August 19th, 1966, Serial No. 05097, Side I

00:00
00:00
Audio loading...

Welcome! You can log in or create an account to save favorites, edit keywords, transcripts, and more.

Serial: 
SF-05097I

AI Suggested Keywords:

Description: 

Sesshin Lecture 1966 Tape #2 Track 4 instruction by Rev Katagiri Friday morning

AI Summary: 

-

Is This AI Summary Helpful?
Your vote will be used to help train our summarizer!
Photos: 
Transcript: 

Seeing everything in terms of Buddha. Everything is Buddha. In other words, everything is Buddha's expression of full function. When everything has the expression of full function, it doesn't exist alone. The expression of full function exists in the relationship between you and everything.

[01:04]

From this point, the expression of full function is not merely a conception. It is always living spiritually. In the relationship between you and everything. Let's imagine he is a grain of rice. Even a grain of rice possesses the expression of full function.

[02:09]

What does a grain of rice do as a seed? A put on in your hand or on the ground. Of course, you know so well what is better. If you keep a grain of rice in your hand forever, what is the purpose of a grain of rice? When you put on the ground,

[03:37]

the purpose of a grain of rice is to grow into a rice plant. This is true. In order to make the expression of full function of even a grain of rice, even a speck of dust, you should put a place on the place where it should be placed. To put a grain of rice on the ground by you

[04:51]

is to make a grain of rice live the expression of its own full functions. So Buddha said it is Buddha nature. From this point, the full function is not merely a conception. If the expression of full function is merely a conception produced by our mind, it remains merely a grain of rice as a material forever

[06:04]

and fades away. So it is important for us to put on the ground. This is important for studying a student of Buddhism to keep this attitude. So from this point, everything exists concerning with us. Everything doesn't exist apart from you. If everything exists apart from you, it is merely a material.

[07:14]

In order to make the expression of full function of everything as a material, you should put it on the place where it should be placed. So you should put a thing that ought to be placed in a high place should be put on in a high place. A thing that ought to be put in a low place should be placed in a low place.

[08:27]

This is the meaning of making everything live as the expression of full function. This is the meaning that you understand the truth of Buddha nature. From this point, Zazen is not merely formality. Zazen is Zazen which possesses the expression of full function of yourself. When you make your own Zazen to live as the expression of its own full function,

[09:50]

you don't sit in meditation. Zazen is doing Zazen. So you should sit Zazen in the right middle of universe. Don't lose your composure. Don't be so hasty. Don't look back. Don't look in every direction. It is the best place where you are sitting Zazen now here.

[11:10]

If you can find a better place rather than this place where you are sitting now here, make many attempts to do so. Those who cannot understand this meaning, those who cannot understand the best place where you are sitting Zazen now here, should never carry on doing anything else.

[12:25]

Even though you find another better place, even though those who cannot understand the expression of full function of yourself, no matter how many thousand times you chant the name of Amitabha, the name of Buddha, no matter how sincere you can become a prayer to God,

[13:46]

it seems no miso in the miso soup. Zazen. Those who cannot understand, those who cannot devote yourself to do even Zazen, even Zazen, just only one Zazen, should never do anything else. Those who cannot understand the true meaning of one, number one,

[15:02]

those who cannot understand number ten, So, the important thing is that you should devote yourself to do one thing. George N. Giertanenko. George N. The important thing is that you should devote yourself to do one thing.

[16:35]

You should never look back or look every direction. If you look back to your surroundings, you may become a salt pole, like a lost wife in the Old Testament. In Buddhist emphasis, one is all, all is one. This meaning is that you should devote yourself to do one thing that is given now here.

[18:00]

That's all. If you can do this way, you may do anything. From this point, Zazen is not merely formality. It is yourself to give full contents to its formalities.

[19:13]

At this time, formality is not merely formality. In order to carry on this way, you have to obey the Buddha's teaching. In other words, you should be straightforward. So, when Shakyamuni Buddha passed away, many people, being grieved and sad and afflicted at heart,

[20:23]

went to the shallow grave and wanted to see Shakyamuni Buddha. In order to partake of bliss that devolves upon those who are in the presence of the Buddha, they wanted to listen to his great, wonderful teachings before his passing away. And Shakyamuni Buddha said to them,

[21:34]

Seeking the way, you must exert yourselves and strive with diligence. It is not enough to have seen me walk as I have commanded you. Free yourselves from the tongue, not of sorrow. Walk in the path with steadfast aim. And Shakyamuni continued to give suggestions to them. He said, A man may dwell beside me, and yet, being disobedient, be far away from me.

[22:40]

Yet, he who obeys the Dharma will always enjoy the bliss of the Tathāgata's presence. When we throw away our own selfishness, we can easily go planting into the world of Buddha. If you throw away your own selfishness, you can easily put a grain of rice on the ground.

[23:43]

When you put a grain of rice on the ground, the fact that you put a grain of rice on the ground will bring about everything, water and sun shining. So, a grain of rice is going to grow into a rice plant. When you want to have a rice plant, you should put a grain of rice on the ground as a proper place for it.

[24:58]

At that time, even though you don't try to seek something, everything comes up to you, sun shining, water comes up to a grain of rice. So, when you want to see yourself, when you want to learn yourself as a true meaning, as an expression of full functions, you should put yourself on a proper place.

[26:10]

This is Zazen. So, you should do Zazen in the right middle of the universe. Don't lose your composure. Don't be so hasty, whatever may happen. The Bishop Taizen Kumazawa, the head of AHA Monastery, is a great Zen master. One of the great Zen masters in Japan.

[27:14]

About ten years ago, we had a big earthquake. So, we had a big damage to people, to houses in and around Fukui Prefecture. After the earthquake, Bishop Taizen Kumazawa was taking a bath. A monk who followed him always ran away to him and said,

[28:42]

Earthquake! Earthquake! Please get out! Please get out of the bathroom! So, Bishop Taizen Kumazawa didn't lose his composure. I am taking a bath. Don't be so hasty. Wait! Wait! This is a wonderful word of his mind. At that time, someone ran away in order to

[30:00]

protect his own safety in a hurry. So, he jumped down from the window. He was not so high, about this high, and he hurt his feet. He lived in Nagoya Prefecture, which is so far from Fukui Prefecture. So, I think the earthquake in and around Nagoya City was not so big. Nevertheless, he in a hurry jumped down from the window and hurt his feet.

[31:05]

In the world of happening just earthquake, there are various situations in this world. Someone is taking a bath with his composure. Someone is running away from the window and had hurt his feet. It's a very interesting phase of this world. So, even though you look around your circumstances,

[32:22]

I think what you will gain is all the same, not a different thing. But you can gain a particular thing. What you want is your delusions. In the modern life, it is stupid to sit in meditation for a long time without doing anything. What does it mean? Nevertheless, don't look back. Don't look at every direction of your surroundings.

[33:30]

You should sit down in the right middle of the universe. Not in the right middle of a small room like Zendong. You should sit down in the right middle of the universe with your confidence. This is an important point for our students. Or for our human life. Especially in the modern life. In modern life, in our modern lives, you spend, you have very hectic days always.

[34:38]

Even a day, even a minute, a day, you should have your own time. It is at the mercy of nobody. No, it is not at the mercy of anybody. You should have your own confidence and should do Zazen.

[35:50]

Thank you very much.

[35:53]

@Text_v004
@Score_JJ