This is the beginning of the... it'll be that we missed this morning's lecture at nine, which is a good one, and this lecture is at one o'clock and it's the... this is a one day session, August 28th. There are many proverbs, oriental proverbs, the same kind, in Japanese.

[01:50]

Without voice, burns its body, its insurgent, rather than scattering. Which is noisy. This is the same meaning. Firefly burns itself by its insurgent, rather than noisy scatter. Scatter. Do you know insect? Scatter. This kind of idea is very oriental.

[03:37]

You say Japanese culture, shibui, shibui means not conspicuous, just common and not colorful. And it expresses deep taste. I think those ideas originated our practice. If you want to keep the tradition or culture or heritage, this point is very important.

[05:09]

We say this kind of effort is to accumulate unknown virtue or unknown mate. To do something where nobody notices, to do something fundamental, to devote ourselves mostly to fundamental work. To set up the foundation is the most...

[06:12]

valuable work. And if you want to devote yourself to some fundamental work, rather than visible, conspicuous work, we have to work with far-reaching plan or far-reaching eyes. The far-reaching eyes, we say kenshiki. This is very important word in Japanese, kenshiki.

[07:40]

Kenshiki is to have far-reaching idea. Not temporal work. Even though we compete our merits in the realm of visible world, your work will be neglected before you die even.

[08:46]

So we have to work for our descendants, for future generations. And we must be proud of doing something which people usually do not realize its value. When you work, devote yourself in this kind of work, you have eternal life. But if you are occupied by near-sighted idea,

[09:56]

you will lose your value, and you will not find out the composure of yourself. In Japan, many and many religious heroes have devoted themselves to this kind of work. So they were confined, they confined, confound themselves in limited work.

[11:15]

Do you know Japanese ballad? In which we keep a container for shoyu sauce made of wood with bamboo ring tied up. It is made of piece of wood. My pronunciation is not good. What is it? Ballad? Ballad. Huh? Ballad. That is very difficult to say for me. Anyway, the piece of wood does not work as a container with bamboo circle or bamboo ring.

[12:42]

If we have ring on our head, we can work. But if we have no ring on our head for ourselves, we lose the meaning of existence. If you are very clever and capable, you can do anything you like. And people will ask you many things. But if you do various things, if you try to accomplish many things, you will not accomplish nothing.

[13:56]

You will be just a tool of people. If in that way, if you can really help, if you can help others completely, it may be all right. But if you want to help others in its true sense, it is better to devote yourself for some limited things. If you help them when you ask, they will feel very helpful at that moment, at that time.

[15:14]

This kind of help is rather superficial help and casual help. If you want to help people, you have to devote yourself for some particular thing. And you have to help others with full confidence in your work. Then, you can help people spiritually and physically. But if you try to help superficially, that help will sometimes, or most of the time, spoil.

[16:38]

People, without helping them, but you will spoil them, just spoil them. And mutual help of this kind will result depravity. So, it is the same thing with religion, even though you compare various religions. And you take good points from various religions. But if you seek for too much honey from various flowers, which is not necessary for you, you will be spoiled by honey.

[18:04]

A little bit of honey is enough for us. There is no need to be greedy. If it is true, a little bit of truth, a faint idea of truth is enough. And you should devote yourself to the truth you have, you saw completely. Then, you will find out the true meaning of the truth. It is not a matter of which is good or bad. It is a matter of whether you devote yourself to the truth completely or not.

[19:18]

This kind of idea is very special to Japanese culture or Oriental culture. In the Lotus Sutra, Buddha said, to light up, to lit up just one corner, not all the world, just to lit up, to make it clear. Just where you are, ichiguu is one corner, terasu is to lit up, to shine, one corner.

[20:45]

This is very valuable point, important point in our practice. It does not mean to be negative or to be narrow-minded or to be sectarian. It is. A way should be, and everything exists in that way. Bamboo cannot be a pine tree at the same time. Bamboo is always bamboo.

