The Awakening of Faith – Talk 32
November 15, 1985 Dharma Talk by Dainin Katagiri Roshi
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Katagiri Roshi: […]
Fifth column from the left. This is, from the bottom, defilement united with attachment. Excuse me; fifth column is “Six kinds of defilements.” And the fourth column, “Manas and Vijnana.” This fourth column is explanation of how consciousness is building up. So the activating mind is karmic mind, and evolving mind, this is subject. Reproducing mind, this is object. Analytic mind, this is the intellectual mind. And continuing mind, this the very basic, subtle nature of human mind, which is going on constantly. And also consciousness, consciousness is rough, course nature of mind.
And the fifth column is the defilements – six kinds of defilements, connecting with manas and vijnana, manas and consciousness. So vijnana is consciousness; manas, in this case, mind.
So I think in order to understand the consciousness, manas, what kind of manas are like, I think usually we start to explain from the … very subtle nature of mind, to course nature of mind. But when you try to understand the consciousness, … how to be free from those mind by practice, at that time we usually explain about that practice from the … rough or course nature of consciousness to the very subtle nature of consciousness.
So, look at the fifth column from the bottom. Defilement united with attachment. This is defilement in an attempt to avoid suffering and not suffering, and that [is] attached to not suffering. In other words, this defilement is the attempt to avoid […] unhappiness and attach to happiness. Or, the attempt to discriminate objects, all kinds of things, by means of concepts or ideas. So, there are always the intellectual and emotional defilements created by self-attachment. So, in the bottom, always there is a sense of self-attachment there.
So, in order to be free from this self-attachment, I think there is a practice in this. Look at the sixth column, in the bottom. I think “attainment of liberation in two vehicles.” Attainment of liberation, I think, through two kinds of vehicles: sravaka and pratikabuddha. Sravaka means listening to Buddha’s teachings. Pratikabuddha is the realization of the law of nature. This is attainment of liberation. So, you can attain liberation through practice of sravaka and pratikabuddha.
And the other practice is the stage of establishment of faith. If you look at this, another one, the 52 stages of the Buddha bodhisattva practice. The first one is the ten stages of faith. In this practice, I think, it is the stage of establishment of faith. So, you have to complete the ten stages of faith. Then, when you have completed ten stages of faith, then […] you have got into the ten stages of security. And then, you can be free from defilement united with attachment. In other words, you can be free from self-attachment. This is defilement united with attachment.
And the next one, defilement united with the continuing mind. This is defilement found in continuing mind, such as maintaining the activities accumulated in our past life, maturing the retribution of the unhappiness and happiness, or carrying one’s memories on, and so on. This is the second defilement, defilement united with continuing mind. In other words, this defilement is the functioning of the mind, which keeps and holds one’s karmic retribution in the deep level of consciousness. It is based on the characteristic of dharma attachment. The first one I mentioned, there is always a sense of self-attachment in the bottom of consciousness. But the second one, there is dharma attachment, attachment to the object. But this is very subtle attachment, very strong attachment to, what would you say, very subtle aspect of human life, which is going on in the bottom of human life, from the past to the present to the future. So, this defilement is always carrying the human activity which you have accumulated in the past to the present to the future – or memories, etc.
So, in order to be free from this defilement, I think that you have to practice the ten stages of security. You have to start from ten stages of security. In the ten stages of security, I think you can practice, for example, the four kinds of seeking. Seeking for form, and meaning of things, meaning, or its own nature, and difference. These four, you can practice four kinds of seeking. And then those four kinds of seeking, […] form, and meaning, and its own nature, and difference, and then we realize that they are nothing but being reproduced by one’s mind. Because before I mentioned, in this case, object means […] reproducing mind. If you see the fourth column, you can see this mind, reproducing mind is object. It is not the usual object, because object can be reflected in your mind first, and then we can think of it. So what we think or judge is not object you can see in front of you, but you judge or you think of the reflection of the object in your mind. This is a Buddhistic understanding, through this book. That’s why this is reproducing mind. So whatever you are seeking for, through the names or form and meanings or its own nature and differences, anyway, those are nothing but reproducing things by your mind.
And then if you realize the […] world and human life like this, then you can reach … four kinds of observing thusness, truth. Four kinds of observing thusness means … the form, form is no form, and meaning is no meaning, and its own nature has no particular substance, and the difference has no particular substance. Like this. And then it is called you can reach the four kinds of observing the truth.
