Questions to Master Deshimaru

Question

Since it is so hard to distinguish between good and evil should we avoid taking any positive action in everyday life?

Answer

Everyday life and the religious mind are two different things. In society, good and evil exist. Laws are determined by the lowest morality; they have to do with the karma of the actions of body and speech. If you have evil thoughts, nobody puts you in prison. From the viewpoint of religion, it's different. In religion, thought is important. In Zen what is essential is to be conscious and able to define "how we think." In everyday life, even if we have evil thoughts but our actions are good, there is no offense. On the other hand, if we have good thoughts but bad actions we go to prison. Action alone is taken into consideration. But ultimately, it is hard to decide what is good and what is bad. Ultimately, everything looks like a dream. Our life is like a dream. The mind of Buddha sees all things. There, it is not a question of social morality but of the real essence of religions. And at that level, it is not easy to distinguish between good and evil. Moral law and religion are different.