So I discussed, I think, a little while ago, my last talk here maybe, on Sunday, about the gate, the ancestral gate, or the gate of developing and delivering relationships with the ancestor as a gate. So, we... I've also been talking quite a bit lately about the statement by Dogen Zenji that zazen is not the practice of meditation or zazen is not the practice of concentration. This requires a lot of discussion because Zen students... The reason for saying that, the reason why Dogen says that Zazen is not the practice of meditation or not the practice of concentration is because a lot of Zen students practice concentration with relative success.

[01:22]

As a matter of fact, the name of the Zen school means concentration, right? So Zazen is not Zen, you could say, in a way, not the practice of Zen. And Zen, when Zen means concentration, it's not that. And this kind of talk, this kind of corrective comment has been made for a long time in the Zen tradition. The sixth ancestor of Zen used to say that quite a bit. He used to say to his monk, you know, that His way had nothing to do with meditation, but of course it's fairly likely that a good number of the people you're talking to were either in or on the verge of a deep trance at the time. So it's okay to practice concentration, just like it's okay to practice distraction. It's just that you should not confuse

[02:29]

that with the practice of zazen. And zazen is, you know, just the dharmagate of repose and bliss, and it is, or therein, or whatever, the koan appears fully, or the koan is realized, genjō koan. Genjō koan means the koan is genjōd, manifested in the present, presently manifested, presently appearing. So when you're practicing zazen, the koan, it could be this one we're studying here, is manifested in the present. By practicing zazen, you have an actual, in the present, living relationship.

[03:43]

I mean, through your life, this koan about the ancestral teacher, national teacher Jung, becomes alive and manifested right here. Not like, you know, some ghost comes in the room, or one of you suddenly turns into some Tang Dynasty master, but that your life as it is right now, becomes the manifestation of this story. So it is fundamental to consider what is the way, what is the Dharmagate of repose and bliss. And that is the place where this koan actually appears, actually is manifested. So we're always working, that is our fundamental concern here in this class, I think. is to be with the practice where the real koan, the actuality of the koan, lives.

[04:49]

We don't have to read these stories, we could have other stories too. Any story would do as an opportunity for the koan to appear. but we have these stories in a way to test. Because we could just say, you know, well, okay, we're all here as we are, and this is the manifestation of ultimate reality. This is the koan appearing right here. And I think that is true. I'm not, I mean, that is true. Funny thing is, is when you bring up an old Zen story, sometimes it seems more difficult rather than easier. to see the manifestation of the koan. It seems harder, often. But sometimes easy, because sometimes the koan catches you off guard when you're practicing zazen. I mean, it catches you off guard in a sense that you're not guarded. You just happen to be practicing zazen, so the koan gets to you.

[06:00]

And this case, to a great extent, is about the kind of awareness with which you would study this case. This case is about the zazen mind which studies these cases, or which studies this case. So, one way to paraphrase what the monk says, he says, he says, what is viral jhana of one's own body? He could say, what is the of this body? What is the awareness of this body? What is this body's awareness such that I'll be able to understand the story we're telling right now? A traps and snares will not catch this state.

[07:06]

This isn't a state. A state cannot trap it either. Traps and snares cannot get a hold of this, this practice. So if we're looking around to see where is this awareness in the body here by which we could understand this story about the awareness in the body here by which we would understand the story, There's no way you can get a hold of it. And nobody else can get a hold of it either. No Buddha can get a hold of it. Not all the Buddhas can get a hold of it. And they aren't trying to either. They've given up long ago. So it must be right here, and yet we have to develop this very subtle and balanced relationship with the ancestors, and then we'll understand them.

[08:15]

So, the first question is, what is the vairocana of one's own body? Could you bring me a water pitcher? A pure water? If it's not, I'll purify it when it gets here. Don't be afraid, it's just water.

[09:18]

It looks a little murky, but those are just sentient beings in there. Now, if anybody doesn't want to get wet, I would suggest you go hide in the closet. That one over there would be good. Yes? You want a haircut? This body right now is remaining silent in fear. Silent? In fear. Silent in fear? What is the vairacchana of one's own fear? Well, we've got some water.

[10:28]

Now, this water may or may not be pure. Now, I don't know what happened when the monk went and got the water. He may have, at the water drawing area, did something with the water to make it pure, or it might have already been purified. How do you make water purified? Chlorine. Chlorine? Anything else? UV systems. What? UV systems. UV systems. UV systems. Ultraviolet, right? Or something beyond blue you use. Let it sit. Distill it. Let it sit. Distill it. Strain it. Strain it. Just bring it. Bring it. It doesn't have any faults. It doesn't have any faults. What faults might it have? Might not be water. Muddy. Might be muddy. Might not be water. Brine shrimp.

