Good morning, everyone. Does it work? Good. Yesterday afternoon, I started to talk on the text of Yoibutsu Yoibutsu. and we read first and second paragraph. In the first paragraph it said the Buddhadharma can be realized only by Buddhas. That means as far as we are thinking, and doing things in terms of me and something we want, what we wish, what we achieve. Buddhadharma cannot be seen. ordinary human beings transmigrating within sansara is chasing after something we want or escaping from something we don't want and

[01:10]

in Pratyekabuddhas, Sri Lanka and Pratyekabuddhas would like to escape from that. That is another picking and choosing. So when we are escaping from something or chasing after something, we cannot see Buddha Dharma. When we give up that picking and choosing, then we are, from the very beginning, right within the Buddhadharma. That's why Buddhadharma cannot be seen as far as we are seeking something or escaping something. That is what the first paragraph is saying. And the second paragraph talks about thinking and realization or satori. You know, when we encounter with

[02:15]

so-called Buddhism or Buddha's teaching or Buddhist practice, we are almost always, almost all of us is still seeking something. Almost always we start to study or practice Dharma or some kind of spiritual teachings when we have problems or when we are in a difficulty and we try to find something better or something which allows me to exit from that difficult condition. So, you know, bodhicitta is sometimes translated into English as way-seeking mind, and that is what we are doing. We are seeking the way. And by seeking the way, we are separated from the way. So in that process, when we are seeking the way, we are thinking, what is the way?

[03:24]

What is the Buddha Dharma? What is the realization? And our other understanding, when we read some text, the other understanding or thinking or theory, it might be right. But that is not what really Buddha Dharma is, or the way is. So often when we read Zen literature, there are some stories such as Buddhist scholars or lecturers give lectures about, for example, Dharma body, Buddha's Dharma body, or Buddha nature. And when the master is in the assembly and listening and start to laugh, so the lecturer asked the master, what is wrong about what I was saying?

[04:32]

Then the master said, nothing wrong what you are saying, but you don't see Buddha nature yet. you don't know, you don't really encounter with Buddha dharma kaya or dharma body yet. So to think and understand by reading books or texts is not really encountering with dharma. So according to Dogen, to really see the Dharma is to awake that, you know, I, in the first two lectures I talked about the Lotus Sutra and in it, you know, we are living within time and space and

[05:34]

We can exist only in relationship with throughout time and space. That is what I said and that is what I think the Lotus Sutra is saying. We are all living within this structure. And we allow bodhicitta, like a seed start to sprout. And we gradually grow, and then we are here, and sometimes in the future we might attain Buddhahood. But as the Lotus Citrus says, this process is happening within Buddha's dharma body. So Buddha's Dharma body is not really a body, but this structure of interconnectedness throughout time and space.

[06:46]

And we are supported by all beings. And when we are mature enough, we can offer something. This is the world we are living according to Mahayana Buddhism. So our awakening is that we are living within that structure. That means we are from the very beginning and even before we knew such a thing, we are already living in that network of interdependent origination. That means we are supported by all beings. That awakening that we are already there is the time we really start to see Buddha Dharma. So Buddha Dharma cannot be some kind of object or concept, but it's a real thing in which we are living as a part of it.

[07:59]

So as far as we are thinking about Buddhadharma or realization or Dharmakaya, we are separate from it. That's why all those thoughts cannot be really Buddhadharma. But when we awaken to this reality, we are not simply living as an individual person, but it's kind of a difficult thing to say in English. In Japanese, we say, we have an expression, you know, this kanji, sei, means to live. But it also means to be born or birthed. And we can use this as a passive. Ikeru means to live.

[09:06]

And umareru is to be born. But we have an expression in Japanese, ikasareru. I don't know how to say this in English. It's a passive of to live, to be lived. It's a strange English, I guess. To be unable to live. We are unable to live with the support of all beings. I hope we have some better English expression. Animate doesn't work. Being animated doesn't work. I don't think it works. Anyway, we are, you know, unable to live, to exist, because of the support of all beings. We are actually living together with all beings, you know.

[10:10]

uh the soil is a result of the past living beings you know their body he became soil even the oxygen was create produced by living beings you know could you please repeat the japanese This one. I ka sa re du. So in the second paragraph, what Dogen said is as far as we are thinking, we are not really seeing this Buddha Dharma. So even though we think about delusion and realization, those are both part of delusion.

