Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Good morning, boys and girls. Today, we begin a seven-day sashi. Do you know what a sashi is? You don't? What is a sashi? A sashi is what? Where you sit for a while. We sit for a while, for seven days, from early in the morning until about bedtime. Did some of your parents ever do that? No. Do you know the reason why they do the sushi?

[01:01]

Do you know why we sit, even for a little while? No? Do they enlighten? So when we sit down and then we're enlightened at that time? No. So have you ever sat? A little bit? Some of you have sat? Would you like some to learn how to sit? Some of you want to learn how to sit? So you're going to, what do you want to learn how to do? Run? You want to learn how to hit the bell?

[02:23]

Well, maybe you want to learn how to hit the bell and teach you. And for you, that could be your way to do sitting practice if you want. And so you think that people, do you understand that people want to, that's nice, that's good. People want to practice sitting because that's their way of being enlightened. Do you understand that? Do you know the reason why people are interested in being enlightened? Do you know why they want to be enlightened? No idea? I mean, no. Why do they want to practice enlightenment?

[03:42]

Why would they want to be a Buddha? What's so good about being a Buddha? You can help others. And what's so good about that? People will thank you. And how does a Buddha help people? By teaching them. By teaching them. Right? What? By giving them gifts. And what kind of gifts does the Buddha give? Peace. Peace. And teaching. What else does Buddha give? Help.

[04:43]

Help. Happiness. Happiness. So, does that sound okay? So if you want to be Buddha, Do you think Buddha wants to be you? Do you want to meet Buddha? Okay. Okay. So that's another reason why a way we practice nobbling. We practice nobbling to actually meet Buddha. And the Buddha isn't necessarily some other person but myself. So what might Buddha be? Everyone's Buddha.

[05:47]

Everyone's Buddha. Can you see Buddha around the room here? Who's that? Can you see that? There are two Buddhas out there. You see what is up there? Which ones? Is it okay with you if we sit here for one week practicing Buddha? Is that okay? What do you want us to do? Go on and watch a television. Maybe that's enough. Put it down. Pardon?

[07:04]

Do all those things. And brush your teeth. The people in the sashimi need to be that food, don't they? And that they also have to sit. So do you want to sit? Are you enjoying it? [...] How does it work? With this option, but without one, you can do it better?

[08:06]

Well, you can do it with this option. You can try it without a cushion. You might find if you try it without a cushion, it won't work. That's great. Yes, sir. Therapy's good, too. Do you need? Wow, you ought to do it. Huh, can you do it? Can you try it? Well, you don't even need Zalgo's. So anytime you want to come and practice Zalgo, we'll be happy to show you a little bit more detail about it, okay? Just to let you know. Oh, we can do that.

[09:23]

I know what you said. You didn't want to work out. Can you change your mind? Anyway, maybe right now you don't want instruction sitting, but if you want instruction sitting, we can get you. Every time you want it, we can show you how to do it. And you can start doing it. Even at school? You can do it even at school, yeah. but you still have to do your homework. Yes? Well, it'd be pretty hard sitting in a chair at school, and I was sitting like that on the chair. Right. Well, at school, maybe you shouldn't do it quite the same way, but just put your legs down. In Japan, the kids do it at school, sometimes sitting in chairs. You have to be down and around as usual. In this community, they sometimes practice sitting. Well, she won't let you do it. We can do what I was talking to her about.

[10:25]

I said, maybe teach her. All the people, all the people, many of them, right? You might want all of them to meditate because it might be a little bit more peaceful and helpful. And quiet. Oh, yeah, so that shouldn't be a problem. And now a lot of people just want to do this, huh? Already teaching meditation? Well, you don't have to be a Buddhist necessarily to sit still. Yes. It would be pretty hard in high school for both of my schools that I go to, my after-school camp and my normal school.

[11:31]

So maybe we should just practice sitting at the Zen Center or their houses. Then it won't be a problem. OK, thanks for coming to the lecture. Bye. So this session, I'd like to use as a text the recommendations for everyone on how to practice .

[12:42]

This is a A very sort of close to the bones, bare bones, I think, kind of text. I just thought I might start by reading a little bit of it to you. There's several, there's many translations, and I'll jump around saying things somewhat differently from time to time.

[13:49]

Starts out, when you get down to it, When you get to the basis of it, the way is fundamentally complete, perfect, and all pervading. When you get down to it, the way is fundamentally complete, perfect, and all-pervading.

[14:55]

How could it be dependent upon cultivation and realization? The religious way is free. Why expend effort? In fact, the whole being is utterly beyond defiling dust. Who could believe in a method to wipe it clean? The great goal is not a part from right here. Why go someplace to practice?

[16:04]

And yet, if there is the slightest discrepancy The way is as distant as heaven from earth. If the least like or dislike arises, the mind is lost in confusion. Another story about this is a story about a teacher who was fanning himself one day.

[17:44]

And a student came and said, the way is present everywhere and penetrates everywhere. was the wind. The wind is everywhere and reaches everywhere. Why do you find yourself? And the teacher said, you understand the meaning of the wind being everywhere, but you don't yet understand the meaning of the wind reaching everywhere. The monk said, well, what is the meaning of the wind reaching everywhere?

