Sunday, August 3,
1969
Tassajara
As most of you know, this is Yoshimura Ryogen Sensei.1 Ryogen
Yoshimura Sensei. In the Japanese way we say the family name first, so
Yoshimura Ryogen. Yoshimura is the family name. Ryogen Sensei, or Yoshimura
Sensei. He arrived at San Francisco as our teacher, or as our friend, March 27?
Off-mike: Yes.
March 27. And mostly he has been in San Francisco. I think he came here once?
Twice?
Off-mike: Twice.
Twice. Most of you, I think, know him. But as some of you may not know him, I
think it is better to introduce him to you. Thank you very much.
Last night I talked about the teaching of selflessness and the teaching of
suffering too—not completely, but briefly about what is our suffering. It may
be better to explain about selflessness more, because that is a very important
teaching which is directly related to the teaching of Zen.
We practice zazen so that we attain selflessness. This is very important and a very
subtle thing, the matter of self. We don't know where our self is, but it is
very tenacious, as you know [laughs]. Even though you think you are pretty
well, it is not so. What selflessness means, why we say “selflessness,” is
because each one of us is not a substantial being. You think you are here, but
there is no such thing as “you” existing here. You are not a ghost, but
[laughs] at this moment, at this place, you exist here, but you don't exist
here so many times. It is just a tentative being which is always changing. We
know that by here [possibly pointing], but it is almost impossible to get rid
of this idea of self or feeling of self.
To have good understanding is easy, we say, but to have right feeling or to
accept it completely emotionally is very hard. Even though you know it, actually
you have no feeling of it. Emotionally you don't accept it.
So, it is easy to get rid of the idea of self intellectually, like breaking a small
lock. It is not so difficult to break a small lock. If you hit it with a big
hammer, it is quite easy. But, it is difficult to get rid of a habitual way of
thinking, or habitual way of understanding, or emotional feeling of it. It is
as difficult as to break a lotus root [laughs]. To break a lotus root is quite
easy if you do it right. You’d think I have a diamond. I break it in two like
this. But string is still here in between, and even though [laughs] you pull as
much as you can, string always follows. It is so hard—like to break a lotus
root in two. I think that is very true.
Dogen Zenji was so kind to explain this point in one of the fascicles of Shobogenzo,
“Sansuikyo” the Mountain and Water Sutra.2 Mountain—what is
mountain? What is water? We think we know what is a mountain and what is water.
Of course you know. Water for human beings is of course water. But for the
people in hell water is blood. For fish or for dragons, who live in water, it's
a beautiful palace [laughs]. And for human beings, that is water.
He says a dragon or a fish understands water is blood or their own home, but
they don't understand the palace for them is water for human beings. But, you think
you know what water is. You are not like a fish, or like a dragon, or like a
hungry ghost. “I know water.” But Dogen Zenji says you don't know [laughs]
water. You are almost as ignorant as a dragon or hungry ghosts in heaven. Even
though you say you know what water is, Dogen Zenji said you don't actually know
what water is.
I think that is why you don't understand why he took leftover water, and returned
it to the river.3 Maybe he knows what water is, but we don't know
what water is, maybe, according to him. Do you think [laughs], “What is water
then?” He says, “You don't know [laughs] what water is. You are almost as
ignorant as fish.” So, he says mountain is mountain and water is water. This is
a point we should study or understand even in an intellectual way.
I explained last night how everything exists in this world. The teaching of how
things exist in this way is the teaching of interdependency. [Brief exchange
off-mike.] Teaching of interdependence. I explained last night, but it may be
better to repeat it.
That something exists means that some other thing existed in a timespan before.
Because something existed before, something else exists later here. Because
this exists, or because that exists this exists here. And, that something
exists here means, at the same time, some other thing in space-span exists.
