Shunryu Suzuki on Precepts part II

HOW TO UNDERSTAND RITUALS AND PRECEPTS:

ZAZEN, RITUALS AND PRECEPTS CANNOT BE SEPARATED

San Francisco

Part 1

This evening I want to talk about some problems you have when you come to Zen Center. And you understand why we practice--zazen practice, pretty well. But why we observe this kind of ritual--rituals, is maybe rather difficult to understand why. Actually, it is not something to be explained [laughs] so well. If you ask me why we observe or why I observe those rituals, you know, without much problem is difficult to answer.

But first of all, why I do it is because--because I have been doing for a long time [laughs]. So for me there is not much problem [laughs, laughter]. So I--I tend to think that because I have no problem in observing my way, there must not be problem--so much problem for you [laughs]. But actually, you are an Amer- [partial word]--you are Americans, and I am Japanese, and you have been--you were not practicing Bud- [partial word]--Buddhist way, so there must be various problems [laughs].

So this kind of problem is almost impossible to solve. But if you, you know, actually follow our way I think you will reach--you will have some understanding of our rituals. And what I want to talk about is actually about precepts, you know.

But precepts for me is also include rituals. And when we say "precepts," it--it is actually another name of our zazen practice. For us, zazen practice and observation of rituals are not different--two different things. How to observe our rituals is how to observe our precepts. The way we observe, and the idea of observing practice or rituals are actually same. And our practice, especially as a--as Soto school, put emphasis on our everyday life, including rituals, or eating, or way of going [to] restroom, or bathroom [laughs] too. All those things are included in our practice.

So the way we practice zazen, the--the way we practice rituals, and the way we--way of life as a Buddhist or Zen student is fundamentally the same. But when we talk about our way of life or rituals, you know, actually you face to some rules. Rules of life will be, you know, rules of observing prec- [partial word]--ceremony is rituals. And rules of--in our everyday life is our precepts.

So we--we have, you know, here we have the idea of rules. When we say "precepts," precepts means some rules usually, but that is just a superficial understanding of rituals--precepts. Precepts is actually--expression of our true nature is precepts. And how we express our true nature is always according to the place or situation under which you live. So to practice zazen is to be yourself, you know, on your black cushion, and to observe our precepts is just to be yourself. And how we observe our rituals [is] to be with people in Buddha hall.

So as you have some way of sitting in--on black cushion, you know, we have some way of observing our rituals or ceremony. And spirit of, you know, in our prac- [partial word]--in zazen practice, the point is to get rid of thinking mind--to be free from thinking mind, or to be free from emotional activity. In short, that is the practice of selflessness. And in our rituals observation, the point is to be free from selfish idea--or the rituals--practice of rituals is practice of selflessness.

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HOW TO UNDERSTAND RITUALS AND PRECEPTS:

ZAZEN, RITUALS AND PRECEPTS CANNOT BE SEPARATED

San Francisco

Part 2

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First of all you enter, you know, you bow. The bow means to--we say gotai-tochi. From gotai (Jap.): "the five body (members)"--head, two arms, and two legs;

tochi (Jap.): "prostrating one's body." Gotai is "our body." Our--to- [partial word]--tochi is "to throw away our body." It means that, in short, practice of selflessness, you know, to throw away our physical and mental being. And--or we offer, you know, ourselves to Buddha. That is our practice of bow. To bow--when you bow, you bow and lift your hand. That means to lift Buddha's feet, which is on your palm, like this, and you feel Buddha on your palm. So in this way, you--when you practice bow, you have no--or you shouldn't have--you are supposed not to have any idea of self, you know. You give up everything.

When Buddha was begging, his follower, you know, spread his hair on the ground, muddy ground, and let Buddha pass that place. That is--is supposed to be the origin of why we bow. And in ritual, you know, you bow and work. You do everything by some sign [laughs], you know, that is, you know, that kind of thing is--maybe the things you may not like so much [laughs]. Just--it looks like very formal, you know, to--to--to do everything by sign, by bell. Whether you want to do it or not, you must do it [laughs]. But it looks like very formal. And actually you--as long as you are in Buddha hall--hall, you should observe our way according to the rules we have here. But why we do it is to forget ourselves and to become one--to feel or to be, you know, Zen student actually in this Buddha hall. That is why we--we observe our rituals.

And this is very important point. To feel your being here, right in this time, is very important practice for us. And actually, that is the point of observing precepts and observing rituals and practice of zazen. To feel or to be yourself at certain time, in certain place. For that purpose, we practice our way.

So actual feeling cannot--could not be understood without observing it. When you observe it, you feel actual feeling of rituals. As long as you try to know what does it mean or why you do it, you know, it is difficult to feel your actual being on that place.

Only when you do it you will, you know, feel your being. To be a Buddhist is to do things like Buddha, like your friend do. That is actually, you know, to--how to be a Buddhist [laughs]. It does not mean, you know, when you are able to observe our rituals as your friend do, then you will be--you will have no problem in your everyday life. That kind of feeling or practice will be extended in your everyday life.

You will find yourself in various situation, and you will intuitively know what you should do. And you will react--you will have right reaction to someone's, you know, activity. When you, you know, you have--when you lack, or when you are not able to respond to the people without, you know, thinking how to--without wondering what he has in his mind or what--what is the reason why he, you know, force something to you [laughs], you know, then it--maybe sometime you can. But most of the time I don't think you will have right--you cannot have right respond, or you will not have most intuitive, you know, respond to the people.

So why we--you do it is, you know, I want you to do it until I think, at least, you know, he is--until I think--quite sure about his respond, you know, to other people. How he respond to others is very important point. As a teacher, you know, when we teachers see our students, you may be trying to be, you know, [to] act right, and try to understand people, but most of the time it is rather difficult to have--to be very--to have some kind of intuition. And for--if you have this kind of, you know, if you start to have this kind of intuition, you have big confidence in yourself, and you can trust people, and you can trust yourself. And so, all the problem--problems which is created by yourself will be no more. You will have no more problem--something, you know, almost all the people may have. That is why, you know, we have training or practice.

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HOW TO UNDERSTAND RITUALS AND PRECEPTS:

ZAZEN, RITUALS AND PRECEPTS CANNOT BE SEPARATED

San Francisco

Part 3

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My, you know, master Gyokujun So-on. used to say to us, you know: "If you stay with me for," you know, "for several years, whether you become a priest or not," you know, "if you become a priest, you will be a good priest, and you--if you stay--remain layman, you will be a good," you know, "layman or good citizen," he always said, "and you will have no problem in your life."

And I think that is--that was very true, you know. I was the six[th] youngest disciple when [laughs] I became my master's disciple. And--and two of us become a--became a priest, but rest of the disciples became, you know, remain laymen. And they are very good, you know, actually. When they come to my teacher they were, you know, some [laughs]--they had some trouble, you know. But all--most of--one disciple who passed away, you know, is exception, but rest of the people has been doing pretty well, although they are not priest. You may--so I think that is very true.

Anyway, this kind of practice is very--very good practice for you. You may think our practice is like a army practice or something [laughs], but actually it is not so. The idea is quite different. Maybe Japanese army, you know, copied our practice, you know. Maybe looks like so, but they couldn't copy [laughs] our spirit.

As you trust your innate nature, which is called buddha-nature, you should trust your innate nature. That is the most important point. And if you trust, you know, your true nature, you should trust your teacher too. That is very important. Not because your teacher is perfect, you know, but because his innate nature which is same with--with you. The point that--point of practice between teacher and disciple is to get rid of, you know, selfish idea as much as possible and to trust each other. When you--only when you trust your teacher, I think you can practice zazen, and you can practice ritual, and you can act as a Zen Center student.

So to be always, you know, to remain always as a Zen Center student is very important point for you. And how you, you know, become a Zen Center student is to trust your true nature, and to trust your teacher, and to trust your zazen practice without, you know, saying why [laughs]. I think you should do it, as long as you come here. And if you don't want to do so--you do not want to do so, you shouldn't come here, I think. As long as you come here, you should follow our way, or else maybe you will waste your time and you will have regret, you know.

So in this way, I think, we can carry on our schedule. And how we carry on our schedule is how we observe our precepts.

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HOW TO UNDERSTAND RITUALS AND PRECEPTS:

ZAZEN, RITUALS AND PRECEPTS CANNOT BE SEPARATED

San Francisco

Part 4

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Precepts started by Buddha, you know, when he said "Don't do this--that, or don't," you know, "behave like that," you know. That was the origin of precepts. So in India, at Buddha's time, they have Buddha's precepts. And in China, they have more Chinese--they have precepts which is based on Chinese way of life. We have sixteen precepts, you know, but those precepts is the essential, you know, precepts which we should observe as a Japanese, as an American, as a--a--an Indian priest, you know, or layman. That is sixteen precepts.

And those precepts are the precepts which you can apply, you know, to various--apply to your everyday life. We say "Don't kill," you know, but "Don't kill" does not mean just don't kill flies or insects, you know. Actually it is too late [laughs], you know. If you--"Oh, here!"--if you say, "Here is a fly," whether you should kill it or not, it is too late! That problem is always with us, you know. Before you see fly, we have always this kind of problem. When you eat, what you will say, you know: "Seventy-two labors brought us this rice," you know. When we say so, you know, "Seventy-two labors" include, you know, to keep grains from various insects, you know.

So, you know, it is not just--not to kill insects. When you eat, when you say, "Seventy-two labors brought us this rice," you know, it include already the precepts--precept of "not to kill." But actually, you know, after making a great effort to protect corns--corn from insects, we can eat. So at that time we, you know, the way you, you know, observe--ho- [partial word]--the feeling you say "Seventy-two labors" is, you know, should be, you know, related to the precept "not to kill," you know. So "not to kill," precept "not to kill" is not any special--special precept.

To be--to exist here in this way is the result of, you know, sacrificing many animals and plants [laughs]. You are always sacrificing something for your being. So as long as you are involved in dualistic concept, you know, it is not possible for you to observe our precepts.

So the point is how to be--how to get out of this kind of dualistic concept and fill our being with gratitude is the point of practice. So it is very foolish to say, "not to kill," you know, actually. But why we say "not to kill" is to point out or to--to understand our life from various point-- pointing up at, you know, various points. "Not to kill," "not to steal," you know, "not to speak ill of others." Each of those precepts include the other precepts. And each practice or rituals we observe include the other. So if you know--if you have actual feeling of your being here, then it is the way--that is the way you observe precepts and the way you practice zazen.

So if it is not--if you understand how you observe our precepts, even one of them, you can observe the rest of the precepts and you can practice our zazen, you can observe our rituals. Zazen practice and observation of rituals or precepts cannot be separated. How to experience this kind of, you know, feeling, is, you know, why you--is how you understand our precepts.

So, actually, if you say it is difficult, it may be very difficult. But, you know, it cannot be so difficult thing if you say, "I will do it." That's--that's--that is how you observe precepts, even without thinking, you know, whether I can con- [partial word]--observe it or not, you know. "I will do it" means, you know, "don't kill animals." "Yes," you may say--you can say, because originally it is not possible to kill anything [laughs]. You think you--you killed [laughs], but actually, you--you cannot. Even though you think you killed, but they are still alive [laughs]. Even though you eat, you know, something, it is still alive in your body. If something leave your body, they are still alive.

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HOW TO UNDERSTAND RITUALS AND PRECEPTS:

ZAZEN, RITUALS AND PRECEPTS CANNOT BE SEPARATED

San Francisco

Part 5

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It is not possible for anything to be killed. So only way is to--to be grateful for everything you have [laughs]. That is how you, you know, keep our precepts without, you know, having dualistic understanding of precepts.

Then you may say, "If so, there will not be no need to have precepts." But unless you make yourself quite sure, you know, you cannot feel your presence, you don't feel your being, you do not feel you are alive here. You do not have any gratitude of--or joy of life or gratitude for everything. So, you know, you may--you can easily say: "No, I wouldn't. I wouldn't kill anything." But it means that you will not sacrifice anything--sacrifice yourself for anything. You will be just you. You will not be caught by dualistic, you know, understanding of yourself, and you will feel yourself, as you feel yourself in your zazen.

It is rather difficult to explain [laughs], you know, but that is actually how we observe precepts. So Dogen Zenji says: "Even though we do not try to observe precepts," you know, "and like a--like a--scarecrow [laughs]," you know, "no evil come to you." It is strange, you know [laughs]. When you have, you know--when you feel your being, you know, in its true sense right here, no, you know, evil come. You cannot viola- [partial word]--violate any precepts, and whatever you do, that is expression of your true nature.

You will not say: "I shouldn't say so" [laughs] or "I shouldn't do that." You will be quite free from that kind of regret or arrogance of observing something--observing some special precepts. That is how you observe precepts.

To--to repeat precepts is to knock [?], you know, or--or to chew your brown rice [laughs]. Without chewing your brown rice, you cannot eat it, you know. Only when you chew, you know [laughs], for pretty long time, like this, you will, you know, you will appreciate the taste of brown rice. When you say, "Oh this is awful! [Laughs.] How many times should I," you know, "chew it before I swallow it down?" That is, you know, very foolish way of chewing brown rice or eating brown rice. If you say, "Oh, sixteen precepts!" [Laughs.] "Awful," you know, "to be a Buddhist!" [Laughs, laughter.] Then, you know, you have no chance to have a real taste of Buddhist way. If you do it one by one, that is how you chew it--how you chew brown rice and how you practice our way.

And pretty soon you will have … [Sentence not finished. Tape turned over.]

… you may say.

Hmm. I have not much things to say for tonight, but as you may have various, you know, not doubt, but you may have many questions on this point, I try to explain why we observe our rituals and our precepts.

Precepts observation is just to say HAI! [Loudly.] [Laughs.] That is how you observe precepts, you know. You--you shouldn't care--"Hai!" [Said without pause between "care" and "Hai!"] [Laughs.] Shut your eyes. "Hai!"--you should say. That is how you observe your precepts.