[11:13]

But then, please. But is this phrase an expression of emptiness? Ikasareru? Emptiness. Does emptiness mean ikasareru? I don't think so. In a sense, there's no such fixed things that is living, but we are unable to live because of all different elements. In that sense, that is the same as being empty. We are emptiness. Yeah. But once we awaken to this structure and we are living within that interconnectedness, then even our thought before we awaken to this reality, is a part of this.

[12:18]

It's nothing outside of this. So when we awaken to this reality, even delusion was a part of the reality. Within reality we are deluded. But the ability we have to produce delusion is a very important part of our life. The problem is we are deceived by the illusion. Then we become deluded. If we see delusion as delusion, and we are not deceived, then we can enjoy delusion. It's not harmful. For example, the stories are not a real thing, or the movies, or novels, or even poems. And even Shogo Genzo is a kind of illusion. But if we don't think, you know, what is written, what is printed on this paper is a real thing, then we can learn many things.

[13:31]

Or when we see a movie or a TV, if we see that is not a real thing, then... You know, movie can be very educational. We can learn many things. And yet, if we think that is a real thing, then we'll have some problem. But we often think, you know, that TV or stories create within our mind. When we encounter something, we think this story is a real thing. That is the problem. But if we see that is a problem, so we open our hand, then that is a very good teacher. Why this kind of illusion or delusive thinking appear in me? If we study and understand how this is produced, we can really understand our nature of our life.

[14:37]

So from delusion... Realization is delusion, part of delusion. But from realization, even delusion is a part of realization. So these are not half and half, good and bad, but these are all interconnected and interpenetrated each other. I think that is what he said in the second paragraph. So I'd like to enter the third paragraph. When ultimate awakening is actualized as a person, This ultimate awakening is called a Buddha.

[15:43]

When a Buddha is the actualization of ultimate awakening, this Buddha is called ultimate awakening. If you don't know the faith, when we are within the way, we are foolish. The faith that I am talking about is non-defilement. Non-defilement does not mean that we should force ourselves not to have a direction to go. to go forward or to stop picking and choosing, or that we fabricate a state of mind that has no direction. There is non-defilement in which we cannot resolve to go in a certain direction or to pick and choose no matter how hard we try to.

[16:46]

For example, when we meet a person, we don't remember what the person's face is like. Also, on flowers or the moon, we don't want to add another light or color. Also, spring has only the feeling of spring, and autumn has its own beauty and bleakness. There is no way we can escape from them. Even when we try not to be our self, this is exactly our self. We should understand non-defilement without picking and choosing from this. These sounds of spring or autumn, even if we try to make them ourself, they are not ourself.

[17:48]

We should reflect on this. These are not accumulated within us. These are not the thought existing within us now. The reason is that each of the four great elements and the five aggregates at the present moment cannot be grasped as our self or traced as someone else. Therefore, the colors of our minds caused by the flowers or the moon also should not be grasped as being our self. and yet we think them as our self. We think of what is not our self as our self. We cannot do anything about this. When we clarify that there is no color we dislike and there is no color we should approach and long for, then the activities naturally in the way are the original face that is never hidden.

[19:00]

In the beginning, he says, the ultimate awakening. Ultimate awakening is translation of Mujo Bodai. Mujo Bodai is a translation, Chinese translation of Sanskrit word Anuttara Samyaksambodhi, the Buddha's awakening. So what he's saying is ultimate speaking, I'm sorry, ultimate awakening. Anuttara Samyaksambodhi is actualized as a person. Literally, ultimate awakening is a person. This ultimate awakening is called a Buddha.

[20:10]

So this is about a person and this Mujo Bodai, awakening. You know, the word Buddha is is awakened one. Buddha came from the word body. So body is now, and Buddha is awakened one. So Buddha is a person who has awakened. And this Mujo Buddha is awakening. So this is like a person and person's, what is awakening? Belonging? Or attribute? I don't know. Quality? Whatever word you like. Anyway, this, you know, awakened one is awakening.

