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Dear Monju,

I do not have much time left in this world

Mother, please do not say such a sad thing

These days many people believe the teaching

that if you place your faith in Buddha

you will reach paradise after you die

I wonder,

if it is truly possible to reach paradise

I do not know the answer

But I believe it is meaningless

to reach paradise after death

I believe that the only paradise

I will ever find is my time here beside you

Here and now is paradise

You are right, Mother

We must create paradise here on earth

But if this is paradise,

why must people fight

and suffer from illness,

unable to escape the pain of death?

Monju, I want you

to find a way to escape

all this suffering

Your mother will wait forever

for you to find it

Dogen in China, 1223

You are on a quest to seek your true master

I approve of your goal,

but Dogen, Buddhism

does not require a master

You will come to understand it on your own

That is what my master taught me

Now I must go

to meet some government officials

This is also necessary

to protect the temple

Surely you understand, Dogen

Perhaps that will help you protect the temple

And yet...

And yet, what?

And yet,

will that help to protect Buddhism?

It is yourself you wish to protect

Master

Please excuse me,

but may I carry your load?

Thank you for your kind words

But this is part of my precious task, as Kitchen Master

which Buddha assigned to me, despite my age

I cannot assign this work to anyone else

So it is your job to prepare the temple meals

Indeed

I came to town to purchase the ingredients

to make a noodle soup to serve to the monks

Why is this still your task?

At your age, surely you should be spending your time

sitting in Zen meditation,

or working on your Zen koan

You appear to be a wise man,

but it seems you know nothing about the Practice

You seem not to even know the Teachings

What is the practice?

What is the teachings?

Monk from Japan, seek always to answer those questions

That shall be your path

to understanding the practice and the teachings

Elder monk, shall I ever see you again?

If I am still alive

I am the cook at Ayu-wan-shan Kuang-li Zen temple

Kugyo

Kugyo, it is you!, it is you!

Excuse me, I do not speak your foreign tongue

Forgive me

I am a monk, visiting from Japan

You look so much like my friend,

for a moment,

I forgot he is dead and called out to you

He is dead...

Kugyo is his name?

Yes

Minamoto Kugyo

ls his Japanese name

He was my dearest friend

It is my wish...

To rule this land

I will become ruler

Rule the land...

If you can establish a new Buddhism,

as ruler, I shall convert to it

Dogen, leave Hieizan

I aim for China

China?

Stop!

You thief!

Help me!

No! Kugyo, stop!

Dogen, move

Kugyo, kill me!

What?

It is not your place to judge her

As ruler it will be your job to create a world, where

children like her do not have to go hungry

I have come to bid you farewell

Farewell?

I have been ordered to become Administrator at the Kamakura Shrine

To Kamakura?

The next time I see you, I will be Shogun in Kamakura

Shogun?

When the current Shogun dies, I will be the one to take his place

Until then, Dogen,

fare thee well

Two and a hall years later,

I was told of his death?

I feared I had lost my way on my journey, but meeting you,

I have regained the courage to go on

No doubt

Kugyo has inspired me

Dogen, what is the journey you speak of?

To find my true master and achieve true Buddhism

Starting in Tien-tung-shan, I have met with several learned priests

but none of them truly practiced Buddhism

Here in the Zen temples populated by disciples of the Ta-hui sect,

who lack both faith and the will to practice,

I began to wonder whether my quest

for a true master was hopeless

Dogen, please return to Tien-tung-shan

To Tien-tung-shan?

You will find your true master there

My true master?

After the death of Master Wu-chi, following an Imperial decree,

Zen master Ju-ching became the head priest there

He was my master

What kind of man

is Ju-ching?

The practice of Zen is to have the mind and the body fall away

This falling away is the path

out of ignorance and vice

There is no second or third path

other than Zen

Sitting in Zen meditation is all

Ji-uen, let's return to Tien-tung-shan

How extraordinary

It is a mysterious coincidence

You have accomplished the face to face transmission from master to master

Ayu-wan-shan Kuang-li Zen Temple

You have come

The teachings are

What are the teachings?

One, two,

three, four,

five

Practice is

What is practice?