[18:48]

And the teacher found himself. So at the beginning of the text, Dogen Zenji is asking, if the way It's all pervaded and fundamentally complete and perfect. Why do we need to make effort? Why do we need to make concentrated effort? It's not that our effort makes it reach. But rather that if we don't make effort, we don't understand what it means to reach. If we understand that it reaches everywhere, that's our effort.

[19:53]

Understanding that it reaches everywhere is the effort of reaching everywhere. And yet, if there's the slightest discrepancy, our mind, moment by moment, creates a discrepancy.

[21:01]

As soon as we're aware of anything as an object, there's a discrepancy. As soon as this discrepancy arises, the mind is lost in confusion. As soon as we're aware of an object, there pops up a sense of self. And then a torrent, a thin film, but still a torrent surrounds us in all directions and swirls all around us. We are lost in confusion, even though the way is fundamentally perfect and all-pervading. We're living in the middle.

[22:07]

of a torrential bubble of confusion. Our mind is lost in confusion because of a slight discrepancy A year ago at this, for the same sesshin, this rohatsu sesshin here, Dainin Roshi suggested that you practice zazen with an absolute sense, or a sense of being absolutely alone.

[23:12]

We can practice completely alone. There's no discrepancy. And being alone means not only are you alone in the usual sense, but you're also alone concerning your zazen practice. It's not like you're here and there's a zazen practice in addition to you. Don't let anything, including practice, be an object. When you get down to the practice and you get down to it, it's perfect, complete, and all-pervading. But if you're not down to it, in other words, if it's still a little bit away, if there's a slightest distance between your life and the practice, then because the mind makes that distance, you're lost and confused.

[24:38]

Children didn't seem to want Zazen instruction today. If they did want it, I probably would have told them to sit up straight and keep their eyes open, but look down at an angle of about 45 degrees so they're not wide open, but just a little bit open. I would have shown them the mudra and other things like that to pay attention to and take care of. So I tell you about these things too, but I tell you in addition that in practicing this way, have no objects before yourself. The mind is creating this discrepancy.

[26:00]

It spontaneously does this by virtue of beginning those past actions of similar type. It will not be possible to stop the mind from doing this by trying to stop the mind from doing this. Rather, we suggest turn the mind around Turn away from objects and look back. Even though you still may see people sitting around and be aware of your body, on those occasions, reverse your mind. Thank you.

[28:03]

And yet there is a slightest discrepancy. Is there a slight discrepancy? So he says, who could believe in a means for wiping it clean? A practice which will wipe the discrepancy away.

[31:45]

Rather than trying to wipe the discrepancy away, how about on the discrepancy, turn around and look backwards. Take responsibility for the discrepancy. In other words, whenever the discrepancy, we have the ability to respond. You don't need to reach out and try to manipulate objects. I shouldn't say you don't need to. I should say this is not recommended in this text. What I'd recommend is learn the backward step. Learn how to respond to the discrepancy by taking the backward step, which will unify your life, which will unify you, your life, with the Great Way that's right here now.

[33:28]

There have been thousands and thousands of instructions or thousands and thousands of encouragements over the years, over the centuries, on how to simply turn around and not be fooled by what's happening. These instructions are, in a sense, directions, but they're also encouragements. How can we encourage ourselves and others to turn it around? In a sense, it's not very interesting. to just keep turning the mind around, to just keep taking the backward steps, and to not have objects.

[34:43]

It's not that interesting, in a way. There are so many interesting things in this world. Even in Buddhist teaching, there's so many interesting teachings, so many interesting topics. For example, I have here a book. It's mostly in Japanese, but the table of contents is in English. And the title of the book is in English on this side. This side is Japanese. This side's in English. So you can know the name of this book. I can know, too. It's called The Giraffe of Soto Propagation Studies. Soto is a Soto Zen school. This school is supposedly a member of that school. So this is an institute for propagating, for spreading Soto Zen throughout the world.

[35:54]

And so far, anyway, they've decided to spread it in this book. It's just for the missionary. It's Japanese. But I thought I might read to you the table of contents. Because in this table of contents, there are many interesting topics which you can hear about. You can see how interesting Buddhism is, just in the one little area of propagation. So Buddhist literature and propagation. this article about Buddhist literature and propagation. Next is recovery and relief. Recovery and relief. Next one is education about death and belief.

[36:59]

Next is a study of temple propagation in the modern age. Karma, cause and effect, spirit transmigration, and its emanations. How to give answers to human existence. Next, a study of the yang as an object for propagation. The next area next is joint research. The first article there is Critical Consciousness of Modern People, a report from its introductory survey. The possibility of attracting the religiously unstable to Soto-shu temples. dash the structure of religious consciousness among modern urban dwellers.

[38:17]

Next is psychotherapeutic activities at the temple. A report of interviewing survey with resident priests and psychotherapists. Next is How Americans Happen to Meet Zadeh- an interviewing survey at Zen Shuji Temple in Los Angeles. Next is The Idea of Transmigration- used examples of transmigration in the Neidan Daizokyo. Next is the Osore-zan belief and its religious organization, life and death. Next is folk beliefs and temples, visiting seven temples.

