We started this session with awakening, with the awakening of the great ancestor Shakyamuni. And since that time we have been going beyond awakening. walking around awakening, observing sentient beings with eyes of compassion, I hope, and seeking the eyes that see Buddha in every particle of dust in our life. And not only that, but we must see Buddha going beyond Buddha in every experience of our life.

[01:50]

We must go beyond Buddha because Buddha is alive. Our tradition is to always stay close to this living Buddha, which doesn't fall into any category of Buddha. To do Buddha's practice And if someone wants to know what it means to stay close, we won't say. Actually, weaklings like me probably would say, but our tradition is not to say.

[03:05]

In China, they have what's called the taboo of not saying the emperor's name. You don't say the living emperor's name. You can say the name of dead emperors, but you're not supposed to say the name of the emperor. How? It's hard not to say the name of the emperor. You have to go out of your way. So when they asked Xuesheng about what it meant, he said, I'd rather cut out my tongue than tell you.

[04:23]

When they asked Saoshan what Dengshan meant when he said, I'm almost close, Saoshan said, I'll go ahead, cut my head off if you want to. These people were strict, and they wouldn't say... they wouldn't say what it means to go beyond Buddha. Because it's alive. After it's dead, we can talk about it. And actually, people are such interesting creatures that they will actually discuss dead Buddhas. People are wonderful. They will keep talking even after they're dead. Dust puffing out of their mouth. In some ways it's easier for us to talk like that than to talk about something alive in the proper way.

[05:40]

Observing the taboo Of course, the reason why it's hard to observe the taboo is because people don't like to hear about no Buddha and no path, no eightfold practice, no view, no motivation. no right speech, no effort, no mindfulness. They don't want to hear about that. So they go away someplace where people will tell them about it, and these people cough dust in their face, and they're happy. And they come back to the Zen teacher and say, why didn't you tell us? Poor Zen teachers. They're very unpopular if they're real, So one day, Dung Shan said to his assembly, he said, you people should know someone who goes beyond Buddha.

[07:03]

And the monk said, who is someone going beyond Buddha? And Dung Shan said, not Buddha. Later Yun Men said, the name is unattainable. The form is unattainable. Therefore, she is not Sometimes they have these sales at the video stores, you know, where they sell these old movies. And I look through the, sometimes I look through the pile and I can almost never find a movie that I want to watch again and again.

[08:12]

If On the Waterfront was for sale, I'd buy that. Just to watch Marlon Brando almost cry. But there's one movie which, when it goes on sale, I think I'll buy, and that's Wayne's World. Because he says, not really well. He's captured the heart of a generation with not. This is living Buddha. Not. And then Baofu said, Buddha not.

[09:16]

And Fa Yan said, provisionally, we call her Buddha. Tianhuang Da Wu asked his teacher, Xietou, what is the fundamental meaning of Buddha Dharma? And Xietou said, not to attain, not to know. And Da Wu said, is there any turning point going beyond or not? Shirtos said, the vast sky does not hinder white clouds flying. The fundamental meaning of the Buddha Dharma is not attain, not know.

[10:19]

No view, no motivation, no speech. no dignified deportment, no livelihood, no effort, no mindfulness, and no samadhi. Please practice this Eightfold No Path wholeheartedly. This is not what you want to practice. This is your life. It's very simple, this particular suggestion. All you gotta do is be you.

[11:23]

All you got to do is get on the big elephant and ride it into the mud. Big, steady step after step into the mud. It doesn't stop. It just keeps walking deeper and deeper into the mud. And when you get used to that, it walks into not mud. You don't have to create the mud. All you have to do is walk into it. If you think about it, it may seem difficult. Actually, before you do it, it's impossible. When you're doing it,

[12:29]

You're doing it. That's it. When you're in pain, it's pain. Norman gave me a poem he wrote. He says it's untitled. I call it Elephant Rider. What seems separate, weighty, out there, is actually already dissolved. Because the moving into it is a giving up of everything that has already been lost anyway. So it's easy to do. Everything works together. Even griefs. Nothing more clever than the mind to tangle things up in without which we couldn't even do or even ever appear.

[13:41]

So I said before, you know, these eyes, these compassionate eyes, the mind of enlightenment, it does not depend on any conditions. It occurs in all mud. It occurs in birth and death, this thought of enlightenment. This I, which can study the way, occurs in birth and death. And it occurs in nirvana. It can also occur without concern for birth and death or nirvana.

[15:09]

It does not depend on the place where it occurs, nor is it hindered by the place where it occurs. Conditions do not arouse it, and knowledge does not arouse it. This thought of enlightenment, this I which studies the way, arouses itself. This thought of enlightenment, it neither exists nor does not exist. It's neither good, bad or neutral. It is not the result of past suffering. Even when you're in bliss, it can be aroused. This mind of enlightenment arises just at the time of its arising.

