Let me read a few pages. Xu Feng, or Seppo, said, The entire great earth is the gate of liberation, but people are not willing to enter, even though they are drugged. Therefore, we should know that even though the entire Earth and the entire world is the gate, it is not easy to exit and enter. There aren't many who have exited and entered. Even when they are dragged, they do not enter, they do not exit. When they are not dragged, they do not enter, they do not exit. Those who try to take forward steps and enter will make mistakes.

[01:10]

Those who try to take backward steps will stagnate. What can we do? When grabbing the people, and trying to make them get in and out of the gate. They are getting far and far. When grabbing the gate and trying to put it into the people, there is a possibility to get in and get out. Opening the gate of the expedient means is itself revealing the true and genuine reality. Revealing the true and genuine reality is entire time, and the beginning, the middle, and the end are cut off. The principle of the very opening itself

[02:15]

of the gate of expedient means is that the gate of the expedient means is open in the ten-direction world. At this very moment, if we truly see the entire ten-direction world, there are sceneries we have never seen. holding one piece or two pieces, three pieces or four pieces of the ten-direction world. We enable each one of them to open the gate of expedient means. Because of this, although it seems as if they are one and the same opening the gate of expedient means, It seems that various entire ten direction worlds, gaining the small portion of the opening the gate of expedient means, make that portion their manifesting faces.

[03:28]

Such a circumstance is caused by the power of belonging to this sutra. Revealing the true and genuine reality is hearing and circulating the words and phrases of the true reality of all beings within the entire world. It is accomplishing the way within the entire world. It is enabling the entire person to see and understand the principle that the true reality is all beings, and enabling the entire being to actualize the principle that the true reality is all beings. We hold the true reality of all beings and study it.

[04:34]

I'm sorry. Thirteen. Therefore, the unsurpassable awakening of the 40 Buddhas and the 40 ancestors belongs to this sutra. It is belonging to this sutra and is this sutra's belonging. The round cushion for the Zen and the sleeping stick that are nothing other than the unsurpassable awakening are all belonging to this sutra. Picking up a flower and breaking into a smile, both are belonging to this sutra. These are this sutra's belongings. Opening the gate of expedient means is itself revealing the true reality.

[05:43]

So we start the separate thing, this thing, the entire great earth is the gate of liberation. But people are not willing to enter even though they are drugged. This saying by Seppo Washu Fenn is quoted because in the last sentence of the previous paragraph, he said, even though this gate of expedient means is manifesting itself as the entire ten-direction world, So this gate of expedient means, or upaya, opens itself as the entire ten-direction world. That means this entire world is the gate of expedient means.

[06:59]

That means wherever we are, we are right in the gate, and that is the gateway we can enter the true reality of all beings because we are all beings wherever we are whenever you know we are at the right at the gate but uh seppo said you know the 10 great I'm sorry, the entire great earth is a great gate of liberation. Gate of liberation and gate of expedient means is the same thing. Gate of expedient means the concrete condition or situation for each one of us to enter the to reality of all beings.

[08:01]

So this entire world is a gate of liberation. But Seppo said, Seppo is a Chinese Zen master. He was the disciple of Tok San and a teacher of Unmon. Unmon? I think so. Anyway, Seppo is a person who once practiced with a tozan, Dongshan, the founder of Chinese Soto school. And Seppo was not a tenzo, but a person who is in charge of washing rice. When Seppo was washing rice, cleaning the rice, Tozan, the abbot, stopped by at where he was working and asked, do you select the rice from the dust or do you take the dust out from the rice?

[09:22]

Then Seppo said, I take them both at once. Then the abbot said, if they take both out for the assembly for the community, people in the community eat, then the seppu actually turn the entire container of rice and that away. That was a story. And Nongshan said, you will find some other teacher. That means you are not my student. That person. And he became the disciple of Tok San. Tok San was very famous for his kind of personality. violent method of teaching. He used a stick and always saying, if you say something, I'll hit you.

[10:26]

If you don't say something, I'll hit you. That kind of person. Anyway, later Seppo became really a great Zen master and he said, this is one of the sayings of Seppo, even though this entire world is a gate of liberation, no one come in, no one But people are not willing to enter even though they are drugged. If the master takes the hand of that person and comes in, they don't want to come in. That means they don't want to be liberated. I don't know. We should ask to ourselves somehow. You know, liberation is not so comfortable place, I think.

[11:27]

We have to be, you know, good boy or good girl. I mean, as Buddha said in the Sutta, in the Sutta Nipata, in the Nirvana, not only suffering but also pleasure cease to exist. But we want to have pleasure. We want to be free from suffering, but we want to keep the pleasure. But pleasure and suffering are always together. So, you know, Nirvana is not such a place like a paradise or heaven where all of our desires are fulfilled, everything we want are there. But Nirvana is like a sesshin, a practice center.