[11:30]

Brine shrimp. Jardia. Jardia. Hey, are none of you people afraid of water? Oh, you are. You're afraid of water. I would like a pitcher of some oxygen, I think. A pitcher of oxygen? This place is a pitcher of oxygen, but we need to put more oxygen into the pitcher. Are you happy now? Happier. Happier? Yeah. And he was happy before, so you can imagine. Anyway, Miss Water, please, you know, give up all your impurities, okay?

[12:31]

And drop away all your taints and resistances and obstacles. Give up past and future and just be the water you are right now, okay? Casting a spell. But what about the pitcher? The picture could be unclean and not purified. What do you mean by purified? You talking to him or me? Me? I mean everything under the sun. It doesn't say pure, it just says clean. Well, that character could also be translated as pure. Okay, so, how are you doing with this?

[13:40]

What is happening with you in this pitcher of water? You want to throw it on you? How about a little abhisheka? A little abhisheka? That's dangerous. A little abhisheka. Want a little abhisheka? Yeah. All my ancient twisted karma From beginningless greed, hate, and delusion, Born through a hasty speech and mind, Caught up laying down amongst the abysmal, All my ancient twisted karma,

[14:49]

From beginningless greed, hate, and delusion Born through body, speech, and mind I know fully about All my ancient twisted karma From beginningless greed, hate, and delusion, Opened through body, speech, and mind, I now flee about. More, please.

[16:36]

What's that? Thank you. I'm Melvin. I'm Susie. Everybody okay now? Did you keep breathing?

[18:27]

So this national teacher was quite a fellow. You know about him? Hm? No. Really? Want to hear some more stories about him? Some background stories? Yeah, he had descendants, but none of them, you know, amounted to much. The emperor was one of his descendants. I think more than one emperor. But he... He had no disciples that had, you know, like set up schools. So his name is Hui Jung, national teacher Hui Jung. How do you Romanize it, you mean?

[19:42]

Well, one way is H-U-I-C-H-U-N-G. The other way is H-U-I-J-H-O-N-G. Nanyang. Z-H. Z-H, yeah. E-H-O-N-G. Nanyang Huijung was his name. Japanese is Nanyo Echu. Nanyo Echu. He lived a long time, 100 years. 675 to 775, 1,001 year before the Declaration of Independence was signed. So the national teacher succeeded to the sixth ancestor.

[20:49]

And his lay name was Ron. He was a man of Jiujiao district in Yuejiao, which is Fujian. When he was a child at home, he never spoke, nor did he ever cross the bridge in front of his house. Up until the time he was 16 years old, when a certain Chan master came by, As soon as the boy saw him from afar, he ran out of the house and over the bridge to greet him and pay his respects. His father, mother, and relatives and neighbors from far and near came and discussed this with amazement. They said, how imponderable it is that since his infancy till his 16th year, he never once We never once have seen this boy speak, nor have we ever seen him cross the bridge in front of our house.

[21:57]

But the moment he saw the monk, he acted like this. Perhaps the boy is different from ordinary people. Perhaps. Don't get discouraged. The boy then asked the Chan master, I beg the master's compassion. to receive and ordain one of the living. I earnestly wish to take refuge in meditation and leave home. The Chan master said, the fact is that in the school of our sect only the crown prince of the silver wheel turning king, the grandson of gold wheel turning king is able to continue the way of this school without letting it decline. You are a kid reared on a buffalo's back by a man and woman in a village of three families. How could you enter the gate of this sect? It is not something for you.

[22:58]

It is not something for which you are suited." The boy said, I submit to the Chan master that his teaching is of equanimity. There is no high or low. How can you speak so as to hinder my good intentions. I asked the master again to extend your compassion and admit me to the order of monks." The Chan master observed the boy's state and said, You shouldn't leave home like this to follow me. The boy said, Then to whom should I resort to leave home? The Chan teacher said, no, Chan teacher, direct me to a master of your school. Chan master said, have you ever heard of Sao Chi? Sao Chi is where the sixth ancestor lived. The boy said, I do not even know the region of Sao Chi. The master says, on Mount Sao Chi in Guan Nan, which is near Canton, there is a good friend.

[24:07]

He is called the sixth patriarch. and his community is as large as 600. You go there and leave home. I'm traveling to Mount Tien Tai, so just go by yourself. The boy then went into the bush and hid. Avoiding his parents, he immediately went. Three days' journey he traveled in two days. When it rained, he made a day's journey in one, When he reached Sao Chi, he luckily came at a time when the patriarch was just about to expound the teaching. Immediately he bowed to the patriarch. Patriarch asked him, where do you come from? He replied, I have just come near. Patriarch said, where were you born? The boy said, since having gotten the five skandhas, I have forgotten.

