Do you want some cough drops? No thanks. Thank you. An old Buddha who lived in Japan in the 13th century who we call Ehei Dogen. He's the first person in the Japanese lineage

[01:09]

coming down to the San Francisco Zen Center's founder. Towards the end of his life he went to Kamakura to teach the Buddha Dharma. And when he came back to his monastery called Eheiji he talked to the monks there and said something which has been translated into English like this. I teach the Dharma to guide people. Those who practice wholesome actions rise. Those who practice unwholesome actions fall. You practice cause and harvest effect. It's just like picking up jade and throwing away gravel.

[02:12]

Thus I try to clarify, speak, identify with and practice the Dharma of cause and effect. Do you understand? Please bear with me. My tongue speaks of cause and effect. Wholesome actions are defined as beneficial.

[03:18]

That is they have beneficial results. Thank you. Towards the end of the last class noting that wholesome action or skillful action is action that has beneficial result. We noted that when you do something that you think is good, when you think something is good and you want to do it,

[04:25]

that isn't the only thing that makes it good. Actually the main thing that makes it good is that it has beneficial result. That's the main thing. But how can you ever find beneficial result because there's no end to results. So this led Anil to say, well this way of defining good makes it useless. Another way to say it is this way of defining good implies and leads to the realization that good action is empty, is selfless. This definition of good is the way by practicing good

[05:34]

we realize the emptiness, the selflessness of the good actions. So this teacher in our lineage named Ehe Dogen, he also says, we've talked about this many times before, he also says that when you pay close attention, when you give close attention to all your actions,

[06:38]

and the actual word there is an interesting word, it's daily plums. When you pay close attention to your daily plums you will realize, you will see that nothing has an abiding self. You will see that the actions which you're paying attention to do not have an abiding self and you will realize that nothing has an abiding self. So there's two ways that have come to my mind now about how to relate to your daily plums, to your daily actions. Two ways. One is to give every action,

[07:44]

to make every action, to offer every action for the welfare of all beings. Each action is an opportunity to offer this action to the welfare of all beings. This way of acting will lead to the realization that your action is selfless. That the action doesn't have a self and that your action doesn't have a self and that your action is selfless. And selfless action is the action of the Buddhas. Selfless action is the action that actually, in the most profound way, helps beings. So by making every action inexhaustibly dedicated

[08:47]

to the welfare of others, you realize selflessness. Which turns out pretty much the same thing without mentioning the vow, to look at each action and remember that the goodness of the action is not in the action. The goodness of good is not in good. The goodness of good is in the results of good. Which means that good is relative to its result, dependent on its result. Therefore, good has no self, no good self. Which reminds me that Vera sent me a note, part of which I just want to mention right now. What she wrote is about dependent core arising. No, dependent core rising.

[09:50]

That's the way she heard it. Dependent core rising. Dependent core rising. So that's a nice note. That's a nice way, except that arising doesn't have a core. So it's a wonderful way to hear it, but I suggest you change it now to dependent co-arising. If you say it fast, it sounds exactly the same. Dependent core arising. I just hadn't seen that one before, thank you. Dependent core arising, this basic teaching, doesn't have a core. Buddha's infinite compassion doesn't have a core. And our compassion doesn't have a core. Nobody's compassion has a core. Nobody's action has a core.

[10:52]

And when you realize that, then that realization is what really helps beings. And now I propose to you that you will not be able to realize that unless, basically, the actions which you're studying and realizing are empty. You treat them with great compassion, and you perform them with great compassion. You perform them for the sake of all beings, and also you are kind to the actions, too. You practice compassion towards all your daily plums. If you imagine your daily plums are delicious, good daily plums, be compassionate to what you think are the good daily plums. If you think your daily plums are rotten, be compassionate to the rotten daily plums. Be compassionate towards all your actions.

