail whether or not there are some kind of living beings that have only birth or only death. You know, I talked about three bodies of Dharma and Buddha. Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya and Nirvārakaya.

[41:35]

You know, this Buddha, Buddha's body or Buddha's life is a kind of interesting thing. You know, as a Dharma body, Buddha has no beginning and no end. That means no birth and no death as a Dharmakaya. And as a Sambhogakaya, Buddha has the starting point as a Bodhisattva. and after a long period of practice, became Buddha. Then after they became Buddha, Sambhogakaya, Kaya's life has no end. Like Amitabha Buddha. Amitabha means... what is... boundless life or limitless life. You know, Amitabha has... the life of Amitabha has no end, but it has beginning. So, Amitabha or Sambhogakaya Buddha has birth, but no death.

[42:39]

And, Nirmanakaya Buddha has both life, both birth and death. So, if we think about Buddha's life, you know, there are, you know, people or beings who has no birth and no death. And who has only birth and no death. And both birth and death. And I'm not sure about any being who has no birth and no death. And that is what is said in the Prajnaparamita Sutra. No life and no death. No arising, no perishing. But in this, actually everything has no birth and no death. So, you know, when we try to think about Dharma, you know, it's not so simple, not as we understand as a common idea.

[43:54]

There are many different ways to see and think about life and death. And I said, you know, those three bodies of Buddha. But as Dogen said in here, those three of Buddhas does not mean, you know, those Buddhas are somewhere beyond this world. That is about our life. So, we are very familiar with this word, no birth and no death, or no arising and no perishing. But, Dogen also requests us to think more. There are those who, upon hearing the phrase, no birth or no show, without clearly comprehending it, set aside making an effort with body,

[44:54]

with both body and mind. Just say, oh, there's no birth, no death. That's good. This is an extreme stupidity. Those are not worth of discussing whether they are suitable people who practice based on their faith or their understanding of the Dharma, or suitable for sudden or gradual practice. Those should be called I'm sorry, but he said beast. I don't like this word. Anyway, this practice is based on their faith and based on their understanding of Dharma. It is a translation of shin and ho. and ton and zen shin is faith and in this case this is an abbreviation of zui what is zui?

[46:16]

maybe this is zui Not this one. Zui, shin, gyo, and zui, ho, sen, gyo, practice following or based on shin is faith, sen shin in shin jin mei, and ho is dharma, and in this case shin You know, people, when we hear the Dharma, teaching of Dharma, we don't really understand. But somehow, because of our faith or trust, even though we don't understand, somehow we want to practice with this teacher. That is called a practice based on sin or faith. And ho, practice based on ho is when we have certain understanding.

[47:27]

Because of my understanding, we know this teaching is true and this practice is workable. So I practice. There are two kinds of practitioners. Like, Shirley Putra was like this. He saw the monk walking on the street. He had some inspiration and he asked for the monk's teacher's teaching. And the monk, Asaji, said very, you know, short, you know, introduction of what Buddha taught about the cause of suffering, and the cause of suffering, and cessation of suffering.

[48:30]

By hearing those three sentences, it is said Shariputra attained the first fruit, that is the stream entry. So, by hearing those three sentences, Shariputra understood the meaning of Buddha's teaching and he became Buddha's disciple. So, Shariputra was a very wise and sharp-witted person. But, not many people are like Shariputra. But, people are like us. I'm not, but you, like me, you know, I... I read my teacher's book when I was a high school student and I wanted to live like him but I didn't understand what his teaching was and I went to university to study Buddhism and Dogen's teaching and I read many books and I had a lot of knowledge but I didn't really understand what that teaching was

[49:45]

But somehow, because first, my first inspiration, when I raised my teacher, even without understanding, because of, I think, that is a trust to his way of life. He is actually living in that way. Therefore, even though I didn't understand, I wanted to practice and live like him. I think more than 10 years. I didn't understand what Dogen was saying, actually, until 10 or 15 or even 20 years later. After 20 years of practice of Zazen without understanding, little by little, what he was saying made sense to me. Before that, my practice was really based on my trust or faith. Please.

