I vow to taste the truth of the Targeta's words. Good morning. Is this microphone on? I think it's not on. Okay. Well, I've been lecturing on Dogen Zenji's Genjo Koan for a while, and I'm coming to the end. And I'm going to read the part that is just leading into what I want to talk about.

[01:06]

Dogen says, now if a bird or a fish tries to reach the limit of its element before moving in it, this bird or this fish will not find its way or its place. Attending this place one's daily life is the realization of ultimate reality, Genjo Goan. Attaining this way, one's daily life is the realization of ultimate reality, or Genjo Goan. Since this place and this way are neither large nor small, neither self nor other, neither existing previously nor just arising now, they therefore exist thus. Thus, if one practices and realizes the Buddha way, when one gains one dharma, one penetrates one dharma. When one encounters one action, one practices one action. So Dogen is talking about our life, and if in this world we try to understand everything before we move in it, we can't find our way, our place.

[02:49]

We think maybe we have to have a lot of knowledge before we can move. or before we can feel secure. So we're trying to understand the limits of the universe in order to have a better understanding of how to move in it. But even though we don't know the limit, of the universe, we're still moving in it. The bird flies in the sky, but doesn't need to know the limits of the sky. And the fish swims in the ocean, but doesn't need to know the limits of the ocean, of the water. And he says, if we practice and realize the Buddha way, when we gain one Dharma,

[03:54]

we penetrate one dharma. When we encounter one action, we practice one action. He's talking about both zazen and our daily life. To encounter our circumstances on this moment is the most important thing. And to penetrate this moment and to just be present on this moment is the most important action. So Nogen says, since the place is here, right here, and the way leads everywhere.

[05:07]

There's another way, a better way to say that. Here is the place, and this is where the way unfolds. The boundary of realization is not distinct for the realization comes forth simultaneously with the mastery of Buddha Dharma. Do not practice thinking that realization must become the object of one's knowledge and vision and be grasped conceptually. Even though the attainment of realization is immediately manifest, its intimate nature is not necessarily realized. Some may realize it and some may not. So in this section, Dogen is talking about what we can know and what we can't know and what we need to know and what we don't need to know and how to be, how to find our place in not knowing.

[06:19]

And how to manifest our life in non-duality. Here is the place and here the way unfolds. I think it's important to realize that wherever we are is the correct place to be. we may feel comfortable or uncomfortable wherever we are. But you know, the most difficult place to be is often the place where we are. Everything is changing. It's interesting, you know, when you come to a place in the traffic You're sitting in your car and it looks like things will never move, but they always move.

[07:26]

You come back the next day and the cars are whizzing by as if nothing had happened. And there you were sitting there thinking, this will never, traffic will never move, but it always moves. Everything moves. And the place to be is right where you are on this moment. Even though we'd rather be somewhere else. Even though we think there's a better place. Even though we think we should have different feelings. Even though the problem we have is not the problem we want. But right here, on the moment, with the problem you have, is the correct place to be. And the problem you have is just the right problem for you, even though you don't think so.

[08:36]

Even though it's not the problem you want. It's difficult. But as he says, right here is the way, and here is where the way unfolds. The boundary of realization is not distinct. for the realization comes forth simultaneously with the mastering of Buddhadharma. We can't really see the end of things. This sentence is very much like the first sentence that I read before. It's not necessary to know the limit

[09:40]

of our field before moving in it. We don't need to know the answer. We don't need to know the ultimate answer. The more we understand, the more our realization unfolds. But the more our realization unfolds, the more we realize that we don't understand. They say the beginning of wisdom is to know how unknowable knowing is. So just to be able to stand up in the midst of insecurity, Our security actually is bound up with the fact that nothing can be grasped.

[10:52]

Because we think that there is the graspable, we feel insecure. But if we give up that notion, then we can feel secure in the midst of our insecurity. It's really the only way because there's nothing to hold on to. This is the secret of our practice. So Dogen says, do not practice thinking that realization must become the object of one's knowledge and vision and be grasped conceptually. We have this idea about realization or about enlightenment.

[12:00]

Basically, enlightenment is our true nature. It's not something that we can obtain. We say attain enlightenment. Attain may be okay, but obtain is not okay. Because it's not something in a box that we can buy. And it's not something that you can see. As soon as you have an idea about it, it's gone. You can be it, but you can't see it. It's like the eye cannot see itself. The eye sees, but cannot see itself. Our basic nature is light, enlightenment.