That I exist here means you exist here at the same time. And, that I exist here
means my father existed. Because my father existed, I exist here. In this way,
we are closely related to something else. We cannot exist just as an independent
being from others. It means that, that something exists here, the rest of
things exist here. And, many things existed in past time.
So, if water is here, it means that mountains exist, and fish exist, and stones
exist, trees exist, frogs exist, stars exist, moon, and milky river, and
everything exists. So, we said that water exists, you may say that. When water
exists, everything is water. The water is representative of the whole world. So,
the whole world is water. Nothing can compare to water because water is closely
related to other things. So, actually water may not be water. But, if we say,
“This is water,” the rest of things can be the same thing. May be that water
too. Just for convenience sake, we name it “water,” that's all. When we reach
this kind of understanding, even intellectually, we may be said to have
understood what Dogen meant by “water.”
You exist here, helping. But actually, there is no borderline between you and me.
For me, you are everything. As long as I am here, you are everything. Like for
water, everything is just water, just for water. For your husband, you are
everything [laughs]. There is nothing but you for your husband right now. When
you reach this kind of understanding, you will live in this moment in its true
sense. As long as you understand things in terms of duality, “I am here, and he
is there,” there's no relationship between you and others.
So water is not just water. If I drink a cup of water, the water is everything
for me right now, as long as I am drinking it. With this kind of feeling and
spirit, you have to drink water, and you have to treat others. There is no
separation between us.
If you say “star,” star is only one being which includes everything. If you say
“mountain,” mountain includes everything. For mountain, everything is just for itself.
Do you understand? And if you reach this kind of experience by practice, you
are said to have been practicing zazen. Do you understand?
So, there is no wonder why Dogen Zenji says, “Water for you is just like water
for fish,” because actually a fish doesn't know what water is. Even though you
said you know what water is, you don't actually know what it is. And you have
no feeling of real water. That is something which has very little to do with [1-2
words?]. You do not appreciate water. So there is no wonder why he couldn't
help to return the leftover water to the river. Okay? [Laughs.] There's a big,
big difference—even in the Kegon Sutra. So, how we exist in this world is very
miraculous. Even though you can reach the moon, you cannot explain this point.
The Kegon Sutra, says, “I am Vairocana Buddha,4 who is sitting in the
big miraculous shape of a lotus named Lotus Seed. And in the Lotus Seed there
is a big lotus. And the lotus has a thousand leaves.” Do you say “leaves”?
Students: Petals.
“Petals. A thousand petals. And I incarnated into a thousand buddhas and sit in
each petal of the lotus. And then in each petal there is—” how many there
[laughs]? “There are a hundred million Sumeru Mountains,5 and a hundred
million of Four Seas, and a hundred million worlds called Naiyenbudai.”
So it makes how much world there is. And, in each world there is a Bodhi tree.
And, under the Bodhi tree there is Bodhisattva Shakyamuni practicing zazen to
attain enlightenment. And after he attains enlightenment, he will tell you the true
law. And that is very true. I don't know how many beings are in this world. We
don't even know how many stars there are in this cosmic world. I think much
more than one hundred million worlds or earths, and that is very true.
And in each world there is Shakyamuni Buddha, who knows the truth, who knows
what is water, what is this Bodhi tree, what are petals of a lotus. This is
just a way of expressing the truth, but actually we cannot figure out how
things exist in its true sense. That is actually the teaching of selflessness
or teaching of interdependency.
Only when you understand our world in this way will you be free from suffering.
So every existence is just for you. If you ignore this fact, that is ignorance
[laughs]. You ignore the truth. You ignore this fact. Even though you cannot
describe it, it is true.
And, now I think I have to explain the Four Noble Truths: how we should get out
of suffering. The Four Noble Truths are: first, all existence is suffering. Second,
what is the cause of suffering? The cause of suffering is that because of our
ignorance, we do not know how we exist here. So the cause of suffering is
illusion or ignorance and desires based on ignorance. There is nothing wrong to
have desires, but if the desire is based on ignorance, it is like driving a car
when you are drunk [laughs]. You don't know where to go with the desire. It is
good to have a brand new car. That is okay. But you must drive the car pretty
well. You shouldn't be drunk. The cause of suffering is illusion and desire
based on ignorance.