[50:48]

Is shin the Chinese equivalent of Sanskrit shrata? Shrata. I think so. Of course, there are a few kinds of shin. Excuse me. Even within shin, there are two types. I'm sorry. You know, Buddhist, you know, Abhidharma is so complicated. One is Gyo Shin. Another is Shin Ge. This kind of thing is also discussed in Abhidharma Kosha. I'm sorry. Gyo Shin. and shing, ge. Gyo means to look up. That means to respect.

[51:51]

That means we have faith or trust. Even though we don't understand the teacher's teaching, but because we respect this teacher, I respect this teacher, I believe I have a faith to this teaching without understanding. And the next type of shin or face in Buddhism is shin-ge. Ge means understanding. So, a face based on understanding. Some understanding. This means the example used is when we dig a well. We start to dig a well. In the beginning, we don't see any water. We only see the sand and dirt. But when we keep digging, we see the sand become wet, even though we don't get the water yet.

[53:02]

But by seeing the sand getting wet, we trust there is a water vein down there. So we keep digging. So we have a faith that when we keep digging we can find, get the water. That kind of faith. We don't see the water yet. Water is not in front of us yet. And yet because of the wisdom that when the sun is getting wet That is a sign that water is down there if we dig deeper. This is another kind of faith based on some understanding or wisdom. Even though the result, we don't see the result yet. And yet, because of some understanding we have, we trust, you know, when we keep digging, there's water.

[54:09]

If we keep practice, you know, we become Buddha. Because of some sign of, you know... Nirvana. Please. When I was a high school student, that was the end of the 60s, second half of the 60s, I had many questions about life, especially in the way Japanese society at the time. I mean, that was the time, you know, Japanese economy grew so quickly.

[55:13]

And when I was born, you know, many Japanese were even starving. But when I was a teenager, you know, Japanese society become prosperous and become rich. That means Japanese people worked so hard to, you know, to restore prosperity after the loss of World War II. But when I was a teenager, I had a question about that kind of society. I mean, the people worked so hard to make money. And at that time, Japanese people were called economic animals by Westerners. And to me, as a teenager,

[56:15]

So, you know, Japanese school system, education system was very competitive. If we studied hard and went to a good university, we can get a good job and make a lot of money. Otherwise, we have to be down there, bottom of the, you know, this society. And to me, that kind of society seems like one huge money-making machine. And the school was not a place to study truth, but school was a factory to produce the part of that machine. And, you know, I couldn't find any meaning to live in that way. So, I wanted to drop out of that system. And yet I didn't know the alternative way of life once I left that money-making machine.

[57:26]

I didn't know what I can do, how I could live. So I had a lot of questions and reading many books. And I had a chance to read Uchiyama Roshi's books. And I found that his way of life has nothing to do with this money-making machine. When I read his book, I found that when he was a teenager, he had the same question. And he spent his life to find the answer to his question. And his answer was, you know, of course, Buddha's teaching or Dogen's practice. And after he found that, he still lived in a very poor life or poverty. And he is sharing that way of life with other people. Of course, I knew, you know, many spiritual teachers like that in the books, in many books.

[58:33]

But Uchiyama Roshi was the very first person, first actual person who lived in that way, really. I think that was why I was almost sucked to that way of life. Even though I didn't understand the answer he found. But I wanted to live in that way. This is a long story, but I want to continue this. Do you remember which of his books you read first? That was the first book he published, and it's not translated into English yet. The title of the book is Jiko, or The Self, and this is a collection of his essays. When I have time, I really want to translate the book. The book really transformed my life. So, in a sense, I was born when I read that book.

[59:39]

Okay. Excuse me. Well, here we are. Ah, no bath. So, when we hear the Buddhist philosophy teaching like no birth, no death, or no arising, no perishing, or emptiness, or impermanence, we simply accept it without much thinking and inquiring what this really means. And we just feel, you know, that's cool. And just without thinking too much, Thinking or understanding, we just accept and we feel like, I'm a Buddhist. But, Dogen asked to his student, we have to inquire what this really means.