When flies come, you know, you should, you know, kill him--kill them. Wsht! [Laughs, laughter.] But you are always prepared, you know, for doing something wrong, maybe, you know. Even though when you are eating you are prepared for it, you know--"uh-oh" [?] [laughs]. You are not eating your rice carelessly, you know. You, you know, you are reciting from your bottom of heart, "Seventy-two labors" or "Sevent- [partial word]--[laughs]--"Seventy-two labors" or something incredible [laughs, laughter]. Anyway, you will say: "Seventy-two labors." That is actually how you bow here, you know. There is no other way [laughs], as long as you live here.

If your practice doesn't reach, you know, so--so far, it is not real practice. That is how you feel, you know, eternal life in, you know, in--with the mortal body. When you say "Seventy-two labors," there is, you know, Buddha, already, where there is nothing happens, you know, even though many things happen. But that is a part of, you know, Buddha's mercy.

Thank you very much.

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SESSHIN LECTURE No. 1 The date of this lecture is uncertain. It may or may not be the first lecture of the sesshin.

San Francisco

Part 1

In this sesshin, I have been explaining the context of our practice and, at the same time, the meaning of rules and precepts. But for us, precepts--observation of precepts and practice of zazen is same thing, you know, not different [just] as our everyday life and practice, zazen practice, is one.

After sesshin, we will have ordination ceremony for Paul [Discoe] and Reb [Anderson]. And--and then we will have lay ordination ceremony for the students--all the students who has been practicing zazen who--who has practiced zazen for three years before 1967. And so that is why I explained the meaning of our practice, zazen practice, or way of our zazen practice, referring to the precepts and rules--rules which you may like [laughs]--you may not like so much [laughs].

But if you know what is the precepts and what is rules, you--whether you like it or not, it is something with you, always, before--even before you are born--you were born. So we say: "If there is something, there is rules about it or in it." [Laughs.] There is nothing without rules, you know. That something [is] there means that some rules is there. That is rules. But before we, you know, know our true nature or some truth or rules which is always with you--you, you know, you think when--when someone explain how you exist or what is, you know, your true nature, then that is Buddha's teaching, not mine [laughs]. Nothing to do with me.

"If I am Buddhist [laughs], maybe we have to observe Buddha's precepts. But I am not Buddhist," you know, "I am not yet Buddhist, so that rules is nothing to do with me. But fortunately or unfortunately, if I go to Zen Center, you know, to listen to lecture [laughs] we have to, you know, behave like other students be- [partial word]--behave. That is rules." You may understand in that way. But where Zen Center exist, there is Zen Center's rules.

As you have your true nature, and, you know, to--to be ordained or to become a Buddhist disci- [partial word]--Buddha's disciple is to receive precepts. But that precepts, as I explained--actually precepts you have--which you have essentially--which you essentially have, originally have. But before you know yourself, you know, through practice pretty long time, you don't know your true nature.

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SESSHIN LECTURE No. 1 The date of this lecture is uncertain. It may or may not be the first lecture of the sesshin.

San Francisco

Part 2

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When you--for an instance, when you cook rice for the first time [laughs], there is rules how you, you know, cook rice. So according, you know, to the way or rules, you know, to cook rice you can, you know--first you wash rice, you know, rice and--soaked in water maybe four, five hours or--no, no--wash it and take it in basket to get rid of water, and keep in the basket, you know, for--for [four?] five hours, and adding 20% more water to the rice, and burn it for maybe twenty minutes or more [laughs, laughter]. Then [laughing] you will have a beautiful, you know, well-cooked rice!

So we know that, you know, if you practice zazen [laughs], if you observe precepts, you will be a good person, you know, like Buddha [laughs]. But the--but if you have no experience of cooking rice, you know, and on--even though you know how to cook it, but when you cook it for the first time, if I--if you--you dip it in--if you, you know--after you wash it--is it--to wait twothree hours before you cook, oh, that's terrible! [Laughs.] To wait twothree hours before we start to cook!

And even though you start to cook, you know, you will worry, you know--you know, before you see well-cooked rice. And is it--is the water enough? May- [partial word]--maybe [laughs], and it may want more water, you know. Or then someone will tell him--tell you: "No, don't add any more water. That is okay." "No! Water [laughs] is not--I think water is not enough, so maybe I want to add some more water. " Yes, no, yes, no. [Laughs, laughter.] That kind of problem arise.

It is same thing with our practice, you know. If you just practice zazen, you know, according to the instruction, you will be a good person anyway [laughs]. But because you have no experience of, you know, perfect prac- [partial word]--practice, you worry, you know. That is, you know, you will have some doubt in your practice, and if your teacher says, "Don't move." [Laughs.] "Continue practice," you know, then you may say, "Oh my! That's awful!" [Laughs.] That is same thing [as when] you, you know, feel uneasy before you see the well-cooked rice.

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SESSHIN LECTURE No. 1 The date of this lecture is uncertain. It may or may not be the first lecture of the sesshin.

San Francisco

Part 3

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So for a student, as I said, something which looks like rules, or precepts, or prohibitory rules is not, Dogen Zenji says, true Buddhism. At first, all de- [partial word]--all the precepts looks like rules, but we must have it, you know.

So ordination ceremony is to trust Buddha. Or trust--to trust Buddha's precepts. Or to trust your teacher, even though you don't--because you don't know exactly, you are not yet through Buddha's practice.

So it is necessary for you [to be] trusting Buddha, and for some gurus to you. That is necessary, for you, for a student. But Buddha may say, "I am not forcing anything," you know. "The rules you should observe is essentially--something you have essentially. Originally you have rules." That is what Buddha may say.

We say: "If you practice zazen, there is, you know, there is Buddha nature, true nature. That is just expression of true nature." To observe--when you observe precepts, there is your true nature. But if someone, you know, watch--see our practice, it looks like teacher is forcing some rules to many students. Here is, you know, bamboo sprout, you know, growing every day. Before bamboo become bamboo, you know, it will be a bamboo sprout two feet long or three feet long. It is growing very rapidly. But even though, you know, bamboo sprout is completely--looks like completely different, very, very different from bamboo, but bamboo is--even though it looks like very different, you know, bamboo sprout is really bamboo, and when--before it become bamboo, it should be in that shape, you know. It cannot be big, perfect bamboo, as you use.

But if you don't sit, you don't know bamboo through and through, you know. You may say--someone may say, you know, "He is fooling us," you know [laughing], "telling us this is bamboo. But this is not bamboo. Bamboo is more taller and with leaves. But this ha- [partial word]--this has no leaves! [Laughs, laughter.] Moreover, it is covered by something, some funny thing. [Laughs.] This cannot be a bamboo!" [Laughs.]

But when it is young, you know, there is--there must be some form, you know, even though--which is different from the mother bamboo. But no one actually forces bamboo sprout in that way, you know. Naturally it is in that way and growing in that way. But most people say, without understanding bamboo through and through, they have some idea of bamboo. We have some idea about our way of life and human nature, but unfortunately most of us do not know human nature through and through, like Buddha understood human nature.

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SESSHIN LECTURE No. 1 The date of this lecture is uncertain. It may or may not be the first lecture of the sesshin.

San Francisco

Part 4

You may say Buddha's teaching is the teaching of human nature. He will be a man or sage who had enormous understanding--unusual understanding about our human nature. So that is why, you know, he set up that kind of precepts. So from Buddha's side, it is our true nature. But from our side, it looks like something funny, you know: Buddha treating us, you know, forcing us to be a [laughs] bamboo sprout. [Laughs.] You may understand in that way. That is the trouble. How we solve the pro- [partial word]--this problem is for us, you know, to trust the precepts, and to join his practice. And for Buddha, you know, acknowledging student's quality or true nature, which is same as Buddha. And help students to be a Buddha. That is, from Buddha's viewpoint, that is his way.

Actual--our zazen practice is called practice of--practice [of being] one with enlightenment. It means that from Buddha--from Buddha, it is enlightenment. From us, you know, it is practice. But actual practice is--actually, for us it is training. For Buddha it is expression of true nature. Actually it is so.

That is, you know, the--if we say, "our practice is expression of practice," you cannot agree with that. But if you say, "our practice is training to be a Buddha," Buddha will not agree with your understanding. And both is true, you know [laughs]. For you, it is training, that is true. For Buddha it is expre- [partial word]--expression of Buddha-nature, and he accept our practice whether it is perfect or imperfect.

When you--so for you, how to become a Zen student is--even though it is not so, you should, you know, receive precepts. You--even though you cannot accept it through and through, trusting him you should accept it. As you cook a rice according to the, you know, instruction. If you can do it just, you know, according to the instruction, that is best. But even though you, you know, you are confused, you know, while you are cooking, it can be--it i- [partial word]--it may be okay.

But anyway, you should start our way, and you should try to, you know, try to trust our instruction, our precepts, our zazen practice. This is, you know, actually to--how you join our practice, why you receive our precepts.

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In ordination, when--when you join our order, you know, we--you will receive a robe which was designed by Buddha and which was worn by Buddha. And to receive this robe means to trust him. It is so important that to have Buddha, that we, you know, to encourage our way-seeking mind, to be free from our doubt, to have strong faith in our way, or to encourage our way we wear robe, which is set up by Buddha and used by Buddha. But nowadays, it is a symbol: symbol of teaching, symbol of his precepts, spirit, and--and it express by its color and by the material we use and size we decide, you know, we express Buddha's teaching too. Not just symbol, but to understand teaching, which is expressed in robe, is also necessary. So for--for us it is the teaching itself, and it is the Buddha's spirit itself, even though we cannot use it to protect us from cold or from hot weather.

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70-08-02V

TRUE PRACTICE AS EXPRESSION OF BUDDHA-NATURE

San Francisco

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We, you know, we say many things--not to do this, you know--or we talk about precepts, but the point of practice--observing precepts is there is no need not to do something bad. There is no need to try not to do something bad, but if you do good thing like zazen, you cannot do bad thing at the same time [laughs, laughter].

So if you, you know, continue, you know, positively something--continue to do something good, that is how you observe our precepts. So the point is just to sit, forgetting all about fame or profit. Just to sit for sake of zazen. That is one point. And that--that kind of attitude is also the attitude to--to have real way-seeking mind. Way-seeking mind means, you know, to find out inmost desire.

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70-08-03U

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Right practice is also foundation of precepts. Precepts. When you do not have right practice, you will hesitate to accept precepts, but if you have right practice you can accept precepts. Whatever precepts may be, you can accept. So precepts for the people who have right practice is called "bodhisattva precepts," in comparison to some other so-called-it "Hinayana precepts," which is quite different. The way of observing is quite different. Last night I talked about--little bit about it. I said if you do something good, you cannot, you cannot--you have no time to do something bad. That is how you keep precepts.

Why we say "bodhisattva precepts" is--it is based on bodhisattva mind. As you know, bodhisattva mind is to save others, all sentient beings before you save yourself. That is bodhisattva mind. To save others is first and to save ourselves is next. Or we say, bodhisattva mind, bodhisattva mind ... bodhisattva mind is spirit, to devote ourselves in serving others.

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70-08-04V

SESSHIN LECTURE, No. 4

San Francisco

Part 1

In--in everyday life, to observe precepts and, in our practice, to continue our zazen looks like different, but actually it is same. In actual zazen, whether--even though your practice is not perfect, if you practice our way, there is enlightenment because originally, you know, our practice is expression of our true buddha-mind.

Because you--your--because of your discrimination, you say your practice is not good. But if we do not, you know--if we do not discriminate [in] our practice, that is really the expression of the--our true nature, which is buddha-nature.

And in our everyday life, if we observe precepts even for a moment with this--with our mind--with our mind which is changing always, then the momentous change--on the momentous changing mind, real, you know, moon of the buddha-mind will appear: bodhi-mind will be there. So actually there is no difference.

---

The precepts is also very clear. There is no precepts to observe, you know, or no one who is observing precepts--no problem at all. Precepts--if you say "precepts," you are precepts itself. And if you say "you," you know, you have, you know--"you" are already precepts. And there is no precepts or no one who observe precepts. In this way, we have to observe our precepts, and we have to arise bodhisattva-mind, and we have to practice our way.

It is not, you know--Dogen Zenji says it is not because of your power of practicing zazen or power of, you know, bodhisattva-mind that you attain enlightenment, that you become buddha. It is not [through] power of practice or it is not, you know, power of arising bodhisattva-mind that you become buddha. And he says even though you attain enlightenment, you have to practice zazen. Even though you attain--you become buddha, you have to have--you have to extend bodhisattva-mind. Even though you become buddha, you have to observe precepts.

That is actually, you know, why he said before you save yourself, you should save others. So, you know, this idea is beyond the idea of attainment--to be buddha or to observe precepts. Usually, you know [laughs], you think, you know, why you practice zazen is to attain enlightenment, why you arise bodhisattva-mind is by power of bodhisattva-mind, [and] you will, you know, be a buddha. By observing precepts you will--you can practice zazen and you will become a buddha. You will understand in that way.

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70-08-04V

SESSHIN LECTURE, No. 4

San Francisco

Part 2

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So we transmit, you know, bodhisattva precept to you [laughs]. We do not say, you know, "buddha precepts." We say "bodhisattva precepts." We--I don't want to discriminate, you know, Theravada way or Mahayana way--so-called-it "Mahayana way," but true spirit of Buddha is actually in Mahayana way. And by Mahayana practice we could--Buddhism could survive for a long time.

So four vow we recite every day is very important. "Beings are numberless; I vow to save them.

Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them.

Buddha gates are boundless; I vow to enter them.

