In the Zen Monastery, we have a ritual of offering some food to all beings when you have a meal. In the ancient time, they had this ritual offering a small quantity of food to all beings at every mealtime. But nowadays, in the monastery, we have this ritual only

[01:03]

at lunch. We haven't have this ritual, but in this Sutra card, you will find some verse. It says, the all evil spirits, now I give you this offering. This food will pervade everywhere. After when you chant, the first one is Kono Tashou Hakari. Verse 5. Grace. After we chant Kono Tashou Hakari, we try to pick

[02:24]

a small quantity of rice, or bread, or noodle, and so on, and put it on the tip of the setsu. Then after the second serve, the server will collect them. Then after the meal, the server will give this food to all beings. So your server will figure out a suitable place. There what seems to be a bird, or fish, and so on. So, server will put this food on a certain place,

[03:36]

or throw it away to the creek. We call this small amount of food a Saba. Saba. S-A-B-A. Saba. Or Sampang. Sampang. Saba means literally the food. The food for all sentient beings. Sampang means literally the food. The food offered to three realms of all beings. Three realms.

[04:36]

Three realms means to offer the food to triple treasures, immovability, spirit of immovability. And demons named Hariti. Hariti. In other words, demon spirit. All kinds of demons. So, the first, we offer this small amount of food to triple treasures. Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. Triple treasure is very important for Buddhists. Which means the Buddhist faith. Buddhist faith.

[05:59]

So, I take refuge in Buddha. I take refuge in Dharma. I take refuge in Sangha. I mentioned before, I take refuge in Buddha. Buddha is a respect. I respect deeply my life. Based on immovability. Tranquility. Tranquility. But stillness. So, life is still. Always. Anytime. Anywhere. Life is still. In other words, you are, your life is always sustained by Buddha. By universe. By many things, visual, individual.

[07:06]

Your life is supported by many things. Visual, individual. Invisible or visible. Visible. If so, how to live? That answer is, I take refuge in Dharma. I take refuge in Dharma is the truth. To live is to live. You can get out of your life. Supported by many things, visual, individual. With compassionate spirit. Regardless of whether you like or dislike. This is real reality which your life is going on.

[08:13]

So, if so, whatever happens, you have to be patient, perseverance, and you should realize the truth. That the truth to live is to live. This is, I take refuge in Dharma. Also, to live is to be lived. It is, it means, it is, I take refuge in Sangha. Many things support you. Many things sustain your life. For this, you have to accept, not only yourself, but also others, and all beings. That's why we chant, we practice always with all sentient beings, all beings.

[09:21]

With all beings. So, the first verse, we have to realize what is truth. We have to realize the truth in life. So, life is based on tranquility, always. So, we have to make every possible effort to take care of our life. Moment after moment, day after day, whatever happens. Also, this, you can't live alone. If you can't live, you can't live alone. Strictly speaking. To live is, as long as you live in this world, your life is supported by many things.

[10:32]

In, there is the very famous Zen master named Wanshi Zen, Wanshi Zen master. He was very famous Zen master, respected by many peoples at that time. So, many monks came up to his temple and tried to practice on him. Then, every year, the monks increased, every year.

[11:54]

Then, at last, the Wanshi Zen master, you know, they attained, they attained about 1500 monks in his temple, who were interested in practicing on him. But, strictly speaking, they had sufficiency of accommodation and provisions to support the about 500, 500 monks. But, at that time, they, they found the excess of the number of thousand.

[13:11]

It was very difficult for the Kansus, the Kansu, or the Tsusu, the director of the temple, to deal with the 1500 monks. One day, the Tsusu said to the Wanshi Zen master, it's pretty difficult to take care of 1500 monks, because we have just the sufficiency of the accommodation and provision for just the 500 monks. Why don't you decrease, decreasing the number of monks? The Zen master says, don't worry about it, don't worry about it, because everybody, everybody has a mouth.

[14:18]

That's the answer of, from the Zen master. But, there are two questions, coming from the Tsusu, and the other one is coming from the question, coming from the Zen master. The Tsusu says, according to the Tsusu, the director's suggestions, are, the trouble is, that we don't have enough food. Because, there are 1500 monks, who has 15, who have 1500 mouths.

