I vow to taste the juice of the Takarazawa's. Thank you very much.

[01:39]

Good morning, everyone. I'm really happy to be here again. After seven-day Genzo-e retreat at San Francisco Zen Center, I talked on one of the chapters of Shobo Genzo, entitled in Japanese, Gyo-butsu-i-gi. My tentative English translation is Dignified Conduct of Practiced Buddha. And to me, that chapter is one of the most difficult to understand in entire Shogo Genzo. So, I talked on that difficult chapter two lectures a day. One lecture is one and a half hour. So I talked in English for three hours a day.

[03:34]

So I'm really exhausted. And my mind doesn't work well. So I don't want to talk on Dogen this morning. That's why, you know, each year at Berkeley Zen Center I talk on Ryokan's poem. It's almost completely different. And it is a fun instead of suffering. And each year I try to talk on certain groups of Ryokan's poem and this time I'd like to talk on his poems about playing with children. If you are not familiar with Ryokan, he was a Sotozen monk or priest in the 17th and 18th and 19th century.

[04:49]

He was born in 1758 and he died in 1831. So he lived about 200 years ago. And he was from a very rich and prestigious family in the area of Niigata Prefecture. In ancient times, that area was called Echigo. and he was the first son of that family, so as a Japanese custom, he was going to take over his family business as a mayor of the town.

[05:51]

But he tried, but he didn't like it, so he escaped. Then he was about 18. He escaped into a Buddhist temple and became a Soto Zen monk. And a few years after he practiced there, the master visited that temple in Echigo, whose name was Kokusen. And he was the abbot of the monastery in Entsu-ji, that is in Okayama Prefecture. So Ryokan went to Okayama to practice with this Zen master. And he practiced at that monastery for 12 years. So until he was in his early 30s, he was trained as a Soto Zen monk.

[06:56]

And he received Dharma transmission from this teacher, Kokusen. But right after he received transmission, his teacher died. And another teacher came to be the abbot of that monastery. Then he left that monastery. And after that, we no one know where he was. He disappeared for about more than 10 years. And somehow, He went back to his hometown in 1796 when he was 39 years old. But he didn't live in a Buddhist temple.

[07:58]

He never became a temple priest. He lived in a small hermitage that was a property. It belongs to the large Shingon temple, not Sōtō. So he was a kind of a caretaker of that hermitage, very tiny hermitage named Gogō-an. Gogo means five cups, and an means hut or hermitage. Five cups means five cups of rice. It said that that hermitage was for the retired abbot of that temple, and in order to support the retired priest's abbot life, temple provides five cups of rice a day. that was fine, the hermitage was called Gogoan.

[09:02]

But because Ryokan was not the retired abbot, he didn't receive such a provision from the temple. So he had to support his life by himself. And what he did was begging. In Japanese, we call that begging, takuhatsu. So, he begged whenever he could. In that area, that is the northern part of Japan, during the winter, they had a lot of snow. sometimes they had 10 feet of snow. Entire town was covered with snow and they couldn't walk. So during winter he couldn't do takuhatsu, but rest of the year he tried to do takuhatsu or begging almost every day.

[10:04]

And last year I talked on his poems about zazen or meditation practice. So he practiced meditation by himself. He never had disciples or students, but he practiced Zen, the Zen, by himself. And he was very good at writing poetry and also making calligraphies. So he is still well-known for his calligraphy and poetry. And he's still very, I think, one of the most popular Buddhist monks in Japanese Buddhism, the history of Japanese Buddhism.

[11:06]

He appeared even in the textbook for the elementary school, so all children read about his anecdotes. And often the story appeared in those, you know, textbooks or even in children's books. The story about his life is he, during, when he did takahatsu, he, you know, he saw some children on the village or town. He forgot about begging and started to pray with children. and he had fun and he completely forgot about begging. So he prayed until sunset. That kind of person he was. So I think we have the hundred.

