Yesterday morning, we had tea with the people who finished Hungario and also the returning monks. And some of the people who sat five days said that they had heard rumors of what Hungario was like, and in some ways, they were surprised that it was different from what some of the stories they'd heard. For example, they heard stories about people who were sitting being told that they weren't

[01:20]

supposed to be here, and they, these people who are sitting here, they made a big effort, and sometimes they maybe asked about something, and were a little bit afraid when they asked if they'd be told that they were out of line or being lazy or something, but the impression that they got was one of kindness and sweetness. So rather than feeling like they were sitting here being tested, and if they didn't do it right, that they'd be punished or pushed, they felt that they were being supported by

[02:27]

all of the other monks in the valley, and of course the mountains, and the trees, and the birds, and the stream. And because of feeling that support, that quiet, subtle support, and that kindness, they were able to appreciate what a wonderful opportunity it is to be able to sit five days in a place like this. And hearing what they said, I thought it's very important to appreciate, as they did,

[03:35]

as they do, how much everyone is helping us, and that we can accomplish a wonderful way of life because everyone's helping us. And also, it's important not to confuse your own determination to practice the way of Buddha. Do not confuse your own determination, your own resolve, to walk the path of the compassionate ones. Do not confuse that intention with that somebody else is going to make you do that, or somebody else is going to push you or punish you if you don't do that.

[04:37]

Now, people may punish you. This is something that happens to us. Sometimes people punish us. Sometimes people are cruel to us. They insult us. They abandon us. They ignore us. And this happens whether you're trying to practice Buddhism or not. It's a standard human situation. Right? These are called the outrageous slings and arrows of outrageous fortune are well established and happening in a random and uncontrollable way. That's just sort of something that's going on. Our intention to practice Buddha's way in the midst of this kind of situation is possible because all beings are helping us every moment. Even the ones who are being cruel to us are helping us.

[05:50]

But that is not to say they're not being cruel. So our intention, or the intention of the ancestors, is to learn to appreciate that everything that's happening, not just this particular sling or arrow, but all things together are supporting our path of compassion. And again, we make this resolve to appreciate this, but nobody else is going to make us do it. Again, it's not that people are forcing us, but people are supporting us. So it's possible, as we see people right here in this valley, we're able to change their point of view from these monks, these resident monks, are harassing us and getting us to do Tantrario and making sure we don't go wrong.

[06:53]

They didn't see it that way. They saw it the other way, namely the monks here are all helping them, which is true. In fact, that's what happened. All you resident monks helped the new monks practice Tantrario very nicely. They had some difficulties, I'm sure, but by the end, they were very settled and grateful to all of you. So this basic shift of perspective is very important. And this shift of perspective goes along with the intention to allow that shift to occur. So now, as soon as possible, I suggest to all of us that we think about and look into our own heart,

[07:59]

even all the way to the bottom of it if we can, and see what it is that we wish to be totally devoted to today and certainly for the next period of time of this practice period. What is it that you wish to be totally devoted to? Please try to find that out as soon as possible so that you can go to work on that with the support of all your friends. What is it that you're totally devoted to? What is your intention for this period of training? Again, it's not for someone else to tell you what that is, but if you can find it and share it with your friends, they can support you and help you.

[09:06]

And again, if you find it, you will notice that even if you don't tell your friends, they will help you. Part of what I think I will be devoted to in this practice period is identifying in myself what am I totally devoted to, and also, I already know that part of what I'm totally devoted to is what the ancestors were devoted to, and I'm also devoted, when the time is right, to share with you what the ancestors' devotion was, what the Zen pioneers were devoted to.

[10:11]

Not that you should have the same commitment, but these people may give you some good ideas. Our way is not their way, but in a way, I think many of us wish to point ourselves in the same direction that they went. Thank you.

[11:16]

For the last few years, one of the slogans that I've been using is the slogan of the ancestor Sagan Gyoshi, no, the slogan of the ancestor Kim Tong Hung Gyur, when he said in his poem, accomplishing the great work of peace has no sign. I know that many of you are deeply committed and concerned with the work of realizing peace in this world, and this ancestor says, accomplishing this intention has no sign.

[12:25]

For those of you who have this intention, who have this devotion to peace in the world, he says to you, OK, fine, I have the same commitment, he says, but I want to remind you and myself that to accomplish this end, we should not have any fixed idea of how it will be done. For example, one day, the ancestor Gyoshan was sitting, and his teacher, Sherto, asked him, what are you doing here?

