Shakyamuni Buddha, the compassionate father and great teacher, practiced in the heart of the mountain at the age of 19. He completed attainment of the way simultaneously with the earth and all living beings at the age of 30, and practiced until he was 80, in the mountain, a forest, and a monastery without returning to his castle and standing aloof from the affairs of the country. The Buddha had only three robes and an oryoki throughout life, without any spare ones.

[01:07]

He did not live in solitude even for a moment. He was willing to receive offerings from a man or a heavenly being. He put up with the criticism of a heretic. His whole life was occupied by Gyoji. The Buddha's behavior, which had the pure quality of the okesa, and his practice of praying, was no more than Gyoji. Shakyamuni Buddha, the compassionate father and great teacher, practiced in the heart

[02:22]

Shakyamuni Buddha discovered the truth that all sentient beings have attained enlightenment simultaneously when Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment. Dogen says he completed attainment of the way simultaneously with the earth and all living beings. The important point in Buddhism is not the purpose of to get individual emancipation,

[03:25]

but to attain individual freedom. The characteristic of the Buddhist teaching is to practice nirvana instead of attaining individual emancipation. In other words, nirvana is the truth that all living beings attain enlightenment as well as Shakyamuni Buddha attains enlightenment, Shakyamuni Buddha's enlightenment. In this respect, nirvana means that all living beings are in the compassionate realm of a

[04:47]

Buddhist world in which all living beings can live together in peace, in harmony. This is truth. Then Shakyamuni Buddha put emphasis that we should practice this point. This practice is very important for beginners and also for skillful practitioners. From the beginning to end, our practice is authorized in the realm of nirvana.

[05:53]

In other words, all of us, all living beings were enlightened by Shakyamuni Buddha 2,500 years ago already. All living beings were enlightened already by Shakyamuni Buddha 2,500 years ago. This is very important point. Our practice must start from this point. Shakyamuni Buddha had...

[07:25]

Excuse me. That's why if Shakyamuni Buddha's experience is just for himself, just for individual emancipation, I think it is not necessary for Shakyamuni Buddha to travel all over India to teach Buddha's teaching. His enlightenment is the case not only for Shakyamuni Buddha but also for everyone.

[08:30]

That's why he made up his mind to start to teach. And he practiced until he was 80 in a mountain, a forest, and a monastery without returning to his castle and standing aloof from the affairs of the country. So until he was 80, he continued practice to practice, sometimes in a mountain, sometimes in a forest, sometimes in a monastery without returning to his father's castle.

[09:35]

Giving up, taking care of the all affairs of the country. Then the Buddha had only three robes and one oryoki throughout life without any spare ones. Throughout his life, Buddha had only three robes and one oryoki. Three robes are five stripes of seven stripes and nine stripes. Those are called three kinds of robe.

[10:46]

And one oryoki without any spare ones. When I was in the A.H. monastery, I learned the traditional form of Buddha's robe from the master Hashimoto Roshi. At that time, his disciples made robes for me. Not only one, I got immediately two robes. Since then, a friend of mine made a seven-robe okesa, the okesa of seven stripes, when I went back to Japan four years ago.

[12:01]

Two years ago, no, one, mostly one year ago, when Zen Sera students made the okesa by themselves, if they want to receive the ordination, I made the okesa of five stripes and nine stripes, of nine stripes. So I have had many kinds of robes. Shakyamuni Buddha had only three robes without any spare ones. Throughout his life, he wore just one okesa.

[13:11]

One oryoki. He didn't live in solitude even for a moment. He didn't live in solitude even for a moment. As mentioned very often, if you want to live alone, it's not so difficult to live alone. But to live, it is not so easy to live with people, with your friends, with your family, with your teachers.

[14:17]

It's not so easy. But he didn't, Shakyamuni Buddha didn't live in solitude even for a moment. Because, as Lotus Sutra says, all sentient beings are Buddha's children. According to the truth, when Shakyamuni Buddha discovered his enlightenment, all sentient beings attained enlightenment when Shakyamuni Buddha attained. So at any cost, from the bottom of his mind, his whole effort was directed to live with people.

[15:37]

In order to awaken them. He was willing to receive offerings from a man or a heavenly being. Sometimes, Shakyamuni Buddha was invited by a king who really wanted to take care of Shakyamuni Buddha and his disciples. One day, he accepted the king's requirement. When a training period started, he went to that king's country with Shakyamuni Buddha's disciples.