[12:30]

We have to be serious or sincere and become free from our desire to be satisfied. It's not an easy thing and it's not fun, I think. So not many people want to get in. I remember a teacher saying, Buddha is someone who sees all of the suffering, all of the pain, all of the time. Bob Thurman once said, in response to something I asked about Buddha, as someone who sees all of the suffering of all of the beings, all of the time. And I went, . So I can understand .. Well. Then Dogen made his own comment on this saying and how can we enter this gate of revelation or gate of the expedient means.

[13:44]

And Dogen, first Dogen agreed with Seppo and said, therefore, we should know that even though the entire earth and entire world, wherever we are, is the gate. It is not easy to exit and enter. It's there, but it's difficult because of our motivation, because our aspiration. There aren't many, so there aren't many people who get in and get out. Even when they are drugged, they do not enter. They do not exit. That means when someone, you know, encourage and ask to come in, they don't come in and they don't get out.

[14:53]

They don't go through this gate. And even when they are not dragged, that means they can make their own choice, of course they don't enter. They do not exit. And those who try to take forward steps and try to enter, when the person has an aspiration to enter and try to. So many people don't have desire to get into, but even if there are some people who really want to get into the gate, so they try to take forward step and enter, will make mistakes. Mm-hmm.

[15:53]

Yes. And those who try to take backward steps will stagnate, means stay there. These two expressions, forward steps and backward steps, are shinpo. and taiho. As a common usage of these two words, simple forward steps or going forward, has a positive meaning. That means we develop or improve, go forward to study and master something.

[16:58]

And Taiho is backwards step or backsliding. or withdraw. So this usually, commonly, this has a negative meaning, and this has positive meaning. But in, for example, in Fukanzazengi, the recommendation of the Zen, universal recommendation of the Zen, of Kanzazengi, Dogen Zenji used this word in a positive meaning. That is Eko Henshō no Taihō. No Taihō. Eko, are you familiar with this expression, Eko Henshō? In English translation of Fukanzazengi, this is often translated somehow as turning the light inward and illuminating the self.

[18:17]

This is Iko Henshō. And Dogen said, we should study backward step of echo hensho. So our zazen is not forward step, but backward step to study this eko hensho. Our zazen is to study this backward step of eko hensho. And this Chinese expression, you know, the English translation, turn the light inward and illuminate the self, is not mistaken, but it's not a literal translation. A means to turn. Ko is light. And hen is return.

[19:22]

Return. And shou, shou is illumination. Shou, OK. Illumination. And when I translated of Kanzazengi, I looked up dictionary, Chinese dictionary, and basically this has three meanings, I think. The original meaning of this expression is this is a scenario of the time of sunset. You know, when sun is set to the west, before it's getting dark, the sky, entire sky become really bright.

[20:26]

That is this echo henshou means. That means the sun is already gone. So there's no source of the light. And yet, at that time, the entire sky become really beautiful and bright. That is light before darkness. That is the meaning of this Echo Henshou. After sunset, the entire world becomes really bright. That is the first meaning. And the second meaning, it seems this is a common meaning of Echo Henshou in modern Chinese. That is, when a person is dying, right before the person is dying, the person's face becomes, for a short time, very bright.

[21:37]

That is called Eko Henshō, so final kind of expression of life force. So the person's life is almost gone, and yet at the final moment, the person's face becomes really bright. That is the second meaning of eko hensho. Is there any English expression for that? No? Okay. And the third meaning of eko hensho is second wind. know when we do some exercise we become really tired and we find we have no energy anymore then somehow the second wind come up and we find another more energy to continue that is a further meaning of echo and show and it's to me it's interesting and very

[22:47]

So did you say that's modern Chinese? Did Dogen have those three meanings? Did he have those in his vocabulary? I am not sure. Probably in Chinese language, not only in the modern Chinese, From the ancient times, ekoheisho has that meaning. But this means the self is already gone, the sun is already gone, and it's right before getting dark, or right before the person is completely dead. The entire sky becomes really beautiful, face become bright. That means it's not our personal energy.

