Yesterday afternoon, I talked on the Lotus Sutra, mainly based on the second chapter, the skillful means, hope and home. I'd like to continue talking about the Lotus Sutra from chapter 16, because only talking about the chapter 2 is not complete as for the Lotus Sutra. The chapter 16 is about Tathagata's lifespan, and the Lotus Sutra says Tathagata's lifespan is infinite, eternal. I couldn't find the same translation from yesterday at the library.

[01:11]

But this, any translation is okay. No translation is perfect. Anyway, this chapter 16... In this translation, the title of this chapter is Revelation of the Eternal Life of the Tathagata. here. In the previous section, section 15, is about the bodhisattvas springing up from the ground. That is, you know, there were, at that time, there were many bodhisattvas, Buddhas and bodhisattvas came to Buddha, Shakyamuni to Buddha land. And one of the bodhisattva asked Shakyamuni if Shakyamuni needs some assistant to teach because he didn't have so many bodhisattvas in his life, Buddha-land.

[02:23]

So the bodhisattva from the other Buddha land asked if Shakyamuni needs some help. But Shakyamuni said, I don't need that help because there are enough bodhisattvas in this land, in this Saha world. Shakyamuni was Buddha. Then, you know, numberless bodhisattvas come up from the ground. And those bodhisattvas look much older than Buddha. So someone said, you know, those and Shakyamuni said, those are my disciples. I have been teaching and training them But a bodhisattva asks, you know, those bodhisattvas look much older than you. If Shakyamuni was born in the capital Bastu and practiced and attained Buddhahood, and he taught 40 or 49 years, you know, but those bodhisattvas are much older than 49 years.

[03:40]

So it looks like, you know, the sons are much older than the father. How is such a thing possible? That was a question, and this chapter is the answer to that question. You know, Buddha was... Shakyamuni Buddha didn't live so long. He lived only 80 years. but there are so many bodhisattvas, and Shakyamuni said he trained all those bodhisattvas. It's kind of a strange thing. So the answer is in this chapter 16. And what Shakyamuni said is, Then the world-honored one, Shakyamuni, perceiving that the bodhisattvas, thrice without ceasing, repeated their request to explain this question, addressed them saying, Listen.

[04:51]

then all of you attentively to the secret, mysterious, and supernaturally pervading power of the Tathagata. So Tathagata has a supernatural power. And he said, all the world of gods, men, and asuras, consider now has Shakyamuni Buddha come forth from the palace of Shakyakulam. So Buddha was born as a prince of King Suddhodana and When he was young, he left his father's palace. That is what this meant. Now has Shakyamuni Buddha come forth from the palace of the Shakyakulam, and seated at the training place of enlightenment.

[05:55]

I don't like this translation. This training place is not really training place. As I said yesterday, this is dojo. That means place of the way or awakening. So this is not a training place. Buddha was not training there. He was just sitting. So this is a place of enlightenment. Not far from the city of Gaia, so under the Bodhi tree near from Buddha Gaia, he attained awakening. Has attained perfect enlightenment. This is how we study when we read Buddha's biography. But this sutra is like Dogen, or Dogen is like this sutra, it's always a but, or however, and yet.

[06:59]

But Buddha said, but my good sons, since I veritably became Buddha, there have passed infinite, boundless, hundreds of thousands of millions of quarters of Nayuta of Karpas. I can't calculate how many, but this simply means infinite. time ago. That means beginning is beginning. So, you know, this story, or Sakyamuni Buddha's life, born at Kapinabastu and passed away in Kushinagara and lived for 18 years, was not actual, this is the life of Nirmanakaya, Shakyamuni as Nirmanakaya. But this is not his actual lifespan.

[08:05]

His lifespan is much larger. It's infinite or eternal. And a little later, still Buddha is talking, good sons, during this time, this lifespan, during this time before he was born as a Gautama, during this time, I have ever spoken of myself as the Buddha burning light. and other Buddhas. Do you know Buddha Burning Light? This is the Buddha, Deepankara Buddha. This is the Buddha who gave prediction to Sumedha. So, you know, the story, you know, Shakyamuni was first allowed bodhicitta when his name was Sumedha.

[09:07]

He met this Buddha, Deepankara, Deepankara in Chinese or Japanese is nen to nen to butsu and ne is burning, and to is a light or a lamp or a flame. So this burning light refers to mentobutsu or deepankara. To me, this is really interesting. Deepankara was Shakyamuni. And Shakyamuni gave a prediction that Sumedha become Shakyamuni. So Sumedha was also Shakyamuni. So both Buddha and both sattva are Shakyamuni. So this is Uibutsu-yobutsu.