[21:14]

And this is matter of course. Because this person has awakening, this person is called awakened one. So this is about a person and what the person is doing and also the person has achieved or attained. So Buddha has attained Buddha has attained awakening. When we make this kind of sentence, as a sentence, it's not a mistake. Buddha has attained awakening. Because Buddha has attained awakening, he was called Buddha. But when we read this kind of sentence, as I often say, there is a subject called Buddha and an object called awakening and attainment.

[22:24]

So Buddha has attained awakening. That is the problem. But in the first two sentences, Fath Dogen wants to say this and this is exactly the same. There's no such separation and connection. As I introduced, Fath Dogen wrote in Shoho Jiso, you know, Yoibutsu and Shoho Jiso are one thing. It's not a matter of yoi-butsu-yobutsu. A Buddha, together with Buddha, can be able to penetrate the true reality of all beings. This is the same structure. But in shoho-jissou, Dogen says, yoi-butsu-yobutsu and shoho-jissou are one thing. and we can understand that within this structure.

[23:31]

When we are thinking using words and language, we see things in this way, from this point, my point of view, and see other things. When we see in this way, we are subject, and those things are object. Even when I'm talking about this, this entire network of interdependent origination is object and concept. So don't trust what I'm saying. This is not a real thing. We are within that real thing. So he wants to destroy this structure. So that is what he is saying. This is the same as, for example, Nagarjuna discussing about a person who is walking and the action of walking, or learner and learning.

[24:44]

Is there any person who can be called a learner besides activity or doing of learning? And actually there is no such person or thing which can be called a learner besides the action of learning. So besides this awakening, there is no such person who can be called a Buddha awakened one. So awakened one and awakening is one and the same thing. There is no such separation. That is what Dogen, I think, is trying to do in these two sentences. So that means when ultimate awakening is Buddha or person, that ultimate awakening is called a Buddha. So Buddha and ultimate awakening is the same thing.

[25:48]

And when a Buddha is actualization of ultimate awakening, This Buddha is called ultimate awakening. So Buddha and awakening, Mujobudai Anuttarasamyaksambodhi, is one thing. There is no such separation between the person and the person accomplished. So the person and what person is doing, the practitioner and practice should be one. And that is what is called non-defilement. So next he said, if we don't know the face, this face is translation of memmoku,

[26:53]

Men means face, and muk means eyes. This side? Like this? OK. Menmoku literally means face. But this expression is used in Zen, for example, the original face before our parents were born. That means before separation. The original phrase, before separation. So this menmoku is the real thing. Before being separated between person or runner and running, awakened one and awakening.

[28:06]

so if we don't know the faith or faith when we are within the way we are foolish so within the way means we are within this way I'm sorry MOKU M-O-K-U men, m-e-n, menmoku. And he said, the menmoku, the face that I'm talking about, is non-defilement. So this non-defilement is a really important word in Dogen's teaching. And this expression, non-defilement, or fuzenna in Japanese, came from a conversation between Huynan, the sixth ancestor, and one of his disciples, Nangaku Ejo.

[29:19]

I think this is a very famous story, so you may know already. When Nangaku, the student, first visited the six ancestors, the six ancestors asked, where are you from? This is a very ordinary question. Then Nangaku gave a very ordinary answer. I came from such and such place where such and such teacher lived. Then the Sixth Ancestor gave a question. The question is, Somobutsu in Morai. Somoi means fat, and mono, butsu, is thing. And immo is how, or thus.

[30:27]

And lai is come. So usually this is translated as, what is this that does come? What is this that does come? A question. But these words, SOMO, fat, and INMO, how or thus, is used with a very kind of interesting usage in Zen literature, especially in Dogen's lineage, that means Soto Zen, we don't read this as a question, but we read this as a statement. That means fat things does come. That means the thing that cannot be called in any way, with any name. If we name it, it becomes a concept. So we don't name this, whether, you know, it is Shohaku, or it is a priest, it is a teacher, or it is something else.

[31:38]

When I call this Shohaku, that means a Japanese Buddhist priest born in certain year. But this five skandhas is not necessarily Shohak, the Japanese Buddhist priest. Then what is exact name of this? Only thing is that is what thing, what thing. And this what thing is thus come, thus appear like this. So this is one of the interpretations of this sentence as not a question but a statement. This thing that cannot be named is... evolving and manifesting in this way.

