The phenomena of the society in my country, particularly during the war, was really unimaginable for you, I think. Everything that happened in Japan was very awful. I think that every man had to be called away to the war.

[01:00]

Whoever they were, priest or teacher, except a disformed person. That's terrible. The priest had to go to the war. At that time I was not a priest. I was 16 years old. Also, the government always instigated teenagers, high school students, to make an interest in the Japanese army. But actually, they were giving many stuff, which explained how wonderful Japan was, you know.

[02:10]

But actually, the complexion of the war was not so good. But the government always told lies to the people. Japan is good now. Then the government always instigated teenagers, high school students, to make an interest in the Japanese army, the Japanese air force, the Japanese navy. Actually, it would be easier for teenagers to take interest in something if many people instigated them.

[03:21]

How wonderful it is, something like that. Making noise. Then at that time, all the high school students had to stop studying and go to the company, making a plane, making a boat, you know. And sometimes the teenagers had to go to the army, the air force or the navy, too. So, even I couldn't escape from it, from such a phenomenon of society in Japan during the war.

[04:30]

So, I served in the air force. At that time, I was 16 years old. When I was in the air force in Tokyo, at that time, the air raid warning was given. Suddenly, at 2 o'clock a.m., all the soldiers were in bed.

[05:35]

Then the siren, the air raid siren blew. Then all the soldiers got up immediately and dressed as soon as I could. And then I went out of my cabin anyway. At that time, I heard the sound of the plane already. Anyway, I rushed into the dugout, which was with no cover, no covered shelter, just made by the digging.

[06:42]

Then I rushed into the dugout with my friends. I didn't know how many friends followed me. Anyway, I rushed into the dugout. Then, at that time, the moment when I rushed into the dugout, I noticed that I had practiced the invocation of the Buddha's name, but I had never experienced it before. Of course, my parents were very enthusiastic, very serious followers of Shin school, Buddhism. But I had never thought, you know, of the invocation of Buddha's name since entering the Air Force.

[07:55]

But the moment when I rushed into the dugout, I noticed that immediately I practiced the invocation of the Buddha's name. Then, in the next moment, I heard the sound of the bomb coming down from the sky. I heard the bomb coming down from the sky. You know, you don't feel so well. If you hear the bombs coming down, you know, from the sky, like this, and then, boom! Then I heard this sound. Then I did like this.

[08:57]

But nothing happened. But, what's the matter? Then, I looked around like this, you know. Then, the whole Air Force was completely bright. Like, it was really daytime. What's the matter? So, at that time, I thought, oh, it was not the fire bomb. The flare bomb. Completely bright, you know. So, everything, you can see everything, even the ants. Very bright. Then, I saw the plane flying in the sky.

[10:02]

Pretty big, not small. Above my head. So, I thought, wow, that's terrible. So, I thought, oh, they found me, you know. They found me in the dugout. Then, at the next moment, I practiced again the invocation of Buddha's name. That's terrible, you know. Well, let's imagine this scene. How do you feel? The air raid siren blew. Immediately, I went out. Already, the airplane was above me, you know.

[11:06]

Then, rushed into the dugout. I heard the sound of the airplanes, the bombs, coming down. Of course, it was not a fire bomb, but it was. It was a flare bomb. How do you feel? Then, unconsciously, I practiced the invocation of Buddha's name. Well, let's imagine there are many things happened. Invocation of Buddha's name. The dugout. A person named Katagiri. And the airplanes. The flare bomb. My friend, completely bright, like daytime. Many things happened.

[12:10]

But, I want to, I want to, unconsciously, unconsciously, I want to escape from this danger, tragedy. Then, I think, I think, my subconscious mind, my subconscious mind, which enabled me to think, I have to leave. I want to leave. Made me practice the invocation of Buddha's name. But, fortunately, at that time, bombs, it was not a fire bomb. So, I was survived. But, if it were a fire bomb, maybe, probably, I could, I cannot give a lecture now.

[13:22]

Here. Maybe, 20 years ago, I already said to you, goodbye. But, anyway, whatever happens, I did invocation of Buddha's name. In the hope, in the hope that the invocation of Buddha's name may save me from the suffering of fear. But, nothing happened. Completely, nothing happened. But, invocation of Buddha's name, a Buddha's name, even invocation of Buddha's name, gave me no help. No help. And, and also, I have to, I had to realize that there were many things, fire bomb or airplanes.

[14:36]

That's terrible. But, nothing helped me. Nothing helped me. Even the invocation of Buddha's name, Buddha's, Buddha, didn't help me. Just invocation. There was, there was just the invocation of Buddha's name, that's all. Same is true of our daily life. You practice Zazen. In order to cultivate the practice, your practice, you know. So, you have attended, attended a week's session. Zen master says, Zazen is not something that you, you have to do.

[15:55]

Zazen make you do Zazen. What do you think about this? Zazen make you do Zazen. The practice is enlightenment. Don't expect enlightenment. Just sit. Have you experienced in that way? Have you experienced doing Zazen in that way? I don't think so, you know. Actually, to tell the truth, you always looking at your, you always look at your, look at your Zazen and always say to yourself, what's the matter with my Zazen, you know. Hey, don't sleep. Don't sleep, wake up. But sleep always welcome, waiting for you.

