What's the use of knowing who you are? I want to improve my characters. What's the use of improving your characters? I want to save all beings. What for? In one month, you have nothing to say. This is very important. This is important. When you have nothing to say, at that time, you can find who you are. You can find what the thing is. Then,

[01:33]

Dogen Zenji says in one of Shobo Genzo, one of chapter in Shobo Genzo, this is translated by myself, so I think it is not so good. But please understand between the lines. He explains about the true nature of all beings, which occurs in the Lotus Sutra. The main point which Lotus Sutra wants to tell us is the principle of the true nature of all beings.

[02:43]

This is called in Japanese, Shoko Jitso. Shoko means all beings, all things. Jitso is truth, reality. So is form. Jitso means the true nature. He explains about the true nature. In Satang Pundika Sutra, it explains in other way

[04:17]

about the true nature of all beings, which occurs in Lotus Sutra, particularly the chapter 2. And all laws, Shaliputra, are taught by the Tathagata and by him alone. No one but he knows all laws. What they are, how they are, like what they are, of what characteristics and of what nature they are. Kumoro Jube translated these parts into Chinese as follows, ten suchnesses.

[05:24]

In Japanese, Nyoze, Nyoze So. Dr. Suzuki translated into English as suchness. Then suchness has not the soul of form. Suchness is not the soul of form. Nor a certain type of suchness. But it has infinite, boundless, unutterable and unfathomable profundity. Even amount of one hundred thousand

[06:28]

cannot occupy the domain of the true nature of all beings. It is quantified by amount of all beings and by amount of the true nature. Did you understand? The suchness is not a soul of form. Nor a certain type of suchness. You know, as the Dogen Zenji experiences in China, when he was asked by one priest,

[07:32]

what are you reading? What's for? What's the use of reading a book? Maybe you can, maybe so far, for Dogen Zenji, the purpose of his practice, is to have a certain objective, which he must keep. So he can answer, he can answer to his questions. I want to know. I want to know the patriarch's lives.

[08:34]

What he, what they had done. But for this priest, Dogen's answer is not real nature of his understanding what the truth is, what the suchness is, what his practice is. So this priest asks again, what's for? What's the use of reading of Analects? But for Dogen Zenji, he had a great aim, to save all sentient beings. Then he answered,

[09:41]

I want to, I want to enlighten my countrymen when I go home, when I go back there. Even though for the priest, it is not enough answer, the question, what's the truth is, what's your practice is, then Dogen was asked by him again, what's for? Even though the Dogen's answer can answer to his question, forever,

[10:43]

probably this priest asked him forever, what's for? And then, at last, when the Dogen fall into a dead end, when he cannot answer anymore to his question, at that time, it is, when he understands his own practice. You know, whatever you do, you know, the Buddhist practice, Buddhist practice is,

[11:49]

the way of crystallization of a reading to a realize the real self. Whatever you do, things, what you are doing, as an artist,

[12:55]

as a musician, as a writer, as a scholar, you have to understand your own works. In that way, you should continue to ask yourself, what's for? Because the practice in the process of your works is omnipresent

[14:03]

in the domain of infinite, infinite enlightenment. Infinite enlightenment is the end of your works. Practice has no end. It has no end enough to do. Practice is no end. Enlightenment is no end. If you have some idea,

[15:08]

my practice, the purpose of my practice is to save all sentient beings. This is your viewpoint. The Buddha says, human beings possess the Buddha natures, Tathagatas. In underlying, underlying essence, this is real truth. Then if you think, I have Buddha foot, but this Buddha foot is the small world, which emerges from your viewpoint. Then you can, after

[16:16]

the practice of long years, at last, you attain, you attain the goal of your practice. Then that master gives you admission, you become Zen masters. Someone asked me, you want to become Zen masters? I said, I don't want. It was too much responsibility for me. I think this is very good. The Zen master gives you admission, a satisfaction. You become Zen masters. You become enlightened ones.

[17:20]

But, you know, try to contemplate again and again, what does it mean? What it means? The purpose of life is to get to a certain position as a Zen master. The purpose of life is not to get to the higher wage, as a Zen master's salary. You know, it is very convenient to get high salaries. If you get the position of Zen master, it is very convenient for us. But it is not the real purpose

[18:27]

of life. Life is important. Position or wages is not the main purpose of our lives. Then if you get the satisfaction as a Zen master, as an enlightened person, you should take good care of it by yourself. It is all right. But it is not something to be displayed in public. But, unfortunately, the human beings are liable to be proud of themselves

[19:28]

if they get a certain position, higher position, as a Zen master, as a scholar, as ministers, as presidents. This is very dangerous. Zen, the real meaning of Buddhism, is to dispel such a pride, such a position, such a wages. It is said one of the priests

[20:32]

attached to Shinskos said to me two years ago, the Shinskos priest wants to live in luxury. Luxury life They want to get a high wage. In comparison with Zen priests, they get very high wages. But they complain. They have lots of complaints. Because they always