[32:39]

That is all we can say when we awaken to this structure. Because everything is connected with everything, and nothing is substantial. So whatever name we put on each and everything, that is empty. So we try not to use that name that has a connection with some concept or an evaluation. Anyway, but originally in that conversation, this is a question. But Huinan, I mean, the disciple, Nangaku Ejo, didn't understand the question, what thing, how come? What is that? That's dumb. So he practiced with the six ancestors for eight years, I think eight, fifteen, I think eight.

[33:42]

After eight years of practice with him, he finally understood the meaning of the question. So Nangaku Ejo visited ancestor and said, I first finally understand your question you gave me when I first visited you. Then ancestor asked, how do you understand? Then Nangaku said, is Setsuji Setsuji Ichimotsu soku uchu. Setsuji means to speak about it. And Ichimotsu is one thing. And soku is itself or immediately.

[34:48]

And fu is not And chu is a center or a middle, but it can also mean hit. So when we say something about that one thing, that thing, then we are off the mark. That means whatever we say is wrong. So that means we cannot say about what is this. So we call, we just call this as bad thing. Then Huenan asked another question. If there's nothing to say, there's nothing to say about this thing, means this is only one thing, one possible thing. And there's no way to define and evaluate. That means there's no delusion and enlightenment.

[35:51]

We cannot say if this is a deluded human being or an enlightened Buddha. So Huinan's question is, if so, is there a shoe and a shawl practice and verification. This show is one of the three Chinese characters I talked about, which can be read as Satori. But in the case of shō, it's always used as a pair with shū. Shū is practice, and shō is result of practice. So this is satori as a result of practice. And the literal meaning of this Chinese character, shō, this part means words. Words, language. And this part means true or right.

[36:54]

And as one word, this show means to prove, or as a noun, proof or evidence. So this day I try to translate this word shou as a verification, verify, to verify. Shou is practice. And this shou shou is an abbreviation of a little longer expression. That is mong shi shou shou. Mon Shishu Sho is a process of studying or practice. Mon is hearing or listening. And Shi is thinking.

[38:00]

And Sho is practice. And Sho is evidence, proof, or verification. That means when we hear someone's teaching, we think about it. And in our thinking, if it seems reasonable, or it seems like truth, or seems it can be doable, then we put this teaching into practice. And after practice, we find that teaching is really true. So this show or satori is evidence of the truth is correct. But because through our practice, we don't need to think anymore because we know through our practice.

[39:02]

So these are the process of studying and practicing and accomplishing. and find the Buddha's teaching is true in the case of Buddhism. So shu is, in the case of shusho as compound, shu is cause and sho is result. But when Dogen said practice and realization or verification or one, or shu, sho, ichi, nyo, what he's saying is these are not two things. When we practice, verification is already there. We don't need to wait until we finish practice to know Buddha's teaching is true. The truth of Buddha's teaching is actualized within our practice.

[40:03]

So we don't need to wait until we graduate. from practicing to know Buddha's teachings too. The truth of Buddha's teachings is manifested within shu, practice. That is what Dogen meant when he said, practice and enlightenment are one. So it's important to understand this. But this expression also came from this conversation. between six ancestors and Nangaku. So, because Nangaku said, if we say something, it's wrong. That means there's no way to define this one thing, this thing, whether this is deluded or enlightened. But Huinan's question is, if so, Is there any necessity of shu and shou, practice and verification?

[41:12]

Then, Nangak said, shu shou, practice and verification, is in English. In Chinese, it's much simpler. Shu shou, No, I'm sorry. Shu and shu are not move. We cannot say shu and shu are not there. But shusho cannot be or should not be defiled. This defiled is fuzenna.