[25:09]

The ancestor said, come near. The boy approached. The ancestor said, tell me truly, where are you from? The boy said, I'm from Zhejiang, Zhejiang. The ancestor said, you've come a long way to get here. What did you come for? The boy said, for one thing, an enlightened teacher is difficult to encounter, and the true teaching is hard to hear. Secondly, I want to submit to you and abandon home. I beg, Master, that you extend your compassion to me and admit me to the order. The ancestor said, I tell you, don't abandon home. The boy said, Why do you say this? The ancestor said, I don't answer why questions. The boy said, For what reason do you say this? The ancestor said, You are a sovereign.

[26:13]

Without moving shield or spear, for sixty years the son of heaven will be you. Just become an emperor and Buddhism will be the principle. The boy said, I submit to the master that I would not want to be son of heaven for a hundred years, let alone sixty. I beg the master's compassion to accept me and let me abandon home. The master then touched his head and gave him the prediction. If you abandon home, you will be a Buddha standing alone in the world. Then he took him in and accepted him into the order. He was on Mount Paya of Nanyang cultivating the practice for forty years. In 761, on the sixteenth day of the first month,

[27:17]

He obeyed the summons of the Emperor Su Cung, calling him to the capital, where he stayed in the Western Meditation Hall of the Temple of Ten Thousand Blessings. Later he returned to the abode of Light Temple. Both Emperors Su Cung and Tai Cung personally accepted the Bodhisattva precepts from him and respectfully entitled him National Teacher. The two emperors were usually listed as successors to Huizhong. The master had three other successors, but Tan Yuan Yinzhen, who also appears in case 18, is the only one on whom any information is available. Perhaps the most famous dialogue recorded between these two is when Huizhong called Yinzhen three times, and three times Yin Xin responded. Zhang said, I had thought that I had turned my back on you, but it is you who have turned your back on me.

[28:27]

Huizhong was one of the last surviving successors of the Sixth Ancestor and was greatly revered by later generations. He also He is in case 16 of the Blue Cliff Record. In that case, no, excuse me, 18. In that case is where the emperor says to him, he's the emperor's teacher, and the emperor says to him, It literally says, after you die, but the way they say it is, a hundred years from now, what will you need? After you die, what will you need? The national teacher said, build me a seamless monument. The emperor said, please tell me, master, what the monument would look like.

[29:37]

The national teacher was silent for a long time. Then he asked, Do you understand?" The emperor said, I don't understand. The national teacher said, I have a disciple to whom I have transmitted the teaching, Than Yaran, who is well versed in the matter. Please summon him and ask him about it. After the national teacher passed on, the emperor summoned Than Yaran and asked him the meaning of this statement, build me a seamless monument. Than Yon said, south of the Xiong River, north of the Than River. Sui Du, that's his answer. South of the Xiong, north of the Than. So he said, build me a seamless monument. And he said, what would it look like? And he didn't say anything.

[30:38]

He said, do you understand? He said, no, I don't. Build me a seamless monument. What does it look like? Silence is the answer. In other words, it's the whole universe. He asked the emperor to build him a monument which was the whole universe. No seams, no beginning or end to it. That's the monument he wanted. And the emperor did his best. Another important teaching of this teacher is the teaching where the monk comes to him and says, what is the mind of Buddha? And the national teacher says, walls, tiles, and pebbles. And the monk said, oh, uh-huh, well, do they expound Dharma? And he said, they expound Dharma incessantly

[31:39]

And incandescently. And the monk said, well, if they do, how come I can't hear it? And the teacher said, although you may not hear it, do not hinder that which does hear it. So although you may not hear or see vairacana in your body, in your own body, if you do not see vairacana of your own fear, don't hinder the one who does hear it and see it. And the monk said, well, who sees, who can hear this dharma that the walls tiles and pebbles the mountains and rivers are expounding he said a saint can hear it and he said master can you hear he said no say well if you don't hear it how do you know that they're doing that and he said luckily for you i don't hear it because if i did hear it i wouldn't be able to teach you

[33:02]

Would he be too pure? Yeah, he'd be too pure. That's what he'd be. He'd be mighty swell. Okay, so now we got this guy trapped in case 42. He's working for us. He asked for the water. And then he said, Would you please take this back where it was before? Did you everybody get enough water? If you need any more, just open your mouth, she'll pour it down. She's been waiting a long time for a drink. Okay, there it goes.

