Zazen Wasan, Song of Zazen by Hakuin Zenji with commentary by Shodo Harada Roshi

Tahoma Zen Monastery One Drop Zen

2017 i ii Chapters

Hakuin and His Song of Zazen 1 The juniper tree in the front garden 21 Every day is a good day 27 Mu 31 The Song of Zazen - Zazen Wasan 36 The Six Paramitas 92 Generosity 93 Virtue 95 Patience 101 Diligence, effort 102 Samadhi 104 Wisdom 105 Index 109

Calligraphy

The juniper tree in the front garden 21 Every day is a good day 27 Mu 31 Straightforward mind is the place of practice 71 See your true self and realize Buddha nature 89 The Original True Face 90

iii Zazen Wasan

All sentient beings are essentially Buddhas. 36 As with water and ice, there is no ice without water; 36 apart from sentient beings, there are no Buddhas. 37 Not knowing how close the truth is, we seek it far away—what a pity! 38 We are like one who in the midst of water cries out desperately in thirst. 39 We are like the son of a rich man who wandered away among the poor. 40 The reason we transmigrate through the Six Realms is because we are lost in the darkness of ignorance. 43 Going further and further astray in the darkness, how can we ever be free from birth-and-death? 45 As for the Mahayana practice of zazen, there are no words to praise it fully. 46 The Six Paramitas, such as giving, maintaining the precepts, 47 and various other good deeds like invoking the Buddha’s name, 48 repentance, 50 and spiritual training, all finally return to the practice of zazen. 54 Even those who have sat zazen only once will see all karma erased. 60 Nowhere will they find evil paths, and the Pure Land will not be far away. 61 If we listen even once with open heart to this truth, then praise it and gladly embrace it, how much more so then, 63 if on reflecting within ourselves we directly realize Self-nature, giving proof to the truth that Self-nature is no-nature. 64 We will have gone far beyond idle speculation. 67 The gate of the oneness of cause and effect is thereby opened, and not-two, not-three, straight ahead runs the Way. 70 Realizing the form of no-form as form, whether going or returning we cannot be any place else. 74 Realizing the thought of no-thought as thought, whether singing or dancing, we are the voice of the Dharma. 77 How vast and wide the unobstructed sky of samadhi! 81 How bright and clear the perfect moonlight of the Fourfold Wisdom! 81 At this moment what more need we seek? 84 As the eternal tranquillity of Truth reveals itself to us, this very place is the Land of Lotuses and this very body is the body of the Buddha. 87

iv Hakuin and His Song of Zazen

For those of us who make zazen at a temple and memorized the our primary practice, the words of entire sutra by heart. At the age of Hakuin Zenji in the Song of Zazen eleven, he was taken by his mother are of great importance. They are an to a talk at a temple where he heard excellent guide for understanding about the terrifying horrors of hell the actual essence of doing zazen. for the first time. He was so deeply Before we look at the Song of Zazen frightened that he began shaking and itself, however, I would like to tell trembling. Perhaps more than most you about Hakuin Zenji. This will children, he was very sensitive and help you to understand. Hakuin nervous. He wept and grabbed at his Zenji is one of the greatest figures of mother’s knees, weeping and crying. Japanese Buddhism. Today, the Zen “Hell is too scary! Hell is so scary! Masters who transmit the Dharma Even when I have you nearby, hell in the Rinzai line are all descendants is so scary! If I fall into hell it will be of Hakuin Zenji. The lines of Zen terrible! Please make it so that I do that flowed from the Kamakura and not have to fall into hell!” He was a Motomachi eras down to today all child very affected by things. At the joined in Hakuin Zen to become age of twelve, he heard a monk say, Japanese Zen. Although Hakuin Zenji “Even if in fire, it won’t burn, even if in has also been criticized in various water, it won’t drown.” Hearing this, writings, his enormous influence he made a vow and gathered his own continues to the modern era. As one mind to realize this state of mind. He ancient put it: “There are two things imitated the monk by taking a fire of Suruga that are great beyond tong that was heated to red-hot and anything else, the great mountain of touching it to his calf, to try to see if Fuji and Hakuin of Hara.” The people he, too, could do this without being thought of Hakuin in this way even burned. This is how dedicated he was. when he was alive; he was famous and well loved and deeply respected. It has been said that Hakuin was a man who lived his life while he kept For information about Hakuin’s life, an eye on hell. As a young man, he we have the records of Torei Enji, carried his fear of hell with him, one of his top disciples. We know and it was perhaps as a result of that that Hakuin Zenji was born in 1685 fear that he yearned to be ordained. in Shizuoka Prefecture in Numazu At the age of fifteen, overcoming at Hara, at the base of Mount Fuji. his parents’ reluctance to his being At the age of four, he was already ordained, he became a monk with expressing great brilliance and their permission. He was ordained at genius. At the age of seven, he heard Shoinji in Hara by Tanrei Soden. This a Dharma talk on the Lotus Sutra priest ordained and supported him

1 and gave him the name Ekaku. When remained unsettled. His mind was Hakuin was seventeen, Tanrei died; insecure, hopeless, and tired; every under another teacher, at the age of day he was in deep despair. What had nineteen, he began actual training. that all been about? For what had he been training? How should he live One day, when reading the records now? He could find no answers. of the old Chinese masters, Hakuin found the account of Ganto Zenkatsu, One sunny day at the temple where a famous Zen master who lived he was living, the monks were airing during the Tang dynasty. When the old books to rid them of bugs that Hakuin read that Ganto had been might destroy them. Facing all the killed by bandits who cut off his head, books sitting there, Hakuin made a he was stopped short. His deep fear vow and put his future in the hands of hell had sent him into training. He of the gods: “Please tell me in which had become ordained to be liberated direction I should go!” he prayed. from that great fear, and now he “Please, I promise that I will follow learned that a great master who had whatever you tell me to do!” From already completed his training had the bottom of his heart, Hakuin Zenji been slain by thieves! He had been made this deep commitment. Then, sure that a person who did such from the pile of books spread all over training would have enough merit the room, he took one in his hands to change evil thieves into good and and opened it. faithful people—that there should be enough Dharma power in a man The book he happened to pick up was like Ganto to accomplish something by Jimyo Insui. In the old days, this like that. Was Ganto no different splendid teacher, Jimyo, told about from an ordinary person in society? going to the temple of Funyo Zensho Hakuin thought that if Ganto’s death Zenji. Funyo Zenji was a very, very was in spite of all that training, then strict and outlandish teacher who the training must have no meaning would not let just anyone come into whatsoever. his temple to train. If you became even the slightest bit drowsy, Funyo Just as huge as his hope and would beat you and tell you that expectation had been, so was his you had to leave. So, as Jimyo sat disappointment and discouragement. outside Funyo’s temple hoping for “Everything was the bragging left by admittance, doing his full and taut the old masters—nothing more— zazen, he held an awl just above his fantastic stories with nothing real leg so that if he started to fall asleep in them.” With these thoughts his the point of the awl on his leg would training lost its vitality. He had no awaken him. He worked diligently motivation and he suffered. For many and creatively on his practice. People months, he would not sit or study. of old always said, “Great efforts He wrote poems and read books, will, without exception, bring great doing whatever he felt like. Still, he Realization. To be alive in this world

2 without any reason or result—to live From the mountain, he could hear and yet be known by no one—for the flowing waters of a river in the what are we born into this world if valley below him. Listening all this is how it is?” Jimyo kept himself night to the sounds of the river as going with these thoughts, making it ceaselessly made its way to the extreme efforts with intensity, and sea, he knew that if a person made he was finally allowed to enter Funyo a firm commitment and deep vow Zenji’s dojo. In later years, the to practice in this same unceasing Dharma of that same Funyo Zenji, manner, if a person could continue in of whom all people and beings were this way without stopping, then that frightened, was transmitted to Jimyo. person’s realization was guaranteed. Hakuin, reading about this, thought One would awaken to the True Mind that if you do not believe deeply without mistake. He then trained with enough in the Buddhadharma—even no books or brushes or calligraphies if you think about why these people or pictures or inkstones—none of it did what they did for training—it at all. He pursued his path with total must be because you have not done determination. enough yet, and he corrected his thinking. Over and over again he In the spring of his twenty-fourth would say to himself, “Great efforts year, Hakuin was at Eiganji Temple bring great Realization.” Again in Takata, in the Echigo area. At this and again and again he gathered time his training was well advanced his courage and once more began and his state of mind had ripened to training. the place of no inside or outside—to where it could not be known what At the age of twenty, having decided was himself and what was Mu. He how the rest of his life would be lived, was truly still and clear—truly serene. Hakuin Zenji traveled to the east and His was the state of mind of the to the west looking for teachers and mute person who has seen a dream places to train. At a temple in the and cannot express it, that of sitting Banshu area he wrote this poem: without knowing you are sitting and standing without knowing you are The mountain’s flowing waters standing, of speaking without even surge forth the knowing you are speaking—the Buddha’s sermon endlessly. world had become like one smooth If you would practice in the layer of Muji, completely closed into same way that these rivers this one layer. This was that moment flow, just before one’s own purified mind before long you will without extends throughout the heavens and fail realize kensho. earth. People of old said that great efforts will without fail produce great light! Hakuin vowed deeply in his He did zazen at this temple, which mind and began a sesshin sitting in was located at the top of a mountain. the graveyard. He began his sitting

3 determined not to stand again until The person who was responsible for he had attained enlightenment. bringing about this turnaround was He continued intensely with this Dokyo Etan Zenji, familiarly known determination and entered a great as Shoju Rojin. The person who samadhi. At dawn on the last day of encouraged Hakuin to see and speak this sesshin, from far away in the dim with Shoju Rojin was Doju Sokaku, light of the dawn, he heard the sound his only disciple. of the temple bell. At that moment Hakuin Ekaku Zenji jumped up When Hakuin arrived at Shoju Rojin’s and cried out, “That ringing! That hermitage, the teacher questioned ringing! That is me ringing! That is him immediately, “How did you see me ringing!” Muji?”

His still and clear mind had been “Muji! There is no place to lay a hand pierced through by the bell’s sound, on it.” and that and every moment was full of deep wonder. Great joy filled Shoju Rojin immediately took every movement of his hands and Hakuin’s nose in his hand and feet. Hakuin expressed it jubilantly: twisted it, saying, “You say it can’t “Ganto has never died! He is here, be touched, but this is how much it right here. Alive, just like this!” can be touched!” He became furious with Hakuin, and Hakuin saw the He had struggled for so long and extent of his conceit and dropped it had endured so much, and finally immediately in front of Shoju Rojin. all of those efforts were coming to He became like a baby with him. fruition. He felt that no one had had Next, Shoju Rojin asked him how such a deep experience for at least he had seen the koan of “Where three hundred years. He was in such did Nansen go when he died?” deep wonder that he became very [Entangling Vines, case 272] “How excited. And when he saw people about it: Where did he go?” everywhere suffering, he was moved to tears that the Buddhadharma had No matter what Hakuin answered, come to this earth to help them. He Shoju Rojin would not accept it. One was deeply, deeply moved. Yet the time Shoju Rojin grabbed him and priest of Eiganji, Shotetsu, could not hit him and almost threw him off do anything with him. Hakuin had the porch—this was how strong and fallen into a severe case of conceited energetic he was. He yelled at Hakuin, self-importance. This Hakuin Zenji, “You stupid priest—stuck in the dark if he had stopped there, would never hole and blind besides!” Hakuin had have become as famous throughout experienced that Mind of the Great the world as he is today. The great Death, but from there he was unable functioning that he expressed in his to function; he was stuck and fixed. life would never have been possible. With that reborn consciousness and way of being, he was deeply troubled.

4 Whenever he encountered Shoju tuberculosis. He became so sick that Rojin, Shoju Rojin would call him even the most famous traditional “that Ekaku Joza who is stuck in a doctors of the time gave up all hope deep dark hole.” It is written that of saving him. He then went to visit Shoju Rojin would hit him and pull a hermit, Hakuyu, who lived in the him around. Yet Hakuin Zenji stayed deep hills near Shirakawa in Kyoto. with Shoju Rojin and trained at his From this hermit he was able to hermitage for eight months. learn the hermit’s method of staying healthy and healing—the naikan, One day Hakuin was doing takuhatsu the healing practice of introspection. in the town of Iiyama. Still working With this method his sickness was on the koan about where Nansen cured. He saw that it might be easy had gone when he died, Hakuin was for any person of practice to have standing in front of a house steeped this same kind of experience, to lose deeply in samadhi when an old lady the meaning of practice, to become came out of the house and told him conceptual, and so he wrote a book, to go to the other side of the street. Yasenkanna, in the common language Because he was in deep samadhi, he that would be easy for anyone to read did not hear her. The old lady became and understand. very angry. “If you don’t get over there across the street, I will hit you After the age of twenty-eight with my broom!” She began hitting Hakuin continued to deepen him, and he suddenly came to and his understanding by going on spontaneously encountered his true pilgrimages to meet the great masters Life Source—that actual Truth was in Fukui, Aichi, Mino, and elsewhere. touched. Koans that he could not Here and there he looked for the have touched before he could now masters and did his inventive practice, pass one right after the next. He saw steeped in samadhi wherever he was. them all in one flash. He was so full At thirty-two, he finally returned of joy, he returned to see Shoju Rojin. to the temple where he had been When Shoju Rojin saw how Hakuin ordained, Shoinji. He taught the looked, he confirmed his experience many disciples who came to him and completely. worked in society a little bit at a time, giving life to his experiences through But while Shoju Rojin confirmed Dharma talks. At the age of forty- Hakuin’s experience, he did not two, he once again took in hand the confirm his understanding. Leaving Lotus Sutra, which he had not looked Shoju Rojin’s hermitage, Hakuin at for such a long time. As he read returned to Numazu to nurse his the section entitled “The Chapter of former teacher. While there he Examples,” he coincidentally heard continued to deepen his practice, the sound of a cricket crying weakly but his body was so tired and underneath the porch and was exhausted from his great efforts that suddenly awakened to the deepest he became depressed and sick with truth of the Lotus Sutra. At the age

5 of sixteen he had thrown down this her child to be able to understand. In sutra, declaring it simpleminded; teaching how to understand the mind now, twenty-six years later, he was of humans, this sutra expresses the finally able to realize its truth. compassionate mind and wisdom of the parent who first chews the food In his diary he described how, in order that the child will be able without even thinking about it, to eat it. Hakuin realized this great he had given a great cry of joy and kindness he had not understood astonishment. He must have been before, that great determination of deeply moved. Until then he had the Buddha to liberate all beings, to thought this sutra was a shallow work leave out not even a single one. The without much meaning, and he had immensity of this all-embracing, taught people in this way. He realized compassionate mind was what he now that he must apologize from the could then also feel, and in his deep roots of his being for having done and intense amazement he could not this. At this time, also for the first hold back his overflowing tears. At time, he understood what a great state the beginning, when he had heard of mind Shoju Rojin lived in every about being in fire without being single day of his life. burned and being in water without being drowned, looking for dreamy Shakyamuni Sesson, the Buddha, had miracles, he had become ordained. not deceived people after all! This But now he knew that that which he also understood: In Buddhism he had finally realized, that great, there is only one straight path—this all-embracing compassion of the fundamental truth of the Mahayana Buddha, was his very own life energy he now understood clearly. He was as well. now able to live the Buddhadharma freely. As the Buddha had put it, In the Lotus Sutra it is written, “I do “Everywhere in these three worlds is not have any feeling against you, nor my home and all of its beings are my deride you. You are one who will children.” This great compassion of become a Buddha.” In this way it is the Buddha was absorbed more and said to both old and young people, to more deeply into his being. He knew both rich and poor people: prostrate without doubt that all beings are from and realize this vow. Shakyamuni’s the origin Buddhas, and that all of mind is expressed in this teaching these Buddhas have come into this clearly. For those of us who do world to open the eye of wisdom in all zazen, it is in the realizing of this beings—to open and enlighten this that we are able to be rid of our own eye of wisdom. In all of its subtlety, heaviness. To awaken to this, we let he saw that there is nothing but this go of the layers of accumulation and in the Buddhadharma. The exemplary realize the essence. This is what our teachings in the Lotus Sutra were to zazen teaches us. For all beings to be illustrate this and teach how to do it, liberated it is required that all beings like a mother trying somehow to get be awakened to this very fact.

6 From that time on, Hakuin Zenji way, we can say that it is the seeking worked with truly sharp intensity. In of God or Buddha. Is this God or his fifties and sixties, never resting Buddha inside us or outside us? We and not needing to regret the passing leave that question for now, since of a single wasted moment, he taught there are different ways of looking at the many disciples who came to this depending on the fundamental him, spoke wherever he was invited, point of view of various religions and did calligraphy, painted, and wrote, practices. Yet all religions seek this leaving simple texts and dynamically eternal purity and perfection. There working in every direction. is no difference in this. This is why religion is necessary—because we At the age of seventy-nine he was a are not perfect and pure and because little sick, yet he never rested. On our life is not eternal. Because we New Year’s Day in the year 1768, are incomplete we seek something he said, “I will this year be eighty- in God or Buddha to complete this three—an old monk—but I have imperfect, small self. never had such a wonderful New Year’s. It is so wonderful and I give In the records of Buddhism we great thanks!” read that the Buddha at his birth immediately stood and walked seven That year—in December of 1768—he and one-half steps. Pointing his right was sick and was visited by the local hand to the sky and his left hand to doctor. The doctor took his pulse and the earth, he said, “In all the heavens concluded that there was nothing to and on earth only One is holy.” This be concerned with. Hakuin said to the may be only a legend, but it holds doctor, “If you cannot recognize that a the flavor of Buddhism in a kernel. man is going to be dead in three days It tells us that our own mind is our you must really be a blind quack!” On place of refuge. His walking seven and the tenth of December, Hakuin called one-half steps is about the freedom his disciple Suio and told him how he and rights of humans as they walk wanted things to be done from then on the earth. He did not say “In all on. On the morning of the eleventh of the heavens and on earth only One December, quietly laying on his side, is holy” in order to say how superior Hakuin gave a great growling sound he was. He was not saying it to call and died. Six years later he was given everyone but himself a fool. As the the posthumous name of Jinki Zumyo representative of all humans he was Zenji, and following that he was also saying that the human being is the given the name Shoju Kokushi. most splendid of all creations of heaven and earth. He was saying that Hakuin Zenji’s Song of Zazen begins, humans are free. There is nothing that “All sentient beings are essentially can deprive us of our true freedom Buddhas.” Religion is the seeking of and actual rights. If we return to our the eternal, the perfect, the pure, and Original Mind we will always know the absolute good. To put it another that place of absolute dignity and

7 profound meaning. In each being determined commitment to resolve there is this true clear mind. In them. Someone had to do it, or the Buddhism—in its basic teaching— truth would never be realized. we have this point made clearly: Humans are free and dignified. This For six years he continued his ascetic wisdom and deep compassion are training. At the age of thirty-five, on encompassed by each one of us, and the eighth of December, near the this absolute freedom cannot be bank of the Nirenzen River, near denied. If we think of it in this way, we Bodhgaya, he glanced at the morning can see how this legend of the birth of star and was suddenly and deeply the Buddha has deep meaning for the awakened to the Supreme Truth. At teaching of Buddhism. that moment, without even thinking of it, he said, “How wondrous! The Buddha was born a prince. He How wondrous! All beings, without was versed in all the philosophies and exception, are endowed from the schools of learning taught in India at origin with the same bright, clear that time. In the martial arts, he was mind to which I have just been able to throw off all challengers. He awakened!” That is to say, there is in had a summer palace and a winter the deep mind of each person a clear, palace—and autumn and spring pure, and eternal state. This true place palaces as well. He was this rich and is what he was enlightened to. It is this full of blessings, and not missing not external to us. This was the first anything in his pleasant life. So why, declaration, since the beginning of then, did he leave his beautiful wife humans, of the true liberation of all and adorable child? beings.

He left his deeply respected father, In his Song of Zazen, Hakuin Zenji against his father’s wishes. He gave is telling of this great wisdom—this up all of his possessions and political compassionate wisdom that we all power and left his countrymen. have from the origin. This resolution Why? He had seen how meaningless is expressed in the first line: “All material and animal pleasures are, sentient beings are essentially and he had seen that no matter how Buddhas.” Beginning with this we try, it is impossible to fully and conclusion he commences his Song. completely satisfy the urge for them. He puts that most basic teaching of He had understood this melancholy Buddhism in his first line, teaching state of mind thoroughly. He went us about zazen. By putting the to the mountains to find true eternal conclusion first, he shows us the life and meaning, to know true joy. basic tenet of Buddhism that relates He sought the answers there to his to all beings: Why, when we are born questions and a resolution to the into this world, do we suffer and unfulfilled path he had been walking. become deluded and confused? The He was taking on the greatest answer is expressed in the next lines. problems of all beings and making a Many ways of liberating ourselves

8 from delusion are spoken of, but are of the same material, yet because the Mahayana teaching is the most their form is different they function important. In accordance with the differently. They are very different, teaching of samadhi as the way of yet they are in essence the same. In utmost importance, we are able to this same way, Buddhas and ignorant encounter that true quality of our beings are different yet also the same. Original Mind, and finally, “this very body is the body of the Buddha” is The water that gives life can also be known clearly. This is the overall flow destructive. Sometimes there are of this Song of Zazen. great floods, and in these great floods homes and precious belongings are Even though it says in the very first destroyed. A piece of ice is hard and line that “All sentient beings are resistant, yet if you heat it, or if it is essentially Buddhas,” we are all born touched by the warmth of the sun, with both a very thick egoistic layer it melts and turns to water. “As with as well as the clear mind of Buddha. water and ice, there is no ice without Yet the next line tells us that this water.” As there is no ice apart from egoistic layer and this clear, purified this water, our chunk of being egoistic mind of Buddha are in fact the very is also part of our clear Buddha same thing. We may perceive them Nature. Even that mind which is as separate, but they are in fact only concerned all day long with winning two sides of the whole: “As with and losing and gaining and profiting, water and ice, there is no ice without even that mind, just as it is, is the water; apart from sentient beings, mind of the Buddha. There is nothing there are no Buddhas.” An old song separate or different from that. says that rain, snow, ice, and hail are no different from water; when they For ice to become water, heat must fall they all become the same water be applied. For human beings to of the valley’s stream. Water becomes return to the Original Mind, they rain, becomes snow, becomes sleet, have to throw away everything and becomes hail, becomes ice, becomes offer themselves to society; they must frost. The form changes, but the let go of all delusive and extraneous source material is one and the same. thoughts. The only question that Ice and water are of the same material actually exists is: Do we have the and essence, but they are completely wisdom to make use of that mind? We different in shape. Water is warm; learn to prosper, to bring ourselves ice is cold. Water has no form; ice what we need, to take care of has a form. Water flows; ice cannot ourselves, but do we have the wisdom flow. Water seeps into any place and to work not only for our own good leaves no cracks between itself and but also for the good of all beings, of its container; ice cannot blend or all people in society, of everyone in accommodate. Water can bring life to the world? This wisdom knows that trees and plants; ice harms trees and our greatest joy is the growth and plants and kills fish. Water and ice prospering of all people, not for the

9 good of our own selves but because realization that cannot be experienced when everyone grows, everyone through scholarship. What is the flourishes, and we flourish as well. actual source point of every human’s nature—the original body of the Yet if we are not careful, that small universe? egoistic view immediately pops up again. And we are once more caught We deal with this deep and vast up in our own self-centered concerns, question through zazen because it once again we are working only for cannot be understood with our heads. our own comfort, taking care only of That which can be explained can be our own small, limited, narrow needs. found in books. This path, however, Because we are not satisfied with has to be experienced. Although there this way of being, we look outside are many books about Zen, it is better ourselves—we read books, we go to to keep our heads empty. We need to hear somebody talk, and we think let go of all knowledge or information about things external to ourselves and awaken to that with which we instead of looking within. We look are already endowed at birth—this everywhere outside ourselves seeking is zazen. What has to be done is not some explanation, some reason, some to learn something but to awaken to excuse. “Not knowing how close the something—this is zazen. We have truth is, we seek it far away—what a to let go of intellectual studies, of any pity!” idea of how much we already know, of how many books we have read; then Usually, those people who enter we have to just sit. To deeply awaken the path of Zen have already read to that Original Mind is what we do too many books and have done too in zazen. That which is the base of much thinking about Zen. They doing this is our body. That is why want somehow to actualize all of it is necessary to correctly align our the complicated explanations and body and to awaken to our clear pure all of the words they have picked up nature and the natural wisdom that from those books. What they are springs forth from within us. The attempting to do is truly a difficult natural sense of how things truly are thing. In fact, for zazen—which will become clear to us from within. literally means “sitting Zen”—it is From the bottom up we have to look better not to read so much but simply once more at everything and see life to sit, as the word implies. What sits as a whole, not in small separated is not our mind but our body—that is parts. This is Zen. The body is always the base. the base. The actuality of this is what we have to align—this is zazen. In the olden days people would study and then, to understand what those If we speak about zazen in this way, studies did not reach, they would do people will assume they understand zazen. To do zazen is to realize that right away and think that it is enough place study does not reach, the true just to sit, that all the teachings in the

