Sesshin Lecture

00:00
00:00
Audio loading...

Welcome! You can log in or create an account to save favorites, edit keywords, transcripts, and more.

This talk will not appear in the main Search results:
Unlisted
Serial: 
SF-05428
Description: 

TS-65-08-01

AI Summary: 

-

Photos: 
Notes: 

Not SR - Bishop Sumi.

Transcript: 

The approximate last words of Reverend Satsuki's, which I didn't get on tape, were, thank you very much for your heart practice, you've made all the Buddhas are here because of your heart practice. We are very grateful. What's coming up is the last lecture by Bishop Sumi on Sunday. Thank you for your support and finishing this session meeting. As you know, session

[01:13]

means concentration, one thing, all on point. Your daily life must be very changeable. But in seventh day this week, you came here and keep your body and mind to balance with this concentration. Have you been? This morning, I'm still afraid I couldn't express with my English speaking, very rested to contact you because I use Japanese language every day.

[02:15]

Something frustration comes. I couldn't express all my thinking. But I trust you, you can understand beyond the words, beyond my expression, you directly catch it. I think so. Please excuse if you feel some trouble to understand or comprehend. Please ask some other person what he said. It's the best way and helpful for you, isn't it? So, have you heard the name of Bodhidharma? He came to China about five centuries ago. It may be 524 years, he came to China from India. He was born in South India as a prince of a little country,

[03:28]

kingdom. It revealed, when he was young, his father, most devotee of Buddhism. Later, Bodhidharma entered the monastery and became a disciple of Prajnaparamita. He is a master and traditional orthodox successor from Shakyamuni Buddha's patriarchy of the 28th generation, 28th patriarch. Then, he came to China. He became the first beginner at a Chinese Zen school, you know. When he was a child, one day, his father was very, very pleased by my sermon of Prajnaparamita. I explained

[04:39]

Bodhidharma, Master and Father's patriarchy. Very pleased, the father gave Prajnaparamita a treasure. It's very, very important and anything but changeable, so valuable treasure, he gave for the award of his son. Prajnaparamita brought it, said goodbye, down the stairs. There, he met three child of kingdom. Bodhidharma is the third brother, the youngest brother. Two elder brothers of Bodhidharma asked, oh, what happened? This is a wonderful treasure of my national. Usually, my father said, this is

[05:52]

unchangeable anything, not by money. My father, very, very fondly, why he gave it to you? The second brother continued, it's due to your respectful sermon, so, listen, my father gave it to you. The third Bodhidharma, nothing speaks, only one word. Then, Prajnaparamita asked him, why did you speak? But, there is no word. Then, few minutes later, he replied, it is only a variable. We count it, but it's

[07:10]

not so variable to me. Someone say it is variable, but it's no mean to me. Prajnaparamita surprised this answer. There, he intended strongly, may this boy come as my disciple, and he might be spread the right way of Shakyamuni Buddha. Then, four years later, at the time of Bodhidharma, 15 years, his father died. Then,

[08:16]

all people of the kingdom, particularly two elder brothers, cried and cried. They never stopped crying for his dead father. But, Dharma himself, no one knows. He is only sitting by the casket. Posture doesn't figure. He faced directly his father's coffin. There is no speak. His father couldn't speak again, nothing. But, in the heart of Bodhidharma, endless words speaking reached his father's body and mind.

[09:18]

Could you suppose, like that? We can speak no words, but we are always speaking. As you know, so, in the Hanya Shingyo, strictly emphasize, all thing is nothing. Nothing is all. Isn't it? Every time you chant and recite it, please reveal yourself. That means, yesterday night, I was very interested for Mr. Richard Baker speaks to me. Something talking about, like this, I took him. In the Oriental philosophy, Japanese spiritual world might be start from zero. Especially Buddhism, starting zero. Zero is a round and concludes all things. But, Western philosophy might be start from one. One is a unit and origin.

[10:37]

But, Buddhism start zero. Which is a bigger, do you think? Zero is countless number and very, very freedom. You mean liberty? Which is called liberty? It must be start from zero, I think. One is always one. It's count. Very interesting, Richard, figure me. We count one, two, three, four. It's always out. Standard from mine. But, Buddhism count outside two inside. One, two, three, four, five, like that. It means round. Rounded, rounded. Is it okay? So, this is a very fundamental, basic point of view of your starting zero. After this week, what have you gained to yourself?