[10:11]

only Buddha together with Buddha. So Buddha give the prediction to the Buddha. But this Buddha was Bodhisattva. So this is a really interesting point of this story. And it's very important to understand what Dogen talks about in Shobu Genzo Yobutsu, to understand this point. So everything is happening within the eternal life of Shakyamuni as a dharmakaya. So Nirvana Kaya's life is very short, only 80 years, and Sambhogakaya's life is much larger or longer, more than 500 lifetimes. but both are taking place within eternal Buddha, Shakyamuni, as dharmakaya.

[11:20]

And according to Tendai teaching, Tendai Chi's teaching, those three kayas, three bodies, are one. That is another important point when we understand Shakyamuni. In Japanese we say sanshin, Soku itsu. Sun is three, shin is bodies, and soku is itself one. So three bodies are one. Nirvanakaya, sambhogakaya, and dharmakaya are really one thing. one reality. And one thing important, when we study Dogen, he is talking about everything, almost everything within this framework.

[12:27]

That means not only Shakyamuni as a Nirvana Kaya or Shakyamuni as a Sambhogakaya, but even our life Our birth, our alighting bodhicitta practice, awakening and dying, entering nirvana, are also happening, taking place within Buddha's Shakyamuni's dharmakaya. Everything happening in this world, in this universe, is happening within Buddha's eternal life. that is mainly this Lotus Sutra is saying. And from this kind of a perspective, beyond human perspective, how Buddha sees the world. And this world is called three or triple world.

[13:32]

that is Burning House of Samsara, where we think this is a place all people experience suffering. And a little later, in the same page, it said, whether speaking of himself or speaking of others whether indicating himself or indicating others, and whether indicating his own affairs or the affairs of others, whatever he says is all real. So he never speak falsehood. And not empty air. Wherefore, because the Tathagata, the Dharmakaya Tathagata, the Tathagata knows and sees the characters of the triple world as it really is.

[14:48]

We think we are living within the Triple World, within samsara, and we are born there and we live and experience sufferings and dying. But that is how it looks like when we see the Triple World from Buddha's view. So, Tathagata knows and sees the character of the triple word as it really is. To him, there is neither birth nor death. Neither birth nor death, or going away or coming forth. Neither living nor dead. neither reality nor unreality, neither thus nor otherwise. Unlike the way the triple world beholds the triple world, the Tathagata clearly sees such things as these without mistake.

[16:02]

So this is how Buddha sees the triple world. The triple world means our life. From our human point of view, we are born in certain time, within flow of time, from past to the future, and now we are present. We are born certain time in the past. And now, in my case, I was 64 years old. And sooner or later, I will die. So, birth and death. And we think our lifespan is the period of time between birth and death. From Buddha's perspective, there's no birth and no death, no coming forth, no withdrawing.

[17:07]

I think we are familiar with this logic, based on the teaching of emptiness. That means everything is empty, all five skandhas are empty, And when I talk about emptiness, I always use the example of a bubble as an emptiness. A bubble is air packed in the water. It appears at the bottom of the water. And being a bubble, and when it reaches the surface, it disappears. That is the same as our life. But is there such a thing called a bubble?

[18:12]

You know, only things there are is air and water. Where is bubble? So bubble is just a name of the condition or happening. The air is packed in the water. So we can say bubble is born and bubble died from our perspective. But actually nothing is born and nothing is dying. That is what emptiness means. And, you know, not only the bubble, but the clouds are the same. The relation is opposite. Clouds are the water floating in the air. But there's no such thing as a cloud. It's only air and water, the relation between air and water, the condition.

[19:19]

And we temporarily... Temporarily called, this is a bubble, and that is clouds, and this is shohaku. You know, shohaku or human beings are billions of times more complicated than the bubble. Not only two things, but billions of elements are making this body and mind. So it's more complicated, but basically the same. There's no such thing as called shohaku. This is a collection of five skandhas. That's all. And each of five standards are empty. So shōhaku is empty. So we cannot say shōhaku was born here and shōhaku died there and shōhaku is existing and living here. From human perspective, we do. But from Buddha's perspective, nothing appears, nothing disappears.

[20:26]

That is, you know, very familiar logic when we study like a prajnaparamita. So in the Lotus Sutra, that theory or philosophy of emptiness is... consider Buddha's view, Buddha's perception, not perception, but Buddha could see emptiness of all beings, but we see they are there and be born and dying. But what Buddha said, the Lotus Sutra said, is it is neither real nor not real. That means we cannot say bubble doesn't really exist. Bubble is there. But there's no fixed entity called a bubble. As a phenomena, bubble is actually there.

