That's section 7. Let me read this section. Also, all the Buddhas in the Three Times have already practiced, attained the Way and completed realization. How should we understand that these Buddhas and we are equal? First of all, for a while, we should understand the Buddha's practice. The Buddha's practice is done together with the entire great us and the entirety of all living beings.

[01:01]

If it is not done together with the entirety of all beings, it cannot be the Buddha's practice. From here is Dogen's comments on what is quoted in paragraph 10. It said, An ancient Buddha said, Mountains, rivers, the great earth and human beings are born together. the Buddhas of the three times and human beings have always been practicing together. So before he talks about, you know, mountain rivers and great earth are born together with us. And from here he talks about Buddhas of the three times and human beings, we, have been practicing together. First, he raised a question.

[02:07]

Also, all the Buddhas in the Three Times have already practiced and attained the Way and completed realization. Those Buddhas have completed their realization. That is why they are called Buddha. How should we understand that these Buddhas and we are equal? That is the question, and he gave us the answer. First of all, for a while we should understand the Buddha's practice. So from us, To say we are equal, what practice together with the Buddha, it's kind of difficult. So Dogen encourages us to see opposite. First see Buddha's practice. And of course, as I said in the very beginning, this Buddha's practice and living beings, or all living human beings, are practicing in the structure of the Lotus Sutra.

[03:24]

That means, you know, Nirvana Kaya Buddha. and Sambhogakaya Buddha and Dharmakaya Buddha, those three bodies of Buddhas are all Shakyamuni. And that means we are part of this Dharmakaya Shakyamuni. Later he talks about that. But before I start to fight his saying, I'd like to introduce one story or saying by Gensha. Gensha is a Zen master. I already introduced this person said that entire ten direction world is one bright jewel or the entire great earth is true human body and once Gensha said me I and old man Shakyamuni

[04:39]

are practicing together. The word he uses is do-san. Do is same. or together. And san is the same san in dokusan, literally means to visit and meet. But san means meet with teacher together, that means co-practitioners under one teacher. So what Gensha said is, me and shaka, the word shaka roshi, Roshi is old guy so this old guy Shakya and I are co-practitioner then a monk asked I don't know who did you meet means who are your teacher when you practiced with Shakyamuni together who are the teacher

[05:56]

Then Densha said, chogyo senjo shasando. sen, jo, sha, san, lo. Cho means to fish, a verb. And gyo is fish. So fishing a fish. That means fish. Fishing. And sen is boat. Cho, gyo, sen, jo is on. So on the fishing boat. And the Sha is the family name of this person.

[06:59]

Before this person, Gensha, became a monk, his family name was Sha. And Sanro means third boy. or third boy of Sha family. That was his, not a name, but that was how he was called before he became a monk. So first Gensha said, I practice together with this old guy, Shakyamuni. Then the monk asked, who was the teacher? Then Gensha said, Shasanro on the fishing boat. It said before he became a monk, he was a fisherman. He was fishing on the boat. So this means Gensha himself as a layperson.

[08:03]

So there are three people, Zen Master Gensha and old guy Shakyamuni, and this fisherman, Sha Sanro. Fisherman Sha Sanro refers to, I think, his karmic body. you know, before I became, I received the ordination, my name was Masahiro, and my name became Shohaku. Actually, the sound is different, but same name. I mean, when I was ordained, Uchiyama Roshi asked me, what kind of Dharma name you want? And my name was Masahiro. This was the name given by my parent. And

[09:06]

When we read this in On Yomi, this is Sho Haku. So I said, I like this name, so I don't need to change. I just change the sound. There are a few reasons for this. You know, my teacher's name is Ko Sho, and part of his name is already here. That is one reason. Another reason is in Japan, when we became Buddhist monk, receiving ordination and become Buddhist monk, we had to change the name legally. To do so, we need to go to a court and town office to change the legal name. And I didn't like that kind of process.