[21:35]

are seeing their own salary in comparison with current quotations. Current quotations. What is average salary? People should have a right to get the average salary. Then they want to have lots of complaints. But Zen master is out of questions. Zen priest's salary is out of questions. If you compare, if you have a certain idea in terms of current quotations

[22:36]

or common sense, you know, you cannot help having lots of complaints. But even Zen priest is very glad to have higher wages. But, you know, for Zen priest, at least we have to, Zen priest tries to make every effort to see something what it is, as it is. Then

[23:42]

whatever you do, you have to contemplate your works in that way. So, one of Zen master explains about something as following. You shouldn't

[25:08]

pass by carelessly. You shouldn't If you fall down, by stepping over the rock, did you understand? You know, you fall down because there is a little rock, a little big rock. You fall down stepping over this rock. You should not pass by carelessly. You should not pass by this rock. If you fall down by this, to say

[26:16]

what you are born in this world is to say what it is like a rock. By what you fall down on the ground. Because, you know, your birth makes you lots of traumas. You know, this life, your birth, your birth is like a rock. By what you have, you have to be fallen down on the ground. Then at that time, don't pass by

[27:17]

this rock carelessly. You should contemplate through and through what it is. Particularly, when you want to know what life is, when you want to know what suffering is, this is a macro life which we have to contemplate through and through through the whole life. As

[28:21]

one of the priests asked Dogen Zenji, even the Dogen Zenji at that time didn't enough research for what his practice is, what his work is, what his work was. His work is his own life. The purpose of life is not to get some technique to live in this life, in this world. If the purpose of life is to get the technique to live in this life, it is all right, you have a certain objective which you have to keep.

[29:22]

Your practice, the purpose of your practice is to realize the true nature of your own. It is all right. But it is not the purpose of your life. Then you have to ask yourself again and again, what's for? You can't answer to this question because all of you are very clever men. When I entered A.H. Monastery, I was first experienced to listen the Shobo Genzo delivered by Reverend

[30:30]

Eko Hashimoto, concerned with the subject of Zazen. I was very glad to listen to this lecture. I had no doubt and practiced Zazen. That time I didn't have any questions. I felt just... I was living with delight and joy and could go and enter into the domain of practicing Zazen.

[31:31]

But you should never imitate my life. It is all right to have lots of questions, what's for? You should ask yourself. You should never pass by this question carelessly. Even though you fall down several times on the ground, you should ask yourself again and again. Then when you reach the domain of the world, therein you have no questions, no answers. You fall into dead end. When you fall into dead end, that time that is

[32:44]

your real purpose of your life. You know, I think there is nothing to see but the you who is doing right now, right here. When you cannot answer to your questions, what's for? There is nothing but the you who is settling on the self, who is just doing,

[33:46]

just doing, who is just feeling. There is no room to explain who you are, what you are doing. Then, Logan then says, such is not the soul of form. This you, this you is beyond the explanation what kind of soul of form it has. If you can't explain it, it is not real explanation of your own, your practice, your works. Nor a certain type of suchness. Even though you can understand,

[34:46]

this is enlightenment I get, I got it, but this is not real explanation of enlightenment. Then, suchness is not a certain type of suchness. When you say, this is suchness, when you say, this is my life, when you say, this is my purpose, the purpose of my life, there is really important times when you contemplate your life, your works, your practice again and again. But it has

[35:50]

infinite, boundless, unadorable, unfathomable profundity. Even amount of one hundred thousand can't occupy the domain of the true nature of all beings. No, it is impossible to explain what you are doing now, right now. When you can say something about it, it means you look at your life, you look at your life situation as object, as look-on. Then you can say, this is my purpose. Then the purpose of my practice is to save all sentient beings.

[36:51]

Then one of the Zen masters says, what is to save? What is the use of saving all sentient beings? Because if you have such idea, this enables yourself to disturb, not to move an inch in the domain of everyday life. You know, this is real truth. It is not logical way of explanation. It is alright to think what Buddha is, what the truth is. You know, at last,

[37:59]

you are confused, that's all. Even amount of one hundred thousand cannot occupy. Even zero occupies the domain of the true nature of all beings. It is quantified by amount of the all beings. You know, this is important. If you want to understand what you are, what you are doing, you try to spin,

[39:07]

you try to spin, you try to spin right in the middest of your life situation, right now, right here. Then, Dogen Zen says, it is quantified by amount of all beings. When you want to take breathing in this room at any cost, you have to get in, go into this room. Then, the actual fact what you are taking breathing is quantified

[40:08]

amount of millions of years in this room by amount of the true nature, this is true nature, which you go find into your life situation. What is going on in larger terms, not in small terms, like a frog living in small well. Then, in Lord Sutra, Buddha says, no one but Buddha knows

[41:09]

what the truth is. Yes. Then, at last, I want to tell you Dogen's experience. After experience, after he was asked by this priest, Dogen Zen says, later, I thought over this argument

[42:10]

and found that reading Analects and Korans, appreciating the conduct of old masters and impressing upon those who are at a loss, the truth of those writings will not go a long way towards practicing Buddhism for myself and enlightening others. This is important. Only to practice Dogen realize the importance of the truth.

[43:01]

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