[42:14]

And this is the word Dogen used here. And Zen-na is defilement, and fu is not, so non-defilement. So what Nangak said is, you know, as I said, when we start to study or teach or study or practice, we are looking for something. This looking for something is a defilement. That is a kind of greed. I want that. Or when we practice, because we don't like something, we don't like the condition in which we have been living. I don't like this, so I want to go somewhere else. This, you know, greed, want to get something, and this hatred of who we are, how we live. These are

[43:23]

actually two of the three poisonous minds. And those three poisonous minds, greed, anger or hatred, and ignorance, define our practice. So practice and realization or verification without defilement means just practice, without seeking something, without escaping from something. Just do what you do. That is what... Dogen meant, he said, just sit, just sit. If we sit in order to get something we want, called enlightenment, then this practice is defiled with my desire of getting that thing. If my practice is done with my desire to escape from something,

[44:30]

then my practice is defiled by that desire and our hatred. But when we sit, we just sit. Then we are free from three positions of mind, that is defilement. That is just sitting, or shikantaza, or this practice realization or practice verification without defilement means. And here Dogen uses this expression, huzenra, as a face or characteristic of the person in this way. That means Buddha and Buddha's awakening are not true, or Bodhisattva's practice is not attaining awakening. but you know as you know my teacher's teacher said i i think i introduced on sunday morning that we don't practice to attain enlightenment but we practice being uh pulled by enlightenment that means we are

[45:53]

led by enlightenment. Our practice is led by enlightenment, not by our motivation, personal motivation to get something or to escape from something. Then, within this shoe, show is already there. That is what this meant. So if Buddha and Buddha's awakening is two separate things, Buddha has always tried to keep that awakening with him, in order not to lose some of my possessions. But Buddha is itself awakening. So Buddha keeps practicing or keeps teaching this non-defilement. So to live in this way is to live without the three-poisonous mind.

[47:00]

And three-poisonous mind caused by this separation between person and the things person is doing or has some goal. You know, as I said, you know, yesterday, the difference between samadhi and job. When a kid is playing in a sandbox, he really likes it. That kid really likes it and enjoys it. He doesn't need anything else. But when we do something as a work, often for us, work is not something we want. But work is something often, something we have to get something, and that something is usually money or fame or something.

[48:04]

So what we are doing and what we are looking for is different. Then our life is lose the power. because I'm not what I'm doing. One of my brother is a photographer. He wanted to take a photo as art, artistic photo. But it's very, very difficult to make money from the photography that he wanted to do. And he knew that some kind of photography he could make money. And in order to support his life and his family, he has to take that kind of work. Then he has, you know, some feeling of alienation.

[49:07]

What he's doing is not what he really wants to do. So he is not really there. But when he wants to, when he does something he really wants to, then there's no way to support. That is, I think, the problem many of us have. So how can I make this what I'm doing and what I really want to do as a practice or a vow, how can we make this without separation is really a difficult thing. I think that is a koan for all of us modern people. But at least, according to Dogen, at least Zazen practice should be both what I'm doing and what I want to do and what I can enjoy. Our practice of Zazen is not to gain something, some kind of reward, sometime in the future.

[50:17]

But we, as a Zazen practice, we need to be really right now, right here and enjoy it. Our zazen is not a method to go somewhere else, reach somewhere else, but we are there. That is, I think, the most important point of Dogen's teaching, as a practice realization as one thing, without being defiled by our three poisonous minds. And then he started to talk about what non-defilement means. The sentence is, non-defilement does not mean that we should force ourselves not to have a direction to go forward or to stop picking and choosing.

[51:29]

or that we fabricate a state of mind that has no direction. This word, to have a direction to go forward, is not a good translation. I think I need a better translation, but this is the original word, it's a very simple word. That is shukou. SHU is to go. And KO is toward or toward or forward, to go forward. And this expression SHUKO, to go forward, we need certain direction. So we go somewhere. That means not staying here but going somewhere.

[52:34]

There's a certain goal. And this expression, shukou, is used or appeared in another dialogue between the masters. This dialogue is between Nansen and Joshu. Nansen is Nanchuan in Chinese. And Joshu, I think you know Joshu, Jaochu. I think Joshu first visited Nansen. So this is again first encountering. Nansen, the teacher asked, I'm sorry, Joshu asked Nansen, the disciple asked the teacher, what is the way

[53:38]

What is the way? Then Nansen said, ordinary mind is the way. This is a very famous expression, ordinary mind, heijoushin, is the way. Then Joshu said, shall I try to direct myself toward it? shall I try to direct myself toward it, direct myself toward it, it should go. If the way is everyday mind, that is already here, because it's everyday mind, shall I go somewhere to find it? Because it's already here, our day-to-day mind, then we don't need to go somewhere That is what this shukou means, to go to get something. Then Nansen said, if you try to direct yourself toward it, you will move away from it.