Or through this practice you can practice the mark with no solid nature, and being with no solid nature, and the truth with no solid nature. Solid nature means substance. Everything doesn’t have its own substance. So mark, being, existence as a whole. Mark, being, and also truth. They don’t have their own […] substance. And then you can reach this kind of practice at the spiritual level.
That is the ten stages of security.
Then number three, “defilement united with analytic mind.” Defilement united with the analytic mind. This is a defilement that gives rise to analytic mind based on discriminating a sense of like or dislike, or purity or impurity. In other words, this defilement is the instinctive judgment of like or dislike. Very instinctive. Or instinctive judgment of knowing the existence of a thing. Very instinctive. This judgment takes place very naturally or habitually, not on purpose. So, we call this defilement “the dharma attachment originated with spontaneous impulses.” Because this judgment takes place naturally or habitually, not on purpose. That’s why we call “dharma attachment originated with spontaneous impulses.” Which means going beyond the … dependence on the discrimination or the external educational and religious influences. Completely beyond.
So, from this point, like or dislike, kind of coming up [as] waves of human feelings. Not on purpose. It’s coming up. Or knowing the existence of a thing – the instinctive judgment of knowing the existence of a thing. For instance the microphone, and this table, et cetera, you can know, but not on purpose. If you see this one, immediately you can know: table, and microphone. Naturally, very naturally and habitually.
So, you know the dharma attachment. Dharma attachment means the … attachment to the solid idea that an external element has its own substance. That is attachment. In other words, the solid judgment on the presence of an external element. External element means object. You can see. This very solid judgment on the presence of an external element. So, if you see the microphone, very strongly you attach.
So, there are many kinds of dharma attachment. A wide sense of dharma attachment to the idea of one body of the external world. Or dharma attachment to the sensuous materials, like the color of red or yellow, or smell. This is also dharma attachment. Or dharma attachment to the simple idea of existentialism. For instance, the microphone and knowing the microphone and tables and floors, trees, birds, skies, mountains, rivers. Very simple idea of existentialism. This is also dharma attachment.
If you have a certain idea, so-called “ism,” or Buddhism “ism”, philosophy, religion, whatever, very naturally we attach to it. That is not on purpose. It’s very naturally, habitually you attach. If you have an “ism.” If I am Buddhist, I become attached. If you see the microphone, there is attachment there.
So, this is called the dharma attachment originated with spontaneous impulses. Beyond your education, beyond the religious sense, anyway.
But number one is self-attachment. Number one, the defilement united with attachment. This is self-attachment.
So, dharma attachment, I think two kinds of dharma attachment. Dharma attachment originated with spontaneous impulses, and dharma attachment originated from one’s discrimination or judgment, or inference. So, two kinds of dharma attachment.
The second one, there are always dharma attachment originated from one’s discrimination or judgment, which is different from number three, dharma attachment originated with spontaneous impulses.
So, in order to be free from number three, defilement united with an analytic mind, I think you have to practice the ten stages of developing of Buddha wisdom. The number two of the ten stages of developing Buddha wisdom.
Fifth. Do you have this one? You don’t?
Look at the sixth column. I think the stage of observing precepts, and also the stage of formless expedient methods. I think the number two, defilement, in order to be free from number two, “defilement united with continuing mind,” […] you have to practice many things, you have to go through many things, the ten stages of security, and ten stages of necessary activities, ten stages of transference of merits to others, and then you can reach the ten stages of developing Buddha wisdom.
First, number one of the ten stages of development of Buddha wisdom. Number one is joy at benefiting oneself and others. You can have dharma joy at that time.
Joy at having overcome the former difficulties and now entering on the path of Buddha way. So kind of […] “stream winner,” which is one of the arhat’s stages, stream winner.
But in order to be free from number three, defilement united with the discriminating analytic mind, I think you have to practice the stage of observing precepts. Anyway, first you have to observe precepts.
In the Mahayana, I think we have precepts of three pure precepts. With the purity of heart, we do not do something unwholesome. Second one, with purity of heart, we try to do something wholesome. And number three, with purity of heart, we try to help all sentient beings. This is the three pure precepts. So you have to obey the Buddha’s precepts.
And then, on the other hand, you have to practice the stage of formless expedient method. That is, if you obey Buddha’s precepts, you can practice number two of the ten stages of development: the second stage, freedom from all defilements. So by obeying the Buddha’s precepts, you can reach freedom from all defilements.