10 world are beside the point, that we them, as our place of refuge. Through must not be entangled in confusing Zen we look for truth and see things words. To just sit and think nothing— correctly—for doing this, before we imagine what this is, and think we anything else, we learn the teachings should turn our backs on society and of the Buddha. go into the mountains and do this and only this. If we choose not to go to the These teachings of the Buddha— mountains, we still do the same thing this same wisdom transmitted by by trying to maintain silence in our the many teachers who have passed mind. We mistakenly think that this the Dharma teaching down from is zazen. And this kind of thinking is one generation to the next—have a very common mistake. If we were guided many people on the path. to just sit and separate ourselves from The Buddha’s first great teaching was everything, would we be resolving that life is suffering. We must see this our challenges, would we be bringing directly. Everyone likes to be happy. forth our true and correct inner Yet even while living in happiness wisdom? we must not let go of the truth of life: that there is great suffering Can we learn to read what is in nature, everywhere. To see the source of to let nature teach us its wisdom? this suffering is what is of the next Can we truly find that wisdom within greatest importance. Next, we have ourselves? We are all full of ideas and to look at this suffering correctly; if thoughts and information and past we do this we will, without fail, be experiences and dualism, yet our liberated from such suffering. We are internal essence separated from all taught to believe deeply that each that is the True Source of everything. one of us can be liberated and then By returning to that mind, we can live as an awakened person. For this learn true wisdom from those true we enter the path and thoroughly ways of thinking and seeing. As long clarify it to its ultimate point—this as we are caught by our own narrow is how liberation works. This is how point of view and our attachments, the Buddha taught his disciples. This we cannot see with this true wisdom. teaching can be found in the Flower Even if we have the true teachings Garland Sutra or the Lotus Sutra, of the ancients, we can see and learn earlier sutras in which these teachings only from our own small self-centered are point of view. We have to let go of frequently repeated. The words of the our thoughts completely and read Buddha, as we look at them quietly the clear wisdom of the ancients and and carefully, sentence by sentence, learn from them. The Buddha was need to be realized not with our heads the first great teacher who realized but within our daily lives. If we give this true wisdom, but many other them life and practice, then our minds great saints have realized this during will be freed from their delusion and the twenty-five hundred years since. confusion. We take Zen, handed down from

11 We become simple and clear, and of every era; it must function in a way from within ourselves our minds that is alive, vivid, and full of essence. become liberated. This process is From China there is the famous Mu one of understanding not with our koan of Joshu. Other koan lines are heads but with our bodies. We need the answer to the question of why to do it in our daily lives; whether Bodhidharma came to China, “The we are sitting, standing, or walking, oak tree in the garden,” or Master we need to keep doing it as if in one Unmon’s answer, “Every day is a good straight line. When we can hold day.” just one word—looking at it and concentrating on it all the time—the These short phrases became themes clutter in our minds will be swept and questions to be understood—not away naturally, and our minds will by using your head but by sitting become truly vast and luminous. Our quietly and concentrating only on this Bodhisattva vow to awaken everyone until, without even knowing it, these to this truth will become full, and words become your state of mind, a our desires will no longer catch us in state of mind that is no different from attachment. that of Joshu or Unmon. These koans are united in all people of training and The Buddha’s disciple Shuri Hanroku touch the true source of each person’s is an example of this. He was a very mind. What is important is to sit foolish person, not very intelligent at and concentrate on one thing until all. The Buddha said to him, “Get rid you become that state of mind of no of the clutter, sweep your mind clean,” thinking. Then everything you have and Shuri Hanroku actually took up learned externally—knowledge, past a broom and a rag and cleaned all experiences, dualistic awareness— day, every day, to keep this process will fade away. You will separate ongoing. He then had an exemplary from them and return to that state of awakening to that deep wisdom no mind in which you were born, and different from the awakening of the the original true wisdom will come Buddha. Without any scholastic forth. Your mind will shine, vast and ability, and even with a terrible luminous, with this wisdom’s light. memory, if we do that which we have You will be able to experience life received as teaching with every ounce from a place free of attachments and of our being, every bit of the time, see it clearly, exactly as it is. our mind will of its own become liberated. This is very mysterious, it To be able correctly and truly to see has to be said. with this eye of wisdom is the most important thing, and that is what we The words spoken by the Buddha are given the ability to understand. feel very far away as the days and This way of seeing allows us to give to centuries go by, and we need more all people an acceptance of life just as intimate and familiar words to guide it is. This state of mind of acceptance us. Zen is taught within the living air

12 is what is naturally born from this Likewise, in martial arts, we cannot be seeing. always stuck on winning and losing; we have to crush that attachment, We have to separate ourselves from and for doing that we have zazen. The our ego filter and the idea of self on sixth successor in the Dharma from which we are stuck. It is true that Bodhidharma was Rokuso Eno, who there is also the small “I” that lives, said of zazen, “To not allow any mind but we cannot function from the moments of concern with what is essential way of being and the true happening outside of us, this is za. To way of seeing when we are stuck and look within and not be moved at all attached and unclear. The small self is zen.” This is his definition of zazen. is always obstructive to the higher Our awareness can move inward quality way of doing things. Those and then also outward. To be where who find the higher way of doing there is no concern with any of the things are the ones who do Zen and phenomena in the world—good and work hard to let go of their small bad, beautiful and ugly, deluded or selves. People who do kendo and enlightened, sin or salvation, gain or are obstructed by their small selves loss—is za. To look within to where are unable to know their opponent’s the awareness arises and to see its mind. If they cannot see the other’s essence, and in seeing this to awaken mind, their movements become to the source of this awareness— small and limited; they cannot move not being deluded by anything or in a large and free-flowing way. For moved around—is zen. This is the those who do flower arranging, if sixth patriarch’s very practical way of the arrangement is full of their own putting it. In fact, zazen, or za, is not small-minded concepts, then the to sit and say we cannot think, that flowers will be full of a sense of self- we should not think. Rather, za is the importance, and there will not be place where we have lost track of all any true harmony. In tea ceremony as of this. Zen is not saying, “You cannot well, if you present tea with dualistic let that mind move, you should not ideas coming first, then the tea will move your mind around to this and not be served freely and without the that!” It is not struggling like that. But stain of small-mindedness. There is when your mind is well aligned, it no smooth flow to it, and while it is does not go wandering around. This perhaps harmonious in form, it is mind that does not stray from the not harmony from the deep heart. Original Nature—this is Zen. This is In the Noh theater or in calligraphy how the sixth patriarch defined it. or in archery, zazen is given life in this same way. After we have learned We sit and become clear, free of the technique we can go beyond it obstructive thoughts and fear. This is and separate from it, becoming one the very important essence of Zen, with the entire universe. In this way, but it does not mean that we should we can give life to a magnanimous become like a rock or a tree. We functioning. must not make this mistake. “Never

13 abiding in any place yet manifesting drown in them everything becomes continually.” When the sixth patriarch suffering. Instead, we must live every heard these words from the Diamond single day anew, every day fresh again. Sutra, he became deeply enlightened. In each second every new moment We cannot say that the mind is is born anew. Confidently and firmly empty and then try to guard that living each moment—this is the state of conceptualized emptiness. human’s natural way of being. When True emptiness does not arise from laughing, laugh from your deepest a preconceived notion of nothing at heart; when crying, cry from your all. It is what comes forth when the deepest heart; when it is necessary to mind holds on to nothing, when in be angry, be angry from your deepest each moment and in each situation heart; and in this way you can fill we can function freely. Yet we do not the heavens and the earth with the move and change independently and essence of what you are feeling and individually; we do not act pointlessly then leave nothing behind. With a and without meaning. That is very full and abundant mind we live in important. We have to look at nature: this original state of mind, in the way It never tries to prove and push itself; of the healthy mind. To experience only humans do this. Nature is just as this essence is zazen. This place of no it is, changing in accordance with the attachment, this free state of mind, is seasons. In springtime, the flowers zazen. blossom; in the summer, the leaves become full and green, and the trees Experiencing the Original Mind make fruit; and in the fall the leaves directly and teaching others to do so return to the ground to begin the as well—that is what the lineage of preparation for the next year’s cycle. Bodhidharma is guided by. We have Animals as well live in accord with his guiding words: “To see the clear nature, not as if one being is more mind directly and become a Buddha.” important than another. This is true There are other ways of teaching it, for all beings in existence; nature but this is the direct way. By directly always moves toward the newer, perceiving that mind which holds on greater existence. to nothing whatsoever, immediately and at this very moment, each and Life should not to be regarded every person can awaken. in the narrow sense of birth and death. Rather, we must know the Kyogen Chikan Zenji died in 898. bountiful flow of the life energy of In his younger years, Kyogen Zenji the whole universe. This is the way trained with Hyakujo Ekai Zenji. nature is. Only humans hold on to When Hyakujo Zenji died, Kyogen attachments, and we sink into likes continued sanzen with his older and dislikes. These are very high levels brother disciple, Isan Reiyu. When he of emotion, but there is a difference was in sanzen, the priest said to him, between holding them important “When you were with Hyakujo Zenji, and drowning in them. When we it was said that when given one you

14 would answer with ten. You have a laughed and said, “I want to tell you, reputation for being very clever, and but then it will be with my words. You you are said to have read everything have to speak your own answer with that has been written on Zen. Still, I your am not interested in hearing what you own words.” have read or learned or heard from someone else. What is it that you Kyogen had studied so hard, and knew before you came out of your now he could not speak even a single mother’s womb? Before you knew any word. How pitiful! It had all come to words—say one word of this!” This nothing. He felt he had no potential was a very tough problem! Kyogen and would never be able to go back to certainly tried very hard and said society, so he decided to go and take many things. care of the cleaning of a cemetery and not “Mu.” to show his face to anyone. The Isan replied, “But that is what successor of the sixth patriarch, Echu Joshu said.” Kokushi, was buried in a secluded “Form does not differ from place in the mountains, and this is emptiness.” where Kyogen went. Isan responded, “But that is what is written in the Heart Kyogen spent his days cleaning that Sutra.” cemetery on the mountain. Still, in “From the origin there is only his mind, there remained the question one bit of emptiness.” Isan had asked him: Give one word “But that was already said by from before you came out of your the sixth patriarch.” mother’s womb. These words never left him; all day long they rolled around inside him. He became No matter what Kyogen said, desperate in his contemplation. One Isan Reiyu told him that it was all day, when he went to the bamboo someone else’s words. That face grove to throw away the leaves he had before you were born—prior to any raked, as he did every day, a piece experience and learned knowledge— of tile hidden among the leaves hit what is that? Speak it from yourself. the bamboo and made a loud clunk! So Kyogen reread everything and all On hearing that sound Kyogen of his notes on everything as well. was deeply enlightened. “This is it! Still, Isan would not accept anything This sound! I did not hear it from he offered, only calling his answers anyone, nor did I read it in a book! the fart gas of the ancients—no This sound is what was received by matter what Kyogen tried it all got that self before I was born—that is him nowhere. When finally he had it!” He felt it directly, so joyfully it nothing else to say, Kyogen pleaded came up from the very bottom of his with Isan to show some compassion mind. He looked far into the distance, and tell him the answer. But Isan just in the direction where Isan was,

15 and lit incense and said: “Isan, great learn explanations that say to look priest! You did well to chide me so at this koan this way or that way. thoroughly! If you had not kept me That is all reasoning and dualistic going like this, I would never have knowledge and information. That is tasted this flavor today.” Kyogen had not Zen. We have to reach the limit been able to go beyond that place of words and do zazen to find true of preconceived notions and ideas, understanding. No matter what we forgetting time completely, forgetting say, we do not reach the true essence even his own existence, and from until there is nothing left to say; only there he heard that sound, clunk! when we have reached that place can At that point his consciousness was we do zazen with our life on the line directly perceived as well, that which in one straight line. Then we work came from nowhere at all; in this on one koan with everything we pure awareness was his face before his are, completely and totally. Without parents were even born, his True Self. even noticing it, we lose track of To say it another way, it was life as it our bodies, and we lose track of any is, not the physical body, but that life sense of the zendo as well; everything energy which fills the heavens and the around us fades away. From morning earth—this is what he experienced. until night, there is truly only the This is enlightenment, satori, and koan that we have been given. And when we know this experience, the then, as we dig in deeper, even the things we see every day are fresh, and koan disappears. All that is left is the each day our mind is new. breath, and finally that disappears as well. This is the place of slashing What we have to do is to separate through the great root—when there ourselves from that dualistic is no self left at all. We enter that awareness and knowledge that we state of mind where we are totally have accumulated since birth, to go transparent. With no heaviness and beyond that and to cut through its nothing left to hold on to, we become root completely. We have to realize like a clear mirror, like a crystal palace. our True Nature without giving any attention to those thoughts This state of mind comes forth of and deluded ideas. When we have itself. It has to be entered once, encountered Original Mind, then we and from there we die completely. know that place of the Great Death But this is not the final point. and can return to true life. Then we That full, ripened, and taut state is realize true rebirth for the first time, touched by something, and we burst and with that we can realize true life. forth—unable to stop laughing and In Zen we do not compliment and knowing that the sentient beings are flatter and build someone up. In Zen numberless and vowing that great we teach the student to do what has Bodhisattva vow to save all of them. to be done. When Kyogen heard the sound of the So many people still read books and tile on the bamboo it was not taught

16 to him by his teacher or by his parents the mirror does not consider whether or by a book—it was his own mind. the image will fit. A man or a woman, He knew that essence for himself. old or young, Mount Fuji or a sesame How can it be expressed to others? seed, the water of the Pacific Ocean or We do not know. The state of mind a cup of water, a diamond or a piece that cannot be explained comes from of glass—all are equal. In a mirror, the a place of no thoughts or ideas—just large, the small, the beautiful, and the that clunk; the source of that which ugly are all reflected equally. Nothing is unnameable—so we call it Buddha is splendid or poor or luxurious or Nature. impoverished; it is all equal. This is the wisdom of equal reflection. When we are separated from all of In the mirror, a rich person, a poor our thoughts, this is Original Mind, person, an educated person, and an and because we cannot explain it, we uneducated person are exactly the call it “Mu.” From that state of mind same. To see all equally, as a mirror, of Mu, that sound of clunk jumped with that clear state of mind, is called forth. There is no beautiful or ugly the mysterious perception of all there. Nor is there a fixed world of things as equal. As Hakuin says, “How nothing at all; there is nothing to bright and clear the perfect moonlight appear or disappear. Because it is of the Fourfold Wisdom!” unnameable we call it the Buddha Nature, and from there we laugh A mirror, when a flower comes before and cry, sleep and wake, without any it, reflects back a flower. If a bird attachment at all—it is a free way of comes before it, it reflects a bird. The living we call living in our Buddha mirror reflects each thing exactly as Nature, “Never abiding in any place it is, without any discrimination, and yet manifesting continually.” when that thing is gone, it leaves no trace behind. The True Self is like this This True Nature is what Hakuin mirror. Everyone at birth is endowed expresses in the opening line of the with this mind of the Buddha. It is Song of Zazen as “All sentient beings not something we learn at school; it is are essentially Buddhas.” This is not part of our basic fabric, and from the something that we attain from doing origin it is undefiled. As Hakuin puts zazen and repeating the Buddha’s it, “All sentient beings are essentially name—we already have it from Buddhas.” birth. Rinzai says, “If you want to be no different from the patriarchs As Hakuin also says, “Even those and buddhas, then never look for who have sat zazen only once will something outside yourself.” Rinzai see all karma erased.” Even if for also says that the mind is like a only a few times you have worked mirror, and that is why anything can creatively and inventively on doing be reflected in it. A mirror does not this zazen of letting go of knowledge discriminate in its reflecting. If what is and awakening to that with which before it is a great mountain like Fuji, we are already endowed at birth, you

17 will be able to see the results directly. Dharma.” If we are always caught “Realizing the form of no-form as by our various ideas about things, form,” you will be able to see that and about what is happening to us there was nothing to be caught by in and what is going on around us, the first place. The essential words then we cannot become clear in this being given here—“All sentient way. We are not suddenly born in beings are essentially Buddhas”— this very moment. Many millions of are accompanied with this most years of life from the very beginning important phrase, “Realizing the of the universe have led up to this form of no-form as form.” How to moment, and within each of us there see that in its ultimate way is told to are all the many components of us in these words of Hakuin. Our our subconscious and our gathered breathing is very important, but what awareness. Within that awareness we is this deep breath important for? It hold the stains of all human beings. is important for us to be able to see We have to cut that awareness away, that from the origin there has been to get rid of it from the root, or we nothing to be caught by, nothing to be will be passing it down to all the stuck on, not even once. people who come after us. Because we are here, because we are alive, we Hakuin says, “Realizing the thought have this awareness of an “I,” but at of no-thought as thought.” At this the same time, if we do not cut that time we can let go of all of that away completely, we will not be able conceptualization and humbly use to experience this place free from all our greatest potential and our wisdom egoistic filters. freely. This is our Original Mind, our True Nature. When we see a person From the times of old we have Engo who is sad and suffering, we are able Kokushi’s calligraphy with the words to spontaneously comfort them. That of Daito Kokushi and Hakuin Zenji’s Original Mind with which we have calligraphy, which have been carefully all been born is that mind where we preserved. There is also Miyamoto can see somebody who is suffering Musashi’s Eight-view Daruma, with and become one with the suffering, its letters that are so powerful not able to comfort that person by because they have been written becoming one with him or her. In that skillfully but because a vast state of very moment when we can be with mind is coming forth from them. someone as if there is no separation This state of mind affects us when we between us, we know well this place look at them. We are astonished that of realizing the form of no-form as the mind of a man could become so form. In a vibrant and living way we vast, taut, and energetic that we can can live in this state of mind. feel it even today in this calligraphy. We can only be amazed and deeply “Realizing the thought of no-thought impressed. That which has no form as thought, whether singing or is being manifested there. This state dancing, we are the voice of the of mind is Zen and also is called

18 the Buddha and is called life. Every That which has no form is borrowing human has this from birth, and we all those techniques of form to express have the same capability to encounter what cannot be put into words. This this Original Mind. Yet the majority is where Zen and various other paths of people cover this over with the ego. connect and where calligraphy and Zen join. Daito Kokushi’s words, From the olden days, people of the Hakuin Zenji’s calligraphy, these path have sought and followed the states of mind and this energy, are still path of Zen, this path of suffering, living and vivid. to find an awakened teacher from In fact, this state of mind of Zen is whom to learn. “What is the ultimate what Zen brings forth and develops. teaching of Buddhism?” It is to see This is that highest quality of mind that Zen beyond form, that state of of all people and it is an important mind beyond form. “What is life?” grace.Hakuin Zenji is teaching us Those teachers would give a great about this important zazen when shout, or hold up a single finger, or hit he says, “All sentient beings are many blows with a stick, or with their essentially Buddhas.” eyes look piercingly, glaring, and in that way only could it be expressed.

19 In the Tang Dynasty there was a mind twenty-four hours a day? How famous Zen Master named Joshu. do we express true Mind? How A monk asked him, “What was should we use this clarified mind? Bodhidharma’s intention in going to This was the place from which people China?” of practice worked.

Joshu answered, “The juniper tree in The monk who asked Joshu about the front garden.” Daruma Daishi’s intention in coming to China was familiar with this way What did Daruma Daishi travel from of working on everyday mind. When India to do? What was his state of 1,500 years ago, Daruma Daishi mind at that time? At the time of crossed the Bengal Bay by ship, sailing Joshu, it was common for monks through great storms all the way to ask such questions: What’s the around the peninsula of Malay and ultimate truth of the Dharma? What on to China, it was a huge adventure. is the Buddha? What is the actuality What was his intention in going so of the Buddha? far? Why did he do that? From this view, the monk inquired of Daruma In India the Buddha represented an Daishi, asking about his mind as a absolute, true, substantial body of means of looking at how one’s mind truth. But by Joshu’s time, Buddhism should be. was more than a philosophical search for the truth. It was about how to hold Rinzai Zenji answered the same our mind in everyday life. question by saying that if Daruma Daishi had had the slightest bit of How should our mind be? How intention, he couldn’t have saved even should it be used? How do we take himself. If he had had the smallest care of it? What’s the best and most self-conscious awareness of wanting truthful way to live? How do we not to save someone, that would have get caught in ideas of a small self while been an egoistic thought, and even remaining clear and unconfused? now he would not be liberated. But How do we work creatively on our if there’s no intention, why would he state of mind? Who can teach us the come? best way to be human? These were the questions people were asking at the Was there intention or not? Of course time. he came and taught the true correct Buddha Dharma, but did he intend During the Sixth Patriarch’s time, to do that? Did he think he was going this was the direction in which to save the Chinese? If he did, then practice was moving. By the time Daruma was still unripe. His Dharma the transmission reached Joshu, would have been lukewarm. When functioning in everyday life had the sun comes up and shines its light become the focus of people’s on all things, does it have an intention questions. How do we clarify our to do that? If it did, then every day,

20 The juniper tree in the front garden

The juniper tree in the front garden

Teizen no hakujushi

庭前柏樹子

21 it would wonder why no one ever of abundant mind. When we do zazen thanked it. This is a huge process all day without thinking about having whereby all of the ten thousand things done it, that is living zazen. It’s not are given light. But we aren’t like the about how long we have sat or how sun. Because we don’t let go of self- many years we’ve practiced. Thinking awareness, we aren’t free of suffering. like that only brings suffering. If there had been intention, Daruma Daishi couldn’t have saved himself, The Vimalakirti Sutra says that there’s but if he had no intention, there was a way of arriving without having no reason for him to have made the thought about arriving. There is a journey. Certainly he did not travel way of leaving without ever having so far to spend nine years looking at thought about leaving. This is our the wall of a cave. He could’ve done natural way of being. When we think that in India. He didn’t have to travel in terms of what must be done, those to China to do that. Was there intent thoughts are a burden. The monk’s in Daruma’s coming to China or not? question addressed humans’ most Why did he go so far, anyway? basic way of being.

In our everyday life, no matter how To this query Joshu answered, “The honorably we act, no matter how juniper tree in the front garden.” splendid what we do seems, if we act with self-conscious awareness our The monk responded, “I’m asking actions will become confused. about the state of mind of Daruma Daishi. Please don’t answer me by Christ said it clearly: “Don’t let the talking about the surroundings, I’m right hand know what the left hand is not asking about something external doing.” If we know we’re giving, it’s no like that.” longer true giving. Likewise, Lao-tzu said that sages don’t think of trying And Joshu said, “I am not talking to liberating people. People just call about the surroundings.” on the sage, and the light is spread naturally. This is not because anyone The monk asked again, “Why did is thinking it should be done like this Bodhidharma come to China?” or like that, but because it spreads naturally. And people naturally feel Joshu replied, “The juniper tree in the gratitude for this, as they do for the front garden.” light and warmth of the sun. Joshu was in fact expressing his truest In Buddhism, if we have an idea of state of mind. Was there intention having done something, or of having in Daruma Daishi? Or was there no made great efforts, we suffer from it. intention? Only when we work from morning until night without the idea of having If there was, it was the mind of worked at all can we become a person empty-mindedness and the will of

22 willlessness. This is very subtle, yet a those notions as bad. When people tree expresses it naturally. People are are doing what we like, we get along called legs with thinking, but trees are well, but when they don’t, the illusion truly legs that don’t think. of harmony immediately disappears. Then conflicts and struggles begin, Can a juniper--or the oak or cherry becoming so ugly we can’t imagine or plum tree--have intention or not? anything worse anywhere else in Does it intend to provide shade? Of the whole world. Because we are course plants don’t have intention each so full of our own wishes and in the way that humans do, but so determined to fulfill them, we then why do they bring forth such become more and more calculating beautiful flowers? Why do they exude and more and more manipulative, such a beautiful fragrance? Why are cultivating superfluous thoughts and they so lovely in form? It seems as if decreasing the essence of our true there must be some deep, profound mind. We become able to accept less intention there. How can we look at and less. the individuality of each and every thing? Is there intention in this When Joshu said, “The juniper tree universe or not? in the front garden,” he was not proclaiming a rehearsed idea but In contrast to individual intentions entrusting to the whole universe. of people trying to understand and He was not inserting the least bit of make sense of something, what about an “I,” not adding the tiniest bit of the all-embracing, eternal intention restriction. He entrusted completely, of existing? Why do we exist? Why with a huge magnanimous mind. We do we manifest this form? Is it only can feel this fullness in “The juniper coincidental? In what direction are tree in the front garden.” we evolving? What’s the goal in that evolution? It’s not about extinguishing our desires. We don’t always have to You might think that all humans be in a state of satori to be a good are on a journey toward becoming person. If we remain unattached to Buddhas, that we’re all moving toward everyday desires, if we can be free of some kind of fulfillment. We might the ego filter, then those desires, just say that the universe itself is Buddha, as they are, are our Buddha Nature. that the universe itself is the existence This insufficient physical body is our of all things. Buddha Nature. Our everyday way of being alive is the way of the Buddha, Every day we think thoughts and and the state of mind of the Buddha focus on our own ego and desires. is expressed in our every action and We create our own ideas of good and state of mind. Yet we can’t know this if bad, thinking in terms of what’s good we remain caught in our own position and bad for us, what profits us. We and our own dualistic ideas. often label anyone who goes against

23 When we entrust completely to the its energy, providing shade, creating Buddha, letting go of our thoughts the oxygen we need to breathe. The and attachments and becoming part juniper tree in the front garden is one of the natural flow, this is the state with the heavens and earth. of mind of Zen. We entrust to the Buddha, and there we find the peace Hundreds of years later, the of mind that’s described in Pure Land founder of Myoshinji, Muso Daishi, teachings. commented on Joshu’s answer: “In the koan of the juniper tree in the Ikkyu Zenji also said it: garden there is a terrible thief!” This A baby’s mind more and more koan will truly steal away all of your becomes full of knowledge, extraneous thinking and needless Becoming further and further ideas. It will take them all right out away from Buddha, from under you. When you have no How sad! thinking left, when you have no ego clutter left, then Daruma Daishi’s We suffer because we protect and intention will come forth clearly. defend our attachments and desires. We suffer because we divide our When Daruma Daishi reached China, awareness into two. We suffer because he and the Emperor of Ryo had an we become more calculating and exchange of questions and answers in dependent on our rational mind. which the differences in the levels of We have to remember the truth of, understanding became clear. Daruma “Unless we become the mind of a Daishi then crossed the Yangtze River baby we cannot enter heaven.” and for nine years sat facing the wall of a cave. His form was like that of a What was the intention of juniper deep in the mountains. Bodhidharma? For nine years, he was just sitting, not The juniper tree in the front garden giving talks, not translating texts. Yet he had a greater influence on Chinese Having thrown away all distractions Buddhism than any other person ever. and needless thinking, having become He not only liberated many people one with the will of the universe, in his own time, but even today he Daruma Daishi’s state of mind is like gives birth to our zazen with his huge that of a breathing wooden statue. influence. He’s still being born within When Joshu said, “The juniper tree our zazen. We need to experience his in the front garden,” he was throwing way of being. Sitting without small away every bit of his small self. The intentions, our zazen matches the way tree, in front of our eyes, has stood of the heavens and earth. for a hundred or more years. Every day, whether it’s raining or sunny, in Through our training and zazen we the heat of summer and in the cold sweep away our attachments. People of winter, it continues manifesting who practice the arts and play sports,

24 those who perform noh and kabuki, Standing, sitting, waking, sleeping, in do the same. They practice, crushing every action, in every movement, the their desires and ego mechanisms, Buddha can be expressed in us. We until they give life to the fullest have to clarify this completely. potential of their talent. This is how people of the arts create masterpieces. “The juniper tree in the front garden.” This is our clarified and purified All of our ideas of beauty and human state of mind, our daily ugliness, of wanting this but not that, actuality. of good and bad, prevent the mind of the Buddha from being expressed.