[21:31]

Another famous example is a waterfall. Waterfall is a flow of the water when the ground has the gap. So only things there is this shape of ground and water flowing ceaselessly. And what is waterfall? What is Niagara Falls? You know, if we take our water, one scoop of water from the fall, that is not a fall anymore. And each time the water is new, fresh, different, so always changing. So we cannot say there's no such fixed thing called a Niagara Falls.

[22:36]

And yet Niagara Falls is there. It's different. It has a lot of huge energy. And the actual Niagara Falls and the photo of Niagara Falls is really different. it's actually there it's happening and yet when we try to grasp what is Niagara Falls it's not there that is the meaning of neither real nor not real that other phenomena is real if we go you know down there we'll die So that is the way Buddha, or from that perspective, our life is. I think that is enough to talk about the Lotus Sutra.

[23:39]

Please. Yesterday you talked about Sambhogakaya has beginning and no end. Dharmakaya has no beginning, no end. Dharmakaya has no beginning, no end. And Sambhogakaya has beginning and no end. Beginning and no end. It has, you know, as a Sumedha, he started practice, and after he attained Buddhahood, he become really one with Dharmakaya. So, Sambhogakaya has no beginning, no end. It has beginning, but no end. And Nirmanakaya has beginning and end, that is, birth and death. And Dharmakaya doesn't have a no end, no... Yes, the line drawing.

[24:44]

Could you explain some of the . OK. In the story of Sumedha, it's said many eons ago, but still it's sometime in the past, Sumedha allowed bodhicitta and started to practice. And after many lifetimes, he practiced as a bodhisattva. And as a result of bodhisattva practice, by accumulating the virtues, he was born as a Gautama and attained the Buddhahood.

[25:46]

That is Sambhogakaya. Sambhogakaya is the body, Buddha's body, that attained Buddhahood because the result of long range of practice. And if we only see Shakyamuni's life from birth to this for 80 years, that is nirmanakaya. And, you know, this entirety from beginningless beginning and endless end and include entire space. That is Dharmakaya Buddha. Okay? Yes? I think someone's out there that translated or described as the bliss body. Bliss. Bliss body. Ah...

[26:49]

Well, in Japanese or Chinese, Sambuaka is Hoshin. This hole is the same hole in one of the ace of the ten suchnesses. That is recompense. Recompense? That is reward or result. of this long practice. But Sandokaya is sometimes translated as bliss or bliss body. That means after a long period, he enjoyed so-called Jijuyo Zanmai, enjoy the samadhi or liberation. the expression is ji-ju-ho-ra-ku ji is self and ju is receive same ji-ju as in ji-ju-yu-zan-mai and ho is dharma

[28:18]

And lack is bliss or joy, dharma joy. So after he attained Buddhahood, he himself received the dharma joy and enjoying the joy, enjoying the samadhi. before he started to teach. When he started to teach, those people received the same dharma joy from the Buddha. Please. The beginning of the Sambhogakaya, that's the first part of the Gita? Yeah, in the story of Sumedha. Yes. Please. In your book, Dead to Go On, you make a reference to the element of time containing past, present, and future. In this illustration, where is the future? Let me talk about Dogen's view or insight about time a little later.

[29:29]

Please. Question from a Zazen practice perspective. Would it be accurate or is it an oversimplification to say that our practice is to align with the big view, to align with the infinite view? At least Dogen freely moved around from this view and this view and this entire infinite view. He really freely back and forth. For example, even when he talks about Okesa, In Kesa Kuzoku, his road, the design of Okesa was made by Ananda, by Buddha's instruction.

[30:39]

Buddha and Ananda were walking by the rice paddies. And Buddha said, this is beautiful. So Guju design, make the design for the Buddhist robe using that, you know, rice paddy, the scenery of rice paddy. That is why our orkessa is called Fukuden-e. Fukuden is translated as field. But actually, den means life party. Life party of virtue. Virtuous field is Fukuden. So our Okesai is Fukuden-ne. So it was made by Buddha within his 80 years of lifespan. But in... Kesakudoku, he said, O-Kesa was transmitted from the past seven Buddhas.

[31:41]

To me, it was confusing. If Okesa was designed and made by Shakyamuni Buddha or Ananda, why it could be transmitted from the Vipassim Buddha to the next Buddha and to Shakyamuni? But Dogen doesn't mind. And he... And he also talks about Okesa as a transmission from Shakyamuni to Mahakasyapa. And he said it has been transmitted from China to Japan. So Okesa is a... symbol of Dharma transmission from past seven Buddhas until ourselves.