And then, you can go to number seven, “proceeding far,” okay, of the ten stages of developing Buddha wisdom. So from the second stage to the seventh stage. At the seventh stage, you attain the stage of expedient method without any trace. In other words, observing, realizing all sentient beings with no form. This is the practice of observing all things with no form. That is the seventh stage. The seventh stage of the ten stages of developing Buddha wisdom.
This third defilement is removed gradually between the second stage and the seventh stage because two kinds of wisdom of the self, emptiness and dharma emptiness, during entering the samadhi in zazen are revealed. So there is no dharma attachment. But when you go out of zazen and are involved in worldly affairs, dharma attachment takes place unconsciously. Therefore, it takes a long, long period of time, ranging from the second stage to the seventh stage to remove this defilement. A very long period of time you have to practice, ranging from the second to the seventh.
Well, the Avatamsaka Sutra explains more in detail about each stage of the Bodhisattva practice. But in this Awakening of Faith, it doesn’t explain so much. But anyway, we have to realize that in order to be free from dharma attachment originated with spontaneous impulses, it takes a really long, long period of time. How hard it is for us to be free from this dharma attachment.
[…] Next, number four, defilement disunited from represented world of objects. I think here is a particular term, united. So far, until number three, I think this defilement is connected with … the continuing mind or analytic mind, et cetera. Connected with, so we say united with, defilement united with. It means this responsiveness to impulse which occurs between subject and object. I mean the evolving mind and the producing mind. Because analytic mind doesn’t realize that objects are nothing but one’s mental reproductions.
Well, from number four, I think these defilements, number four, number five, number six are defilements disunited from represented world of objects and the evolving mind, et cetera. So number four defilement is produced by primitive ignorance. Primitive ignorance, just like a clear mirror reflected all things in. Primitive ignorance. I think this defilement is just like a clear mind reflected everything. For instance, if I see a microphone, microphone is reflected in my mind, very naturally. Disunited with anything. This is nothing but the functioning of reproducing mind. Automatically it goes like that. So why the microphone reflects in my mind, we don’t know. This is called the primitive ignorance. Very primitive; the very first one. So it’s going, just like a mechanical system. Mechanical system goes, operates, like this.
And this is the functioning of the reproducing mind in different to revolving mind. That is why we call it disunited from. So it is a function of its own.
So in order to be free from this defilement, I think you have to reach the eighth stage of ten stages of developing Buddhist wisdom. It is in, this case, “attainment of calm and unperturbedness.”
In other words, by virtue of practicing no form, complete no form in existence, I think you can attain the truth of mind-only. So microphone is not microphone, microphone is the … kind of a shadow produced by your mind. So you can be free from hindrance of … forms. You can see. You can be free from reproducing mind, so the external object can be reflected as it really is. So very naturally, you can be free from reproducing mind. That means, if you realize that microphone is nothing but reflection of your mind, at that time you can be free from your object. Because it’s yours, your mind. Then, microphone is reflected as it really is, without attachment. This is a practice you can do at the 8th stage.
Okay, number 5: “Definement disunited from evolving mind.” Then you can practice the stage of freedom from evolving mind.
[Tape change.]
… In other words, prior to perceive movement of your mind. In other words, the very first stage of movement of your mind by very primitive ignorance.
There are two kinds of ignorance. One is very primitive ignorance, and derivative ignorance. I think next we can explain the primitive ignorance, in the next chapter. But we are talking about now the derivative ignorance.
So, the very first stage prior to realize the movement of your mind. So movement itself. Very pure movement of your mind. This is a defilement. We don’t know why. That’s why that movement of the mind takes place by very primitive ignorance.
So, in other words … the movement of mind is simultaneously identical with evolving mind. In other words, subjectivity of your mind. Very subjectivity.
So, when you reach at the ninth stage of developing a buddha’s wisdom, I think you can attain the four kinds of wisdom of no hindrance. In other words, this is a wisdom of enlightenment. So you can be free from deluded thoughts of subject.
So, four kinds of wisdom of no hindrance, means… The “no obstacles in preaching the Dharma.” This is one.
The second, “no obstacles in understanding the meaning of the Dharma.”
The third, “no obstacles in communication in various dialects.” In other words, you can give the Buddha’s teaching using the various languages. Particularly in India, [there were] many kinds of local languages – different, very different. So it is said that Buddha uses various kinds of languages to teach his own religions. So that is […] number three, no obstacles in communication in various dialects.
Number four, no obstacles in preaching suitable sermons to people.
