The world where you can have a relation one another, with one another, is, you know, what would you say, shone in your brain, as if it is, it was like a stage, a stage where you can, you can debut, can debut, something so stage, you know, where you can dance, you can show something, this is our head, you know, something like that, through the world we can understand with each other, you know, we can understand something, you know, with

[01:14]

each other. It means, it means, you know, there is, there is some world, there is some world where we can understand each other, through the world, through the world, or through the stage, where you can debut, you can show something, dancing, or thought, or desires, or complaints, or speech, this is, this is only the world where the relationship is going on, you know, relationship is making, you know. Then we think, oh, we understand you, we

[02:20]

understand you, then you think, you think, oh, I understand myself, but strictly speaking scatter, scatterbrain, scatterbrain, you understand, scatterbrain, scatterbrain took a walk to see the sun show in the, in the yard of some temple, which is called Asakusa in Tokyo. Now in his way,

[03:29]

he found, he found the people crowded and saw something. In this, the scatterbrains pushed, pushed any numbers of people like this, and tried to see what it happened, what happened. That time he was found, you know, the, that someone, someone died, someone was dead on the road, in the road. He looked, he looked care, he looked at him care, carefully. That time he found, he found, he found that, he found he was, he was one of, one of his neighbor, anyway named B,

[04:42]

anyway B. At that time, oh, this is my neighbor, neighbor named B. How poor B, how poor boy, how miserable you are, you, you became, you have become. Then he weeped his tears, and he holding his body like this. Then some, some person among the onlookers hit his back and said, he's, did you, do you know him so well? He said, yeah, oh yes, he is one of my neighbors. Then the, this guy said,

[05:46]

please go to, go back to, go back to his home and tell what happens, tell the, tell his family, so what happened? This, the scatterbrain said, oh yes, sooner the better. So he rushed into the, he went back to his friend's home. Then at that time, on the, on his, on the way to, to his home, he thought how B, how stupid B is, because this is something confused, you know, something confused, because this is, you know, a comic story anyway. Then he, the sooner, as soon as when, when,

[06:54]

when arrived at his, at his home, hey B, hey B, that actually B already dead, but he said, in the comic story, this scatterbrain said, hey B, you know, I found, I found B dead, B was dead on the road, near the, near the temple, near the temple. Come on, come on with me, hurry up. Then in the story, in the story, the scatterbrain when he came back to the scene, scene with B, with B, then he said, scatterbrain said, here you are, here you are, this is you, you already dead.

[07:59]

Oh, then this B said, this is I? Wow, he was very surprised, this is I? Then he, he got, he got his body and cry and cry. Then B, you know, got the, hold it, hold this dead person and cry and cry. And for a while, he said, this B said, well, I understand, I understand actually who he is. I think he is I. But who is, who is I, who is crying? Who is the person, who is the person, who is the person crying, crying person? Holding, holding a dead person, the B crying, crying, crying, and he thought, who is I?

[09:06]

Who is I, who is crying? In other words, you know, someone, someone show you, this is you, and if you look, and you look at yourself reflecting in the mirror, oh, this is I. But you think, oh, this is I, but who is, who is you, who is, who thinks, oh, this is I. You don't understand exactly yourself, strictly speaking. So the, in the Buddhism, in the Buddhism, you don't understand the, you don't understand yourself, yourself. Now, what you can understand is the you, the you, who is reflecting in the mirror,

[10:11]

you know, oh, this is I. Then you hold it, or you keep this body and crying, crying, and sometimes you pray, oh, how wonderful I am. Something like you get the enlightenment, and you hold your body, and you know, oh, this is enlightenment, you know. But you don't understand the you, who you are, who you are. You don't understand yourself, you know, who get enlightenment, who get enlightenment. Now, what you hold, the enlightenment is not the different, the different you, you know, because that you is the person who you can understand through your brain, through your, through the showing something on the screen, you know,

[11:17]

on the, showing something on the stage, on the stage. Then you, we are always looking at the something showing on the stage. Then if you find, if you see money, oh, this is money, I want, I want this. Then you always chase after this money. Then next moment, the unhappiness comes, appears on the stage, oh, I don't like that. Then you, you escape from unhappiness. You always escaping from going and coming on the stage, on the stage. Then you don't know, you don't know the where, you don't know yourself, and you don't know the real fact, which, where it is showing, it is going.