[32:48]

But when we think about our logical way of thinking, it's not possible, it's nonsense really. But somehow Dogen can, you know, jump around from here to this lifespan or this entire lifespan. When we study Dogen, we have to be careful from which perspective Dogen is talking about. Sometimes he talks about very precise, concrete behavior in our day-to-day lives. But But at the same time, he is always seeing those each and every concrete day-to-day activity from infinite span, eternal lifespan of Tathagata. So we cannot consider carelessly which is Dogen's standpoint.

[34:04]

He has almost like he has no standing standpoint. He's always moving around very freely. That is a source of confusion for us. Please? Yesterday you mentioned Fuzuki Roshi giving lectures on the Lotus Sutra. And when he talks about Chapter 2 of the Ancestors, he says, these Ancestors... very, very important for Soto. And I was wondering if you could say how come ten such messages are so important? Well, for example, when he described how to use Oryoki, If you read the Fushiku Hanpo, that is a part of Ehe Shingi, he described how to use Oryoki in a very precise way. When we read Ehe Shingi, it was written in Chinese, his writing is very precise, nothing mysterious.

[35:14]

it's very different from Shobo Genzo. So if he wanted, he could write in that way. But when he wrote Shobo Genzo, the reality, the things he want to express, explain or express cannot be expressed in such a precise logical expressions. So that is, again, that is another two standing points of Dogen. One is beyond thinking, another is very logical way of thinking. And even when he described how to use Soryoki in the very beginning of Shukohanpo, he mentioned about tensachiness. And basically what he said is using the example of the Vimalakirti Sutra, what he wanted to say is food and Dharma are one.

[36:20]

Equal, one and equal. So when we learn how to use Oryoki, in the beginning, I don't think many people like it. It's too precise, and we have to memorize everything. But according to Dogen, that is Dharma. Dharma. And that should be or could be understood within this lifespan. That means Buddha's eternal life, life force, is manifesting itself in the way we use oryoki. Please. I was wondering, is dhanakaya, nirvanakaya, sambhogakaya true for all Buddhists? Yeah. Yeah. And I think not in Lotus Sutra, but in Dogen, even us are the same.

[37:28]

Not human beings, but everything is the same. Well, let me go to Dogen. In Shobo Genzo, Shoho Jisso, Shoho is all Dharma's. means beings or things and jitsu is true or real and so is usually translated as form but in the case of jitsu I don't think it's correct to translate this as form or mark

[38:42]

So I translate this so as true reality. Because the first of ten suchnesses is form. And that form means shape. But this form, this jissou doesn't mean, is not same as the first suchness. That is form. So this soul is not a form or a mark. This soul itself is reality itself. So I don't think it's correct to translate jissou as true form. Form is part of jissō, but form is not jissō itself. Anyway, there is a chapter or a fascicle of Shōbō Genzō entitled Shōhō Jissō, and I said yesterday, yuibutsu, yobutsu.

[39:46]

the first school we studied this time during Genzoe, from one same sentence. Only Buddha together with Buddha is the subject of this sentence. And Shohoji is always object. Only Buddha together with Buddha can completely penetrate through reality of all beings. So, based on this one sentence, he wrote two different fascicles of Shobo Genzo, and they are very closely connected. So when we study yubutsu-yobutsu, it's very helpful to study shoho-jissou together. So I'd like to introduce a little bit in the beginning of shoho-jissou, what Dogen says.

[41:06]

We have to remember this framework in the Lotus Sutra. But when we study Dogen, we have to keep this in mind, but we have to forget it also. It means we have to be free from what Lottasutra is saying, because Dogen is so free. Even the word, expression, shoho jishso, is different from common understanding. So this is my translation of Shobo Genzo Shouhou Jissou. The first sentence is manifestation of Buddha ancestor. Manifestation of Buddha ancestor is the completely penetrated true reality. This true reality is Jissou.

[42:11]

And manifestation is genjo. So genjo of Buddha ancestors. Genjo of Buddha ancestor is completely penetrated shohoji-so. So he said, Buddha and ancestors, you know, those are ancestors in our lineage, are themselves, shoho jiso. Actually, he said jiso, true reality. That means they awaken to the reality and live based on the true reality. And next sentence, the true reality is all beings. The true reality is all beings. The original common understanding is true reality of all beings.

[43:14]

But Dogen said true reality is all beings. This is strange in a sense, I think. The original concept of Shohoji so is the things, all beings are there. and we have certain perspectives, certain idea or concept about each and every beings, but that our human perspective is not real. But true reality of all beings that cannot be seen by human perspective can be seen by Buddha. That is what this means. So all beings and true reality are kind of different. We cannot see the true reality of all beings because we see all beings in a kind of a twisted, distorted way because our distorted views based on our self-centeredness.

