Life is like a man riding a boat. Aboard the boat, he uses a sail. He takes the tiller. He pulls the boat along. Yet the boat carries him, and without the boat, he is not there. By riding in the boat, he makes it aboard. You must concentrate yourself to studying and penetrating this very moment. This time, all is the world of the boat. The heavens, the water, the shore, all become the boat's time, and they are not the same as time which is not the boat.

[01:05]

It is for this reason that life is what I make to exist, and I is what life makes me. In boarding the boat, one's body and mind and the entire surrounding environment are all the boat's dynamic working. Both the entire earth and all space are the boat's dynamic working. The I that is living, the life that is I, is just like this. Life is like a man riding a boat. Aboard the boat, he uses a sail.

[02:09]

He takes the tiller. He pulls the boat along. Yet the boat carries him, and without the boat, he is not there. By riding in the boat, he makes it aboard. You must concentrate yourself to studying and penetrating this very moment. This time, all is the world of the boat. The heavens, the water, the shore, all become the boat's time, and they are not the same as time which is not the boat. It is for this reason that life is what I make to exist, and I is what life makes me. In boarding the boat, one's body and mind and the entire surrounding environment

[03:12]

are all the boat's dynamic working. Both the entire earth and all space are the boat's dynamic working. The I that is living, the life that is I, is just like this. Life is like a man riding a boat. The question is, what's the boat? What's the boat? We are riding. This boat is life itself,

[04:14]

but this life is not the life which you understand now. This life is life polished again and again, life after life, since beginningless past. This is life's boat. As long as we are born in this world as human beings, the life you have must be polished again and again. Within yourself, within your society, at that time, life is transparent life.

[05:18]

That's why Dogen says, life emancipates life. So the boat we are riding is life which emancipates life. In other words, simply speaking, this life is the very core of human life, or the concentrated distillation of life. Very pure, pure essence, the essence of life. It's pretty hard to explain this essence of life

[06:21]

or fundamental foundation of life. It's pretty hard, but you can understand. You can understand. Well, plainly speaking, there is nothing but life force, or stream of life, or essence of life, or foundation of life, or the concentrated distillation of life, the very pure quality of life. This is boat. This is a boat which all of you are already riding. Already riding. You can't escape. If you want to escape, it's too late.

[07:23]

It's too late. Even though you want to die, you can't get out. Okay? If so, what is the contents of this boat? In other words, what's the contents of this life? What's the contents of concentrated distillation of life? What is it? That's why Dogen says that life is completely transparent emancipation. Transparent emancipation. It is something very clear, very clear,

[08:34]

and serene, very clear. That life is very clear, serene, bright, limpid, and undefiled. This is boat. This is boat you are riding now, and forever. Since beginningless past, you have been riding. This is contents. Contents of the life. Life force. And also, the life of the present,

[09:35]

the life of the present is really based on this concentrated distillation of life. Which is completely transparent, clear, bright, serene, and undefiled. Nothing you try to explain what it is. If you try to ask it, if you try to research what it is, just question, always question what it is. Because it is too clear, too bright, too serene, too undefiled,

[10:37]

to explain what it is. This is life, okay? This is boat you are riding. That's why Dogen says, in Sansuikyo, the sutra of the mountain and water, mountain and river, Dogen says, because they are the self, before germinating of any subtle sign, they are transparent emancipation in realization. Well, do you understand? Do you understand? This day is mountains, rivers, stars, trees, the sun, the moon,

[11:45]

and all of you, cats, dogs, birds. Now, they all are the self, before germinating of any subtle sign, they are transparent emancipation in realization. That's why mountain is beautiful, okay? River is beautiful. Then from this mountain, from this river, you can compose poem. You can paint pictures of the mountains and rivers, and the sun, and the moon. The mountain itself is completely the self, okay? Complete the self, before germinating of any subtle sign, which means,

[12:46]

to be something very clear, and serene, and bright, undefiled. That's why you feel beautiful, okay? Through the mountain. And also, this transparent emancipation, also the self, this self, before germinating of any subtle sign, is transparent emancipation in realization, in manifestation, okay? The mountain you can see right now is mountain itself. In other words, existence itself. Which mountains manifest itself as transparent emancipation in realization, okay? That's why mountain speaks.

