And we are still studying about Samantabhadra Buddha. And this Buddha is told in Kegon Sutra. In Kegon Sutra it is famous for its view of Dharma. In Kegon Sutra, the main thought of Kegon Sutra is

[02:42]

perfect harmony with truth and various facts or things. And perfect harmony between every existence. Most people know this special technical term, Jijimungi and Lijimungi. Lijimungi is truth or theory and Jij is things.

[03:57]

Where there is something, there is truth or theory. So through things you will understand the theory on which everything is based on. This much is understood by almost everyone, but perfect harmony between each thing is rather hard to understand. Or rather hard to accept, unless you study Buddhist thought more.

[05:11]

We say, we have, as I said last night, that our thought or our view of things is very substantial. And we think everything exists as it is and everything is independent from the rest of the things. But actually everything exists, everything is dependent with each other. Things are dependent with each other.

[06:24]

And things are changing always. That things change means it is not an independent being. So there should not be, there must be, originally things did not exist having some special self-nature.

[07:31]

Strictly speaking, everything does not exist, but in the smallest particle of time, things exist. Or as the smallest particle of element, things exist. So in Kengo Sutra, they depict things. They divide time and space in smallest particles.

[08:41]

So in Kengo Sutra, when they explain this Dharma world, they use cosmic scale of explanation. So that is why the description is so great. I think I already read it.

[09:47]

I read some of the description. with deepest belief and understanding through pure physical and mental action to bow to the number of ultimate elements of all the Buddha's land in ten directions of the three worlds. We don't know how many Buddhas we have to bow to. It means that when we realize that in the smallest element,

[10:55]

there are innumerable elements. So each element consists of innumerable elements. So we don't know what is the ultimate existence. When we reach this understanding, when we have this understanding, we have no more idea of self. Instead of having idea of self, we will see the Buddha in each world. So this world, if you say, is great. This world is as great as cosmos.

[12:00]

If you say this world is small, you will see the innumerable worlds even in a speck of dust. In this way, we have to understand our world. And in this way, we have to practice our way. So accordingly, this bodhisattva's practice is always based on this understanding. To respect the target, this is the number one.

[13:05]

With the deepest belief and understanding through pure physical and mental action, to bow to the number of ultimate elements of all the buddhalands in ten directions of the three worlds, appearing in each of those worlds as innumerable bodies, as many as the number of ultimate elements of all the wondrous incomprehensible buddhas, and bowing to them, kathana by kathana, and to continue this practice perpetually.

[14:32]

This is the first bow. So actually, it means to continue this practice incessantly. And for us, everything is Buddha, large and small. Everything is Buddha. So to respect Buddha means to respect everything. And the second one, admiration of the target. With deepest understanding, actually seeing the innumerable ultimate elements of all the buddhalands inexhaustible.

[15:48]

With the deepest understanding, actually seeing the number of ultimate elements of all the buddhalands in ten directions of the three worlds, making inexhaustible sounds of the sea from his tongue, and from each of the innumerable sounds, making out words of the sea to admire the sea of virtue and merits of all the Tathagatas, and to continue practice forever. This is the second bow of Samantabhadra, for example.

[16:54]

This is also the practice to treat everything as you treat your teacher or your teacher's wife, Buddha. As Dongen Zen says, you should not call rice, kome, you should call it okome. Okome is more honorary prefix, okome. Instead of saying mizu, water, omizu,

[18:10]

om means honorary prefix. Or you should treat a grain of rice as you treat your eyes. This kind of practice comes from this idea. So instead of respecting things objectively, here we have, we respect, here we respect our practice instead.

[19:16]

It looks like we put emphasis on to respect something, some particular thing. But actually, we respect the practice, practice of respecting things. So usually, when you bow to Buddha, you look like you are respecting Buddha, but actually, why you bow to Buddha is to continue your practice.

[20:23]

That is the point. Without having any particular idea, any particular substantial idea or materialistic idea. Just to leave bodhisattva's bow is the point. So we practice our way to solemnize this Dhamma work. So without practice, things don't mean anything. Because of our practice, things come to have some meaning.