[39:25]

The establishment and change of three services. Next is the gist of the 27th Propagation Studies Meet. First is recommending the practice of zazen on chairs. Next is practicing methods of sitting in the core of one's brain. A study of oneness of body and mind in new sciences. Next, life and death in Buddhist and Oriental medical studies. Next is the possibilities of propagation in the practical field of medical care. Another one is meeting on life and death in . The next one is criticizing mama's viewers.

[40:33]

Dash, a man whose heart is not hit by the arrow. Next is dependent in origination, Buddha nature and equality. Next is religious background of students who are studying children's education. Dash quotes, I hate Buddhist children's education. Unquote. Next is problems in propagation. Next is effective means for the development of propagation. Next is practice and study of propagation in rural villages. Next one, the meaning of relationship between Buddha and human beings in having meals. Next is my personal view about the ta gon yorai bata and shin bata in relationship to the study of Hainu.

[41:47]

Next, a survey of propagating materials for having meals in various religious schools. The Soto school, the Tendai school, and various other schools. Organization of Soto-shu Propagation Research Institute. Curriculum and Study of the Institute, Annual Report of Soto-Shu Propagation Research Institute. So that's just one little sample of one little book about some things about Buddhism that you could study. Pretty interesting, huh? All these things. Just one business in Soto-Shu Propagation. You could be concerned about these things if you practice at this temple, because this is directly affecting you. On the other hand, all this stuff that I just talked about, even though it's just this tiny little slice in this torrent

[43:07]

of images surrounding you moment by moment. Don't let this stuff fool you. See if you can not be fooled by all these things. If you aren't fooled by these things, you will no longer have anybody in the world to blame. You will be totally responsible. And the word come to my mouth, and I don't know if it's true, but the words came to my mouth is you'll be terribly lonely. I somehow don't dare to believe that that's true.

[44:10]

But even if it is true, I also believe that right after being terribly lonely, you will finally be able to help people. Because you won't be blaming anybody else. There won't be anybody else. There won't be a discrepancy anymore. And then the way will actually be perfect and all pervading. Because you're not fooled anymore. And you don't think anybody else is responsible for the problem. The problem is just that little discrepancy. It's that little discrepancy that makes you think that there's objects out there separate from yourself. And again, you can't stop this machinery from going on.

[45:14]

But every time it puts something up there, you can turn around on it. You can turn on it. You can turn on it. You can turn around and be released. From thinking of objects, you can thereby realize unification. Now, this is the essential art of sadhana, this simple moment-by-moment effort to not be fooled and to not waste time. But as I say, we all have trouble because there's so many interesting things to think about as objects. And they won't stop happening. I'm going to read this table of contents to you again, probably. But much more interesting things than that are going to happen in the next week.

[46:17]

I've been saying that this is kind of a simple practice and, in some ways, a pretty boring practice. Another way to put it is it's a practice that a child might be able to do if they could understand the instruction. There's an innocent. There's an innocent. There's an innocent. within us, I believe. It's so innocent. It can do this practice over. Practice of turning around. And then I can do it again. The innocence is functioning. If I can't do the practice, it's because I'm a little bit too smart. I'm a little bit too It's sophisticated or jaded to be willing to do something so simple again and again.

[47:56]

Thank you. It may not be necessary, but if I reveal to you what's going on inside of me while I'm talking about this, I notice, I would say that I notice I'm trying to balance between talking you into something, which I really don't want to do, and encourage you.

[49:40]

I do want to encourage you to take this backward step, to learn this backward step, but I don't want to talk you into it. I don't want to coerce you because I really don't think it will work. So I'm a little bit worried that if I strongly recommend that you have no objects before you, you might feel pushed into the practice. I don't want to push you. On the other hand, thinking out loud, I know that when I hear this instruction myself, Sometimes I want to resist it. I'm not sure that I'll be able to survive and carry on my little projects if I do this practice.

[50:45]

So I resist. I'm afraid of what would happen if I spend my life living that way. In a way, I foolishly don't want to give you any grounds to resist. I say foolishly because I know you can find some reason to resist. I think you could, too. But I'm just revealing that I'm trying not to give you any reason to resist. I kind of want to say, don't you know for sure that this instruction is authentic? And then if you resist, it's just your normal discrepancy with this. Not because it's not the right teaching. It is the right teaching. So if you have any resistance to it, just read this, but not for any reason.

[51:48]

Or I want to say, but then I'm talking you into it. So I'm kind of in a quandary about what's What's the best way to encourage it? And me. So I say to myself, well, you know the best way to encourage people. Do it yourself if you think it's that good. So I'm going to try to do it. I'm at that place again where I had something interesting to say and don't know if it's just one thing too much.

[53:20]

I look back at that place and I'm like, all right, one more interesting thing to say. And I can't really ask you, because some people will say, he copied me just out of pity. I really can't ask you. I have to go by my own sense of when the lecture's done. So by discussing it with you, I think that's my way. And you're not bell-ringing. You're not helping me.

[53:48]

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