bringing up the word sesshin again, composed of the two Chinese words, setsu and shin. So one reasonable translation of the word sesshin is to collect the mind, gather the mind, or another one which is really, it's a translation, I guess, would be to concentrate the attention or train the attention. So how does the attention get trained?

[01:03]

Through the process of embracing and sustaining the mind. Sitting here right now, how Is there embracing and sustaining of the mind? How is there listening to the mind? How is there accepting the mind? how is there touching the mind. Turning it around training the attention is being

[02:24]

intimate with how the mind is being touched right now, how the mind is accepted right now, how the mind is unified right now. There is a strong habit among human beings to be involved in the view that I do this and I do that.

[03:44]

I think this and I think that. This is good and that's bad. I have to do this and avoid that." This mode of being is not what is referred to as embracing and sustaining the mind. This is what is called being in bondage to the characteristics of phenomena. or being in bondage to signs. This is grasping the signs of phenomena. And there's a strong tendency in the human mind stream to grasp after the characteristics, after the signs of our experience.

[04:52]

This grasping is based on misconception and promotes the misconception and creates agitation and affliction. What is meant by embracing and sustaining the mind, accepting the mind, touching the mind, is to let go of this grasping, this grasping of things in the mind, or grasping the characteristics of the objects of mind. It is to train the mind into being just like the mind, and the mind basically is in touch with the presence of things.

[06:16]

It is in touch with the basic presence of all phenomena, and it is touched by all phenomena. The mind basically knows by being touched. However, there are other aspects of mind which can become involved in grasping, and these aspects of mind are what the Sashin trains. into giving up the grasping and returning to the basic mode of knowing, which is simply to be touched or to know the fundamental presence of things. This mode of being with the images by which objects come to mind, just to be with these images, to be with these ideas, to be with these concepts without grasping them, is a mode of stabilizing the mind.

[07:51]

The mind becomes stabilized through simply being with the fundamental presence of the objects of awareness. So in the herd, there is just a herd. Without grasping the signs or elaborating on it. In the scene, there's just a scene. In the basic instructions on sitting meditation, which we chanted yesterday, it says, put aside all involvements. Suspend all affairs. Don't think good or bad. Don't judge true or false. Give up the operations of mind, intellect and consciousness.

[08:59]

Stop measuring thoughts with ideas and views. think not thinking," or I could even say, imagine not thinking. What kind of thinking is that? He says, non-thinking. So basically, what we can do here is we can sit and stand and walk with a body. A body.

[10:08]

A body. And that body does not grasp anything in mind. So how do you not grasp anything in mind? If you make that into something else which you're going to do, then you just grasp onto a way to not grasp. But I don't, and you don't, do this thing called not grasping the objects of thought. It's already the way the mind is. How do we settle with the way mind is? This body. So we give ourselves entirely to this body. which doesn't know how to grasp things in mind.

[11:15]

This body, this body is touched by everything that happens. It touches everything that happens and it doesn't know how to grasp anything in mind. being totally devoted to this body, sitting, in that devotion, which you don't do, in that devotion to this body, you are devoted to the body, which does not grasp anything. you are devoted to the body which is intimate with the mind which doesn't grasp anything and yet knows, touches, and is touched. Knows everything and is touched by everything and is vulnerable to everything and is in the realm where everything is vulnerable to it.

[12:32]

So the body has appeared in the world and is available for this activity. I do not say, as we say in Zen, I do not say the following. I do not say that you have a body. you have a body is shifting back into the mode of you who can grasp a body. I would say rather the body appears in this world all over the place and this body is the body of letting go of all thought. It's the body of not grasping characteristics.

[13:47]

It's the body of freedom from signs. And this body, which is touched by all concepts and touches all concepts, this body does not elaborate on any concepts. And through this non-elaboration, this is the body of stability and calm abiding and clarity. This body, I do not say it's your body. I say this body is available. It's available all day long. The way it appears in the world, however, is sometimes uncomfortable. So you may only wish to use this body which is the freedom from attachment.

