Can you hear me? I am a little bit sore throat. I can't get enough voice. But I try to get. Anyway, I am very happy to be with you to practice Zen Buddhism here. This time, we are starting a new practice. One of Shobo Gendo, Hachidai Ningaku, the Eight Awareness of Enlightened Person.

[01:03]

I don't want to explain so much about the background of Nirvana Sutra, but briefly speaking, there are two kinds of Nirvana Sutra. One is Nirvana Sutra in Hinayana, which explains about the Buddha's death. And the other is Nirvana Sutra in Mahayana, which tries to find the eternity through the Buddha's death. That is Nirvana Sutra in Mahayana Buddhism. And also, the Buddha told his disciples,

[02:18]

as the last words, about the Eight Awareness of the Enlightened Person. In February, in monastery, we have a custom of chanting the Nirvana Sutra for 15 days, from February 1st to 15th. Dogen Zenji also wrote the Eight Awareness of the Enlightened Person in the last chapter of Shobo Gendo,

[03:19]

quoting exactly eight kinds of enlightened person's qualities, which is called Hachidai Ningaku. From Nirvana Sutra, exactly. So, Dogen also feels how important, feels the Eight Awareness of the Enlightened Person, how important it is. That's why he wrote the Hachidai Ningaku in the last chapter of Shobo Gendo. As you know pretty well, each chapter of Shobo Gendo has a particular term, Shobo Gendo, before they add it to each title of the chapter.

[04:28]

So, Hachidai Ningaku is the title, but before Hachidai Ningaku, Dogen added Shobo Gendo to the title, Shobo Gendo Hachidai Ningaku. So, Shobo Gendo, the understanding of Shobo Gendo is also very important for us, because the meaning of Shobo Gendo is exactly identical with the meaning of each Eight Awareness of the Enlightened Person. So tonight, I would like to concentrate on explaining, an explanation on the meaning of Shobo Gendo. Usually, Shobo Gendo is translated as

[05:42]

the storage of the light of the Dhamma eyes, storage of the right Dhamma eye. Sho is right. Bo of Shobo is Dhamma. Gen is eye. Zo is storage. In the first paragraph of Bendowa, there is a wonderful explanation of Shobo Gendo. So, first, I will read the first chapter of Bendowa in order to understand the meaning of Shobo Gendo. The Buddha, Tathagatas, all have a wonderful means,

[06:47]

which is unexcelled and free from human agency for transmitting the wondrous Dhamma, Dhamma from one to another without alteration, and realizing supreme and complete awakening. That it is only transmitted without deviation from Buddha to Buddha is due to the Jigyu Samadhi, which is its touchstone. To disport oneself freely in this Samadhi, the right entrance is proper sitting in Zazen. This Dhamma is amply present in every person,

[07:51]

but unless one practices, it is not manifested. Unless there is realization, it is not attained. It is not the question of one or many. Let loose of it and it fills your hands. It is not bounded vertically or horizontally. Speak it and it fills your mouth. Looking at the notes given by Professor Abe, I would like to explain one by one.

[08:52]

Buddha, Tathagatas, all have a wonderful means. All Buddhas and Tathagatas should have wondrous means, which means wonderful, skillful experience method. Even though you have good ideas, or even though you understand a teaching of Buddhism about emptiness, or about wisdom, about compassion, without skillful experience method, the idea of wisdom and compassion are just like a dead tree. You cannot make them alive.

[09:55]

Because, of course, everyone who practices, who is interested in Zen Buddhism, has deeply the compassion extending to all sentient beings, not only human beings, but also to trees, birds, pebbles, all things. But as you know pretty well, or as you have experienced very much, how difficult it is to actualize wisdom or compassion in your daily living. Even though you understand the principle of compassion, or friendliness, or kindness, or help. Sometimes help, kindness, or friendliness,

[11:00]

kindness, compassion, don't work in your daily living. Because circumstances around you, and circumstances created by you and others, are constantly changing. There is absolutely no particular same pattern, which is called a certain pattern of living, in a certain circumstances. Nothing. Every day is completely different. All circumstances are different. So, that's why you cannot use your compassion, you cannot use the same compassion to everybody,

[12:08]

or to same circumstances, even though you think circumstances are same, but actually they are not. So, that's why you try to help human beings, sometimes they don't accept your help. Reality will be reversed. Fact will be reversed. People will really get angry with you. So, Buddha, anyway, all Buddhas and Patriarchs have perfect, wonderful, mean, skillful, expedient methods. Perfectly. According to ordinary person, according to human consciousness, you immediately judge and criticize. That time you create a certain idea,