[16:49]

But at that time, the king completely forgot to take care of Shakyamuni Buddha and his disciples. Because he was really crazy about spending his life, wasting his life, wasting time, drinking beers and wines, and dancing with his friends, with his girls. He completely forgot to offer the food. Then, one of his disciples, Mukyendeng or Ananda, was very concerned about Shakyamuni Buddha's life and his disciples' life. Because, no food. Then Ananda says, well, I will go to heaven to get the delicious food from the heavenly being.

[18:05]

Shakyamuni Buddha says, wait a minute, that's ok, wait a minute. Let's practice the Zen. Let's practice the Zen. Then at last, a man who took care of a horse, offered barley, four horses. During the whole training period, Shakyamuni Buddha and his disciples ate that barley. One day, when practicing begging in a town,

[19:16]

the king in this town was very serious fellowship of Brahmanism. Then, this king ordered the people not to offer the food to Buddhist priests. But Shakyamuni Buddha didn't know that. He went to this town to practice the begging. Everybody shut the door. Nobody disappeared. Nobody offered the food. Then, in the end of the town, he saw a lady being about to throw away the white water after washing rice.

[20:27]

Shakyamuni Buddha asked her to offer some of that white water after washing the rice. But this lady really hesitated to give it to a very lovable person because this water is not something good. Which is worthy of giving to a very lovable person. So she said, I shouldn't say no. But Shakyamuni Buddha asked again, please give some of that water.

[21:29]

Then, he received the water and drank. So, as Dogen then says, he was willing to receive offering from a man or a heavenly being. Whatever kind of food from the man, from a heavenly being, if it is offering, it is offering. A pure quality of offering. He is willing to receive it. Even a body given by a person who took care of a horse.

[22:34]

He put up with the criticism of a heretic. I think, at that time, I understand so well how difficult Shakyamuni Buddha was to teach Buddhism at that time. Because Buddhism was sort of a new form of religion. In the sutra, it's called Shiju Nishogyo. You will find some passages which a blind man gave of criticism to Shakyamuni Buddha.

[23:48]

At that time, Shakyamuni Buddha says, if you visit to your friends and offer some food, but your friend refused to accept the offering, what should you do? Brahman says, of course, I receive. I will take it and go back to my home. Shakyamuni Buddha says, you criticize me. I don't want to accept your criticism.

[24:54]

Please, take it and go back to your home. This is a story which occurs in the sutra. And also, Buddha says, if you criticize a holy man, a venerable person, it looks like a man who tried to spit at heaven, a splitter will come back to your face before spit reaches the heaven. See, if you don't believe, try that.

[25:58]

Before spit reaches the heaven, spit comes back to your face. Then, Shakyamuni Buddha kept silent for a while. Then, he thought, I don't want your criticism. I don't want to accept your criticism. What should you do? You should take it and go back home. His whole life was occupied by Gyoji. His whole life was occupied by Gyoji. He traveled all over India and teach Buddha's teaching.

[27:14]

Until he was 80. The purpose of teaching Buddha's teaching is not for living in this world, not for eating delicious food in this world, not for making his marks in this world, not for attaining enlightenment. It's just for sustaining the practice of Gyoji.

[28:20]

In other words, he lived not to live, not to eat, not to make his marks in this world, not to attain enlightenment, not to expect something in the world. He lived just to sustain his life force. When I was a college student,

[29:22]

I realized that how many, how numberless, how numberless delusions I have. That delusion completely distracted me. I couldn't study Buddhism within Pattaburi. My mind was always distracted by my lots of delusions. But as long as I decided to study Buddhism for four years, I had to stay at the college anyway. Then I made up my mind to practice a special practice of pouring water in the early morning.

[30:35]

When I get up, through all years, even in the winter, at that time I had some purpose. Well, I had to finish school anyway. Then I had to, in order to finish school, I wanted to get rid of my delusion anyway, in order to let me settle myself. Then I started to pour the water. That's my purpose. Then one of the ladies saw me every morning pouring water.

[31:38]

Five o'clock or so, if no snow fell, this lady said, You didn't feel, you didn't feel cold. You didn't feel water is cold. Because you are, you always, you pour the water every morning. But I didn't feel, I didn't feel. In that way, I felt always water is cold. Then sometimes I think about it. Well, how much, what progress, what progress my practice was making. But nothing, no progress.

[32:45]

My purpose didn't make sense. If I think carefully about it, because I have still had lots of delusions, which has been, which have destructed me, my life. If there is some merit, maybe I can see how much, how numberless delusion I have. I found, I realized that the real facts, real fact, how numberless delusion I have. That's all. But there is no difference in appearance, in my life.