[34:34]

So then the monk says, okay, again, what is Vairacana in one's own body? And the national teacher says, the ancient Buddha is long gone. This is our last class for a while, so fortunately you all understand this case. Pretty much, right? Any celebrations of your understanding or pretenses of not understanding that you'd like to share? I don't mean to, you know, degrade pretense. It's what makes drama. I think when he asked again the same question and teacher said that the Buddha's long gone,

[35:40]

is that asking it, it was dead. I mean, it missed the whole point. Missed the whole point? Missed the whole point. The whole show. Missed the whole show. Was that your understanding or lack of understanding? Don't know. I'm squeezing hard on the tea bag. Anything else anybody wants to say at this time? Donna. I think it was a case of the picture being a thousand words. This book has been waiting for you to say that. Rabin. Okay, I have a pretense of not understanding.

[36:57]

Okay. Adam's sayings on the back of the page. Yes. All right, they go through like what's said in the dialogue and then these are like interpretations. No, they're not interpretations. Oh, I thought they were like what is really being said. No. I'm like, what? How did you get that? When he says, the ancient Buddha is long gone and it says, not far from here. I'm like, how did they... I don't understand. What are these little... What inspires mind when somebody... Have you changed your name? I don't... Well, I don't... My interpretation... My interpretation is... Well, my interpretation is that these are not interpretations. Okay? That's my interpretation. And my interpretation is similar to my non-interpretation. In other words, what these are Where are you going, you guys? Where are you going?

[38:01]

You're going to miss us. What? You're going to miss us. I know, I'm already getting sad. I'm going into a state of mourning now, after this class. Now, after this class? Yeah, because I won't have any classes anymore. You're starting now? After this class, I'm going to start. How do I know? I intend to do so. It's kind of a ritual I do. Whenever anything dies, I do a mourning for it. What do you mean you won't have this class anymore? I mean anymore until next summer. It's a long time, isn't it? What's going to become of us?

[39:02]

We may become lost. Huh? You will. I know you will. Drive careful. So, these, I'll give this guy, you know, the benefit of the doubt and say this is not interpretation. In other words, it isn't like, it's just expression, okay? There he is, practicing zazen, and he reads this stuff, and then he expresses himself. And if you wonder where he got that, he gets it from the same place, this place where no traps and snares can get. The place no traps and snares can get is where your expression that you would make after each line comes from.

[40:07]

Now, you can also express yourself from a place where traps and snares can get after each line. But then you can tell where it comes from. It comes from where you're trapped. But if you're not trapped, then these utterances are going to come. Also. But they might be, you know, more fun. I like that not fun. Yeah, it's good, isn't it? But you can't copy it, except under very special circumstances. You have to have permission of everybody to copy it. But you can make your own These are called abrupt comments. They're not really interpretations. They're like, you might have interpretations, but you go to the bottom of the interpretation, or you go to the interpretation, you go to the suchness of the interpretation that you might have about this line, and then you jump off, and as you jump, you shout.

[41:23]

And that's your comment. Yeah, well, you guys went as a couple and you're sitting right next to each other. What happened? Too much water. I can't say it all. You say the nicest things. How about you, Mahin? I didn't invite her, she just came. Anything else at this point that anyone would like to say? I'm not in a hurry to move on, but... Hmm?

[42:27]

Everybody's kind of like happy not saying anything at this point? Yeah. Actually, I started early too, but I'm really gonna start after it's over. I've been holding back. Let's talk about what a great class this is. I want to know if we're having fun yet. Well, what do you think? Yeah, I think so. And what do you say? Thanks. She said thanks to you guys. You're welcome. Thank you. So I'm going to talk about Case 43 a little bit during this asheen, but I won't exhaust it or anything.

[43:43]

So we'll start again on Case 43 in June. It's a good one. which you will be able to see if you read it. Nice and short. And apropos, all the time. So you said enough about the class? Should we go back to the colon? Yeah. I think, how do you pronounce it? Virochaha? Yeah, that's right. Vajracchana is, like when you say it, you ask the question, but at the same time you forget it. Forget it. He didn't forget it. He didn't forget it, he said it again.

[44:45]

The monk didn't forget it. He missed the point. I think so too, he missed the point. I think I'm saying this because in a way it has to do with the relationship of language and this realm we constantly practice to be in. Or something you suggested to be to develop a living relationship with the ancestors. And I thought, in order to develop a living relationship with ancestors, I have to go beyond the deadness, the words, the language, as they are maybe printed on a piece of paper, like here. How can I go beyond? I have to forget them. So, in order to become Bhagavad Gita, I have to forget this question. And how do you forget the question?