[13:11]

it is right, it is wrong. Of course it is. The other day, in Minneapolis, I was the... I went to the Chevrolet dealer to buy a new car, anyway, because unfortunately my dad's son I bought here is completely dead. So I had to buy a new car or used car. But that car is not my own, that car is for my own, and also for my wife and kids, and kids is really a problem for us,

[14:13]

don't you think so? Particularly teenagers. My son is 17, so he really wants to have a brown new car. I don't want, but anyway, but anyway, finally I accept it. But I don't know what will happen after buying brown new car, maybe we would have to eat nothing. Maybe I have to eat air always, just like a goldfish drinking wine and drinking. So anyway, finally,

[15:22]

I found a Chevrolet and Malibu, that's a nice car. I have never ridden such a car. So I will be king next time. When I decide what car I want, I have to ask kids, I have to ask children, what kind of option do you want? Radio, or air condition, or power brake, or power steering, etc., lots of things I have never heard before. I was very confused. Everybody has a different idea. So my wife don't want to have a radio. But kids really want. So I try to choose a certain car,

[16:23]

sort of light green, or maybe silver, etc. So kids said, no, I don't want. So sort of brown, red, dark red. So I decided anyway, I accepted his idea. But finally, I accepted my wife's idea, no radio. My son was not happy. Then instead of setting up a radio, I asked the Chevrolet dealer to put the power brake. Then one of my students who helped me asked me, why do you want the power brake? At that time I didn't have any reason.

[17:25]

I didn't have any reason. I just put the power brake. But unfortunately it was too late. So anyway, I already did. My car anyway has the power brake. But according to the common sense, according to the human consciousness speculation, it was a complete mistake. Maybe so, I don't know. But from the Buddha's eye, it's not a mistake. It's a perfect experience method. Because that mistake is very helpful for me. I understand pretty well what the power brake is. So next time, I can deal with the power brake pretty well. Actually, it's not necessary to have a power brake,

[18:32]

even though in the snow. But anyway, I didn't know why I asked the dealer to put the power brake. But anyway, I did it. So according to human consciousness, it was anyway a mistake. My mistake. But actually, Buddha's eye, it's not a mistake. It's perfect. Anyway, it's a perfect Buddha's experience method. So I can accept very much, smoothly, as a Buddha's experience method. So for a while, you can get confused a little bit. To the right, to the left. Oh, I made a mistake. But it's not a big mistake. It is a perfect method through which you can learn how important, what is the meaning of power brake. So next time, I can see. I can take one step,

[19:35]

how to take one step in the next moment. That's great. So in the broad respect, in the Buddha's world, anyway, everyone must be, anyway, Buddha. From this point, everyone has skillful, wonderful skillful experience method. So after careful consideration, anyway, you should decide. Even though it is not good result, that's okay. It's not good result, evil result. Even though it's good result, or even though it's evil result, all are anyway nothing but wonderful Buddha's skillful method, experience method. So Buddha, Tathagatas, all have wonderful means,

[20:36]

which is unexcelled and free from human agency. That's wonderful, skillful experience method is something unexcelled, because that skillful experience method is something beyond human speculation. According to human speculation, you can judge it. If you judge it, it is good or bad, right or wrong. As you know pretty well, several years ago, one of Vietnamese monks burned his body in order to save Vietnamese people, in order to save all sentient beings. At that time, you know pretty well

[21:39]

what happened in newspapers, magazines. Some people are respecting him so much, some people are criticizing him so much. Well, whatever you say, your criticism, your judgment doesn't hit the mark, because his way to burning, to burn his body to save all sentient beings is completely experienced method which Buddha has. So, wonderful means, wonderful methods, as Buddha's skillful experience method must be unexcelled and free from human agency. Human agency means,

[22:40]

he translated the term mui in Japanese, m-u-i, in Sanskrit as sanskrita. It means unmade state of being or uncreated state of being. So, Professor Abe, in a way, translated as free from human agency, in a way, free from human speculation. That is Buddha's wonderful experience method. Why does it? Why does Buddha have skillful method, skillful experience method, which is going beyond human speculation

[23:48]

because Buddha has to transmit the wondrous dharma from one to another without alteration and realizing supreme and complete awakening because he has to transmit the wondrous dharma, wondrous dharma. What is wondrous dharma? Wondrous dharma is very clear state of being which no one can act perversely to it. No one can go out of it. No one can distort it. No one can revolve in opposite direction through it.

