STRENGTHTOLIVEJOYTOBEALLOWED

TOLIVE

calligraphybyDaininKatagiri

CONTENTS

Editor’sPreface

PartOne:LifeForce&Life1.TheEnergyofLife

2.StudyingtheSelf

3.TimeandSpace

4.LightoftheSelf

5.EveryoneHasaLight

PartTwo:Practice&Enlightenment6.AwarenessofEnlightenment

7.LettheFlowerofYourLifeForceBloom

8.TheSpiritualMirror

PartThree:Body&Mind9.Buddha’sBody

10.AnInvitationtoBuddha

11.TheHumanMind

12.BeingOneMind

PartFour:Wisdom&Compassion13.TheWisdomofEmptiness

14.BaskinginBuddha’sCompassion

15.DirectingYourBoat

PartFive:Peace&Harmony16.WhereDoYouComeFrom?

17.WhereAreYouHeading?

18.WalkingAlonewithanOpenHeart

AcknowledgmentsSelectedBibliography

IndexE-mailSign-Up

EDITOR’SPREFACE

DAININKATAGIRIwasgoodat figuringouthow thingswork, sohemighthavebecome a scientist or engineer. Butwhen hewas eighteen, he left behind hisworkondieselenginesandbecameaZenpriest.Then,throughBuddhiststudyandspiritualpractice,heinvestigatedhowtheuniverseworks.Somethingthatworksisusingenergy.Fromancienttimes,peopleintheEast

havedevelopedspiritual,medical,andmartialarttraditionsbasedontheflowofuniversal energy as the life force called chi, qi, or ki. Inmedieval Japan, thegreatZenmasterEiheiDogenusedtheterm“totaldynamicworking”(zenki).Inrecenttimes,KatagiriRoshimarveledatthe“rhythmoflife”andobservedthatunderstandinghowitfunctionscanhelpustoliveinharmonywithlife.Buddhismmay be approached as philosophy, psychology, religion, spiritual

path—any or all of these. Katagiri Roshi also saw it as something akin to ascienceof reality.Heoftensaid:“Iamnot talkingaboutan idea; Iam talkingabout something real.”Thecreativeenergyof life isworking frommoment tomoment, and it includes us, sowe can experience it, enjoy it, and use it as abeneficialforce.ThatisKatagiriRoshi’smainmessageinthisbook.KatagiriRoshimovedfromJapantotheUnitedStatesinthe1960sandthen

taughthereuntilhisdeathin1990.AdaptingtolifeinAmerica,wherehewasnolongerfullyEasternyetneverfullyWestern,hedevelopedaunique,lively,andoftenlyricalwayofexpressinghimselfthatbridgedtwoworldsanddrewmanyfollowers.HiswarmpresenceanddignifiedconfidenceinZenpracticeinspiredmanypeopletostudyBuddhismwithhim.ButtostudywithKatagiriRoshirequiredawillingnesstodivedeepbelowthe

surfaceofBuddhismand into abewilderingworldwhere thingsdidn’t alwaysseem to make sense. While editing his talks for this book, I formulated twoshortcutsforfindingmywaythroughdifficulttechnicaltermsandphilosophicaldiscourses:Buddhism isacreation story, andBuddhism isa love story.Thesetwoprinciplesgavemeaplacetorestmymindandheartwhenhisteachingwascomplicated.

Histeachingcanbecomplicated,butKatagiriRoshisometimescondenses itinto memorable mottos. Three of my favorites in this book are: “Relax yourfrontal lobe!” “Let the flower of your life force bloom!” and “Walk togetherhandinhand!”Thesepithyexhortationscutrightthroughmystruggleswithlife.Theycueme tostop frettingand take refuge in theenergyat theheartof life.They also show me how to engage with emptiness, interdependent co-origination,andallsentientbeingsasthreeaspectsofonecosmicenergysystem.When I put them together, I find the triple treasure of Buddhism: Buddha,dharma,andsangha.Manyof the talks that I chose for thisbook reflectKatagiriRoshi’s loveof

reading and reflecting on Buddhist writings. He once said, “Sometimes I amaloneinmystudy,justthinking,contemplatingBuddha’steachingwithoutdoinganything—just sitting there. That is the thing that makes me relax and feeljoyful.”ThequotesandexcerptsfromBuddhistwritingsthatKatagiriRoshicomments

on here are variously his own translations, other published translations, orrecollectionsfrommemory.Whenhedidn’tindicatethesource,Ididmybesttoidentifyanythatweretakenfrompublishedtranslations,andthenIinsertedthetranslators’namesintothetext.Thesementionsreferyoutothebibliographyatthe end of this book,where you can find those publications alongwith someotherresourcesthathavebeenhelpfultome.ThetitleofthisbookisinspiredbysomethinginEiheiDogen’sShobogenzo

Kuge(FlowersintheSky).Dogenquotesawonderfulstatementthatastudentofthe Chinese Zen master Sekiso Keisho (Shishuang Qingzhu, 807–888) madewhenheawakenedtoreality.HereisThomasCleary’stranslation(1986):“Lightshinessilentlythroughoutinfinity.”Inscienceandinspirituallife,lightisawayoftransmittingenergythroughspace.Weconstantlyreceivethatenergy.That’swhyspiritualteachersalwaystellusthatwearealreadyenlightened.Whenwe actually experience the energy that flows through everything, life

makes sense and contentment appears. For this, Katagiri Roshi recommendszazen,seatedZenmeditation,asanessentialspiritualpractice.SoI’dliketosaysomething about meditation before turning you over to Katagiri Roshi’steachings.The human mind is a wonderful storyteller, constantly weaving narratives

aboutourselvesandour lives from threadsof thought,emotion,andsensation.Thisaspectofmind isuseful,but itnever tellsus thewhole story.Meditation

letsuswitnessthestorieswetellourselves.Weseehowourbusymindworks,howitlimitsandcontrolsus,andthenwecalmlystepasidefromit.Whenyoustepasideandletgoofyourstory,youcreateaspace.Thespacebetweenyourstoryandyourlifeistheplacewhereyoudiscoverthedeepernatureofhumanlife.In zazen,we sit up in a straight posture, let our thoughts pass by, and pay

concentratedattention toournaturalbreathing.TheEnglishwordspirit comesfrom theLatinspirare, “tobreathe.” Inyogapractice theSanskritwordpranarepresentsthebreathoflifeorthecosmicenergyofthelifeforce.Thatenergyisalreadyyours,sowelcomeitintoyourawareness.Tuningintotheuniversallifeforceletsyouseeyourselfinadifferentway:youbelongtotheflowoflife.Thatrealizationbringsreliefandjoy.Italsochangesyourwayofthinkingaboutyourlifeandguidesyoutoliveinabeneficialway,givingwisdomandcompassiontoyourselfandothers.As you study with this book, it’s not necessary to understand perfectly

everything that Katagiri Roshi is saying. If you find some of it difficult tofollow,pleasedon’tbediscouraged.Ashewouldsay,“Don’tmakeyourheadache!”Justquietlyaccepthiswordswithopennesstoreceivinghislifeenergyassmoothlyashetransmitsittoyouthroughthosewords.Lethisenergycalmyourmindandwarmyourheart.Thenshareyourownlifeenergywithothers.ThisispracticingtheBuddhaway.

—AndreaMartin

1THEENERGYOFLIFE

ONETIMEWHENIwaswalkingonthestreetinTokyo,Isawabumperstickeronthebackofacar.Itsaid,“Respectlifeforceandlife.”Ireallywantedtoseethedriver’sface,butthecarleft.ThenIstartedthinking:Whatdoyoumeanby“lifeforceandlife”?What’sthedifferencebetweenlifeforceandlife?Well,lifedoesn’tcomeintoexistencewithoutlifeforce.Lifeforceisgivento

you,sowhenyoubecomeconsciousofyourlife,yourlifeforceisalreadythere.Itisyourliferighthere,rightnow.Youcannotbuildupyourlifeforceafteryourbirth,butlifeissomethingyoucanbuildup.Ifyoutotallyaccepttheenergyofyourlifeforce,youcanuseittoembarkonanewlifefromnowon.How?ThisisthemainpointofBuddhistteaching.

ThePurposeofSpiritualPracticeIf you readBuddhist scriptures, they seem to say that the purpose of spiritualpractice is to turn delusion into enlightenment, or guide ordinary people tobecomebuddhas or holy beings. Somaybewe thinkwe can reach nirvana byremoving delusion or attain wisdom and compassion by eliminating ego orbecomeabuddhaby sitting zazen, chanting,orwhateverpracticeyoudo.Butpractically speaking it’s very difficult to remove human ego, desires, anddelusions. So we have to think carefully about Buddhist teachings andunderstandmoredeeplywhattheyaresaying.Shakyamuni Buddha taught that a magnificent event is unfolding in every

aspectofeverydaylife.Vivid,livingenergyisconstantlyatwork,creatingandsupportingyourlife.Itisjustlikeafirethatiseternalandboundless.Whoeveryouare,yourlifeisverypreciousbecausetheoriginalenergyoflifeisworkinginyourlife.Buddhismusesthetechnicaltermdharma todescribethefunctioningofthis

great original energy. But no matter how long we try to explain dharma, wealwaysfailbecauseitiscompletelybeyondwords.Still,eventhoughyoucannot

explaindharma,itisaliveinyou,soyoucanuseittotakecareofyourlife.Totakecareofyourlifeistoburntheflameofyourlifeforceineverythingyoudo.Intherealmofscienceorbusiness,literature,sports,thearts,orwhateveryou

do,thereisawaytotoucheternity.Thatisspiritualpractice.Doingsomethingasspiritualpracticeistoinvokethelifeforceenergydeepinyourownlifeanduse it to grow your life. Growth gives you room to cultivate wisdom andcompassion, love and generosity, enough to create awonderfulworld for youandallbeings.We studyandpracticeBuddhist teachings inorder togodeep intoourown

life. There you discover your original place, the place where all beings livetogetherinpeacebeforeweexistasindividualbeings.Fromthatplaceyoucanjointheflowoflife,livinginharmonywithallbeingsandwalkingtogetherhandinhand.ThisistheguidelineforBuddhiststudyandpractice.But whatever practice you do—Buddhist practice, Christian practice, or

nonreligious practice—when you become aware of the magnificent energy ofbeingarisinginyourbodyandmind,youfeelfullyalive.Youareboundlessandbroad,compassionateandkind.Thisistheguidelineforlivingasahumanbeing.

MakeofYourselfaLightShakyamuni Buddha gave one of his most famous teachings just before hepassed away. Speaking to his discipleAnanda, whowas very confused aboutlosinghisteacher,Buddhasaid:

Make the dharma your light. Rely upon it. Do not depend on any otherthing.

Makeofyourselfalight.Relyuponit.Donotdependonanyoneelse.

This teaching from the Mahaparanibbana sutta in the Pali Canon shows acharacteristicofBuddhismthatisdifferentfrommanyotherreligions.Generallyspeaking,peoplewanttobelievethereissomethingbeyondordinaryhumanlife.Sointhehistoryofreligionthereisusuallyanalmightyentitythatpeoplemustbelieve in or a founder with special powers whose teachings people have tofollow.ButBuddhadidn’tsaythatafterhisdeathweshoulddependonadivineentityorholyteacher;hesaidyoushoulddependondharmaandyourself.Ifso,thenwhatisdharma?Whatisself?

InBuddhism,weunderstand the termBuddha as theoriginalenergyof life.Thetermdharmaisunderstoodastruth:theultimateprincipleofexistence.Butthisprincipleisnotanabstractidea,itissomethingreal.DharmaasrealtruthisthefunctioningoftheBuddhaway—theoriginalenergyoflifeconstantlyflowsandunfoldsasalltheformsofeverydaylife.Itmeanstheformofyourownlifeis identicalwith thatoriginalenergy.Inotherwords, truth isnot inus, truth isnotonus,truthisnotwithus—truthisus.Truthisyou.Truthisyourrealself.Dependingonthatselfisdependingonthedharma.Many people believe that a spiritual being is something different from an

ordinary human life. If that were so, depending on the dharma would bedepending on something mystical, created by our imagination, mythology, orsomedivinity.Butdharma isnot like that.Wecandependondharmabecausedharmaisnotsomethingseparatefromhumanlife.So in Buddhism we practice a way of life based on the fact that truth is

already alive in our own lives and we can depend on it. But watch out!Dependingonyourselfdoesn’tmeanyourejectotherpeopleanddothingsyourownway. Itmeans you touch the core of your life and discover a life worthliving.Toreachthecoreofhumanlife,wehavetopayattentiontotherealityofour

ownexistenceandunderstandthemeaningoflifethroughourownlives.ThatiswhyBuddhismverynaturallycomestobephilosophical.ButBuddhismisnotaphilosophy. The reality we study is not an idea created by philosophical,psychological,ormythologicalthought.Itissomethingmorethanthat.Itisthenaturalstateofyourlifebeforeanythoughtsorideasarise.Buddha’steachingsrevealthedepthofyourlifeandofferyouapracticalway

to return to the source of your being. There you discover dharma—real truth.Discovering dharma is the realization of reality; you directly experience pureenergy as the core of your own being, and you realize that you can alwaysdependonit.Ifyoudependondharma,pureenergywillariseandappearinyoureveryday

life. Itwill illuminateyour lifebecause theoriginal energyofBuddha is alivewithinyou.Thatenergygivesforthitsownlight,shiningfromyourwholebody,whichotherscansee.Sorelaxyourfrontal lobe,calmyourmind,andpracticedwellingpeacefullyinthedharmathatisworkingdeepinyourownlife.Whendharmaas truth,or theultimateprincipleofexistence, isdescribed in

BuddhisthistoryitbecomesBuddhistteaching,whichisalsocalleddharma.So

throughtheteachingyoucanhearthetruedharma’smessage.Dharmateachingtalks about wisdom and compassion based on impermanence andinterdependence.Buddhist teaching is complicated, and practicing it every day is hard, but a

spiritualbeingissomethingyoucanfindrightnow,righthere,inyou.Thisisthepoint of Shakyamuni Buddha’s final teaching. Through the actual practice ofbeingwiththetruedharmaandburningtheflameofyourlifeforceinwhateveryoudo,youcanrealizewhatShakyamuniBuddhawastalkingabout.

FacingtheQuestion:WhatShallIDo?Indailyhumanlifewearealwaysencounteringsomeproblem,contradiction,orconfusion.Soverynaturallywewanttoescapefromproblemsandfindabetterwayofliving.Seekingacalmmind,westudyphilosophy,psychology,religion,evenphysicsandmathematics,believingtheycanshowuswhoweareandwhatthemeaningoflifeis.Westudy,wechoosecertainideas,andthenwetrytodependonthemtohelp

usbuildupapeacefullife.Unfortunately,lifeisverydifficulttounderstandonlythrough ideas.Nomatterhow longyou study, there is still someproblem thatleavesyouinconfusion.Thereisalwaysaquestionleftbehind:whatshallIdo?If you try to answer this question throughWestern philosophy, you find it

tends to be divided into two types: rationalism (understanding human lifethrough intellectual thought) and empiricism (understanding life through senseexperience).But depending on philosophical ideas to tell you how to live candriveyourlifetowarddoubtorpessimism.For instance, ifyou try to liveon thebasisofempiricism, thenyourwayof

life is alreadybasedon rationalism—youaredependingonan ideacreatedbyyourintellectualprocess,whichtellsyouthisistherightwaytolive.Whenyourealizehowshakythisis,youhavedoubtaboutempiricism,philosophy,oranyideas,andyoudon’tknowwhattodependon.Youdon’ttrustanything.But there isone thing thatyoucan trust in: righthere isamanorawoman

who is called by your name. Before you have doubt or pessimism, you arealreadyhere.Youexist right in themiddleof reality,whichmeansyour life isfullyaliverightnow.Wearehumanbeings—wecannotdestroyourthinkingprocess.Soweshould

think. You can use science, philosophy, and psychology to understand your

individuallifeinacertainway,butwhateveryouunderstandinthatwayisnotsomething true that you can dependon.Something true you can dependon issomethingyouhavetodo.Toreallyunderstandthemeaningoflife,wehavetogobeyondthinkingandexperiencethevastscaleoflifedirectly,withourownbodyandmind.Toknowwhoyoureallyare,allyouhavetodoisjustbeinrealityasitreally

is.Thereyoudiscoverthenaturalstateofyourexistenceandrealizetheultimateprinciple of existence called dharma. Then, under all circumstances,whateverhappensinlife,youcandependonyourrealself.Usuallywedependonlyonthesmallselfweseefromouregoistictelescope.

Weareconstantly trying tobuildupouregoisticselfaccording toourculture,customs, education, and knowledge. Your small self is always trying to getsomething or escape from something. It is alwaysmaking a noise: I care or Idon’t care, I like myself very much or I am a bad boy. Some particular factcomesupandmakesyourthinkingswayawaytotherightandthenswaytotheleft, just likeapendulum.Butwhateveryou think, still there isaquestion leftbehind:what shall I do?Dayafterday, thatquestion is the final situationyouhavetoface.Shakyamuni Buddha taught us how to approach this question: instead of

payingattentiononlytoideas,wealsohavetopayattentiontotherealstateofourexistence.Wehavetopayattentiontothewholerealityofhumanlife.How?Thatisspiritualpractice.Zen teaches the simplest way of spiritual practice: just sit. But “just sit”

doesn’t mean to sit passively; it is sitting based on deepening both yourintellectualandexperientialunderstandingofyourexistence.Soafteryoustudy,acceptthatyourlifeisalreadypresentinthebigscaleofreality.Thenlet’spayattention to the realityofwhereyouare.That is themeditationpracticecalledzazen.If you practice zazen in the zendo (meditation hall),many beings are there

with you. Everything is coming up like springwater oozing from the ground,accommodating tocircumstances thatareconstantlychanging frommoment tomoment.You,theotherpractitioners,yourcushions,thesoundsofcarsgoingbyoutsideandbirdssinging—allare living together inpeaceandharmonyat thisonetimeandplace.Soallyouhavetodoisjustsitdownonyourcushionandaccept the natural state of your existence, including all the beings that coexistwithyourightnow.

Butifyouexperiencepainwhenyouaresittingzazen,whatshouldyoudo?Should you just accept pain as it is, ignoring an intellectual understanding ofwherethepaincomesfrom?No,it’snotenough.Youhavetounderstandwhatthepainisandlearnhowtotakecareofyourpainintellectually.Still,ifyoutakecare of your pain intellectually, will you be free from pain? No, pain is stillthere.Sofinallyyouask:whatshouldIdo?ShouldIescapefrompainorstaywithit?All you have to do is the actual practice of facing your pain and moving

toward thepain.Bewith it,be in it,andbeon it.Whenyoumove toward thepain, your action simultaneously deepens your life. Deepening means youapproachthelivelyenergyoflifeatthecoreofyourbeing.When you manifest simplicity in life like this, you experience a sublime

serenityandtranquility.Then,withinthistranquility,withonestepyourealizeaprofound stateofbeing that is completelybeyondanykindof idea. It enablesyou tobepresentwithcalmness,humility, and stability.At that time,youcanexperience pain directly and take care of it intellectually,without attaching toeitherempiricismorrationalism.Whateverproblemyouarefacing,ifyouhavethisattitudetowardyoursituation,youcantakecareofitwithacalmmind.

TrustinginSelfZenBuddhismisnotaphilosophylikerationalismorempiricism;Zenisactuallife.ButwhenyoustudyZen,sometimesitmayseemthatZendeniesthevalueofintellectualunderstandinganddependsonlyondirectexperience.For example, I’m always telling people how they can learn themeaning of

zazen meditation, but they won’t actually know what zazen is until theyexperienceit.SoafterItalk,finallyIhavetosay,“Pleasesitdownandpracticezazen.”Or I can explainwhatwater is, but to understandwater, you have todrink it.So I say,“Pleasedrinkacupofwater.”But thenpeople immediatelythinkZenmeans:don’t think—just sit, justdrink!That isnotZen. Ifyou livelikethis,yourlifeishippiestyle.InSanFranciscointhe1960sthereweremanyyoungpeoplecalledhippies.

OnedayIcameacrossahippie-styleZenstudentonatrainandaskedhimwherehewasheadingfor.Hesaid,“Idon’tknow;I just relyonmyfeet.”Well, thatwayoflifeseemstobefreedom,butIdon’tthinkitisfreedom.Itisconfusion.If you live in that way,maybe it’s because you think it’s not necessary to

makeanyeffort todeepenyour lifeorbuildupyour lifeforyourfutureorforthesakeof futuregenerations.Maybeyousay,“Idon’thave tocareabout thefuture;allIhavetodoisjustbepresentrighthere,rightnow.”Butactuallyyoucannotlivelikethat.Youcannotcontrolyourlifeaccordingtoideasofcaringornotcaring.Lifeiscompletelybeyondthat.DuringtheSecondWorldWar,Iwasahighschoolboysenttothesouthern

part of Japan to be an airplanemechanic in the army.The situation therewasterribleandalwayschangingveryrapidly.Ifyouthinkaboutit,evenalittlebit,yourealizethereisachanceyouwillhavetodie.SoIdidn’tthinkaboutthepastor the future; everyday I just thought, “Idon’t care.” Inotherwords, Ididn’tknowwhereIwasheading.ThenonedayIheardanairplanedropabigbomb.ImmediatelyIjumpedinto

aholeandchantedthenameofAmitabhaBuddha,askingforhelp.Inthatverymoment I did not actually live according to “I don’t care.” When the bombcame,Itriedtosavemylife.Sowhatismylife?Mylifeismylife,butmylifeisalsosomethingmore.Itissomethingbroad,somethingvastandalivebeyondmynarrow, egoistic ideas. This is the real reality of my existence. That’s reallywonderful!InSanFrancisco,when Iasked thestudent Imeton the trainwherehewas

heading, he said, “I don’t know. I just rely on my feet.” This is not a goodanswer.Ioftensay:whenthemorningcomes,justgetup.Butthat“justgetup”doesn’tmean you get up ignoring your future, your hope, your destination. Ifyoudon’thaveadestination,youcannotjustgetup.Ofcourseyoucangetupintheordinaryway,but ifyouwant togodeep intoyour lifeand learnwhoyoureally are, you should have a destination. You should know where you areheading.Ifso,whereyouareheading?Knowwhereyouareheadingbutdon’tattachtoyourdestination.Ifyouare

riding on a train, just be intimate with the train, with yourself, the otherpassengers, and all the circumstances around you. Then the big scale of selfappears.Bigselfisveryquiet.ButifIaskwhereyouareheading,youcansay,“Iamgoingtothezendo.”That’senough.Whydoyougetupinthemorning?“Iwanttodozazen.”Saying“Iwanttodozazen”isnotanidea;itisvividactivity.Youacceptthefeelingofsleepiness,youacceptyouremotionsthatarecreatinglotsofcomplaints,andthenyoujustgetup.That’senough.ThisisZenpractice.It’saverysimplepractice.Whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you do, your life is already

presentinrealreality.Thatisyourrealself,yourtrueself.Torealizethistruth,allyouhavetodoistakecareofyoursmall,noisyselfwithyourbig,quietself.Then,atthattime,yourlifeisverycalm,andyoucangetupinthemorningwithstabilityandimperturbability.Yourrealselfisalwayswithyou.Youcannotescapeit.Finallythisrealselfis

theonlythingthatyoucantrustin.IfyouwanttolearnwhathumanlifereallyisandknowthetruthofBuddha’steachings,thereisnootherwaythanstartingtolearnwhatthatselfis.Thisonethingthatyoucandependonissomethingyouhavetoresearch;youhavetounderstandwhatitis.Soinsteadofseeingyourlifeonlythroughyournarrowegoistictelescope,constantlykeepyoureyesopentoseeingwithabroaderperspective,evenifyoudon’tunderstanditexactly.Tofullyunderstandhumanlife,youhavetogodeepintoyouandseehuman

lifemoredeeply.Thedepthoflifeisyourdestination,butdon’tattachtoit.Justconstantlytrytodeepenyourlife.Thisisspirituallife.Throughspiritualpracticeyoucandeepenyourlife.Youcanreallyknowwhatisatthebottomofhumanlife. That is the teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha and the emphasis of ZenBuddhism.Solet’slearnwhoweare.

2STUDYINGTHESELF

ONEDAY,WHENIwastraininginJapan,IwasservingEkoHashimotoRoshianda group of seniormonks at Eiheijimonastery. Theywere talking about a bigceremonytobeheldonthesevenhundredthanniversaryofEiheiDogenZenji’sdeath.Theywerediscussing themeal:howmanypeople toexpect,howmuchfoodweshouldbuy,howthekitchenshouldbemanaged—thatsortofthing.Hashimoto Roshi started talking about something, but it was off the mark

because he was a very important roshi who spent all his time doing zazen,teaching, and guiding themonks. Another monk immediately told him, “Youdon’tunderstandhow thekitchen ismanaged, soyou should just keepquiet!”Hashimoto Roshi didn’t get angry at thatmonk; he just laughed, with a verydeep voice.His laughter didn’t disturb anybody; it created a very relaxed andharmoniousfeeling,andeveryoneelselaughedtoo.HashimotoRoshi’slaughcamefromverydeeppracticeonaneverydaybasis

—averysimple,quietpractice,notsomethingshowy.Topracticelikethisistomaketherootofyourlifestrong.Anindescribablefragrancecomesforthfromeveryporeofahumanbeingwhomanifeststhedeeprootoflifewiththehumanbody.Aninconceivablesmilecomesforth.WhenyouseeBuddharepresentedinastatue,thisisBuddha’ssmile.

FiveStagesofLearningIn ZenBuddhism, there are five stageswe go through to deepen our life andlearnwhoweare.Inthebeginning,weseeashallowpictureofhumanlife.Bylivingaccordingtoashallowwayofthinking,youcanbeverypractical,smart,andreasonable.Youcanmasterphilosophy,languages,orbecomeasuccessinbusiness.Youunderstandeverythingwithyourcommonsense,sopeoplerespectyou as a philosopher or businessman. But if you don’t understand the realsignificance of human life, people don’t respect you deeply, from the heart.There isnodepth,nocharmor fascinatingquality toyourpersonality, andno

oneisimpressedbyyourlife.But thenmaybe something happens. You sense there is somethingmore to

yourlife.Havingthatawarenessisaturningpoint,whichiscalledarousingtheway-seeking mind. This is the first stage. It leads you to go in a differentdirection because, once you have this awareness, you want something more.Thatisthesecondstage.Thesecondstageisyourway-seekingmindgivingyouanopportunity topractice.Soyou takeonestep inside thespiritualworld,andthatonesteptakesyousomewheredeeperthanwhatyouhaveknownbefore.Once you take that one step, you feel you have to keep going. So you

research,study,andcontinuetopractice.Thebuddhasandancestorshaveshownusthe topof themountain,soyounevergiveupuntilyoureachit.Whenyoureachthetop,thisisthethirdstage.Butafterreachingthetopofthemountain,youhavetocomebackdowninto

humansociety, forgetwhatyouhaveattained, and shareyour lifewithothers.Thatisthefourthstage.Thefourthstageisverydifficultbecausestillyouhaveselfish views.You realize howwonderful spiritual life is, and youwant otherpeople tobelieve in it.Consciouslyorunconsciously,you try togetpeople topayattentiontoyou.The more you are serious about spiritual life, the more you attach to your

intellectual understanding.Knowing something intellectually iswonderful, butthemoreyouputgainingknowledgefirst,themoreitisdifficulttoletgoofyourthoughts. The real truth of life is completely beyond your intellectualunderstanding, so put your understanding aside sometimes and just live withyourbesteffort.Ifyouwanttohelpothers,giveofyourlifefirst,beforegivingsomethingthathasadvancedinyourthoughts.It’sprettyhard toforgetyourselfand justhelppeople. It takes time to learn

thispractice.Butfinallyyoutouchthebottomofyourlife.Thisisthefinalstage.You forget yourself, and alsoyou completely forget that you are sharingyourlife. You just stand back and support people without expecting anything,sometimes with silence, sometimes with words, sometimes with actions,sometimes with a laugh. That is peace—real peace. Real peace is to becomeBuddha.

Dogen’sForgettingtheSelfEihei Dogen, the thirteenth-century founder of Soto Zen Buddhism in Japan,

made a famous statement about the self that is a key for understanding histhought and religion, and alsoBuddhist thought in general.DogenZenji says,verysimply,abouttheessenceofBuddhistpractice:

TostudytheBuddhawayistostudytheself,Tostudytheselfistoforgettheself,Toforgettheselfistobeconfirmedbyallbeings,Tobeconfirmedbyallbeingsis tobefreefromyourbodyandmindand

thebodyandmindofothers.

Thispassage inShobogenzoGenjokoan (The IssueatHand) capturesDogen’sbasicthoughtinaverycondensedway.It’sasimpleexplanationbutdifficulttounderstand because it’s very deep. If youwant to know the essential point ofBuddha’steaching,pleasekeepthissayinginmind.Dogen says that studying the Buddhaway is studying one’s self. This is a

common understanding, which is also found inWestern philosophy. Socratessaidyoushouldknowyourself.Ifyouwanttounderstandthehumanworld,youhavetoknowyou,becauseyouandtheworldarenotseparate.Then Dogen says that studying one’s self is forgetting the self. This is

characteristic of the Eastern way of thinking. If you want to know who youreally are, youhave to forget yourself.Manypeoplemisunderstand this point,thinkingitisapessimisticmessagethatmeansyoushouldignoreordestroytheexperience of individual self. No, it’s impossible to do that! Also, it doesn’tmean forgetting yourself in order to do something just as you like. Dogen’smeaningofforgettingtheselfistheteachingofrightunderstanding:thereisnoparticularsubstancecalledselfforyoutoattachto.Dogen’swayofforgettingtheselfistomergeintotherhythmoflifeitselfand

experiencetherealmeaningofexistence.Atthattimeyourealizeyourtrueself.Whenyoupassbyyoursmall,egoisticselfandpayattentiontothebigscaleofself,youfind thatyour life is supportedby thewholeworld.Thenyour life isvery broad. It contains all beings and influences all circumstances, impartingwonderfulfragranceseverywhere.

Nagarjuna:WhatIsIndividualSelf?The Indian philosopherNagarjuna—who founded theMadhyamika, orMiddle

Way,SchoolofBuddhisminthesecondcentury—particularlyemphasizedhowimportant it is to learnwhat the self is. It’s difficult to understandNagarjunabecause he always uses contradictory logic to make his point. He iscontradictorybecauseeverythingisconstantlychanging,sothere’snothingyoucanpindown.Wealwaystrytopindownwhatourselfis,butaccordingtoNagarjuna,there

isnothingyoucanattachtoasanindividualself.Nagarjunamakesthisargumentin theMadhyamikaShastra, chapter 18, “AnAnalysis of the IndividualSelf.”Herearethefirstfourverses,translatedbyFrederickStreng:

Iftheindividualself(ātma)wereidenticaltothe“groups”(skandha),thenitwouldpartakeoforiginationanddestruction.If[theindividualself]weredifferentfromthe“groups,”thenitwouldbewithoutthecharacteristicsofthe“groups.”

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Iftheindividualselfdoesnotexist,howthenwilltherebesomethingwhichis“myown”?Thereislackofpossessivenessandnoegoonaccountofthecessationofselfandthatwhichis“myown.”

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Hewhoiswithoutpossessivenessandwhohasnoego—Healsodoesnotexist.Whoeversees“hewhoiswithoutpossessiveness”or“hewhohasnoego”[really]doesnotsee.

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When“I”and“mine”havestopped,thenalsothereisnotanoutsidenoraninnerself.The“acquiring”[ofkarma](upadana)isstopped;onaccountofthatdestruction,thereisdestructionofveryexistence.

Self-ConsciousnessInthefirstverse,Nagarjunarepresentsindividualselfasatma.Atmaoratmanis

aSanskrittermthatappearsnotonlyinBuddhismbutalsoinIndianphilosophy.In Nagarjuna’s time, the Indian Sankhya philosophers understood atman as akindof a permanent entity, a soul or spirit that exists foreverwithout change.ButinBuddhism,atmanisoftentranslatedas“theself”or“individualself.”Inasense,atmanisego,ortheoriginalnatureofself-consciousness.Consciouslyorunconsciously,thereisalways“I.”Thisisyoursenseofbeing

anindividualself.Sothequestioninthefirstverseis:Howdoyouunderstandthis“I”?Whereisit?Wheredoesitcomefrom?Doesitcomefromsomedivineentity thatexists foreverwithoutchange, fromsomespecialplace likeheaven,whichisapartfromhumanlife,ordoesitcomefromthehumanbodyandmind?The“groups”arethefiveskandhas.AccordingtoearlyBuddhistteaching,the

skandhas are understood as five factors that constitute your human body andmind: form (rupa), feeling (vedana), perception (samja), impulses (samskara),andconsciousness (vijnana).Fiveskandhas isananalysisof thehumanworld,andit represents the truthof thehumanworld.Weexperience life throughourfive skandhas.We knowwhat truth is through our five skandhas. There is noexperiencingorknowinganythingwithoutthefiveskandhas.The five skandhas are the total picture of impermanence: human life exists

within a constant process of creation, destruction, and change. So if theindividualselfisidenticaltothefunctioningofthosefactorsofbodyandmind,thenitalsoissomethingthatisimpermanent.That’swhyNagarjunaarguedthatif atman is identical to the skandhas, thenatman is also impermanent, and theconceptofatmanasapermanententitydoesn’tmakesense.Ontheotherhand,iftheoriginalnatureoftheselfisasoulorspiritthatexists

foreverapartfromtheskandhas,thenitmustbesomethingdifferentfromhumanlife.If that isso, thenithasnocharacteristicbywhichitcanmanifest itself inthehumanworld. If it doesn’tmanifest itself, howcanweknow it exists?Noway! We cannot know because there is no way for us to experience orunderstand anything except through our five skandhas, so we cannot say itexists.

SelfDisappearsThesecondversesays,“Iftheindividualselfdoesnotexist,howthenwilltherebesomethingwhichis‘myown’?Thereislackofpossessivenessandnoegoonaccount of the cessation of the self and that which is ‘my own.’ ” Nagarjunasays,“Iftheindividualselfdoesnotexist”becauseinthefirstverseheshowed

thateventhoughwealwaysemphasize“I,”actuallythereisnothingwecanpindownaboutwhattheindividualselfisorwhereitcomesfrom.Hereheasks:iftheindividualselfdoesn’texist,thenhowcantherebesomethingattachedtoitas“myown”?Incommonsense, thereare twoways tounderstandsomething:asa subject

and as an object.A subject exists first andmakes it possible for an object toexist.“I”asmysubjectalwayscomesfirst,andthenIcanrecognizeanobjectasmineoryours.Wecanprovewhattheobjectisbywhatthesubjectisbecausewehavelogic.Butwhatmakesitpossibleforthesubject“I”toexist?Wetrytounderstandit logically,butthereisnoway.Wedon’tknowwhatthe“I”is,sofinallythe“I”disappears.Ifthesubjectdisappears,verynaturallyitsobjectalsodisappears.Finally,silence—there’snothingtosay.Thethirdversesaysthatforthepersonwhoiswithoutpossessivenessandhas

noego, the “I”doesn’t exist.Whateveryoumaydo,byyourphysical activityandmental concentrationyou canbecomeonewithyour object. For example,whenyouconcentrateontheactivityofbreathinginzazen,youcanbecomeonewithyourconcentration.Whenthereisnozazentobeseenasyourobjectandnosubjectcalled“I”todotheseeing,thereisjustthepureactivityofzazen.Thisiscalledshikantaza.At that time, ifyoudon’tstart to think,“Iamconcentratingperfectly,” then

your sense of individual self will completely drop off, leaving only your realself.Buthumanbeingsalways think,“Iam,”becausewewant togetproofofour existence. This is a problem for us. If you have started to think, “I amconcentrating perfectly,” then your concentration has already stopped, yourindividualselfexistsagain,andyoudon’tseeyourrealself.

OnenessandDualityIn the fourth verse, Nagarjuna says that when ideas of subject and objectcompletelystop,thereisoneness.Doesthisonenessexistoutsideorinsideoftheself?Youcannotsay,becauseinonenessthereisnosenseofeitheranouterorinner self. If you really become one with concentration in zazen, who isconcentrating?You cannot say, becausewhenyour thinking completely stops,thereisnoconsciousnessofbeingapersonwhoismeditating; thereis just thepureactivityofzazen.Butthenyourdualistichumanconsciousnesstriestocatchthatexperienceof

oneness. We are human beings—our conscious minds always want to get

something,toknowsomething.Thatiscalledgrasping.InthetwelvefoldchainofconditionedarisingtaughtbyShakyamuniBuddha,graspingorattachmentisupadana, the ninth link,which is the “acquiring of karma.” ThenNagarjuna’s“veryexistence”isbeing,thetenthlink,whichiscalledbhava.Inotherwords,somethingcomesintoexistencebythefunctioningofkarma.Thatisbirth,beingpresent,oryourlife.Ifgraspingisstopped,thenimmediatelythereisalsodestructionofyourvery

existence. But then grasping always appears again. It’s just like a flickeringlight.Something isalwaysgrabbing theattentionofyourconsciousmindwithprosandcons,goodandbad,rightandwrong.Nomatterhowlongyoupracticezazen,theinsideofyourmindstillshowsyouthatflickeringlight.Themoreyoupractice,themoreyourealizethis.Ialwaystellyou,whendeathcomes,justbeonewithdeath.Justdie.That’sa

verysimplepractice,butit’snotsoeasy.Youmaysay,“Iamreadytodie.”Butareyousure?Ifyouaskme,“Areyousureyouwilldiepeacefully?”Yes,Iam.Butontheotherhand,no,I’mnot.Asawholethere’snothingtosaybecause,well,howdoyouknow?Wearealwaystryingtopinthingsdownbygrasping.We want to hold on to something true that gives us security. But truth isn’tunderstoodassomethingabsolutethatneverchanges.Wecannotsaywhattruthexactlyis;truthisjustchange.

ProvisionalSelfInBuddhismwesayallthingsareemptybecausetheyareimpermanent.Butinourdailyliving,wecanseethingsthatoccupyaportionoftimeandspace.Sotoexplainthis,wesaythereisaprovisionalstateofbeingthatexiststemporarily.A provisional being is something that exists but not in a fixed place; it existsright in themiddleofchange.Within impermanence there isan individualselfthatexistsrighthere,rightnow,somethingrealthatyoucanseeandfeel,butwedon’tacceptthatthereisanindividualself(atman)thatexistsforever.Your individual self is a provisional being. It exists provisionally or

temporarilybecauseitexistsforexactlyonemomentandthendisappears.Inthenext moment a new self appears. Your individual self is always moving andchangingbasedonthefunctioningofcountlesscausesandconditions.Sothereisnothingpermanentforyoutoattachtoandnowaytosaywhetheritexistsordoesnotexist.That’swhyNagarjunausescontradictorylogicandsaysthereisnoindividualself.

Evenso, ifyouwant tounderstandtheselfas it really is,youcannot ignorethe provisional self. We have to understand what it is. How can we know?Reflect on yourself. Study and penetrate yourself, very deeply. Use yourprovisionalselftopracticeno-self(anatman)andthenseeyourprovisionalselfwithBuddha’seye.

3TIMEANDSPACE

SCIENTISTSAREVERY interested inunderstandingblackholes.Youmaysay,“Idon’t care about black holes.” But watch out! Sooner or later everything issucked into a black hole. You cannot ignore this. In the Midwest we havetornadoes,cyclones that suckeverythingup into thesky.Wheredo theycomefrom?A tornado is produced by countless conditions in the sky.When thoseconditionscometogether,theycreateenergyandahugewhirlforms.Soonerorlater that huge whirl touches down on the ground, sucks everything up, andscattersitintospace.Youcannotignorethis.Blackholesandtornadoeshavehugepowerbecausetheyarenothingbutthe

functioningoflifeenergy.Thisenergyisnotadivinityorsomethingalmighty.Itis real reality. Real reality is just activity, function, or movement—the livelyenergyoflifeitself.ThisuniversalenergyisthepointthatBuddhismisalwaysinterestedin.

TheIntersectionofTimeandSpaceIn Buddhism, we say that everything is the lively energy of life. When thatuniversal energy touches down at the intersection of time and space, ittemporarilyappearsas form: the formofahumanbeing, the formofa tree, abird,orapebble.Sopebblespossessa strongpower, treesarepowerful,birdsarepowerful,andhumanbeingsarepowerful.Allbeingsarepowerfulbecausetheyarenothingbutthelivelyenergyoflife.Ifeverythingisthelivelyenergyoflife,what’sthedifferencebetweenbirds

andhumanbeings?Theirwayofusingenergyinonemomentoftimeandthenscatteringitbackintospaceisdifferent.YouandIhavethesamelivelyenergyoflife,butKatagiriiscompletelydifferentfromyou.Thisdifferenceisnothingbut the way we express the lively energy of life after touching down at theintersectionoftimeandspace.Eachoneofusisaparticularbeingwhoislocatedattheintersectionoftime

andspace.Theintersectionoftimeandspaceistheplacewhereyoureallyexist.Allbeingsexistbybeingrighthere,rightnow.Ifyouunderstandtimeandspace,then you can understand real reality, the place where time and space areperfectlyunified.Solet’sseethemeaningoftimeandspace.Timeistheaspectofyourexistencethatisbasedonthetimeprocess.Inthe

time process as a human being, first you see something with your consciousmind, and then you recognize that it exists. When you see a flower and say“flower,” you are thinking; you are recognizing that the flower exists as anobject separate from you. Everybody experiences their own life through thisdualistic mental process. You cannot escape this function of your humanconsciousness. If you didn’t have a consciousmind, you could not see, hear,touch,taste,feel,orthink;youcouldnotunderstandanythingatall.Intherealmoftime,everythingexistsseparatelyfromeverythingelse.So,for

example, I am an individual human being called Dainin Katagiri. Katagiri isKatagiri; Katagiri is not you. If I don’t mentally recognize this separation, IcannotrealizethatIexistasapersoncalledKatagiri.Butpriortothefunctioningofmyconsciousness,beforeIthinkandrecognizemyownindividualexistence,somethingalreadyexists.

SinceIwouldnotbeabletothinkaboutmyselfifmylifedidn’talreadyexist,thefactthatIamthinkingisproofofmyexistence.ThatiswhyDescartessaid:Iamthinking,thereforeIexist.IamsurethatKatagiriexistsbecauseKatagiriisthinking.But this individualself that I recognize isnotmyrealexistence; it isonlysomethingtemporarilyrunningthroughmyconsciousmindintherealmoftime.Theoriginal,purenatureofmyexistenceistherealmofspace.Intherealmofspace,thingsarenotseparateandindependent;allbeingsare

interconnected.We are interrelating and interpenetratingwith each other frommoment tomomentatsuperspeed.That’swhywedon’tknowexactlyhowweexist. This spatial aspect of life is the original, pure nature of existence.Technically we call it buddha-nature. In Buddhist philosophy it is calledemptiness.Zenisparticularlyinterestedinthisaspectoflife.IntheBlueCliffRecordcase46,whentheZenmasterhearsraindrops,heasks

a monk, “What is the sound outside?” The monk says, “It is the sound ofraindrops.”So theZenmaster says, “Iwonder ifmost peoplemake amistakeunderstandingtheraindrop.”Becauseifyousayit’sthesoundofaraindrop,it’snot the pure nature of sound; it’s something running through your noisyconsciousmind.Then the monk asks, “How about you?” In other words, how do you

understandtheraindropsound?TheZenmastersaid,“Ialmostmakeamistake.”Ifyoutrytosaywhatthepurenatureofasoundis,youalwaysmakeamistakebecausepurenatureisnotsomethingyourecognizewithyourconsciousmind.TheZenmasteralmostmadeamistake,buthedidn’t,sotherewasnomistake.“Almost”meansthatthepurenatureofaraindrop’ssoundandtheZenmaster’sown pure nature are not separated; their pure natures are interconnected. Thiscaseshowsthetwoaspectstoyourexistence.Inspaceyoucannotsaywhoyouare,butintimeyoursensesfunctionandyou

can recognize yourself. If you want to understand your life, you have tounderstandboth: thepractical, impermanent realmof the timeprocess and theinterconnected,eternalrealmofspace.Thenyoucanunderstandtheplacewherethosetwoaspectsoflifeareunified.Thatistheintersectionoftimeandspace.At the intersection of time and space, everything exists separately and

everything exists interconnected. That is the pivotal point where the incipientmomentisfunctioning.Thisverymomentistheplacewhereyouarefullyaliveas you really are: you are individual you in time and your existence isinterrelatedwithallbeingsinspace.Soyouareyou,andsimultaneouslyyouare

notyou.Thisisreality.Itseemstobecontradictory,butweliveinthatreality.Youareconnectedwiththewholeuniverse—youcannotescape.That’swhy,asclearaswecan,wehavetounderstandtherealitywearepresentin.

