Seek a personal teacher, seek a good friend, there is nothing like not forgetting. In the original text, Buddha says, you must seek for a good teacher, a good protector, and a good helper. There is nothing like the morning, the forgetting, not forgetting. There is nothing like forgetting.

[01:25]

The Buddha says, you must seek for a good teacher, a good protector, and a good helper. There is nothing like not forgetting. Not forgetting in this book, the morning in Japanese. In this case, to seek a good teacher means means to seek for the practice of seeking,

[02:36]

the practice of seeking for listening to the Dharma, to the Dharma. To seek a good teacher is to listen, to listen, to seek for listening to the Dharma, in other words, Buddha's teaching or truth.

[03:41]

To seek a good protector means to seek contemplating a good thing inwardly. To seek a good teacher means to seek for the practice of seeking, to think a good thing inwardly.

[04:46]

To think a good thing inwardly is to seek a good protector. To seek a good helper is to practice, to practice. To seek a good helper is

[06:01]

to practice the perfect knowledge, perfect knowledge. This is, these three, to listen, to listen to Buddha's teaching, to think, to contemplate a good thing inwardly, to practice a perfect knowledge. These three practices are very important training, training in order to promote, promote a human being. But the, but in this, the Buddha says, but the Buddha says that you should seek a good teacher, a good protector and good helper.

[07:06]

There is nothing like mourning, mourning. So the mourning means, in this case, the Dogen Zenji's explanation is to keep, to observe, to observe right thinking, right thinking. Right thought, right thought. This is Shonen. Shonen, thought is right, right is the continue to think, continue to think appropriately, continue to think good things. This is Shonen. Then the, this, the practice, the practice of Fumonen, practice of not forgetting, written meaning of this Fumonen is not forgetting, not forgetting.

[08:19]

Not forgetting means to observe right, right contemplation, right contemplation, right thought. This is Shonen, Fumonen. So, this, the practice of right contemplation, right thought is best, best practice, best practice than, best practice than these, of more important, more important practice than these three, to listen the Buddha's teaching, to think a good thing inwardly and to practice perfect knowledge. Because the practice of right thought, practice of right thought is the best foundation, best foundation of the Buddhist, the foundation of the, put, put the Buddha's teaching in practice, in practice.

[09:35]

This is the most important thing, this is the best practice, Shonen. Whatever it is, whatever you are, whatever you do, the practice of the Shonen, right thought, is the best practice, the most important practice. Then, what is, what is NEN? I think last week, I explained a little bit about the meaning of NEN, NEN, think, thinking, thought. The, from that, from that point, from that point, what I said, Fumonen, the practice of Fumonen, practice of right thought means,

[10:55]

means, to say, how to reveal, how to reveal the self, the self who cannot, who cannot be, who cannot be cheated, who cannot be cheated. Do you understand? This self is important. The self, the self who cannot be cheated. Do you understand? This is important. You can see, the other day, last week, I said, you can see the, you can see your figure, figure reflected in the mirror. Then you see, you understand yourself, oh, this is my face, this is my, this is mine.

[11:58]

Now, what you think, this is mine, is always, is a situation in life, situation in life that you look at yourself from the one-sided direction. You see, you look at, you look at, you look at the mirror, you look at you, then reflected in the mirror. Then this is, you said, you think, oh, this is mine, this is mine. But, as mentioned before, at the same time, the you reflected on the mirror, look at you. This is, this is the self, no, the whole existence of yourself is the great, great integration of the you who look at the, who look at the person reflected on the mirror,

[13:04]

and the you reflected on the mirror, look at yourself. Mostly human beings, when a human being looks at something, they always understand something from the one-sided directions of his own, of their own. I look at the mirror, and you understand, this is myself, this is mine. You know, from this point, if you understand yourself just from the one-sided direction of your own, you know, you can, you will be, you will be filled up with your face. Or, how awful my face is, you know. So, sometimes you think, I want to have the opical braces, you know, to correct my nose, and like this.

[14:11]

But, even though you think so, you think so by looking at the you reflected on the mirror. The, the you who you think, I don't like my face, cannot be cheated, cannot be cheated, you know, cannot be cheated. Okay? So, the whole existence of yourself is the integration, integration of the you who look at the mirror, and at the same time, the you reflected on the mirror, look at yourself, look at you. This is our existence, this is whole existence of ourselves. Then, this is the self, this is the self. This self, never be, never be cheated, even though you can cheat the others.