[11:57]

Be on the ball of the action, and give the action great compassion. Plus, to fill the compassion of the action, make the action which you're being kind to for the welfare of all beings. And the other way is, the actions which you're doing for the welfare of all beings, don't skip over the action. Be kind to it, too. Then you will realize that the actions are selfless. Then your actions will become selfless. The same actions are now selfless. But it's hard to look at action. Oh, and the other thing is, the other sort of similar way to approach this is, when you look, when you think of doing some good, in order to realize the good which you're thinking of,

[13:04]

you need to take into account that there's a mentally constructed idea of good superimposed upon the good. So, they're all kind of the same thing, these three aspects. One is, realize that the definition of good depends on things other than itself, and it doesn't have a core. So you're looking at something that's useless, and you're devoted to perform something that's useless. But when you see it's useless, you are contemplating reality, rather than using something. You're devoting yourself to reality rather than devoting yourself to what you can use. In other words, you're acting like a Buddha. Then the other way is, you're devoting yourself to this action for the welfare of all beings,

[14:06]

and the other way is, you're devoting yourself to an action which you're dealing with, the action, you're dealing with it in terms of your, not your even, in terms of mentally constructed projections upon it. In order to understand the emptiness of the action, in other words, in order to understand life, we need to be sophisticated about these projected constructions upon the actions. Well, one is that every action is for the welfare of not all others, and also that you treat each action kindly in that context. That's one. Yeah, that's one. And that will lead to realization of selflessness,

[15:06]

of the action and of everything. The other is, you just simply remember the definition of good and evil. You can also meditate on evil. Evil is that which has unwholesome, unhappy, non-beneficial results, harmful results. So evil also doesn't have a core. So remembering the way these are defined, but paying attention to them, according to that definition, you realize selflessness. And the third is, you think, well, I think that would be good, and I want to do that thing, and what I'm committing myself to do is a mental construction projected upon action. It's not that there's no action, it's just that we project these constructions upon them. We need to be aware of that in order to realize the selflessness of things,

[16:10]

and in order to help the people which we want, help the beings we want to live for. Because everybody needs to learn this in order to be able to do the same wonderful thing to others. So some people think that the point is to liberate the people, but it's to liberate the people so that they can help other people. It's not just to liberate them from suffering, it's to liberate them from suffering, and to liberate them from delusion, so that their compassion is not hindered by limited interests. But it's difficult to pay attention to action and remember that what you're actually dealing with is your projection upon the action,

[17:12]

and remember that while you're doing it. It's a sea change, or it's a big change, or to realize that when you remember that good is defined relative to result, that you can't actually grasp the goodness of the good thing you're trying to do, and that you want to do. You want to do good, you think this would be good, and you need to be aware of Lois. Thank you. I'm fixated on these plums. I have a poem. That's basically good to be fixated on the plums. I know, and here's a famous poem. But just a second, before you go on, just remember, just fixate long enough to figure out what the plum is. I do. Then relax, and be gentle and flexible with the plum. So just fixate long enough to figure out what the plum is, what's the plum you're dealing with now,

[18:14]

and then be very gentle and relaxed and flexible with it, and not overbearing on this plum. Okay, now the poem, which you can fixate on for just a moment. I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox. I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox. Which you were probably saving for breakfast. Which you were probably saving for breakfast. Forgive me. They were so sweet. Forgive me they were so sweet. And so cold. And so cold. And Lois is over 20 years old because she says icebox. It wasn't my poem, but I wish it were. But I don't. I think it actually illustrates your point. It sure does. And also, please give up. Make a gift of I wish it were mine. Okay. Make that a gift, please. Okay, thank you. Thank you.

[19:15]

Yes, Linda? So when you were talking about the good or wholesome action, this can only be seen by its good result. And how it's empty. What came to my mind was, well, the result is empty, basically. The result is empty, too, because the result depends. The result is in the action. The result is in the action. That's all it is. Yeah. They're not really separate. There's no results without depending on actions. I mean, without depending on cause. So the cause is in the result, and the result is in the cause. So you can't actually find either one. So why do you even talk about it?

[20:20]

Because if you don't talk about it and also talk about it and talk about it, like Dogen says, if you don't clarify it, speak about it, clarify it, identify with it and practice it, if you don't do that, then you won't understand life. And if you don't understand life, you won't be able to help others very well. So the reason for paying attention to this thing which you can't find is because paying attention to this thing which you can't find will make you realize that nothing can be found, and then beings are liberated, really, from suffering. But it's hard to look at something, realizing, before you realize that it can't be found, not just that you can't find it, but that it can't be found, before you realize that, it's hard to look at something

[21:22]

as you begin to realize that you might not be able to find it. And you start to think about what will happen to you if you can't find it. How will I live if I can't find my action? How will I drive home if I can't find my actions? When you get really close, you should have a chauffeur. A chauffeur. When you get really close to realization, it's good to have a chauffeur. Somebody who thinks that they can find out what driving is. Yes, Steph? Is this projecting that we do become the cause for our attachment? Yes, it's a cause. We need that for attachment. And does the attachment equal unwholesomeness? No, because there can be attachment even in wholesomeness. One of the benefits that could come from action