They are four kinds of wisdom of no hindrance. So you can really teach Buddha’s teaching freely, if you attain the number nine stage of developing of wisdom, Buddha’s wisdom.
Okay, next, number six: “defilement disunited from basic activating mind.” Literally, maybe karmic mind. Very basic karmic mind. Basic karmic mind means that the unenlightened mind is in motion by means of the influence of ignorance. This is the very basic activating mind. By means of influence of your ignorance. This is a root of discriminative mind; very root [of] discriminative mind.
The mind which is discriminating from moment to moment cannot understand the root that discrimination takes place. Just like the eyes cannot see the eyes themselves, even if they are seeing, even though they work. So this defilement is a kind of energy, which causes deluded mind to go astray constantly, just like that which makes a dream possible to dream. In other words, there is energies which make a dream as dream. To dream, always something there. The mind of the dream cannot know the energy which causes dream to dream. This is very subtle defilement.
In order to be free from this basic karmic mind, you have to reach the tenth stage of developing the Buddha’s wisdom.
50:10
Okay. Let me say simply this paper, this chart, something.
Column 1, four stages of enlightenment. Look at it from the bottom: not enlightenment, enlightenment in appearance, approximate enlightenment, or final enlightenment. If you start to practice Buddhist practice, I think four kinds of stages of reaching mental development, spiritual development.
First one, not enlightenment. This is very ordinary people.
And enlightenment in appearance, this is a kind of enlightenment. No, not a kind of … Yes, a kind of enlightenment. Like the sravaka and pratika, this is a kind of enlightenment. Through the practice sravaka and pratika you can attain enlightenment, but this is enlightenment in appearance, it is not complete perfect enlightenment. So that is the second one, enlightenment in appearance. Sravaka people and pratika people can attain this enlightenment.
Approximate enlightenment, this is a Bodhisattva can do it.
And the final enlightenment is the Buddha’s.
So, in the second column, look at it from the bottom, the state of stop. I think you can see another chart I gave to you, I think this one. Do you have this? [Shuffling papers.] I think the two should be attached together like this. Did you find it?
And look at the upper part of this one, there is […] the state of stop, stage of change, stage of abiding, stage of arising. Did you find? Okay.
And if you see the left side, it says not enlightenment, enlightenment in appearance, approximate enlightenment, and final enlightenment. So, the state of stop, you can attain the awareness of next, look at the right side, the awareness of the former wrong activity. I explain a little bit simply. If you start to practice, from the bottom stage, so-called non-enlightenment, then you can reach the state of stop, which means awareness of the former wrong activity. That means perverted view, we can realize how perverted we are. This is the state of stop. Gradually you have to do this, through the studying, et cetera. Studying the scriptures and reading the Buddhist teachings, and listening to the Buddhist teachings, then you can reach the state of stop, which means awareness of the former wrong activity, perverted.
If you look at usual people, I think they always have kind of perverted views, which they don’t realize how perverted they are. But they really attached to this, they believe their understanding is right. So, if you practice the Buddhist way, naturally you can reach this stage.
The second, stage of change. And look at this explanation: free from two activities, greed and anger. The second, false view, which everyone holds permanent entity. Usually we attach to everything as permanent.
So the first one, you can be free from the first activity, greed and anger. And next, the second activity, the false view. The state of abiding free from false view, which all elements or objects possess a real substance. Number one, perceiving subject. Number two, the world of objects. Number three, the aspect of discriminating intellect. Number four, the aspect of continuity. So, you can be free from those things.
The state of arising: free from the very minute function of thoughts, at the very first stage when the mind turns into delusions.
That is column two.
And then column three, the three subtle and six course nature of non-enlightenment, not-enlightenment.
There is the three subtle nature of non-enlightenment. From the first three, from the top: activity of ignorance, perceiving subject, world of objects. They are the three subtle nature of un-enlightenment. Very subtle. Activity of ignorance, this is very subtle nature, very subtle, functioning very subtly. Very minute. Perceiving subject, creating, producing the subject, very automatically, before you are conscious of it. That is why it is subtle, we say subtle nature.
And then, if you build up subject, very naturally there is object. So, that is the world of object. So, immediately, when you say “I am here,” immediately subject and object there, and also ignorance is there. Wherever you may go, three subtle nature of un-enlightenment are always there.
