Kuge: Flowers in the Sky – Talk 2
August 25, 1988 Dharma Talk by Dainin Katagiri Roshi
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Transcript
This transcript is in rough draft stage.
0:00
Katagiri Roshi: … The first sentence.
Flowers in the Sky
The founder of Zen said, “One flower opens with five petals, forming a fruit which ripens of its own accord.”
The founder of Zen, in this case, the founder of Zen Buddhism in China. And so from this point, traditionally, historically, the founder of Chinese Zen is Bodhidharma, who went to China [about] 527 AD from India.
And this statement, “One flower opens with five petals, forming a fruit which ripens of its own accord.” This is a message from the founder of Zen in China. This is a pretty well-known statement used by Zen textbooks very often, here and there. So Dōgen Zenji comments on this Bodhidharma statement because not only nowadays, but also in ancient times, there were many people who misunderstood the meaning of this message.
[…] A simple meaning in the usual sense: “One flower opens with five petals.” I think in this case, “five petals” means five schools of Zen, after Bodhidharma went to China to spread Buddhism there. So Zen Buddhism in the Song Dynasty flourished and built the five schools of Zen. I think in Chinese, I think of Huayan school, Ku’an Yang school, Sao-tang school, Yunmen school, and Linji school – five schools. So one flower means Bodhidharma went to China to teach the one buddha-dharma, Buddha’s teaching – one flower. And then finally, “One flower blooms with five petals.” That’s the historical meaning.
“Forming a fruit which ripens of its own accord, naturally it happens.” It happened in the Buddhist history in China.
So that’s the simple meaning. But according to Dōgen, it’s quite a different meaning, so we have to understand this.
First of all, in Shobogenzo (Bendōwa), he mentioned historically like this:
At the assembly on Vulture Peak, the great teacher Shakyamuni Buddha imparted to Mahakasyapa the dharma, which has since been rightly transmitted from patriarch to patriarch, finally reaching Bodhidharma.
This is a historical statement.
Bodhidharma went to China and there imparted the dharma to Eka, Hui-ko, his disciple.
So Bodhidharma went to China, spread the Buddha’s teaching there, and then historically it is said that Bodhidharma just sat at the Shaolin Temple for nine years without saying anything, just facing the wall, sitting. Finally it is said that Bodhidharma lost his hands and feet. That’s historical. So in Japan, you know the [daruma], the toy of the [daruma], that is why he doesn’t have any hands and feet; it was due to sitting meditation facing the wall for nine years. So now in Japan, the [daruma toy] is a sign of good luck.
Well, anyway. That is Bodhidharma. And then Bodhidharma was sitting for nine years and finally he got the person named Eka – Eka Daishi, Hui-ko teacher – and transmitted his teaching to him. So that’s where he says, “Bodhidharma went to China and there imparted the dharma to Eka.”
This was the initial transmission of the buddha-dharma to an eastern land.
So it is said historically the fact when Bodhidharma went to China to teach Buddhism was the first transmission of the buddha-dharma to an eastern land, China. That is a historical understanding.
Next, in direct personal transmission it was thus handed down to the Sixth Patriarch Daikan Eno – Huineng. At that time, genuine buddha-dharma beyond doubt actually had spread extensively in China, where it appeared in its essence, unaffected by ramifying doctrinal formulations.
So what he says here – until the Sixth Patriarch, from Bodhidharma to the Sixth Patriarch Huineng – buddha-dharma, Buddhism, Buddha’s teaching, really had been handed down, what would you say, very authentically. In other words, a real true sense of Buddha’s teaching had been taught by Bodhidharma [up] to Sixth Patriarch Huineng. This is the point, that’s why “unaffected by ramifying doctrinal formulations.” The essence of Buddha’s teaching. Before Bodhidharma, we didn’t have any separate schools. So a very pure sense of Buddha’s teaching there. So Bodhidharma transmitted that pure sense of Buddha’s teaching to China, and it had been handed down to the Sixth Patriarch Huineng. That’s [what] he says here.