[15:21]

You can cheat the others, you can cheat the others, and get, get the money from other, other's pocket. But the self, the self cannot be cheated. This is, then, the how to reveal. The shonen means shonen, the right thought means how to reveal this self, this self. Whatever you go, whatever you are, you are. The, your existence, you, you exist, you exist on the basis of the self who cannot be cheated, who cannot be cheated. So, whatever you go, whatever you do, you have to observe this self, observe this self with carefulness, carefulness.

[16:24]

This is important. If you, if you see yourself, if you understand yourself, just only the one-sided direction of your own, you, you always hate yourself. I don't like myself, I don't like someone, I don't like United States, I like Japan, I don't like Japan, you know. But even in Japan, even Reverend Katagiri exists. Reverend Katagiri, regardless of my name, regardless of the position of the Zen priest, Reverend Katagiri himself cannot be cheated, cannot be cheated. Regardless of my name, regardless of the position of the Zen priest, this is the self, this is the self. This is, then shonen means how to reveal, how to observe, how to observe constantly this right thought, this self who cannot be cheated.

[17:41]

Then, in Buddhist psychology, explained about the name. Name is defined clearly, defined clearly in every movement and never be forgotten, forgotten. Name is defined clearly in every movement and never be forgotten. This is name, this is the meaning of name. Then, the original sentence, in the original sentence, en ni oite.

[18:49]

I translated en in Japanese. En oite, the literal meaning of this phrase means the end, the principle of the conditioned origination, conditioned origination. I translated in every movement, in every movement. The right thought, right thought should be alive, should be alive in every movement, every movement and never be forget. In other words, it means you have to, the right thought is directed to concentrate on every movement, every movement with carefulness, with care, with care.

[20:17]

Then, I think the shonen is how to reveal the self who cannot be cheated and how to reveal, how to express, how to show the manifest, the ultimate manifestation of now and here, now and here. The, means to show, to show the self, to show the self who cannot be cheated in the domain of ultimate manifestation of now and here. Now and here. So, whatever you are, whenever you go, whatever you do, wherever you go, regardless of any kind of conceptions,

[22:01]

name, honor, right, or fame, position, rank, the right thought, right thought should be revealed. Generally speaking, right thought is expressed in words, right force, right force, right force. So, everything possess, everything possess the right force in my essence. As long as the all being, all being endure, this right force is important.

[23:01]

So wherever you go, wherever you do, the right force must be revealed as it is. And any opportunity, any opportunity to reveal this right force is open for everybody. Not only human beings, but also for all sentient beings. Even the grass, even the sunshine, even the moon, even the rocket. Even the ants, whatever it is, this is shonen. So, that's why the practice of shonen is a very fundamental practice of Buddhism. But I want to explain more in detail.

[24:08]

In sutra it says, I think, you know, before the explanation of this sutra, if religion explains the existence of the absolute and the god, and another name, such and such, Buddha or god, anything else, you know, anyway, they should be the absolute, the existence, the absolute. Then, first, the religion leads us to think the existence of god first.

[25:17]

Then, next, they admit the existence of human beings. So, the god, the existence of god, who governs the existence of human beings and the existence of all sentient beings. And the human being must be frustrated, must be frustrated right before, right in the presence of the god, the absolute, god and Buddha. Then, if you follow the existence, the principle of god, principle of Buddha, it is possible to be born in the heavens after death.

[26:21]

If you don't follow the principle of the god, principle of Buddha, it is possible to be born in hell after death. This is a very simple principle of religion. Then, this is very simple. If the religion explains some aspect of its principle, principle in such a way, you can understand, you can understand easily what religion is. And you can believe in some, you can believe in easily this religion. Because the first, the almighty, the existence that god and almighty exist,

[27:30]

this is completely almighty. God, who governs, who controls human beings and all sentient beings. Now, all we have to do is just believe it, believe it, that's all. Even though whatever you do, sometimes you mistake, then you should go, you should run, you should run away, you should rush into the church and confess your mistake right before the god. At that time, you are saying your guilty disappears. And after leaving the church, probably you might do mistake again.