25 These words were spoken by the these!” As he said this, he handed a founder of the Unmon line, Unmon drink to his mother. But at the very Bunne Zenji, who lived from 864 to instant that she started to put it into 949. Unmon Daishi once said to an her mouth, it too changed into flames. assemblage of his students, “I won’t She couldn’t eat and she couldn’t ask you about the days before the drink. Even when the food and drink fifteenth of the month, but give me a were right in front of her mouth, no phrase about the days after.” matter how hungry and thirsty she was, she couldn’t eat or drink. He saw In the Zen dojo on the fifteenth the suffering of his mother and was day of August there is a ceremony so disappointed at the inability of his called the “urabon.” According to own powers to cure the situation that the Buddhist teachings this is about he went to the Buddha to ask him for Mokuren Sonja’s mother having fallen help. into the hell of hungry ghosts and suffering terribly. Seeing her there, The Buddha said that even the most Mokuren was astonished, and with advanced person may think that his or his supernatural powers he went to her own child is more adorable than save her, bearing all kinds of food. another person’s child, may think that his or her own family is more lovable “Mother! You are so skinny and than anyone else’s family. This kind of starving and suffering—please eat belief may easily find a home in any these things I have brought for you! I person’s mind. Yet this belief is what brought this food for you, so that you brings pain and suffering in the world. will be able to eat.” Saying this, he laid The Buddha told Mokuren that most the food in front of his mother. people in society live with this very belief, and his mother had fallen into His starving, skinny mother, who that hell as their representative. The was so thankful and happy, said, Buddha also told him that this offered “Mokuren, thank you so much! I a way to liberate society. haven’t been able to eat for days and days and I am ravenously hungry. Then the Buddha told him to do Thank you so much!” Having said training for ninety days with this deep this, his mother turned to eat the vow. The dojo, or place of training, food. But as she began to put the had one continuous training period food into her mouth, it immediately from April 15 to July 15, during which turned into flames, and she couldn’t time the people in training there eat it. Even with his powers, there was could not go anywhere. The Buddha nothing Mokuren could do to change said that, if an offering was given on this. the last day of that training period for everyone who had repented and Next he said to his mother, “Well spent those ninety days purifying then, how about something to drink?” their minds and becoming clear, then I brought drinks too. Please drink for the first time with that pure mind

26 Every day is a good day

Every day is a good day

Nichi nichi kore kojitsu

日々是好日

27 his mother could be liberated. This is To live in this very moment with all what the Buddha told Mokuren. of our innate wisdom and full, taut energy is the Buddha Dharma. On the fifteenth of July, when the three-month training period is As has been said from ancient times, formally finished, there is a traditional “If you want to see the past karmic reviewing of one’s behavior during affiliation, look at the face of the that time. Even today this practice is present moment. If you don’t know continued just as it was started during what the face of the future will be, the time of the Buddha. It was on this look at the karmic affiliations of the very day of the fifteenth of July that present moment.” This is how it is Master Unmon said to the gathered seen. All of the results of the past are assembly, “Without asking you to manifested in this very moment. And say anything about yesterday, what the future? If we look at the present do you say about the days after the thoroughly and clearly we can see fifteenth?” He was saying, I am not how the future will be as well. asking you about the past. How is it right now, right this very minute? If we can see the present clearly and Each of you—answer this now. correctly we will not make mistakes in the future. Yet this one moment of the This kind of challenge is the way present is gone in a flash, so it cannot of Zen. Without any concern with be held on to in our consciousness. what was of yesterday, how is it in In every single moment, our life this moment, right here, right now? energy is born anew; in every instant The living energy of this moment at it is freshly born. When we are not hand—this present instant—this is attached to the past or the present the alive place of Zen. or the future, we flow along in each instant—not attached to anything What has already passed will never that we experience, just flowing along return. This does not mean that we like a gurgling river. To experience should not look at our past actions this is satori. and review our behavior. There is nothing so important as that. But the On the fifteenth of July, Unmon best way to purify our past unskillful said, “I won’t ask you about the days behavior is to be totally attentive to before the fifteenth of the month, our footsteps of this present moment. but give me a phrase about the days And if we worry too much about after.” Since nobody could respond to things that have not yet come, fretting his excellent state of mind, Unmon about the future and how it will be, answered for them, “Every day is a we will only narrow our mind of this good day.” Not one single person present moment. We cannot let go of could come up with an answer, so he the actuality we are encountering in had to answer for them. this very moment; we cannot let this very precious opportunity escape. These words of Unmon are truly

28 excellent words of peace. We use person is suddenly unable to work for them often, but what is important the rest of his or her life. is whether or not we can truly and consistently be in this state of mind. Even though it is said that the world In what way was Unmon Daishi is about how we carry our mind, with saying these words, “Every day is a just the decisions of our mind we good day”? Was he just saying today is cannot stop our pain or our death. fine, today is fine, like some yes-man? When Unmon Zenji said, “I won’t If so, there is no need for Unmon ask you about the days before the Daishi to appear here to say this to us. fifteenth of the month, but give me For Unmon to come forth there must a phrase about the days after,” this be some actual quality and essence essence was about cutting away all manifested. traces of any previous conditioning or previous experience, about not Yet people of training, even during the holding on to any history or any past ninety days of a prescribed training happiness, about cutting all of those period, don’t have such a great effect away and actualizing true wisdom on their environment. This world is and then living single-mindedly in full of contradictions. Things don’t go accordance with it. The actualized as we want them to—this is the way essence of this is very necessary. the world is. A mountain crumbles because of a typhoon. While sound The priest Setcho Juken, who lived asleep each person in a whole family from 980 to 1052, wrote poems on is pushed to death by a train. In one the one hundred cases of the Blue instant of a great earthquake people Cliff Record. On this case of Unmon are trapped under collapsed houses. he wrote, Whole families are destroyed. Or, from an unexpected accident, a

29 Terrorists have attacked cities and eyes of the artist. The Buddha eyes see people across the world, and the all beings as our own children, to be horror of those attacks has not loved from pure compassion. To see allowed life to return to normal. everything as empty and every person The fear continues. Those killed as our own child is to love everything and injured are written about in the dearly. To open the eye of compassion papers, while those who survived is enlightenment or satori. are filled with the possibility of their own deaths. It is said that humans can Our transient naked eye sees humans become Buddhas, but they can also in their animal form. If there is any become devils. Those possibilities are way to stop the idiocy of people today apparent when something like this it is through Buddhism, which sees happens. and knows all people as Buddhas.

When people, through no fault of A great and famous Zen master their own, are killed by those who named Master Joshu Jushin (778- are so dissatisfied and discontent, the 897) lived during the Tang Dynasty entire world becomes a battlefield. in China. When people are under severe pressure, their dissatisfaction can Once a monk asked Joshu, “Does a explode. Then hate gives birth to hate, dog have Buddha Nature?” The monk anger gives birth to anger. There is wanted to know if even a dog has no solution to this. When someone Buddha Nature. wants to kill people in great numbers, there’s no way to prevent it or to The Buddha taught that all things- prepare for it. -even plants, trees, and grasses--are without exception endowed with People all over the world become Buddha Nature. Does this hungry, more insecure and full of fear. greedy dog, who goes searching Buddhism says that human beings from garbage pail to garbage can, have five types of eyes: physical eyes, also have Buddha Nature? This mind heavenly eyes, eternal eyes, Dharma that is always looking for something, eyes, and Buddha eyes. wishing for something to be thankful for and always getting caught on If we look at human beings with our everything that happens, this physical eyes, there is no question that unawakened person like me, is there we are animals. The heavenly eyes see really Buddha Nature there? This is things that are far away; they have no what the monk was asking. perception of a physical body. Eternal eyes see humans as they really are, in This type of question makes use of the true emptiness; these are the eyes of commonplace things among which wisdom. Dharma eyes are those that we live. In making use of those things, see the emptiness and see this world we find the true mastery of Zen. and humans as beautiful; these are the

30 Mu

Mu

無

31 Without hesitating, Joshu replied, this is the same in every era, forever, “MU.” without change.

This answer of Joshu has become This energy is shared by all people. an enormous challenge used by all Even if we die, it doesn’t die. It’s people of training to realize truth. beyond birth and death, embracing New people of training have to pass everything while going beyond space. this barrier before going further with It transcends all time. That which is their training. It’s basic that all beings unlimited and unable to be described are from the origin Buddhas; this is a is Buddha Nature. Because we don’t given, a bottom-line understanding. realize this we are confused and Joshu did not negate this. If we look deluded from dusk to dawn. To this at it in a different way, he is saying question Joshu answered succinctly, that the substance of Buddha Nature “Mu.” is Mu. Joshu is presenting this from his own experience, and it’s from The person who compiled the there that this mu is born and has Mumonkan, Mumon Ekai Roshi, profound meaning. To realize this we took six years to realize this koan. have to know the same experience; He wrote that all day, every day, he an intellectual explanation won’t do. carried this mu, forgetting everything If we don’t go beyond that, we can’t else until he even forgot to keep his realize the true experience of all feet moving. Then, when he heard existence. the drum signaling a ceremony he suddenly broke through completely. Buddha Nature is that with which In the first chapter of the Mumonkan, we all are endowed prior to our Joshu’s Mu, he writes, “With all of personality and our character. It’s the 360 smallest joints, the 84,000 the same in everyone and unites all pores, we bring forth this great doubt beings. It is pure human nature. and day and night work intently at it. Do not attempt nihilistic or dualistic It can also be called the true Dharma, interpretations. It is like having that law which is true for the original gulped a red hot iron ball. You try to mind of all beings. Because it is a spit it out but can’t.” law of mind, it has no form and no substance. It has no color, yet it has Your whole body, your whole mind, light and a life energy that brings has to go into this from the top of wonder. It is energy that has no your head to the bottoms of your feet. form yet has the ability to make all With your whole body and mind you things happen, to move everything. have to throw yourself completely This is why none of the dualistic into this, giving rise to this great opposites of the world--such as male doubt. You must bring the actuality of versus female, political power versus your concentration into full view. You powerlessness--have anything to do have to melt into oneness with Mu. with true wisdom. The energy of

32 Your whole body and mind are layer of mu. Then it’s as if you have thrown into that mu as you become seen a dream but are unable to speak it. Day and night, work intently of it. Yet no matter how fantastic at it. Do not attempt conceptual this state of mind is, you can’t tell interpretations. From morning other people about it. No one can until night and from night until understand. You are like a mute morning, become a complete seeing a dream and laughing, but no fool: muuuuumuuuu. Bring your one else can get it. You are certain awareness into one word, focus your that this is the place the Buddha was attention into one point, and come talking about and smile. to know this place where it is as if you have a burning red hot iron ball But this is not yet enlightenment. in your throat that you can neither Suddenly you smash the barrier. You swallow nor spit out. Entering this astonish heaven and shake the earth. place, you are aware of nothing but You kill the Buddha if you meet the mu. This is what is most important; Buddha, and you kill the ancient this is samadhi. Samadhi is the central masters if you meet them. On the point of Buddhism, the fulcrum. brink of life and death you are utterly To understand the truth of any free. In the six realms and the four religion there has to be this pure modes of life you live, with great joy, a concentration. genuine life in complete freedom.

Continue without slacking for a The actual experience of that place of moment—muu muu muu—keeping no more inside or outside, just one it going until you enter samadhi. Cut layer of mu, is truly wonderful, but away all of the illusory discriminating this is still not the complete picture. knowledge and consciousness you There is no you there, so the ability have accumulated, and keep on to create is negated. That which working harder. All of that muddy creates the heavens and earth, that past awareness and ideas, all of true self, has to be realized. It must that gathered previous knowledge be manifested. This place of no inside you thought was necessary, all of it and no outside is what the ancients obscures your clear awareness. With called the Great Death. From there, muuumuuumuu, concentrate and let from that absolute mu, you have to go of all of that extra thinking. Then come back to life, exploding into the you return to the state of mind you place that startles the heavens and the had at birth and continue for one earth. week, two weeks, one year, two years, until your efforts come to fruition Within each person’s actual truth we and there’s no longer any sense of die and die and die, and then with a difference between inside and one touch from the outside our mind outside, self and other. You become is reborn completely with vivid life one layer of mu--no more self, no energy. Startling the heavens and more heavens and earth, only one the earth, we are suddenly reborn. It

33 can be only this way, as if the skies flavorless stone, a spark will rise. But are falling. Everything we ever held most important of all is to allow no on to is let go of, and we can then gaps for thoughts. This is the only realize this world of nothing at all way it works. Mumon Ekai teaches us in one instant of experience. If you from his own experience and kindly know this experience, it is as if you explains in greatest detail. This is the have snatched the sword of the great true teaching for this koan, not Joshu’s General Kan. You kill the Buddha one word of “Mu.” We are not looking if you meet him, and you kill the at anything extra or holding anything ancients if you meet them. A totally else in our mind when we do that mu. free and infinite functioning is born. Our practice ends with that, but the In this whole world there is nothing actual case continues: “It is said that to be thankful to, nothing to enter there is Buddha Nature in a dog. So your awareness in any way. This is why does the master say mu?” because even an idea of something to be thankful for is already dualistic. In The Buddha said that all beings have clear awareness there is nowhere for Buddha Nature, so why do you say even the tiniest bit of shadow to enter. Mu about this dog? Why do you say there is nothing there? On the brink of life and death we are utterly free. There is no way for even Joshu replies that it is because of birth and death to remain. Even that the karma of our five desires. Joshu great problem is no longer something makes the truth of the matter clear. to be attached to. In all the modes of He acknowledges those desires and life we know great joy. We become the various conflicts in society. But all life-forms--we know this world, then why does the Buddha say we the animals’ world, or any world. We are all Buddhas? If we have Buddha have nothing to be deluded by. We Nature, why do we argue and why are are attached to nothing and moved we deluded? If we are honest, we will around by nothing. As Rinzai puts always come up against this problem. it, to be in hell is like being at the amusement park. Even if we are right Joshu’s answer is succinct: “Look! Or smack in the middle of the worst hell, have you lost the Buddha Nature? it’s as if we are in the best amusement Don’t think anything extraneous! park. Here Joshu says it clearly. It’s not In telling us how to do mu, Mumon about analyzing the six realms; that says to put it all aside and look at kind of mentality is mistaken from mu with everything you have; all of the bottom up. Joshu is not thinking your concentration, every bit of your about those various realms but is body and mind. If from morning until saying not to double your awareness. night you continue your attentive This is why his teacher, Nansen, said, focus with no gap, then it is as it was “The three thousand Buddhas don’t described in the old days: from a know it but the raccoon and the

34 bear-cat do--why?” What is being The official was amazed and asked, said here is that this karma has to be “How can you say that?” seen. Our eyes and ears and nose and mouth and body and feelings, all of “Because if I don’t go there, how will I our six roots, have to encounter that be able to meet you?” sword of mu. Everything we touch with our eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and Joshu said only “Mu,” but the greatest awareness, all of it, every attachment, truth of the whole of the heavens has to be cut away to become that one and earth is manifested there. All of mu, or else it is impossible. the roots of the six realms and four modes of life are ripped away. All A different monk asked, “Does a dog of it is extinguished and let go of, have Buddha Nature or not?” and all of the roots of delusion and attachment are obliterated. This is the This was the same question, but Joshu great Wisdom. All of our conditioned saw what this monk needed and said, thinking forms the great doubt, “U.” and there is no person of training without this doubt. When our eyes The monk said then, as if grabbing are opened, we awaken to great faith. Joshu’s tail, “If we have Buddha Here is the foundation of all religion. Nature, why did we dive into this shit bag?” And so Mumon Ekai Zenji says in his poem: Joshu answered, “Knowingly we transgressed.” “The dog! the Buddha Nature! The Truth is manifested in full! In the records of Joshu a high official A moment of yes and no asks Joshu if even he, Joshu, one of Lost are your body and soul!” such profound wisdom, will still fell into hell? Joshu replies, “Me? I am going straight in ahead of everyone!”

35 The Song of Zazen - Zazen Wasan

All sentient beings are essentially Buddhas.

[#40 Nov 1997] The original Body of the Even though we sentient beings Buddha, the essence of awakening, are walking around twenty-four the conclusion, is directly laid out hours a day thinking about all kinds before us in this way. of things, our true source is never separated from clear Buddha nature. It is often expressed as the ocean There is no Buddha somewhere else being the source and the waves being that is separate from this mind of the phenomena. There are no waves ignorant people. Herein lies the deep without water and without water, awakening of Buddha. no waves. Without the source, there are no phenomena, without the phenomena there is no source.

As with water and ice, there is no ice without water;

[#40 Nov 1997] Niso Eka Daishi is quoted found anywhere. Our clarity of mind in his records as saying, “Ice comes is buried under the mind of delusion. from water, water is stopped as Our clear mind is exchanged for ice.” When ice melts it becomes that deluded state of mind. We can water. Ice is born from water, and awaken and realize that we are in a ice stops the nature of water from state of delusion, and of its own the being able to function. When ice natural state of our mind, tranquil and melts, it returns to the nature of the holding on to nothing, again comes water that it originally was, and from forth. The ocean of our mind returns this that function comes forth. Our to its clear, pure, and quiet original complaining and grumbling, desires nature. The universe is surging with and ignorance, all of these delusions this bright pure unattached essence, that we all have, come forth from and we have never separated from it. the arising of one deluded mind- The relationship between Buddha and moment. If these arise, our originally sentient being is just this. They are not still and tranquil mind cannot be separate.

36 apart from sentient beings, there are no Buddhas.

[#40 Nov 1997] From the Mind of deluded sharpness, and his way of moving beings Buddhas are born. From was solid, like that of a great ox. Baso suffering Mind of deluded beings the Doitsu Zenji’s most frequently used Buddha who can love all humankind expression was “Soku Shin Soku is realized. From this confused Butsu.” (These words are nearly and deluded Mind, that which can impossible to translate into English.” embrace and see clearly, that Buddha “This Mind, This Buddha” is what wisdom that is free from everything, we will use here. “Immediate Mind, is brought forth. Immediate Buddha” and “Present Mind, Present Buddha” are also The Buddha that realizes this is not insufficient possibilities.) something that exists separately from ignorant, deluded people. Because During his entire teaching life he it is not something that exists apart used these words—the Mind, just as from deluded beings, sentient beings it is, is the Buddha. To put it another and Buddhas exist simultaneously. way, “All beings are from the origin While having the body of a deluded essentially Buddhas.” The mind of person and the deluded thoughts of the deluded person is the Buddha an ignorant person--just as we are- Nature just as it is. For example, if -we are already endowed with the we took the emotions and thoughts wisdom of an enlightened Buddha. of people—joy, sadness, suffering, Buddha’s compassion exists within us sense of a self or other, ideas of good simultaneously, and simultaneously or bad—and instead of dividing the Buddha practice and Buddha’s everything up into such small actions are born. separated bits we gathered the whole universe into one whole, that is this Baso Doitsu Zenji was a master of actual body. This is “This Mind, This a profound and fine quality. He was Buddha.” We are not talking about described as one who has the eye of someone who doesn’t experience a tiger and the movement of an ox; these, but about the Mind that his eyes were like a tiger’s in their embraces all of these.

37 Not knowing how close the truth is, we seek it far away—what a pity!

[#40 Nov. 1997] The Buddha is said to disappeared; it is always shining have exclaimed at the moment of his brightly. It is not that it shines only awakening, “How wondrous! How when the clouds have passed by. wondrous! All beings are endowed Even within those the moon shines with this same clear nature to which continually. Look at the truth of this! I have just awakened! Only because they dwell in delusion and desires It is not because our deluded thoughts and attachments it is not able to be and desires and attachments end brought forth!” that we have a bright light. Within them the light shines brightly always. All beings, from their birth are When we know that light of the already endowed with compassion radiant moon we know from within and wisdom that do not differ in that those delusions and attachments the slightest way from those of the have no meaning. The delusions and Buddha. This wisdom, with no attachments just as they are have the attachment to a small self, can see fixed form of ice yet also the nature of all beings as one and give them life water. They are hardened and cannot and give them all compassion and move. If we let go of that hardened love. Yet, because we still have an mass, allow it to melt, the water of attachment to a small personal self, the Buddha Nature can flow easily we have so many deluded thoughts, and continually. Then we become thinking we are most adorable and quiet and naturally full and surging being attached to that personal “I,” like the mouth of the waterfall. Deep and that is what covers over our and quiet and even, as it says in the wisdom and compassion. This is what Shodoka [Song of Enlightenment], the Buddha taught from his own “That quiet wisdom of enlightenment experience. is like the bright round full moon which is reflected in the still full There is an old poem: water’s surface.”

Don’t think that the moon is The Mind of the Buddha Nature, as clear and bright because the it is, is received there. Yet there is no clouds part, awareness that the Buddha’s Nature From the beginning there was is being reflected, just as there is no always a bright moon shining. awareness that the moon is being reflected there. Are we the moon? The bright moon is shining. Even Is the moon us? Is the water the though tonight it is covered by clouds moon? Is the moon the water? Are and we can’t see it, it moon has not we the Buddha? Or is the Buddha us?

38 ... what a pity!

Deluded people like us, with so many Yet another poem from old says, thoughts, are we really endowed with that deep compassionate and The moon reflects into the wise Mind of Buddha? Is that deep bottom of the water yet leaves compassionate Mind of Buddha really no traces. our mind, which is always thinking Sitting in the moon-water dojo, about this and that and the other grasping at 10000 empty thing? Not even needing to consider flower disciplines. this difference truly is the Nature of the Buddha. We are like one who in the midst of water cries out desperately in thirst.

[#59 - June 2002] Vimalakirti became It is just like when we are very thirsty sick, not because he himself is and we long intensely for a drink of deluded and confused, but because water. We instinctually continue to he is not in some other world. He is seek for these needs. But if we get understanding of, and existing right attached to those things which we along with, the suffering deluded, need, our instincts then become “Manjusri, my sickness comes from the base of everything we do and ignorance and thirst for existence and it they turn into deep suffering. That will last as long as do the sicknesses of all attached suffering is what then causes living beings. Were all living beings to be a deluded life of confusion and free from sickness, I also would be free of indecision. sickness. ” Greed and fulfillment become a cycle He tells the reason for the sickness. and get stuck onto everything we do. If we ask what is the source of that This is what is called attached desire, sickness and delusion, he tells us that just like when we are so thirsty we it is ignorance. Ignorance is what is can’t drink enough water and don’t without brightness and wisdom, our feel satisfied no matter how much living only from basic instincts and we drink, it is this kind of extreme, desires. This is human’s most deeply intense desire. rooted, basic delusion. People live with desires and instincts as long as The Buddha taught that this is the they are alive. From those instincts source of great pain and suffering. we seek things to eat, we want to stay That humans have physical, sexual alive, and these are beyond any idea desires is the law of the survival of the about good and bad, but come from species. It is a natural instinct with human’s most basic wish to be alive. which we are all endowed. All living

39 ... desperately in thirst.

things are endowed with this basic our intense wish to stay alive forever, instinct to stay alive. to want to live as long as possible.

But this desire can become something In a very real way to keep our life for our own ego and self-satisfaction going is an instinct, but if we refuse and when it becomes blind desire, to allow death to naturally take its physical love can hurt others hearts course this can be also be a huge and even make us take others lives, attachment that makes us move and bringing great confusion.There is also act meaninglessly.

We are like the son of a rich man who wandered away among the poor.

