This morning, as I mentioned, about our zazen, our practice, so called Shikantaza. The Shikantaza is very different from other practice, another practice which the rest of Buddhist school put the emphasis on. Particularly, if you go to Rinzai, you realize immediately what's the difference between the two.

[01:10]

In Shikantaza, important point is that you first of all believe the truth that all beings are Buddha. Through and through, this is important. But in Rinzai, Rinzai Zen Master put emphasis on practice, which never you know what zazen is, what Buddha nature is. That's why Zen Master always give you a koan, in order to realize what Buddha nature is, what zazen is, who you are. But in Shikantaza, if you want to Shikantaza, if you want to do Shikantaza, you should first of all believe the truth that all beings are Buddha.

[02:38]

It is not new idea. 2500 years ago, Shakyamuni Buddha said already. According to Shakyamuni Buddha's enlightenment, this is really true, that all beings are Buddha. When I was in Age Monastery, famous Zen Master Hashimoto Roshi gave a lecture of Shikantaza Zenki. At that time, he put emphasis on zazen, saying if you do zazen, even for a moment, you become Buddha.

[03:50]

You become Buddha. But this is very important. So I feel, wow, wonderful. If you do zazen, you become Buddha. Immediately I believe it. Wow, how wonderful. Before his lecture, I listened several times to the lecture delivered by Zen Master who belongs to, not to Soto school, not to Rinzai, neutral school. Neutral school. I think neutral school looks like a Buddha school, but I don't know. I listened to the lecture several times delivered by this Zen Master.

[04:59]

But I didn't understand completely. I remember just the sound, when he hit the desk with a stick like this. And he said, you understand this sound. If you don't understand this sound, you don't understand Zen. What is it? I was very upset. Because that sound, I can listen that sound, but the sound what he put emphasis on is a little subtle connotation. But it seems to me that that sound is completely far out from my life.

[06:08]

Even the Buddha nature, even the conception of Buddha nature or enlightenment is completely far out. So I didn't understand. Then two years later, I had the chance to listen to the lecture delivered by Hashimoto Roshi. He said, you do Zazen, even for a moment, you become Buddha. Wow, that Zazen is pretty nice, easy. Why don't you sit, even for a moment, you become Buddha. It's easy, you know. Then I practiced very hard, even though my job was very busy. At that time I was in the kitchen. The kitchen work was very busy in the age monastery.

[07:14]

No rest, no break. You got up at 2 o'clock. You went to bed about 10 o'clock. 10, 11, 12, 1, 2, 4 o'clock. And then I tried to find a chance to sleep. Whatever I did. So I peeling the potatoes and sleep. But I went to, I went to, I attended, I tried to, I made every possible effort to attend the Zazen.

[08:18]

But at that time, I don't know, I didn't know actually. How important Zazen was. But I just believed, how wonderful, I become Buddha. I'm very happy to do, to follow the truth. Mentioned by Shakyamuni Buddha, all beings of Buddha. See? Also Buddha says, if you want to know the truth, you should realize, you should contemplate time and occasion. No, you should contemplate dependent, depend, depend origination of time and occasion.

[09:35]

If time and occasion comes, the Buddha, Buddha nature manifests itself. Okay? This morning I said, if time and occasion comes, it looks like, it looks like a matter of discussing the future. Future manifestation, if time comes, if time and occasion comes, in other words, if you sit, if you sit, you become Buddha. Let's think this point. You become Buddha. If you sit, you become Buddha. If you sit, if you sit is already extra word, because it leads you to start to think anticipation of future manifestation, you know?

[10:46]

If you sit, you become Buddha. If you sit, you become Buddha. That Buddha is a matter of future manifestation. But, Shakyamuni Buddha said that, he didn't say that in that way, okay? You are already Buddha, okay? You are already Buddha. So, if you sit means, according to the Dogon's belief, if you sit means, you sit thus, okay? You sit thus. You sit as you are, now and here. This is Buddha, okay? But, in Rinzai, first of all, you have to have some doubt, question always, about Zazen, about Buddha nature.

[11:57]

Then, you have to contemplate during Zazen what Buddha nature is, what Zazen is. This is one way to practice. That's up to you. But, according to the truth mentioned by Shakyamuni Buddha, the truth saying all beings are Buddha indicates the most fundamental being of life, okay? Most fundamental being of life. You cannot reach, your brain cannot reach the most fundamental being of life, okay?

[13:02]

Before you try to reach the most fundamental being of life, you are already alive, okay? Alive, as a Buddha. So, only when you can accept totally, fully, this fundamental being of life, based on the truth mentioned by Buddha, all beings are Buddha. You can become, you can attain, you can experience religious relaxation and assurance of your existence.

[14:12]

In other words, you can settle yourself on self, right now, right here. This is religious security. That's why this morning I mentioned Shakyamuni Buddha walked on the street, the point at the ground, and said, built a temple, Taishakuten, who is God, in Mount Shumi, appears before Buddha, and pick out grass, and plant it on the ground, saying, I have finished building a temple.

[15:17]

Even though your brain cannot reach, there is something what you can do, is, you can build, you can build a temple, you can build a temple. This temple is the Buddha nature. This temple is Zazen, your Zazen. Your life exists, your life itself. Your existence itself, you can build. But usually, most people are agitated, by mysterious human life.

