Yesterday and today, I have had a board meeting. I have spent all day for a board meeting, so I didn't have enough time to prepare for my lecture. So, anyway, I would like to spend most of the time with discussion tonight, but before discussion, I would like to speak something. As mentioned very often, the main purpose of Buddhism is to be free from yourself, of

[01:32]

a variety of suffering coming from various aspects of human life. I think as you know, what is freedom? Because you have studied for a long time about Buddhism. In Buddhism, to be free from yourself is not to escape from yourself, not to get rid of the variety of your life. To be free from yourself or from the suffering coming from various aspects of human life is how much you can bring a couple of various aspects of human life to the dregs.

[02:46]

This is to be free from. This is the idea of emancipation in Buddhism. There are three types of learning using the technical word in Buddhism. It is called Sangaku in Japanese. Sang is three types. Gaku is learning. Three types of learning. It is three types of learning, precepts, tranquility, wisdom, which are considered as all the aspects of Buddhistic doctrine and practice.

[04:03]

This is called Sangaku in Japanese. Three types of learning in order to be free from yourself. Who is tied up by suffering or pleasure or any other principles? Communism, Christianity, Buddhism, whatever it is. The three types of learning is entirely one of characteristic viewpoints in Buddhism.

[05:12]

You can hardly find the same things as it in another domain of philosophy or religion or psychology and so on. The one is the precepts. The second is tranquility. The third is wisdom. The important point is what wisdom is.

[06:12]

Now only Shakyamuni Buddha and many patriarchs put emphasis on seeing into the reality of the universe. The human world, the human life. Instead of pursuing a subject of metaphysics, what is God, what is Buddha? Instead of researching what the idea of Buddha is, what the idea of Zazen is, what the idea of the human, the purpose in life is,

[07:32]

according to a certain principle, ideas of philosophy, psychology, and religion, we have to see into deeply the reality in life. This is first the important point which we have to do immediately before you research what God is, what Buddha is. But it doesn't mean that you cannot completely reach the depths of human life or the idea of God or the idea of Buddha.

[08:38]

With your discriminating mind, you can do that. You can do. If you study Buddhism, I think you will find the doctrine established by Hinayana, one of Hinayana Buddhism. And also one of Mahayana Buddhism accepted this doctrine and researched more deeply about this discipline.

[09:45]

Seeing from psychological viewpoint, psychological aspect, it is called... I forgot the word in Sanskrit. Anyway, that's okay. It is sort of Buddhist psychology. The Buddhist psychology, through and through, analyzes various aspects of human life,

[10:58]

when seen from psychology, psychological aspect. Using technical word, for instance, seed, or alaya-vijnana, on which worldly affairs and human affairs are based. But whatever kind of idea they use, seed, which in every human life continues from this world to another world.

[12:03]

This is called seed. It's sort of mystical. A being. But actually you can't find in your mind, in your daily life. But anyway, seed. It is a sort of karma. It is sort of karma. But if you think karma, you believe, oh, my karma is very bad. Because whatever you do, you can hardly be successful in doing anything. So at that time you say, oh, my karma is very bad. But actually there doesn't exist a sort of karma which you are usually supposed, or which you cannot handle,

[13:10]

or which is far away from your daily life. I don't think so, you know. So in Buddhism, there is a very interesting idea. Whatever kind of idea you use, karma, or seed, or alaya-vijnana, or manas-vijnana, or sixth-vijnana, or five-senses-vijnana. The... They said always, even the idea of seed, or alaya-vijnana, don't have particular type.

[14:18]

Which would seem to correspond to usual sense, such as good, good, or bad. What is it? They said seed, or alaya-vijnana, are based, a characteristic of a neutral morality. Neutral morality. If you say unconsciousness, if you use the idea of unconsciousness, you say, you try, you... the unconsciousness enables to take interest in what unconsciousness is.

[15:25]

Then you research, you have to research psychology, or human psychology, or food psychology. According to whatever scientific way of understanding the idea of unconsciousness, it's pretty hard. It's pretty hard to understand what they are. There is always something which is nebulous. Well, what is? What is unconsciousness? For instance, even though you practice zazen, if you are asked by someone, what is zazen?