[28:31]

Then you must rush into the church again and confess yourself. Please forgive me. Amen. This is very simple. Then you can understand, you can understand, oh, this is religion, this is religion. But Buddhism says, don't say that. Very complicated, very complicated. Because Buddhism first says, don't expect, don't expect anything. Every time what you do, what you may do, every time whatever you do, don't expect, don't reckon on anything, reckon on anything. In the domain of no expectations,

[29:38]

you should find yourself to settle yourself on the self with peacefulness, with religious security. This is Buddhism. From this point, Buddhism does not explain first the existence of the absolute, who human beings, human beings take into account. Because Buddhism says, there is nothing to expect whatever you do. And at the same time, you have to find yourself to settle on the self

[30:40]

in the domain of no expectations, no expectations. Why? This is important. Why? How come? How come we have to put the emphasis, emphasis, strong emphasis on the no expectation? No expectation is not to do anything, whatever you want. At random. Please don't mistake, don't mistake, don't misunderstand. Then in the sutra it says, I want to show the two sentences, two paragraphs.

[31:41]

One is, life is transient, life is transient. On what grass by the roadside will the dew of our body fall? Our bodies are not always or even for a time completely ours. Not for one moment can we hold to this existence, which passes swiftly with the flight of time. When the rosy tint of youth is once gone from the cheek, it is impossible to bring it back. The past cannot be recovered. When transiency overtakes us, neither king, nor parents, nor wife, nor children can help us. Alone we must depart on the long journey accompanied only by our good and evil actions.

[33:01]

This is one sentence. In this, the paragraph I want to tell us, the point is, the point is, that everything is based on the principle of trans... Transient. Not principle, the truth of transiency, because the truth is beyond the principle. The truth consists in a big world, a big world beyond the principle, or the world of principle, or of no principles.

[34:05]

This is truth. The principle of transiency is really truth. The second is, we should not associate, we should not associate closely with those who are ignorant of the law of karma, who doubt the truth of retribution, who do not know the true state of existence, and who cannot hardly distinguish good from evil. It is very evident, it is very evident that the laws of cause and effect governs everything equally. The evil, the evil thought, word, or deed brings an evil condition.

[35:12]

The good thought, or word, or deed brings a happy condition. It is evident that the law of cause and effect governs everything equally. Evil will be followed by an evil result, and good by a good result. This second paragraph tells us how the word based on transiency exists, exists, exists. It's the verse, the word, the word based on the transiency exists, based on the cause and effect, the law of cause and effect, law of cause and effect.

[36:23]

If you compare the first one with the second paragraph, you will find the theory of contradictory, contradictions, completely contradictions. Both are completely contradictory theories. Because the first paragraph says everything changes, everything exists on the basis of the law of change, law of change. There is nothing to catch, there is nothing to fix the idea, fix the idea. Even though I am Reverend Karthikeya, there is nothing to catch myself as a Reverend Karthikeya.

[37:39]

Because my name, the name of Reverend Karthikeya, and the existence of myself change constantly. So this is transiency, this is transiency. But on the contrary to the first paragraph, the second says everything exists, everything consists in the law, consists in the law of cause and effect. If you do a good deed, it brings a good result. If you do an evil deed, it brings an evil result. You know, the second is a really contradictory theory to the first statement.

[39:01]

Then, the Eightfold Buddhism teaches us all sentient beings are based on the principle of transiency. People think, although this world is transiency, my life is transiency. Then, I want to lead a short life and a merely one. And I want to do anything, what I want, because life is transiency. Life is transiency, the all sentient beings are transiency. There is nothing to catch, there is nothing to catch to tell me this is my life.

[40:14]

This is Reverend Karthikeya, nothing. If so, it is all right, it is all right to do what I want to do. Then, I decide, I decide to lead a short life, a short life and a merely one. Then, after doing this, after following in that way, a result may tell us, a result may tell us, you know, someone gets tuberculosis. This is tuberculosis, but as a result, as a result, that result that they had spent, they had spent this life at random, on his way, on his own way.

[41:22]

But he is, he is not aware, he is not yet aware of himself, what the human being is. Then he, he may, he may continue to lead his, lead a short life and a merely one, constantly. And he, he is at dead end, he thinks, there is nothing to die, that's all, this is my life, this is his life. This is his life, that he won't do it, he won't put emphasis on the human life based on the transient. But as a result, there is nothing to find themselves, to be aware of the truth, cannot be cheated based on the truth.