[15:34]

So, Tsusu has had to defeat 1500 monks, every day. The Zen master, according to the Zen master's suggestions, are no trouble is, that everybody has a mouth. Everybody has a mouth. So, don't worry about it, everybody has a mouth. As long as you have a mouth, sometimes your mouth must to move, if you feel hungry. It means, I think, you know, those, those who are born in this world,

[16:49]

do not lack of provisions, clothing, food, housing, and brought it to you by nature. In other words, as long as we are born in this world, we are, we have already been endowed with sufficiency of the clothing, food, and housing, brought it to you by nature. As if, if you have a baby, mother has, naturally, mother's milk.

[18:09]

That's why Zen master says, don't worry about it, everybody has a mouth. Then, what shall I do? What shall we do? Don't worry about it, because everybody has a mouth, it means, all you have to do is to consider, again and again, how you can best devote yourself for helping others, helping society, for welfare of society. In other words, all you have to do is to consider, again and again, how we can help others.

[19:23]

Before we consider, before we consider to struggle for the food, first, if you help others first, it is sure that you do not lack of daily clothing, food, and housing, necessities, daily necessities. I think we have some questions.

[20:41]

Yes, it is true, but if you find the people who are on the verge of starvation, then, we are making our utmost for the relief of starvation. But on the other hand, we should realize the truth that you are at last what measure to take in out-of-way district. If you go to the India, I think you will find many people, a number of people, countless people, who are on the verge of starvation.

[22:11]

God's missions should help immediately. Try that. I don't know what's the reason. What's the reason why the Indian people, many Indian people are on the verge of starvation? I don't know why. Some of them are lazy. Some of them don't want to work. Some of them cannot find a job. So, there are many reasons.

[23:16]

Also, President and Minister of India have been so far so concerned about that difficult situation of Indian society. But still, there are some problems. The point is, whatever happens, as the Zen Master says, first of all, to help others,

[24:20]

to devote yourself for welfare of society, or for helping the others, who lives near to you, first, if you find no money, because you are concerned about how to live, yes, that's true, then you think, oh, I have to find a job to make money. It seems to me that the President of the Tutsi said, we don't have enough food

[25:23]

to feed 1,500 monks. How do you think about the job or task? The purpose of the job is to make money? To support yourself? To support yourself alone? If you think of the job in that way, the task is your work, task or job, is dreadful. So, sometimes you don't like work, you don't like to work. According to the Zen Master's suggestions,

[26:28]

don't worry about it. Why don't you don't worry about it? Everybody has enough. It means, why don't you work? When you don't have money, why don't you find a job? Through the job, you can help others. The job is not to make money, to support yourself. To work is to support yourself and to others, and others. To help others directly or indirectly. This is our job. This is our task. Any kind of job.

[27:49]

You know so well, it is a good job to practice killing the people. Zen Buddhism made a mistake in Japan. Buddhism made a mistake in Japan in the past. This is a big mistake. Zen Master says, wherever you may be, you should be the master of yourself in what situation you may be. Then, you should go to work. Work to kill people. Of course, the situation, atmosphere of society, Japanese society, was completely, absolutely different from that of Mecca. Mecca.

[29:05]

It is, it is completely worse The atmosphere of Japanese society at that time was completely beyond our imagination. But anyway, Zen Master, Buddhism sometimes says, yes, be master of yourself whatever, in wherever, what situation you may be. In a war? But, I think, you know so well, it is good, but, it is up to you.

[30:06]

According to the Buddhist precept, try to find a job. OK? I mean, any kind of job is OK. The, what you are, are, are, what you are understood by everybody. OK? Then, the first,

[31:18]

we offer the food to triple traders. According to the meaning of triple traders, first of all, we have to devote ourselves for helping others first. Again and again. Also, you should know that there are many ways of helping others. First, spiritually, material. So, even though you work at the company, you can help others. And second,

[32:18]

we offer food to the spirit of impotability, immovability. The way I mentioned so far according to the triple traders, how to live, is, our life based on impotability, immovability. So, first of all, try to help others, directly interact. This is point. Even though you work at the company, the purpose of working is not to make money, to support you alone, to help you and others.