[16:30]

You can't... It's pretty hard to explain what zazen is. This is zazen, you know? But there is only one way, what you can, what you will be able to show, this is zazen. It is, just do it, you know? When I was in Japan, one of my friends asked a Christian priest, what is God? At that time, this priest threw away his own Bible, he raised God. Maybe so, maybe so. It's pretty hard to explain anyway. Then, at last he said, I am, I believe, I believe in Buddha or in God

[17:33]

because our mind can reach it with intellectual sense. In other words, because it is far away from our sense, usual sense. In other words, because it is irrational. That's why I believe. But it is okay, it is okay in a sense. But if you see it, if you see this attitude in life from different angle, from scientific, you know, scientific way of understanding your life, it's pretty hard to believe, you know. Such a, such a God, such a Buddha, you know. Because it is completely irrational, irrational.

[18:35]

Of course in Buddhism, particularly Zen Buddhism, say don't think, don't think. Just doesn't, you know. What is, why? Why is it that Zen must say don't think? Don't think neither good nor bad. In other words, truth is anyway far away, you know. Truth is beyond our usual sense. It means, you know, of course. But it doesn't mean, it doesn't mean you should believe. You should believe the truth because it is irrational. You can approach. There is some way, there is a way of having access to

[19:47]

the truth. It is not a matter of researching metaphysical being. It is a matter of seeing into, you know, reality in life. That's why Buddhism says, psychological Buddhism, you know. They say, they say even the ideal seed or the alloy of Vijnana are characteristic of neutral character, neutral morality. Okay? This is why it is. Why is it that they have to put the emphasis on neutral morality of human life?

[20:53]

So all of you are characteristic of being in the domain of neutral morality. Okay? Neutral morality. That's why you say, I am free, you know. Yes, it is. You are free. I am free. You are free. That's why you have to take responsibility of your life. Because you can, you are free. You are completely free that you can be always entitled to make a choice of the way what to do. What to do. In which direction to go. You are always free.

[21:58]

This is a neutral morality of your life. Nobody prefers you. Nobody, you should do. It's not, it's not something true. It's not, it's not the truth. If someone, someone force you, you should do this, you know. Even though the idea of precept in Buddhism is not something which in every, which something forcing your life. Not all of. You can always have primitive, not primitive. Privilege, okay? Privilege to make a choice of what to do or in what direction to go.

[23:02]

That's up to you. If you don't want to do something, that's okay. Okay. Whatever you do, important point is see into the reality deeply in your in life. Instead of forcing your attention on metaphysical research, you should focus on This is the reason why the Buddhism must put emphasis on the neutral morality. Then as mentioned before,

[24:07]

the wisdom is not the some idea. It's not something, it's not something which is irrational or which is far away of your life. As mentioned before, you can research, you can reach. There is a way. You should keep in mind that there is a way to have access to have access to the truth with a discriminating, discriminating, discriminating mind.

[25:11]

In other words, your mind, with your mind, the embodiment, the idea of holiness, you say you use, you can use the idea of holiness is, you are very familiar with the idea of holiness. What do you think about the idea of holiness? According to the Western way of understanding. I don't know, I don't know what, what do you think? The idea of holiness. But in Buddhism, that is very interesting, it is very interesting. The idea of holiness is not something, something which is far away of our lives. Holiness is something which enables your mind

[26:13]

pure. Pure. Thank you. There is a, there is a verse, there is a verse of commandment commonly taught by the seven buddhas of past. It is called the Hichibutsu Tsukai-ge in Japanese. A verse of commandment commonly taught by seven buddhas of past. It says, do not commit evil. Do not commit evil and do everything good.

[27:16]

Purify your mind. This is, this is the teachings of all the buddhas. It is very simple, it is very simple. That's why there is some interesting story. One of our famous king, not king, you know, emperor in China asked the famous Zen master, what is Buddhism? What is the source of Buddhism? He says, do not commit evil, do everything good. This emperor says, well, it is very simple. Well, it is, I didn't know, I didn't know that it is a Buddhist teaching. He said,

[28:21]

if it is Buddhism, the teachings of Buddhism, if not the child of three years old knew so well about it, I think so. The parents always scold the children of three years old, don't do this. The Zen master says, oh yes, oh yes. Even the child of three years old knew so well about it, but even, but the old man, but it is pretty difficult for even the old man to carry into effect. This is also true.