[10:11]

I was by nature a lazy person. But in the, what do you call, registration in town, it's only register the kanji, not sound. So even when I change the way to pronounce, I don't need to change the name. So it was convenient to me. Anyway, so same person was called Masahiro for about 22 years. And after that, I became Shohaku. But these five scandals are the same five scandals. And Gensha and Shasanroi are the same. So when he said the fisherman, whose name was Shasanroi, on the fishing boat, and the abbot, the master, Gensha, actually are the same person, but this side of five skandhas is referred to karmic,

[11:27]

conditioned person. And gensha refer to bodhisattva or Zen master. And shaka, old guy shaka, does not mean the person who was born in India 2500 years ago. But this shaka also means gensha himself. That means, you know, the dharmakaya shaka. as Dharmakaya, that means eternal Buddha. So that means, you know, within this structure, you know, So this Shakyamuni means he's referred to universal self of Gensha. And Gensha is the Zen master who awakened to that reality and practicing and teaching and, you know, active Zen master as a teacher.

[12:40]

So both sattva. And Sha Sanro is the Karmic Five Scandals. So in a sense, these three are the, you know, this one in the painting, the young lady, old lady, and that thing includes both. So there are three aspects. And I think Shasando and Gensha and Shakyam, old guy Shakyam, refer to those three aspects of his being. So we are practicing, you know, when we practice, this is only five skandhas I can use. So there's nothing different actually from Masahiro. But when I took a vow and received ordination, I became a Buddhist practitioner.

[13:44]

And the same five skandhas have different names, Shohak, or in his case, Gensha. But both Gensha and Shasambro, Old lady and young lady are practicing together with Shakya, old person Shakya. That is, I think, what Dogen is talking about. So he's not talking about the person who was born in India for 2,500 years ago, but he's talking about himself. But his practice with these five skandhas are three aspects. One is this person as an individual, who used to be a fisherman and the person who took a vow and became a bodhisattva and practicing and teaching other people.

[14:46]

And they have practiced together with this old guy, Shakya, that is this universal self. Those are three aspects of one actual person as a bodhisattva. This is my understanding. And when we receive the precept, whether priest ordination or lay ordination, during the ordination ceremony, first thing the preceptor do after three vows is invocation. In Japanese we say, This means Buddha, Dharma and Sangha in ten directions. The original teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha, and Kosojo Yodai referred to Ehe Dogen Zenji, and Taisojo Saitai referred to Keizan Zenji, the founder of Sojiji Monastery.

[16:09]

This invocation means invitation. That means friend. In early Buddhism, monks, people receive Vinaya precept and become a monk. To do the ordination ceremony official, they need ten teachers. three teachers and seven witnesses. So unless we don't have ten fully ordained monks, the precept ceremony is not official, so it's not valid. But in the case of Bodhisattva precept, we don't need those ten teachers. One teacher is enough. And yet we invite all those Buddha, Dharma and Sangha in ten directions and all ancestors and Dogen Zenji and Kezan Zenji.

[17:19]

to this place where we have the ceremony. So actually, they are together with us when we receive the precept and take Bodhisattva vow. So from that beginning, we practice together with Buddhas in the ten directions. And when we chant sutras during the service or any time. After we chant sutras or verses, ino, recite the echo or dedication. And after that we say, that is, all Buddhas, ten directions, three times. that is for, you know, there are numberless Buddhas, past, present and future, and all bodhisattvas within this time and space.

[18:30]

So when we chant, you know, jiho san shi shi fu wa ten, all Buddhas in ten directions, we express the awakening that we are living and practicing together with all Buddhas in the ten directions and three times. So we are always together with those Buddhas and sentient and bodhisattvas and prajnaparamita. So within our daily practice, this statement by Dogen, we are always practicing together with Buddhas in a pen direction, and three times is, you know, actually carried out, whether we know or not. So he started to talk.

[19:35]

from Buddha's practices. The Buddha's practice is done together with the entire great earth and the entirety of all living beings. As I said in the very beginning, Sumedha, when he met the Pankara Buddha, he took a vow to become Buddha and he would like to help others as this Deepankara Buddha was doing. So he took a vow to practice with all beings and become Buddha together with all beings. And that is the first of the Four Bodhisattva Vows. So from the very beginning, Buddha's practice is together with all beings. If it is not done together with the entirety of all beings, it cannot be the Buddha's practice.

[20:46]

If Sumedha is practicing, or helping others for the sake of this person, for himself, then that is not Buddha's practice. That means if we receive the good result or merit for this person, then that is not a practice together with all beings. So as a bodhisattva, the meaning of dedication or echo means, you know, we practice and we chant, but the merit of this practice and chanting goes somewhere else, not to me. So, I'm sorry, but we get nothing from the practice. That is what mushotoku means. So we share all the merit produced by our activity, not only practice in the zendo, but all activities to share with all beings, not for this person.

