I began our sitting this week with an overview of the practice of our school in India, China, Japan and America. And that overview is that throughout these years of practice, these 2500 years, the character of this school is simply devotion to upright sitting. And total engagement in sitting still. There's lots of variety that has occurred over those 2500 years, to say the least.

[01:00]

But throughout all these myriad variations of practice that have occurred in the school of Zen, coming down from Shakyamuni Buddha, there has always been this simple devotion, simple complete vow to just sit upright in this world of birth and death. This is the practice that has been done by the Buddhas and the ancestors of the tradition. The beginners have been given many skillful instructions to encourage them. For example, some beginners have been sent to the rice pounding area for a while.

[02:07]

Some beginners have been told to follow their breathing or count their breaths. Some beginners have been told to shut up. Some beginners have been told almost anything you can think of. But the practice that has overall prevailed, and the practice that the Buddha does, is just sit. With no gaining idea, and with no object in mind. Of course objects are appearing all the time, but that's all that's happening. They're just appearing and disappearing. The practice is just to sit. So Dogen Zenji says, this practice of sitting is not learning meditation. It's not a concentration technique.

[03:09]

Of course when you just sit you are concentrated, completely. But we don't use in Zen, in the Zen tradition, in the overall Zen tradition, although some people sometimes assign techniques to people to get concentrated, because they demand some techniques. So the techniques have been given. It's called giving yellow paper to crying children. Yellow paper is a substitute for gold. Gold they aren't interested in actually. So they say, give me a technique to get concentrated. But the overall practice, which has prevailed among the Buddha ancestors, is to use no technique to get concentrated. To be concentrated, to have a peaceful mind, without using any device.

[04:17]

But if you want a device, you'll probably get one. If one teacher won't give it to you, some other teacher will. Don't worry. One of the Zen teachers in America said, the Zen teachers in America give students too much. If you don't give them what they want, they just go to some college professor and he gives it to them. Here's another cartoon, which is not in Farside, it's in Nearside. It's a cartoon, actually it's not a cartoon, it's a mini-series on Dogen. And Dogen Zenji is being interviewed by a TV person. And they asked Dogen Zenji, what do you teach your students? And he says, I teach them just to sit. Isn't there anything more to your practice than that? He says, no.

[05:27]

Well what about enlightenment and universal compassion? It is realized by just sitting. Now the newspaper interviewer broke into tears hearing that. But when she recovered she said, well what about koan practice? And Dogen Zenji said, our koan practice is very good. And the interviewer said, well I thought you said just sitting was enlightenment itself and it was all that you taught. He said, that's right. But some people won't sit unless you give them a koan. So you give them a koan and then they sit. And the sitting does the work.

[06:33]

Some other people won't sit unless you give them concentration techniques, so give them concentration techniques. But no technique will reach the way. The way is not some little toy, you know, that you can get like a can opener and open it up or a compass and find it. It's all pervasive. It's right under our nose. All you got to do is sit there and it will stand up and say hello. Once you're sure that you trust that. But as long as you think, well I don't know if the way will unfold before my face. Maybe I have to do something. Well then it won't. You can be sure of that. As sure as you doubt, you will doubt. And even though it stands up and says hello, you say, no, no, this couldn't be it. This state of mind could not be enlightenment. So we have all these, you know, what do you call it, wrecked people around here who don't believe this is enlightenment.

[07:45]

We think, well let's improve it a little bit at least before we make it into enlightenment. Some people think, no, it's got to be improved a lot before it's going to be enlightenment. But almost nobody thinks, well don't you have to improve it a little bit? Don't you have to get a little bit more concentrated? Don't you have to get rid of a few of your delusions before you can be awake? That's what Vasubandhu tried and he got really good at getting rid of problems. He was a clean cut kid. He had, you know, even when he was a kid he had disciples. You know, a nice gang of disciples because he was a virtuous person. He had gotten things together. He had improved himself a lot. But this was a far, far cry from the Buddha way. So the ancestor wanted to enlighten him. And he said, finally, the mind that doesn't seek to improve enters the way.

[08:54]

So, why do I teach Vasubandhu's 30 verses? I teach the 30 verses, I study the 30 verses with you, I encourage you to study because Vasubandhu explains how it is that you get caught by your gaining idea. And therefore think that you have to do something more than just sit in order to attain the supreme body of release. He explains very nicely how we get in that situation. But to sit and have no idea of self, to have selfless practice, then you don't need to do anything. It's only because of our idea of self that we don't trust this self.