TakingCareofEverydayLifeYour lifepossessesavery strongpowerbecause it is the livelyenergyof life.Thatenergyisalwayspresentinyourlife.Youcandependonit,butthatdoesn’tmeanyoucanuseittobuildupyourego.Howtoexpressyourenergyinyourdailylifeisalwaysaquestion.Wehavetobecareful.Whateverwemaydo,wehavetofindthebestwaytoliveinthehumanworldbyexpressingtheenergyoflife in a concrete way. How? Take care of yourself and simultaneously don’tattachtoyourselftoomuch.Youcannotignoreyourexistenceintherealmoftime.Youhavetoliveasan

individualpersonand takecareofyour life inapracticalway.Theproblemisthatwearealwayslookingatourlifeonlyintermsofthetimeprocess.We’reattachedtobeingseparatefromothersandhavingourownideasandopinions.Thisisaproblembecauseyoudonotliveonlybyyourowneffort.Withouttheeffortofmyriadotherbeingssupportingyour life,youwoulddie.Soyoualsocannotignoreyourexistenceintherealmofspace.In the realm of space, your life is nothing but the lively energy of life,

interconnectingwitheverything.Soyouarenotyou;youareallsentientbeings—allthatexists,animateandinanimate.Eventhoughyouareonesmallbeing,thisonebeingisproducedbymanythings.Thatisthebigscaleofyourbeing.Youcantrust in thebigscaleofyour life,butyoucannotalwayslivethere.Ifyoutrytostayinspace,yourindividuallifeiscompletelyupintheair.Youareabeingwhoisalsopresentinthetimeprocess.Socomedowntotheearthandexpressthisenergyinyourdailylife.In daily life, there is no reasonwhy you have to attach to yourself or your

ideas toomuch.Youareyou in time,but simultaneously in spaceyouarenotyoubecauseyouexistwithallsentientbeings.Eventhoughyouareexactlyyou,still, wherever you go you are interconnected with others. So let go of yourstrong attachment to your individual self enough to see how your own life issupportedbyothers’lives.Lettinggodoesn’tmeantoignoreyourhumanlife.No,youhavetotakegood

care of your life.But, asmuch as possible, let go of your attachment to self-

centeredideasandjustpassthemby.Passingbymeanstokeepthebigscaleofyourlifewarminyourheartandpolishit.Polishingitmeansopeningyourlifetoeverybody.Openyourunderstanding,youropinions,youremotions,andlet’slivewithallsentientbeings.Forexample,whenyoucookameal,avegetable is separate fromyou.You

areyouandvegetableisvegetable.Butontheotherhand,allsentientbeingsaresupportedby the livelyenergyof life.Thegreatenergy that supportsyour lifealsosupportsthevegetable’slife,sothevegetableandyouareinterconnected.Ifyouopenyourselftothevegetable,youcangetintothevegetable’slife,andthevegetablecancomeintoyourlife.Thenyouandthevegetablecancommunicate.Whenyouseethevegetableasanexpressionoftheuniversalenergyinhering

ineverything,thereisakindofinspirationthatgoesinandoutbetweenyouandthe universe. That spiritual communion is called kanno-doko. Kan means“receive”or“feel,”nois“respond,”dois“path”or“way,”kois“crossing.”Youcannotexplainit,butyoufeelgood.Immediatelyyoufeelwhatyoureallyare.Then,whenyou look at a vegetable, you seemanybeings in the realmof thevegetable’slife.Thatisthereallifeofthevegetable—Buddha’slife,wesay.Butifyourecognizethatcommunicationdualistically,immediatelyyouattach

toit.Intermsoftimemaybeyouthink:“Ididit!Ihadverygoodcommunicationwith the vegetable. I did something good!” Or, in terms of space, you try tocreatebeauty,soyoustarttalkingtovegetables:“Hi,vegetables.Howareyou?Iamtakingcareofyouwiththecompassionofabuddha.”Well,that’sbeautiful,but inactualpractice, there’snotenoughtime tohaveaconversation like this.Soforgetyourthinking.Calmdownandkeepyourmouthshut.In the realm of time, you cannot see the energy inhering in a vegetable

directly,butstillyoucantakecareofitinaconcreteway.How?Verysimple:deal with a vegetable with warm-heartedness, expressing the lively energy ofyour lifeand respecting the livelyenergy thevegetablealsopossesses.Acceptthatavegetable isBuddha; thenopenyourselfandextendyour life towardthevegetable’slife.Justwalkwithit.Verynaturallyyouhandlethevegetablewithcompassionateattention.ThisisverysimpleZenpractice.Ifyou thinkof thispracticewith the frontal lobeofhumanknowledge,you

don’tbelieveit,becausehumanknowledgecannotseethepanoramapictureofone life working with the universal life of all sentient beings. So relax yourfrontallobe,andjusttakecareofyourdailyliving.Even if you don’t understand Zen teaching intellectually, still you can pay

kind,compassionateattentiontothethingsaroundyou.Payattentiontoothers,notjustyourself.Thisisthepracticeofegolessness.Itisapracticalwaytoliveeveryday.Soonerorlateryouwilltastethelivelyenergyoflife.

BeingPresentHumanbeingsalwaysexpecttogetaresultfromoureffort.Sowhenyoustarttopractice Zen, youmay think that experiencing enlightenment in zazen is yourobjective, something foryou toachieve. Ifyouseezazen in thatway,youareseeingitonlywithyourdiscriminatingconsciousness.Inrealzazenthereisnoexpectation; you are simply alive. You return to the original, fundamentalactivity of life; your zazen communicateswith everything, and you feel good,youfeelpeaceful,youfeelsatisfied.Ialwayssay,“Justbepresent!”Yourlifeissupportedbyalllivingbeings,so

justbethere.Justsitrightinthemiddleofzazenthatisexpressingaliveness:theoriginalenergyinheringinyou,raindrops,trees,birds,andallbeings.Thenyouareapersonwhoishumbleandverygentle,soft,open-minded,magnanimous,andcompassionate.The intersectionof timeandspace is theuniqueplace foryou tobepresent

andaliveasyoureallyare.Butit’sprettyhardtobethere.Wedon’treallyknowhowtodealwiththehugeenergiesarisingthere.Still,ifyouseekacalmmind,theimportantpointtolearnistheexact,precisepointwhereyoumanifestyourown life and simultaneously the life of the whole universe. That is why wepractice zazen. In zazen, as simple aswe can,we try to just be present at theintersectionwherethisverymomentisfunctioning.At that time, in that place, there is no way to analyze zazen as something

separatefromyou.Allyoucandoisjustbeonewithzazenastherhythmoflifeandcommunicatedirectlywith zazenusingyourwholebodyandmind.Then,through your skin, muscle, and bone, zazen teaches you the pure nature ofhuman activity. Sitting right in the middle of the original, lively quality ofhuman life is called shikantaza. Zazen as shikantaza is nothing but dynamicfunctionandmovement.That’sall!Thereisnothingelse.Whenyou seeyour life in termsof thehumanworld and simultaneously in

terms of real reality, many possibilities come up. Each moment is a uniqueopportunity for you to create your life anew.The time and space ofwhateveryou do—saying “goodmorning,” having ameal together, or sitting zazen—is

theprecisepointwhereyoudigestthelifeofallsentientbeingsandcreatenewlife.Thisisourpracticeeveryday.Itisalsothepracticeofthewholeuniverse.

4LIGHTOFTHESELF

BUDDHA’STEACHINGconstantlytellsushowsublimehumanlifeisandhowgreatourhumancapacityis.InBuddhism,thisgreatcapacityiscalledlight.Eachandeveryoneofushas this light.Whenyou lookatyour lifeandseehowselfishand egoistic human beings are, you don’t believe you have a great sublimecapacity.Butyoudon’tdiscoveryourgreatcapacitybyevaluatingandjudgingyour human value. If you are thinking in that way, you have already shutyourselfofffromthatlight.Don’tjudgeyourselfasselfishoregoisticonly.Youaresomethingmore.So

whateveryouthinkaboutyourlife,firstacceptyourselfasapersonwhohasagreatcapacity.Then,inwhateversituationyoumaybe,calmyourmindandtakecareofyourlifepositively.Ifyougetangry,trytocalmyourmind,evenifyouarejustpretending.Youmaysaythatpretendingtobecalmisnotrealistic,buttrytocalmdownanyway.Thatisnotsoeasyforus,particularlyunderdifficultcircumstances.Butstill,whateverhappens,youcanstop,openyourself,andtrytoseethewholesituation.Thenyoucanlearnalot.

TheWholeWorldintheTenDirectionsYou have a sublime capacity to understand your life. That capacity is calledlight, but it is completely beyond any intellectual understanding ofwhat yourhuman capacity is. Beyond your human speculation, you are already greatbecausewhateveryoumaydo,whereveryoumaybe,lightisworkingwithyou.Thisiscalledthelightoftheself.In Shobogenzo Jippo (The Ten Directions) Dogen mentions a saying by

ChineseZenmasterChosaKeishin(ChangshaJingcen,788–868).Hesays,“Thewholeworldinthetendirectionsisthelightoftheself.Thewholeworldinthetendirections iswithin the lightof theself.”Thissayingseems topresent twodifferentideas,butactuallyitisonepictureseenfromtwoangles.The Buddhist term “ten directions” represents the entire universe—eight

compassdirections,above,andbelow—butit impliessomethingmorethantheordinaryconceptoftheuniverse.Theordinaryideaisthatwhenyouwereborn,theuniversewasalreadyhere.Youarebornintothisworld,andthenyoutrytounderstandit.But if you try to understand the meaning of “the whole world in the ten

directions”intheordinaryway,youwillneverunderstanditbecauseyouwerenotbornintoaworldthatwasalreadyhere:youandthewholeworldwereborntogether.Youwerebornsimultaneouslywithmountains, rivers, and thewholeuniverse.ThatistheBuddhistteachingofinterdependentco-origination.A mountain appears to be very stable, but actually a mountain is moving.

Mountainsarealivebecausemountainsareconstantlyintheprocessofbirth.Ifyou understand a mountain in that way, you understand that your life issimultaneouslythere.Day by day, from moment to moment, your life exactly coexists with

mountainsand rivers;youcannotbeseparated.This isyoureveryday life.Wethink we know pretty well what everyday life is. But in the deeper sense,“everyday life” is the great source of the flow of life energy, digestingeverythingandproducingnewlife.In Shobogenzo Shinjin-gakudo (Body andMind Study of theWay) Dogen

says:

Everydaymind is always every day, throughout thisworld and the otherworld.Yesterdayleftfromthat,todaycomesfromthatplace.Whenyougo,thewholeworldgoes.Whenyoucome,thewholeearthcomes.Thegateofthis everydayness is opening and closing at the moment, the gates ofmyriad,myriadbeingsareopeningandclosingatthemoment.

IfyoureadthisstatementinJapanese,it’sverybeautiful.WhenItranslateitintoEnglish, maybe it’s not so beautiful. But, behind the words, please try tounderstandthateverydaynessissomethingexistingwithallsentientbeings;itispresentwiththevastcosmicuniverse.DogenZenji isdifficult tounderstandbecauseheuseswords to express the

onenessofthewholeuniverse.Still,evenifyoudon’tunderstandexactly,whenyoureadthisstatement,somethingappearsthroughthewords,andyouarereallycapturedbyDogen’sbeautifulstatement.Everyday, frommoment tomoment, thewholeworld arises like images in

bas-reliefsculpture.Ifyoucalmthefunctioningofyourconsciousness,youcanactuallyseeimagescomingupfromthebackgroundofspace.It’slikewatchingadance—somethingisconstantlymoving.InTheTaoofPhysics,FritjofCaprarecognizes that activity as Shiva’s dance, the cosmic dance of creation anddestruction.InBuddhismwesayitisthecontinuousstreamoflifeenergy,anditiscalledcontinuouspractice.Intherealmofcontinuouspracticethereisagreatopportunity-youcanseethe

universecomingupasonewhole.It’sjustlikeatelevision.Pushthebutton,andthemyriadbeingsexistinginthevastexpanseoftheuniverseimmediatelycomeintoonescreen.Thatonescreeniscalledtheself.Whatisthisself?Isityoursmall,egoisticself?Canyousayyesorno?The

self is a picture of the whole world coming up, but it’s completely free.Sometimes it appears as your individual self. Sometimes it appears as trees,birds,orpebbles.Sometimesitappearsasvastspace.Thisisthetruepictureofthegreatselfyoualreadyhave.Yourtrueselfisnotsomethingseparatedfromothers;itisinterconnectedand

constantly working with others.Where? Not in your own small territory, it’sworkinginthehugeuniverse!InJapanese,thatworkingiscalledkomyo—light.Thefunctioningenergyofthewholeworldisthelightoftheself.Becauselightisworkingfrommomenttomoment,thewholeworldconstantlymanifestsitselfasthehumanworld.Atthattime,thewholeworldiswithinthelightoftheself.Light of the self is something you can know because that energy is always

movingandactinginyourownlife.Usuallyyouarenotawareofit,butit’strue—youcan taste this.Youcanactually realize thedynamicfunctioningofyourown life.Whenyou sitdownonyourcushion, thewholevastuniversecomesintoyouasyourbody,yourmind,thecontentsofyourlife,andyoucantastethedepthofhumanlife.Thenyoucanstandupthereandtakecareofeverydaylifeasitreallyis.Sopleaseacceptyourlifeasthewholeworld,andtakegoodcareofyourlife.

Dogen’sEyeballandNoseDogensayssomethingveryinterestingaboutthelightoftheself.Idon’tknowifmytranslationisrightorwrong,butinShobogenzoJippohesays,“Itisasinglesheetwith the eye and its cornea.”That’s pretty interestingbut not so easy tounderstand. Inyoureyeball, thecorneacovers the lens. It’s transparent soyou

don’tseeit.WhenIsaythatthecorneacoversthelens,Ihavealreadyseparatedthecorneafromthelens.Butisthereanyspacebetweenthecorneaandthelens?No,thereisnogap.Whenyoureyeballisfunctioningintheproperway,thosetwo things are working together as one. If you have some space there, that’stroubleforyou.Pleaseseeadoctor.When Dogen Zenji says light of the self means no gap between eye and

cornea, hemeans there is no gap between you as your subject, “I,” and yourobject,whateveritis.Wordsalwayscreateagapbetweenthings,butsubjectandobjectarenotactuallyseparate:theyareinterconnected.Yourlifeandthewholeworldarealwaysworkingtogetherasonedynamicfunctioning.Soselfandthewholeworldarenotseparated;theyarethesame.Whateveryoudo,youalwaysdoitwiththewholeworld.Dogen also says, “The whole world is one’s nostrils prior to the parents’

birth.” This is very strange, so what does it mean? The world prior to ourparents’ birth is unknown for us, so this saying implies the whole worldthroughoutthepast,present,andfuture.Wedon’tknowwhatthathugeworldisexactly because it’s too vast, too eternal to know.But even though you don’tknow, here are your nostrils! In otherwords, right now, right here, that hugeworldisyournose.Thisistherealexistenceofyournose.Whenmynoseappears,itisthewholeuniverse.How?Idon’tknow.ButifI

acceptthatthewholeuniverseisconstantlyintheprocessofbirth,thenmynoseis also coming up frommoment tomoment.My nose appears as a particularbeingbecausethewholeworldisfunctioningasonebeing.SothroughmynoseIcanunderstandtheuniversethatsometimesappearsastimeandsometimesasspace. Through your nose you can learn a lot; you can know many beingsbecause each and every being is exactly the whole world. In Buddhism, weaccepteveryaspectofhumanlifelikethis.

TotalDynamicActivityWhyareyoualive?Whatmakesyour life continue? Is it byyourowneffort?Well,ofcourseyoucansayso,becauseyoucannotignoremakinganefforttolive every day. But there is something more than that. You survive becausesomething real is working every day. Your life is moving with the wholeuniverse.Thatmovementhasnocolors,noflavors,nothing,butitappearstoyouundercertaincircumstances.Forexample,whenyoudancewholeheartedly,you

canfeelthatenergycomingup.When you see this energy in terms of your own life, it is called individual

effort.Beforethat,ithasnoname;itisjustdynamism.Ifwegiveanametoit,thismovementoflifeiscalledgreateffortoruniversaleffort.Universaleffortistherefirst,andthenitappearsinvariousaspectsofyourlifeasyourindividualeffort.Weusethetermsuniversaleffortandindividualeffort,butactuallythereisno

gapbetween them.You takecareofuniversal effortbyyour individual effort.It’s a little difficult to do this becausewe are always critical toward our owneffort.Weattachtogettingacertainresultfromoureffort.Thenwejudgeitinterms of ideas and emotions connected with our heredity, education,consciousness, andmemories coming from the past, so it’s very complicated.Universal effort is very simple. That’s whywe try to understand our lives intermsoftheuniversalperspective.How?Whenyouwashyourface,acceptwashingasuniversaleffort first,and then

make your own individual effort.Dealwith everything—your face, thewater,yourpostureofstandinginfrontofthebasin—asuniversalactivity.Throughtheactionsofwashingyourface,youcangobeyondyourusualunderstandingandexperience the pure nature of washing your face. This is the realm of totaldynamicaction.Rightinthemiddleoftakinggoodcareofyourindividualeffortasuniversaleffort, thewholeworldcomes intoonescreen.Thatone screen isthebigpictureofyourlife.Whenyouseethatlivingscreen,youcanlearnwhoyoureallyare.Whatmakesitpossibleforthewholeworldtocomeintoonescreen?Itisby

yourownacting.Whenyouactwithsincerityandawarmheart,thereisagreatopportunity,averysubtleopportunity, toinvitethewholeworldintoyourlife.Thatiswonderful,butifyoumisunderstandacting,itisverydangerous.Theusualmeaningofhumanaction isdangerousbecausewhenweactonly

onthebasisofindividualdesires,customs,lifestyles,orheredity,wearealwayscreating problems. That’s why people are afraid to act, why people want towithdrawfromtheworldandbequiet.Still,whereveryoumaygo,whateveryoudo,evenwhenyouareasleep,youneverstopacting.Nothingstopsyouracting,soyouractivitymustberefined.Inrefinedhumanactivity,yourwholebodyisindynamism,butyourmindis

quiet and calm. At that time, no words are interposed between you and theuniverse, so your idea of a separate self disappears. If your idea of self

disappears, is there no-self? Yes, that is true. You are walking in the vastexpanse of the universe—with people, animals, mountains, the sky, the fourseasons,space—andthereisnogapanywhere.Atthattimeyourealizethebigpictureofyourlifeandyourgreatsublimecapacity.

MovingfromDoubttoWisdomandCompassion

In Buddhism, we try to be straightforward toward our great capacity, livewholeheartedlywith sincerity, anddisplayour light ineveryday lifeasbestaswe can. But maybe you are skeptical of this capacity, so your mind doesn’tacceptit.Maybeyouunderstanditintellectually,butyourbodydoesn’tacceptit.Thatskepticismiscalleddoubt.For example, when I answer some question, you say, “Yes, Katagiri, I

understandwhatyou said,” thenyou say“but”andwant to talkabout it somemore.Wheredoesthat“but”comefrom?Itcomesfromagapbetweenyouandyourobject.Wearealwaystalkingaboutthisgapandhowtofillitup.That’sallright;talkingisthenatureofhumanbeings.Discussionisinterestingforus.Butif you are always talking, you never know real reality. Finally you becomeexhausted.Beforeyouaskaquestion,youarealreadyhere;youarealreadyalive.Sohow

do you live right now? Buddhism teaches us how to straightforwardly accepthowsublimehumanlifeis.ThatistheactivityofBuddhistpractice.Whenyoutouchyourrealself,youexperiencedeepcommunicationbetween

you and the object of your practice, whatever it is. Then you can acceptsomethingtotallyanddealwithitstraightforwardlywithoutcreatinganygap.Sokeep yourmouth shut, calm yourmind, and just be present in the continuousstreamoflifeenergy.The Buddhist understanding of the self or the whole world seems to be

abstract, but it is not abstract.You can really see and touch the self.You canlearn that thewholeworld in the ten directions is the light of the self. How?Action! Try to remember this. In the dynamic activity of your practice,something happens that you have never expected. You can learn somethinggreat.Thatiscalledwisdom.Wisdomisadeepunderstandingofyourselfandthewholeworldaroundyou,

notonlywhat’son thesurfaceof life.Withwisdom,youunderstand thatyourown life is simultaneously the whole world in the ten directions. Thencompassion comes up, and you accept others with magnanimousopenheartedness.Compassionmakesyougenerous,andthroughthisgenerosityyoucanlivewithpeople;youcantakeabreathwithpeople.True compassionate action is based on wisdom, so when you express

compassion,itshouldbebasedondeepunderstanding.Ifyouusetheworldjustforyourownlife,itbecomesstinkyandpeopledon’tlikeyou;theykeepawayfromyou.But ifyouactwith thewholeworld, lightappears inyoureverydaylife. Then, very naturally, your compassion is transmitted to somebody else.People feel this. People understand. You cannot perceive it, but peopleimmediatelyreceivethiswarmcommunication.It’sjustlikelightning.

5EVERYONEHASALIGHT

THEBLUECLIFFRECORD isacollectionofoldZenteachingstoriesfromChina,compiled in the twelfth century.When you study a teaching such as theBlueCliffRecord,whatisthepointyouhavetolearn?Isittogetknowledge?Yes,itis,butalsoitisnot,becausetheoriginalnatureofyourlifeisnotsomethingyoucanfullyunderstandbyideas.Ifyoutrytofillyourlifejustfromthetop,bygainingknowledge,thenyour

headisverybig.Buttheknowledgeyougainishardtocarrybecauseit’sprettyheavy.Itmakesyourheadspin,andit’seasytoloseyourbalance.KnowledgeofBuddhismisalwaysbotheringyoubecause thecontainer isbottomless, soyoucan never get enough. Finally everything turns into suffering, and there isnothingtoencourageyou.Does thatmeanyoushouldstop thinkingandstudying?Noway!Youarea

humanbeing; you have to think.Thinking is pretty good for us.But don’t beboggeddownwiththinking.Don’tmakeyourheadache.Ifyourheadbeginstoache, stop thinkingand takecareofyourself.Sooneror lateryouwillhave tothinkagain.Atthattime,pleasethinkwithkindness,withfriendliness.InZen,westudyand try tounderstandBuddha’s teaching intellectually;we

also practice and try to understand in a deeper way. In this way, instead ofthinkingandcreatingdelusions,youcanuse thinking tocalmdownand touchsomething deep in your life. When you touch it, your life is filled from thebottomup,andyoubecomemature.

TheBlueCliffRecord,Case86Thetitleofcase86intheBlueCliffRecordis“YunMen’sKitchenPantryandMainGate.”Thiscaseisaboutyourgreat,sublimecapacitycalledlight.DogenwasveryinterestedinthiscaseandmentioneditinShobogenzoKomyo(Light).Hereisthemainstory,translatedbyThomasClearyandJ.C.Cleary:

YunMen imparted somewords saying, “Everyonehas a light;whenyoulook at it, you don’t see it and it’s dark and dim. What is everybody’slight?”Hehimself answeredon their behalf, “Thekitchenpantry and themaingate.”Healsosaid,“Agoodthingisn’tasgoodasnothing.”

WenYen ofYunMenwas an important teacherwho died in 949 in southernChina.Inthisstory,YunMenasksthemonks,“Whatiseverybody’slight?”Andthenheanswershisownquestion.Accordingtohisanswer,lightisthekitchenpantryand themaingateof the temple.But it couldbeyournose,yourbody,yourhouse,yourjob,oryoureverydayroutinebecauselightmanifestsineveryaspectofyourlife.That iswonderful,butontheotherhandYunMenalsosays,“Agoodthing

isn’tasgoodasnothing.”Hesayssobecause ifyouthinkthateveryaspectofyourlifeisalreadymanifestinglight,youcaneasilygetstuckineverydaylife.Then you ask: if my everyday life is already great light, why do I have topractice zazen? The moment you ask, you are already stuck. Even whensomething is good, if you get stuck in your idea of good, you are choked bygood.Finallyyoudon’tknowwhatgoodis.Thengoodturnsintosomehumanproblem.For instance, ifyouworkhardandcreateabeautiful life,youmayattach to

yourlife.Youbelieveyouarewonderful:nooneelsecoulddowhatIdid!Thenyou become critical toward others.We are alwaysmeasuring, comparing, andevaluatingourselvesandotherslikethis.Butifyouarethinkinginthatway,youarealreadystuck inaconceptofyourgreatcapacity,andyoucannotmoveaninch.It’sthesamewithspiritualpractice.Ifyouseesomethingwonderfulthrough

yourpractice,youmayattachtowhatyouhaveseenbecauseitwasavaluableexperience for you. But when you are caught by the idea of what youexperienced,itbecomesaproblemforyou.That’swhyYunMensays,“Agoodthingisn’tasgoodasnothing.”Lightistheoriginalnatureofyourlife.Everyonehasthatlight.Itisthecore

ofyourpersonalitythatBuddhismisalwaystalkingabout.Butit’sverydifficultto know what it is because light is nothing but energy, motion, or dynamicfunctioning; your consciousmind can never pick up anything in particular. Ifyoutrytoconceptualizeit,youroriginalnatureisdarkanddimforyoubecauseyoucan’tseeitinthatway.

Still, even though it cannot be conceptualized, it can be displayed becauselightisalwaysfunctioninginyourlife.Youcangiveplaytoitineveryaspectofyour life. So if you see something wonderful, don’t get stuck! Accept it,experience it, and then keep your mouth shut. Your experience will neverdisappear. It stayswithyour lifeandpenetratesyour life. It’snotnecessary toattachtoit.Letitgo!

LightandDark:TheCommentaryofBlueCliffRecord,Case86

Thecommentarysectionof“YunMen’sKitchenPantryandMainGate”isveryinteresting.Let’sstartwith the thirdparagraphin theThomasClearyandJ.C.Clearytranslationandstudythecommentarylinebyline.Itsays:

Assoonastheyhearyoumention“light,”peoplethesedaysputaglareintheireyesandsay,“Whereisthekitchenpantry?Whereisthemaingate?”Butthishasnothingtodowithit.Thusitissaid,“Perceivethemeaningonthehook;don’tabidebythezeropointofthescale.”Thismatterisnotinthe eye or in the environment. To begin to understand youmust cut offknowingandseeing,forgetgainandloss,andbecomepurified,naked,andperfectlyatease;eachandeveryonemustinvestigateonhisown.

Buddhismalwaystriestoexplainthedynamicstructurethatinterconnectsyourlifewithallbeingsfrommomenttomoment.Wedothissoyouwillknowthatbywholeheartedlyusingyour body, your consciousness, your personality, andyoureducation,youcanreturntotheoriginoftheselfandseethetotalpictureofyourlife.Zenpracticeistojustconstantlyreturntozero.ButwhenItellyouthatbypracticingwithwholeheartednessyoucanbecomezero,youareimmediatelyhookedbytheideaofzero.Thenyouwanttoknow:Whatiszero?IfIbecomezero,whoamI?Ifyouaremeasuringandevaluatingyourlife,thereisalwayssomewordthat

canbecomeahook.Yourconsciousness,yourbody,andyourunderstandingcanalsobecomehooks.Insteadofenjoyingthegreatcapacityyoualreadyhave,youare looking for something outside yourself. So to understand your life as awhole,trainyourselftocutoffyourusualwayofknowingandseeing,andjustbethefunctioningofliferightnow,righthere.Thisisahardpractice,butifyou

dothis,thetotaldynamicactivityofyourlifeletsyoubezero.Ifeverythingbecomeszero,doesthatmeanthereisnothing?No,lightofthe

selfsometimesappearsintherealmofspaceandsometimesintherealmoftime.Selfisfunctioningeverydayintherealmoftime,sotherearemanybeings.Thatself is thewholeuniverse:winter, littleboysandgirls,akitchenpantry,or themaingateofatemple.That’swhythekitchenpantryislight.Eventoiletpaperislightoftheself.Throughusingtoiletpaperwithawarm

heart,youcan return tozeroand learnwhoyou reallyare.But ifyoubecomezeroandthengethookedbyzero,zeroisnolongerzero.So,whateverideayouhaveattachedto,letitgoandreturntozeroagainandagain.Thisisourpractice.ThenextthreelinesofthecommentaryareanothersayingfromYunMen:

YunMensaid,“Youcomeandgobydaylight;youdistinguishpeoplebydaylight.”

In daylight, the world of phenomena is visible, and you can distinguisheverything very clearly. In darkness, you cannotmake any distinctions. So inZen Buddhism, darkness often represents truth, or the ultimate principle ofexistence.Sometimeswe say “equality,”becausewhenyou cannotdistinguishthings,everythingbecomesequal.Daylightanddarknessseemtobecompletelyseparate, but we cannot separate them because they are dynamicallyinterconnected.According to the teachingof impermanence, theworldof light,phenomena,

anddistinctionconstantlyflowsintotheworldofdarkness, truth,andequality;darkness, truth, and equality constantly flow into light, distinction, andphenomena.Sofinallyyouhavetogobeyondideasofdistinctionandequalityand see their interconnection. Then equality can be seen in distinction, anddistinction can be seen in equality. Seeing in that way is seeing from theuniversal perspective. “Daylight” means seeing the human world from theuniversalperspective.Whenyoutouchtruthworkingdeepinyourownlife,thewholeworldbecomesbright,andyouseepeopleastheytrulyare.It’sverydifficult forus toseepeople thatwaybecauseweenjoyplaying in

theworld of conceptualization somuch thatwe get stuck there. For example,according to your conceptual understanding, a table is a table. But when youthinkinthatway,youarealreadystuckbecauseatableissomethingmorethanyourconceptofatable.Ifyoubreakatableupandputit inthefireplace, it is

woodfuel.Ifyousitonit,it’sachair.Wecannotsaywhatitisexactlybecausethe table is constantly changing according to circumstances. The table canchangebecauseit iswithinthespiritualsource,whichisworkingdynamically.Toexpressthis,wesaythetableisatableasittrulyis,orthetableisthusness.Ifyouseeatableassomethingmorethanyourconceptualunderstandingand

accept the table straightforwardly, the table is shining light. The table is veryclear and bright because your ability to distinguish things as they truly are isfunctioning, not stuck. When you perceive the table as it truly is, youcommunicate with the table in the realm where the table and you areinterconnected. Then wisdom lets you take best care of the table with yourconsciousness,withyourbody,andwithyourwords.It’sthesamewithseeingpeople.Soifwewanttoseepeopleastheyreallyareandunderstandeachother,let’sseepeoplebydaylight.

“Suddenlyit’smidnight,andthere’snosun,moon,orlamplight.”

Inthislinethereisnolightshininginthedarknessofmidnight,soyoucannotsee the truth.Thatmeansyouarestuck.Maybeyouhaveunderstoodyour lifefrom the universal perspective, so you think now you are free to distinguishpeople of different races and cultural backgrounds in daylight.Butwatch out!Themomentyoustartthinkinginthatway,youcutyourselfofffromyourlightbyegoisticthinking.Yourlightstartstoflicker,andtruthisnolongerbrightforyou.Thenyoudon’tseepeopleastheyreallyare;youseeaflashinglightcalledprejudice.Ialwaysseemyownprejudicelikealittleflashinglight.Iamapersonwho

conveysBuddhistteachingbasedonpeaceandequality.SoIalwaystellmyself:Don’t distinguishbetweenpeoplebasedonprejudice.Don’t be critical towardpeopleofdifferentculturalbackgrounds.SinceIcametotheUnitedStates,thishasbeenmyconstantpractice.Well,aftertwenty-fiveyears,Iamstillpracticingthis.WhenIseeanAmerican,Iimmediatelyseetheflashinglightthatsays,“Oh,

you areAmerican; youdon’t understandBuddhism.” I confess. I cannotworkoutthisflashinglight.It’sthesamewithmystudents.Eventhoughtheytellme,“Katagiri,youareagreat teacher!”Idon’tbelievethembecausestill theysay,“Oh,youareJapanese;Idon’tlikeJapanese.”If you see this subtle flashing light, you are stuck in conceptualization.But

don’tbeafraidoftheflashinglight.Youareahumanbeing.Aslongasyouhavehumanconsciousness,youseethisflashinglight.Withouttheconsciousnessthatseesthisflashinglight,youcannotbeahumanbeing.SofinallyallIcandoisacceptmyselfasahumanbeing.Then,rightinthemiddleofseeingtheflashinglightofprejudice,Icannotstaystuck;Ihavetogobeyondmyprejudiceandseepeopleastheyreallyare.Themoreyouattainenlightenment,themoreyouseeyourselfintherealmof

that flashing light. Themore you see it, themore you suffer. That’swhy thebodhisattvasuffers.That’showbodhisattvascanunderstandhumanbeingsverydeeply.Soopenyourheartandacceptthatflashinglight.Thenwalksidebysidewith all beings. Work hard every day to communicate with warmness andcompassion.Very naturally your great capacitywillmanifest itself, and by itslightyoucanseehowthedepthofyourpersonalityiscultivated.

“If it’s someplaceyou’vebeen to, thenof course it’s possible; in a placeyouhaveneverbeen,canyouevenmanagetogetholdofsomething?”

Spiritual life iskindof likea realm,aplace,aworld. Ifyouhavebeen in thatrealm,evenslightly,thenitispossibleforyoutoacceptthatsuchaplaceexists.Butwhataboutaplacewhereyouhaveneverbeen?Thatplaceisalsoyourlife.So I think you should accept two places: a placewhere you have been and aplacewhereyouhaveneverbeen.Whenyouacceptthatthereisaplacewhereyou have never been, your mind becomes open, magnanimous, andstraightforward.

(ShihT’ou’s)MergingofDifferenceandSamenesssays,Rightwithinlightthere’sdarkness,Butdon’tseeitasdarkness:Rightwithindarknessthere’slight,Butdon’tmeetitaslight.

TheMergingofDifferenceandUnity(Sandokai)isapoemcomposedinChinabyZenmasterSekitoKisen (ShitouXiqian,700–790).These four linesof thepoemsay that in thedaylightworldofdistinction,youcanunderstand that theworld of equality is also there, but still you have to deal with everyday lifewholeheartedly. That’s pretty good for us. If you see the midnight world of

equality, lightisalsothere,sothereissomethingmoreyouhavetodo.Saying“don’t meet it as light” means don’t distinguish anything; go beyond anydiscriminatingthoughtandjustdealwithlightasittrulyis.Withinlightthereisdarkness,andwithindarknessthereislight,sodarkness

andlightarealwaystogether.That isoneness.That isaveryimportant lesson,particularly inZenBuddhism.DogenZenji said, “Whenone side appears, theother is in darkness.” It’s like a sheet of paper:whenyouuse one side of thepaper, the other side is simultaneously there. As a practical matter, it’s notnecessarytopointouttheotherside.Allyouhavetodoisusethissideandtheotherisalreadywithyou.

Ifyoucutoff lightanddarkness, tellmewhat is it?Thus it is said,“Themindfloweremitslight,shiningonallthelandsinthetendirections.”

Goingbeyondanythoughtoflightanddark,youcanreturntozeroandjustbealive.Maybeyouareafraidtoreturntozero,butifyouwanttomakeyourlifedeep, you have to practice this. To be a master mountain climber, a masterfootballplayer,oramasterpainter,youhave todo this.Whatever it is, ifyoudon’treturntozeroandjustdoit,youcannotbecomeamasterofanything.Forexample,ifIsay,“Justbekindtootherswithoutexpectinganything,”and

youdoit,butwhileyouaredoingit,youareconstantlythinking,“Imustjustbekindwithout expecting anything,” then a thought is still coming up. The realmeaningof“justbekind”isthatfinallyeventhisthoughtdoesn’tappear.Thatisno-thought,we say. There is nothing to say, just silence. This is the realm ofspirituallife.Ifyouhaveneverbeenintherealmofspirituallife,itisprettymysteriousfor

you.Butwhenyourspirituallifeactuallyappears,thereisnomystery.Itisveryclearbecause themind flower isblooming.Whenaspiritual flowerblooms, itemits light.Thisflower isyour life; this light is thegreatcapacityyoualreadyhave.Whenyourmindflowerblooms,thereislightshiningonthewholeworld.

P’an Shan said, “Light isn’t shining on objects, nor do the objects exist.Lightandobjectsbothforgotten,thenwhatisthis?”

Whenyouseekindnessasanobjectforyoutoattain,youhavetotellyourself:justbekind.But ifyougobeyondeven the thoughtofbeingkind, there isnoobject.Ifyoudon’tseeanobject,verynaturallythereisnosubject—yoursense

ofindividualselfdropsoff.What’sleft?Justthestateofbeingcompletelykind;yourlifeisjustthepureactivityofkindnessitself.

Alsoitwassaid,Thisveryseeingandhearingisnotseeingandhearing—Butthere’snoothersoundandformthatcanbeofferedtoyou.Here,ifyoucanunderstandthatthere’snothingatall,Youarefreetoseparate,ornot,essenceandaction.

“Thisveryseeingandhearing”isnotyourusualwayofseeingandhearing;itisyou and your object working together as one. “Essence” means the total,universalpictureofyourlife.“Action”meanstheessenceofyourlifeisactingdaytoday.Thatisrealacting.Whenyouarereallyacting,youcannotsayyouareacting,andyoucannotsayyouarenotacting;theactivityoftheuniverseandtheactivityofyour life justbecomeoneaction.Nowthe lastparagraphof thecommentarybegins:

Just understand YunMen’s final statement thoroughly, then you can gobacktotheformeronetoroamatplay.Butultimately,youdonotmakealivingthere.TheancientVimalakirtisaid,“All thingsareestablishedonanon-abidingbasis.”

Inrealactionthereisnoopportunityforyoutoconceptualizeanything.Thisisnotpessimistic;itisfullaliveness.That’swhywehavetotrainourselvestogobeyondthinkinganddealwithourgreatcapacityasittrulyis.Frommomenttomoment, the lively energy of life is making your life alive—right now, righthere!Thistimeandplacewhereyourlifeexistsisconstantlychanging.ThatiswhyVimalakirtisaidthatallthingsareestablishedonanon-abidingbasis.Evenso,thisisthetimeandplacewhereyoucreateapeacefullife.

Youmustn’tgoheretoplaywithlightsandshadowsandgiveplaytoyourspirit.Norwillitdotomakeupanunderstandingintermsofnothingness.

When you feel something broad and magnanimous, the big world where ourwarmheartscommunicatewitheachother,youcouldeasilystopandplaywithyourideasaboutwhatyouhaveexperienced.Butdon’tstopandplaywiththoseideas: pass themby. If you get stuck in enlightenment, you separate your life

from others’ lives, and people won’t accept you. Playing with spiritual lifemakesyouaghost;yourlifeisupintheair.Sowhateveryouexperience,don’tgetstuckthere.Ifyouseetheflashinglightsofegoistthoughts,plantyourfootonthegroundandjustkeepgoing.Don’tstaywithanything;justgoahead.ThatistheBuddhistspirit.Thenyourlifeconstantlydeepens.

AnAncientsaid,“BetteryoushouldgiverisetoaviewofexistenceasbigasMt.Sumeru,thanthatyouproduceaviewofnothingnessassmallasamustardseed.”

You have understood the universal perspective.You have big ideas, and yourheartisasbigasMountSumeru.That’sfine.Whenyouunderstandnothingness,nothingnessgivesyougreat spiritual encouragement tokeepgoing.But ifyouattachto thewonderfulaliveness inyour life, thatattachment is likeamustardseed. Your understandingmay be huge, but a subtle attachment is still there.That tiny seed is dangerous for you because it doesn’t let you be free. If youdon’tnotice it,youarealwayscreatingproblems in thehumanworld.So takecareofthissubtleattachmentverycarefully,andtrytobefreefromit.Thenthattinyseedalsobecomesagreatencouragementtokeepgoing.

Peopleofthe(lesser)twovehiclesoftenfallonesidedlyintothisview.

YouhaveabigheadthatwantstounderstandBuddha’steaching,sowehavetotalkaboutit.Thenlittlebylittleyoubuildupakindoftheoreticalbuddhologyinyour head.Maybe you think nirvana is the goal, something you can reach byobeyingBuddha’s teaching.But if you attach to such a goal, you are stuck inyour concept of nirvana and you cannot move an inch. You cannot find apeaceful life that way because the peaceful life that you are seeking is not aconcept. So your real goal is to be free from your goal. Whether you attainenlightenmentornotdoesn’tmatter.Whatmattersisthatyoukeepgoing.That’sallwecando.You create your world, your life. If you seek a peaceful life, youmust be

peaceful.Don’tbecritical.Don’t judgeyourself.Don’t judgeothers.Justkeepgoing.Finallyyoureachyourrealgoal:theplacewhereyourlifeisfullyalive.Maybe you have never experienced the full aliveness of life, but if you feelsomethingfromthisteaching,justmovetowardit.Thatisoureffort.Insteadoftakingcareofourlifeaccordingtoourownideas,wearelearning

to takecareofallbeingsfromauniversalperspective.Wepayattentionto therealrealityweliveinandtrytobepresentthere.Havingyourownideasisfine,butpleaseopenyourself;listentoyourheart,others’hearts;andlivetogetherinpeace.ThatisthepointofYunMen’steachingintheBlueCliffRecord.

6AWARENESSOFENLIGHTENMENT

JUST BEFORE HE died, Shakyamuni Buddha preached on eight awarenesses ofenlightenment.ThatteachingwasrecordedintheNirvanaSutra,acollectionofthe Buddha’s final teachings. When Eihei Dogen was dying, he wroteHachidainingaku(EightAwarenessesoftheEnlightenedPerson).ThisisDogenZenji’s commentary on Buddha’s final teaching and the last chapter of theShobogenzo.The eight great awarenesses taught by Buddha and Dogen are having few

desires,knowinghowtobesatisfied,enjoyingserenityandtranquility,exertingprecise effort, not forgetting mindfulness, practicing samadhi, practicingwisdom, and avoiding idle talk.There are eight, but each one contains all theothers, so by practicing any one of them,we can learn themeaning of effort,mindfulness,oneness,andsilenceasaspectsofenlightenment.

ExertingPreciseEffortWhenIwasinhighschool,schoolboysinJapanweretaughthowtoflyairplanesby learning a glider. That glider was very simple but very hard to handle. Inordertofly, thepilothastochooseadestinationandtelleveryonewhereheisheaded for.When it’smy turn, I say, “That pine treeover there ismymark.”Thentheotherstudentspullabigrubberrope.Tenortwentypeopletakemorethan thirty steps to completely stretch that rope. Then the teacher says, “Letlooseofit!”andthegliderstartstomove.Beforetheglidermoved,Iunderstoodeverything:howtoholdthehandlein

theproperway,whentoleantotheleftandright,everything.But themomentwhenthegliderstartedtomove,somethinghappened.Boom!Thecockpitdidn’thaveanyprotectionforthepilot,soimmediatelytheairpressurehitme—hard!Wow!Iwasverysurprised.Andwhenthegliderliftsup,thepilotseesonlyskyandlosessightofhismark.Oh-oh!Whereismydestination?Even though my intellectual understanding was pretty good, right in the

middleofactuallyflyingtheglider,whencircumstanceschangedandIlostmymark, I didn’t know what to do—there was no room to think. So the glidercrashed.Thenmyteacherscoldedme:Whydidyoudoitthatway?Well,Idon’tknowwhy.Nexttimeyoushoulddoitsuchandsuchaway.Yes,Iwilldo!Butthe next day, the same thing happened—again and again.My teacher scoldedme:Youdiditagain!I’msorry.To fly a glider you must learn the technique, but you cannot fly only by

masteringtechnique.WhenIlostsightofthemark,Ididn’tknowwhattodo,butactually you can know. How? Intuitively! If you know the glider and all thecircumstances around the glider (including the weather, your physical andmental feelings) and start to fly, yourbodyandmindcan catch the lifeof theglider.When you catch the glider’s life, then the glider is not something separate

fromyou;glider isyouandyouareglider.There isnogapbetween thegliderand you because your whole body and mind is exactly the glider itself.Everythingisveryclear,andintuitivelyyoustarttomovethehandletotheright,totheleft,intheproperway.Thisiscalledexertingpreciseeffort.It’s the same in dance, sports, or whatever you do. There are fundamental

forms you have to learn.You practice doing them again and again, analyzingand synthesizing each form, and mastering them one by one. But when youdance,thereisnochancetothink.Allyoucandoisdance.Soyouforgetthoseforms and just tune in to the rhythm of dance. Then your body andmind aredancingitself,anddanceisexactlycomportingitself.Whenyoupractice precise effort like this, you are not aiming at something

outsideyourself;youareaimingatamarkinsideyourself.Atthattimeyoucanhave few desires, experience a sense of satisfaction, and enjoy serenity andtranquility. But when I tried to learn the glider, I didn’t have a mark insidemyself,sotheglidercrashed.Withacalmmind,Icouldhavemovedthehandleofthegliderintheproperwayandflownintherightdirection.SoifIwanttobeamaturepilot,whydon’tIadjustandregulatemybodyand

mindfirst?Thenapeaceful,harmoniousrhythmcomesup.VerynaturallyItunein to the glider’s life, the glider tunes into my life, and the glider and I arecommunicatinginoneness.Thatvividandrefreshingactivityistruepractice.Dogen Zenji emphasizes that practice in preciseness is very clear, but it’s

difficulttoexplainwhatpreciseeffortis.Itissomethingyouaredoing,butitisnotdefiledbyself-consciousness,sothereisnotraceofmentaldiscrimination.