[#44-45 1999-12] that had been lost for so many years. Perceiving directly, he suddenly just In the Shinge Bon (Lotus Sutra, knew that this was his only son. The chapter 4) we have the story the rich man came down swiftly in a great wealthy man who lost his only son. hurry from the top of the house and When the son was just he became said to the servants in his household, lost or was led away, and the rich man “That beggar! Bring him back, bring lost his only son. He was so miserable him into the house!” They followed and suffering so much, he used every his orders and the younger workers possible means available to look in sought after the beggar, took his hand, every direction to find his precious held his shoulder and brought him to son. Since that time the rich man the house. The beggar was trembling could never find anything happy and and couldn’t understand. He begged every day continually thought only them to let him go. He said that he about his lost son and was depressed. wouldn’t come here again and that he Many years passed and one day, in had never stolen from anyone. front of the man’s house, a beggar came for handouts. From a window The younger workers said, “No, it on the upper floor of the building isn’t that. Our household master said the father saw this beggar and he to call to you and bring you back to recognized him. As if he had been the house. Come with us. No one is electrified, he directly intuited that bullying or accusing you.” this miserable beggar was the son

40 ... wandered away among the poor ...

“What? Why would such a huge of doing things in that household household’s top person have any become clear to him and the people business with me anyway? There became his friends. must be some mistake here. Please leave me be -- let go of me!!” One day he was called to the head servant. “It’s been four or five years As the beggar couldn’t believe he was now. You clean the gardens, please. being called by the master of such a We need someone who is used to huge house and was sure he would this place to do that. Your pay will be killed, he passed out and fell over. be increased.” He advanced to The servants took him home to the gardening, and then four or five years father of the household. How pitiful later was given another job with more he felt for what his son had become, responsibility. The estate manager his own son. Now, while the boy had said to him, “You work honestly and come home to his home of birth, he have good potential. Your way of couldn’t recognize it. He was being working is different from everyone intimately called to come home by his else. As you have a character like this, own father, yet he could not receive or we’ll give your work to someone else. believe it. Is there anything as pitiable You should be doing the flowers and as that? doing the arranging of the rooms instead. You take care of the rooms The father used his wisdom to figure from now on!” While he had been a out what was the best thing to do beggar with no planned home, as time next. He had his servants offer his proceeded and he worked everyday beggar son a menial job with a place and kept a planned life, he became to live. “You’ll be given food and settled and easy and walked with clothing. You can’t be a homeless confidence. beggar forever; you’ll be unhappy in the future. Something with a little From the garden now he moved up to security is better.” caring for the rooms and his spending money again increased. As he took From far away the father watched care of the rooms, he became good as the son came in the back gate friends with people who lived in the and was given clothes, food and a house. How the servants and the room. Finally the beggar was in his master lived all became clear to him own place. Every day he dumped and he became friends with everyone toilets. For four or five years living who worked there. The head of the in one house, even if it is only doing help said finally, “You now know well the lowest work, the various ways the face of the master. Give the rooms

41 ... wandered away among the poor ...

to someone else. You are to become to tell you about this young man’s the master’s helper. Take care of essence. He doesn’t know anything things around him since he is getting about it yet. When he was young and old. He’ll be very happy about that.” couldn’t yet understand anything, he became lost. We were unable to find From then on, the son took care of him anywhere. He wandered while everything around the master of the having a home because he didn’t house. By taking things in and out of know that. While having a father he the storehouse, the treasures and the didn’t know to come to where his valuables became his responsibility. father was. But this is in fact my one Still he never had a thought that he and only son. There is proof of this was the son of the master nor that without fail. When I die I want to give these were his own belongings and this house and all of these possessions riches. to my son.”

When he was getting used to this, the For the first time he announced that Master became older with not much this was his son and he was the father. time left to live. The old man decided In all these years the son had been to read his will and called everyone, living there he realized for the first his family and relatives, the city’s time this was his own house. The rich people and lawyers, as witnesses. man had waited years so as not to “Recently in this house there is one surprise the son who had been lost, in young man who has been taking order that he could be comfortable in care of me all the time. Right now, his own place in a settled way. He had with everyone gathered here, I want done this with great perseverance and to speak clearly to all of you. I want patience.

42 The reason we transmigrate through the Six Realms is because we are lost in the darkness of ignorance.

The Buddha taught that the concept way of a dog, a plant, a dragonfly or of “innen”, cause and effect, is most a butterfly. We all have taken many important. As written in the sutras, forms and expressions. it was according to knowledge of the working of karmic laws that the The focus of true religion is Buddha experienced enlightenment. understanding oneself and working In Buddhism, our existence is seen toward becoming a Buddha. The six to take place in six realms and all realms are part of our past, but we six realms are based in ignorance. can also find these six realms in the Like the spokes of a wheel, we turn unfolding of our future. When we are through them over and over again. angry and don’t want to step back, we embody an angry demon. At other There are three dark and difficult times, when our chest burns with realms: the hell realm, the realm desire, we are in the world of greedy of angry demons, and the realm of demons. There are times when we are hungry ghosts. The other three are full of desire, unable to let go of ideas the realms of animals, of humans of what we want, unable to eat or even and of heavenly beings. Only in the sleep, obsessed, filled with fears and human realm do beings have the worries from morning to night. Then ability to reflect on and repent their we inhabit the realm of hell. There are behavior. From that self-reflection moments of joy and lightness, playing a Buddha can be born. Heavenly in the realm of the heavenly beings. beings for example cannot reflect We are in human form right now. We upon themselves as their lives are have the special ability to feel shame filled only with the distractions of and remorse, to repent our deeds and pleasure. All of us are are subject clarify our state of mind. Only from to the law of karma and due to our such a state of mind can a Buddha choices and actions rotate through come forth. The chance to embody these six realms. We all are born and as a human being is rare, and we must die. We will be reborn again, but not waste this opportunity. not necessarily as human beings. Buddhism teaches that we may be The six realms are found in our daily reborn as dogs, cats, horses, or cows. life, as well. Where did this path start? Where is the source of delusion? In We might not know what our future Buddhism, it is said that life itself is will bring, but may have a feeling that the basis of unclarity. our life energy took a different form in the past. You might understand the Past karmic connections account for

43 ... darkness of ignorance.

us being born in this very specific way. We begin this life totally unaware, our actions based only on our desires. The This is the root cause of our suffering, six sense organs develop: eyes, ears, an unaware part of our existence. nose, tongue, body, mind. Through them, we receive stimulus and energy. Contemplating this, the Buddha We develop preferences, likes and realized the truth of karma. Lack loves. Attachment arises; we want of awareness is the basis of the six what we like and avoid what we don’t realms, and unawareness brings forth like. In this way we develop into adult new unawareness. To have to go over human beings, living life, working and and over through the six realms is the dying. We all will have to face decline, fate of all those who have received life. sickness, old age, and death. Is there no way to liberate oneself After his awakening, the Buddha sat from constant rebirth in the six under the Bodhi tree to understand realms? these karmic laws. Our true nature lives within this Where does the suffering of old world of false self and inequality—we age and death come from? can live there in a true way if we go It comes from the awareness of beyond delusive ideas and do not let being alive. go of our truthful way of being. This Where does the awareness of is what Vimalakirti is teaching: living being alive come from? the world in a way that is beyond It comes from attachment to dualism, a way that is awakened our body and mind. completely. Living in the way of the Where does the attachment Sixth Patriarch when he tells us to come from? not add on ideas of good and bad to It comes from grasping and anything that we perceive externally, holding on to what we like. and internally to not be moved Why do we want it? around by whatever concerns there Because we perceived it with may be. our senses. Why do we have these senses? This does not mean to turn away Because we received life. from society but to stay right in it and Why did we receive life? polish the mind by not being moved Because it is the aim of life to around by anything that comes along. perpetuate To know how to do that we first have

44 ... darkness of ignorance.

to do sesshin and do that polishing completely, with complete intensity to where we’re not holding on to to become that oneness. As Master anything whatsoever, not moved Mumon Ekai writes, from the top of around by anything at all. Seeing that our heads to the bottom of our feet from the origin there has never been we have to give everything to not be anything whatsoever. pulled around at all, to not be caught and pulled off balance by what we Master Takuan wrote in his letters encounter or by what we perceive. to Yagyu Tajime-no-kami (The This is the essence of zazen. To realize Unfettered Mind), how the main this and to live in this way, to actualize point of living like this is to not be it—that is what is most important. stopped and caught by anything. To do this we have to give every single bit of our energy and passion to burning

Going further and further astray in the darkness, how can we ever be free from birth-and-death?

People hold onto their own thoughts not a something out there—instead from their own history, their own be that sunshine completely! struggle, their own opinions. From within that there are so many As the sun rises and shines on problems from the past. We all want everything the darkness disappears. to resolve these. But it is not the case Everything is clear, right smack in that our mind cannot open until front of our eyes. Houses, rivers, we resolve every one of those past mountains—each thing as it is—high problems. when it should be high, and low when it should be low, as it is. And the sun We all have dark, unclear and murky is shining equally on every single places in our mind, but believe and thing. know that the Buddha-nature is like the sunlight. This is not something The sun does not only shine when that we look to find here or there— there are no cloudsin the sky. It shines even when there are many clouds

45 ... be free from birth-and-death?

obscuring the sky. Even above dark Because we are so used to holding clouds it shines continually. onto something, we have counting of the breath, koans, mantras—all for To let go of all of our thoughts to realizing that place where there is not where we have nothing to hold onto one speck to be held onto at all. This at all—this is zazen. To do zazen with is the truth of the Buddha-dharma. a gloomy face, holding onto many thoughts, is not real zazen. Rather, to [Platform Sutra commentary Chpt. 1] let go of everything we hold onto— this is the subtle flavor of zazen.

As for the Mahayana practice of zazen, there are no words to praise it fully.

No matter in what world we might courage, with determination, until find ourselves, to have no fear. To that small-self is not what is moving know, to see from a place of courage us around anymore. The small-self is and to forget ourselves completely. To so easily moved around by everything accept and receive whatever comes it encounters. Because we ripen in to us in any situation. To be able to a larger perspective, we are able to know the serenity which that courage know a place where we are no longer brings. For this, we do sesshin. moved around. We are not under the influence of the small-self’s shadow Even though our legs hurt and we anymore. It does not linger. have so much to do in our outside lives, we come here. We come here We have to center in this way of to be able to drink all of it down, to being whole-hearted. And in this know the abundance of realizing it way we have the words of the sixth all, and to know how to be clear in patriarch who tells us how: “To each and every mind-moment. We anything we perceive externally, we realize this in every moment here. add no ideas of good and bad. And At the beginning, we have a hard to whatever is arising within, we give time. We are in darkness, because it no acknowledgment.” TheSixth we are unripe. But we have to pass Patriarch has given a definition of through that darkness with deep zazen. “Za” means to not give rise

46 ... practice of zazen ...

to any thoughts of good or bad that comes to it, while being caught whatsoever, concerning external on nothing. This is the definition of matters. Everything in the external “Za”. Living zazen is defined here. To world is dualistic. There are good look directly within and be unmoved things and bad things, smart people by anything; this is the “Zen”, of and foolish people, sick people and zazen. healthy people. These are all dualistic, in a world of good and bad. We have As the Sixth Patriarch’s famous words to cut all of that and to see everything say, “From the origin there is not a single directly without taking our eye off of thing, where is there anyplace for any it: to not be repulsed by it or afraid of speck to land?” In our mind there is, it, to see it clearly and directly just as a from the origin, nothing whatsoever, mirror takes in everything that comes not a single speck of anything to hold to it. on to or to be recognized; this is our true nature. In our mind we reflect A mirror does not get at all confused all worlds, but are caught on none of by what is reflected in it; it does not them. We go beyond all dualism and give rise to any thoughts about what we drink down everything. We realize is being reflected there at all. To the world in this way. If we don’t not be wandering in our mind or be become like this we cannot correctly confused and deluded at all, this is the reflect the world. It is said in the Bible “Za” of zazen, according to the Sixth that God sends rain equally to good Patriarch. It is not our physical body and bad people. We function in the alone that sits zazen, it is our mind. same way, whatever it is, just as it is. We drink it all down, the good and No matter what problem may arise the bad; we receive and accept all in the world around us, it is nothing things. more than a reflection in a mirror. A mirror reflects all things and in the [VImalakirti Sutra commentary; same way a mind reflects everything Chptr. 4.

The Six Paramitas, such as giving, maintaining the precepts,

[See the chapter “The Six Paramitas”.]

47 and various other good deeds like invoking the Buddha’s name,

[#52 Dec. 2000] Hakuin Zenji says, virtue. We make mistakes and have “Nembutsu sange shugyoto:” unclear behavior, so to clear our mind meaning, “ In repentance and we just do hidden, helpful things review of our behavior there is such as cleaning the toilet unasked, to samadhi.” There is no religion mend shared property on your own. without repentance and review of our We help people without their asking unskillful behavior. No matter what in order to let go of our small self. religion, we must always look honestly Our clear mind is moved to repent at our mistakes. Religion is seeking beyond form. If it is true repentance, the eternal truth to realize the pure honestly looking at ourselves, then truth and know absolute good. our mind will be involved deeply and it will not be empty of commitment. Looking for Buddha and God is If it is only form without heart, then religion. They are not outside or no matter how many prostrations we inside us. In all religions the eternal do it won’t change us. We will repeat truth is the point. We are incomplete our mistakes. But if we only once so we search; our lives are not eternal sincerely repent our behavior with and we are not pure and clear. If our whole heart we will be freed from we liberate our small selves we that habit. From the origin that which become eternal, and we do this with gives rise to these mistaken acts is that repentance. we confuse what is real and what is temporary. In Buddhism we repent the karma from the past; caused by greed anger Our physical body is not actual, it is and ignorance which have brought not a permanent self. It is a meeting of about this mind and body and all cause and effect. There is no abiding our mistakes that weight upon us. substance. If we could see this we We repent all of these before God would not commit crimes, we would and Buddha. We speak them openly not speak badly about others; we and let go of our karma. This is would not be negative toward people the entrance to deepest faith. In and bring pain to them. Buddhism we follow the precepts and repent out behavior to the thousand Our true nature has nothing from the Buddha’s of past, present and future. origin, and seeing this we reach the We prostrate for one whole week source. We cut away all the confusing to repent. There are many ways to obstructions and cannot repeat the repent. same mistakes. This deeply profound and endless life-energy embraces In the Zendo we practice hidden all things without discrimination.

48 ... invoking the Buddha’s name ...

Only from this place do we have true the paths of the contemplative craft security of mind. are based in this concentration.

To just continue pain and misery Just as the pianist forgets both piano stuck in our own way has no meaning. and fingers and just plays, and the When we understand this and repent actor forgets their own age and and release, we understand God and embodies the age of the character. Buddha and become this totally. All the crafts and arts that people There is no two-ness in mind and know embody the subtle flavor of this body. In our deepest mind there is blessed work. Tea, martial arts, flower endless samadhi, this is repentance. arranging, archery, and ceremony, all are Zen, all are total absorption. Hakuin Zenji says that samadhi brings deep truth. We know that all the This samadhi is endless, there is no practices, “like invoking the Buddha’s pride in Zen; there is no marketing of name, repentance, and spiritual Zen. Such separation is not Zen, Zen training”, are all samadhi. Moral and is samadhi, letting go of all duality. religious behavior stem from this, and G Q G On the last day of a ninety-day inquired if this would guarantee her training period, Master Suigan going to the Pure Land when she addressed the assembly: died.

“During this period, I was too Master Shido asked her, “Nembutsu- kind and spoke too much. -the chanting of the Buddha’s name- How about it, have my -when you do it, is there anything in eyebrows fallen out? Please, your mind?” She replied, “No, no! I look at my face carefully and forget everything when I chant!” see!” ”That’s it--when you are holding on to The sutras say that if someone teaches nothing at all--that IS the Pure Land. mistaken Dharma, his eyebrows will You are already there!” fall out and he’ll plummet into hell. But Suigan’s mind wasn’t dualistic in With those words the grandmother that way.Shido Munan Zenji (1603- was deeply awakened.As Shido 1676) taught this way too. Munan also wrote in a poem, In one straight line our body dies completely, He was once visited by an old we forget our self and work. That is grandmother who said that every day the Buddha as it is. she chanted the Buddha’s name. She

49 repentance,

In the olden days of Japan in times of That mind which has repented, crisis, famines and plagues, whenthe how shall we then manifest it? This Japanese emperor saw the people’s mind that does the repentance has suffering, they felt insufficient as they to be looked at. There is the form of were unable to overcome of these the repentance but there is also the catastrophes. They would not only repentance beyond the shape, form repent for their own behavior to and ritual of doing repentance. More themselves but also publicly to all the than the form of the repentance people. In 668 the Emperor Tenmu the mind of repentance is the real began with his own repentance challenge. As we do the practice and also called all of his people to of repentance if our mind is not repent. In 744 Shomo Emperor also clear it has no meaning. Our mind set up a Yakushi Nyorai temple and is already clear from the origin and he repented his faults saying that he so we should not have committed wanted to bring forth healthy era, mistakes and sins, but without our and made a firm commitment to even knowing it we get twisted and do so, saying that everyone had to off center and we do things which we take responsibility. In 767, Emperor are often not even aware of doing. Shotoku said to all of the temples in the whole country that all of the We do training and zazen, but if it is people should repent. From that time only the form of zazen, just sitting in on repentance ceremonies became that posture, doing only that much very common and people all over the is a great mistake. Zazen is to always country participated. have a clear mind, to live in our original mind. To be aware and clear The great, twisted karma that we have in each and every mind moment is built up from the ancient past has no training. There is no other Zen than beginning, the greed and ignorance seeing our own mind and clarifying it. and anger that arises from this body If we think we sit for any other reason, and this mouth—I am responsible of zazen becomes very confused and all my transgressions and ignorance complex. If we say that when we stop and right now I repent of these things. sitting our mind goes back to being In Buddhism there are precepts to just as confused as it always was, if guide our behaviour, and when we that is the kind of zazen we are doing, receive them we always first do a there is a problem. To clarify our deep repentance to all the thousand mind is the point of zen and we do it Buddhas of the past, the thousand whether we are sitting or not sitting. Buddhas of the present and the W,hen we are riding on a train or thousand Buddhas of the future. walking along the road, or at our job,

50 ... repentance ...

no matter where we are, we clarify our about it but by letting go of all our mind. . It is the most necessary thing own individual thoughts, freeing and for us to do. This is why it is said that releasing so we become that huge sitting is Zen and action is Zen. To expanse of the whole universe. We know that clear mind that we all are throw ourselves completely into that endowed with from the origin, this is becoming. Zen. To realize this is to practice. We let go of all of the mistaken From morning until night is Zen. To behaviors that we have acquired know our mind’s ease, and not only and realize how they have no real on the cushion. It is that idea about existence at all, that because we zazen that causes problems. It is not thought they were actual we made for understanding others or solving our problems even greater. We have external problems that we do zazen. committed unskillful acts without even realizing it, and at this time With our Mind we realize the we have to truly repent that which Dharma Body. Since we are Buddha we have done. We have to liberate we are extending throughout the ourselves from doing it again in an whole universe fully and completely actual, real way or we will deepen and in that mind the Buddha is sitting and make heavier those mistakes and firmly. We realize and experience even poison others with this. With that and this is true zazen. Our repenting and liberating our body and purified awareness is filling and mind and mouth we will make more surging through the whole universe, pain and suffering. imagining and creating the whole universe. By letting go of all of our As the the Sixth Patriarch has said, thoughts we discover that the Buddha “All things are empty where could this is our own mind. We don’t hold on clutter land?” To know that mind free to anything at all instead we become of any murkiness, we have to throw the universe as it is, this actualization away everything to that final point. If is zazen. Zazen is not thinking about we do this in a half baked way, we just liberating ourselves but letting go of increase the impurities exponentially, our stuck places and becoming one and make even more ego strength and with the universe. This is how we mistakes. Repentance is about what actually liberate ourselves. we have already done in the past, to look at our behavior in the past and Zazen is the formless repentance. If feel sorry about it. But in Buddhism it we want to repent completely, zazen is not only a question of the past there is best. We don’t do it by thinking is also the challenge of the future.

51 ... repentance ...

Everything we do sends ripples to pierce down through the very root the future, everyone of our mind of our murkiness and impurity of moments affects the future deeply. mind. We realize this in actuality and this is what satori and kensho is. This Our way of living, in order to is our responsibility as humans and protect it we have made dioxin repenting our behavior manifests and freon gas, we have made so this best. The ego and its attachments many poisons and committed so bring forth this mistaken behavior many sins against the environment. and we go to that place prior to even We have to not only repent but to ego and pierce through it and throw make a firm commitment to not it away realizing the source beyond make the same mistakes again. For it. This is prior to the birth of the this reason repentance is not only ego, and here we realize our true for repenting the past but also for home, that place of the Buddha mind, committing to to not doing the same the true base of the Love of God. thing in the future. To repent our Manifesting that is true repentance. past behaviour is important, but also of great importance is to say We realize our true mind and this we will not continue this behavior. is actual repentance. Those great When we find ourselves repeating misdeeds that we have done, that we the same patterns, not to be vague, have invented, we cannot actually excusing ourselves, but to take our erase them. With this very body we responsibility seriously. As it says in do kill things and take away their life, Buddhism, we can see clearly how we kill other people, and we steal with our way of living each day is what our body as well. We also act without builds the way the future becomes, clarity in our relationships with our we cannot live foolishly and carelessly partners,we hurt each other and for one single day. Even we who are confuse and delude. We also tell lies so full of faults, before those mistakes and twist the truth. We also speak in come forth, like a baby prior to its a meaningless way, we act unskillfully ego and dualistic perception, we and doing this we confuse people and have this mind which is prior to any society. We also have greed, anger and sin,without the tiniest bit of clutter, complaining in our minds and with truly empty of every single thing. Our that mind we express it unskillfully. clearest mind beyond any attachment With our mouth and body we deceive to a small self, we pierce through people and cause problems for people to that and realize that always clear in the world. Even though we make mind. This is true repentance, not problems for others that problem just the form of repentace, rather to won’t be changed by us realizing this

52 ... repentance ...

true mind. We are in fact beings of The Dharmas are boundless, I unskillful behavior, so we have to vow to master them. repent and look at what we do clearly The Buddha’s way is and directly. unsurpassable, I vow to become it. The actual manifestation and expression of the mind of repentance is the Bodhisattva Mind. We Bodhisattvas offer their whole life to clarify and purify our true state of all people, to the whole society. We mind, it brightens, and the now throw away everything and offer it formless repentance becomes our all up to society and with our deep actions. In this way the four vows vow, from our Bodhisattva nature we of the Bodhisattva are actualized. repent everything we have mistakenly Repentance finally has to be done and from that repentance we manifested in the fulfillment of the then express the truth. We support four Bodhisattva vows or it is not the others and don’t put ourselves in true an actual repentance. first place. In our mind we clarify our essence and then for the first Sentient beings are numberless, time the words of repentance can be I vow to liberate them. understood inwardly. Desire are inexhaustible, I vow to put an end to them.

53 and spiritual training, all finally return to the practice of zazen.