[12:24]

Then, you know, the, that's why if you, if I, if I explain what this kamtaza is, and explain, you please concentrate on the breathing, or following breathing, you don't understand what kamtaza is, because you think there is two things, concentration of breathing and zazen, another zazen, another kind of zazen. And you can't understand the zazen as a oneness, you know, including the breathing, all postures of your eyes, of your hands, because you, you see the zazen on the, the zen, which is showing on the stage,

[13:44]

on the stage, of your stage, so-called brain. Shakyamuni Buddha says, you cannot, you cannot subside, you cannot subside anger by being anger. When you, when you, when you get anger, you have to, you have to make a mind, you have to make anger calm, anger calm. This is very important, you know. But while you see the zazen, or shikantaza, on the screen, on the stage, which is showing something, or in which, in which is showing something,

[14:48]

you don't understand anything at all. Then, because you see the anger, you see the anger, which is showing on the stage, you don't like, you don't, you don't like the anger, or you want to get the anger more, in order to get rid of anger. You know, for, for instance, you know, encounter practice, you know, encounter groups, I think encounter, the practice of encounter is very interesting. We are very, I am very interested in the practice of encounter. You know, when I, when I met the person whose I hate, you know, I don't want, I don't like you, like this, this is pretty good.

[15:56]

But it is still, it is still something which is showing, showing on the stage, you know, showing on the stage. When you see the anger on the stage of, on the stage, you say, oh, I don't like, or you show more anger, stronger anger, more anger, I don't like you, like this. Or you can, you try to escape from the anger. Whatever you do, you cannot subside, subside, you cannot subside anger itself. So in order to subside anger, as Shakyamuni Buddha says, you have to make your anger calm. Calm means, this is, to make your anger calm is very important point, means, to get back to the life stream, life stream, life force, life force,

[17:08]

which is completely the full essence of life, essence of life, fundamental stage, fundamental stage of life, fundamental level of life. So, you know, let's imagine, let's imagine this posture. My head, my head would be some screen which is, which shows something, moment after moment, you know. This is my head. And this, below the neck, below my neck, this is my life force. Regardless of the show, regardless of the show, what kind of it is going on, my life force is always calm.

[18:13]

Then my, the image on the stage, there are many things to show, you know. Anger, pleasure, enlightenment, Buddha, or money, or happiness, or unhappiness, wealthy or poor, poverty, or many things. Then your enlightenment, or Buddha, or stupid, many things in any way. Then during sitting meditation, you can clear, you can see it clearly, more clearly, as usual, done as usual. Then sometimes, oh, I don't like the, I don't like the money, I don't like, or in a delusional sense, that you think so. Enlightenment, you, when you can devote yourself to sitting meditation, you feel very happy, oh, this is mine, such and equal, such and wow, you know. But still is, it is still, it is still

[19:26]

something, something that you see, you see on the stage of your brain, you know, brain, my head, you know, this head. But there is, you know, regardless of the stage, my stage, my body, and mind, my body, this is life force. Life force is complete, settled down, you know, settled. Life force settles on itself, you know, like this. Hands, and breathing, and backs, head. Now on the stage, on the, on the stage, along there are many things coming and going. Then you are always chasing after them, and sometimes you escape from them.

[20:27]

It means, as Shakyamuni Buddha, when you are getting angry, when you get angry, you cannot subside by being showing anger. When you get anger, when you get angry, you have to make anger calm. To make anger calm is, you have to return the life force. In other words, life force is impermanent. In other words, the origin of your life itself, life force itself. This is this life force, body. Your head is like a stage where many things are showing. Uh, then, uh, to make the, to make the anger calm is very important, you know.

[21:35]

Then the other day, I, I explained that there was some poem composed by Shan Han. The, everybody tried to, tried to seek for the fountain head of the stream, you know, river. But no one, no one is inclined to understand, understand the streaming water, streaming water. Now, water is always going on, but our head is always trying to seek just the fountain head of the river. When you find the fountain head of the river, or you find the, you find, you feel very happy, you know, because you can, you can, you, you, you take it into your head that everything

[22:44]

goes so well. Everything goes well. No troubles. For instance, you know, that we are discussing, we have some way of, we have discussion, and discussion, discussion, uh, make the, make some trouble to solve. Discussion, you know, uh, by discussion, uh, we try to find some cure or problem. Then, uh, we discuss with each other, and there's something, and you find some solutions. That time you think, oh, everything goes well, everything all right. But actually, I don't think so, you know. Even though by, through the discussion, you find some

[23:51]

solution. You know, the, such a solution is not the solution for the fundamental life. Uh, this solution is like the, the, the fountain head of the river. Water is, you have to, you have to be aware of the existence of streaming water, streaming water. The water is coming up from the bottom of the earth. How do you feel this? So, the, the, whatever kind, whatever kind, whatever you experience, you know,

[25:00]

through the stage, uh, which is showing on many things, which shows, on which, you know, you can show many things. Uh, it is not real understanding of yourself or Zazen itself. Uh, anger, or monies, or happiness, or unhappiness, or crying, or pleasure, or something like this. So, when you, uh, in order to, in order to, uh, find some solution, uh, of some problem,

[26:01]

or anger, or sadness, you have to make the sadness or anger calm. In other words, you have to get back to the life force, life force. In other words, you have to, uh, the settle on the self. In other words, life force settle on the life force. The streaming water settle on the streaming self, streaming water. The water settle, streaming on the water. The crying settle on crying. Including the, the principle of transiency. Transiency settles on the transiency. So, the, your posture, the posture of your hand, settle on the posture of your hand.

