a way, a practice that directly indicates the ultimate, which can be said to express the The Buddha mind seal in every action of body, speech, or thought. Every action comes with the mind. some intention, and so the intention, whatever the intention is, also thinks of the non-duality

[01:24]

duality of sentient beings and non-duality of delusion and enlightenment. When sitting, for example, the action of sitting that can express the Buddhist zeal. If the sitting is done, if the sitting happens in the awareness, in the midst of the awareness, You and all unenlightened beings are non-dual.

[02:50]

You and all Buddhas are non-dual. This is one way to talk about the self-fulfilling awareness. Sitting in the midst of that awareness, as we act, as our activity arises, is to express the Buddha mind-sail in each action. When eating, holding a bowl in your hand and putting a spoon into the food and lifting it to your mouth, you are aware that this person eating is non-dual with the Buddhist.

[04:09]

Whatever agendas or intentions this person has while eating in the present are non-dual with the Buddhas. Even if, I might say, or take away the even, if the person wishes to get as much food as possible, before seconds come. That person who has that concern about getting a certain amount to eat, or that person who has a concern to get another bite soon, is non-dual with the Buddhas.

[05:21]

Eating in that way expresses the Buddha mind seal in the activity of eating, walking from your cabin to the zendo every step as you take a step The person may be trying to get something out of this step, or may not.

[06:33]

But no matter what this person is, no matter how they're manifesting, no matter how their mind is forming, and no matter what actions are motivated with that mind, If we also are aware that this person is not separate from, but is non-dual with the Buddhas, we are practicing in the midst of self-fulfilling samadhi. And that step expresses the Buddha mind seal. Through that step, the Buddha mind seal is manifested in that step. This would mean, positively put, positively it would mean that there would be not the slightest disparaging of this step or this eating.

[07:46]

Even though this step and this eating might be clearly defined, accurately defined as delusion, the person might be acting with a sense of separation from others, from the zendo, from the food. Even though the activity may be delusion, we are practicing in the midst of this delusion with the self-fulfilling awareness. And even this deluded activity The person may be trying to get something, but the simultaneous concentration on non-duality is not trying to get anything.

[08:56]

So they can be not seeking anything simultaneously with being a person who's seeking. Meeting whatever is happening with completely the same as trying to relax. But if you're trying to relax, you can meet that trying to relax, trying to get relaxation. You can meet the seeking relaxation with complete relaxation. Because the person seeking relaxation is non-dual with those who are not seeking anything and who meet everything with complete relaxation. Put negatively, if I see the slightest disparaging

[10:07]

So if there's delusion and disparaging delusion, that's basically the same stuff. And the delusion and disparaging of it, or dismissing of it, are non-dual, with non-disparaging of anything. So the practice is not .. What do you say? We say traps and snares can never reach it. It's not within the province of delusion or enlightenment. But although traps and snares can never reach it, when you grasp its heart, which you cannot get a hold of, you're like a dragon entering the water, or a tiger returning to the mountains.

[11:39]

It's not within the problems of delusion or enlightenment, and yet, It's not within reach of feeling or discrimination. How could it admit of consideration and thought? But the wooden man starts to sing, and the stone woman gets up to dance. What's being recommended here is the manifestation of ultimate reality, which completely includes every action of all of us, of each of us, of all of us, but without practice.

[13:09]

Without practice, it's not manifested. And without being manifested, it's not experienced. And then we can't hear the stone, the wood, the stone and the wood singing and dancing. hear it, then you can hear it, and that's fine. If you can hear the storm woman dancing and see the wooden man singing without practicing a way that directly indicates the ultimate, that's fine.

[14:17]

But you will be practicing that way just one moment. So each of us will be up to something. You're trying to concentrate. You're trying to relax. Whatever you're doing, be mindful that this is an opportunity to express the Buddha mind-steal.