[33:50]

Kanagiri is Kanagiri. But I think, the practice of pouring water is not to cultivate myself, just to sustain the practice of pouring water. That's all. Then every time when I poured water, I felt cold. The real fact, what the water was cold. That's all. Then, 10 years later, and 15 years later, I know something, something, a little, a little bit.

[34:57]

Something, real fact, that's all, real fact. But this realization of, realization of myself, realization of real fact, realization of what I am, doesn't make me change. Kanagiri is Kanagiri. That's all. No difference. You know that story, one of our famous emperors knew the famous Zen master coming to China. He was a Bodhidharma. No, not Bodhidharma. I forgot the name anyway. Then, he wanted to, this emperor wanted to see this Zen master anyway.

[36:02]

Then he went to the temple. Then at that time, Zen master just sit at the desk, in front of the desk, and read the book. He didn't turn back when emperor got in. Then, emperor says, Oh, you are not a different person. You are pre-usual person. I thought you are completely different person from others. Because you are famous Zen master. I realized that you are not different person.

[37:04]

You are completely usual person. So, he said, it's not necessary to see you. It's not necessary to spend the time to see you. He tried to come back. Zen master said, wait a minute. Wait a minute. He said, you value, you value your eyes, the function of your eyes. Why don't you value the function of your ear? Why don't you value the function of your ear? No matter how hard you practice, you never change. Bob is Bob.

[38:06]

Katagi is Katagi. Because you are already enlightened by Buddha 2500 years ago already. Then, if so, all you have to do is to sustain your life with carefulness. Because your life is already in the realm of Buddha's enlightenment. This is Gyoji. Gyoji. With no sign of effect. So, it's not necessary to stick to the holy man, how valuable holy man is.

[39:13]

It's not necessary to stick to particularly how awful ordinary person is. Even a holy man, even an ordinary person, all living beings, lives in the same undifferentiated dimension. According to the Buddha's attainment, this is truth. If so, all we have to do is just to take care of your life. Just to sustain your life with carefulness. Pure carefulness. All you have to do is to live, not to live, not to eat. Not to make your marks in this world. Not to attain enlightenment. Not to expect something special from you, doesn't?

[40:15]

This is our practice. That's why Dogenjin says that his whole life was occupied by Gyoji. Occupied by Gyoji. I expected something special from the practice of pouring water. In winter. But there is nothing to get right now. The same. We're taking a bath. Yes. Yes.

[41:36]

Do you understand the practice I mentioned? Yes. I use the big buckets. Twice. I pour the water. Phew! Yes. Yes. Because Shakyamuni Buddha says... Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment with all sentient beings.

[42:50]

That's why your life is very valuable. I mean that your life is very valuable. There is no amount of discrimination between holy man and the ordinary person. No amount of discrimination between Pedi and Katagiri. You saw me, immediately you think, oh, Katagiri is teacher. I don't think so. That's your discrimination. But strictly speaking, there is no amount of discussion. What is valuable, what is not valuable. Why practice? Why practice? Practice is, you know, practice is just your life. Practice enables you to sustain, or what can I say, to keep.

[44:02]

To keep carrying the full manifestation of what you are. That's all. Like a boat on the stream. But your mind, our mind, or our coming life will always want to go jigsaw, like that. But strictly speaking, there is no amount of discussion between Pedi and I, and whoever. If so, we have to take care of, carefully. You are very valuable, I am a very valuable person. But you don't think so. That's why that's a problem. That's a problem. I didn't say that. I understand what you're saying there. The fact that it shows you your life and shows you how your life is sustained.

[45:09]

But don't think that you can get that from other things besides practice. Just go through your different kinds of life and get that same kind of thing. The same. Zazen is very interesting to practice.

[46:15]

Briefly speaking, I mention always, Zazen is the fruit of our life activity. Because you didn't think it's not necessary. While you do Zazen, it's not necessary to think, it's not necessary to do anything. Just sit. It's not necessary to chant, to have an invocation of Buddha's name. It's not necessary to fight during Zazen. Just sit. Just sit, and you can just sit. You can make your life comfortable. You can plunge into becoming yourself, what you are. Nothing special. That's very special.

[47:17]

Maybe so, maybe so. That's a very unusual thing most people never get. If you think it is special, maybe it is special. But special is okay. Something special is alright. You know, you are paid. That's a special thing. I am Katagi, you know, this is special. As compared with others. So Katagi has Katagi's own karmic life. I don't like really, but I can't get out. So this particular thing, I have to take care of this particular thing.

