something is coming to my mind to mention to you. And there's three different ways which it could be said. One is that I've heard that Buddhas are born of great compassion. And there's no seeking in their practice. Another way to say it is, just flat out, Buddhas are born of great compassion and there's no seeking in their practice. Another way to say it is, my Buddha, the Buddha that I'm a disciple of, is born of great compassion and there's no seeking.

[01:05]

in her practice. So if I say something, in some sense I'm saying, I've heard this. I might sometimes say it like it's a fact. But another way is I'm saying, this is what Buddha is for me. So like I say, Buddhas are always sitting still. Now I've heard that.

[02:09]

I've read it. Okay? So I can say I've heard that Buddhas are always sitting still without moving. And yet they can respond to the needs of beings. And yet even though they're sitting still all the time they can teach beings appropriately. So I read that, but I can also just say it, maybe. But also, for me, that's the kind of Buddha that I'm a disciple of. The kind of Buddha that never moves, that's always sitting. And yet responds appropriately to beings. So please understand, I don't say it three ways each time, but there's three possible ways.

[03:17]

Of course, there's a fourth way, which I don't usually mention, and that is Buddhists say stuff like that. Buddhists say, I heard that Buddhists are always sitting still, and yet, even though they don't move, they can respond appropriately to beings. Buddhists say that. Some Buddhists say that. Some Buddhists say, this is my kind of Buddha, born of compassion, no seeking, no moving, and responding appropriately to all beings. Some Buddhists talk like that. And some people who aren't even Buddhists, like me, talk like that. So I'm Buddha's disciple. I want to be Buddha's disciple, but I don't know if I'm a Buddhist. I actually don't like to say Buddha, but I can't help it because I'm Buddha's disciple.

[04:23]

And it's so important to me. So anyway, you know Shakyamuni Buddha. You know that name, right? So again, I've heard that Shakyamuni Buddha walked around But I also feel like Shakyamuni Buddha was always sitting in meditation. So his walking on the earth was a skillful thing, but really he was always sitting. I feel that way. Really he never moved. and was not seeking anything. That's how I feel. That's how I understand. Just like that story I told you about when the mass murderer was chasing him, running fast after the Shakyamuni Buddha, he said he couldn't catch him, even though Shakyamuni Buddha was walking at a normal speed,

[05:39]

monk's pace. He said, hey ascetic, why can't I catch you? And Shakyamuni Buddha said, because I've stopped. I've stopped seeking anything, therefore no one can catch me. But everyone can be my disciple. This version of the story is not the way it appears in the scriptures. Bodhidharma, after visiting the emperor, went and sat at a temple called Little Forest and faced the wall for nine years.

[06:49]

Did he go to the toilet occasionally? Did he go someplace else to get food? Or was he hooked up to various kinds of tubes so he didn't have to move? intravenous feeding and intraurethra and so on. I don't know. Did he move? I don't think he moved. But someone probably saw him go to the toilet. I suppose. But I don't think Bodhidharma moved. And Master Ma, great Master Ma, Baso, it says in the text, I read, it says Master Ma was always sitting in meditation.

[08:09]

So taking that literally means, to me, means, taking it literally means the way of practice. The way of practice is always sitting in meditation. And always sitting in meditation means sitting still and not seeking anything. Bodhisattvas, great bodhisattvas, virtual Buddhas, sit like Buddhas.

[09:25]

They sit still and while they're sitting they hope that everybody else will sit upright like them. They sit upright really hoping everyone will be able to sit upright, unmoving. But this is not seeking anything. This is love without any expectation. I will sit and I will never stop sitting. And as long as I'm sitting, I will wish that all beings are able to sit with the same loving stillness as me, and no matter how long it takes, I won't stop sitting with this vow. I have no expectation of beings even though I wish them the best.

[10:30]

I won't move from this wish. No matter how much beings postpone their practice, I will keep wishing them to be able to practice. I have no expectation of when they will really start practicing. Bodhisattvas have this kind of vow when they sit. Buddhas have this kind of vow when they sit. And they never move from it. Therefore, they never get burned out or discouraged by the rate at which people learn. Their practice is unfabricated, but it's not without speech.

