Q:I would like to ask a question on the Fukan Zazengi, one of the basic text of Soto School .

A:Yes,

Q:And Dogen Zenji wrote this Universal Recommendation for Zazen after his first experience when he returned to Japan, so it is one of the first and very fresh writing and fixing of Soto school.  Sorry for the bad conception,

A: So Why I would like you to recommend to sincerely just face to this instruction; the great instruction how to do Zazen is, because before he just went to China, he had a great problem, he had a great other question who he is, what truth is.

Then he just traveled all parts of China for two and half years.  But unfortunately he could not meet a monk or a person who would be able to instruct him what truth is, who he is.

So, he was so disappointed and he decided to come back to Japan. Fortunately, when he just waited at a port, he waited at a port, he met one monk who practiced at the Tendo's and he said "there is the greatest other Zen Mater who tell what truth is, who we are."

During he was traveling in China two and half years, he went there, the Tendo's, but unfortunately at the time he could not meet the Zen Master named Nyojo.  So he had a great demand or the desire to realize who he is.

So although he was so exhausted, he just went there and met him and asked him that although the other sutra says we are already Buddhas, when he looked at himself there was an unsatisfaction, he could not be satisfied with himself. He felt quite much unsafe.  Why those things just come up although that sutra says we are Buddhas.  Buddha means we are completely satisfied with ourselves and we feel completely same.  What happened by this gap?

hen Zen Master Nyojo said that you've just not meet this self, yourself. Before that he thought this was himself, but he just recognized Oh, that thing just happened with him, so he just decided to practice with Zen Master Nyojo.

Once, one day, it may be just really over spring time, it was a very warm at that time, well I have same experience that we just sit, then no mind, a kind of things happened and we're just falling asleep.

The next place, sitting a monk next just became falling asleep, then Zen Master Nyojo just hit him with a kind of slippers, then told him "This is not the time for sleeping, time for realizing who you are," then he hit him.  The monk sitting next place was so surprised or might be so surprised, but Zen Master Dogen was so surprised. 

Because when I clapped my hands something like this (claps his hands), what people think of is that Oh, Because Jinen just clapped his hands and the sound came out.  But what the Zen Master Dogen just realized is not. (He realized ) The crap, the sound itself was himself, not this one.(pointing his body)

 We don't know much about this truth, this fact.  That is reason we are always confused, what we have to do, what we are doing, what we have done.

 Then, this realization, he was so surprised and he just rushed to the Zen Master Nyojo and said I completely casted off my body and mind.  But unfortunately, Zen Master Nyojyo never allow him.  "What you just realized is very much trifle. but the fact is that you are or we are already casted off mind and body", then he just completely attained enlightenment. 

Then he just figured out what's the other question; who he is. The after that he just came back Japan and he just described how to do Zazen, what 's the truth and who we are.

o this is just the saying what he just experienced, so this is very much trust word, never doubt it.

Q: So and the moment you described the very moment (claps his hand) of this realization, Dogen Zenji described here " Zazen I speak of is not step by step learning and the true Dharma appears of itself" that is on my understanding the very point of Soto Scholl. There is no step by step learning, so you are not better and worth than the one, or the other day.

A: So this is nothing concern with learning, intellectual learning but direct it.

Q: Directly to the point.

A: Direct at it. This is enough.

Q: And that also includes that daily sitting does not mean repetition. It is always in you, you are always confronted, you are the very moment in every very moment. So, and I just wanted to ask you about the other central phrase, here, you just shortly before Dogen Zenji was not accepted by his teacher in China when he said "Oh I already casted off mind and body." Here in central phrase, here is " body and mind will drop off away by　themselves and the essential self will be manifested. I wish you attain suchness, practice suchness immediately." What does this suchness mean?

A: What we are just thinking of who we are or I am in a sitting of the practice is, because we just practice, we just practice and then we will be able to just cast off the body and mind. People think of (such way), so we will try practice. But this is not a good way of it. That reason Zen Master Nyojyo said "what you realized is a trifle," still. Because the most important thing is that we are already casted off mind and body so that we can do, everybody can do it. Because we are basically Buddha itself.

ut what people are thinking of is that because of we just practice then we cast off our body and mind.  This is not. So that this is mentioned about. So that everybody can do it, everybody can do it. Basically or fundamentally, we are exactly same. So that although old and young or very smart or dull, it does not make any difference. Sincrely you just practice.

                                    
filmed & editated by El-Branden