Buddhism has always been apparent

Everything that happens in this world

has always been that way

No one has anything to conceal

Even if the meat on your buttocks should tear off,

you will keep sitting until you can sit, like Buddha did, on a wire net seat

Several years later

In Zazen, you must let all attachments fall away

How dare you fall asleep!

You have achieved enlightenment

Yes

Mind and body fall away

Mind and body fall away

Fall away, fall away

Dogen,

forget even that you have achieved enlightenment

Yes

Just as enlightenment is infinite,

practice is also infinite

Enlightenment and practice

are inextricably linked

The Record of the Lineage

The Record of the Transmission

By the time that moon is full, Dogen,

you will be seeing it from Japan

Wherever each of us is,

you and I will always see the same moon

Dogen returns to Japan, 1227

Hey, wait!

Run!

Stop!

Move!

I'm cheap, c'mon

Get moving!

I hear you've been seeing an awful lot of that whore

Dogen

Surely that is beneath you

ls it peculiar?

No...

This is the greatest form of true practice

Where are the others?

Most have gone into town

On Promoting Zen Meditation

"The Zazen I speak of is not learning meditation

"It is simply the Dharma gate of repose and bliss,

“the practice-realization of absolute enlightenment"

"On July 17th,

"of this year, 1227,

"Zen master Ju-ching

“entered Nirvana at the Tien-tung-shan temple"

I am Koun Ejo,

disciple of Bucchi Kakuan of the Dharma sect

I apologize for my sudden rudeness,

but can you tell me

what exactly are the teachings

of the new, true Buddhism you speak of

Before I discuss that with you, there is something I want you to read

Recently, I wrote On Promoting Zen Meditation

so that many people may learn about Zen

Would you, too, like to sit in meditation?

I hear Dogen of Kennin Temple shamelessly says

that he's brought the true teachings of Buddha back from China

This means that he is maliciously slandering

our precious Buddhist tradition

Just like the Nenbutsu and the Dharma sects,

it is a threat to our Buddhism

We cannot ignore him

Kennin Temple, Kennin Temple

I can't read or write

You're getting in the way of my business

Kennin Temple, Kennin Temple

Kennin Temple?

Don't you even know where Kennin Temple is?

Japanese words difficult...

So you're a foreign monk

Kennin Temple, where?

I'll take you there, but won't you buy me first?

I'm cheap

Dogen is in Kennin Temple

Dogen...

You thief!

Help me!

No! Kugyo, stop!

Dogen, move

Kugyo, kill me!

What?

It is not your place to judge her

As ruler it will be your job to create a world, where

children like her do not have to go hungry

I am but a poor monk, I regret

that I have no more to offer you

Off you go, now

Dogen...

ls there a Dogen here?

I am Dogen

Huh

May I help you?

Excuse me...

Ji-uen

Why are you here?

I have come to fulfill Kugyo's promise

Kugyo's promise?

The words Kugyo said,

" If you can establish a new Buddhism, I shall convert to it”

Dogen

Now that Ju-ching has passed away, you are my only master

Ji-uen

I want to try to establish

Ju-ching's Zen here in Japan

I need your help

Yes, most happily

Please, come in

You must be tired from traveling

Let me introduce you

Oh, my

I've been looking for you to give you a word of thanks

You disappeared so quickly

It's not really a place for us

Last night, you delivered a treasure to us

I offer you my thanks

A word of thanks, no more

Hush, hush

Hush, hush

You're awful early How much did you make?

Come to Mommy

What, that's all?

How dare you

Why don't you go steal something At least try to take care of us!

Don't turn out like your daddy

Orin

How dare you talk to your husband like that

I didn't get wounded for fun

You know I can't work in the shape I'm in

It doesn't seem to keep you from humping me every night!

Watch it!

Move!

Dogen! Get out here!

There is no cause to be frightened

I knew they would come someday

Where are you Dogen!

If you don't come out here, we're coming in!

I am Dogen

You have been dismissing our legitimate

Hieizan Buddhism,

proclaiming that yours is the only true Buddhism

and confusing the people

Show me the new sutras or Buddhist statues

that prove the authenticity of your faith!

I have nothing like that

Nothing?