[45:49]

Sitting in sasana. Well, yes, but what particular type of sitting in sasana? Maybe for years this question occupies my mind. Right, right, right. That's right, that's right. And who not dissolves until you forget it? It's by studying this question that you'll forget it. As a matter of fact, you know that you studied it when you forget it. Until you forget it, you haven't studied it enough. Some of you are very lucky. You've already forgotten the question, right? But we're here to say it again to you. What is Vairacana of one's own body? There it is. So this story is about forgetting, right?

[46:50]

So, and they say in the verse, birds coursing in sky, fishes being in water, rivers and lakes are forgotten. And they have this nice quote here from Zhuangzi where he says, in the spring, When the spring is dry, the fish, I would say, gather together on the land and puff at each other's face to moisten each other with their wet breath from their mouth. This does not compare to forgetting rivers and lakes. This is not compared to in rivers and lakes forgetting? That you have? Yeah.

[47:51]

Oh, I have forgetting rivers and lakes. We have it in the verse? Yeah. You have, this is not compared to rivers and lakes forgetting each other? No. Let me just read it, what it says. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I've forgotten instead of forgetting. And then in here you have... When spring is dry, fish together on land puff at each other to moisten each other with wetness from their mouths. This does not compare to forgetting each other in rivers and lakes. That's nice, too. Forgetting each other, but I have not forgetting each other, I just have forgetting rivers and lakes. It's kind of different that way. It is, but they're both good.

[48:54]

What is that about, folks? What is this about, this puffing and blowing the moisture in each other's face? What's that about? It's like you're just getting a little bit of the world that they live in. That's part of it, yeah. And what else is it about? Yeah. The bodhisattva vow is to puff wetness in people's face when they need water, right? Dharma talks. But what kind of dharma talks? Just little tiny puffy ones, right? What are these fish doing for each other? How do you characterize their relationship with each other? They're drying and they're trying to keep each other alive. What else? And what is this trying to keep each other alive business? What do you call it? Any other words for that? Compassion, yeah. What else? Nurturing, right? Attempted nurturing. Wimpy nurturing.

[49:59]

Fish CPR. Yeah, right. So they're trying to help each other, but this doesn't compare to forgetting. First of all, just forgetting the rivers and lakes. That's one way to... So one thing is, you can choose, forgetting rivers and lakes, or forgetting each other in rivers and lakes. Both of those are good, I think. Let's take the one that's in the book. Forgetting each other in rivers and lakes is incomparable to this thing about when we're running out of our medium to be puffing each other's face a little bit to keep each other going. So how would you... Let's hear about that, folks. Does that sound familiar? The body seems to be forgetting each other. Yeah. What's the other one? Self and other. Self and other, but what kind of self and other?

[51:00]

Well, it's self and other compassion, right? I mean, that's one way to read this, that this is talking about compassion, self and other compassion. It's our world. And isn't it sweet, though? I mean, isn't it sweet that they're doing their best there? They're up there drying. They have no water, but they have a little bit left in them. They have a little bit left. You know? I think that's really sweet of them to like to give up their last moisture to the other fish. To help them out. Isn't that sweet? Isn't that kind? Very kind. However, it says it doesn't compare to forgetting about each other back in the water. However, it doesn't mean that when you're up in the water and there's no water that you shouldn't do that.

[52:01]

You shouldn't do that. Really, don't you think so? I would think that if you really do forget about each other when you're in the water, and there's lots of water running through you and all around you, and you forget about the other, that that's... the source of, if you're ever thrown onto the land and there's no water, that would be the source of being so compassionate as to give your last water to another water-needer. But if you live up there all the time, you know, if you live up there all the time, it's going to be a short-lived career. and basically you're living in a situation of death. Things are not gonna work out there. But when you're in that realm, that's how you would act, probably. How are you feeling about what I'm saying? Sure. Can we get another pitcher of oxygen?

[53:04]

Yeah. Do you feel comfortable opening yours a little bit there, Dana? Your door a little bit? You're welcome. Yeah, thank you. Yeah? This is very similar, isn't it? It seems to be about suffering before you become compassionate. You have to be suffering. Well, that's true. I don't see how you get that, but let's see how you get that. Well, if you're in the water, if you have plenty of water, you don't realize the suffering as much as if you're out of it. When you're in the water and you see the others, you do suffer. But you forget them, so... If you forget them, then you don't suffer. But...

