Provide something for that purpose, which we will share with Zen Center and our guest speaker. Professor Murano is a professor at Ruscio University in Tokyo. And he teaches and deals with the translation of Buddhism into English, the problem of translating Buddhist thought into Ubi. He is managing editor of Young Eastman, published in English also. to keep the social difference.

[01:03]

And so the Hindus are more powerful to the common people. And so just Buddhism is criticized by Hindu people. And then, you see, the next reason is the coming of Muslim people, Islam people, and Mohammedanists. They come and destroy. They are image breakers. Everything breaks and destroys everything. and then die out. Some Buddhists already started a mission in Ceylon. And Ceylon, yes, Ceylon first.

[02:06]

Just after the death of Buddha, some disciples went to Ceylon. So in Ceylon, the original a type of Buddhism has been preserved. Yes. I would like for you to say something about the practice of ordination, having ordained a Buddhist. I understand that any priest can ordain any other person. This is what I understand. I'd like some clarification. What is the practice of ordination? Well, I think the most sects are similar institutions, but I don't know very much about the other sects.

[03:09]

I'm telling you about Nichiren sect. Is that all right? Whereas ordination, yes, I'm an ordained priest, so I can ordain another man. But not privately. I say, you see. For instance, just now, I cannot, can I order you? No. See? This is some qualifications and some group watching, for watching, you see? And so we must have some ceremony, see, for that. And the first look at it is you are How many years did you train yourself in chanting and other practices in temples?

[04:26]

And what subjects did you study in school? to what kind of school you attend, and many other items. And then when it was required to satisfy it by some, you see, we have our regulation books, you see, then I can ordain you, and then we must have ceremony. attended by some people in Japan. I don't know I can attain outside Japan. It's very difficult because we have not so much evidence.

[05:32]

for the ordination when we want to ordain outside Japan. As far as Nichiren sect is concerned, nobody was ordained outside Japan. Is there different degrees of ordination I mean by ordination, the acquiring or acquisition of the capacity of teaching Buddhism. That is a qualification for teachers. That means I mean by ordination.

[06:38]

When you mean by just initiation, that's different. Initiation into priesthood, into monkhood, that's different, see? When we enter Monkhood, we say just shammy. Shammy, that's usually a small boy becomes shammy, see? See? Ten or twelve years old boy becomes shammy and works in temple and then go to school and train himself in some way, see, regular way, see? Then some years later, Well, 10 years or more later, he's ordained. He's given a teacher's certificate. Then you start some rank, see?

[07:42]

Rank. First in lowest rank, and then in so many years, according to his activities, merits. he promotes. Yes. Would it be more advanced? More spiritual than former? Oh, yes. You see, Mahayana Buddhism is more spiritual than Hinayana Buddhism.

[08:53]

I mean to say, you see, the original form of Buddhism, the original form of the discipline of Buddhism can be kept in India. But not outside of India, because, for instance, the rule says a monk must wear only three pieces of clothes. See? One for loin, one for coat, the one for bed. That's only three are permitted. No more. But in a warm country, it can be done.

[09:58]

When you go up, see, crossing the Himalaya Mountains, you cannot. See? So then, that spiritual movement comes out. See? We follow the Buddha. We follow the spirit of the Buddha, not the form of the Buddha. You see? We cannot follow the form because this is too cold, you see. That's the development of spiritualism in Buddhism. I have a question. Do you mean awareness? What? Do you mean awareness? Awareness. Where? Where in? Awareness. Awareness. Awareness. Are you saying the more aware?

[11:00]

Ah, yes, yes. You see, just follow what the Buddha mean to say, see? What is the point, see? He regulated the rule, but for what point the Buddha regulated those rules, you see? That's important, not only formalism. That's the main point. So these Buddhists interpret it this way, these Buddhists interpret it this way. Then many things develop, yes. But I wasn't sure if you were saying that in Japan they were more aware than in Japan. I guess he's, I believe he's saying, wondering if you said the Japanese students

[12:03]

because they're more spiritual and less formal, are more aware of perhaps the fundamentals of Buddhism than the Southern school, right? I guess you... Yes, I think that's why, you see, Buddhist philosophy is more developing in Japan than in Southern countries. Southern countries study sutras and pari-texts. They learn the thought of many spirit scholars, yes, but their Buddhist philosophy is not so developed as in China or Japan, see?