[29:22]

For instance, the other day we changed, we have changed some rule in Zendo. Don't do, don't go this way, please go around behind the shoso, monju shuri, you know. And then when you are king here, please don't go this way, please go around, please make a circle. People who sit, make a circle here, not over there. Someone says, oh it's complicated, I don't feel so well. I think so. It's pretty difficult to come, to carry into the effect. But most of you, most of you think simple is simple, you know.

[30:30]

Simplicity is simplicity. Of course it is. Simplicity is simplicity. How can you learn the simplicity? From where, from where does simplicity, the idea of simplicity come? Your head? I think so, your head. But the moment when you say this is simplicity, you know, in your mind already you have some, some different idea, a pair of idea. Complicated. Complicated? So two ideas, complicated and simple, you know. So you, what you can say the simple

[31:32]

or simpleness or simplicity indicates that you have another ideas in your mind, you know, complicated. So you have to learn the simplicity from not simplicity, you know, from complicated. This is true. Then that's why when you do that, then please open your eyes, see? But most of people think, oh, I think closing eyes comfortable because you can't, it's not necessary to see, you know. Very complicated affairs which happens in front of you. If you see this, you know, not only this, there is not only tatami, you know. Tatami is at this point, it's not merely this point.

[32:33]

You will find lots of things except more than at this point. Beautiful light, flashing light, sometimes beautiful face of bodhisattvas in this point. Thank you. Sometimes completely darkness, like a shadow of a camera. But you always, they must say, please look at a certain point on your floor. So you say, always looking at. Sometimes, that time you are surprised, what's happening? Like this. In zazen, please open your eyes. Open your eyes is very important. To open your eyes is to see many things.

[33:40]

You have to see many things. At that time you can see, you can see one subject. You cannot try to do zazen with closed eyes. Maybe you, what you cannot see, anything, seems comfortable for you, but I'm sorry for you, closing eyes endures sleep. It makes you fall into sleep. Even in sleeping, you can see many things in your head. Sometimes during sleeping you can feel comfortable. Then,

[34:43]

immediately when you are, the moment you are aware of yourself, like this, you feel, well, maybe I got enlightenment. Maybe I had a complete concentration on zazen, but I don't think so. I don't think so. So to open your eyes is very important. To open your eyes is to see many things. And then from seeing many things you can learn, you can learn one thing, one thing, how can you, how much, how can you open your eyes? How can you open your eyes comfortably without disturbing your mind, without disturbing your imagination? This is one point, one thing,

[35:45]

one concentration. Then some zen master says, just open your eyes, don't use your nerve of your eyes. How can you, how can you, how can you open your eyes without using the nerve of your eyes? It's pretty difficult to explain, but you can do that, you can do. If you want to do this, you have to open your eyes and see many things. Then I think wisdom, so the, do not commit evil. Do everything good. It seems simple. It seems simple to carry into effect, you think. Well, yes, it's very simple, but it's very difficult to carry into effect,

[36:50]

to put it into practice. For even the old men, for even the zen master, maybe difficult. It means, it means what you have to do is very simple way, a single way. There is some way, there is an effort, there is an effort what you do not commit evil and do everything good. That's all, that's all. In other words, if you do your best, do your best using your discriminating mind

[37:52]

and concentrate on what to do, what to do in your daily life. In other words, the truth is not something which is irrational, which is irrational, irrational, irrational or inconsequent. Which is inconsequent. Please think, please consider what to do, in which direction to go using your discriminating mind. And also important point is please concentrate on considering what to do and doing,

[38:54]

doing something with wholeheartedness. Wholeheartedness is very important idea for us. Of course, if you do, if you make some mistake, if you make some mistake, you feel not, you don't feel so well. It is natural. It is natural. But I don't mean, I don't mean you don't feel anything. I don't mean you don't feel anything. You should feel. You should feel. If you make a mistake, oh, I don't feel so well. It is natural. But most of people, if you don't feel so well, completely like this,