[48:24]

Poor boy. That's pretty good. So, anyway, the... Uh... If you... I think there are many kinds of practice. Even though you Zazen, even though you say the practice of Zazen, there are hundreds kinds of Zazen. Since if you read the old book in India, many kinds of Zazen. So I don't think, I don't think, I don't think this Zazen is right.

[49:33]

I don't think so. If you want a certain type of Zazen, with relax, like this, this is okay. But important point is, it is not the matter of discussion. The something special or not something special. Okay? The important point is how to awaken ourselves. How to awaken ourselves. How to awaken in ourselves. In order to plant into the... What would you call? Tranquility? Peacefulness? Harmony? Not effect. Not effect.

[50:43]

Tranquility, I said just tranquility, I use the word tranquility. But if you get the tranquility, there is no special thing. Because you know there is just something what you can, what you... make you, enable you to see. Something what you are, that's all. No different. But don't you achieve that through practicing Zazen? Isn't that tranquility a result of realizing that tranquility, realizing the underlying stillness? Doesn't that come with practicing Zazen? To think, to think that you try to realize what something what, something special, tranquility or calmness, is already to see something in a realistic idea. But actually we have to get taste of life and birth, life and death,

[51:48]

and reality in a real realm. That's important. It's not so easy to get taste of life and death, you know, in real fact. It's pretty hard. We always get the life and birth, life and death, with tactile sense. It is usual. The important point is, whatever you think, Zazen enable you to be in a realm of impotence, it is true. It is true. But you should forget, ok? You should forget. Then, or actually, all you have to do is just to sustain, practice. That's all. So you will find some, you will find some impotability, calmness,

[52:49]

but you can't show it. Because that potability or calmness is always behind you, inside. You can't show it. Then you, the life, life which you can show is no difference, no change. Piggy is piggy, piggy. How did you change? I don't know. I'm a lot calmer now. I'm a lot calmer, calmer now since I've been here. Calm? Calmer, much calmer. Oh. Calmer is not the different. Calm, calm, calm, calm, calmness doesn't make change your life.

[53:57]

Calmness is a state of life, not your life itself. And then through the calmness, you can see something clearly, that's all. Don't you think so? Then you say it is change. That's okay. You're good. But that's a human attachment, you know.

[55:01]

You should know how strong, how strong human attachment is embedded, embedded, into the depths of a level of a human mind. How deep. You can't get up. That's why we are always fighting with each other. Why did the Buddhism put the emphasis on no sign of effect? Emptiness or no form, no form, no form is, no form. No form, no emptiness. Why? Because this is very important. Of course it is okay, it is okay.

[56:03]

Please be careful to take care of such a situation, okay? That's why Bodhisattva practice is to do something very carefully. Whatever you feel, yes, I change. I got some merit from the Zen, yes, that's all. But very careful to take care of each movement, each fact, reality, which happens in your daily life. Whatever you think, change or not change, despair or pleasure or suffering, whatever, Bodhisattva always be careful to what? To take care of it. That's why there is one of our practice, Bodhisattva practice called patience. Patience, the practice of patience is very important for us

[57:10]

because the practice of patience enables man to be generous, magnanimous. Because a man, if you think, if you want to do something good, but actually something compares you to do something bad. So if you want to go, just go straightly, but actually something compares you to do something bad. This is human life. But the Buddha doesn't criticize such a life because human beings already are in the realm of Buddha nature.

[58:10]

That's why we have to take care of, under whatever the situation you may be, favorable or difficult situation, conditions. Favorable condition or difficult condition, all are good seed of sustaining your life. So in long-term viewpoint, we have to take care. That's why we need the practice of patience. That's the Buddha, that's the characteristic of Buddhism. Very generous mind, generous mind. Long-term viewpoint, you have to watch carefully your life, whatever happens. So through practice of Zazen, yes, you can experience small things, big things, many things.

[59:16]

But you should keep in mind, strictly speaking, there is no change. Kata gi is kata gi, pain is pain. But in appearance, you feel something different. That's all right. You should, important point is, that you have to take good care of this point. Okay, Peggy? Don't you think that to say, either there is no effect or there is such and such effect, to say even one of those alone is a one-sided understanding? And that we say there is no effect in order to cancel out or balance people's tendency to always want to gain some effect when there's other things.

[60:20]

But these are just two sides of the same coin, or like form and emptiness. To say there is no form, only emptiness, that's one side. To say there is no emptiness, only form, that's one side. So we say both form and emptiness. And I would think that the truest thing you could say about effect would be, yes, from one point of view, there is an effect, no, from another point of view, there is no effect. It's beyond effect or no effect. I mean, no effect is the truth that all living beings exist in the same undifferentiated dimension, so-called Buddha nature.