[22:05]

That is the spirit we study from this statement. Otherwise, our practice is not Buddha's practice or bodhisattva practice. Next paragraph. Therefore, from the time we allow the body-mind to the moment we attain realization, we always attain realization and practice together with the entire great earth and the entirety of all beings. So our practice, our activities are always together with people and all beings in this entire universe. We have to make sure if... our attitude is the same with this one.

[23:07]

Otherwise, we have to... it's kind of difficult. Even when we are trying to do something good or dedicate the result of my practice for all beings, even though every day we chant and we say so, but still we are thinking, this is good for me. You know, I think I wrote in... Genjo Kōan book or reading by book that, you know, when I became a monk, I really liked Sawaki Roshi's saying that it's good for nothing. And I love it. Because meaning was a problem for me. I wanted to do something meaningless.

[24:10]

So that's why I started to practice after this. And so I devoted my entire life and energy to this practice for about 10 years until I became 30, around 30. But probably I already said around 30 my body became half-broken because of too much work in Massachusetts. and I went back to Japan to have treatment. At that time, in the beginning, for about a few months, I had a problem. And, you know, my body was half broken and I didn't have place to practice, I didn't have sangha, I didn't have money, I didn't have a job, I had nothing.

[25:15]

At that time, I was in trouble, but I thought, why this is a problem? You know, if from the very beginning I understand, the other is good for nothing. That's why I started to practice and I have been practicing in that way. Why that is a problem if I cannot practice in that way? If the other is really good for nothing, even if I cannot practice, why that is a problem? That was a big question to me. But somehow when I was in such a situation, somehow I felt my life was a failure. One mistake. And I felt like I'm really good for nothing. And I wanted to know why I feel such a feeling. If the other is good for nothing, even if I cannot do it, then it's okay.

[26:26]

But it was not okay to me. That was a big question to me. Why I have been practicing so hard? And I found that, you know, those 10 years in my 20s, I practiced so hard and I worked hard for founding the small Zendo in Massachusetts. And I studied Buddhism and Dogen's teachings. And I thought I didn't seek anything, I didn't expect anything. But after I, in that condition, I couldn't practice in that way, I found that that was what I wanted. That was my desire, to live in that way.

[27:27]

That means to be a good disciple of Buddha, or a good student of my teacher, and a good practitioner. So by practicing in that way, even though I thought I didn't expect anything, I was actually supported by that kind of practice. And that kind of practice can be done only by young, strong, healthy people. And so when I was not young anymore and I was not healthy and I couldn't do that, then that's why I was in trouble. And around the same time I had a chance to read Buddha Charita, that is a poem on Shakyamuni's biography. by, what is his name, I forget, Ashwagosha.

[28:32]

When Buddha Get out of his father's palace. This is a famous story. First day, he saw a sick person. Second day, aging person, sick person, and a dead person. And when he thought about that experience in that Buddha Charita said, if Shakyamuni thought, if I think those are special people, particular people who are in trouble, At the time, Buddha was young, healthy, and strong, and rich. So he was not the same with those people. But he thought, if I think because I'm young and healthy, I'm different from those people, so those people's problem is not my problem. Then he said, but he thought that was the arrogance, arrogance of being young, healthy, and rich.

[29:45]

That's why, you know, the final day he met a laser practitioner, and that's why he left home. And I found that the attitude, my attitude of practice before, in my 20s, is really kind of arrogant. I could do this. I was young, healthy, and strong. I could practice in that way, even though I thought I didn't expect anything. Still, that was what I was expected, to practice in that way without expecting anything. that was kind of a shocking experience, shocking recovery for me. I mean, discovery. But from that point, I became free from that kind of expectation.

[30:59]

That means I thought the basic problem is my desire to be a good boy. From when I was a very young child, I was kind of a good boy. And to be a good boy is a difficult thing. First we have to understand what is expectation by others. Then I try to do what people expect from me, from parents or teachers or other people. And I didn't like that, especially when I became a teenager. I didn't want to... I wanted to quit a good boy and try to become a bad boy. But when I became a high school student, I often escaped from the classroom.