The Sixth Patriarch, after the Sixth Patriarch, had two superior disciples: Ejo of Nangaku (Huai-jang of Nan-yüeh) and Joshi of Seigen (Hsing-ssu of Ch’ing-yüan). Together they possessed and transmitted the Buddha’s seal, masters for both men and devas.
So after the Sixth Patriarch Huineng had two superior disciples, Ejo and Nangaku – in Chinese, Huai-jang and Hsing-ssu. So he had two disciples, but both possessed and transmitted the Buddha’s seal, masters both for men and for devas. So Nangaku and Joshi, as Huineng’s disciples, are still great Zen masters, who were qualified to teach directly the pure sense of Buddha’s teaching. But the question, what happens after this? So it adds there,
Their two schools spread.
Those two teachers spread Buddha’s teaching and were very popular. If something is spread, it becomes popular. If something becomes popular… well, questions come up. Because many people understand, and many people know, and many people are very familiar with the words and teachings, so very naturally people don’t think [about the] teaching very deeply, because they are very familiar with it. For instance, if you always say “good morning”, I don’t think it’s necessary to think always, “what do you mean, good morning?” It’s very popular. So if something becomes popular, always it’s going, but it’s very nice through this, we can have great communication, and we can teach human culture to each other, but lots of misunderstanding there. So the more something is popular, the more misunderstanding happens. This is natural – not only Buddhism, that is the human world. So that’s why popularity is not always good. Okay? [He laughs.]
Buddhism in the United States is not popular. We suffered a lot from being in the United States. [He laughs.] It’s pretty hard, don’t you think? [He laughs again.] In many ways – particularly if you become a monk, it’s pretty hard. But in Japan, it’s very popular. Buddhism is very popular, the spirit of Buddhism is, well, all over. Even if they are not Buddhists, even if they are not interested in Buddhism, it’s all over, you know, the Buddhist spirit is there, so very naturally you are supported in many ways. So you feel comfortable. It’s pretty good – but I don’t know if it is good or bad. [He laughs.] Because it’s very popular. If you become popular, you will be misunderstood by many people. And then some trouble happens. Do you understand what I mean?
When you become a famous person, you know, your name and your life is very popular – how many people [are there] who understand you? No way! [He laughs.] Of course there are many people who understand you, but they are completely misunderstanding. None! There is none who understands you exactly. Why we are trying to understand you because we don’t understand you – that’s really great. That is a great opportunity for us to be right on the stream, the flow of understanding. Understanding is not stagnant water, understanding is the flow of a stream, in motion. That is understanding.
So constantly we have to understand. At that time, it’s pretty hard practice. It’s really hard.
Is that okay?
As their two schools spread, they developed into five gates.
Five gates. That is the five schools. Fa-en, Kuei-yan, Sao-tang. Fa-yen means Hōgen School in Japanese. Kuei-yan means Igyo School. Igyo, E-G-Y-O, Igyo School. Sao-tang is Sōtō School – our school. Yun-men is Ummon. U-M-M-O-N. And Lin-chi School. Lin-chi is Rinzai School in Japanese. So, Hōgen, Igyo, Sōtō, Ummon, and Rinzai. Five schools there.
That is the historical point.
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And then, the other, the sections Dōgen Zenji mentions here, about the situation of Chinese Buddhism in the Song Dynasty, when the five schools flourished. He says (in Butsudō 佛道, “The Way of the Buddhas”):
However, lately, ordinary people who are too ignorant to know ancient ways, and to whom the dharma has never been transmitted and received from the prior buddhas, say mistakenly there are the teachings of the five schools within buddha-dharma. This indicates the natural decline of buddha-dharma. And yet, there is neither one person nor even a half who try to save it from its decline. Only the late teacher Ju-ching is the first person who felt pity for it and saved it. What a wondrous turn of fortune/opportunity are we confronted with.