Buddha's way is unsurpassable; I vow to become it." And the precepts we transmit from Buddha to us--transmitted from Buddha to us is very important. And to express the meaning of Buddha's truth--meaning of Buddha's precepts, we call it, you know, "bodhisattva precepts" instead of calling [it] "buddha precepts." We can say "buddha precepts," but if we say--to make this point clear--non-duality of--idea of non-duality and idea of true duality, we use "bodhisattva precepts."

Even though we say "bodhisattva way," we do not discriminate bodhisattva way or Hinayana way. But if we call it--call our precepts "bodhisattva," you know, then you will have much clear[er] understanding of precepts. And you will find out easier to observe. And you will find the deeper meaning of observing precepts.

So for us, even though we have, you know, we are the son--all of us is descendant of Buddha--son of Buddha, but we call, you know, all successive patriarchs "bodhisattva," you know. Buddha is a bodhisattva. And for us, you know, we understand in that way. Bodhidharma is a bodhisattva. And Eka Dazu Huike (Taiso Eka): 487-593. Second patriarch of Zen in China. Dharma successor of Bodhidharma. is bodhisattva. Dogen is bodhisattva. And the precepts you will have, you know, in lay ordination is called "bodhisattva transmission of precepts."

For several nights, I am concentrate--my talk is, you know, concentrated on this point of, you know, why you have--you receive bodhisattva precepts when you, you know, are [receive] lay ordination. Recently I did not put emphasis on Dogen Zenji's zazen practice, which is shikantaza. But shikantaka--we do not say even "shikantaka." But we just say "zazen."

In comparison to the zazen, to attain enlightenment, we call it shikantaka because we have no gaining idea in our practice. And in our practice, practice and enlightenment is one. When you practice our zazen there is enlightenment. We rather put emphasis on, you know, practice rather than enlightenment. Front, you know--front gate is--for us is practice. And, you know, our precepts--Zen precepts is, you know--all Zen precepts is bodhisattva pre- [partial word]--is called "bodhisattva precepts."

And precepts you will receive in lay ordination--precepts transmission you will receive in lay ordination is [one] in which it says there is no difference between Rinzai precepts and Soto precepts. It is bodhisattva precepts. This is very important point. Not dualistic precepts. And the precepts always one with you. And always should be kept by you. Even though you do not try to keep it, it is there.

So that is why I said last night SR-70-08-03. you should say "yes." There is--you cannot say "no." [Laughs.] My lecture was, you know--the point of my lecture was this point: bodhisattva practice--bodhisattva precepts.

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70-08-04V

SESSHIN LECTURE, No. 4

San Francisco

Part 3

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Student G: Roshi, would you say something about shila--the Bodhisattva concept of [1 word].

Student H: That was Sanskrit.

Suzuki Roshi: Bodhisattva?

Student G: Shila--morality. [6-8 words] bodhisattva way.

Suzuki Roshi: In contrast to--in Sanskrit [laughs, laughter]? I don't know Sanskrit. "Bodhisattva" is Sanskrit, I know, but-- I am sorry.

Student G: The bodhisattva concept of morality.

Suzuki Roshi: Ah, concept of morality.

Student G: Yeah.

Suzuki Roshi: Morality--morality is, you know--it is more than morality. Morality is--if you underst- [partial word]--if you see our precepts, it is exactly morality, which you should observe as a human being. But bodhisattva way is more than that. That is why I have to explain it, you know, why I explained so far. If it is morality, you know, if you read the precepts, you know: "Don't kill," you know. "Don't steal." Or, "Don't speak ill of others." If you read in that way, literally, that is morality. And actually, we are observing--most people are observing morality to some extent. That is morality.

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You--you will not say, "I cannot observe this precepts. But this is very good precepts [laughing, laughter]. Very convenient for me." To criticize someone--we use precepts to criticize someone, you know: "'Don't speak ill of others.' You see? What did you say now? You shouldn't criticize me [laughs, laughter], because precept says don't criticize anyone." That is not how we observe precepts.

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In its true sense, buddha-mind--there must not be any difference between bodhisattva-mind [and] buddha-mind, you know. Should be same. But, you know, for a long time, you know, Buddha--Buddha's--Buddhism was mistaken or misunderstood. And, you know, when--after a long time they found out the true meaning of precepts--sutra. And they started to use "bodhisattva"--word "bodhisattva" instead of "buddha." They put emphasis on bodhisattva stage rather than buddha stage, which is perfect. Bodhisattva stage which is not perfect. But in bodhisattva--in idea--idea of buddha is also fully included--maybe more advanced buddha [laughs] in term--in--the meaning of words is--may be deeper when old Buddhist called Buddha "Buddha."

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70-08-09V

PRIEST ORDINATION CEREMONY: Paul Discoe and Reb Anderson

San Francisco

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Suzuki Roshi (speaking formally): Do you want to receive Buddha's precepts? You should make confession. There are two ways--there are two meanings--two meanings in confession, but there is a way for confession transmitted from the Buddha through the patriarchs to us. Recite after my words.

Suzuki Roshi (chanting): All the karma ever created by me--

[Clappers 1X.]--

Ordinands (chanting): --since of old, on account of greed, anger, and self-delusion, which have no beginning, born of my body, speech, and thought, I now make whole open confession of it. [Clappers 1X.]

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Suzuki Roshi (speaking formally): In the Buddha realms, in all directions, the earth trembles and flower fall--flowers fall. What is the meaning of such an extraordinary sight? Buddha says in this world of [2-3 words], for us [?] who want to receive the precepts, having received true [?] discourse on bodhisattva's precepts, revealed [?] by their teacher who had previously received them from his teachers, are allowed to receive the Buddha's precepts, and now they are sure to be buddha. Therefore, the universe manifests such a joyous omen. From hearing this, the bodhisattva bow to them and said [?], if so, we have now accepted the precepts and by keeping them with the spirit of Shakyamuni Buddha, the great teacher and sage.

Our study and practice are accompanied by innumerable bodhisattvas. This is due to the perennial and diamond-like element of the bodhisattva's precepts. Due to ripening [?] of this great opportunity, their bodies are resting in the dharma world. And all the world are involved in those bodhisattva precepts.

In the realm of the great observance of bodhisattva precepts, who are practicing the precepts for whom [?] as the great precepts practice--to whom it may [?] are going, the observance of the pure bodhisattva precepts, there is no subjectivity or objectivity and no merit--it--no merit even in pure practice. Thus, our practice continues forever. We should preserve the good fruit of those true merit of bodhisattva precepts and mutually share the true buddha way with all sentient beings.

Here we have Zengyu and Tenshin, and bodhisattva's precepts have been transmitted to them, and they have joined our order of Buddha. It is our heartfelt desire that they will be mindful of those precepts and manifest the precepts in their everyday live.

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70-08-23V

LAY ORDINATION CEREMONY

San Francisco

If you want to practice our precepts, you should start with pure practice of confession. There are two ways and two meanings in the Buddhist way of confession. However, you have the way of confession transmitted from the Buddha through the patriarchs to you. Reciting after my words:

Suzuki Roshi (chanting): All the karma ever created by me--

All ordinees (chanting): --since of old, on account of greed, anger, and self-delusion, which has no beginning, born of my body, speech, and thought … [Tape recorder was stopped and restarted after an unknown interval.] The following text appears to be the original lecture upon which the edited Wind Bell lecture was based. Earlier fragments printed above were not included in the Wind Bell lecture.

Suzuki Roshi: … and pure [1] and pure heart. This ordination ceremony is [2-3 words]. This is actually the second time--second ordination ceremony for Zen Center, because while we didn't have lay ordination ceremony [2-3] because I didn't want to give you some special idea of Zen Buddhist. Bodhisattva way--according to bodhisattva teaching, every--actually every sentient being is bodhisattva. Whether or not they are aware of it, they are actually disciples of the Buddha.

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70-12-20V

San Francisco

If you--but as a Buddhist, if you think of, for an instance, Ten Grave Prohibitory Precepts, you know, you will understand what kind of understanding of life we have. "Don't kill," you know. We have to encourage our spirit to follow Buddhist way. We shouldn't be killed or we shouldn't kill real Buddhist spirit. We should not steal anything, you know, which does not belong to us. Why we steal something is because we don't know what is real value of things. Whether it belongs to me or to others does not make much sense.

When you steal something, you, you know, you--it means that you know your ego, but you don't know what the materials or things are. Don't behave or don't be indulge[d] in something, or don't act unchaste acts. It means that you should not be indulge[d] into something. You should not be caught by something.

I like old art objects [laughs], and my teacher would say "Don't--don't act unchaste acts." [Laughs.] To him it is unchaste act to be attracted by something, some antique or old art object is unchaste act [laughs] to him. It may be so.

So one by one, if you think of--think about what the Ten Grave Prohibitory Precepts are, you will know what is Buddhist life. Knowing this, you know, tendency of human life, I think you will find out what is zazen practice. To find or to realize what we are and what things are in its true sense is the main purpose of our practice. On your black cushion, if you find yourself, you know, in its true sense, you exist there. But that you exist there means that everything exist as you exist. Even though you do not observe things, you know, one by one, the way you exist on your black cushion is the way things exist on each position. So there is no need for us, when we sit, to be greedy or to be involved in useless competition.

When you act, you know, if your life is based on zazen practice, you will have always good harmony with your family, with your neighbors, and things you treat. You will not make, you know, excessive effort or you will not be idle. You will do exactly, you know, [what] you needed. That is, you know, feeling of zazen. You sit. So that you exist here is that Buddha exist, and that Buddha exist means that you exist here. There is no difference between Buddha and you. Buddha exist in that way, and you exist in that way.

So, if you are Buddha, Buddha is, of course, Buddha and everything could be Buddha. Buddha is someone, you know, who attained buddhahood after making a great effort for many--six years. Before he make--attain buddhahood--before he realize this point, he was Buddha. But he realize what is Gautama Buddha himself. And when he found out himself, he realized everything exist in that way. So for him there was no problem. And according to the tendency of human being, he left his teaching because we make many mistakes. So the teaching was, you know, expressed--left, "Don't do that, don't be that way!" Because you are originally, you know, you will be happy if you are exactly as you are. So don't be that way or this way too much. That was Buddha's teaching, which is called Middle Way.

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70-12-23V

Mill Valley Zendo

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You should know what is pure zazen, what is true zazen transmitted from Buddha to us, which include Buddha’s teaching which is the foundation of various teaching of Buddha, which is a way to observe our precepts. When--only when you practice true zazen it is possible to observe Buddha’s precepts.

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71-01-16V

San Francisco

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When you are really boss of everything, even though it looks like confusion, you know, it is not confusion. Even though it looks like confusion, you know, it is not confusion. Even though you look like doing something wrong, you know, some bad thing [laughs], people may say, "Oh, he is doing something bad." [Laughs.] But, you know, that is, you know, their understanding. For you it is not bad. You are not doing anything bad. It is, you know--because "you" owns everything, and you manage things as if you manage your hands. So it is not bad. So, you know, "don't do something bad" means let yourself be, you know, with everything and let everything as they want to. That is the power of practice, and that is quite different from doing something wrong. And by doing something wrong, by doing something wrong, you may suffer, you know, but for him there is no suffering. He is just, you know, managing things in some way, as his own. So it is a part of practice you do in your everyday life.

The precepts also should be observed in this way, you know. You observe precepts not because you have to follow Buddha's words, but because to extend or to have true practice in our everyday life or to settle yourself on yourself. That self, you know, include everything.

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71-02-07V

SESSHIN LECTURE NO. 3

Sunday Afternoon or Evening

San Francisco

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It is, you know [laughs], pretty hard to practice our way without any, you know, expectation, without any gaining idea. It is actually very difficult. So that is why we have various rules, you know, in zendo. Because of those rules, you know, just to follow the rules, just you follow the rule without any idea of self, you know. Or giving up your idea of self, you can practice, you know, real practice which is not based on self-centered idea. Unless you give up your self-centered practice, idea of self-centered practice, you cannot follow your pract-[partial word: "practice"?] [laughs] [our] rules, you know. So rules will help you to give up your self-centered practice which wouldn't work, but rather encourage you to practice real practice. So rules will help you to have good practice.

In Lotus Sutra, you know, we have one chapter, you know, in which Buddha is talking about our rules. Why we observe our practice is just to help ourselves to keep our practice and make us easy to help ourselves. It is the practice, you know, easy practice, you know. You may think to follow rigid rules is difficult practice. Someone said, you know, "Oh, I wish I hadn't start this, you know, kind of difficult religion [laughs] like Zen [laughs]." Maybe we feel in that way. Our small mind will feel in that way. But if you know what is real practice, you know, then various precepts and rules of Buddhist way will help us, you know. And we find it easy to follow bodhisattva way because of the rules set up by Buddha.

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71-03-12U

LECTURE: REED COLLEGE, PORTLAND, OREGON

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If we know human nature and how we live in this world as a human being, then we will know why we suffer and how to go through suffering. I don't say that you will go beyond it, or that you eliminate suffering. But if you know the cause of suffering, which is ignorance of our life, then maybe this knowledge will be a great relief for you. Moreover, you will find out how to cope with our suffering. For instance, if you sit in a cross-legged position like this, at first you will have pain in your legs, as some of you must have experienced already. It is not so easy to deal with the pain you have in your legs as you sit. If some of you sit thirty or forty minutes, without any instruction, you will know how you can deal with suffering. The way to deal with, or to overcome your suffering is actually the precepts which the Buddhists observe. But the precepts still will not be good enough, because you don't know how to limit your original ignorance. So to work on the source of suffering and also to hunt the many big branchings of suffering is the true way to cope with the suffering you have. That is actually zazen practice. Through the practice of zazen you can cope with original sin, original ignorance, or darkness, and with the weaker branchings of suffering. I think the everyday lives of all of us are actually involved in this kind of suffering, which originates from the source of ignorance.

