... I know this world of Dogen-zenji, I experienced it, I tested whether [laughs] it is true or not. So I-even when I was in, you know, when I was almost, you know, especially in the-during the war, wartime, I had not much to eat [laughs]. Most priest, you know, worked to earn some money to support themselves and to support their families. But my belief was if I, you know, observe Buddhist way, faithfully, someone will support me, you know. If no one support me, it means that Dogen's world was not true [laughs, laughter]. So I never ask anyone to give anything to me, and I just observed the Buddhist way, without working in, you know, as a teacher, or as a clerk of the town office [laughs, laughter], or I-I raised some vegetables and sweet potato [laughs]. That is why I know how to raise vegetables [laughs] pretty well.
...
And one day, my neighbor came and opened my rice box, you know. ... When they opened the rice box, there was no rice at all [laughing]. She was quite astonish-astound, and she, you know, brought me some rice-not much, you know. She didn't have so much rice. And, you know, my neighbors and my members collected some rice, you know. ... But, you know, when people found out that I have a-a lot of rice [laughs], they come to the temple. So I gave it-gave my rice to them. And the more I gave my rice to them, the more I got the rice [laughs, laughter]. ...
The Tassajara (California) food, you know, is wonderful, you know: strong and rich, in comparison to the food we had in the wartime. So I-I don't have any complaint about food. And, if you observe our way strictly, we will be-we are sure to be protected by Buddha. That is very true. We should-should trust people, and we should trust Buddha.
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