Most of you are beginners. So it may be a lot of difficult. While we practice jazhen in this way, we always say, just sit. That's all what you say. But if you sit, you will find out then practice just to sit is not so easy.

[01:08]

Just to sit may be the most difficult thing. To work on something is not difficult. But don't work on anything is rather difficult. Without, when we have idea of self, we cannot stay still. Because we have some idea of self, we find some reason why we work. on something. But if you do not have any idea of self, you can remain silent and calm as you work on something.

[02:37]

you will not lose your composition, whether you work or not. So to remain silent and calm, there is a kind of test we received. If you can remain silent and calm, It means you have no idea of self. If you practice, if your life is based on the idea of self we usually have.

[03:43]

What we do will not be successful in its true sense. You will be successful in one way but on the other you are causing some conflict. So to work without idea of self is very, very important point. It is much more important. to make a good decision. Even though you made, you make a good decision, if that decision is based on one-sided idea of self,

[05:02]

What you do will create some difficulties for yourself and for others. So for us to work on something or To help others is to do things within ourselves, not without. Our effort is concentrated within ourselves. According to the Sixth Patrick, it is the activity of our true nature.

[06:14]

Within, in the realm of true nature, we do things not outside of our mind. All what we do is the activity of Our mind, a true mind, which is not dualistic. The mind, and by mind he wounds the deep mind, not self, selfish mind. Of course, we have dualistic activity. that activity takes place within the deep mind.

[07:16]

So this dualistic activity within ourselves is different from the dualistic activity which we usually take This psychology is very, maybe pretty difficult for you to understand, but Buddhist psychology is concentrated on this point. What is our psychological activity? within ourselves. And psychological activity which takes place outside of ourselves is delusion according to Buddhist psychology.

[08:39]

It is delusion. It is not true. It does not exist. So deluded activity will not result anything, but through activity, only through activity result would result. When you practice then, you have to go spend on your legs then mentally you have some difficulty. You will find out it is rather difficult to be concentrated on your breathing only.

[09:43]

And one after another, various images will... come into your mind, or your mind will go out for a walk, wondering about it. It is rather difficult for me too, so I think you will find it is rather difficult. All those difficulties you have in the Zen should not take place. Outside of your mind, it should be. All those efforts should be kept within your mind.

[10:52]

In other words, you have to accept it. You shouldn't try to make some particular effort for the effort constantly. Based on your small self, I have my practice should be better. my practice. Buddha's practice should be there, but not yours. If your effort is based on weak mind, you cannot get out of it. It is so weak, so you cannot get out of it. But if you are Small cells start to act without any care of deep mind.

[12:14]

That is not there. What you do should be well taken care of. by the mind. So our practice should be based on the big mind. So what we do, the pain we have on our legs are safe, but how we handle it is quite difficult. We observe precepts, and we say Zen practice and precepts is one. To observe precepts is to practice Zen.

[13:19]

It is Zen too. In precepts, we say we have many precepts. moral, not moral court, but we have many rules. Most of the rules, 10 commandments, or 16 commandments, are all rules. Impossible to observe completely. I don't think you can observe it. But if you practice jazen, you can observe it. The secret of observing precepts is to practice them.

[14:24]

Because if you practice Zen, a dualistic idea of to observe or not to observe, third place within your mind, you have no one to blame. And there's no one who is violating physical. you observe, you make effort to observe precepts, even though it is not complete. That effort is Buddha's, Buddha mind's effort. But if you yourself is outside of the precepts, or Buddha mind,

[15:36]

there is no time to observe and complete. But if your activity is involved in Buddha's big activity, whatever you do, Buddha's effort, then Even though it is not perfect, you are manifesting Buddha's mass and active. Dogen Zen's action, according to his record, He was enlightened when he had a disciple who was hit by his master.

[16:56]

What are you doing? You have to make your efforts. What I do is his teacher slapped a person who was next to him and he was in love. That effort is there. That effort is to observe precepts. If we do Our best effort on each moment with confidence, that is energy. Don't ask whether his way is perfect or not. When he do his best to observe three sets, to practice Zen, Zen there is.

[18:08]

Enlightenment. There is no other way to attain enlightenment. The enlightenment is not some certain state. The enlightenment is everything. Wherever you are, enlightenment is there. Whatever you do, if you do, do it with your best. That is Pendaki. This point is very important for our Zen practice and for our everyday life. And so to practice Zen is a part of everyday life.