[42:46]

As a result, they cannot understand what the principle of transiency is. They only, the disease of tuberculosis, disease of cancers, disease of any kind of disease, any kind of disease, wait for themselves in his future, for the direction of his future. Then, according to the second principle, second principle of second principle, If all sentient beings are based on the law of cause and effect, for what can we live in this world, can we live?

[43:56]

For what should we, should we live in this world? If the world follows the law of cause and effect, what is my aim, what is my aim in my life? Then, according to this principle, if you make every effort to make money, to make lots of money, you may live in luxury, in a luxurious life. It is really in nature, natural situation in human being. Then, my aim is, the purpose of my life, of our life, is to get the money, to get the money and to become wealthy.

[45:08]

And at the same time, to keep healthy, to keep health, to enjoy my health without getting disease. This is our aim. This is the purpose of my life, of our life, according to cause and effect. But, to get money and to enjoy the health are not always the purpose of my life, of our life. Then, in Buddhism, dang is to cut off, to cut off.

[46:15]

Dang is the viewpoint, the literal meaning of dang is to see, to see, to look at something. So, it means, dang can mean to see something, to see something, to see something by making a wall, making a wall before you, before you. It means you see something from the one-sided view, direction, direction of your own viewpoint. Everything exists according to, according to the transcendence. So, it is all right, it is all right to do anything what I want. So, no rules, no principles, no regulations in society, social life.

[47:19]

Real life is always running off their own line, lines. If you, if the train, if the train runs off the lines, rails, a train is not a train. But, those who follow, who believe in this, the transcendence, the principle of transcendence, can understand what the train is, what they are, what human beings are. The transcendence, the principle, the thing, the thing transcendence, the principle of transcendence is to do anything, whatever you do, whatever they want, at random, half-random.

[48:28]

All they have to do is to go on their own, that's all. No rules, no principles, no rails, no rails, no lines. This is the viewpoint of life, based on the danken. Danken means one-sided view, direction, viewpoint. To see something from the one-sided direction of viewpoint, danken. If so, we have to find some aim, some aim, some purpose, some purpose of life, for what should we live, for what should we live? Then, the second person, those who follow the second principle, they find the purpose of their own life on law of cause and effect.

[49:44]

Then, such as money, health, wealth, rights, honors, fame, such and such. But it is all right, because to get a lot of money, enabling men, making money enabling men to become, to live, to live a life, to live a life in luxury. It is very comfortable in this world. But, even though you get lots of money, and even though you enjoy so much, so much your health, even though you enjoy so much your wealth, wealth. Let's imagine there is suddenly, let's imagine that you feel suddenly a big shock of earthquake.

[51:06]

Everything is gone. At the same time, simultaneously, taking away the existence of yourself, and your families, and children, and king, and parents, and wealthy, and everything else. For one moment, a big shock of earthquake takes away everything. Then, at that time, what is the purpose of life? What is the purpose of life? This is Jōken. We, we found, we found the aim. We found aim on basis of gaining money, enjoying health, becoming wealthy. This is Jōken.

[52:09]

Jō means constant, constant. Ken means the ideas, viewpoint. So, always something, something involved to aim, to aim at, toward the direction of his future. To get the money, to become wealthy, certain side. So, always the big, big, big stone, which is called money, big stones, which is called money, and wealthy, hanging down from the heavens. Then, you all, you aim always at this stone. But, this stone is not something to catch, to catch.

[53:24]

This stone lead us, make us, make us to bump to your forehead. It means such a big shock of earthquake take away everything. This is very big bumping. Wow! When you say wow, it's too late. It's too late, because already you have something in your forehead, something like this. Wow! This is Jōken. Then, Buddhism, we have to find, we have to find the viewpoint of life. The middle way, Buddhism says Chūdō, middle way, middle path. Middle path. What is middle path?

[54:27]

Middle path is a tool to walk, just in the middle of the road. No, it doesn't mean. Some statesmen, there is a very interesting story in Japan, in the Meiji era, in Meiji, maybe 100 years ago, from now on. Which is called Meiji era. The end of election, election, you know, election of the, what would you say, government, anyway government.

[55:34]

All government who want to become, what would you say, I forgot the word. Anyway, the coming government, the coming government. The, who want to become real government, real government. Who want to, who want the people to elect himself, to elect him. Speech, speech on the street. Candidate. Oh, candidate, yes. So all candidates, all candidates started to the campaign of elections. In Japan, you know, when the time to elect, to elect.