[23:50]

Individual energy is already gone. During Sesshin, I think, at least I often feel this way. I have no energy anymore. I can't continue this, especially second, third days of Sesshin. I thought, is that enough? I cannot continue this Sesshin. I have no energy at all, both body and mind, so I have to give up. But somehow, Next morning, I feel that very fresh energy, and I feel this energy or life force is not from my personal willpower, but somehow the life force, which is larger than me,

[24:51]

is working and allow me to continue to sit so it's not my willpower or my physical power but somehow some power that is larger than me allow me to continue to practice So I think this, to study the backward step of Eiko Henshō has really deep meaning. As an English translation, to turn the light inward and illuminate the self is not mistaken. In the context of Fukan Zazen, it means we are always going forward, trying to outside and get something to achieve.

[25:53]

We want to practice even Zazen to achieve some kind of something like enlightenment or awakening or something better, something desirable. So we go out, go forward. But Dogen then said, you know, going forward to looking for something good is not our practice, especially in our Dazen. We should turn this light, which is trying to illuminate something outside, turn inward and illuminate who this is. Please. I think I had two questions. One is, in English, return means like you return something to the department store. You give it back. So return the illumination means, in English, it might have the connotation not just to turn, but to return it, give it back to.

[27:02]

Give it back to the self. In Chinese, does hand mean return to give it back? As though the self, it really belongs to the self, and it went away. Now you're going to give it back. You're going to return it. I think so. I mean, when I lived in Massachusetts, I lived at the . Our agenda is on the east side of the hill. And, you know, western Massachusetts is very hilly, so there are many hills. And so because we, that building is in the east side, the sun set very early, around 3 o'clock, sun set. So the sky is still bright.

[28:07]

And around 5 o'clock, the sun is really, you know, behind the hills. You know, the other hills in the east of the buildings, I mean east of our place, become really beautiful, really bright. And that, you know, that hills in the east side, east of where we lived, you know, return the light and makes the sky more bright. That is my image. The sun, which is already gone, is illuminating the sky and these mountains. And this mountain is illuminated by the sun, which is already gone. And this mountain also illuminates

[29:11]

turn the light received from that sun to the sky. That is my image of, you know, the sun which is already gone illuminate entire world and this world which is illuminated by that sun return the light and together makes this world really beautiful. And this is light before darkness. I think this is an important point also. That means during daytime, we are working. When we are working, we have some, you know, we need to make decision. What I should do, which is best way, you know, what is most meaningful. But in the darkness means, you know, no discrimination. That means we just sit. and no discrimination at all.

[30:12]

This is absolute reality. This is kind of an expedient or conventional reality. And right between discrimination and non-discrimination, there is one moment which is very quiet, calm, and yet very bright. And I think that is our Zazen. Our Zazen is really kind of a border between our day-to-day lives, our daytime life, in which we have to make all different kind of decisions based on discrimination. In modern times, evening is not a time of resting.

[31:14]

But in the ancient times, they don't have light. So it's really dark. And they couldn't do anything, any work. So just be quiet and rest. And we cannot distinguish anything. in this complete darkness. So we just rest. That is no discrimination. And right between discrimination and non-discrimination, there is a very bright, beautiful, and yet it's not completely dark. I think, to me, that is what we experience in our zazen, if we are lucky. Please?

[32:17]

They say the same thing between sleep and waking up. Between what? You know, when you are asleep and you wake up. Sleep and wake up. Yeah, morning zazen is like that. Did I answer to your question? Well, so, shinpo and taiho. But here, I think he comments both ways as a negative thing. Shinpo means to go. I wanted to get into that gate, so I tried to practice to be liberated, to attain liberation. Then Dogen said, that person will make mistakes. And those who try to take backward steps means that

[33:23]

You know, sometimes we hesitate to get in. We think, that is not my thing. That is not something I want. It looks beautiful, but I don't want. You know, it seems so difficult and boring. You know, before we start five-day session, I feel that way often. This is not something I want. But somehow I have to. I have to because I live in the temple. There's no way to escape. And because I am the teacher, if I escape, no one sits. So I have to stay. And once we start to sit, You know, it's there, and there's no hesitation.

[34:26]

The world of the Zen really opened. So we are 100% there, so that kind of hesitation really disappeared. And once we started to sit peaceful and quiet and very calm, so it's okay. But before that, before enter that gate, it's really difficult. You know, I have been practicing almost 40 years. Still now, after 40 years, still, you know, I have kind of hesitation. Like before Five-Day Sesshin, Anyway, so if we hesitate to jump into that practice, then Dogen said, who try to take backward steps will stagnate. That means we cannot move, we cannot go ahead.