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71-06-05V

SESSHIN LECTURE NO. 1
San Francisco

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Don't stick to your own karma you created. You should be free from the karma, you know, and plunge into the practice on each moment. Then, you know, there is no karma, you know, who will control you. You are free from karma in our practice. And if your everyday life is based on this practice, then your life is not karmic life. It looks like, you know, the way of life of non-Buddhist and Buddhist [is the] same, but it is completely different. One is karmic life, and other is the life, you know, free from karma.

In short, you know, if you can say, "Hai" [laughs], at that moment you are free from karma. If you can say, "Hai! Yes I will!" you know, then there is no karma. When you say "bad" [laughs], nevertheless, wait a moment [laughs, laughter]. At that moment you will, you know, be bound by your own karma. Quite easy [laughs]. "Yes, I will," you know. That is how you keep our precepts.

When you receive precepts, you know, I may say:

"Can you," you know, "are you sure to keep this precepts?" you know [laughs].

If you think:

"Oh, 'Don't kill.' I may kill many things [laughs]. Better not to say 'yes,'" you know [laughs].

Then you cannot receive precepts. Anyway, you should say, "YES!" [laughs]. Then you can--you are keeping precepts--you kept precepts. When you keep precepts, at that moment, you know, whole world are keeping precepts in its true sense. You know, scientific mind will not accept what I say [laughs], but, you know, as Buddha said, as you accept it or not is, you know, my problem--your problem [laughs, laughter], you know, so ideal [?] say, if you say, "Yes, I will," you know, then you are free from karma.

Even though, you know, you shouldn't say--even though you say "Yes," you know, you don't mean "Yes" [laughs]. That will be--someone may say, you know, but, you know, actually, if you say "YESSS" [laughs, laughter], if your mind is tender enough to say "YESSS" [laughs, laughter], I may look very, you know, look like, you know, children-like, maybe [laughs], but that is the way, you know, that is the way how you keep precepts.

So after giving various precepts to you one by one in this way, and after you accept--various precepts, maybe 250 or 500 [laughs] you know, one by one, and what I should say after is, "You should keep our precept always in that way," you know. The way we keep precepts should be like that, you know. You say our, you know, ceremony to give precepts is, you know, just form--formal practice. It is not so. First of all, you know, I may say, if you receive precepts, you will be a son of Buddha and you will sit with Buddha. You will be sitting with the Buddha if you receive precepts. If you don't, you know, if you are always involved in, you know, karmic life with superficial understanding of subjective or objective side of the truth, you know, you are not Buddha. But receiving precepts or practicing zazen--true zazen, true precepts--and when you actually receive it from me, from teacher, then you are Buddha, and, you know, there is no difference between, you know, accepting precepts and practicing our zazen. There is no difference.

So, you know, your teacher may say, "You should," you know, "keep our precept in this way." So when you practice zazen, your teacher may say, "You are really Buddha." It is so. And your teacher may say, "You should practice zazen always in that way." That is the way you practice zazen. So it is not just form. It includes, you know, truth, and attainment, and, you know, progress in your practice. You have, you know, all kinds of, you know, virtue in your practice.

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Inquiring as to why there's no part 2 of the above. - dc

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71-06-09V

SESSHIN LECTURE, Day 5

San Francisco

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I wanted to tell you, you know, something about how to extend our shikantaza to your everyday life, you know, today, right now. But--and I--I, you know--I take out the interpretation of precepts by Oka Sotan Roshi. And I read, you know, preface of it [laughs], preface, which was written by Kishizawa Roshi. And in the introduction of, written by Kishizawa Roshi for Oka Sotan Roshi's interpretation of precepts, he referred to Oka Roshi's, you know, precepts lineage, which was wrong [laughs]. Which was wrong.

Kishizawa Roshi knew, you know, under the, you know, many--after many years study under Oka Roshi, what is right lineage. Lineage should be like this, he knew--Kishizawa Roshi knew what--how it should be. But Oka Roshi's, you know, his teacher's lineage was wrong because Dogen Zenji's lineage consist of two lineage: Rinzai and Soto. And came to Dogen Zenji one from Nyojo

Tendo Nyojo (Ch. Tiantong Rujing): 1163-1228. Chan master of Dogen. --[from the] Soto lineage. Another is from Myozen

Myozen Ryonen (also Myozen Butsuju), 1184-1225: early master of the Oryo school of Rinzai Zen; dharma successor of Eisai Zenji. Dogen Zenji's teacher.--Rinzai master, disciple of Eisai.

Eisai Zenji (also Myoan Eisai or Zenko-kokushi), 1141-1215: early master of the Oryo school of Rinzai Zen; dharma successor of Chinese Oryo master Kian Esho.

But his lineage is just Soto, you know--Oka Roshi's. So, you know, Kishizawa Roshi have to ask him why. "Why is this, you know? It is wrong," you [he] said, "But your lineage is wrong" [laughs]. "What is that?" you know. When he asked him, you know, Oka Sotan Roshi, you know, his face changed, and tears came down from his eyes. "Yes, it is wrong." And he started to talk about his lineage.

When Oka Roshi was young, he wanted to go to Komazawa University--Komazawa College--you know, to study Buddhism. He wanted to go there. But his master Token

Token Mitetsu Roshi. did not allow him or could not afford to send Oka Roshi to school, so he didn't say yes so easily. So, you know, he said, you know, "I want to study hard and become a good teacher and give precepts, you know, jukai Ju-jukai: the Ten Major Precepts; jukai is the ceremony of administering and receiving these precepts. The letter o- is an honorific prefix. The suffix -e possibly means "realization." --ojukai--having ojukai-e and precepts to many people, so let me study more." And his master Token was pleased: "Okay, then you can go."

But after he finished schooling, he came back. At that time he was making, you know, wood print, you know, for lineage, you know, to make, you know, lineage paper, okechimyaku.

okechimyaku: a genealogy of Zen succession. Some of you already received my okechimyaku when you received, you know, rakusu. His master was making which is wrong, so Oka Roshi explained, you know, in detail, it should not be like this, you know. It should not be just lineage of Soto, it should be Rinzai and Soto.

His teacher agreed: "Okay, maybe I was wrong, but," you know, "this lineage is the lineage which Kankei Zenji

Koga Kankei Zenji: 61st abbot of Eiheiji. had"--also famous teacher--"Kankei Zenji had. So according to Kankei Zenji's lineage, my lineage is not wrong. But if Dogen Zenji's lineage is like that, it should be like that," you know, he said. So--and then--and he said, "I will make another wood print."

But Kishizawa Roshi--you know, when he came back and saw him--when Kishizawa Roshi--Oka Roshi saw him again, he, you know, he had--he was making--he finished half of it already, which was quite good. And his--Token--his teacher--Sotan Roshi's teacher went to some specialist to make it and studied how to make it and, you know, tried to do it again.

But as Oka Roshi came back, you know, he made it although it was not complete. But he made it. And show it to him. At that time, you know, Oka Roshi ag- [partial word] now--his face changed again, and tears came down, especially when he said, "This is the okechimyaku," you know, "lineage paper for you when you have big," you know, "ojukai-e. This is for you." When he said so, he almost cried and teacher and disciple cried, you know--what do you say--hugging and cried.

And then teacher said--Oka Roshi said, "This lineage paper is okay, although it is not," you know, "exactly [as] Dogen Zenji had it. It is okay. As long as," you know, "this wood last, I will use it." So that is why Oka Roshi's lineage paper is wrong. Because it was wrong, Kishizawa Roshi accused [him], you know, why [that] it is wrong. So when he was accused, again he [Oka] cried. Oka Roshi was that kind of person. It is not usual, you know, scholar or usual great Zen master. Not usual at all--very unusual. When, you know, why we say Dogen Zenji is so great is not because of Shobogenzo maybe, but because of his sincere practice, not only as a Zen master but also as a man, you know, as a human. He was the most sincere student of Buddhism. Oka Roshi was that kind of teacher, you know.

I didn't know actually, you know, what we should do with our old okesa after, you know, Yoshida Roshi show us which--how should be right traditional okesa, you know. I didn’t know what to do. But, you know, when I took out [Oka Roshi's book on the precepts], I didn’t know idea of solving this problem, you know, by Oka Roshi's help. But when I, you know--I wanted to know what will be the interpretation of precepts not to act [do] unchaste act, you know. So I wanted to know about it. But what I found out is that, you know, preface [by Kishizawa Zenji], you know, I haven't read that part. It was just, I thought, it is just introduction [laughs]. But, you know, when I need it, you know, it appears in front of me like that. You may say that is just by chance, but I don't feel in that way [laughs]. If you say things happen just by chance, you know, all the things happen just by chance [laughs]. When we don't know, we say, "Things happen by chance."

Katagiri Sensei and I, you know, discussed very hard about that point--what should we do? [Laughs.] We had no answer for that. It is not things--not that kind of thing we can ask Yoshida Roshi or someone else [about]. We should solve this problem just between us, who are responsible for this.

You think, you know, things happens, you know, in this way in America, at Zen Center, you know, but it is not just by chance. It is, you know, result of many years of many peoples' hard work, sincere work. It is not just, you know, way of propagating Buddhism. To us there is no idea of Buddhism. What is the truth will be always our, you know--main point is what will be the truth.

As Katagiri Sensei said, you know, last night, breathing should be upright to the sky. And we should sit on black cushion without moving, so that we can, you know, grow to the sky. That is, you know, how you practice zazen, how I practice zazen, how Katagiri Sensei practice zazen--as a priest, as a layman, you know. There is no difference in its--in the virtue, whether you are layman or a priest, if we know what is the purpose of practice and how we should grow--what will be our way of life as a Buddhist, you know. Only difference is, you know, we put more emphasis on the truth. Usual people do not respect truth so much, you know--little bit different [laughs].

But, you know, eventually you will find out which is more important, as you have already found out. We cannot be fooled by anything so easily, you know, and we shouldn't fool anyone. We must "settle ourselves on ourselves," as Katagiri Sensei says, you know. Excuse me [laughs]. "To settle one's self on one's self," you know, that is very important point. How you do it is to be yourself on each moment. Whatever you do, you must do it, you know. You shouldn't expect someone's help. You shouldn't be spoiled by some shelter, you know. You should protect yourself, and you should grow upright to the sky. That's all, you know. That's all, but little bit different, you know. Maybe we are crazy [laughs, laughter]. According to them we are crazy, but we think they are crazy [laughs]. It's okay [laughs]. We will find out pretty soon which is crazy [laughter].

Okay. Thank you.

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*****

San Francisco

Part 1

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But anyway, at Zen Center, anyway, you know, I can accept students from various religion without any discrimination. That is why I must explain--I feel I have to explain why we sew rakusus, you know, why we keep our precepts, you know, Buddhist precepts [laughs]. If I say "Buddhist precept," again you will not--some of you will not feel so good: "Buddhist precepts." you know. You think, you know, Buddhists have some particular precepts, but our precepts is not like that. So it is necessary for me to explain what is Buddhist precepts, why you sew rakusu, you know, why you wear rakusu.

I cannot, you know, or I have no intention to explain precepts in its traditional, you know, way, but I want to explain it as much as possible in some way who--in some way which you can understand, and which I, in some way, which I feel, you know, saying truthfully how I feel about precepts.

First of all, precepts, we say, or explanation of precepts--for an instance, Dogen Zenji or some other teachers--Bodhidharma--it's the precepts is, you know, something which everyone has, you know, as its--as his own nature. That is precepts. It is not, you know--precepts is not something which was decided by Buddha. Precepts is originally--precepts is something which makes Buddha Buddha, you know. Because of precepts he became Buddha. So precepts is first, and Buddha appeared, you know, next.

Before Buddha appear there were precepts. And so in this sense, before, you know, Bodhidharma appeared--came to China--there were precepts. So before everyone, you know, come to this world there is precepts. Everyone has the precepts in its true sense. When you come out, you know, you may be already, you know, male or female [laughs], so accordingly, you know, as soon as you take some form, there is some reason why you became--appear--in this world as a man or as a woman. And naturally women has their own way, and men has their own way. So, naturally various way of life will appear, and between boys [?], you know, according to his character, inborn character, or his physical, you know, condition, there must be various way of life. That is actually our precepts.

So, woman--a woman--who has more complicated physical, you know, body, has more precepts, and that is quite natural [laughs], you know. You--a woman has more complicated--emotionally and physically, they are more complicated [laughs, laughter], so naturally a woman must have more precepts than [laughs] a man has. That is quite [laughs]--if you say, you know, that is not fair [laughs, laughter], it doesn't make sense, you know. It shouldn't be like that. If a woman has same precepts as a man has, that is not fair [laughs, laughter]. That is how precepts, you know, become written-down precepts.

And, you know, if so, you know, why should we say, you know, Buddhist precepts or Christian commandment or precepts, you know? According to the way of life, there are various interpretation of our true nature, our way of life, but originally it is, you know, just, you know, human nature.

According to the human nature, we have various precepts, and according to the condition we live, we have various precepts, that's all. When we, you know, transmit the precepts, we put emphasis on this point, you know, not each of 250 precepts, you know, but the, you know, original, you know, universal point which is, you know, universal to everyone, which is available to everyone, which, in some way, which everyone can accept it. We transmit our precepts. So instead of emphasizing--put emphasis on various, you know, precepts, one by one, we put more emphasis on our original human nature or buddha nature.

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*****

San Francisco

Part 2

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To realize what is our human nature beyond various way of life is, you know, our way of transmitting precepts. So explanation of each precept is how, you know, each precept appeared, or why we must have, for an instance, sixteen precepts, and how we can accept, you know, the precepts as their original, you know, nature is how you study precepts. And if so, intellectual, you know, study does not make sense. If you stick to--if you want to study, you know, precepts just by your head, you know, sixteen precepts, you can, you know, compare one precept to the other. And you--

But it is difficult to accept as just one precept, you know, which is the source of all precepts. It is not possible to understand, to accept precepts in that way by your mind only, so physical practice should follow. And if you, you know, come to the point where you should observe precepts one by one, then you will see what is the true meaning of the precepts. Before you, you know, face to the problem, precept is there, you know, and you are studying precepts.