[11:50]

It might be say nothing. Only I feel physical pain. Some of you like that? Oh, too terrible, too hard thing to practice. I can't get nothing. Shall we stop it? No, it must be continue more. Then the joy come to me. So, Russian poet said, this is a very strange word, one phrase. You know pearl, like a pendant and decoration pearl, mostly famous Japanese pearl. We are pearl from born, a clever and wise man poet expressed. Pearl was born from his painful body.

[12:59]

You can realize that? If you want to pearl, a brilliant one, someone enter, open, open his shell and enter some ritual material, like stone. So, shell itself feel pain. They want to recover and leave it off. So, he cover, cover on the surface of the stone or the material. Then, it might be endable, you know. It become brilliant and very beautiful pearl. So, poet means, pearl born from suffering. This is best, best word to us in our future.

[14:11]

Mostly, after this session, you will build up your mind and body more strongly and face directly and resolve. Even though it's a very hard work and trouble might be happen, you can always straight go on your one way, never bending like that. Sometimes, wind blow higher mountain, but mountain itself always constant. Only surface, dark cloud and heavy rain might be through and floating. Like that, our mind sometimes might be float, here and there, front or backward, might be float.

[15:13]

But, wind, I have one experience, it stand straight, like the leaf. When the wind, water passing through, they come back straight, always. So, Pascal said, philosophical, human is like leaf. It seems weakable, but it's most strength. That one koan express this point. Many people say, I have very strong, I have many power. But, how you feel pressure? Power is meaning sometimes against, right? Is it only real power, you think?

[16:16]

You can suppose, all the pine trees, strictly standing on this heavy rock. Outside, it seems very strong. But, what is happen, when the wind power more strong than this, it might be crack down. But, again you can suppose they are inside. Our eyes always open, out looking. And, we can see the boundary of this sight seeing. But, is it only real world? Many, many unknown things exist. You can think so?

[17:20]

Well, even the spaceman, maneuvered space, it's only little, little point of the universe. You can think so? What little bit, to our neighbor world, it bring us more happiness? What is the real happiness to you? This is a very serious problem to me. Then, Bodhidharma faced his father's coffee. He practiced Zazen 7th day. Then, all person went to the cemetery, to burning up father's body. Then after, Dharma came back again his castle.

[18:24]

They went to master, Parama. He shaved his head, and become a disciple. There is last word for his master. When you became 64 years old, you must go to the China. There are many people suffering, unknown the right way of this Buddhism. You must summon and risk them. By my right way, it must be 4 wisdom and 8 path of the Buddhism, as you know like this. His order, very serious and important. Later, his master passed away. Bodhidharma practiced more and more the Zen way.

[19:26]

And, at his 64 years old age, after many suffering voyages to Southern Sea, at last, he wrote it on the Chinese. It was 524 AD. It is the founder of Chinese Zen Master. Then, 6th Patriarch asked his way. One day, his first disciple, Bodhidharma, as you know, faced the wall. Practiced 9 years more Zen. And what you can suppose? You think only he is sitting in the face every day, every time. No.

[20:29]

His figure facing the wall. But his inner heart always never stopped thinking. What shall I do? What way is the best to preach them? His inner heart always not stopped. Working, working, working. At last, he gained his one disciple, named Eka. One day, Eka asked Bodhidharma, I am feeling very much of my pain from my heart. Please, Master, rescue me. Eka asked. Bodhidharma answered him, What about your suffering?

[21:34]

Zen brought me your mind. What is your mind suffering? Bring me your mind. That is a very important question. The disciple, thinking, concentrating, through, rather than waiting. Three years later, he got it, answered. I can get it. I can get it. And take out my mind. Went on the Master's way. He answered it. Then Bodhidharma again mentioned, Oh, at last, I took off your pain.