[44:28]

So if we are free from our ego-centered way of doing things based on like and dislike or karmic consciousness, then we can see the true reality of all beings. But Dogen says, true reality is all beings themselves. And continues. All beings are, those all beings are, such a form, such a nature, those are first two of ten suchnesses. And such a body, this body, and such a mind, our body and mind are all beings, of course, they are part of all beings. and such a world, this world itself, and such clouds and rain, clouds and rain are all beings, such walking, standing, sitting and lying down, that is all our activities, all of our activities are all beings, I think that's okay, such anxiety, anxiety,

[45:55]

anxiety, joy, movement, and stillness. Even when we have anxiety, anxiety is also part of all beings, of course, and joy, and movement, activities, and stillness. All are part of all beings. And such a staff, staff under Fisk, staff is used by monks when they travel. And Fisk is used as a master when they teach. So those staff under Fisk is devices or tools used by monks for practice. So these two represent our practice, Buddhist practice. and such picking up a flower and breaking into a smile. This refers to Shakyamuni's transmission to Mahakasyapa.

[46:59]

From Shakyamuni, pick up a flower, and from Mahakasyapa, smile. All of these activities are including within all dharmas, all beings. And such dharma transmission and prediction. So here dharma transmission appeared. Yesterday I said, even though Menzan said this Yoibutsu-yobutsu is about dharma transmission, but when we read this first kuru of Yoibutsu-yobutsu, no such word, dharma transmission, appeared. So I was a... it's not clear why Yuribu Fubuki is about dharma transmission. But in Shoho Jiso said, dharma transmission is one of all dharmas. And prediction is such a... you know, Deepankara Buddha gave a prediction to Sumedha.

[48:09]

That is also one of the all beings and such studying and practicing our studying Dharma and our practice using our body and such faithfulness of pine, the pine tree and integrity of bamboo So pine trees and bamboo are considered, they are faithful and integrity, because even in the winter they have green leaves. It doesn't change. Anyway, so this Shoho, this Shoho is all those things and activities, including Dharma. Please. Clouds and rain. clouds and rain.

[49:12]

In the sutras, clouds are called dharma clouds and dharma rain. It can be metaphorical, but I don't think here Dogen mentions these things as a metaphor of dharma, but actual thing, actual clouds and actual rain, I think. Then, after that, this is an introduction. After that, Dogen quote the second chapter of the Lotus Sutra about that reality of all beings and ten suchnesses. And Dogen made comments on this statement in the Lotus Sutra. What Dogen says is that Tathagata's utterance, ultimate and the identity from the beginning to the end, this is the tenth suchness, the ultimate identity from first to nine suchnesses.

[50:29]

and not only this first nine satinities, but I think he also mentioned, you know, from the beginning and the end, means beginning and end, from the time we allowed body-mind until we attain Buddhahood. So ultimate identity from the beginning to the end is the self-expression, is the self-expression of true reality of all beings. So ultimate identity of everything. is the expression of this all beings, reality of all beings. That means reality of all beings is identity of everything as oneness.

[51:31]

And self-expression of an acharya, Acharya is a word we chanted this morning, and we chant the woman ancestor. That means teachers, Buddhist teachers, who was allowed, who is qualified to give the precept. But here acharya means the practitioners, human beings. as a practitioner. So it's this identity of, ultimate identity of everything is a self-expression of all of our selves as a bodhisattva. And this is one and the same study, one and the same study, Because study is one and the same. This one and the same is thought.

[52:36]

And fat and fat is one and the same. It is not mentioned. But this means everything is one and the same. This expression, itto, is used in Gendoa when he described Jiju Zanmai as Zazen, in my translation, Zazen is equally the same practice and the same enlightenment. for both the person sitting and for all dharmas. So this is about the person sitting and all dharmas. As I said, when, not me, but Dogen said, when we sit displaying Buddha mudra, all beings are really sitting together with us and they become enlightenment. So my practice is not my personal actions, but when we sit, we sit with entire world, everything in this entire world.

[53:53]

This is what is called one and the same practice between person sitting and all beings. That means when we sit, everything become part of my sitting. And next paragraph. Only a Buddha together with a Buddha. Yuibutsu-yobutsu appeared here. Only a Buddha together with a Buddha is the true reality of all beings. So he said, Yuibutsu-yobutsu is equal to Shohoji-so. It's not a matter of all Buddhas only Buddhas and all together Buddhas can penetrate all reality, reality of all beings. But in that sentence, this is subject and this is object, and penetrate is verb.