[13:50]

Mountain talks Buddha's teaching, okay? Bamboo talks, speaks Buddha's teaching. Then you can enlighten, you can attain enlightenment from the mountain, from the moon, from the bamboo, from the rock, from the sun. So, from this point, our lives, our lives, you understand, you have understood, is essentially, very clear, okay? Very clear, very bright, undefiled.

[14:52]

You should believe this. Believe this point, okay? You should believe this. That's why I said, trust on yourself, okay? Trust on, trust on the self. Trust on the Zen you do, okay? The Zen itself is very clear, and bright, undefiled. First, trust this point. That's why Dogen says also, what is transparent emancipation in realization, so-called our life, in daily life. In daily life. Dogen says, because they are the state prior to the curve of emptiness, because they are this very life of the present.

[15:58]

That is, that is this life of the present, okay? So, from this point, the life is not complicated, okay? Complicated. Who makes your life complicated? Okay, life itself is very clear, and bright, like a moon. Undefiled. But it's pretty hard. In a sense, it's pretty hard to understand this life. Okay? You know, in United States, you know so well,

[17:04]

women live, women live. Pretty good, in a sense. I think, not only in our day, I think, 100 years ago in Japan, already we had women's sleep. Every ages, in every ages, humans are very interested in women lives, men live, and baby live, and cats live, cats live, and dog live, bird live, very interested. But I don't know what happens as a result

[18:06]

in United States from the women's sleep. I would like to know what it is. You know so well, rather than I. I understand so well what's a woman's... No, no, no, I don't understand. I'm sorry, I don't understand. I don't understand, that's why you have to have a woman's sleep. If a man understands completely what a woman is, it's not necessary for a woman to have a woman's sleep. Very simple. But why you have to have a woman's sleep? Next time, I think next year, I think men's sleep. Husband's sleep. Because if a husband

[19:09]

doesn't understand the wife, the wife always makes a complaint. Why don't you make your head calm, calm, and understand much better who I am? Let's discuss. Let's have more space to discuss, to live in peace, to live in harmony. You know, families, very small society, they don't want the troubles in a small society. It's too much. If they go out of their families, lots of troubles in society. Even in the small family, they don't want to have any slightest, any little troubles. So wife wants to discuss

[20:13]

with husband. You should wash your dishes after the dinner, after the breakfast. Sometimes you should wash baby's diapers. But husband doesn't like. So let's order diapers from the company. It's pretty easy. It's very convenient for human beings. When I came to the United States, I washed my clothes with my hands. The student said, What? Karagi? Why did you wash your clothes with your hands? We have... You don't know. You don't know very comfortable places for the cloth, washing the cloth.

[21:13]

It's called laundry. Please go to the laundry and put all things, handkerchief, dish, wiping cloth, wiping dish cloth, and underpants or whatever. Put them all together. Socks and everything. And put the dime, 25 cents, put it. And he said, Do you have 25 cents? Unfortunately I had 25 cents at that time. It's very simple.

[22:17]

Why is it you wash clothes with your hands? He didn't understand why. But strictly speaking, I didn't understand why I washed my cloth. I know the laundry is. We have a laundry. You know the... Always, if you live two men, or women and men, whoever, always there is something which makes you trouble. Because they each other don't understand each other so well. The husband don't understand the wife so well. The wife doesn't understand the man so well. Then discuss.