[54:48]

If you try to go somewhere to get it, then because we are already in this way, we lose it. Then Joshua said, If I don't try to find it, to find or seek the way, if we don't seek the way, how will I know it is the way? How we can know everything is the way? The way is already here. How we can know? To know or not to know is a very important problem for us. I want to understand. I want to make sure I have a right understanding. Then Nansen said, the way is not concerned with knowing or not knowing. This knowing is chi and fu chi.

[55:57]

way has nothing to do with whether we know it or we don't know it, because all beings are within the way. Whether we know it or we don't know it, we are already there. That is nonsense answer. So the way is not concerned with knowing or not knowing, chi and fu-chi. And he continues, knowing is illusion. Knowing means I know that thing, you know, this subject-object structure. And there is already separation. So knowing is illusion. But not knowing is blank consciousness.

[57:06]

Not knowing is just our mind doesn't work. So both knowing and not knowing doesn't work. So if you try, if you truly arrive at the great way, If you truly arrive at the great way, this is interesting, if you truly arrive at the great way of no trying, no trying is negation of this shukko. This great way is this great way. It will be like great emptiness. vast and clear so nothing to grasp nothing to know it's simply like an empty sky and we are there right within there please

[58:11]

He said we should not force ourselves not to have a direction to go forward. So usually, I think what we do then is if we think we're not supposed to force ourselves, we think we're not supposed to have a direction to go forward, we try to force ourselves not to have a direction to go forward. Right. That is another direction. That is the point. Is force a technical term? No. Yeah, we try. Then we do something intentionally to get that thing that is already against the way or separated from the way. Therefore, then Dogen's questioning about that is if fuzenna, no defilement, means no...

[59:18]

not going anyway, then is such a non-deferment possible or not? Or is it healthy or not? So he is questioning about this common understanding of Zen, that is, you know, this is like emptiness, vast, unclear, nothing to gain, nowhere to go. Then, commonly, that state of going nowhere is non-definement, that is enlightenment. But Dogen is questioning about it here. Anyway, let me finish Nansen's saying. So it will be like great emptiness, vast and clear. How can we speak of it in terms of affirming or negating? So we cannot affirm or negate.

[60:20]

What we can do is, you know, as Katagiri said, shut our mouth and just sit. That means our action, our practice. So actually being there, please. This is a translation from Daido Rori's 300th Koan Collection by Dogen, named Shinji Shobo Genzo. Number is 19. And I return to Dogen's sentence. Here, from Nansen and Joshu's question and answer, if we try to go forward toward a certain direction to get something, that is already wrong, mistake.

[61:33]

So what Dogen is saying is non-defilement. Dogen negates that idea we should not go anywhere and we should stop all activity to going somewhere. So he said actual real non-defilement is not mean that we should force ourselves not to have A direction to go forward means not to do shukor. Joshua said, is there anything, how we can get the way to know that is really the way? But Nansen said, if we try to do that, we miss it. So we should stop it. But Dogen thinks there is a defilement that does not force ourselves to stop going forward.

[62:43]

And another word is to stop picking and choosing. Picking and choosing are, of course, a famous expression. Actually, the original word is a little different, but same meaning with the supreme way. has no difficulty, only dislike picking and choosing. So this is from Shinjinmei, the long poem written by the third ancestor. So if we stop picking and choosing, then we are in the way. But what Dogen is is such a thing to stop picking and choosing possible or not? Or to go certain direction is possible or not? If that is what no defilement means, then we cannot do anything.

[63:51]

We just be there without doing anything. And is that enlightenment? And Dogen said, no. or that we fabricate a state of mind that has no direction. Somehow we try not to think of anything or not to have any direction, any goal to achieve. Is there such a thing possible? According to Dogen, that is not this non-defilement. Fin Dogen speak about. That means there is a direction we should go. Please. Would it be accurate to restate that if we find ourselves picking and choosing, then to try to stop doing that, to force ourselves to stop doing that, is not the way.