[13:12]

We can see, have enlightenment, but we can't grasp it or see it. So that's why when we practice, we don't practice to attain enlightenment. We practice for the sake of practice. And then enlightenment unfolds. So he says, don't practice thinking that realization must become the object of knowledge. Soon as it becomes the object of knowledge, then you have a duality. You have subject and object. As soon as you objectify enlightenment, it's no longer present. So this is a difficult part.

[14:17]

This is why it's important to not be self-conscious. Self-consciousness has two aspects. One aspect of self-consciousness is separation. When we objectify, then we become self-conscious because we've separated ourself as a subject against an object. And then we become conscious of ourself, conscious of self, that's self-consciousness. And it's an extreme form of self-consciousness is paranoia. The world is over against me. The other aspect of, side of self-consciousness is to realize that everything is myself.

[15:27]

and then there's no separation. This is self-consciousness without an ego or without a separation. So, beyond one's knowledge, when you want to pin it down, then it becomes beyond one's knowledge. When we don't try to pin it down and just live our life as practice, enlightenment is there.

[16:29]

but we don't recognize what enlightenment is. We think of it in some special conceptual way. So again, he says, do not practice thinking that realization has become the object of one's knowledge and vision and be grasped conceptually So the wonderful thing about practice is that we can actually practice without having to understand. As Dogen says, some may understand, some may not. Even though the attainment of realization is immediately manifest, its intimate nature is not necessarily realized. So there's realizing, realization which is, which is always there but

[18:00]

We don't see it. This is why sometimes people say, well, you should know who you are. You say, well, I know who I am. I'm John or Mary. But that's just an idea about who we are. That's just a conceptual idea. We kind of know who we are, but intimately, we may not know. Intimately, there's more to understand, which is not conceptual.

[19:06]

even though the attainment of realization is immediately manifest, its intimate nature is not necessarily realized. Some may realize it and some may not. So each one of us is intrinsically enlightened, has enlightenment, but what he's getting to is without stimulation, without practice, It doesn't arise. It doesn't manifest. Some may realize and some may not. So we can even practice for 10, 15, 20 years within the realm of realization, of enlightenment, but we don't realize it. Some realize it, but some don't. It's okay whether we realize it or not.

[20:13]

The main thing is that within the realm of practice, enlightenment is manifesting even though you don't see it. But as someone said, although it is not known, there's no problem about not knowing. And the reason there's no problem about not knowing is because not knowing is the highest knowledge. When the emperor asked Bodhidharma, who are you? He said, I don't know. There's Bodhidharma's I don't know, and then there's the ordinary I don't know.

[21:22]

Are they the same or different? Then Dogen brings us to the conclusion. He says, he gives us an example. He says, Priest Paochei of Makushan was fanning himself. It was a hot day in China, steamy, damp. He's fanning himself. And a monk approached and asked, Sir, I don't know if he said sir, but sir, the nature of wind is permanent and there's no place it does not reach.

[22:33]

Why must you then, why must you still fan yourself? Although you understand that the nature of wind is permanent, the master replied, you do not understand the meaning of its reaching everywhere. What is the meaning of it reaching everywhere?" asked the monk. The master just fanned himself, and the monk bowed with deep respect. This is the enlightened experience of Buddhadharma and the vital way of its correct transmission. Those who say we should not use a fan because wind is permanent And so we should know the existence of wind without using a fan, know neither permanency nor the nature of wind. Because the nature of wind is eternally present, the wind of Buddha Dharma actualizes the gold of the earth and ripens the cream of the long river."

[23:37]

So, Priest Paoche, who was a Dharma heir of Matsu, was fanning himself. And the monk approached and asked, sir, the nature of wind is permanent, and there is no place it does not reach. The nature of wind is Buddha nature. So if Buddha nature is permanent, everything is Buddha nature, why do we have to do something? everyone has Buddha nature, if we all have the enlightened nature to begin with, why do we have to do something? Why do we have to practice? And so the master said, although you understand that the nature of wind is permanent, Suzuki Roshi says, he's just

[24:48]

although you know, but although you know the nature of wind is permanent, a meaning always abiding. The Master replied, you did not understand the meaning of its reaching everywhere. Well, what is the meaning of its reaching everywhere? The Master fanned himself. Fanning is like In order to, even though the nature, each one of us has true nature, Buddha nature, enlightened nature, it doesn't manifest unless we practice, unless we do something to stimulate our Buddha nature. It's like, Even though you have the piano, it's not music until you play it.

[26:07]

Even though you have your car parked outside, it doesn't work until you step inside and turn on the key, step on the gas, put it in gear, and go through the motion. There are many talented people, but unless they do something to stimulate that talent, nothing arises. Things don't work. Although we all have Buddha nature, it doesn't manifest except as we address it and make it work, bring it into our life. or let it shine through our activity.