[55:01]

So what he is saying is subject and object are one. It's not a matter of the Buddha can see the true reality as object. Buddha is itself true reality. And actually, true reality is Buddha. So there's no such separation between subject and object. And by doing some, by putting some in behalf, we correct subject and object. I say something or I do something or Buddha penetrate that reality. When we sing in that way, there's a separation between me and what I'm talking, or Buddha, Buddhas, and reality, the reality which is seen by Buddha.

[56:03]

That is a problem. So Dogen said, subject and object, Buddhas and true reality are one thing. I often say about the first sentence of the Heart Sutra, it said, abhorokuteshvara bodhisattva, when deeply practicing prosimaparamita, clearly see the five skandhas are empty. When we read that sentence, if we think there is a person whose name was abhorokuteshvara, and here are five skandhas, and this person sees the five skandhas, and even though it looks like there are five skandhas, but it's not really there. That is what emptiness of five skandhas means. That is what the sentence is saying. This person is seeing this thing as emptiness.

[57:07]

But if we understand that sentence in this way, we completely, how can I say, misunderstanding. Because the intention of those people who made Hatsutra is to destroy this framework. emptiness of five skandhas means, you know, if there's a person who is not five skandhas, see the five skandhas as object, then emptiness, then there is a separation between this person and five skandhas, and five skandhas as it is seen usually, and truth That is emptiness. But Avalokiteshvara is five skandhas. There's no such thing called Avalokiteshvara besides five skandhas.

[58:11]

So this sentence means five skandhas, see the five skandhas, and that is empty. So only there is five skandhas. And Dogen is saying the same thing here. Buddhas and reality are one. That means Avalokiteshvara and five skandhas are one. There is no such separation and relation. Please. So in the Heart Sutra, is technically the translation wrong, or are we supposed to have a bigger mind and see what it says like you explained? Translation is correct. Even in Sanskrit it is the same. It says that. So that means when we try to express this emptiness using words, we have to... How can I say it?

[59:14]

use that kind of logic, human logic, SVO logic. But when we read the sentences, we have to see that is not what is said. Okay, please. So another thing I might do with that is to think that our fetish part is something bigger that contains the five concepts, but it's more than just It's not contained, but Avalokiteshvara is itself five skandhas. And it's nothing more. Nothing more. Because nothing more than five skandhas. Only five skandhas. Anyway, so here Dogen is negating this structure. Separation between subject and object. You know, Buddha which sees reality. But Buddha is a part of reality. Reality is seeing reality.

[60:19]

And he said, only a Buddha, only a Buddha is Yuibutsu. Only a Buddha is the true reality. Only a Buddha is true reality, this one. and your Buddha together with a Buddha is all dharmas. Only a Buddha is the true reality and together with a Buddha is all beings. So he cut these two expressions into half and he said, It's almost like he said, your Buddha is one Buddha, and your Buddha is another Buddha. And to me, this is interesting. Only Buddha and together Buddha. You know, we are only one.

[61:23]

Whatever we do, I'm doing. But actually, that is her first five suchnesses. I'm alone. Me and me. I'm unique. But this unique person cannot exist without relation with others throughout time and space. So this only Buddha means this Buddha as an individual. And together Buddha is we are always together. So Yuyibutsu and Diyobutsu can show two sides of reality. First five suchnesses and next four suchnesses. We are alone. We are only Buddha. But at the same time we are together Buddha. Dogen is a really funny person.

[62:25]

You cannot usually think in such a way. And he said, upon hearing the utterance, all beings, so all beings are plural, that means many different beings. collection of all different individual beings. That is shoho. So upon hearing the utterance all beings, do not study it either as one or as many. I just said these are many, collection of many individual things, but we can see this as oneness. This entire universe is one universe. And in this one universe, there are many individual things, which is true. Are these all individual things existing separately? Or are these one thing? Or, for example, within a family, is one family, you know, there are several people,

[63:39]

are the collection of those several individual people or one family, or is a sangha, is a collection of individual people. That is true. And yet, one sangha is one sangha. It's really one thing. Or, you know, different waters from different streams get into the ocean. It becomes one ocean. but still there are individuality also. So, what is true? Which is true? What Dogen is saying is we should not decide this or that because both are true. We are individual and yet we cannot live alone. We have to live together with others. Without relation with others, there's only one moment we cannot live.