[22:26]

would be that you would be willing to pay attention to action. So, if you pay attention to your action, that might have the effect of being able to pay attention to action more. But there still could be attachment until you really open up to the dependency of your action. And it is possible to pay close attention to avoiding unwholesomeness. So, if you think something is unwholesome, harmful, the ancient instruction is avoid it. But you have to pay attention to it to avoid it. And if you pay attention to it, you start to notice its unwholesomeness depends on its results,

[23:27]

so it also can't be found. And again, people get kind of frightened by that. So, paying attention to wholesome and unwholesome, you actually can see more and more that these activities are useless. And then we're not used to that. So, then we kind of want to go back and forget about that kind of intense awareness and go back to thinking that something is wholesome and just thinking that that's so because we thought so. Who's next over there? Vera and then Elaine. This is a concrete incident that happened so long ago. An ancient concrete incident. Okay. English was my third language. English was your third language. And when I came to this country,

[24:28]

I was separated from my parents for six months. Could you wait one second? Do you think this is being picked up? Should I repeat what she's saying? I think it's being picked up. Okay. So, she was separated from her parents for six months when she first came to America. And then I lived with a great aunt who was very stern, very strict. And I was learning English on the streets and at school. And one day, I used incorrect grammar. And my aunt slapped me in the face very hard. And then she looked at me and she said, Someday, you'll thank me for this. Now, she might have really at the time thought this was skillful, wholesome action. I'm not sure whether she did or not. But let's assume she did. Let's assume she thought it was skillful and helpful. Yeah. Let's assume she did.

[25:30]

All right? And if we assume she did, then we would assume that she is not aware of her projection upon that action of the idea or the thought construction that this is wholesome and not being aware of that projection, which is there for most people. She doesn't realize the emptiness of it. And you're not helped, really. And you're not really helped. But she might have... Who knows? I wasn't there. She might have actually understood that what she did was empty of goodness. I don't know. But that's what I want you to understand. And if you do, you'll save your aunt from all the results of her karma.

[26:38]

One second, Charlie. Elena? This is a concrete example of something that happened recently? A concrete example. A man was walking in the street at night. Okay, this is a concrete example of a mental projection upon your activity you're going to tell us about now. Right? I'm sure. This was after the ballet, and we were going back to the bar station. There were always a lot of homeless people there. And there was one man who had either a cane or an umbrella. I'm not sure, but he seemed to want to skewer people. And I felt that this man needed attention,

[27:41]

that he wanted very much to be noticed and acknowledged and so on. And I really felt terrible not to stop, although I was scared. But we kept going towards the bar station. Did you give him attention? What happened was that literally Fred gave him attention, but in a way that the man did not like. And the man said, I'm not talking to you. And that seared my heart. The man sounded to me like a little boy. So there is this thing. I slowed down a little,

[28:43]

but I felt that if I engaged the man, Fred would fit. And who knows? I didn't think I could do it. But part of me really wanted to stop and engage the man. Okay. I hear you. So, do you have any comments about this situation? In terms of doing good and projections? Yeah. Aside from doing good for the moment, aside from saying that this is good. What I'm about to say, I'm not going to say it's good, okay? You could say it's good and I also could say it's good, but basically I suggest that we learn in situations like you just mentioned

[29:46]

and that Vera just mentioned, I suggest that we learn to be gracious towards them. Them? Huh? Them? Towards the beings that we meet. Oh. So these two. Like the ant, be gracious towards the ant and be gracious towards the man with the umbrella, was it? To be gracious towards them. To see the situation as a situation of giving. That you're giving yourself to this man and the man's a gift to you. That you learn to see that way. That you train yourself to see this as a giving opportunity, as a giving enactment, as an enactment of giving. That you practice patience with perhaps the discomfort that arises when somebody's waving a pointed object at you. That you practice also patience and generosity towards your ideas about Fred. Not just Fred, don't even talk about Fred for a second, but just be gracious towards your ideas about what Fred wants you to do.