[21:37]

So without practice, there is nothing. But when you have materialistic understanding of things, even though you do not practice in a way, things exist, but if you understand how things are going completely, you should continue your practice as things are going. This is the point of practice. And the third one is about kuyo in Japanese,

[22:51]

to provide things for Buddha or Sangha or Dhamma. In Sanskrit, it is called puja. In Vedanta, once in a while, I don't know when, they practice puja. It means to make offering or to make offering to Buddha or Sangha or Dhamma. To recite sutra. Actually, we offer incense, that is kuyo. To offer flowers, that is also kuyo.

[23:58]

And originally, we count four kuyo. One is to prepare food for the Buddha, and to prepare something to wear, and to prepare something to sleep in, and to prepare for Buddha some medicine. Those are four kuyo. But later, we count many, many ways of making offering or kuyo.

[25:10]

This is also our practice. And in Kengon Sutra, why we make those offerings is described in detail. We do not use zuko. Zuko is very fine powder of incense. And we rub it. We put it in our hands like this. When we have special ceremony, why we do it, or why we burn incense,

[26:14]

or why we offer flowers to Buddha. Zuko, which is the fine powder of incense, is to purify our body and everything. And to offer flowers means to have compassionate mind. You think as if a beautiful flower opens in your mind.

[27:21]

And with this flower in your mind, you should decorate the Buddha land. That is why we offer flowers to the Buddha. Why we burn incense is to purify our way all over the place, all over the world. So when you burn incense, if wind comes from it,

[28:27]

incense will go to the well. According to the wind, the incense will purify everything. That is why we offer incense. And each of the incense will be one merit. And one merit will be burned by wisdom of fire. And smoke or smell of liberation will pervade all over the world. In Kegon Sutra, it is described in this way.

[29:30]

And food is to support our immortal practice. When we practice our way, when we support our way by food, we will attain enlightenment. So to offer food or to take food is to practice our way. And light, candle light or whatever light it may be, why we offer light is to break the darkness of ignorance.

[30:43]

That is why we offer light. This is understanding. And this is material offering. But there is dharma offering. The dharma offering is very symbolical and idealistic. To read, to recite sutras, or to build a shrine, or to make copies of scriptures, or to build, to make a bed,

[31:44]

or to make Buddha image, or to give lectures about scriptures, those are dharma offering or dharma field, we say. This is, it is not only, there are many kinds of description. When Buddhism was introduced to Japan, and soon after Buddhism was introduced to Japan, we made a big, big, Baroque kind of Buddha.

[32:49]

Do you know, I think you know, a big bronze Buddha in Nara. This is a kind of, you know, clear in pretty large scale. As the description, cosmic description of Kengon Sutra, as it was described, way of making pure, described in Kengon Sutra, they did it, they made big, great, big Buddha, you know.

[33:57]

But, it does not mean, but true understanding of Kengon Sutra is not matter of big or small. But, their understanding was rather plenty, so they made a big, big Buddha, which with the best effort of the nation, and they did it. And since then, Buddhism became more and more elaborate. Their practice more and more became elaborate. And they spent most of the time

[35:02]

in their devotional way of practice until no commoner can follow their practice. So, when Kamakura period, when the government lost their power, samurai class arose and took over the influential, controlling power,

[36:10]

that was the Kamakura period. And various new schools appeared at that time. Zen was one of the schools, new Buddhist schools. If you understand this kind of spiritual making offering, as Dongen Zen said, offering should be like to offer the flower which blooms in a demoted mountain

[37:17]

to the Buddha. It should be like this. In spring, in Japan, we have cherry blossom. And to offer that cherry blossom to the Buddha is to make an offering. This evening, you know, you saw the big ring around the moon to make offering to Buddha. To make the big ring with the big ring to make offering to Buddha

[38:21]

it's clear. To hear the sound of the bell should be clear according to Dongen Zen. And so, to have deeper understanding instead of shallow, substantial understanding is to make a perfect offering. I'm very grateful for you

[39:24]

to make various offerings to the altar. Sometimes wild flowers, sometimes stones, candle sticks, are sometimes stones. But this is true offering, I think. And this is the true practice. Offering is a practice, a practice which should be continued,

[40:28]

continuously practiced. And when we practice our way in this way, there is Buddha. And we are also Buddha. In this way, we should understand this bodhisattva's bounds. Thank you.