[60:44]

So, what is the reason, even when we hear the word, no birth, we should inquire what the meaning of this statement is. Further, they do not make an effort to investigate whether it is no Buddha, no way, no mind, no extinction, not no birth, or negation of no birth, no Dharma world, no Dharma nature, or no death. So, they don't, some people don't really inquire and understand and see the reality these words try to show us. But they simply memorize those words. And many scholars are like that. Not all of them.

[61:49]

Anyway, And finally he said, this is because they are like animals that only think of water and grass. This is also a quote from the Lotus Sutra. This is not so important. But this expression appeared in the third chapter of the Lotus Sutra. So, you know, water and grass for animals is like, you know, I often talk about Nama Rupa. You know, Nama Rupa is a name for the object of our sense organs. It came from the Sthalipatha. Nama is name and rupa is material.

[62:55]

So our object is always a combination of name and material or matter. And name refers to the relationship between this person and this thing. For example, this is a reading glass. And I cannot read what is written on this paper without this. So this is important. So I call this a pair of reading glasses. And this is important to me. Even though this is a cheap one, this is very valuable. So I try to keep this. Try not to lose this. Because otherwise I cannot work, I cannot study, I cannot give a talk. So this is very important. But is this really, is this thing really a reading glass or not?

[63:58]

I mean, is there such a thing called a reading glass? I call this a reading glass because I use this to read something. But I often lose or break this living grass. Even if one side is broken, I cannot use this as a living grass anymore. Then this stops or ceases to be a living grass. And I put this in a garbage can. So this becomes a garbage. So reading glass shows my relationship with this thing. I call this reading glass because I use this as a reading glass. But when we just see this without relationship with this person, we cannot name this.

[65:06]

What is this? For the young people who never need a reading glass, this is useless. This is a reading glass only for a certain period of time, after this was manufactured at a factory and until this was thrown into a garbage can. This matter, this thing, is not a living grass. And after that, this is not a pair of living grass. So living grass, there is no such thing called a living grass as a real thing. It's just a name, and that name shows the relationship between this person and this thing. And so, things have name, it becomes the object of this person.

[66:08]

Depending upon the relationship, I call this living grass, or something else, or garbage, or I evaluate this as important or not important, or valuable or not valuable, or I like this, I don't like this. But when So we are kind of hooked with the relationship with this matter, this object and this person by making this as a Nama Rupa. The combination of name and matter. And what Buddha taught in the short sutra in Stanipata is we should be unfooked, unfooked, unfooked, H-O-O-K, unfooked, with this, you know, fixed relation, then this is not a reading glass.

[67:13]

This starts to reveal just as it is. But what Dogen is saying here is, for those animals, water and grass is like a nama-rupa. And somehow we are hooked to this. And when it appears, we almost automatically react in certain ways. That is our karma. But when we stop, You know, seeing this as a Nama Rupa, then this ceases to be Nama Rupa or the object of my desire or necessity. But this starts to be as it is. And that is when Dogen Zen said, all beings are Buddha Dharma. When we see this as nama rupa, as my object, this doesn't reveal it as a buddhadharma.

[68:21]

But when we stop that relation, this starts to be as buddhadharma. And that is when we let go of our thoughts in our zazen. He wrote that he wanted to find the true names for things, which is not the names that we call them, but the names they call themselves. Do you think there is such a thing? This thing calls itself. I don't know. Temporarily, we call this, according to Dogen, Buddha Dharma. Or true reality of all beings.

[69:22]

So, things are as it is. Or true reality of all beings. That means these are not object of my desire. Or selfish idea. But we try to make connection using our mind by naming and making evaluation. So a pair of reading glass is the way my mind make a connection from my side. So I think this is my position and I can use this. So this belongs to me. This is very self-centered. I don't think this has it all independent beings and dignity and beauty. But this is the meaning of this existence of this is my, you know, living aid.

