Zen (2009) - full transcript

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!

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, l, Gikai of
the Dharma sect and the others,

have raced here to 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 l
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

Is 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

"In the fields and levees

"In 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

Is 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

Is 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

Is 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

l, 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

Is 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 l, 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

Is 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
UCHIDAYUKI

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
AIKAWA 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 BANMEI

English subtitles
LINDA HOAGLUND
2009 ZEN Production Committee