[23:20]

Women is such and such. Men is... Men is very interesting in lifestyle such and such. Even though you explain forever, who man is, the woman doesn't understand what man is. The man doesn't understand what full woman is. That's why you have two women sleep. To have a woman sleep is OK, no trouble. But do you think, can you find some resolution? Resolution of the troubles

[24:23]

which happens between the man and the woman? Same thing. No resolution. Resolution. Actually, OK? Dogen says, Dogen says, you cannot clearly see what you see, what you can see. In attempt to your understanding, in attempt to make your understanding clear. For working to see synchronizes with completeness of Buddhadharma. You cannot clearly see what you can see. In attempt to make your understanding clear.

[25:27]

For working to see synchronizes with completeness of Buddhadharma. OK? Even though you try to... The more you try to know who woman is, like... In other words, you want to make your understanding of the woman clear. Much better clear. Dogen says, you can't see clear. You can't see clear. Rather, attempt to make your understanding clear leave you in confusion more and more. Because, because working to see synchronizes with completeness of Buddhadharma.

[26:31]

That's... Ah... Ah... Women and men both are based on life itself. Which is transparent emancipation in realization.

[27:40]

That's why if you try to know you don't understand. But in Buddhism what you don't understand is very helpful for you. OK? Very helpful for you. Don't try. Don't push you. Don't push you to try to know what it is. You know the cat? Cats will pour his head into the hole on the ground in attempt to satisfy what's in it. Satisfy his curiosity what it is. At last, unfortunately in the hole skunk there. Skunk sprays, sprays perfume. What's perfume? I'm sorry for the cat.

[28:48]

But men always pour his head into the hole. So called woman. What woman? So called wife? What wife? You are stupid. Why don't you understand me? Wife, women always pour her head into the men's world in attempt to satisfy her curiosity. During attempting, during the being interesting, curious of what it is that time is very good time for you to be intimate with

[29:55]

man or woman. What woman is? What man is? At that time it is very good time for you to be very intimate with what man is, what woman is. But if you understand completely what woman is, wow, this is woman, this is man, you completely lose in being intimate with man, with woman. You know the Zazen? If you read the Zen Buddhism by Daisetsu Suzuki and Reverend Suzuki Roshi. Read the Zen. How wonderful Zazen is.

[30:56]

I would like to do Zazen. Then you do Zazen. You have chance, good chance to do Zazen. What is Zazen? The third, fourth scene. Wow. There is completely nothing in Zazen. And then Katagiri says useless, Zazen is useless. Then you ask Katagiri, why you do Zazen which is useless? You know the moment when you understand what Zazen is Zazen is, it is time it is time when you lose when you lose the chance

[31:58]

to be intimate with Zazen itself. But before you before you know what Zazen is Zazen is very intimate with you. I would like to do Zazen in Zen center. How wonderful Zen center is. If you come to Zen center well, what is Zen center? So you don't know. What you don't know why you don't know what it is is very good time for you to become intimate with Zazen and men and women. Because

[33:01]

the life of men and women Zazen synchronizes synchronizes with completeness completeness of Buddhadharma means Zazen itself is something very clear and bright and serene and defiled. That is Zazen. In the first session the experience you do is wonderful. But that experience what experience you do is wonderful is not always wonderful. Because this experience is not something undefined or clear or bright. That experience is seen from the telescope

[34:05]

of your camera. Well, I got it. Wonderful. When you study Buddhism when you master Buddhism some aspect of Buddhism emptiness or Buddhist psychology well, you become a great saint. You feel, wow, I work there I become a great saint. Wow, wonderful. But that thing is seen from the telescope so-called Kathagiri's karma. And this is very true. My experience that Zazen itself life itself is really something clear and bright and serene and defiled. OK? And also it is the very life of the present.