[39:55]

he can't spring up. He can't spring. That's complete. Right to the right or to the left. That's all. With wholeheartedness is, of course, it is natural. You feel not so well. You don't feel so well. If you make mistake, that's okay. As the Dogen Zen says in Kanzi Zen, do the Zen without throwing away both the idea good or bad. You know? And do it. So, please,

[41:00]

please drain, please drain pain or suffering or the idea of good or bad through and through to the depths and the inmost level of your life, mind. Don't accept. Don't accept with your sensuous level. If you accept sensuous level, if you accept something with sensuous level, you always sway to the right, to the left. And then you can't spring up. Spring back. You know? A famous Zen master named Sawaki Roshi in Japan

[42:02]

said to the students, college students always, I don't care whatever criticism you give me. You know? With great admiration, with terrible criticism, he said, I don't care. Because this I don't care is not, this I don't care is not to ignore the admiration and terrible criticism given by others. He accepted both admiration or the terrible criticism. He tried to, he,

[43:03]

he, he gets the deepest taste of both admiration or terrible criticism in the inmost level of his mind. So he doesn't care. But he accepts how much he can accept. He can accept, he can accept anything in the inmost level of mind. It is called tranquility. Tranquility. It is called Zenjo. Then if you practice, if you practice again and again considering after deep consideration and doing continuously,

[44:07]

considering what to do in which direction to go, the, the, you practice practice, based on the discriminative mind will surely be turned into the higher level of spirit which is called wisdom. Wisdom. In other words, it is correctly speaking, concretely speaking in your daily life when it is, when it is actualized

[45:09]

in your daily life it is called tranquility. Tranquility. Stillness. A stillness, okay, this is the second, second point of three types of learning. I explained the last one, wisdom. So you can learn, you can practice, you can practice your life, you can practice anything in your life using the discriminative mind with wholeheartedness. At that time the practice based on discriminative mind will surely be turned into the higher level of spirit

[46:11]

which is called wisdom. The wisdom is, wisdom is never meant to accept, to accept dualistic, dualistic beings and satisfaction or satisfaction or suffering or pleasure. In other words, you can see again, you can see again your life with very different and what you have never experienced. The suffering, the

[47:16]

mostly suffering turned your life suffering, you know, what you have and goes, what you have and gone, you know, has turned your life so far, you know. So you say, I don't want, I don't want suffering, I don't want pain, you know. If you are confident with, confident with suffering, so suffering make your life, suffering in every, suffering create your life something, you know. You cannot, you don't, you didn't create your life, own life. In other words, suffering, with suffering

[48:16]

create your life or suffering turn your life, means to completely fall down like this. You can't spring back like this. But when you understand the stillness, tranquility, when you understand, when you acquire the tranquility, you can see, you can see your life again with different angle what you have never experienced. So at that time, tranquility, wisdom turn your life, turn your life. For instance, while you don't understand what Zazen is, you always, your life is, your Zazen is always sway to the right, to the left, or I like Zazen, or no,

[49:19]

I don't like Zazen. If someone ask you, why do you use Zazen? Well, I don't understand. You don't understand why do you use Zazen? It's nonsense. It's waste time. Well, if so, let's give up Zazen. And sometimes you are, you have, you got great inspirations, you know, through the Zazen. Well, yes, yes, Zazen is great. At that time, well, I want to do, to continue to do Zazen. This is true, you know. You always, whatever, whatever you feel, good or bad, it's all, it indicates to sway to the right, to the left. In other words, the good or bad turn your life always. That's why you say,

[50:20]

oh, I don't like, oh, yeah, I like this. I like Zazen, oh, I don't like Zazen. I like Maharishi group, oh, I like Ichin. You always like this, you know. But if you understand wisdom, tranquility on which your life is based, or the unsatisfaction or satisfaction are based, or suffering or pleasure are based, or uneasiness or comfortableness are based on, this is stillness. If you can see again your life,

[51:21]

your Zazen, or your pain, you can accept, you can accept. You can accept whatever it is, comfortableness or uneasiness, or pain, or Zazen, or bow. But it doesn't mean you should believe Zazen, because it is irrational. You should think, you should consider what Zazen is, you should do that. And you can't understand what Zazen is with your discriminating mind. That's why Buddha says, do not commit evil, do everything good. This is very simple, you know. If you do,