Our intent to live a life of benefit to that the constant stream of delusive other living beings is often hindered thoughts at the source of our anxiety by the anxieties that accompany a comes to an end. mind still not fully settled. Swept along by circumstances, we generate However, this opening cannot be endless thoughts of good and evil, attained through mere conceptual gain and loss, love and hate. This is thinking, but must be fostered the nature of samsara—our ordinary through the practice of zazen. existence marked by an unending Bodhidharma described the practice flow of dualistic thoughts in a mind of zazen as follows: “Outwardly cease out of contact with its own essence. all attachments; inwardly grasp not The swirl of thoughts pulls us one way with the mind. When your mind is and then another, exhausting both like a wall you will enter the Way.” body and mind. With our attention In other words, let go of all concerns constantly directed toward outside with outside distractions and stop matters we’re left inwardly anxious troubling yourself with inner worries and depleted. that do nothing but generate one agitated thought after another. Turn The deep angst that results from this the mind’s eye inward, integrate way of being can only be resolved inside and outside, unify body and through the “merit of the Buddha,” spirit, and in this state nourish the to use the words of the Vimalakīrti inner energy that is the “merit of Sutra. The Buddha referred to here the Buddha.” This cultivation is is not something outside ourselves, not simply mental, but rather a but is the inner truth, the essence of feet-on-the-ground, all-inclusive wisdom, that is immanent in each of accumulation of this vital inner force. us. Buddhism sees the universe itself as a manifestation of the universal When I instruct people in zazen I truth of the Buddha, a truth known in often compare the process toinflating Buddhist thought as the dharmakāya a balloon. Without allowing your (Dharma body). The dharmakāya, in attention be drawn away either by turn, takes form as a living aspiration external things or internal thoughts, to liberate all human beings. This let your entire awareness rest your ardent aspiration to emancipate exhalations, as it is primarily through others, personified in Buddhism as the exhalations that our inner energy Amitābha Buddha, is the “merit of the settles in the lower abdomen. Let each Buddha” spoken of in the Vimalakīrti and every breath out as far as it will Sutra. It is by opening ourselves to go, then inhale naturally, remaining this innate compassion, this urge to fully open to and aware of the awaken all beings both good and evil, breath as it shifts from exhalation to

54 ... and spiritual training ...,

inhalation and then from inhalation accomplish this. Our true aspiration back to exhalation again. Let no gaps is not for personal happiness but for appear in your attention. This is the the liberation of all humankind. method of zazen. Full attention is essential, but at the same time it is The actual practice of zazen requires important to avoid all tension and some getting used to, both physically strain, particularly in the upper body. and mentally. One can’t expect the Strain, which results from attempts to zazen of a person who is just starting forcibly induce certain states of mind, meditation to be the same as that of prevents the natural accumulation of someone proficient in the training. vital force in the lower body beneath At first the body resists, particularly the navel. In zazen we must be deeply in people with no experience of the aware of the natural flow of the body. zazen posture. There is tightness and strain in the breathing, too, and With the settling of the body, the wandering thoughts fill the mind. breathing, and the mind comes Because of this many beginners get a more fully open awareness. discouraged and quit. Those who Continuing in this way, the inner persevere, however, gradually settle energy gradually accumulates, into the practice. They find from just like a balloon slowly inflating. experience that physical pain causes Finally the lower abdomen feels fully no injuries and is not something to expanded, and the entire body, to the get overly concerned about as long very pores of the skin, is infused with as one sits correctly. The breath vital energy. gradually relaxes and opens, and the mind, so scattered and unruly at the This upwelling vitality steadily start, becomes more still and quiet. replaces any melancholy brought on It’s like training a dog. At first the by our various anxieties, and fills us dog is still unmanageable, running with a sense of hope and possibility. about and sticking its nose into every This is the profound flavor of zazen. trash can it sees, so you leash it to To taste it we must remain utterly keep it under control. Gradually simple and open—the moment the dog settles down and becomes we deliberately try to create it, it is accustomed to staying close to its gone. If, however, we carefully attend master, until in the end it walks to each and every breath then our calmly by his or her side even when consciousness naturally ripens. Our unleashed. innate desire to contribute to the wellbeing of society is stimulated, There is an inner revolution that and we’re filled with the energy to occurs when we shift from seeking

55 ... and spiritual training ...,

answers outside to looking inside the essential feature of liberation in for fulfillment. Searching outside Buddhism, and particularly in Zen. leads only to further thoughts and confusion, while turning inside and Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch, letting go of the thoughts that arise spoke of “one-practice samadhi” one after another is the true path to (ichigyō zanmai). That is, Pure Land resolving our deepest anxieties. The Buddhists persevere their entire production of thoughts is a type of lives with nembutsu practice, Lotus habit, and thus letting go of thoughts school believers persevere their entire can also become a habit—a habit lives with reciting “Namu Myōhō that gradually dissolves our profound Renge Kyō,” and Zen practitioners attachment to the process of thinking. persevere their entire lives with zazen. What Huineng intended by With the natural cessation of the term “one-practice samadhi” is compulsive thinking comes the not entirely clear, but it can be said arising of true awareness (shōnen that an overly literal interpretation of sōzoku in Japanese). True awareness is this concept risks binding a person not confined to zazen, but can inform in form and losing sight of Huineng’s whatever we do, right here, right now, true meaning. For example, if one whether it be sitting or working or regards zazen as absolute one can anything else. With true awareness end up believing that as long as our usual distracted, scattered one remains deeply focused while consciousness gradually clears and we sitting in the meditation hall one is become vividly present in everything fulfilling the requirements of one- that happens, with our full attention practice samadhi. If that focus is lost on whatever is there. When working while outside the meditation hall, we are totally one with working, however, this is not true one-practice when meditating we are totally one samadhi based on shōnen sōzoku. with meditating, when eating we are The true awareness ofshōnen sōzoku totally one with eating. It is the same is something that continues twenty- whatever we do. four hours a day. If you’re just sitting for twenty minutes every now and This boundless state of consciousness then or if your practice is confined appears with the stilling of the to sesshin, then the true meaning of scattered mind. The liberation from zazen will never reveal itself to you. fear that accompanies this is a result, not of reliance on some outside The “practice” that Huineng refers power, but of awakening to the to when he speaks of “one-practice immanent truth of the mind. This is samadhi” is, in essence, function

56 ... and spiritual training ...,

or activity. If we do not maintain it walks. Moreover, “there is neither samadhi in the midst of activity, if the joy nor sorrow,” that is, even as the mind is wandering here and there and mind sees, hears, smells, and tastes it we do not continue our zazen practice possesses nothing inside. while seeing, listening, smelling, tasting, feeling, and thinking, then The usual habit of the mind is to the practice is not genuine. True attach to external objects. Deceived awareness must always be present. by the outside world, it becomes, TheVimalakirti Sutra points to in effect, a slave to what it sees and this when it refers to “direct mind” hears. When we are used by the (jikishin) in the statement, “The direct things of the world in this way we lose mind is the place of enlightenment.” sight of our own inner presence and The direct mind of which the sutra truth. This contributes nothing to our speaks is a mind that is never stagnant true happiness, and has nothing to but always flows like pure running do with genuine joy and sorrow. For water, that is vibrant and clear, and the mind to “possess nothing inside” that is immediate in its perception. means that it has dropped its habit of This is living zazen. attaching to outside things and is no longer led about by circumstances. Manora, the twenty-second Indian ancestor, talks of this in his ≠A natural, healthy mind free of transmission verse: fixations is like a mirror. Nothing is present in a mirror before a reflected The mind turns with its object appears, and nothing remains surroundings, after the object departs. The object A turning that is truly adds nothing to it when it arrives, and profound; subtracts nothing from it when it goes Perceive mind’s nature within away. No matter what the object is, it this flow, leaves the mirror neither cleaner nor And there is neither joy nor dirtier. The immediate perception of sorrow. the “direct mind” is similar to this. Consciousness functions in this way only when it is in a state of true This verse tells us that a vital mind— awareness, open to its own inner one that is truly aware—is one truth. that moves as one with this world, standing with the world when it The mind in this state is free of the stands, sitting with the world when compulsion to think, but this doesn’t it sits, walking with the world when mean that it doesn’t think. People

57 ... and spiritual training ...,

often misunderstand this point. something from an academic point of To simply shut down the thinking view, but in everyday life it generally process is a kind of mental blackout. gets in the way. Students occasionally come to me saying, “I’m not thinking!” This is fine Rather than attempt to suppress the if the mind has naturally come to rest mind’s ordinary habit of thinking, the in stillness, but if the thought process thinking habit must be redirected so has simply been suppressed this that the mind no longer chases after represents no more than a blanking the mental activity that naturally wells out of the self and extinguishing of up out of the consciousness. As Zen the light of consciousness. This is of master Linji says, “Don’t continue no use in everyday life. [thoughts] that have already arisen and don’t let those that haven’t yet It is possible, of course, to stop arisen be aroused. Just this will be ordinary thinking through intense worth far more to you than a ten concentration practices while one is years’ pilgrimage.” When you see sitting, like a tightrope walker who something, just see it and leave it focuses solely on what he’s doing at that. When you hear something, during the time he’s on the rope just hear it and leave it at that. Don’t but returns to his ordinary way of follow after it. Thus when you see a thinking once the act is finished. Zen flower, for an instant you perceive practice of this type is false, leading to it directly, without meditation. You a kind of split life where the mind is recognize it as a flower, but you don’t silenced during zazen and allowed to add thoughts and opinions to this wander the rest of the time. The two perception. aspects of life end up unrelated, with the practice not functioning away An accomplished practitioner can from the confines of the meditation be present in this state any time, hall. but in those for whom the habit of thinking is strong it usually requires Zazen is not a concentrated long training to redirect it. If the suppression of thought but rather an right motivation is there, however, awareness so open that does not get the effort is never wasted. When caught up in ideas and has no need to consciousness is not blocked the think when thinking is unnecessary. mind gradually opens to direct In its natural state consciousness is a perception. Direct perception is flowing thing that, like water, goes bad not some kind of mystical ability, when it stagnates. Analytical thinking but simply the original function of may be necessary when considering consciousness. Consciousness in its

58 ... and spiritual training ...,

natural state perceives, not through is lost. This is the weak point of our the filters of thought or analysis, way of life in today’s world. Keeping but immediately (that is, without the mirror of our minds free from mediation), like a mirror reflecting unnecessary concerns, we must an image. If there’s a flower there’s a remain open to the direct perception flower, just that. If a bird sings a bird of the world just as it is. This is why sings, just that. If it rains it rains, just we practice zazen. that. If the sky clears the sky clears, just that. Nothing need be added. In We are in closest touch with our our everyday existence the need for consciousness in its pure state social relations and other interactions immediately after sesshin, which is arises, of course, but direct perception why I always stress to trainees the is at the foundation. Zazen is the importance remaining open and cultivation of the ability to abide and aware during this crucial period. Be function in this natural state. careful about avoiding distracting thoughts and, even if only for two Consciousness cannot be described, or three days, take time to interact of course, as it has no form, yet it leisurely with nature, perceiving extends to the ends of the universe. things as directly as possible. Observe In the words of Linji, “Mind is too the workings of your own mind. without form and pervades the The true meaning of sesshin lies in ten directions.” Our consciousness this time, when we are most able to reaches to whatever it can perceive, take in the world just as it is, free of even the young galaxies at the edge discriminating thoughts and ideation. of the cosmos that modern science In so doing we realize that direct now allows us to see. Because perception expresses the essential consciousness is in essence empty, if nature of mind, and become clearer we see a star the star appears in our about how everyday life should be consciousness; if we see the sun the lived. sun appears in our consciousness; if we see a mountain the mountain This is not to say that knowledge and appears in our consciousness. It is experience should be dismissed, but the nature of mind to freely leave only that they should not restrict us. and enter the five sense-gates, seeing, We should rely primarily on direct hearing, smelling, tasting, and perception, and with that as a basis touching everything in existence and our knowledge and experience taking in all things just as they are. become truly meaningful. Reversing With the least bit of divisive thought, this order transforms knowledge however, this freely flowing activity and experience into biases and

59 ... and spiritual training ...,

preconceptions, preventing true point, carefully bringing ourselves awareness. This is particularly true as much as possible into alignment in the realm of human relations. with our essential nature. Our Without awareness, our encounters consciousness is at all times capable with others become, in effect, of directly encountering the world encounters with the preconceived around us. This essence of mind is the ideas in our minds. This can lead only mind of the Buddha; our minds and to our destruction. Buddha’s mind are one and the same. Nothing could be more precious than We must be very watchful on this this.

Even those who have sat zazen only once will see all karma erased.

Bodhidharma said it very clearly that is samadhi. Samadhi is deep, zazen when we let go of everything that we power. When a mirror reflects, the are attached to externally and let go mirror has no intention of what it is of all the things that we connect to now going to reflect. Yet it also has no within, when we are sitting , to forget idea of itself as being empty. Things we are even sitting, and our mind simply come, are reflected and leave. holds on to nothing whatsoever. To So it is without receiving any image, not be caught on a self nor on an which would then be a soiling stain. other. That way of saying it of the This is samadhi. Samhadhi is not sixth patriarch is that, to everything holding on to anything. This being that we perceive externally, we add no actualized is samadhi. And we choose extra thoughts of whether it is good sitting as a way to realize this. or it is bad. That is sitting. And zen is in our mind, to not cling to any of the [Vimalakirti Sutra commentary ; concerns that our floating there. This chapter 5.

60 Nowhere will they find evil paths, and the Pure Land will not be far away.

[#60 Jan. 2003] The Nembutsu practice can do, I cannot do some kind of founder Shinran Shonin said the same splendid practice, so going to hell thing. All things becoming Buddha, is a given for me, for me there can to have such a dualistic idea is a great only be Nembutsu even if it takes mistake. Only to not even think me to hell. Because I believe totally about whether you will be saved or in Shinran Shonin’s words whether I not, to only continue the Nembutsu go to heaven or hell is of no concern. (repeating of the Buddha’s name) How few can believe this thoroughly completely and totally, that is all there and completely! It is not a simple is to do. path. Have we truly actualized our Mu to that degree? Zazen is not for “It is said that repeating Nembutsu developing power of samadhi. Nor will give us birth in the pure land is it to become a Buddha nor is it for but I know nothing of that, nor do I realizing kensho. These are irrelevant. know that it might be something to Doing our Mu will we go to hell or give us karma to go to hell. I don’t heaven? Will we be enlightened or know anything about those or about not? Why do we do this Mu? To anything whatsoever.” Shinran Shonin throw away everything completely who can say it this way is certainly and totally and then it becomes doing it totally. We are told to do the Nembutsu as well. Nembutsu but that kind of repeating of the Nembutsu is actually not so For those who are left there is only to simple and casual. To do it thinking do the Nembutsu. It is the only path we will get this or that and wondering to follow, to become, to do, and to why we have to do it and wondering realize; there is nothing but this! We what we will get out of it-we all have have to be able to realize this, or else thoughts like that but there is no true we cannot casually say, “Everyday is Nembutsu when we are thinking that! a good day”. To do one whole week of Osesshin is to demand that of Even in doing the Nembutsu I might ourselves and sanzen is to get rid fall into hell, as Honen Shonin said, of all those ideas of good or bad, to even if I died and went to hell from take them all right out from under saying that I will have no regrets us. Doing zazen without sanzen, whatsoever. It has to be this firm. It zazen’s essence gets distant. Again is not about doing the Nembutsu and again taking it all out from under and going to heaven, even if we say us until there is nothing whatsoever it and go to hell to not have one left to say and there is only that “Mu”, single regret. Why is that? Because that “Namu shaka muni butsu”. It there is no other practice that I cannot be done only with our head.

61 ... the Pure Land will not be far away.

Because we still don’t become totally the Nembutsu. The Pure Land sect serious and we cannot realize it teaches this way and it is the same for completely. We have to do it totally our Mu. Continually doing that Mu and completely in this way. is the only help we have and when it gets to this point, there is no more To do it to where we cannot possibly division into “self power” and “other retreat is that world of swallowing power”. Only by arriving here can the down a red hot iron ball, to the right deepest faith be born. Everything else the sea of fire and to the left the disappears but this. Then the deep hell of water, and there is one small faith is born. Our true life energy is narrow path there that goes on, that then realized directly and clearly. continues and that is the path of

G Q G [#57 Nov. 2001] An email came from who makes carts of death we build someone which told of a child them ourselves and ride in them in America who asked a Native ourselves. But when we do zazen, American elder what he thought of at least during those moments, we this recent tragic incident. The elder are free from that twisted kharma responded that in his body there are of moving through the six realms of a white and a black wolf and they are beings. It is not that some finished fighting. The child then asked which paradise appears suddenly but that wolf would win. The elder answered, our clarified mind brings that purified the one that I feed. This is how he perception to all of our surroundings answered. and that bright light that comes from great faith is born. In our awakening The reality is that we live in a world our trust in humans is deeply full of deep delusion with people confirmed and with the liberation of conflicting and hurting each other others through that trust, we can all Even though there is no carpenter live in a pure and perfect land.

62 If we listen even once with open heart to this truth, then praise it and gladly embrace it, how much more so then,

[#62 Dec. 2003] Zen is focused on “Seeing It is a matter of course to wonder this, directly and Becoming Buddha.” And in our busy work and everyday Directly experience this true root world we have this zazen of one source of all beings, go straight to breath. This becomes very necessary, the true nature of all existence, This without forcing, we should exhale is Zen’s truth or it is not Zen and for all the way out to the very end of the this we do zazen. Zazen is for this exhalation, quietly breathing out to body which is buried by and wound the very most furthest end of the out up in egoistic mind and self-centered breath, If we do that, then we can, filters. From right there realize and in that one single breath, separate polish the true Buddha nature. This from everything and in a mere few very form is doing zazen, which is, seconds we can exhale out everything just as it is, the Buddha’s form. We we have been so caught on and let settle and quiet the mind. Deepening go of all of those stuck places. In this more and more that profound mind way, right from where we breathe out becomes clarified. This is the subtle everything completely a totally new, flavor of zazen. In this way people fresh awareness and state of mind from all over the world who love are born. This One Breath Zazen is zazen are doing zazen. Even if they necessary and there are many who are not only doing zazen, as they are already making use of this.But if become settled and quiet inside then we could resolve it all with one breath just by sitting the usual everyday that would be fine, but it doesn’t quite turbulence and noise and busy all get resolved that simply, with just minded thoughts are stilled. We are that. surprised not having known we have such a quiet mind within, should we When we first get up in the morning really become this settled? How quiet we can do this, or at work, when we it can become! We feel this way and get stuck and don’t know how to notice this for the first time, To realize move through something. Especially and experience this state of mind is at these times take a moment and five zazen. Even people working so hard in or ten times to exhale out completely. this busy world, if it is someone who If we actually do this our body will has experienced this quiet of mind become relaxed and expansive and even a little, then they will wonder our state of mind will be pleasant if there is not also some way in the and refreshed. we really feel that all midst of that busyness to be in that of that staleness and stuckness has quiet state of mind. been blown away completely. It is very necessary for us to be able to

63 ... listen even once ...

renew and regenerate our state of doing that we are able to understand mind. It is aid that the hermits of the state of mind of the Buddha. olden days ate mist to stay alive. No one can just eat mist and stay alive With this deep, profound state of perhaps, but all living beings receive mind, without any misunderstanding nutrition from the air. Just like plants of the world we see, without being receive nutrition from the air, when stuck, we receive a huge all embracing we breathe deeply our state of mind state of mind, we all have to live in comes back to life and our Ki goes to this state of mind. To actualize this every corner of our body. As Master state of mind is zazen. We do zazen Dogen said,”I put myself completely as part of our everyday process and into the Buddha and the Buddha use it as our everyday refuge. If we do comes completely right to me”. When zazen even a little we feel its benefit we exhale completely our hardened and want to realize that source. For ego and personal views are no longer those who live like this a correct state defending a small self, we become of mind, a correct way of seeing this this state of mind where everything world this will be born. Then we is completely trusted to the Buddha. can let go of that world of good and We breathe out everything, let go of bad, gain and loss and are able to be our small-minded stuck places and in blessed with the direct encounter of our true clear mind. if on reflecting within ourselves we directly realize Self-nature, giving proof to the truth that Self-nature is no-nature.

It’s not clear what exactly happened up to Eka’s knees, but he remained at Shorinji in China, or when. standing, without moving. It’s said that it was the ninth of December when Eka wanted to When the night was over meet Bodhidharma and ask about Bodhidharma turned and spoke to his Mind, but Bodhidharma ignored him for the first time. Eka and continued his zazen, facing the wall without turning around. As “Why are you standing there in Eka waited, darkness came and snow the snow?” began to fall. Eventually the snow was Eka begged in tears; “For the

64 ... Self-nature is no-nature

Dharma. Great Master, please Bodhidharma answered, “The give me your compassion, mysterious subtle Dharma of the open your Dharma gate, and Buddhas is not something you can liberate the sentient beings”. learn about by asking other people. You must inquire within.” The Buddha’s incomparable teaching, the path of awakening, can’t be taken This is a very strict answer. The lightly. It’s attained by diligence in essence of the Buddha’s awakening is the difficulties of practice and by not about knowledge. Thinking you enduring that which is difficult to can receive it through information is endure. You mustn’t care even if a big mistake. It’s not something you you lose your life. You have to do can understand by just asking and the practice and do things that most listening. When you’ve completely people can’t do, to be willing to throw thrown away your ego and small self, yourself away completely, beyond when everything within, every last your imagined potential. Then you speck of thought, has been let go of, can know a tiny bit of that state of then for the first time you’ll be able to mind. It can’t be done with a small receive that which surges forth freely mind, conceptual knowledge, or a from within. conceited attitude. If you think you know something, you won’t be able to Eka pushed further. “This realize this mind. disciple cannot know any security or repose, please Why was Eka carrying a sharp knife? bring peace to my heart.” It’s said that he took the knife and cut off his left arm at the elbow. He was saying, “I am not in a stable Then he held the bloody arm out frame of mind; I can’t realize the state to Bodhidharma to show him that of mind of all of the Buddhas and he was ready to sacrifice his life. Of know true peace. If I can’t ask you to course, it can’t be known if this story tell me the enlightenment of all of the is literally true, but it’s indicative of Buddhas, won’t you please relieve that the sincere mind with which Eka insecurity in my heart so I can know sought the Way. Not moved by peace?” human emotions and dualistic ideas, he expressed the truth. Eka had studied Confucianism and Taoism and knew their doctrines Then he asked, “May I ask about the exhaustively, but because he still enlightenment of all of the Buddhas?” couldn’t realize peace of mind he had traveled a great distance to

65 ... Self-nature is no-nature

meet Bodhidharma. How much Eka had come to the end of what suffering Eka had been through could possibly be said with words, just to be able to ask this question! and Bodhidharma saw this clearly and Having sought the true Way, he was gave the last slash. confused and miserable; having studied philosophy to its ultimate Uprooted completely, Eka’s essence point, he had discovered there was a was crying out. No longer under the place where even philosophy couldn’t influence of his own thoughts and liberate him. He was now standing dualistic ideas, he had gone beyond on the razor’s edge. When he finally reasoning, beyond any mental understood that peace couldn’t concept of a mind as something that be found through philosophy and can be found by looking for it, and scholarly searching, he could begin. was able to offer it, exactly as it is.

People talk about the Dharma and Bodhidharma said, “”Bring the 5,049 sutras, and there are all me that mind that can’t find sorts of philosophies and doctrines relief, and I will pacify it for in the world, but none will reach this you.” ultimate point. For each and every Eka replied, “I can’t do that. It person, true peace has to be known can’t be found.” from the very bottom of the heart. Bodhidharma said, “See? I If we can’t embrace this place, our have pacified it.” struggles in life are without essence. Eka understood completely. Without true peace, we can’t know the essence of the Buddhadharma. It isn’t there; it is not there! If you see this, if you truly understand it, you “My mind can find no relief. will know true peace and the end of Please liberate me.” It took a all doubt. The place where there is not depth of experience make this a thing to hold on to, nothing to seek, request, and Eka’s willingness nothing to clutch: here is true peace. to put his life on the line is To know the place where nothing can evident here. be inserted is to know the truth. There “Bring me that mind that can’t is no room for reasoning and dualism. find relief, and I will pacify it When Eka received that whole mind for you.” just as it is, when he knew directly that “it’s right here,” he knew that true Bodhidharma wasn’t playing with mind for himself. words. He could see that Eka was sincere and desperate in his questions. This is a very severe encounter

66 ... Self-nature is no-nature

between teacher and student. But pure one has to be to understand the compassion courses through it. This great teaching of Bodhidharma. has to be seen. This is the birth of one Buddha, the awakening to the Point directly to Mind, deepest truth. Eka sought the truth See your true self and realize of Bodhidharma’s essence and was Buddha nature. willing to offer his arm. That is how

We will have gone far beyond idle speculation.

[#62 Dec 2003] “I cannot realize true peace ripened to this point. It was not a of mind yet, can’t you please do game of words. Hearing this one something for me?” Niso Eka Daishi thing , this one wholeheartedly and asked the Buddha for his teaching complete answer, Niso suddenly was with his most sincere true state of completely awakened. He said,” I have Mind and Daruma Daishi answered received this great peace.” him quietly. “That mind which can be give peace of mind, please put it out In Buddhism there is no separating there. I will give you peace of mind. from reality with fancies in the air, rational understandings are not ”After thinking for a while, Niso Eka played around with. These are called Daishi said, “Even if you tell me to put idle speculations. There is no way for it out there, there is no way for me to such an explanation to even reach do that. here. In just the way that Joshu has said it, we realize the actuality of that Our Mind is not something that state of mind of Mu. There is nothing can be held or grabbed. If I try, it is at all to be held onto whatsoever. We nowhere to be found.” are given this deep understanding, in this state of mind we are able to Daruma Daishi answered without realize this; separating from any a pause. “It’s not there. Right there. speculation we couldn’t do it even if Then isn’t that the place of true we tried. Then for the very first time peace?” we know directly the place of this very place is the land of the lotuses, this Maybe it could be said that he had very body is the body of the Buddha.

67 We now know the actual experience storing up things in our Mind for a where “all sentient beings are long time that we can function. Only essentially Buddhas” truly becomes because of the actuality of the fact the experience of “this very place is that we have nothing in our mind the land of lotuses and this very body whatsoever, that we can perceive is the body of the Buddha.” This precisely that actuality which is right experience and actual essence being in front of us then, in accordance with realized is the Buddha Nature. that our functioning comes forth freely. Of course, our experience and The Sixth Patriarch said, ”From the creative and inventive efforts and origin there is no single thing”. he saw repeated practice have to also be through it all. This is because in the gathered for this, but the source point Diamond Sutra where it is written of that is that we receive and perceive “Abiding in no place, awakened mind things without any preconceived arises.” Hearing that one phrase the notions and precisely and exactly Sixth Patriarch deeply awakened. He perceive what is there. Our mind is realized that this mind of no thing at that very truth of there is no thing all is what is always in every instant from the origin, from that place of being born anew , again new, again nothing whatsoever, suddenly it new, again new. We have to believe transforms freely. this. It is not because we have been G Q G

[#76 Nov. 2007] In the old days in China through the middle of the two stones there lived a master named Kiso so that they go around and around Zenji. One day he came into the in the same place and not slide off. kitchen where the monks were Groove to groove, ridge to ridge they working, if he looked he could see contact each other and their friction easily what they were doing but grinds the grain to a fine powder. anyway he asked them,” What are you doing?” Master Kiso said to them,”Even if you grind the flour don’t grind away One monk answered, “We are that center log.” using the stone mill and making flour”. Then suddenly he left. These are truly very flavorful words. There has to be a large thick post

68 In our world everything is always a value to things and brought it forth moving and we end up having to into action and movement. If we see move to do things. If there is not one the meaning from inside we can find center post that does not move, then meaning in the action but if it is from everything becomes blind motion the outside, then it is something being and we are moved around by things put on top of us. We may do fine if and not centered. the world does not change but if we give up our own values whether for “Isn’t there something good over politics, for economics, or for war -for here? or over there? This is mistaken! any of these things and then, suddenly This is true! This is good, This is bad!” our factory or company closes, or our cries our ego. home forecloses and we are confused completely. We are always being thrown around by these kinds of ideas when we On the surface of our mind are are without any true central belief. emotions which are like the surface This unawakened movement is but of water when the wind is blowing. blind movement and is truly pitiful. Whether there is happiness or Lacking a true center, it seems that sadness on the surface, at the very we are working for society but in bottom there is a mind that is not fact we are being used by society. moved around by anything. Our No matter what a good things we state of mind is always changing as do if there is no central belief and our emotions’ change. But when we faith we are just being moved around realize that deep unmovable place we by circumstances and people’s are no longer pushed around even convenience and that makes it when joy and sadness arise, we are meaningless, or only meaningful for not confused by these changes and society but otherwise without worth. emotions. We cannot know then what our life is meant for, instead our life becomes “The moon in the sky, no matter what the life of animals eating feed without strong, chilly wind blows, it is never is the possibility of awakening. blown down by it.”