[54:06]

If you're in the water and you don't see any other fish that are running out of water, and you're not running out of water, you're just swimming around having a good time, that's fine, but you're still suffering because there's other fish. Or, if there's any other fish, you're suffering, I say. Even if everybody's got plenty of water, you're still suffering. Even if you're forgetting, you're suffering. If you forget your suffering and remember the other people, then you suffer again. And even if you've forgotten your suffering, you're just in denial. Forgetting suffering is not what we forget. It doesn't say, blah, blah, blah, and forget suffering. It says, forget self, and then there's an end to suffering. You don't forget suffering. You're supposed to remember suffering unless it's gone. You don't forget suffering. You forget the self. Or, instead of forgetting each other, which I think is a nice translation, you can also just forget the rivers and lakes, which include all the other fish.

[55:14]

But anyway, you forget the other. And that's the incomparable source. And that can get transmuted into like being in a situation where there's deprivation or scarcity and poverty and death. And I think the way those fish behave when they're on dry land is I just admire it to no end. But it comes from this place of forgetting each other in the water, or forgetting the rivers and lakes. But the way you forget them, as Bernd pointed out, is you forget the rivers and lakes by studying rivers and lakes thoroughly. You forget each other by studying each other.

[56:19]

So we should be studying each other if we want to forget each other. Are we studying each other? This is good if we are. We study each other. We don't just take each other for granted. In other words, we don't just think that what we see is what the person is. We endeavor to give more information about what might be going on. And then, if we get enough, we forget the other. And forgetting the other means forgetting the self. or study ourself, and we forget the self, and then we forget the other. Why does that relate to what my child said?

[57:21]

And then we think that By child, birds fly in the sky. They don't know the sky is their home. Uh-huh. They just go in the water to get the water to fly. Uh-huh. And you think that the fish are not conscious of water, people not conscious of air, illusion not conscious of reality, but not conscious of action. Yeah. Well... It seems as though these fish When they're in another realm and giving moisture to each other, they are conscious of where they are. When they're back in the water, then they're not conscious they're in the water, they're in kind of the samsara. Well, They seem to be in samsara when they're out of the water too.

[58:26]

Because they're very concerned about the lack of water. But they're very kindly helping each other out by spraying the water. Because, you know, what we have to do is, if you're a fish, you have to spray the water out of your mouth, see? The water's no good in your mouth for you or anybody. It's no good for you, but it can be good for somebody else. You can spray your water over onto their gills and then they can pull your water into their gills, and pull it up through their gills, and then back up through their mouth, and then they can see, so you can cycle this stuff, and if you do it fast enough, then everybody can be in this vapor storm, and keep the stuff flowing through, right? You said that, not me. That's, you weren't supposed to, that's the secret. Wasn't that the original Abhisheka, where she... Yeah, right. The original Abhisheka was the Buddha took the water and went... It's a spray thing.

[59:31]

Bring me the picture. Where were we? Miriam? Oh, Elmer. Okay, so, anyway, fish... When fish are in the water and the birds are in the sky, then generally speaking we see, we see anyway, we don't get much reports that they're aware of their environment other than themselves. Okay, which is fine. In some sense they've forgotten, you could say. And I think that's the thing about them is that they, as far as I know, have no idea that their environment is other than themselves. Therefore, they do not have a sense of self. For us to be like fish and birds would be release from self.

[60:33]

For us, air, the sky and the water, for us, that's consciousness. We take consciousness for granted, and we think of it as an object. So, delusion is not conscious of reality. Reality illuminates delusion, but delusion cannot grasp reality. But also enlightenment doesn't grasp emptiness. So enlightenment forgets the other. For forgetting the other and forgetting the self is enlightenment.

[61:41]

So if I'm just walking around, wandering around, having no idea, what the air is doing for me. Is that forgetting? Or is that just unawareness? Well, it might not be unawareness because you might have an idea of something else. Like you might have an idea of what the ground is doing for you. But if you don't have an idea about what anything's doing for you, then you're just in a coma. Well, I don't know. I'm taking a walk down the beach, and I'm taking a... If you're walking down the beach, you're aware of the beach. Unless you're reporting something that doesn't happen. If you're walking on the beach, you're aware of the beach.

[62:45]

You got an idea called beach and Elmer and walking and down the beach. So there you are with this object around you. You're walking in an objective world which you think is separate from yourself and therefore you have a self. This is a normal situation for humans. Not only that, but most people, I don't know about you, when they're walking down the beach, they think that the beach is really there. In other words, they think that their perceptions, their consciousness is reality. And that's their delusion. So the delusion is, you know, taking too seriously what they think is reality. And understanding the relativity of all this and how this all comes to be, Understanding how everything comes together to create this sense of you walking down the beach is enlightenment. But then you don't grasp that.