[32:03]

And finally I became a Buddhist monk. That was perfectly against my parents' and teachers' expectations. So I thought I became a bad boy. But even after I became a Buddhist monk, actually I was a good boy. I wanted to be a good monk and a good student of my teacher or Buddha. I found that was the problem. So, you know, I think around that time, you know, I was alone, really alone, and there's no place to practice, so I stay by myself in a small apartment, and one day I found myself just sitting.

[33:10]

And at that time, you know, there's no other people, so there's no reason I have to sit. But somehow, when I was sitting by myself in a small apartment in Osaka, I found, not found, but I feel peace. That means when I was sitting by myself, this is not because I have to sit, or because I want to be a good practitioner. No such reason to sit. But somehow I was sitting. That was, I think, that was the first time I feel I just sit. And finally I thought, you know, this is fat circulation saying that is good for nothing. But before that I thought I understood and I liked it. But that was fat I expected.

[34:17]

That was a kind of a reward, merit I already received. After that I feel, you know, I could really sit without any expectation, mind that is really good for nothing. So good for nothing to me is really a positive expression. Zazen is good for nothing is my translation English translation of Sawaki Roshi's Japanese expression and I first heard this expression good for nothing when I lived in Massachusetts We received any financial support from anywhere, so we had to find some source of income. And the first thing we did was picking blueberries. In Massachusetts, there are blueberry fields.

[35:19]

And in the summertime, when they harvest blueberries, mainly they hire high school students during the summer vacation. But we couldn't find any other job, and actually we didn't have a car. So we set a tent by the blueberry farm, and we picked blueberries every day. every day for about three weeks or so. And in that very, you know, huge blueberry field, it's almost like one or two mountains are huge. It's really huge. And there are some places where blueberries and other berries, different kinds of berries, together. And, you know, those high school students didn't care to pick only blueberries or not pick those not edible berries.

[36:30]

I think they called those berries dog berries. And the owner of the farm always shouting to those high school students, don't pick any of those good-for-nothing berries. That was the first time I hear this expression, good-for-nothing. But to me, I thought, what a difference between blueberries and those dog berries. Dog berries are also pretty. They are black and red, and yet those are not edible. So, you know, those berries have no market value. But blueberry can be sold. So blueberry has some meaning and value for human beings.

[37:35]

But those dog berries have no value to us. But as living beings, what's the difference? They are the same. So my understanding of zazen is, you know, those are good. Those very are good, but not for anything, something else. But they are good for itself. Not good for something, but good for nothing. But it's good. And in my understanding, this expression, zazen is good for nothing, means zazen is good. but for nothing. Dazen is good as it is for itself. It doesn't need to be good for something. So I first thought, you know, I could sit really good for nothing Dazen.

[38:37]

After that, my attitude toward Dazen or practice or even Buddhism has changed. It was a really big change. I think as an understanding of Buddhist or Dogen's teaching, Shikantaza or just sitting, I understood the meaning and I wanted to really practice with such attitude and I thought I did. But after in the condition I couldn't practice in that way, I found I had, I received the merit to me. And that was a problem. That means when we really just sit no profit or merit to this person, then this sitting is not this person's activity, but this person is sitting together with all beings.

[39:53]

So this attitude is really important. not understanding, but really do things for nothing, but just do. And I found that was what Dogen taught when he said, just sit, just do it. And I think that is how we can practice together with all beings. Until then, I understood what Dogen is saying here. And my understanding was not so mistaken, but I really didn't know what he really meant. So I think this is an important point. So from the time we allow the body-mind to the moment we attain realization, we always attain realization and practice together with the entire great earth and the entirety of living beings.

[41:01]

To do so, we need really to be free from our clinging to myself. And we don't see my clinging until we cannot do that. So when we have a difficult condition, it's a good chance to see, you know, how arrogant we are. So we can enjoy difficult conditions sometimes. And how can we have a thought that doubt this? This is for certain, but still we have doubt. And yet it seems such a thought that said, I don't know, is intertwined. We have always questioned and I don't know what this means to practice together all beings.

[42:03]

So to clarify this, we hear the voice expounding oneness. This is a voice from the Buddha, and Buddha does not mean certain person in the history, but actually each and every thing is revealing Buddhadharma, that is impermanence and no-self or emptiness. and interconnectedness. Everything is revealing that Dharma and actually knocking the door of our mind, but somehow we don't hear. So we need to hear the voice expanding this reality. And when our eyes or ears are open, then we can hear any time. And when we hear this voice, this voice is Buddha's voice, this voice, do not think that such a practice is not about ourselves, but about someone else called the Buddha or a voice of us.