Youarenotthinkingaboutwhetheryouwillhitormissyourmark;youjusthitthebull’s-eyeexactly,withonestroke.Thisisexertingpreciseeffort.Through practicing the arts or sports, you can come close to realizing the

meaningoflife.ButinZenwepracticecatchingtherhythmoflifeitself.Howdoyoucatchthatrhythm?Well,wedon’tknowexactlybecauseZenpracticeisnot something you can analyze; it is just something vividly alive. Still, if youpracticeaccordingtocertainrules,youcandoit.Youcancatchtheharmoniousrhythmofthepracticeyouhavedoneformanyyears.When you practice zazen, sit down on your cushion and just tune in to the

rhythm of the universe, which includes your life: your knowledge, youremotions,yourconsciousness,andallthecircumstancesaroundyou.Thenfaceyourlifedirectlyandhitthemarkinsideyourself.

NotForgettingMindfulnessIfyouwanttotravel,theremustbeadestinationtowardwhichtogo.Ifyouwantto practice precise effort, there must be a target for you to aim at. That ismindfulness.NotforgettingmindfulnessisthefifthoneofBuddha’seightgreatawarenesses.Bymakingeverypossibleefforttodealwithdailylifeonthebasisof having few desires, knowing how to be satisfied, enjoying serenity andtranquility,andexertingpreciseeffort,verynaturallyyoureachthelevelofnotforgetting mindfulness. Mindfulness is characterized by three points: peace,harmony,andpreservation.Thepeaceofmindfulnessisthestateofsettlingthesmallselfinthebigself.

You can aim at this target every day, in whatever you do. For example, themomentwhenyouopen a door is your time andopportunity to tune in to therhythmofthelifeofthedoor.Sowhenyouencounteradoorthatyoumustpassthrough,don’tsee thedoorwithyour limitedunderstandingandopenthedoorcarelessly.Openyourselftothedoorfirst;thenopenthedoor,passthrough,andclosethedoor,butnotwithabang;closethedoorwithcarefulattention.Don’tbeinarush.Thisisthepracticeofhavingfewdesires.Byopeningyourself toadoor,youcan realize the truequalityofpracticing

fewdesiresbecausesatisfactionappearsandyouenjoyserenityandtranquility.Tranquilityenablesyoutohandlethedoorveryquietly,andbythisquietactionyoucreateaharmoniousmoodbetweenthedoorandyou.Whenyoudealwithadoor like this,youhit thebull’s-eyeof thedoorwith

one stroke and become you as you really are. This “you” is not the self youunderstandegoistically.This“you”isnot-you.Not-youisyouwhohasmergedwith thedoor.At that timeyou experiencepeaceful spiritual communionwiththedoor.Youarethere,butyouarenotonlyyou;youarealsothedoor.Soyouareyouandalsonot-you,becauseyouareyouandthedoor.Yourbodyandmindisnotonlyyours,butalsothebodyandmindofothers.

Sobeforeyouopenadoor,forgetyoursmallself.Don’tgrumble.Settleyourselfinthebigself,facethedoor,andjustseeit;seethedoorasBuddha.Whenyouforgetyourselfandjustopenthedoor,atthattimeyourlifeisreallyconfirmedandsupportedby thedoor,yourcircumstances, thepeoplearoundyou,andallbeings.Thenyour life isbroad,universal life,because it containsnotonly thedoorbutalsoallsentientbeings.Thatiswhy,inShobogenzoGenjokoan,Dogensays,“Tobeconfirmedbyall

beingsistobefreefromyourbodyandmindandthebodyandmindofothers.”Inotherwords, thebodyandmindthatcreatesdualisticideasofselfandotherhas disappeared and only one true self remains. This oneness is the peace ofmindfulness.The harmony of mindfulness is allegiance and submission to the truth of

constantchange,therhythmoftheuniverse,whichiscalleddharma.Thisaspectof mindfulness is closely related to two practices of the eightfold noble pathtaught by Shakyamuni Buddha: right understanding and right thinking. Wesubmittodharmausingrightunderstandingandrightthinking.Wedon’tunderstandwhatdharmaisexactly,butwecanseethateverything

inthehumanworldischangingconstantly,sothereisnoreasontostayattachedtothefixedideaofselfcreatedbyourindividualconsciousnesses.Also,thereisnoreasontostaystuckintheobjectsofourthought.When you accept and submit to this truth, you can stand up straight in the

realmofconstantchange.Youcanthinkdeeply,payingcarefulattentiontotheworld around you, and figure out how to put right understanding and rightthinkingintopractice.Whenrightunderstandingandrightthinkingareworkinginyourdailylife,thisistheperfectharmonyofmindfulness.Preservationofmindfulness is tocontinue thepracticeofmindfulnessunder

all circumstances. It’s being like a mother bird, sitting on her egg and neverstoppinguntilithatches.Inhumanlife,therearealwaysdifficultiesthatexhaustyourphysicalandmentalenergies—youwanttogiveup.Butifyougiveup,youdonotbecomefree;youbecomenervous.Sowejustkeepgoingandcontinually

submitourselvestodharma.Ifyouaresuccessfulinyourbusiness,youarenotinfatuatedwithsuccess;youjusttakecareofbusinesswithacalmmind.Ifyoudosomethingwrong,youarenotobsessedwithyourmistake;youjustaimatthebull’s-eyeofmindfulnessandcontinuetobreathe.ShakyamuniBuddhagaveusthreepracticesforpreservationofmindfulness.

In the Nirvana Sutra, he said, “If you seek both a good teacher and goodprotection and support, nothing is better than not forgettingmindfulness.” Sofirst,seekagoodteacher.Goodteachersconstantlygiveteachingtoallbeings,not only to human beings and not onlywith themouth. Evenwithout sayinganything,heorshecanalwaysteachwithhisbody,withhermind.Second, think deeply about the meaning of the teaching you see and hear

because it is good protection for you. Be mindful of the truth: everything ismoving together in a stream of harmonious rhythm, which is constantlysupportingyourlife.Third,putmindfulness intopractice inyourdaily living.Inspiritual life,we

try to livemindfullyeveryday, tuning inandbeingpresent in theharmoniousrhythmoflife.Wehavetolearnhowtotuneinbecausewhatwedoinfluencesourselves and others.When you get up in the morning, you don’t get up byyourself. Your getting up is activity that connects all beings, influencing allbeings, so it must be activity that is confirmed by all beings and helping allbeings.Whenyouractivity ispeacefulandyour life isharmonious, it iscalledrightmindfulness,ornotforgettingmindfulness.Practicing mindfulness as an awareness of enlightenment is unifying your

mind.Zenpracticeretreatsarecalledsesshin.InJapanese,sesis“tocollect”or“puttogether,”andshinis“themind.”Sothemeaningofsesshinistounifythemind:thatmindistheonemindoftheuniverse,whichisnowyourmind.Yourunifiedmind is lots ofminds, collected as one. This is calledmind–full–ness.Thismindfulnessisyourdestination,yourgreattargettoaimat.Sosettleyoursmallselfinthebigself,submityourselftotherhythmofthe

universe, and continue doing this under all circumstances. Very naturally youwillopenyoureyesandhitthebull’s-eye.Immediatelyyourealizeyourlifeinpeace and harmony, and dwell in the dharma.Dwelling in the dharmameansthereistransparencybetweentheuniverseandyou,adoorandyou,orbreathingandyou.Thisiscalledsamadhi,orone-pointedness.Thissublimestateofbeingiswhatweareseekingfor.

PracticingSamadhiBy practicing mindfulness and unifying your mind, very naturally youexperiencesamadhi,thesixthawarenessofenlightenment.Samadhiissortofahugedikethatprotectsthewaterofwisdominheringinallofus.Thegroundofyourlifeisunfathomable,butfreshwaterisalwaysthere.Ifyouwantit,adjustyour body and mind—water immediately comes up from the ground. That isrightpractice.Zazen is avery simplemanifestationof samadhi.This iswhywedozazen.

Dogen Zenji mentions in Gakudo Yojin-shu (Points to Watch in BuddhistTraining), translatedbyYuhoYokoi,“TheBuddhaShakyamunisaid, ‘Turningthe sound-perceiving stream of the mind inward, forsake knowing and beingknown.’Herein lies themeaningof theabove.The twoqualitiesofmovementandnon-movementhavenotappearedatall;thisistrueharmony.”The sound-perceiving stream ofmind is our human consciousness.We can

turn thatstreamawayfromdualistic thoughtandtoward itsproperdestination:one-pointedness.Thatiswhy,inFukanzazengi(RulesforZazen),translatedbyNormanWaddell andMasaoAbe (2002), Dogen says, “You should thereforecease from practice based on intellectual understanding, pursing words andfollowing after speech, and learn the backward step that turns your lightinwardly to illuminateyourself.Bodyandmindof themselveswilldropaway,andyouroriginalfacewillbemanifest.”Thatistrue.So keep turning the stream ofmind away from your dualistic thoughts and

inwardtotheenergyofyourlife.Thatisourzazenpractice.Learnthetechniqueof zazen and then practice it again and again until technique is not technique.Followituntilitpenetratesyourskin,muscle,bone,andthereisnosubjectthatknowsorobjectthatisknown.Whenyoubreathe inzazen, turnyourmind intobreathing.How?Sitdown,

takeabreath,andtuneintothatbreath.Thereisnoparticularpatternforhowtobreatheinzazen.Ifyoutrytocontrolyourbreath,youcreateagapbetween“I”and“mybreath.”So justpaycarefulattention to therealityofbreathing itself.Justcontinuallybreathe.Ifyouseealongbreath,turnthestreamofyourmindinto the longbreath.Bepresentwith the longbreath forawhile. Ifyourminddeviates from thatbreath, just comebackandpayattention to thenextbreath.Concentrateoneachbreath.Strikeandhiteachbreathexactlywithonestroke.Verynaturallyyourmindandyourbreathbecomeone.

Onenessbetweenyouandbreathingenablesyoutofeelthatyourlifeisworthliving.Thisisperfectionofconcentration:yourmindisunified,andthereisnogapbetweenbreathandyou.Thereisjustbreathing—therhythmoflife.Thisissamadhi.Whenyoupracticezazenassamadhi,yourzazen isnot justyou; it’stherhythmofthewholeuniverse.All aspects of daily living are great opportunities through which you can

experience samadhi, because everymoment is a placewhere you can becomeone with an event. Instead of always using the energy of your life to createsubject andobject, sometimesuse it tounifyyourbodyandmind in samadhi.Thenyourself-centeredconsciousnesscompletelydropsoff,andyoucanseetheimmensityofyourlife.

RealSilenceWhenyouconnectyourindividualbodyandmindwiththeuniversalbodyandmind,youseethetotalpanoramicpictureofthehumanworld.Thatispracticingwisdom, the seventh awareness of enlightenment. At that time there are nowords; there is nothing to hear, nothing to say—silence. Very naturally youavoididletalk.Thatistheeighthawareness.Theopportunity togodeep intoyour lifeandpractice realsilence isalways

opentoeveryone.Butpeoplearealwayschatteringandmakingnoise.Noiseisconstantlyspreadinginthehorizontal,liketheringsmadebydropsofwater.Ifonepersonchatters,verynaturallythenextpersonsays,“Yeah,that’sright,”or“Idon’tagree.”Ialwayssay,“Keepyourmouthshut!”Butevenifyoustoptalkingandstay

silent, it’s not real silence; it’s silence conceptualized by you. Talking is stilltherebecauseyoursilence is just theothersideof talking.Therealpracticeofsilenceisnotjustkeepingyourmouthshut;itisdirectlyparticipatinginonenessand seeing silence in terms of the whole universe. That is silence seen fromBuddha’seye.Inrealsilencethereiscommunion.Forexample,ifyousuddenlyencountera

deer in nature, you are shocked; you are speechless. There is energymovingbetweenyouandthedeer—thedeerandyouarecommunicating—butyoucan’tsayanythingatallbecausethereisnoword.That“noword”istheworldoftrueactual silence. Itmeansyouhave touched the truenatureof thedeer’s life.Atthattime,youandthedeerareone.ThatiswhatImeanbypracticingsilence.

How do you do this? Well, train yourself; train your consciousness, yourbody,your five skandhas.Everyaspectofyour life is anopportunitygiven toyoutopracticesilence.Butit’snotsoeasy.IhavebeentalkingaboutBuddha’s teachingformanyyears.Ialwaystryto

touch something silent behindmywords, to say somethingmore thannoise. Itry,butIdon’tknow—it’sstillnoise.Mytalksarenothingbutnoiseandchatter:“Blah, blah, blah.” I have never felt satisfied frommy talks.Aftermy talks Ialwaysfeeldisappointed—justlikeapainter.Apainterisalwaystryingtopaintamasterpiece,butheorsheisneversatisfied.Themoreyouareseriousaboutyourpractice,themoreyourealizethis.SometimesIwanttostoptalkingandbequiet.ButwhereverImaygo,people

constantlyaskmetotalk.Iamateacher,soIcannotescapethissuffering.That’sprettyhard,butthisisaverygoodlessonforme.Whatisthelesson?Whateverhappens,thereisalwaysanopportunitytoreturntorealsilence.Theopportunitytoexperiencerealsilenceis likeahugepoledrivenstraight

intotheground.WhatIhavetodoisstop,exactlyrightinfrontofthatpole,godeep, and forget myself. Then I can build up my life on the foundation ofoneness.AgainandagainIhavetotrytoreturntothesilencebehindthe“blah,blah,blah”andjustbethere,seeingsilenceintermsofBuddha’seye.ThenIcanletmywordscomeupfromsilence.Icansimplytakeonestepandstarttotalk.Ifyouhearmysimplewordscomingupfromsilence,maybeyouwillgeta

big shock. Just like seeing a deer—something touches your heart and you areverysurprised;youcannotmoveaninch.Suddenlywearecommunicatingwitheachotherverydeeply.Then,verynaturally,wecanwalkand talk together insilence,inpeace,withjoy.

7LETTHEFLOWEROFYOURLIFEFORCEBLOOM

PLUM TREES in Japan bloom right in midwinter, in a world of completewhiteness. It’s very beautiful. Everything is coveredwith snowwhen all of asudden the scarlet flowers bloom.Can you see this situation?When the plumtree blossoms, the whole world blooms—the whole world is embraced bybloomingflowers.Eventhoughtheworldiscoveredwithsnow,itisnothingbutflowers. That is spring.Which comes first, spring or blooming flowers? Thatquestionisjusthumanspeculation.Realityisthatbloomingflowersandspringappearsimultaneously.DogenZenjialwayspresentsthepanoramapictureofonethingworkingwith

the whole universe. In Shobogenzo Baika (Plum Blossoms), translated byKazuakiTanahashiandMelWeitsman,Dogensays,

When theoldplumtreesuddenlyopens, theworldofblossomingflowersarises.Atthemomentwhentheworldofblossomingflowersarises,springarrives.Thereisasingleblossomthatopensfiveblossoms.Atthismomentof a single blossom, there are three, four, and five blossoms, hundreds,thousands,myriads,billionsofblossoms—countlessblossoms.

Dogen expresses the oneness of plum flowers and all sentient beings. It’sdifficult to receiveandaccept thatonenessbecausehumanspeculationdoesn’tcatchit.Butwhenyoureadhisworks,it’sreallyamazingbecauseherepresentsonenessassomethingalive.Immediatelyitisrightinfrontofyou.Youareverysurprised,amazed,startled.Oneness is not something you can grasp as an idea; that’s why you don’t

believe it.Butwhether youbelieve it or not,Dogen constantly expresses this.Usingwords he awakens us to the truth:when one flower blooms, thewholeworldcomesintobeing.Ifyouseeoneplumflowerblooming,youcanseethewholeworldworkingtogetherwiththelifeofthisoneflower.

TheDharmaWorldofOnenessWhenShakyamuniBuddhaattainedenlightenmentundertheBodhitreehesaid,“I and all sentient beings attain enlightenment simultaneously.” At that time,there was no gap between all sentient beings and Shakyamuni. That isnondualism—completeoneness.ThemostimportantpointinBuddha’steachingisseeingyourselfandothers

intermsofoneness.Onenessisyouroriginalnature.Itistheoriginalstateofaplumflower’slife,atree’slife,apebble’slife,amountain’slife,andyourlife.Butonenessisadifficultteachingtounderstand.Youcan’tgetthatexperienceovernight.That’swhywepracticeforthelongrun.BylisteningtoBuddha’steachingandstudyingyourself,graduallyyourealize

howegotisticalandselfishthehumanworldis.Peoplewhohavedeeplytastedofit realize they cannot depend on the shaky human world. So they seek forsomethingbetter:apureandbeautiful spiritualworld theycanbelieve in. Inasense that isgood,buton theotherhand, ifyouexperiencesomethingdeep inyourlife,youmaybecomeattachedtothespiritualworld.Perhapsyoucreateanism:Buddhism,Christian-ism,oranyreligion.Therearemanykindsofisms.Ifyoudon’t like religion,morality, or ethics andwant complete freedom, this isalsoanism.Ifyoudon’tcare,thatisanism.Whatever it is you believe in, you may form an intellectual or emotional

attachment to your ideas. We create attachments of all sorts, pleasant orunpleasant, connected with our memories, heredity, and education, and ourworldgetsverycomplicated.Thenwearealwaysmovingtowardorawayfromotherpeopleaccordingtoourideas.Thiscreatesproblems.Sowehavetoknowthe aspect of life that goes completely beyond both the humanworld and thespiritualworld.That is the dharmaworld.Thedharmaworld is a very simpleworld.Itistheworldofunifiedlife,whichiscalledoneness.Thedharmaworldisanall-embracingworldwherethehumanworldandthe

spiritual world are intimately interacting to produce a greater world. That iscalleddependentorigination.Whatcausesthismutuallyinterdependentworldtofunction?Dharma!WhenIwasstudyingwithReirinYamadaRoshi,he talkedabout a child’s top paintedwithmany colors. Those colors are the individualworldsofalllivingbeings.Whenthetopspins,thecolorsforgetthemselvesandmergeintoonecolor.Thatmovementisthepurenatureofdharma.The dharma world is activity, motion; it is the momentum energy of one

momentoftime.Thatonemomentisnotsomethingtocount.Ithasnolength,nowidth—nothing.Itisnotafixedidea;itisanevent.Dogensaysitisbeing-time.Onemomentoftimeisthelifeofallsentientbeings.Youcannotescapefrom

timebecauseyouarealivewithintime.Thealivenessofyourlifeexistswithinonemomentof time.Thisonemomentofaliveness iscalledeveryday life.Soday after day, century after century, allwe have to do is live in thismoment.ThisisourZenpractice.InZenpracticewetrytohandletheactivityofeachmomentwithaclearand

openmind.Finallyyoucanexperienceatotalcalmnessthatisbrighteningyourlifeandfillingitwithaliveness.Yourlifeiscalmandsimultaneouslyaliveinadynamicway.Thatispeaceandharmony,reposeandbliss.InJapanesewecallthisanjin,peacefulmind.Peaceful mind understands the content of a moment: your own life is

interrelatingwiththelifeofallbeingsintheuniverse.Andbecausethismomentisunified,alllivingbeingsbecomethepermanentfurnitureofyourmind.Atthattimeyourealizeyourtrueself.

Dogen’sFlowersintheSky“Flowersinthesky”isatraditionalBuddhistexpressionfordelusion,somethingproducedbydualistichumanconsciousness,likeaneyewithcataractsseeinganillusionassomethingreal.ButDogenZenjisawthetraditionalunderstandingof“flowers in the sky” as a misunderstanding of Buddha’s teaching because itworksjustonthesurface.SoinShobogenzoKuge(FlowersintheSky),DogenZenji examines this expressionmore deeply. Instead of seeing “flowers in thesky”dualistically,Dogenseesitasanexpressionofonetotalreality.In Japanese, the character for skyhas twomeanings.Sky is the vastness of

space and also, according toBuddhist philosophy, it is emptiness: the originalnatureofbeing, thelivelyenergyof life itself.Thelivesofallbeings,animateand inanimate, are supported by that magnificent energy of being, which iscalledBuddha.Dogentriestoteachusthatallforms,everythingyoucanexperienceinyour

six senses, are nothing but the original energy of life—Buddha. So first,everything that exists in the human world—delusion, enlightenment, hell, orhungryghosts—whateveritis,mustbeseenandacceptedasBuddha.Thenwecan understand the teaching of Buddhism. Without this understanding, we

cannot see how precious and sublime human life is and Buddha’s teachingdoesn’tmakesense.

OnenessandMultiplicityDogen’s“FlowersintheSky,”translatedbyThomasCleary(1986),beginswithlines of a poemby theZen ancestorBodhidharma: “The founder ofZen said,‘One flower opens with five petals, forming a fruit, which ripens of its ownaccord.’ ”Bodhidharmaseemstobetalkingaboutacommon,naturalevent,butin termsofBuddha’seye,hispoemhasaveryprofoundmeaning.So to touchtheheartandspiritofhowoneflowerisbloomingandmaturingintofruit,let’ssee“onefloweropenswithfivepetals”asanexpressionofunityoroneness.OneflowermeansoneBuddha.ThewholeworldisonesingleBuddha.That

is real Buddha, the pure energy at the depth of existence. When that energyfunctions, the humanworld blooms. Then, within this one Buddha, particularbeings appear as five petals or billions of petals. Each thing that exists in thehumanworld,andeverysituationineverydaylife,isapetal.Butthosepetalsarenotdifferentfromtheflower;theyareexactlytheoneflower—Buddha!BuddhaisomnipresentbecauseeverythingisthemanifestationofrealBuddha.Dogensays:“Oneshouldstudythetimeofthisflower’sblooming,aswellas

its lightandcolor.Themultiplicityofoneflowerisfivepetals; theopeningoffivepetalsisoneflower.”Ifyoudeeplyresearchthecharacteroftime,youfindthattimeisjustlifeinmotion.Frommomenttomomenttheuniverseisworkingtogetherasonewhole,constantlycreatingsomethingnew.Ineachandeverymoment,thewholeworldarisesasonebeingandmanifests

itselfinthemultiplicityofthehumanworld.Oneflowerappearsandseemstobeseparate fromeverything else.Butgoingdeeperwe can see that flower as thewholeuniverse.DogenZenjitriestotrainustodothat,becausethelifeofoneflowerisexactlythesameasyourlife.Lifeisalwaysarising.Bloomingasfivepetalsisthearisingofaflower’spure

lifeenergyasonemomentoftime.Whenfivepetalsopen,thatenergyappearsintheformofaflower.Sowecanseethebloomingofaflowerasthemovementofthewholeuniverse,whichismanifestingitselfasthehumanworldofform.Each moment of time is the unified functioning of the whole world, and

blooming is its light. What is that light? Dogen said light is the unity of aneyeball and its cornea working as one. When an eyeball functions,

simultaneouslythewholeworldarises,colorsappear,andaflowerblooms.SoIthink the time of a flower blooming is exactly the light and color of a flowerblooming.Thelightandcolorofyourlifeisyourbeingaliveinthehumanworldasthe

manifestationofBuddha.Alivenessmeansthatwhereveryoumaybe,whateveryoumaydo,Buddha is present there.That is your buddha-nature.Evenwhenyouareasleep,yourheartkeepsonbeating,andyour lungskeeponbreathingbecause your life is manifesting the unity of the whole universe. This is realreality—LifewithacapitalL.Lifeisalive.Thelifeofallbeingsisjustlikethis.Dogenteachesusthatineveryaspectofeverydaylifethereisamagnificent

event. Your everyday life is the blooming of the whole world, and all youractivitiesare fivepetals.Daybyday, flowersareblooming: flowersofgassho(bowing),flowersofzazen,andflowersofhavingameal.Then,verynaturally,the flower is ripenedof itsownaccord,and itmakesyour lifemature.That iscalledformingafruit.Formingafruitisthegreattimeandthegreatopportunitywhere a flower, a gassho, or zazen opens and forms its own result, which iscalledbodhi-mind,enlightenment,nirvana,orpractice.Whateveractivityyoudo,youcanopenyour lifeand fit into the rhythmof

this verymoment.Whenyou fit into the rhythmof thegreat energyof being,you feel relief.You realize that you are allowed to live; you are permitted toexist in this world, because the whole world is blooming within your humanbody.At that timeyoubecomeyouasyou reallyare,andyourexistenceverynaturallybecomesjustwhatis.Sometimeswesayas-it-isnessorthusness.Youareexactlythere,alone,justwhatis.Thisisthetruehumanbeing.

ATeacherofDharmaDogenZenji returns toBodhidharma’s poem, saying: “Where the principle ofone flowercomesacross is ‘Ioriginallycame to this land tocommunicate theteachingandsavedeludedsentientbeings.’ ”Thislandisthehumanworld.ItisBuddha’s life,and it isyour lifebecauseyour life isBuddha’s life.Sowhat isBodhidharma’s“I”?Ifyouthinkaboutyourlife,immediatelyyouhaveanideaofyourselfas“I.”

But your real self is a kind of energy. It is the original energy, which isconstantlyarisingat thevery incipientmoment.At thevery incipientmoment,thereisno“I.”Thereisnothingtocall“I”becausethereisnoperceptionof“I.”Thereisno“who.”Thereisnothingtocall“who”becauseyourealizethereisno

existencetoattachtoasyourown.Atthattimeyouaresimultaneouslythisverymoment itself, extending into every inch of the universe. So self becomes thewholeuniverse.Thisisoneness.Whenyoupracticebasedononeness,selfisnolongerjustyou;selfisyouandalsoothers.Oneness is our base, the basic placewherewe stand up as a descendent of

Buddha, the foundation upon which we build up our life. Then, whateverhappens, eternal life is in your heart, andyou share your lifewithout creatinganyarrogance.Thisis thetimeofcommunicatingtheteachingtosavedeludedsentientbeings.YoubecomeaZenteacher.Youcanteachhowsublimehumanbeings are, and simultaneously people feel relief. That is to save all sentientbeings.In theSaddharmaPundarikaSutra (LotusSutra) chapter10, “ATeacherof

theLaw,”translatedbyBunnōKatō,ShakyamuniBuddhaexplainedhowgoodsons and daughters who want to preach on that sutra after his death shouldpreach it. He said that before you teach, you have to enter the room of theBuddha,weartherobeofBuddha,andsitontheseatofBuddha.Buddhasaid,“Theabodeof theTathagata is thegreatcompassionateheartwithinall livingbeings;therobeoftheTathagataisthegentleandforbearingheart;thethroneofthe Tathagata is the voidness of all laws.” When you cultivate these threepractices,verynaturallyyoucanjustsitdownandstarttopreach.Buddha’s abode is not a room in a structure; it is the room of human

existence,thegreatenergyoflife.Whenyouseethedepthsofhumanexistenceandtouchtheoriginallifeofallbeings,verynaturallyyouopenyourhearttoallbeings.Buddha’srobeisthesymbolofpatience.Ifyouwanttoteach,youhavetobe right in themiddleofhuman life.Towear the robe is tobe inpeace, topracticeconciliationandtolerance,andtocontinueunderallcircumstances.TheseatofBuddhaisnotsomefancyplatform;itisemptiness,theoriginalnatureofbeing.There is nothing particular you can cling to, you can think, or you canimagine.Youjusthavetojustbethere.Thenyoucanteach.AtoneofmytalksamancriticizedmyEnglish.Hesaid,“Hey,teacher!With

your English, do you believe you can communicate with Americans?” I said,“No, I don’t”; I said, “Yes, I do.” I took both answers, so I had to explain. Iasked him, “How much can you communicate with people in your ownlanguage?Themoreitiseasytouseyourmotherlanguage,themoreyoumakemistakes.IamnotproudofmyEnglish.IamnotproudofmyJapaneseeither.Whatever languageyouuse, it’sprettydifficult tocommunicatewithpeople. I

don’tbelieveIcancompletelycommunicatewithpeopleusingwords,butIhavetotalkanyway.Ihavetobehere, justbetogetherwithpeoplewholeheartedly,andstarttalking.That’sit!That’sallIcandowithadifferentlanguage.”Sothemankeptquiet.Themorewe use language, themorewe create a gap. But beforewe talk,

already there is communication. In the story of Shakyamuni Buddha’s life,wherever he went, people felt completely peaceful, and very naturally theybowedtohim,evenbeforehebegantoteach.Thatisenteringtheroom,wearingtherobe,andsittingontheseat.Itistosaveallsentientbeings.IfyouwanttopreachBuddha’steaching,Ithinkyoumustbethiskindofperson.Thenyoucanteach. Even if there are some aspects you cannot explain, still you candemonstrateeternallifefromyourheart.

MeditativeStudyDogenZenjisays,“Wherethelightandcoloraresoughtmustbethismeditativestudy.” Light and color is the manifestation of Buddha in the human world.Meditation is seeking for the truth. Seeking for the truth is not a temporarydesiretogetsomething.Itisnotresearchingaparticularconceptoridea.Toseekthe truth is to continuallywatch human life, searching, exploring forever, lifeafterlife.Weresearchthelightofatree,thelightofabird,thelightofahumanbeing,thelightofsuffering.Thatistostudyortolearntheself.Yourtimeandopportunitytostudyandlearntheselfisyourhumanliferight

here,rightnow.Humanlife isverypreciousforus.Your life isveryprecious,somethingmorethanyouunderstand.Evenifyoudonotlikeyourself,youarealive because your life is not only your life; your life is also others’ lives. Sopleasetakebestcareofyourhumanlife.Daybyday,dealwithyourselfasonebeingwhoisexpressingtheonenessofallbeing,inotherwords,asBuddha.ZenpracticeistomanifestasingleBuddhawithinyourhumanbodybydoing

somethingwithwholeheartedness.Whenyoubowwholeheartedly,bowingisthefunctioningofBuddhaandbowingbloomswith thewholeworld.Doingzazenwith wholeheartedness is practicing shikantaza.When you do zazen like this,youarenotdistinguishingparticularaspectsof thehumanworld; there isonlythespiritofzazenmanifestingoneBuddhawithinyourbody.Thatsamespiritisalivethroughoutthehumanworld,soyoucanpracticeitin

everyaspectoflife:walkingonthestreet, talkingwithpeople,readingabook.Five petals are opening right now. The skin and muscle of Buddha are

manifestingrighthere.Solettheflowerofyourlifeforcebloomasyouractivity,whateveritis,andjustdoitasBuddha.Whenyou think of this practicewith the frontal lobe of humanknowledge,

youdon’tbelieveit,becausehumanknowledgecannotseethepanoramapictureofyour lifeworkingwithallsentientbeings.Ifyoucannotseeit,bequietandpatient,practicezazendaybyday,andtrytolearnit.Studythetimeandlightofyourbreathing,thetimeofthelightofyourexistence,becauseyourexistenceisexactlythesameandonewiththewholeuniverse.Through spiritual practice you can go beyond human knowledge to directly

touchthelifeofnature,thelifeofthesun,andthereallifeofhumanbeings.Youget intonature’s life,nature comes intoyour life, and there is communion.Atthattimeyoudiscoveryourtrueself.

CauseandEffectinZenPracticeWe think that cause and effect are separate because, in the realm of the timeprocess, a flower blooms and a fruit comes later. But according to Buddhistphilosophy,causeandeffectexistnotonlyintherealmoftime;theyexistalsointhe realm of space. In the realm of space, the provisional names “cause” and“effect”areloosened,andcauseandeffectarethesame.Howcanweunderstandthis?We have to see cause and effect not in terms of a dualistic view, but intermsoftheuniversalrealm.Well,ifyoupracticezazen,starttoaskyourself:whomakesmesit?Itmaybe

you.Youwanttoknowsomethingdeep,soyoumakeanefforttosit.Oritmaybesomethingmorethanyou,somethingyoudon’tknow.Thatsomethingmoreisakindofenergy,whichistherebeforeyouputanameonit.Whenweputaname on that energy, it is calledBuddha, buddha-nature, or real self.We usedifferentterms,buteachonemeansthesameoriginalenergyofthewholeworld,theboundless and compassionate energyofbeing,which is constantly comingupfromdeepinthegroundlikespringwater.Originalenergyisalwayshere,butit’sverydifficulttoseeitortouchit.Still,

whenyousitinzazenasshikantaza,youcantouchthe“something”thatmakesyour lifealive,becausethesourceofzazenisnothingbut thatoriginalenergy.This energy is also the source of your life, so you and zazen have this samecause.That’swhy,when theenergyof thewholeworldappears inyourzazenpractice,youcanacceptit.Energyappearsandiscalledzazen,butzazenisjustatemporary name given to that activity. So what is zazen practice? It is just

energies coming up. That energy is called Buddha. Buddha means originalenergyoflife.Solet’ssitdownandpracticezazenasBuddha.TopracticezazenasBuddha,allyouhave todo isaccept theenergyof the

wholeworldintherealmofyourzazenpracticeandabidefirmlyinzazen.Thenfruit appears in thewholeworld as the effect.That is enlightenment,which isalso called Buddha. In Zen we sometimes say things like “only Buddha andBuddha” or “Buddha appears and Buddha forms his own life.” We say sobecausewepracticeBuddhaasthecauseofourzazenandBuddhaappearsastheeffectofzazen.In“FlowersintheSky,”Dogensays,“It is‘theformingofthefruit isupto

yourformingofthefruit’—thisiscalled‘ripeningofitsownaccord.’ ‘Ripeningofitsownaccord’meanscultivatingthecauseandexperiencingtheresult.”Soifwewanttomakeourlifematurefruit,whatdowehavetocultivate?Beforedoingsomething,humanbeingsalwayswanttoknowwhattoexpect

asaresult.Thentheactualresultissometimesagreatencouragementforus,andsometimes it’s a disappointment.Sowe try todomore, orwegiveup.We’realwaysgoingupanddown like this.Butwhenyou sitdownonyour cushion,thereisnospacetopokeyourheadintothinkingwhatmerityoucangainfromzazen.Ifyoualwaysdozazenintermsofgettingaresult,youwillmissthemostimportant point. First you have to participate in zazen; then you can see theresult.“Cultivating the cause”means throw away your thinking and become calm

andpure.Thenyoucanaccepttheenergyofthewholeuniverseascauseandseethatenergyinthewholeuniverseaseffect.Atthattime,intherealmofzazenascause, effect is simultaneously there.That is livingbeyond suffering,which isthe fruit of zazen. This is the maturing of your total personality, which is“ripeningof itsownaccord.”So frombeginning toend, just sitdown.Acceptzazenasasourceofenergy,andjustsitdown.Daybyday,allwehavetodoislivelikethis.Thenyourlifebecomesmature.How you develop and mature your life is very simple. Whatever kind of

occupation or talent you have, if you want to develop properly, you have topracticeiteveryday.Thenpracticewillariseineverydaylifeandbrightenyourlife.WhenIwasyoung,Icouldn’tbelievethis.EventhoughmyteacheralwaystoldmethatBuddha’steachingisnotsomethingexciting,it’ssimplepracticeineverydaylife,Ididn’tbelievethatmyboringtemplelifewasavividpassagetomakemylifemature.ButnowIknowthatthisisreallytrue.

Everydaylifeisprettybusy.Butifyoucalmdown,youcantouchthecoreofyouractivity,whateveritis.Soforamomentanyway,forgetyourthoughts.Juststandupinthatenergyandopenyourself.Verynaturallythefruitofbodhimindis formed.Thiscauseandeffect iscalled inenkaman. Inmeans“cause,”en is“round”or“perfect,”kais“result”or“effect,”andmanis“fullness,perfection,orcompletion,” just likea fullmoon.Socause isperfectandeffect isperfect.ThisisthepracticeofBuddhism.Buddhistpracticeiscalm,stable,andnotshowy.Itistomaketherootofyour

life strong. Continually, under all circumstances, we stand up in oneness anddealwithourselvesandothersfromthatplace.Sotakewholeheartedcareofthelifeofyourwork,thelifeofseeingafriend,thelifeofstandinginthefield,thelifeoffeelingthemorning.Frombeginningtoend,whateverhappens,thisisourpractice.ThisisthetruewayoflifeforaBuddhist.This is the essence of Buddha’s teaching and the point that Dogen Zenji

emphasizes strongly in “Flowers in the Sky.” If you quietly read this chapteragainandagain,IthinkyoucanfeelhowcompassionatelyDogentriestoteachus. Any chapter of the Shobogenzo is really filled with Dogen’s compassion,kindness,andcharitableheart.YouwillappreciateDogen’sway,becausethisisShakyamuniBuddha’srealheart,realteaching.

UntanglingKnotsHuman life is kind of like a bunch of tangled thread. The pure energy of lifearises as the incipientmoment, but in the secondmoment somethinghappens.Allofasuddenthatenergyistwisted.Lotsofthreadsaretangledintoknotsandmanyproblemscomeup:pain,suffering,emotions,anddifficultieswithhumanrelations.Wecannotescapethishumansituation;wehavetohandletheseknots.How?It’snotsosimple.Aknot is createdbymany conditions: your life, others’ lives, nature, cause

andeffect.It’sverycomplicated.Youcannotunderstandyourlifeonlyintermsof your own ideas, emotions, feelings, and the narrow telescope of humanknowledge. If you handle your life only in terms of duality, irritation alwaysfollowsandyoucreatemoreproblems.Sobecareful.Bepatient.Don’tdealwithaproblemquickly,withashorttemper.Holditgentlyandthinkcarefullywhattodo.Beforeyouseeaproblem,yourlifeisalreadyworkinginthebigscaleofthe

self,thedharmaworldwhereallsentientbeingsarelivingtogetherinpeaceandharmony. Everything in our dualistic human world is nothing but a singleBuddha.SowehavetotakecareofallbeingsasBuddha.Thegrassinthefieldis Buddha, your thoughts and emotions are Buddha, and you are Buddha. Sowhenyoufaceaproblem,firstacceptyourlifeasBuddha,andtakebestcareofyourknottedlifeasBuddha.How?Acceptingand takingcareofyourknotted lifeasBuddhameansyouaccept

full responsibility for your life—no excuses! This is the point we have toconstantly surrender ourselves to. When you see a knot, before you start toanalyze it, surrenderyourself to thewholeworld,andvowtouseyour life forthe sake of others. Then open yourself, and accept that knot with warm-heartedness.Handlingaknotlikethis,youtakebestcareofaknotandworkonitintherealmofthewholeworld.Finallytheknotcomesintoyourlife,andyoucomeintotheknot’slifewithoutanygap.Whenknotsarenotseparatefromyou,knotsturnintoBuddha.By the practice of accepting a problem and cultivating it as a flower in the

sky,inotherwordsasBuddha,verynaturallyyourmindissoftandkind;yourheartispatient,gentle,andforbearing.Withoutthisbasicattitudetowardhumanbeings and the human world, you cannot deal with the ugly and miserableaspectsofhumanlife.Soacceptallkindsofknotswithcompassion;dealwitheverydaylifewithcompassion.Thenyoucanbepatientandwaitformeaning.Trytoalwaysbemindfulofyourgreatoriginalbuddha-nature.Inotherwords,

try tomaintain the pure energy arising in the incipientmoment and try not toforgetit.Thenyoucanworkonaprobleminthesmallscaleofthehumanworld.Butifyourecognizethatyouarestuckinthesecondmoment,thethirdmoment,or themillionthmoment, just goback to cultivatingyourpure energy.This iscalledmindfulnesspractice.Whenyoutakecareofknotswiththespiritandheartofyourexistence,very

naturally, one by one, each knot is loosened. Sometimes, if you get to onethread, then two, three, or four threads follow, and all of a sudden they areuntangled.Where?Not in thedualisticworld,but in theunified same-and-onegroundofthewholeuniverse.Thisunknottedlifeiscalledfreedom,liberation.So as simply as you can, accept knots softly, gently, with kindness and

generosity, and then take care of them patiently. Patience is working on theknotsonebyone,withacalmmind,stability,relaxation,andassuranceinyourexistence. Through handling all aspects of your human lifewith kindness and

forbearance, you can touch the core of your life where you experience deepcommunionwithothers.Bytouchingthecoreofthelifeofallbeings,youcancommunicateBuddha’s teaching toothers and saveall sentientbeings.This isthebodhisattva’sattitudetowardhumanlife.

8THESPIRITUALMIRROR

THEORIGINALNATUREofexistenceisalwayspresentinyourlife,butwhenyourpure nature is tainted with some intellectual understanding, you don’t reallyknowhowtoliveinpeace.Youdon’tknowbecausebetweenthepurenatureofyour existence and the objects running through your consciousness, there is akindofveilorcurtain.It’sprettyhardtorecognizethatthiscurtainexists,butemotionallyyousense

itisthere.Youdon’texactlyknowwhatitis,butsomethingalwaysbothersyou.Nomatterwhatyoudo, there isalwaysafeelingofuneasinessor restlessness.Youaren’tsatisfied.Soyouneedawaytolift thatveilandseeyourownpurenature.How?IntheMadhyanta-vibhaga,anearlyYogacharaBuddhistscripturewritten in

India by Maitreya, with commentary by Vasubandhu, it says, “Buddha takesaway the curtain between object andmirror.”When you attain enlightenment,the veil of your human consciousness drops off, and you look in thatmirror.Whatdoyousee?Yourownpurenatureisreflectedthere,butyouseenothingbut movement—constant change. That movement is the pure nature of yourexistence.Pureenergy is arising frommoment tomoment in the formofyourownhumanlife.

Dogen’sAncientMirrorThe spiritualmirror is very important for us.Why?You can experience yourpurenature through livingwithcompassionandkindattention,butyoucannotseeyourownpurityobjectively.It’sthesamewithyoureyes.Youreyecannotseeitself; itcanseeitselfonlywhenit isreflectedinamirror.That iswhy, todeeplyunderstandourhumanlife,weneedthespiritualmirrorthatreflectstheessentialnatureoflife.Whatisthespiritualmirror?It’sprettyhardtoexplaininwordsthelifeofall

sentientbeings.Thatdynamicexistenceisunexplainable.Sosometimeswejust

say“thewholeuniverse.”Butplainlyspeaking,itisthetruth.Soasking“Whatisthespiritualmirror?”meansyouareasking“Whatisthetruth?”Howdoesthemirrorreflecttheessenceofhumanlife?InShobogenzoKokyo

(TheAncientMirror),EiheiDogenmakes threepoints: themirror is theplacewhereallsentientbeingscoexistinpeaceandharmony,themirroristransparent,and themirror liberatesallbeingsso lifecancreate itselfanew.This isaveryimportant teaching. When we understand the mirror, we can try our best toapproachthatmirrorandworkwiththatenergy.

TheCoexistentPlaceThe ancientmirror is the placewhere all sentient beings experience the samethingsandbecomethesameasbuddhasandancestors.DogenZenjisays:“Theancient mirror is what buddhas and patriarchs have received, preserved, andtransmittedpersonally.”Enlightenmentispersonal,butit’sreallyforeveryone.Whenyourealizehow

sublimehumanlifeis,youcannotholditforyourself;verynaturallyyouwanttosay something about it toyour sons, toyourdaughters, toyour friends.Everysinglebuddhaandancestorhaspersonallyreceivedtheancientmirrorandtriedtohanditdowntothenextgeneration.Soit’spersonal.Butfromgenerationtogenerationtheyallreceived,preserved,andtransmittedthesamemirror,soit’spublic.Then Dogen says, “They are all the same and one with view, face, shape,

mold, practice, and enlightenment.”When your life is reflected in the ancientmirror, your view is exactly the same view that buddhas and ancestorsexperienced.Your face is also the same face. Everyone’s face is different, ofcourse, but everyonewhose life is reflected in that hugemirror has the samelook. If you seek for the spiritual life, your mind becomes soft, kind, andcompassionate,andyourlookbecomesthesameasbuddhasandancestors.Yes,itistrue—otherpeoplecanseethesamefeelingthere.Yourshapealsobecomesthesame.Eventhoughyoudon’tfacemewhenyou

dozazen,Icanseethatshapefromyourback.Andalso,yourlifeismoldedinthesamepatternofmoralityandethics.Fromthatonepattern,myriaddifferenttypes of life come up because that one pattern is freely changeable in everycircumstance.Buteventhoughyourcircumstancesareconstantlychanging,yourheart and your lifestyle are in the same pattern.That is faith and stability.Toreach that same view, face, shape, andmold, we practice. Then, through that

practice,youcanwalkhandinhandwithpeople,whoevertheyare.If you see your life reflected in the spiritualmirror, very naturally you are

walking thesamepath thatbuddhasandancestorswalked.Anyonewhowalkson that path can have the same result: straightforwardness, honesty,magnanimity, and wisdom. For example, pay attention to Christian ministers.Just look at them. You can see it. There is the same look, the samecompassionatemind,andthesamewayofwalking.Theyarewalkingonepath,whichiscalledpractice.Thespiritualmirrorimpliesavastexpanseofspacewhereallsentientbeings

coexistsimultaneouslyinpeace,insilence.Itistheplacewhereallbeingswalktogether in harmony, beyond race, social position, personality, thoughts, orcultural forms. Japanese monkeys walk with elephants in India. Birds andbutterfliestalktogether.Everything is reflected in thatmirror. Sowhen you stand up there and see

your life reflected, you see that your life is working with all sentient beings.Dogen Zenji says: “When the barbarian comes, he is reflected in thatmirror,eightthousandortenthousand.AlsowhentheChinesecomes,heisreflectedinit,containingonemomentortenthousandyears.Alsowhenthepast,present,orthebuddhasandancestorscome,theyarereflected.”Whenyouseeyourlifelikethis,youcanlivewithallsentientbeingsinpeaceandharmony,nocomplaints.TheChristianmonkSaintFrancisofAssisiwasknownasaholypersonwho

couldtalkwithbirds.IthinkthebirdsandSaintFrancisstooduptogetherinthevastcoexistentspaceandtalkedtogetherinpeaceandharmony.Whenapersonandabirdarereflectedinthatancientmirror,itisnotthekarmicformoftheirlives thatwalks and talks together; it is the essence of their lives.That’swhySaintFranciscouldtalkwiththebirds.SaintFranciswasapersonwhoreallyhadamissionaryspirit.Ifyouwantto

beapriest,youmusthavethiskindofspirit.Youmustbepresentwithpeopleofdifferent races, cultures, andpersonalities and communicate in that sameway,becauseoriginallyallhumanbeingsarethesame.