[64:40]

You know, the air is not me, but somehow air is there and I can breathe, therefore I can live as an individual person. But without air or water or food or someone's help, I cannot really live. I exist. So from one point I am one person. I have to take care of my body and I have a responsibility for whatever I do. And yet this one individual person cannot live without relation with others. And actually this one being is only as, you know, in the case of... Indra's net, we are like a knot. But same as a bubble, there's no such thing called a knot.

[65:45]

Knot is only the relation of these, you know, numberless threads are getting together. So we cannot see, you know, these knots are collection of individual things. many individual things, but we can also think this as one net. So we cannot say whether this is one, one correctional many. And upon hearing the utterance true reality, since true reality shows this oneness, But upon hearing the utterance, true reality or this soul, do not study it. Do not study it as not being void. Jitsu means true or real or actual. And as a word, this is the opposite of kyo or void.

[66:51]

do not study it, it means true reality, as not being void. Usually this jitsu is an opposition of void. But he said not study as an opposition of void or false or as not being nature. he continues it's almost too much so let me skip over one sentence next to the end of this paragraph when all beings when all beings are truly all beings when all beings are truly all beings we call them only Buddha.

[68:02]

Then each and every beings are truly each and every beings. Then we call them only a Buddha or Yubutsu. And when all beings are true reality, we call them together with a Buddha, that is Yobutsu. So each one of us is yuibutsu and also yobutsu. Then I am really shohaku with some kind of fantasy that I want to be. When I'm doing what shohaku should do. That means right now I am talking about Dogen. So I try to do my best and focus on what I'm talking. Then Shohaku is really Shohaku. Shohaku becomes Shohaku. That is only Buddha.

[69:07]

And right now, what I'm doing is only Shohaku can do. I have to take responsibility for what I'm doing. So shohaku is manifested as shohaku at this moment. That is the meaning of being wholeheartedly doing something. Then that is yuibutsu. And when all beings are true reality, means show-hack cannot be a show-hack without other things and people. Now I'm talking, but if there's no audience, if I'm talking without audience, it's strange. So I can be a speaker only when there are people who are listening. So I cannot be a speaker without people listening, without you.

[70:09]

So Shohaku as a speaker can be a speaker, or a Shohaku, because of all of you. I think that is a fact, when all beings are truly, true reality, within connection with all beings, then we call them together with Buddha, yogods. So he called, he cut this Uributsu into two, and Uributsu is one Buddha, or one aspect of Buddha, and Yobutsu is another aspect of Buddha. And not only Buddha, but each and everything. We are individual, and yet we are together with all beings. These two sides. And for example, in Shobo Genzo, Buddha-nature, he called these two sides as U-Buddha-nature and Mu-Buddha-nature. you know, this shohaku, as a shohaku, as a person or individual, and now I'm a speaker, this is u-buddha nature.

[71:20]

But actually there's no such things called shohaku or speaker. That is mu-buddha nature. So Dogen used this expression, yoi-butsu and yobu, to show two sides of one and everything as a true reality. Do you have a question? I was just, that first paragraph on the handout you gave us, it says Buddha Dharma cannot be known by human beings. So the impression of this is that it cannot, this Buddha and the Buddha cannot be human beings. Then what is Buddha? Is this a contradiction to what you just said? It's a contradiction. It's a very clear contradiction. And this contradiction is the same contradiction from yesterday I said, you know, true reality can be seen only Buddha together with Buddha, no human beings.

[72:28]

And yet Buddha's only job is to show true reality to all beings. This is contradicting, right? So there's the same contradiction. So the point is whether Buddha's and living beings or human beings are same or different. And Dogen said they are same, and here at the same time he said different. So we cannot take any side, but we have to say from all sides. But, excuse me, later in this fascicle, Shoho Jiso, he says interesting about that Buddhas and human beings, or Bodhisattvas, who is it? in paragraph 12, I think.

[73:38]

Not in the handout, but in Shouho Jisou. He says, Therefore, the true reality, or Jisou, studying under the guidance of true reality. Is a Buddha ancestor transmitting Dharma from a Buddha ancestor? So this is about Dharma transmission. So the true reality, study under the guidance of true reality. So we are true reality. Then we are Buddha ancestors. this is again contradicted, whether we are Buddha ancestors or true reality, or we are derided human beings. Which is which. And, you know, in Shobo Genzo Hotsubodai Shin, Dogen Zenji quote Nagarjuna and said,

[74:54]

you know, the Mara is our delusion. Mara was conquered when Buddha attained awakening. But Buddha didn't kill Mara. But in that quote, Nagarjuna said, the five scandals are Mara. You know, these five scandals are Mara. That's why Buddha couldn't kill the Mara, because that is Buddha himself. And as I said about the half sutra, Avalokiteshvara are actually five skandhas. And the five skandhas are empty. That means these five skandhas can be Mara. And these five skandhas can be Avalokiteshvara. depending upon whether we grasp this as me or open our hand and see we are like bubbles connected with all beings.

