In my lecture, sometimes I say, everyone has modality and whatever you do, That is Buddha's activity. I'm sorry. But on the other hand, I say, you must follow the rule. And when you practice, You should practice in some certain way.

[01:05]

Keep your spine straight, cross your legs, and pull your neck as if you are supporting something, and pull in your chin. There are many instructions. So you will be confused. When I say, it looks like a contradiction to say. To put emphasis on this and to follow our schedule, we do it. Whatever you do, that is Buddha's activities, then why I must have you? This kind of question you may have.

[02:13]

Where are they? I said. Long bamboo, short bamboo, and my statement discouraged his son, his student. as if I'm talking about something, as if I'm encouraging something, in a physical way.

[03:18]

And this, for instance, in the San Francisco, in the North of Florida, When he is sick, he eats more fast food. When he is thirsty, he eats some fast food. And when it is hot, when you are hot, you should eat hot food. When it is cold, We should be called for this kind of statement to invite more misunderstanding. When we talk rightly, for example, when one says, everyday is a good day,

[04:35]

Now everyone has full energy. So in a great activity, whatever we do, that is a great activity. Nothing is too long, and nothing is too short. Even though you recite sutra, Wait. Long. Long. Bite. It cannot be the one. It is... You even got to say something. It is not this one. If you say something,

[05:42]

Maybe someone who is practicing how to hit makula, how to hit there, will be discouraged. Oh, she is because she doesn't care how we hit makula. Is it that? It is fast, but it is not soft. From viewpoint, there are two completely different viewpoints. One is, when we say, Everyone, everything has Buddha nature.

[06:49]

Nothing is great or nothing is small, too small. To lift up a dust means to lift up whole universe. When we say in that way, it means that we are talking about our original nature from standpoint of the first proof. When we put emphasis on strict rules, at that time we put emphasis on actual Practice. Practice is a way to attain and to have better experience of the first three

[08:05]

Only when you trust, you put empathy on your practice, you will experience, you will have better experience of the first principle. But when, you know, we talk about, by what? We cannot say best out of one. When we talk about, you know, the first principle, we, everything has buddhanature, fear. No words follow. Everything has Buddha nature.

[09:12]

But when you hear that, you understand. Everything has Buddha nature, good or bad. Bad or good does not fall. When you talk about the first principle, when you say, then or that or therefore, your understanding of the first principle is not any more the first principle. If that is the first principle, everything has Buddha nature. Period. Do you know the difference? You cannot say, therefore. If you say, therefore, that is not.

[10:18]

It is, you know, the condition, therefore, a reason, or excuse, you know, for something, for your lazy practice. So it is not. past, present, every more. Everything has Buddha nature, pure. No idea follows. No any kind of idea comes up by that statement. So, everything has Buddha nature. Yes. Only when you could say that, that is perfect peace.

[11:19]

You shouldn't go there for that. That is perfect peace. But when we talk about actual practice, we can say, therefore, that is where we live. Even if it is so, we can say so. That is the difference between First principle and second principle. And if you confuse the first principle and second principle, you don't understand anything. You are always going, you know, bang, bang, bang.

[12:25]

Knowing you are confused, you will be always confused. So, when we practice, we should be strictly involved in for you where there is the first principle. That's all. Moment after moment there is first principle. So even so, you know, I explain the other night.

[13:30]

If we, you know, if we realize that our practice is relative practice, then, you know, here I feel you don't feel good. And this kind of mistake is happening every day. And we cannot enjoy our practice. What should we do? And as I said, just you be alone. Your practice is not good. What mind found out you are lazy?

[14:39]

Practice. Your big mind found out you are a mistake. So, if you find out your big mind which is working on your raising process, more mindless process, then at that time at least your practice is good. So before you make some complaint, you should appreciate the big mind which appears in your mind. That was my answer. It looks like whatever you do it is okay, but I don't mean that. Important point is, only when big mind appears, the small mind will vanish, should vanish.

[16:03]

We should not compare a big mind to a small mind. What I mean is don't worry about your small mind when you have big mind. How to continue your true practice based on the big mind is the point. That is the point. I didn't, I did not need, I didn't deserve your praise and praises. It is okay. So that is big misunderstanding. It is not okay.

[17:06]

But if I say so, It is not okay. Clearly it is tight. But it is not, if I say, it is not okay. So your practice will be continuous, you know. Practice, not okay. Why not another? Not okay practice, continuous practice. You feel in that way, but if you carefully think about it, for continuous

[18:12]

Practice, wrong practice is big-minded practice, continuous activity of big mind. If you understand in that way, that is true understanding of your practice. In a big mind, small mind has some position, some place. Good and bad also have some place, some seat. We shall not ignore the small mind, as long as possible, completely. Because some seat, that is blissful. A small mind, even though from ninety it is, small mind does not arrive for wrong mind or small mind.

[19:25]

Even though it is good, good practice, A small-minded good practice or not real practice. Big-minded good practice is a very, very good practice. And it gives a seed for the good practice and bad practice. And we don't care about you, about God. And we will not be arrogant with you. You don't like, Master, sermon or lecture?

[20:54]

Why you don't like to train you in sermon or lecture? Someone will convince you something, you know. Convince you something, something special. But Buddhist doctors do not force anything on you. What we want is to have, you know, big mind. to recognize things as they are, to clear your mind.

[22:12]

When there is one side of one understanding of things, that is the purpose of the Sometimes, you know, we are struck with it, or angry with it. Someone may say that as someone becomes angry is to correct, to cut off your anger. or through anything in your mind. If someone speaks to you from a nine-sided field, it is difficult to get rid of it.