[63:48]

You forget that. You forget the water. You forget the air. You forget all the things that released you. You forget Vajrachanam. And this forgetting is incomparable to all the expressions of it. And there's wonderful expressions of this, like giving your blood to another being if that being needs it, giving your, giving the water from your body to another fish to help that other fish. This is a wonderful, this is like one of Adulati Teshpura's hands and eyes, listening to somebody Giving your ear organ to somebody else's sound waves. Joyfully listening to another being and studying yourself at the same time.

[64:56]

And maybe dying in the process. But then going back to this source, which has no address, no abode, which no trap or snare can reach. And then again, when the time's right, coming forth with another wonderful expression from this place. And this place doesn't get tired out, doesn't die, but things all things that are born come up out of this possibility, this space of infinite possibility. And then as soon as they take form, they can't last, so they die. So all the manifestations of this source of compassion are born and die. But the compassion itself has no address. It's totally forgotten. Nobody knows anything about it. Nobody can find it. This is called the zazen mind.

[66:00]

It's not concentration. It has no characteristics. It has no wishes. And yet, when beings come to it, it always responds in what is sometimes, what is always the appropriate response, the compassionate response. Sometimes it looks really neat, like, you know, giving your blood or puffing out your moisture to another fish, sometimes it looks really sweet and nice like that and spectacular. Sometimes it looks like, you know, a punch in the nose. Or a wisecrack. Or, you know, raising and stretching your arms. And in fact, from the Buddha's point of view, this is what everybody's doing all the time. And if that's the case, then please, forget it.

[67:07]

Yeah. And that being who's acting through us all the time this way has gone. So it says, you know, usually the personal Vairocana, complete pure awareness, manifests form in the human realm. As soon as it is questioned, suddenly shadows appear. So it appears, you know, like that story, Case 37, you know, where he says, he says, you know, to the boy, he says, hey you, and the boy turns, you know. That's the part where Shauna taking human form. You say to the boy, what's Buddha?

[68:08]

And the shadow comes over his mind and he stumbles off into the closet. So, you know, the question is, the sutra says that the fundamental affliction of ignorance, which we all have plenty of, itself the basic equipment by which we imagine ourselves as separate, that itself is the immutable knowledge of all Buddhas. The immutable knowledge of all Buddhas is indistinguishable. There's no way to tell the difference between that and this affliction, this process of our mind. Vajracanatha. the immutable knowledge of the Buddha is vairacana, the great pure awareness takes form through humans, through us as we are, constantly, never missing a beat.

[69:13]

That's where vairacana, vairacana does not come through just some people. That's not how vairacana is, kind of like, okay, I'm coming through the women, forget the men. I'm coming through the 40-year-olds this week. No. Vajracana comes through all beings. Comes into all bodies of all living beings. When you hesitate or question it or try to get a hold of it, a shadow comes over it. So, take a boy. Take a girl. Take a boy. Hey, you. There it is. Vajracana. Vajracana. What's Buddha? There it is. The affliction of ignorance. Hey, what is it? What's Buddha? Tries to get in a trap. Tries to get a hold of it.

[70:14]

It gets dark. He gets confused. He's lost. When he turns his head, he doesn't know he's on or off. Doesn't think, well, that was good. Do you see me do that? Do you see me do that? You called me, I just turned my head, that was it. Do you see it? No. As soon as it sets out, it's dark again, in the shadow. But there's only shadow because Vajrachana is the great sun. Try to trap it, it gets dark. All beings are the darkness of Vajrachana. But Vajrachana has no function other than coming into dark beings. Study Study these beings. So, you forget the blessings you have received. Try to get a hold of the blessing you were constantly receiving. You get shadows and you forget it. Okay? Confess that you've forgotten it. Confess that you've forgotten the blessings you've received.

[71:17]

What does it say? Case 56. Okay? After generations, after innumerable generations of nobility, you've temporarily fallen into poverty. You've forgotten the great wealth of compassion and wisdom that's been given to you. You turn away from your parents and go to strangers. Ultimately, if you can get rid of your spiritual seat, or the spiritual seat, only then can you be a child of Buddha's work But tell me, what is Buddha's work? When brought up, there's nothing that's not it. Don't doubt its use. Now, I wouldn't say don't doubt its use, but they used to talk like that in the Song Dynasty. The Buddha's work is coming through us.

[72:27]

If it isn't, it's not Buddha's work. It's not that we're so special, it's just that that's the kind of thing Buddha's work is. Buddha's work is what's coming through us. Actually. And what's coming through us has something to do with us. It's kind of like how we are. It's not like a little bit different from what we are, or even a little bit like what we are. It's just the fact that we're this way. It's not us. we're not Buddha's work, but the fact that we're the way we are is Buddha's work. It almost sounds like we're Buddha's work, moment by moment. If you remember that, it turns into a shadow. If you forget it, we're back, we're Buddha's work again. And if you remember it, then, Sometimes, if you remember it, what you remember, it's like you're up on the beach, you're up on land, and you run out of water and air.