But if you face to each problem you have, then, you know, just study of precepts doesn't work, and you should, you know, make some decision which way you take, you know. Usually there is good, you know, promising way, and, you know, maybe there is dark way and there is, you know, promising way. You can see some light ahead on you, you know, so you should make some choice. Then there is actual precepts, you know. So that kind of precepts could be found out when you face to real problem. That is actually how you observe precepts, how precepts make sense, you know, how precepts help you.

It is big mistake, you know--precepts show you, you know, always, you know, some certain way for you before you try to go, you know. When you try to make trip, you know, the sign will make sense, you know. If you--when you do not drive [laughs], sign does not make any sense. If you study sign, you know [laughs], from San Francisco to Los Angeles, you know, there could be various sign from San Francisco to Los Angeles, but [laughs] to study the sign doesn't make any sense. But if you drive a car from [laughs] San Francisco to Los Angeles, you know, what you do is just to follow the sign, and sign make sense.

So life is first, you know, your actual life is--way of life is first. And to accept various things which may happen to you in your future as it is and try to make some trip, you know, is the most important thing for you. So in this sense, you know, whether you are Buddhist or Christian, you know, for us it doesn't matter. Each one has each one's own problem, and that, you know, that problem, there is no diffi- [partial word]--no problem--Christian problem [laughs] or Buddhist problem. Because if, you know, you uselessly compare Christian precepts to Buddhist precepts, you know, you create problem. But if you are concentrated [on] actual life, moment after moment, and if you are sincere and honest on your life, you know, then there is no difference between Christian precepts or Buddhist precepts.

There is no name. Sign is just a sign--which way to go, you know. If you understand in that way, if you--if your way of life is concentrated on that point, there is no need to, you know, think about if this is Christian science or Buddhist--Christian precepts or Buddhist precepts. It doesn't matter. And what Christian people think is right is right for Buddhists too. If there is two ways, you know, something is wrong [laughs] with precepts. There is only one way for you to go.

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*****

San Francisco

Part 3

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Another point is when you observe precepts in your everyday life, if you--if you really, you know, want to know what is precepts, you should be concentrated on what you do. You shouldn't even think about precepts, you know. Then naturally you will, you know, find out your own way. That is something, you know, practice, you know, closely related to Zen practice. If you know--if you make trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles every day like driver, then, you know, you don't have to think so much the way you go to--about the way you go to Los Angeles. The only thing is to go to Los Angeles without having accident [laughs]. That is more important thing, you know, for a man, you know, who is driving car always. That is the point, you know: not precepts, but to be concentrated in each time, in each moment, in his driving. That is the most important point.

When Oka Sotan Roshi Oka Sotan Roshi (1860-1922): a professor at and ultimately president of Komazawa University in Tokyo, where Suzuki Roshi graduated. He was the first in a series of lecturers on the Shobogenzo at Komazawa [Carl Bielefeldt, Sati Conference, MS p. 3]. His early master was Token Mitetsu, from whom he received dharma transmission. His later teacher was Nishiari Bokusan, the most prominent Meiji scholar of the Shobogenzo. He was teacher or master of Ian Kishizawa, Eko Hashimoto, Gyokujun So-on, Sawaki Kodo, and Harada Sogaku. He served as abbot of Daijiji and was named as the first abbot of Antaiji temple in Gentaku, northern Kyoto, Japan. (One of Oka Sotan's disciples, Zuirin Odagaki, was the second abbot of Antaiji and is informally considered its founder. It is traditional to name one's teacher as the titular founder.) Shohaku Okumura stated that Sawaki Kodo and Eko Hashimoto studied with Oka Sotan at Shuzenji. was young boy [laughs], his teacher, Token Roshi, Token Mitetsu Roshi: told him to buy bean curd, you know. So he went to the store. On the way, he saw, you know, picture for advertising acrobatic [laughs] theater, and he was standing, seeing the various picture in front of the building. And while he was watching it [laughs], he heard, you know, bell of his own temple. It was sign of meal time [laughs]. He was supposed to come back to the temple with bean curd and cook [laughs]--finish cooking before meal time, but he was watching the picture so long time without knowing what time it was. Hearing the bell, he noticed, you know, his duty--what was his duty. So he, you know, dashed in the store. "Give me tofu!" [Laughs.] As soon as old [laughs] man gave it all to him, he dashed back. But on the way what he noticed was he left his hat [laughs] in the store. So he ran back again to the store. "Give me! Give me! Give me!" And the old man said--old woman said, "What?" "Give me!" He didn't s[ay], you know--he meant his hat, but, you know, he was so--his mind was so busy [laughs, laughter] and the word "hat" didn't come out. "Give me! Give me! Give me!" "What? What? What?" [Laughs, laughter.] And at last he could say "my hat." "Oh, your hat is on your head! What is matter with you?" [Laughs, laughter.] Again he dashed back to his temple with his hat. That was the story, you know [laughs].

The precept is something like his hat. Precept is always on his head [laughs]. Because he tried to find out, you know, because he wanted to say "hat" or "precepts," you know, it doesn't work, you know. If he has always, you know, his hat, then nothing to, you know, think about it. That is actually how we should keep our precepts. So we rather put, you know, an emphasis on actual practice or zazen, how to be concentrated on what we do, moment after moment.

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*****

San Francisco

Part 4

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So real teaching is not, you know, outside of you; it is not inside of you. It is--when you do something, there is real teaching, and there is real practice. If you miss, you know, real practice in your everyday life, you will be regretful later, you know. If you are doing your best, that is only way to, you know, to be yourself and to be with everyone. When you are with everyone, you are keeping our precepts, you know, without knowing, you know, whether you have your cap on your head, you know. Even though you don't notice it [laughs], your cap is here. If you become you yourself, and if you--if your practice include everything, moment after moment, you know, precepts--more explicit precepts is always with you.

That is, you know, another point maybe which is more important than verbal transmission of [or?] verbal precepts. If I tried to explain those precepts, it takes time. But how you keep it, in short, is to live in each moment, to be sincere with yourself always, without looking around.

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*****

San Francisco

Part 5

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You know, how is it possible for Buddha to exist forever? The only way is to exist with us. That is only way how he can exist. How is it possible to various sages to exist in our human history? Actual, you know, history is with you, and there is no need to think about it, because you have it. You are with them always. When you think about him, he is, you know, with you with some form. When you do not think about it, still he is with you. And that point should not be forgotten. You think if you--when you--only when you have his image with you he is there. That is, you know, not real, you know, being. Real being is always with you, when you do not even think about him. That is very--actual truth, you know. I forgot, you know, who said so, but when you think about him, he is always with you [laughs]. That is very simple, you know, words and very beautiful words. There were some more, you know, words like that, you know: "When you think about him, he is with you, but if you do not think about him, where is he?" [Laughs.] Where is he? You don't--you think he is not there anymore. That is very shallow, materialistic, you know, understanding. You are not sincere enough. You put him--put them in some book and put them in bookcase, that's all. That is why he suffers [laughs] in bookcase. If you do not put them in bookcase, he is always with you. Can you deny this fact? No one can deny this fact.

If you understand, you know, various sage in that way, you know, can you be just Buddhist? Or can you be just, you know, Christian? You cannot. You say, "I am Christian," but actually you are not only Christian but also Buddhist. That is very true. When you become you yourself, when you do not put them in bookcase, you know, how is it possible to say, "I am Christian" or "I am Buddhist"? Maybe next question will be, "Then why you wear Buddhist robe, and why you sew Buddhist, you know, robes?" That will be next question, but I don't have time to [laughs, laughter] talk about it right now.

But more important thing this spirit, you know, this practice, this sincerity, you know. Even though, you know, you may laughed at what Oka Roshi did when he was just a boy, but he was good priest [laughs], even though he was so small. He was very good. He must be scolded by master when he came back to [laughs] his temple, you know. They had to wait maybe another thirty minutes [laughs] before they ate, so he must be scolded. Even though he is scolded, he was a good boy, you know. There is no wonder about that point [laughs]. You cannot say he was--he didn't--he was not observing precepts. He faithfully observed, you know, precepts, and he put his hat always on his head. But sometimes [laughs] he forgot about his hat, that's all.

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*****

71-06-20V

San Francisco

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If you really be a Buddhist, you know, then there is no--not necessary to have rules if you wear robes. But I say until you can forget all about what you are wearing, you know, eventually you will not, you know--you will forget all about what you are wearing, you know. If you come to that point, you know, robe is not, you know, always necessary. You see? It is not--after you become real Buddhist and wear robe. That is wrong [laughs]. And before you become real Buddhist, you should wear robe [laughs]. Before you have--you can take care of yourself, you should follow, you know, you should be incubate--incubate [laughs, laughter]. When you are strong enough, you should be--get out of hospital [?], where there is no rules. I don't know when you can do that [laughs]. Do you understand the point? If you have point, you know, it is okay, you know. [See MK comment on this]

Student D: I still don't understand. It seems as--it seems like you say even though we have a rule, if you really understand yourself and sometimes even though the rule says use old material, you can use either old or new material. Doesn't make any difference, which is fine from the point of view of somebody who understands themselves. But from the point of view of somebody who, you know, is trying to follow the rule, let's say. You know, I mean, when I see a rule that says "okesa should be made of old material," then it seems--of course, you know, any--whatever material I get, I'll take, but it seems that if I were going to actually make it on my own, I'd go out and get old material. Otherwise, it just--I can be very lazy, then, with all the precepts. I could say, "Well, uh, there's the precept that says don't kill, or a precept that says don't speak ill of others," let's say. But I say, "Well, in terms of real understanding, of course I can. It doesn't make any difference." So that--that--that--that intellectual understanding of precepts sometimes is just an excuse for my being lazy, you know, and it's very difficult for me to know when I am having a broad mind, you know, when I'm having a big mind, and when I'm just being lazy.

Suzuki Roshi: Yeah. I--I understand. You are feeling, you know, that something is missing [laughs]. That is, you know, what I want--really what I want to say, you know. You know, I don't want to say--maybe I'm--if I say I will discourage you, so I don't want to say, but if you, you know, really feel in that way, I have to say [laughs]. The point is, you know, in comparison to Buddhist in Japan, you know, you can practice or you can--you can be--you are [in an] easier situation to practice Buddhism. Maybe, you know, we should know this point.

I--I know what kind of difficulty Japanese Buddhist has and what kind of life Zen Center students have, you know. If you compare, you know, Japanese students to Zen Center student, you know, I don't know what to say. It is so different, you know. You may criticize Japanese, you know, young Buddhist. You may criticize them because they do not practice zazen as you do in Zen Center. But maybe Japanese young Buddhist may criticize us, you know, [for] having too easy [a] practice [laughs]. You know, you--you--if you want to--if you want to practice, you can do anything here, you know. You are well supported. You don't have to, you know, worry about anything. And so, you know, maybe for you it is too easy to practice our way.

You say--you said, you know, it is better if we do not try to find old material and make robe. Just buy old [new?] material. But actually it is much more easy to buy something. Under this circumstances, you can also can collect old material. Also it make long, long--it take [laughs] long, long time [but] you can do. But if you must support yourself by working, you know, on the city--in the city, if you are always collecting old materials [laughs] for your robe, you cannot work on the--in the street--in the city. So you lose your income. It is, you know--same thing is true in our management, you know. We--you can sew your okesa, but actually when you live--Japan is not any more poor, but [laughs] if you were born in some poor country where you should work all--always that is not possible. You know, it is much better to buy some material at the store. It is hard--it is very hard even to buy new material, but that will be what you can do. In poor country, even though you want to find out some old material, you cannot find, because they use it [laughs]. You see?

Student C: Actually, Roshi, that--that was--what I meant though was that, like, you just go down to the basement of this building in the laundry room, there is a [one word unclear: "corner"?]--

Suzuki Roshi: There are a lot!

Student C: --where everybody throws away their clothes.

Suzuki Roshi: That is--that happens only in America! [Laughs, laughter.]

Student C: But there's--there's enough material down there for about at least five okesas. And it wouldn't take very long to put it together.

Suzuki Roshi: You do it! [Laughs, laughter.] You just do it, you know? When you can do it, you know, when you know how to exactly--after learning, you know, exactly how to do it, you can do it. You see? But to learn it already very difficult, you know. Unless you don't use new material, you know, it is almost impossible how to teach you, you know. When someone--when you teach how to sew rakusu some other people--there's maybe paper [pattern] is much better--best, you know, when you take pattern, when you learn how to measure. Old--buy old material, it is not possible.

So in some way, your practice is very luxurious. I feel in that way. You are, you know, children who were born in rich family. Whatever you want to do, you can do it. But that doesn't happen [laughs] in some poor country. American cannot be always rich, you know. It is not fair! [Laughs, laughter.] You--you lose; you do not notice this point. So I am afraid, you know, if you could be a real good Buddhist. I am stuck--I am, you know, I am thinking [about] this point a lot. That is my worry.

So maybe [laughs] that is--that is reason why I couldn't support okesa sewing in the practice so much before, you know. It is too luxurious practice. Only in Japan--only [in] Heian Period and people who were born in noble family could do this. They did it before Kamakura Period, but because of that, Buddhists were lost in their practice, because it was too aristocratic practice, you know. Even though you gather old material and spending, you know, a lot of time in each stick--stitch, aft- [partial word: "after"?]--when you make one stitch they bow many times and took up the needle and, you know, sew okesa stitch by stitch in that way. That was good practice, they thought, but because of that, Buddhists were lost. How about that! [Laughter.]

