The chapter 30 of the Shobogenzo is called Gyoji. It is a word that we have heard a lot with Master Deshimaru, who commented this chapter at the time when we were building the temple of La Gendronnière: "Gyoji! Gyoji! Your gyoji must be strong!" Sensei commented it for us with large strokes of kyosaku, pushing us always to the limit of ourselves ... and even much farther. He was saying: "If you are tired in helping the Dharma, in practicing the Way, it is a great merit. If you get sick for the Way, it is even better! Don't be afraid: practice will never destroy you, only the non-practice is destructive". I never had the impression of fanaticism, while hearing him talking this way (maybe

with somebody else that would have been different?), what was behind his speech was delighting me. Sensei was always giving the impression not to take our ego, our karma, and even our life seriously. He was making us feel that we were not important at all as ego but quite important at the contrary as buddhas. And, contrarily to what should have had happened (as normally, the denigration of our own ego by someone else provokes aggressive reactions), that was procuring us a real relief. He was giving us a curious wish to laugh at ourselves. And we were feeling free and strong.