[17:05]

A dizzy mind is always waiting for you. You know, then you exist and Zazen exist. There are, there are two things which are completely separate, separated from each other. Zazen and you who are, who have lots of delusions. This is true, this is true. Because everything is produced by transiency, this is true, you know. But actually, such a situation is very cruel for us, very cruel.

[18:10]

And as cold as a storm. The transiency consists of not a series of time, you know. The completely moment, [...] not succession of the time. Everything is changing, you know so well, everything change, everything changes. Moment after moment. So from this point, the transiency consists of moment, each moment. So each moment, the time, time which consists of moment,

[19:14]

make your life completely separate, you know. Zazen, you, chanting, you, whatever you do. Lecture, Katagiri. The lecture you and Buddha you, completely separate. And then you said you have to say to yourself always what's matter with you, you know. What's the matter with my zazen, what's the matter with my practice, you know. You say, you say always to yourself in that way. Because time, the moment, the structure of the time, which consists of moment, moment, moment,

[20:19]

make you say to yourself in that way. It is awful, it is really awful, cruel, as cold as heartless, you know. Heartless. So, the, in the realm of moment, in the realm of the time, such a structure of time, you know, you feel, you feel that you can never get along

[21:25]

in your present circumstances. Based on, based on, let your life separate from each other completely. Katagiri, you, you know, you always express, confess, express your heart. What shall I do, you know. Of course there are some troubles, troubles, some trouble of the linguistic situation, you know. I speak Japanese, you speak English, so maybe this, the different language, the, no, the, maybe, we create some trouble between you and I, even though you explain your heart.

[22:29]

Even though I concentrate on listening to your English, you know. Then you said, oh, I wish I could be Japanese. I wish I could speak Japanese. So I said, maybe, maybe, I may say, I may say, I wish I could be, I could speak English fluently. But anyway, in the light of the time, structure of the time, everything is completely independent, independent. It's pretty hard to accept, to perceive. That's why we have to suffer, you know.

[23:33]

Then, you know, but you cannot, you cannot, you cannot believe, you cannot believe the presence of such a time, which lets everything separate from each other, you know. You cannot believe such a time, the presence of such a time, you know. Then, the human beings want to make, you know, that time meaningful, more meaningful. For this, human beings say, there is the beginning of this world, in this world, you know.

[24:41]

Do you understand? There is a beginning. There is a beginning when the world was born, in this world. Then you try to chase after, chase after the beginning of the time, you know. When the world was born, you try to chase after, you try to, you try to trace to the origin of the world. That's why in the Bible, if you, if you know so well, Old Testament, you know,

[25:45]

there is a language, there is a logos, in the beginning of the world. Is this correct? Do you understand? Okay. Okay. Hm? Yeah, I think so. So human beings are very, human beings are very interested in seeking the beginning, the beginning of the world, in order to make time, make time meaningful, significant, you know. Not only in Christianity, that you will find very interesting stories, even in Buddhism. If you read the Tres Regusa,

[26:52]

I think you will find the book in translation. Translated into English. This book is very interesting. Written by Kenko Hoshi, who was a famous Buddhist priest. The, in this book, when Kenko Hoshi was eight years old, he asked his father, his father, you know, what is the Buddha? What is the Buddha? The father said, well, the, the, the Buddha is something that,

[27:55]

the human being, a man, a man can attain the level of the Buddha. Kenko Hoshi asked, how does he become Buddha? The father says, he becomes Buddha by following Buddha's teachings. Now, Kenko Hoshi says, who taught, who taught, who taught the Buddha, who teaches us? The father says, well, I think the, he became a Buddha by Buddha's, his teachings. And he attained Buddha.

[28:57]

Then Kenko Hoshi says, what is the first Buddha who spread, spread his teachings over the world for the first time? What is the first Buddha? The father says, well, probably he might descend from the sky or spring up from the earth. This is very interesting. Well, probably Buddha might descend from the sky or maybe spring up from the earth. If you are asked by someone, how do you, how are you supposed to answer to this question, you know? So you try to study very hard Old Testament or New Testament. But the father said,

[30:04]

probably he might descend from the sky or spring up from earth. Then after that, he said, the father said to, the father said to his, to people with a burst, a burst of laughter. They pressed, pressed for an answer. For an answer, I was at a loss how to reply. Actually, not only the Kenko Hoshi's father, but also I couldn't. I was, maybe I may, I am at a loss how to reply. From where the first Buddha comes, I can't answer to this question. But I am interested in, I am interested in replying,

[31:07]

replying to this question. From where the first Buddha comes. One of you sometimes ask, ask such a question. I don't remember exactly. Yeah, someone asked me the truth, the truth, what the Shakyamuni Buddha found had existed before he, he was born. Before he was born. Before he, he found. Do you understand?

