This is the beginning of the... it'll be that we missed this morning's lecture at 9, which is a good one, and this lecture won't be at 1 o'clock, and it's the... this is a one-day It's something invisible.

[01:26]

There are many proverbs, oriental proverbs, the same kind in Japanese. It's a firefly. Without voice, burns its body with insurgent rather than scatter, which is night.

[02:46]

This is the same meaning. Firefly burns itself by its insurgent rather than nightly scatter. Scatter, which is not insect, scatter. This kind of idea is very oriental. You say Japanese culture, shibui. Shibui means not conspicuous, just common and not colorful.

[04:00]

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.

[05:07]

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.

[07:42]

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

[08:49]

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,

[10:01]

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.

[11:22]

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

[12:51]

If we have ring on our head, we can work. But if we have no ring on our head for ourselves, we will 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.

[14:07]

You will be just a tool of people. 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.

[15:27]

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,

[16:37]

that help will sometimes, or most of the time, spoil people without helping them. But you will spoil them, just spoil them. And mutual help of this kind will result in depravity. So, it is the same thing with religion, even though you compare various religions. And you take good points from various religions.

[17:51]

But if you seek for too much honey from various flowers, which is not necessary for you, you will be spoiled by honey. A little bit honey is enough for us. There is no need to be greedy. If it is true, a little bit truth, a faint idea of truth is enough. And you should devote yourself to the truth you have, you saw, completely.

[19:02]

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. This kind of idea is very special to Japanese culture or Oriental culture. In Lotus Sutra, Buddha said to light up, or to lit up just one corner,

[20:29]

one corner, not all the world, just to lit up, to make it clear, just where you are. Ichigu wo terasu. Ichigu is one corner. Terasu is to lit up, or to shine, one corner. 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.

[21:49]

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, so bamboo is valuable. Bamboo and mixture of bamboo and pine tree serve for anything. Because bamboo is straight, pine tree is crooked. So bamboo is valuable and pine tree is valuable. So there is no need for us to be famous,

[23:02]

or to be useful. First of all, we should be, each one should be, he himself. Today, 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.

[24:24]

When you become you, when bamboo is bamboo, that is Zen. When a tree is a tree, that is Zen. If so, we have to realize our inmost nature as a being, or inmost request of ourselves. Inmost request works for every existence in the same way, but as each existence is different from the other existence.

[25:35]

Even though the inmost request is universal, the way of expression should be different. The other day, we, Soto followers, completed a big building at Soji-ji Temple. For the memory of the 5th Patriarch in Japan,

[26:49]

Dogen is the 1st Patriarch. And the 5th one, the 4th one, is Keizan-ji. And the 5th one is Gassan-ji. Gassan-ji had many good disciples. Sometimes we count 25, sometimes we count 10. Anyway, he had many disciples. When Keizan-ji saw the 4th Patriarch, Gassan-ji, the 5th Patriarch, saw the 4th Patriarch, Gassan-ji.

[27:59]

Gassan-ji, although Gassan-ji was very good, Keizan-ji did not allow his transmission. But, he gave him some questions. Have you seen the devil? He couldn't understand what he meant. And he studied and studied and studied for many years. Many and many years.

[29:13]

And he couldn't understand what his master meant by devil. Although our inmost request, our nature is the same, our way of expression should be different. It should be different. It is my... When I devote myself to my inmost request, you will understand how hard I make my effort to express it.

[30:24]

Here we have mutual understanding. Here we have mutual understanding. Here we have mutual understanding. But, the way you express and I express is not the same. 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.

[31:32]

That is mutual understanding. Here we have double moon. Nothing, not the same moon. You may say, the moon we see here in America. The moon they will see in Japan, may be the same. It is the same, but it is not the same. It is double. I don't know how many moons we will see. But, the feeling of the seeing, observing the moon is the same. Even though sometimes when we see the moon, we see it with tears.

[32:48]

Sometimes we see the moon with joy. But, the moon is the same. Here we see the double moon. It should be double. But, the moon is the same. So, as long as you are caught by the single moon, which is always the same to everybody, we cannot see the true moon.