ClearTransparentFunctioningWhenIwasfourteen,mymotherdied.Itmademeverysad.EverynightIcriedandcried.ThemoreIlongedtobewithmymother,themoreIrealizedthatmymotherwasfarawayfromme.Thenallofasudden,verysmoothly,mymother

cameintomyheart.Itwaslikespringwatercomingupfromdeepintheground.Ifeltdeepappreciationformymother,andIstoppedcrying.Ididn’tknowwhy,butIfeltmymotheraliveinmyheart.Whathappened?Whenmymothercameinto my heart, she was reflected in the same mirror where I see my ownreflection,andherfaceandmyfacebecameone.In “TheAncientMirror,”Dogenmentions thatmirror in thisway: “Saying

‘notdimeither insideoroutside’means that inside is not against outside, andviceversa.Itisnotfrontorback;bothofthemarevisibleasonewhole.”Thispoint isa littledifficult tounderstandbecauseanordinarymirrorhasa

frontthatisclearandabackthatisdim.Butthespiritualmirrorhasnofrontorback,soitiscompletelyclear.Also,itdoesn’thaveaninsideasopposedtoanoutside.Inotherwords,ithasnolimitation:insideissimultaneouslyoutside,andoutside is simultaneously inside.The ancientmirror is completely transparent.Butitisstillamirror.Whenyourlifeisreflectedinthatmirror,youalsobecometransparent.Itisverydifficulttoimagineamirrorlikethat,sotemporarilylet’ssayithasa

frontandaback.Ifso,thenwhatistherelationbetweenfrontandback?Dogensaysitislikemindandeyes.Hesays,

Thewords“mind”and“eye,”resemblingeachother,meanthatamanseesaman,andthatmindishiseye,bothinsideandoutsidethemirror,bothofthembeingvisibleasonewhole.Thepresentselfandtheworldareboththeinside and outside of themirror. There is no difference such as self andother, both of them being visible as one whole. Others are self. Self isothers.

Youcanunderstandwhatyouseewithyoureyesbecausemindandeyesworktogetherasonewhole.Temporarilyyoucandistinguishbetweenyourmindandeyes,butactuallytheyarenotseparate;theyareinterconnected.Whataboutthepictureyouseewithyoureyes?Canyousaywhetheritisinsideyourmindandeyes or outside? What’s more, all sentient beings have minds and eyes. Sowhateverpictureyousee,italsohasmindandeyes.ThereisaZenstoryaboutthis.Adonkeypokedhisheadintoawellandsaw

hisfacereflectedinthewater.Atthesametime,thewelllookedatthedonkeyandsawitself reflected in thedonkey’seyes.So in thewell there isadonkey,andinthedonkeythereisawell.Sowhoisseeingwhom?Nothingtosay!There

is justadonkey lookingatadonkey,awell lookingatawell. Inotherwords,youseeyourself.Youareyou,andKatagiriisKatagiri.YouandIhavedifferentfaces,different

forms,anddifferentlifestyles.Whenwestanduptogetherinfrontoftheancientmirrorandlookatthemirrorverycalmly,wecanseethatwearedifferent.Butifyoucontinuetolookatmyfaceinthemirror,andIlookatyourface,somethinghappens.Whenwelookinthatmirror,ourmindsandeyesseethesameessentialnature

ofexistence,andour individual formsdisappear.Youbecometransparent,andmy look penetrates into your heart; I become transparent, and your lookpenetrates into my heart. In other words, my reflection and your reflectionbecome transparent simultaneously. We are like two Caspers. Do you knowCaspertheGhost,thecartoonontelevision?TwoCaspersseeeachother,walktogether inharmony,anddisappear.Ourdifferentfacescancometogetherandbecomeonebecauseoriginally,inthevastcoexistentspace,wearenotseparate.Whenyour life isworkingwith thewhole universe, there is no subject and

object. At that time,mind and eye, inside and outside, self and other are notseparatethings.Ifthereisnoformofinsideasopposedtooutsideandnosenseofselfandother,youexperienceyourlifeassomethingcompletelytransparentandclear.Thatisthefunctioningofthespiritualmirror.In every person’s reflection we can see a manifestation of human life, the

humanmind,andthehumanheart.Thatiswhywehavetomakeeverypossibleeffort to see andunderstandcultures andpersonalitiesdifferent fromourown.So let’s live together inpeace.You standup in thatmirrorwith a calmmind,otherpeoplestandupthere,andfinallythosedifferentfacesbecometheonefaceoftheessentialnatureofhumanexistence.

LiberationandCreationWhenyouandallsentientbeingsarereflectedtogetherinthespiritualmirror,allaretransparentandliberatedbythattransparence.Then,immediately,inthenextmoment, your individual face comes up again, very clearly. That is calledcreation.Youareconstantlyre-creatingyourlifeanew.DogenZenjitellsthisstory:Genshacameforwardsaying,“Whatwillbecome

of themwhen the clearmirror appears suddenly?” Seppo said, “Both of themwill appear.” “I don’t agree.” “What then?” “Askme again please.” “Whatwill

becomeofthemwhentheclearmirrorappearssuddenly?” “Itwilldisintegrate.”Seppo and Gensha are discussing what happens when a clear mirror sees

another clear mirror. When you see the clear mirror, you are also the clearmirror, so Gensha is asking his student about this. Seppo says both are clearmirrors,whichmeanstheybothdisappear.ButGenshaisnotsatisfiedwiththisanswer.SoSeppoaskshisteacher:Howaboutyou?Whatdoyousay?Genshasaysbothmirrorsdisintegrate.Theyareshattered,brokenintopieces—hundreds,myriads of tiny, broken shards. Dogen comments on this story and finally hesays,“Whatthenistheshapeofthebrokenpieces?Itiseternallydeepwaterandthemooninthesky.”Throughourexperience,ourstudy,andourpractice,wetrytoseethemirror

where all life is reflected.We try tounderstandwhat truth is.Soyoupracticeandthen,whenyoulookinthismirror,whathappens?Allofasuddenthemirrorshatters. It breaks intopieces and there isno reflection.The reflectionofyou,me,trees,birds,Americanculture,andallsentientbeingsdisintegrates,andthereisnothingthere;thereisjustthevastopennessofthesky.ThevastopennessoftheskyiscalledakashainSanskrit.Itisverydifficultto

translateakasha.Sometimeswe say “sky”or “space,”but itmeans somethingmore than ordinary space.Before there is a clearmirror, before there are anyreflections in the mirror, there is just a vast transparent openness where allsentientbeingscoexistinpeace,inharmony.When the mirror shatters, the form of your life breaks into pieces. Your

consciousnesscannotmakeanydiscrimination,sonothingatallisseparatefromyou.Ifyouseeatree,youhavenoconceptof“tree”becausenothingseparatesyou from the tree. Then, in the nextmoment, according to the functioning ofcausesandconditions,energyshootsupfromthegroundandre-formstheframeofa tree.There isa tree,but it isnot thetreeyouusuallysee.Thenewtreeislikeasnakeaftersheddingitsskin.Ithasanewformandthatformisshining.Thatshiningtreeisaclearmirrorforyoubecauseitisyou.Youseeyourown

life in the tree’s life. You can see your own life there because a tree is notsomethingcreatedseparatelyfromahumanbeing.Soyourlifeisalsolikeanewsnake.Anewhumanbeingappearsintheformofyourfiveskandhas,andyourlifeisshining,likethemoon.Youarereflectingpureenergy,theessentialnatureoflife.Atthattimeyoureallyappreciateyourlife.Ifyouseeatree,youreallyappreciateitbecausethetreeisyouandyouare

the tree, so very naturally there is communication; you and the tree can talk

together.Whenyoutalkwithatreethatischangingcolorinautumn,maybeyouwrite a poem. That poem is something more than its words; a kind ofsentimental, huge, deep, and completely inconceivable world is there. Yourpoemisaclearmirrorreflectingtheessentialnatureofhumanlife.SoaccordingtoDogen’sstory,whathappenswhenyourclearmirrormeetsa

clear mirror? Both mirrors shatter into pieces, and there is just a great vastopenness.Thatisliberation.Youarefree.Then,next,whatshouldyoudo?Wemust not forget re-creation. So come back and pay careful attention to everysingle aspect of yourdaily life: gettingup in themorning,washingyour face,havingbreakfast,andwalkingonthestreet.Thatiscalledcreatingyourlife.Thisisvery important.Otherwiseyoucannot take careofyour life freely, andyoucannotbuildupapeacefulworld.It’shardtounderstandwhatthepointofZenteachingisexactly.Maybeyou

thinkitistofindthesolutiontoakoan,aZenpuzzle.Idon’tthinkthisistherealpurpose. Maybe you think that the main purpose of Zen is to attainenlightenment.Idon’tthinkthisisZen.ItisapartofZen,butnotthewhole.Zen Buddhism emphasizes the best way to live in terms of Dogen’s third

point: frommoment tomoment the five skandhas of your body andmind areliberatedandthenre-formtocreateanewlife.Thisprocess is thematuringoflife.It’sworkinginthelifeofallsentientbeings.If you want to mature your life, you have to consider all three points:

coexistence,transparency,andcreation.Otherwiseyourlifeisupintheair,andyou can become crazy by spiritual life. For example, if you see your lifereflected in the ancientmirror and experience howwonderful life is, you feelexcited,fantastic.Butmaybeyoustarttothinkthatallthingsarethesame:rightorwrong,goodorbad—allareBuddha.Thisisconfusion!Ifyouarelucky,youbecomeamysteriousperson,puttingonaperformancetogainpeople’srespect.Ifyouareunlucky,youareinjailorinamentalhospital.Sofinallyyouhavetoreachthethirdpointandcomebacktore-creation.Youarealreadyintheancientmirror,sotrytofindawaytocalmdownand

reflectyourlife.Againandagain,standupinthecoexistentplace,seetheclearmirror, experience it breaking into pieces, and come back to everyday life.Createanewhumanlifewithwisdombasedonwhatyouhaveseen.Thenyourlifeisreallyrootedonearth.Youcanliveinpeace,andthroughyoureverydaylife,youshowapeacefulwayoflifetoothers.

TheMaturingofHumanLifeI think the maturing of human life is like a persimmon ripening. When thepersimmonfruitbecomesred,itisstillhard,butittastesgood.Ifyouleavethefruit on the tree, it becomes soft and perfectly sweet.But the ripe persimmondoesn’tstayonthebranch.Itdropsontheground,andallitsgutscomeout.Thatpersimmonisnevergoingbacktothebranch.Itisfree,liberated.Thatistotal,perfectmaturity—Buddha.If you see your life reflected in the spiritual mirror, your life shatters into

pieces,andyouexperiencesomethingdeep.Youareliberated.Yourlifeisstillthere, but it is completely liberated. Then your life turns a new leaf. Frommyriad broken pieces on the ground, your life re-forms. Your five skandhasshootupagain,andfromyournewbodyandmindakindof lightappears thatotherscansee.Whenyouhaveexperiencedyourlifereflectedinthespiritualmirror,youcan

takecareofyourconcrete,daily lifebasedon thatmirror.Your five skandhasseem tobe the sameasbefore, but youcandealwithyour five skandhas in adifferentway,payingattention to livingwithmaturityandanopenheart.Thattransformationisthefinalgoalweareseeking.Maturityisnotaconcept.Itisawaytodemonstrateyourlifeeverydaybased

onthespiritualmirror.Whenyoudemonstrateyourlife,yourfiveskandhasarereflectedinthatmirrorbeyondtheunderstandingofyourhumanconsciousness.That’swhyZenteachersalwaystellyoutodealwitheverydaylifeasBuddha.WhenyoudealwithyoureatingbowlasBuddha,thatbowlisnotmerelyabowl;itisnothingbutBuddha’sface.Thatiswhyyouhavetotakebestcareofyoureatingbowl.Wedon’tunderstandthis,butpleasedoitanyway.Well,lookatyourlifebeforeyoustartedZenpractice.Howoftendidyoutake

careofthingscarelessly?ButaftersittingzazenandstudyingBuddha’steaching,which isalways tellingyou to takecareofyour life,verynaturallyadifferentwayof lifecomesup.You takegoodcareofyourbootsand toiletpaper.Youcover your bookwith awrapping cloth and hold it with a sincere heart. Youdon’tknowwhy,butsomethinghaspenetratedyourlife.Youcanfeelthat.Thatismaturity.Maturityletsyoulivetogetherwithallsentientbeingsinpeaceandharmony.DogenZenjisaysthattostudyBuddhismistostudytheself.Wehavetosee

our lifeand learnwhathumanlife is.Wehave to learnourbodies,ourminds,

and the whole panorama picture of life. Your body andmind is your mirror.Yourthinkingisyourmirror.Youroccupationisalsoyourmirror.Ifyouareamountaineer,throughbeingamountaineer,youcanlearnthelifeofthetrees,thelifeofbirds,lifeoffrogs,lifeofAmericans,andlifeofJapanese.Youcanlearn.We have to start to learn. But it’s very difficult because we have lots of

prejudices—just like an octopus. Do you know about the octopus? There’s averysimplewayforafishermantocatchanoctopus.Justtiearopetoanykindofpotandletitsinktothebottomoftheocean.Anoctopuswillgetintothepotand feel relief. Then the fisherman pulls up on the rope, and the pot starts tomove. When the pot moves, the octopus clings to it: “This ismy territory.”Finallythefishermancatchestheoctopus.Therearemanypotsthathumanbeingsoccupyanddependontofeelrelief:

Buddhism,Christianity, ornational culture.Whenourpotmoves, for examplebythefunctioningofAmericanculture,weclingtoourpot.Whathappens?Byegoism,byprejudice, theoctopusdies—itcommitssuicide.Soonebyonewehavetotakeoffourprejudices.Topracticezazenistotakeoffeachprejudice.How?Justsitdown.Thisisthe

simplepracticewedo.Whenyoupracticezazenasshikantaza,zazenbecomesahugemirror reflecting the life of all sentient beings.You can see the originalnatureofyourownlifethere.Sositdownandreflectyourbodyandmindinthatmirror.Whenyoulookinthatmirror,theusualframeofyourlifeimmediatelydisappears.Thenyourfiveskandhasre-form,creatinganewframeofbodyandmind,andyourlifetakesonesteptowardthefuture.

9BUDDHA’SBODY

INMAHAYANABUDDHISTphilosophy,Buddha’sbodyisunderstoodinthreeways:dharmakaya, nirmanakaya, and sambhogakaya. This is Buddha’s totalpersonality,wesay.Dharmakaya is Buddha’s true body. Dharma is “truth” and kaya means

“body.” Dharmakaya is the same as the ultimate principle of existence. Thesubtlenatureofdharmakayaistheoriginalsourceofbeing,whichisnothingbutenergy. That is the seed of buddha-nature. Everyone has the seed of buddha-natureanddeservestoletitgrow,blossom,andbearfruit.Wherecanthatseedgrow?Thatisnirmanakaya,Buddha’stransformationbody.Nirmanakayaisthephenomenal world: your human body, your mind, your circumstances, andeverythingaroundyou.Butinorderforyourseedtogrow,youhavetoputitinanappropriateplace.

That is sambhogakaya,Buddha’s joy body. Sambhogakaya is the placewherethereisharmonybetweentruthandthephenomenalworld,andtheseedofyourbuddha-nature becomes the mature fruit of your life. That fruit has its ownpeculiar, incredibleflavoraccordingto theconditionsof theparticularplace inwhichitgrew.Rain,soil,thewarmthofthesun—everythingworkstogether,andthe seed matures into wonderful, ripe fruit with a flavor you cannot put intowords.When you describe Buddha’s three bodies, it’s kind of a buddhology that

makesyouconfused.Butyoucanactuallypracticethis.How?Whoeveryouare,you can manifest the true body with your human body. Even ShakyamuniBuddha had a human body. But Buddha’s human body is something morebecauseyoucanseetruthactualizedthere.Sofirstacceptyourhumanbody,andthenuse it tomanifest somethingmore thanwhat youunderstand—somethingdeep.

BodhiTree:TwoPoemsonBuddha’sBody

According to the history of Zen Buddhism in China, there were two famousdisciplesofHung-jen,thefifthpatriarch.TheywereShen-hsiu,whobecamethefounder of the Northern School (called “gradual Zen”), and Hui-neng, whobecame the sixth patriarch and the founder of the Southern School (called“suddenZen”). In theSutra ofHui-neng (PlatformSutra),Hui-neng says thatoneday,Hung-jeninvitedallmonkstowritepoemsshowingtheirunderstandingofenlightenment.SoShen-hsiuwrote:

Thisbodyisthebodhitree.Themindislikeamirrorbright;TakeheedtokeepitalwayscleanAndletnotdustcollectuponit.

Saying“Thisbodyis thebodhi tree”meansShen-hsiuunderstandshisbodyasdharmakaya—the completely pure absolute body. In Buddhism we cannotseparatethebodyfromthemind.Soifyouhaveapurebodylikethebodhitree,then your mind is like a pure, bright mirror. That mirror is always working,acceptingandreflectingeverythingwithoutdiscrimination,withoutattachingtoanything.But in thehumanworld, thatpuremirror iscoveredupbyakindofcurtain or by the dust of dualistic consciousness, so we don’t know our puremindisthere.Ifwecleanoffthedust,wecandiscoverouroriginalnature.Shen-hsiu attained enlightenment aftermany years of practice, so his poem

says that to attain enlightenment, youmust practice andpurify your body andmindgradually.AccordingtoShen-hsiu,purityandimpurityaresomethingthatyoucangetoravoid,throughpracticingornotpracticing.Ifyoupractice,yourbodybecomespure. If youdon’t, your body is impure. SoShen-hsiu expendsgreatenergytokeephisbodyandmindpurethroughhispractice.WhenHui-nengreadthispoem,herecognizedthatShen-hsiu’sideaofpurity

camefromadualisticsenseofpurityassomethingopposedtoimpurity.Sohewrotehisownpoem:

Thereisnobodhitree,Norstandofamirrorbright.SinceallisVoid,Wherecanthedustalight?

According to Hui-neng, whether you think your body is pure or not pure, it

doesn’tmatter.YouarealreadyperfectlypurebecauseyouarealreadyBuddha.So at any time you can suddenly realize your bodhi tree body, which iscompletely beyond your perception of purity and impurity. Having thatrealizationiswhathemeansby“nobodhitree.”Thisisreal,supremepurity.“Since all isVoid”means real purity is beyond any perception of purity or

impurity: there is no form, no color, no smell, nothing to grasp. Saying “noform” means something is constantly working dynamically. If so, there isnothing solid fordust to coverup.The truthofno solid form iswhy supremepurity iscallednothingnessoremptiness.Emptiness is justconstantmotion. Ifyou try to grasp emptiness or the ultimate nature of being through yourconsciousness,youhavealreadyfallenintoadualisticview.Nothingfromtheoutsidecanbebroughtintothepurityofemptiness.Ifyou

bringeven theslightest thing into it, that thing issomethingdefiled,aconceptfabricatedbyyourconsciousness.Hui-nengsaid,“Thereisnobodhi tree/Norstand of mirror bright,” because he has passed through the net of seeking toattainenlightenmentandgonebeyondtheconceptofenlightenment.Forgettingthat stage of enlightenment that dealswith purity and impurity,Hui-neng justgoesonworkinghishumanlifeaspurebeing,asBuddha.

Dogen’sNot-PureBodyHumanbeingspretty easilyget attached toourproperty,ourposition, andourcleverstatements,andalsoourbodies.Sotokeephisdisciplesfromattachmentto theirhumanbodies,ShakyamuniBuddha taught themindfulnesspracticeofobservingthebodyasimpure.ThispracticealsooccursinChristianmonasteries,wheretheylookathumanskeletons.Weshouldtrytounderstandthedeepmeaningofthisteaching,becauseifyou

try to copy the mindfulness practice of observing the body as impure in atraditionalway,basedonideasofgoodandbad,itbecomesnothingbutamoralproblem.Idon’tmeanthatthetraditionalinstructioniswrong;it’sprettygood.Butrealpurity isbeyonddualistic ideasofpurityandimpurity.Ifyoupracticemindfulnessbasedonadualisticunderstanding,youwillneverhaveapeacefulmind.Practicallyspeaking,yourbodyisonebeing.Butwhenyouthinkaboutyour

bodyasbeingeitherpureorimpure,youhavealreadysplityouronebodyintotwo:apurebodyandanimpurebody.Sowhichoneisright?Isyourbodypure

orimpure?Whicheveransweryougive,itdoesn’thitthemark.Itdoesn’thitthemarkbecausetheideaofpurityisahumanvalue.You believe you can achieve purity by doing something good or avoiding

something bad. That’s all right, but it’s hard to pin down exactly what to dobecausethehumanworldisconstantlychanging.Sometimessomethingwethinkisgoodturnsintosomethingbad,andsomethingbadbecomessomethinggood.So we have to digest our sense of morality by polishing it until it becomesreligious life. In religious lifewehave topolish religion throughand through,againandagain,goingbeyondpracticebasedonamoralsensetoconsiderwhatrealreligiouspracticereallyis.Whenreligionisthoroughlydigestedinyourlife,itbecomesno-religion.The

negative term “no” or “not” implies transcendence of conceptual thinkingcomingfromyourhumanmind;youbecomereligionitself.Thatisrealreligion.Realreligionisperfectpeace.Dogenunderstoodthepracticeof“observingthebodyasimpure”verydeeply,

completelybeyondthetraditionalunderstanding.Heexpresseshisunderstandingin the opening of Shobogenzo Sanjushichi-bon-bodai-bunpo (Thirty-SevenConditions Contributing to Bodhisattva Practice). This passage begins,“Observing the body as not-pure means that one skin bag of the presentobservingbodyistheentireuniverseofthetendirections.”Theordinaryideaof“observing”istoseesomethinginthedistance.Thisis

dualistic.Realobservationistomerge,orbecomeonewith,thedynamicprocessof observation itself. How canwe understand this?According to grammaticalstructure,asentenceismadeupofsubject,object,andverb.Butwhenyou,assubject, exactly participate in your object, then your object is not somethingseparatefromyou.Youareexactlythesameandone—sothereisnoobject.Ifthereisnoobject,verynaturallytherecanbenosubject.What’sleft?Theverb!Activityitself!Thatiscalledpurefunctioning.For example,whenyou are sleeping like a log, there is no sleep for you to

observebecauseyoucan’tseeyourownsleep.Youdon’tperceivewhat’sgoingon,butyourbodyandmindareexactlyparticipatinginsleep,sotheyaresleepitself.Atthattimesleepisnotanidearunningthroughyourhead,sowesayitisno-sleep.No-sleepmeansyouareexactlyonewiththepurefunctioningofsleep.It’sverydifficulttosayanythingaboutthispurefunctioning.Provisionallywe

usetheword“pure,”butwithinthatpurity there isnotraceofanyconcept,sowecanalsosayitis“not-pure.”Whentheoriginalpurefunctioningoflifeitself

appearsinyourhumanactivityandyourealizethepurefunctioningofyourlife,it is “not-purity” that appears. Original puritymanifests as not-purity—this isrealpurity.Sorealpurityandnot-purityarenotdifferent;theyarethesame.Dogen Zenji’s “not-pure” takes your human body far beyond any dualistic

ideasofpurityorimpuritytotheplacewhereyoucannotputanynamesontheskinbagofyourhumanbody.It isabsolutelybeyondideasorconcepts,sowesay it is empty. Ifyouexperienceyourhumanbodyasemptiness, at that timeyourbodyistheentireuniverseinthetendirections,thewholeworld,onetotalreality,orBuddha.SonextDogensays,

Since this is the truebody, it is observing thebodyasnot-pure,which isvividlyhoppingalong.Ifthereisnobody,practiceisunattained,teachingisunattained, observation is unattained. No hopping along means thatobservation is unattained. Already the attainment of observation iscompletely manifest. You should realize that hopping along is alreadyattained.

InBuddhism,purityisnotsomethingyoutrytoattainbydoingsomething;itiswhatyou findwithindoingsomething.Whenyouare right in themiddleofactivityitself,youractivityisveryclear,yetyousimplycan’tperceivewhatthatactivity is. You are there, but there is no trace of you or the object of youractivity.Thisiscalledobservingthebodyasnot-pure,orobservingthebodyasemptiness. InSanskritwesayvipassana,whichmeans“wisdom,” “insight,”or“discernment.”Vipassanapracticeistoseethesourceofyourexistence,veryclearly.Thatis

right observation.What do you observe? Activity itself! There is nothing butmovement;lifeisjusthoppingalong.Activityitselfiscalledshikan,theflowofactivity that is not defiled by the perception of your discriminatingconsciousness.Zazen as shikantaza is nothing but the experience of touching the flowing

source of the human world before you are conscious of your own existence.Eventhoughyouareawareofbreathing,youdon’tknowwhatbreathingis.Youdon’tknowwhatyourhumanbodyis;itisjustsomethingvividlyalive,hoppingalong,workingwiththeuniverse—activityitself.Whenyoudo zazen exactly, there is no-zazen. If there is no-zazen, there is

no-bodyandno-attainmentofobservation.Sincethereisnothingtobeattained

byzazenpractice,practiceisunattained.Allyoucandoisjustbethere.Justbeactivityitself.Whenyoucannotseparateyourskinbagandtheuniverse,thereistranscendence—youobserveyourhumanbodyasBuddha.Thenyourzazen iscalledshikantaza,andyourbodyistheentireuniverseinthetendirections.If you do zazen exactly, you experience tranquility. There is nothing to be

attained,soallyouhavetodoisjustbethere,justenjoyobservingyourbodyasemptiness.That is calledsamatha.Wesay that samathapractice is tranquility,stillness,samadhi,orone-pointedness.Butactuallyyoudon’treallyknowwhatthereal,puresenseoftranquilityis;youjustcalmlyandfirmlyabideinzazen,whichisvividlyhoppingalong.Thetruestateofhoppingalongisactivitypassingthroughactivitytofreedom.

Whenyourbodyandmindareperfectlytranquilinzazen,yourlifetouchesthesourceof thehumanworldwithyourwholebodyandmind.At that timeyouexperience your life as nothing but flowing process, flowing practice, flowingactivity,energythatisgushingoutlikespringwater,constantlygushingupfromtheground.ThenDogensays,

Theso-calledattainmentofobservation is thedailyactivitiesofsweepingthegroundsandwashingthefloors.Becauseofsweepingthegroundswith“whichmoonisthis?”orsweepingthegroundsandwashingthefloorwith“thesecondmoon,”thereissuchnessoftheentiregreatearth.

HereDogenistalkingaboutcase21oftheBookofEquanimity(Shoyoroku).Inthat story,Unganwas sweeping the temple groundswhen his dharma brotherDogopassedbyandsaid,“Youareworkingveryhard,aren’tyou?”SoUngansaid,“Thereisanotherpersonwhodoesn’tknowhowhardheisworking.”ThenDogo said, “If so, there is a secondmoon?” Ungan lifted his broom, saying,“Whichmoonisthis?”In common sense we can say one person works hard and another person

doesn’tworkhard.Here,Dogomakesthisdistinction,soitimpliesthedualisticworld.Butinthepuresenseofflowingactivity,canwesaythereishardworkornot hard work? No, you cannot pin down what the pure activity of work is.Whenyoursweepingisworkingtogetherwiththewholeuniverse, thereisonemoon.Butifyouobserveitdualistically,thereisasecondmooninyourmind.Forexample,zazenitselfispureactivity,butinmanywayszazenisn’tpure

becausemanykindsof zazenhappen. If youyawn, there is yawningzazen. If

you feel bored, there is boring zazen.That is a secondmoon: yawning zazen,boring zazen. There are many moons. So which moon is real zazen? Is itenlightenmentzazen?No.Isitdualisticzazen?No.ThatiswhyUnganholdsupthebroomand says, “Whichmoon is this?” Inotherwords, there’snothing tosay!Soforgetallthosemoons,andjustdozazenaspureactivity.Then,Dogensays,“Thereissuchnessoftheentiregreatearth.”Purezazenisexactlythissuchness.Itisnotthesuchnessofyourtinyhuman

world;itisthevastnessofthewholeworld.Thisisthetotalpictureoftherealityyou live in.You always do zazenwith that vastness. Sitting in zazen you areexactly manifesting the vastness of the whole world. You don’t know this,becauseatthattimethereisnoobservationandnobody,butstillthepureactionofzazenisveryclear.ThisisDogen’sexplanationofthesignificanceofthemindfulnesspracticeof

observing the body as not-pure. If you read Dogen Zenji’s explanation inJapanese, it’s like repeating amagic spell. If you understand itwell, youwilltouchthedeepsourceofBuddha’steaching,whichpenetratesintoyourlifeandthelifeofallsentientbeings.Yourhumanbodyisabagofskin,andsimultaneouslyitissomethingbeyond

abagof skin—it is spiritual.So acceptyourhumanbodyasBuddha.What ismeant byBuddha? There is something beyond the idea of purity or impurity,somethingworkingtogetherwithallsentientbeings.Thisisthetotalpictureofyourhumanbody.Youcannotpindownexactlywhat it is,but temporarilywesayBuddha.EveryoneisthisBuddha.SopleasetakecareofyourhumanbodyasBuddha.Constantlyhaveafresheyetosee,toobserve,yourhumanbodyasBuddha.Whenyoudo this, theBuddhabodyblooms,andyougoover thebarrierof

what you think of as your body. All your bonds drop away, and you are notaffected by distinctions such as the thought of “my body.” That issambhogakaya, truth manifested within your human body. Next moment, athoughtarisesandyouarebackinyourordinarybody.Then,ifyoukeepquiet,theBuddhabodyarisesagain.Theimportantpointisyoucandosomethingwithyourhumanbodybecauseitismorethanjustyourbody.Youcandoitbecausepure energy is always with you. It’s too close for you to know what it isintellectually,butyoucanbeit.Thisisourpractice.

10ANINVITATIONTOBUDDHA

THEORIGINAL NATURE of your life is just like awater vein, underground. It’sdeepandgoingendlessly.Whenyoutouchit,itcomesupjustlikeaspring.Butit’s pretty hard to touch your original nature directly, so maybe you haven’texperiencedthisyet.Insteadofgoingdeep,humanbeingsare alwaysbusy juston the surfaceof

life: limiting ourselves, evaluating our capability, and judging our personalnature. If you want to touch the depth of your life, let go of measuring andaccept the great openness of your personality.How?Openyourself and inviteBuddha.ThemainpurposeofBuddhistpracticeistoinvitetheoriginalnatureofyourexistence—Buddha—intoyoureverydaylifeandexperiencefreedomfromhumanlife.

The“VerseofOfferingIncense”Thesimplepracticeofofferingincense isagreatopportunity to inviteBuddhainto you.When IkkoNarasakiRoshi came from Japan and practiced here, hestoodquietlyatthealtarandofferedincenserespectfully,withacalmmind.Wewere very impressed. He didn’t explain, but very naturally we tasted what itmeanstoofferincense.ThroughhisbehaviorIcouldreallyfeelthatheinvitedBuddhaintohim,intonow.Somepeoplegrumbleaboutofferingincense.Theysayitisjustaritual,and

incense is justuseless specksofwooddust.Yes, it is a ritual,but ritual reallydepends on your attitude and behavior. If you think of that ritual as anopportunity to see the original nature of your existence, you can give a greatqualitytothelifeofthewooddust,andthatwooddustcanhelpyousomuch.Buddhasaid that incenseisamessenger toBuddha.Peoplesometimesthink

thissayingintheSutraonSumagadhameansthatbyofferingincensetheywillhave good luck. But if you offer incense thinking Buddha will give yousomething in return, then incense is really something defiled in the worldly

sense.In the Discourse on Insight of the Mind, compiled by Shen-hsiu, it says,

“Burning incense doesn’t mean the worldly sense of incense but means theincense of the unconditioned right dharma, because you have to invite thebuddhas.” In other words, invite the ultimate nature of your life into youreveryday life.This is thepointofBuddhistpractice.Soas simplyasyoucan,offerincenseatthealtarandbow.When you offer incense, you can keep in mind the “Verse of Offering

Incense.”Hereismytranslation:

Sila,samadhi,vimoksaincenseRadiantlightofthebuddhasemitsthroughoutthedharmaworldHomagetothecountlessbuddhasinthetendirectionsPermeatesintoseeingandhearingandmanifestsnirvana.

ThisversehasbeenchantedinZenmonasteriesformanyyears.Wedon’tknowwho wrote it, but it is found in the Shokyo yoshu (Chu-ching yao-chi), acollectionofquotationsfromMahayanasutrascompiledbyTao-shih,wholivedinChina during theTang dynasty.That collection dealswith issues related tosuddenenlightenment,orseeingoriginalnatureandbecomingBuddha.Evenifyou don’t understand this verse exactly, remembering it helps you to openyourself and invite Buddha. Then you can move toward understanding thesignificanceofofferingincense.

BecomingtheBodyofBuddhaThefirst lineofthe“VerseofOfferingIncense”says,“Sila,samadhi,vimoksaincense.”This lineexpressesdharmakaya—Buddha’s truebody.Therearefivekindsofdharmakaya.InJapanesewecallthisgobun-hosshin,thefivefoldmeritofthosewhohaveattainedenlightenment.Thesefivearesila(precept),samadhi(totalconcentration),prajna(wisdom),moksa(liberation),andvimoksa(wisdomof liberation).The first lineof thisversenames just three,butactuallyall fivearepresentthere.Sila,orprecept,bodymeans theprincipleof theoriginalnatureofexistence

and how it functions. As a whole, your life is a huge machine digestingeverything.It’slikeabigclothesdryerwithaglassdoor.Ifyouwatch,youcanseemanythingsappear:yourshirtcomesup,yourpantsandsocks,sometimes

napkins come up. It’s very difficult to see the functioning of sila with yourhumanconsciousness,butyouhaveanotherkindofconsciousness:intuition.Yourintuitionhasthegreatcapacitytoknoweverythingatatime.Soifyou

introspect yourself very closely, you can notice how your life is functioning.Whenyoutakecareofsilaintheproperway,yourlifebecomespeaceful;ifyoudon’t, your life becomes restless and uneasy.This understanding of precept isquitedifferentfromtheusualideathatpreceptsarerulesofbehavior.Samadhibodyistotalconcentrationormeditation,steadfastlysettlingdownin

the oneness of you and your object. Settling down means to trust in the bigvehiclecalledMahayana.Youandeverythingintheuniverse,withoutexception,aretravelingtogether.Weareallpassengersinonebigboat—theuniversalboat.This is theoriginal stateofeveryone’sexistence.That’swhywehave towalktogether, hand in hand, and make an effort to live together in peace andharmony.Prajna, orwisdom, bodymeans to see the bottom of human existence. The

bottomofyourlifeisexactlythesameastheoriginalnatureofexistence.Ifyoustudythebodyandmindoftheselfandintrospectconstantly,youwillreachthedeadendofyourlife.Thatdeadendisliketheterminalstationoftherailroad.Theterminalstationistheendoftheline,butfromthereyoucangoanyplace.So when you reach the dead end of your life, immediately your life is free,liberated,andanewlifestarts.Withthewisdombodyyoucanseethis.Moksa is emancipation, or liberation, body. In the Shokyo yoshu, Tao-shih

says liberation means to “dispel all hindrances fabricated by ignorance.” Theoriginal nature of ignorance is exactly the same as the original nature ofexistence,whichispure.Youcannotsayignoranceisbadbecauseitisthesameassomethingpure.It’shardtoexplainthis,butifyouignorethefunctioningofignorance,youarealwaysgoingoff courseand finding itdifficult to live.Wehave to see how we go astray, so constantly investigate your ignorance. Askyourself:whatisthecauseofmygoingastray?Thisisresearchingtheself.Vimoksaiswisdomofliberationbody.Itistoexperienceliberationandthen

befreefromyourexperience.Ifyoutaste liberation,youcaneasilybehookedbyliberation.Peopleareveryquicktoattachtoliberation,beauty,orsomedeepexperiencewehavehadthroughhardwork.Ifyoubelieveinsomethingdivine,you attach to that divinity and then you feel comfortable; otherwise you areuneasy.Thatisnotrealfreedom.Soifyouexperiencefreedom,nextyouhavetobefreefromfreedom.Thatisyourproject.

The fivefold gobun-hosshin is the supreme quality of incense because itguidesyoutotastetheultimatenatureofyourlife.How?Thefunctioningofsilais the cause of inviting the buddhas. Then sila as cause brings samadhi andprajnaintobeingasresult.Samadhiisyourpracticeandprajnaiswisdom.Theother two, moksa and vimoksa, liberation and wisdom of liberation, areconsideredtheeffect.Thesefivekindsofdharmakayaarethemeritofthosewhohaveattainedenlightenment,butwhydotheycorrespondtoincense?Tao-shihsaysthatincenseastheunconditionedrightdharma“extinguishesall

defilements, ignorance, and karmic evil by virtue of its perfuming them.” Hesays, “The reason the five kinds of dharmakaya is named incense is that theBuddha has three kinds ofwondrous incense.There are sila incense, listeningincense,andgivingincense.”Everywhere, at all times, sila incense is working in the most subtle way.

Whateverappears—goodorbad,rightorwrong—allaredigestedbytheoriginalnatureofexistence.Listeningincensemeansyouopenyourselftohearallkindsofvoices:voicelessvoice,scream.Sowhateveryouhear,pleaseopenyourheartandlisten;thenyoucandosomething.Givingincensemeansthatwhenyoudealwithsomething,yougiveyourselftoitwithasincereheart.Theritualofofferingincenseasdharmakayaisthesimplepracticeofgivinga

quality to your behaviorwithout expecting some reward in theworldly sense.Youjustdothesimplepracticeofopeningyourself,invitingBuddha,andseeingtheultimatenatureofexistence.Whenthefivekindsofdharmakayaunfold,theyare called sila, samadhi, wisdom, liberation, and wisdom of liberation. Butpractically speaking, it is just one practice.Thepractice of offering incense isjust like a light. I don’t knowwhat it is exactly, but you can experience this.Through this ritualyoucanopenyourself,goverydeep,andseeyouroriginalnature.Thismakesyourlifestableandyoucanliveinpeace.

RadiantLightoftheBuddhasThesecond lineof the“VerseofOffering Incense”says,“Radiant lightof thebuddhasemits throughout thedharmaworld.”ManystatuesofBuddhashowahalo behind his head. We say Buddha is watching over all sentient beingsbecausehe isverycompassionate. It’s thesame inChristianity.WhenyouseeJesusinastainedglasswindow,thereisalwaysahalobehindhishead.Thatisradiantlight.Lightisthequalityoftheoriginalnatureofexistence.Youroriginalnatureis

not dark, not fixed like stagnant water, not melancholy, not confused bymistakenunderstanding; your original nature is clear, dynamic, free, liberated.The original nature of life is going endlessly, like a spring flowing from theground.Wedon’tknowwhatthatenergyisexactly,butit’ssomethingtrue.Soweput a nameon it: radiant light.To explain radiant light inBuddhism, it isdividedintotwo:lightofthebodyandlightofthemind.Light of thebody is compassion.To explain light of thebody, it is divided

into two: eternal and light-emitting. Eternal light of the body is dharma, theendless functioning of the original nature of existence. That stream of basicenergyconstantlypenetrateseveryinchofyourlife,helpingyouandsupportingyou.Anytime,anywhere,youcanopenyourheartandlistentoitsvoice.Light-emittinglightof thebodyis light thatarousesyouintoenlightenment.

Thatlightisalwaysemittingmoreorlessfromeveryone.Moderncamerascantakeapictureof that light. Ifyouencounter this light,something touchesyourheartandyoufeelrelief.For instance, when you see someone like the Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat

Hanh,somethinggivesforthfromhistotalpersonality.Youimmediatelytasteitandyouareshocked.Youdon’tknowwhat it is,but thatshockcomesfromapersonwhomanifests his total personality. Then thewhole situation becomescomfortableandpeaceful.Youfeelgoodjustbeingpresentbyhim,nearher,notneedingtodosomething,notneedingtotalk.Lightof themindiswisdom.Yourownlife isconstantly illuminatedby the

dynamicfunctioningof theoriginalnatureofexistence.Whoeveryouare,youarealreadyilluminatedbecauseyouexistrightnow,righthere.Soyoucanusethat light to see the truenatureofyourownexistence.Toexplain lightof themind, it is also divided into two: dharma-illuminating and opportunity-illuminating.IntheShokyoyoshu,Tao-shihsaysdharma-illuminatingmeans“toilluminate

bothtruthandworldliness.”InBuddhistphilosophy,truthisclassifiedtwoways:realtruthandworldlytruth.Worldlytruthyoucanunderstandconceptually;realtruth cannot be understood conceptually. For example, according to worldlytruth,atableisatable.Accordingtorealtruth,atableissomethingmorethanatable. That something more is called Buddha.We use the word “Buddha” toexpress the table’s original nature, the aspect of a table that is beyond ourconceptualunderstanding.Illumination is the functioning of original nature. Everything—your pants,

your hair, your boots, your body—is illuminated in many ways by dharma.ThroughtakingcareofeverythinginthehumanworldasBuddha,youhaveanopportunity to go beyond your usual existence and experience your greatexistence.Thatopportunityisalsoilluminated.Soyoucanseethatopportunityanduseittotakecareofyourselfandyourobject,whateveritis,withasincereheart.Tao-shihalsosays,“Insightandillumination,everlastinglight,thoroughgoing

penetration,nohindrance.”Insightistheoriginalnatureofexistencewhenitisdigestingeverythingandproducingnewlifefrommomenttomoment.Insightisalsoyourownexperiencewhenyouencounter thatoriginalnaturedirectly.So“insightand illumination”meansboth thewisdomoforiginalnature itselfandthewisdomofseeingitasyourownlife.“Everlasting light” is constantly illuminating your life, but the stubborn

human consciousness cannot believe it. So firstwe have to open ourselves toaccept that light. Everyone always forgets this first practice. We are alwaysirritated,nervous, confused, trying to escapeanddestroyproblems.Youneverfind solutions that way. So if you have a problem, remember that Buddha’scompassion is always supporting you and helping you. Then try to relax andacceptyourproblem.Openyourself totallyandmagnanimously toallkindsofproblems,whatevertheyare.Thenyoucanseewhattodo.“Thoroughgoingpenetration”istherealizationthatyourownlifeisthesame

andonewithradiantlight.Ifyourealizethis,it’sliketurningonalightinadarkroom.Youturntheswitch,andimmediatelyeverythingin theroomcomesup.Whenyourealizesomethingimportant,thewholeworldbecomesbrightandyoureallyappreciateit.For“nohindrance,”DogenZenjisays,verysimply,“Thewholeworldinthe

ten directions is the light of the self; thewholeworld in the ten directions iswithin the light of the self.” Yes, it’s true. So you are you, and you aresomethingmore thanyou.Youare thewholeworld; there isnoseparation,nohindrance anywhere. Is the whole world an abstract idea?No! It’s somethingworking.Thatisradiantlight.