[13:48]

And Gyoshan said, I'm not doing anything at all. Sherto said, then you're just sitting idly. And Gyoshan said, if I was sitting idly, then I would be doing something. Sherto said, you say you're not doing anything at all. What is it that you're not doing? Gyoshan said, even the ten thousand sages don't know. Sherto was very happy with what Gyoshan said.

[15:35]

And later he composed a poem about this. He said, although we've been together from the beginning, I didn't know his name. We just go along being like this, leaving everything to the flow of destiny. Not even the great sages of antiquity know who he is. How could careless, hasty people understand? What are you doing here? Sherto asked Gyoshan.

[16:40]

And as I've mentioned many times, the Zen ancestors practiced many training periods. And during the training periods, they may have expressed their intentions in various ways. But there's one intention that they all share. And that is the intention to save all beings from suffering. When the teacher asked Gyoshan, what are you doing here? Of course Gyoshan's answer is, I'm intending to save all sentient beings from suffering. He was sitting with the intention to save all beings.

[17:45]

And what did he say? I'm not doing anything at all. This was his way to save all beings. Then you're idly sitting, said the teacher. If I were idly sitting, then I would be doing something. That wasn't what he was doing. He was sitting to save all beings. And what is this not doing anything that he was doing? Not even the 10,000 sages know what it is. It is the signless path to peace. No one knows what it is. But this ancestor was committed to it by the practice of sitting and doing nothing at all.

[18:54]

And it's doing nothing at all, the Buddha called, anatman. It's doing nothing at all, that Gyoshan practiced while sitting, the Buddha called, no-self. In other words, it's a nickname. No-self is a nickname for the true self. When we sit and do nothing at all, we are no-self. We are true self. And this true self saves all beings. How do we realize true self? We sit and do nothing at all.

[20:11]

We sit and we do not make the slightest motion away from ourself. We do not make the slightest motion towards ourself. We do not try to improve ourself or to depreciate ourselves. We do not praise ourselves. We do not criticize ourselves. We do absolutely nothing but be thus. And go along together, leaving everything to the flow of cause and effect. And no one knows who this is. Of course we worry not knowing who this is. We think we need to know.

[21:20]

True self, however, cannot be known even by 10,000 sages. So don't worry if you don't know it. Whether you know it or not, you are it. All you need to do is nothing and you'll realize it. As the founder of Zen Center says, when we hold to an idea of self, we want some graspable sense of how to work on something. But if we don't hold on to any idea of self, we can live calmly and silently. Whether or not we seem to be working on something, it's not difficult to work on something.

[22:49]

But to not work on anything at all may seem to be rather difficult. It's not difficult to work on something because that's the way we usually think about things. But to not work on anything at all, and to witness that everything is working on one's self, this is a shift. This is a shift from the usual self-cleaning way of living to the way of the ancestors. This is learning the backward step. To learn the Buddha way is to learn the self.

[24:45]

To learn the self is to forget the self. To learn what Zazen is, is to learn the Buddha way. To learn Zazen is to forget the self. To learn Zazen is to forget Zazen. To learn the self is to study the precepts. To study the precepts is to learn the self.

[26:00]

To receive and learn the precepts is to forget the self. To forget the self is to receive and study the precepts. Instead of me working on something in Zazen, how about letting all things work on me in Zazen? How about letting Zazen be all things working on you?

[27:13]

Za-Zen 2 Zazen 2 Zazen 3 Zazen 4 Zazen 5 The ancestors were devoted to saving all living beings.

[30:31]

And they also say they were devoted to witnessing all things coming forth in each moment and confirming the self, simply witnessing everything coming together to cause this life. This kind of witnessing, this kind of observing, is also called not doing anything at all.

[31:38]

It is simply being such. This is an ancient devotion. But this may not be your devotion, this may not be your devotion. What is your devotion? Do you have another story of how you wish to live? Some new way to express what your intention is. For the sake of all beings, please find it and perhaps even write it down on a piece

[32:47]

of paper so that you can remember what your devotion is. The important point is that you find out what it is you want, what it is that you want to devote your life to. It doesn't have to sound the same as these old stories. But I do think we need to find this, to discover this, and then decide whether we are going to commit ourselves to this most important thing for our life.

[33:48]

Please search for this deepest intention and express yourself. Thank you.

[34:17]

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