[…] So, anyway, according to this, Dōgen Zenji mentions, “Lately.” “Lately” means after [the] establishment of the five schools, many people believe Buddhism has flourished with five different flavors. Because there are five peoples and five different tastes. So very naturally, Buddhism has to teach its own teaching to each of the five different flavors – according to the circumstances, according to the personality. Anyway, in the human world there are many, many beings. Trees, birds, pebbles, insects, air – you have to learn a lot. So myriad, myriad different flavors in this human world. So if you want to know trees, you have to know the trees, what they are, which is different from pebbles. Of course they are.
So very naturally we believe, if you want to learn nature, all you have to do is to learn the trees, that’s it. Because trees is. Well, trees is beings opening within one world, so-called nature. So trees are important. This is, he mentions, that’s why different schools have different flavors, and then the different persons anyway try to find a suitable school through which they can learn Buddhism. Then they believe this is a truth. They believe the Sōtō School is right. And then Rinzai is wrong. [He laughs.] That’s why it comes up. And then finally, we fight, you know? You are stupid, or Buddhism, Christianity.
I went to Colorado [for a] discussion about Buddhism and Christianity. Apparently we really smiled, [he laughs,] and were shaking hands and talking about Buddhism and Christianity. Sometimes arguing, but still we are anyway trying to make peaceful. But I don’t think, you know… we don’t understand real peace through that discussion. No way! No, because we are always criticizing, in many ways. Very gentle, noble criticism, okay? [He laughs.] That conference of Buddhism and Christianity is how to express a noble way of criticism of each other. [He laughs.] That’s it. Don’t you think so?
I don’t mean to say it is ridiculous, because this is human beings. Unfortunately human beings have to go through this. That’s human suffering anyway. But people believe through that means, how to establish peace. Then we can believe, we believe strongly that is the best way to come to one place and live in peace and harmony. But it’s very hard. Endlessly we have to discuss.
So, I think that’s why Dōgen Zenji says in here, “There are the teachings of the five schools within the buddha-dharma. This indicates the natural decline of the Buddha dharma.” If you believe this – “Sōtō school is right”… Look at Buddhism in the United States: Tibetan Buddhism, Japanese Buddhism, Korean Buddhism… [He laughs.] Finally, we are very confused. What is real Buddhism? We don’t know.
Dōgen Zenji [talks] about this, in ancient times it happens like that. Five schools is also the same thing. People try to find what is the real Buddha’s teaching through the five schools. Finally they don’t know what the five schools are.
That’s why I mention constantly: if you are in the Sōtō school, if you are in the Tibetan school, that’s fine. I’m not criticizing. Okay? But I think through that situation you have to learn what the real essence of Buddha’s teaching is. That’s all we have [to do]. In other words, through this Sōtō school, through this Tibetan Buddhism, we have to let the essential nature of Buddha’s teaching bloom, there. That is most important. How? This is not teaching. This is not your life. This is practice. Practice is you are doing [it] right now.
That is very serious – but it’s open. It’s completely open. Whichever way you want to go – to the right, to the left – if you want to be lazy, if you want to be serious – you can do it. This is the moment, right now, right here, which is called “the pivot of nothing.” Zero. That is nothing. It’s a pivot. [It’s] very important, but there is nothing to point out, nothing to pin down what it is. But if you are there, if you go any place… well, originally you can go any place. If you want, you can do it. If you don’t, it’s not necessary to do it. That is always your situation. Where is it? You have to see more clearly what it is. So that’s why I say “pivot of nothingness.” That is very pure, and you can do it – you can manifest, you can let the flower of your life force bloom in its essence. Beyond different flavors. Trees? Trees can let the flower of life force bloom in its essence, beyond its own flavor. What is it? Is it a certain frame, is it a certain idea? Is it a certain spiritual idea? Is it a kind of a spiritual game between human and divinity? That’s ridiculous. What is it? Don’t use any words – just directly see that that tree [is] blooming constantly, right now, right here, beyond its own flavor. What is it? If you don’t understand it, what makes it prevent from understanding that tree beyond its own flavor? What is it? You have to research it. Don’t be cheated by any existing Buddhist term, Christian term, anyway – directly you have to pay really careful attention and research. Not only by your head, but also by actual practice.