[70:26]

So this is very kind of an arrogant way of doing things. I am the center of the world. Whatever is useful to me is very valuable. That is how an animal sees water and grass. Next paragraph. We should know, so after inquiring fat is life and fat is death, we should know that life and death is the instrument of the practice of the Buddha way. Instrument might not be a good translation. The word Dogen uses is envy.

[71:29]

This, we call, we leave this kanji as an, but this same kanji as gyo, gyo, practice. And ri, ri means something to wear, but anri is a word that is used in two ways. One is our practice, our own practice, and also another meaning is the kind of things we need to practice. We call it Anri-Motsu. Another meaning of Anri is the container made of certain plants. and in which monks put those things they need to practice, like Kesagori.

[72:48]

In that container, when monks travel, we put things like okesa, sutra book, and oryoki. Those things are called anrimotsu. So, what Dogen is saying here is that life and death is a necessary thing we need to practice the Buddha way. So, life and death is never a negative thing where we have to escape from. This life and death is a place where we can practice the Buddha way. And also, life and death is the furnishings of the house of the Buddha. Furnishing is like drawers, or closets, or tables, or couches, or chairs.

[73:52]

And without those things, we cannot... Our Buddha cannot practice. Buddha cannot teach. So, without life and death, you know, Buddha cannot teach, Buddha cannot practice, and we cannot study. So, life and death is never a negative thing in Dogen's teaching. When we need to use it, I mean, use life and death, we use it as much as we need. Like we use the furnishings or tables or other utensils. And when we make an effort to clarify, I'm sorry, clearly comprehend it, we are able to clarify it. We can clarify what is life, what is death. Therefore, all Buddhas have clearly clarified.

[74:57]

put two same words together, may and may clearly clarify this penetration and blocking, penetration and blocking of the Buddha way and are completely capable to use it. This penetration and blocking is You know, life and death is very important and useful, and yet it's not easy things to go through. And there's some way we can go penetrate And yet, if we don't have wisdom, you know, life and death block us to live freely.

[76:11]

So, all Buddhas know how we can freely go through life and death, birth, living and dying, as a place to practice. But, if we don't have a clear understanding, life and death block us and our life becomes sansara. Our life becomes suffering. So, we need to learn how to use this instrument for our Buddhist practice. That is our, you know, study and practice of Dharma. Yes. Yes. Even even Buddha and Dogen, they start to practice because of some difficulties they had to face.

[77:30]

So, difficulty is one of the important, you know, part of Buddhist teaching. To see suffering or pain or problem is that for many people or almost all of us is the you know, point to start to study Dharma. If we have no problem, our life is, you know, just happiness, then we don't feel we have to study and practice, especially this kind of, you know, boring and painful practice like Zazen. If you are ignorant of the boundary of this life and death, who calls you as you. So, unless we know what life and death is, we cannot really become ourselves.

[78:37]

Who says that you are a person who has clarified and penetrated life and death. To see and understand what life and what death is to see and understand who we are and how we can live in a healthy way. You should not think that you are immersed in life and death. You should not understand that you are within life and death. That means we are... sometimes we feel like we are imprisoned within this, you know, terribly difficult and painful place called life and death. And we cannot... we can't get out of this. You know, this feeling. But Dogen Zenji said, you know, we should not feel in that way.

[79:44]

We are not imprisoned. But this is a place for practice. We should not believe and accept, not understand, and not know life and death as life and death. This means we should not see life and death as a kind of a fixed concept or idea of life and death, especially in the Buddhist terms as a samsara. Life and death is not simply, really, fixed as samsara. But life and death can be also nirvana. And this life and death is Buddha's life. So we should not grasp the fixed idea that samsara Our life and death is something we should escape from.

[80:47]

We should settle down and see what is life and what is death and what is this five skandhas. Then life and death is a place to study and practice and living together with all beings. Otherwise, life and death is a place to compete with others and fight and win or lose. And when we win, we feel we are happy and our life is successful. And when we lose, we feel our life is terribly suffering. But both, whether we win or lose, that is not the way we really free to see what this life is. Well, it's almost 11.30, so I think this is a good place to stop.

[81:59]

Any questions?

[82:02]

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