[56:47]

The, become so noisy, all campaigns, all candidates, all candidates start to the speech on the road. To all the people who are walking on the street. Please, please elect me, please elect me as a government, as one of government. Then one of the statesman, one of the statesman speech on the street. His party, he said, he put the emphasis on the, his own position, his own position. His own statement attached to certain parties, certain group. Republic or communism, non-republic, republic party.

[57:58]

I have, I don't, he said, he put the emphasis, emphasis on, emphasis on his, the position, his position. Not, not belonging to the republic party and also community, community, communism, party of communism. My policy, my policy is based on the middle, middle way, middle way. So someone, some who are listening to, listened to his speech said, if you go to, if you go, if you walk on the, on the middle, in the middle of the road,

[59:03]

be careful not to cross the streetcars, streetcars. You know, the, such a middle path is, is, I'm afraid to crash, to crash into the streetcars. Always you have to, you have to bump your, your forehead. It is not middle way, it is not middle way. Then the middle way in Buddhism is to have the viewpoint of life, in life, based on the principle, principle of transiency

[60:06]

and also at the same time the law of cause and effect. Cause and effect. It means to accept, it means to accept in the domain of life force, in the domain of life force, the existence of everything based on the principle of transiency and law of cause and effect. Maybe you don't understand. Then, correctly speaking, whatever you do, whatever you do, you don't, you don't expect anything. You don't expect anything because everything exists on the basis, on the basis of the transiency, law of transiency.

[61:10]

There is nothing to catch. Don't expect, don't expect anything at all. If you don't, if you, if you not, if you not, if you don't expect anything at all every time whatever you do, is it all right to do anything whatever, whatever you want to do? No, I don't think so. You don't expect anything at all and at the same time you have to have some direction what to do, how to do, how to behave, how to behave. Right now, right here. This is the law of cause and effect. You know, from this point, Dogen then says, as mentioned before last week,

[62:26]

Dogen then says to prepare for the tomorrow morning, tomorrow morning blue elves, tonight. This is our direction how to live in this world. But don't expect, you don't, you don't expect completely anything at all whatever you do. But at the same time, there is some principle, some law, some truth. What the direction, what direction you should go, what direction you should go. Then the Buddhism emphasizes, you concentrate, every effort of your mind is directed to concentrate on right now, right here, moment after moment.

[63:35]

Then you think of moment after moment, it is all right to concentrate on moment after moment. That's very simple. Then it is all right to do anything, whatever I want, what I wanted. Without plans, without any schedules, without any directions how to live, how to live toward the direction of tomorrow. The day after tomorrow, no plans, no directions, no rules. This is Dagen. So to concentrate on taking care of the now, the ultimate manifestation of now and here, the self, the existence of self, who cannot be cheated, is to take care of your own life, the existence of now and here, with directions, with directions how to live, how to behave toward the direction of tomorrow, the day after tomorrow.

[64:58]

Then we have to have objective, what we should aim at. This aim is not to get the money, to get the wealthy, to get the health. Not to get the right, not to get the fame. The direction is to make a plan toward the direction of tomorrow and the day after tomorrow without any expectation, any expectation. Which means, as Dogen then says, you should prepare for tomorrow's gruel tonight, tonight.

[66:13]

Preparation for tomorrow's gruel should be done tonight. Your direction, how to live in this world, is at the same time to take care of your life without any expectation, without any expectation. This is important. This is shonen, right thought, shonen, right thought. No Duncan, no Duncan, no one-sided direction of viewpoint. No constant, constant, constant direction, constant directions of viewpoint.

[67:17]

No substantial, substantial viewpoint. The middle path, middle path. I think the life force is a life force which each individual possesses in underlying essence. Should be, should consist in the world of contradictions, completely contradictions. You cannot, you cannot, you cannot make, and it's very difficult to point out, point out to tell you which is which.

[68:30]

Dogen, this is right viewpoint in life. This is right viewpoint of life. We don't say that. We cannot, it is very difficult to point out which is right, which is bad. I think life force, the way revealing, revealing your life force is to accept, to accept all sentient beings on the basis of the transiency and cause and effect. According to the principle of transiency, you don't expect anything at all. All you have to do is to take care of now and here, regardless of my position or whatever it is.