[35:30]

try to go ahead using our willpower, intention, or aspiration, we make mistakes. But if we don't have that intention, we stagnate so far to do. How we can enter the gate? Is it a problem to make mistakes, though? Whether it's a problem or not, I don't know. I mean... Is Dogen saying that it's a problem? So when he says those who try to take forward steps and enter will make mistakes, is he saying you shouldn't do that? That's a good question, and Dogen doesn't answer. So we have to think, please. The other day when you drew the line about, we're talking about past, present, and future, and you make mistakes, but you become aware, and you're conscious of them, and then you move forward. I find that that somehow is at odds with this, about making mistakes.

[36:40]

Yeah, I think that's why I was off. Yeah, I understand. Well, it's up to how we interpret this word, mistakes. Please. It's similar to the idea that Dogen writes that if we don't have a teacher, we shouldn't even start practicing because if we're off by a little bit at first, in the end, we'll wind up really far. That might be one interpretation. Yeah. Because he doesn't explain, we can interpret as we want. Please. In that sentence, he says those who cry. Mm-hmm. Is it really a mistake if you take a forward step? Is it the trying that's the problem? Well, let's see. I'm sorry, the word try to is my addition. Literal translation is those who take forward step and those who take backward step.

[37:59]

So try not is not in the original. Is there something connected with the word liberation that people who are doing this to be liberated are doing this for, quote, the wrong reason? Longer reason. You know, to get something, to be better. Yeah, that is another interpretation. Please. Without stepping forward, without going forward, and not stepping back. Pardon? Without going forward? Without going forward, and not stepping back. How? How is it possible? Right now, right here. Just being here. Without moving. That's a good idea. That is what we do nowadays. Please? Later, here in the

[39:01]

where he talks about moving the gate instead of person moving. We'll get to that in just a minute. Yeah. Well, because Dogen just expressed and don't explain, so we can interpret in whatever way we want. and it's okay. That is the way we study this kind of writings. We can, you know, interpret in different ways, and our understanding is getting deeper and deeper. That is one of the way we study this kind of writing. And my interpretation is, what Dogen is saying here is, I think, you know, in Genjo Koan, he said about enlightenment or realization and delusion, that carrying ourselves toward all beings and carry out practice enlightenment is delusion.

[40:41]

And all beings come towards us and carry out practice enlightenment through this person is enlightenment or realization or the word is satori. This means if we try to carry ourselves and to try to get into that gate, then according to Dogen, we lose it. We make a mistake. But, you know, this is what Dogen said, next, after, what can we do? Dogen said, when grabbing the people and trying to make them getting in, and out of the gate, they are getting far and far. That is, when we carrying ourselves into the gate of liberation or gate of expedient means, then we lose it.

[41:52]

But when grabbing the gate, the gate of liberation, and trying to put it into that person. I think this means all beings come toward us and allow us to carry out practice enlightenment. So our practice, based on our personal desire or aspiration, or even we call it bodhicitta, if we try to take ourselves toward all beings and try to check out and find the true reality of all beings, then that is like we are kind of measuring things, observing things and measuring things and try to what is the real reality of each and every being.

[42:55]

We are kind of an observer and we measure it. As far as we are practicing with this attitude, taking ourselves toward all beings, this attitude itself is based on delusion. That is what Dogen is saying in Genjo Koan. Because there is a separation between this person as subject and reality of all beings as object. And somehow I want to get the kindling device called prajna or wisdom to see the true reality of all beings this structure is same as you know subject object and some kind of interaction between subject object that's why dogen said this practice based on this idea such person who is looking for and reality which can

[44:04]

is looked for, and there's some kind of practice, so-called practice. This idea of this structure itself is based on delusion. But when all beings come toward us, that means we have to surrender. It's not me that is searching the truth, but when we open our hand and letting go, then all beings, we are part of this entire network of interdependent origination. Dharma fills us. In Vendoa, he also said, when we open our hand, the Dharma fills the hand. But when we try to grasp it, we lose it. This is the same thing. So as far as we're trying to get into that gate, we cannot never get into.

[45:11]

And so this is a strange thing to grab the gate and put it into the person. But this is Dogen's expression that all dharmas come toward the self. In that case, there's no separation between self and all dharmas because self is from the very beginning part of this all dharmas. We are living together within network of interdependent origination. So we are, from the very beginning, connected to each other and living together. And that is nothing other than true reality. Please. But isn't that also what happens during Zazen? If you sit down, shut up, be quiet, be calm, it will reveal itself. That is what Dogen meant. He, in Genjō-kōan, he is actually writing about our zazen practice.

[46:14]

Right. Yes. Yeah. We lost our personal willpower. And yet we find the power of this entire network working within me. I think that is what Dogen Zen said, dropping of body and mind. It's not my personal body and my personal mind, but this is within this network of all beings. I think that is what he is saying here. That is my interpretation. If you don't agree, that is fine. Any question? Okay. Let me go to next paragraph.