The third truth is nirvana. What is nirvana? Nirvana is the realm of being free
from suffering. When we understand the “things as it is,” like I explained—when
we understand the teaching of interdependency, then we are in the realm of
nirvana.
The fourth one is the means for attainment of nirvana—how to attain nirvana. And,
how to attain nirvana is the practice of hasshodo, or the Eightfold
Noble Path. This6 was the first teaching which was told by Buddha after
he attained enlightenment. How we suffer, why we suffer, and the cause of
suffering. He pointed out the cause of suffering. The cause of suffering is
ignorance, illusion. And, he pointed out that if the cause of suffering is
illusion or ignorance, to get rid of ignorance or to have wisdom is the way to
attain enlightenment. The cause of suffering is directly related to the result
of suffering which is resulting from the cause which is ignorance. So, the cause
of suffering is here, and the end of suffering, the result of ignorance is
suffering.
There is immutable truth between the cause of suffering and suffering. And this
is the teaching of cause and effect. You cannot get out of the course of cause
and effect.
The only way to be free from suffering is to transmute ignorance into wisdom.
That is the only way. Or, to replace ignorance with wisdom. And the
relationship of wisdom and ignorance is the same. It is two sides of one coin. Suffering
and the relationship between suffering and nirvana are also two sides of one
paper. It is actually one, but because of our ignorance we cannot see the other
side of the wood [?],7 like we can see the water, but we do not
actually understand what water is, like Dogen Zenji pointed out.
Now the practice of how to attain nirvana. This is what I 've been talking
about for three lectures. Four lectures are not the teaching of Zen. In its
wider sense it is teaching of Zen, but in its narrow sense those lectures are
lectures about Buddhism in its wide sense. Those teachings are called teachings
for shravakas,8 or Hinayana Buddhists, or Theravada Buddhists.
But they are true for every Buddhist.
And the Eightfold Noble Path is: One is correct view. Second is correct
thinking. Third is correct speech. Correct action. Correct livelihood. Correct
endeavor. And correct memory. And correct meditation. Those are the Eightfold
Noble Path. Here it says “correct,” but there is no other word for this. In
Chinese or in Japanese we use “right”: right thinking, right speech, right
view, right activity, right livelihood. In this way, we use “right.” But this
“right” is not the “right” in terms of right and wrong. This is more than that.
Anyway, we cannot explain it in one word. So “right,” here, it means to have
good understanding or, if possible, perfect understanding of the four teachings
of: teaching of everything changes; teaching of selflessness; teaching of everything
is in a state of suffering; and teaching of nirvana.
To have correct understanding of these is right understanding. As you have
understood what water is. When you reach this kind of understanding, that is
right thinking, right view, right viewpoint. Not a partial, one-sided view, but
correct view or right view. And right way of thinking. It is not just thinking,
but it is wisdom itself. And, if you think accordingly, that is right thinking,
and right speech. Right speech does not mean to give a speech in terms of right
or wrong, good or bad. Right action. Right action should not be one-sided
action. We should speak impartially always. And the fourth one is right livelihood.
It wants some explanation. And, it gives us a very good suggestion what is
right livelihood. Of course, this is for monks.
What is, then, wrong livelihood? To cultivate land for a monk is not right
livelihood. But this is like a kind of precept for Indian monks. There are people
who enter religious life after finishing their family life. And they are
supposed to be supported by people—not only their family but also people in
their town.