[23:17]

For humans, or the future too, so, There must be, you know, we try day after day. The purpose of why we do so is because we want to get rid of the wrong concrete idea in your mind, that's all. You understand? That is what I wanted to tell you tonight, that's all. Last time making many lectures

[24:29]

almost every night, or even in the morning. I found out that some of you didn't understand what I meant. Most people like Zen because Zen has no idea of pain, No idea of good or bad. That is why people like it. But we are pretty strict in practice. Very strict. Even though we are very strict, we do not seriously cope with the problem in our practice, actual practice.

[25:58]

We have always smiled. Even though the way we practice is hard, we know that that is the second principle. With it, something is to help us. Even though your teacher is angry, you do not take it so seriously. That is the problem. You know that, that is the second point, not the first point. So, when I say something, mostly about race, I say it with smile, so you don't take it so seriously. Do we have some questions?

[27:10]

There must be many questions. Hi. I'm sorry. I couldn't tell. I practice with my eyes closed. Eyes? Closed? I practice with them focused. Ah, focused. Not too sharp. You know, you are not gazing at anything. Focused, I'm sorry, but focused. Which is not to gaze, but to, you know, focus from maybe four feet ahead.

[28:17]

At first it is difficult just to put focus on some area. And if you see something, some beginner may put something four, three, four feet ahead. If there is nothing, you pick up the edge of the tatami. That is easy, maybe. And that is enough, the best way. If you have something to watch, it is easy. Maybe contemplate. But you should be able to have focus, you know.

[29:24]

That maybe for you, for you to know, to accept. Do you understand? I wonder, can you say something about the best way for us to improve ourselves and how we can help each other? Best way to help others is to have good practice. If you have this practice, that is the best way to help others. That is very true.

[30:31]

To help others is not different from to help themselves. But originally, you know, this is again, again, you know, the first principle. There is no... You and others is not two, one. You see? That is the first principle. You should, even you, In the intellectual, this is the reality we should accept, ultimate reality. You cannot... this kind of the first principle is something which you cannot

[31:41]

You know, which is very true. But, which is true, but if I talk about for students who listen to me, looks like I'm talking about something which is nothing to do with you. You will not feel in that point. Parasympathy is grand. Even though I say so, it doesn't help you. Even though I talk about Buddhist philosophy, it doesn't help.

[32:52]

The actual problem is always with you. And just the philosophy to a certain understanding of Buddhism doesn't help. But the philosophy, Buddhist philosophy, is so clear that you cannot deny it. And it is so important and so common. So it is not so easy. Maybe a whole new discussion, a whole new argument with some of the people, it may be interesting. Because we are perfectly engaged in this So it may be interesting. It doesn't hurt you at all. But you cannot deny it, that's all.

[33:58]

If that is so true, if that is the ultimate truth, Why we have problems? That's your question, start from that point. If we are Buddha, all Buddha, then why we face open problems? Why we have to kill animals? There are problems in stock, from western. So Buddhism, on the other hand, is the teaching of, about human, human nature, what is human being, is Buddhist, Buddhist.

[35:07]

In comparison to, when we have Buddhism, Why human being is not good? With what? Heart? No. Pregnant. A Christian is heart. So to study Buddhism is to study ourselves. To study ourselves is to correct ourselves. like Mahārāja Upāsa. To study Buddhism is to study the first principle is to study the second principle. To study the second principle is to practice second principle until you forget all about it.

[36:13]

until you don't feel you are breathing. How you will help others when there is no special way to help others? Let them know human nature, and let them know how we are programmed and to encourage people by your own practice. That is the best way to help people. We are learning, we must help. I'm still in a thought.

[37:18]

But when you call, when you understand what is human being, and what is the way for a human being, to follow Buddhist way and to help people. We should be concentrated on that point and we shouldn't try to help people by giving something or by some special way. Okay.

[38:25]

Any questions? Yes. May I ask what exactly happened there? Did you see? Mahābhāgī-sakārātanda. Bhāgī-sakārātanda. Mahābhāgī-sakārātanda. [...] I asked to send it to Japan. Oh, above the door. That is not Mahabaliputra, I don't know.

[39:33]

That is, I'm sorry, that is two characters. to Biden's crowd. I can't speak. In Biden's consulate, Sutra of Mountain and River. He says, Water has merit of riding clouds.

[40:35]

People think water is running. rain in the trees, but the weather also. America driving clouds. Clouds is self-made in weather. That is, again, His famous phrase, it means also the first principle. So, if you understand what is first principle, that will be a good help to release

[41:44]

We are buried in life. Even though we are like water, always running, only in water, or stream. We should not complain. Water has also the virtue of being quiet. And water is open for us. But when we are in the stream, when we are in the stream, water may kill us. I wish I could be like a cloud.

[42:49]

That is my complaint. But actually, water can be acquired. If we don't limit our power, our power is conditioned. So, that will be the... Do you know... how the Lotus Sutra started?

[44:00]

Do you know? The Lotus Sutra was decided by many people. We don't know exactly. No one knows exactly who compiled the Sutra. But five people, Buddhists, were reciting the sutra. The sutra became more and more famous. And they get together and recited the sutra. At that time, temples were... some place for the are free to practice their work, are free to study Buddhism. But for Raymond, there is not much good place to have meetings.

[45:05]

So people get together in cemeteries. in the temple yard, the disciples of Buddha. The group of those people are making pilgrimage through all the Indian villages. So once in a while, I don't know how many times a year they did it at one certain place. But there were people who were waiting for the group besides Hitler to come. In that way, both of Hitler became very popular. That is.

[46:11]

I am that simple. I am quite simple.

[46:16]

@Transcribed_v004
@Text_v004
@Score_JJ