[47:18]

We are still less than half of this writing, but until page 13, he is discussing about this to reality of all beings. So we have to really carefully read. But after the middle of page 13, his style of writing is changed very radically. I mean, he start to complain. about other people. And that part, you know, his writing or his words, it's very straightforward. So we don't need to, you know, take so much time to discuss what he is going to say after page 13. So if we finish, we can go until page 13, then it's almost done.

[48:29]

And the very final part of this chapter, Shōhō Jisō, he writes about his own personal experience with his teacher, Tenbo Nyojozenji. It was really beautiful and very impressive. This chapter is famous not famous famous popular but because of that part of final part of this writing about his own experience with nojo not many people are interested in this part because he used so much expression from the Lotus Sutra and he just twisted the meanings. So it's not so interesting unless we really carefully check out the meanings of each and every word and expressions in the Lotus Sutra and how he twisted the meaning.

[49:47]

It takes very lot of time. But if we really carefully read these sentences, it's really interesting, at least to me. We can see how he thinks, how his mind or brain works. Anyway. Everywhere he's saying this sutra, he's referring to the Lotus Sutra. Yes and no. He's also referring to... Yes, Shoho Jiso is itself the sutra. Okay, paragraph 25. Opening the gate of the expedient means is itself revealing the true and genuine reality. He's still making comment on the quote from 10th chapter of the Lotus Sutra, that is, the unsurpassable awakening of all bodhisattvas entirely belongs to this sutra.

[51:17]

And in this quote, of course, this sutra means the Lotus Sutra, but he, I mean Dogen, used this sutra, not necessarily the Lotus Sutra as a written scripture, but refer to the reality as it is, is this sutra. And this sutra, opens the gate of expedient means and reveals the true and genuine reality. This quote means that this sutra opens the gate of the expedient means in order to allow us to see the true and genuine reality. So this gate of expedient means and true reality is like a method and the result we want using that method.

[52:32]

So same as a cause and result or means and ends. But what Dogen wants to say here in this sentence is, opening the gate of the expedient means is itself revealing the true and genuine reality. That means there's no such relation as a cause and result or means and purpose or ends, but revealing No, opening the gate of ex-present means is itself revealing the true and genuine reality. So these are not two separate things, but really one thing. That is what Dogen want to say. This is same as, you know, practice and enlightenment are one.

[53:35]

Usually we think practice is a method to attain enlightenment. And expedient means is expedient means to see that true reality. But he said this expedient means or hoben is itself true reality. There's no separation between these two. And revealing the true and genuine reality is entire time, that means The reality is always here, right now, right here, right in front of our eyes, or we are actually living in, right within this reality. So it, all the time, entire time, there's no time it is hidden. And the beginning, the middle, and the end, are cut off.

[54:38]

That means, you know, this is always, but in each moment, before and after is cut off. This is same as Dogen said in Genjo Koan, when he talks about firewood and ash. Firewood is firewood. Firewood stays the dharma position of firewood, and ash stays the dharma position of ash. And there is a before and after, and yet this before and after is cut off. That means that moment of firewood is just a firewood. And moment of ash is just a ash. This is what this saidan or cutoff means. So each moment, each position is absolute moment. That is Shochu Gosaidan, or beginning, middle and end are cut off.

[55:45]

So it's moment by moment, each moment. And the principle of the very opening itself of the gate of expedient means is that the gate of the expedient means is open in the ten-direction world. That means this ten-direction world is this gate of expedient means to allow us to liberate from our self-clinging and making our life suffering and make our selves transmigrate within six realms of samsara. Yes. Maybe, I don't know if it's possible to make this distinction, but why does he say that's the principle of the opening of the gate?

[56:54]

What does he mean, the principle? Why couldn't he say the manifestation of the very opening itself of the gate of expedient means is that the gate of the expedient means is open in the ten-direction world? Why is it principled? Maybe principle is not necessary here, but Dogen used this word, dori, and this dori is really difficult word to translate into English. He often used this word, yes. So is that like principle like in Sando Kai, where they talk about principle and... Principle and... and matters anyway, ultimate reality and concrete matters, or D and G. Phenomena. Phenomena, yes. Phenomena, you know, principle, of course, phenomena, meet my barrel points.

[57:56]

Right, right. The word Dogen use here is dori. Do is wei or dao, and ri is same ri as a principle in ri and ji. Phenomena is, in Sandokai, phenomena is ji and the principle is ri. So this is the same word. And this is principle of the wei. But dōri is not particularly a Buddhist or Zen term, but this is a very common word, not only in Japanese, but I think in Chinese also. Sometimes this is a very vague word, so we can translate it in many different ways.