So, after they enter religious life, they are not supposed to cultivate land or
cut wood for a fire. They should not practice compounding. They should not
compound medicine, even. And they should not study astrology. [Laughs,
laughter.] They should not speak by proxy for another. You should not be an attorney
[laughs]. You should not practice charms, you know, magic. And you should not
be a fortune-teller. You should not [laughs] tell fortunes for others. You know
— [Sentence not finished. Tape turned over.]
…is what will be a monk—what kind of personality is the ideal image of monks.
They should not pray for some magical powers. They should not fascinate people
by some extraordinary way [laughs]. Only by his own personality, only his own
everyday life, he should be a monk. Do you understand? They should not take
some different activity. They should be plain, common, ordinary people, and
they should be a good friend of others. And ,sometimes they should be even a
teacher of others, without having this kind of charm. This is how a monk should
be—how a Buddhist should be.
If you understand the teaching of interdependency, or if you understand what is
water, actually, you will easily understand what will be right livelihood for a
Buddhist. Okay? You should remember this. I don't prohibit those things, but
you should know the image of a Buddhist. What will be a Buddhist? In this way,
Buddha had many disciples.
Do you know Manjushri? He was a very alert fellow. How he joined Buddha's order
is when he saw Buddha's disciple early in the morning on the street, walking
straight, calmly, and gently. And he was struck by his appearance. When he just
saw him, he was fascinated in his trueness, not because of some magical power.
And, he decided to join Buddha's order.
In this way Buddha obtained many disciples. He did not play any magic. He did
not say anything strange or special. The teaching he told for us is a very
usual teaching. It is very wide and big. If you try to understand it, it is bottomlessly
big. But he did not tell us anything strange. This is right livelihood. I think
this is very important, especially for you who want to be a pioneer of American
Buddhism in its true sense. You should not depend on some power, or some wisdom,
or some particular knowledge or study.
And right endeavor. This is also important. [Laughs.] It is rather difficult to
have right endeavor. In short, when people get up, you should get up. When
people eat, you should eat. That is right endeavor. You should not get up too
early or too late.
And right memory, to remember something which is important for our practice.
And the last one is right meditation. Before Buddha, people practiced zazen in
various ways, with various aims. But, Buddha's meditation is completely
different from those meditations. I think there is no need to explain about
this.
Okay? I think you
will trust [?] everything [laughs, laughter].
You cannot use what you have now. Even though you know many things, you should not
use it, and just to sit is what you should do. Just to know what is meditation,
what is water [laughs], why you came here—that's all what you should know. And,
in this way, if you continue your practice, you will be a good Buddhist in its
true sense.
Oh! [Probably finds out the time. Laughs.] I thought it was too early to stop.
Before, I used a big towel. [Laughs, laughter] I better change over.
_______________
1 Soto monk who came from Japan to San Francisco in 1969 to help
Suzuki. (See Wind Bell, 1970, Vol. IX, No. 1, p. 30.) He died at a young age
after returning to Japan.
2 See also Lecture SR-69-08-07 and SR-71-07-24.
3 Referring to the story of Dōgen respectfully returning the unused
half of the water in his ladle to the river at Hanshaku-kyo, a bridge beyond
the entrance gate of Eihei-ji. (See also "Nirvana, the Waterfall," in
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, p. 92, and Lecture SR-69-08-01.)
4 One of the five transcendent buddhas.
5 In traditional Buddhist/Hindu cosmology, Mount Sumeru (Meru,
Jap.Shumi-sen) is regarded as the center of the four continents (i.e., the
world-system or universe) as well as the largest entity in that universe.
6 The Kegon Sūtra.
7 If "wood" is correct, Suzuki-rōshi may be referring to
tamban-kan, carrying a board on one's shoulder in such a way that one cannot
see the other side.
8 shrāvaka (San.): literally, "hearer": originally, one of
Shākyamuni Buddha's students or students in general.
Source: City Center original tape. Verbatim transcript by Sara Hunsaker and
Bill Redican (3/6/01). Lightly edited for readability by Wendy Pirsig and Peter
Ford (1/2021).
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