What are the scriptures?

There are over 8,000 volumes of Buddhist scriptures called "Tripitaka". In Zen, nature is also included. The sounds of birds, insects, and the wind are all said to be voices reading the scriptures. Such teachings are unique to Zen.

Recalling a question often asked during lectures: "The Christian scriptures consist of only one Bible and can be understood as they have been translated into modern language. However, Buddhist scriptures are vast in quantity and difficult to understand. Are there any easier scriptures?" 

When asked this, my answer is: "Although Zen scriptures are difficult, if we consider that the sounds of birds and insects are the teachings of Buddha, there may be no more accessible scriptures than this.

" Emperor Reigen (reigning from 1663 to 1687) asked Reverend Reiku for an easy-to-understand scripture, and he recommended the "Ten phrases Kannon Sutra," which was found within the Tripitaka. Without this background, this scripture would not be as well-known as it is today. Zen’s scriptures mean: "To be one with what one sees, hears, and knows."

Around mid-June, fireflies appear in the Philosophical Path and around the Kamigamo Shrine in Kyoto. Only in Kyoto can you see fireflies in a significant city in Japan. However, their numbers have decreased in recent years. It may sound like a mere rationalization to say that the sounds of birds and insects are the teachings of Buddha, but if you sit quietly and calmly, you should be able to feel this way. Zen's teaching emphasizes the importance of valuing one's own experiences.

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