Actual practice is very important for you. You never understand who you are, yourself and others, even a piece of paper, by your mind only. No way. Even though you don’t understand, there is still great opportunity to understand the life of the piece of paper. What is it? Where is it? You have to practice it with the piece of paper. That is great opportunity – for you to learn something. That is called the gate of Buddha’s compassion – we call it [that]. If you want to use a technical term, this is a great opportunity of Buddha’s compassion – always opening, to everyone.
And then, you can understand it. Then the idea of piece of paper which you have learned is [penetrating] your skin and muscle and bone, and then you really feel something from the piece of paper – how important, how sublime it is for us, day to day – beyond discussion.
Look at your skin, muscle, pores – how important they are. We don’t pay attention to it. But whatever [it is], even if you don’t pay attention to it, each pore works together with you, constantly. If each of the millions, millions of pores is [stopped by] something, that’s a problem. So [they are] always working together with you smoothly. Then your life is going pretty well.
So Dōgen Zenji [says that] here. So, I think the five schools – do you understand, there is five schools within the buddha-dharma. Is that clear? That is a misunderstanding. The five schools within the buddha-dharma, that is a misunderstanding. Is that okay?
That means, for instance, people always say any kind of religion is okay, because any kind of religion seeks the same things. Yes, it is. If so, whatever it is, that’s fine. Why don’t you believe anything, as you like. That kind of question comes up, ok? But you cannot mix [them] up. Each flavor is each flavor, and different flavor is different flavor. So, of course it is – the one peak is the one peak, no other peak. And then in order to climb the one peak, I think there are many ways. That is the schools, denominations, and different type of beings, and different flavors which each being possesses, and allways different ways come up, ok? And then if you choose one, and then you believe this is the only way through which you can reach at the peak, other ways are completely exclusive. That is human ego. Don’t you think? Do you understand that?
For instance, your life is, Buddhism always – not only Buddhism, Christianity, Buddhism always makes you compassionate, you know, love. How much you love? That is pretty hard. It’s very hard to be compassionate to anybody, anything, under all circumstances. So, I think if you really believe “I like myself best,” not only consciously but also unconsciously, we believe it. Very naturally if someone tries to hit you, you protect [yourself], you know? So you really love yourself best in this world. At that time, what do you mean? And then, if you love yourself best in this world, you don’t accept others – because I love myself best. You don’t share your love with people. But other people also do same things as you do; other people also love themselves best in this world. But you don’t admit it, you don’t accept [that] – the same situation you do, always.
That’s why Buddha says, “If you love yourself the best in this world, is there any reason why you hurt others?” There is no reason, because others do same things as you do. If so, you have to share your love with the people. You should share it.
But we don’t do it. That is human ego. It’s really human ego.
That’s why if you choose one school, so-called Tibetan Buddhism, and then you believe it – “I love Tibetan Buddhism” – then other schools are excluded, naturally. Unconsciously or consciously, we do it. But your unconscious behavior is not paid attention by you, you always ignore it. Because that is the difference. Discussion in a conference is always going like that. You are different. I am different from you. You are different from me, always. And then we are thinking like this, you are thinking like that. That is the difference, you know? Always a different world comes up. But then where is the peace? Where is the peace? Where is the harmony? Where is the nirvana? Where is the real being who really wants to have peace, right now? They don’t pay attention to that very serious [question]. No one pays attention during discussion – no one pays attention to the pivot of nothing, where everyone stands. exactly. No one pays attention to it.
