last night the Sashin admonitions were read and part of the admonitions say that this Sashin and again Sashin means to gather or and sustain mind and be embraced and sustained by mind. That's a way you could translate Sesshin into English. Sesshin is a time or an opportunity to discover anew, rediscover and clarify and actualize or realize our ultimate concern.

[01:06]

Every day is a good day to actually rediscover and clarify and realize it. People often tell me that they're practicing still but they're kind of going through the motions and don't feel much energy. And at that time I usually remind them or tell them about the fourth of the six basic bodhisattva practices. The fourth one is sometimes called energy or enthusiasm. or vigor, sometimes comfort.

[02:21]

And part of that practice is to... I mean, the source of our energy for practice is our... is what's most important to our concern, our deepest or highest aspiration. That's the source of the energy for practice. And when we practice, like to do an intensive or a sashin or any early in the morning and go sit upright, it operates on physical and spiritual energy. And the spiritual energy for most of us needs to be replenished re-created, refreshed. It gets used up and then we need to replenish it to continue the practice with enthusiasm to be full of our aspiration.

[03:36]

I do, on a regular basis, ask myself, what is most important in life? And then sometimes I find it again, and I think about it, and as I think about it, I usually feel better and better about it, and energy comes up. Practice. And someone also told me, actually the same person who told me that they weren't feeling much energy, told me that still while during this intensive they did settle down. their body and mind did settle down, and they did receive a revelation of what's most important to them. And they were very encouraged to receive a revelation of what they wanted their life to be, how they wanted to be, what they wanted to be, who they wanted to be.

[04:54]

And the way they put it, but it was very encouraging to them. But then they got tired after that. So I encouraged them to remember that and think about it and receive the energy of it by contemplating it. It's there. Contemplate it. And by contemplating it, we feel lifted by the great aspiration. But again, most of us need to do it over and over. And it's a practice. It's a practice which renews our energy. I encourage us to do that on a regular basis during the session. For example, I just thought someone might aspire to embrace and sustain the mind, or be embraced and sustained by the mind. during the session.

[05:59]

That might be, and some people might think, I really feel encouraged by that aspiration, energized. And another part of energy is to rest. There's a rhythm in the practice. So rest is not a break in the practice. A break, rest can be part of the rhythm of it. You make effort, you rest. you do something long enough, you give it a rest. Something's too hard, not ready, it's too advanced, give it a rest. And also it rests in it. So there's a rhythm to our life, there's a rhythm to our practice. Energetic practice has rests in it and has moments of great exertion and rest. Zazen is sometimes called the precious mirror samadhi.

[07:34]

It's sometimes called Buddha samadhi. It has many names besides Zazen. Sometimes Zazen is called the practice of the Buddha way. And it is also called the essential activity of all Buddhas. And the word essential, the Chinese character translated as essential activity of all Buddhas, that character also means pivot or pivotal. So the essential activity of Buddhas is pivotal activity. It's the activity of Buddhas and sentient beings in a reciprocal, pivotal relationship.

[08:39]

That relationship is zazen. And we've talked about various possible things that could be pivoting during this intensive. For example, Dogen Zenji sees delusion as, I practice the way. I practice compassion. That's a deluded understanding of the way and the practice. However, This is just defined as delusion. It's not what's looked down upon or disparaged. It's just a definition. It is.

[09:44]

And then there is the way practices me. Compassion practices me. I practice compassion, compassion practices me. I practice compassion is the deluded point of view of living beings. Compassion practices me is awakening. I don't see awakening better than compassion, I mean better than delusion. I see them pivoting on each other. The Buddha way isn't just awakening. And of course it's delusion. It's delusion and awakening intimately pivoting with each other.

[10:50]

That's the center gravity of the pivotal activity of Buddhas. I practice compassion even though it's delusion. It's a nice delusion. And even though it's a nice delusion, we often feel stress. When I'm doing compassion, it can be quite tough and stressful. I'm opening to the suffering of the world. I'm supporting all beings. But that's part of the story. I'm helping everybody. I'm practicing generosity. Okay. There's another side which generosity is practicing me. That's not stressful. It's effortless. Compassion is practicing me.

[11:56]

It's effortless. Compassion is using me. Really kind of a relief. Yeah, it's kind of wonderful and it's awakening. And we can awaken to that. But I've been working on the railroad really hard for a long time. Suddenly I realize, and it's been hard work, and suddenly I realize that the railroad's been working on me. What a relief. But I'm not encouraged, I don't feel encouraged to be on one side or the other of that intimate relationship. I want to look at where they turn on each other. I work on the railroad, the railroad works on me. I work on the Buddha way, the Buddha way works on me. This is the pivotal activity.

[12:58]

This is Zaza. Let yourself be used by the Buddha way and use the Buddha way. Practice generosity, ethical training, patience, enthusiasm, concentration, and wisdom. And also let those practices use you. And then in this be ready to realize that these two ways are not separate. What I have said so far might be sufficient.

[14:32]

I'm not sure. If not, you're welcome to let me know. If there's anything you'd like to contribute to the Dharma talk, again, I could think, I give the Dharma talk. But I also can think, the Dharma talk gives me. The Dharma talk gives you. Dharma talk gives you to the world. Dharma activity gives you to all day long. And also you might frequently give yourself to Dharma talk. to Dharma practice. So if there's anything further you'd like to give to the Dharma Talk, you're welcome to do so.

[15:37]

And one way to do it, come up here and give it here, but you could also come up here and give it there. In fact, you would do both. up for me the issue of receptivity. Can you hear her in the back? She said, this brings up for me the issue of receptivity. And the issue in trauma. Since people can't hear you, maybe you could stand up and talk to them?

[16:39]

Yeah. If I'm in the position of receiving from the universe, and I guess the analogy of the railroad is unfortunate maybe, but because it has the connotation of the country being built on black labor, So the railroad doing me is unfortunate, but not always a positive experience. I feel this in my body sometimes where I'm not sure about that receptivity. And so this one, because other times I find it

[17:43]

Exactly as you say, that's wisdom. That's allowing other people to pivot me, allowing myself to be present. And it takes a lot of guts, and I don't always have it. I just wonder about that. How does someone feel enough safety, trust, trust, mostly trust, to do what you say? Consistently. i see that people appreciate your question thank you For any of you that have given a Dharma Talk, I thank you.

[19:08]

And also, I thank you for letting the Dharma Talk give you.

[19:15]

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