[27:12]

Your breath settles on the breath. Your, the concentration on the breathing, settle on the concentration of the breathing. The concentration on the, of eyes, concentration of back, straighten, straightening back. Settle on the concentration of the straightening back. Um, this is very important, you know. At that time, you can understand what, there is nothing, there is nothing of whether, uh, how valuable it is. There is nothing you think how valuable it is. Completely nothing, complete nothing. Because you are always going and coming,

[28:20]

crying and pleasure, making pleasure, or crying and shouting, you know, on the stage, on the stage. Um, where you can show many things, anger, poverty, or wealth, many things. Um, then, uh, what I can, what I can tell you is, uh, please make, do your best to get a taste of just said, just said. Even though, uh, of course you, it's important, it's the, uh, important things to

[29:26]

listen, the explanation, to listen to the explanation of Shikantaza. But explanation of Shikantaza is not the solution of your... ...

[31:57]

which you can see something, you can see something, a little bit. So, there is nothing, uh, but, uh, experience just said. Then, the more you practice Zazen, the more you find. There is nothing to help you. There is completely nothing to help you. Even though the more practice Zazen, the more you find nothing, completely nothing to help you. I think you will experience in that way. Nevertheless, you have to practice just said, just said. Then, just said settle on the just

[33:02]

said. Then, you have to find yourself to settle on the self right in the middle of the, uh, uh, just said, just said. Where there is nothing to help, nothing to help. When you, uh, when you settle on the self in the world of nothing, useless, uselessness, uselessness, at that time Shikantaza is completely Shikantaza. Uh, Shikantaza is to make your anger calm. In other words, Shikantaza is to return to the origin of life force, life force. Uh, to return the, uh, to return the full function of impermability.

[34:11]

In the world of uselessness, uselessness, this is Shikantaza, Shikantaza. Otherwise, you know, you cannot, you cannot make your anger calm when you get angry, angry. Uh, this is Shikantaza. That's why Shanghan says everybody try to seek for the fountainhead of the river, but nobody is inclined to see the streaming water, the existence of streaming water, full function of streaming water. Streaming water is life force itself, uh, which is alive in the world of uselessness, uselessness. In other words, regardless of the idea of whether you don't, uh, you, you get anger or you hate

[35:21]

anger, you like pleasure, something like that. So, uh, I, I very often said, uh, Zazen, uh, make your head, burning head, you know, burning, uh, make your fire, uh, pull out, you know, like, uh, the pouring water of the burning head. Uh, so, what you are chasing after, whatever it is, whatever, which is, which you can see on the stage, on the stage of your head, so called your head, brain. Uh, you can understand the life force, you can understand the input of the brain,

[36:28]

the feeling of input of the brain. Then, Zazen is completely pour the water, cold water over your head, burning head. Then, the moment when the some sound goes, shoom, like this, that time you will find the feeling of input of the brain. This is Shikantawa. As, uh, Sawaki Zen Master says, you have to break the wind with whole-heartedness, with whole-heartedness. When you break, you break, you break the wind. Don't take care of, uh, please take care of your breaking wind.

[37:29]

With considering attention, that time you find how valuable your life force is. So, even though you don't understand Shikantawa, as Tatsunami Roshi said, you know, the forgetting everything, you, all energy puts, uh, you, all energy must be put into word of Zazen. Following breathing, having the posture of your hand, straighten your back. That's all. It's enough. It's not necessary to see the Zazen, you know, uh, reflected on the stage, on the screen.

[38:34]

If you, if you chase after your Zazen reflected on the stage, on the screen, you are always discouraged, you know. That's all right. It's all right. Zazen, Zazen reflected on the stage is Zazen. That's, uh, other Zen. So, don't leave it alone. All you have to do is to go pounding into the thing itself. In other words, Zazen settles on the Zazen itself. Your hand settles on, on your hand. Your eyes settles on your eyes. Your back settles on your back. Breaking of, uh, breathing, uh, breathing, respiration settles on the respiration. Regardless of the many things which are shown,

[39:42]

on the stage, this is Shikantan.

[39:46]

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