[12:13]

These are the poems about praying with children. So he just had fun. to practice, to pray with children, even though he was begging, you know, quick begging and doing and pray with children. But I think his praying with children is one of the practice, his practice as a bodhisattva. When I lived in Japan, I also lived on takahatsu or begging. First, while I was at Antaiji, Antaiji had no family members, so we had no regular income. So we, I mean, monks and taiji supported our practice by begging only.

[13:21]

So we did takuhatsu, let's see, a few times a month, two or three times a month, and that was enough to support our practice. We only and some, you know, necessity. That's all. So we didn't need money. We just need food. And we had buildings to sleep and to practice Dazen. And that was all we did. did takuhatsu and sitting and working to keep the temple functional. That's all we did. And when I did takuhatsu at Antaiji, takuhatsu was really kind of fun. You know, the rest of the month we really focused on sitting, just sitting.

[14:25]

Usually we sat five p.m. every day. And during daytime, whenever we had, we had working practice. When we don't have work, we study. So our life was very simple. So, at the time I was in my early 20s, you know, just sitting and studying and working in the temple is not so exciting. Not so interesting. So, you know, only when we did takuhatsu, we went outside and we saw some interesting things. And we did takuhatsu with several monks together on the business street marketplaces. So, it's kind of interesting and I liked it. I could enjoy Takahatsu.

[15:30]

That was the first time I did practice Takahatsu. But second time was, you know, My teacher, Uchiyama Kosho Roshi, retired from Antai-ji in 1975. I came to this country and practiced at a small zendo in Massachusetts named Pioneer Valley Zendo. I lived there until 1981. There, three Japanese monks from Antais lived in a very tiny building in the woods in western Massachusetts. Not many Americans came to practice with us, so we couldn't do takuhatsu or begging, so we did walking. to support our practice.

[16:32]

The first few years we worked, the first thing we did was picking blueberries. And the second thing was working for harvesting potatoes at a potato farm. It was very hard work. And after a few years, we found there was a tofu factory in a town near from us. So we started to work at the tofu factory as a janitor. Anyway, that was how we supported our practice in Massachusetts. And we had a lot of hard work. We cut the trees and dig out the stumps. to make a vegetable garden. And in the beginning, even we didn't have a well.

[17:33]

There was a swamp up on the top of the hill, so we thought we could get water from that swamp. And in the winter it was okay, but when it became warm, the water became very, you know, had a bad smell. So we, for I think first almost half a year, we didn't have water. So the first thing we had to do after morning zazen was going to the neighborhood well and get some water in the plastic container. So we wanted to have a well and I was a person who was good for nothing. I mean, three of us lived together, and one person was good at carpentry work, and another person was good at farming or growing vegetables.

[18:40]

But since, you know, I studied Buddhism at a Buddhist university, and right after finishing university, at the monastery and practice, so I was good for nothing. Only thing I had done was studying and thinking. So, in the woods, I had nothing to do. So, no skill. So, I was just a muscle. So, I was a person to dig the well. And I dug around 10 feet. And unfortunately, there was a rock, so I couldn't dig anymore. But I found, we found, you know, there's a running water on the rock on the bridge. So we could get some water. So we are very happy. Anyway, that was the way we supported our practice in Massachusetts, because I worked in that way in my 20s.

[19:54]

It was okay. I thought that the more I use my body, the more my body is getting stronger. But when I became 30, it didn't work in that way. So my body was half broken. And so I had to go back to Japan. And I stayed in a small temple. in Kyoto and my body was half broken and so I just tried to sit and My teacher encouraged me to work on translation, so I did sitting, zazen, and translation work with one of my dharma brothers, whose name is still alive, Tom Wright, Daito Tom Wright. And I again lived by Takahatsu. So at this time, I did takuhatsu by myself.

