Sesshin Lecture

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SF-05102
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Tape X side 1 - Sunday lectures of Bishop Sumi

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65-07-DD sesshin - not SR

Transcript: 

The approximate last words of Reverend Suzuki'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 to end the session on Sunday. We are grateful for your supporting and finishing this session meeting. As you know, the session

[01:14]

means concentration on one thing or one point. Your daily life must be very changeable. But on the seventh day this week, you came here to keep your body and mind balanced with concentration. How 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.

[02:16]

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 me if you feel some trouble to understand or comprehend. And please ask another 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 century years, it may be 524 years he came to China from India. He was born in the South India as a prince of a

[03:29]

little country 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 a traditional orthodox accessor from Shakyamuni Buddha's patriarchy of the 28th generation. Then he came to China. He became the first beginner at a Chinese Zen school. When he was a child, one day his father, very very pleased

[04:36]

by my sermon Prajnaparamita, I explained Bodhidharma's master and father's patriarchy. Very pleased, father gave Prajnaparamita a praise. It's very very important and anything but changeable, so valuable treasure, gave for the hour of his sermon. Prajnaparamita brought it, said goodbye down the stairs. There he met three child of king. Bodhidharma is the third brother, the youngest brother. Two elder brothers of Bodhidharma asked,

[05:42]

Oh, what happened? This is a wonderful treasure of my national. Usually my father said, this is unchangeable anything, not by money with it. My father very very fondly, why he gave it to you? The second brother continued, it's due to your respectful sermon. So, my father gave it to you. The three, the third Bodhidharma, nothing speak, only one word. Then Prajnaparamita asked him, why did it speak? But there is no word.

[06:50]

Then few minutes later, he replied, it is only a variable. We count it, but it's not so valuable to me. Someone say it is a 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. They are most acceptable and hopeful.

[07:57]

It is their first met, master and other disciple. Then four years later, at the time of Bodhidharma, 15 years, his father died. Then 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, postured, dozen figures. He faced directly his father's coffin. There is no speak.

[09:07]

His father couldn't speak again, nothing. But in the heart of Bodhidharma, endless words speaking reached his father's body and mind. Could you suppose, like that? We can speak no words, but we always speak. How do you know? So, in Nihanya Shingyo, it is strictly emphasized, all things are 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 taught him Oriental philosophy.

[10:17]

Japanese spiritual world might be start from zero, especially Buddhism starting from zero. Zero is round and concludes all things. But Western philosophy might be start from one. One is a unit and origin. But Buddhism starts zero. Which is bigger, do you think? Zero is countless number and very, very freedom. You mean liberty? What do you call the 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.

[11:23]

Standard from mine. But Buddhism counts outside two inside. One, two, three, four, five, like that. It means round, round and rounded. Is it okay? So, this is a very fundamental, basic point of view of your starting zazen. After this week, what have you gained to yourself? It might be said, nothing. Only I feel physical pain. Some of you, like that? Oh, too terrible, too hard thing to practice zazen. I can't get nothing. Shall we stop it? No, it must be continue more. Then the joy comes to me.

[12:28]

So, Russian poet says, this is a very strange word, one phrase. You know, pearl, like a pendant and decoration is pearl, mostly a famous Japanese pearl. Where pearl from born? A clever and wise man poet expressed. Pearl was born from his painful body. Pearl. You can realize that? If you want to pearl a brilliant one, someone enters, opens his shell and enters a little material, like stone. So,

[13:33]

the shell itself feels pain. They want to recover it and leave it off. So, he covers it on the surface of the stone or the material. Then, it might be endeavor, you know? It becomes brilliant and very beautiful pearl. So, poetry means pearl born from suffering. This is the best word to us in our future. Mostly, after this session, you will build up your mind and body more strongly and face directly and resolve.

[14:37]

Even though it's a very hard work and trouble might be happen, you can always straight go your one way, never bending like that. Sometimes, wind blow higher mountains, but mountains itself always constant. Only surface, dark clouds 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. But, when I have once experienced this turn straight, like a leaf, when the wind, water passing through, they come back straight always.

[15:46]

So, Pascal says, philosophical, human is like a leaf. It seems weak, but it must strength that one koan express this point. Many people say, I am very strong, I have many power. How you feel pressure? Power is meaning sometimes against resistance, right? Is it only real power, you think? You can suppose all the pine trees strictly standing on these heavy rocks. Outside, it seems very strong. But, what is happen? Why the wind power more strong than this?