[64:53]

That's what Dogen says. Yeah, we need to pick and choose. in Ehe Korok Dogen Zenji I think quote the Shinjinmei about not stop picking and choosing and Dogen said not stop picking and choosing is like you know Garuda Garuda is a big bird Garuda only eat dragons Garuda, the big bird, eats dragons, only dragons. Is this picking and choosing or not picking and choosing? That means, as a Bodhisattva, we practice Buddha's way. We go the direction toward Buddha-food. Is this picking and choosing or not? That's the direction.

[65:54]

And when we have some situation that we go this direction or other different direction, we have to make choice. But actually, as Garuda only eat dragon, this is only way I can go. So, you know, if I want to pick and choose, then there is picking and choosing. And in such a situation, I have to pick this way. Because this I am living led by vow. So this is my picking and choosing, and yet this is not really picking and choosing. That is the way bodhisattva goes. That is the direction we need to go. So here is kind of a both. There is picking and choosing, and yet that is not really picking and choosing based on my preference.

[67:00]

Within this Dogen's expression, Garuda eat only dragons, I think has a very deep meaning. And another place I think Dogen said, we eat rice gruel in the morning. Rice gruel, that is morning gruel, morning, you know, every day in Japanese monastery, we eat rice gruel, porridge. So that is not picking and choosing, but that is picking and choosing. I made commitment to live in that way as Buddha's student. So is this picking and choosing or not picking and choosing? It's a good question, I think. Please. I heard the translation from the way is not difficult for those without no preferences.

[68:09]

There is another translation. The way is not difficult for those who are not attached to their preferences. The second one is not literal. I think. But I think meaning is okay. Please. Isn't it permissible to talk about improving your practice? I mean, just in the everydayness of sitting and posture and mudra and all that we're doing, can we talk in those terms? Of course you can. I think it's up to your teacher. I cannot give you the permission to ask your teacher, but if you cannot sit in proper posture, but by making effort, little by little, you can sit in an upright posture, I think it is improving.

[69:15]

And you can talk about it. Maybe you're doing it for the sake of doing it because you love it, Not because you're trying to do it right or get something. Right, right. You love it. Right. You know, for a learner, learning is the thing, whether it's slow or fast, whether the person can learn long distance or only short distance, and the person tries to learn faster, or longer. That is a kind of improvement and it's okay to make effort in that way. But important point I think is whether this learning is to gain something like a prize or some kind of reward, that is not learning. So within learning there is a good way or a proper way of learning and there is a certain proper way of sitting and that kind of making effort

[70:32]

I think what Dogen is saying there's a direction we go we need to prove we have to make effort to make you know better work. If you are working in the tenzo, in the kitchen, we have to make effort to prepare our best meal using the available ingredient for the people who eat and practice. Then to do so, we need a direction and we need to study and learn so many things. And we have to be really attentive. So that is a direction we should go. But it's not direction based on my preference. This is the way, you know, being put by vow.

[71:36]

So what Dogen is saying is this Fuzhenna, non-deferment, is not a kind of artificial effort or artificial condition that we don't go anywhere. We don't do anything and just be quiet here and now. But there is a different kind of non-defilement. Excuse me. There is non-defilement in which we cannot resolve to go in a certain direction or to pick and choose to no matter how hard we try to. There is another kind of without shukko and without picking and choosing.

[72:42]

That is not some kind of artificial condition. That means our natural way of life. That is, for example, when we meet a person, we don't remember what the person's face is like. When we meet a person, we don't really make effort to memorize what the person's face is like one by one. But somehow, when we meet next time with the same person, we know. So without making such an effort, we somehow remember the person's face. Please. So this remember is more like memorized, like deliberately? Yeah, yeah. It's not like, because we often say remember for that just now on the page. Yeah, memorized, yes. there is another manuscript which has negated this.

[73:51]

That means that there's no don't there. That means when we remember, naturally, in that case we naturally remember But anyway, in general, when we meet people, we don't really memorize the person's face in detail, but somehow we know. We don't remember. We don't intentionally remember, but we somehow remember. Yeah. Right, right. So it's a natural thing without our intention to memorize, not to forget that person's face.