[24:56]

No one can revolve in opposite direction through it means when you ride on a car, you have to be in the car. In a way, you have to do same things with a car. You cannot go out of it. Even though you want to go in opposite direction, you cannot go. In a way, car is going this way, you cannot go that way. In a way, you should go with a car. By human consciousness, always going through human consciousness always leads you to go in opposite direction. That is what is called human problem. For instance, if you sit that way every day, actually, in a way, all your body and mind must be sitting here.

[26:02]

That's very simple practice. Very simple practice. When you sit, sit down. When you go to the hotel, you may go to hotel, but actually your consciousness doesn't go to the hotel. Sometimes you want to stay in the Zen, so going with the consciousness drives you to go in opposite direction. When you sit down, your body and mind must sit right now, right here, that's all, but your mind goes to Europe, Japan, Australia, sometimes paradise, sometimes craziness, and sometimes trance. Many things. That is, in a way, what is called human problem. So, the wondrous Dharma

[27:07]

is completely, completely a definite, clear state of being. No one can go out of it. No one can act perversely to it. No one can distort it. This is the original nature of your life. If you want to exist in this world as a human being, anyway you should accept, you should accept your life as a Buddhist life, which means you should express the deepest appreciation for your existence, whatever you feel from your life. Anyway, from the beginning to end, you should express continually, day after day, the deepest appreciation for your existence,

[28:08]

because this is original life. And also, if you accept this life in that way, then you can realize your life, how sublime, how valuable it is. If you realize it, you can't keep it in your own realm. You have to transmit it to somebody, to people in future generations. This is your responsibility, anyway. As a human being, if you are human, you have to transmit your life, how sublime human life must be transmitted to future generations, to people in the present and also future generations. That is our responsibility we have to take.

[29:10]

So, that's why the Buddha has to have wondrous, skillful, experienced method, because he has to transmit his teaching, his life, to the people in the present and also people in the future, in the past, complete, future generations. That's why the Buddha Shakyamuni attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. After that, he suffered from this issue, whether he should stay there or he should leave his seat for teaching the people, teaching his life to people. It is said that Buddha

[30:22]

sat for 21 days more after attaining his attainment, attaining enlightenment. So, after three weeks, it is said that he decided to go to the cities, the towns, the villages and teach his life, his Buddha Dharma to all sentient beings. Then, because he has already wisdom, compassion, through attaining enlightenment, but if he keeps wisdom and compassion in his own heart, without expressing them to all sentient beings,

[31:27]

all he has to do is to wait his death. That's all. So, instead of waiting for his death, without doing anything, he decided to go to the town, village, city and see the people to teach. Then, finally, he has lots of skill, experience, method to teach wisdom and compassion. And then, gradually, compassion, wisdom, as Buddha's teachings, Buddha's teaching is getting transmitted to one by one, just like lighting the candle, one by one. Then still, Buddha's teaching is transmitted up to now.

[32:29]

So, at any cost, we have to transmit the wondrous Dharma from one to another without alteration, without alteration. Anyway, without alteration means you have to educate somebody who would become exactly the same as teachers' behavior, teachers' daily living, teachers' teaching, teachers' personality, teachers' characters, exactly. You don't believe that it is really true. I was living with my master at the temple

[33:31]

and I practiced writing the calligraphy every day with a brush, as you know, Japanese brush. We had a custom to nap in daytime after lunch because, particularly in summer, it was very hot. So my master had to take a nap, but instead of taking a nap, I practiced the calligraphy. And also I always had the chance to look at his calligraphy. He was writing calligraphy, so always I would look at it. But I have never had a chance to learn calligraphy from the teacher. He didn't teach me anything at all. He just told me, you should practice calligraphy. But he was a great calligrapher,

[34:33]

but he didn't teach me. So I just practiced by myself and looked at his way of calligraphy. I learned, anyway, a feeling of his calligraphy when I just looked at it. Finally, anyway, somebody told me, your calligraphy is exactly the same as your teacher's calligraphy. I was very surprised. Don't you think so? It is true. If you sit in Zazen, OK? If you sit in Zazen, your look is getting better. Believe me. Yes, it is. Your look, your total picture of your life is getting beautiful. Anyway. Even though you have lots of wrinkles on your face, the more you get old, wrinkles become very beautiful.

[35:34]

It makes your life beautiful anyway. So, even though you don't want to enlighten it through Zazen, well, Zazen leads you to attain enlightenment sooner or later. At that time, don't be surprised. You can see real enlightenment. But now you are seeking enlightenment which is not real, so you are very interested in that fake enlightenment. If you see the real enlightenment, maybe you would be surprised. Maybe you would be confused and upset. Well, this is also pretty good.