[58:58]

Ri is principle. Do is way. Principle way. Way of principle. Principle of the way. Question? And many people use not only Dogen but many people use this word Dori in many different ways. So sometimes better not translate this. I translate because it's there, the word is there. I try to translate, make a literal translation, as literal as possible. because this is still a working draft. I'd like to work with a native English speaker who can really make this into real English.

[60:06]

This is not yet real English. So here, principle, let's see. Kaihōbenmon no shōtōkai no dōri the principle or the very opening itself of the gate of expedient means. I think here this word principle is not necessary. That means this opening the gate itself. Anyway, this means that this gate is open within this ten-direction world, this entire ten-direction world. So this is not a particular place. This entire ten-direction world is itself the gate. You know, that is what Seppo said. I'm sorry. At this very moment, at this moment, that means any moment, we are right now, right here, at this very moment, if we truly see the entire ten-direction world, there are sceneries we have never seen.

[61:32]

Do you understand? Do you want to say something? I think we can see, you know, the world is the same, but we can see, how can I say, with very fresh eyes. and fat is a desirable relationship between me and those things. Something is desirable, something not desirable, something is beautiful, so I want to make this my position, or I don't like these things, so I want to stay away. That is how we usually see things. What is useful for me to satisfy my desire, whether this can be useful or not useful, or valuable or not valuable, or present or not present.

[62:50]

And we start to chase after something we want and escape from something we don't want. This is the first cause of transmigration within samsara. Whether we are successful or not successful, we have to always chasing, always running. after something or from something. That is really samsara. But when we see, you know, this entire ten-direction world as a network of interdependent origination and I'm simply part of it and me and everything are living together and and I'm not the center of the world, and those things are not the materials I can use to make this person happy, of course we still have that kind of desire, but we let go.

[64:01]

Then we can see things with very fresh I think that the time each and everything start to reveal as it is, as they are. don't see things, you know, meaningful or useful for me or not, then this thing is nama rupa to me. But when we let go of this nama rupa, then this thing start to reveal real reality of itself. I think that is what Dogen is saying. And not only things outside of ourselves, but we also always thinking what this person is, whether this person is good enough.

[65:04]

And sometimes we want to, I don't want this person. I don't like this, so I want to make it better. This is usually we see ourselves But if we see everything, all dharmas, including this person, these five skandhas, as a reality, nothing is lacking. It's neither useful nor useless, neither valuable nor valueless. But these are just as things as they are. then we can see this, you know, world, including this self, from very different ways. And I think our zazen allow us to see in that way. Please. I find this center truly beautiful. At this very moment, if you truly see the entire ten-direction world, there are sceneries you have never seen.

[66:14]

I think so. The idea of sceneries we have never seen. To me, I have this association with the word sceneries. I don't know if it's the translation or if it's a poet. I think sort of like the moon, you know, sceneries we have never seen in the world. I have this idea of something beautiful. That's beautiful. And I'm not sure just now as we were talking about what would happen if there was also a negative thing. Well, the word expression Dogen use, and I translate it sceneries, is .

[67:34]

Yo-su. What is English word for yo-su? Yo-su is... Yo-su is the way things are. The way things are. It can be both positive and negative. It can be, yeah, either or both. The way things are. Realities. Realities. Actualities. Circumstances. Circumstances. I use this word, scenarios, because this is the expression Uchida Morose uses. He uses the expression, scenarios of life. Please.

[68:52]

He's implying we have seen it before, but now we're looking at it like, I mean, if I were to see this with new eyes, because one time I took a four-year-old girl around the block where I live, and I decided, I'm not in control, I let her control everything. And everything, every step, was she brought joy into every object. And I had seen that object a thousand times. So I tried to look at it through her eye. And I said, oh, you know, suspend all of your judgment. And you see things that you've seen a thousand times before. I have one experience. At Green Gulch, several years ago, I think that was in the spring, there was a flower garden at Green Gulch, and during some meeting or something, I took a walk in the flower garden, and those flowers, you know, blooming there, asked,

[70:12]

Almost all of them are foreign to me. That means I didn't know the names of the flowers. When I was in Japan, when I see flowers, I know the names of the flowers. I have some memories about the flowers. And I know, for example, some poems about the flowers. So when I see a flower, I start to associate with my memory and knowledge and feeling I had in the past. So when not really seeing the flower itself, but by seeing the flower, I start to play with my memory and thinking. I go into my mind. but I don't really see that flower itself.

