Original subtitles

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!

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.

Is 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 half 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.

Is 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...

Is 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 me.

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!