PayingHomageandTakingRefugeThethirdandfourth linesof the“VerseofOfferingIncense”say:“Homagetothecountlessbuddhasinthetendirectionspermeatesintoseeingandhearingandmanifests nirvana.” Through offering incense with a clear and calm mind,

openingyourselfandinvitingBuddha,youcanexperienceoneness.Atthattime,yourphysicallifemanifestsdharmaineverydaylife,yourtotalpersonalitygivesforthlight,andyouarecalledBuddha—anawakenedone.If you become an awakened one, you deeply appreciate Shakyamuni

Buddha’slife,andverynaturallyyouwanttopayhomage.Soyousay,“ItakerefugeintheBuddha,”orinJapaneseyousay,“Namukiebutsu,”andthenyoubow. That bow is namu or namo. In Sanskrit, it is namaste. In India, peoplealwayssaynamastewhen theymeet.Namas is “to loweryourhead”; te is “toyou.” So namaste is not only exchanging a greeting; it is to bow. Japanesepeoplearealwaysbowing;thatisnamaste.When you greet someone, bow andmake an effort to open yourself to the

streamofbasicenergy.Invitethatenergyintoyourlife.Thenyourlifereturnstodharma,andyoubecomeBuddha.This isyoureverydaypractice:youpracticedharma, thedharmacomes intoyou,andyoubecomeBuddha.Simultaneouslyyou are a human being belonging to sangha. That is the triple treasure ofBuddhism:Buddha,dharma,andsangha.InBuddhismwetakerefugeinthetripletreasure.Takingrefugeisnotgoing

someplacetoescapefromthehumanworld;itisopeningyourselftotheoriginalplacewhereeveryonehastogo.Ifyoutakethetrainoflife,soonerorlateryoureachthedeadendwhereyouseethedepthofhumanexistence.Itistheend,butitisalsothebeginning.Fromthereyoucangoanywhere.Accordingtothetripletreasure, thesourceofyourbeingaliveinthehuman

world isnothingbut energy.Theperpetual flowofyourenergy to livehasnoform,nocolor;itisjustconstantmovement.Thislifeforceistheoriginalnatureofyourlife,whichiscalledBuddha,emptiness,orfreedom.Thatpureenergyisalwaysmoving,withouttakinganyform.Butifthesourceofbeingisenergy,thentheremustbeawaybywhichbeing

maybemanifested.Sothesourceofbeingdoesn’texistalone;itexistswithinauniversal process, which is called dharma, truth, or the ultimate principle ofexistence.Ifthereisaprocess,somethingmustbeproduced.Sowhenthesourceofbeingfunctions,itcreatesform,whichiscalledsangha,thewholeworld,orallsentientbeings.Formative energies are always springing up from the source of being

according to causes and conditions functioning in a moment. When they do,somethinghappens;thereisanevent.Life!Lifeisjustanevent.Frommomenttomoment,particles,atoms,andmoleculesarisefromthevastopennessofspace

all at once, come together, and form the world of phenomena: trees, birds,flowers,planets,andyourhumanbody.Particlescannotappearandbecomematterbythemselves.Inorderforthemto

cometogetherandtakeaparticularformofbeingthatyoucanperceive,certainenergiesmustbethere.Ifenergyisnotthere,alltheparticleswillseparateandreturntoemptinessbecausetheydonothavetheirownpowertostaytogether.So ifwemakea scientific explanation,wemaysaymatter andenergyare thesame.InBuddhismwesayallareBuddha.“The ten directions” is the entire universe: eight compass directions, above,

andbelow. It is thespatialdirectionandalso thedimension in time.Yourreallifeisthesameasthelifeoftrees,birds,sky,andthewholeuniverse.Yourbodyisvastbecauseitisinterconnectedwithallsentientbeingsexistinginspaceandtime. That universal body is called your Buddha body, or technically we saydharmakaya.“Seeing and hearing” represents the six senses of your nirmanakaya human

body and their sense objects: eye and form, ear and sound, nose and smell,tongueand taste, bodyand touch,mindand thought.Whenyouopenyourselfand invite Buddha using your human body, dharma comes into you, and youbecome one with it. At that time you are sambhogakaya. Sambhogakaya isdharmakayamanifestedinyoureverydaylife.Sambhogakaya is not necessarily a manifestation of the real truth of your

originalnatureandnotnecessarilyamanifestationof theworldly truthofyourhuman body. It is both, coming together and working together within yourhumanbody.Youcannot explainwhat it is, but something sublime is alive inyoureverydaylife.I think sambhogakaya, in a plainword, is your total personality. You have

yourownmessykarmiclife,butontheotherhandyouareagreatbeingbeyondhumanspeculationorjudgment.Thatisyourtotalpersonality.Everyonehasthattotalpersonality,butwehavetotrainoreducateourindividualbodytorealizetheuniversalbody.Thisisthepracticewedodaybyday.Thisisspirituallife.Your body is a humanbody, and it is somethingmore than a humanbody.

That’s why we can’t pin down exactly what your body is. When you offerincenseasawayofpayinghomagetoBuddha,pureactivitypermeatesintoyourbodyandmanifestsnirvana,totalpeace.AtthattimeyoudiscoverrealBuddha,the original nature of your life.Other people can see this, and they are reallymovedbythelightshiningfromahumanbeing.

11THEHUMANMIND

ASAMURAIASKEDaZenmaster,“Doyoubelieveinhellandparadise?”TheZenmaster said, “Yes, Ibelieve.”Then the samurai asked, “Whereare they?”TheZenmastersaid,“Youareacoward,samurai.Samuraimustbebrave,strong.”Immediately the samurai got angry and tried to attack himwith a sword. TheZenmaster said, “Oh,oh!Here ishell.”At thatmoment, the samurai attainedenlightenment;herealized,“Oh,that’sright!”Soheputhisswordbackintoitsscabbard.TheZenmastersaid,“Hereisparadise.”Thisstoryshowsthemovingandchangingnatureofthehumanmind.Whenyou see the termhumanmind, immediately you askwhat it is.What

compels you to ask? It is your ownhumanmind.Your humanmindwants topossess something as a concept, which becomes human knowledge. For this,Westernpsychologyisaveryusefulsciencebywhichwestudyhumanlifeandthe individual self froma particular angle.But nomatter howhardyou try tounderstandhumanlifebymasteringconcepts,stillit’sverydifficulttopindownthetotalpictureofhumanlife.InBuddhismwealso studyhuman life and the individual self, so there is a

kindofBuddhistpsychology.Weanalyzethehumanmind,tryingtolearnwhatconsciousnessisandhowourmindsareworking,soitispsychology.Butontheotherhand,ourfinalgoal isnot tounderstandthehumanmind; it is tobefreefromthehumanmind,sosimultaneouslyitisnotpsychology.

HistoryofBuddhistPsychologyPeople often use words such as “mind,” “spirit,” or “soul” to representsomethingoppositetoamaterialstateofbeing.Butwedon’treallyknowwhatthose words mean exactly. For many, many years, centuries, Buddhists havetriedtoknowthemeaningof“mind.”Itisaverybigproblemforus.AncientBuddhistscriptures,suchastheLotusSutra,theVimalakirtiSutra,or

thePrajnaParamita Sutra, all emphasize the existence ofmind, but the term

mind isn’t always used in the same way. Sometimes “mind” represents theconscioushumanmind,andsometimesitrepresentsallthatexistsintheworldofphenomena, including the human mind. What’s the difference? They don’texplain.Ifyoustudyancientscriptures,youalwayshavetofigureoutwhatthetermmindmeans.Thiswasabigproblem.SoasBuddhismdeveloped,peoplegradually began to studywhat is the difference between the humanmind andphenomenalexistence.In the second century, the philosopher Nagarjuna realized that there is

phenomenalexistence,which includes theconscioushumanmind,and there istheoriginalfunctioningofTruthbywhichthehumanmindandallphenomenalexistence are produced. So human consciousness and phenomenal existencehavethesameoriginalnature.Buttherewasstilltroublebecausethatdidn’texplainthedifferencebetween

the original nature of themind and phenomenal existence,which includes theconscious humanmind. Philosophers just said that without the functioning ofmind, it’s impossible to recognize phenomenal existence, and withoutphenomenalexistence,it’simpossibletorecognizethefunctioningofTruth.Buddhismalwaysemphasizesthatphenomenalexistencecan’texistalone;it

must existwithTruth.Andon theotherhand,Truth can’t exist alone; itmustexistwithphenomena.Wesaysobecauseifyouholdontoaone-sidedideaofTruthastheoriginalnatureofmind,thenyoucompletelyforgettheotherside:withoutthemindofphenomenalexistenceyoucannotunderstandtheTruth.Butearly philosophers didn’t explain logically; they just offered the totality ofexistence.Itwaslikeputtinglotsofdeliciousdishesononebigplate:Americanpizza,

Japanese sushi, Chinese ramen. They didn’t explain how sushi and pizza aredifferent;theyjustemphasizedthatsushican’texistalone.Sushimustexistwithpizza; pizza must exist with sushi. In other words, all sentient beings areinterconnected. So they put all kinds of food on one plate for you to acceptwithoutdiscrimination,andthentheyjustofferittoyou:hereitis;thisisyourfood. Please eat! So Buddhists in ancient times suffered because our humanintelligencewantstoknowwhatthedifferenceis,butphilosophersdidn’thaveasatisfactoryexplanation.Finally, to satisfy our big balloon human head, in the fourth and fifth

centuries, theYogacharaSchool tried tounderstand thedifference and createdBuddhist psychology. This is very nice for us. Yogachara made a logical

explanation of the difference between the human mind and phenomenalexistence:whatknowsandwhatisknown,whatseesandwhatisseen—inotherwords,subjectandobject.Thehumanmindisverysticky.It isalways lookingforsomethingtoattach

to.Forinstance,ifyouareeatingpizza,thereisanobjectforyourmind—pizza.Yourmindlooksatpizzaandtellsyou,“Thisisyourfood.”Butthehumanminddoesn’tonlylookoutwardly;italsolooksinwardly.Sotheobjectofyourmindisnotonlypizza; it is alsoyourownmind.Youareeatingpizza, andyouarealsolookingatyourself.Thatiswhyyoucansay,“Iameatingpizza.”Whenyou recognize thatyouareeatingpizza,youhaveconfidence inyour

life: I am here and I am eating pizza. There is a kind of security in yourexistence. That’s why theWestern philosopher Descartes said: I am thinking,therefore I exist. Descartes was a great philosopher because he realized thatpoint.Butthereissomethingthatyourmindcannotrecognizeobjectively.Whatisit?Thatisconsciousnessitself.Youhearthetermconsciousness,andimmediatelyyouwanttoknowwhatit

is.Butbeforeyou thinkabout it, consciousness isalreadypresent inyour life.Hereitis!Soconsciousnessexists,butnotassomethingfixedthatyoucansticka labelon.Youcannotattacha label to itbecause it iscompletelybeyond thelimitationofconcept. It’s simplyadynamicstateofbeingwhereyourmind issimultaneouslyyourownmindandalsothemindofallsentientbeings—inotherwords,allphenomenalexistence.Whenyouexperience that truestateofbeingdirectly and accept that dynamism as your own life, then you know the realmeaningofmind.

KarmicEnergyandHumanConsciousnessInBuddhistpsychology,thehumanmindiscalledvijnana,aSanskritwordthatis translated as “consciousness.” In terms of the five skandhas that constitutehumanexistence,vijnanaisthefifthone,whichiscalled“mind.”Theotherfourskandhas are form (rupa), feeling (vedana), perception (samjna), and impulses(samskara).

TwoCharacteristicsofVijnanaTounderstandourhumanconsciousnesscalledvijnana,wehavetolearnitstwo

important characteristics. First, vijnana possesseswithin itself potential energybywhichitcancarryitselfonfrommomenttomoment.Second, thispotentialenergy creates the phenomenal world, which includes human consciousness.Thisteachingisalittledifficulttounderstand,butIwilltrytoexplain.Accordingtothefirstcharacteristicofvijnana,withinamomentoftimethere

ispotentialenergy.Consciousnessusesthatenergytocarryitselfon.To“carryon”means tonurture something froman immature state toamature state.Forexample,whenababyisborn,thatbabyisanimmaturebeing.Then,momentbymoment, the time process nurtures the baby to become an adult. The sameappliestothepotentialenergythathasnurturedhumanconsciousnessfromthebeginninglesspast.Butbabiesarenurturedbytheirmothers,food,andlotsofthings.Sohowcan

thepotentialenergyofconsciousnessnurtureitself?Thisisveryinteresting.Thecauseisphenomenalexistenceitself.Inotherwords,theday-to-dayrealityofallsentientbeings,whichpotentialenergycreates, is thedirectcauseofnurturingthepotentialenergybywhichconsciousnesscancarryitselfonfrommomenttomoment.Thisiscalledkarma.Understandingkarmaas thedirectcauseofnurturingpotentialenergy isnot

thecommonmeaningofkarma.Peopleoftenputacertainlabelonkarma,andthenitiscalled“badkarma.”Youdon’treallyknowwhatitis,butyoubelievethat something accumulated in your past life controls your present life. If youthinkinthatway,thenyourlifeisbasedontheprincipleoffatalism.Butkarmadoesn’tbehaveinthatway.Karmadoesn’thaveanyparticularlabels;it’sreallyfree.Ofcourse,wecannot ignorekarmacomingfromthebeginninglesspast.But

thedirectcauseofnurturingthepotentialenergybywhichourlifeiscarriedonto the next moment is the reality we create by our way of living right now.Anytime, anywhere, you can do something good for the future. So there isalways a possibility to live toward your own future or for future generations.Thisisveryimportantforusbecausewecanhavehope.We can have hope because of the second characteristic of vijnana: the

potential energy that vijnana possesses creates the phenomenal world. How?Within the world of unity, all at once life subtly begins to move towarddifference.Then,accordingtoachainofcausation,ourlifeinthehumanworldarises.Thatsubtleoriginalmovementoflifefromonenesstomultiplicityistheincipientmoment.

In the twelvefold chain of causation (pratitya-samutpada), the first link isavidya, the very subtle vibrationofmind that is called ignorance.Link two issamskara,theformativeforcesofkarma;vijnana,humanconsciousness,islinkthree.Samskaraacceptsthemovementofignorance,nurturesit,andthenhumanconsciousness arises based on the creative forces of karmic energy. Thefunctioningof samskarameans thatbeforeyourhumanconsciousnessappears,theenergythatsupportsyourlifeisalreadythere.Once human consciousness appears, it is always looking for an object. So

nameandformappearasthefourthlink,followedbythesixsenserealms,andthen contact, sensation, craving, grasping, and being. In Sanskrit, grasping iscalledupadana,theacquiringofkarma,andthetenthlink,being,iscalledbhava,yourveryexistence.Theeleventhlinkisbirth,theappearanceofyourpresentlife,whichexistsfor

exactlyonemoment.Then,byyouractivityoflivinginthatmomentasahumanbeing,youproduceseedsofkarmicenergythatwillmatureinthefuture.Finally, in the twelfth link, onemoment of life in the phenomenalworld is

passingaway,and immediatelyanewmomentof life isarising.Thatnew lifeappearsbasedonthepotentialenergyproducedbycausesandconditionscreatedin the past. This is how vijnana can nurture itself and carry itself on frommomenttomoment.

AlayavijnanaWeproduce seeds of karmic energyby our daily living. If so, thenwhere aretheystored?That is thedeepest levelofhumanconsciousness,which iscalledalayavijnana,orthestorehouseconsciousness.Yogachara psychology explains that there are eight human consciousnesses.

The first five are the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and skin consciousnesses, whichrecognize sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The sixth one is mindconsciousness,whichrecognizesconceptsorideas.Thelasttwoconsciousnessesareconsideredunconscious.Thosearemanas,consciousnessofindividualself,andalaya,themostbasiclevelofhumanconsciousness.Alayavijnanaisunderstoodastheoriginalsourceofhumanlife.Itisbecause

ofalayavijnanathathumanconsciousnesshasthepotentialenergytocarryitselfonandcreatephenomenalexistence.Butifwespeculateaboutanoriginalsourceoflifeinanintellectualsense,we

may think itmust be an absolute fromwhich everything originates.Then thatsourcebecomesaconceptofsomething,whichisseparatefromhumanlifeandis called the root of the existence. But alayavijnana is not a concept.Alayavijnana is the real root of human existence because it accepts karmicenergy from samskara and uses it to create the seven other humanconsciousnesses. Then the phenomenal world appears, and activity thereproduces new potential energy. This is how human consciousness constantlynurturesitselfandcreatesthehumanworld.Humanconsciousnesshas itsownpotentialenergy toconstantlycarryon to

the future, but what it carries on is not a particular form. The human minddoesn’thaveitsownparticularform;itisastateofbeingthatappearsonlywhenyou do something. That temporary state of being is based on interdependencewithallsentientbeings,soitisconstantlymovingandchanging.That’swhyanypsychologicalexplanationisverycomplicated.Ifyouseethatmovementandchangeintermsofphenomenalexistence,itis

provisionallycalledconsciousness,buthumanconsciousnessitselfisnothingbutthe functioning of impermanence and interdependent co-origination. It is justtransiencyand interconnection,movementandchange itself.Youcannotpin itdownassomethingfixed,sophilosophicallyspeaking,wesayitisempty.ThisisthehumanmindaccordingtoBuddhistpsychology.Consciousness exists only within your living activity. So if you want to

understandyourhumanconsciousness,youhave todo something.That isZenpractice.Youpractice lettingyourbodyandmindgodeeper anddeeper, backdownthetwelvelinksinthechainofcausation,justpassingthembyonebyone,untilfinally,atthebottomofthethirdlink,youreachalayavijnanaanddirectlyexperience the flowing energyof universal life, the constantmovementof lifeitself.Thenyoucanunderstandwhathumanconsciousnessreallyis.Reaching alaya consciousness enables you to go deeper and observe real

reality, which is called tathagatagarbha. At that time you transcend yourconcept of human mind and experience freedom from your human mind. Toreachthisstage,wehavetounderstandwhat’sgoingon.ThatiswhywestudyBuddhistphilosophyandpsychology.

ConsciousnessofSelfConsciousnessofyourindividualselfisunderstoodinYogacharapsychologyas

manas.Intermsoftheeighthumanconsciousnesses,manasistheseventhone—egoconsciousness.Manasitselfdoesn’tcreateego,butwithinmanasthereisafunctioncalledsatkaya-drishti,whichisthecongenitalorinbornconceptof“I.”Beforeyouareborn, themomentyouareinyourmother’swomb,youalreadyhavethisfunctionorfaculty.Itistheverybasicstateofegoconsciousness,thesourceofhumanselfishness,whichispresentinthedepthsofyourunconscious.Egoconsciousness isvery strong,verydeep! It isyourgreatenergy to live.

You experience this energy in your everyday life: If you feel happy, that isenergy to live. If you struggle and cry, that is also energy to live. Under allcircumstances,youmakeanefforttolive.Thatismanasconsciousness.Manasisnottheusualideaofself.Theusualideaofselfcomesfromthesix

senseconsciousnesses,whichfabricateadichotomybetweenselfandotherssothatwecansay“youandI”or“yoursandmine.”Wetrustinthatselfbecauseweperceiveitassomethingpermanent.Butactuallydualisticself isconstantlychanging.Forinstance,“Youareright,Iamwrong”isadichotomy.Inthenextmoment conditions may change. Then maybe, “You are wrong, I am right.”Your six sense consciousnesses are always fabricating a new idea of selfaccordingtoyourcircumstances.Themoreyoutrytounderstandyourdualisticself,themoreyoufeelconfusedanddissatisfiedbecausethere’snothingtopindown.Youregoconsciousnessisquitedifferentfromyourchangeableselfbecauseit

isnotdualistic.Manasneverchanges;itisalwaysthesamebecauseitperceivesonly the “I.” Ego always wants to get something it can use to build up yourhumanlife—materialistically,psychologically,orspiritually—soitisthesourceofgreed,anger,andself-delusion.Thisisthefunctioningofmanas.Before manas starts to work, the basic energy that supports your life—

alayavijnana—isalreadythere.Sowhenyoumovetowardthedepthofyourlife,you can see the top of that flowing energy. There the self operates in anextremely subtleway—desire andpurityaremoving together.Manaspicksupsomethingfromalayavijnana,graspsit,andholdsontoit.Thenyouthink,“Igotit!” You want to know what it is, so the discriminating mind of your sixthconsciousnessappears.Whenyouarethinkinglikethat,youhaveseenonlythesurfaceofalaya.The

goal of Buddhist practice is not to get something from alayavijnana; it is tobecomeonewithalaya itself.Sodon’t stop there!Keepgoingdeeper, throughand through, until you touch something deep about you. Going deeper, you

realizethatthehumanworldofsubtlemovementisatthesametimethespiritualworldofstillness.Thatisrealizationoftheunifieddharmaworld.

TheDeadEndofYourLifeIf you feel something aboutmanas as your inborn self-consciousness, even ifyouonlyunderstandit intellectually, then, throughstudyandspiritualpractice,you can start to go deep. At the top of manas, you are still in the world ofconcepts.Butifyougoverydeep,youtouchthebottomofmanasandcometothedeadendofyour life.Thatdeadend is the abyssofhuman life, darkness,becausethereisnospaceforyoutodosomethinggoodbyyoureffort.Butatthebottom of manas, you can see something vast and eternal: alayavijnana, theenergyofyourlife.Betweenthedeadendofyourlifeandeternity,thereissomethinglikeavery

soft, thincurtain. Ifyoupractice,youcan touch thiscurtain. Ifyou touch it, itmoves.Thissideof thecurtain is the transienthumanworld.Theotherside istheeternalworld.Actuallythereisnocurtainthere.ButIhavetosaythereisacurtaintoexplainthatthereisawayyoucantransmuteyourlifeintosomethingvast.Thecurtainiskindofaverythincrackbetweentransiencyandeternity.There

isnoroomforyoutopokeyourbigheadintothatcrack.Butonthefoundationofnospacetopokeyourheadintothetruth,youhavetoseekforit.Toseekforit, you have to give up! Let go of your dualistic thinking because when youtoucheternity, there isnothingforyourmindtoholdonto.It’sreally“Idon’tknow.”Youdon’tknowhowvastthehumanworldis.Evenifyoutouchit,youdon’t

know. Human consciousness always tries to know, but fortunately orunfortunatelythere’snothingtoknow.Unfortunatelymeans,themoreyoutrytoknowitconceptually,themoreyoucannotknowit.Fortunatelymeans,youcantrainyoursixconsciousnessestocalmdown,letgooftheconceptsinyourhead,andexperienceit.Alayavijnana is the source of your life energy and the place where your

strengthgrows.Originallyyourlifeisalreadythere,buttorealizethisyouhavetostudyitandpracticeit.Inotherwords,useyourdiscriminatingmindtoarousetheuniversalmind.For thiswehave tounderstandmanas,andsimultaneouslywehavetobefreefrommanas.

Descartes said: I am thinking, therefore I exist.That is fine, but finallyyoumust be free from this idea and make eternity alive in your life because allsentientbeingsexistwiththis“I.”Thatiswhyzazenpracticeisimportant.Thepracticeofzazenasshikantazaistothrowawayyourthoughtsandjustsitdown.Youareverycalm,yourpostureisstraight,andyoureyesareopentoseewhat’sgoingonthere.Practice letting go of your thoughts again and again until you taste very

deeply what ego consciousness is. When your manas consciousness touchesalayavijnana,immediatelyyouparticipateinsomethingvastandeternal.Finally,verynaturally,thedepthoftheselfisexactlythesameasthedepthoftheworld,andyouarepresentinthevaststateofexistence.Thisunifiedworldisthearrivalpoint, the most intimate instant where there is no sense of a separate selfdiscriminated in your brain. That experience is called enlightenment, orprofoundunderstandingoftheself.Then, when manas starts to function again, the foundation of your life is

completelydifferent.Atthattimeyouturnoveranewlife,andmanasbecomesastartingpoint.It’slikearrivingattheterminalstationofatrain:fromthereyoucangoanyplace.Youarefree.Somanasisthedeadendofyourlife,andatthesametimeitistheorigin,thestartingpointforcreatinganewhumanlife.Whenyournewlifearises,itisbasednotongreed,anger,andself-delusion;itisbasedongenerosity,compassion,andwisdom.Even though you don’t see this now, don’t struggle for it. And don’t act

quicklybasedonyourselfishself.Buildyourhouseonthefoundationofnothingto be gained. Zazen is useless; but on the foundation of uselessness, you canpracticezazenasuseful.Sositdownandgodeeplyintowhatyoualreadyare.That’s all you can do. If you practice on a daily basis, your original energypenetratesunconsciouslyintoyoureverydaylife,andyoucanusethatenergytodevelopyourlife,yourtotalpersonality,inthebigscalewithallsentientbeings.

12BEINGONEMIND

BUDDHIST PSYCHOLOGY is different from the science of psychology. InBuddhismwestudythemind,weanalyzethehumanmind,butafterweanalyzewehavetotranscendorgobeyondourideaofmind.Totranscenddoesn’tmeantogotoaparadiseapartfromthehumanworld; togobeyonddoesn’tmeantodestroyhumanknowledge.Itmeanspayattentiontorealreality!ThatrealrealityiscalledTaoortheBuddhaway.Whenyoupayattentiontorealreality,youseethathumanknowledgeexists

right in the middle of change—there is nothing to get a hold of. So finally,humanknowledgeisempty.Butthatemptinessisnotmerelyempty;somethingismovingthere.Thatsomethingmovingisminditself.Minditselfdoesn’thaveany form of its own; it’s just dynamic functioning.Mind itself is the perfectnetworkoftheBuddhaway,extendinginalldirections: toyouandallsentientbeings.ThisbigmindiscalledBuddha’smind,bodhimind,orbuddha-nature.Atree,

bush,rock,andriver—allareBuddha’smind.Itisthewholeworld,theuniverse.Anyone can use thismind because it is continuously open to everybody. It isbeyond human consciousness, but it exists in everyday life. When you eat ameal,walkonthestreet,whateveryoudo,it’sthere.Butit’snotsomethingyoucreate;itisfreedom.Buddhismstudiesnotonlyhuman lifebutalso thewholepictureof life.So

Buddhist psychology is individual and also not individual, becausewhen youstudy your own mind, you are also studying the mind of others. Both cometogether inBuddhistpsychology.Youstudyyourownlife,andsimultaneouslyyourlifebecomesuniversallife.Finallyyourindividualmindbecomestheonemindofallsentientbeings.

PracticingWayMindThemainpurposeofBuddhistpracticeistotasteegoconsciousnessanddeeply

touchwhoyouare.But it’snotgoodenough.Nextyouhaveto tasteuniversalconsciousnessanddirectlyparticipateinrealreality,whichiscalledtheBuddhaway.TheBuddhawayistheuniversalpath.Allsentientbeingsareconstantlygoing

along thatpath. It exists forever, so it is always there, always supportingyourlife.ThisuniversalpathisprovisionallycalledMind.Whenyouexperiencethepathanddirectlyparticipateinrealreality,itiscalledwaymind(tao-shin).Mindastheuniversalpathispeacefulandsimultaneouslydynamic.Howcan

somethingbebothpeacefulanddynamic?WhenIwasatKomazawaUniversity,ProfessorShosonMiyamotoused the exampleof aball to explain.Aball canrollanywhere,butitscenterisalwayscalm.Sowhenaballstartstoroll,thereisstillnesswithinthemovementofitsleadingedgeandmovementofthestillnessatitscenter.I mentioned this ball at a kendo martial arts center, and people were very

interested because in kendo practice the standing posture is very calm.Whenconsciousnessofstandingbecomesrefined,standingisgenuinelycalm.Nooneknowswhatmakesthatcalmnessappear;itjustnaturallybecomesso.Whenthebodyiscalm,itisreadytomove.Itisreadytoimmediatelyacceptanysituationandact.Spiritually speaking, this tranquil and dynamic activity is called Mind, the

way, or the path. It is the calm center of your life, and at the same time it isleadingyourlife.Psychologicallyspeaking,itiscalledalayavijnana,oruniversalconsciousness. What is that? It is the perfectly tranquil peace and theharmonious activity of real reality. Your life already exists there, so you canexperience this peace and harmony directly. When you experience it, this iscalled samadhi and you appear as Buddha. Intellectually it’s impossible tobecomeabuddha,butspirituallyyoucandoit.That iswhatBuddhismalwaystriestopresenttoyou.Howcanyoubepresentrightinthemiddleofalayavijnanawithserenityand

tranquility? In Gakudo Yojin-shu (Points to Watch in Buddhist Training),translated byYuhoYokoi,Dogen quotedNagarjuna’s saying, “Themind thatseesintothefluxofarisinganddecaying,andrecognizesthetransientnatureoftheworld,isalsoknownastheBodhi-mind.”Thetransientnatureoftheworldistheteachingofimpermanence.According

to that teaching, the whole world is unified in peace, and then life begins tomoveinharmony.Allatonce,individualbeingsariseandformthehumanworld

accordingtothecausesandconditionsfunctioningineachmoment.Wheredoesthatfunctioningarisefrom?Itoriginatesfromalayavijnana,theunifieddharma.Bodhimindisadifferenttermfromwaymind,butitmeansexactlythesame

thing: enlightenment. With bodhi mind you see the truth: everything isconstantlychanging;there’snothingfixedthatyoucanpindownas“I.”DogenZenjisays,“Whenthetransientnatureoftheworldisrecognized,theordinary,selfishminddoesnotarise.”When you awaken way mind, you feel relief. You feel grateful. You feel

satisfied. But your ego consciousness doesn’t feel that this is satisfactory,becausewithoutwantingsomethingit’sverydifficultformanastofunction.Sowhen thebottomofmanas touches the flowing energyof alayavijnana,manasalso starts tomove.Your human consciousness doesn’t catch that very subtlemovement,sothatfirstmovementiscalledignorance.Thatiswhy,atthestartofthetwelvefoldchainofdependentorigination,ignorancesuddenlyappears.Manas grasps something—“I”—from universal consciousness, and your

original oneness is immediately separated into two. Separation into two isneither good nor bad, but when dualistic ideas are subtly moving in humanconsciousness,likeanddislikearise.Thenourbigballoonheadsarefilledwithallkindsofanalyses,andthereisnopeace.Humanbeingsarealwaysforgettingthe dharma world of oneness and heading toward the dualistic world ofinterestingideas.TopracticeistoletgoofthoseideasandreturntotheBuddhaway.Whoever travels along the Buddha way can penetrate through manas and

arrive at the placewhere humans deeply observewhat itmeans to be human.Thewayofarriving is toshift fromthefivebodyconsciousnesses to thesixthone:mindconsciousness.Bycalmingyoursixsenseconsciousnesses,youarriveat the unconscious layers of mind. Unless the six sense consciousnesses arequiet,thesubtlefunctionofmanascan’tbeknown.Whenyoureachthebottomofmanasanddirectlyexperiencealayavijnana,itiscalledenlightenment.Manasconstantlytriestomoveyourmindtowardignorance.Thatmeansthe

delusion of “I” will appear again. So to reach your true self, you have toconstantlypassbyyourgraspingmindandgodeeper.Thisisspirituallife.Welearntocalmdownandtouchwayminddirectly.Tolearnistobecomeonewiththeuniversalpathwith full awarenessand turn it into reality throughourownlives.InBuddhist psychology, the graspingnature ofmanas is considered the big

scaleofdelusion.Buddha is thepersonwho realizeswhat thatdelusion is.Solet’s see into the flux of arising and decaying and recognize the impermanentnature of the world. Then, when the serenity and tranquility of way mindappears,whateverhappensyoucantakerefugethereandbecomeBuddha.

TheOneMindofAllBeingsInthestoryofShakyamuniBuddha’slife,twenty-fivehundredyearsagohelefthisfather’shouseasPrinceSiddharthaGautamaandenteredreligiouslifeundertheguidanceofanasceticteacher.Hisfatherwasveryconcernedaboutthis,sohesentthreecousinsandtwoservantstoseewhatwasgoingon.Butthosefivestayedandbecamemonksalongwithhim.Then,aftersixyearsofhardpractice,Shakyamunibroketheasceticpreceptsandacceptedfoodfromayounggirlinavillage.His five friendswere very disappointed by this, and they left him.SoShakyamuni continued to meditate alone, sitting under the Bodhi tree. OnDecember8heattainedenlightenmentandbecametheBuddha.After quietly enjoying the depth of his life, Buddha decided to tell others

about what he had discovered. So he found his friends and preached on theocean seal samadhi, explaining the dynamic reality we are living in, and hisrealizationthathisownlifeexistswithinthatreality.Unfortunatelythisteachingwasattoohighalevel,andthefivefriendsdidn’tunderstandit.Soafterthathedecidedtoteachinadifferentway.Thatisthefournobletruthsandtheeightfoldnoblepath.Butanexplanationof theworld in termsofBuddha’soceansealsamadhi is

givenlater,intheAvatamsakaSutra(FlowerOrnamentSutra),aMahayanatextthat is used by the Hua-yen School. “Ocean” refers to truth: the image ofeverything in the humanworld is entirely reflected in Buddha’sworld, so allphenomena are already truth. “Seal” is proof: Shakyamuni stamped truth byproving it through his own experience. “Samadhi” is direct experience of thecontinuousactivityofakasha,thevastopennessofexistence,whichisconstantlyinterpenetratingtheworldofphenomena.Thatistheoceansealsamadhi.TheAvatamsaka Sutra explains that truth does not exist by itself, separate

fromphenomena,andphenomenadonotexistseparatefromthetruth.Truthandphenomena work together as one. If so, we have to think carefully and lookdeeply at the realitywe live in.As a practicalmatter,we have to dealwith arealitywherespaceandtime,unityandmultiplicity,equalityanddiscrimination,

areinterwoven.Howcanyoudealwithit?Wherecanyoudealwithit?Wehavetolearnthis.ThatiswhyBuddhataughttheoceansealsamadhi.TheAvatamsakaSutrasaysthat“thetripleworldisonemindonly.”Thisone

mind is not the ordinary mind of human consciousness. “One mind” is justenergy.Itistheenergythatisinherentinuniversallife,constantlyhelpingandsupporting all sentient beings. “The tripleworld” is the humanworld of past,present,andfuture.Soitmeansthatthewholeworld,theuniverse,isbasedonorproducedbyonlyonemind.Onemindisconstantlymoving.Thereisnofixedformyoucanholdonto,so

we call that energy emptiness. But actually something is working. Thisfunctioningiswhatwemeanwhenwesaythemyriaddharmasareexactlyonemind. Here the term dharma represents something, anything, everything,animate or inanimate, which may arise in the human world of phenomena.Everything that exists is within the universal mind; mind is at work ineverything.That isshujoshin, theonemindofallsentientbeings.Allsentientbeingsare“sentientbeings”becausetheyareonemind.Before you think, you already exist in the one mind. The psychological

teaching of Buddhism has developed very much according to this point.Psychologically speaking one mind is called alayavijnana, or universalconsciousness. According to Dogen’s Fukanzazengi, this mind is called thenonthinking world. According to the Prajna Paramita Sutra, it is just calledmind,hugemind.Fromtheuniversalperspective,wesayallareBuddha.AccordingtotheAvatamsakaSutra,thereisonlyonemindbutitisopentoall

beings.SoifwesaywehaveMind,itistheonemindthatistheuniversalpath,theBuddhaway.Whetheryouare consciousof it ornot, something is alwayshappening. The Buddha way, the universal path of one mind, is constantlyopening to all sentient beings. What is it? It is nothing but movement, theperpetualflowofenergytolive,tobepresent.YoucanexperiencetheBuddhawaybecauseyourlifeisalwaysrightonit.Themovement ofMindbecomes the source of energy for your life.Life is

constantly springing up. It’s just like spring water coming out of the ground.Youreceivethatenergybeforeyourhumanconsciousnessappears.That’swhyZenteachingtalksabouttheworldpriortothegerminationofanysubtleideas.InZenpracticewetrytoreceivethatenergywithfullawareness,appreciateit,andworkwithit.If you don’tworkwith it—if you don’t have your own spirit, diligence, or

effort to act andmove toward onemind—whenyou see that universal energydirectlyitwilllooklikeablackholetoyou.Intellectuallyyoucan’tseewhat’sgoingonthere,soyoufeelthreatenedandreallyscared.It’slikesuddenlybeingthrown over the boat into the huge ocean. There’s nothing there! Your headspinsveryquickly:Whatisthis?WhereamI?WhatcanIdo?Butwhateveryouthink,itdoesn’tmakesense.Itjustseemsthateverythingisgoingtobesuckedintoadeephole.This isparticularlysowhenyouareconfrontedwithacrisis, somesituation

whereyoucannotmoveaninch.Mostpeoplehesitatewhentheyareconfrontedwithaspiritualcrisis.Thenitscaresthemmoreandmore,andfinallytheydon’tknowwhat to do.Butwhatever happens, still you are present in the ocean oftruth.Theoriginalgreatenergyoflifeissupportingyourlife.Sointhatsituationwhat you have to do is take the initiative and work with the ocean. There’snothing to think,nothing to say;allyoucando is justbe thereandofferyourbodyandmind to theocean.Thenyouroriginalenergycausesyou toact inacertainwayandyoucandosomething.Swim!Eventhoughyoudon’tunderstandwhatonemindis,it’sthereinyourlife,so

youcanuse theenergyofonemind tomakeyour lifealive. It’s likedrivingacar:evenifyoudon’tknoweverythingabouthowacarworks,stillyoucanstartitandoperateit.Soeveryday,justmakeeverypossibleefforttoletthatenergyriseupandmakeyourlifevividlyalive.Thenyoucanturnyourlifespiritually;youcantransformyourhumanlifeandbecomeBuddha.

TwoGatesofOneMindHowdoesshujoshin,theonemindofallsentientbeings,extendtotheuniverse,expressing itself as individual beings in the humanworld? TheAwakening ofFaithisanimportantMahayanaBuddhisttextthattriestoexplain.Inparticularitexplainsthattheonemindappearsbytwogates:thegateoftruth(nirvana)andthegateofphenomena(samsara).To teach the gate of truth, this book explains two kinds of truth: the truth

beyondwordsandthetruthexplainableinwords.Thetruthbeyondwordsisrealtruth.Youcannottouchrealtruthintellectuallybecauseitisexactlythesameastheonemindof all sentient beings.There is nogapbetweenyou and theonemind,noroomforyoutocreateaconcept.Butontheotherhand,truthmustbeexplainable;otherwise,youwouldnotbeabletosay“onemind.”

It’s kind of contradictory to say that you can explain truth but you cannottouch it intellectually. But actually this is really true. For instance, silence.Originally,inthetruesense,lifeisveryquiet.Butinthehumanworld,everyoneisalwayschatteringandmakingnoise.IfIwantpeopletobequiet,Ihavetosay,“Be quiet.” But when I say, “Be quiet,” it is not quiet because I ammakingnoise.Still,Ihavetodothissothateveryonequietsthemselvesdownandhasanopportunitytoexperiencerealquiet.It’sthesamewithtruth.When the onemind appears in the humanworld, it is real truth.Whenyou

explaintruthinwords,itisnotexactlytruthbecauseyouhavecreatedconcepts,soitiscalledworldlytruth.Thetwotruthsareveryclose,soyouhavetobeverycareful to understand “truth.”We cannot ignore truth that is explainable in aword.Buddhism spends lots of time trying to explainwhat truth is instead oftelling you: just believe!Whydowe explain?Wehave to explain in order tohelppeopleknowtherealtruthforthemselves.Ifwesaythattheonemindofallsentientbeingsappearsbytwogates—truth

and samsara—then what is samsara? The gate of samsara is the gate oforigination and extinction, birth and death. Briefly speaking it is the transienthumanworldofphenomena,which iscalled the samsaricworld.According tothe twelvefold chain of conditioned arising, in the first link, the mind of thesamsaricworldcoversupthemindoftruthwiththeveilofignorance.Soeventhoughtruthisveiledinignorance,themindoftruthisstillthere.Thisteachingputsaprovisionalnameonthemindoftruthwhenitisveiledin

delusion: tathagatagarbha. Tathagata is “Buddha,” and garbha is “a mother’swomb.” Tathagatagarbha is like a seed or embryo in the mother’s womb. Itmeansthatwearebabies;anytimeyouareready,youcancomeoutbecausetheworldof transientphenomena isgroundedon truthasa fundamental aspectofhumanlife.According to this teaching, the mind of samsara is provisionally called

alayavijnana,oruniversalconsciousness.Thatistheverybasicconsciousnessatthebottomof thehumanworld. Ifyoudeeply researchwhat samsara is—howthe human world is coming and going from moment to moment based onimpermanence,andhowitsarisingisstructuredbyinterdependentco-origination—youcan see the totalpictureof samsara.This is calledperfect awarenessofalayavijnana.Whatdoes“perfect”mean?In the Heart Sutra (Maha Prajna Paramita Hrdaya), the human world is

always expressed in a negativeway: no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no

body,nomind.Butthisisnotnegative.“Nonose”meansperfectawarenessofyour nose. So if you realize your nose exactly, you have no concept of yournose, but your nose is exactlywith you in peace and harmony. If you totallyrealize alayavijnana, there is no alayavijnana because alayavijnana is exactlywithyou.Theconceptofalayavijnanadisappearsbecauseyouareexactlytruthitself.Atthattimeperfectawarenessofalayavijnanaiscalledtathagatagarbha.The very basic consciousworld and thewomb ofBuddha are very close—

touching. The bottom of the humanworld is the bottom of alayavijnana, andsimultaneously it is tathagatagarbha. That’swhywe say that alayavijnana andtathagatagarbha are exactly the same thing. When alayavijnana touchestathagatagarbha, you forget yourself, and it is called mu, emptiness, theunconditioned,suchness,orwisdom.InZenBuddhismwesayenlightenment.IngeneralBuddhism,itisdharmakaya—youbecomeBuddha.Many kinds of phenomena arise as the contents of the human world, but

everythingthatexistsinthehumanworldisbasedonallsentientbeingsasonemind.Asahumanbeing,yourmindoftruthislikeaveryroughdiamond.Whenthediamondisrough,youdon’tseetherealdiamond.Butifyoupolishit,youfindthereisadiamondinside.Thatisyourbuddha-nature.Anytime,anywhere,youcanexperienceyourown lifeasBuddha:something isgoingdynamically,justbeingmovementandnothingelse.Thatistheexperienceoffreedom.Intellectuallyit’sprettyhardtounderstandthisone.Butthereisauniqueway

toexperiencethis—zazen.Whenyousitdowninzazen,youcangoeitherway:toward the dualistic mind of delusion or deeper, toward the one mind offreedom. If you go deeper,with one step you can touch the very bottom, theground of samsara, where alayavijnana turns into tathagatagarbha and youexperiencenirvana.

13THEWISDOMOFEMPTINESS

ORIGINALLYWEAREcompletelyvastness.Inthevastnessoftheuniverse,thereisno dichotomy, no discrimination; there is perfect peace and harmony.Philosophically speaking, this is called emptiness. Sometimes vastness ispersonalized, and it’s called Buddha. If you experience that emptiness, it iscalledbuddha-nature.Plainlyspeaking,itisuniversalconsciousness.Beforeyoustarttothink,yourlifeisalreadypresentthere.Soifyouwanttorealizethetruthof life, allyouhave todo, asbest asyoucan, is standup straight and start towalk.InShobogenzoSansuikyo(MountainsandRiversSutra),DogenZenjisaidthat

if you thinkwalking justmeanswalking aroundon two feet, youdonot fullyunderstandwalking.Realwalking iswholeheartedparticipation incomingandgoing,originationandcessation,momentaftermoment.Walkinginthatwayisproceedingthroughtherealmoftruth.

Tozan’sReflectionThereisafamousstoryabouttheChineseZenmasterTozanRyokai(DongshanLiangjie, 807–869).WhenTozanwas about togoonpilgrimage,he askedhisteacherUnganDonjo,“Afteryouhavepassedaway,howcanIanswersomeonewho asksmewhat youwere like?”Ungan replied, “Say to him: Just this is.”Thenheadded,“Youmustnowbeverycareful,asyouarecarrying thisgreatthing.Consideritagainandagain.”TozanwasalwaysthinkingaboutUngan’sstatement“Justthisis.”Thenone

dayhewascrossingariverandsawhimselfreflectedinthewater.WhenTozansaw his reflection, he realized it was not his real self because in order for areflection to appear, the thing reflected must already exist. Suddenly heunderstoodhisteacher’smeaningandcomposedthisgatha:

Youshouldn’tsearchforitoutwardly.

Ifyoudo,thetruthwillbecomemoreremotefromyou.ButwhenaloneIproceedthroughmyself,WhereverIgoImeethim.Nowheisnototherthanmyself,yetIamnothe.OnlyifyouunderstandthiswillyouunitewiththeTathagata.