[15:28]

with Buddhist activity. Again, even if this activity is not so skillful, somewhat petty and selfish, still. that was expressed simultaneously with this polluted activity. You may notice, along with this, that the activity becomes influenced by this awareness. You may notice that you're eating

[16:43]

you may notice that you're eating kind of in a hurry. You may notice that you're walking kind of in a hurry to get something. And then if you're also aware of this nonduality, you may notice that you slow down. Or you may notice that you speed up. But you may notice that this awareness surrounding your activity brings some illumination to it, changes it. But again, you're not trying to change it. You're trying to be aware of non-duality while being involved in dualistic activity. You're not trying to dualistically modify duality

[17:48]

even while you're dualistically trying to modify duality. There's plenty of that, and that can go on. So you can practice in the realm of dualistic, diluted duality with the awareness of non-duality, so non-linear. And notice the transformation. But you don't have to notice the transformation. It will happen. The wooden man will begin to sing when he's ready. We can be professional trappers.

[20:12]

We can be trying to trap something, like out in the forest and trying to catch an animal. Right while you're trying to trap something, be aware of a way that nothing can trap. You may continue with your trapping activity, but now your trapping activity demonstrates a way that cannot be trapped. And in this way, the dragon enters the water.

[21:18]

and realizes the world. And I said that trapping activity in the midst of the awareness which nothing can trap. There is a transformation, but also it's not just as a transformation. And without being able to trap anything in this practice, without this practice being able to be trapped, it definitely should be tested or verified.

[22:56]

the entire phenomenal world is transformed by this practice. The entire phenomenal world becomes the Buddhist Sita. And then one is invited to test and be tested about this realization. or dismissing of any form. a Dharma gate of repose and bliss that nothing can trap, and yet its heart can be grasped, or its heart can grasp you.

[25:24]

It's hard to grasp this. But it seems to me that we don't have to test whether it's have grasped us until we feel that we've grasped the heart, and the heart has grasped us. After you feel and open to this samadhi, then test it. But before you open to it, there's not much point in testing it. In other words, you don't have to test whether the entire phenomenal world has become the Buddhist seal until you feel that the entire phenomenal world has become the Buddhist seal, and that you are a person whose actions

[27:04]

So it's not necessary to test. Again, you don't need to test to see if the entire phenomenal world has become the Buddhist seal. When your actions express the Buddhist seal, until your actions express the Buddhist seal, until you're there for that. But when you're there for that, then Any feedback to this awareness, to the practice of this awareness? Could you say more about what it means to be disparaging or to see disparagement?

[28:40]

Like if you saw somebody who was practicing zazen to get something, to become more intelligent or have a better memory or be more calm. like a deluded activity. And then would you think that that was at all lesser than the Buddha's activity of embracing all being without trying to get anything? Would you think that that was somewhat petty? And then if you were to think that that was lesser, if you were thinking in those dualistic terms? and putting this other samadhi up higher.

[29:45]

Yes? And that would be disparaging? ROBERT KAPLAN- Disparaging or something dismissive. So as a teacher, if you see a student who you think is trapped, when you point out some way in which you see them being trapped, is that disparaging? Is there some way that that can happen? Is there some way that you can point out to someone that they're being dualistic without thinking of them in a dismissive or disparaging way? Yes, there is. that would show that the practice was really working. Because if you're meditating on non-duality and it's really sinking in, then you really wouldn't disparage people who are not practicing non-duality.

[30:51]

You would be able to care for, without looking down upon, beings who are practicing dualistically, as though you were caring for Buddha. But it doesn't mean you might not do that very much. You might not point that out to them very much. They might actually come and tell you about it. But then when they tell you about it, then can you listen? from a higher position? Or can you reflect from a higher position without the least bit of disparaging?

[31:58]

And just do that with an understanding that that sometimes is helpful to have different Welcome. What sort of effort, how does one make effort to achieve self-fulfilling samadhi?

[33:13]

You spoke of it as wholehearted effort. What is wholehearted effort? I was thinking of a If you actually are wholehearted in your effort, you are open to the non-duality of your effort and Buddha's effort. If you're open to the non-duality of your effort and Buddha's effort, you will become wholehearted. So wholehearted is a way of practicing the samadhi without mentioning being aware of non-duality. So if I was doing some dualistic activity and I really did it wholeheartedly, that wholeheartedness would open the door to see that my dualistic activity was non-dual with all other beings.