The pivot of nothingness is perfect unity of human and all nature, the whole universe. That is not a discussion – that is a place, opportunity, time, including your body and mind. You have to do it. Right now. That’s why I always say, finally, “Keep your mind shut, do it.”
It is not an order. It’s not an order. If you accept it as an order, that’s fine. But through that order I think you should find something under your feet, not something outside of yourself.
[…] So if you choose one religion, it’s fine! But I think there is no reason why other schools should be excluded. No way. Other schools, other ways also love themselves best in this world. Why is it that we have to hurt others?
That is always the point. So, everyone, everyone.
So, finally what is the conclusion? In order to reach the peak, should I always see the peak away from me, away from each step? If you do that, the peak is far from us; it’s very hard to reach exactly.
It is human suffering, because every day you can learn. Some days you really feel, “I reach the point I want to do.” That is what? Satisfaction, good feeling, or happiness, success; whatever you say. Is that is final goal you want to do? “Yes!” But next day… we don’t know. So, next day, or the day after tomorrow, or after one month, after two months – maybe reality would be completely reversed.
Lots of things happen, so we don’t know exactly. So, very naturally we cannot ignore, we cannot hurt others. Because everyone likes his life or her life best in this world. So, if you make a choice of one, I think make a choice of one. But that is the best and great opportunity for you to manifest your life. But what kind of self you should be manifesting? Your own way, [as] you like? No. One bigger scale of the self should be manifesting – who is ready to accept other schools or beings. This is not discussion; day to day you have to practice it.
Practice means, for instance, gassho and table are different. Gassho is a different gassho is a different gassho. This gassho, that gassho, supporting your nose gassho, and supporting your chin gassho. Many gasshos there, you know? But if your gassho is this way, so you should do it this way. But I don’t mean this way is best. I say best, because if I don’t say that, you don’t believe it, you don’t follow me, that’s why I say best. But best doesn’t mean to exclude others.
So you should choose this way because you are confronted with this way, right now. Because no other way around. But your head is working quickly and looking around and then collecting many other things and then discuss. Then, right now becomes very confused. Do you understand that situation which always happens? So this gassho is a factor you are confronted with now. If so, accept it. Accept doesn’t mean give up your life, no. Very seriously accept it – standing at the pivot of nothingness, and then accept it.
And then, question is, how do you manifest this gassho? …
[Tape change.]
… Each step toward the peak, within each step, there must be assurance of the flower of [the] peak. That makes your life assured; very assured, very sure.
So each school – Sōtō school – you have to manifest your life not based on the Sōtō school, [but] based on the Buddha’s teaching in its essence. That’s what Dōgen Zenji tries to [say], day to day, every chapter.
But many people don’t pay attention to this. That’s why even in ancient times, still [you see the] same problem we have. [He laughs.] Same problem as we have. In any age, always human beings do the same things, again and again. That’s why for 2,500 years, Buddha has to be born in this world, and Jesus has to be born in this world, and then teach the same stuff: to build up what the peace is.
So “only the late teacher Ju-ching is the first person who felt pity for it and saved it.” Dōgen Zenji mentioned Ju-ching is his teacher. When he went to China to learn Buddhism, he was very moved by this teacher. And then he really accepted him as a great teacher in this world. So he really, deeply paid homage to him, day to day. So, finally he said, “What a wonderful turn of the fortune/opportunity are we confronted with.”
And what did Ju-ching want to say [of those days]?
Many people believe each of five schools has its own different flavors and everyone should believe each of the different five schools.
That’s it.
And then Ju-ching mentions as a poem, he says (in Baika 梅 華, “Plum Blossoms”):
He ascended and taught to the assembly, Tiantong’s first phrase of mid-winter.
Tiantong means the Tendō Temple, where Ju-ching was abbot in those days.
So, “first phase of mid-winter”. So, in the mid-winter means the first day of winter training period.