[73:33]

Do you understand? Whatever you can get a hold of there is a limited thing. It's going to get taken away from you. It's going to get taken away right where you remember it. The Lord of Death will come and take it away from you. But if it's just the way you are, you can't use it, Nobody can steal it. It's totally useless. And you don't need to doubt it. Did you forget it? Huh? It's good if you did. I mean, it was good while it was there, but it's better when it's forgotten. Everybody forgotten everything now? For your sake. For my sake? Oh, looks like Miriam remembered something.

[74:34]

It seems like the wooden duck fits in here somewhere. The what? The wooden duck. The wooden duck fits right in, exactly. That's right. Not using the wooden duck is the same as forgetting each other. We can't remember... what we learned about Zen. We're totally, like, we're, hopefully, after studying these cases now, we've survived all this study and we're like, we're like people who never even heard about Zen before. And at the same time, you shake us up a little bit and suddenly lots of koans come flooding through our minds. But, we also can, like, forget all about Zen and not know anything about it, really. And not even, kind of, not even be able to remember anything about, that there even is this thing called Zen or Buddhism. Bhāvacchāna does not remember anything about this stuff.

[75:36]

And yet, you bring up a case, Bhāvacchāna's right there with you. Oh, this is a good one. Yummy. The koans are starting to sound the same. The koans are basically all the same, and they're also each slightly different. They're each coming at the same thing from a very definitely, precisely different angle. They're all precisely, exactly different about the same thing, just like us. We are exactly, not vaguely, not approximately, not kind of like blending into each other, we are exactly, you know, indestructibly different. We are indestructible differences about one thing.

[76:37]

And the whole universe is holding up our difference. We are indestructible, we are diamonds. Super diamonds. And diamonds come from, you know, flesh and blood, don't they? Isn't that something? Don't they? Don't diamonds come from flesh and blood? Yes. Isn't that something? They do? Yeah. They come from living tissue. I thought Superman squeezed a piece of coal. Well, that's about his... Yeah, but coal is from living tissue. Oh. Oh. Yes. Coal is from living beings. Living beings, not just organic compounds. Living beings. Living beings under pressure.

[77:41]

That's us. We're under pressure. The whole universe is pressing on us. The whole universe is pressing on us to be who we are. That's our job. That's our job. That's your job. And if you let the whole universe press on you enough and you completely don't stop wiggling away from doing your job of being yourself, you forget yourself. And when you forget yourself, you become a diamond. And you forget that too. But it's hard to accept the pressure of the whole universe asking us to be us. It's hard. Isn't that hard? And we have so many, like Dana was talking about, there's so many alternatives to this work. Whole society is saying, hey, you don't have to do this. There's other stuff you can do. You don't have to settle down on being this person. It is the hardest thing for each of us is to be ourselves. Being Buddha is what happens when you do your work of being yourself.

[78:47]

I gave this workshop, and some other people came and gave the workshop with me. It was on fear and fearlessness, and I had all these scary things to do to scare the people in the workshop. Were you there, Linda? That's me. Huh? Last year. You were there? Yeah, she was there. Yeah, I was scared. She was scared. And I was going to scare the people by very scary exercises. I was going to have them hang by their toes from the top of Mount Sumera. I was going to have them... Well, I won't tell you what... I'm going to save these surprises, but... The one I will tell you, which is the one that turns out to be the scariest was, and I just, we discovered, the thing that was scariest to people was, do you remember, Linda? Was it jumping in the ocean? No, that was one of the less scary things. That's one of the things which, I did that, it's not as scary as the scariest one. What's the scariest one? Was to be yourself. We just, that was what they were really scared of. And they just, people said, no, I can't do that, you know. And they had all this like, fantasies of what would happen if they were themselves like some people thought they would take over the universe take over the take over the workshop you know other people thought they would be killed by the workshops but that's the thing we're most afraid of is to be ourselves isn't that it like you can be you can be this wild thing over here that's not you right like you can be a you know whatever that is and we have people doing that in this in this part of the country right they try all these things

[80:17]

But to be yourself is most dangerous, most dangerous, really it is. It's most dangerous. That's our job. Because when you're yourself, you take up an address, a very specific address, and they can find you, but it's right at that address that you find the mind of no address, which they can't find. They, the forces of death, cannot find. the eternal life, infinite life, right at the same place as where you're most vulnerable, most can be found, and most difficult. So shall we go, then? Thank you very much for continuing And we're right on schedule. We'll finish this class in 2002. So take care of your health.

[81:21]

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