[21:09]

And doing takuhatsu with a group of monks and doing takuhatsu by myself is really different. When we do takuhatsu, you know, several monks together, you know, walking both sides of the street, and people knew what we are doing. But when I did by myself, I was just like a beggar. and people didn't, you know, respect. So it was really difficult to do the guards. And I wanted to, you know, focus on sitting and studying and working on translations. And for me, takuhatsu, or begging, is the way to support my practice of zazen and translation.

[22:13]

So I tried to, as few times as possible, That means I had to do takuatsu efficiently. My takuatsu was very different from Ryo-Kan's. We read Ryo-Kan's storybooks. He was always playing with children, but in my takuats, I never played with children. And that is not simply because of my aptitude or because I had to do takuats efficiently, but also children were not on the street anymore. Now, today, they were at school or kindergarten. So, we don't see many children on the street when we do takuhatsu. But at the time of ryokan, they didn't have school, they didn't have kindergarten, and they didn't have daycare.

[23:22]

So children were playing, they had their own society, and they played together as a group on the street. So street was also children's world, their world, their territory. That's why, you know, Ryokan met so many children. And to play with those children is kind of a volunteer work as a, you know, child care. And so, his playing with children is not simply having a fun, but it's for the sake of the children. So I'm sure he's praying with children is part of his bodhisattva practice. In order to quickly understand what is this practice as a bodhisattva path, I would like to talk on Dogen.

[24:35]

I mean Dogen's teaching about identity action. This identity action is a translation of Douji. And this is one of the four embracing actions. And Dogen Zenji wrote about those four practices of Bodhisattva. In Shobo Genzo, Bodai Sattashi Shobo, and I worked with Hozan-san. to make our own translation. And those four embracing actions are Fusei, or giving, or offering. And the second is Aigo. Aigo is loving speech, loving or kind speech. And the third is Rigyo.

[25:42]

Rigyo is beneficial actions to do something to help some people. And the third is doji, or identity action. Those are four important points of Buddhist practice, not only in the Mahayana, but these four actions even appeared in the Pali Sutras. So these four practices are very important aspects of any Buddhist tradition. The original Pali Sanskrit word is Samana Altata Sangraha and Pali is Samana Tata Sangraha.

[26:49]

Anyway, this Samana means to be identical, that means to be one, and same or equal or common. And Alta means some kind of business or work or the purpose so samana aruta means doing something together for the sake of some same or common purpose or goal. So it's like a, you know, teamwork. We get together and work together for the sake of something, for one common goal. That is the meaning of this Samana altar.

[27:52]

So some translators translate this word as cooperation, cooperation, working together. But I think in Dogen Zenji's teaching, this is not simply working together or cooperation. It's much a little not a little bit, but it has deeper meaning. That's why we use this kind of unusual English translation, English expression, identity action. for this word, douji. In Chinese and Japanese, dou means to be the same, or common, or share, or equal. And ji is a matter, or business, or thing. So same thing, or same matter, we do same thing.

[29:03]

But in Dogen Zenji's teaching about these four embracing actions, he tried to show us what is the meaning of this practice of identity action. So I'd like to talk about Dogen's teaching about this identity action. Let me read what he wrote about this practice. He wrote, identity action means to be not different, neither from self nor from others. not different from ourselves and not different from others. So in our bodhisattva practice we need to find some way of doing things which is beneficial to ourselves and to others at the same time.

[30:21]

So how we can benefit both self and others. That is the basic meaning of this practice of doji, or identity action. And he said, it is like the way that in the human world, in the human world, the world of ourselves, the Tathagata, Buddha, the Tathagata identifies himself with human beings. Tathagata identifies himself as human beings. This means Tathagata as a dharmakaya or a dharma body has no form. and yet to teach and share the Dharma, the true reality of all beings, this formless Dharmakaya took a form of human beings and born in India about 2,500 years ago.