[30:49]

Don't just say, Fred wants this or Fred wants that. Be gracious towards your ideas about what Fred wants. And then also be gracious towards Fred. Right, exactly. Fred was scared. You say the man was frightening, but in other words, your mind created an image of the man which you got afraid of. That's another way to see this. So if the mind creates a projection of a frightening being on this person, this person is one of the people which we are offered the opportunity to be kind to. So sometimes we make pictures of people who are not dangerous. Sometimes we make pictures of people who are dangerous. They're both objects of compassion. So I'm proposing that we learn to be gracious with them, to be patient with the discomfort, if there is any. In this case, there was discomfort. Listen to me, please.

[31:54]

You asked me what to do, and I'm telling you, you don't have to say anything for a little while. Just listen. Practice giving with this person. Be patient with the discomfort of the fear. Be gentle and don't be overbearing. And be calm. Be calm with this person. And, of course, be nonviolent with this person, also with your ideas about what Fred wants, and also with Fred. Those are the three main characters in this thing. One is your ideas of Fred, your ideas of this person. And if you're kind to your ideas of this person, kind to your ideas of Fred, the kindness will be conveyed to the people who are the basis of your dreams about them. There really is Fred, and there really is this person, just that you can't find them. But we don't like not finding them, so we put projections on them so we can find them. And sometimes, although we've got the projection on them, now we're upset, because we're afraid of both of them.

[32:57]

Okay, now we've got trouble. Now we've got problems. But we also have things to be kind to. Practice giving, patience, gentleness, flexibility. Don't be overbearing, and don't be violent, and be calm. That's what I would suggest you do in all situations, if possible. And if not, I would suggest you do that towards not being able to. Now, if you do that with everything, you will realize that nothing has an abiding self. You will realize selflessness. In addition to that, we can go on to other things, but that's what I would suggest right now in this case. I'm not saying it's easy, but I definitely recommend it for all of us, if we wish to realize selflessness and benefit beings. I'm not saying you can't benefit beings without realizing selflessness. I'm just talking in this class

[34:02]

about the kind of help we can be in this world if we do realize selflessness, which is the ultimate kind of help, the real relief and liberation, which also, even more wonderfully than that, teaches others how to help others. Anything else you want to bring up? I'm trying to concentrate on this now. You're next. Yes, Charlie. It seems that every action has both beneficial and harmful results. It seems that way to you? Well, including all the cases that we've talked about just now, it seems like you could point out some benefits and some harm that come from each one of those ways of acting. And if that's the case...

[35:03]

Again, you did kindly say, it seems. In other words, your mind can imagine this, which it is doing, and you're welcome to do so. But this is not your vision of the actual benefits and harms. You're just open, your mind is open to the possibility that there's both benefits and harms, and you're even open to that for everything. That's good. But that doesn't mean there really is benefits and harms of everything. It's possible that some things do not have any harm, and some other things do not have any benefit. It's possible. Open to that. That's part of being gentle. That's part of being kind. But also be open to what you said, that it seems like everything has both. Let's also be open to that. But don't open to that and close to what I just said. And don't open to what I said and close to what you just said.

[36:07]

But please, study this. Because this is what we need to study. And again, you could say it's good to be kind to everything, but I'm not saying to fix on that it is good to practice this kind of kindness. I'm just saying to listen to this is recommended. Over and over and over. This kindness. And this kindness towards action. Yes. So my question is, if it were the case that everything has some beneficial results and some harmful results. If it is, yes. Then what would we mean when we say wholesome actions have beneficial results? I mean, is any action that has some quantity of benefit a wholesome action?

[37:12]

Even if it also has some harm? The meaning of the definition that wholesome action is that which has beneficial results, the meaning of it is, first of all, to make ordinary conventional meaning into nonsense. That works, yes. And to open us to ultimate meaning, which is nonsense in terms of conventional. The meaning of this teaching is the ultimate meaning of life. That's the meaning of this teaching. Okay. And the ultimate meaning is the meaning which makes life be the best it can be. And which makes us able to be. These ways which cannot be grasped or found, but which are called fearless,

[38:13]

non-limited kindness, non-limited happiness, non-limited misery. And everything is welcomed and enjoyed, and we show others the way. That's the meaning of this teaching. But it does render conventional meanings, which you can grasp, like this is good, this is a good thing, that's a good thing, and that's a good thing, and that's a good thing, which renders that kind of take on things meaningless. But opens us to something which is the ultimate meaning, which we cannot use, but which we can let into our life and let it do its thing, which operates in a different way than these graspable goods and bads do. But again, the teaching is that these conventional goods and bads