[19:20]

Everyday life is, in everyday life, we should make our effort. Without doing our effort in everyday life, just to come and sit here for 40 minutes. That is not Zen at all. If you want to practice this kind of practice, As a good example of everyday life, you want your friend, you want your teacher, you want the precepts we have.

[20:25]

Even though it is almost impossible to observe it, it is necessary. And some form is necessary. And some way of working or some way of taking breathing is necessary. It is not possible to be concentrated on some uncertain way. There must be some accurately to observe. There must be strict rule to observe. Because of the rules we have, because of the way of setting, way of practice, it is possible to be concentrated on something.

[21:35]

So, In your everyday life, it is the same thing. Without any purpose or any aim, you cannot organize your life. Without knowing what you are going to be, you cannot make your effort because you want, you have, your own aim to accomplish. You can make your effort in your face. And so my master always, my teacher, Sri Aurochi, always said, you have to have a vow or A to accomplish.

[22:44]

If you do not have your aid of life, you cannot be Buddhist. The aim we have may not be perfect. That is, even though it is not perfect, it is necessary for us. It is like a precept, even though it is almost impossible to observe it. We have to have it. Without that, we cannot actualize our way, Buddha's spirit. And so we should be very grateful to the rigid formal way of practicing Zen.

[24:06]

Because of the great mercy He prepared for us many precepts. You may think those precepts If it is impossible to observe it, that's useless. But we, we are, our life that we have now is the result of the useless effort.

[25:08]

How many useless things we dig until you come to this life. For human beings, I don't know how long. From egg-born animal to fish. Some animals, monkeys, I don't know. But we wasted so many times, so many efforts until we come to this life, human.

[26:10]

And that's a big... tree in the new world has annual layer circle. If you cut your life in other ways, we have annual layer in our I think that is precept. You say, we don't want it, but you have it. So as long as you have it, you have to see. And you have to know how to continue your efforts.

[27:14]

and you are another layer on yourself. In this way, we will develop Buddhism more and more. Strictly speaking, we should have some other precepts, more if, but You say, one hundred and fifty. It's awful. Why don't you make it simpler? But I think you have to add some more. Because our project is prepared in Japan. So in here, you have to another. You have to have another project. so I think you will have more difficulty in practicing something in America actually it may be more difficult than we do in Japan but this difficulty should be

[28:47]

continued forever, or else we will not have peace in our world. As long as our effort is based on self-centered ideas, There's no congenial life in a human being because of those precepts. And by reflecting on ourselves and respecting precepts and rules, we have We'll know the direction to make effort, and we'll have the right orientation of our life.

[30:07]

This is why we practice Zen. And how Buddhism is developed, has been developed? Same question is asked. OK. Let me know. I don't want to start practicing.

[31:20]

The difference, you know, there's some, both have some characteristics, different characteristics. We are concentrating on, you know, fundamental way, fundamental way, or traditional way. originated from Buddha. And Jinja emphasized its own characteristic, character, or family. We have five families, so... five families in China.

[32:43]

Then as five families, those three were introduced to Japan. And Ikyo, Unmon, there are some, Unmon, or some more. Kouke, Igyo. I said Igyo. Five or seven schools. And if we do not emphasize our family way so much, but fundamentally we treat and then as Buddhism itself, not Zen, but Buddhism.

[33:56]

For us, Zen and Buddhism, Zen. But for Rinzai, Buddhism is not good enough. Rinzai is better. And that has been their safety. What do you think? And then it's the same. Why does the school use the corn? Corn? That is some technique. To give instruction. Not technique. I shouldn't say technique.

[34:56]

It's a kind of way. They are way to give instruction. So school has something? We use koan, too. And actually, Doreen Zenji's Shobo Genzo, in Shitshobo Genzo, there are many, many koans. And there are many, many interpretations of koans. His own answer to the koan. He may say, my answer to those koans is like this. precepts. So, we use ko. We do not ignore ko. Or we do not ignore any precepts.

[35:57]

But we, it is impossible to study everything. So, according to the person, and according to his character, you can stab it. What does it say, open the door? What does it say, open the door? What does it say, open the door? It doesn't say. You know, all kinds of things. Oh, I see. That was written by Takashita Zenji, Takashita Zenji. Takashita Zenji, present. And it says... that's what

[37:33]

Some more questions? you have 30 minutes more.

[39:11]

So please, go to your restroom.

[39:18]

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