He ascended and said to the assembly, …
That is what he mentioned here. So, some statement there.
Old plum tree bent and gnarled
All at once opens, one blossom, two blossoms
Three, four, five blossoms, innumerable blossoms.
That is a poem. The poem goes on, but in the first part, what I want to say, he says, “Old plum tree.” Plum tree here is quite different from a plum in Japan; quite different tree. But anyway. “Old plum tree, bent and gnarled” – can you imagine? “All at once opens; one blossom.” The old plum tree, and then one flower blooms, and two flowers bloom, and three, four, five blossoms, and uncountable blossoms there.
One, two, three, four blossoms means five schools. Different flavors of the beings in this world. Trees, birds, pebbles, and air are different. Human beings, men and women, babies, and boys and girls, et cetera. Lots of different beings in this world. That is one flower, two flowers, three, four, five flowers.
But, what the Ju-ching wanted to know is, to let the flower of one flower blooms within the universe. Within the universe, in other words, innumerable, innumerable flowers. In other words, what would you say – he wanted to know through each of the different flavors, the different flavors itself, but also there is something more than that, that is the universe. [Eternity], or depth of human life – beyond different flavors. Katagiri has Katagiri’s flavor – form, customs, and habit, and karma. I cannot ignore [them].
So, this is only one thing I can depend on to learn who I am, but also, if I want to know who I am, I have to know the universe through this – through this guy. So, that is, universe means innumerable blossoms.
So, that is Ju-ching’s teaching, also Dōgen’s teaching.
So, what we temporarily call Sōtō school, this is a historical name. Dōgen constantly mentions it is not true. Sōtō school is not real Buddhist teaching. That’s why he says, including Sōtō school. I think five schools are completely misunderstood. Rinzai is misunderstood, and Obaku, Ummon, all are misunderstood. Trees are misunderstood, pebbles are misunderstood.
What is the right understanding of the pebbles and trees? You have to manifest the flower of the pebbles, blooms as universal blossoms. The whole universe, universal blossoms, then trees blossoms is right understanding.
That is difficult if you think it, but day to day practice, it’s a very simple practice. You have to repeat it again and again. Constantly, day to day.
54:40
Last, I want to say the koan in the Blue Cliff Record, case number 45.
A monk asked Chao Chou, “The myriad things return to one. Where does the one return to?
Chou said, “When I was in Ch’ing Chou I made a cloth shirt. It weighed seven pounds.”
“A monk asked Chao Chou, ‘The myriad things return to one.’”
This is understandable, probably, because you feel very familiar with [the idea that] all beings are created by one divinity, or all things are created by the universe, and the universal energy. You can see, so you are very familiar with these expressions.
But we don’t know, “Where does the one return to?” That is a big question, you know? Where is it?
So, where does the one return to? And then Chao Chou said,
“When I was in Ch’ing Chou I made a cloth shirt. It weighed seven pounds.”
That means he made a shirt seven pounds. How heavy is is! [He laughs.] Can you make it and weight it? That means, “shirt” is your body, your karmas, whatever it is. And “when I was in Ch’ing Chou” means whenever you are. In the realm of gassho, in the realm of toilet, in the realm of washing away your face – wherever it is. In Japan, in China; in gassho, in walking, in zazen, in chanting – many, many places there. So, wherever I am, “I can make a cloth [shirt]” means I can make my life. I can make my life: if I wash my face, and you know, not in bathroom, not in a toilet, anyway, at a certain place you have to wash your face. So when you wash your face, you can make your face clean. So, you can make your life, you can build up your life.
But what kind of a shirt can you make? If you build up your life and feel good, this is still small life. Because nobody knows, next moment, what kind of life will be. So next moment you make your own life, but at that time you don’t feel good from the life you have made – this is also very small scale of your life you have made. So whatever kind of you feel, through which you have made your life, this is still your small world, so-called “my life”.