Beforeyourindividualthoughts,feelings,orperceptionsariseandyoureflectonyourself,wonderingwhoorwhatyouare,somethingisalreadythere.Somethingisalreadyalive.Whatisit?Wecallitbigself,realself,ortrueself,butactuallyitisthevastnessofexistence.InBuddhistphilosophywesayemptiness.Whenyouheartheword“emptiness,”itseemstobesomethingfascinating,kindofapuzzle. But emptiness is not a puzzle; it is something true. Something ishappeningthere.Whenyouseeyourreflection,itiscomingfromemptiness;butimmediatelyit

is going, returning to emptiness. In the nextmoment, a new reflection comes.Yourreflectionis impermanent; it isalwayscomingandgoing.Theonlythingthatstaysisthevastnessofexistence.Thisvastnessisyourtrueself.Whenyouseeyourreflection,ifyoubelievethatreflectionisyourtrueself,

thisisamisunderstanding.Butitdoesn’tmeanyoucanignorethereflection.Areflectionmustbethere,orthereisnothingforyoutosee.WithoutmyreflectionI cannot see that I exist; I cannot understand who I am. True self and itsreflectionarenotthesame,buttheyarenotseparate.Yourreflectionisnottherealtruth,butwithoutthatreflectionyoucannotseethetruth.If you search for true self outwardly, with your ordinary, dualistic human

consciousness, youwill never find it.But on the other hand, true self doesn’tfloataroundlikesomekindofspiritorghost.Itislifeitself—realLife.Reallifeismorethanlifeinthebiologicalsense.Itistheimpulsethatmakessomethingcome into existence right in the middle of emptiness. Without that impulse,nothingcanbecreated.Proceedingalone throughyourselfmeans through thisbody rightnow, right

here.Why through this body?Your individual human life is just you, so youhave to proceed alone. There is no other choice. It is very hard to be withaloneness,butthereisnootherway.Noonecanreallyhelpyou.Nomatterwhathappensyouhavetowalkbyyourself.Thisisnotegoistic;it’sjustthatthereisnoonewhocansubstituteforyou.Whenitcomestimeforyoutodie,whocouldsubstituteforyou?Nomatterwhatyousayordo—scream,laugh,orcry—you

mustproceedalone.Ifyouproceedaloneintherealmoftruth,yourmindisquietandpeaceful.In

Japanese we say hokyo, “the jewel mirror.” The mirror is a metaphor forwisdom. Wisdom is a mind mirror that shows you the ultimate principle ofhumanlife.Havingmirrorwisdommeansknowingwhat theultimatesource isand how it works, but it is not a matter of philosophical discussion; it issomethingyouexperiencepersonally.Mirrorwisdomisattainedbyreachingalayavijnana,theeighthlevelofhuman

consciousness. When self-centered thoughts cease, you touch what alonenessreally is, what selfishness, pain, and sorrow really are, and your experiencebecomeswisdom,averydeepunderstandingof thehumanworld.Right in themidst of your life, you are alone, but that aloneness is interconnected,interpenetrated,withallsentientbeings.Eventhoughyouexistasonehumanbeing,youronelifecontainsallbeings.

Thisunifiedlifeisyourtrueself.Tozansays,“OnlyifyouunderstandthiswillyouunitewiththeTathagata.”Theword“this”meansyourtrueself.ThetermTathagataisanameofBuddha,whichcomesfromtwowords:tathaandgata.The word tatha represents “going,” and gata represents “coming.” Life isconstantlygoingandcoming.Everythingiscomingandgoing.Thisisthetruthofimpermanence.When you realize the truth of impermanence, you are not carried away by

constant change; you are completelywithout attachment to anything.You juststandalone,calmandunmovedinthevastnessofexistence.Then,whentheoneunifiedlifeofallbeingsbeginstomovetowardthehumanworldofseparationand discrimination, true self starts to walk, and wherever it goes it meets areflection of itself. This is Tozan’s proceeding alone.When you proceed likethis,thisproceedingiscalledwisdom.It’sveryhardtopracticethisway,butwithoutactualpractice,wisdomdoesn’t

makesense.Whenwisdombecomesactualizedinpractice,it iscalledsamadhi—one-pointedness.Samadhimeans“rightacceptance.”Itistoacceptsomething,butnotbydiscriminatingfromadualisticpointofview.Itistoacceptyourlifeasawholeandkeepwalking.Whateverhappens,youproceedstraightforwardlyandjustgoonwithyourlife.Sowhateveryouthink,whateveropinionyouhave,letitgoandletyourtrueselfproceedthroughitself.Thisistherealpracticeofspirituallife.

ThreeAspectsofWisdomBuddhism always emphasizes experiencing the energy of life itself directly,throughyourskin,muscle,andbone.Thatiscalledwisdom.Itisthewisdomofemptiness emphasized somuch in thePrajnaParamita Sutra.There are threeaspectstothewisdomofemptiness:emptinessoftheconditioned,emptinessoftheunconditioned,andultimateemptiness.The first one is emptiness of the conditioned. It is the realization that the

humanworld has no substance of its own. The humanworld is the world ofphenomena:whatyoucansee,hear,smell,taste,touch,andthink.Thatworldisproducedbymanycausesandconditions,existingfrommomenttomomentandconstantlychanging.Thereisnothingthatyoucanpindownasanindependententitybecauselifeisimpermanent.Ifyoufeelpensiveorsadfromtheimpermanenceoflife,youarelookingat

lifeasakindofobject thatyouwant toholdon to.The feelingsand thoughtsyouexperienceasahumanbeingareimportant,buttheyarisefromemptiness,thedynamicfunctioningofyourlife.Soexperienceemptinessfirst;thenyoucanthinkandcreateideasbasedonwisdom.Usuallywedotheopposite;thenwegetdragged around by our thoughts and feelings based on ignorance. Don’t getdraggedaround!Allyouhavetodoisjustbealive!Youarethealivenessoflife.Whenyouseeyourlifeexactlyasitis,thereis

nowaytofeelsadbecauseyouseethatyourlifeisconstantlyemerging.Sojusttakecareofyourlife.Nomatterwhathappensinyourlife,justdealwithitandlet it go. Move forward. That is practicing wisdom of the emptiness of theconditioned.Next is theemptinessof theunconditioned. Ifyoupracticezazen, sooneror

later youwill taste something of the truth,which is called the unconditioned.Thatiswonderful,butifyouattachtoyourexperiences,theygivebirthtoself-centeredthoughts.Forexample,duringzazenyoumaythink,“Oh,mythoughtshavestoppednow!”It isveryeasyforus toattach to theunconditionedworldbecause it ismysterious;we are always curious aboutmysteries.But graspingforitturnstheunconditionedintotheconditioned,soitbecomesdelusion.Whateveryouseeduringzazen,evenspiritualecstasyorenlightenment, it’s

justemptiness.Butifyousay“emptiness,”youhavealreadycreatedaconcept,anelementoftheconditionedworld.Whateveryousay—wisdom,truth,orbigself—ifyoutrytograspitasanidea,itbecomesamist.Ifyoutrytoholdonto

yourexperienceoftheunconditioned,youcanbecomecrazedbyenlightenment.So you have to let it go. Let it be. That is practicing wisdom of theunconditioned.Finallythere is thewisdomofultimateemptiness.It iswisdomthat letsyou

seethedeepcoreofyourlife,andsimultaneouslyitguidesyouinyourpractice.Itisveryhardtoletwisdomguideyouractivity.Veryhard!Butthispracticeisthewayyouexperienceultimateemptiness.Inultimateemptinesstherearenoideas,noconcepts,notevenofemptiness.

Beforeanythingyoucanthinkofasanexperiencearisesinyourconsciousness,youjustgoonyourway,directlyexperiencingwhatisreal.Thatispracticingthewisdomofultimateemptiness.

PatienceinIgnoranceEternallifeisvastanddeep.Intheeyeofabuddha,thatvastnessisveryclear,and life is very simple: just go ahead in the realm of emptiness. But whenvastness appears in the territory of human intellect, it becomes blurred. Youdon’tknowexactlywhereyouareorwhat’sgoingonthere.Soyousay,“Idon’tunderstand.”Youdon’tunderstand,andyoudon’tseehowyourunderstandingisgoingastray.Thatiscalledignorance.Ignorancemeansyouarestandinginthemiddleofaworldsovastanddeep

that your intellect cannot grasp it.When your intellect cannot stand up in thevastnessof life,youbecomeconfusedandcarriedawaybyyour ignorance. InBuddhistterms,thatiscalleddukkha,orsuffering.Sufferingcreatesarrogance,and arrogance creates criticism and hatred. Then human life becomes verymessy.Itisn’tgoodenoughtoseelifeonlythroughyourhumanintellectbecauseyou

cannotknoweverything.Therearealwaysthingsyoudonotknow.Thereisnoend to learningabouthuman life. Ifyouwant tounderstand thehumanworld,youhavetobepatient.Thehumanworldissometimescalledthesahaworld.SahaisaSanskritword

meaning“patience.”Eventhoughlifeinthehumanworldismessy,wealwayshaveanopportunitytopracticepatiencethere.Thatiswhywehavetoliveinthehumanworld.Butpracticingpatienceishardbecauseourhumaneyescannotseethe truth clearly. If you can’t see clearly, it’s very difficult to stand up in thewholeuniverseandlivecalmly.

It’shardtobepatientwithyourignorance,soyouneedlotsofpractice.Theimportant thing is not tobe in a hurry. If youdon’t understand something, behumble,bemodest.Justwalkcalmly,stepbystep.Mostpeopledon’t livethatway.Usually theywant to rush.Butwhenyou rush,youbecome irritatedandangry. You are mad at yourself, other people, and the whole world. That isarrogance, and you should be careful to avoid it, especially when you don’tknowsomething.Givingtalksisveryinterestingforme.It isoneof thewaysIhopetoavoid

ignorance,bypokingintoeverynookandcranny,justlikeacat.ButsometimesIhavefeltthatteachingBuddhismintheUnitedStatesislikeplantingpumpkinseeds in pebbles and expecting them to grow.Humanbeings are arrogant andself-centeredinallaspectsoflife:personal,business,eveninreligion.Itseemsuselesstoteachthatweshouldn’tbearrogant,becausenomatterhow

longyou talk,mostpeopledon’t realizehowarrogant theyare.But if teachersstoptalking,youknowwhatwillhappen.Thatiswhy,forcenturyaftercentury,buddhasandancestorshavebeentalking.Soregardlessofwhetherornotanyoneunderstandsmy talks or changes their life, regardless ofwhether or not I likegivingtalksormyEnglishispoor,Ihavetostandupstraight,facethesituation,andjustcontinuetotalk.Thatistopracticepatience.Topracticepatienceinthesahaworlddoesn’tmeantosuppresssomefeeling;

itmeanstoacceptthewholeuniverse.Wepracticepatienceinthehumanworldbecausehumanlifeexistssimultaneouslywitheternallife;humanpatienceexistssimultaneously with real patience. Real patience is the great patience of thewholeuniverse.Howcanyourealizethatgreatpatience?Toliveinthehumanworldistowalkinthemistofeternallife.Eventhough

your human eyes cannot see everything clearly, you can be quiet, accept thewhole universe, and throw yourself into the place where all sentient beingscoexist in peace and harmony. Stand up there, deal with a situationstraightforwardly, as best you can, and then let it go. Just keep going ahead.Havinganexperienceandlettingitgoallowsyoutogrowinthedomainofgreatpatience.Every day, every moment, your human experience is different. So very

naturallytherearemanyopportunitiestopracticepatience.Someday,rightinthemiddle of your messy human life, in spite of your ignorance, you will touchsomething deep—the core of human life. You don’t know what it isintellectually,butyourealizethepeacefulpatiencefounddeepinthelifeofthe

wholeuniverse.Atthattimeyouexperiencethevastnessofyourexistence,andyourlifereallyblooms.When I look atmyself, sometimes I feel good and sometimes not so good,

becauseeverythinginhumanlifeisupanddown.Thereisnowaytoescapethisup-and-down life.So I think the realpracticeofpatience is todosmall thingseverydaywithgreathope—puttingaseedinthedesert,regardlessofwhetherornot itwillgrow.That’sall I cando.Then Ican takecareofmyup-and-downlife.

StandingUpStraightThemidstof reality isverysimpleandverysoft.Evenhatred issimple ifyoudon’t fight it. Ifyou try to fighthatred, itbecomesamonster.But ifyoudealwith your hatred straightforwardly, you can use hatred as an opportunity todeepenyourlife,ortoexpressthedepthofyourlife.Soifyoufeelhatred,whatshouldyoudo?The first thingyouhave todo is to standup straight, right in themiddleof

your life. This is not so easy. It’s not easy because it’s too simple. There’snothing towant, nothing to gain, nothing to achieve as a result. Still,withoutstandingupyoucannotdoanything.So ifyou feelhatred, standupstraightand faceyourhatred.Accept it,deal

withitassimplyasyoucan,andthenletitgo.Letyourhatredandyoureturntoemptiness together. That’s all you can do. In the next moment that form ofhatred isgone,andsomethingnew isarising.Whatever it is, accept it, face it,andbefreefromit.Justkeepwalkingstepbystep.Standing up straight under all conditions is called right acceptance. It is to

accept your whole life and refresh yourself with the lively energy that isconstantlyarisingfromdeepinyourlife.Youcandependonthatenergyanduseitinwhateversituationyouencounter.Usingitletsyouacceptyourthoughtsandfeelingsanddealwiththemstraightforwardly,compassionately;thenrelaxyourmindandletthemgo.Another aspect of right acceptance is to accept yourself as you really are,

withoutcomparingyourselfwithothers.Ifyouareaviolet,bepatientandwaitfortheviolet’slifeforcetobloom.Butifyouworkforacompany,thecompanymaywantyoutobloominaparticularway.Maybetheywilltellyoutobloomnotasavioletbutasarose.Theywilldothingslikeputuplistsofwhoisthe

bestsalesman. Inasense that’sprettynice; itseems tobeencouragement.Butencouragement is not always good for you. Sometimes itmakes you nervous,becauseitcausesyoutoseetheworlddualistically.Whenyoulookaround,youseemanypeoplewhoarenervous.Evenif they

havemoney and high social status, they are unhappy because they are violetswhoaretryingtobloomasroses.Ifyouaskyourself,“WhichwillIbe,avioletorarose?”thenyouaremakingcomparisons.Butbeforeyoucompareyourselfwithsomebodyelse,youarealreadyyou.Sojustbeyou.Standupstraight,rightin thevastnessofyouroriginal existence, and let the flowerofyour life forcebloomasyoureallyare.

NothingtoDependOnSometimes people who do zazen say the whole world is shining. From anobjectivepointofview,wedon’tunderstandhowtreesandbirdscanshine.Butif you do zazen, maybe you will tell me the world is shining. What do youmean?Why are the trees completely different than before? It is because youhavetouchedtheeternalheartofhumanexistence—emptiness—whichiscalled“nothingtodependon.”Sowhatdoesitmeantosay“nothingtodependon”?Whenyouseethewords“noeyes,noears,nonose,notongue,nobody,no

mind” in theHeart Sutra (Maha Prajna Paramita Hrdaya Sutra), it’s reallystrange,don’tyouthinkso?Thisisemptiness—nothingtodependon.It’saverystrangeideaforustounderstand.Butifyoupracticezazenwithasinceremind,exploringyourlifeandothers’lives,thensomeday,somewhere,youwilltouchnothingtodependon.Atthattimeyouarescared.You are scared because you see and touch the bottom of human existence,

which is based on emptiness, but simultaneously your human consciousnessunderstandsthatnothingnessobjectively.Theobjectivityofyourconsciousmindsees your life as separate from that nothing, and itmakes you scared.Maybenothingnesslookslikeanabyss,orablackholethatwillsuckyouin.Youareindespair; you feel everything is in vain. But in that moment there is a greatopportunity, because you are in the very incipient stage of tasting emptinessdirectlythroughyourexperience.Sokeepgoing!Whenyoureallygetintouchwithnothingtodependonandbecomeonewith

emptiness, a different and new life comes up. It is a life that you have neverexpected.Youarerightontheflowoflifeenergy,justgoingonanicewalk,not

expectinganythingatall.Ifyouseeatree,theenergyofyourlifeandtheenergyofthetree’slifearemovingalongtogetherinpeaceandharmony.Thenyoucantakecareof the treeas it really isbecause the tree isexactly thesameasyourlife.Thiswayof takingcareof life iscalled truepractice.Truepractice is thepure sense of human action; it is activity that is undefiled by the delusion ofseparation.Everyday,allyouhavetodoisstandupinemptiness,openyourheart,and

acceptthelivelyenergyofyourlife.Thenyouarereadytoactbasedonwisdom.Youdon’tunderstandwhatemptinessisexactly,butyourlifeisalreadythere,sostandupstraightandstarttowalk.Evenifyouarescared,justgoahead.Proceedwithstabilityandletwisdomguidetheway.Justgoonwithyourlife.

14BASKINGINBUDDHA’SCOMPASSION

WHENYOUREACH thebottomofyour lifeandsee theultimatenatureofbeing,you realize there is nothing there.Well, there is onlyone thing there:motion.That movement is the basic nature of being: the rhythm of life itself. Themovementofnothingnessgivesyouacertainkindofenergy.Itshootsupfromthebasicnatureofbeing,andyoureceiveitastheenergyofyourownlife.Thatisenlightenment,wesay,butstrictlyspeaking it isBuddha’scompassion. It isthegreatcompassionyoualreadypossess.Buddha’scompassionisverydeepinyourlife.Itistheformofyourownlife.

Your body and mind are produced by compassion. Your life, the life of allbeings, everything you see, and everything you hear are nothing but the totalmanifestation of Buddha’s warm, compassionate heart. So whatever you mayfeel,whatever youmay think,whatever youmay do,Buddha’s compassion isthere.Youcannotseeit,butyourlife—everyone’slife—isconstantlysupportedbyBuddha’scompassion.WhenyoutrustinBuddha’scompassion,thisiscalledfaith.

BuddhistFaithBuddhist faith is the activity of constantly seeking and basking in Buddha’scompassion. For the Englishword faith, Buddhism uses theword bodhichitta(bodhimind).Faithasbodhichitta isnot theusual ideaof faith.Bodhichitta isthestateofmindinwhichyourealizethatyouareonebeing,interpenetratedbyallbeings.SoBuddhistfaithisnotonlytobelieveinsomething,itistoactuallyrealizethevastnessofBuddha’sworld.Youdependonthevastnessoftheworldthatembracesandsupportsyourlife,andyoujustbaskinit.Bodhichitta is like a big tree. In an earthquake, you can be saved by being

underatreewithdeeproots.Thisisreallytrue!Thetreeofbodhichittaishuge,vast.Ifyoudependonthattree,yougrowsmoothlyasahumanbeing.It’sjustlike the relationshipofmother and child.Like a baby, seeking andbasking in

mother’scompassion,yougrowasachildofBuddha.IsbaskinginBuddha’scompassionthesameasChristianfaiththatGodloves

you?Maybeso,Idon’tknow.Accordingtomyopinion,Ithinkso,butIdon’treallyknow.FromaBuddhistpointofview,God’s love is thereal reality thatyouareconstantlybaskingin—thevastnessofbeing.Thevastnessofbeing ishard tounderstand.That’swhymany religions say

God is completely beyond verbal explanation so we should just believe.ChristianpeopleareusuallyverysurprisedthatBuddhismexplainsthevastnessof being. Of course, Buddhism accepts the aspect of being that is completelybeyondhumanspeculation.Wetrust in thevastnessofbeing.Buton theotherhandwearehumanbeings.Wehaveabigbraininourhead,sowecan’tignorethe aspect of the human world that is created by emotional, spiritual, andpsychologicalthings.That’s why in Buddhism we study and try to understand the structure of

humanlife.Thatistheteachingofthefournobletruths,thetwelvefoldchainofcausation, and inMahayanaBuddhism it is the teachingof impermanenceandconditionedorigination.Wetry tounderstandhumanlife,butat thesametimewe trust in the great fact that everything is embraced byBuddha’swonderfulcompassion.SoBuddhismunderstandsittwoways.Onewayiswejustbelieveinthegreat

reality and depend on the huge tree that is always supporting us.Whetherweunderstand itornot,wearealwaysbasking inBuddha’scompassion.Butalsowe use our heads and try to understand it intellectually. For this we have tothink.Sothink,andafteryouthink,asbestasyoucan,movetowardthecoreofyourexistenceandbaskinBuddha’scompassion.BaskinginBuddha’scompassion,verynaturallyspiritualawarenessisthere.

Whenyouexperiencespiritualawareness, thereissalvation—youaresavedbyyourawarenessandyoufindawonderfullife.Ifyouseeevenadimimageofthevastness of reality, you are saved because you realize that you can dependonthatvastness.Basedonlivingwithawareness,somedaysomethingtouchesyourheart,and

youjumpinandexperiencethatvastnessdirectly.Thatiscalledenlightenment.Enlightenment penetrates your skin, muscle, bone, and marrow, becomingexactlyonewithyourlife,andyoufindthatlifeisworthliving.Basedonknowing thecoreofyourbeing,you livewithconfidence inyour

existence.Thenenlightenmentdirects theactivityofyour life, andyoucannot

helpbut shareyour life, livingwithallbeings inpeaceandharmony,helping,serving, teaching, and developing life in the human world. That is Buddhistaltruism. These three—salvation, enlightenment, and altruism—are calledbodhichitta,bodhimind,orwaymind.ThisisBuddhistfaith.

DependingonLoveManypeople think,“IwillbelieveIambasking inBuddha’scompassiononlyafterIunderstandwhyIshouldbelieve.”Theywanttounderstandintellectuallybefore they have faith. But if you wait until you understand Buddhismcompletely, it will be too late. The span of your life is not long enough tocompletelyunderstandBuddhism.Still,studyingisimportant.Studyingencouragesus.So,onebyone,studythe

four noble truths, the twelve links of causation, Buddhist philosophy andpsychology.Butitdoesn’treallymatterhowmuchyouunderstandintellectuallybecauserightintheprocessofstudyingthoseteachings,thereisapracticalwaytoreachrealizationofBuddha’sworld.How?Takecareofyourlifeaccordingtoamaeru.AmaeruisaJapanesetermmeaning“toexpressemotionaldependence,”such

asbetweenamotherandchild,awifeandhusband,orastudentandteacher.It’san informal, conversational term. The formal term is “to love.” Expressingemotionaldependencedoesn’tmeanhavingemotionaldependency.Youexpressemotionaldependence,butstillyoutakegoodcareofyourownlifeandkeepithealthy.Written in Japanese, the amaeru character consists of two parts. One part

representsyourmindinthevertical;theotherisyourmindinthehorizontal.Forexample, if you fall in love with someone, immediately yourmind stands upstraight and you forget yourself. There is no idea of something called “I”becauseyourmind iscompletelyoccupiedby love.That’sprettynice,but thiskindofloveisreallybasedonselfishness.It’sverygreedy.Wethinkromantic love issomethingwonderful,sowealwaysexpect toget

something beautiful as a result of falling in love.Butwhen you actually lovesomeone, love becomes complicated. You are surprised, and you don’t knowhowtotakecareoftherealityoflove.Thenyourmindstumbles,ittumblesover,andallofasuddenselfishnessappears,spreadingoutinthehorizontal.Finallyloveturnsintohatred.

But in the second part of theamaeru character, there is a term of negationabove horizontalmind.Thatmeans no-mind. “No-mind”means going beyondideasofloveandhatredandtouchingtheoriginalcoreoflove.Thatisthebeautyoflove.Lovebasedonno-mindistolovenotjustacertainperson—itistoloveallbeings.That’sbeautiful!It’sveryimportant,butit’snotsoeasy.The two aspects of love—selfish love and the beauty of love—are always

workingtogetherasone,sometimesshowingselfishlove,sometimesthebeautyof love. That is real love.You can use selfish love, but love can’t always beselfish because real love is based on both aspects. So forget selfish lovesometimes,andpractice lovebasedonno-mind.Thepracticeof real love is toattach to neither selfish love nor the beauty of love. That is how you canexperiencereallove.Soifyoufallinlovewithsomebody,whatshouldyoudo?Expressyourlove,

but don’t be obsessed with love. Being obsessed makes you greedy. That isselfishness.Idon’tmeanyoushouldcompletelydenyselfishness.Selfishnessisimportant.Without selfishnessyoucannot loveanybody.Thequestion is,howmuchshouldyouuseselfishness? Idon’tknow.There isnoparticularpattern.Lookatyourlife,yourcircumstances,thesituationaroundyou,society,andthehumanhistoryofhabitsandcustoms,rulesandregulations.Maybethosethingscangiveyouacertainpatternforhowmuchyoushoulduseyourselfishlove.Selfishlovesometimesmovestowardhatred,butrealloveisnotloveopposed

tohatred;realloveiscompletefreedom.Ifso,thenwhatdoesitmeantosayyoucanrealizeBuddha’sworldbyexpressingemotionaldependence?Ifyoureallyshareyour lifewithsomeone,youwill touchthecoreof loveanddiscover thereal meaning of love. You are exactly one with another person, and there iswarmcommunication.That’swhyexpressingemotionaldependenceasamaeruisimportant.The practice of amaeru is to trust in someone,whoever it is, and help that

personasbestyoucan.Usuallywedon’ttrustinothers.Maybeyouhadabitterlife in thepast causedby someperson, or people fromaparticular countryorreligion, so you don’t trust certain people or teachings now. But if you don’thavetrustinanythingandyourlifeisexpressedinthatmanner,itinfluencesallthe beings around you. That’s pretty hard. So how can we learn to trust insomething?It’sverysimple.Ababybasksinitsmother’scompassionandgrowsverynaturally.Thesame

appliestoallofus.YouareachildofBuddha.Ifyouwanttogrowphysically,

psychologically,orspiritually,youcanbaskinBuddha’scompassion.ThatistodependonthehugetreeofBuddha’sworldandtrustinthebeingsaroundyou,whoevertheyare.ThispracticeisbasedonthetruththatallbeingsareBuddha.It lets you share your lifewith others and help all beingswith true heart andsincerity.The more you practice like this, the more it is difficult to see yourself as

separate fromotherpeople.Someday, right in theprocessof sharingyour life,youwillcompletely forgetyourselfand jump intoBuddha’sworldofoneness.Youare free!That is to realizebodhichitta (bodhimind).You justbask in thevastnessofBuddha’scompassionandappreciateyourlife.

LivingasaBodhisattvaInthebeginningoftheDiamondSutra,ShakyamuniBuddha’sdiscipleSubhutiis very surprised by the wonderful experience of basking in Buddha’scompassion.ButSubhutiknowsthatheshouldn’tbedumbfoundedbyknowingrealrealityandrealizingthatheisonebeingcoproducedbytheinterpenetrationofallbeings.OncehehasBuddhist faith,havingfaith isnotgoodenough.Heneedstoknowhowtoliveinthehumanworldbasedonfaith.So after expressing admiration and appreciation to theBuddha for his great

help and support, Subhuti immediately asks him a question: “How should thebodhisattvastandwhohassetoutinthevehicleofabodhisattva?”Settingoutinthebodhisattvavehiclemeansbodhichitta—Buddhistfaith.Faithisrealizingthatyouarealive in theuniversalpathandyour life is supportedbyallbeings.SoSubhutiisasking:nowthatIhavefaith,howshouldIact?WhatattitudeshouldItakementally, physically, and psychologically? In otherwords,what should Ido?Howdowestandup straight andabide indaily livingasbodhisattvas?The

bodhisattva way is just to help all beings with compassionate attention, soBuddhaansweredSubhuti’squestioninthisway:

Subhuti, someonewhohas set out in the vehicle of aBodhisattva shouldproduce a thought in this manner: “As many beings as there are in theuniverseofbeings,comprehendedundertheterm‘beings’—egg-born,bornfromawomb,moisture-born,ormiraculouslyborn;withorwithoutform;with perception, without perception, and with neither perception nor

nonperception,asfarasanyconceivableformofbeingsisconceived:allofthis I must lead to Nirvana, into that Realm of Nirvana which leavesnothing behind. And yet, although innumerable have thus been lead toNirvana, no being at all has been led to Nirvana.” And why? If, in aBodhisattva the notion of a “being” should take place, he could not becalleda“Bodhi-being.” “Andwhy?HeisnottobecalledaBodhi-being,inwhomthenotionofaselforofabeingshouldtakeplace,orthenotionofalivingsoulorofaperson.”

InthistranslationbyEdwardConze,Shakyamunidescribesallbeingsaseggborn,bornfromwomb,moistureborn,ormiraculouslyborn,andalsoasbeingswithoutanyform.Wedon’tknowwhatthosebeingsareexactly.Still,Buddhasaysthatanythingyoucanconceiveofisabeingyoucanhelp.Sotakecareofnot only your friends, not only your family, not only Americans, not onlyJapanese,buteverything:trees,birds,andallbeings,whatevertheyare.InthehistoryofBuddhistteaching,therearethreecategoriesofbodhisattva:

sravaka buddha, pratika buddha, and real bodhisattva. In Shakyamuni’s time,manymonksattainedenlightenmentby listening tohis teaching.Thosemonkswere called sravaka. A sravaka analyzes the structure of human life as aphilosophyorpsychologybasedonBuddha’steachingofthefournobletruths:suffering, the cause of suffering, freedom from suffering, and the path tonirvana.Todaywearealsovery interested inunderstandinghuman life in thisway,soIthinkallofusare,moreorless,sravakabuddhas.A pratika buddha is sort of the opposite of sravaka. If you understand the

structureofhumanlifebasedonthefournobletruths,whatbasicprinciplecanyoudiscover?Thatisinterdependenceandconditionedco-origination.Apratikabuddhaattainsenlightenmentthroughpersonallyrealizingtheinterpenetrationofallbeings.Thatrealizationimpliesadeeperunderstandingofthehumanworld.It is an understanding of Buddhist philosophy that comes alive in one’s dailyliving.The last one, a real bodhisattva, is a personwhoseway of life is based on

emancipation.Therearethreegatesofemancipation:emptiness,noform,andnodesire.Emptiness is the pure texture of being.You are pure and free; there isnothingtobecontaminatedbyanything.No form means oneness: no form of subject and no form of object. The

Buddha said that when bodhisattvas help, they leave no trace of helping. So

whenyouhelp,don’thaveanynotionofbeingsomeonewhoishelpingothersoranynotionoftherebeinganotherpersonwhoisreceivingyourhelp.Atthattimeyoucanbeexactlyonewiththeotherperson.Thisperfectharmonyofselfandotheriscalledoneness.Itmeans,forexample,thatasateacherIcannottakecareofmyselfonlyasa

separateformofbeingcalledKatagiri.Forthegoodofmystudents,Ialsohaveto take care of my interconnected life. So I have to take care of Katagiri asKatagiriandalsoasno-Katagiri.WhenIamno-Katagiri,thereisnosenseof“Iamateacher;Iamhelpingyou”or“Youaremystudent;youarehelpingme.”Nodesiremeansnothingisoutsideoneness,sothereisnothingseparatetobe

desired. When the time comes to help, you just help from the pure state ofoneness,withnodesire togivebenefitorgaina reward.At that timeapersonappearswhoiscalledarealbodhisattva.Generally speaking, away of life based on emancipationmeans that if you

understand something, youdon’t staywithyourown idea. If youwant to cry,cry. If you suffer from your life, suffer. There is no way to escape fromsuffering. But don’t be obsessed with crying and suffering. You can takeadvantage of the suffering you have experienced and use it for the good ofothers. In other words, helping others who are crying and suffering can bebackedwithyourowncryingandsuffering.Ifyouwanttoenjoy,enjoy.Butdon’tbeobsessedwithhavingpleasure.Not

tobeobsessedmeansnottolinger.Whateveritis—crying,suffering,orpleasure—don’t linger over anything. If you experiencewhat you are, don’t staywithwhat you are. What you are is what you will be in the next moment. In amoment,whatyouareisnolongerwhatyouwere,soyoucannotstaystuckinthepast.Ifyoustaywithwhatyouwere,thatisego.Thebodhisattvawayistojustconstantlystandupinthevastnessofexistence,letgoofego,andhelpallbeingsasbestyoucan.There are three categories of bodhisattva, but there is no rank or hierarchy

among them because each one contains the other two; the three areinterconnectedas justone.Asbodhisattvaswecandependon the fact thatweare always basking in the great help of Buddha. So trust in the huge tree ofBuddha’scompassion.ThiswayoflifeverynaturallyextendsintorealizationofthevastnessofBuddha’sworld—bodhichitta.ThatisBuddhistfaith.

15DIRECTINGYOURBOAT

“LIFEISLIKEamanridinginaboat.Aboardtheboat,heusesasail,hetakesthetiller,hepolestheboatalong.Yettheboatcarrieshim,andwithouttheboatheisnot there.By riding in theboat, hemakes it a boat.”This isDogenZenji’sstatementinShobogenzoZenki(TotalDynamicWorking),translatedbyNormanWaddellandMasaoAbe(1972).Dogen’sboatisthegreatvehicleofMahayana,theBuddhaway.TheBuddha

wayistheplacewhereyoualreadyare.Youareonthatboat.Youareonewiththisboat,thewater,thesky,thisshore,andtheothershore.Allsentientbeingscoexistwithyouontheboat.AllareembracedbyBuddha’scompassion,whichisconstantlysupportingandcarryingyou.Thelivelyenergyoflifecarriesyouandletsyoubefree,butstillyouhavetodosomething.Liferequiresyoutoact.We must constantly live by taking the initiative to make the vastness of

existencecomealive inourown lives.This isnot so easy. Ifyoubelieve thatyourlifeontheboatcanbecompletelycontrolledbyyourownindividualeffort,youmaybecomearrogantoregotistical,alwaysrushingandfeelingirritated.Orifyoufacefailure,youmayfallintodespairandwanttogiveup.Sodon’tforgettheoriginalplacewhereyouare.Whenyouremembertheplaceyoualreadyare,thenyouarefreetoburnthe

flameofyourlifeforceinwhateveryoudo.Youcanuseyourenergytobuildupyourlifefor thebenefitofyourselfandothers.That is todirect theboat in theproperway.It’snotsoeasy,butthisisthebodhisattvawayoflife.

MovingintheRightDirectionThereisaZenkoanaboutawaterbuffalo.MasterGuishanLingyousaid,“WhenIdie,Iwillberebornasacowinthevillage.Inahundredyearsyouwillfindthecowwith the name Guishan written under its left arm. How do you call thiscow?Isthisjustacow?Ifyousayso,it’swrong.Butontheotherhand,ifafterdiscoveringmynameonthecow,yousaythisisnotacow,thisisGuishan,this

answerisalsowrong.So,howdoyoucallthiscow?”DogenZenjicommentedonthiskoan,saying,“Pleaseallowthiscowtobein

thebigpasture,andguidethiscowtomovetowardtherightdirection.”Dogen’spastureisthevastplacewhereallsentientbeings—grass,air,moisture,allthingsvisibleandinvisible—existsimultaneously,inpeaceandharmony.Wearelivingin thathugepasture, soweshouldn’t try tounderstandhuman life inanarrowway.LikeGuishan’scow,wehavetwodifferentwaysofliving.Ourordinarylives

arealwaysfilledwithproblems,desires,anddelusions.Ifweseeonlyordinarylife,wemaythinkitisnaturalforhumanbeingstolivejustaccordingtotryingtosatisfyourdesiresbecausethisisourinstinct.Butthatwayoflivingdoesn’treallysatisfyusbecausewealsothinkthatlife

shouldn’tbesomiserable.Soweseektobefreefromordinarylifeandliveinabetterway.Thisisourbodhisattvalife.Butwhenproblemscomeup,weforgetthat better way and go back to our ordinaryway.We are always zigzagging,alwaysattachingtoonesideortheother.Youareanordinaryhumanbeing,coveredwithmessykarmiclife,butthereis

always an opportunity to be something more than that. There is always anopportunity to do something good for you, for others, for all sentient beings.That’s why we study and try to understand human life. The problem is ourunderstandingisveryundependablebecauseeverythingisalwayschanging.Sothe important question is, how do we give life to our undependableunderstanding?Bodhisattvas just constantly aim in a certain direction. Even though their

understandingisundependable,theytrytousetheirhumanlivesnotonlyforthesake of their own life, but also for the sake of others’ lives, making everypossibleefforttogivebirthtothebuddha-dharma.Bodhisattvas don’t know exactly what they are giving birth to, so there is

someanxiety,someuneasyfeelingthere.Still,alltheycandoisaimtheirlifeatthetargetofgivingbirthtoeternallifeusingtheirkarmiclife,andthenmoveinthat direction. This is difficult, but this is a bodhisattva’s life. This is theirsuffering.However,rightinthemiddleofsuffering,theflameoftheirlifebeginstoburn,andtheyfindtheirlifeworthliving.Itislikeparentswhosufferbecauseof their children but feel their livesworth living right in the process of beingwiththeirchildren.A lifeworth livingdoesn’t come froma conceptual understanding. It is not

found by molding your life according to getting a reward from a particularactivity.Tomove in the bodhisattva direction is to allowyour life to proceedtoward a great image of life without having any expectation from it. If youexpect something, even slightly, youcannotmove;youcannotdirect your lifetowardyourgreattarget.Yourgreat imageof life is justan image; theperfectdirection isadirection

youcanneverreach.Evenso,havinganimagetoaimat is important. Itgivesyouagreatsuggestionofhowtoliveeveryday.Sotrytomakethatimagecomealivedaytoday.How?Directyourboat!Whateveryouunderstandaboutyourhumanlife,justdirectyourlifetowardyourtargeteveryday,constantlythinkinghow to actualize the bodhisattva vow to live in peace and harmony with allsentientbeings.Youhavebothanordinarylifeandabodhisattvalife.Theyworktogetherina

compoundstateofliving,likeasinglepieceofpaper.Youcannottakejustonesideandthrowtheotheroneaway;youhavetoacceptboth.Butafteracceptingboth,youcanmakeadeterminationtogoinacertaindirection.Ifyoucanseeevenadimvisionoftheoriginalnatureofyourlife,thenthatimageisyourgreattargettoaimat.Usingyourbodyandmindyoucandeepenyourlife.Finallyyoucanexpressyourbodhisattvalifeintherealmofyourordinarylife.Even if your cow is going zigzag, please gently guide this cow toward the

rightdirection.How?Itreallydependsuponyourrefinedaction,rightnow,righthere.Justproceedunderallcircumstances,withoutexpectinganythingtohappenasaparticularresultofyoureffort.Whenyoumovetowardyourgreatimageoflifewithoutexpectinganything,

very naturally you can open your heart and share your life with all sentientbeings.Then,rightintheprocessofsharingyourlife,youfindthatyourlifeisworthliving.

WisdomandCompassionIsLoveSimply speaking, Buddha’s teaching consists of two points: wisdom andcompassion.Wisdomisadeepunderstandingof impermanence: life iscomingand going from moment to moment. Compassion is a deep understanding ofinterdependent co-origination: all lives are interconnected. Broadly speaking,according to the teaching of compassion, your life is forgiven. But even so,accordingtotheteachingofwisdom,yourlifecanneverbeforgiven.

WhenIwasayoungmonk,livinginasmalltempleinJapanwithmyteacherDaicho Hayashi Roshi, I made lots of mistakes, and many things happened.WhenIwentdowntothevillage,peopleoftencriticizedmeorbarkedatme,somy everyday life was pretty entangled, pretty confused. When you are veryconfused,evensomesmallcriticismreallybothersyou.Mylifewasalittlebitofamess, so hatred andmany other emotions were always coming up. But themoment Iwentback to the temple, I felt reliefbecauseHayashiRoshi alwaysembracedme under all circumstances.Whatever happened inmy life, hewasalways going very smoothlywithme, like a stream ofwater.His presence ofheartwasverywonderfulforme.Myteacherdidn’ttrytoexplaincompassiontome,butthroughhiseveryday

life I could taste how compassionate hismindwas.Compassion shows us theeternal realm of life,where your life and others’ lives are totally accepted. Interms of compassion, you can accept your life and take care of your life astotallyforgiven.Butintermsofwisdom,lifeisgoingfrommomenttomomentwithoutstopping.Thatistheveryseriousrealmoflife.Thismomentwillnevercomeagain; your actionsnowwill staywithhuman life forever.There arenoexcuses.Myteacheralsoshowedmethis.WhenIdidn’tgetupinthemorning,hesaid,verygently,“Whenthemorning

comes, you should get up. When people have breakfast, you should havebreakfast.After that, ifyoudon’t feelgood,go tobed.”Thiswasaverygoodsuggestion for me. Get up! No excuses! Your human life should fit into therhythmof life.Whenmorningcomes,makemorningaliveasmorningandgetup.That’sit!Acceptfullresponsibilityforthisverymoment,andtakebestcareofyourliferightnow.Whenyoupracticewisdomandcompassionlikethis,dharmacomesintoyour

life very naturally, and your life manifests itself as dharma. That is themanifestationofyourtotalpersonality.Yourlifepenetratesintotheentireworld,includesallbeings,andyourpersonalitybecomeswhole.Youcandothis!Myteacherdidit.Myteacheralwaysshowedmethis.ButIwasyoung.Ididn’thaveeyes to see it or ears to listen to it. So I always felt confused and I alwayscomplained.Buton theotherhand, I felt reliefwhen Icameback to temple. Icouldtakeadeepbreathfrommyteacher’stotalpersonality.Sowhatcanyousayaboutyourlife?Areyouforgivenornotforgiven?You

cannotsayonlyoneway.Youhavetopracticedharmafromdaytodayandgetataste of it. In other words, your understanding must go very deep to see the

bottomofhuman life.That iswisdom.Then, fromseeing thedepthofhumanlife,wisdombringsforthcompassionforallsentientbeings.That is to loveallbeings.InBuddhism,wisdomandcompassionisatermforlove.Butthatloveisnot

theusualsenseoflove.Bywisdomandcompassionyoucancommunicatewithothers,youcanacceptothers,oryoucanforgiveothers.Thatislove.Loveistheveryseriousandalsotheverysoftbasisofhumanexistencefromwhichyoucantakeadeepbreath,breathinglikethewindblows,breathingnaturallyongrassinthefield.

TheSadnessinCompassionInancientIndiatheyusedthetermbuddhameaning“awakenedone.”ThetermappearsinJainism,Brahmanism,andinmythsandpoemssuchastheRigVedaandtheBaghavadGita.ButtheconceptofbuddhacreatedbyBuddhismwasalittledifferentfromotherIndianschoolsandphilosophies.According to earlyBuddhist teaching, a buddha is an awakened onewhose

humanlifehasparticularcharacteristics.Thereareeighteenmarksofabuddha’slife: ten powers, fourfold fearlessness, threefold dwelling in mindfulness, andcompassion.Thetenpowersdescribeabuddha’stotalpersonality.Heorshehasgreateyes

to see andgreat ears tohear thevoiceof thepast, present, future.Thispowerpenetratesnotonlyintoalltimebutalsointoeveryinchofspace,soabuddha’slifeisexpandingeverywhere.Itisnotmysterious.Everyonecanhavethis.Sucheyesandearsarenurturedverynaturallybyyourpracticeandstudy.Fearlessness is feeling relief.When I livedwithmy teacher, I learnedabout

fearlessness because I felt relief. Feeling relief allowsyou to completely openyourself.Ifyoupracticemindfulnessofdharmaineverydaylife,verynaturallyyou feel relief.Youexperienceapeaceful life, free fromhuman sufferingandconfusion,whereveryoumaybe.Dwelling inmindfulness is focusingon thedharmarealm,where there isno

discrimination.Abuddhaisnevertossedawaybylikeordislike,famousornotfamous, happiness or suffering, because he or she is always standing in theunified dharma realm where there are no categories. That is the basic placewhere trust and distrust, man and woman, teacher and disciple, all races, allbeings,andallcategoriesareloosenedintospace.

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The finalmarkofabuddha iscompassion.Compassionconsistsof two terms:karuna and maitri. Maitri is “friendliness” or “kindness.” Karuna means“sadness”or “moaning.”Ever since I becameamonk, Iwanted toknowwhythere is sadness in compassion insteadof just kindness. I didn’t understand it.FinallyIlearnedthattounderstandit,youhavetotastethatsadness.Karuna is not the sadness, pain, or suffering produced by your human

consciousnessorphysicalsenses.It isadeepersenseofpainorpensiveness,averydeepandlimitlessmoanthatisbeyondwords.Itisalwaysinourhearts,butnobody can express it. Thatmoan comes from a disconsolate irritation in thebottomofyour life. Itcomesfromwantingtogetsomething,wantingtoknowsomething.Everyone has this irritation becausewewant to know somethingmore than

our intellectualunderstandingofhuman life.That iswhywepractice.Beingapractitionermeanswantingtoknowsomethingmore,butyoudon’tknowwhatitis.Whydoyoupracticezazen?Youdon’tknowactually.WhyamIaBuddhistmonk,practicingthiswayoflife?Idon’tknow,butIcannotstop.I think everyonewants to be a practitioner in life. This is a human desire.

Your desire really encourages you to make an effort to exist in this world,seekingforsomethingdeep.That’swhywetrytoknowwhatdharmais.Butit’sverydifficult to knowwhat the real dharma is.Throughpractice and studyofBuddha’s teaching, you can come very close. You can have a glimpse ofdharma.Then,inthenextmoment,dharmadisappears.Soyouhavetopracticeandstudyitagainandagain.Finallyyoucometothebottomofhumanlife.Between the bottomof human life and eternity, there is a kind of partition.