[34:15]

And I'm also suggesting another way at it, which is, beings. As I meditate on that, my apparently dualistic activity becomes more and more wholehearted. Does wholehearted mean without thoughts? Yeah. Well, it doesn't exactly mean without thoughts. It just means that it can't be reached by thoughts or feelings. A feeling, the wholeheartedness of a feeling, cannot be reached by a feeling. The wholeheartedness of thought and activity cannot be reached by feelings and discriminations. Does any kind of effort that we're making lead us in the direction of wholeheartedness?

[35:24]

Any effort we're making is an opportunity to practice wholeheartedness. But the activities don't necessarily lead us. They don't necessarily indicate this path for us. To a Buddha, the Buddha could say, oh, look, he's leading himself right down the path. Someone else could maybe see that your activity is leading you. But you may not be able to. So you may need additional instruction besides the instruction of go to the zendo. and walk carefully. That instruction you might be practicing. But you may need an additional instruction. Do it wholeheartedly. Be wholehearted about that. Or as you walk, be aware that your walking is non-dual with Buddha's walking.

[36:30]

All Buddhas are walking with you. And not only are they with you, but they're not separate from you. They have no life apart from you. every step you take. And with that awareness joined to your walking awareness, your walking awareness expresses the Buddha mind-sign. And you become one more wholehearted. But you could also just say, do everything wholeheartedly. And if you exhaust your wholeheartedness, you would open to the realization that Your activity and Buddha's activity are not two. Exhaust my wholeheartedness. Work until you're completely wholehearted about what you're doing. So there's no room anymore for separation. There's no energy left to put yourself above or below anybody.

[37:35]

And that does happen with people sometimes without any instruction. The causes and conditions come together, and they wholeheartedly do something. It sometimes happens to women when they're having babies. They're half-hearted about it. And then they get to a place where they just get so wholehearted, there's no room for anything. But it usually takes a lot of pressure to get to that point. It brings up letting go.

[38:40]

It seems you have to, that there's some wholehearted effort also requires some letting go, which is exhausting. Something is exhausted, and then you let go. Let me see if I can formulate it in a question.

[40:40]

The first thing that comes is... Can you hear her, Jeff? Can you hear her? Can you hear her, Ken? It seems that the first thing that wants to come is a confession that I feel separation. Confessing you feel separation? Yes. And I feel separation from people I've I've been in conflict, and that hurts very much. And what I want to understand, there is this feeling like that it's not really reachable, but I really would like to kind of understand.

[41:59]

There was time when... before conflict and in conflict, I had a sense of what you're describing, that there is Buddha activity is happening. And mostly how I would describe it for me was in faith that we're Buddha. So although I was seeing unskillful activity over there and over here, and I was experiencing the effects of it, I still was kind of in this space of in faith and openness. And my actions seems to have come from that place. And I was completely at ease in this vulnerability.

[43:05]

including the contraction when there's pain and the openings and all of that seemed to kind of be held in this bigger space. And then it was too much. Too much pain. Too much mildly set, unskillful, divided action. and the effects of it too much for this person that's happening over here. And so now there is this wound that heals very slowly. And The bigger awareness is there, and it kind of gives me strength, or I can't even say me, just gives strength to keep going and to just, I don't know, something to be expressed through me, to just lend myself to life.

[44:27]

I don't understand how to take care of this wound better. In addition to it, the pain of the separation I feel from the people that hurt me. I don't know how to take care of that. from someone? It would be to meet that pain openly.

[45:29]

Meet the pain openly and be aware that this person who's maybe not able to meet the pain openly, however she's meeting it, that this person is non-dual with the Buddhist. Yes. And in that condition, because it's so tight, it's kind of a contracted state. This person who's feeling contracted is non-dual with the Buddhist. And this person who's contracted is inconceivably assisting all beings. And all beings are inconceivably assisting this person who's feeling contracted.