[61:24]

This is no effect. If so, we have to take care of life in this dimension. In this dimension. And then you do something, and then do Zazen, okay? You do Zazen, and then something happens. Something happens. But the point is, the problem is that when something happens, our mind is what? As you try to poke your head into it, what is it? No effect doesn't say that. Something happens within the realm of reality, when something happens, no effect.

[62:27]

Just something happens. I mentioned before, that's why, just take care of it. Next moment, something happens, okay? No effect. Something happens, accept, take care of it. Next moment, something happens. That's amazing. This is no effect. So no effect exists always moment after moment. So no effect is Buddhist. Everybody lives in the Buddha's realm, in the realm of Buddha, Buddha nature. Without touching to something special. That's no effect. So in the Buddha's, in the realm of Buddha's world,

[63:33]

we try to take care of, because everybody are very valuable. Very important. Dharma container. Dharma container. So, take care of it. Whatever kind of nose you have, it's not necessary to get the nose job. If you got the particular trouble, that's okay. You have some operation. It's not necessary to get the nose job to become beautiful. If your nose is beautiful, so. So, first of all, don't see. Don't see the others from your viewpoint. We have to, how to accept.

[64:38]

Important point is how to accept. In other words, the others, or everything, exist in equality. In equality. So called Buddha nature. Then, if so, if no nose, if no eyes, if no others, you have to accept carefully. This is first important. And then, something happen, okay, something happen, watch, get free. If you touch to it, watch. It is some effect. You say, oh, I change. I become, you know, I enlighten man. It's effect, something effect. But no effect, or in the realm of Buddha nature, that's alright, you get enlightenment.

[65:40]

Okay, don't worry about. Calm, make your mind calm. Then just continue to sustain practice. You understand? I understand what you say is, the no effect is moment by moment, practice moment by moment. But then also, in moment by moment, we know that future comes. We know, you know tomorrow, Friday or Tuesday, and then something will happen. Something will happen. So you can plan. That, isn't that effect? Because the plan, the world's thought, your thought, tomorrow, yesterday,

[66:41]

the past, 200 years ago, everything is, everything is in the realm of Buddha nature, Buddha's world, okay? It means, everything is very important for us. Before you criticize, okay, so you have to accept. Even your thought, you have to accept. But important point is, how to accept. That is problem, okay? How to accept. Then, when you accept, please accept with no sign of effect. That's all. But you can choose, no? Oh yes, you have to choose. So you know, if this happens, this effect will happen, no? If you do this, you know that kind of effect, no? Yes, you have to effect. You have to choose. But no effect is not to see something in the system of, in the stream of the time, okay?

[67:45]

No effect is, no effect try to point out this here, nowness, okay? Nowness. How to accept? How to accept? You have to accept. Everything you can get out. Delusion, and tomorrow, and yesterday, many plans, of course. Then you should... So now we also accept in that realm of no, no effect, we also accept the effect, no? You should forget effect, okay? Accept, and think of it. Then, what shall I do? Accept, and forget. Next moment, you have to accept. What can we accept? What shall I do? And forget. Next moment. That's all. If you attach to the some effect, you discourage, you are always distracted by the effects.

[68:47]

Judgment of the effect. See? This is the real usual situation of human life. Don't you think so? So, look at the situation, today's situation, now, watch carefully, everybody, watch, listen to the lecture, carefully, but someone sleep, then at that time, when I scold him, when I was, when I am angry with him, I think he is distracted my scold. Now, also I feel, I don't feel so well, too. But anyway, look at the situation, and watch carefully, what shall I do? This is very important. And make plan, choose what to do.

[69:50]

This is important. Then, important point is, not, not the, a matter of, matter of the judgment, discrimination, this is good, that is bad, okay? Important point is how to accept, the contents of acceptance, within yourself. If you accept something with no sign of effect, in other words, with wholeheartedness, this is real acceptance, this is real practice. I think if there is no effect, there is no Buddha, no sadhana, no poets, no readers, no knowledge,

[70:51]

no tongue, and so forth, no attainment. And because of no attainment, there are no hindrances. We chant this every morning, and nobody gets upset about all those no's. And yet, in the lecture, we're not ready to, we want to argue with that no, because we want to have that way, some kind of logical, one way of, one side, rational understanding of something, instead of just, you know, that. Just a... Just a what? That! Just a that? That. So,

[71:56]

I am not, I, therefore I am. Right on.

[72:04]

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