Sometimes you must have wondered what you got yourself into by practicing Buddhism. And sometimes I myself feel, how could Buddhism exist? How could anybody have figured out Buddhism. It occurs to me that way because there's no other way to express it, so that's not exactly what I mean. When you've been studying Buddhism a pretty long time, so much unfolds Tozan's five ranks are so fantastic. You can't imagine how anyone, how Tozan or anyone could have figured it out, or ever imagined anyone else could understand it. It's unbelievable enough that one of us can have some understanding

[01:29]

How could? And it is so completely by some chance that we understand it. Some quirk. How could someone have created a vast subject like Buddhism which depends on some quirk to understand it? If it weren't for the quirk, you wouldn't have got it. But does it mean that Tozan and Sozan and Those guys had the same quirks. Maybe they had the same quirks. It's interesting. It becomes very clear that only by your sincerity can you understand Buddhism. And it's clear that Only by Tozan's sincerity could he have created five ranks. There's no way to figure it out, or no way to imagine it. And what's amazing is we reach the same point.

[02:52]

so vast a subject, and yet, by our sincerity and by our lucky chances and by our quirks, we over and over again come to the same points that Joshu did, or Tsukyoshi did, or Tozan, Sozan did. Some early master named Tosu Dogen tells about Tosu and Sozon's discussion of comments on a withered tree. Someone asked Tosu, does a withered tree a roar like a dragon. And Tosa said, in my way of Buddhism, or in my Buddhism, even

[04:24]

A skull has glowing eyes, he said. This kind of statement is a little difficult to understand. Don't you agree? I hope you agree. This kind of language is not a symbolic language. It's more like I was using language yesterday, where I used the word form equals bearing. This is a kind of language that you can't pin down, that shifts in meaning, not symbolic but more something, some word that won't stay still for you to get some meaning for it, and which its use comprises its many associations. This is true of Buddhism in general, as you know. It's very difficult to define dharma. No matter how much you study Buddhism, it's pretty difficult to define dharma.

[05:51]

You can take some technical definition from a book, but by your own experience, on the spur of the moment, what is dharma? Well, it's pretty difficult to say. What is dharma? This word moves its meaning. If you try to define it, it moves over here. We can be dharma, maybe, but it's very difficult to define dharma. You can base your life on dharma, without question you can live your whole life through dharma, surely, but you can't define it. Dogen also tells the story of Sozon. A monk, based on the same language, uses the same story. In the first case, you know, when the monk says, does a withered tree roar like a dragon? Dogen says, the first time the monk has been able to

[07:20]

express his desire to know the truth. The first time the monk has shown his away-seeking mind, does a withered tree roar like a dragon? And Tosu answered, in my Buddhism Even a skull has glowing eyes. So Sozon is asked by a monk. Sozon is Tozon's disciple. Some people say Soto school is named after Soto, Sozon and Tozon. Sozon was asked, What about the roar of a withered tree? Does a withered tree roar like a dragon? Does a withered tree roar like a dragon? And Sozan says, the stream of blood never ceases flowing. The stream of blood never ceases flowing.

[08:49]

He means the Buddhas and patriarchs, the lineage, the stream of blood never ceases flowing. And the monk said, what about the glowing eyes of a skull? And Sotan said, A withered tree never dries up. A withered tree never dries up. A withered tree never dries up. Have a cup of tea." It's the same thing, actually. A withered tree never dries up. Have a cup of tea. So the monk says, I don't understand. Does anyone understand?" Pretty good, monk. And Sozon said, everyone understands in the whole world. Well, the monk says, I still don't. Is there any way to express in words, to describe in words the roar of the dragon? And Sozon said,

[10:19]

I myself don't understand the word. I myself don't understand the word." Now Dogen says, this poor monk lost his life. He didn't understand. And Dogen says, the poor monk didn't know that Sozon's words were the roar of the dragon. That's a very important point. Sozan's words were the very roar of the dragon. The monk couldn't hear it. And where, he says, everyone, everyone can hear it. And Dogen commented, If everyone can hear it, when everyone can hear it, where is the roar of the dragon? Withered tree, it means... Withered tree means the absolute or something non-dual.

[11:48]

like lineage, as I've said. Just some ordinary person, and yet next disciple is a great Buddhist. But his teacher was just an ordinary person, it looked like. Like in wintertime, it looks like a withered tree, and in springtime, some bud comes up. There's another expression, quite similar. Ocean, you can't see the bottom of an ocean. Or, even if the ocean dries up, you can't see the bottom. This is the same type of meaning, you know. On the one hand, ocean, you can't see the bottom of the ocean, it's too vast.

[12:59]

But even if you dried up the bottom of the ocean, you can't see it because there's no more ocean. Ocean is somewhere else. You just have dirt. Buddhism is like that. Ocean is always drying up and always you can't see the bottom. A tree can't be withered up, a stream of blood can't be dried up. So ocean, which you can't see the bottom of it, I mean Buddhism, which we can't understand Or Dogen says, bird only knows the air by flying in it. He doesn't, the bird doesn't begin to fly by knowing it's the end of the sky. A fish doesn't swim by knowing the end of the ocean. Even if the ocean dries up you can't find the bottom. Sound of

[14:27]

Sosan's voice is the roar of the dragon. Even if you dry up Sosan's voice, still roar of the dragon is there. Question I pose to you. What is the lore of the dragon? How do you find

[17:47]

the withered tree which never dries up. How do you have the courage to enter this magical ocean which never dries up? Which you discover all the salient points only by your intense sincerity. There's no other way.

[18:50]

Buddhism won't succumb to intelligence or effort or time. It only will succumb to your intense sincerity. anything less than that, and you will always be going off, sideways, off the main path. Like Dogen's returning you know, half-dipper bridge, Heiheiji, where Dogen, when he washed his clothes, returned the water, when he finished, to the running stream. Or at Heiheiji, and in monasteries in Japan in general, you only fill up your wash basin 70% about. Just enough water.

[20:16]

This kind of carefulness is necessary. As someone told me, watching a Mrs. Nakamura-sensei, not teaching tea, but just doing something in the kitchen, when no one was there her utter sincerity this way you won't ever be afraid you always be on your own two feet

[21:44]

wonderful, such a great, vast creation as Buddhism, which depends on only utter sincerity to plumb. By that the blood, the stream of blood never dries up. By that unerringly you can find your bearing. Find So-Zon's way and To-Zon's way. Find the five ranks of To-Zon unfolding in your own body. Totally offering yourself to the relative vomiting up the seven moons, is some expression. It's again an example of language which shifts in meaning, you know, to cover whole Buddhist

[23:38]

You can't understand it completely, so you have nothing to depend on except your simplicity, sincerity. And by that you can find the course through this vast world that When you do that, we call it Buddhism. And when you acknowledge it with others, we call it Buddhism. And you will acknowledge it with past, present, and future Buddhists. And it's available, accessible to anyone by their utter sincerity. Nothing between you and your breathing, not holding back anymore, nothing between you and the dragon. Roar!

[25:36]

nothing between you and your own voice. You understand the essential meaning, so just penetrate until everything you look at, everything you see and do is your penetration. As Sozon said, I don't understand the word myself, means, this penetration.

[27:17]

beyond words, through words, knowing with sureness what these men, these people, must be talking about, what the roar of the dragon is. Thank you.

[28:34]

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