[33:54]

You are seeing the painted moon, which is always the same. And, there is no meaning to it. We say, a white bird in the snow. You cannot see the white bird in the snow.

[35:01]

But still, 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.

[36:05]

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 emotion, we won't see the moon.

[37:13]

On the other hand, we must be one with the moon, 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 the double moon, the power of, let me put it this way,

[38:16]

when you, unless you have eyes to see the double moon, you cannot see it. As long as you observe the moon, just an object, an object of your eyes, you cannot see it. If you want to see the double moon, you must have, you must build up your character,

[39:20]

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. 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.

[40:21]

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 the single moon, but for me it is double, I may say. If someone say, it is double, I may say, no, it is single. It doesn't matter to me whether it is double or single, because I am quite sure about my eyes. So, when it is, when you are quite sure with yourself, or when you hold your eyes as a sense organ, as your sense organ,

[41:37]

you can see the double moon. But, as long as you are enslaved by your eyes, you cannot trust your eyes. So, if someone say, that is double or single, you know, wonder. You cannot trust your eyes. Do you understand? This kind of strength can be acquired by your own effort, not others' effort.

[42:44]

Even though I explain it one thousand times, it will not help you, unless you, yourself, make your effort. Effort to be sure about yourself. Before you believe in yourself, you cannot see the double moon. Actually, double or single, it doesn't matter. That is double moon. So, as long as you are proud of your practice.

[44:06]

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 know, you are not proud of anything, of yourself. So, the fifth patriarch in Japan, rather proud of his deep understanding of Buddhism,

[45:10]

so, Kassandra 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? You understand this psychology. Yes. But it doesn't mean to be lazy.

[46:30]

To become wood or stone. That is Zen. You are alive. And your mind is not working. But you are fully, you are in full activity. But your activity is not relying on anything. That is... OK.

[47:45]

OK. OK. Did you understand? Understand? Don't say curious to know. You cannot see. Certified. By. Before the first meeting happened?

[49:00]

Before you, you have full, you know, confidence in yourself. You will not be certified by anyone. 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.

[50:06]

But. If we are quite sincere with ourselves and self-sufficiency. 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 imperfection. Ah, that is good.

[51:08]

Very good. That is very good. And after trying to polish ourselves. Until we think we are allowed, we will be allowed by our patriarchs. By Buddha. And by our teacher. Then you are pretty good. Not perfect, but pretty good.

[52:15]

Sensei, what is Shashu? What is Shashu? Shashu. This is Shashu. Is that also a symbol of the Cosmic World? I don't know. I'm sorry. The reaction of this world. Cosmic World. I don't know. Actually, really, I don't know. I get accustomed to this way pretty early in my age.

[53:31]

So, I didn't think what it was. I'll find out by dictionary. But there is usually, there is many interpretations. We may forget. We may forget. Ah, but if I do like this, it's not good. It should be like that. I've noticed it's harder to do it that way. I've been trying to do it better. But it should be like this. This is not good. Maybe when I'm talking, my fingers may be like this. This is not good.

[54:35]

It should be like this. Are your forearms on your legs? Ah, 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 Lama Tathagata Sutra, they describe a Buddha as one who controls his own soul.

[55:37]

Would you say a few words about that? Or they also use the phrase, non-leakage. Non-leakage? Non-leakage? No. When a bottle leaks, you know, it comes out, it cracks, it overflows. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. That is Japanese, quite Japanese expression. Maybe so. We have many ways of expression for one truth.

[56:37]

I couldn't understand actually what you said just now. What did you mean? One? Well, when I'm doing something, Jesus does. Sometimes I have the experience of my, of a non-outflowing, that it's all made right in me. Outpouring, I see. I feel it, you know, when you see, when I see, I feel like I'm looking outwards, and I feel... So when I'm doing what I'm doing, it's as though that was brought back inside. And I thought perhaps this is what they meant by non-outflowing, being able to control the outflow of your energy.

[57:48]

Yeah, outflow. It is, 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 for existence when you sit. There is no outside or no inside when you sit. Can you, do you accept this expression?

[59:00]

Yes. So, outflowing, it is not even to see inward. It is just to sit. No inside or no outside. Just one existence. Outflow.

[59:57]

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