[71:17]

But at that time, I felt because I knew nothing about those flowers, I could really see, you know, that shape and the colors and beauty of the flowers. I have no concept, idea, association, memory, or whatever. So I was like a four-year-old girl. It's really amazing. It's different. I think that is, to me, that is a completely fresh scenery, even though these are not special flowers. Maybe similarly, one time a Japanese person said that Suzuki Roshi, when he spoke the Dharma in Japanese, not so interested. But in English, it's very powerful. Maybe it's a similar kind of thing.

[72:21]

Probably so. Someone said, when I speak Japanese and I speak in English, one person said, my personality is completely different. You know, when I speak in Japanese, I can make any gray zone. But when I speak in English, I have to say black or white because my vocabulary is poor. So I have to be very straightforward and clear when I talk in English. But when I talk in Japanese, I make everything as a kind of vague. And yet it sounds like meaningful. So it's nice to speak in some foreign language. At least when I study Shobo Genzo and try to translate into English, even though in Japanese I think I understand.

[73:32]

But when I try to find English equivalent, I found that I don't really understand. I have some feeling and vague idea, but I don't really know what this word really means. There are so many such vague things in our mind. So to face something which is really falling, It's a kind of a shock and yet very, and I have to struggle with this, but I have to, but this is really good, hard, but good practice to see things with very fresh eyes. Well, here we are. This is kind of strange.

[74:35]

He said, this entire world. And he said, one piece or two pieces, three or four pieces of this entire world. So there are many pieces of this entire world. I'm not sure. I don't know why. Maybe it's just a variation. I don't think there's some special meaning. Mai is a word to use to account something flat, like a paper or a plate. And ko is a word to count something, you know, yeah. But here, I don't think he make distinction with these two.

[75:37]

But I think this means When we sit in the Zen, this entire world becomes the world of the Zen. Now we are studying Dogen. Our Ten Direction world becomes the world of studying Dogen. And when we take a walk outside the Ten Direction world of walking, is open so in each moment depending upon what we do you know we see they are very fresh scenery But when we are living only within our mind, we cannot see the different scenarios. We are caught up in who I am, what I should do, what I can expect next.

[76:43]

If we think in that way, we don't really see each and everything. But everything kind of a concept. For me, cherry blossom has some concept. And when we see cherry blossom, I don't really see the cherry blossom. I'm just grasping that object as a cherry blossom as a concept. I don't really see each and every flower and see the color and vitality of each and every flower but i just see you know this is the spring april the time of cherry blossom blooming and they are blooming and beautiful that's all That is very different from really seeing as a flesh and being, as a living being, as a part of impermanence and this is really only reality.

[78:00]

So it is like a Buddha. So when we see not only cherry blossom, anything, when we see like a We can see, we can encounter, see and encounter with this only once within our lifetime. That is what is important point, important things in tea ceremony, Ichigo Ichie, that means You know, we have tea ceremony with other people, but this particular gathering is only once, not only in our lifetime, but from Big Bang. This particular meeting, particular encountering is only once, so it's so precious. And we may have, or of course we cannot have the same gathering with same people, with same condition or situation.

[79:05]

So this is really only one time thing. then, you know, even though it's just an ordinary meeting, it's really precious, that kind of way to meet with each and every being. Yes. Pardon? I think so. So holding one piece or two pieces, three pieces or four pieces of the ten-direction world, we enable each one of them to open the gate of the expedient means. So in Fateva, you know, condition or encountering. This particular encountering is really the gate of liberation, the gate of expedient means to see the true reality of all beings.

[80:18]

next one is a little difficult because of this although it seems as if they are one and the same opening the gate of expedient means you know each time each opportunity it seems that various entire 10 direction world Gaining the small portion of the opening the gate of expedient means make that portion their manifesting faces. Manifesting is genjo. So each and every thing really manifesting means happening, revealing right now, right here is, you know, this part of gate of revelation. or expedient means of this ten directions.

[81:22]

So there's no exception. So we are always right there at the gate of liberation or gate of expedient means. we can live with that kind of attitude or way as an awakening in each moment, not only sitting in the Zen. Such a circumstance is caused by the power of belonging to this sutra. So we are belonging to this sutra of, you know, network of interdependent origination or the true reality of all beings. Because we are already part of that reality, we can, if we are mindful, we can have that kind of very fresh encountering in each moment with each and everything we meet.

[82:37]

Next paragraph. Revealing the true and genuine reality is hearing and circulating the words and phrases of the true reality of all beings within the entire world. Here he starts to discuss about communication, about this true reality. So when we hear the experience or hear the expression of this true reality, you know, not only just hearing, we also circulate. That means our practice, our activity, our speaking is become the expression of this true reality, that how this wind of true reality, you know, circulate. within our life.