So, after that, you know, in Kamakura Period, Zen--Zen Buddhist, Nichiren, and Shingon was angry about that kind of luxurious practice and stood up and, you know, open new Buddhist way to, you know, city people. That was how new Buddhism arised in Kamakura period, after losing, you know, their practice, in Heian Period. So sometime I feel as if I [laughs] we are practice, you know, [in] Heian Period practice [laughs] instead of Kamakura Period practice.

So you shouldn't be lost in that--that kind of practice, you know. You feel very good. You feel you are very devotional, good student, but that is your feeling. Do you understand? So we must see what we are doing, you know, from various angle, and we must feel the crisis of the world, you know, by your skin. Then you are not Buddhist. Okay? To be, you know, to feel resistance to the old culture is--I can agree with that, but to be lost from this world is terrible mistake.

Anyway, we are born--you are born in this country, and this is your motherland. You shouldn't be--you should not be lost from this motherland. I am not nationalist [laughs]. I feel terrible, you know, if you--if you are lost from this world. Okay [laughs]? That is, you know, my feeling.

Student D [?]: I understand how it applies to the rule about material, but I'm not quite sure how--how it applies to other precepts as given [?].

Suzuki Roshi: Yeah. Maybe, anyway, you are trying your best, you know. And we are trying our best, so something will result. Don't be too idealistic or too luxurious [laughs], okay?

*****

71-06-22V

San Francisco

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I think most of you have wrong idea, you know, about freedom or things-as-they-are [laughs]. When you say "freedom" or "things-as-they-are," is not what I mean, at least. You are not, you know, seeing things-as-they-are, because you have some special glasses, and through them you are seeing things. And each person has different glasses, so your opinion will not meet, you know [laughs]. So the more you has to, you know, manage our group, the more you will be get in confusion [laughs], because you stick to your own, you know, eyes, your own understanding. And if, you know, you see things without glasses, things--if the picture you have is things-as-they-are, then, you know, naturally everyone will agree with what you see, and you have to agree with some other person’s understanding. But even so--even you cannot agree, you know, because you have on your glasses, you know, even though you cannot agree, sometime, you know, you should take off your glasses. "Oh!" [Laughs.] "But I need this glasses," you know. "As a teacher, I must have this one." [Laughs.] So excuse me. I must wear this. Maybe what you said is right. If you, you know, realize what kind of glasses you wear, then you can easily agree, you know. Without knowing that you have special glasses--as a student, as a teacher, as a officers, as a rokuchiji rokuchiji: by tradition, the six operations officers of a Japanese Zen monastery. [laughs], so, you know, it is--things become very difficult. So when, you know, with this understanding, many good virtue will result, you know: humbleness, soft mind, or clear understanding, or sometime sharp judgment, you know.

[Laughs.] By the way, we like bamboo very much. We Japanese like bamboo [laughs]. Someone said, you know, when I came to America, "That is Japanese bamboo bonsai." I couldn't figure out what did he meant, you know. "That is Japanese bamboo bonsai." Anyway, most people knows we Japanese like bamboo. Actually, what he means--Japanese bonsai is very expensive [laughs]. That was what he meant. "Oh, that is Japanese bamboo bonsai." [Laughs.] But for us, bamboo is not something very expensive, you know. Bamboo, first of all, has very good nature. If you want to cut it in two, it will be--you know, if you--before you cut it [completely], you--it will split in two. Ffft! You know. If you want cut it [in] four, it will exactly split in four. And, you know, even though bamboo is ten, maybe thirty feet long, you can split in just--you can split just in two, you know, from the root to the [laughs] top. It will go in that way. No other plant can be spread--split so nicely, you know. That is, you know, nature of bamboo.

But if you have that kind of wisdom, you know, to see things-as-they-are, even though it is not bamboo, you can split right in two, as Nansen Nanquan Puyuan (Jap. Nansen Fugan), Dharma successor of Mazu Daoyi (Jap. Baso Doitsu). cut the cat right in two--Whack! [Laughs.] Students amazed. "Oh!" [Laughs.] They didn't have, you know, they didn't have time to criticize his killing cat or violating the precepts. Whack! It happened in that way, and when they realized, you know, the problem is all gone. [Laughs.] That kind of, you know, activity or wisdom will appear only when you can see things-as-it-is without trying to see, or when you solve the problem without trying to solve the problem. How you can do that is just to sit.

*****

City Center

"Real Precepts Are Beyond Words"

Part 1

Today I would like to… lecture about precepts. I--when I say "precepts," the first thing you will think of is something like Ten Commandment or ten grave prohibitory precepts. But Zen precepts is not like that. The Zen precepts is--to study Zen precepts means to understand zazen. So it is--another interpretation of zazen is precepts. Using words--word "precepts" we explain what is Zen actually.

The purpose of receiving precepts, observing precepts, is not just to remember what we should do or what we shouldn't do. And how we observe precepts is to practice Zen or to extend our practice to our everyday life. So the idea of precepts is completely different from the usual understanding of precepts.

The precepts, you know, which is--or foundation of precepts or--true meaning of precept--precepts is various way of understanding of one reality, one reality which is always with you--reality, which cannot--which is not dividable in three, or in sixteen, or in ten. Tentatively we divide--we explain it from various angle, but that is just words. Real, you know, precept is beyond word. We cannot--if we talk about it, it is not real precepts already. So if you think precept is just to observe some various rules is precepts, it is very different or very far away from the true understanding of the true prac- [incomplete word: "practice"?]--precepts.

So, the first precepts of sixteen precepts we observe is--how can I [laughs] put into English word one reality which is not--which cannot be divided in three or sixteen--one reality, precept of one reality. You may call it "emptiness," or you may call it "the absolute." That is one reality, you know. That is the first precept we receive--we observe. So [as] you may know, this is the most important--maybe most--I cannot say the most important [laughs], but this is the m- [incomplete word: "most"?]--

Anyway, all the precepts start from this precept. Without understanding this precepts, our precepts doesn't make any sense. One reality which we cannot divide [by] three or six or sixteen. It can be understood in great scale; whatever there are in this world or in this universe, or what kind of rule we have, or what kind of truth we can observe in various way, or moral code, or rules, or theory we scientist observe, are all those truths is included in this big scale of the precepts.

We understand the precepts in various ways. Science--scientists understand his own way, and various people understand religious way. There must be various way of understanding of it, but the--what we study, what we observe is the one precept. That is the precept you will receive--when you receive precepts, sixteen precepts. You will understand then, you know, how you receive precepts. How you receive precepts is just practice zazen, just to be yourself. Then you can observe the precepts.

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*****

City Center

"Real Precepts Are Beyond Words"

Part 2

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Ahh. It looks like I'm talking about something [laughs] about heaven [laughs], but it is not so. I am talking about each one of you and myself [drinks water], and about the water and about the stuff [laughs]. When, you know, stuff is really stuff, this stuff include everything. When you just practice zazen on your black cushion, your practice include everything. And you practice zazen with Buddha, with various patriarch, and with all sentient beings. That is, you know, what I always repeat over and over.

Whether your practice is good or bad, it doesn't matter. If you accept your practice as your own, then that practice include everything. At that time you have precepts which include everything as the absolute being include everything. We say, you know, something which include everything is the absolute. But it is actually it is more than that. It is beyond our understanding. You may--you may think if you add, you know, all of you and all the being which exist in this universe, then that is the absolute. But it is not so, because that absolute can be understood by your mind, you know. Something which you understand is not already absolute, you know, because your mind limit the real understanding of the absolute. When you understand, it is not so. When you don't understand and when you just sit [laughs], when you become just a stone or stuff, you know, then you include everything. That is, you know, our zazen practice.

This is so important point for us. If we lose this point, you will be easily caught by some idea or some experience in your, you know, practice. "My practice is good, very good. Recently I saw Buddha in zazen. [Laughs.] Various buddhas--all the buddhas came to me [laughs, laughter] and admired my practice." [Laughs, laughter.] You are laughing, but it is actually that kind of practice exists. And they practice this kind of practice very sincerely. But even so, it is good practice-- But even so, compare--comparing to the practice "just sit," you know, you can't--it is beyond comparison [laughs]. Just to sit is much better than to see all the buddha in the world [laughs]. Do you [laughs] understand why is it?

That is the point, you know: to know how important practice it is just to be yourself. When I couldn't read Zen book in English, you know, Alan Watts said, you know, "When a stone is completely stone [laughs], that is real stone," he said, you know. That is what he put, you know, our--that--Zen into word. When a stone is really stone, that is, you know, when a stone is stone through-and-through. That is really a stone.

Not only that is really stone, or when it is really stone, the stone include everything. The stone cannot be, you know, picked up by anyone when a stone is really stone. When--because it is not stone, you know [laughs], so someone may kick it. But when a stone is really stone, you cannot do--you cannot do anything with it. When a stone is really stone, you cannot, you know, pick up. Even though you think you picked up, still, you know, it is a part of the universe. It is you that--who thinks you could picked up, but actually you didn't, you didn't. It is still a part of [laughs] the universe. You cannot pick up whole universe. If you say so, "I picked up whole universe," where are you? [Laughs.] You are ghost. You are outside of the universe. That is just delusion. Nothing exist outside of the universe. All what exist is inside of the universe, you know.

So, that you say you picked up a stone is big delusion. Stone is still stone. You cannot do anything with it. If you understand this point and sit, that is how you receive precepts. This is--

Only one way to observe precepts, perfect precepts. There is no other way to observe precepts. This precept is called--I don't know what, how to interpret--precepts which is--which is not dividable in three. Why we say three is there's two more.

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*****

City Center

"Real Precepts Are Beyond Words"

Part 3

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Another point of this precepts is you say, you know--as you know, we say "dharma" and--no, "buddha, dharma, sangha." I am talking about--I have been talking about dharma [buddha] precepts, which cannot be divided in three.

And next one is dharma precept. Dharma. It is, you know, law of the universe. There is--in some way, you know, always things is going. If you throw something, you know, away it will eventually come to the earth because, you know, things, because of the theory of the gravitation. So what--there is some rules, you know, in the way of things exist. So if we say "rule," that law or theory, that theory or rule include everything. There is nothing--nothing exist out of--free from the law or theory. That is dharma.

When we say "freedom" [laughs]--even though you have complete freedom, you say "I have complete freedom from everything." But if you exist outside of the law or theory, you are ghost [laughs]. You are, you know, you are--that is your own delusion. Actually nothing exist outside of the rule. And that is called--the second one is called pure--pure law or pure precepts.

Why--"pure" means not dualistic. When something is in duality, it is not pure, we say. When we--when things is not dualistic it is pure. Usually, you know, when you say "pure," pure is opposite of impure. And when you say "good," good is opposite of bad--a pair of opposite. Good and bad is pair of opposite. Then there is already pollution. Good air [laughs] or pure air. So, when we say "pure," it means non-duality. Non-duality.

When you sit, you know, if you say, "My practice is good," it is already dualistic. Whether you say "good practice" or "bad practice," you are right there and sitting [laughs]. You cannot say "good practice" or "bad practice." There is some reason why someone's practice is like this or someone cannot sit with her back straight. There's some reason, and you cannot say "good" or "bad." That is how she practice zazen. For her there is no other way to sit for two days' practice. She is making her best effort, and she practice zazen just to, you know, make her effort--complete effort. To be complete being, she is sitting. Not to attain enlightenment or not to keep her from being fall into the hell [laughs]. He is just sitting. She is just sitting. No one can criticize her practice. If she criticize her practice, you know, she is not making her best effort. When she is making her best effort, you know, she cannot criticize. She will not be regret about is--about her practice. That is her own practice, and day after day, if she continue this kind of practice, that is how we exist or how we live as a good Buddhist. That is how we keep our prac- [incomplete word]--precepts.

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*****

City Center

"Real Precepts Are Beyond Words"

Part 4

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Anyway, there is some rule, you know, some reason why each person exist here. There is some reason why plant is plant and stars are star. So when we say "dharma," dharma include everything. And dharma is another name of the Buddha, the Absolute One.

The third one is sangha. "Sangha" means to keep harmony, to be harmonious. You know, when Buddha and the law of the universe is not two. And when someone who is practicing zazen and Buddha and his law is one, that is complete harmony. It is more than harmony [laughs]. It is actually one.

So, after all, we say, after all, one undividable … [Sentence not finished. Tape turned over.] … the precept which is undividable in three, or which is undividable. We say "three precepts," but it is not three. We cannot divide in three. So we say "precepts which is not dividable in three." But we can, you know, explain it in three ways. "My practice is, you know--my zazen is precepts itself." That is one interpretation--one way of understanding the precepts.

There's rules, you know. If I do something good, result will be good. You cannot [laughs], you know, escape from the law of karma. If you understand that way, then that law includes--that rule or law--includes everything. We say "law of karma," but you cannot escape from karma. Nothing can, you know, escape from the karma. There's some rule--always rule. Rule is following you--not following you, you know. It is how everything exist. So, you know, it is same thing with Buddha himself. When we say "Buddha," Buddha, you know, acts with karma, by karma, or for karma. So karma and Buddha is same. And we, you know, Buddha's disciple, is always one with Buddha. We cannot escape from him. So we say "undividable" precepts. We cannot divide in three.

Now you are listening to my lecture; or you may, to study Buddhism, you will read many books. The books you read is not Buddhism itself but explanation of this, you know, truth. "Form is emptiness; emptiness is form." If we explain it like this, it is Prajñaparamita groups--study of Prajñaparamita group--sutra of Prajñaparamita group. If we put emphasis on how to be buddha, why we are buddha, then that is study of Lotus Sutra. What is the--if we study koan, what do we study? What you study by koan is what is the relationship between our practice and the reality. How we, you know--why we--how we have a glance of the truth or enlightenment or Buddha, which is always one, which is not dividable, which cannot be explained in words. That is, you know, how you study koan. Through koan, or through koan practice, you will have a glance of the truth. "Oh, this is reality!" That is koan practice. Whatever you say, whatever you write, it is a kind of way--it is one of the way to put the reality into words. If you are an artist, what you work on is how to, you know, convey your understanding of the truth.