[43:22]

It's not for me. Even when we read this kind of teaching, we often think, you know, this is not for me. This is for much greater people. But we are included. From Buddha's side, all beings are included within this Dharma world. So we are part of it. And our practice is part of Buddha's practice. This is a teaching we should understand. We should know that when all Buddhas in the three times allow body, mind and practice, there is a principle that our body and mind, our personal body and mind are not left behind. That means when Buddhas and other bodhisattvas and ancestors allow bodhicitta, we are included.

[44:32]

when Saokiroshi, you know, in his childhood, Saokiroshi's life was very difficult. His parents died when he was very young and he was adopted to his uncle. But after six months his uncle died, so he was adopted again. And his adopted parents were her stepfather was a gambler and her stepmother was an ex-prostitute, that kind of situation. And she thought she went to the elementary school. And after she finished elementary school, she had to work to support her step-parents. And he didn't like that kind of life.

[45:34]

So he actually escaped from his parents when he was 18. So the first time he escaped to Osaka to find some work. But he was found and his parents took him back. So he thought he had to go somewhere his parents couldn't find. And he went to a hazy. To become a monk. And yet he was not allowed to become a monk at Eheji, of course, because Eheji was a monastery. Only ordained monks could enter and practice. So he had to find a teacher. And he tried to find near Eheji, but there were not good people, good person to be a teacher.

[46:39]

So he had to walk from Eheji to Kyushu. Kyushu is a southwestern island. And so he walked again more than one month without money. So it was very difficult. But during such difficult times, he encountered with the Zen. And even before he was ordained, he was almost like a servant of the temple. After that, he was a servant of a temple. After a certain big ceremony, other monks went to the town to have a good time, but he didn't want to go, so he sat by himself in a small room.

[47:40]

And then an old woman, who was almost like a boss in the kitchen, came to the room he was sitting in, Even before that, the old woman was like a boss to this boy and always ordered things to him. But when the old woman came into the room where Sakiroshi was sitting, He was still a lay person. The old woman was surprised because one person is sitting and she made a prostration like she did to a Buddha statue or Buddha, as if this was a living Buddha. At that time he knew nothing about Buddhism or Zazen, but he found or believed that this sitting has some power, really deep power.

[48:55]

After that he focused on his effort to really just sitting. That was a kind of a beginning of our lineage, Sawaki Roshi's lineage. So when he, Sawaki Roshi sat, when he was a teenager, 17 or 18 years old, that, when he started to sit, my eye was included, actually. Ujjama Roshi was included, or we could say when Shakyamuni Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree, we were included. So our practice is not a personal, individual activity to improve this person and gain some good result. But we are practicing and working together. That is the very basis of Buddhist teaching, at least in Mahayana teaching.

[50:03]

So, next paragraph, if we doubt this principle, we have already surrendered all Buddhas of the three times. Surrendering Buddhas or dharmas and sangha is one of the ten major precepts. So if we don't understand and believe this point, that means we practice together with all beings, then we surrender the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. That means we violate the Bodhisattva precept. So we must be really carefully understand for this means. And when we quietly reflect, it seems that there is the principle that our body and mind has been truly practicing and has aroused body-mind together with all Buddhas in the three times.

[51:19]

So we, even though we don't understand or even we have never met encounter with Buddhist teaching. Still, we are living within this time and space. From Buddha's side, we are already included even when we don't know that. When we reflect on the before and the after of this body and mind and illuminate it, the person who asks the question is neither I nor someone else. The person who asked that question means, of course, the question came within us, whether this is true or not. We have a question, we have doubt, but that person who has been questioned is neither I nor someone else.

[52:26]

That means it comes from our, you know, five scandals. And in that case, this five skandhas is Mara. We don't see the reality of this interconnectedness with all beings. And we think, this is me. What I want, what makes me happy, that is all concerned, all I concern. And yet, even when we live in such an attitude, still, you know, we can live with such an egocentered way because, you know, we are air to breathe. and the water to drink and food to eat and even, you know, we use the language to create delusion and making a producer ego-centered idea or thinking completely blind toward the Dharma.