[39:21]

still are defined in such a way, kindly by the ancestors, such that we see that you can never find them. And so if you're willing to study something that has this definition, you have deep faith in cause and effect. You have the faith of the ancestors, because they also believed in this teaching, spoke of it, practiced it. And these are the super weirdos of ancient times, who we are somehow studying and trying to learn from all the time, and trying to become like the ancestors, who could perform these things, which weren't miracles, but just flow from understanding of selflessness. But the understanding of selflessness in this tradition

[40:22]

is approached through studying cause and effect, and in particular, cause and effect related to action. I'll be back to you later. Anil? Pardon? Yeah? The person what? Yeah, they're really there. Yeah, that's the way they're really there. They're really there in a way that you can't find. They're really there in a middle way. That's the way they're really there. And they are really there. And based on the way they really are, we make them into, for example, existent or non-existent, so that we can grasp them, so we can attach to them. Excuse me, what? The conventional meaning,

[41:27]

well, the one conventional meaning of really there is just the conventional designation that the way they're really there is called the middle way. That's the way things really are. They're not non-existent and they're not existent. They're in between those two extremes. That's the way they're really there. It doesn't fit well. It seems like another instruction. We need coherence as conventional meaning. And I'm okay with this. That's how it's made. Conventional meaning doesn't actually make sense. In the other clause, you say, you're talking about findability, right? Which is not a category that applies to things that are really there in the mistaken sense,

[42:29]

like there without reference to findability. Well, really there are things that are really... The way things... You know, like a Neil is really there. Or I could say a Neil is really here. And the way he's really here is in relationship to findability. Namely, the way he's really here is that he can't be found. That's the way you're really here. However, although you can't be found, you are the basis for my projections about you. So that thing of basis sounds very much like really there without reference to the projections. Yeah, it sounds like really there without... It sounds like existence. It is existence. It sounds like self-existence. Oh, it sounds self-existent. Well, there's nothing to stop you

[43:31]

from projecting a self on this too. However, the way the self-projection is also can't be found. And we have to do this without in any way messing or hurting or disregarding or denigrating conventional meaning. So if there's any way the conventional meaning is being denigrated, this shouldn't be... Something's off here. I don't want to denigrate conventional meaning. We should take good care of it. We should be kind to it. Be kind to conventional meaning. Then you won't dwell in it. But it isn't that we distort it and twist it and denigrate it. That's another kind of dwelling in it.

[44:32]

We take care of conventional meaning, but if we lose sight of conventional meaning, that doesn't mean you're not taking care of it. You can be really kind to somebody or something and in the fullness of your kindness you don't know who they are. You think they're you. Yes? Well, that was a perfect segue because I was focusing on the use of the word kind because kind is kind of a common expression. It's very conventional. It's conventional, so kind means same. And so I was thinking that a lot of times when you use the word kind in the context of some of the stories here, you immediately think of gentle or whatever. Even gentle. But then I was thinking in the context of the more difficult formulations you're making that maybe kind means I'm open to it, not grasping it. Kind of like you're not sure what it is, but it has possibilities.

[45:35]

Yes, right. You're taking care of it. Part of kindness is being open to it. That's part of kindness. Part of kindness is being open. Part of kindness is not being overbearing, like bear down on something and make it into not whatever, but just some things. Right, so you have a threatening being and you might say, oh wait, I'm supposed to be kind to this thing that I think is threatening. I remember now, it might just be my mind projecting it. And then immediately you might leave, oh, it's a poor little boy. But then that's just another projection. So the kindness is just staying in this open state of saying there's something here, I'm not sure what it is, but I'm going to take care of it and let it be what it is. Which allows a big dangerous person and then a scared little boy, but scared little boys to be treated the same way. And then the action which comes from watching these projections

[46:36]

and being aware of them and being kind to the projections, the action that comes from there is the action which we're trying to develop, selfless action. Can I just add one thing? Sometimes you use the term being in a very broad way and I find that very helpful. In the sense, sometimes when you're talking about a being that might be a person, but then you were talking about your feelings of maybe, you know, be kind to your fear. And your fear is a being. It's helpful for me to think of everything in some sense as a being, because then you can see that everything has this open possibility of being this empty projection. Right. Yeah, so be kind to persons, but also be kind to fears. And tensions. And confusions. Be kind to all these different types of beings. Which will be good. Which will develop this practice.