[11:33]

They can talk. So Master Ma, always sitting in meditation, took a walk with his disciple and his attendant, same person, named Baijong. Actually, his name wasn't Baijong yet. He was called Waihai, which means ocean of wisdom. Same as Dalai Lama, Dalai. Lama. Ocean of Wisdom was the attendant to Master Ma. And so they were walking along one time and some wild birds, geese or ducks, flew over and went And Master Ma said to Ocean of Wisdom, what was that sound?

[12:49]

Some translations say, what was that? Other translations say, what sound was that? And Ocean of, the attendant, Ocean of Wisdom said, it was the sound of wild geese Master Ma said, where's the sound gone? And Ocean of Wisdom said, the sound's gone away. And Master Ma unmovingly took a hold of Ocean of Wisdom's nose and twisted it pretty hard. And Ocean of Wisdom cried out in pain.

[13:54]

Master Ma said, where have they gone now? Where has the sound gone now? And Ocean of Wisdom had some wisdom. Master Ma was always sitting in meditation, and his sitting was born of compassion and had no seeking in its practice. Yet when his wonderful disciple talked a certain way, he reached out and twisted the nose

[14:58]

You know, the Buddha is sitting still with no seeking and yet when the attendants talk a certain way, the hands come up and reach out and start doing things to the attendant. They start twisting noses and shaking hands and saluting. and waving and clapping. Okay? The hands do things like that from this unmoving place without trying to seek anything. They're just in response. It's not trying to get something and yet the hands cannot be stopped from responding. Outside, you know, outside, whatever comes up, quiet the mind around it.

[16:45]

You see a face. You see a mountain. Don't get excited about it. Just stay quiet around this lovely face. You hear a sound, just be quiet. Quiet around that. Where have they gone? Quiet around that. Pain, pain, quiet around that. Insight. All kinds of things going on inside. Fear, anxiety.

[17:50]

Opinions, judgments. No coughing or sighing about whatever is happening. No coughing or sighing, no gasping, no shock. Just unmoving with the apparent rising and falling of internal and external phenomena. This is always sitting. This is practicing with the appearance and disappearance of the world, always sitting in meditation. Again, understand, this is what I've heard

[18:56]

This is my Buddha. And from the seat, this is so. This is really so. Ocean of Wisdom has a disciple. His disciple is, what's his name, Wang Bo. Wang Bo says, you know, the sentient beings are my disciples. They just have perceptive faculties. They got brains which produce computations and process information and create the illusion of a perception.

[20:17]

And they get around the monastery pretty well. This is all they've got. And I don't say to get rid of those perceptions But understand that the Buddha mind is not, does not dwell in those perceptions, does not grasp those perceptions, does not reject those perceptions, is not the same or different from those perceptions. is not separate from them and does not dwell on them. What is really so is not separate from your perceptions and is not the same as your perceptions.

[21:32]

or I should say, does not dwell in your perceptions. How can you realize what is really so? Have no gaining around your perception. Have no activation around the perceptions outside and inside. Don't get excited about them. then you can understand that your perceptions are identical with the truth. Just like the sound of the birds is hiding something which doesn't come or go away.

[22:43]

The sound of the bird seems to come and go, but really the sound is covering what doesn't come and go. How can you relate to your perceptions of sounds which come and go in such a way that you understand what doesn't come and go? Always sit in meditation, unmoving, without any seeking. After Master Ma twisted Ocean of Wisdom's nose and he cried out in pain, and Master Ma said, where have they gone now?

[25:39]

Ocean of Wisdom, Bajang Waihai, went back to the attendant's cabin. and practiced what we call crying. He sat and cried. And a fellow monk came up and said, what's the matter? He said, Master Ma twisted my nose and it hurts. And the other monk said, what did he twist your nose for? He said, you go ask the master. So he did.

[26:42]

And he said, master, why did you twist the attendant's nose? And he said, he understands nothing. So the monk went back to the attendant Ocean of Wisdom and said, the master says you understand. And Ocean of Wisdom laughed. And the attendant said, just a minute ago you were crying and now you're laughing. And Ocean of Wisdom said, just a minute ago, I was crying and now I'm laughing. Can't hear you. What are you holding back for?

[27:44]

So the next day, when Master Ma went up to the hall, and ascended the seat, the attendant rolled up the buying mat, which meant the talk's over. Before he got a chance to give his talk, the attendant rolled up the buying mat. So he had to get down and go back to his cabin. And when he got back to the cabin, he said to the attendant, ocean of wisdom, what was that about? May I have our intention equally...

[28:57]

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