[35:07]

This very life of the present. This is your life. That is your life. That's why whatever happens please trust on the self first. If I say please trust on the self please trust on Zazen whatever you feel you say, oh, I don't like, I don't trust I don't trust on the self you are immediately against my suggestion. But let's imagine let's look at yourself why you are alive now. You trust on the self, that's why you are alive. OK? You trust on the self that's why you are alive now. Before you insist I don't trust on the self

[36:12]

on the Zazen. You are alive. You are already alive. Because you trust already on the self. Which is transparent emancipation. In realization, very clear. Very clear, very serene. Very undefiled. That's why why you are infatuated with whatever Zazen or any kind of religion. That religion or Zazen you do is not real Zazen, real religion. You believe. That's why always the master says please make your mind calm and sit.

[37:13]

OK, sit. This is very nice. Innocence because life itself is something clear, bright, serene and undefiled. That's why you can use you can use life freely. OK? You can use freely. That's why I said your life is your life. Dogen also says life is like a man riding on a boat. A boat, a boat. He uses a sail. He takes the keel. He pulls the boat along. You can use your life. The moment when you are

[38:16]

riding the boat you use the sail. You pull the boat because life is yours. It is free. It is free. Your life is completely free. That's why when you want to come to Zen Center nobody refuses you. Nobody disturbs. If you want to come to Zen Center oh yes. If you want to go out of the Zen Center oh yes. I mention it very often when I hate the Zen priest I confess to my master that I would like to give up Zen priest. He says, OK. OK. There is nothing but answers.

[39:20]

OK. All right. But there is some suggestion wherever you may go everything is the same. Yes, everything is the same. Wherever you may go you are free. You can make a choice of your chance. If you want to go to Zen Center, oh please. You are free. If you want to go out of Zen Center, oh please. If you want to go to Japan, oh yes. You can make a choice because you are free. Free is not to do anything at random. Ignoring reflection or taking responsibility for your choice. You are free. That's why there is a chance.

[40:21]

There is a chance to make a choice. What to do? You are free. That's why you have to take responsibility for your choice after making a choice. If you go to the Zen Center, oh please. You are free. Please come. You come. Then something happens. Please take responsibility for your choice. Because you are free. Life is very clear. Very serene and defiled. From this point, moment after moment, you are free. Life is completely open to any kind of chance. If you want to practice I Ching or Kai Chi or whatever, you can do that.

[41:22]

Nobody criticizes you. But after that, please, accept responsibility for your choice. Because you are free. But the moment when you make a complaint about the responsibility, that's a problem. Most of us always make a complaint. After doing something, what's the thing? You come. You make a choice by yourself. I don't force you. I always say, nothing is nonsense. Useless. But you come and do something. Because you are free. Make a complaint is OK,

[42:24]

but if you realize that you want to make a complaint, if you realize that you evoke the fear in parts of anger or hate and so on towards others, at that time, please, please rest your head for a while. Calm your head for a while. Just keep going ahead, OK? Just keep going ahead. A small life, small life is always making a noise, lots of noise, like little rivers. Little rivers always make noise, too much noise. But look at the big river,

[43:26]

like the Ganges River, no sound, very calm. It seems stop moving, but it's always moving, see? That is life, OK? That is life. It's like water is moving or stopping. You can't. But the river is alive. You pause the boat along, you can use, OK?

[44:28]

You can use your chance, you can use any kind of circumstances, positions in your life, OK? Yet the boat carries him and without the boat he is not there. Your life doesn't come into being without, without life which is something clear and serene and bright and amplified, so-called transparent emancipation in realization, OK? Very clear. If you miss this point, your life doesn't exist, doesn't come to existence. You say, my life exists now, even though I don't know.

[45:29]

You don't know. It is only when you don't know life itself doesn't matter, regardless of whether you don't know, you know or not. Life is like the Ganges River, OK? By writing in the boat, he makes it a boat, OK? You can use, you can use any chance, any circumstances, any positions, anything, you can use. The moment when you use your circumstances,

[46:32]

your life, position and so on, life starts to work, OK? The moment when you make a choice to come to Zen Center, that time life immediately works. By writing in the boat, he makes it a boat. You must concentrate yourself to studying and penetrating this very moment. I don't know, I don't know which is, which is first. Freedom is first, or making a choice is first. Making a choice of circumstances or your life.