[36:37]

So, if you are anyway right in the middle of Zazen, then your whole body and mind become serene anyway. If you always get angry every day, of course, it is very natural that your looks become angry anyway. So, circumstances are very important for you. And also your friends, your teachers, and many things visibly and invisibly around you are very important. So, anyway, everything, very important things, completely beyond human speculation, must be transmitted without alteration. You don't realize. But anyway, it is exactly transmitted to you

[37:40]

without alteration. This is the real meaning of human life. That's why, in your family life, look at the kids. Kids are very sensitive, very sensitive to learn. Even the two or three years old boys, girls, learn quickly what their parents do. You don't teach them how to behave, how to fight, or how to be kind, or how to be compassionate to people. But anyway, kids learn very quickly from your behavior, from your doing, from your attitude, from your smile, from your standing posture. So, standing posture is not standing posture you can think. Standing posture is anywhere one can stand. One can stand. Which is transmitted directly without alteration.

[38:41]

That's why when you stand up, when you gassho, anyway, you gassho. So, that's why, Dogen then says, transmitting the wondrous diamond from one to another without alteration. Without alteration. This is not technical. It is not technique. It's really something beyond human speculation. But it is always present with your behavior, attitude, and posture, physical, mental posture, whatever you do. Always there. And realizing supreme and complete awakening. And also this wondrous diamond

[39:42]

transmitted from one to another without alteration is that which we realize. And as supreme and complete awakening, sooner or later, anyway, it's blue. It's blue. So then you don't believe shikantaza. Because shikantaza is ridiculous. Because you are not getting used to shikantaza without expecting anything at all. Even religion, look at religion. Religion gives lots of stuff. Not material stuff, but also spiritual stuff. Lots of stuff. That's why we get used to receiving lots of material or spiritual stuff. If religion don't give

[40:46]

any spiritual stuff or material stuff, you don't satisfy. So that's why sometimes you feel boredom in zazen. But if you continue to do zazen, zazen is not the zen you think. It is anyway wondrous diamond. Wondrous diamond leads you to touch the core of human life, which is completely useless according to the human speculation. It's useless. Ridiculous. Ridiculous. Useless means not useless. Uselessness is very useful because it leads you to see directly what human life

[41:49]

is, what the core of human life is. In other words, human life is a life which is a present of being located at the intersection of time and space. What is a time? Time is constantly changing. Nothing to hold in your hand. Nothing to hang around. Anyway, time is completely leaving nothing behind you. That's why we cannot stand up there. Just sit down without doing anything. Just sit down breathing. What do you mean? It's very ridiculous. But this is real significance of time in which your life is exactly present. That's why if you look at human history, for century after century

[42:51]

human beings try to create something particular, extra, because they cannot stand up right in the middle of time stream. There are three things human beings create. One is researching the beginning of world. Second is the end of the world. Third is the merits of human life, merits of activities, and merits of human culture, merits of deepening, enriching the human personality, human mind. Totally speaking, that is human culture. Then if you create human culture,

[43:51]

researching the beginning of the world, the end of the human world, then we can make promise when you die. There is paradise after death. Then you can die in peace. But if you don't, if I don't give any promise, when you die, just die. How can you die? It's not so easy. But this death is exactly real death. Death is life. See? So, Dokin and the Buddhism, Dokin always emphasized total picture of Buddhism mentioned by Buddha without putting a certain label

[44:53]

on it, such as Zen Buddhism, or Sinsuku, or Tibetan Buddhism, or Japanese Buddhism, or Indian Buddhism. Anyway, he tried to present for us, present us total picture of Buddhism which is universal. So, anyway, even though you think Zazen is useless for your life, for five years, even though you studied Zazen, you practiced Zazen, still you don't satisfy. But that's OK. It's alright. Anyway, continue to practice Zazen. Because that Zazen is Zazen, which you can realize, sooner or later. It,

[45:54]

not as Zazen used to conceptualize, but as supreme and complete awakening. You really awaken to real picture of human life. How to behave, how to take attitude toward human life, human faces. Human life is such as washing face, having breakfast, walking on the street, walking in office, go to bed. Anyway, you can learn. You can awaken. So, next, Dogen Lin says, that it is only transmitted without deviation from Buddha to Buddha is due to

[46:56]

the GGU Samadhi. So, wondrous Dharma, what is a wondrous Dharma? A wondrous Dharma should have its own condition, inevitable condition, through which it is transmitted. That is GGU Samadhi as a touchstone. Touchstone. GGU Samadhi is according to the notes, it says, GGU means that an awakened one receives and uses the joy of awakening in himself. GGU Samadhi thus refers to the Samadhi in which this is realized and sustained.