[14:58]

You may only wish to use this blessed body once in a while when it's like a comfortable body. But as much as possible Accept this opportunity. Because every single time this body comes, it is the body which is just the body. And it does not grasp anything in mind. And this is simply all that needs to be done. This is non-thinking. Non-thinking. That's how to not grasp signs. And when there is intimacy with this body, which lets go of all thought, body and mind are dropping away of themselves, and your original face is manifesting.

[16:07]

This body can walk, this body can talk, this body can eat, this body can rest, and other things too. This body can say that this mode of not grasping anything in mind, this mode of being intimate with the mind, this mode of embracing and sustaining mind, and being embraced and sustained by mind, it resonates with everything else in the universe. This non-attachment conveys itself to all things.

[17:52]

And then this non-attachment resonates back to the body. In this way, the entire sky and the whole earth realize this non-attachment. The whole earth and the entire sky mean, this body says, every experience, every pain and every pleasure. In the entire earth there's no exception to this resonance, to this communion of non-attachment and freedom. This body that's like this is available all over the room, all over the planet, all over the sky.

[19:12]

It has always been available, it always will be available, and it's available now. It's practicing sashi right now. It's embracing and sustaining the mind right now. It's intimate and non-grasping with the mind right now. Is this Not indeed. Wonderful.

[20:43]

This seshin, this mode of accepting the mind, this mode of embracing and sustaining this unified mode of being with the mind, this way the body is with the mind, is also the way of practicing the precepts.

[24:38]

This word, setsu, this word which has these many meanings, is the word that's used in relationship to the three pure precepts. So Setsu Shin, embracing and sustaining the mind, but it's also Setsu Ritsu Gi Kai, to embrace and sustain the ceremonies and regulations precept. That's the first pure precept, which we say sometimes, right conduct.

[25:44]

But literally it's ceremonies and regulations. And the next one is to embrace and sustain all good. And the next one is to embrace and sustain all beings. These are the three pure precepts. The way of being intimate with the mind in this embracing and sustaining mode, the way of being with the mind the way the body is, is also the way to be with all beings. To embrace and sustain all beings, to be intimate with all beings, without grasping, to be intimate with the fundamental presence of each being without grasping the signs of that being.

[26:46]

This training of the attention in sesshin, through sesshin, of sesshin, is also the way of practicing intimacy with all beings. It's the way you embrace and sustain all beings, to meet beings, to embrace and sustain their fundamental presence without grasping after their characteristics, which gets us into good. That's good, and that's bad. Many times people tell me about their meditation practice and in my mind this characteristic arises. Quotes, good. But I hesitate to grasp that and say good.

[27:52]

And sometimes I hesitate and just let it go. Let go all those, good, good, good. It seems, in a sense, demeaning of being with the fundamental presence of the practice of the being. But can I say, wow, without getting into good and bad and leave it to you to continue your practice of not attaching to anything in your mind. Yesterday, there was very good sitting going on in this room. I hesitate to say you sat well.

[29:05]

But there was wonderful sitting, there was great devotion to the practice of being present in this room, even though there was some discomfort here and there. Today, too, this wonderful sitting, these bodies negotiating the way is available So, wow. So I hope and I pray that there will be continued enthusiasm to appreciate this body which is available for the practice.

[30:23]

Practice of training the attention into non-attachment. Training the attention into not grasping any of the signs and characteristics that are constantly appearing all around the things we know. To practice the way of the old Buddhas of not getting involved in the characteristics of phenomena. as the phenomena in their fundamental presence appears to us surrounded by many characteristics. We honor the mind of the Buddha which doesn't grasp any characteristics of things and yet knows everything.

[31:34]

Yeah. I feel a request arising, and the request is to take care of the posture of this body, to take care of the posture

[38:21]

which is embracing and sustaining the mind. Take care of this posture, which is embracing and sustaining the ceremonies, the forms, and the regulations of sesshin practice. Take care of this posture which in this moment is embracing and sustaining all good. Take care of the posture which is relinquishing

[39:34]

everything and embracing and sustaining all beings. I ask myself and I ask everyone to embrace and sustain this body which embraces and sustains all beings. And I requested that of myself and everyone, but usually in a precept ceremony, the preceptor does not request people to embrace and sustain all beings.

[40:54]

People are asked, do you wish to receive the three pure precepts? I think it's better for me to ask you, do you wish to receive the three pure precepts? May our intentions

[42:12]

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