[21:48]

So bamboo is valuable. Bamboo and mixture of bamboo and pine tree serve for anything. Because bamboo is straight, pine tree is crooked. Bamboo is valuable and pine tree is valuable. So there is no need for us to be famous or to be useful. First of all, we should be, each one should be, he himself.

[23:01]

Then we will find our world very convenient. If we try to be the most famous and most useful and most powerful, everyone will lose the true meaning of existence. So we say, when you become yourself, Zen becomes Zen. When you become you, when bamboo is bamboo, that is Zen. When a tree is a tree, that is Zen.

[24:13]

If so, we have to realize our inmost nature as a being, our inmost request of ourselves. Inmost request works for every existence in the same way, but adds each existence different from the other existence. Even though the inmost request is universal, the way of expression should be different.

[25:22]

The other day, we, Soto followers, completed a big building at Soji-ji Temple. For the memory of the 5th Patriarch in Japan, Dogen is the 1st Patriarch. The 4th Patriarch is Kedan Zenji. The 5th Patriarch is Gassan Zenji. Gassan Zenji had many good disciples. Sometimes we count 25, sometimes we count 10.

[26:56]

Anyway, he had many disciples. When Kedan Zenji saw the 5th Patriarch, Gassan Zenji saw the 4th Patriarch, Gassan Zenji. Although Gassan Zenji was very good, Kedan Zenji did not allow his transmission. But, he gave him some questions.

[28:15]

Have you seen the double moon? He couldn't understand what he meant. And he studied and studied and studied for many years. Many and many years. And he couldn't understand what his master meant by the double moon. Although our inmost request to nature is the same. Our way of expression should be different.

[29:17]

It should be double. When I devote myself to my inmost request, you will understand how hard I make my effort to express it. Here we have mutual understanding. But the way you express and I express is not the same.

[30:21]

Because it is not the same and it cannot be the same. We can respect each other's effort and at the same time, we can feel, we can tell, we can realize how difficult it is. That is mutual understanding. Here we have double moon. Not the same moon. You may say the moon we see here in America. The moon there we will see in Japan. Maybe it is the same, but it is not the same.

[31:31]

It is double. I don't know how many moons we will see. But the feeling of seeing, observing the moon is the same. Even though sometimes when we see the moon, we will see it with tears. Sometimes we will see the moon with joy. But the moon is the same. Here you see the double moon. It should be double. But the moon is the same.

[32:37]

So as long as you are caught by the same moon, which is always the same to everybody, we cannot see the true moon. You are seeing the painted moon, which is always the same. And there is no meaning to it. There is a white bird in the snow.

[34:12]

You cannot see the white bird in the snow. But still, the bird exists. When we devote ourselves in true practice, our practice is not visible. But this invisible effort, accumulation of those invisible efforts, will build up your character. And you will obtain the power to be a master of the surrounding.

[35:23]

As long as you are chasing after just visible things, you will never understand the meaning of our life. This is how we devote ourselves to our way. I can see that if we look at the moon projecting our own emotions, we won't see the moon.

[36:35]

On the other hand, we must be one with the moon. And we must be fair to it in a special way, so that it has particular meaning to us and we experience the moon ourselves. Could you clarify? Yes. I understand your point. To see, if you want to see, double moon, the power of... Let me put it this way. Unless you have eyes to see the double moon, you cannot see it.

[37:56]

And as long as you observe the moon, just an object of your eyes, you cannot see it. If you want to see the double moon, you must build up your character, and you must have the power to observe the double moon. In other words, through your practice, obtaining your power to observe it, you can see the double moon.

[39:13]

As long as you just seek for, just figure out what is the double moon. Is this moon, is this way of observing the moon right or wrong? You cannot see it. When you are quite sure, you know, in observing the moon, you can see the double moon. Even though you say, that is just moon, not double moon. I may say, for you it may be a single moon, but for me it is double, I may say. If someone says, it is double, I may say, no, it is single.

[40:17]

It doesn't matter to me whether it is double or single, because I am quite sure about my eyes. So, when you are quite sure with yourself, or when you hold your eyes as a sense organ, as your sense organ, you can see the double moon. But, as long as you are enslaved by your eyes, you cannot trust your eyes. So, if someone says, that is double or single, you wonder.