[74:56]

But somehow we can recognize the person. Yes, that's the problem for me. Now I forget people's name always these days. And also, on flowers or the moon, we don't want to add another light or color. And spring has only the feeling of spring, and autumn has its own beauty and bleakness. Because Dogen is a poet, he used the beautiful examples, but not only flowers or moons, flowers in the spring. For us Japanese, flowers in the spring particularly refer to the cherry blossom. And moon, we have a certain kind of a festival to see the moon in the fall, in September.

[76:00]

And that is, for us, the most beautiful time to see the moon. In the summer in Japan, there is a lot of moisture, so the sky is not so clear. But in the fall, it's getting clearer. So the moon sees... you know, very clear. But not only those two, and not only the beautiful things, but some, you know, ugly things or painful things or all different kind of experiences we have day to day in lives. When we encounter those things, so As a Buddhist teaching, what he's talking is six sense organs, eye, ears, nose, tongue and body encounter with the object of six sense organs.

[77:13]

such as color, shape, sound, smell, and touch, and object of mind. When this and this encounter, something happens within our mind. In the case of eye and color, we call it eye consciousness, eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose consciousness, and so on. So he's talking about this kind of experience we have. So with this contact, as I said before, We have sensation, and I, that is attachment, and clinging, and suffering.

[78:21]

That is what Buddha told. how we encounter with our six sense organs, encounter with object of six sense organs is very important point, how to encounter. And if encountering or contact is a cause of problem, how can we live without contact? That is the very good question to understand Buddha's teaching. How can we be free from this contact and sensation, perception, attachment, and clinging? Is there any other direction we can go? That is what he's talking here. And this is preference and choosing and picking and choosing.

[79:25]

Anyway, so when we encounter all those things, whether it's beautiful or not so beautiful or joyful or not so joyful, something happens in our mind. And there is no way we can escape from them. There's no way we can escape from those sense organs. I mean the object of the sense organs. We are always encountering with things. And even when we try not to be ourselves, This is exactly our self. This means things happening within our mind. When we see and experience things, something happening in our mind. And that is called consciousness in Buddhist teaching.

[80:32]

And we cannot escape from them. And I think we can understand until here. Even when we try not to be ourself, this is exactly ourself. You know, these things happening in our mind is things happening as me. This is me. And we should understand non-defilement without picking and choosing from this. That means we cannot pick and choose what we encounter. You know, somehow I was born in Japan and I had to encounter with a social condition of Japan when I was born.

[81:43]

That was 1948. It was not so peaceful yet and people were poor. That was how I encountered the world and there's no choice before I was born. But that is the place I was born, and that is the situation. So my family was not rich, was pretty poor. That was the condition I encountered with all these things. And that became myself. You know. And so we cannot escape from that. And we have to accept that is me. And yet, this is not really me. That is fact. He says next sentence. These sounds of spring or autumn, if we try to make them ourselves, they are not ourselves.

[82:52]

The things happening in my mind from our birth, that is, I have to say, this is me. as a karmic person, but is this really me? Actually, there's no such thing. This is just a collection of all different experiences, and yet we grasp this as me. In Buddhist philosophy or teaching, this is called, you know, all those experiences we had in the past is stored within the deepest layer of our consciousness called alaya consciousness or storehouse consciousness. And seventh consciousness, alaya is eighth consciousness, and seventh consciousness grasps these seeds stored in the alaya consciousness as me. But actually those are collection of the past experiences.

[83:54]

There's no such fixed thing called me. So according to Yogacara, this araya consciousness is impermanent. It's always changing. It's not fixed thing. But it deep and continuous. But it's like a water or waterfall. It's always moving. So from one point of view, this is me. This experience I had in the past is me. There's no shohaku besides that thing. But there's no such fixed me as I can grasp this is me. That means I can change it. When we learn, we study how This, my way of thinking, my way of behaving, doing things, my way of evaluating things or judging things, if we deeply study how it was formed, then we can make change.

[85:02]

So there is always possibility to make changes. That means there is no such fixed entity called shohaku. So from one side, I have to accept this as shohaku, the collection of karmas. But from another point, there is no such fixed entity called me. But we think this is me. So we open our hand. So these are not what are accumulated within us. These are not the thought existing within us now. That means these are not fixed. It's already 11.30. I think it takes a little time to talk about next sentence, so let me start from here this afternoon.

[86:11]

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