[31:38]

So that was, of course, Shakyamuni Buddha. And in Mahayana Buddhist teachings, Shakyamuni Buddha was called Nirmanakaya. Nirmanakaya is like a manifestation of formless dharmakaya into certain forms within certain time and at the certain place. So, to be born as a human being, Buddha was born in the form of human beings, according to Dogen, is a practice of identity action. You know, the Dharmakaya Buddha does not need to be take the form of human beings, but in order to help human beings, he was born as a human being.

[32:45]

That means, he also said in Gyōbu Tsuigi, Buddha was not only in the human world. Then, for the sake of animals, Buddha must be born as, for example, as a form of a cat or a dog. or trees, or flowers. But for the sake of human beings, Buddha, the Tathagata, took the form of human beings. That is identity action. So Tathagata identifies himself as human beings to follow, to teach human beings. Zen said in Gyobu Tsuigi, you know, not only human world, but Tathagata or Buddha appears in many different ways to identify himself to the people or to the living, to the beings in that realm.

[33:54]

That is identity action. So this is not simply working together or cooperation. but make ourselves into something to work together with that person or that beings. That is why we think, you know, identity action, this unusual expression, identity action, is better than, you know, more usual translation such as a cooperation, working together. It's much kind of deeper meaning in there. Because he identified himself in the human world, we know that he must be the same in the other world.

[35:00]

So in the world of dog, he appeared as a dog, or in the world of cat, Buddha appeared as a cat, or anything else. When we realize identity action, Self and others are one suchness. Self and others are one suchness. I think, you know, this is quite different from just a conventional, you know, word, cooperation. But when we are really working together. We identify others and others identify as ourselves and we can really work together. This is a bodhisattva's practice of, you know, doji or identity action.

[36:01]

So in the case of ryokan, He identified himself as a child. That's why he could barely enjoy playing with children. It's not like, you know, care, you know, those children need some, you know, care, so, and I have some extra time, so maybe I can help them. If we have that kind of, you know, attitude, separation between ourselves and these children, it's not possible to really enjoy playing the children. Then I think children knew that the person was not really enjoying being with them. So there's some separation. So in order to really having joy with those children, Ryokan had to identify himself, that means to really become a child.

[37:11]

and really enjoy the activity with those children. That is, I think, the meaning of this practice, Identity Action. And further, Dogen talks about the nature of this practice of Identity Action. He says, Harps, the musical instrument. Harps, poems, and wine. Harps, poems, and wine. Make friends with people. I think that is really true. With heavenly beings and with spirits. So he used the example of, you know, music and poems and glass of wine.

[38:18]

In this case, sake, Japanese sake. People befriend herbs, poems, and wine. There is a principle that herbs, poems, and wine befriend herbs, poems, and wine, that people make friends with people. that heavenly beings befriend heavenly beings. That means they are really one thing. You know, when we have a party, some people play a music instrument and someone recites the poems. you know, it's suitable with that music. And if we have some wine, you know, people in that place become really one thing and enjoy being together.

[39:24]

That is The meaning of this practice, identity action, we are really one with the people and beings and atmosphere of that place. We become really one with this world and beings in this world. So the heavenly beings befriend heavenly beings, and that spirit befriend spirit. This is how we study identity action. So we need something like harps for music, poems, and wine. Those things in our practice. Even when we don't have music or we don't have poems, we don't recite poems and we don't have wine, somehow as a bodhisattva we need to practice this identity practice.

[40:33]

How fat is this that allows us to be one with all beings? That is, in Buddhist teaching, that is Dharma. Dharma as reality of all beings, how we are together, and our awakening and appreciation of this being together. As I often use this expression, we are part of the network of interdependent origination. We are always together with others within connectedness. That is the harp poems and wine for Bodhisattva. this awakening to the reality that we are interdependent and being together with all beings in this entire universe.

