I have really appreciated you for having a great chance to have a ceremony of Buddha's birthday, pouring the infant Buddha, which is right in the center of the small shrine, covered with a beautiful flower, and also we, each other, would like to show the expression of gratitude, our gratitude for our human life, from the bottom of our minds, because

[01:08]

no matter what you think, you may think, what a human being is, someone is saying that human life is completely covered with suffering, pain, anyway, no matter what you may think of your own life, we, each other, live absolutely on the absolute, complete plane, unsuspecting in the intellectual pursuit of your life. You have poured sweet tea of the Buddha's infant Buddha. Sweet tea stands for the dumbest rain that has fallen from heaven.

[02:35]

The flower surrounding the small shrine stands for Lumbini Garden, which means the human being completely exists in the absolute plane, covered with a beautiful flower, like this. So, we, from the bottom of our mind, we pour the sweet tea, and sweet tea stands for the human being possessing Buddha nature,

[03:44]

regardless of the idea of whether you realize or not. Then, on the absolute plane, unsuspected in the intellectual pursuit of reality, the first important thing is that we have to realize this point, from the bottom of our mind, through practice at any cost. That's why, at that time, you can't leave, you can't stand upright, settling on yourself. Then, look at the infant Buddha's hands. One hand is pointing out to heaven, the other to earth.

[05:05]

Buddha says, I alone am the most honored one in heaven and on earth. This self, that self which we talk about, usually in our daily life, is psychological, intellectual, and so on. It is, said again, the absolute, or Buddha. It is subject opposing to object, or objects.

[06:07]

But the self which Shakyamuni Buddha puts emphasis on, pointing out to heaven and to earth, is not something like that. It is the self which brings him to settle on himself, no matter what situation he may stand. If you want to, in our daily life, a human being is liable to show, first of all, the stubbornness of ego, consciously or unconsciously. If you want to show the expression of your ego, let's imagine you would be in court.

[07:21]

If you, you know, I have been in the court of San Francisco. In the court, you are completely free to show the expression of your ego. No matter who you are, you are a crime or you are a victim, in the real playing of the court, you are completely free to show the expression of ego or justice, which is used first. Also, the attorney, the attorney makes every possible effort to help you, no matter who you are, victim or crime, that's fine.

[08:36]

Then, you express, you show the expression of your ego, of yourself, in every possible way. Then, at last, the judge said, wait a minute, then he said, that's all. But this judgment, this judgment is not always against you, whoever you are, victim or crime. Then, sometimes a judgment may be made in terms of your ego, in terms of the viewpoint of attorney, who makes every possible effort to help the victim or the crime.

[09:47]

From this point, I think in the court, it is a very good place, where we can be completely free to show the expression of your ego. On the other hand, let's imagine that you would be in army. In army, there is a great purpose of educating human beings, regardless of the idea of whether you like or dislike. As long as you would be there, you have to train, you have to have some training, day in and day out. Like this, every day you have to do like this.

[10:55]

Then, at last, automatically, the general said, you are a good spirit of soldier, because you can do, you know, salutation completely. But this is automatic actions. No spirit. Because army always expects you to do something with harmony. This harmony is questionable for you, for human beings, who has, who seeks for the spiritual goal. At any cost, individual is not always individual in the domain of the army, the group, which is called group.

[11:59]

You have to do something in the group for the purpose of completing the activity of army or navy. In order to what? Attack or kill a person? That's funny, strange. Then we are very, we are finding some way of living, worthy living. But actually, it is not true, it is not true what you are expecting from the bottom of your mind. When you come to Zen monastery, Zen center, if you have some mistake, Zen master says, go to the Zen door and bow to the one who showed you first.

[13:17]

Without any reason, without any reason. First, you should bow. You should bow to Monju Shuri and the master also, and to all monks, all students. There is completely no room to make excuse for being late or making mistake. You know, in the court or in army, there is some stubbornness of conception, something stubborn, which is called constructions or law, or which is called unifying the spirit of group for the purpose of doing something.

[14:28]

But in the Zen monastery, in the Buddhism, of course, we allow to existence, to the presence of some conception, which is called mirror. The constructions or some purpose, like the army, are something like the mirror. The human being, the judge or attorney, look at you always, you know, not real you, your reflections in the mirror, which is called constructions or law, that's all.

[15:34]

In the army, some regulations, law, in life. Of course, in Zen monastery, in the Buddhism, when you practice Buddhism, there is some mirrors, which you have taken into account, of course. But before you look at, before you try to stick to the reflection, then in the Buddhism, our practice, tell you, try to go to the Zen door and bow to the Monk Shuri, before you may complain. This is very important practice for us.

[16:46]

The other day, I mentioned, if you want to seek the truth of human life, don't look at yourself with a certain conception, which is called happiness, which is called pleasure, whatever it is. As long as we are human beings, we have to see ourselves reflecting in the mirror.

[18:18]

Which appears, which is created by subject and object. This is true. But important point is how to deal with this reflection. When you try to see it, try to see this reflection with a certain principle of construction for the law created by human beings, or work with a certain principle of the rule or regulation created by the army. In other words, it depends on what kind of mirror you look at, your reflection.

[19:46]

Say, construction, rule, a certain purpose, a certain principle of ideology, something like that. But in Buddhism, we have to look at our reflection with what? This is important, what? No particular principle or principles or no particular ideas. You have to look at with yourself. This is very important. And also, this is something which makes you dissatisfactory. Dissatisfactory.

[20:50]

If you make a mistake, then master says, go to the Zen-do and bow to the Monji-shuri, before he asks you, he asks you, what's the matter with you? You know, you feel something dissatisfactory. Why? I'm not something wrong. I'm not wrong, basically. I'm not wrong. You know, but in the court, in the army, anyway, there is some place where you can, where is the place which is given to you, anytime, to express your ego, yourself.