[53:38]

Even those words are the gift from the society. In my case, you know, Japanese language is the tool I create, you know, ego-centered idea, but even the Japanese language is a gift from the society of Japan. Japanese language is a product or fruit of millions of people who lived in those islands for millions of years. If I'm not educated in that culture, I cannot even speak and write. So even our ability to be ego-centered is a gift from the world. Right?

[54:40]

So even we don't see this and even we don't believe this, we don't understand this, still we are already in the network of interdependent origination. So this kind of question also came from here, in a sense. Why do we stagnate in the doubt that we are separate from the Buddhas in the three times? But this is very unusual. way of thinking or living. So we have to study and hear the voice of Buddha. And when we are happy, it's difficult to hear this kind of voice. When we are in the problem or trouble or difficulty, and we try to find some better way of life, we start to hear Buddha's voice.

[55:48]

So to have a problem might be a good thing for us. When we allow bodhicitta, we always have some problem. When we are completely happy and satisfied, there's no necessity we find to study something like this. These doubting thoughts do not belong to ourselves, even though the ego-centered idea or thinking is not our personal possession. Somehow it comes from the entire universe through these five skandhas, same as Dharma teachings. What can obstruct the time of practicing the way with the original mind of all Buddhas in the three times?

[56:56]

So Buddha's practice has been already done, or has been doing. Have been doing? My mind doesn't work. So, you know, as I said, even though I didn't understand Dogen's teaching, I had a trust in the way of Sakiroshi and Uchimura's life, because their life, Sakiroshi's life was already done, already over. And I knew he practiced until he really died. Or... And Uchamros, even though he was a very weak person, still he practiced with, not for his own sake, but for the sake of Dharma, to share the Dharma with younger people. I had really a trust to their activity and their life, even though I don't understand those teachings.

[58:06]

So that is important to have some example, living example. Please. When you were in your room alone sitting and when you talked about trust, did you feel like you were being supported by all beings, by the universe when you were alone and did support come to you? Yeah, I think so. I felt in that way. When I think of my life and my future as my personal agenda, I have fear. But when I had nothing, I had to open my hand, then somehow I feel I'm safe. And this is kind of an interesting thing. When I make my plant for my own,

[59:10]

I have fear whether this is good plan or not good plan, whether I can be successful or not successful. But when I do something being led by Buddha's voice, there's no, how can I say, I cannot see the possibility to be successful. Still, I have no fear. I feel I'm supported by Buddha. If it doesn't work, then that is Buddha's plan. Buddha's plans still don't work. That's all. It's not my failure. That means the time and condition is not right yet. That's all. So it's not my personal success or failure. But What I need to do is just making effort towards that direction.

[60:12]

When I act in that way, I really have no fear. For example, when I move to Indiana, I have no idea. To found a temple in Bloomington, Indiana, we made some effort to do fundraising and San Francisco Zen Center was very supportive and they allow us using their mailing list and it said the person said you know there are six six thousand names in their mailing list but we don't have money to send the operator to 6,000 people. So we asked them to use only people's name in state of Indiana and the Bay Area.

[61:16]

And the person said in their mailing list, Out of 6,000 people, people in Indiana is 16. When I heard that, I was happy. You know, even if I make mistakes or my attempt is a failure, it's not my problem. Also, because of my teacher's teaching, I always want to be a pioneer. I want to go to the frontier. And I don't want to be a competitor with Zen teachers in California. You know, it seems there are too many already enough Zen teachers in California. So I try to go somewhere there's no Zen teachers.

[62:21]

And still in Indiana, I'm only one Soto Zen priest. And San Shinji is only one Sotozen Center. And next year, we'll have our 10th anniversary. So San Shinji has been for 10 years. To me, this is almost a miracle. But we have more than 16 people now in Bloomington. It's still small, but this is Buddha's plan. So if we practice with this attitude, together with all things, there's no failure. Properly, there's no success, but no failure. But we just do what we can do, moment by moment, day after day. That's all. So what can obstruct the time of practicing the way with the original mind of all Buddhas in the three times?

[63:36]

So we cannot change those Buddhas and ancestors' vows. They are already done. So what we can do is continue. So for a while, we should know that the way is neither knowing nor not knowing. This appears in the story I already introduced between Nansen and Joshu. When Joshu visited Nansen, Joshu asked, what is the way? Then Nansen said, ordinary or everyday mind is the way. Then Joshu asked, should I search the way or not to go somewhere to direct, to find that way? But Nansei said, if we try to find it, then we lose it.