So finally, what kind of life should you make? Should I feel always something there, should I pin down what it is, what kind of life I have made? If you can, it is fine, but if you can do it, well, that life which you can pin down is still limited by the small scale of life, because that is very shaky in the stream of impermanence. So constantly changing.
So, beyond the flow of impermanence, what is, what kind of life should we build up? That is not a certain number of weight. Seven pounds? Six pounds? No way. One pound is still shaky. Two pounds, a little better. Three pounds, a little more better. [He laughs.] Much, much better, five, six, seven. But still shaky. Hundred pounds, still shaky.
So, what is unshaky life?
So, he said it weighed seven pounds: this number seven is eternal, beyond number. So it’s pretty heavy; you cannot measure it, how heavy it is. But, that is very light. If you look at this, [the pivot of] nothing, how heavy it is, because you want to do it, but you cannot do it, finally it makes you exhausted. So, finally you say, what is a pivot of nothing? But, it is completely right here. We already wear it.
“We wear [it]” means, seven is eternal, incountable, innumerable. Innumerable means eternity. Eternity means one. Remember this one. Eternity is what? One. One is what? Eternity. Because one is one by one, one by one, one by one. Countlessly, you try to count like this: one by one, one, one, endlessly. Still one. So Eternity is what? Eternity is number one.
So Eternity is the whole universe, all things, myriad things. So myriad things is what? One. That’s it. Because myriad things, myriad, myriad, myriad beings. You can’t count it. What is this? Where are they? One.
So, pivot of nothingness is what? Uncountable, innumerable. What is it? Just one. “Just one” is what? Here. Now. That’s it.
So, means wherever you are, washing your face, gassho, walking, then you can make your life, but that life must be eternal. Countless, immeasurable. And then, where is it? This is one. Here, now.
How do we know? You must be right on the flow of stream, so called practice in motion. Constantly you must be there. If you are on a jet [airplane], you never slip off the time process. You must be always on, exactly be there. And then you go beyond time, you go beyond fear or pleasure or any senses, including airplane, skies, suns, you just be there. Constantly. This is what? “Be just there” is what? It’s easy, but this is a practice. Where is that practice? That practice is right at the pivot of nothingness. If you don’t pay attention to it, it slips off. If you pay attention to it, you become rigid, scared, because it’s very uncomfortable. So completely beyond your consciousness, constantly you must be there. Finally you cannot move ahead, you cannot move backward. Be there.
If so, you must just be there? Well, you cannot be just be there, because it is always moving. So you can see the moving, something moving. So, you cannot stay with idea of just being there either. What is this? Just being there in motion, that’s it. Continuation of being there, being there, being there – that’s it.
That is no idea of just being there with, or in, or on. That is called undefiled practice.
That’s why Chao Chou says it weighed seven pounds; that is the place where the one returns to.
So the one, eternity, returns to where? Gassho – that’s it. One. Through gassho, this is not gassho, this is a place where the one returns. So you have to manifest one. You have to let the flow of the one bloom in this gassho.
While we are discussing “gassho is in one,” it is still discussion. Keep your mouth shut, do it. Can you do it?
So, finally, Zen always says, do it, and the teacher never explains it. That’s our practice, but we have to do it, because if we don’t do it, no way to understand that exactly … letting the flower of the one bloom right now. In gassho, in washing of face, you cannot do it.
So, the practice […] you do here, is to do this. That is the purpose of practice here.
I use lots of words, because it is too simple to know. The point is, finally, what you have to do is just do it.
But still we have to talk about this, because it is too simple to know it. And also, if you don’t know it through the words, it is pretty easy for us to go completely in a different direction, before you know. That’s why I have to continually to [talk] about this.
To say [something] about the word I am using is not to explain it, to pick you and to return to the pivot of nothing, that’s it. That’s I am talking always. Not explain it. Not explain, say, the teaching of the Buddha’s teaching.
So, if you practice constantly like this, gradually you understand it.