Whenyoureachthispartition,youfindit’sverysoft,likeacurtain.Touchitand—whoosh—you enter eternity; you experience the oneness of you and allsentientbeings.Thenyourealizehowminutelyyourconsciousnessisvibrating,constantly creating a gap between you and eternity, constantly separating youfromothers, and a deepmoan of sadness arises from the depth of your life. Ithinkwecanunderstandkarunaasthatmoaning.Avalokiteshvara is the bodhisattva of compassion because she understands

that deephumancry.We say thatAvalokiteshvarahears the cryof theworld.She has a great ear to listen to your deep moan; then the presence ofAvalokiteshvara gives you complete relief. That is why she is the symbol of

fearlessness.WhenIwaswithmyteacher,Ifeltthatrelief.Ididn’tknowwhatitwas,butwhenIwentbacktothetemple,Ifeltpeacefulbecauseofmyteacher’sgreatcompassion.Ifyouknowthedeepmoaningofyourownlifeandpayattention toothers’

lives, somedayyou recognize that thedeepmoan ispresent ineveryone’s life,andyour cry turns into great compassion.Then, very naturally, you can shareyour life with others in a kind way. Even though you cannot explain it,understanding the deep moan in your own life spreads into others’ lives andgivesthemrelief.Thiscompassionisthefinalmarkofabuddha.

BeautifulandNotBeautifulAspectsofLifeSomepeople think it isnonsense topracticezazen, just sittingquietlywithoutexpecting anythingwhile there are peoplewho are starving to death. So theycriticizeZen,andtheyaskme,“Whydon’tyousavepeoplefromtheirsufferingrightnowinsteadofsittinguselesslyinzazen?”That’sabeautifulthought,butIdon’tthinkitisbeautiful.Beautifulthinkingsometimesmakesproblemsbecauseitistoobeautiful.Real life consists of both the beautiful aspect and the not beautiful aspect.

Therearemanyaspectsofhumanlife.Ifyouthinkonlyofthepeoplewhoarestarving,youmaysay,“Weshouldsavethem!”Thenyoutrytomoldyourlifeinto this idealisticway of thinking.Watch out! It is beautiful towant to savepeople,butpayattention to reality.Lookatyourown life.Human life isveryshaky.Howmuchcanyousaveyou?Everydaylifeisreallyundependable.Thisistherealitywelivein.Youhave

to save yourself first, but not to satisfy your ordinary karmic life—to openyourself.Thenyoucanshareyourlifewithallsentientbeingseveryday,takinggoodcareofyourselfandothers.It’snotsoeasy,buttolearnhowtodothis,youcanuseBuddha’spreceptsasapracticalguide.IntheBuddhistinitiationceremony,youreceiveBuddha’sthreepureandten

prohibitoryprecepts.Thenweaskyou:“Doyouobservethisprecept?”Yousay,“Yes Ido!”But even thoughyou say so, sometimes it’s really, “No, Idon’t!”Intellectuallyyourmindiscomplicated.Onemomentyouthink:Yes,Ican.Nextmoment:No,Ican’t.Sowhatshouldyoudo?Howdoyouobservethepreceptsinyoureverydaylife?Howcanyoulivewithouthurtingothers?Reflectingonthatquestionisveryimportant.

For example,whenwe look at Buddha’s prohibitory precepts,we thinkweshouldkeepthepreceptsperfectly.That’sabeautifulidea,butifyouwanttoeat,howdoyouobserve thepreceptofnokilling?Wekill inmanyways.Even ifyoudon’tkillanyanimals,youkillinsects,vegetables,grasses.Ifyoukeeptheprecept of no killing perfectly, your life can no longer exist; you will die ofstarvation.Sohowcanwedependontheprecepts toshowus therightwayoflife?Wecannotsayhowexactly,butdon’tunderstandyourlifeinanarrowway.Yourunderstandingmustbedeepened,andyouractionmustberefined.Todeepenyourunderstanding,firstyouhavetoreflectonyourself.Thenyou

canmake a determination to live in a certainway.Your determination comesfrom understanding yourself, your ideas, your thinking, your life, and yourworld.By introspectingyour life, analyzingyourunderstandingbasedonyoureducation, your circumstances, your karma, your emotions, your past, present,andfuture,adeterminationappears.Whateverdeterminationyoumake,yourdeterminationisveryshaky.Thisis

not something wrong; it’s the world we live in. It’s like snow on the RockyMountains—you cannot depend on it. Nevertheless, if you are a mountainclimber,thatundependablesnowisanimportantplaceforyoutobuildupyourlife. In everyday life, the undependable human world of samsara is yourimportantplacewhereyoucan live for the sakeof all beings.Sohowdoyoumake your determination sure and stable? Make a determination to live in acertainway,andmoveyourlifeinthatdirection.Strictly speaking, the bodhisattva way is to keep our own life healthy and

peacefulandshareour lifewithallbeings, living togetherday today inpeaceand harmony. But can you do it? If you love someone, you don’t love thatperson totally. Themore you love, themore you can see another side of thatperson that you don’t like. If you see someone you don’t like, can you openyourself and share your lifewith that person?You can try, but in a corner ofyourconsciousnessthereisalwayshatred.Inmyowncase, if I facesomepersonIdon’t like, immediatelyIhesitate. I

cannotopenmyself.Mymindsays,“Let’sopen.”So I try.But I’mreally justpretending. Still, there’s no other way. So I’m constantly pretending to openmyselfandtryingtoapproachBuddha’sway.ThemoreItry,themoreIseetheclearimageofpretending.FinallyIcry.Crying,crying,crying,andthenfinallyItotallyopenmylife.Relief!Idon’tknowhowmuchweshouldcry.Therearethousands,millionsofcries.

Andthenyouopen.Hittingthetargetoftotallyopeningyourselfonceisduetohaving missed a hundred thousand. Not a hundred thousand—millions andmillionsofmisses.Sointheshakyrealmofhumanlife,justkeeptryingtoshareyourlifewithpeoplearoundyou,andextendyourwarmheartintoallbeingsintheworld.That’sit!Thatisproceedinginthebodhisattvadirection.It’s pretty hard to proceed in the bodhisattva direction every day. It’s not a

matterofidealisticdiscussionorconceptualunderstanding.It’snotthinkingofabeautifulworldseparate fromyou. It reallydependsonyourattitudeandwhatkind of action you take. So sit down in zazen, and throw your egotisticalthoughtsaway.Onlythroughthispracticecanyougraduallylearnwhatyouare.Youhavetoreallyseeyourself first,andthenyoucandirectyourbodyand

mind.When you understandwhat you are, you can enter into the feelings ofothers—not only another human being’s feelings, the feelings of all beings:tables,trees,vegetables.Atthetimewhenyoulearnwhatyouare,itisthetimewhenyoucansaveothers.

TheDeepMeaningofPreceptTheZenmasterKyogo,whowasoneofDogenZenji’sdisciples,madeaverysimplebutveryprofoundstatementaboutthemeaningofprecept.Inyourwholelife,throughstudyandpractice,throughmeditation,pleasetrytounderstandhiswayofexpressingthemeaningofprecept.Kyogosaid:

Precept refers to restraint and extermination. In attaining enlightenmentunder the Bodhi tree, Shakyamuni Buddha fruited the precepts. This isnamedrestraint. Itmeans toadjustandcome toastop in the truth that“Iandallbeingson thegreatearthbothsimultaneouslyattainenlightenmenttogether.”Thatisprecept,whichmyteacherhasnevertaughtnorhasevertheBuddhataught.

ThisstatementisfoundintheBonmokyoRyakusho,Kyogo’scommentaryontheBrahmajala Sutra (Brahma’sNet Sutra),which contains an early statement ofthepreceptsforbodhisattvas.Kyogosaysthatthetermpreceptreferstorestraintandextermination,butthisisquitedifferentfromrestraintandexterminationofacertainbehavior.KyogoalsosaysthatwhenShakyamunisatundertheBodhitreeandbecame

theBuddha,he“fruited”theprecepts.Fruitmaturesnaturally,sothepreceptsarethematurefruitofBuddha’s life.Shakyamunirealized thedepthof thehumanworldand thepreceptsappearedverynaturallyas thecontentsofhis life.ThepreceptsareBuddha’slife;Buddha’slifeistheprecepts.Thereisnodifference.In the big scale of life, precept is the activity of thewhole universe,which

naturally ripensa tree’s life, aperson’s life, and the lifeofall sentientbeings.Thisis themost importantmeaningofprecept.Pleaserememberthisone.YoucanuseBuddha’spreceptsasapracticalguideforhowtotakecareofhumanlifeinthesmallscale,butfirstacceptthepreceptsasthemanifestationofthewholeuniverse. Accept the precepts as the life of mountains, sky, and all sentientbeings,andmakethemaliveasyourownlife.Restraintislikedrawingahorsetoastop.Itmeanstobringthesmallscaleof

yourlifetoastop.Where?InthetruththatallsentientbeingsareBuddha!Yourhumanconsciousness isalwayscreatingsomestickystrengthbetweenyouandyour object. As long as you have consciousness, you never get away fromhaving an opponent. When you see yourself only through your humanconsciousness, your world is very small. In your small world you’re alwaysdiscussingthings,playingwithmuddywaterinsteadofcomingbacktothepuremanifestationoflife.Youarealreadyaliveasahumanbeing,soyouhavetoseeyourselfindividually.Butyourlifeisalsoaliveinthesameandonegroundwithallsentientbeings,soyoualsohavetotakecareofyourlifeinthebigscale.Exterminationis,simplyspeaking,tosevertherootofdelusionandreturnto

thebig scaleofyour life,whichexistsbefore subject andobject are separatedintotwobyyourhumanconsciousness.Zenpracticeistosevertherootofthatsticky dualistic consciousness and return to the very pure incipient stage ofseeing and hearing, where there is no difference between subject and object.Severing the root of delusion, all sense of self and other ismelted away, andperfect freedom is there. That is great maturity, which is beyond humanspeculationorevaluation.Thisgreatmaturityisalreadyinyourlifebecauseyouare Buddha. That’s why you can adjust and come to a stop in the realm ofmaturity.Whenyou stop in the realmofmaturity, you are ready to accept thewhole

universe asyour life.All areBuddha; this is the truth.SoKyogo includes thegreatstatementoftruththatShakyamunimadewhenheattainedenlightenmentunder theBodhi tree: “I and all beings on the great earth both simultaneouslyattain enlightenment together.” This is called the same and one ground, or

simplythetruth.Saying “all are Buddha” means there is nothing that you can throw away.

Suffering, pain, unhappiness, deep moan, whatever it is, you cannot throw itaway.Themoreyoutrytothrowitaway,themoreitbecomesaghostchasingafteryou.Sowhateverhappens,acceptitanddealwithitasBuddha.FinallyKyogosays,“Thatisprecept,whichmyteacherhasnevertaughtnor

hasever theBuddha taught.”Yourunderstandingofprecept isnotamatterofintellectualteaching;itisamatterofdirectexperience.Theuniverseisgoingina certain system and rhythm. It’s not random. When that rhythm is alive inhuman life, it is called the precepts.All you have to do is stand up there andmake it alive as your own life.How?Adjust and come to a stop in the truth,whereyou,yourlife,andyouremotionsarealreadyBuddha.

ReceivingthePreceptsZenmasterYakusan Igen (YaoshanWeiyan, 745–828)was asked by amonk,“Master, you know that Bodhidharma went to China to teach the buddha-dharma. I wonder, was dharma there before he went to China to teach thedharma?”Yakusan said, “Yes, therewasdharmabeforeBodhidharmawent toChina.”Then themonk asked, “Why did he have to go toChina to teach thebuddha-dharma, if it was already there?” Yakusan answered, “He went therebecauseofitspresence.”In Bodhidharma’s time, Buddhism was only understood intellectually in

China. So Bodhidharma went there to make Buddha’s teaching alive in thehuman world of China through its presence in his own life. This is calledreceivingtheprecepts.IfwearealreadyBuddha,whydowehavetoreceiveBuddha’sprecepts?You

couldask:“Whydoweclimbmountains?”Beforeyouclimbamountain,isthemountain there?Yes, it is.Sowhydoyouclimb it?Finallyyou say: “I climbbecausethemountainisthere.”Or,“Katagiri,whydoyoupracticezazen—sucha stupid way?”Well, I don’t know why exactly. I just practice because thatstupidwayisalreadyhere.Thisismyresponsibility.IhavetomakeZenpracticealiveinmyownlife,soIjustclimbthemountain.Otherwise,practiceisalwayssomething separate from me. Finally, the mountain and I communicate, andthereisabigworldthere.That’swhyItrytoclimbBuddha’smountain.SoifwearealreadyBuddha,whydowehavetoreceiveBuddha’sprecepts?

BecauseweareBuddha!Toreceivemeanstotransmit,andtotransmitmeanstomake something.Whenyou receiveBuddha’sprecepts, yourbody ismadebyBuddha, and you become Buddha. In other words, your human life becomesBuddha’slife.YourlifeisBuddha,andBuddhaoccupieseveryinchofyourlife.AtthattimeyoubecomeBuddha.Isthispossible?Ifyouaskifit’spossible,yourZenteacherwillscoldyouandsayyouarea

coward,becauseyouareignoringthefactthatyouarealreadygreatmaturefruit.So before you ask, you have to stand up straight, keep yourself in check, andcometoastopinthistruthofthegreatmaturelifethateveryonehas.Daybydayallyouhavetodoispushthebuttonofmaturity,liketurningona

televisionandseeingthewholeworldcomeintoonescreen.Constantlypushinga button is really boring for us—it seems ridiculous. But we have to do thissimple practice, stand up right there, and practicewholeheartedly. This is ourresponsibility.Thatistoobservetheprecepts.

PracticingBuddha’sPreceptsThepreceptsareveryimportantforBuddhistpractitioners,butmostpeopleareconfusedbytheprecepts.That’saproblembecauseifyoumisusetheprecepts,you will always be frightened or feel guilty. Even if you obey the preceptscompletely, still you are afraid. It’s just like running a business. If you aresuccessfulinyourbusiness,youfeelhappy,butinthebottomofyourlife,thereis uneasiness because you are afraid of failing. So youmakemore andmoreeffortuntilfinallyyouareexhausted.How can you use the precepts and keep your energy in balance? Being in

balancedoesn’tmean justhavingacomfortablewayof life. Itmeansknowingthatsometimesyouuseyourenergystrongly,withfullconcentratedeffort,andsometimesyouuseyourenergyinalittlemorerelaxedway.Idon’tknowhowtoexplainthis.It’snotsomethingthatsomeoneteachesyou.It’ssomethingyoulearnthroughyourownpractice.IfyouwanttopracticeBuddha’sprecepts,firstcontemplatewhatitmeansto

say thatallbeings in thehumanworldareBuddha; thenbaseyourpracticeonthetruththatBuddha’sworldandthehumanworldarenotdifferent.Atreeisabeing that is blooming in the Buddha’s world. The same applies to pebbles,insects, and all sentient beings. This is our basic attitude toward the humanworldandhumanbeings.

Enlightenment,delusion,hell,orhungryghosts—whoevertheyare,allbeingsinthehumanworldmustbeseenandacceptedasBuddha.Thenyoucanpracticethe precepts a little bit in your everyday life. So see and accept everything asBuddhafirst.Thenyoucanstandupinthistruthandpracticerightinthemiddleof thoughts coming up, delusions coming up, or enlightenment coming up,becausetheyarenothingbutactivityintheBuddha’sworld.Still,Ithinkweshouldrecognizehowdifficultitistoobeyevenoneprecept.

How much can we practice Buddha’s teaching day to day? Standing up inBuddha’sworldisnotsosimple.Evenifweunderstandintellectually,wedon’tunderstand emotionally. Often we are at a loss over how to deal with theconcreteaspectofhumanlife.For example, everyone knows howmuch anger hurts people, sowe should

staycalmandnotbeangry.Butwhenwefaceanger,wearecompletelyatalossoverwhat to do. Finallywe fight.That iswhy again and again—forever—wehavetolistentothetruthandthinkdeeplyhowtokeepthepreceptsineverydaylife.Constantlyexplorethemeaningofthepreceptsthroughyourpractice.Ifyoucontinuetopractice,finallyyoucanseetherealmofrealreality,where

lifeisgoingliketheflowofastreamandallbeingsarewalkingtogether,handin hand, in peace and harmony. You feel your own human warmth andcompassion,andyoucandealwitheverydaylifekindly,softly,andgently.Yes,itispossible!Sowhenyouareready, jumpinand join that flowof lifeasabuddha.You

willfindaverysimplelifewhereyoucanmakeanartoftheflowoflife.That’swhy,whenweaskifyouwillobservetheprecepts,youhavetosay,“Yes,Iwilldo.”Youhave to say thisconstantly: Iwilldo, Iwilldo, Iwilldo.How longdoesittake?Idon’tknow.Itdoesn’tmatter.

HumanWeaknessandtheBodhisattvaVowJapanhas really beautiful train transportation, just like airplanes in theUnitedStates.Butsometimesthetrainsarejammedwithpeople.OnetimeItookatrainfromKyushu to Tokyo. Iwas riding in an area of the trainwhere they allowpeoplewhodon’thaveareservationtostandupintheaisle.Inoticedtherewasa vacant seat, but even though no one was sitting there, I couldn’t sit downbecauseitwasreserved.Thentheconductortoldus,“Ifyouwanttositinthatvacantseat,pleasepay

thisamountofmoney.ButIcannotgiveyouanyguarantee,becausethepersonwhoreservedthisseatmightarrive.”Sonoonepaidthemoney.Fortunately,Ihadatrainpassforforeigners.ForoneweekIcouldgoanyplaceforfree.Andareserved seat is also free.So I showed this pass to the conductor andhe said,“Pleasesitdown.”AtthesametimeIsawanoldwomanwhowasstandingup.ButIdidn’tgive

myseattoher.Ijustquietlysatdown.ThenIthought,“WhoamI?DoIalwaysleadabodhisattvalife?CanIalwayssharemylifewithallsentientbeingsandknowhowtoliveinpeaceandharmony?Ican’tdoitrightnow.Ialwaystrytoprotectmylife.Idon’twanttoshare.”According to theBuddhist precepts,we shouldn’t hurt others;we shouldn’t

push anyone away;we should always accept others and live together inpeaceandharmony.ButatthattimeIrealizedhowegoisticIamandhowmuchIhurtothers,howmuchIpushpeopleawayfrommeinordertokeepmylifepeaceful.Then,verynaturally,Ihavetorepent:Buddha,pleasehelpme!Pleasehelpmegointherightdirection.Well,Idon’tknowhowmuchIshouldpraytoBuddhaforhelp.Idon’tknow

howmuchBuddhacanhelpme,becausethereisnoguaranteethatIcanbefreefromegoism.ButallIhavetodoisjustrepent.That’sit!RepentingisauniqueopportunitytoopenmyselfandmovetowardtheBuddhaway.Usuallywethinkofrepentanceasmakinganapology—toapersonordivinity

—forourmistakes.Makingamistakemakesusuncomfortable, sowewant tothrowawayourmistakesandgetsomethingelse.RepentanceinBuddhismisnotlikethat.Insteadofthrowingourmistakesaway,wefaceourmistakesanduseourkarmic life tomove in thebodhisattvadirection.This is hard,because themoreyoulookatyourlife,themoreyoubecomeawareofyourhumanweaknessandthemoreyouseeyourlifepreventingyoufromreachingBuddha’sway.Themoreyoutrytomovetowardagreatimageofhumanlife,themoreyou

finditdifficulttokeepyourlifestraight.Thecloseryoucometothebodhisattvawayof life, themoreyouencounterobstaclesanddifficultiescreated inwardlyoroutwardlybyyourlife,byothers’lives,andbycircumstances.Youseehowegoistichumanbeingsare,howwehurtourselvesandothers.Finallyyoudiscoverthegreatmoanofpaininthedeepestlevelofhumanlife

—agreatmoan of disconsolate pain, irritation, or uneasiness in the bottomofyourlife.Butthen,fromthatpain,appearsasenseofprayerorvow:Iamweak,but I will try again to proceed in the bodhisattva direction. The practice of

aiming at that target is called repentance.Repentance is away to accept yourordinarylifeandthenusethatlifetogobeyondit.In Buddhism there are three kinds of repentance: repentance in thusness,

undefiledrepentance,andrepentanceinthepresenceofBuddha.Thusnessistheoriginalstateofunitybetweenyouandtheuniverse.Sorepentanceinthusnessmeansthatyourbodyandmindstandupstraightinthewholeuniverse.Howcanyou do this?Use your human consciousness.Even though the egoistic humanconsciousness always creates a sense of separation between you and theuniverse,throughusingyourconsciousnessyoucanmakeadeterminationtoact.But when you act, don’t act blindly. Be watchful and alert, truthful and

sincere.Useyourthinking;thenletgoofit;standupintherealmofthewholeuniverse,andlookaroundthere.This isourpractice.Wepractice lettinggoofegoisticunderstanding,openingourselves,andthenacceptinganddigestingourwhole life.Repenting in thiswaymakes your life alive, like the flow of purewatercomingupfromthedeepgroundwithoutstopping.Second is undefiled repentance. If you repent just to satisfy your desire to

escape from mistakes, your repentance is defiled because your purpose is tosatisfyyourowndesire.Don’t confineyour lifeby the smallnessofyourowndesire!Usingyourhumanconsciousness,putasideyoursmalldesireandopenyourself.Openingyourselfallowsyoutocomebacktotheoriginalstateoftotalunity.How?Takecareofyourordinaryactionsasrefinedaction.Thenyoucanjump into undefiled action where any idea of acting is melted away. That iscalled total action. This undefiled activity is the functioning of a deepunderstandingofhumanlife,fromwhichrepentanceoriginates.ThirdisrepentanceinthepresenceofBuddha.Forthis,firstyoumustaccept

thegreatmoanofhumanpaininthebottomofhumanlife.Youareimportant!Soyoumustbeapersonwhocanacceptthatgreatmoan,believeit,andstandupstraightlythere.Atthattimeyouarereadytoacceptthewholeuniverse.Thatisrepentance in great karuna (sadness). If you understand the deepmoan in thedepthofhumanlife,thatmoanturnsintocompassion.In English, “compassion” is one word, but in Japanese it consists of two

characters: ji and hi. Ji is “the desire to give happiness to all beings”; hi is“sadness.”Withthemindofcompassionyouunderstandthateveryonehaspainin thebottomof their lives, soverynaturallyyouareconsiderate toallbeingsandgivedeepsympathy toeveryone.Youcanexpresscompassionnotonly tohumanbeings,butalsototrees,birds,andallsentientbeings.Ifyouareaperson

whopracticesrepentancelikethis,yourrepentanceisBuddha’scompassion.Practicing repentance is exactly the same as taking refuge.So just bowand

say,“I takerefugeintheBuddha,I takerefugeinthedharma,I takerefugeinthe sangha.” At that time, your refined human action is repentance in thepresenceofBuddha.Youractionputsyou right in themiddleof theuniversalflowofenergy.Youarepure,refined,andfree.Alive!Thisisthetruemeaningofrepentance.Bydoingthisyoucanusethatuniversallifeforcetobuildupyourownlifeandbenefitotherlives.Thisisabodhisattva’svow.Themoreyoutrytomoveintherightdirection,themoreyoudiscoverlotsof

difficulties. Themore you try to reach Buddha’s way, themore you hear thedeep crying at the bottom of your life. But no matter howmany storms youencounter,justadjustyourboatandcontinuetogointherightdirection.Againandagainyouhavetostandupintherealmofthewholeuniverseandadjustthemovementofyourboat.That is reallydifficult.Youcannotdo itonlybyyourowneffort.Youneedlotsofhelp.SopraytoBuddha:“Pleasehelpmestandupand move in that direction.” Then take one step in the bodhisattva direction.That’sallyouhavetodo.

YouCanExplainOnly70PercentOnetimeIaccompaniedEkoHashimotoRoshionatripfromEiheijimonasterytoNagoya,wherehewas to teachon theShobogenzo.Myjobashisattendantwastofollowhimwhereverhewentandbuytrainticketsifheneededthem.Soonthisdayhegavemehispurseandtoldmetobuyaticket.ButwhenIopenedthepurse, I realized therewasnotenoughmoney.SoI toldhim therewasnotenough.Hashimoto immediately replied, “If Ihadenoughmoney, Iwouldnotaskyoutobuyaticket!”It’sverydifficulttounderstandthis.Hashimotodidnotexplain100percentof

whatIshoulddo;heexplained70percentbygivingmehispurse.Theother30percentIhadtounderstandbymyself.Whenyourintellectgoestowork,ittellsyou that it is impossible to buy the ticket. So to understand this situation youhavetobestupid,notsmart.Stupidityliesinlivingyourlifejustlikealeapingfish. Ifyoudon’thave themoney,dosomethingelse—life requiresyou toactrightnow,righthere.Zenteachingisveryunreasonableandcontrarytoyourcommonsense.Idon’t

know how often youwill have tears on your face, but itwill bemany,many

timesbecauseinZen,oneplusoneissometimestwo,sometimesit isone,andsometimes it is two thousand. It’s very illogical.But the important point is tobecomeonewithasituation,likethesituationgiventomebyHashimotoRoshi.Inordertoknowwhattodo,Ihadtofitinthere.We have to fit into situations and become exactly one with them without

desiring to achieve satisfaction. That is called oneness. Onenessmeans goingbeyond any idea ofwhat is reasonable or unreasonable—you have to becomeBuddha.Thenyoucandosomething.SowhenHashimotogavemehispurse,ashisattendantall Ihad todowasbecomeBuddha,receive thepurse,andbuyaticket.Inotherwords,usemyownmoneytomakeenoughforhisticket.Using words someone can explain maybe 70 percent of how to become

Buddha.Ifyoualwaysdealwithyourlifeonlyintermsoflogic,thenyouhaveonly70percentofBuddha.ButtobecomeBuddha,youhavetobeBuddha100percent.Soyoushouldknow the illogicalaspectofBuddha’s life, too.Butnoone can explain the other 30percent.Beyond logical or illogical, youhave tojustbeBuddha.ZenpracticeistodealwitheverythingasBuddha.Yourmindissimple,and

youreturntotheveryincipientstageofhumanlife.Atthatstagethereisagreatopportunity—you canmeet theBuddha.But it depends on your attitude.Thatmeansyouhave todo it rightnow!What shouldyoudo?There isno timeorspacetodiscusswhattodo.Justdirectyourboattowardtheproperdestinationandgo.Reasonablyorunreasonably,wehavetotry.Themoreyoutrytodirectyourboat,themoreyouencounterbigwavesand

storms.Sodealwithyourboatkindly,compassionately,patiently,andwithgreatzeal. You can do it. This is our practice. Just keep going. Finally, when youreach thebottomofyour lifeand see theoriginalpureenergyof life,youcanaccept that energy and use it to benefit yourself and others. This is thebodhisattvawayoflife.

16WHEREDOYOUCOMEFROM?

THE VIMALAKIRTI SUTRA is an early Mahayana scripture that gives Buddha’steaching from thepointofviewofhis followerVimalakirti.Vimalakirtiwasarich laymanwho practiced spiritual life right in themidst ofworldly life.HispracticewasbasedonaverydeepunderstandingofBuddha’steaching.Inchapter4,ShakyamuniBuddhaasksthebodhisattvaGloriousLighttovisit

Vimalakirti and inquire about his health. But the bodhisattva feels he is notqualified to call onVimalakirti, on account of havingmet himbefore.At thattime, Glorious Light had asked Vimalakirti, “Where do you come from?”meaning, where have you traveled from? Vimalakirti said, “I come from abodhimandala (a holy site).” Glorious Light feels ashamed now because hethoughtVimalakirtiwastalkingaboutaparticularplace.TheanswerthatVimalakirtigaveisjustliketheanswergivenbyJesusChrist

intheBible(John8:12).JesusspoketothePharisees,saying,“Iamthelightoftheworld.Hewhofollowsmewillnotwalkindarknessbutwillhavethelightof life.” The Pharisees said, “You are bearing witness to yourself. Yourtestimonyisnottrue.”SoJesusanswered,“EvenifIdobearwitnesstomyself,my testimony is true, for I know where I have come from and where I amgoing.”ThePharisees asked, “Where doyou come from?” Jesus answered, “Icomefromthefather.”Thentheyasked,“Whereisyourfather?”Jesussaid,“Ifyouknewmeyouwouldknowmyfatheralso.”JesusChristdoesn’texplainwhohisfatheris,whatGodis,whatparadiseis.

Actually it’snotnecessary to explain.Nomatterhow longyou try to explain,yourexplanationisstillonlyanidea,soitdoesn’thitthemark.ThepointisyoushouldunderstandJesusChristwhoisinfrontofyourighthere,rightnow.Thisis a very good teaching. JesusChrist knowswhere he comes from.Whateverreligionyoustudy,thisisthefirstimportantpointyouhavetoseek.

Vimalakirti’sFourHolyMinds

AccordingtoaZenstory, thesixthpatriarchHui-nengarrivedat thetempleofthefifthpatriarch,Hung-jen,whoaskedhim,“Wheredoyoucomefrom?”Hui-neng said, “I come from the southern part of China.” Later, when Nan-yueharrived to become Hui-neng’s disciple, Hui-neng asked him, “Where do youcomefrom?”Nan-yuehansweredwiththenameofanothermonastery.Thiswas not the answerHui-nengwas looking for, so he askedNan-yueh,

“Whatisitthatthuscomes?”Inotherwords,whocomes?Whoareyou?Whoispresentrightnow,righthere?Ifyouunderstandthispersonashereallyis,well,wheredoesthismancomefrom?Zen always emphasizes that all beings arise from real reality, which is

completelybeyondexplanation.ThatiswhyfinallyNan-yuehdidn’tanswerthisquestion. But in the Vimalakirti Sutra, translated by Charles Luk, when thebodhisattva Glorious Light asked Vimalakirti, “Where do you come from?”Vimalakirtididgiveananswer.Hesaid,“Icomefromabodhimandala(aholyplace).”WhenGloriousLightmisunderstoodhis answer and askedwhere thatholyplaceis,Vimalakirtibegantoexplaintheholinessthathecomesfrom.Vimalakirtisaid,“Thestraightforwardmindisthebodhimandala,foritisfree

from falsehood. The initiated mind is the bodhimandala, for it can keepdiscipline. The profoundmind is the bodhimandala, for it accumulatesmerits.The enlightened mind is the bodhimandala for it is infallible.” So let’s seeVimalakirti’sfourholyminds.

StraightforwardMindStraightforward mind is Vimalakirti’s bodhimandala because it is free fromfalsehood. InSanskrit,straightforwardmind iscalledasaya. Itmeansa restingplace of safety, asylum, or refuge. This place where there is no sense offalsehood is called alayavijnana, the eighth consciousness, which is immenseand infinite. This is the original place in which you exist, so it implies theoriginalnatureofbeing.Sometimesitiscalledpuremindorno-mind.Howcanyouput straightforwardmind intopractice?Vimalakirti tells us to

practicethesixparamitas,whicharefundamentalprinciplesofhumanlife.ThisisaveryimportantteachinginMahayanaBuddhism.Ifyouwanttounderstandstraightforwardness, practice these six: charity, discipline, patience, zeal,serenity,andwisdom.Vimalakirtisays,“Charity(dana)isthebodhimandala,foritdoesnotexpect

reward.Discipline (sila) is the bodhimandala, for it fulfills all vows. Patience(ksanti) is thebodhimandalafor ithasaccess to themindsofall livingbeings.Zeal (virya) is the bodhimandala, for it is free from being remiss. Serenity(dhyana) is the bodhimandala, because of its harmonious mind. Wisdom(prajna)isthebodhimandala,foritdiscernsallthings.”To practice charity is to be open-minded. You are compassionate to all

sentientbeingsandtrytodosomethingforothers,evenifit’sjustalittlebit.Tofollowthiscompassionatewayoflife,youputyourdailylifeinorderaccordingto a certain discipline, such as practicing under the guidance of a teacher andlistening to the Buddha’s teaching. Patience is forbearance, the capability ofwaitingfortheopportunitytoberipe.Ifyoucannotseeanythingtodoforotherstoday,don’tworryabout it toomuch.Don’tbenervous,don’tbeconfused;besoft,gentle,andkind.Openyourheartandwaitfortomorrowtocome.Maybetomorrowyoucanfindsomethingtodoforothers.Zealismakingeverypossibleefforttobuildupyourlifebydoingsomething

daybyday,movingonestepforwardfromthetopoftheone-hundred-foot-highpole.Inotherwords,noexcuses!Atthattime,youexperienceasenseofserenityandtranquility,calmlywatchingeverythingcarefullywithuniversalvision.Thelastone,wisdom,isthenatureofyourgreatcapabilitytoseethedeepsourceofhuman life. These six paramitas are the actual practices of the pure,straightforwardmindofalayavijnana.Puremindcanbefoundinanyhumanactivitybecausetheactivitiesofday-to-

daylifearenothingbut the livingfunctioningofuniversalenergy—there isnodifferencebetweenthetwo.Whentheoriginalnatureofbeingmanifestsitselfinthe realm of phenomena, it is called human culture. Drinking a cup of tea,washingyourface,goingtoschool—allareactivitiesemergingfromtheoriginalnatureofbeing.Sowhenyoudrink a cupof tea, you canmake effort to accept theoriginal

energyof teawithkindnessandbecomeonewith it.Pay full attention! Ifyouthinkyouarepayingfullattention, this isnot fullattention,becausewhenyoubecomecompletelyonewithdrinkingtea,thereisnosenseofpayingattention—youjustdrinkacupoftea!Bypayingfullattention,youtranscendyoursenseofpaying attention and realize no-mind. That purity is the real meaning of fullattention.Atthattimeyouareyouasyoureallyare.

InitiatedMind

Initiatedmind isVimalakirti’sbodhimandalabecause itcankeepdiscipline. InYogacharaphilosophy,within the infinitedimensionof alayavijnana, there arecountlessseedsofhabitenergy(bija),thefruitsofpreviousworkingsthathaveaccumulated from thebeginninglesspast.Daily lifeconstantlyproduces seeds.Thosehabitenergiesliestoredupinthebottomofyourmindasmentaldepositsuntil theyripeninyourpresent life.Soweshouldthinkcarefullyaboutallouractivities.Vimalakirti said, “The thirty-seven contributory stages to enlightenment are

the bodhimandala, for they keep from allworldly activities.” The thirty-sevenstagesarealltheformsofwhat’sgoingoninthehumanworld.Totheinitiatedmindthatcankeepdiscipline,allthattheworldholdsareholyplaceswhereyoucanpracticediscipline.Sogoodorbad,rightorwrong,sufferingorpleasure—whateveritis,allareintroductorystagestoenlightenmentfortheinitiatedmind.Desires, instincts, emotions, all phenomena, every aspect of human life givesyou a great opportunity to go beyond dualistic mind and practice pure mindbasedononeness.Yourpresent life is likeadropofwaterfalling intoasereneocean, thevast

expanse of being in which all sentient beings exist together withoutdiscrimination.Youarealivebecauseyouareinterrelatedwitheverythinginthehugeexpanseofthatocean.Theoceanisyouroriginalnature.Thatpurewaterisfreedom.Your activity in everyday life is like pouring drops of colorful ink into the

purewaterofyourlife.Ifyoupouradropofredinkintoyourlife,seedsinthebottomofyourmindripenandcomeuptohelpmakeyourwaterred.Whatevercolorofinkyouwanttopourintoyourlifeisuptoyoubecausebasicallyyourlifeiscompletelyfree.IfyouwanttolistentoBuddhistteaching,youcangotothezendoandpourtheinkcalledBuddha’steaching.Afterleavingthezendo,ifyouwanttobeaChristian,youcanbeChristianbecauseyouarefree.Butwhateveryoudo,youhavetotakegoodcareofyourdoingsbecausethe

purewaterofyourlifeisopennotjusttoyou;itisopentoallbeings.Whenyourdropofwater touchesthesereneocean, itcreatesawave,amovingwaterringthat isyour individual liferightnow.Youexist!Thentheringgetsbiggerandbigger, extending to every inchof theocean. If yourdropofwater is red, theoceanbecomesrednot just foryoubut foreveryone.Sopayattention towhatyoudo.Don’tinterruptyourselfandotherswithinkfromtheselfishdimension.To keep discipline is to take good care of your life, accepting full

responsibilitytokeepthewaterpureforallbeings.That’swhyinhumanculturetherearerules.Forexample,intheteaceremony,therearerulesforhowtoholda teacupandhow todrink the tea. Ifyoupractice teaceremony,youmust actsmoothly,without thinking.Then theclearwaterofno-mindappears. Inzazenpracticetherearealsolotsofrules.Byfollowingthoserules,youcanreachthefinalstageofno-mind,whereyouarefullyalivefrommomenttomoment.

ProfoundMindVimalakirtisaysthatprofoundmindisthebodhimandalabecauseitaccumulatesmerits.Whateverkindsofseedsormentaldepositshaveaccumulatedinthelifeof human beings—desires, emotions, judgment, instinct—whatever they are,they arevery important for usbecausewe can learn lots of things from them.There isalwaysagreatopportunity to learnhow toaccumulate seedsofmeritandbuildupyourlifetowardthefuture.How can you put the profound mind into practice? That is by the four

boundlessminds:kindness,compassion,greatjoy,andindifference.Vimalakirtisaid,“Kindness(maitri)isthebodhimandala,forittreatsalllivingbeingsonanequal footing. Compassion (karuna) is the bodhimandala, because of its greatforbearance. Joy (mudita) is the bodhimandala, for it is pleasant. Indifference(upeksa)isthebodhimandala,foritwipesoutbothloveandhate.”If you see the human world deeply, you see that all beings are constantly

changing. So don’t judge immediately; don’t put a certain label on a person.Stop,seelifeinthelongrange,andtakecareofallbeingsinakindway,withcompassion,joy,andindifference.Indifferenceisastateofhavingpatiencewithstrongemotionslikeloveandhate,andnotusingthemtocreatelikeanddislike.Withthepracticeof indifference,youseeemotionsarise,butyoualsosee thattheydissipate.Soinsteadofattachingtoyouremotions,youcanusetheirenergytoreturntostandinginBuddha’sworldandbuildingupyourlifethere.Therewasafamouswriter inAustralianamedAlanMarshall.Asachildhe

contracted infant paralysis (polio) and suffered a lot because he couldn’t doeverythingexactlythesameasotherchildren.Buthetriedanyway,andalsohelistenedtoeverybody,verycarefully.Finallyhebecameagreatwriter.Alan Marshall said, whoever you meet—wise man, poor man, rich man—

whoeverheis,hehassomethingwonderful,somethingexcellent,thatyoudon’tfindinyourself.Soyoucanlearnwonderfulthingsfromanyone.Youcanlearnmany things fromeverybody.Even ifyouencounter someonewhomakesyou

bored,youcanlearnsomethingfromhim—learnwhyhemakesyoubored.Thatisastrongpointhehas,soyoushouldlearnit.AccordingtoBuddha’steaching,everyoneisagreatbeingbecauseeveryone

hasBuddhanature.Even thoughsomeone iscrippled,even thoughsomeone isnot a smart man, it doesn’t matter. Beyond human judgment, everybody is agreatperson.Whenyoutotallyaccepttheenergyinheringineveryone,youcanunderstandhumanlifeverydeeplyandfindtheidealimageofhumanlife.Thenyou can start to build up your life. Your ideal image of human life is veryimportantbecauseyourlifeisnotjustyourlife.Sowhenyoubuildupyourownlife,youarealsobuildingupthelifeofallbeings.

EnlightenedMindVimalakirtisaysthatenlightenedmindisabodhimandalabecauseitisinfallible.Infallible means that within your living activity, there is always a greatopportunitytoopenyoureyesandseeinuniversalvision.Thatistothink.Thismeaningof“to think” isnot thesameas thinkingsomethingdualisticallywithyourbigballoonhead;itistobecometheonemindofallsentientbeings.Thatisenlightenedmind,whichisalsocalledbodhichittaorbodhimind.Vimalakirti says, “The four winning actions of a Bodhisattva are the

bodhimandala,fortheybenefitalllivingbeings.”Sothepracticesofenlightenedmind are the four persuasive activities: charity, affectionate speech, conductprofitable to others, and cooperationwith and adaptation of oneself to others.Thisistheactualpracticeofbodhimindindailyliving.To practice enlightened mind, open yourself and be compassionate to all

beings, takegoodcareofyourself andotherswith affectionate speech, anddosomethinggoodforothers.Whenyoubecomeonewiththemindofallsentientbeings, great compassion oozes from the ground, from the earth, helping allbeings. Then, very naturally, you cannot fail to do something beneficial forothers. Just by living in this world, you can do it, even a little bit. Adaptingoneself toothersmeans that ifothersexpress theirpain,youbecomeonewiththatpain.Theninsteadofcriticizingandgrumblingatothers,youtakegoodcareofyourselfandothers.InSiddhartha,writtenbyHermannHesse, a businessman askedSiddhartha,

“Whatkindofcapabilitydoyouhave?”Siddharthasaid,“Icanthink.Icanwait.Icanfast.”Thisisverynice,don’tyouthinkso?Tothinkistoliveinpeacewiththeonemindofallsentientbeings,benefittingotherswiththegreatcompassion

ofenlightenedmind.Butifyoufindtheopportunitytohelpisnotripe,thenyoushould wait. To wait is to live with straightforward mind, constantly payingattention to the truth and how real reality is functioning from moment tomoment. To fast is to keep your life in order with the discipline of initiatedmind,lettinggoofself-centereddesires.Thenprofoundmindstoresthemeritofyourpracticeforthebenefitofallbeingsinthefuture.So, finally,where do you come from? There are two directions in spiritual

life.Thereisthedirectiontostudyanddeepenyourlifefromtheshallowplane,and there is the direction to observe human nature from the deep level.Bodhisattvasmovefromshallowtodeep;buddhascomefromdeeptoshallow.Buddhasliveintheworldofemptiness,givingcompassiontothehumanworld;bodhisattvas live in the human world, making compassion come alive in theworldofignorance.When you live straightforwardly every day, exerting effort to merge the

energyofyourlifewiththeuniversalenergyoflifeitself,youcangodeep.Youcanlearntheoriginalplacewhereyouexist—realreality—andtakerefugethere.Inthatholyplace,yourlifeisinterconnectedwitheverything;youalreadyshareyourlifewithallbeings.Fromthatholyplace,lifeisexpandinginalldirections:tothepast,tothepresent,tothefuture.By your effort to live every day in the messy human world based on the

practice of constantly returning to your peaceful, interconnected life, you canlearntotakecareofhumanlifewithwisdom.Wisdomletsyoubefreetoliveinharmonywithallbeings,expressingkindnesstoyourselfandothers,andhelpingallbeingsinthepast,present,andfuture.

17WHEREAREYOUHEADING?

WHENIMOVEDtotheUnitedStatesitwasthehippieage.Hippiesweredislikedbymanypeople,butwhentheyarrivedatourtempleinSanFrancisco,wantingto practice Zen Buddhism, we could not turn them away. Accepting themwholeheartedlywasverydifficultforme.ButI tried.Then, throughtheiropenattitude toward life, I glimpsed a harmonious world beyond races, customs,education,andposition.Myheartfeltathomeinsuchaworld,andIexperiencedakindofwarmththatseemedtometobetherealmeaningofdharma.Dharmaistheoriginalflowoflifeenergythateveryonehas.Itisbeyondany

individual distinction such as race, culture, and personality. Due to thefunctioningofdharma,wecanhavehopeforthefuture,andwecanbuildupaharmoniousworld.In the twenty-first centuryourworldwillbecomecloser inmanyways.For

humanlife todevelop inpeaceandmature toward thefuture inharmony, let’slearnhowto liveoutofasenseof togetherness,notoutofourownindividualdesires.This is theaspirationofbodhisattvas: to livewithauniversal attitude,illuminate the dharma, and share it with all sentient beings through our ownlives.Tolivelikethisisthebodhisattvavow.