[46:37]

If I can't do that practice because I'm in so much pain, then I can't do that practice. Maybe I can do another practice of being patient with my pain and being patient with my inability to do the practice. And if I'm in so much pain I can't even practice patience, then I'll practice patience with that. And that would be my suggestion to myself. And then if I couldn't do that, I might practice generosity with myself not being able to be patient with my inability to do the practice, and so on, until finally I can start to accept what's happening with me. So it's basically, this person is like this, and she can't see.

[48:21]

She can't see that she's one with everything. But she also can't do this either. Even though she can't see that she's one with everything, she can hear the teaching about meditating on being non-dual. Even though you can't see it, even aware of that teaching, of that dharma teaching, while you can't see it, that you are doing the practice at that time. At least that's the level at which you can start practicing the self-fulfilling samadhi. Say it again. If you're actually aware right now, if I'm actually aware right now that this person talking to you and with all the Buddhas, that's my current effort to practice this self-fulfilling samadhi.

[49:30]

And if I wasn't talking to you, but I was just looking at the floor or the wall, this person here sitting upright, looking at the floor, looking at the wall, is not dual with the other people here in the room, nor with all the Buddhas. of the ancestor samadhi, of the self-fulfilling samadhi. It can go deeper, infinitely from there, but that's a start. But sometimes in so much pain, I can't even remember my relationship with the other people, other than that they're separate from me and not helping me or something. But I don't notice, oh, I'm aware of my relationship. I'm in so much pain, so much self-concern. I might even think that they're contributing to my pain, something like that. I can't remember the teaching that they're non-dual with me and that we're in this imperceptible mutual assistance.

[50:37]

I can't remember that teaching. So then maybe I have to just work with my, I have to be patient with my pain and get grounded again and be generous with myself in my present position. to the dominative, reposing bliss, start opening to it. And then, again, if you are successful, then test it. You can test it in some of the ways that we've been talking about, like if you think you're stated Yes, but when I'm there, I make it, I package it. Yeah, if you get there and you think it's better than this, but you haven't realized nonduality. I guess maybe to some degree you just answered.

[52:13]

Could you come closer, please? I think to some degree you answered my question. But I'm going to ask it again. What I notice is that most of the time I feel separation from even the other people here. And sometimes I don't. But most of the time, I do. And so I would really like to feel, to experience this feeling of non-separation. The non-separation is not within the province this non, this thing, that you can realize it.

[53:19]

Yeah, I think I didn't choose my words so carefully. Yeah. And so my question is, how? Well, you start with the person you are. It's the person you are that's non-dual with the Buddhas, not the person you'd like to be. That person doesn't exist right now. We have a person who would like to be some way and also is feeling certain way. So the person who's feeling separate is not separate from those who do not find any separation anymore. So you're not separate from other people who feel separate. And you're not dual with the Buddhas verified that that's an unfindable thing. But you get to be you in this meditation.

[54:22]

As a matter of fact, it's required that you be you, which is the hard part. So part of Sashin is like, day by day, being more and more willing to be who we are, and less and less wiggling away from who we are. Because it's who we are without any negotiation around that. It's that person that's wholehearted. It's that person who is non-jewel with the Buddhists. So the intensity and difficulty of being you is part of the job. So you're working there. And then you can also meditate on how you, the way you really are, the way you really feel you are, who feels dualistically, that person is non-dual with the Buddhas.

[55:36]

And you are in this imperceptible mutual assistance with all beings right now, this person. Bring that awareness together with your awareness that you feel separate. Yeah, but I guess the point of my question is that I'm not in touch with that awareness. With what awareness? The awareness of being one with the person sitting next to me, or one with the person sitting next to me. Right. But you are in touch with the teaching. Yes. So if you listen to the teaching and apply that teaching, to your situation. And notice how that is when you apply the teaching. What do you mean, apply the teaching? Well, just like you're feeling separate from somebody and you're simultaneously saying, I'm non-dual with this person. This person is actually

[56:39]

Even though I don't feel it in this moment. Even though I don't feel it. I feel like this person is not me. This person is separate from me. This person is only partially supportive of me. And they would agree with that, too, that they're partially supportive of me. At least we're separable. We're two different things. We're two different things, but we're not separable. We co-create each other. I tell myself that. I meditate on that while I feel separation and want to be farther from the person or closer to the person. and pain, and discomfort, and fear.

