This podcast is offered by the San Francisco Zen Center on the web at www.sfzc.org. Our public programs are made possible by donations from people like you. Good evening, everyone. My name is Shumyo Kojima. about of Zenshuji Temple in Los Angeles. And the Abbas Mako-san is one of my old friends in Tassahara. And I've been here in the United States about 30 years. Since the first year I installed to the Zenshuji, annually we come to this Tassahara as a retreat. So this is my kind of second house to me.

[01:05]

My temple's name is Zenshuji, and this here is Zenshinji, the kind of similar sounds. By the way, Zenshuji, our temple is originally founded 1922, a little over 100 years. And it was dedicated for Japanese American immigrant. Then I've been serving this for 30 years. You know, I was born and raised in Japan. And English, my second languages, my English is limited. When I came to United States, I was dreaming becoming bilingual. but these 30 years, my English haven't improved much. And same time, too long to be here, I forget about my Japanese.

[02:12]

So I became the, supposed to be a bilingual, but I became the semilingual. You know, today, I'm honored to talk at this and we just arrived yesterday and today we are having a good time here and I was wearing a black t-shirt and it says every day is a good day so many people compliment oh I like that I agree with that so then I'd like to talk about that word By the way, people from Zenshu, could you raise a hand? Thank you. I told you, mandatory bus time from the 8 o'clock. And now thank you for participating for this.

[03:18]

But even you hear something I already told you. Please pretend. First time to hear it. Today, how was today? Was it good? Okay. How about hundreds of days ago? Don't remember, right? How about the future hundreds of days after now? You can tell? Yeah, there is those kind of question and answer at the ancient time in China. Zen Master Umon asked the same question to the disciples. And nobody made answers. Of course, maybe they thought what he was asking. A hundred days later, a hundred days before, I can recognize how was that.

[04:23]

Then finally he asked, what is enlightenment? Then also nobody answered it. And Zen Master Umon said, the answer is, every day is a good day. So that's why still popular, this is one of the most popular Zen phrases in Japan. Especially TE ceremony people like it. Every day is a good day. In the Japanese character, nichi, nichi, kore, koujitsu. Day and day is good day. Three characters are the same. Day, day, day. Every day is a good day. But how about actual days? Of course, today in Sasahara should be a good day.

[05:27]

But before you come... you have to complete all the job you have to do, right? It's many hard times and less sleep to come over here. And some days are a good day, but most of the days are so-so. Some days are not a good day. It's not every day is a good day. But who judges today is a good day or a bad day. That's own self. Own self judges today is a good day or not a good day. You know, I have a very coincidence that my two friends had a car accident the same day. And I got a phone call from him. or I got a bad accident, or my new car ruined.

[06:36]

I'm sorry to hear that. Are you okay? Yeah, I'm okay, but I need to call the AAA and insurance and have to call Uber to take me home. Then he said, unlucky day, no good day. I'm sorry. Then other friends, two hours later, He called me that I had an accident. Oh, you too? Then he said, oh, I'm lucky. My car ruins and very bad accident, but I haven't died. It is a lucky day. It is a good day. Same incident, but same different reaction. 180 degrees, totally different reactions. So that is... or after you make it a good day or a bad day. Today, I've been participating from the morning zazen and morning service.

[07:44]

And all of we do Gatsho, right? And how many times we did the Gatsho today? I cannot count. I was born and raised in a Zen temple, always do this gashou. Even before the meal, and say thank you, the gashou, thank you, itadakimasu, always. But no one told me why you do this. Have you ever heard why we do this gashou? I was curious, what's the meaning of the gashou? Then I studied Buddhism in a college and institute. I researched it. And Dogen Zeng mentioned about this Gatsho. Gatsho means together, put together. And Sho is a palm, palm together.

[08:47]

There's many words in the sutras or articles. However, nobody mentioned what is the meaning. So no answer from any sutras or any articles. Then I keep have a question. Then I travel in India and Thai and Myanmar. Those are all Asian countries, especially the Thai and Myanmar is Buddhist countries. They do this gash a lot, even first meeting for the greeting. In India, namaste. Always put their hand together and bow. More than the Japanese. So just curiously, I was watching that. Then went to India was not for Buddhist pilgrimage, just sightseeing.

[09:52]

So I went to the many places for just sightseeing. About seven days. The end of the trip, one tour guide, the Indian tour guide, he spoke Japanese very well. I couldn't speak English well, but he could speak Japanese very well. So we could have many conversations. Then very end of the tours, the last day, he told me that, also he invited me for the dinner. We had a dinner at the restaurant and hotel, but he said, Oh, Kojima-san, I took you to the many places of India. However, you haven't seen the real India. I will invite you to the dinner. Then he took me to his house. It's home and with many family members.