[10:09]

All of our relationships are originally dependently co-produced. All of our relationships, self and other, dependently co-arise and therefore we can have a relationship. As our relationships dependently co-arise, at their dawn they are suchness. They are non-discriminating wisdom. When our relationships, when our self and other are first born, it is non-discriminating wisdom. The relationships as they are born by dependent co-arising are joyous and harmonious immediately. As the mind arises by dependent co-arising,

[11:22]

it is just a dependently co-arisen thing. It is free of the imagination of substance. And as some birdie told me, when erroneous imaginations cease, the acquiescent mind realizes itself. When the attribution of substance, which is an erroneous imagination, ceases, or when it's absent, then our body and mind, our self and other relationships, arise without that erroneous imagination and then that is the realization of the acquiescent peaceful mind.

[12:23]

And that always happens. Always happening. The dependently co-arisen mind, the dependently co-arisen relationship, is acquiescent. It's docile. Docile comes from the Latin docere, which means to teach. A docile mind is a mind that can be taught. A docile mind is a mind that willingly is ready to accept training. Remember the expression that Seigneur Gibbon used for the Roman legion. They were firm and docile. They weren't firm and surly.

[13:29]

A lot of soldiers are firm and surly. Like, hey man, what's happening? Don't tell me what to do. And some people are, you know, kind of docile but there's no firmness there. Things that dependently co-arise are firm. Nothing sort of happens. Flowers are strictly flowers and when they first blossom they are firm. They're just as firm as they are and when they die they're firmly dead. Nothing is not firm in its dependently co-arisen being. And everything that arises that way is docile. It can learn from all circumstances. Its firmness is because it learns from all things. This is the way our relationships originally are as they first appear by the auspices of the entire universe.

[14:33]

This is the dependently co-arisen mind in the absence of erroneous imagination. In the absence of attribution of self, of substance to it. Take that away and you have the dependently co-produced the latest version of creation. The latest version of creation without overlaying it by substance is firm and docile. And such a thing can conquer the world. Dependently co-arising can conquer the world and in fact does. But what about this, where's the problem coming from then? On the other hand, at twilight so you have the arising of something,

[15:40]

something dependently co-arising you know, it's revealing itself. Hello, this is who I am. I'm definitely this and I'm ready to learn. That's our harmonious relationships. I'm you, I mean you're me. I mean, what is it? What's going on? Something seems to be happening. Let's figure it out. What could it be? Then twilight comes. And the erroneous imagination comes. Starts functioning. Says, oh, look at that little flower over there who thinks she's so firm and docile. Well, we'll lay a little specialness on her. Hey, special kid. Hey, special one.

[16:41]

Hey, little self over there. Hey, independent one. You've got independent means of support, don't you? You're independently gorgeous. You're the most gorgeous thing that ever was. You're a person of substance. You're a substantial person. You could gain something here. Or you could lose something here. We could have some outflows here. Or some influxes. How would you like that? And now you'd probably like some positive influxes, wouldn't you? You wouldn't want any negative influxes, would you? So you just come right along into the darkness. And we can build up some really good dispositions here. And we can have a real nice relationship

[17:50]

with lots of juice. And if you're good, it'll be all positive. And you'll grow and get bigger. And it'll be warm and cozy. And you'll never be like a wall again. At first, when we meet, we say, Who are you? I don't know. And then somebody says, Well, you are kind of cute. You say, Thank you. And nothing much happens. But then after they're gone, that gets laid down in the old glue pot. And the next time you see that person, something comes up there. Oh, last time they kind of thought I was kind of something special, didn't they? And then you look at them kind of like, Well, you're kind of special because you tell me I'm kind of special. And they see you and then they say, Well, hello. Yeah, you're the same one the other day, weren't you? Yeah, and that's me.

[18:51]

I was the one you noticed last time. You still notice me? Well, sure I do. Well, then that gets laid down. And the next time it's a little thicker. And gradually the glue gets, the glue gets built up. So then after a while we kind of look forward to seeing this person for the next layer to be placed over it, for the next swelling to happen. It gets gooier and gooier and more and more compulsive and obsessive. I looked up at the sky and I looked up the word goo. It means a wet, sticky fluid. It also means sentimental drivel. So after a while even compassion

[19:56]

gets its goo all over it. We get really gooey. And it comes, the possible etymology for goo is from the word bergruel. Ber goo, bergoo. Bergoo. Which is a type of gooey oatmeal served to sailors. Ha! Now, I think oatmeal is really good. So, you know, this goo can't be all bad. Oatmeal reduces, I hear, reduces your cholesterol count. I think it tastes pretty good. It's really good for you anyway. I won't go into all the merits of oatmeal. But oatmeal is gooey and so some people don't like to serve it in a zendo.

[20:57]

And I think there's a good point in that because since it's so gooey it can get on your clothes and it's very difficult to get off your holy okesa. So if we can't have it in a zendo frequently it's nice to have it on all four and nine day breakfasts. What? I'm not docile? So that's how we build it up. A perfectly nice relationship all fresh and spanking new just radiant and harmonious. Nobody knows what it is becomes this like which we can't resist. One more kiss. One more compliment, please. I can't resist it. What? You're not complimenting me? What are you...