[22:39]

You can understand this is a koan. It means, From where your pain comes to you? It's not my mind. You suffer yourself by yourself. What it means? Sometimes we can suppose, joy things and happiness, like that things always catch as existence, like a material. There, we can't eat, so suffering comes here. So Bodhidharma doctrine says, pain itself comes gathering. Gathering is my desire. But desire must be of my power,

[23:41]

as human life living, going on. So it's revealed. Western science, start one, and cleverly express. Last day, someone asked, asked Reverend Suzuki, religion. Religion, it comes from Latin word. It means divide. God and me. Always dividing, separate. So, Richard said like that. Some school teaches us, you can enter God's paradise. But only entering, you can't become God. But Buddhism, you are Buddha yourself, yourself.

[24:43]

You must find inner you are, inner you are heart as Buddha nature. It's equality like that. So it starts, Zen, I said last night, Zen, all. Japanese language express Zen is whole, H-W-H-O-L-L-E. It's the same meaning. So it is not interesting for you like it is. Zen, our Zen sect, flourish and cherish disciple to disciple. Master transmits his disciples. Like that, some organizations grow up. They are introduced to Japan. Now, it's beyond 5,000 miles

[25:45]

Pacific Ocean. You and I again gathering here. Reverend Suzuki, mostly devouring his effort for you as a something like his responsibility. We are very happy to see you and talking about like this serious point. So friendly. Face to face. It must be reflected our Buddhahood. There, you know, there is no word, no, no printing letter like a sutra. Buddha speaks directly his disciples or laymen and laywomen.

[26:50]

They are heartily aggrieved. Then, they became devoted. It is a very important thing to us. We are together figure. This is the same of Buddha itself. It's a highest figure as a human being doing. Same figure. You can find some Buddha statue standing, some Buddha statue sitting. And ancient India, some religion, you know, Hinduism, they are same practice this figure. They pose

[27:51]

fingers like that. This is triumph. And hand itself mudra we call. It expresses our inside world. Not no use of oral words. Finger is always expressed our inside heart. When you touch, it's a joy, agreeable. This is denied. It's a very, very important thing, expression, with hand or eyes or anything we have, organ, through the organ. Then, this means fire. Fire always figure, triumph, burn up. But

[28:53]

our Zen school, Zen sect, if I can I can find these two days, some of you like this. This is not good. I explain. We must finger touch only like this. This means a ball, water ball. B-A-W-L water ball. So if you keep like this strong and stretch this point, our heart might be burn up. Hinduism keeps concentration this point. It's meaning very intellectual, intellectual. So, only working my head never stop. Seems conscious and unconscious

[29:53]

all time working. Our desire need rest, but it couldn't attend. So, you Ah, yesterday question time, some of you asked a question, Reverend Suzuki. As you expect something through the Zen, your head mind always working and your mind always up and up, never stop. So, our desire want to sit and concentrate. It's opposite. So, it's not good for our Zen practice. We must keep hand modular, like this water ball. It is a

[30:59]

mirror of myself. Clean up mirror so beautifully. Everything face it. You think so? Our mind sometimes dirty by something like the cloud or mist or fog. So, we must clean up our daily life sometimes. Collect our bones straight and keep our modular right way. The reflection comes in my mirror as itself. Bend tree face bend tree. Right tree face right tree like that. It's a real existence basically. So, there

[32:00]

one thing I might consider as a power. As Pascala said, you can suppose leaves by the river shore. When the strong wind breeze comes and water flows up, what leaves figure? Many leaves down according to the stream once. But, after that passing away, leaves must be collected figure. Can you suppose it? So, Chinese Zen master said, we have two powers. One is strictly against it. It must be called power. But, you can dismiss one power,

[33:02]

one side, as a leaf. Which is better to you? Through our daily life. We can feel some pressure from outside every day, every time. But, there is mostly we can recognize and need a real power. What is it? Your figure. Your Zazen. It's the best to me, as Pascal said. Weakly seem, but always keep you safe at one point. And, doing your best and responsibility. It's a real award for the social, to the nation, to the human being, eternally.

[34:02]

So, Bodhidharma said, you must find yourself, yourself, find your mind. Zazen is the best way. Once crossed our legs, our eyes, inside, there we can see many, many things happening at the same time. Why do we worry? What is happening? And, we make decisions, our responsibility, what to do, what should be done through our daily life. This time, I'm very, very pleased to meet you. And there, I can trust you. All of your, each hundred

[35:04]

of a clear light showing both lights inside, outside, and all of your guides are passing. Thank you very much for your time.

[35:25]

@Text_v004
@Score_JJ