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*****

City Center

"Real Precepts Are Beyond Words"

Part 5

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To--so to study Buddhism, of course, include--is included in our study of precepts. Precepts is not just to observe ten prohibitory precepts: Do not kill; do not steal, you know, that is not [laughs]--that is, you know-- It is precepts. It is really precepts, but that is not--even though you observe ten precepts completely, it is not how you observe our real precepts.

So we are not interested in to explain 250, more than 250--a little bit more--I don't know how many more, three or four [hundred] more precepts for [laughs] for a man and for a lady more than 500. I'm sorry to say. Each time I say [laughs], I--some of you maybe may not like it. But, you know, as I always say, female has more complicated [laughs] spiritually and physically complicated, you know, activity. So the rule should be more complicated. That is, you know, quite natural [laughs]. So man is more simple, and--"too simple" means, maybe, not so good [laughs]. Simpleton? Simpleton. [Laughs, laughter.] So, you know, I am not proud of, you know, having half of the precepts as a lady has, you know. I'm not proud of it. I'm so simple [laughs]. I'm so foolish, maybe.

But anyway, it is not the point to observe those precepts one by one--one after another. The point is how to be yourself, how to be a lady--a lady. Then you have precepts. You have complete precepts. When you are just lady, you keep more than five hundred [laughs] precepts. Actually, even though you keep written precepts--five hundreds of written precepts--you may not be completely a lady. But when--the best way is just to be yourself. Then precepts are with you always.

People may ask, "What are you doing," you know, "in Zen Center? What kind of practice you have in Zen Center?" There are many ways, maybe, but, in short, to be one's self is the purpose of our practice. How to be one's self, one's self is our point of practice and how to keep the precepts--Buddha's precepts. And this--those are the three precepts--the three undividable precepts.

And next one, I'm [laughs]--I'm not continuing my lecture any more [laughs], because you may hungry--you may be hungry if I continue [laughs, laughter]. The another three is the three collective pure precepts. Collection of all the goodies [laughs, laughter]. That is another three precepts [laughs]. How about it? "Collection of all the goodies precepts." [Laughs, laughter.]

And ten--we have ten more: that is ten [grave] prohibitory precepts. You shouldn't eat too much, you know, even though we have the three collective good [pure] precepts. That is sixteen precepts. And we tentatively, you know, explain the framework of Buddhism by the explanation of the precepts. So it is not just precepts. It is not just rule. It is direct explanation of our life and Buddha's teaching and zazen practice. That is why it is important for you to receive precepts.

Thank you very much.

*****

71-07-06V

San Francisco

Part 1

I want to continue my talk about precepts--Buddhist precepts. And last time I talked about the indivisible three treasures, which is buddha, and dharma, and sangha. But we have three--we say "three treasures," but the three treasures could be understood by you in three ways. It is indivisible, three precepts, because it is one: buddha, and dharma, and sangha are actually one. It is not three. So we say indivisible three treasures.

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Buddha, and sangha, and teaching is one. We are buddha. Or "sangha," we say, but each one of the sangha--member of the sangha is buddha. And his teaching we say, but that is just light, you know, to know ourselves. So actually there is no special teaching which we should remember, which we should recite. There is no need to recite sutra [laughs], in its true sense, but it will help anyway [laughs, laughter]. So if you--if you should respect, you know, pay homage, you should pay homage to yourself, and it means to pay homage to buddha and to the dharma. That is the structure of Buddhism.

So same thing is true with the manifested three treasures as three treasure indivisible--[having trouble pronouncing it; laughs.] In-di-vi- [Students help with pronunciation.] Okay anyway. [Laughs, laughter.] Better not to, to bite my lips. [Laughs, laughter.] Anyway, same, not difference. Not different. But because our mind is not so clear, so we must to give good understanding of Buddhism, we have precepts. So precepts is not something to observe literally. Through precepts we should know the structure of Buddhism, and point of Buddhism, and core of Buddhism, and spirit of Buddhism. That is why we accept precepts.

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*****

71-07-06V

San Francisco

Part 2

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This is a brief explanation of the triple treasures we have--precepts of triple treasures. Maybe to have--having clear understanding of triple treasures, our triple treasures, and to have right practice, we should make those points very sure, through practice, and through intellectual understanding, and through discussion. If we do not discuss this point fully, we will not have good practice in its true sense, and we will be lost. Even though you, you know, practice hard and you make great effort, you will be lost. So that you may not lose yourself in your practice, in your religion, we should accept those treasures which was transmitted from Buddha to us. Actually, Buddha realized this point, and [it was] carefully discussed by various teachers and patriarchs so that we might not lose our way.

You can criticize, you know, Buddhism from various angle. That is necessary. If it is not necessary for you, it will help someone else, you know, even though [laughs] you end up in your criticism. It will help people--someone else. For your own sake, for other's sake, you should criticize Buddhism. And you can fight with Buddhism, even. If you don't fight with Buddhism strongly enough, all human being will be lost. Only when you fight with Buddhism, then actually you are helping …. [Sentence not finished. Tape turned over.]

You should study Buddhism on those points by all means and from various angles. But as long as you are fighting with it, you are not--not yet [laughs] Buddhist--you are outside Buddhism. But from Buddha's viewpoint, he is Buddhist, and even though he feel he is not Buddhist. Buddhism is, you know, this kind of religion. You should know what is Buddhism very clearly. And if you [are] going to be a Buddhist, you should be prepared for this kind of problem which you will have because you became a--only because you became Buddhist. If you, you know, were not Buddhist, you will not have any problem, maybe [laughs]. Only because you became a Buddhist you will have many problem [laughs, laughter]. Fighting, you know--through fighting--this kind of fighting, you can help people in its true sense. If you want to be protected by the Three Treasures, it is not the way to accept the Three Treasures. This is the spirit we receive our precepts. This is why you become a Buddhist. [Sighs.]

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*****

San Francisco

Part 1

[In my last lectures] (The opening words were not recorded on tape. The phrase in brackets was inserted by the transcriber. Suzuki Roshi was probably referring to lectures SR-71-07-02 and SR-71-07-06.) ... I explain about our precepts. As you must have found out, "the precepts," we say, but it is nothing so unusual--it is just about the things as they are and about what we are. And that is precepts. You may wonder why then is it necessary [laughs] to accept precepts. But this is very important point. I want you to understand. It is very very common understanding which you can accept quite easily.

You know, what I say--what I said was there are three--the three kind of precepts. One precept is--first one is indivisible three precepts. Even though we say "three," but that three is one. So it is not possible to--cannot be three. It is actually to repeat one precepts three times from various angle. That is the first one.

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So as a Buddhist, it is very important to accept the three precepts and not to forget about how important it is-- the three precepts which is very common. This is the point.

So we do not call you "Buddhist" if you do not accept precepts [laughs]. If you do not accept precepts-- Even though you accept precepts, it doesn't make any difference. Although it doesn't make any difference, it is necessary to remain very common. To remain very common and usual, you accept precepts [laughs]. So that you--you are not involved in--involved in topsy-turvy idea, we say, you know, you should accept precepts. And you--if you are--if you decide not to be uncommon, not to be interested in something unusual. And we must study ourselves. Then that is Buddhist precepts.

And this is, for Buddhists, this is very important. Not only for Buddhists, but also for human being this is very important point. Important thing is not always interesting. Important, even though key is very small and usual, but without key you cannot live. Key is not usually--is not called; but key is very important. Without key, even though you have diamond [laughs], you cannot use diamond. But usually, you know, if you are not--when you are not mature, when you are young children, which is important, which do you like, key or diamond or something, you know, [like] candy? Which do you like? Children may take sweet candy rather than key.

Unless you--you are very sincere about your life, it is rather difficult maybe to be interested--to be interested in Buddhism, which is very common. That is why we have precepts. And this precepts--our precepts include the three treasures. But the three treasures [are] after all about yourself and about your practice--pure practice of zazen. So precepts and zazen practice is not different. It is all about ourselves.

So we say when we give precepts, we say, "Don't be involved in, don't be lost in other practice--other practice of other different, you know, practice of religion--religious practice." [Laughs.] Do you understand? But what we mean is very different. Don't practice; don't be involved in other religion, we say. Literally, if you understand it literally, Buddhism is not different from other religions, which is very sectarian. Do you understand the difference? Don't be involved in some other practice. It is so important to be just ourselves, without being involved in something curious, something mystic, something strange. This is very important for us. To be ourselves, to be free from everything is the most important point. If we are strong enough, when you are strong enough not to lose yourself, then you can practice various way, practice. But before--there is something for you to do before you do many things. Without foundation, without strong, you know, without, without establishing your freedom, or if there is some danger in you, danger of being lost in you, then we want you to accept precepts and practice more.

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San Francisco

Part 2

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How to be a good student is how to himself, and ready to understand the true teaching. That is why we accept precepts--we receive precepts from Buddha. Buddha says in Lotus Sutra, people, you know, talk about something, which is very convenient for them always [laughs]. But if--if I say Buddha said in Lotus Sutra "you should not be interested in mixing medicine, seeing stars, by practice of strange power, you should not attract people" [laughs]. Buddha said so. I think you will understand what he meant. Before you are interested in something unusual, you should be usual first, and you should have strong confidence in yourself. And you should always try to be usual.

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To know human nature is good, but we should not abuse the understanding of human nature. So if you, if you know this point, and if you are strong courage or confidence, then you can help people wherever you are, because wherever you go there is lot of mistake and lot of things you should correct. Maybe you need a lot of stick, wherever you go. Or you must talk [to] them: "What are you doing?!" [Laughs, laughter.] If you only have calm, open mind, you will see what we are doing. When you are interested in some special, interesting thing, and when you are lost in it, you cannot see anything. That is why we practice zazen, and that is why we receive precepts--we have to receive precepts from Buddha. After all, precepts are all about ourselves.

I wanted to tell you next--the next three--about next three precepts, but [laughs] before I started, I wanted to make it sure about your, you know, to make sure about your understanding so far I talked about. [Sighs.] Okay? If you have some question, please ask me.

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San Francisco

Part 3

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Student A: Roshi?

Suzuki Roshi: Hai.

Student A: Can we--can we rely on anything?

Suzuki Roshi: Hmm?

Student A: Can we rely on anything?

Suzuki Roshi: On anything?

Student A: Mm-hmm.

Suzuki Roshi: As Buddha said, why don't you rely on yourself? There is nothing, you know, you can rely on.

Student A: Can you rely on-- You can rely on yourself?

Suzuki Roshi: You can-- The only thing you can rely on is you yourself. If you try hard to rely on yourself, you will, you know, rely on big self. When you rely on someone else, it means that you are relying on small self. The "someone" is projected small self, you know. When you say "he's bad," you are bad actually [laughing]. If you think more about it, you know, it is very--most of the--not always, but most of time it is you which is bad, not him. So to rely on, in other word, to rely on zazen, rely on nothing! [Laughs.]

Student A: When you feel, you know, when you feel he is bad, should you ever say anything, or should you always not say anything until you feel everything is okay?

Suzuki Roshi: Yeah [laughter]. I think so.

Student A: When should you be honest? [Question unclear.]

Suzuki Roshi: Honest! Yeah. People say maybe I'm dishonest because I don't say so much [laughs], but it is not so. [Laughter.] I try--I'm trying to be honest, so I can not say so easily. I must see myself, you know, first. Uh-oh. [Laughs.]

Student A: Better not say? [Question unclear.]

Suzuki Roshi: That's-- Yeah, that is-- We say if someone ask you, you should answer. If someone don't ask you, you know, don't say. It makes sense, because someone ask you--when someone ask some question, then I have something to talk about. But if no one ask me any question, I have nothing to talk about, because I should accept things as it is, as they are. So it is nothing--it is much more than to talk about. So may be better not to say anything.

This kind of practice is very important--to be silent. To be silent means to be open and calm. That is how to be silent. Like zazen. To be silent does not mean to do this. [Sounds as though he is covering his mouth. Laughs.] To open our mind, and to open our big mind, and to see things as much as we can--that is how to be silent--how to have--how you have--you obtain yourself--true self. Hai.

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San Francisco

Part 4

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Student B: Roshi, without the experience, what does it mean to accept precepts or have confidence in usual activity?

Suzuki Roshi: Mm-hmm. Without experience--without experience, you know, without special experience, but usually we have many difficulties in our everyday life. And we have many problems. And how we--why do we have this kind of problem is something you should think [about]. And that kind experience--usual experience of difficulties will help you to have this kind--to accept this kind of precepts.

Student B: Paying attention to our usual difficulties is included in what you mean by accepting precepts?

Suzuki Roshi: Pay- [partial word: "Paying"?]--no.

Student B: Is the word "accept"? I don't--I mean, you accept the precepts on one basis. I would have to accept it on another. And for me, confidence comes from experience--some kind of understanding or something. So without it, I'd have to accept ….

[Sentence not finished. Tape turned over. Original tape case stated that a "student question" was asked as the tape was turned over.]

Suzuki Roshi: Mm-hmm. Yes, that-- If a teacher is very good, he will help.

Student B: Apart from a teacher?

Suzuki Roshi: Apart from teacher? Apart from teacher?

Student B: Apart from [?] practice of truth. Accepting the precepts--truth or--

Suzuki Roshi: "Truth," you--we say; but truth usually, maybe, usually is one-way, you know, street. "Go! Anyway, go this ways"--that is truth, usually. But the truth--when we say "truth," truth can be, you know, various truths. So if you try to follow, you know, some direction only, or if you always depend on the, you know, sign, you will not find out the--your own way to go. So the best thing is to have eyes to read the sign.