I return empty-handed

You brought back no proof?

I have returned with myself,

which has inherited authentic Buddhism

And what did you learn?

Eyes horizontal, nose vertical

Eyes horizontal, nose vertical?

Eyes are set horizontally

while noses are set vertically

How dare you! Your mockery knows no bounds!

You demon heretic! I order you out of Kyoto!

If you cannot obey, I'll kill you!

Stand down! Stand down!

Who are you!

I am the magistrate, Hatano Yoshishige!

The magistrate

Though you may be monks of Hieizan,

I cannot possibly ignore

your outrageous insolence to Dogen!

Anyoin Temple

I am so grateful

Please take care

This Anyoin Temple is beloved

by my mother's family, the Fujiwaras

I had long prayed that we could use this as our Zendo

For now, we begin with just the three of you,

but when a single soul achieves enlightenment, many benefit

Your fourth has also arrived

Master Dogen,

your recent teachings have persuaded me

Please let me join you

I beg of you

Ejo, I appreciate your wishes

But you are a Buddhist leader

and moreover, are responsible for the Dharma sect

Now is not the time

When the time comes...

Please, do not succumb to pressure from other sects,

be unwavering in your resolve

Alms for the body and the soul Giving completes the circle

Bam-boo

Bam-boo

Koshoji Temple

Zazen

Someone arrived late

I offer my apologies

Ejo

Please allow me now

It seems your time has come

Treasury of True Teachings

Dogen san! Dogen san!

You are... What is wrong?

My baby's dying!

What?

The medicine I got from the doctor isn't working

I can tell, he's just getting worse and worse

Say something! Save my baby!

It's your job to save people, right?

Do something! He'll die!

There is only one way to save this child

What is that? What should I do? Tell me!

Visit every home in this area

and try to find a home where no relative has died

And have that family give you a single bean

Go back to sleep, my child

Dawn is not yet here

When dawn comes the temple bell will ring

Hey!

Get out here, you lying monk!

You made a fool out of me

There's no such thing as a house where nobody died!

That's right, that's exactly right

That is what the master wanted you to learn

Hey, you

Can't you make a little noise

I'm in mourning

What?

I killed my little baby...

Hey...

I'm making an offering with money I made off my own body

Why don't you take it?

Is this money so filthy?

Let us gratefully accept it

You joyfully cast aside money which you value as your life

It is very precious

I am grateful, Orin

Buddha Hall

Straighten your posture and firm your hips

Yes, like that

Hold your right hand down, your left hand over it,

your thumbs together

Yes

Hold your gaze to around here

I'll kill myself!

Please stop, Orin san

Please stop!

What has happened?

Orin, what is the matter?

I hate myself

I hate myself so much I want to kill myself

You lied to me that Buddha is inside me

I hate you too!

My old faith is much better!

I did not lie!

Buddha is inside you!

But you see...

It's not so easy to meet the Buddha

Every human wants this and wants that

and covets what remains out of reach

When we cannot have our way we get angry and act foolishly

We cannot see Buddha because we blind ourselves

with such matters

That is why we sit

We sit and we sit until that blindfold falls away

If you do this, you will be able to face the Buddha in you

Orin

By killing yourself, you kill Buddha

And depending on others

denies the Buddha within you

It seems the Hieizan monks are envious of your success

They are planning a deadly attack on this temple

If you do not leave here immediately, anything could happen here

It is deep in the mountains,

but I own land in Echizen

You are free to use that land, Dogen

I appreciate your kind words Nevertheless...

Master Dogen, you must decide!

There is only one of you in all of Japan

Say, Orin

With the kid gone, we can travel light

Let's head east together

and start over

Start over?

You know what I mean

No thanks I gave up selling myself

What the hell

How the hell are we going to eat?

I'm thinking about it

Maybe I'll become a nun

What?

Of course I won't

That's right, of course you won't

In that case, reconsider...

Don't touch me

Orin

You

Let go!

Go back to sleep, my child

Dawn is not yet here

When dawn comes the temple bell will ring

Orin san...

Shunryo san

Why did you become a monk?