[21:57]

No, you're not. You're not going to change. Are you? No, no. Don't do that. Get back in that way you used to be. Now on the other hand if someone when you meet them all spanking new and clean Hi, how are you? They say, you have a problem, don't you? Well then then that gets laid down. And the next time we see them they say, oh, there's that person who thinks I have a problem. And then you can't resist thinking that they're really a jerk. You can't resist it because there you were just, you know they just took your little self there and they just, you know, like drew some blood out of it. They just took the juice away out of that little special thing there.

[22:59]

So, you know you're not going to forget that. That's going to be registered. That's going to be laid down for future reference. So sure enough when they come around it pops right back up there. Oh, wow, there it is. It's just very nicely working. And then of course they do it again because you make this face at them. What's the matter with your face? My face? Nothing wrong with my face. And there goes another one. And pretty soon that's, you know, gooey too. You know. So this is how the influxes this is how the juice connected to this special thing that gets laid over this perfectly radiant relationship and develops into a relationship which is totally obscured its radiance is totally obscured by these incidences that happen with this substantial self where it gained something or lost something.

[24:04]

And even if it was the transaction was neutral then you get a neutral one laid down. And you talk, look at the person you get really bored with them because nothing's happening positive or negative so you can't stay awake. Oh, I could tell some more stories but anyway to make a long story short the question is can an old dog learn new tricks? And so yesterday I taught Zori the most advanced practice in Buddhism and he learned it perfectly. In Tibetan Buddhism they call it flop dog. So I said flop dog and he went completely perfectly settled into himself with no gaining idea.

[25:06]

And he never knew how to do that before I taught him. Is that dog sense? That is dog sense. That is dog sense. The essence of dog sense is flop dog. You knew that, didn't you? Flop dog is not a Tibetan word it's an English translation for what is it? Kung Jer which means a liar. So given all this what's the practice? What is it? Tell me. That's right. That's the practice. Given this you just sit and then if you just sit if you just sit there then you can see

[26:14]

that all this stuff happened. Since you're not like focusing on some particular object you can see what's happening. Since you're not like this is what I'm doing you just, you know and then it happens it's just like, hello something happens something comes up and how does it come up? By dependent co-arising it goes up and then this substantial thing comes over and lays on it and then you get upset and you can see that. Like I just recently had this dream and I wasn't even asleep and it was a dream of Maya making some mistake. It was a dream of Maya making a mistake. A mistake means not doing what I wanted. And I got upset over the dream of her doing something. I actually did I'm not kidding. Can you believe that? Yes. It was wonderful

[27:18]

and you know why I got to see that? Because I was a little bit upright even in my dream. If you're really leaning into your dreams then you dream of something even in your dreams, right? You dream of something like you dream of Christina punching you in the nose in your dream and then you dream and you say oh, gee, that's really bad what did you do that for, Christina? But if like you just sit like right now and just sort of like just imagine Christina punching you you don't think it's real, right? You just create that in your mind just create a picture of Christina punching you in your mind and go ahead and do it. Okay? What did you say? But you know it's not real sort of, don't you? You know it's just something that you just made up. You're not attributing substance to that yet. But if you go a little drowsy like I did then I actually I wasn't even actually asleep I was just, it was

[28:19]

just on the verge of sleep and I believed it and I watched myself get upset. I actually got upset. And I just said wow it was a little kind of visitation I had a little insight. Now if I was really upright unfortunately I wouldn't have been able to have that insight because I wouldn't have got upset in the first place because I would have known that I was dreaming of her doing this and I know my dreams aren't real. So if I just imagine Maya doing something I don't like I don't get upset. I know it's just an imagination just a something that happened because I have a brain and there's a person named Maya and you know I had breakfast. But if you get a little drowsy then this, in the twilight this little thing came over and said that actually is happening and then I actually got upset. And then I actually felt very happy that I saw that that I was awake enough

[29:19]

to catch myself creating it attributing substance and then see the effect of that. If you're just upright the world will come and show you how it works. Now I'm a little worried that by telling you the teaching of the Buddha you may think that I'm what do you call it prohibiting all other kinds of practices which Buddhas can do or not do. Buddhas can play golf they can play tennis they can eat breakfast they can do concentration techniques. Shakyamuni Buddha himself when he died did a little yoga you know vacation tour. You know he actually zipped through all the different advanced all the different yogic trances he went from the bottom one all the way to the top

