Nawa kuwa nirai no shinjitsu, gi wo geshi tate matsuran Nawa kuwa nirai no shinjitsu, gi wo geshi tate matsuran Someone asked me this evening that if our teaching is special teaching,

[01:26]

which was transmitted from Buddha, or if Buddha's enlightenment is some special enlightenment, which no one else could attain, could attain before Buddha or after Buddha. What is the relationship between

[02:28]

the usual teaching and our special teaching? This is the question, the point of the question. We are studying right now the teaching of Buddhism in general. Not only the teaching of Zen, but also the teaching of all Buddhism, all schools of Buddhism. We do not study each one of them, but my lecture is concentrated on some important teachings which we have.

[03:48]

We have a lineage from Buddha to us. [...]

[05:01]

We have a lineage from Buddha to us. We have a lineage from Buddha to us. Those are the masters who transmitted the true spirit of Buddhism. And also, this is the essential point of Buddhism.

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But because it is essential teaching, we call it special teaching. But by special, we do not mean some different teaching from other teachings. So if you think our teaching is completely different from the teaching of other schools, it is misunderstanding. And Buddha's enlightenment, of course, what happened to Buddha after studying many schools of many kinds of religions at that time,

[07:40]

and after trying hard every possible way, he found out his own way of practice. So in this sense, it is different, quite different from another religion. It is so. But why it is special, or his teaching is different? How his teaching differs from other teachings? It should be understood completely.

[08:47]

The difference between Buddhism, or characteristics of Buddhism, is that Buddhism is the teaching which is possible to include various kinds of understanding. All kinds of understanding, right or wrong, good or bad, high or low, lofty or common.

[09:59]

The Buddhism has to put every teaching in right order. And to have understanding of each experience or knowledge which we have, not only religion, but also scientific knowledge, including all kinds of cultural efforts of human beings.

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This is the most important characteristic of Buddhism. It is not the best teaching in comparison to other teachings. But it is the teaching which includes, which has, which will give meaning to every teaching, which will give deeper understanding of various religions, which will give proper use of various research.

[12:24]

Or which will organize our various cultural efforts. This is the characteristic of Buddhism. Especially Zen is beyond. Beyond even all those human efforts. And yet, Zen will give right meaning to our human activities. This is our enlightenment, transmitted from Buddha to us.

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And there were no teachers before Buddha or after Buddha like him. This is the main difference between Buddhism and other schools. So even though you compare, if you compare Buddhism to other teachings, you cannot find out the truth of why we believe in our way. Because it is not a matter of comparison. Or it is not a matter of which is better.

[14:40]

Or it is not a matter of lofty teaching or common teaching. We are, our teaching is lofty teaching of course, but on the other hand it is very common teaching. And we, our teaching is teaching how to attain enlightenment. And how to help others. And how to help ourselves. And our teaching is at the same time, how to help others. And how to forget all what we have.

[15:47]

How to be common. So our teaching is way upward and way downward at the same time. So our teaching is not a matter of lofty teaching or common teaching. So it is not a matter of deep or shallow teaching. This is the main difference between Buddhism and other teachings. Usually I find people seeking for something good only, something lofty only.

[17:03]

But they are not interested in something common and something usual. But we do not stay at the stage of Buddha. Because true Buddha is always someone who helps ourselves and who helps others too. In this way, we have been practicing our way from Buddha to us.

[18:13]

Sometimes many teachers will say Zen is special teaching or Buddha attains enlightenment. Buddha is the only one who found out the ultimate truth which no one can attain. But what that means is not a matter of good or bad. So if you believe in Buddhism, you have no problem of believing.

[19:25]

But the problem is what kind of religion you should believe in. All the religions you will believe in at the same time will be Buddhism if you understand it properly. But if you cling to one teaching only, forgetting all the rest of the teachings, or if you cling to the teaching just because your teaching is a lofty teaching,

[20:32]

then you will lose the true meaning of the teaching. Even though you have lofty religion, your religion is good. But if you think your religion is good and the rest of the teaching is not so good, it means you ignore the rest of the truth and cling to your own religion. You have no eyes to see or no ears to hear to others' actual experience of religion. But if you have the eyes to see, ears to hear, to what others may say,

[21:52]

all the religions will be your religion. When you have this kind of ears to listen to various religions, then you are Buddhist. In this way, we understand our way. Especially in Zen, we put emphasis on the practice in each moment. Moment after moment, we continue this kind of practice.

[23:02]

And moment after moment, the meaning of the teaching or content of the teaching will develop according to the circumstances. And our practice in each moment will include every teaching possible. So, this is our practice of Zen. If you understand in this way, there is no problem of comparing our religion to other teachings.

[24:11]

And which religion you should believe in, or whether or not you should accept other teachings. Thank you. Another question to which I should answer is during our training period of two months,

[25:23]

including our training after training period, we had various experiences, sometimes which were good for you, and sometimes which you did not feel so good. But anyway, you found something new, or you had some new experience. Now, what kind of experience will be the best experience? Will be your problem. And actually, if some special experience was good, you want to continue that kind of experience or state of mind which you have had.

[26:34]

This is by teacher, you know. Many students who attained enlightenment under some teacher, will say, I attained enlightenment one year ago or two years ago. But, I want to have, and I want to have this kind of experience always, or I want to have that kind of experience. And whenever I want to have, but since then I haven't that kind of experience again. What is wrong with me, or with my practice? This kind of question you will have.

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Thank you.

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