[64:38]

Then Joshu asked, how we can know then that is the way? And Nansei said, way does not belong to knowing or not knowing. This not knowing and not knowing came from that story. And as I already said, this not knowing and not knowing can be interpreted in two ways. Not knowing is deeper than knowing. We have a little more time. Next section. Here Dogen quote another Zen masters. This is a poem or verse. An ancient said, even the pieces of firewood struck down are not other than the Dharma body.

[65:52]

Everything vertical and horizontal is not a matter of discussion. Mountains, rivers, and the great earth are the completely revealed body of the Dharma king. Of course, this Dharma king referred to Shakyamuni Buddha. This verse is made, composed by the master... Kōkyō. Kōjū. He was a disciple of Rinzai Master, I think Rinzai, Tendai Tokusho.

[67:11]

And one of his Dharma brothers was a very famous person. His Dharma brother's name is Yomyo Enju. Yomyo He was the master, but he was also a great scholar. And Dogen Zenji talks about this person in Zuimonki. This person, before he became a monk, he was a government official. And one time, it seems there was some disaster in the region. He was working as a government official.

[68:13]

Somehow, he used the government money to help people who were in trouble. And that was a big... crime as a government official. So he was punished. You know, he was almost killed. But the emperor thought he was a great person, brilliant person, and a sincere person. If he did such a thing, there must be some reason. So the judgment was for him to be killed. But the emperor said when he was killed, if he had regret, then kill him.

[69:20]

But if not, he must have some special reason to do such a thing. So keep him alive. So when he was about to be killed, he had no regret and he was almost delighted. So the person who in that job reported to the emperor and emperor asked this person, why you did such a crime? Then this person said, I wanted to make a connection with all beings. And next lifetime, I would like to become a Buddhist monk. So emperor allowed him to become a monk.

[70:27]

So he was not killed anyway. That was why his name was Nju. En means, what is en? Prolonged. Prolonged. And ju means life. So enju means prolonged life. That means he was allowed to continue to live. And Dogen Zenji praised this person's, you know, that aspiration. Even he was killed, he helped people in the trouble. And Dogen Zen said, we should, all of us should allow such a mind at least once. That was, you know, this person, Yomyo Enju. And he wrote a huge text that has 100 volumes named Shugyo Roku. But it's not important here.

[71:30]

And this person is a Dharma brother. of Enju, and his name also has Ju. Ju means life or longevity. And this person is called Big Ju, Greater Ju, and this person is called Small Ju. Anyway, that is a person. And when this person was practicing with his teacher, Tendai Tokusho, he was working and he was carrying a firewood and somehow the firewood fell down and he hear the sound the firewoods hit the ground. He said at that time he had some enlightenment, and he composed this poem.

[72:33]

The poem is, the pieces of fire, even the pieces of fire struck down on the ground. So he was carrying the fire out, and somehow the fire fell down and scattered on the ground. Even the pieces of fire would strike down. This struck down is Boku Raku. And this word, bokuraku, is used in Fukanzazengi. I don't know how we translate it into English. What is the phrase? Yes. Kon-san is darkness and destruction from the beginning struck down.

[73:46]

That is Bokuraku, this one. So Dogen pick up all those expressions from all different kinds of then literatures. and it has its own meaning in the original stories. So without studying those original stories, we don't really appreciate or understand what he's writing in, for example, Fukanzazengi. So we have to check and study each and every word. That's why even though Fukanzazengi is very short writing, If we study it, it takes a really long time. Anyway, so this firewood fell down on the ground. This person said, strata are not other than the dharma body.

[74:50]

This was in the bracket is not there. This is my addition. So those firewood struck down are not others. Not other than, you know, part of this Dharma structure or Dharma body of Buddha. Everything vertical and horizontal is not a matter of discussion. Everything vertical and horizontal means really everything without any discrimination. But in China, Chinese or Japanese culture, this vertical and horizontal is used to refer to time and space. Vertical is usually time and horizontal is space.