If all one is doing is blind movement This is not only about the moon in that is truly pathetic and more than the sky it is for our mind as well, if a majority of acts are only this blind we win or lose, if we are praised or movement. We think that we are insulted, whether we live or die, there doing the moving but in fact it is is a state of mind that does not get not based in a value we hold deeply, moved around by anything. rather the world around us has given

69 The gate of the oneness of cause and effect is thereby opened, and not-two, not-three, straight ahead runs the Way.

The true Buddha Dharma is not the location of good and bad. This is divided into many various teaching why we give rise to a mind moment varieties such as small vehicle, large and a ‘me’ gets stuck in there and we vehicle, affiliation by hearing, or get opaque, unclear. We get excited experiencing, etc. We just need these about the words we are speaking, We because our wisdom is still so very get hot and our ki gets high, our ideas distant and unclear. We have to get and thoughts get us so excited and we rid of that ego and for that we speak start to think that “nobody is being of the three paths but when we realize as badly treated as we are”, “no-one that we all are that same wisdom, can possibly be suffering as much as we see that we are all one true mind I am. We get stuck in our mind. In at the root. This is what Hakuin has this way our mind is in a location but taught with these words. original mind has no place where it abides. it is not stopped anywhere. As the Buddha said that in this world What is important about this is to let everything is ego expression, dualistic go of this position that we believe we and differentiated. But we cannot are in, because we believe we are in a be fooled by those dark rain clouds position we get caught on it. We think in the sky. Do not be deceived by we are suffering, losing out, miserable, appearances, instead see that true not getting anywhere, and we feel blue-sky nature, pure and clear with insulted. In our mind originally there which we are all endowed. We are is nothing like any of that whatsoever. all liberated from the origin. To lead us to this the Buddha taught us - not We laugh at things that are funny and by taking us somewhere else but we are sad when things go badly but teaching that if we all realize our there is nothing at all from where original mind we will know that we this comes forth. From this place of were never deluded in the first place. nothing at all these all come forth, If we live in this state of mind and and in this way we become one with open our clear eye to it then, the world around us when something funny happens we become funny As the Sixth Patriarch said, “Abiding happening, when something sad in no place, awakened mind arises” happens we are born forth as sadness. In this way we are always new and Everyday we give birth to many fresh, always new always fresh, this varieties of mind, but these are all new fresh mind and awareness is the abiding somewhere, the place of ego Buddha. We are always wanting this filter, the address of profit and loss, freshness and if we are not fresh our

70 This dojo of clear, straight- forward honest mind, a mind which doesn’t deceive itself. This is the dojo.

These are famous words often quoted from the Vimalakiti sutra as a Zen phrase. The straightforward honest mind is the dojo. A clear sincere mind, a mind that does not deceive itself, a pure and honest mind. No matter where we are, no matter where we go, we cannot separate from this clear, innocent state of mind.

Straightforward mind is the place of practice

Jiki shin kore dōjō 直心是道場

71 ... gate of the oneness of cause and effect.

mind is not settled. When we are sees, hears, and thinks, that is the big pulling around things of the past we mistake. There is nothing in my mind are not settled. We have to be always at all yet there is seeing, hearing, and fresh, then speaking.

“Abiding in no place awakened mind If you think in your mind there is arises” knowledge or wisdom that you have to understand, that is the big Without the slightest bit of being mistake. There is nothing at all in caught in our mind, we move and our mind yet there is hearing and transform, this is our healthy way of seeing and speaking. It is not that being. As the bell goes ‘gong’ we hear there is knowledge in our mind and ‘gong’, we hear the birds, ‘chirp, chirp’, so we understand, instead we directly we become the flower, we become the perceive there is nothing in our moon. mind at all yet we can see and hear and perceive. We are from the origin We have this actuality with which we empty and unsoiled so there is no are born, this is our awareness, in each birth and no death. We are pure and moment, every instant our true mind unsullied, there is nothing from the is born. There is only this moment, origin not any idea to be born or to that is birth and death and so there is die, no such mental idea. Our mind is no birth or destruction, even to think empty from the origin no matter what we are alive at this moment, to have arises, there is no thing to be moved that thought is already a separation. around by and yet we are accustomed We are alive in each moment we have and conditioned to moving around no room for an idea of being born, in mind. Our mind has originally no of being alive or being dead, there is shape or form so it cannot be moved no such awareness, that is not correct around. We think we ARE and so but stopped awareness. When the bell we perceive with that mistaken view, rings “Gong”, awareness is born at when actually we are in each and that very moment. every second creating the heavens and earth anew. That which is nothing at all is “gong” so there is no coming forth or Satori is to awaken to that truth of our going away, it is only this instant of mind. It is not that there is something GOOONG. This world and I are one to achieve that is satori, but for our and the same, without birth, without mind to always be in its most pure death. Realize this and we know that state, this place of nothing whatsoever true clear mind that is just newly completely and precisely perceiving born. IT is not that there is an I that directly, reflecting things exactly as

72 ... gate of the oneness of cause and effect.

they are. This is our mind’s pure way Buddha Mind, it doesn’t need any of of being. Because it is not so easy for that at all. us to become this way we do zazen. The Sixth Patriarch defined it as, “not “Looking within we are not moved adding on any thoughts of good or around by anything that comes bad to what we perceive externally, around whatsoever.” A mirror can not giving rise to any ideas about reflect things because there is nothing what is born forth, not being moved in the mirror at all. If we have nothing around by anything that comes up in our minds whatsoever then our within, this is called zazen.” We follow mind is always fresh and new. We this is one instruction to return to our can make clear the true value of original state of mind. We are always every thing that we encounter. Not trying to add on ideas of good and to hold on to anything in your mind bad and gain and loss to the world we whatsoever is the truth. To receive perceive. Because we have so many thoroughly whatever comes to us is previous experiences and knowledge not about holding on to it. That is we color our direct perception with not our true mind. When there is the those. Don’t color those perceptions! slightest little wisp that comes up, we Receive it exactly as it is! To receive it cut it away. If another mind moment exactly as it is, this is zazen. arises, we cut that. If we are still unripe then that cutting is not sharp Doing zazen is not about us becoming and we follow right after the thought more pure or more quiet or more that comes up. This is why at the serene. To even engage a dualistic beginning we have to make efforts but thought such as pure or quiet or as it ripens there is not even any need serene is not zazen. Zazen is not to do that either. We are abiding right to give one thought whatsoever to smack in nothing at all. That does not anything, to give no partner to any mean to stay still there though. This thought at all. What comes diving to is why we can correctly and precisely us, just dives right to us. We do not receive each and every world that add on ideas of good or bad or any comes forth. judgment at all. It is exactly like a mirror that reflects things. To perceive “Looking within we are moved that way is the original Mind of the around by nothing that comes.” We Buddha. We all think we have to suffer are just like this and since we still and work hard to become something, cling and get moved around we have That is only a conditioned idea our to do zazen. ego has invented - only egoistic, dualistic thinking. This is not our When our zazen ripens it really original Buddha Mind, we all have becomes “In all the boundless

73 ... gate of the oneness of cause and effect.

realms of space not a single hair can energy is always fresh and always be inserted, from the limitless past new. It is born fresh and we are not through the boundless future we are separate in any way from society, we never separate from the here and are not separate in anyway from the now.” We are surging throughout heavens and earth, we are completely this whole universe, as all the ten at one. There is no need for some thousand things, at one with our mental explanation that if we do perceiving. Subjective with no gap not make efforts we cannot liberate between, no seam at all, that direct all beings; if it is necessary we will perception is what we become, we manifest in that way as a matter of become the flower, we become the course. Each and every mind moment moon, we become the wind, we is clear and pure as it manifests and become the sun, in this way our life

Realizing the form of no-form as form, whether going or returning we cannot be any place else.

[#69 Nov. 2005] In China there was a Yangtze River. When he went as far as priest named Priest Tokusan. He was Beishu there was a tea shop. There was famous later as the Master who used an old woman running the tea shop his stick like Rinzai used his great and he went in for a tea and he asked shout, he lined up with Rinzai in for a light lunch of mochi. The word greatness. At the beginning he studied for a light lunch is written in Chinese exhaustively especially the Diamond as mind with a dot to the upper side Sutra and was even nicknamed after of it. But this was not your regular old that sutra. He was always quoting woman. She saw him and said “Wow lines from the Masters, interpreting you really have a lot of things piled on what they said according to the your back there” What are all those Diamond Sutra, for example quoting things you are carrying around with about how we have to “realize Mind you?” directly and become Buddha”, and finally he put all of the volumes of “These? This is the Diamond Sutra the Diamond Sutra on his back and and its interpretation, I wrote it all.” went on pilgrimage. Going out from deep in the mountains he crossed the “Oh ? The Diamond Sutra? I want

74 ... the form of no-form as form ...

to ask you something then. Do you a mondo. Master Ryotan said “You mind? If you can answer my question don’t even know that you have been then your mochi lunch will be free drunk down into Ryotan’s gut. Do and if not,then please leave right you really think you can say that you away.” have drunk him down into your own belly? HA!”- really a cannibalistic Priest Tokusan was so full of greeting. confidence he said, Then he gave him koan afterkoan “Ask anything. I can tell you anything and they continued until it was nearly about the Diamond Sutra.” dawn. Master Ryotan finally said he should stop babbling so much mental She asked, “In the Diamond sutra it junk, go to bed and leave tomorrow. It says that you cannot grasp the mind was very dark and there was no need of the past you cannot grasp the mind to go tonight. He might as well stay of the present and you cannot grasp the night and leave tomorrow and the mind of the future. This is what I so Priest Tokusan went outside but read there. You said you want to eat a it was so dark, he could not even tell small lunch but what mind do you put if someone pinched his nose. Priest that small dot on, is it that past mind, Tokusan was in trouble, “How can the present mind or the future mind?” I tell where to go to to sleep in this dark!” Priest Tokusan swallowed hard but could not answer and after a moment “Yes, yes that is a problem.” and he said “Old lady, you ask something Master Ryotan gave him an oil lamp extremely advanced, that is not your and a light, a torch of paper soaked in own wisdom. From whom did you oil. He lit it for him and just as Priest hear that? Confess!” Tokusan received it, Master Ryotan blew it right out. Perhaps the karma The old lady sneered and said that one had ripened but just then Priest kilometer from here there is a master Tokusan broke through completely named Master Ryotan. “Go there and “From now on I will not doubt meet him.” the words on an old Master who is renowned under the sun.” Priest Tokusan went there, exclaiming,” I finally have found We say things we have heard from what I left the mountain for! He others, like fire on a paper, when it is went to meet Master Ryotan who blown out suddenly it is useless and immediately gave him a question, gets us nowhere. We have to realize

75 ... the form of no-form as form ...

that which is in our own mind, not the society to have meaning. To see what we have read and learned, we our body like that is the mind of the have to know it for ourselves or we Buddha. never know what is confusing or clear. We have to find that light within our Our mind’s true base is empty of own lives, that inextinguishable light. form, and this formless mind’s vessel is actual. But we cannot be stuck on Formless means to let go of every this actuality’s form or our formless form. Our mind is empty of form mind gets caught on an idea of form. and without ego. The Buddha always Then flowing water stops flowing. taught that we have to let go of an idea Flowing water does not get rotten, of being an ego entity, a personality, not flowing water gets rotten and a being or a separated individuality. ferments and so we have to see this That which is always saying “me! me! flowing mind as truth, always new, me!”; that human conceitedness; that always new, in its every manifestation. which seeks our future good fortune; Not to get caught on what is stuck, and that ignorance of thinking about but to always change with this outer sentient and not sentient, let go of all world; sleeping, waking - always new, that thought as well. We have to right always new. We enjoy this world now be born again, born again anew full of people, together we are in a - that freshness of mind, this is our form but if we are not stuck on that, truth. we become an old person when we meet an old person, we become a We have a body but we have no need young person when we meet a young to think it as ‘my’ body or a ‘me’, our person, in accordance with the need body is society’s tool, to be useful for of each moment we use our body. all people. This life is not for our own self-centered joy but for all people We do cleaning and washing, not even to know joy and to use our body as sitting down for a moment’s rest to a tool for this deep joy. We use this “warm our seat”, but always working tool for realizing our deep vow. This is while knowing we are never moving why we are so glad to have a healthy at all. See that very clearly and look at body, this is a huge joy in itself. Not it freshly always. caught on form, we realize our life and body are aids for all the people in

76 Realizing the thought of no-thought as thought, whether singing or dancing, we are the voice of the Dharma.

[#69 Nov. 2005] Dogen Zenji says about one can grasp this mind. The mind, to our Original Face, seek and find it is impossible.

“In the spring it is the flowers, in the The Sixth Patriarch says that empty summer it is the meadowlark, in the of mind-moments is to have a mind- autumn, it is the moon, in the winter moment without any thoughts of that it is the snow.” mind-moment,which means to not think about what is not necessary to We have the springs joy in the flowers be thought about. We need only to joy, the joy of the breeze in the think about what needs to be thought spring, the joy of the colored leaves about, this is most human. We stop in the autumn, and then the moons flowing when we think about what radiance, the snow’s stillness, and we do not need to think about. Of when the snow stops falling there is course we have to think of what needs a pure white world. This is each and thinking about, but then we keep every day received and we feel our life moving, energy and that is possible because we know mind. We always have flowers As Hakuin Zenji has written about it, blooming but if we do not know while bringing forth mind-moments them with our deepest mind then do not get caught on any mind- there is no great wonder and joy. In moment, laugh and laugh and laugh; the summer there is always a breeze go and go and go; and speak and blowing somewhere, but if we have speak and speak, this the functioning no mind of joy and wonder it is only of a healthy mind. While having some wind. The autumns leaves, the mind-moments do not be caught on brightness of the moon has meaning them. Nor does this mean to be like a because we receive it with our mind tree or a rock or non-feeling. and the great bright moon makes peoples mind abundant. The pure Yet we are also unlocatable, we are whiteness of the snow makes us quiet flowing and not stopping. To be like everything else that is returning flowing is our true nature our true to the root. That is possible because way of being. But an ignorant person’s we feel the truth of life. This mind, mind stops moving and gets like this mind of right now, because of this frozen water or ice. Stop moving we we know it and becoming one with become like ice and ferment, but the world we know this truth and can flowing water does not freeze or clarify this. But if we try to grasp this ferment. If we get stagnant we get mind in one instant it escapes us. No fixed and only think about ourselves.

77 ... the thought of no-thought ...

To flow is the true nature of water and mind moment, each mind moment, for us to flow is our true way of being. our awareness is born anew, flowing We always flow and are not stopped in like the flowing water, everything one place or our mind gets stuck and flows like time flows. If our awareness rotten. does not flow it goes backwards to the past and that is not correct. Always For as long as we are human we have new awareness, meeting people anew to see clearly what is good and bad and that makes relationships full and and this is Buddha Nature but if fulfilling. we get stuck on good or bad we get rotten and stagnate. We see good and The Sixth Patriarch says that this let it flow we see bad and we flow, or mind working correctly is zazen. This else good is no longer good and bad is how he taught it, and and it is not becomes worse and worse. Beautiful about clenching our teeth and saying is beautiful and ugly is ugly, we see “not to think anything not to think this as a matter of course. To not get anything”, this is not zazen. stuck on those, not caught on good or we think we are absolutely right. To have no mind-moments polluted Nor can we get caught on bad or we with extra thinking is to be empty get accusative and absolutely sure minded, to have no “I” and no form to and caught by that. Nor can we get be caught on, is to be empty of form. caught on what is beautiful as good or To be flowing always like clear water, bad and then caught on resentment. never fixed or stagnating is to be We cannot get caught on what is too without location. intimate or we get hostile, we cannot get stopped or fixed or unflowing. We always want to have an Our mind is always flowing along, appearance, whether as a boss of a flowing along and flowing along, company, as a teacher or as a man or that is our minds way of being. We as a woman or as a good person or as are humans so we cannot do things a bad person. There are many possible always completely, and incomplete forms but to not be caught on that is is also fine, then we go beyond and to be formless. let go, let go and go beyond. In this way it is like a photo of one instant This “Even those who have sat zazen or it becomes as if the shutter is only once will see all karma erased.” double exposed we cannot see clearly as Hakuin has said, this is samadhi, because there are two photos that this samadhi is also called “to receive cannot be differentiated. Our finished correctly”. To receive correctly is one things have to be left to the past and of the five perceptions in the Heart there is no way to try to catch those Sutra. To see or perceive, we have or it makes our mind confused, Each eyes and we see color with them 78 ... the thought of no-thought ...

and we hear voices with our ears He said it so well with this definition. and smell fragrances with our nose. To become it completely and not and feel tastes with our mouth and even be aware of becoming it is ‘za’ know hot and cold with our mind. and not to be upset by anything is We understand hot and cold and ‘zen’ definition. So in the dojo we pain and sadness, we have the roots are always teaching ‘to become it to receive each of each of these. completely’. We all have various To perceive is to receive and this is histories and experience joy and anger usually considered to dirty our mind. and pleasure. We have these thoughts Yet, when we receive feelings and are infinitely and boundlessly and from caught on them that is our own fault the old days people would purify and and not the problem of that which is clarify by doing various ‘arts of the perceived as unclean. That becomes way’, doing Kyudo as if it is the very pollution of our mind. To perceive last arrow in our whole life, and in tea and not add on is correct and that is ceremony using “One meeting, One also the correct receiving of things. opportunity”, but finally the zazen That mind of perception without path is what has to be experienced. obstruction is the purity of the six roots of perception. We sit in front In the Meiji era lived a famous of our desk and hear the clock but as swordsman Yamaoka Tesshu who we become absorbed in our reading from a young age realized that we no longer hear that clock. That is swordsmanship and Zen were one the correct way of receiving that clock and the same path. He then met the . But if we start thinking about the great swordsman Asari Masayoshi picnic last Sunday, that is not samadhi and whenever he met Asari, Asari of reading but is incorrect reception. felt so big, Tesshu got the feeling that In this way in each situation we Asari was so big that he could not concentrate and do not get distracted move. He did not know what to do and our practice works efficiently and and he realized it was not technique is well fulfilled and we can know the but mind which had to change. He samadhi of fishing, we can know the went to Zen Master Tekisui and samadhi of haiku or music. There are really went to sit with his life on the many kind of samadhi when our mind line. The koan he was given is from concentrates continually as the Sixth the Five Ranks [Arrival at Mutual Patriarch said Integration]:

“ ‘za’ is to externally bring up no Once two blades cross points, thoughts to what we perceive and Retreat is no longer possible. ‘zen’ is to internally to be unmoved by Rather, the adept then is anything within.” Like lotus blooming in fire,

79 ... the thought of no-thought ...

Only the adept reaches this thoughts to what we perceive and wonderful place. ‘zen’ is to internally to be unmoved by anything within.” Every time he went to sanzen with Tekisui, Master Tekisui hit him on the This is important in all the aspects of head. One of his strong students said life, not to be caught on the audience that Yamaoka Tesshu, his good friend, in Butoh dance, or with driving, when could not be hit like that, he was his the wheel is in our hands even if the teacher. He kept following Master children are doing marathon and the Tekisui around to kill him but could house needs cleaning we cannot let go not kill Tekisui, because, as Tekisui of our attention. Also in the bath or said, “am I the kind of priest that you eating, wherever we are, to not let go could catch and kill?” of our concentration is to not let go of our path. This is the way of success of Whenever he would wake up our path, the refining of our samadhi, Yamaoka Tessho would hold his and this is the base of our path more tobacco pipe like a sword. His wife than anything else. was so upset that he would soon go crazy that she went to Master Tekisui Here we have the Buddhas and to ask him to help but he said he Patriarchs true zazen which is could not. For three years Yamaoka samadhi. This means to open the Tessho continued then he was deeply windows of our mind and realize awakened. He waited for dawn to go samadhi, in our mind we are always to Rinshoin where Tekisui was staying meeting the world and all the various and he went in to see him. They only worlds. We encounter them by being had to see each others faces, then they one with them, that is zazen. both laughed and since the hot water was not boiled yet he left and went “Realizing the form of no-form as to Asari’s gate. He did not get moved form, whether going or returning we around by his form at all and finally cannot be any place else. Realizing Asari gave up and said “You are not the thought of no-thought as thought, my opponent” and named him his whether singing or dancing, we are successor as Kenzen master of the the voice of the Dharma.” Ittoryu. This is the ultimate state of mind for “ ‘za’ is to externally bring up no which the entrance is zazen.

80 How vast and wide the unobstructed sky of samadhi! How bright and clear the perfect moonlight of the Fourfold Wisdom!

They are the Great Perfect Mirror spotlight on each and every one. How Wisdom, the Universal Nature is this person suffering? In what way? Wisdom, the Marvelous Observing What flower is this? What grass is Wisdom, and the Perfecting-of- that? What bird is this? With each one Action Wisdom. These are the four in its own way we can mysteriously aspects of the inherent Prajna of the observe all of its differences. And One Mind. finally, the Perfecting of Action Wisdom: Knowing these differences, If we add on mental understanding, perceiving them, we then, to whatever we always get into division and comes to us, respond immediately. individual views. But prior to that We know exactly how to respond to mental understanding we can whatever comes with our eyes, our feel it directly. To once actually body and our hands—all of these experience the place where there is no functions are Perfecting of Action discrimination, no differences at all, Wisdom. And we can function with a with our simple, open mind, and then high quality. we can know clearly these Four Great Wisdoms: the Great Perfect Mirror We know these four Wisdoms: Wisdom, with which all of the 6.3 the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom, billion people are endowed. Like that the Universal Nature Wisdom, the huge, great sky before there was ever Mysterious Observing Wisdom, any judgment: is is the Great Perfect the Perfecting of Action Wisdom. Mirror Wisdom. And then from there We polish these four Wisdoms with comes the Universal Nature Wisdom: zazen. It’s not about becoming dark, but about becoming more and more We see beyond any differences—the full of light, and to know these Four eyes that see all as one and equal, the Wisdoms limitlessly we have zazen. direct perception that comes prior to [Sixth Patriarch V3, chapter 7] seeing any differences, where there’s no difference between good health The basis of the Buddha is these and bad health, rich or poor—to Four Great Wisdoms. The first is the see this one equal mind before any Perfect Mirror Wisdom. The entire awareness comes forth at all, where universe is a great, perfect, mirror. everyone exists equally. Which is wisdom is that which singularly then brings us to the Mysterious, reflects everything exactly as is. is Observing Wisdom: Next we put a boundless universe’s immeasurable

81 ... How vast and wide ...

mirror—we all have this wisdom position of a self, we are unable to within us; it is not about a separate see everything as truly equal. But Buddha. is great space which has if we look at how a newborn baby been explored by science, all of it is perceives, of course it has its genetic right within our very own mind. All makeup but it has no preconceived of the intimately close galaxies, the far notions of perception. Our adult galaxies, the furthest clouds of stars— mind becomes purified like that and the further we discover, the more our then we are able to perceive directly mind expands, like the computer’s without differentiation and judgment functioning as well. We know this entering into what we perceive. We Perfect Mirror Wisdom. can see everything directly, prior to any influence from perceptions and Thus the Perfect Mirror Wisdom is mental judgements, ideas of good our mind’s base substance. ere is no or bad. is perceiving directly is the physical mentation here nor is there Universal Nature Wisdom. is wisdom any ego; these are all born forth from sees a tall mountain or a small rock here, from this great source. For what in exactly the same way, prior to do we any concern of whether something is big or small or red or green; it do zazen? To realize this source simply directly perceives it prior to directly in our experience, we sit. Yet any judgment. When we do zazen if we stay conceptual or keep judging and purify our mind we can realize things good or bad or feel good this state of mind where there’s no about an experience we’re having labeling of things or people or seeing or bad about an experience not of things in a relative way in any way continuing, that is because we have that we can fall into discrimination. not yet touched the actual source yet. We are free from being swayed. Like a Pacific breeze making shallow waves on the surface of the ocean, Perceiving the world only equally, these have no effect on the ocean’s we clearly see one way but we miss deepest bottom. We do zazen to the intrinsic differences of each and experience deeply that which is prior every thing: a particular character to judgment, prior to ideas about and of a flower, a particular way of being ideas which concern something good of a tree. Each and every person or bad. and thing has a story, an individual nature. Not to see this with a judging, The second of the Four Wisdoms discriminative eye, but to put a is the Universal Nature Wisdom. spotlight on each thing’s particular Because we always sustain a detail, like science examining

82 ... How vast and wide ...

precisely the world of microns. Nature Wisdom, the Mysterious is is the world of the Mysterious Observing Wisdom, the Perfecting Observing Wisdom. ere can be no of Action Wisdom—are our original mental operations allowed in here, state of mind, they are not something or it is not the Mysterious Observing to find externally. Vairocana Buddha Wisdom. ere are many kinds of is not somewhere else. Our very people, races, histories, cultures. If we mind as it is, is the Dharmakaya, the only give our own version of a avor to Sambhogakaya, the Nirmanakaya, our perceptions, then we cannot call and manifests the four wisdoms: it the Mysterious Observing Wisdom. the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom, the Universal Nature Wisdom, the The fourth of the Wisdoms is the Mysterious Observing Wisdom, the Perfecting of Action Wisdom. Our Perfecting of Action Wisdom.” eyes see and our ears hear, our hands create things, our feet carry us; we all When our mind is silent we see from have these capabilities and can use the origin the Great Perfect Mirror them without anyone ever teaching Wisdom, we can see mountains and us how. No baby who is not visually rivers and all things as equal. We handicapped has to be taught by a can know the Mysterious Observing mother how to see, nor does a baby Wisdom and see that it is right inside who is able to hear have to be taught of us and it perceives everything. Also by its mother how to hear—or taste, we have in us the Perfecting of Action or to feel with its body or to have Wisdom, we know whatever needs to its hands grab at things or to have be done, no matter how challenging its feet carry it. We never have to be and difficult, we can do it and how given lessons in these things; we are it has to be done as well. These born with the knowledge of how to Three Bodies and Four Wisdoms use these things. is is the Perfecting are our true base. Many names, but of Action Wisdom. We say this is a the same mind, which expresses as matter of course, but if we live and many different things: a mirror and a feel, perceive, walk, and create from perception of things as equal and also a position of a small self with an as its functioning in every encounter. ego filter that is not the Perfecting This is our truth and we have to see it of Action Wisdom. It has to be free within from our own experience. from any concepts or ideas coming from mental perceptions. [Sixth If we look at how things are in society Patriarch V3, chapter 7] Know that we can see all the many needs. We these Four Wisdoms—the Great don’t come to have these Wisdoms Perfect Mirror Wisdom, the Universal from training; we have always been

83 ... How vast and wide ...

endowed with them. If we are always polish with Tozan’s koan of the three holding important our zazen, we do pounds of flax Blue[ Cliff, case 12]. not need to hold onto their names The Mysterious Observing Wisdom and their definitions. They will all be we polish with Hyakujo’s koan of revealed freely and expressed as they the fox [Gateless Gate, case 2]. The are needed. Perfecting of Action Wisdom is polished with the koan of Shuzan’s How to use this wisdom is what koans Shippei [Gateless Gate, case 43]. The teach us. These Four Wisdoms are various expressions of the ancients’ clarified by these koans. But above wisdom we polish with these koans. everything else, first we have to realize The basis of all of this has to be held this Perfect Mirror Wisdom and know precious to be able to see what exactly the functioning of the Dharmakaya. can be done for the liberation of all We polish this Wisdom of the Perfect beings. Mirror Wisdom with that koan of Joshu’s Mu [Gateless Gate, case 1]. [Platform Sutra. V3. p. 94] The Universal Nature Wisdom we

At this moment what more need we seek?