Because I was poor

My parents abandoned me

I scrounged for garbage

and even stole to survive

Just like me

One day, I realized,

if I joined a temple I would never starve

That was my only goal

I entered the temple a starving demon

But now that I have met Dogen, I have changed

Master Dogen told me,

"Why wait to die to meet Buddha?

"Meet Buddha in this life,

"and find paradise here"

Instead of just eating,

I chose to practice my faith under Master Dogen

Dogen san

cried when he held my baby

He cried while you were sleeping, too

Master Dogen is always sharing

our joys and our sorrows

Kill any who disobey!

Kill! Kill!

What have they! What have they done!

Please, stop!

Please, stop!

Shut up!

Good enough! Let's go

A heretical sect destroyed!

You reap what you sow!

Water! Get water!

Driven out of Kennin Temple,

and now driven out of here with our aims half fulfilled,

I am sick with disappointment

I am heartbroken

Nevertheless,

we cannot allow the true light of Buddhism to be put out

Fellow monks, we will depart

for Echizen, in order to lay the foundation

for true Buddhism

Who are you?

Oh, Gikai, you made it

Master Dogen, I, Gikai of the Dharma sect and the others,

have raced hereto ask your permission to join you

Let us proceed

The heavenly way

is lofty and serene

The earthly way,

solid and still

The human way

is calm and tranquil

Throughout the universe

there is unending peace

The person who helped to clear my way towards enlightenment

was an elderly Kitchen Master

The position of Kitchen Master has always been entrusted only to monks

whose hearts are committed to seeking the Way

This is because

the practice of Kitchen Master

requires a single-minded purity permitting no idle thoughts

"I owe my knowledge of teachings and my understanding of practice

"entirely to that Kitchen Master"

Kitchen Master instructions "entirely to that Kitchen Master"

Kitchen Master Instructions

How is it?

Have you grown used to the work of Kitchen Master?

I do my best

That's good

Gikai sama, may I ask you a question?

What is it?

I understand it logically, but...

I am not able to sit Zazen the way everyone else can

I cannot help but panic at the thought of being left behind

Then you should sit while everyone else sleeps

You are here, Orin

Yes

Master Dogen,

please allow me to become a nun here

I cannot

ls that because I am a sinful

and disgraced woman?

- We do not question past acts - Why not, then?

First you must abandon your attachment to the past

When you are free of your attachments,

though you may be in the secular world,

you shall be pure

Return to Kyoto and do your best

I will not return

Gikai sama

We have no rice to cook

Nor millet left

If there is not enough rice,

then make porridge

It is not enough for porridge

Then make rice broth

It is not enough for rice broth

In that case,

we shall drink boiled water and sit Zazen

Completely disengage from normal life

and abandon everything you had been engaged with

Abandon thinking about right and wrong,

and of thinking itself, along with thoughts of enlightenment

Abandon all intentions and thoughts

This is known as Without Thinking

We do not sit Zazen for the purpose of enlightenment

Just sitting in meditation

That itself is enlightenment

Shunryo sama

Orin san

When did you arrive?

Ten days ago

I did not see you

and feared you had moved away

I am responsible for the cooking,

so I cannot sit with everyone else

What is wrong?

I do not know

"Plant the seeds

"ln the fields and levees

"ln the fall, there'll be

"Five kinds of grains

“In the fall, there'll be five kinds of grains”

Shunryo sama

Orin san

What are you doing?

I'm mushroom hunting

I can be your guide I know a good spot

Look, there

Here, too

Ouch!

Shunryo sama!

It's not a poisonous snake, you should be fine

I am so sorry I gave in to temptation

If you find me acceptable,

I don't mind

Orin san, please forgive me

Now you see the base motives that brought me into Buddhism

But for me to defile you, whose motives are so pure...

The fault is mine

I wanted to interact with you as a normal woman,

ignoring my own past

And I wanted you to touch me, not for my female body,

but as a real human being

I am the one who tempted you Forgive me

Shunryo sama!

Shunryo, what are you doing!

Shunryo!

Shunryo

What is the meaning of this?

Zen Master

I am horrified to realize that the demon

of lust has settled into my heart

It is unforgivable in one who seeks the Way

Upon careful consideration,

I have resolved to take a leave

I can no longer defile this temple

and your teachings with my presence

ls the demon still within you?