[27:15]

So instead of putting emphasis on enlightenment, gaining enlightenment, we put the emphasis on stimulating Buddha nature, on practice, just taking care of our practice. just doing the work. If you don't do the work, you don't get paid. So then Dogen says, This is the enlightened experience of Buddhadharma and the vital way of its correct transmission. Those who say we should not use a fan because wind is permanent, and so we should know the existence of wind without using a fan, know neither permanency nor the nature of wind.

[28:29]

There are no spontaneous Buddhas. Buddhas don't arise, even though we say that the legend about various Buddhas being Buddha from birth, actually everyone is a Buddha from birth, but there are no spontaneous Buddhas. Buddhas are made as well as born. In other words, Buddha nature or enlightenment is there to be realized, but it doesn't arise spontaneously. it has to be catalyzed through our way-seeking mind or activity.

[29:48]

So I was going to say Buddhists are made, not born, but that's one-sided. Buddhists are born Buddhists and made Buddhists, but even though they're born Buddhists, their Buddha nature has to be actualized. So when Dogen went to China, he had this question. So this is kind of the culmination of Dogen's seeking and his realization, this Genjo Goan. His question was, if everyone has Buddha nature, why do we practice? So he found this realization in China. When he was sitting Zazen, the monks were all working very hard, practicing, sitting Zazen.

[30:56]

And his teacher, Ru Jing, came up to the monk next to him, who was sleeping. nodding off, and he hit the monk with his slipper, at least to wear shoes in his endo, because they had dirt floors, very hard-packed dirt floors. If you've ever been to some old Japanese monastery where they have, it looks like tile or something, but it's really a dirt floor that's packed so hard that it's very shiny, and they wear slippers. So he took his slipper and hit the monk next to Dogen, and he said, why are you wasting your time sleeping when you should be practicing hard to wake up? And Dogen realized at this point

[32:01]

And there were some other incidents too in Dogen's life in China that awakened him. One incident was coming across a cook, a monastery cook, and being taught by the monastery cook that cooking was practice. When Dogen realized that Working hard and cooking were the practice of Buddhadharma. He had his realization.

[33:08]

The cook actually taught him that practice was realization. So he says, because the nature of wind is eternally present, Buddha nature, the wind of Buddhism, the wind of the Dharma, the teaching of Buddhism, or the practice of Buddhism, actualizes the gold of the earth. Because the nature of wind, because the nature of Buddha nature is present eternally, The wind of practice actualizes the gold of the earth and ripens the cheese of the long river. There's a kind of long river in Chinese, is a Chinese term for Milky Way.

[34:13]

the long river. And so there's a kind of pun on Milky Way, to change the earth into gold and to churn the long river into Milky Way. So someone else said, the radiance of our original nature manifests only when practice actualizes the Buddha nature. So someone who has mature practice will always see problems as a means of practice.

[36:03]

I think the difference between ordinary life and practice life is in ordinary life, We're always trying to get rid of our problems or escape often from our problems. But in practice life, problem is a way to practice, no matter how difficult it is. And when we can practice that way, enlightenment is there. It's not that when we have enlightenment there are no problems, or that we won't create problems. Hopefully, we won't create problems, but we always will.

[37:27]

But we should be very careful. With enlightenment, we should be very careful. We're all feeling human beings, thinking and feeling and emotional. And our pain and our problems should help us to steer our course correctly on each moment. When we create a problem, that problem should help us to not perpetuate the problems that we cause. So when we sit in Zazen, often the problem is there.

[38:42]

and there's nothing to do but let it work itself out, it will go over and over in our mind and pretty soon it will be worn down. If we truly allow ourself to be just present Does anybody have a question? Well, they're not connected in that way, but yes, the fish swimming in the water, I mean, you can apply it in that way.

[39:52]

I don't think that's what Dogen meant, but the fish's work is to swim in the water without knowing the limits of the water. the work of the Zen student is to just take care of what's there in front of you totally without creating a big picture. You know, Zazen is the practice of reducing your life to the narrowest space and the most particular moment. The narrowest space in just this moment, moment after moment. And eliminate the duality of a subject and object

[41:04]

and this way to open your world so that you're connected with everything. It's not necessary to have so much information It's only necessary to be totally open. Dogen, in Zazen Shin, has the image of the fish lazily swimming at the bottom of the clear water. Being comfortable in its element.

[42:19]

without desiring anything and without rejecting anything. When something comes along, the fish goes, And the fish, you can't really follow its path very easily.

[43:08]

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