[75:54]

So this means everything, even one piece of firewood fell down on the ground. That is not outside of this dharma body of Shakyamuni Buddha. So mountains, rivers and the great earth are the completely revealed body of the Dharma King. This Dharma King is Dharma body of Buddha. So each and everything. in the nature and whatever we encounter in the devices we use to do something like this marker is also a part of Dharma King. You know, that is why we can, not we, but... You know, there's another famous poem by Sushi, The Sound of Valley Stream is the voice of Buddha.

[77:11]

And Colors of the Mountain is the immaculate or pure body of Buddha. you know, these are the poems of beautiful images, but not only beautiful or present sound of valley stream or beautiful color of the mountains, but everything we see and meet, work together, is the part of this Dharma body. So this five skandhas is not an exception. Even our own body and mind is part of this dharma king. But we don't think so, because we know we are so much deluded and selfish, and we feel nervous separation.

[78:20]

But that feeling of separation or doubt about this structure came from this structure. Nothing is excluded. But the important point is to discover that reality. even when we read this kind of literature, it's helpful, but unless we really see, you know, the color of the mountain or sound of the valley stream as Buddha's voice and Buddha's body, then even when we read this kind of literature and memorize it and chant every day in the zendo, then we are separated. Even though we feel we separate, we are still already there, and yet we separate ourselves. That is like when we close our eyes, we don't see the light.

[79:27]

But that doesn't mean light is not there. Even though light is for the entire world, But when we close our eyes, we don't see the light. So it's not the fault of the light, but the cause is in this side. We have five more minutes. Let's see. Maybe I can talk. Well, it's quite long. Maybe we don't have enough time. Hopefully we can finish this tomorrow morning. Any question or comment? We have five more minutes. No question. Good. Please. Speaking of eyes, this is an expression of the prajna eye.

[80:39]

Prajna eye. You mean everything reveals Buddha's teaching. That is, you said, wisdom eye? It seems like this was his expression of his enlightenment. Yes. Everything is one. I think there are both in this poem. That means each and every individual beings. are part of Dharma body. So here it is said form and emptiness are together. Without each and everything, you know, every piece of firewood, there's no Dharma body.

[81:46]

or the body of Dharma king. So Dharma king and each and every concrete things are one. I think that is what this poem is saying. So it's almost like a Dharma eye. Yeah, I think. Please. A couple of times this expression, for a while, is used. Is this, for a while we should understand the Buddhist practice, and then for a while we should know that the way is either knowing... What is this, for a while? Good question. I think it means... we should think well. It takes time. It's not the matter that we can understand right away. But for a while, read this and think this and understand this.

[82:49]

Maybe next moment we have another question. But for a while, just how can I say, soak yourself in this teaching. You know, but We may not understand completely, but for a while we should study and hear and try to understand. Forever that's what he meant. Please. In this tradition, do we talk about praying as the Buddha? And this is a heartfelt question for me because many of us come from Christian or perhaps Jewish backgrounds, religious backgrounds, and have kind of left that. So the idea of praying is something perhaps many of us, including me, kind of left behind. And yet you want to do that.

[83:51]

You want to pray for help. So when you're baptizing with all the Buddhas, is there this idea that you can pray for help within this tradition? I think we do during the morning, not only morning, but morning service, noon service and evening service, we do pray for well-being of all sentient beings, I think. but we can't just make it for ourselves that I guess, like pregnant. I know, I mean, can't we say, I need some help with this thing, you know? For the sake of all beings. Yeah, we are part of all beings. Thanks. It does seem egocentric, I suppose, but it's very human to say, you know, I'm ill, I need help, or someone's ill, let's help them. It's not in our practice in the monastery, but if you go to Japanese temples, there are almost all Buddhist temples, they do that kind of prayer.

[85:01]

So don't worry. Please. This is a question that comes up often, I think, around this. And I never know an answer. But in the passages about, we were just looking at it. Sometimes it's easy to, or not so hard to put those kinds of images together with the idea of the Darmokin. But what if some of the concrete things we're looking at are not so pretty? You know, like the devastation that human beings make on the earth or war. It's harder to bring that together and say, that's all I don't disagree, but I just don't know how. I think those human beings make harm to the nature.

[86:07]

That was caused by our delusion, our, how can I say, being blind to this interconnectedness. So actually, when we harm nature, we harm ourselves. But we don't see that. So that is, I think, the basic thing. So when we do see that, then that's a way to help determine the situation. I think so, yes. To wake us up. Okay, thank you.

[86:53]

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