[13:29]

So in that sense, I can say we are more, yes, yes, yes. Would you tell me in a sense what is meant by a priest in Buddhism? I would think that Buddhism would not have a priest. Would you tell me what is meant by a priest in Buddhism? I would think that Buddhism would not have a priest. The priest, this is the English term, and we don't say That, I think, priest is the Catholic term. So I don't like the word priest. We say just . Oh, so comes from sangha. This is Sanskrit. Just a, you know, a compound. You see now now I mean now you see this is a group group you see a noun that One cannot be a court be called a priest So because it means Sangha Sangha is a just community see Well, so Priest is not good for

[15:01]

So, I mean, the word so, soryo. Soryo is a plural word. But now we use priests, just priests for the convenience sake. You know, we sometimes use bishop and archbishop. Those were just Catholics, not Buddhists. We don't have any pope in Buddhism, you see. No archbishop, no bishop. So bishop or archbishop cannot be used in Buddhism, strictly speaking. I was not objecting because it was just a matter of slightly older words, but as I understand the definition in English, a priest is one who makes sacrifices unto God.

[16:05]

Ah, yes, yes. And a Buddhist doesn't make a sacrifice unto God. No, no, that's right. Well, I'm sorry. Pardon? The viku, viku. Ah, viku, yes, the viku, yes, that's right. A common noun for one person, the bhikkhu, is just a yes. The bhikkhu is a mendicant. Yes, bhikkhu means beggar. You see, that's at the first stage of Buddhism, all the one bhikkhu, bhikkhu. See, many bhikkhus composed the sangha. See? So the monk of Southern Buddhism is called bhikkhu. But we are Mahayana Buddhists, and very far from bhikkhu.

[17:10]

So we cannot use bhikkhu. In Japan, the word biku is not used, not used now. Sometimes bikuni, bikuni, that's a female word, see? That is used, yes. Not biku, huh? What is bunzi? Is that a Chinese term for it? Bunzi? Banzi. Banzi? Yeah. It's not B-O-N-Z. Banzi. Banzi. Oh, yes. B-O-N-Z. Banzi. This is a very contemptuous word that comes from bozi. Bozi? What is that? Originally, it means chief of a temple, the bow.

[18:12]

But now it's very contextual, you see. That's a bond. But in some countries, you see, for instance in Vietnam, they may not know the origin of the word. Anyway, they use the great head bond This monastery, like that. But many Japanese know that the bones come from both. Is there somewhere between mantra and marina? Mantra? Yes, where it goes. Mantra, you see, it's confusing.

[19:15]

Mantra and mandala. It's very different. Mantra is just, you know, some mystic chan, chan spirit, coming from Shingon mysticism. You see? Mantra. Mantra is the, in Japanese, shingon, two words, mystic symbol, symbolic words, or letters. Just mantra, mantra, see? And mandala, mandala is very different, another thing. Mandala is connected with mandala. Is it? Ah, yes, yes. Oh, you mean the Nami Honig is a kind of mantra, you mean? Oh, yes, yes.

[20:17]

Some elements of mantra. Also, Nama Amidamsa has sometimes a kind of mantra in some cases, yes. What does Nam-myoho-rejuvenation mean? That's just an adoration. Nam is just an honor. In Japan, we understand, we devote ourselves to Nam. But originally, it comes from the Sanskrit word namas. That means honor to. But in Japanese, in Japanese, we just follow, we devote ourselves to, see? For instance, when Namo Amida Butsu, we devote ourselves to Buddha Amitabha, like that.

[21:18]

Myoho Rinkyo is the name of the sutra. I was told by someone who took your time that In one devotion, one devotion of praise, all devotions of praise remain. Oh, I get you. So it would be necessary to go into that one. Usually, usually, yes. Oh, yes. She told me . Oh, yes. Usually, you see, the mantra is interpreted that way.

[22:32]

That's a mantra, see? That's mystic. But usually, the mantra is expressed in Sanskrit, you see? In Sanskrit, just a derivation from Sanskrit. But is not Sanskrit. That's a translation of Sanskrit. So that's different, you see? is also Sanskrit, you see? But is not Sanskrit. That's Chinese and Japanese, Chinese-Japanese, you see? You mean the mantra? Well, I see.