[10:59]

On the table, they prepared a nice meal, a lot of curry. Why I talk about this story? Because yesterday night, we had a curry and curry rice. That's my favorite one. So that reminds me about these stories. I saw many curries. Indian curry is so much... What can I say? Ingredients different and color different. Yellow curry, red curries, and chicken, and vegetables, and thick or thin soup. So many curries. Then first I realized when we sit in the table and... I couldn't find any utensils. So at the hotel or restaurants, we used a spoon, knife, fork, sometimes chopsticks, but no utensils.

[12:02]

So I asked, oh, there is no utensils. How do we eat? Then he showed me. This is the way we eat. Right hand, three fingers, then... pick up some rice, dip into the curry, and throw it into your mouth. Easy. I tried. But you know, the rice is not sticky rice. And dip in the curry, come apart. Throw it into the mouth, but control is not good. Just make a mess, nose, 15 tables. But try to use it, getting better and better. Now I'm pitching soup into the mouth. Then finally, I get the techniques and could eat all, I tried all of them.

[13:08]

It was so spicy but delicious. Then ate all of them. with the family and talk a lot. Then after eating, they served chai tea. It was delicious. Then after eating and filling my stomach, I naturally want to go to the restaurant. Then I asked, where's the restaurant? Oh, restaurant. You know, open the door and go down the hallways. And another door is open and go out. And there is a bus house there. Not a bathroom, bus house. Oh, bus house. Then I follow the instructions, go out. Then in the field, there is a house, but just surrounded by the board.

[14:10]

The sky is open. Open sky rest house. And open the doors. Then there is a hole. And two solid board on top. I couldn't figure out which is front. But all Japanese style kind of similar. I tried to do that way. And it was okay. It was okay, but after finish I did, then I realized there is no toilet tissues, toilet papers. Then I tried to find all my pocket. Then first I feel something in the paper here. It was a hundred dollar bill. And put it back.

[15:15]

And find another. Oh. Then find a small pocket tissues. It was okay. Then after cleaning, I went back to the dining room. Then I asked, you know, Mahenda, there is no toilet tissue there. How you do it after you did? Then he told me, You know, when you see the door of the toilet house, there is water buckets. Yes, I saw it. And there's a scooper. Yes, I saw it. Then take the scooper and get water and go in with that. Okay? Then how it's clean? Using the left hand and make a shower to yourself. Then using the water to clean yourself. Then after you did, then wash your hand.

[16:18]

That's it. I see. I can feel real life of the Indians. Then I realized that using the right hand for eating. Even Japan, they keep the tradition using the right hand for holding the chopstick. Parents strictly teach using the right hand. And clean up by the left hand. That is important to divide it. If you mix up, if you see something, is this curry or? You can figure out. So I have to divide it. Then eventually it's become more mentally, spiritually divided. They call right hand is pure hand, left hand is impure hand.

[17:21]

They don't shake hand by the left hand, only the right hand. And how, what's the occasion except the clinic? You use the left hand. I asked my hand up. He said, if it was something wrong, something bad, I'm using left hand. I don't want to use the pure hand. So that's what he said. So spiritually divided, right and left. But as I mentioned, they does the God show many occasions. So it means put it together. This is just like a our human being itself. Pure hand and impure hand. We have a boss. There is a good day, there is a bad day. Sometimes we smile, but sometimes cry.

[18:26]

Right? Sometimes we are kind of very can't be a generous or can be very kind, sometimes upset and mean, because we are a human being. But we need a both side, because we have to eat, and at the same time, we have to go to the restroom. So we need a both. The posture of the gas show is, please accept the whole of myself. Includes my good side and bad side. Includes my darkness, please accept whole myself. You know, parents love the kids no matter they are naughty or good boy because accept whole as a human being itself.

[19:37]

But it's become the adult. We have different feelings. We cannot accept others' weakness. Same thing to own self. It's hard to accept own darkness or weakness. But it's still part of our self. So when you make the God show, please feel like this is whole entire myself. Others are showing the gas show. They are showing all of their self. No matter good and bad, we need both. And one more story. Did I have time? Yes, try to make it shorter. Do you know Japanese word, the fish name unagi? Unagi. Who knows?

[20:40]

Could you raise your hand? Oh, thank you. Oh, most of you. Thank you. Unagi is Japanese freshwater eel. Many people like it. Do you like it? I like it. But expensive. You know, unagi cannot be raised from the egg. They are hatching deep ocean. thousand miles away from the land. So they capture the baby eel, then raise in the farm. So it takes the time to raise. However, they have to catch the baby eel. Japan does not get the baby eel much. So they import from China and Taiwan used to. But because of the pollution of China, they cannot get it enough.