[47:37]

I don't know which is first, but simultaneously, OK? Simultaneously. Freedom, life itself brings you to your own life, which is alive. Because the moment when you make a choice by decision, your life is work, your life works. After that, you think, oh, it's a mistake, big mistake, but it doesn't matter. Don't worry about mistakes so much. Mistake is also a portion of your life. Mistake is proof that you are alive. If you think you mistake,

[48:39]

it's mistake, OK? You are free, OK? You are always free, OK? You are always free, because life is very clear and serene and undefiled. That's why Togen says, transparent emancipation in realization, life is always clean. You do mistake, mistake itself is clear. Good and bad, right and wrong, are also very clear. So next moment, next moment is open, OK? Next moment is given to you always, great chance,

[49:40]

which you will be able to live, OK? Next moment, OK? Strictly speaking, present is always open, OK, free. So at any cost, you have to ride board, which is very clear and bright and serene, so-called freedom, OK? That's why you first, again and again, trust on the self, OK? In order you chant the triple treasure, I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dharma, I take refuge in the Sangha. Even though you chant,

[50:43]

I take refuge in the Buddha. What? Strictly speaking, I don't take refuge in the Buddha. But then my teacher says, you should chant, OK, I chant. I take refuge in the Buddha. Then chant, I take refuge in the Dharma. But you tell to yourself, really strictly speaking, I don't take refuge in the Dharma. But please, chant continually, OK? And then the last, last triple treasure says, I have completely taken refuge in the Buddha, OK? I have completely taken refuge in the Buddha. Even though you say, oh, I don't take refuge in the Buddha.

[51:45]

It's too late. It's too late. Because already you chant, I have completely taken refuge in the Buddha. That's Buddha. That's Buddha. No matter of discussion, that's Buddha. That is transparent emancipation of life. Your life is all settled in this point. I have completely taken refuge in the Buddha. Even though your head don't say, no, please, don't say that. But life itself, life itself is already, I have completely taken refuge in the Buddha. This is life, OK? Unfortunately, your head is very sharp. Unfortunately. I'm sorry, but

[52:48]

but don't worry about it. My head is very, not sharp. My head is very slow motion, you know. Very slow motion. When I was a college student, you know the Japanese restaurant, Japanese restaurant deliver the noodles and the rice ball and whatever, if you want, please order that to the Japanese restaurant. Please bring the the noodles immediately. They deliver. Then, man deliverer always carried five or six trays. In each tray, I think six or seven bowls filled with noodles and rice covered with egg and combination

[53:52]

combined by the egg and a piece of kitchen no, no, not kitchen, piece of chicken piece of chicken and vegetables, you know. It's pretty heavy. Very heavy. And then one day I went to the restaurant to have lunch. He's very nice man. He's master of this restaurant. Yeah, good morning, good afternoon. We are very intimate with him. Then he tried, he carried he hold six trays one hand, with one hand and then tried to go out. Immediately he hit the the trays hit the doors and they had soups spilt on off the neck.

[54:53]

But he didn't say that, anything. Then he very slowly come back to the kitchen and put it on the table and said, out! Very slow. That's why he's very nice man. Very nice man. He has no trouble, no trouble. He's always very clear and bright and happy and fortunately you are very sharp. I don't know whether sharp is good or not. Okay? Whoever you are whatever your brain is sharp or dull

[56:00]

it doesn't matter. Please trust your life first. Okay? Then always you have to settle for yourself. So called, I have completely taken refuge in the Buddha in Dharma, in Sangha. I have completely taken refuge in the self. This is our practice. So peace or harmony is not outside of you. Outside of you, from you. Peace, harmony being content to rest in the truth is within yourself. Sometimes sharp head disturb

[57:02]

leave you in bewilderment that time tell to yourself peace, calm. Calm my head and sit and get space to listen to yourself. Okay? Thank you. Thank you.

[57:29]

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