[16:52]

It might be crack down. But, again, you can suppose the 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 existing. You can think so? Well, even the spaceman maneuvers space, it's only little, little point of the universe, you can think so? What's the reason of it, to our neighbor world? It brings us more happiness?

[18:01]

What is the real happiness to you? This is a very serious problem to me. Then, Bodhidharma faced his father's coffin. He practiced Zazen 7th day. Then, all person went to the cemetery to burning up his father's body. Then, after Dharma came back again, he was cured. They went to master's palace. He shaved his hair and became a disciple. There is last word for his master. When you become 64 years old, you must go to the China. There are many people suffering, unknown the right way of this Buddhism.

[19:08]

You must summon and arrest them by my right way. It must be four wisdom and eight path of the Buddhism, as you know. His order is very serious and important. Later, his master passed away. Bodhidharma practiced more and more Zazen way. At his 64 years old age, after many suffering voyages, at last, he arrived in China. It was 524 AD. He is the founder of Chinese Zazen master.

[20:14]

Then, 6th Patriarch asked his way. One day, his first disciple, Bodhidharma, as you know, faced the world, practiced 9 years more Zazen. And what you can suppose? You think only he is sitting in the face every day, every time. No. He figured facing the world, 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.

[21:17]

At last, he gained his one disciple, named Eka. One day, Eka asked Bodhidharma, I'm feeling very much of my pain from my heart. Please, master, rescue me. Eka asked Bodhidharma. Bodhidharma answered him, What about your suffering? Zen brought me your mind. What is your mind's suffering? Bring me your mind. That's a very important question. The disciple, thinking, concentrating through Zazen way.

[22:18]

Three years later, he got it, answered. I can get it. I can get it and take out my mind. Eka went on this master's prayer. He answered it. Then Bodhidharma again mentioned, Oh, at last, I took off your pain. 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.

[23:19]

What does it mean? Sometimes we can suppose joy thing 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 as human life living, going on. So, it's revealed. Western science, start one, and cleverly expressed. Last day, someone asked, Reverend Suzuki, what is religion?

[24:25]

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 itself, yourself. You must find your inner heart as Buddha nature. It's equality, like that. So, it starts, Zen, I said last night, Zen-O. Japanese language express Zen is whole, H-H-O-L-E.

[25:32]

It's the same meaning. So, is it not interesting for you like this? Then, our Zen sect flourished and cherished disciple to disciple. Masters transmitted his disciples. Like that, some organizations grew up. They are introduced to Japan. Now, it's beyond 5,000 miles, Pacific Ocean. You and I, again gathering here. Reverend Suzuki, mostly devouring his inner heart effort for you, as something like his responsibility. We are very happy to see you.

[26:37]

And talking about like this serious point, so friendly, face to face. It must reflect 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. They are heartily agreed. 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.

[27:43]

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 post finger like that. This is triumph. And the hand itself, mudra we call. It expresses our inside world. Not, no use of the oral word. Finger is always express our inside heart. When you touch, it's a journey, agreeable.

[28:47]

Like that, 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, you know. Fire always figure, triumph, burn up. But our Zen school, Zen sect, 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 stress this point,

[29:54]

our heart might be burn up. Hinduism keeps the concentration this point. It's meaning very intellectual, intellectual. So, only working my head, never stop. Seems conscious and unconscious, 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.

[31:00]

So desire wants to sit and concentrate. It's opposite. So, it's not good for our Zen practice. We must keep hand mudra like this, water ball. It's the mirror of myself. Clean up mirror so beautifully. Everything, face it. Is it 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 born traits and keep our mudra right way.

[32:01]

Their reflection comes in my mirror as itself. Bend tree, face bend tree. Right tree, face right tree. Like that. It's real existence, facing it. So, there is one thing I might consider as a power. As Pascala said, you can suppose a river, by the river shore. When the strong wind or breeze comes, and the water flows up, what leaves figure? Many leaves down according to the stream, one. But after the passing away, leaves must be correct figure.

[33:08]

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 cannot miss one power, one side, as a lead. 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 way, as Pascala said. Weakly seem, but always keep you, it.

[34:12]

For the one time. And doing your best and responsibility. It's a real award for the social, to the nation, to the human being, eternally. So, Bodhidharma said, you must find yourself, find your mind. Zazen is the best way. Once close our eyes inside. There we can see many, many things happening. In same time, widely world, what is happening? And we make decision, our responsibility. What to do? What should be done? Through our daily life.

[35:14]

This time, I'm very, very pleased to meet you. And there, I can trust you. All of your, each hundred of a clear light. Showing both light. Inside, outside. And all in you. Guide a person. Thank you very much for your time.

[35:53]

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