[33:23]

This is the purpose of working. If you understand this point, your life is very stable, impotable, immovable. If you think that the purpose of work is to make money, in order to support only you, it's pretty hard, pretty hard, to live in this world. So, the second, we have to offer the food to the spirit of impotability, immovability. The third, we have to offer the food to Hariti, demons. Hariti is the daughter of a yaksha in Rajagraha,

[34:30]

in India. It is said she had hundred children, she had five hundred children, five hundred children, and fed them, fed them every day on the babies of others. Then, many people suffered so much, then one day the people asked the Shakyamuni Buddha to help. Then Shakyamuni Buddha went to the Haritis, the house, and said, how cute your babies are.

[35:35]

How can your babies and you continue to live? Well, my baby Hariti said, my babies and I have lived on the babies of others, babies of others. Then Shakyamuni Buddha one day still stolen the one of youngest baby of her, her youngest baby. Then the Hariti was completely upset, cried, day in, day out. Then Shakyamuni Buddha asked her, why, why is it you cry so hard?

[36:38]

Because I lost the youngest baby. Then Shakyamuni Buddha says, let's imagine there is a family who has a baby, only one baby. Who was stolen by a demon. Can you understand how awful, how much mother, this mother suffered? Hariti said, yes, I understand. Then at that time she regret. She made her, she felt how awful, how awful day, how terrible

[37:43]

Hariti had done, how terrible things she had done. Then she acted, she made a promise with Shakyamuni Buddha, I stopped feeding my babies on the babies of others. Then please, return my babies back. Then Shakyamuni Buddha says, well, if you want, why don't you chant together, triple treasure and five precepts. Then Hariti chanted, from the depth of her heart, triple treasure and five precepts.

[38:48]

Then at that time, immediately, the babies is turned back to her. In the chapter, in the chapter of the, 16th of Mahānirvāṇa Sūtra, the demon asked me, me is Buddha, my whole family and I have been have lived on human flesh and blood, but now receiving Buddha's precepts, we will no longer be able to do so. How can we continue to live? The Buddha replied, from now, I will make a strong appeal

[39:52]

to my disciples for offering summer foods to you at meals, wherever they may practice. On that account, on good friend, all good friends, such regulation will be established for my disciples. From now on, offer summer foods to the demons. If you don't practice this, you are not Buddha's disciple monks. In the 31st chapter of Vinaya, it says, One day Hariti was delighted in receiving

[40:53]

the triple trader and five precepts, do not kill, to do not make intoxicant, and so on. She stepped forward and asked Buddha, the Lord Buddha, what should my children and I feed on? Buddha says, don't worry about it. At every meal time, I will let my all disciples to offer summer foods for all beings to you and your children, chanting their names to call all of your children for the relief of starvation. If there are, there are, the rest of sentient beings and any other demons

[41:55]

who need some foods, I am willing to gratify their hunger on this offering foods. So, a ritual of offering all beings a small amount, small quantity of food demands this is traced back to to Sakyamuni Buddha's life, to this story which occurs in Maha Nirvana Sutra or Vinaya Sutra. Then up to now, the monastery, according to this Buddha's teaching,

[42:58]

have practiced offering some food to all beings. So, the, in monastery, the, to eat, when you eat the meals of food, they make it a rule

[44:06]

not to take the food by yourself, but to receive food from servant. So far, anyway, before you practice Zen Buddhism, think, you try to take the food by yourself, making money, and feed hundred, eight delusions. I'm taking the food, like a hariti. But food

[45:09]

is something allotted to you by nature. Even though you make, make, even though you work hard and to make money, in order to make money, lots of money, maybe someone, some of you will be able to make lots of money if you make, if you work hard. But, on the other hand, you should keep in mind that there is someone who cannot do lots of money, make lots of money. Even though he make, he work hard, the more he work hard, the more he lost, he lose money. This is true. For instance, in Japan,

[46:13]

the pinball, pinball games is very popular for Japanese. Many people are interested in playing pinball in order to make money. It's pretty easy to make money. Just stand in front of the machine, pinball machine, just like this.

[46:38]

@Text_v004
@Score_JJ