[41:46]

And he said, for example, Action, this practice, action, means form, dignity, and attitude. Form, dignity, and attitude. Within our identity practice, we need to take some form. Of course, Tathagata has no form, and compassion has no form. But in order to be a friend with others, we need to take some form. and that form needs to have dignity. This dignity was one of the key words in Ryobutsu-Iki we studied last week.

[42:58]

And Dogen discussed what is the source of this dignity, dignity and beauty, in each and every activity we do. And that source that something that makes our actions dignified and beautiful is, according to Dogen, is the connection with all beings. Connection and also awakening, our awakening and appreciation of this reality that we are. being, living together with all beings. We are supported by all beings, therefore we try to express our appreciation and gratitude to this interconnectedness. The action based on that appreciation and gratitude, therefore we try to support others.

[44:10]

This kind of action has dignity and beauty because it's not only for the sake of this person as individual to benefit only this person or to take advantage or use other people and things in order to satisfy this person's desire. When we see that kind of action, we don't see dignity. Even though the person was in the conventional sense powerful, still that kind of action is simply personal action. But even when we do, you know, tiny things, small things, just like playing with children and having joy with those children, you know, because Ryokan did that kind of activity not for the sake of himself.

[45:15]

So there's no separation between Ryokan and the children. That makes Ryokan's action of playing with children as a voice of a practice of identity action. That is the source of dignity and beauty of each and every action. And next he said, after letting others identify with ourselves, there may be a principle of letting ourselves identify with others. Dogen Zenji only said this side, but also in other occasions, first we start identifying ourselves to others, and then others identify themselves.

[46:19]

with us, Ryokan and the children. I think first Ryokan identified himself with the children, so the children found this person was different from other grown-ups, but can be a real friend for themselves. So, sometimes we identify others, then others may open to ourselves and identify themselves to us. This identity action in the Buddhist history is, for example, Right after Shakyamuni had his own Sangha, he sent his monks to many different places to spread, to share the Dharma with people in different places.

[47:27]

At that time, Shakyamuni Buddha asked his disciples that the Dharma should be shared with people in certain, in each and every regions, with their own language. I think this is very interesting and important point of Buddha's teaching. So, Buddha's teaching was translated into many languages. When Buddhism went to China, it was translated into Chinese. And once Buddhist sutras were translated, Chinese people forget about the Sanskrit original text. And when I came to this country, you know, I have to talk about Dharma using English language.

[48:32]

And, you know, I have been trying to... This is kind of an identity action. First, Dharma, or Buddha's teaching, identify with... in the language, with the people you use in that particular place. Then people tried to study it, and people knew that this teaching might be for themselves. It's not something foreign. But in order to make translation, it takes a really long time. In the case of Buddhism, it came from India to China. The translation work lasted for eight centuries. from around the 1st century until they continued to work on translation until 9th century, 9th or 10th century.

[49:39]

So almost 1,000 years, the Chinese Buddhists and people who came from India, you know, continued to work on translation. I think that is one of the identity actions. So now I'm talking in English. This is my practice of kind of identity action. Because I'm not an American, my English is kind of different from American people's English. But somehow I try to do my best to share the Dharma. I think this is very important part of Buddhist or Bodhisattva practice. And Ryokan did when he prayed with those children on the street in the town or villages.

[50:44]

So, relations between self and others very, very infinitely depending on time and conditions. So in each and every time and conditions, the relationship between self and others are very different. But in whatever condition or situation, we try to identify ourselves to that situation or condition and try to find what is the best thing to do for the sake of this person and other people. That is bodhisattva practice of, you know, identity action. So our practice is not a practice of, what is the word, self-sacrifice. We don't sacrifice ourselves and we don't sacrifice others.

[51:54]

Either way, you know, sacrificing something is not a voice of a practice. But we try to find what is the best for both of us, for both sides. That is identity action. It's already 11.15, but let me talk one more point in Dogen's teaching about identity action. He quotes from a Chinese, not a Buddhist, but Chinese classic. One of the Chinese texts, classic texts, says the ocean, the ocean does not refuse water. You know, the great ocean accepts any water from any rivers, so there are many waters that came to the ocean from many different rivers.