Tell him...

It's gone

Are you...

Are you sure that is your decision?

Yes

Master

It is time to sit

Everyone take your places

Shunryo!

The gates of this temple...

Are always open for you

Shunryo sama, don't go!

Don't come near me

I love you!

Sir Hatano, you are most welcome

Please forgive my rudeness

arriving so early in the morning

and interrupting your Zen meditation

No, no, for you, Sir Hatano,

you are welcome at any hour of any day

I can never possibly repay the great debt

I owe you for donating this Zendo

I remain constantly grateful to you

It is I who am grateful

I trust your arrival here,

means Hojo Tokiyori is in dire peril

It is exactly so

It was a merciless battle

The Hojo and Miura clans had been closely knit

ever since Yoritomo formed their alliance

But yesterday's friend is today's foe

In the event, samurai must kill with arrows and with swords

It was living hell on earth

You!

Die!

Die!

How dare you defy me, Tokiyori, even in death!

Damn you!

Die! Die!

Damn you!

Go away!

How dare you!

Master Dogen please come to Kamakura

Please save the Shogun

I beg, I beg of you

A dog?

Or a wolf?

Ji-uen,

let us visit living hell together

Yes

I am not going

to visit the Shogun, Hojo Tokiyori

I am going to visit,

a young man howling in anguish

Master,

let me join you

I cannot

I am risking my life

on this journey to Kamakura

Ejo,

I cannot also place your life in danger

I entrust

my affairs to you

Vast is the robe of liberation

A formless field of benefaction

I wear the Buddha's dharma

Saving all sentient beings

I am Tokiyori

I am Dogen of Eiheiji Temple

I've brought you here because I have something to ask you

What do you wish to ask me?

I hear you've returned from China

with the true Buddhism passed down from Buddha

Tell me, what is that?

They are the true, authentic teachings of Buddha,

passed down through

generations of monks, without interruption

But that is the same claim made by all those other sects

No matter how many sutras you read or chant,

or call out Buddha's name,

you will not be able to find Buddha's teachings

What do you do in your sect?

Just sitting in meditation We sit and we sit

How can true Buddhism be found, sitting around doing nothing?

Lord Tokiyori, that is akin to being in the ocean

and claiming to have no water

What!

Flowers in spring,

cuckoos in summer,

the moon in autumn

and chilly snows in winter

Flowers in spring,

cuckoos in summer.

Dogen, these are most obvious

They are indeed obvious

Things as they are

Seeing things as they truly are...

That is enlightenment

Zazen is to see the water in the vast ocean

And yet, until we find the innate Buddha,

we cannot understand there is water

in the vast ocean

I don't understand, Dogen

What is enlightenment?

What is the innate Buddha?

Fortunately, the moon is full tonight

Lord Tokiyori,

shall we go into the garden and look at the moon?

The moon?

It is magnificent

Pure and undefiled Perfect and flawless

That moon which resides in your heart is innate Buddha

There is only one moon in the heavens

I cannot see a moon in my heart

Furthermore,

that full moon is soon fated to fade and whither

Lord Tokiyori

Please look

Lord Tokiyori

Can you cut down this moon?

Easily

I have cut it down

ls that so?

Have another look

Though clouds should obscure the moon,

or the moon disappear from the heavens

we cannot say there is no moon

The moon cannot be wet and water cannot be torn

The moon is innate Buddha, and water is the self

This incomprehensible dialogue does not quell my anguish

Damn you

You're back again

Get away!

Dogen

How can I exterminate these vengeful ghosts

which taunt me nightly?

You cannot exterminate them

You must convert them

Convert them?

Conversion means acceptance

The pain, sorrow and hate those spirits carry,

is precisely your own

pain, sorrow and hate

You must accept all that anguish

However, until you abandon your entire self

you cannot accept that anguish

nor will the anguish fade away

The moment you grasped power in your right hand,

your left hand grasped suffering

Are you telling me to abandon my position as Regent of the land?