[41:25]

But, you cannot trust your eyes. Do you understand? This kind of strength can be acquired by your own effort, not others' effort. Even though I explain it one thousand times, it will not help you, unless you, yourself, make your effort. But, to be sure about yourself, before you believe in yourself, you cannot see the double moon.

[42:45]

Actually, double or single, doesn't matter. That is double moon. So, as long as you are proud of your practice. To be proud of your practice is, you are still relying on something, someone. Because you rely on others, rely on the reputation, you are proud of yourself. If you are quite independent, you are not proud of anything, of yourself.

[44:01]

So, the fifth patriarch in Japan, rather proud of his deep understanding of Buddhism, So, Kasanzen said, did not accept him. No, not yet. You have, you have. You cannot see the double moon. When you forget yourself, you have full strength. Do you understand?

[45:06]

Do you understand this psychology? But, it doesn't mean to be lazy, or to become good, or stop. That is zazen, zen. You are alive, and your mind is not working.

[46:07]

But, you are fully, you are in full activity. But, your activity is not relying on anything. That is zazen. OK, did you understand? I am curious to know.

[47:19]

Don't say curious to know. What I am asking is, how can a fifth patriarch become a patriarch if he does not see himself? I raised this question once before, which I thought was just too much. There is some type of a patriarch who has to be justified, whether he is justified, verified by a higher authority, Before you have full confidence in yourself, you will not be certified by anyone.

[48:23]

Even though someone says you are good, it doesn't mean anything. So, your confidence is first. So, there is no other way to be confidential in yourself. We are not talking about something very difficult. But, if we are quite sincere with ourselves,

[49:31]

if we are conscientious, not conscientious, if we are aware of our ideal practice, and ashamed of it, that's the way. Even though we are not perfect, if we are aware of our imperfections, that is good, very good. That is good. And, after trying to polish ourselves, until we think we are allowed, we will be allowed,

[50:48]

by our patriarchs, by Buddha, and by our teachers. Then, you are pretty good. Not perfect, but pretty good. What is Sashu? Sashu. This is Sashu. I don't know, I am sorry.

[51:56]

I don't know. Actually, really, I don't know. I get accustomed to this way. You know, pretty early in my age. So, I didn't think what it was. I will find out by dictionary. But there is usually, there is many interpretations. We may forget. But if I do like this, it's not good.

[53:13]

It should be like that. But it should be like this. This is not good. Maybe when I am talking, my fingers may be like this. This is not good. It should be like this. Bishop Yamada told us to do like this. But for someone, this is better. But for someone, I think this is better, not to rest your hands on your side. In the one-hundred-and-fifth century, it is described a Buddha as one who controls his outflow.

[54:34]

Would you say a few words about that? Or they also use the phrase, non-leaky. Non? Non-what? Non-leaky. When a bottle leaks, you know, it comes up, it cracks, it overflows. Is that a Japanese expression? I don't know. That is Japanese, quite Japanese expression. Maybe so. So, we have many ways of expression for one truth. I couldn't understand actually what you said just now.

[55:43]

What did you mean? What? Well, when I'm doing something, it seems as though sometimes I have the experience of a non-outflowing, that it's all being right in me. Outpouring, I see. You know, when you see, when I see, I feel like I'm looking outward, and I feel... So, when I'm doing something, it's as though that was brought back inside. And I thought to myself, this is what they meant by non-outflowing. He controls the outflow. Outflow.

[56:45]

Yeah, outflow. That is opposite, you know, to our way. Outflow comes out, your energy, from your whatever it is, body or mind. You should be one, a soul or existence, when you sit. There is no outside or no inside, when you sit. Can you, do you accept this expression?

[57:51]

Yes. So, outflowing, it is not even to see inward. It is just to sit. No inside or no outside. Just one existence. This is the end of the one o'clock lecture, and there may be another lecture later, which will follow immediately if there is.

[59:06]

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