[47:57]

It is said Shakyamuni was immersed in the joy of enlightenment following his attainment. The self enjoyment of one's awakening is GGU and is distinguished from GGU, the activity that has others receive and use the joy of their awakening. Self enjoyment is not a state of being, not a state of losing the sight of the self with rapt attention when you see or hear or do something favorable. GGU is anyway to be free

[49:00]

to get and to attain freedom. Nevertheless, you cannot be bounded by a frame of freedom. That is GGU Samadhi. And this wondrous Dharma must have the inevitable condition as touchstone which is called GGU Samadhi. This Samadhi is something transmitted

[50:04]

without deviation from Buddha to Buddha. That is anyway the meaning of Sho of Shobo Genzo. Sho means right. Sho means right. Right means to transmit without deviation from Dharma to Dharma about what? GGU Samadhi. GGU Samadhi means wondrous Dharma. Wondrous Dharma means human life of sublime, of wonderful human life here. It is completely beyond human speculation. You don't understand, but it is always present in your daily living. So, Zazen is not Zazen you think. Zazen is anyway Zazen

[51:05]

as wondrous Dharma which is called GGU Samadhi. Through the GGU Samadhi you can learn Zazen as wondrous Dharma. So, GGU Samadhi is sort of one practice Samadhi totally complete absorption into Zazen itself. This is GGU Samadhi. Nevertheless, GGU Samadhi is the complete absorption into Zazen without leaving its own trace. This is GGU, self enjoyment. GGU Samadhi. For instance, when you ride airplane, you don't know you are moving. You are very quiet because you are exactly one with airplane

[52:05]

which is moving constantly. Now, only when you see something objectively through the window, you can know something moving or clouds is moving something like that. Then, immediately you see yourself or airplane or airplane moving. But this is still airplane or you seeing objectively. But if you see yourself directly, you are very calm because you are completely one with airplane. No gap between airplane and you. So, that is GGU Samadhi. So, that is completely GGU Samadhi is anyone who understands transmitted without deviation from Buddha to Buddha. That is

[53:07]

the meaning of right. Shobo or Shobo Genzo. Right. Etymologically point of view, in Japanese, Shobo consists of the two parts. One is just one. The other part is to stop. To dwell in. To dwell in. Right means to dwell in one. To dwell in one. Nothing to see objectively. This is right. Or Shobo of Shobo Genzo. How can you know? This is anyway something you can transmit without deviation from Buddha to Buddha. That is anyway right. When you do Zazen, anyway Zazen is anyway right. Down. Right down.

[54:07]

You don't understand, but if you become one with Zazen, you don't know. You don't know what you are doing. But this is anyway to use Samadhi and something right you do. Dharma of Shobo Genzo is anyway Dharma or in this case the wondrous Dharma. In this case did you use Samadhi? Which is a touchstone. The etymologically speaking Dharma of Shobo Genzo consists of two parts. One is water.

[55:09]

The other one is to remove. To remove. Water is keeping even or horizontal. Water is calculated by keeping something exactly even and horizontal. So water means keeping even exactly always whatever it is. And to live the other part of the Dharma is to remove. To remove is is not to move something from one to another.

[56:12]

When you keep exactly even or balanced if your body and mind is kept in balance perfectly then naturally there is nothing wrong. Nothing wrong. So something wrong is removed simultaneously. For instance if you sit very straight in proper way, sitting is OK like this, but if you stand up but somebody tipping forward or leaning to the left or to the right, you cannot sit down or you cannot stand up like this for 10 minutes or for 15 minutes, you get trouble. Because this is not balance. This is not the state of keeping even or balanced.

[57:15]

So your body or your mind, your posture, your posture of walking, posture of sitting, posture of sleeping in bed, posture of chanting or gassho, whatever you do, your body and mind must be kept in balance perfectly. At that time you can remove very naturally something wrong. But you say you don't believe yet. Because you have still something wrong. I have too. I have still something wrong here, shoulders. But this is not something wrong. This is a very great proof I am anywhere present in wonderful dharma, wondrous dharma. So it means it is a great proof I am alive. So I can accept very naturally. So that is a bow

[58:18]

of shoto genzo, bow, which is called dharma. In Sanskrit, dharma means to uphold, to uphold or to sustain. To sustain something. Always there is something to uphold, to maintain your life. What is that? This is perfect path, perfect path. Mistake or not mistake or anyway perfect path. But if, sometimes mistake is not perfect balance because you create lots of trouble around mistake. That is why mistake cannot become perfect balance. Mistake cannot penetrate into your life. Suggesting how to take one step in the next moment.

[59:20]

That is anyway meaning of shobo. Give me a little more time.

[59:59]

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