The very definition of a regent is to hold power instead of a monarch

It is grasping this power

that has caused your anguish

Lord Tokiyori,

now is the time to release your grasp

If I abandon the Regency, there will be civil war

My duty is to maintain

peace throughout the land

ls that not true?

No matter how brilliant,

no one who has employed weapons to subjugate his people

can rule forever

Certainly,

a ruler who knows no peace in his own heart,

can hardly rule peacefully

Though you

fervently wish to be saved,

you don't have the courage to abandon anything

How dare you, Dogen

I, Tokiyori,

have never been so insulted in my life!

Lord!

Dogen!

Are you prepared to die!

I always have been

When I came here, I had already

abandoned my body and my soul

As you wish

If you do evil you will harvest evil

If you do good you will harvest good

When death approaches,

neither political power nor those you love nor vast fortunes,

will be able to save you

To death, you must go alone

All that will accompany you

is everything you did in life

That and nothing else

Master Dogen

Look at this land

Here on this land,

I will build a great temple, second to none

Please stay here in Kamakura,

and become its founding priest

It shall become the great foundation of your Buddhism...

I cannot accept

What?

You refuse?

My temple

is Eiheiji, a very, very small temple

in the Echizen mountains

Master Dogen

I am so glad to have met you

Now I must take my leave

"Flowers in spring,

"cuckoos in summer,

"the moon in autumn

"and chilly snows in winter"

Ejo

Yes

The monks in the monastery

should be as harmonious as milk and water

and practice Zen single-mindedly

Eventually, each monk will become a head priest

Monks

are the eternal companions of Buddhism

Yes

Gikai

Yes

You shall be the abbot

Assist Ejo

and devote yourself to the three minds

The three minds are,

the joyful mind,

the caring mind

and the universal mind

Yes

Ji-uen

Yes

ls all well?

Of course, sir

Right now, I can see Tien-tung-shan

The only ones who actually saw Ju-ching practice Zen,

are YOU

and I, none other

You understand my meaning?

Yes

Kugyo...

You have been a good disciple...

And...

A good friend

The words you spoke

to me, your disciple Ji-uen,

give me the greatest joy

First, be free from desire

Second, be satisfied

Third, be tranquil

Fourth, be diligent

Fifth, remember the teachings

Sixth, meditate

Seventh, practice wisdom

Eighth, avoid pointless talk

Each of Buddha's disciples

learned these Eight Means to Enlightenment

Unless you study these,

you are not a Buddhist disciple

You must not be negligent,

even for a moment

Ejo

Yes

Let Orin take Buddhist orders

Yes

Zazen

In the time of life,

there is none other than life

In the time of death,

there is none other than death

Master...

Continue

to sit!

Dogen enters Nirvana, 1253

What a surprise

To get alms from a monk

Tell me, do monks make a good living?

What the hell is this?

To study the Buddha Way

is to study the self

To study the self

is to forget the self

To forget the self

is to be enlightened by everything

To be enlightened by everything

is to free your own

body and mind

and the body and mind of others

You hold Buddha in your hands

Buddha lives in your hands

So let us hold him close and protect him

ls the Buddha in my hands?

That is right

Hold your hands, not like that,

but like this

Because it's raining.

Dogen NAKAMURA KANTARO

Orin UCHIDA YUKI

Ji-uen & Minamoto Kugyo TEI RYUSHIN

Hatano Yoshishige KATSUMURA MASANOBU

Hojo Tokiyori FUJIWARA TATSUYA

Shunryo KORA KENGO

Ejo MURAKAMI JUN

Ju-ching ZHENG TIANYONG

Orin's husband Al KAWA SHOW

Kitchen Master SASANO TAKASHI

Monju's mother TAKAHASHI KEIKO

Based on the book by OTANI TETSUO

Music UZAKI RYUDO / NAKANISHI HASEO

Director of Photography MIZUGUCHI NORIYUKI

Production Design MARUO TOMOYUKI

Editing KIKUCHI JUNICHI

Production TWINS JAPAN inc.

Distributed by Kadokawa Pictures, inc.

ZEN Production Committee

Director / Screenplay TAKAHASHI BAN MEI

English subtitles LINDA HOAGLUND ©2009 ZEN Production Conrnittee