The very mind which is doing the deep understanding. This great joy seeking, is, as it is, paradise. We are is the meaning of the Song of Zazen. the realization of this. We thought We are not seeking some promised there was somewhere else to go for land or deep understanding from this paradise, some Buddha waiting someone “over there”. If we open across a river from us but it isn’t like our eye of Prajna wisdom. our eye of that after all, that there was always deepest truth then this insufficient this shore only. If we open our eyes world we realize is plentiful, sufficient and look, this very place is that.The and perfect. The incomplete world, great lack of faith, the many conflicts as it is, is complete. This is the truth of our limited world are like this which will liberate us and through looking for another shore. But, in this which we will become fulfilled. limited world, in this unsatisfactory, insufficient world, if we open our eye Rinzai Zenji, before he came to of wisdom then right here, there and Obaku’s mountain, exhaustively everywhere is the Truth and holding studied the sutras. He realized that the infinite truth we are given this they were only prescriptions for

84 ... At this moment ...

medicine not the medicine itself, he and asked him “How was it?” Rinzai realized that they could not bring answered that he had done as he was one peace of mind itself. For this told and before the words were even reason in that Tang Dynasty, he went out of his mouth he had been hit 20 to the most advanced teacher of the blows. “Go back again”. greatest Path, Master Obaku, and with Master Obaku he trained for Being told this, since he was such an three years cutting, cutting, cutting, honest monk, he once again went cutting his mind’s true source, digging back in to question Obaku, He was and digging and digging continuously. again hit 20 times and he went and That priority of training is described repeated his question three times and as straight-forward honest and all three times he was hit. With this without any doubt at all. His senior Rinzai Zenji felt he had had enough, disciple Bokuju saw his very honest that someone who is like me can’t way of training and he asked him how do this rough path. It seems my mind long he had been at that dojo. “Three will never open. I must go somewhere years” Have you done sanzen during else where even someone like me can those three years? “I don’t know what work. He spoke to Bokujo honestly in to ask.” For Rinzai Zenji his whole this way. practice was negating his small self completely, that was everything. Bokujo said to him, I understand. If About what would someone ask if you say that there is nothing that can they were working only on internally be done about it. But still you have extinguishing their ego, continuously. to go once more and do your parting “I don’t even know what to ask.” greetings to the Master, Just do that Bokuju said to him to ask about the and then go so Rinzai Zenji went to essence of Buddha’s enlightenment, do greetings to Master Obaku, Ahead not the 5048 sutras but the essence of Rinzai’s arrival at mater Obaku, of that which cannot be put into the Bokuji had gone in and spoken to sutras. He went and asked him and Master Obaku .”That young monk before he was finished he was hit 20 will without fail be useful for others blows. Rinzai had done exactly as he in the future, A person of great value, was told to do, where had he gone That monk should not be wasted. wrong that he should be beaten 20 Please guide him well in the path of times? Why was he hit? What had awakening . Please aid him. Having happened? He couldn’t understand said this when Rinzai came to do at all and after being hit so hard his greeting to Master Obaku, he said to mind was completely blank, When Rinzai:” There is nothing to be done he came back like this his older about your leaving this mountain, but brother disciple was waiting for him don’t go anywhere else, I have a friend

85 ... At this moment ...

Master Taegu only go to his place. If been hit like that could not even you go there without fail he will say think or judge, and that mind that something to you of great essence. could not think or judge, that very On hearing this exactly as he was told mind, that very instant when he was Rinzai went to the place of Master hit, that moments state of mind that Taegu. no one had ever taught him, that he “Where did you come from?” had never heard of from anyone else, THAT very state of mind was the true “Yes. I came form the place of essence of awakening, wasn’t it? He Master Obaku.” finally understood. For the first time “What did Master Obaku teach at Taegu’s words Rinzai understood you?” what Master Obaku had done. Rinzai told him what he had done and “So is that all there is to Obaku’s asked him, ‘I asked the same question teaching? I thought there was so three times and was hit like this, much more to Obaku, but is that all Where was I mistaken?’” there is? So Obaku was this kind of priest!” said Rinzai. When he asked Master Taegu in this way Master Taegu said “What We feel hot, we feel cold, we feel pain, an incredibly kind man that Master we hear a song of a bird going ‘chu Obaku is! I didn’t know he was that chu” and that very awareness that very kind a man! To teach you that kindly! most direct perception that very mind He actually hit you three times-how is the Buddha’s awakened mind, our very, very kind!” true mind. He understood this and that this is true not because we train At hearing these words suddenly but because we have this from birth. Rinzai understood. He had thought We are all originally endowed with it. that Obaku was hitting him because But to this originally clear mind we he had been mistaken, and now, for add good and bad, understanding and the first time he realized that was ignorance and with these we dirty the not the case. Master Obaku with his clear mind. So that is the true mind whole being and ki had hit Rinzai, prior to ego! so this is what that is. becoming the mind of the Buddha From morning to night we live in this with his clear mind and without state of mind, and he had been give a single extraneous thought, had the deep understanding of this. completely hit Rinzai. Rinzai having

86 As the eternal tranquillity of Truth reveals itself to us, this very place is the Land of Lotuses and this very body is the body of the Buddha.

This world comes forthright in front Then again, if he had no intention, of our eyes and we are born anew why would he travel for three years in each moment with the awareness to come so far? Why would he that is born. We become joy and we leave India and go as far as China? become sadness, we become angry He wouldn’t do that without any and we become happy, we become intention at all. So did Daruma clear weather and rain and cloudy Daishi have an intention or not? If he weather and storms, too. We are not did have such a dualistic intention, it something that is fixed and decided, was the intention with no intention, we are born fresh and new and in the empty-minded awareness. This truth in each and every new moment. is only brought forth in one moment with nothing else attached to it. This In the Tang dynasty, there was a Zen seems so complicated but the natural master named Joshu who was asked world teaches us the conclusion to it. by a monk about why Daruma Daishi came from India to China. Master People are called thinking legs, Joshu answered, “The oak tree in the but really we are legs that don’t think garden.” at all. The flowers and trees in the garden, is there intention in them—or It seemed as if his answer didn’t is there no intention in them? If there make any sense and had nothing is no intention, there how do they to do with the question, but as one bring forth the flowers in spring and European put it, “Suffering is the why are the flowers a particular color? division of awareness into two.” If In front of me right now there are two Daruma Daishi was sad to leave India, magnificent lotus flowers blooming; or was planning to save the deluded one pure white and the other bright people in China or worried about pink. If there is no intention there, going to another country where the how do these flowers come forth? weather and climate was so different Without mistake, they bloom every or was worrying about how to make year at the same time. However, money to live there, if there was any unlike a human, they have no feelings such bifurcation of awareness or any or consciousness. struggle there, even if it was only a tiny bit of dualistic thinking and How do they bloom so beautifully separation, then truly he would not and regularly? If we say there is a have been able to save even himself. deep profound awareness there, and

87 ... the eternal tranquillity of Truth ...

this is how it makes us feel, then the nature, this is the way of zazen. If we question arises whether or not there look at it this way, we can see that is a great awareness in the universe. young people even more than adults, Of course, there is no human children even more than young character and dualistic understanding people, and babies above everyone in the universe, but we cannot help else, are already this way. but feel a greater, huge awareness moving through all beings. Or is it And as Ikkyu says it, “As a baby gets just coincidence? Can we settle for further and further away from birth, that as an answer? it goes further and further away from being Buddha – how sad this is!” That which evolves and becomes ever more perfect and developed – When the monk asked what was the where is its ending point? If feels as intention of Daruma when coming if it is all moving toward becoming to China, Joshu answered, “The oak Buddha. It seems that all is moving in [juniper] tree in the garden.” the universe to become Buddha and the universe is already Buddha and Throwing it all away and becoming all beings are already endowed with the mind of the universe, Daruma was Buddha life. Doesn’t one naturally like a living, breathing Buddha statue. come to see it and think about it in This is what Joshu was saying when he that way? answered with the response, “The oak tree in the garden.” Is it not the same “The willow is the true form of the thing? Bodhisattva of Compassion, The pine wind’s song is the melodious voice of When we throw away and let go of the Buddha.” all our unnecessary thoughts and attachments, for the first time we can If we look at it this way, we see that know this state of mind of Daruma desires are our Buddha nature and Daishi. Daruma Daishi went so far that our form is the form of the to China and had an exchange with Buddha. We are thinking that we are Emperor Wu. Since the emperor was indeed like this but cannot actualize not ripe yet, Daruma left and crossed it. This is because we are so full of the Yangtze River. He went to the dualistic thinking, attachments, and country of Gi to the Shorin temple deluded views. In letting go of all of on Bear Ears Mountain and sat in a those, we will find our way of peace. cave for nine years. His very form Throwing away extra thoughts and was like a mountain or an ancient tree attachments and entrusting to great – an old pine or oak tree. Yet during

88 those nine years, he did no translating and gave no talks, he only sat there silently, alone, doing zazen. This was the greatest example and teaching of Buddhism in China at that time. It is still functioning today, liberating beings. There is no mistake in calling this a true miracle. This was Daruma Daishi’s living by empty-minded awareness. He lived in the single nen of the life energy of the universe. Training and training, he let go of all of humans’ small-minded stains and dualism.`

See your true self and realize Buddha nature Kenshō jōbutsu 見性成佛

89 To meditate means to realize inwardly of the Essence of Mind, where we are the imperturbability of the Essence of not moved around by anything. Mind. This is is the very center, where there is nothing whatsoever. We have Rinzai Zenji says, In this five-foot to come directly to this, not being lax lump of red flesh there is a True or wandering around in our thoughts. person of no rank, always coming in We have to return here, where is no and going out of the orifices; if you doubt or confusion. have not seen it yet, see it now. In this, the True person of no rank is the Then we will easily recognize our Face central point—always coming and Before Our Parents Were Born no going. If it manifests externally, what matter where we see it. Without fail if is its Essence internally? What is it we see our own original, clear Mind, that comes and goes? then even if we are in a busy, chaotic downtown we don’t mistake it. While we may have to start out with a mental understanding and a When we get home and relax and definition, it will not fulfill us and we’re so glad because it is our home; bring us to its true realization. Zazen we can settle so comfortably. We have must be done. Loosing track of any to be able to pierce through that and sense of a body, dropping any idea of find freedom going beyond that. anything whatsoever. This is living zazen. Realize inwardly the imperturbability [Platform Sutra 2010,p.67]

The Original True Face

Honrai no shin Menmoku

本来真面目

90 91 The Six Paramitas

We have the six paramitas, the young he studied the sutras, the practices of deepest wisdom, precepts and the doctrines to be able beginning with that of charity, of to know how to understand and live observing the precepts, patience, not according to the Buddha’s meaning. saying and doing whatever we feel like At that time, people who wanted but to realize our goal and hold on to to study Buddhism would become deep endurance and perseverance, scholars, and they would intellectually and then there are the good efforts, study the ways of Buddhism but that to not stop and actually complete our never was sufficient. As Rinzai Zenji deepest resolution and in this way we has said, this is nothing but reading learn to let go of our small minded the instructions on the medicine views. Not seeing this personally, but bottle when trying to cure a sickness. to perceive exactly as it is. Next we have the paramita of samadhi where One day while reading the Vimalakirti we let go of all division between self Sutra, Yoka Genkaku Zenji deeply and others. By doing these we know saw the essential meaning, however this direct all-embracing perception he travelled to meet the Sixth of deepest samadhi. Patriarch and received confirmation of his awakening. Yoka Genkaku We do a great cleaning of our mind Zenji incorporated Maka Shikan in and from that clarified mind we then everything he wrote and taught. Later see directly. What we judged before Hakuin Zenji throughly worked on as good or bad we now can see just this same way of training. as it is, seeing it clearly, seeing it directly, and then we know this is In the Song of Enlightenment, Yoka how things actually are. Not from our own personal opinion but from direct Gengaku Zenji has written: seeing. Have you not seen the idle man This is the practice of the Maka of Tao who has nothing to Shikan. Maka means that great, all- learn and nothing to do, embracing, hugeness, Shikan is the Who neither discards samadhi of direct perception and wandering thoughts nor seeks wisdom. The Tian Tai Maka Shikan the truth? way was developed from the Lotus The real nature of ignorance is Sutra and taught people how to be Buddha-nature; liberated. The illusory empty body is the Dharma body. When Yoka Genkaku Zenji was

92 After realizing the Dharma teaching. The Bodhisattva who body, there is not a thing; devotes life energy to practice shares Original self nature is the the spiritual fruits of these efforts innate Buddha. with others, while the Bodhisattvas The five skandas--the empty living in society support others comings and goings of floating through material offerings. The clouds; Buddha taught clearly about this The three poisons--the vacant in his own time. It has endured appearing and disappearing of as an important basic teaching of water bubbles. Buddhism. This means not only giving to a few people around you, When the real is experienced, but to share open-heartedly with all there is neither person nor beings. The more we are ready to dharma. give the teaching, the more people In an instant the avici karma is around us are also ready to receive. destroyed. Nowadays, it has become difficult If I lie to deceive sentient because people are so concerned with beings, protecting themselves. That is why May my tongue be ripped out giving alms is so important. for kalpas uncountable as dust and sand. There was an old couple living in a village. Their pantry was completely With sudden enlightenment to empty, so they sold some of their Tathagata Ch’an, firewood in exchange for four cups The six paramitas and myriad of rice. When Chikuren Choja came means are complete within by asking for alms, the grandmother that essence. gave him one cup of rice. Soon In dreams there are clearly six following him were Mokuren and paths of sentient beings; Sharihotsu, to whom she gave one Upon awakening the great cup each. She was sure one cup of rice chiliocosm is completely would be enough for herself and her empty. husband for a few days. Then she saw the Buddha coming along the road, There is no sin or merit, no loss gathering alms. She gave him a cup or gain. of rice. Watching him walk away, she Don’t look for anything in this realized that she had given him her Nirvanic nature. last cup of rice. When her husband returned, she apologized, saying Generosity she had made a big mistake. But her husband praised her for giving these The first wise aspect of following offerings. He checked the storehouse the path is generosity, or giving alms and to their surprise, it was filled with and donations. Offerings can be all kinds of food and treasures. This of material value or of the Dharma is not the story of a miracle. The old

93 couple found spiritual wealth in the bus or on a train to an old person or storehouse. Even without material someone in need. wealth, spiritual wealth can still be found. The old couple were deeply These are the seven ways to give satisfied in their hearts. without money or materials. These are called the Seven Immaterial Ways Wisdom and happiness are closely of Giving. connected. It is said that if you have realized complete wisdom, you will In the 28th generation after the not lack for anything material. This Buddha, Bodhidharuma was the first means that if humans realize their Patriarch in China. 1500 years ago, inherent wisdom, then all their he left India, traveled for three years material needs will be provided for. over the Sea of Bengal and crossed It can be said that people become over to China. At that time, China spiritually impoverished when they was divided into north and south, grow too attached to their material Ryo in the south and Ki in the north. possessions. If we all were completely The emperor in the south believed ready to share, there would be no deeply in Buddhism and was a great material poverty on this planet. scholar. He supported many monks and nuns, and many monasteries. The Buddha taught that there are When he heard that a great saint seven ways to make non-material gifts was coming from India, he quickly to others. First, to see people with went to greet him. “Osho, which a cool, clear eye, thus offering that sutras of thanks did you bring along? clarity to others. Speaking kind words Will you teach me?” Bodhidharuma is the second way. Saying thank you, answered, “Only I came, bringing no giving each other encouragement, sutra.” The emperor was surprised. expressing feeling for another “I build temples, translate sutras, person... these are true gifts. An open, support monks and nuns, make kind face touches other people with Buddha statues. What is my virtue? joy when they see it. A warm heart is The people call me the Buddha the best gift to create a warm society. Mind Emperor. Have I gathered any To give the body, as the Buddha did virtue?” “No virtue.” It was a moment in a past life, offering his own body as of strict greeting. food to a hungry tigress who had to feed her cubs. We do not have to go The emperor got lost in that far, but we can give our bodies Bodhidharuma’s expansive mind; by working for others, giving physical they were on different levels. The effort. You can give a traveler a place emperor cooled down a bit. “No to sleep for a night or give away your thankfulness for translating sutras own seat for someone else to rest. or building monasteries? So... what It has become a matter of course are you thankful for in the Buddhist these days to give away your seat in a teaching?” The emperor had calmed down quite a bit. Bodhidaruma

94 answered with a cold face, “Nothing talking about what you have done to be thankful for. Things as they is like having taken a step forward are—no need to be thankful.” The and then stepping backwards into emperor was drawn more and confusion and attachment. There is more into a world he didn’t know no true virtue. By letting go of such anything about. “If there is nothing attachments, we can arrive at the to be thankful for, then what are other shore of the awakened mind. you thankful for?” “I don’t know.” That was the beautiful end of their Virtue conversation. The second wise aspect of following Bodhidharuma left in a small boat, the path is Virtue, or observing the went to the mountains of Suzan, precepts. There are certain rules sat nine years facing the wall, and and precepts given for following the raised his disciple Niso Eka Daishi. Bodhisattva path. The Ten Precepts, From there came Bodhidharuma’s 42 Rules, 250 Rules for Monks and famous words “Outside, let go of all 500 Rules for Nuns were all written involvement; inside be immovable. down in detail. When your mind is like a tall, straight wall, then you are on the path.” Letting go of the outside means to not get involved in praise or blame, Most important are the first five in winning or losing. Don’t be precepts: concerned with the outside situation. Inside don’t tie yourself down 1. Do not take life with your emotions, whether joy, 2. Do not take anything as one’s sorrow, or thoughts of what should own be done next. When your mind is 3. Intimate associations should quiet like a wall, then you are on be open, clear and bright. the path to enlightenment. Building 4. True words and true Mind monasteries, supporting monks and are the base of attaining the nuns, translating sutras and making Way Buddhist statues—counting up all 5. Do not delude the true self the things one has done—we have to let go of such outside involvement. To think one’s name might remain after Whether you are a lay person or an life—thinking like that we will never ordained person, as long as you follow understand Zen or even live an honest the Buddhist path, you need to live life. That is why Bodhidharuma said according to these precepts. “No virtue.” Do not take life, is the most important. When doing something for others, it is important to forget about As he was dying, the Buddha lay such deeds immediately. To keep down on his right side, his head

95 towards the north, his face facing Ananda replied, “Honorable One, west. In a depiction of this scene, the earth of this world is a lot more all his disciples are gathered around than the earth on your fingernail.” The him, weeping. All the main disciples Buddha replied, “Exactly. The amount surround him, crying. Ananda Sonja, of earth on this planet represents the who had been the Buddha’s attendant numbers of lives that are coming into for over twenty years, was able to cry being, but to be born as a human only at this time. Elephants, lions, being is like the grains of earth on my tigers, dogs, horses, cranes, snakes, fingernail. Treasure this chance to be turtles, worms—all these and many born as a human being. “ other animals had gathered and were crying in sadness. The first painting The oceans’ fish are so numerous made of this scene shows that the that they can color the sea with their Buddha had a mind deeply connected multitude. Sometimes birds fill the to all beings. The painting shows all sky so that it is almost completely living beings sad upon the passing covered. Reflecting this way, it is of the Buddha; his compassion had obvious that human beings are much reached them all. less numerous. And, looking at the history of evolution, we see that The Buddha always traveled with a human beings have not been on this cloth to filter water before drinking planet very long. It took a long course in order to save even the tiniest living for human beings to develop. Science being in the water. When he walked, cannot even count the billions of he used a staff to make a sound so stars that exist—how many have life that all the animals on the road could on them? Following this thought, flee and avoid being stepped on. The the number of people born on this Buddha paid detailed attention to planet are really only as numerous as even the tiniest creatures, in order the grains of sand on the Buddha’s not to harm or kill them. Similarly, fingernail. How then can we waste a the Buddha taught that each person’s life that is so precious? Almost every life is very precious. Not only was it day, there is news about murders and forbidden to take the life of someone killings, which give us a dark, heavy else, but it was impermissible to fail to feeling. How is it possible for humans treasure one’s own life. Because each not to treasure the life energy? Why and every one is filled with Buddha do they lose all hope and love for Nature, taking any life is taking away each other? Where can the words of Buddha Nature. the Buddha fit there? Did modern people ever hear the words of the One day the Buddha and Ananda Buddha or have we forgotten to share were walking along a road. The the Buddha’s knowledge with all Buddha took a tiny bit of earth on of society? All of us need to reflect his finger and asked, Ananda,“ which deeply on this. one is more, the earth on my finger or the earth of the whole world?” Religious wars and other warlike

96 involvements often proclaim that him the opportunity to study. He killing others is a virtuous deed that wanted to return and share with all of is to be rewarded. Have we sold humanity these gifts he had received. our souls to the devil? There is also He traveled to Africa, where he the thesis that an army is necessary relieved people of physical pain in his to protect our people, but this work as a physician and relieved them does not line up with the Buddha’s of mental pain by teaching the path teaching not to kill. To have lost of God, offering a path to believe in. these basic values is the source of He lived and gave himself completely people’s sadness today. We need to to all people in need. This Christian tell everyone that killing is not an way of looking at life has much in option. We must proclaim and speak common with a Buddhist view. We out against war. All Buddhist people do not live by our own small strength should hold each other’s hands and but are carried by the entire universe. bring light to this teaching of the It is not we who live, but we who are Buddha, giving peace to the world. being given life. The Buddhist way of looking at life based on karmic Do not take anything as one’s own connections brings forth feelings of thankfulness. Most people have heard of Albert Schweitzer, a German physician There is nothing in this world which who worked in Africa. When he was is our own; there is nothing we can a child, he was playing with other steal from others. My house, my car, children and pushed one of his his my spouse, my child, my body— playmates to the ground. When his such attachment is the source of the playmate got up, he said to Albert, “I division between self and other. Of am not like you, eating meat twice course, the law says not to take what a week. If I did that, I would not be belongs to others. But, looking at it weaker than you.” These words stayed from a deeper perspective, there is with Albert Schweitzer his whole life. nothing that can possibly be taken. It was not he who had won the fight. Nature, society, and even our bodies He understood that he had prevailed are part of a huger picture and in because the other child had poor constant states of change. We cannot nutrition and thus, had less strength. hold onto any of it. As it has been said since ancient times, these things are Schweitzer entered university, became like dewdrops that disappear when a priest, then trained to become a the sun comes out. Whatever we doctor. He lived his life looking at try to hold onto can disappear, can possessions as not his own. Instead vanish in an instant. In the words of seeing all of it as if borrowed from the Diamond Sutra, all existing things society. Not even his own wisdom are like a dream, like lightning in a was his own realization; it had been summer cloud, like a shadow or a given to him by society. He did not drop of dew. study on his own; society had given

97 The poet Ikkyu wrote in his death There is a koan in the poem: Kattoshu[Entangling Vines, case 154] involving a grandmother who really That which I have borrowed liked Zen monks. She had practiced Now on this day since she was young and had special I simply return affection for the monks.