[69:40]

But according to the cause and effect, Reverend Katage is Reverend Katage. Zen priest is Zen priest. Then I have to do my best to become the Zen priest. That's awful, pretty hard, pretty hard. But I have to do, you know. I have to do my best to become, to keep the position of my priest, Zen priest. This is my direction, how to live. How to live right now, right here. My English is very poor. Even the Japanese, my Japanese is very poor. But when I speak, when I speak something in Japanese, in English, in French, in German, whatever it is, my direction, my direction what to live, what to speak, what to make myself understood

[70:52]

is to do my best to speak some aspect of Buddhism in English. For this, I have to do my best to prepare the subject of my talk in English. Then I have to concentrate on finding a very good vocabulary of English. This is very good vocabulary. Word in English, that's good. I have to do. This is my direction. Then, according to the law of truth of transience, it is all right. It is all right whether you understand or not. Through my talk, all I have to do is just to speak, to talk something. But it is not enough what I am to do, what I do.

[71:59]

Then I have to have some direction, how to live. Toward the direction of the day after tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Toward the direction of the period of my talk. Then, now, in the domain of now and here, I have to prepare for the subject of my talk. Study, reading book. This is my direction. This direction, even though in the domain of this direction, I don't expect anything at all. Because the direction, how to live, what is going on right now, right here, is completely full element of my duty, responsibility.

[73:07]

The direction how to live right now, right here, is completely my duty, my full function, full function of my own. This is the middle path, middle path. Middle path is not to walk right in the middle of the road. If you go, if you follow in that way, you bump your head and have something on your forehead, always. I think this is, if you understand, if you understand the viewpoint of life in this way, we call it shoken, shoken.

[74:12]

Right understanding, right view, right view. First, first we have to have right view according to middle path, middle path, according to middle path. When you find, when you understand the right view according to the middle path, this is our short theory, right purpose, right purpose. Right purpose, short theory, right purpose. Then you have to settle, you have to find yourself to rest in relative security in the world of right purpose based on middle path, middle path, middle path.

[75:14]

And then within the world of the right purpose, right view and right purpose, the purpose of our life is how to live, how to behave, how to concentrate to keep your right view and your right purpose in life, how to observe, how to observe your life properly, concentrate. This is shonen, shonen, right thought, right thought, right thought. Right thought is, right thought is, in other words, middle path, the principle middle path. In other words, shonen, right thought is how to behave right now, right here, how to reveal the self who cannot be cheated right now, right here.

[76:38]

This is shonen, shonen. Then zazen, zazen is completely based on the shonen, shonen, shonen. Within the world of practice zazen, there is nothing to expect, there is nothing to recognize, completely nothing. Now, if so, there is nothing, there is nothing to recognize, I don't think so. There is, there is, there exists, there exists a completely, completely right objective, objective that human being should aim at. What is it, what is it? This is shonen, shonen, to devote yourself, to devote yourself, to reveal the self, to reveal the innate spirit of the self,

[77:51]

to innate spirit of now and here. Here, just do it. This is shikan, shikan taza, to practice zazen with whole-heartedness, whole-heartedness. This is shikan, shikan means whole-hearted, whole-heartedness means shonen. This, the shonen means the unadulterated, adulterated, adulterated. The aim is to become, to become, to merge, to merge self into zazen itself, zazen itself. This is the aim, this is direction how to live within the world of practice zazen.

[78:56]

There is no expectation, but there is, at the same time, there is the right objective, objective what we have to aim at. It is to merge self into, into zazen, practice zazen, like, like a spinning top, like spinning top. All we have to do is to spin yourself. From this point, zazen is, you have to practice zazen without no spirit, with no spirit. You know, you have to practice zazen as if, as if you were, you became, you became the huge mountains, huge mountains with degradations, degradations, with degradations.

[80:06]

So you have to keep the right posture, from your posture, from your breathing, from the whole, the whole existence of your zazen. You have to feel, people feel, must feel the existence of something like existence of big mountains with degradations. So, don't do zazen like this. We have to keep the posture properly, with whole heart. You have to put your all energies on practicing zazen. This is shonen, this is shonen. Don't, even though to keep the right posture during sitting meditation, there is nothing to expect.

[81:09]

But what is to expect? What is expectation? What you, you must take into account? This is to merge self into, become into zazen, to practice zazen. Just do it. This is our aim. So, you have to prepare for tomorrow morning's gruel, tonight, tonight. All you have to do is to do your best to prepare for tomorrow's gruel, tonight. That's enough, enough. The word tomorrow is extra word. All you have to do is to do your best to prepare to do something now here, tonight. This is shonen, this is shonen.