[53:01]

And the ocean just accepts any water from any rivers and makes it just the ocean. So there's no separation or discrimination. And the text says, therefore it is able to achieve its vastness. because the ocean doesn't refuse any water from any river without any discrimination. The ocean achieves its vastness. And mountains do not refuse earth or any soil or sand or rock or whatever. Mountains do not refuse earth Therefore, they are able to become tall, tall or high.

[54:06]

Wise rulers do not worry of people. Therefore, they form a large nation. So this saying from the Chinese classic text is about the wise ruler. How can be a wise ruler? And in ancient China, the ruler or the emperor is the country or nation itself. It's not really true. But the idea of the emperor, being an emperor, is the emperor should be one with the nation. So the emperor has no self, but only, you know, consider the welfare of the entire nation instead of the benefit of this individual person. That is a kind of idea of Chinese emperor in the ancient times.

[55:15]

I don't think today, you know, president or prime minister are not like that. But how can we live or do activities like the ideal emperor in ancient China. That means, how can we behave or act like one with this entire nation, in this case, in the case of Bodhisattva, means Indra's net. We are part of the net. And we are like one knot of the net. So we are connected with all beings. And yet, as a knot, we are independent beings. And yet, there is no such independent being as a knot. A knot is just a condition of a thread getting together.

[56:19]

So, ourselves, each one of ourselves as a knot and this entire Indra's net is one thing. How can we express it within each and every activity we do in our daily lives to express this reality that we are independent person, so we need to take responsibility in our activity, whatever we do, that is our responsibility. And yet, how can we express this oneness with all beings, within our action, using this body and mind, or these five skandhas? And this is a very important kind of a koan that is very difficult.

[57:21]

That means we need to find the best way for both this person and this entire network or entire community. If we sacrifice either, we become sick. Either individuality or as a part of the community. you know, if we lose the balance, we become too selfish. But if we lose the balance and go to another extreme, each one of us has to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of this community. That is, again, another extreme, and that is not healthy. So how can we we find the middle path between these two extremes and try to find the best things to do to keep this entire network as our entire community in a healthy condition.

[58:32]

I think that is, excuse me, That is a very important point of our practice as a Bodhisattva. And within Ryokan's life and his practice as a Bodhisattva, you know, playing with children, sharing the fun with children, was one of the ways he, you know, practiced this identity action. That is my understanding of the meaning of his playing with children. And I think that it's time to stop talking this morning. So in the afternoon, we talk, study, or read Ryokan's poems about sharing funds with children.

[59:39]

Any questions? Please. I was wondering if, I know that the townspeople kind of made fun of him for playing with the children, but then I wonder if they also kind of noticed that he was providing a service of sorts, like you suggested. And I wonder if that might be why he was so successful in Takahatsu, that maybe it would be a wonder if people recognized that he was kind of helping them in a certain way, and so they, it made them I love it. I think so. People in the town or city really appreciate his, you know, practice with children and also they admired his poems and calligraphy. So many people asked him to make a calligraphy. So he was kind of a very popular person in that area. Please.

[60:44]

I was struck by your description of the heart of Koen and the one that... Not mine, but Dogen's. I'm sorry, what is the word? Con-vi-vi-a-lity. Con-vi-vi-a-lity. Living together in an enlarged being where everybody's being is creating another being. Yeah, it's really important how to express this, not idea, but actual thing.

[61:52]

We need some expression or words to convey this practice. Please. but all the children in the village came and for maybe an hour just sang like this and it was just so wonderful yeah you are like ryokan so i think maybe translation doesn't need something special

[63:20]

I think it's nice to have translation and to communicate the meaning, but that communicating within our intellectual understanding is not the only way we can communicate, especially with children. Okay, I think it's time to stop. Thank you very much.

[63:43]

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