[22:09]

Why? Not in the practice of Buddhism, the important point is, you have to reflect, you have to see your reflection, your reflection with yourself, not with a certain principle or certain ideas. It is, it is really, it is really something, you know, something which makes all human beings, all students dissatisfactory. But this practice is very important, you know.

[23:14]

It is not the practice for the purpose of breaking in a certain, they use you in order to form a certain idea, you know, a dog which is useful, which is useful of guarding the human being, you know, sitting in the front of the house. The practice, our practice is not something like that. There is no purpose, no ideas, fixed ideas which breaks in a certain type. First of all, our practice leads you to look at yourself with yourself.

[24:20]

No matter what suffering you accept, you know, you suffer so much, then you go to the Zen master's room, I suffer so much, what shall I do? There is a very interesting story. A monk went to see a Zen master. At the moment when he stepped in his room, he said, I have a big problem, I have a big problem. The Zen master said, what's the problem? He said, I have a problem, I have a very important problem. What's the very important problem? He said, this is the problem of life and birth. Then, whose problem? Whose problem of birth and death?

[25:28]

Whose problem of birth and death? He said, of course, mine. Yours is not so much important. See, it is something which makes you dissatisfied. The Zen master must say something to the person who suffers. But you always, regardless of the idea of whether you are aware of yourself in the true plane, on the true plane, you always stir your water with a certain idea, I'm suffering, I'm suffering, I'm suffering. You can't make the water pure.

[26:30]

Also, the certain idea of suffering always flattens all of the water. Like this. It is impossible to make a drain, a dregs, which is called suffering. It is impossible to make the drain, which is called suffering, sink in the bottom of the bottle, which is called your life. But bottom, anyway, your life is standing on the bottom of the life, which can be completely free to accept whatever kind of suffering or pleasure there may be.

[27:36]

The bottom is completely free. So the important point is, first of all, first of all, you have to make your mind calm, you have to make your water calm, and let the dregs, which is called suffering or pleasure, sink into the bottom of your life. This is firstly, that's why the Zen master says, who's the problem of your birth and death? He said, the monk said, of course, mine or yours. It's not so important. It's pretty difficult. It's pretty difficult to make your drains, make your dregs sink into the bottom first. It's very difficult for you. Not only you, so do I.

[28:40]

It's very difficult. But the important point is, whatever kind of situation there may be, the practice, as what I mentioned, is very important. What you have to do, first of all, in a sense, you feel dissatisfactory from the answer, in terms of the answer given by the Zen master. I mentioned, that's why I mentioned before, you have to look at yourself with yourself,

[29:42]

not a certain conception, suffering or whatever they are. Then, I think, to make your dregs sink into the bottom of your bottle is to keep to keep any kind of dregs warm with yourself, with what? With not the conception of your own, with the practice, with the practice, based on the Buddha's compassion. Buddha's compassion is Buddha's compassion is suggestion given by the Zen master. Go to the Zen door, bow.

[30:45]

Or, your problem is not important things, but you have to find a way of solving. Then, whatever kind of suffering or pleasure you may have, the practice is directed to keep them like a mother's bird. If you continue to practice in that way, day in and day out, keep all kinds of dregs warm with wholeheartedness, moment after moment. Don't pursue, don't repulse. Just keep them warm.

[31:50]

The time will surely come when dregs sink into the bottom or shell, when the shell will be broken. And, I don't know what kind of things happen from the shell. Droops, the baby birds, or pleasure, or suffering, or Zen Buddhism, certain principles of Zen Buddhism, or Christianity, or I Ching, or Chinese philosophy. That's okay. At that time, you can see them the way as they are. Aha! This is, this is my dregs.

[32:54]

Ha ha ha ha! Aha! This is my enlightenment. But, it was not really enlightenment, I thought. So, that's why the Shakyamuni Buddha pointed out to the heaven, to the earth. First, what is important practice? I alone is the most honored one in heaven and on earth. Stand up, okay? Stand up. The master says, go to the Zen door, bow. Hai! That's all. Bow, stand up, upright and bow. This practice is important.

[34:00]

When you sit there, when you sit Zazen, you settle on yourself, on the absolute plane, unsuspected, in the intellectual pursuit of reality. This is called Zazen. This is called Zazen. You can't insert a certain idea, which is called Zazen, which is called ordinary person, who is about to Zazen. Just do it. So, pointing out to the heaven, pointing out to the hell, to the earth, not hell. Maybe earth is hell for you.

[35:04]

Even the earth, heaven is also the hell for us. That's okay, whatever it is. So, important point is, first, you point out, point out to the heaven, point out to the hell or earth, whatever they are, enlightenment or delusion, whatever they are, that's okay. You stand up. This is our practice, which is called Shikan Taza, which is called Shikan Zazen, which is called Mimitsu no Kafu. Okay? Maybe Mimitsu no Kafu or Shikan Taza make you this satisfactory. Then sometimes Zen Master, oh, come on, come to my room. Let's have a cup of tea with you.

[36:08]

Then give a candy. Oh, so nice. Then sometimes, what's the matter with you? You look so suffering. Don't suffer, okay? Always Buddha protects you. Buddha always protects you from any kind of suffering. Oh, fine, thank you. But then Zen Master says, Buddha doesn't protect you from any kind of suffering, at any time at all. You're discarded. Oh, my. Then, I have to make my talk short today.

[37:12]

I hope you have understood why Shakyamuni Buddha declared his birth. I alone am the master and only one in heaven and on earth, pointing out to the heaven, pointing out to the earth, pointing out to the heaven,

[37:45]

@Text_v004
@Score_JJ