[16:21]

It is not limited by conditions. It is aroused right now. the entire universe arouses this mind. The entire universe arouses the eye of studying the way. Although this thought of enlightenment seems to create conditions, it actually does not encounter conditions. But this thought of enlightenment, this mind of enlightenment, this I which studies the way, and the conditions of our life together hold out a single hand.

[17:33]

A single hand held out freely. A single hand held out freely in the midst of all being. This is always going on, but unless we are completely one with the conditions of our life, unless we ride into the conditions of our life and completely settle there and then give that up and walk into the next condition completely, unless we're there with the conditions then this event, this manifestation of this hand held out is a loss to us.

[18:52]

You do not have to make this eye or make this mind or make this hand. You do need to live your life. So we have a hard job, but it's simple. We have to just not move. You don't have to work to walk into where you are. And that's not true. You have to work hard to not move. Because not moving is hard work. But not moving is doing nothing. Doing nothing is the hardest work.

[19:57]

It is complete effort. It is no effort. Or it is not effort. So I don't know if I've made a big mistake for what I've said so far this week and in the weeks before. But what I'm teaching is not just the way of Buddha, which people think they probably should need to warm up to. I'm teaching beyond Buddha. which sounds terribly lofty. However, beyond Buddha is also before Buddha. It also is the lowest state anywhere in the universe. Nobody's too low to be beyond Buddha.

[21:02]

But I can think that. I can think I'm too low to be Buddha, and therefore I'm probably too low to go beyond Buddha. And I also can think somebody else is too low to go beyond Buddha. First, they should be Buddha. They can't skip over that. So one time a monk asked Yuen Mun, what is your statement, what do you have to say, Master, about going beyond Buddha and surpassing the ancestors? Yan Min said, a sesame rice cake.

[22:16]

And Suzuki Roshi said, If you have a problem with repetition, your practice may be quite difficult. Anyway, Dogen suggests that you examine this. these words, a painted rice cake. Oh, excuse me, a sesame rice cake. Sesame rice cake. When this sesame rice cake is actualized, the ancient teacher gives expression to going beyond Buddhas and surpassing ancestors. An iron person asked this question and students understand it.

[23:45]

Thus, the expression is complete. Opening the matter and hurling it back as a sesame rice cake is itself two or three painted rice cakes. Yunmin's statement that goes beyond Buddhas and surpasses ancestors is an activity that enters Buddhas and enters demons. Dogen's teacher, Ru Jing, said, A tall bamboo and a banana appear in a painting. Your life has come to this.

[24:51]

See if you can accept it. Did you ever think you'd be sitting someplace and hearing someone say that a tall bamboo and a banana appear in a painting? This phrase means that things beyond measure are actualized together in a painting. A tall bamboo is long. Although it is moving by the principles of yin and yang, the months and years of tall bamboo move yin and yang. The months and years of yin and yang are beyond measure.

[26:03]

Although sages understand yin and yang, they cannot measure it. Yin and yang are all inclusive phenomena, all inclusive scale, all inclusive way. Yin and yang have nothing to do with views held by those outside the way or those in the two vehicles. Yin and yang belong to tall bamboo. They are the passage of time of tall bamboo and the world of tall bamboo. All Buddhas of the Ten Directions are the family of tall bamboo. know that the entire heaven and earth are the roots, stem, branches, and leaves of tall bamboo. This means, or this makes, heaven and earth timeless.

[27:08]

This makes the great oceans. Mount Everest and the worlds in ten directions are indestructible. A walking stick and an arched bamboo staff are both old and not old. A banana has earth, fire, water, wind, emptiness, mind, consciousness, wisdom as its roots, stem, branches, leaves, flowers, fruits, colors, and forms. Accordingly, the banana wears the autumn wind and is torn in the autumn wind. We know that it is pure and clear and that not a single particle is excluded.

[28:13]

There is no muscle in the eye. There is no pigment in the paints. This is emancipation right here. Emancipation is not a matter of time. It is not concerned with a discussion of a certain moment or instant. Taking up this understanding, make earth, water, wind, fire your vital activity. make mind, consciousness and wisdom your great death. In this manner, the activities of the house have been passed on with spring, autumn, winter and summer as furnishings. Now, the fluctuations of tall bamboo

[29:24]

and a banana are a painting. Those who experience great awakening upon hearing the sound of bamboo, whether they are snakes or dragons, are all paintings. Do not doubt it with the limited view that separates ordinary from sacred. The bamboo pole is just long. This pole is just short. This pole is just long. That pole is just short. As these are all paintings, the painted forms of long and short always accord with each other. When you paint something long, it cannot be without painting something short.