[57:49]

But I also heard this teaching. Well, I wanted to parenthetically mention that someone said in a tea the other day that not confronting people doesn't necessarily mean you're a coward.

[58:52]

I agree. Sometimes you may not wish to confront someone, but you're not afraid of them. You just don't want to confront them. You don't think it would be a good thing, perhaps. But you're not afraid of them. And you're not passing on the opportunity of confrontation out of fear. And you're not a coward about it. And sometimes, however, you are afraid of someone. And you're possessed by your fear and out of cowardice. and be pushed by your fear into doing a cowardly confrontation. It is also possible to see someone and think the confrontation would be really beneficial and be afraid.

[59:58]

But because you think it would be good to confront them, you go ahead and confront them. But you're not a coward, or you're not cowardly. Because even though you're afraid, you still confront them because you think it would be beneficial. In other cases, you think confronting them would be beneficial. Please stop that. I request that you stop doing what you're doing right now. And you're not afraid. And you think it would be helpful to say that. Another case, again, people are doing something harmful. You think there's some danger that if you confront them, you'll be hurt. And you're afraid of that danger.

[61:05]

But you still go ahead and you say, I want you to stop that. And in the previous case where you weren't afraid, it would be good also to see the danger that if you confront them, you may get in trouble. You may get hurt. But to see the danger without being afraid of the danger. In a way, I think that's best. But again, I don't want to dismiss the other varieties at all. I just delineate those varieties, seeing confrontation as beneficial Being afraid and passing on it. Seeing non-confrontation as beneficial, but being afraid that non-confrontation will hurt you. And out of fear, confronting. Various varieties of this story, which I just wanted to bring up. We've got Jane walking up here. Yes, Jane? I want to know if you have anything you might say about how this teaching could help my friends, Pitt and David, who lost their beautiful 16-year-old daughter recently.

[62:34]

What might be said that would be of help to them? that their child is not separate from the Buddhas, and that they are not separate from the Buddhas. Would that be helpful? It might be. Yeah, it might be. But no matter what, with them or their child, we're never separate from anybody, including the greatly wise and compassionate ones. We're never separate. And Especially, again, if you try that meditation out on yourself, because you care for this child, too. How does it work for you? And if it works for you, because for you to deal with your sense of separation from the parents and the child, if it works for you, maybe it could work for them, even though maybe they're in more pain than you are.

[63:51]

But it might. if you can be wholehearted about this. I like the idea of the phrase that I'm supported by all beings. And at the same time, I feel that that actually is a separation, that if I'm saying the beings out there and I'm here.

[65:03]

So is this just a? They are out there. People are. I am out here. But I'm not out here on my own. I'm out here by your support. And the out here-ness also is by your support, but also is in the other way too, right? So it's not just the figure of speech that we're using because we cannot express it differently. I don't understand what you mean by not just a figure of speech. That we are supported. I feel that we're supported is not just a figure of speech. Whereas we're separated is also a figure of speech. And that we're separated is also supported by reality.

[66:05]

But it's not in accord with reality, even though reality is out of accord with reality. But we're supported to be beings who imagine that we're separate. All beings make us that way. So then the other side is that if I look at the boat, it's separate from the shore. No. No, not at first. Well, at first, you're not looking at the boat. When you look at the boat more and more, you will realize when you first look at the boat, you won't necessarily immediately notice it's separate. But you might. But you might, first of all, just start noticing things If you study that. I cannot see a movement if I'm just looking at the boat. I have to look at it in connection with everything else.

[67:09]

Exactly. That might be it. Is that it? Okay? Please smile.

[67:33]

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