[83:45]

And no matter how our power of communication is small and limited, still it is accomplishing the way within the entire world. Even if I speak using this very poor English vocabulary, still if what I'm saying is from this true reality of all beings, My poor English is circulating this entire ten directions. It is enabling the entire person to see and understand the principle that the true reality is all beings. and enabling the entire being to actualize the principle that the true reality is all beings.

[84:49]

Not only the people, but also each and every being, both people, or subject and object, or person and things around the person, all both become the expression of this true reality of all beings, because true reality is all beings. Here, Dogen says, used or said, jisto shoho, You know, the title is Shouhou Jissou, but here Dogen writes Jissou Shouhou. He changed the order and tried to say all beings as true reality. Both people and things around a person.

[85:52]

We don't have much time, but let me, the next paragraph is not difficult, so let me finish next paragraph. Therefore, the unsurpassable awakening of the 40 Buddhas and the 40 ancestors all belongs to this sutra. These 40 Buddhas and 40 ancestors are from Shakyamuni to the sixth ancestor, Huynan. In, I think, Shishō or Menjū, he said, you know, from Shakyamuni to the sixth ancestor, Huinan, are 40 Buddhas and also 40 ancestors. So they are both Buddhas and ancestors. So he's talking about this lineage or tradition. all of them belong to this sutra, in this reality of all beings.

[86:57]

It is belonging to this sutra, not the lotus sutra, but sutra of this reality, and is this sutra's belonging. Belonging means part of this sutra. The round cushion for the Zen, the zafu, And sleeping stick, do you know sleeping stick? It is called, sounds like kyosaku, looks like kyosaku, but it's not kyosaku. Yeah, there is a stick to support our chin when we sleep in the sitting posture. I never used that kind of thing. But when Uchiyama Roshi was first ordained, first three years he practiced at a temple with Sawaki Roshi's student, they had one-week session without lying down.

[88:04]

During between midnight and two in the morning, they didn't use kyosaku. That means they could sleep. And when they sleep on the cushion, they use this stick, sleep stick. So I never used it, and I don't want to. But this is a kind of a tool for practice zazen. Anyway, that means our practice of zazen, zazen practice, are nothing other than the unsurpassable awakening and all belonging to this sutra, this sutra of reality of all beings. And picking up a flower and breaking into smile, this is about Buddha's dharma transmission from Shakyamuni to Mahakasyapa.

[89:07]

Picking a flower, Buddha picked up a flower and Mahakasyapa smiles. This means this dharma transmission. Both are belonging to this sutra. And these are this sutra's belongings. They just change the order. And final statement is, opening the gate of expedient means is itself revealing the true reality. He repeat the same thing he said in the first sentence of paragraph 25. I reach the goal. Any question? Please.

[90:08]

Zoku. Zoku. Please. Are there other teachers that are saying that you need to do something else besides use expedient means to open the gate of true reality? He's saying that's not something you do. Is he trying to expound some teaching that other teachers are denying, or is he saying something's incorrect, or something like that? Yes, that is what he's going to write after this talk. So that's who he's arguing with. He's going to scare people by saying that Taoism is just this way.

[91:13]

Yeah. Yeah. Please. Hmm? Hmm? people up in town, it started to wear off. And it was really great, but I just kind of had a hard time imagining that one could exist in that. Although that's what this implies. It just seems kind of like a fairy tale. Well, sometimes it feels very powerful impression and influence, and that kind of powerful experience doesn't last forever.

[92:19]

It stops. Things become ordinary. Almost all the time, things are ordinary, like eating meals, food, and washing bowls. Like Joshua said, when you finish eating breakfast, we should clean up, wash the bowls. That is kind of daily routines, and nothing looks like fresh. But I think that not only in our daily life, but even in our Zazen, sometimes I'm doing the same thing every day, every morning. Nothing is fresh, nothing is new. But still, I think what Dogen is saying is not our feeling, not our thinking, not our judgment or evaluation, but each meeting, each experience is new, fresh, and, what can I say, taking place within entire Ten Direction.

[93:42]

even though we don't feel in that way. Sometimes we feel, and we think that is a special experience, and sometimes we feel this is enlightenment experience. But I don't think that kind of special experience is so important. But to appreciate each and every kind of ordinary day-to-day things is, even if we don't feel so, is fresh and precious. And it is taking place within this entire network of interdependent origination. Does that answer your question? Right. yeah if we think grass this is a you know enlightenment experience and then we want to experience same experience again and we chase after and this this create sansara another kind of sansara so we should open our hand okay thank you very much

[95:06]

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