[30:28]

Thoroughly investigate the meaning of this, because the entire world and all phenomena are a painting. Human existence appears from a painting. A Buddha ancestor actualizes from a painting. Since this is so, there is no remedy for satisfying hunger other than a painted rice cake. Without painted hunger you never become a true person. There is no understanding other than painted satisfaction. In fact, satisfying hunger, satisfying no hunger, No satisfying hunger and not satisfying no hunger cannot be attained or spoken of without painted hunger.

[31:37]

For some time, study all these as painted rice cake. When you understand this meaning with your body and mind, you will thoroughly master the ability to turn things and to be turned by things. If this is not done, the power of the study of the way is not yet realized. To enact this ability is to actualize the painting of enlightenment. listening to such talk, could you experience yourself?

[33:25]

Could you stay with your human life? as he turned and danced in not dignified forms, could you stay with him? Could you stay with him as you? Could you stay with you as him? The elephant rider is the one who really brings joy to the world.

[34:52]

Everybody else is someplace else. They may want to bring joy, but they can't bring it from where they aren't. These are called people outside the way. It sounds exclusive, but they put themselves there. We have such a big group here, it's hard to do something which I would like to do, and that is I would like each of you to come forward in the assembly and express yourself.

[36:17]

But with so many people, I fear, not fear, I guess, I guess it would interfere with lunch. But I think it's time for that. I think it's time for each of you to express what it means to go beyond Buddha. I think it's time for each of you to express not Buddha.

[37:25]

But I don't know how you want to do it. How do you want to do it? A show sign after lunch? Do you know what a shosan is? Shosan means little meeting. It's a little meeting, which is a kind of, what do you call it, ironic statement, because it's really a big meeting. It's a situation where each yogi comes up before the assembly and gives their expression of going beyond Buddha, one by one.

[38:38]

Usually everybody does it. We could do it differently, though, and have it just be those who want to do it, but those would be probably the people we wouldn't want to hear from. It's the ones who don't want to do it that are the good ones. The ones we haven't heard from ever. And there is somebody inside all of us who has never come forth before, who has never spoken before, and who nobody knows. We want to hear from this one. So I would love to do that, but, you know, I don't know if the people here who we've heard from before will allow that.

[39:39]

This is an organizational problem which I'll leave to someone else. However, although I'm afraid, I will attend the event. But I don't promise to behave. What? So let's see what happens. But that's what I really wanted to do But I knew we couldn't get it organized before this event, so I just did my usual no talking. I don't know what you did. I'd like to hear. Or rather, I don't know if I'd like to hear.

[40:50]

I want to hear. I vow to listen. I vow to listen to you by expressing yourself, to you singing your songs. Now I, on your behalf, say we invoke your name, enlightening being, great being of universal goodness, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. We aspire to your practice. We aspire to your aspiration to act with eyes and heart of compassion. We vow to bring joy to one person in the morning.

[41:57]

We vow to bring ease of pain to one person in the afternoon. We know that the happiness of others is our happiness. and we know the practice of joy on the path of service. We know that every word, every little word, and half word, and every look, and half look, every action and every smile can bring happiness to others, we know that if we practice wholeheartedly, we ourselves may become an inexhaustible source of peace and joy for the dear ones of all species of the elephant rider.

[43:17]

I say invocation rather than evocation, calling within. This morning is almost over and you people have already brought joy to one person. Each of you has already done this. Thank you. And this afternoon, please bring ease of pain to one person. That shouldn't be too difficult. We'll be able to sit this afternoon some. If necessary, you may have to sit through your lunch break, but please bring ease of pain to someone. Thank you very much for going beyond Buddha and by doing so proving, verifying that Buddha is alive.

[44:58]

Thank you for practicing not zazen. You've done not zazen very well. Thank you for practicing not effort and not mindfulness and not concentration. And I forgive you for practicing mindfulness and concentration and effort and all that. It's okay. But those practices will never bring satisfaction.

[46:02]

The only thing that will bring satisfaction is a painted lunch. Know what I mean? I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to you. I'm talking to you. Not you, you. Know what I mean? No? So are you glad you stayed? Just hang in there and eventually you can do something great.

[47:12]

Okay, so let's hear your songs. I have a question. The ten names of Buddha we have cited much. And breakfast? Yes. What's the pronunciation of the original one, first?

[48:18]

Dharmakaya Ucharnabuddha. Dharmakaya Ucharnabuddha. The what closest to the bone? Thank you for your songs. This side of the zendo. Is that enough for now or do you guys want to say something over here on this side? These are the Moonies. If I could hear it, I wouldn't be able to teach you.

[49:38]

But anyway, this is your big chance, Jordan. Are we going to have a meeting this afternoon that shows on after lunch? That is correct. You're going to wait? Somebody says, now I have glasses so I can forget them everywhere.

[50:16]

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