“The lecture of Hannyashin sutra” by Kakushyo Takagami The 5th

 ‘One who commit his heart and soul into emptiness.’

48) In May, the season of fresh green every single year. I recall the famous verse.

‘The green leave for eyes, the mountain little cuckoo, the first bonito fish in early summer.’

Japanese people should be able to fully understand it without explanation.

And then, I recall another one in addition. 

‘What a sweet smell of adhered indigo to my palm in seasonal change of clothing.’

This verse is the best expression for a new refreshing feeling of seasonal change of clothing.

49) No matter what your job, when working with all our might, we are unaware of the passage of time. We feel an hour or two hours as five or ten minutes. However, it was not that an hour became five minutes. By transcending time, we feel as that. It seems to exist but nothing. 

50)  Scarcely need saying, ‘The green leave for eyes‘ means the world of eyes. It is the world of being reflected in eyes. And the subject is the world of form as the green leave for eyes. Our eyes noticed the world of form as the green leaves by way of an eyeball, became aware it. Our eyes noticed, ‘It became wholly new greenery.’But if saying, I want to go play somewhere. It is not the eye aria.

“Zoitsu Agon Sutra” teaches that our eyes eat form, our ears eat voice. The food of eyes is form. The food of ears is voice. Wish beautiful scenery. That is rejoice of eyes. Desire good voice, that is rejoice of ears. 

51) Buddhists offer up incense when attending a funeral. It comes from that ‘All beings eat incense after their passing away’. Therefore, we need foods not only for a mouth but also eyes, ears, nose.

52) Everything is related together as an interdependence. The mutually relationship are important not only humans, but also for everything in the world. Therefore, it is not a taking-and-taking, is a relation of a give-and-take. We should understand to giving life and to be receiving life simultaneously. That means the relation of Karma and an interdependence.

53) Moreover, everything is not only existing of a give-and-take, but everything is passing, moving, like a river. We cannot wash our legs with water of the same river. The water of the river continues to flow. The water used to wash my feet is irreversible. Not just the water of river, we are constantly changing. My existence yesterday does not exist today. 

54) I cannot live without society. My life is not just for me merely. I keenly aware of the blessings of society when I fully understanding I am maintained and nurtured by all. Well, have to feel that way.

55) Now that my physiognomy means social aspect and the social aspect means my physiognomy, our feeling of gratitude to the world and people are gushing out from the bottom of our mind. We cannot but say to be out of the question one who make a curse another one and have a grudge the society immoderately by nothing confession.  

56) One who realizes the learning of Karma once and committed himself into the emptiness of Hannya can understand fleeting life and precious life simultaneously. In fact, for fleeting reason, our lives are precious. 

That is ‘I feel joy in cherry blossoms because of scattering’. There is the flower life due to scattering. We have a precious life and gratitude for life. 

57) Just one thousand five hundred years ago, there was a young Buddhist scholar, named Shojyo in China. He was the best scholar among three-thousands of Kumarajiva’s disciples. But owing to the incident, by aroused king’s anger, he just got the death penalty at that time. He begged to be alive to seven days strangely. He completely wrote “The Hozoron; The theory of owned Dharma” in the prison during those days. He was thirty-one years old. 

58) It is said, there are lots of way. However, there is only one way I must do. Giving this lecture of Hannyashin sutra opportunity, learning the path of Hannya truly, I would like to walk this way steadily as it is. 

Translated by Giken Yoshitomi

“The lecture of Hannyashin sutra” by Kakushyo Takagami The 4th

‘The eternal life.’

35) In short, ‘emptiness’ is ‘emptiness of Hannya’ and does not simply mean like a dualism, to be or nothing. One of ancient Chinese Buddhist master, Shyuken Daishi (644~712) said.

If see ‘form is emptiness’, he will get the great wisdom.

If see ‘emptiness is form’, he will get deep affection. 

This verse makes me consider. Because great wisdom means profound wisdom and is true wisdom namely.

36） Correct Jihi; love is not blind love like a cow licking her calf. Jihi in Buddhist teaching means that correct love based on real wisdom namely. Therefore, at least in Buddhism, Jihi and wisdom are two and are one simultaneously. When I hear the name of the Buddhist image now, I recall Buddhist image which has a gentle figure like a Avalokiteshvara or Jizo. But there is a fierce look at Buddhist image like a Fudo-myoo; Acala. 

37) By the way, there is no distinction about parental affection for children like high and low. The expression of affection, of course, there is a certain peculiar attitude between father’s affection and mother’s affection for child. Affection of a strict father and affection of a tender mother, speaking of distinction, that is it. Those are his scolding affection and her hugging affection.

38）At least in Buddhism, the philosophy of wisdom and the religion of Jihi; affection are two and are one together.  Children may think that their parent’s mind may change their mind. That is child’s prejudice. In fact, nothing is difference affection between father and mother to their child. By scolding and hugging once, child will never go off the right path, will never fall into evil path, and grow honesty and fast.

39) Issa Kobayashi said that it is cold no one scolding me at snooze. It is lonely absolutely that we have no one give scolding. We should need one who gives scolding when grow up adult increasingly. I should want those who have a frank and critical opinion to my behavior. There are many persons who give to blame and criticize behind me back. However, in fact, we have very few persons to criticize directly.

40) For example, even if different facial expressions, the tears of wisdom and the tears of affection are nothing distinction in the mind. My ancle who died thirteen years ago, remained this poem for me. 

Father illuminated and mother had shed a drop of tears, 

and the Nadeshiko stood up by the same benefit.

I don’t know who composed it. I think, keep in mind, it is a remarkable poem surely. 

41) Owing to strict father’s mind and tender mother’s mercy, when I remember delightful memories and look back on dear my parents, I am deeply grateful for discovering the profound and holy Buddhism as a philosophy or religion.

42) Hannya is said to mean a Buddhist mother. Indeed, Hannya is mother who raises all Buddha and is the basis for the birth of all Buddha.

43) From a high point, from a so-called holistic perspective, if you see everything with your own eyes, all things are neither arising nor ceasing, neither dirt nor purity, neither increasing nor decreasing.

44) Like that law of energy is the scientific truth and the electronic quantity which create everything in the universe is unchangeable law, everything done by gathering Karma and keeping it empty are neither arising nor ceasing, neither increasing nor decreasing altogether. 

45) Zen master Dogen said that to awaken one’s life and death is Karma what the significant matter for Buddhist. However, awakening one’s life and death is not only Buddhist disciples. I think everybody have to do that. 

46） ‘Even if passing away in Musashino field, I keep on the Japanese spirit.’ Shoin Yoshida (1830~1859) who left the poem of farewell, passed away like a dewdrop of the execution, was a just person who was not bound by life and death. He was not afraid of death. He transcended ‘life and death’ with obedience of ‘life and death’, acquired the truth of ‘neither arising nor ceasing’, the so-called had done alive with death. He sent a letter to his sister like that.

‘Now, immortality means that, what feel familiar with, Buddha and Confucius are alive now. because, people delight, feel grateful, feel with awe them.’ It is sure, should be appreciate those words.

47) Let’s live to be strong, firmly, calmly, making up our mind to be with death looking for eternal life.

Translated by Giken Yoshitomi

世界が注目する「禅」とは何なのか？

世界が注目する「禅」とは何なのか？