[42:01]

Do you have some questions? Yes. Can you explain again why the Kebun Sutra is supposed to have the highest truth? Highest truth? The Kebun, yeah, you may say highest truth because the understanding of Dharma

[43:09]

is very profound. It is said that. I don't think that is true, but it is said that. This is a sutra which Buddha had in his mind when he attained enlightenment. But he didn't know how to explain his lofty, his deep understanding of life. So he started to tell by Agama Sutra.

[44:16]

Agama Sutra is the first sutra which was told by him. Anyway, Kebun Sutra is a very important sutra. But Sodom Tundrika Sutra, Hokke Kyo, is also important sutra. The Hokke Kyo is more concrete, more concrete. Kebun Kyo is very abstract.

[45:20]

First of all, when you want to be a Buddhist, you should understand emptiness or you should give up substantial viewpoint of life. But you should come back to the substantial explanation of the world. When you say something, you should put it into some words. When you put it into some words,

[46:32]

it is already substantial. Sodom Tundrika Sutra is more concrete and easier to understand and it is for everyone. While Kebun Sutra is very philosophical. What is the industrialization of Kebun? Sodom, I don't know,

[47:55]

What is his role in Buddhist history? How does he fit into the Kebun Sutra and into our Maitreya? In Kebun Sutra, most of the description of his teaching is in Kebun Sutra. If you read Kebun Sutra, you have his name under which there is very important teaching is told by Buddha. Is he one of Buddha's disciples? I don't know. No, not maybe. Some of them, you know, some of the Buddhas, Buddha's disciples,

[48:55]

were Buddha's disciples. And some of them may not be actually historically Buddha's disciples. Well then, this Sutra was supposed to be thought of by Buddha, but told by... Yes, but told by Buddha. Told by Buddha about this concept. Oh, I'm not sure if this is a question, but last night you said that when we find

[49:57]

the true power of Zazen, we won't have trouble affecting what we want to affect, or it will just come naturally. And at other times you've said that Zazen doesn't help us, it doesn't change us. Yes. Yes. Doesn't help. Doesn't help. Zazen doesn't help. But, you know, it really doesn't help. It really doesn't help. If you, you know, practice Zazen,

[51:00]

because Zazen will help you. With this idea, if you practice Zazen, it will not help. Because that is not, no Zazen. Yes. Dr. Moshe, from time to time you emphasize different recommendations on how we practice Zazen. Breathing, watching our breath, concentrating on our heart, or that kind of thing. It should not help. When you change your recommendations,

[52:08]

do you think that we, as a group, should change our way of practicing according to what you say in the lecture, or just those who feel like that? Yes, that is a good question. Yes. The point is, whatever practice you do, the point is to practice your way without expecting anything, just to be yourself.

[53:12]

You practice Zazen. Even though you can't, even though you cannot do it properly, you should not be worried about it. Just do it. That is Zazen. Even though your posture is not perfect, it is all right, as long as you practice hard. You should not criticize your practice. Even though I recommend you some particular way, it does not mean

[54:15]

if you cannot do that, that is not Zazen. Even though you can do it almost perfectly, it does not mean that it is not always perfect. True Zazen. When you are involved in, when you limit the true meaning of Zazen, or when you become critical with your Zazen, or when you are proud of your good practice, that is not true Zazen. Do you understand? The way I recommend you is,

[55:22]

I do not recommend it as the best way. To put some strength in your heart, it means to take natural deep breathing, and to have calm mind. To be concentrated on your breathing, or calm in your breathing, means, it does not mean if you are just concentrated on your breathing, I don't mind your posture,

[56:29]

or your mind, your wandering mind. You see? The point you concentrate on will be different, but the various instructions should be followed. Do you understand? Or mudra, you know? Don't lose your mudra. Means, you should be,

[57:32]

you should practice Zazen with all of your mind, but in mudra. There are not so many points, pretty many, but in one word, to keep your posture right. And to keep your, when your posture is right, your mind is also right. Some more questions?

[58:39]

True, not true. You know, mind and body is one, so if you practice, physical practice, the mind is there, you know. True mind is there. So, what we should do is to sit in right posture. Just a small question about posture. Your hands, should your fingers be together? Yes. Yes, be together. And you should not cross through the Matusha.

[60:00]

Here, you have two chains here, and this chain and this chain. You make one line. Two lines. Yes, yes, right. Right. If your mudra is not right, we correct your mudra. Some more questions? Thank you.

[62:06]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[63:36]

Thank you. Thank you.

[64:14]

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