BuildingaHarmoniousWorldShakyamuniBuddhademonstrateddharmaandshowedusthewaytoapproachit.Hesaidthereisthisshorewherewearenow—thehumanworld—andthereisthe other shore thatwe are heading for. The fact that the other shore is theremeanswearealwaysmovingtowardthefuture—everyonehasadestination.SoBuddha said there is theother shore, and thenhe taught thephilosophical andpsychological structure of the human world, and also the way to reach ourdestination.Thatisthefournobletruthsandtheeightfoldnoblepath.ThisiswhatBuddhataught.Whatwehavetodoistakeonestepandpractice

it.Evenifyoudon’tunderstandwhatpracticeisexactly,trytobemindfulofthe

truth: frommoment to moment everything is moving together in a stream ofharmoniousrhythm.Wehavetolearnthisrhythmandtuneintothatstreamofcreativeenergybecause,whetherweareawareofitornot,wearelivinginthedharma. Living in the dharma means your life is not just your life. Youconstantly share your life with all sentient beings, so what you do influencesbothyourselfandothers.According to Buddhist philosophy, your present life is one single creature,

expandinginalldirectionsandtoalltimes.Sowhenyougetupinthemorning,youdon’tgetupbyyourself.Yourwayofgettingupshowssomethingtoothers.It influences all sentient beings because whatever you do, your activity isconnectedwithallbeingsinthepast,present,andfuture.Inordertogetupinthemorninginthebestway,youhavetounderstandthatpast,present,andfuture.It’sprettyhardtounderstandthepast,present,andfuturebecausetheyarenot

fixed objects; they are changing constantly.You can think about the past, butdon’tgetstuckthere!Ifyougetstuckinthepast,it’sverydifficulttodealwithhuman life right now.Of course you have to take responsibility forwhat youhave done in the past, but don’t be obsessedwith it.Don’t see your life onlyfromanarrowpointofview.You exist in human time, but you also exist in eternal time, so you always

have a great opportunity to develop, to enrich, and to take care of your dailylivingtowardthefuture.Ifyoustandupandtakeresponsibilityforthepast,youcreateagreatopportunity tobe somethingbetter in the future.This is tohaverightthinkingaboutthepast,present,andfuture.Generallyspeaking,humancivilizationtriestonurtureawiseperson.Butlife

isnotsosimpleandthereisalwaysuneasiness.Whenweareafraidtoseeourownuneasiness,wehavenohumility,andwithouthumilitywecannotforgive.Thenwebecomecriticalofothers,alwaysfindingfaultwithsomeone,withoutrecognizingthatperson’spainorstrongpoints.Ifyoualwayscriticize,thecoreof your human feeling withers from lack of warm openheartedness, and youbecomeafightingspirit,immunetoanotherperson’spain.Having a fighting spirit can lead to impulsive judgment, even to violent

behavior, sowehave to trainourselves tobe free from that fighting spirit.Byseeing all aspects of your personality from awide view and feeling the innerpictureofyourlife,youcanbefreefromyourfightingspiritandliveskillfully:transcendingthedesireforself-satisfactionandtakingfullresponsibilityforyourlife.Forthiswepracticetranquility,compassion,andmagnanimity.

Tranquility is the spirit of Zenmeditation. Calm down, touch the depth ofyour life, and see the subtlety of human nature.We need to practice calmingdown because everyone, without exception, is going where? Where are youheading?Theterminalstation!Theterminalstationisthedeadendofyourlife,but simultaneously it is exactly the beginning of your new life.How can youunderstand the endof life as thebeginningof life?Wedon’tknow.Wedon’tbelieveit.Butthisisthesimplestwayoflife.Compassion is to see your own life and others’ lives simultaneously.Don’t

takeanarrowview.Havinganarrowviewis toosimple, tooeasy,andcanbecharacterizedbybrutality.Butcompassionbyitselfisnotenoughforapeacefullife.Wemustalsodoourverybesttotreatourlivesseriously:livingmindfullyeverydayandendlesslydeepeningourexperienceoflife.Howdoyoudothis?Aimattuninginandbeingpresentintherhythmoflife,andthenmovetowardyourdestination!Continually,wejustgo.Magnanimityistorecognizethatlifeisalongjourney.Ifyouwanttobuildup

apeacefulworld,youcannotbeashortrunner.Youmustbealongrunner.Forthis you need a magnanimous mind. A magnanimous mind is stable andimpartiallikethemountainsandtolerantliketheocean,viewingeverythingfromthebroadestperspective.Magnanimousmindletsyoudeepenyourlifewithoutgettingstuck.Finallyyoucantastewhathumanbeingsreallyare,andthehumanlifeyouhavetastedshowsyouwhatdharmais.Ifyouhavesomebeautifulhopeforthefuture—aharmoniousworldwhereall

sentientbeings live together inpeace—yourhope isalreadyalivebecauseyouarethinkingofit.Sotakeyourhope,thinkcarefully,andfindawaytopracticeit.Followthethreepractices—tranquility,compassion,magnanimity—andyourmind becomes flexible; your body relaxes and fits into the rhythm of nature.Then you can hear the voice of all creatures, and you listen to others with awarmandopenheartedspirit.Whenourviewiswide,wehavewarmrelationswithothers,walkinghandin

hand with all sentient beings in peace and harmony. You transcend yourbeautifulhopeforthefuturebymakingyourhopesomethingthatisaliverightnow.Thisishowyoucanbuildupaharmoniousworld.

HarmonyintheSanghaTofigureouthowtodeveloptheworldinunityandwalkwithallsentientbeings

inpeaceandharmony,westudyandexperience religion inour individual life.Wealsostudyandinvestigateitfromthepointofviewofourgroup,oursociety,andourworld.That’swhywehaveasangha,wherewepracticeapeacefulwayoflifetogetherwithpeopleofdifferentbackgroundsandpersonalities.Originallysanghaisapeacefulplacewherewedemonstratetohumansociety

a way of living in harmony with others. But when sangha becomes part ofsociety, sangha life can create lots of problems because human beings have acertain custom of comparison and conflict. We may understand Buddha’steachingintellectually,butwhenproblemscomeup,weareemotionallyatalosstodealwiththeconcreteaspectsofsanghalifeinapeacefulway.Anegoisticwayoflifeismoreconspicuousinthespiritualworldbecauseyou

expectsomethingbeautifulfromareligiousgroup.Forinstance,onestudenttoldmehewasfeelingveryconfusedaboutBuddhist teaching. In thebeginninghewasdevotedtothetripletreasure,butnowhehadsomedoubt.Heseespeoplewhosaytheybelieve,buttheyarealwayscreatingproblems.Sohefeltduped.Well,whateveritisyoudependon,ifyouunderstanditinanarrowway,you

canbecomeconfused.Whenbadthingshappeninthesangha,itcanleaveyouinbewilderment.YouhavedoubtsaboutBuddhism,andmaybeyouquitpracticingdevotiontodharma.Quitorcontinue—that’sfine;itdependsonyou.Butifyoualwaysquit,youneverknowsomethingdeeply.That’swhytherealpracticeofdevotion to dharma is to go deeply from the beginning to the end, under allcircumstances.Still, life is constantly arising according to circumstances, and we see

differencesinpeople.Thenconflictappears.Forexample,whenyoulistentoadharma talk,manypeoplearesitting therewithyou.Everyone isdifferent,yeteveryonesitstogetherinpeaceandharmony,manifestingcompletedevotiontohearing Buddha’s teaching. But if you poke your head into other peoples’personality and behavior, evaluating how much they understand and practiceBuddha’steaching,youbecomecriticalofothers.Broadly speaking, there is no sense of discrimination or comparison in the

dharmaworld of oneness. So in terms of the dharmaworld, we shouldn’t becritical of others. But in everyday life, we don’t know whether we shouldcriticizesomeoneornot.Ononehand,ifyoudon’tdealwithproblemsthatariseinasangha,youcannotcarryonsanghaintothefuture,forcenturyaftercentury.Ontheotherhand,ifyou’reveryinvolvedwithproblems,youalsocannotcarryon the sangha for the long run, because there’s no tranquility, sympathy, or

benevolence.Sowehavetofindthebestwaytodealwithproblems.How?Thatisbythepracticeoffegolessness.If you see something lacking from someone in the sangha and find it is

necessarytogiveacorrection,don’tbarkatthem.Insteadofgivingharshwords,give your hand. Just walk with that person, sharing your good aspects, notexpressingcriticism.Insteadofsaying,“Yourworkiscareless,”offeryourhandasiftheywerestumblingonarock.Inordertowalkhandinhandwithpeople,moreorlessyouneedapeaceful

way of life. So first we have to stand up in the dharma world and see whathumanbeingsreallyare,beyondourindividualpersonalities.Whenyouseethedepths of human existence and touch the universal life of all sentient beings,thenverynaturallyyoucanopenyourheartandknowhowtodealwithhumanproblems.People criticizeAmerican sanghas sometimes.They say there are toomany

troubleswithhumanrelationships.Well,peoplecriticizebecausetheyexpectthesanghatobesomethingpure.Sure,itispure,butthepuritytheyareexpectingisnothingbuttheirideaofpurity.Realpurityissomethingthatmustbealiveinanindividuallife.Thatmeansitisyourresponsibilitytotakebestcareofeverydaylifeandmakesanghaaliveassomethingpure.It’snotsoeasytopracticetogetherasasangha.Thatiswhylotsofcomplaints

comeup.But this isvery important forus.Apersonmayseemverystinky toyou,butasawhole,everyoneisbeautifulbeyondhumanspeculation.SomethingbeautifuliscalledBuddha.Ofcourseyoucannotignoredifferences,butdon’tbeconfused.Don’tbeinahurry.Don’tjudgeothersquickly.Ifyoujudgequickly,you can never live in peacewith different kinds of people, different cultures,differentraces,myriadbeings.And when there are problems, you should realize that dissatisfaction is

human. If you open your heart, how many complaints do you find there?Myriads!Howmuch satisfaction is there? Just a little bit. This is not just theproblemofaparticularperson;thisisahumanproblem.Butdon’tbeconfused.Carefully,withatranquilmind,tastedissatisfactiondeeplyandrealizewhereitcomesfrom.Then,nextfocusontheoriginalmeaningofsangha:demonstratingapeacefulwayoflifebasedonbeliefinthedharma.Whenyoufollowthiswayoflife,yourlifeallowsallbeingstotrustinthebeautyoflifeandgrownaturallyinthedharmaworld.Sowhenyouencounterproblems,calmdown—settleyourselfinthedharma.

Thenconflictisnotanabstractidea;itissomethingrealthatyoucandealwithright now by walking with others step by step. Living in this way, you canhandlemanyproblems, onebyone, and carryon the sangha for the long run.Please,Iprayforit.

TurningClockwise“Whydowealwaysturnclockwiseinthezendo?”SomestudentswhocametoMinneapolis tolearnaboutZenBuddhismaskedmethatquestion.I toldthem,“Justturnclockwise;Iwillexplaintomorrow.”Thatisverynice,don’tyouthinkso? Ididn’t ignore theirquestion; I said Iwouldanswer it tomorrow. It seemsnottobeananswer,butit’sreallyananswer.SayingthatIwillgivetheanswertomorrowgivespeopleachancetonotthink

aboutsomething, tocalm theirmindandsee the totalpictureof their life.Zenteachingdoesn’talwaysgiveyouananswer,butthenextdayIgaveananswer,thoughprobablyitdidn’tmakesenseforthem.Hereismyexplanation.In Buddhism, the left side is a symbol of auspiciousness and supreme

happiness; the right side isa symbolofdynamic,creative life.On the left, theopportunityofauspiciousnessisalwaysopentoeverybody.Youarelucky.Yourlifeisprotectedbyothers’livesandallsentientbeings.Ontheright,youacceptanyaspectofhumanlife,standup,andliveinapositiveway.Whenyousitinthefulllotusposition,yourleftlegisupandyourrightlegis

downbecausethatposturerepresentsthetotalpictureofhumanlife.Thatiswhywedozazenlikethis.Thewayweshapeourhandsinzazenmakesthemudraoftheuniverse.Your righthandsupportsyour lefthand,your thumbs touch,andbothhandscreateaspace.Youuseyourtwohandstorepresentthewholerealityofyourlife.Yourlifeisrightinthemiddleoftheuniverse.Withouttheuniverseyoucannotlive.Ifso,whydon’tyoushowwhereyouare?ThisishowIexplainthemudra,butimmediatelyyouask,“Oh,what’sthat?”

And then you want to discuss it, but there is no solution to your confusion.Finally I have to say, “Please keep your mouth shut, and just do this simplepractice.Ifyouareinterestedinthismudra,youcanstudyitlater.Youcanfindit explained in a big book.” Still, no matter how long you study the mudraintellectually,itisnothingbutasymbol.Butactuallythatsymbolisnotmerelyasymbol.Throughyourpracticeyoucanreallyknowthemeaningofthismudra.When you stand up from zazen,which is calm and peaceful, youmake the

mudraof shashu, forminga fistwithyour left handandcovering itwithyourrighthand.Yourauspiciousnessisveryquiet;thereisnothingtosay,nothingtoshowoff,soyoucoveritup.Butstillit’sthere.Standingupisthedynamicaspectofhumanlife.Youarereadytotakecareof

everyday life,buildinguphuman life inapositiveway.Formingshashuwhenyoustandupdemonstratesthatbehindthedynamicaspectofyourlife,thereisthetranquilaspectthatyoucandependon.Thenyouturnclockwise,totheright,takeastep,andstarttowalk.InBuddhismwe try tomove toward the future inapositiveway,butat the

sametimewealsotrytoseetheauspiciousaspectoflife.Ifyouseelifeonlyinthe positive way, you will never be satisfied; you will always be critical ofyourself.Sodon’tattachtothepositivewayandforgettheotheraspect.Totrulylivepositively,livepositivelywithoutexpectinganythingasaparticularresult.Justwholeheartedlythrowyourselfintowhateveryouaredoing.Thatistoforgettheself.

18WALKINGALONEWITHANOPENHEART

WHAT DOES BUDDHISM believe in? Dharma! The philosophical definition ofdharmaiscomplicated,butdharmaitselfisnotaconcept;itissomethingalive.Dharmaiscreativeenergy.In thebeginningofBendo-ho (ModelforEngagingtheWay)DogenZenjisays,“Oneriseswithdharma;onedoesnotrisewithoutdharma.”Inotherwords,ifthereisnodharma,youdonotexist.Soaslongasyou are alive, the presence of that energy in you is something true you candepend on. InBuddhismwe depend on dharma because dharma has the greatpowertosupportourlives.InZenBuddhismwedevoteourselvestopracticingdharmainordertobelieve

in dharma.Believing in dharma isBuddhist faith,which is called bodhichitta.Thisfaithistruebelief.Truebeliefcannotbejustanidea;itmustbesomethingalive.SoinZenpractice,themaintargetforyoutoaimatismakingthatenergyaliveinyourindividuallife.It’suptoeachoneofustomakeourideaofdharmaintothelivingdharma.Thisisourresponsibility.How do you make belief in dharma something alive? Open yourself! Go

beyondyour individual lifeandsee thebigpictureofyour life.Topractice inthis way is to become a universal human being. It is to always think in auniversal way, to walk in freedom, and to give universal love to all beingsthroughoutheavenandearth.

Devotion:ReturningtoLifeDharmaisunderstoodinBuddhistphilosophyastheprincipleofhowthelifeofall sentient beings is structured. Dharma is also understood as “all things,”meaningeverythinginthephenomenalworld.Soaccordingtothatphilosophy,the term dharma seems to have two meanings. But those meanings are justconceptswecreate.Thephenomenalworldisnotsomethingseparatefromtheultimatenatureof

existence;thephenomenalworldincludestheultimatenatureofexistence.That

istherealmeaningof“everything.”Dharmaiseverything;thereisnoexception.Thedharmaconnectedwithyouisconnectedwiththewholewiderangeoflifebecausewithoutyou,“allthings”doesn’tmakesense.Buddha’s teaching is also called dharma. But Buddha’s dharma is not

somethingdifferent fromhuman life; life itself isBuddha’s teaching.Whetheryouareconsciousofitornot,youarelivingrightinthemiddleofdharma.Itisalltheinternalandexternalfactorsthatconstituteyourindividualexistence.Inasense,youcanbelieveindharmabyunderstandingitthroughyourhead,

but if you never experience dharma as it really is—a nondualistic state ofexistence—you don’t know how to accept it and be present there.Much less,youdon’tknowhow todealwith it in everyday life.Seeing thehumanworlddualisticallyisnotbad.Buttodealwithhumanlifewithacalmmind,wehavetoreturntowhatistrue.Inorder for our understandingof thedualistic humanworld tohave awide

range,wehavetoreturn to thefirstgerminationofdualism.That issomethingvery simple. In this simplewayof life, there is no room for you to comment,analyze,ormakeexcuses.Forexample,whenmorningcomes,youhavetogetup.Whenbreakfastcomes,youhavetoeat.Whenwinter comes, you have tomeet winter and live therewithout being

tossedawaybywinter.Well,alittletossedawayisfine:saying“Ihatewinter”isOKbecauseyouare ahumanbeing.Butdon’t get stuck inhatred; as soonaspossible, stopcreatinghatredandopenyourself towinter.Maybeyouhave tostophatingwinteragainandagainuntilfinally,someday,winterandyoucometogether,verynaturally,creatingakindofenergy.Wheredoesthisoccur?Moment!Inthemomentumenergyofamoment,you

andwinterbecomeone.Youarerightinapurestateofexistence,whichisveryclosetotruth,eternity,ortheuniverseasitreallyis.Thenyoureallyappreciatewinter.Thatappreciationisbeliefinthedharma,whichyouexpressverysimply,withawordorabow.From beginning to end you are alive in the dharma, so you can believe in

dharma under all circumstances. That is called devotion. The practice ofdevotionishowyoucanliveyourlifeasaverysimplestateofexistence.Idon’tknow theoriginalmeaningof theword“devotion” inEnglish,but in Japanesewesaykimyo:returntolife.“Returningtolife”meansreturningtotheoriginalstate of being called Truth. The life you return to is dharma, the stream ofcreativeenergy.

SometimesweusetheJapanesewordkiefordevotion.Kiis“return,”andeis“whereyoucandependon.”Sodevotionisreturningtoaplaceyoucandependon.Inhumanlifewearealwaysgropingforsomeplacetodependon.Butthatisaproblemforusbecausetheplaceyoucandependonisnot theplaceyouareseeking; it is the place where you already are. You are alive in the dharma!When you recognize dharma and live in the dharma, a peaceful way of lifearises.In spiritual lifewe aim at tuning in and being present in the rhythmof life

righthere, rightnow—that’s all!Religiously speaking,wedevoteourselves todharma. If you believe in God, you accept God and deal with God in thesimplestway.Ifyoubelieveindharma,youtakerefugeindharma.This is thepracticeofdevotion.Devotion is practiced in terms of two points. First, you are alone. Second,

devotion isopenhearted.According to the firstpoint,youareonesinglebeingwho exists in the human world as the creative manifestation of originalexistence.Accordingtothesecondpoint,eventhoughyouareonesinglebeing,all beings are interconnectedwith you; your life is constantly interconnectingwithothers’lives.Openhearteddevotionmeansyouareopentoallbeings.Asonehumanbeing,ifyouwantthehumanworldasawholetodevelop,you

have to take responsibilityanddosomething.Life isdependingonyou toact.Whatshouldyoudo?Openyourheart,livemindfully,andstarttowalkwithallbeings.Thatwayofwalkingissteadfast,tranquil,andpositive.Youshareyourlifeandpracticebenevolence,sympathy,andcompassion.Thisisthepracticeofwalkingalonewithanopenheart.

TheTranquilSageWalksAloneShakyamuni Buddha said, “Tranquil sage is he, who steadfast, walks alone,unmovedbyblameandbypraise(likethelionwhoisnotscaredbynoises,thebreezethatisnottobecaughtinanet,likethelotusthatbloomsunsulliedabovethemuddywater).Aleaderhe,notled”(MuniSutta,translatedbyG.F.Allen).“Unmovedbyblameandbypraise”meansyouarenottossedawaybywhat

you see or hear objectively. Blame and praise are almost the same becausewhicheveroneweget,wearetossedawaybyit.Inparticularwearetossedawayby blame. If somebody criticizes you, it’s pretty easy to be confused. Mostpeoplearealwaysbusygettingexcited,blamingothers,fighting,andstruggling

somuch.That’sprettynoisy,likeaJapanesespitzdogwhoisalwaysbarkingatsomething.Whileaspitziswithhismaster,heenjoysbarking;butifhedoesn’thavehis

masternearhim,heisacowardandrunsaway.Alionisnotlikethat.Whateverhappens to a lion,whichever kind of animal appears, the lion is always calm.Whenyoureceiveblameandpraisewithacalmmind,youarelikethelionwhoisnotscaredofnoises.To be like the lion you need a calm mind. So sit in zazen, calm your six

senses,andtouchmanas,youroriginalself-consciousness.Calmdownagainandtouchalayavijnana,thewholeuniverse.Thatstateofconsciousnessiscalledthetranquil sage.Everyone canbecome, even for amoment, a tranquil sage.Youare steadfast, stable, and imperturbable, living in the human world with adignifiedspirit.Buddhasays,“Aleaderhe,notled.”Beingaleadermeansyouaremasterof

yourselfinwhateversituationyoumaybe.Thisisveryimportant.Alwaysbealeader!Bealeaderforyouandallsentientbeings.Tobealeader,youhavetowalk alone right in the middle of each moment. Each moment is enormousenergyconnectedwiththewholeuniverse.Youcannevercontrolit;youmustbethereexactly.That’sallyoucando.Sometimes it’s very difficult to be a leader, particularly in the midst of

difficulties.Butdon’tchangeyourlifesomuchaccordingtothedifficultiesyouencounter.Belikethelotusflowerthatbloomsunsulliedbymuddywater.Justwalk,stepbystep,momentaftermoment,andmanifestyourselfinthesimplestway. This simpleway of life is based on the foundation ofwisdom. It is notdogmatic;itisjustverystrong.Buttoliveinthisway,firstyoumustbetranquil.Otherwise you cannot see the panoramapicture of how the life of all sentientbeingsisfunctioning.There is notmuchexcitement in justwalking, so sometimesyouwill try to

pour knowledge into your headby catching airwith a fishingnet or scoopingwaterwithabamboobasket.Butairisnevercaughtbyanet,andyourheadisalwaysleaking.Sojustreturntothebasicpaceofwalkingalone.Youareyou,takingcareofeachmoment,fromdaytoday,frombeginningtoend.Thatselfiscompletelyopentoeverything.

All-EmbracingLove

Buddha said, “Practicing benevolence, equanimity, compassion and sympathy,seekingrelease,unobstructedbyanything in theworld, roam, like theunicorn,alone!” (Khaggavisana Sutta, translated by G. F. Allen). The unicorn(rhinoceros) has just one horn, so it’s a symbol of aloneness.Youwalk alonerightinthemiddleofthehumanworld.Butwalkingalonedoesn’tmeanyoustaybyyourselfand ignore thehuman

world.Yourpresencemustbebenevolenttoeverybodyandeverythinginmanyways. Practicing benevolence and equanimity, expressing sympathy andcompassion, you are magnificent, calm, and steadfast.What is the differencebetween sympathy and compassion? Compassion has a little deeper meaningthansympathy.Sympathyissomethingyouexpressundercertaincircumstances;compassionissomethingyouexpressunderallcircumstances.In the Metta Sutta (translated by Lord Chalmers), Buddha speaks of

compassionas“anall-embracingloveforthewholeuniverse,inallitsheights,depths, and breadth, an unstinted love unmarred by hate within, not rousingenmity.” That all-embracing love is your original heart. You have a preciousheart spreading to every inchof theworld.This is thehumanheart.Everyonehasthisheart.Itistheoriginalnatureofhumanbeings.Noone is originallybador stupid.Beyondany speculationonwho is good

and who is bad, everyone is a completely precious and beautiful being. ThatbeautyiscalledBuddha.Youalreadyhavethatbeautywithinyou,buttorealizethatbeauty,youhavetoseekforit.YouhavetowalktowardBuddhaforever.Don’tworryaboutwhereyouare.Buddha’sworldisrightunderyourfoot.It

existseverytimeyouwalk.Whereveryougo,youarecompletelyenvelopedbyBuddha’sworld. Ifyou return to thevery first stageof theexpressionofyourlife,youtouchthatall-embracinglove.Immediatelylovepenetratesyou.Thatisreallove.Realloveisverydeep,profound,andsublime.Wedon’tknowwhatitis intellectually,butwecanexperienceitbecausewearealreadythere.This iscalleddharma.Sobelieveindharma,livewith“unstintedloveunmarredbyhateandenmity,”anddealwitheverythingasBuddha.Still,ineverydaylife,it’sprettyeasyforustobecriticalandtocreatehatred

andenmity.Hatredisreallydestructive.Soifthereishatredinsideyou,pleasebe careful how you deal with hatred, because there is always communicationbetweenyouandyourobject.Whenyoulookattheoutsideworldwithhatred,theseeingdoesn’tgojustoneway.Youlookat theworld,andsimultaneouslytheworldlooksbackatyou.

Being critical toward theoutside is simultaneouslybeing critical toward theinside.Thatisthesituationofyourlife.Soifyouarebeingcriticaltowardsomeobject, you are being critical toward yourself. I don’t mean you shouldn’t becritical. But if you feel critical toward yourself, other people, or outsidecircumstances—becareful!Becarefulbecause,intermsofthedeepmeaningofdharma, you are being critical toward all beings. So if you are going to becritical,trytothinkofhowyourcriticismcanbehelpfulforallbeings.“Seekingrelease”meansweseekemancipationfromconstantlythinkingthat

everything is separate from us. We want to be peaceful, so we are alwaysseekingreleasefromdissatisfactionwithourdualisticwayoflife.Butoriginallyyourlifeisalreadyperfectlypeaceful.Yourpresenceisalready“unobstructedbyanythingintheworld”becauseyouaredeeplyinterconnectedwitheverythingintheuniverse.Thatiswhyyoucanbeopentoeverythingandshareyourlifewithallsentientbeings,noexceptions.In theMetta Sutta, Buddha said, “So, as you stand or walk, or sit, or lie,

reflect with all your might on this; ’tis deemed a state divine.” This is thepracticeofdevotiontodharma:openyourself,returntodharmaasthesimplestexpressionofyourultimateexistence,andmakedharmaaliveinyourheart.Youcan practice devotion in every aspect of your life: walking on the street,working,orsleeping.Whateveryoudo,practiceopeningyourheart,believing in thedharma,and

living in the dharma. Then,whatever comes into your life, you can receive itverysimplyanddealwithitwholeheartedly.Atthattimeyouareatruehumanbeingwhoisroamingliketheunicorn,walkingalonewithanopenheart.

Tozan’sWholeHeartTheZenmasterTozanwasasked,“WhatisrealBuddhabeyondthreecategoriesofBuddha?”Meaning, from theperspectiveofdharmakaya,nirmanakaya, andsambhogakaya, what is the true Buddha? Tozan said, “Now, here am I,wholehearted.” Wholeheartedness is a time and place where all categories,levels, and forms of discrimination simultaneously loosen into just this. Thatwholeheartedness is very serious but also soft and flexible. Seriousness andflexibilitycometogetherandwalktogetherasone.To learn how towalk together as one,Christians andBuddhists oftenmeet

togetheranddiscussourreligions.Butnomatterhowoftenweshakehandswith

each other, no matter how long we discuss, still there is a wall betweenBuddhismandChristianity.Sodayafterday there isuselessdiscussion.But itdoesn’tmeanthatmeetingtogetheriswrong.Uselessdiscussioncanbeabridgebetweenpeople,soitisimportant.There aremany kinds of bridge: short,middle-size, and long bridge.When

you are caught by ideas or attached to your own understanding, the bridge isvery long. Discussion just makes that bridge longer and longer. Finally thebridgeissolongyoucannotcrossoverit.Thenyoubecomeangry,becauseyoudon’tknowwhattodo.Sohowdoyoumakethebridgeshorter?Simple!Meettogether with wholeheartedness. At that time, you can become Tozan’s realBuddha.WhenyoubecomeBuddha,otherpeoplebecomeBuddhaforyou,andallbecomeone.In ShobogenzoUji (Being-Time), Dogen Zenji said, “Self is arrayed in the

wholeworld.”Whenyousee thepanoramapictureofyour life, interconnectedand interpenetrated with every being, beyond races and cultures, you seeyourself arrayed in the whole world. Then immediately there is spiritualcommunion between the universe and you, Buddha and you, others and you.ThenBuddhistsandChristianscanmeet,talk,andshareourlife.Originallyyour life ispeacefulbecauseyour life iscompletelysupportedby

dharma.Dharma,fromthepointofviewofChristianity,seemstobelikeGod.ChristianssaythatGodisinus.IthinkChristiansusetheword“God”somuchbecausethatwordhaspenetratedtheirlife.YoucanfeelthatGodsupportstheirlife.Buddhismdoesn’t say“God”somuch. InBuddhism,wesimply try tobewithdharmaas theverybasicnatureofexistence, tastingitwithourbodyandmind.Ifyouaremindfulofdharma,thenverynaturallyjoyfulnessiscomingup.Thisjoyfulnessisnotyourusualideaofpleasure.It ishumanemotioncomingupfromthebottomofyourheart.Human consciousness is very complicated and makes your life confused.

Sometimesyoudon’twanttobepeaceful.Still,evenifyoudon’trealizeit,yourlifeissupportedbythatstreamofgreatenergy.Soyoucanlearnitandpracticewith it. Even though you don’t understand the meaning of dharma exactly,continuetopracticeopeningyourheart.Thendharmaletstheflowerofyourlifeforcebloom, andverynaturally your light appears.This is not somethingyoushouldtrytoproduce.Allyoucandoispracticeinthisway.Whateverhappensinyourlife,trytogobeyondyourpleasureoranger,likeor

dislike,andjustbewithdharma.Standupinthedepthofhumanexistence,and

take a deep breath there. Then take best care of your everyday life. Actwholeheartedly,constantlytryingtobewiththatstreamofgreatenergy.ThatistheZenway.Thisisawonderfulpracticeforus.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

THISBOOKISdrawnfromabroadselectionofteachingtalksthatthelateDaininKatagiri gave during the years he lived in Minneapolis, after founding theMinnesotaZenMeditationCenter (MZMC) and thenHokyojiZenMonastery.Pasttranscriberslistenedtosomeofthetalksincludedhereandcarefullyturnedaudio recordings into typed transcripts. ToEarlBroadbent, JeffreyBroadbent,CleliaCorona, JudyMelinat,AnnMilbradt,TeijoMunnich, andFloraTaylor,and toRosanYoshida forboth transcribingand translatinga talk thatKatagiriRoshigaveinJapan,thankyouforyourgreateffort.ToTimZentetsuBurkettandKimberlyJohnson,whoeach read thedraftof

thisbookandofferedmanyexcellent suggestions, thankyou;mygratitude foryourhelpandsupportisboundless.Shambhala Publications is much-appreciated as Katagiri Roshi’s publisher.

Heartfelt thanks to the senior editor Dave O’Neal, to assistant editor AudraFiggins, freelance copyeditor Matthew Perez, and the many other people atShambhalawhocontributedtheirskillandenergytoproducingthisbook.Original recordings of Katagiri Roshi’s talks are available online at the

KatagiriProjectwebsite.Atwww.mnzencenter.org/katagiri/youcandownloador listen to talks, watch videos, peruse historic photos, and read “CeaselessEffort:TheLifeofDaininKatagiri.”Tothedonorwhomadetheprojectpossibleandtothefolkswhomaintainthewebsite,thankyousomuch.Finally,tomyteacherKatagiriRoshi,andtodharmafriendswhoencouraged

metoedithistalksandshapethemintothisbook,thankyouforinspiringmetodothiswork.

—AndreaMartin

SELECTEDBIBLIOGRAPHY

Allen,G.F., trans.TheBuddha’sPhilosophy:Selections from thePaliCanon.London:Routledge,1959,2008.

Capra, Fritjof. The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels BetweenModern Physics and Eastern Mysticism. Boston: Shambhala Publications,1975,2010.

Chalmers, Lord [Robert]. Buddha’s Teachings: Being the Sutta-Nipata orDiscourse-Collection.Cambridge:HarvardUniversityPress,1932.

Chien, Cheng [Mario Poceski].Manifestation of the Tathāgata: BuddhahoodAccordingtotheAvataṃsakaSūtra.Boston:WisdomPublications,1993.

Cleary,Thomas,trans.Shōbōgenzō:ZenEssaysbyDōgen.Honolulu:UniversityofHawaiiPress,1977,1986.

Cleary, Thomas, and J. C. Cleary, trans. The Blue Cliff Record. Boston:ShambhalaPublications,1992.

Conze,Edward,trans.BuddhistWisdom:The“DiamondSutra”andthe“HeartSutra.”NewYork:VintageBooks,1958,2001.

Cook,FrancisH.Hua-yenBuddhism:TheJewelNetofIndra.UniversityPark:ThePennsylvaniaStateUniversityPress,1977.

Dōgen. Shōbōgenzō: Treasury of the True Dharma Eye. Online translationscompiled by thezensite, part of theZenBuddhism.WWWVirtual Library.www.thezensite.com/ZenTeachings/Dogen_Teachings/Shobogenzo_Complete.html.

Hakeda, Yoshito S., trans. The Awakening of Faith. New York: ColumbiaUniversityPress,1967.

Katō, Bunnō, trans.The Threefold Lotus Sutra. Tokyo:Kosei PublishingCo.,1975.

Luk, Charles. Ordinary Enlightenment: A Translation of the “VimalakirtiNirdesaSutra.”Boston:ShambhalaPublications,2002.

Price,A. F., andWongMou-lam, trans.TheDiamond Sutra and the Sutra ofHui-neng.Boston:ShambhalaPublications,1969,2005.

Streng, Frederick J.Emptiness:A Study inReligiousMeaning.Nashville, TN:AbingdonPress,1967.

Tanahashi,Kazuaki, ed.Moon in aDewdrop:Writings of ZenMasterDōgen.SanFrancisco:NorthPointPress,1985.

Tipitaka:ThePaliCanon.OnlinetranslationscompiledbyAccesstoInsight,alibrary of readings from Theravada Buddhism. www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/index/html.

Waddell, Norman, andMasao Abe, trans. “Dōgen’s Shōbōgenzō Zenki ‘TotalDynamicWorking’andShōji‘BirthandDeath.’ ”TheEasternBuddhist,NSV,No.1(1972).

_____.TheHeartofDōgen’s“Shōbōgenzō.”Albany:StateUniversityofNewYorkPress,2002.

Yokoi, Yūhō, and Daizen Victoria. Zen Master Dōgen: An Introduction withSelectedWritings.NewYork:Weatherhill,1976.

INDEX

Note:Indexentriesfromtheprinteditionofthisbookhavebeenincludedforuseassearchterms.Theycanbelocatedbyusingthesearchfeatureofyoure-bookreader.

Aabyssacceptance,rightaction/activitypurenatureofrefinedhumantotaldynamic(zenki)akasha(space)

alayavijnanaasplaceofrefugeassourceofhumanlifeasstorehousealoneness

altruismangerartoflife,makinganatomsandmoleculesattachmentAvalokiteshvaraAvatamsakaSutraAwakeningofFaith

Bbeautybeing.Seeexistencebeings,allsentientmindofsavingwholeworldasbirth

birthanddeathblackholesBlueCliffRecordcase46(raindrops)case86(pantryandgate)boat,universal

bodhimind(bodhichitta)asenlightenmentasfaithBodhidharmabodhisattvafourwinningactionslifesufferingthreecategoriesofvehiclevowbody

Buddha’shumanuniversalSeealsodharmakaya;nirmanakaya;sambhogakayabodyandminddroppingoffSeealsoskandhas

BonmokyoRyakushobottomoflife.Seelife,depthofBrahma’sNet(Brahmajala)SutraBuddha(individual)awakenedoneeighteenmarksofamindof.SeebodhimindstatuesoftenpowersofathreebodiesofSee

alsoShakyamuniBuddhaBuddha(philosophy)energyoflifeonenessoflifeoriginalnaturesourceofbeingbuddha-natureasemptinessasenergyseedofBuddhaway,the

CCapra,Fritjof(TheTaoofPhysics)causation.Seetwelvefoldchainofcausationcauseandeffectcharity(dana)Christians.SeealsoJesusChristcommunion,spiritualcompassionBuddha’saslightofthebodyasloveconsciousness(vijnana)dualisticego.Seeego-consciousness;manaseightfoldhumanofindividualselfpotentialenergyofuniversal.Seealayavijnanaveil/curtainofSeealsomindcookingamealcreatingyourlife

creationanddestructioncreationenergyasdharmaaskarmacriticism

Ddarkness.Seeabyss;lightanddarknessdeadendoflife.Seelife,depthofdeathdelusionself-ofseparationdependentorigination.Seeinterdependentco-originationDescartes,Rene

desireshavingfewdestination,your

determinationdevotiondharmaasBuddhistteachingasenergydependingondevotiontodwellinginilluminationbyasphenomenaas

principleofexistenceasrhythmoflifeastruthworldofonenessdharmakayafivekindsofDiamondSutra

discipline(sila)Dogen,Eihei,Zenjionbeing-timeBendo-hoonbodhi-mindoneverydaynessoneyesandnoseFukanzazengi

onGuishan’scowkoanheartofhisteachingonlightanddarknessonlightoftheselfonobservationononenessonpracticeonridinginaboatonselfasarrayedinwholeworldonthespiritualmirroronstudying/forgettingtheselfonwalkingSeealsoShobogenzo

DongshanLiangjie(TozanRyokai)doubtdualism.Seeconsciousness,dualisticdynamism.Seeaction/activityEeffortego-consciousness.SeealsomanasegolessnesseightfoldpathemancipationthreegatesofSeealsoliberationemotions

emptinessasconstantmotionasgateofemancipationasnothingtodependonasoriginalnatureofbeingasspace

threeaspectsofenergyoflifeasBuddhaascompassioncreative.Seecreationenergyasdharmakarmicasonemindasradiantlightas

realselfassourceofbeingenlightenmentcontributorystagesofeightawarenessesoffivefoldmeritofmirrorofequality

eternityeverydaylifeexistence(bhava)intimeandspaceprincipleofSeealsolifeexistenceBuddhaasemptinessaslightasqualityofonenessasoriginalnatureofpureorno-mindaseyesBuddha’sF

faithasbodhichittafearlessness

forgivenessform.SeephenomenalexistenceFrancisofAssisi,Saintfournobletruthsfreedom.Seealsoemancipation;liberationfuture

Ggap/nogapgenerosity.Seealsocharity(dana)greedgrowth

Hhabitenergyharmoniousworldharmony.SeealsopeaceandharmonyHashimoto,Eko,Roshihatred

Hayashi,Daicho,RoshiHeartSutrahelpingothersHesse,Hermann(Siddhartha)hokyo(jewelmirror)hopeHua-yenSchoolHui-nenghumanbeing,truehumanbody.Seebody,humanhumanhearthumanmind.Seeconsciousnesshumanworld.Seephenomenalexistencehumility

Iignorance(avidya)asmovementofmanaspatienceinveilofillumination.Seealsolightimpermanence

incenseindifference(upeksa)influenceinterdependentco-origination.Seealsotwelvefoldchainofcausationintimacy(no-self)intuition

JJesusChristjoyfulnessjoy(mudita)

Kkanno-doko(communion)karmakaruna(sadness)kindness(maitri)knowledgeKyogo,Zenmaster

Lleadershipliberation(moksha).Seealsoemancipation;freedomlifeasaneventfirstmovementofunifiedworthlivingSeealsoeverydaylife;existencelife,depthofasalayavijnanaasmanas

sadness(karuna)atwisdomofseeingasyourdestinationlifeforcelife,rhythmoflife,rhythmof(continued)constantchangeaspracticeaslightanddarknessasenergyflickering,ofegooftheselflistening

LotusSutraloveallbeingsM

MadhyamikaShastraMadhyanta-vibhagamagnanimityMahayanaBuddhism.SeealsoHua-yenSchool;YogacharaSchoolmanas(ego)Marshall,Alanmaturityprocessofmeditation.SeeZenmeditationMergingofDifferenceandUnity

MettaSuttamindastheBuddhawaycalmasdynamicfunctioningmeaningofone,ofallbeingspure(no-mind)Seealso

bodhi-mind;bodyandmind;consciousness;waymindmindfulnessmindsVimalakirti’sfourholyfourboundlessmirror

mistakesmoksha(liberation)momentoftimeactivityofenergywithinincipientaslifeofallbeingsSeealsotime;timeandspacemoon

moralityandethics

NNagarjunaNarasaki,Iko,RoshinirmanakayanirvanaNirvanaSutranosenothingness.SeealsoemptinessOobservationoceanonenesswithbreathingcommunicationindharmaworldofandmultiplicitynondualismasone-pointedness.See

samadhioriginalnature.Seeexistence,originalnatureofPPaliCanonKhaggavisanaSutta

MahaparinibbanaSuttaMettaSuttaMuniSutta

paramitas,sixpatheightfoldnoblespiritualuniversal.SeeBuddhaway,thepatience

peacepeaceandharmonyasbodhisattvavowlivingwithothersinrealizationofwalkingtogetherinpeacefullife

peacefulmind(anjin)perceptionasskandha

phenomenalexistenceasdharmalightanddarknessofandmindasnirmanakayaassaha(human)worldassamsaraandtruthphilosophy,Western.SeealsoDescartes,Renepoem,writinga

powerpracticebecomingmaturethroughcontinuous,ofwholeworldDogenonessenceofpurposeofasrhythmoflife

aswayoflifeSeealsoZenmeditation;Zenpracticeprajna.SeewisdomPrajnaParamitaSutraprecepts,Buddhistdeepmeaningofpracticingreceivingprejudice

problemscreatingdealingwithpsychology,Buddhist

purity

Rradiantlight(komyo).SeealsolightrealrealityalayavijnanaastheBuddhaway(tao)tathagatagarbhaasthevastnessofbeingrefuge,takingasdevotiontodharmainrealrealityasrepentanceintripletreasurerepentance

responsibilityrhythmoflife.Seelife,rhythmofrightthinkingrightunderstandingritualrobe,Buddha’srootoflife

Ssadness(karuna)salvation

salvationsamadhi(one-pointedness)asenlightenmentoceansealasrightacceptanceassamatha(tranquility)sambhogakaya

samsara,.SeealsophenomenalexistenceSandokai(TheMergingofDifferenceandUnity)sanghasatisfactionsaveallbeingsseed(s)ofbuddha-natureofkarmicenergy(bija)plantingselfbigandsmalldependingonindividuallightoftheno-selfprovisionalreal/truestudyingthewhole

universeasself-consciousness.Seeego-consciousnesssentientbeings.Seebeings,allsentientsesshin(meditationretreat)ShakyamuniBuddha(theBuddha)

enlightenmentlifeteachingSeealsoPaliCanonShen-hsiushikantaza.SeeZenmeditationShitouXiquan(SekitoKisen)Shobogenzo“Baika”(PlumBlossoms)“GakudoYojin-shu”(PointstoWatchinBuddhistTraining)“Genjokoan”

(TheIssueatHand)“Hachidainingaku”(EightAwarenessesoftheEnlightenedPerson)“Jippo”(TheTenDirections)“Kokyo”(TheAncientMirror)“Komyo”(Light)“Kuge”(FlowersintheSky)“Sanjushichi-bon-bodai-bunpo”(Thirty-SevenConditionsContributingtoBodhisattvaPractice)“Sansuikyo”(MountainsandRiversSutra)“Shinjin-gakudo”(BodyandMindStudyoftheWay)“Uji”(Being-Time)“Zenki”(TotalDynamicWorking)SeealsoDogen,Eihei,ZenjiShokyoyoshu

Shoyoroku(BookofEquanimity)case21(sweeping)sila(precept)silenceskandhas,fiveskysourceofbeingspaceascoexistentplaceasemptinessSeealsoakasha;timeandspacespirituallifeasdevotiontwodirectionsinspiritualpractice.SeeZenpracticestorehouseconsciousness.See

alayavijnanastillness.Seetranquilitysubject/objectdichotomysuccessandfailuresuffering(dukkha)asdissatisfactionfreedomfromoftheBodhisattvaSeealsosadnessT

Tao-shihtathagatagarbhateachingZen.SeeZenteachertendirectionsThichNhatHanhthinkingrightthusness

time.Seealsomomentoftimetimeandspaceintersectionoftotaldynamicactivity(zenki)tranquilitytransparency

tripletreasure.SeealsoBuddha(individual);dharma;sanghatrustinBuddha’scompassioninMahayanainselfinsomeone(amaeru)truth

aschangeofimpermanenceasprincipleofexistencerealandworldlyseekingfortheSeealsofournobletruthstwelvefoldchainofcausation

Uuniverse/world,thewholearisingofasonebeingtendirectionsofV

veilorcurtainvibrationofmindvijnana.SeeconsciousnessVimalakirtiSutravimoksa(wisdomofliberation)vipassana(insight)vow.Seebodhisattva,vow

Wwalkingalonewithallbeingsway,Buddha.SeeBuddhawayway-mind(taoshin)

wholeheartednessasforgettingtheselfasfunctionofBuddhawisdom(prajna)ofemptinessofenlightenmentofimpermanencemirrorwombofBuddha

YYamada,Reirin,RoshiYogacharaSchool

ZZenmeditation(zazen)postureretreat(sesshin)assamadhiasseekingtruthasshikantazatechniqueZenpracticebowing(gassho)ascommunionineverydaylifemindfulnessofferingincenseas

returningtozerosamatha(tranquility)astuningtorhythmoflifevipassana(insight)asworkingwithenergySeealsopractice;spirituallifeZenteacher

OTHERBOOKSBYDAININKATAGIRIROSHI

EachMomentIstheUniverse:ZenandtheWayofBeingTime

YouHavetoSaySomething:ManifestingZenInsight

ReturningtoSilence:ZenPracticeinDailyLife

SignuptoreceivenewsandspecialoffersfromShambhalaPublications.

Orvisitusonlinetosignupatshambhala.com/eshambhala.