Six, “the course nature of non-enlightenment.” That is aspect of intellect, corresponding with the analytic mind at the fourth column, and the aspect of continuity, the consciousness characteristic of intelligence, and also the continuity. And the aspect of attachment. Aspect of attachment is avoiding the suffering, and attached to not suffering. And the aspect of speculation, this is understanding the object by preconceptions. This is aspect of speculation.
The second column, state of change. That is why if you reach the state of change, you can be free from aspect of attachment, so called greed and anger. If you have strong attachment, avoiding suffering or attaching to not suffering, very naturally you create anger, hatred, greed, et cetera. And also you can create a false view. That’s why if you reach the state of change, very naturally you can be free from aspect of attachment, aspect of speculation. And aspect of giving rise to karma. This is the realizing the, this is the realizing awareness of form of wrong activities.
And also aspect of anxiety attached to the karma. So aspect of anxiety attached to the karma, it is the exact result of human birth. Human existence, exact result. So nothing – no practice. You have to just accept. Nothing to be free from this one. So that’s why aspect of anxiety attached to the karma, body, five skandhas – you cannot do anything. You should accept. So that’s why it doesn’t have, it doesn’t connect to the six columns. Okay? Nothing.
Do you have a question?
[Long pause. Lots of paper shuffling.]
1:04:00
Question: Hojo-san, can you explain the connection with stage of observing precepts, over in the practices column? The stage of observing precepts, and …
Katagiri Roshi: Stage of formless expedient?
Questioner: Uh, no, I’m thinking of why that’s connected to the defilement united with discriminating, analytical mind. I think it’s a connection between those two.
Katagiri Roshi: The stage of observing precepts?
Questioner: Yeah. It seems that the stage of observing precepts would be more basic, or something. More course.
Someone: Like on the 52 stages of bodhisattva practice? Way down in …
Katagiri Roshi: Yes. But particularly, I think, that’s why I mentioned the three pure precepts in the Mahayana Buddhism. You have to obey precept, particularly in Mahayana, the three pure precepts, you have to obey at this stage. But … the precepts are important from the beginning. But particularly, I think there are many kinds of precepts.
So I think the… the first five precepts, that is important for everyone. Even though you practice the first ten stages of faith, that is important for us.
But I think at the stage of ten stages of faith, it is necessary, it emphasizes how important faith is. So in the beginning, at the first stage of your practice, I think faith is very important. You need a very strong devotion to the faith.
Because this book emphasizes faith first.
But in Zen, I think the practice and faith are closely connected. So mainly, practice coming up first. But it’s very difficult [to say] which comes first, because faith is something coming up from the bottom of the practice.
The other day I mentioned enjoyment. Enjoyment comes from practice. But you cannot get the enjoyment from the preconceptions. No. If you want real enjoyment, I think you should do it. From the practice coming up. So called enjoyment of swimming – what is this? It is not an idea of enjoyment. [He chuckles.] You have to swim. And then, even though you don’t realize what enjoyment is in swimming, but it is enjoyment. So very naturally you can realize what [this] real enjoyment is.
So in Zen Buddhism always emphasizes that point. So practice seems to come first. But simultaneously, that is called faith. So if you see the practice in terms of the faith, I think we have to emphasize faith. Because you don’t believe practice, how important practice is. That’s why we have to encourage people to believe. We are Buddha, Buddha nature, Buddhahood. We have to believe this.
But if there are some people who can practice easily, it’s not necessary to emphasize faith strongly. So encouraging the practice first. But generally speaking, if you practice, simultaneously there is faith.
That is in particular Dōgen Zenji’s way, always practice comes up. That’s why enlightenment in practice, practice in enlightenment, simultaneously there. Faith in practice, practice in faith.
But in this book, I think faith is emphasized strongly.
1:09:50
Question: Hojo-san? In the practices, what was the attainment of liberation, two vehicles? What were the two vehicles?
Katagiri Roshi: Two vehicles. Sravaka and pratika. Sravaka vehicle and pratika vehicle. That is the two vehicles.
In other words, the sravaka people and pratika people can attain freedom. From this defilement, united with attachment. This attachment is self-attachment. So if you listen to Buddha’s teaching constantly for a long time, you can be free from self-attachment, in a sense. Even though you don’t practice. So that is sravaka and also pratika.
If you really touch very deeply what the law of nature is, you can open yourself. Very naturally, you can be magnanimous and compassionate to all sentient beings. [That’s] freeing from self-attachment.
So you can see that those people, even though they don’t practice Buddhism or any particular religion, they are naturally very kind to the dogs and birds. That is the attainment of liberation in two vehicles.