[24:06]

I am Nichiren. I say Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. And in the Nichiren sect, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the sacred title of the sutra. And when we say ,, I shall put it in another way. The Nami of Olingikyo, that we call the Odaimoku, the sacred title. And I think this is thanks to the ignorance of the original meaning of Sanskrit on the part of Japanese people.

[25:16]

Namo, when we say Namo, this is also said of Namo Amida Butsu. When we say Namo Amida Butsu or Namo Horinge Kyo, Namo means we devote ourselves to. But at the same time, it can be written in the center of the altar. When it is put in the center, it becomes an object of worship. In that case, the namu means the most honorable, like that. So this way of using namu as just the honorific adjective.

[26:22]

And in other case, the verb comes from the ignorance of the original meaning of Sanskrit, namas. When we say namas in Sanskrit, that means always honor to, adoration to, glory to. That is the development of Japanese Buddhism, a very peculiar way of development of Japanese Buddhism. So when we say nama-myoho-renge-kyo, that means we devote ourselves to the sutra. When we put the nama-myoho-renge-kyo in the center of the altar, it becomes an object of worship. Yes. This is very flexible.

[27:25]

This can be said of nama-myoho-renge-kyo, too. Yes. It's a peculiar way of . See? Interpreting Buddhism. The same thing is the object of worship and the way of worship. Do you have any particular impressions of American Buddhism? Oh, yes, yes, yes. To what extent do you think of them as different from... You named Buddhists from different countries, different traditions in Buddhism. To what extent do you think of American Buddhism as being distinct? American Buddhism... It's American Buddhism.

[28:32]

I don't think there's such a big organization to be called American Buddhism. But here in America, you have Buddhism and there are two kinds of Buddhism. See, one imported from Japan, one imported from the West, Europe, see? And so this is two kinds, and also mixed up well. But they influence each other to some extent. And this is, are also found in Japanese Buddhism of today. For instance, in sin sex, until quite recently, they never celebrated the Hanamatsuri in Japan, see?

[29:50]

Because the sin sex teaching is, just exclusive faith in Buddha Mitabha. They never worshipped Buddha Shakyamuni. But nowadays, no. Nowadays, it's different. In Japan, they celebrate Hanamatsuri. Here also, they celebrate Hanamatsuri. They change very much. And so this is a kind of alternation of Japanese Buddhism into American Buddhism. Yes. And so... I think some points may be pointed out to characterize American Buddhism, yes.

[31:11]

Could you tell me ? I don't believe it was a Buddhist service at all. We're having a special commemoration. Could you tell me of Buddhist or ? Shindai-sori? Shindai-sori? Yeah. Do you say Shindai-sori or Shindai-sori? Shindai-sori. Shindai-sori. Yeah. If you're Dushito or Shinto? Yeah. All of them. All of them. All of them. Yeah. But this... I say, you know... No, I don't think so. Tokyo. What is the difference between Buddhism and Shitteru? You see a clear difference between them, but many similarities too.

[32:40]

And you see, in some cases, Japanese Buddhism or Japanese Buddhist functions or ceremonies are just . Yes. Because, you see, Shinto, the spirit worship, spirit worship, I say, see? Spirit worship comes from Shinto. And, well, the wing of, ah? Kami, yeah. Kami is a Shinto word. It's a very national, very primitive word. uh concepts religious concepts you see they have in every everything has its soul and it's called kami and for instance the tree nutrition in trees it is the coming of a tree see like that so the natural worship

[34:07]

comes from some natural worship or some hero worship, like that. So this is an area found everywhere in primitive Buddhism, you see. And many Japanese Buddhist festivals or ceremonies have many such elements. of Shinto. But not purely Shinto, of course. And the Buddhist idea changed some ideas of Shinto into more, you know, A heart to me, you see, in incitation, just the spirit is scared, fear.

[35:17]

But in Buddhism, it is given more heart, more warmth, I see. That's interpreted with compassion of the Buddha, like that, see? So it changed, modified, yes. But in the core, some Buddhist ceremonies come from Japanese symbolism, yes. So for instance, same thing can be practiced either by Shinto or Buddhism, see? Yes. Oh, yes, dharma. As regards dharma, this Roshi living here is more intelligent than me.

[36:24]

But dharma is too many. Daruma is just a Japanese version of the French pronunciation of Daruma. Daruma.

[36:42]

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