I have this kind of experience when I was in Manchuria at the end of the war. The sign said, "We will not sell ticket. And there is no boat to Japan" [laughs]. That was sign. When I read it, there is ticket, we can buy a ticket [laughs], and there is a boat. [Laughs, laughter.] I understand in that way. [Laughs, laughter.] So I--because I didn't depend on, you know, railway transportation only, or some line or some company only, there is boat. I am quite sure about it. But the boat which does not belong to special line or … [2 words unclear], or some special line. So whatever it is, it will give you some information. I rather rely on the carpenters' information who is working in harbor. "Is it dangerous to go to Japan right now? And how many--how many ships were, you know, damaged, and how long does it take until it get repaired?" They know much better than officers in station--railway station.

So whatever it is, you know, it will give you good information. But if you depend on something, some special thing only, and depend upon something which usual people may depend on, it means that as long as you, you know, you are not strong enough to go by yourself, you cannot find out your way.

So first of all, to know yourself and to be strong enough to live without any sign, without any information, that is the most important point. Right now, what your question is, you know, about which way you go, but that doesn't help so much.

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71-07-22V

SAN-PACHI-NENJU

Tassajara

Part 1

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Each layman accepts Buddhists precepts. If usual person accepts precepts, we become Buddhist. And I have been explaining what is precepts. So tonight I will not speak--talk about it; but if you become Buddhist, what kind of practice you will have is next thing--is the thing I want to talk [about]--to study.

For layman to receive the precepts--precepts it is necessary for you to keep precepts. The most important one is--precepts is the three refuges. I take refuge in the buddha; I take refuge in the dharma; and I take refuge in the sangha. And you repeat this practice in your everyday life. But it is too much [laughs] to explain tonight about it--three refuges.

To, you know, to, in short, to receive the three refuges is to have right understanding of our life. It is same thing, you know, to have right understanding of our life and to receive three refuges is same thing. So if--when you have right understanding of human life as it is, then you are said to be accepted, to have accepted Buddha’s precepts. Nothing special--nothing special practice, but usual practice. And you will have right understanding about, you know, our life.

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71-07-22V

SAN-PACHI-NENJU

Tassajara

Part 2

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Not only observing the rules [?], you know, studying Buddhist precepts. We have school of precepts, you know--precepts and doctrine [?] of zazen school. They are only studying precepts, so Dogen Zenji studied precepts--various precepts, precepts texts--texts of precepts, and he carefully set up non-dualistic way of life for monks and laymen.

He said as long as you are Buddhist, whether you are layman or monk, it is necessary to observe the first principle first, the next principle--the second principle--next [laughs]. Do you understand? The first principle goes first; and second principle follows. Value [?] of first principle. First principle means non-dualistic way. The second precept--the second principle is--is good means to lead people to the first principle. So it is a little bit more dualistic.

When you don't know which way you should take, which way should be more important, then you should put more emphasis on the first principle, not the second principle--principle of the duality.

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We will find out our own treasure, and that is our precepts too. With it is nothing but treasures you have. But when you receive it, you receive it as if you receive something special [laughs] from Buddha. But actually, more and more--"Oh! This is a treasure we have had." That is how you feel when you have attained enlightenment.

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*****

71-07-25V

Tassajara

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At first, you know, when you fear Buddhism, it looks like there are many precepts to observe; there is many rules to follow; there are many buddhas to worship. It looks like so. But if you worship Buddha, according to Buddhist way, more and more, you yourself will become Buddha and you don’t need Buddha. You don’t feel you need Buddha. Whenever you come to Buddha, naturally you will bow to Buddha without trying to anything. That is not--that is more than worship. Just bow to Buddha.

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*****

71-07-26V

Tassajara

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Day after day, moment after moment, we are creating bad karma. I have to accept it. Even [at] Tassajara we ate eggs--eggs, you know. It is living being. Eggs are not dead. Even though you eat grain, that is living being. You are killing them. But you have to eat it, knowing that it is not dead. Because of the big mind we have to do it. Because we do not--we choose big mind rather than small mind to discriminate: "This is good or bad." Whether we are following Buddha's precepts or not, that is, you know--small mind say--say so--but big mind will accept things as it is. If we have to, we will do anything.

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*****

RYAKU FUSATSU LECTURE

Zen Mountain Center

Part 1

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All the year round, you know, dosojin--that god go--lived in various part of the village, and [knows] who observe good precepts and who don't. He has--he is supposed to keep the record, as ino also does [laughs], in Tassajara zendo or City zendo [laughing]: who attend zazen and how many times someone didn't come. He has that kind of responsibility.

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And if someone didn't observe good precepts, then that evil spirit will visit his home [laughs].

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Eighth--eighth or fourteenth, fifteenth is the day we observe precepts. Laymen observe the eight precepts, which is--the eight precepts is the same precepts priests observe, but on those days, eighth and fourteenth and fifteenth, is the day lay--layman observe same precepts as priest observe, or Buddha's direct disciple observe. Those precepts are called hachisai-kai. Hachi--hachi--"eight." Sai is--sai means "same"--sai, you know. If this shoulder and this shoulder is, you know--this shoulder and this shoulder is same--sai. Very balanced, hachi-sai-kai. Hachisai-kai. Why we call sai means--sai means "equal," like your left-hand shoulder and right-hand shoulder is equal. Sai means "equal."

So on that day--fourteenth, or eighth or fourteenth or fifteenth--is the day when laymen and monks observe same precepts. Kai is "precepts." Hachi is "eight." And the rokusai, roku: "six"; sai: "same" or "equal." rokusai is--rokusai, it was six--sai--mmm--it is rather complicated.

Sai in America--we use it with precepts--sankai, saikai [?]--so sai is more and more changed--its meaning changed. And sai later, you know, meant--or nowadays means "pure," but original meaning is "same."

We have rokusai. Rokusai is--before fifteenth we have three days, after fifteenth we have three days. So we have six days to observe pure precepts. And in those six days we observe hachisai-kai--eight pure precepts, which is equivalent to arhat precepts, or Buddha’s disciples' precepts. And eight precepts--four precepts of eight--eight precepts is the nature of precepts, and other precepts is prohibitory precepts.

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RYAKU FUSATSU LECTURE

Zen Mountain Center

Part 2

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In Mahayana precepts, we put emphasis on nature of precepts. But in Hinayana or Theravada, they put emphasis on prohibitory precepts. Before Buddha, it is some--something--some observation to keep themselves from evil spirit by doing something good. Dana precepts was the very old precepts, both for Buddhist and pre-Buddhist people. Dana precepts. If you observe dana precepts, you will be born in some good land after you die--after you die. That is why they observed dana precepts before Buddha. And why Buddhists observe dana precepts is different: not for to have good future life, but to accomplish buddhahood in this life. That is Buddhist way of--or spirit of observing precepts and dana precepts.

Anyway, this kind of observation of--by observation of the precepts, they--before Buddha, they tried to keep themselves from evil spirits, to protect themselves from evil spirits. After Buddha, they also gathered laymen and monks and Buddha's precepts stick [?] together, and recited precepts, Buddha precepts. And those who did not--those who failed to observe the precepts mays--may make confession of it. And those who do not say anything is the people who are supposed to observe the precepts. In that way, they recited precepts.

So the most important part of the Fusatsu ceremony is to recite Bommo-kyo, Bommo-kyo (Bommo Sutra, Brahmajala Sutra, Fan-wang-chin): a sutra containing the ten major and 48 lesser Mahayana precepts. the precepts, you know. Bommo-kyo is the Mahayana--about Mahayana precepts. And when, for an instance, I recite those precepts, you should think about, you know, what you did. And if you didn't observe good precepts, you should say, "I didn't. I am sorry." Then, you know, by the power of confession, you--your--your bad karma will--will be weaker. In that way, to purify our mind and to keep Buddha's way, we will observe Fusatsu. Fusatsu is--fusa--fusa--fusa-da--fu--fu--fusa or [1 word] means to do something good--do something good--to increase good or positive side. Da is to stop--to stop doing bad.

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RYAKU FUSATSU LECTURE

Zen Mountain Center

Part 3

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Nature of precepts is to encourage good practice and to stop evil desire, or to--to continue good practice, good precept observation, and to put an end to bad delu- [partial word] deluded observation. That is the idea of precepts. Fusa--fusa-da--fusa: "to do something." Something we have. To continue something good, and to stop something good, something bad, or to stop something bad karma arise. That is the meaning of stop. Fusa--fusatsu. In that way, Buddhists have been observed Fusatsu.

Fusatsu is in Japanese or maybe in Chinese too, but it is--character doesn't mean anything, but it is transliteration of "posòadha"--Sanskrit. So with this spirit, we should observe Fusatsu. And when your everyday practice is good--when you observe, you know, this Fusatsu, you--you feel real spirit of zendo. Fusatsu.

And Ryaku Fusatsu--Ryaku means "abbreviated observation," not full observation, because we have so many precepts, you know, and so many scriptures. So if we, you know, read all of it, it takes long, long time.

So we, in Japan or in China, instead of observing six times a month, we just observe fifteenth and the last day of the month. And the things we--we--Mahayana school of Buddhism, like Zen or Shin or someone Tendai or Shingon, we--we read Bodhisattva precepts--Bodhisattva precepts, Mahayana precepts only. That is why we say Ryaku. Ryaku. Ryaku is what we say. Not full but a part of it.

If we--if this okesa is, you know--if we wear small okesa that is simplified okesa--ryaku. Spirit is there, but more simple. Why we say so is because we do not read all the precepts, one by one, because it takes too long time. Maybe in comparison to Bodhisattva precepts, we should--I should refer to eight hachisai-kai, eight precepts.

The first one we say, "Don't kill." And don't take which is not given to you--don't steal. "Don't steal" means to take something which is not given to you. And do--do not be, you know--do not cling to the nature of man or woman, or nature or--don't cling to the difference of--difference, you know. If it is different is pretty good [laughs]. You cling to it more than that. Man and woman is--you don't understand in the difference of the nature. It is--if you understand, woman is the form and nature is little different from a man, and then it is [1 word] to understand, nearer to understand. But if you say, you know, man and--nature of man and woman is like water and [laughs] flame, or plus and minus, that is not our understanding. Do you understand the feeling?

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RYAKU FUSATSU LECTURE

Zen Mountain Center

Part 4

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Our minds should go, you know--should have freedom from this kind of concepts. Because you are not free from those concepts, you lose, you know, you lose your freedom. You are enslaved by it. Nature is the same, but function is different, and that is, you know, Buddhist understanding about various existing being. There is--we, anyway, we possess everything, you know, possess everything. But difference is something is right, you know, with you. Something is beyond my reach right now. That is the difference. But anyway, by nature, everything belongs to you then. By nature, everything is same. It looks like different from one to the other. This is the third precept: "Don't be sexual." [Laughs.]

Fourth one is, you know--[he says the series to himself out loud in Japanese, then comes to the fourth precept]: "Don't tell a lie." You cannot tell a lie.

First four precepts are the nature of human being. It express how human being--how everything exist. It means that everything has buddha-nature and everything is the same, is one. When your mind is clear, you will understand in that way. When your mind is, you know, confused, you do not understand those men and women, [1-3 words] or other sentient, or something to cure [3-4 words unclear]--someone who cure [2 words], or something true or something which is not true. That kind of duality doesn't exist.

Dualistic understanding is anything, you know--anyway, [1-2 words] is not good understanding. When we--we are free from dualistic understanding of precepts or of being, then you have--you understand what is buddha-nature. So we call it sho-kai--nature of precepts--nature.

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RYAKU FUSATSU LECTURE

Zen Mountain Center

Part 5

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And the rest of the [precepts]--the rest--we have three more, and the three is not just three--many, many, many. You shouldn't sleep because of high bed or something like, you know--you shouldn't decorate your, you know, your--you shouldn't use something too beautiful [laughs] on your ears, or on your eyebrows, on your lips, or you shouldn't use too strong incense. [5-7 words, laughter.] Incense has [2-3 words] okay.

Many, many precepts, not just there are three. But tentatively we count just three. Four--five--six--seven--eight--six--seven--eight [1 word], you know. Six-seven is something like that: Don't sleep in high bed. I am a Zen priest, you know. We sleep on this way--this part is [?]--my grandfather used to sleep [probably gestures, followed by S.R. and students laughing]. It looked like needles [?] [laughs, laughter]. He [2-3 words]. So the real spirit [3-4 words]. [Laughs, laughter.] Don't sleep [laughs] on such a grand [3-5 words]. That kind of precept--so many precepts, but tentatively we come--they come to "Don't sleep in high bed." That is next one, maybe seventh--sixth--seventh. I don't--I don't remember. Anyway, something like that.

The last one was very important one. "Don't eat after [laughs]--after twelve, afternoon." That is why John and Jisho, you know, at lunchtime while we--while we are eating before the second service start, we come to the Mañjushri and take back his flower to the kitchen because he doesn't [2-4 words]. That is sad. So maybe I shouldn't [1 word], you know. I shouldn't remain like this, but I--I feel it, you know. Mañjushri is a spirit of a body [?] of precepts.

[Laughs, laughter.] Excuse me, I need to ask a [3-6 words]. I was--I am not, you know, [3-5 words].

That--that is very important--that precept. That is independent precept, and before Buddha set up precepts, you know, for Buddhists it is a very important precept are the four precepts which means our Buddha nature. That is our buddha-nature. How to realize buddha-nature. Don't kill; don't steal; don't be--don't act with unchaste acts, --or that is not literal understanding precepts--don't be sexual, don't tell a lie. Those are very important precepts. But don't eat after twelve is--means Buddha's or Buddhist activity or Buddha's everyday life. So as long as we put emphasis on our everyday life--not only, you know, everyday life is very important. So that is one independent precept, especially in--in Theravada and before Buddhists.

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