[21:42]

And try to import from the other countries now. They found some baby eel from Canada. They found a lot, and they tried to import to Japan. And baby eel put in the containers... Then fly to Japan. It takes about six hours from Canada. It depends on the regions. At least six hours. Then they're disappointed because over 90% of baby ill die through six hours of transportation there. Then they try and try. But almost the same result. But one day, Almost gave up. But one container makes something different. It's over 90% baby eels survive.

[22:44]

But there's something in there. You know what? Catfish was in there. It's no purpose. They happen to have a catfish in the same container in the baby eel. Then over 90% survived. You know, it's supposed to be the opposite. 10% survivors, but even with the catfish, eat baby ears less than 10%. That's what we think. But actually, they did it again, but the same result. Then they finally figured out what happened. The 90% of the cause of the death of the 90% is a lacking of the oxygens. Some of the babies are very weak, so die in long-term transportations.

[23:45]

Then the dead body produces the bacterias. Those eat the oxygens and getting more and more dyes and bacterias. But with catfish, can you imagine? You guys are all baby eel. Very teeny tiny baby eel. This is a container filled with water. And there is a big catfish there. Big mouse catfish. What do you have to do? Keep running away. Right? You have to keep running away for six hours. You don't have time to get moving sickness. If you're getting weakened, it was eaten by the catfish before you die. So there is no dead body floating in the water.

[24:49]

No bacterias. So more survival percentage in the containers. That's what happens. I feel this is the same for all the creatures. Catfish is an enemy we don't expect. We think this makes us our life slated. Like a pain tax or mean co-workers. There's something incident happens. not expected enemies so much in our life, right? But that is actually catfish. Make you survive better. Keep you strong. But through my experience as a minister of the city temple, wealthy people and people

[25:57]

not have to work, and have a loss of time. Those people complain a lot. They have time to complain and think about it. But if you're too busy, you don't have time to think about complaining. Just do. Just do through the problem. That's it. So, that is a life... Even we don't expect, we consider us an enemy. That makes us healthy, makes us stronger. So we need it. That is an important key for making us, today is a good day. And today is August 6th. Wednesday, August 6th, am I correct? Yes.

[26:58]

Yesterday was August 5th, arriving here. Tomorrow will be August 7th, supposed to be, right? But tomorrow is August 7th, you said. But tomorrow morning, all we supposed to be wake up in the morning, early in the morning, August 7th. When you wake up, August 7 will be today. Yesterday, you woke up and prepared for coming to Tassahara. It was today, right? Every day we wake up today. There is no yesterday and tomorrow exist. Now, 8.30 p.m. One hour is before what you were doing. Still eating? Or resting? Right now was 8.30.

[28:00]

But one hour ago, one hour before, was right now at the time. So we are only living in right now, today. Make every day a good day means all entire life making a good day. then only you can make today a good day. Only you can make today a bad day. It's all up to you. Make every day a good day. I'd like to finish my talk. And any questions? No questions, then we can finish.

[29:05]

What is the understanding of eating unagi? Because I hear it's bad to eat it. In order to survive, we have to eat something. So no matter unagi or not, unfortunately, as a human being, eat. And my teacher says, eating unagi, saying, I'm so, oh, it tastes good. And same time, I'm very sorry. And same time, appreciate. Arigato. So it seems like a different word, but can be at the same time, sorry, appreciate, and other good things too.

[30:11]

That's what my teacher said. Oh, okay, please. Thank you. Sorry. a good day. My question is, is a good life every day a good day, or is there more?

[31:17]

Because I can have a good day if I go swim in the pool. I can have a good day if I go on the hike. Doesn't matter what I do, I will always have a good day. Good or bad, that is a fundamental question to each individual. How you define good or new? How you define bad or new? So, we're just using the word good and bad. But it's not only the surface world of good and bad. You can define by yourself. And there is no concrete answer for it. So you can enjoy thinking about it.

[32:22]

Well, someone from San Francisco, could you raise your hand? Anyone fan for San Francisco Giants? Okay, thank you. From the Los Angeles Foods, the Dodgers fan? In that case, Giants is enemies. A good day for Giants to win. for the Giants fans. Bad day for the Dodgers fans. But even Dodgers fans, even Dodgers lost, if you can catch the Shohei Otani's homerun ball, that's good for you, right? It's kind of complicated. Sleep time?

[33:58]

Oh, okay. So let's finish with Inka's show. Thank you for listening to this podcast offered by the San Francisco Zen Center. Our Dharma Talks are offered free of charge and this is made possible by the donations we receive. Your financial support helps us to continue to offer the Dharma. For more information, visit sfzc.org and click Giving.

[34:31]

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