Our bodies, even our minds have The grandmother took food three been lent. All of these must be times a day to a Zen monk who completely returned when we die. spent many years doing solitary To realize that, in this life not even training in a hut. She made daily a speck of dust is our own, is to offerings for many years. The woman’s understand the precept to not steal. granddaughter helped her with all the chores at home. One day she The Buddha had only three robes, instructed her granddaughter to a bowl and a staff—that was all. He give the monk a close hug after she embodied the vision of not holding removed the empty food bowls and onto anything personal, of giving ask him “How is it at this time?” everything to society. In such a When she did this, the monk replied, state of mind, it is possible to see as if nothing had happened, how everything is your life energy, how it is all the same life energy, “An dead tree on a cold cliff; thereby opening a huge world of Midwinter - no warmth” connectedness. There is nothing we need to be attached to or to search When the granddaughter reported for. Everything moves according the monk’s answer, she expected her to karmic law; an expansiveness is grandmother to be full of joy. Instead, born in our lives. This fosters a state the grandmother was very angry, of mind that is ready to act for all saying, “For over 20 years I have been of society, at any time. To not see giving offerings to a useless monk. I anything as one’s own and to live made a huge mistake.” She threw the from openness, sharing with all monk out and went so far as to burn those around us, is to understand the down the hut. second precept, do not steal. Even our own lives are not something to What should the monk have said so be attached to; life is given for as that the grandmother would not have long as the karmic connections allow. thrown him out and burned down the Like flowing water, all beings are in hut? constant change. This is how the koan goes. It was not Intimate associations should be open, easy to be able to answer, after a hug from the granddaughter, he that he clear and bright. felt like a dried-up pine on a bare rock. That is an answer of a monk who

98 has done strict training. But why did the flower of Buddha Nature begins the grandmother throw him out and to blossom spotless and unsullied burn his hut? Like the desire for food, from the mud of desires. sexual desire is not easily dismissed by human beings. It requires great Let’s go to a place which is above the efforts to transcend these desires. We clouds and from there we can see the have to burn our flesh and break our shining moon. If we continue to look bones; only then will we be able to at the moon from below the clouds, answer like this monk. we cannot see its bright radiance. If we feel squashed by desires then we This is where we see the goal of are confused by them. If we go above Hinayana Buddhism. But making our desires, however strong they may such huge efforts, what kind of life seem to be, they do not obstruct us. comes forth from there? The monk If we are able to go above our own in question was totally occupied desires, we can actually see them as with taking care of his own feelings. an interesting part of ourselves. As He wasn’t even able to pass on the it says in the Heart Sutra, there are teaching to the granddaughter. no delusions and no need to free Mahayana Buddhism sees it ourselves from delusions. Desires differently: to not try to extinguish can exist—that is fine. They do not desires, but leave desires as they have to exist—that is also fine. The are and first realize Buddha Nature. mind of wisdom is at ease with either From the experience of Buddha situation. Nature, from experiencing that huge, all-embracing Mind, desires will The moon doesn’t mind being diminish naturally and eventually reflected in the water; the water does extinguish. From a deepened state not know it is reflecting the moon. of mind like that, the monk would have been able to respond to the While in the midst of our desires, the granddaughter with kind words. state of mind that does not get moved around by them is our true, clear In the Kannon Sutra there is a passage mind. To not be attached to desires— that goes: Kanzeon Bodhisattva is that is key to the third precept of clear Buddha Nature. If we constantly relations between men and women. repeat the name of Kanzeon, however strong our desires may be, we will True words and true Mind are the naturally have better perspective on them—a more detached stance. base of attaining the Way. This doesn’t mean to simply cut the desires; instead while having desires, There is nothing we can believe in in to be free from them. The beautiful this changing world. In the morning a lotus comes forth from the mud and youth, by nightfall, a cold corpse. We blossoms without even a bit of mud cannot believe in other human beings, remaining on the flower. This is how or in our bodies, or even in our own

99 mind. That is how life is—constantly this place—that is the absolute, that is changing. A person could be asleep in the source. bed when a sudden earthquake breaks down the house and walls, killing that There are no words to express the sleeping person. Even such a thing as truth that can reach the truth. Satori, this could happen. the true state of mind, cannot be expressed in words. The precept of The Buddha taught that there is a not lying means to live only from this dangerous place in every person’s true experience of zazen. mind which is like a violent gang or like a poisonous snake. We can Do not delude the true self. call ourselves lucky if we have not committed a crime, fortunate that we Our essential state of mind is pure, have not been in circumstances where bright, and clear; it is unstoppable. we had to commit a crime. First of But we, as human beings, have all, we must realize our own deepest desires that generate thoughts in a wish and make that commitment. The single instant. While our true mind only thing to hold onto in one’s mind is pure, we can still get pulled into is repeating the name of the Buddha. the confusion of our thoughts and The believing mind is the only true feelings. Our path in life is to realize mind. We know that our lives will pass purity of mind and continually return and we will die. While aware of this to it. If we depend on anything other we can realize the state of believing than this, we might feel momentarily mind in zazen. When we enter a state satisfied and relaxed, but we should of mind that has no thoughts left not be attached to these other means whatsoever, right there we can find since they work against true clarity. the truth of humans. It is as if we were realizing the timeless Buddha Nature The Buddha made rules against the right in our mind. There is a poem: production and selling of alcohol. The one who can believe in this deep Alcohol itself is not bad, but drinking mind has, right there, found Buddha it covers up our true nature. There Nature. Zazen is the truth, the truth are always some people who like is Buddha Nature, Buddha Nature is alcohol and who, drinking it, do not freedom from suffering. The words get drunk. There are also some— “Buddha Nature” are interchangeable artists, politicians, even religious with “Self- Realization.” At this place people—who do get drunk a lot we are neither man nor woman, but still do great work for society. It neither rich nor poor, neither erudite is not the drinking of alcohol itself nor ignorant, neither beautiful nor that is inherently bad, but if drinking ugly, not young or old, not good or causes our mind to become unclear bad, neither Buddha nor residing in and confused then that is not good. delusion, neither big nor small, not We should not lose our true mind to red or white, round or square, neither alcohol. Doing so can create problems alive nor dead. No words can reach in our lives or in our families, or cause

100 us to become irresponsible. This was remains. This is like autumn, when the Buddha’s point. trees cast off their leaves and return their energy to the roots. Zen’s state As Bankei Zenji said, a person of mind is where all the dust particles who does not drink does not need in the air have settled; a quiet state the fifth precept. Yet, it is not only of mind—that is the state of mind about alcohol, but about all forms of of zazen. True peace can be brought intoxication. This precept warns that forth only from this source. There we all have the potential to become comes the realization that all life has intoxicated by other things as well. the same source, which is not based An observer will notice, for example, on dualism but can encompass the when someone has become blind to whole world. In this society, parent and uncomprehending of an issue. It and child are one, teacher and student is possible to become intoxicated by are one, the boss and the employees art, study, work, sports or science— are one, the surroundings and myself losing oneself totally, becoming are one, nature and humans are one, unable to see clearly or reflect society and self are one, Buddhas correctly. In Mahayana Buddhism, all and sentient beings are one—only these examples are included in this from such an expansive state of mind admonition to not delude the true can unity be experienced. The more self. dualistic divisions, the more need for becoming One. Even getting attached and stuck on God or the Buddha is a violation of Athletes work, compete, and work this precept. However thankful you on becoming the better one—that is may be for something, what matters is the basis of their world. But even in to not become intoxicated by it. Not the world of sports competition, it getting drunk means to experience is important not to lose sight of the the free-flowing mind that does not fact that we are all connected human get stuck on anything. Such is the beings. Nowadays, the feeling of pure, true mind of humans. connectedness has changed in our families. The worlds of the aged and Patience of the youth do not easily connect any more. Parents have a place in When we burn up all our desires, their hearts where they trust their our eye becomes clearer. We must children completely, but over years incinerate feelings of hate and dislike, and through many experiences, this or these feelings toward others will becomes increasingly divided. The remain, and we continue to affect older the child grows, his or her people with our unclear state of mind, own ideas become stronger and the creating more confusion in society. divisions increase. At that point the There is a state of mind in which wisdom of the Buddha is needed everything has been burned up, the to say the rain falls equally on good fire has burned down, and only ash and bad people. An empty mind,

101 Thus the Buddha praised accepting all that comes, like the big Furuna and sent him to the earth itself, is called Patience. It is not country of Ikkoku. about enduring with a tight, small state of mind but about accepting In order to establish a Buddha land, with a huge mind and being open to we have to take on many hardships. whatever comes along. This is a third This is the wisdom of patience. aspect of the Buddha’s wisdom. Diligence, effort The sutras tell of Furuna Sonja, a disciple of the Buddha. In the Sutras, the Buddha carefully Few understood the Buddhist teaches about right efforts. In the path in the land of Ikkoku Yuikyogo, the Last Teachings, given where Furuna Sonja lived, on the 15th of February at the full so people spoke badly about moon before he entered Nirvana, him. the Buddha spoke very kindly, like a mother giving the final, careful The Buddha asked if he was instructions to her child who is about aware of this. Furuna Sonja to go on a trip. replied, “Honorable One, I am thankful that the people of In ancient times, fire was made by Ikkoku do not throw tiles or rubbing a stick into a piece of wood stones at me.” until it caught fire. Later on, there was “But what would you do if they the practice of striking two stones did throw stones at you?” against each other to create a spark to light kindling. When rubbing the “Honorable One, these people stick into the wood, if you stop even have compassionate hearts. for a moment, it is necessary to start Even if they were to throw all over again with the same effort. stones, they would not kill me Just as taking a kettle off a fire before with their swords, and for that it starts to boil will require that you I am thankful.” begin all over again if you want it to “Furuna, if they were to kill you come to a boil. The same is true for with their swords, what would the practice of Zazen. If you practice you do then?” for many years and do not realize enlightenment, it does not mean “Honorable One, I would that Zazen is bad. It means that we think that these people have did not follow through to the final compassion and are freeing point. We have to sit until we lose all me from a body filled with awareness of body and thought, lose desires and confusions and be even awareness of being alive, and thankful for that.” once there, we have to cut the root “Furuna, with exactly this state of our life energy. As it says in the of mind, you can liberate and Mumonkan: take all the 360 smallest teach the people of Ikkoku.” bones and the 84,000 small hair pores

102 and fill them with this Mu. Become say to yourself, “Oh I wish it was like Mu with your whole being. Put your this”, or “Oh why can’t it be just like mind on Mu until you have melted that”, the essence will get diluted and into it, until you have become this you’ll let go of it all completely. It Mu and do not know what is Mu and is just like making a spark with two what is yourself. Like a hot iron ball sticks. We rub the sticks together and that you have in your throat, which keep rubbing without stopping to get can neither be swallowed nor spit the heat that can then bring forth a out. When you take this to the point spark. Then finally, with the friction of where you have totally melted away, the sticks rubbing against each other you will be like a mute person who there will be smoke, and the spark will cannot speak to tell of a dream, filled come forth and start the paper scraps with joy and happiness but unable burning, and a fire can be built. If as to express it to others. To take the you do it you are always stopping and training of zazen this far is called the resting as you do it, no matter how wisdom of true effort. We cannot be great a deep vow you have, the goal too soft—only from strict practice will not be able to be realized. To do can our path open. it without ceasing and keep the efforts going all the way to completion is Awakening is only possible in this what is called making true efforts. present moment. To be claiming that This is the paramita of deep effort. we will be able to experience this in a moment of the past or in a moment It has been said that to think of the future makes no sense. We can nothing at all is the state of mind only be sharp and awake and ready in of the Buddha, but to sustain that this very present moment. However, in every single nen is very difficult if that past is clarified, then we are to do. We do zazen, planning to sit more likely to be able to sharpen this and think about nothing at all, but moment; not to be caught on a hope one mind-moment after the next, of awakening in the future, as if that things come and go, the thoughts is going to make it happen. If it is continually arising and departing. something we hold in our imagination This is not the state of continuous or feel in a vague way like a memory, clear mind-moments. People have so if it is caught and perceived in this many various experiences, so many way, it is nothing but the imagining of things they take refuge in, so many the superficial thing. memories of the past. We have to let go of all of that, to no longer feel any You must not cease in your constant, need to be associated with any of that. focused application. Consider evan a Instead, we need to become absorbed tiny drip of water falling one drop at in our deepest interior and realize the a time, such as water dripping from place where we extend throughout the eaves onto a stone below, wears the heavens and earth as one single away the stone drop by drop. If each layer. This is the state of mind of being time you look away from that and a person who is mute and can’t tell

103 his or her dream. We understand very arises, do not stop it but allow it to well, but we cannot communicate flow like running water. Shido Munan this state of mind to anyone else. Zenji said that to not think is to This essence can’t be expressed. We arrive at the Buddha Nature. If the have realized this place where our mind becomes quiet, then Buddha state of mind cannot be known in any Nature shines through it. Shining, conceptual way because it is beyond it can touch all that is around us. It any dualistic perception. In that can touch our family and our daily place all past history and superficial life and it can bring peace to all we knowledge and social conditioning is encounter. Constantly, we double let go of completely. This great effort check where we stand and repent our is needed to directly encounter our mis-behavior so that we do not act true nature. from an unsettled place.

Samadhi These are the basic values for living as human beings. If we Samadhi is our very basic nature: lose sight of them, quarrels and outside letting go of all distractions, misunderstandings happen right inside letting go of all obstructions. away, making us feel that we are being This is the practice of Zazen. pulled here and there. We constantly return to our feet, where they touch Zazen is only about becoming the ground. From there, we can work One. We align our bodies, align our to bring forth a balanced future. breathing, align our minds, thus When the feet are standing firmly on aligning ourselves and the world the ground, then, for the first time, around us. We place ourselves in the we can take the right step, moving correct position, straighten the spine our foot forward freely. This is the in an expansive way, align the neck meaning of meditation. and head at the top. We become like towers rising high toward the sky. Samadhi is most important. In our This position is most supportive for zazen, we have to have samadhi or quieting the mind. Also, it is healthy. it is not true zazen, it is zazen which We breathe in a quiet and rhythmic is done for battling our bodies and way, not making any sounds. This thoughts. In the beginning it may feel kind of breathing is most supportive that this is what it is all about. People for a quiet state of mind. get caught on this, and they don’t let go. But if we begin to know the Next, we align the mind. The Buddha essence, we know not to be deceived said that we are all endowed with by our physical pains. Especially at pure Buddha Nature, but due to the beginning our bodies and our confusion and delusion, we do not minds seem to be big problems, but as realize it. When the mind becomes we continue, we learn how not to give quiet, inherent wisdom can come them attention. This is not done by forth naturally. When a thought resisting, but by becoming one with

104 your focus, and then one layer after that; the breath is born. This very the other is lifted off. To know how to easy to see by doing tai chi and chi bring the body and mind into oneness gong. When we feel that energy in is most important; and that is done our body, at the beginning we may by not adding in extraneous thinking, think that it is our own, but if we try but by jumping right into the middle and push that which we think is our of the doing of it. own, we become tight. If we let go of it and know this place of no thinking, It may seem like an impossibility at and then if we continue without any the beginning. Regarding how to gaps there whatsoever, we are able to sit, our biggest problems are that we encounter this place in clarity. It is not become overly excited and scattered, about asking this to some Buddha, or become too drowsy, sleepy and but about clarifying our own state of lethargic. But there are the many mind. and various words of experienced people to guide us in these challenges. What has to be seen is that we are Forgetting our own self conscious not doing this, but that it is being awareness, and not trying to analyze done through us. Letting go of our it and figure it out, but by becoming own stuck places, we can see our simple and throwing everything into mistakes clearly. Today in the world, just the doing of it; going about it in everyone is so lonely and isolated this way is how we take care of these because they become attached to problems. their idea of being alone—because they become attached to that place. Certainly our zazen can not be done If we are to make a society, we have by sitting haphazardly and hazily, or to see through this clearly, to develop by calling in many extra thoughts. that zazen which knows that place of Only by letting go of all of it. Because having forgotten oneself completely; many are so used to holding their to have this deeply and well ki high and keeping their physical established, or we cannot see clearly. body taut and tight in the upper half, then that brings a very difficult We have to learn well to realize it time. Rather, to let go of all of the thoroughly. Not saying “What good tension in the top half of your body, is this?” This is the problem today. and then we can come to know that We blame things on a place, an unobstructed place. In old times, environment, a system, a person. We it was said that this was just like have to be able to do this letting go gathering water, drop by drop, into a completely, to realize this is being cup. Or by filling up a balloon which done for ourselves so we can help all has been flaccid and limp, and if we beings realize it. But who is it that is blow into it continually, it becomes doing it? more and more full and taut. At first we think that we are what does the Wisdom breathing, but it is not really like

105 The tradition of Bodhidaruma clarity and wisdom. For there to be says: take no thought as the master. nothing in our mind, that is the truth. In Zen, “no thought” is wisdom. From that state, we can move in a Shonensozoku—the following of natural way—if we are hungry, we eat; clear mind moments—is our guide. if we are tired, we sleep. Such purity of The essence of a mirror is no thought. action is the Buddha’s wisdom. When That is, to see things, to reflect things talking about the Buddha’s wisdom, without adding to them, is the it is easy to think of it as something working of wisdom. Bankei Zenji special. That is a big mistake. In True said that our Buddha Nature is like Wisdom, nothing is held onto and a mirror. When something comes thus, whatever comes to you can be before a mirror, it is reflected, but embraced. when it is gone, nothing remains. If something dirty comes in front of the As Shido Munan Zenji said, “While mirror, the mirror does not become being alive, die and die completely. dirty just by reflecting it. When From there, anything you do is something beautiful passes before the good.” From that state, true freedom mirror, the mirror does not become comes forth. When all delusions and beautiful by reflecting it. In this way, confusions have been discarded, we Bankei Zenji taught that our true are able to move in accordance with wisdom cannot be gathered from this reality’s truth. From a state of outside, but can only be found within inner freedom, wisdom is expressed our own mind. through us. Our Buddha Nature is untouched by good things or bad What Bankei Zenji is referring to is things, no matter how numerous. This our Original Mind, our True Nature. is how the Buddha lived, moving his Our True Nature can be found when arms and legs, seeing the green willow we experience for ourselves that there as green, the red flower as red. is nothing being added and nothing being taken away. We perceive things. The Buddha heard the crow’s call or We see and hear them, but as soon the song of the sparrow in the same as they have passed, no trace is left way we can hear it. The Buddha and whatsoever. This is like a puppet Bodhidharuma practiced this way, moving its arms and legs­—there is emptying their minds and opening no self there at all. If asked to show them to pure experience. If we the one who is doing the moving, we realize that our mind is Mu, that it is cannot find anybody there. From this empty, our Mu is the same as that of place that is not stuck on anything, the Buddha and of Bodhidharuma. from this empty mind, we can Every human being is endowed respond to outside impressions with from the origin with this wisdom. It wisdom. reaches every corner of the universe; vertically it passes through all three If we hold onto the images we see and times, horizontally it stretches out hear, it is not possible to move from through all the ten directions. If a

106 dog barks, we hear it as ‘woof’. When are given or taken away or come and we are sad, we cry; when happy, we go. laugh. We can move freely. This is our wisdom, our freedom of mind. All As Dogen has said, to wander toward sentient beings are endowed with this things is delusion. When things wisdom from the origin. come right to us, as we are, that is enlightenment. Our mind is like a We are always attached to full, flowing stream. Hakuin says, something—to this or to that. We “like ice, like water”—if it flows, it lose clear Mind and become divided doesn’t freeze and harden. Flowing when we are moved around by water can take the shape of whatever anything at all and are separated from container it enters and yet it doesn’t things in any way. Instead, in each change. Hard ice kills fish and can instant, be soaked or absorbed into damage things. If our Mind is flowing it, then we become this place like freely, then this is the way of being a flowing water. A new world always Buddha. If our Mind is not flowing coming to us; matching completely freely, this is the way of ignorance. We to whatever comes never stopped by can’t be caught on reason, thinking, or it nor stagnant. When we stagnate we we stop flowing. If we are caught on become confused. thoughts we get deluded. That is not the shore of paramita but rather, the In all the boundless realms of shore of delusion. space, and in the separation between self and other, Rinzai give in the preface of his not a single hair can be Record these four conditions: inserted. “Sometimes I take away the From the limitless past to the person but do not take away the immediate present, surroundings.” This is to forget we have never separated from yourself completely and to enter this very moment. into society completely, not a bit of self-consciousness left, and dedicate yourself 100 percent to serving, no To realize and experience this demands of your own. directly, and then we can see how it is! The Buddha, here, listening to Then the next, “Sometimes I take this very talk and this very moment away the surroundings but do not the Buddha is teaching! This is not take away the person.” Right in the imagination or rational thinking. It is middle of the world, to take away this very truth, this one moment— the person but don’t take away one clear moment after the next— society. To clearly state what’s right that is called “paramita.” It’s not about is right, what’s wrong is wrong, being caught or pulled around in this regardless of who you’re talking moment, having ideas of how things to—to be the Master and correct things appropriately. Straightaway

107 to “turn on a dime” according to So, can you switch that completely, circumstances, and correct that which that freely? If you’re not careful you has to be corrected. end up being dragged around by your desires. “Just a little bit more…just a Then, “Sometimes I take away little bit more…!” Not really willing both person and surroundings”— to make a change, too comfortable Sometimes there’s not ‘me,’ there’s where you are, you’re stopped, unable not ‘other.’ Between heaven and to respond freely. Instead on each earth, there’s not a single thing”—that occasion, to be completely free and samadhi of zazen. You have to know adjusting to what is going on! Switch that world, too. freely according to context. That wisdom is prajna paramita. And if you think that’s all there is, there is the last:“Sometimes It is only due to attachments and I take away neither person nor delusions, searching for something surroundings.” “Ahhhh! It’s nice special, that we ignore our own weather today….Let’s get a bit of wisdom. This wisdom transcends sun!....Let’s take a walk in the forest!... ideals of good and bad. Realize this Let’s stroll around the pond!” To is to understand the path of the six really taste the flavor of those times! paramitas. Those sorts of occasions exist, too.

108 Index

A Ananda 96 B Bankei 101, 106 Baso 37 Blue Cliff 29 , 84 Bodhidharuma 94, 95, 106 Bokujo 85 Buddha Nature 9, 17, 23, 30, 32, 34, 35, 37, 38, 68, 78, 96, 99, 100, 104, 106 C Chikuren Choja 93 D Daito 18, 19 Daruma 18, 20, 22, 24, 67, 87, 88, 89 Diamond Sutra 14, 68, 74, 75, 97 Dogen 64, 77, 107 Dokyo Etan 4 E Emperor 24, 50, 88, 94 Entangling Vines 4, 98 F faith 35, 48, 62, 69, 84 five precepts 95 Formless 76 Four Wisdoms 81, 82, 83, 84 Furuna 102 G Ganto 2, 4 Gateless Gate 84 H Hakuin 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 17, 18, 19, 48, 49, 70, 77, 78, 92, 107 Hakuyu 5 Heart Sutra 15, 78, 99 Hekigan. See Blue Cliff hidden virtue 48

109 Hyakujo 14, 84 I Ikkyu 24, 88, 98 introspection 5 Isan 14, 15, 16 J Jimyo 2, 3 Joshu 12, 15, 20, 22, 23, 24, 30, 32, 34, 35, 67, 84, 87, 88 K Kannon 99 Kanzeon Bodhisattva 99 Kattoshu 98 Kiso 68 koan 4, 5, 12, 16, 24, 32, 34, 75, 79, 84, 98 koans 12, 46, 84 Kyogen 14, 15, 16 L Lotus Sutra 1, 5, 6, 11, 40, 92 M Mokuren 26, 28, 93 Mumon 32, 34, 35, 45 Mumonkan. See Gateless Gate N naikan 5 Nansen 4, 5, 34 Niso Eka 36, 67, 95 O Obaku 84, 85, 86 Original Face 77 Original Mind, 9, 16, 17, 18, 106 P Patience 101, 102 precepts 47, 48, 50, 92, 95 R repent 43, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 104 repentance 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53 Rinzai 1, 17, 20, 34, 74, 84, 85, 86, 90, 92, 107

110 Ryotan 75 S Setcho 29 Sharihotsu 93 Shido 49, 104, 106 Shikan 92 Shodoka. See Song of Enlightenment Shoju 4, 5, 6, 7 Sixth Patriarch 20, 44, 46, 47, 56, 68, 70, 73, 77, 78, 79, 81, 83, 92 Song of Enlightenment 38, 92 Suigan 49 T Taegu 86 Takuan 45 tea 13, 74, 79 Tekisui 79, 80 Tesshu 79, 80 Tokusan 74, 75 True Nature 16, 17, 18, 106 True Wisdom 106 U Unmon 12 V Vimalakirti 22, 39, 44, 57, 60, 92 Y Yasenkanna 5 Yoka Genkaku 92 Z zazen 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 22, 24, 45, 46, 47, 50, 51, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 73, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 88, 89, 90, 100, 101, 103, 104, 105, 108

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