[32:08]

Maybe, the truth, maybe truth might descend from the sky, spring up from the earth. But anyway, it is true. It goes without saying that a man takes, takes interest in, interest in replying to such subject. This is true. And also, the, a man tried to seek, tried to seek the end of the world, the end of the world. When the world is,

[33:26]

the, what would you call it, decayed? Not decayed. Okay, okay. When the world, the world is decayed, in order to make time, make time significant, what is the end? What is the end when the world is over? The world is decayed. Then you try to demand all these things after the end of the space, the end of the world. With, study hard, studying hard. Taking a trip all over the world. Looking out, looking out for some stuff which was, which, which was existent in ancient time. And then in the,

[34:39]

at present, the, we are looking after, looking out for the, the, what would you call it, the, the, ideal, ideal structure of the world. The, what is called, the world nation. You know world nation? Did you understand? World nation. And, even though there are number of different nations, we, we are very interested in looking for

[35:42]

the paradise where all human beings exist in harmony. Then, we try to look, we try to establish the world nation. Where all human beings exist in harmony. On the other hand, according to our, the Christianity, they, they mention about the subject of what you call the eschatology, eschatology.

[36:44]

Not only in Christianity, in Buddhism too, they try to mention about the last, the last of the world, where there, there is, where there, there are no practice, no teaching, no belief, no faith. Faith. Now also there is what more things which human beings take, take interest in, something in order to make time, in order to make heartless time, heartless time significant.

[37:48]

It is the development, development of the civilization, you know. what human effort is contributed to development of, development of civilization, in terms of historical aspect of human life, or cultural aspect of human life, or scientific aspect of human life. And then they will, they will expect the success, you know, and development, remarkable development of civilization. Then at that time, at that time, the human beings

[38:58]

can believe the presence of time, and human beings can believe their own life. When they realize themselves to live in the domain of remarkable development of civilization, or in history, or in scientific aspect of life, and so on. This is true, you know. But in the domain of transiency which lets everything separate, you know, cut off, completely cut off, no, no warm relation between two, you and I. It's terrible. It's terrible. But it is true, it is reality.

[40:02]

But we don't want. That's why we try to seek for something in order to make such a cruel time significant, meaningful. Seeking for the beginning in the world, seeking for what the end in the world is like. We're making every possible effort to develop our civilization in terms of historical aspect, political aspect, economic aspect, material aspect, spiritual aspect anyway. Then after that you can believe the presence of time, and also you

[41:05]

can believe your own life when you realize yourself in the domain of remarkable development of civilization. In the domain of eschatology, you know, in the domain of the last of the world, but actually when you focus your attention on daily life which is moving very quickly, moment after moment, anybody can hardly

[42:05]

stand it. It is really beyond bearing, you know. That's why I don't want, I don't want. Then human being always try to unconsciously to seek temporary pleasure, or the bewildering tempo, you know, quick changes of time, making the establishment huge, airplane, which it is possible for it to reach immediately. One second. Pow! And

[43:11]

making the establishment huge, beautiful natural garden which mentioned the series of human history, you know, since the primitive life up to now. Setting the, using the plastic trees, the plastic board, the plastic river, plastic submarine. What set off, what set off your interest, you know, to advance? That's true, you know. Then at that time you believe, yes, this is my country, you know. How wonderful America is, how wonderful Japan is,

[44:15]

you know. Try to ask one of Japanese who live in this country, probably he may be proud of himself, how wonderful Japan is. What's the matter America? No matter how you feel, no matter what you feel, from your nation, from your country, from another country, you know, we have to consider, we have to make our mind calm first and focus our attention

[45:16]

on our daily life. Sorry for you, but it is very important, very important point which we have to take into account. You always, you are always drinking like this, you know. When someone pours water over your head, wow! You're always drinking when you find it difficult to practice zazen. I don't want zazen, always drinking like this. Because the transiency makes you blink. Transiency makes you wink. This is true.

[46:19]

But at that time, don't escape. I don't mean you shouldn't, you shouldn't blink. It is alright. It's up to you, you know, whether you want to blink or not, that's okay. But important point is, as much as possible, you have to go ahead. You have to take one step ahead without blinking. This is Dogen's practice. This is Buddhist practice. Then, Dogen says, to study Buddhism is to learn the self. Look at yourself. Who is doing zazen now,

[47:23]

you're always blinking. And blinking also makes you be and escape from. But wherever you may go, you can't escape the cruelty, transiency, the law of transiency, blink about, blink about. You can't escape, wherever you may go. So when you blink, when you realize, when you realize that you are blinking, winking, you try again to watch carefully yourself. How handle you? How to handle yourself?

[48:23]

How to handle the self? How to take care of the self? This is as mentioned in this morning, in this morning, the carefulness in the practice of zazen. This is very important carefulness. The carefulness is not directed to the point whatever kind of occupation you follow, whoever you are, whatever kind of culture you bring about, you have brought up. You have to focus your

[49:24]

attention on your daily life, based on transiency. Sometimes it makes you sad. That's alright. It's pretty good. Dogen, not only you, Dogen and many patriarchs and many Buddhists have tried to take one step forward without blinking, without falling down to the ground as much as they can. This is the practice in Buddhism. Please get a taste of your zazen, the practice of your

[50:24]

zazen, based on transiency. One more day, or two more days, or three more days, or forever.

[50:35]

@Text_v004
@Score_JJ