[52:25]

Zazen is good, try to do. But to do this is not to believe something because it is irrational. It is inconsequent. You have to consider what to do, in which direction to go, what it is, who I am. This is tranquility. This is tranquility. So, the idea of holiness, as mentioned before, the idea of holiness is not the idea of Buddha, or idea of Bodhisattva,

[53:27]

idea of Amitabha Buddha, which seems far away from our life. Well, Amitabha, where is it? Where is he? The idea of holiness is in Buddhism, tranquility, tranquility, tranquility on which the self is based. The self is based. This self is not something what you can perceive. Perceive it with sensuous level. Your sensuous level can accept many things. Comfortableness,

[54:30]

or easiness, or danger, or happy, but actually there is no fixed idea which is called danger, which is called happiness. It is not danger. It is not danger only when you are in the airplane. It is not danger. It is not danger when you walk on the street, walk on the street along which the kamikaze taxi is running in Japan. You feel, oh, it is very dangerous. If you go to Japan, it is very dangerous. Kamikaze taxi. That is why people call Western people, says kamikaze taxi.

[55:32]

But the people who sleep in his comfortable house was killed by the car which rushed into his house from the highway. Yes, this is true. Where is danger? You think comfortable, you feel comfortable when you sleep in your bed. I don't think so. I don't think so. Maybe tomorrow morning, oh, what's the matter? Hey, wake up. You don't say anything. I'm sorry for you. But maybe it is true. Now maybe it is true. So you have to

[56:39]

the consciousness at the sensuous level can perceive many things. And also most people are swayed completely to the left to the right by the conscious and sensuous level. By the perception of sensuous level on the sensuous level. But you have to see again many things which you can accept, perceive with sensuous level from a different angle which you have never experienced. It is called tranquility. In other words, it is called

[57:39]

the idea of holiness in Buddhism. So holiness is the idea of holiness in Buddhism is very different from maybe the idea which you are supposed. Ah Then if you practice if you practice in that way everything which you can perceive even the good, even the bad turn your life into Buddha's world. Into Buddha's world which elevate

[58:40]

calculate calculate your personality. It is entirely impossible for you to cultivate your personality by sensuous level. Okay? You have to find something more than sensuous level. This is tranquility. This is tranquility. For this it is the way is not the something which is irrational or which is far away from your daily life. Then three types of the learning says precepts. Precept is to live

[59:41]

your life according to regulated life. Okay? You control, you regulate your life. Regulate your life. The way of regulate life is very complicated. As well as your life your life is your life is based on variety of various aspects of life. So you can learn many things. And then from the many things you can learn one thing what it is. This is tranquility, holiness. This is holiness. This is precept.

[60:51]

This is precept. So maybe for it is it seems nonsense for you to follow the complicated rule complicated complicated rule in the Zen door. You should go this way or that way. Don't do don't cross in front of the Shosho Monjisho. It seems nonsense because you have never experienced before. But that's okay. That's okay. Try to learn the complicated complicatedness. Okay. It's not the idea of rule. The rule is the main purpose of our practice is not to to force you to follow a certain rule. Okay. The main purpose of our practice is

[61:53]

to learn something, one subject from the complicatedness. If you are confronted with the complicatedness, try to learn. How can you learn? How can you learn the simplicity in life? Because you are aware of your life based on the complicatedness. That's why you want to seek simplicity. Of course, I don't ignore Western way of life or I don't ignore your life but you have never

[62:54]

experienced Zen monastic life before. Of course, I understand so well. That's why I want to change a little bit. My way my way is always flexible. Not only my way, your way also flexible. Must be flexible. Flexible cannot be learned by only flexible alone. Flexibleness. Okay. You should learn what the flexibleness is through stiffness. Stiffness. You do that and you realize

[63:57]

how stiff how stiffness how stiff your leg is. Then after that I say please take exercise after taking bath in order to make your legs flexible. Yes, you can learn. You can learn flexibleness from stiffness. Stiffness seems to be of all aspects of your life. This is the idea of three types of learning. So Sangaku which is called Sangaku. Precepts, Tranquility and Wisdom.

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Do you have question?

[65:05]

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