[30:20]

and came back. Now my theory is he was saying goodbye to his friends in those realms. I'm leaving now folks it's you know all his old yogic buddies that live in those realms he said goodbye to they saw him coming by in ill health. And then he came back down to the ordinary realm of you know subject object people and men, women dog, cats mountains, rivers came back in that realm and then he went back up into another yogic trance the fourth yogic the fourth jhana and that's the state he was in when he died. He died in a yogic trance. That's where he passed away. But that's just like that would be the same as one of you if you were living at Tathagat decided to go die in a stone room instead of the shop. Be like that you know. It wouldn't be like you know if you die

[31:20]

in the stone room you're a Buddha and if you die in the shop you're in trouble. It's just like that. And he taught that that he went through all these yogic trances he got really concentrated I mean he got super concentrated. He was like well you know among the yogis in the world he did the whole course you know he did it. He did the whole course and he said well I did the whole course but it didn't give me liberation. So Buddhism came from a tradition that does yogic practices and the Buddhist yogis have always been associated with Buddhism but you don't have to do some special yogic practice you don't have to play golf either in order to be a Buddha. Buddha found that out he just happened to be able to do those things but you don't have to. If you want to you can though it's okay

[32:20]

just don't think that that's Buddha's way. That's all. Like Vasubandhu don't be like Vasubandhu and think that what he was doing was Buddha's way it's just another high quality karmic lifestyle. However high quality karmic lifestyles are preferable to low quality because in fact he was susceptible to receiving the teaching because of his high quality behavior. He was trying to be wholesome he was trying to practice Buddhism so doing concentration techniques is wholesome and it will make you susceptible to the teaching but the teaching is if you whatever you're doing even if you're doing a concentration practice even if you're practicing Zen the teaching is just be still just don't move just have no gaining idea.

[33:25]

That's all. And then practicing that way all the dependent co-arising teachings will be revealed to you and you'll learn how people get in trouble you'll learn how you get in trouble and by learning how you get in trouble you will you'll get the joke and when you get the joke then you'll see that it's a joke when you see it's a joke then the dependent co-arising will be separate from the attribution when you see oh this was a dream of this person doing that and there was the attribution but if you take away the attribution which is not then it's just a dream and the dream is a wonderful relationship it's a wonderful relationship with somebody who's doing something I don't like perfectly harmonious and joyful you're punching me in the nose again you're being mean to me again you're sticking swords in my gut

[34:31]

this is terrible stop that now if people don't stick swords in my gut then I'll be happy so don't do that when erroneous imagination ceases the firm and docile mind realizes itself you don't even have to do that anyway it's really a good deal and you know Shakyamuni Buddha went through a real hard time to find this path for us you know he tried everything what you've tried is nothing compared to what he tried all the things you've done are nothing compared to what he tried to do take his advice doing stuff is not going to do it then his disciples even though he did it and told him so

[35:34]

they tried it for 2500 years they all tried stuff they even tried some stuff he didn't think of it's been tried of course you can think of something new I know but most of you aren't even trying you're just trying to do the old stuff that they did which they said didn't work so anyway you can keep trying to do stuff it's fine but remember it's already been tried nothing works the only thing that works is the way things are and you don't have to make that happen the way things are is the acquiescent mind is realizing itself if the erroneous imagination is out of town and even if the erroneous imagination is in town checked in the acquiescent mind is still realizing itself it's just that the erroneous imagination doesn't believe it because the erroneous imagination doesn't want this

[36:34]

acquiescent mind which is constantly learning new tricks to be there okay well I think you got it so please take care of it and use it use it you know use it all these great ancestors have developed this and passed it to you so you're so lucky and I hope that you don't expect that you could learn this new trick completely you know in two days or whatever it's been since I introduced this stuff about the last 17 verses so I hope you meet in your small groups and discuss it and again try to get your thinking external so that you can get feedback from the people in your group and clarify your understanding of how these processes work

[37:34]

and then when you get them externally cleared up then you can turn around and look inside yourself and you can discover it in yourself you can watch this thing going on in yourself you can watch the dawn of a dependently co-arisen thought and see how bright and shiny and docile and flexible and radiant and free it is and you can watch the evil one come and lay on it you can catch this stuff and see how you get upset and detached and you can learn this stuff you can actually apply it to your own self because this teaching was made for people like us so it does apply as I said I saw an example of it this morning applies very nicely but you have to kind of discuss it you know like I'm discussing with you you have to discuss it in many classes in discussion groups and think about it and take notes and stuff like that for a long time to learn this new trick which is a trick of understanding your tricks the breeze at dawn

[38:43]

has secrets to teach you don't go back to sleep you have to discover what you really want don't go back to sleep your relationships are walking back and forth at the threshold or self and other meet the door is round and open don't go back to sleep be in place

[39:55]

with the true merit of God's way to your goal

[40:06]

@Text_v004
@Score_JJ