[16:29]

Because human life is really not understandable, clearly. Because life is completely unfathomable. You know so well, you know so well how unfathomable life is, but only brain try to catch, try to grasp, something clear in your hand, concerning life, unfathomable life. I would like to know what my life is, what Katagiri is, but I haven't yet understand what Katagiri is now. However you make every possible effort to do something,

[17:36]

however you do your best to live in your life, can you understand what will happen in seconds, around your life? I don't know. I am in Montreux, and practice with a small group, but I don't know what happens. I really don't know what happens. Sometimes two people come, sit with me, sometimes one person. Sometimes I just cry a while, are you alright?

[18:39]

But I didn't say, I didn't say I don't like such a practice. I asked to myself, are you alright? I said, yes I am. But to tell the truth, I am now alright. Because I don't know what happens, what happens in seconds. In six months, we know years. The moment when I asked to myself, I am alright, yes I am alright, that's why I do Zazen, you know, I'm alright. I build Zazen, I build the temple, yes I am alright. But to tell the truth, my brain said, oh no, I am alright. Because the brain tries to catch something clear, you know.

[19:47]

What will happen? I would like to know what will happen in seconds, in three minutes, in one hour. I would like to know something clear. One hour later, maybe two people come to sit with me. Maybe tomorrow, five people. Maybe one week later, maybe after workshop, many people come. But I know so well, not so many people will not come, even after workshop. But all people expected, many people come. So Roshi, you should get the big room for Zazen. So I said, just a minute, just a minute. But one of the students got already big room, you know,

[20:51]

for his room, for his living room, and also for our Zazen, Zendo. But I said already, just a minute. But he did already. After workshop, just two people, just two people. This is true, this is true. There is something what you can't do very clearly. It is, you can't just build a temple, okay? You can't just build a temple. Temple is existence itself, okay?

[21:54]

Your life itself, you can't build. Even though your brain cannot reach what it is, that's all right, doesn't matter. It doesn't matter so much. But if your brain cannot reach what it is, cannot reach clear answer what it is, the majority of the people are agitated, always. Chasing after or escaping from, encouraging or discouraging. This is usual type of life. But I don't ignore it.

[22:57]

I don't ignore such a type of life. It is okay, as long as you are a human being, you cannot escape. That's all right. But important point is, not matter of discussing the future, okay, future manifestation. Important point is matter of discussing the present itself. Okay? Present manifestation. Anybody, you can build a temple. Your existence itself. That's why Shakyamuni Buddha says, pointing the ground at the ground, and build a temple here. In Taishakuten, pick up the grass. Grass is each of your life. Each life. Each of your life. Who has big delusions.

[24:02]

So this Karage is a grass. So called Karage, a plant on the ground. And I said, I have finished building the temple. Because there is nothing but doing. Nothing but doing best to sustain your existence itself. In that way, you can sustain your life. You can sustain existence itself. For this,

[25:14]

first of all, you have to build a temple. Checking up each beam. Each beam, and poles, windows, and floors. Taking up your eyes, mouth, head, back, your hand, your leg, your zaf, your cushion, your neighbor. Your circumstances. Even one beam is unstable, you cannot build the temple. Each beam, each pole,

[26:26]

must be steady and flexible. Okay? And flexible. Even though your brain don't understand what kind of house you will be able to build, only you can do is to settle in the realm of the most fundamental way of life based on the truth mentioned by Buddha, all beings of Buddha. So your zazen, your body, your mind are Buddha.

[27:33]

It is true. You should believe. But if you cannot believe, that's why Nagyarjuna explained conception of sunyata, or pratikasamutpada, dependent origination and so on, philosophical viewpoint, but it leads you to confuse, from one confusion to another. So philosophical understanding is all right, it's important for us. But important point is how you can, how can you take care of,

[28:35]

take best care of existence itself which is vivified right now, right now here. For this, before you doubt, before you question, day in and day out, you settle in the realm of Buddha's world. I mention very often, you settle yourself on the self, believing Buddha. Otherwise you cannot relation with society, your society, in peace, in harmony. You should, each of us believe, believe you who is, who are Buddha. At that time, your life has very close relation with society,

[29:38]

in peace, in harmony. Otherwise, you always fight each other. This is the thing is shikantaza. So who is, whoever you are, whoever you are, it's all right. Both, a man as a Bob, can build his temple. A man as a Katagiri, can build a temple. So life is just continuation of building the temple, right now, right here, moment after moment. This is shikantaza.

[30:41]

As if smoke is rising up in the air. Sometimes wind breathing comes. Smoke is little move. Smoke little moves. But it is some aspect of human life. It indicates some aspects of human life. During session, I would like you to do zazen shikantaza.

[31:48]

In Soto school, we don't use koan. Shikantaza is translated just sit. Just sit is not just sit in relax. Just sit is to build the temple. Each, each beams, each poles must be steady. And as a whole, the temple must be flexible. This, your head, your mouth,

[32:54]

your tongue, your eyes, must be steady. Your back, your hands, your legs, all must be steady. And posture, with body and mind as a whole, must be flexible. Which is, enough stronger to hold the total being of the temple. Even a storm comes. Even a breezing comes. This is shikantaza. Shikantaza is not just sit in relax. In the world of,

[33:59]

in the realm of shikantaza, very compassionate attention penetrate every inch of your body. Eyes to the eyes, to ears, to head, to mouth, to tongue. This is shikantaza. And also, during Zazen, my lecture, I would like to study with you one of chapters of Shobo Genzo Zenki. Title is Zenki. Zenki means total dynamic working. If you have textbook, that translation occurs

[35:05]

in the Eastern Buddhist magazine. In this chapter, Dogen try to explain what shikantaza is, and what birth and death is. What the most fundamental being of life is like. How to accept the fundamental being of life. How to accept shikantaza, how to accept buddha nature. Thank you very much.

[35:52]

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