Lecture 19:
Standing On The Side Of The Future.
Lecture of Sensei Ryokyu Endo.
Feb. 7th 2007. Kyoto.
There is no other way to make my life (living)
I go this way.
I think that it is hard to imagine how to study Tao Shiatsu now, just taking tsubo in the class every week for two years, and some people are never able to take tsubo and give up. So what do you think now? May be you think that it was like that before, or there is the other option, the future Tao Shiatsu people, what will they think about us now i.e. what will the future think of us. You should think from the future side, which has more truth, and is truer. May be you can’t believe it, and in fact not so many people can think that way, and not so many people can take that responsibility.
How the Path will be in the Future.
First there are three points. 1. Nembutsu. 2. The direction of Tao Sangha and to create Tao Sangha. 3. Be responsible to raise a person to share Tao Sangha.
1. Nembutsu.
In the practice of Tao Sangha there is Nembutsu, Ki Shindo and Tao Shiatsu, but the order will be changed. How will it change? Now the entrance is Tao Shiatsu, and people who have an interest start to practice the Nembutsu, but now the meaning has changed. At the moment, those who want to study Tao Shiatsu and get a profession, a job, and have a spiritual hobby, may be a little bit more than a hobby, do the Nembutsu. So what is the essence of the difference between a “hobby” and “not a hobby”? According to the present society’s common sense, what the “hobby” is, is not making money, what the “not a hobby” is, is making money. So for example, what do you think of my position? Is Nembutsu for money, or money for Nembutsu. Of course there are the really rare cases when some one asks for a ceremony or a service, but is it a hobby or not. Every year I pay for my registration, which isn’t cheap, so in fact regarding money for the Nembutsu, it is in a minus. If there is no making of money people really wonder if it isn’t actually a hobby. What we are talking about here is the fact that Tao Shiatsu is not a “job”, even if you are treating patients. In the days of Sakyamuni’ the students of Buddha had to spread the Dharma and they also had to know how to treat people’s sickness, thus they were able to reach people, get into society by treating them and then spread the Dharma. People then gave them food to survive, so in fact for the priests begging for food was basically how they survived. In fact the Chinese characters (Kanji) meaning Japanese Saint or Holy Person, also has the original meaning of “beggar”. For the people whom the Nembutsu becomes much more than a hobby, and who are entering into the faith and practice, do they have to become priests, enter a temple, and then make money from the temple? The people who are already into the world of faith and practice, don’t have to become a priest, they can of course if they want to, but they don’t have to get into a temple and make money from the temple. If they have the skill of Tao Shiatsu they can support their living as a practitioner and spread the Dharma to the Ki-Shindo. You don’t have to become a priest like so many in Japan, where there are family temples, like a family business, and just do ceremonies, this has nothing to do with spirituality. Usually we call “Tokudo” the path of being a priest, but originally its meaning is to go to the “other shore”. If you really stand on this mental position you don’t have to make Tao Shiatsu a “job”. If you make it as a “job” it means that you have to bow to money. If you bow to money then it is going to be like a “healing business” and there will be the smell of business, the smell of money.
For the Nembutsu, Faith, Practice, and Sharing. These three are the Base.
Faith, Practice and Sharing, these are the base, these three are one, you can’t take any of them out, and they have to be completely clear in your heart. Taking tsubo is the same. You have to be clear about this, make this clear.
2. The direction of Tao Sangha and to create Tao Sangha
So, what is Tao Sangha? It is not a group etc. It is how to connect The Great Spirit of The Universe with the Hearts of Human Beings. It is the same as tsubo, tsubo connects The Great Spirit of The Universe with the Hearts of Human Beings. But why is it that from two years ago many people can’t take tsubo? Tsubo means that, through the tsubo the whole body changes because this is the connection of all Human Beings and The Great Spirit of The Universe. Tsubo doesn’t exist objectively, its self has no reality, it is
only through the heart that you can connect. It is the tsubo which exists in your heart that connects The Great Spirit of The Universe to the Hearts of Human Beings. Please don’t make the mistake that tsubo or Tao Sangha, or even the word of Tao Sangha exist objectively.
To create Tao Sangha will be the direction of the future. People will create the Tao Sangha, if not, then when the time comes in the future, people will look back and think that people didn’t create, people didn’t take responsibility, they just took some of the roles or did what they were asked to do. You must create, that is the truth. Of course from a long time ago nobody did any thing, so to do some thing has a big meaning but please look from the future side. If somebody just does some role, or if some body does some thing so that people get together for some enjoyment, this is not work, this is just being passive, waiting for something to happen and it will not work. As I said before, of course from the past people not doing things to now people doing things is a big difference, but from the creating of Tao Sangha and just doing a role is a big difference still. If you don’t create it means that you are depending on some thing, some thing which has an objectivity, thus you don’t call this emptiness.
3. Be responsible to raise a person to share Tao Sangha.
To create Tao Sangha is the project that you create and are doing, this is one aspect but another more important thing is to be responsible to raise a person to share Tao Sangha. This is the core and what was, is missing in us. What this means is that you are responsible for a person until they start sharing Tao Sangha, spreading the Tao. Do you have anyone who you have raised to do this? This is my question, because this is the core. In fact this will be one of the points of certification in level 3 and in the future for level 2.
To be responsible for some one means to really care, if you are on top they will never come to the point of sharing. At the moment it doesn’t matter who you raise up ie. from within the Tao Sangha, Ki and Heart school, or outside, just anyone who you will be responsible for until they start sharing Tao Sangha and spreading the Tao, this also includes spreading the Nembutsu practice. There are many words said, for example be responsible to the Tao etc. but this core is the real meaning of being responsible to the Tao, without this there is no way that you are responsible. This is a practical action and you have to start. If you raise this one person up then you can say that you stand on your own feet and not depending on something or someone. Choose somebody now, and be responsible until that person starts spreading.
Be really responsible until the person starts sharing with others, and be responsible until that person becomes responsible for another person. Of course if the person stops then it is still your responsibility.
This is the Direction of the Future and Will Start from "Now."
There is no other way to make my life (living)
I go this way.