[82:16]

Then, Nagyarjuna, who composed the great conception of Buddhist philosophy, says, understand something as it is first, understand something as it is first. This is right view, right view. How to, how should we understand something as it is? You have to understand something as it is, as according to the principle of middle path. This is right view. Right view. No expectation in the domain of doing something right now, right here. And, at the same time, you have to have the object, objective, what you have to aim.

[83:22]

This is preparation for tomorrow's gruel, is to do tonight. And then, this is the right purpose, right purpose, right purpose. Then you have to, you have to, how to, you have to think, you have to think how to hold, how to keep right view, right purpose constantly, constantly and constantly, forever. This is shonen, right? Understand? Right thought, right thought. Okay? Do you understand? You have a question?

[84:29]

Oh, this is the Shobo Genzo, one chapter, chapters, which occurs in Shobo Genzo. The Dogen Zenji explains the eight contents of enlightened person, which is called Hachidai Rikaku. Quoting the last word of Shakyamuni Buddha. Huh? Oh, yes. I think you will find the last word, Buddha's last word, in English.

[85:45]

Did you hear it? You have a question? Did you mention the principle of original causation? Huh? The principle of original causation, was that in the original principle? Principle of original causation? Yes, it was in something, it was there at some point. Yes, yes. Was that, is that, must we work that in order to get the right view at the beginning? Oh, yes. It is important, it is important principles. To understand the world, the viewpoint of the world, to understand the viewpoint of the world and of the life, life.

[86:51]

According to the original principle of causation. And at the same time, the law of principle, principle of transiency. Not only the original principle of causation. Okay? Right. You were told that you could put some strength in your arm. And I heard that you understood what that meant. I was reading something about it recently, where a man suggested, like, tightening your abdominal muscles slightly, so that it put a point of concentration here. Did you say something about that? No. Okay.

[87:54]

Okay. You know, the other day, Roshi said to a priest, during sitting meditation, count the number. Some person, someone asked me how to count the number during sitting meditation. Counting the number is a pretty good way of concentrating on Zazen itself. For me, he said. In a sense, it is real truth. You know, you practice Zazen.

[88:54]

And within the world of doing Zazen, doing Zazen includes your breathing, taking breath, taking breath, opening eyes, the function of all organs of your body, all things, all things that you have, start to work completely, properly. And at the same time, if you have to count the number, you know, the practice of counting the number is, I think, a little extra practice. Extra practice. Don't you think so? When you practice Zazen, one, two, I think I am, I distract, you know, the counting number distracts me a little bit.

[90:05]

So, strictly speaking, when you have to do Zazen, all you have to do is to do Zazen. That's enough. To live, to take a breathing is, it is completely evident, it is completely evident to take a breathing is to be alive. To be alive. To be alive is to do Zazen, right now, right here. To be alive is to talk, now, here. So to breathe, to take a breathing is a very fundamental way of life. If you stop, if you stop breathing, you can't be, you can't be alive. Sorry. Don't you think so? My question is, do you do anything special with your stomach?

[91:12]

Oh, you know, if you keep the right posture, as the teacher taught you, properly, properly, your breathing gets down into the lower abdomen smoothly, smoothly. If you have, if you keep a little bad posture, it is not so easy to take a breathing smoothly, unhesitatingly. So, you have to, you have to contemplate how to keep the posture during sitting meditation in order to get, in order to take breathing smoothly, in order to make the function,

[92:15]

function of all organs of your body start to work, work. This is Zazen. But, unfortunately, each individual has bad postures. Even though you think my posture is right, even though you think I don't have a bad, bad habit, bad way of doing Zazen, even though wherever you walk, whenever you walk on the street, you know, nobody, nobody walks on the street completely right way. Someone walks like this, someone walks like this. But, unfortunately, they don't know exactly what to do. Then they think, my posture is right. But, if others, or when others look at him,

[93:19]

they think, they think he has a bad way of walking on the street, but he doesn't know, this is my right posture. Then, during sitting meditation, each individual displays his own bad posture. Or like this, or like this. Or like this. Many kinds. That's why, that's why you have to contemplate. You have to contemplate how to keep the right posture in order to make the function of all organs of your body work.

[94:07]

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