[76:08]

Depending upon how we deal with these five skandhas, our life becomes deluded human beings transmigrating within samsara Or these same five skandhas can be Avalokiteshvara, can help others. Or these five skandhas are itself prajna parameters. That is what Dogen said in Shobo Genzo, Maka Hanya Haramins. He said, form is emptiness, emptiness is form. That is what is said in the Heart Sutra. But he continued, form is simply form. Emptiness is just emptiness. Do you understand what this means? This is a very important point of Dogen's logic.

[77:11]

When we say form is emptiness, there are two things, form and emptiness. And by putting ease, we want to say these two things are one. But when these two things are separated, there's no way to get together again. So when we are saying or thinking form is emptiness and emptiness is form, we are thinking about two different concepts as one. We try to make these two different concepts into one thing. But when we are doing such a thing, we are still thinking If the rupa or foam is really emptiness, we don't need to say foam is emptiness. When we say foam, emptiness is already there.

[78:16]

And when we say emptiness, foam is already there. So to say foam is emptiness is too much. we still kind of depart from the reality of form and emptiness as one thing so when we say form emptiness is already there as reality and when we say emptiness form is already there so more precise saying is form is form emptiness is emptiness That makes sense. And after that, he says, five scandals are five instances of prajna. Five instances of prajna. So these five scandals can be prajna. And at the same time, these five scandals are mara.

[79:19]

It's exactly the same thing. can be both delusion and enlightenment or prajna. So our practice, our studying and practice is how we can transform these five skandhas, function, you know, these five skandhas function as mara to this same five skandhas function as prajna. That is only the pivotal point of our practice as Mahayana Buddhists. And this is what is called dropping off body and mind. Actually, body and mind are five skandhas, right? Five skandhas are body and mind. And when we grasp and cling to these five skandhas as means,

[80:22]

Then we are clinging. But when we open our hand, the five skandhas drop off and really manifest as emptiness. So dropping off body and mind is a very simple thing. Open our hand. Is that how you practice deeply the Prajnaparamita? Yeah, so opening up the hand of the sword is itself Prajnaparamita. And according to Uchiyamurusi, that is Zazen. So Zazen is itself Prajnaparamita. Does it make sense? So how do you practice deeply the Prajnaparamita is to sit? Yeah. And drop what I've been doing? The Zen is the self-dropping of the mind. That is why Dogen said we just sit. If we are trying to seek something called prajna, then our Zen is not prajna yet.

[81:34]

When we really just sit, open our hand, and without expecting anything, prajna is already there. because our five skandhas are prajnas. It's very simple logic, but very difficult to accept. It's against our way of thinking. Someone, please. Right. When we say form is emptiness, form is a concept and emptiness is a concept. And we try to make these two different concepts, two opposite concepts. one. So when we are saying form is emptiness, we are thinking that these two opposite concepts are actually one.

[82:38]

But as a reality, If form is really emptiness, then we don't need to say form is emptiness. It's already there. That is what genjo or manifestation means. Reality is already there without saying, without thinking about it. You could say the same thing about saying form is form. It's unnecessary to say form is form. Right. So finally, what we can do is just sit. Shut your mouth, the tingle of thought, and just sit. That is what Dogen said, means just sitting. Please. Yes, again, on the idea of dropping away body and mind, which is so important to Dogen, and as I recall, this is experience with this teacher. Yes. is all zazen, all my zazen, do I just sit down and stop with my body and mind, or is something else happening?

[83:48]

You know, I know I'm going into the realm of trying to achieve something, you know, and so it's like, and yeah, I just exactly think when I sit down, I'm opening the hand of God in the thought with my body and mind. That is a kind of a... relating dream within dream you know within letting go we grasp something and try to get something So we are very, too much complicated. Too much thinking, yes. Very complicated. When we think or hear this kind of teaching, we want to understand that or we attain that, no attaining it. That is our problem. We create things more and more complex, complicated. And we let go.

[84:49]

Reality is already there because we are already part of reality. But I want to make that reality my understanding, my opinion, my philosophy. That is the problem. And yet that problem is important. Again, that is what Dogen is saying by writing this kind of strange things. Well, it's already 11.30. I'm sorry I cannot start to talk on the universe yet. But from this afternoon, I start to talk. Yes!

[85:29]

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