[47:38]

And to make no exceptions. Lydia. I don't think I understand either one of these terms very well, but I've heard you say something about when you don't dwell in this or that. And I've heard another term at a different time, something about calm abiding. What's the difference between those two? Calm abiding means basically being calm and relaxed and alert and energetic and joyful. That kind of calm. And that kind of calm is also sometimes called tranquility or concentration. And it's possible, if you were calm in that way, a calm which is, again, imperturbable, unperturbed, and relaxed and buoyant and awake.

[48:42]

If you were in that state, it's possible to dwell in that state. To attach to it. It's also possible to be in that state and not dwell in it. And the perfection of that tranquility comes when you don't dwell in it. That you'd like to, you know, like if you ever found yourself really serene and relaxed and awake, and I said, Lydia, would you please give it up? And you'd say, fine, here, take it. It's yours. Then that would be not dwelling in that wonderful tranquility. So the image I'm getting about dwelling is something like, you have a rent-controlled apartment in Berkeley and you never want to move again. Not quite. You have a rent-controlled apartment in Berkeley, you never want to move again, and I say, Lydia, would you move? And you say, fine.

[49:43]

That's dwelling? No, that's not dwelling. When you say, fine. Fine, who can we give this to? Or I say to you, Lydia, who can we give this apartment to? And you say, well, me. Can we give it to somebody else? And you say, fine. You'd be able to do that if you weren't dwelling, or I should say, if you had realized non-abiding. The bodhisattva's non-abiding mind is that you could be in an apartment and you could not want to move, but not dwell in the apartment or in the not wanting to move, and you can give away your body, mind, and apartment. And when you can give it away, people say, no, stay there, we want to come and live with you. Rather than you move out, we want everybody to move in with you so they can cozy up to you and get more of that non-dwelling off you. Yes, Sasi?

[50:48]

Yes. I was just reflecting as you were talking on your opening reading from Dogenberg. I think he said, identify with cause and effect. And then he said, excuse me for speaking of cause and effect. And that just sounded like capturing in a way right there that the idea of identifying with something that has no meaning, that has no existence, and then at the same time having to apologize for putting that projection out there. Right. And that's sort of the heart of compassion right there. You have to express it in this conventional manner. At the same time, you're compassionate in having to do that. Say it again. You have to express it in this conventional manner. To communicate, you have to express it in conventional, but without identifying with it. So you're compassionate toward the expression, but you're identifying with the cause and effect, with the ultimate, but having to express it through the conventional.

[51:50]

And it's the first time I thought of the Middle Way as being sort of the heart of compassion, because that's what's occurring. The Middle Way is the heart of compassion, and compassion is the heart of the Middle Way. Both. Nobody can find the Middle Way without being really kind to all beings. They go together. Great compassion in the Middle Way. Middle Way is great wisdom. And there's one more thing. I didn't want to be too hard on you by giving you one more little phrase at the end of this, but Dogen said, Please bear with me. My tongue speaks of cause and effect without reason. I thought I left that part out. But now, since they brought that up, and now I say, without reason. It's more difficult, isn't it?

[52:51]

Yes. So, during the week I was sitting Zazen, and I was about to adjust my posture, and then I thought, Oh, that would be taking action. Oh, I should watch that, or something. And then I thought, Well, if I don't, that also has consequences. Right. So there's no way you can get a hold of. Or get out of a consequence situation, or anything. There's no way you can get out of a complicated situation, right. So your actions have consequences, and your non-actions have consequences, also. Yeah. Might be good to end with this story. One day, one of our ancestors, named Yaoshan, was sitting in meditation. Laurie Yaoshan.

[54:11]

And his teacher came by and said, What are you doing? Or I could say, What action is this? And Yaoshan said, No action at all. And the teacher said, Then are you sitting idly? And Yaoshan said, If I was sitting idly, I would be acting. And the teacher said, You say you're not doing any action at all. What non-action are you doing? And Yaoshan said, Even the ten thousand sages don't know. So we can open to this path of the ancestors, which even the ten thousand sages do not know,

[55:15]

cannot find, cannot grasp. And the sages know, not just that they can't find it, but they know that it can't be found. They can prove that. And the way they prove it is by being kind to everything. And by being kind to everything, you realize that nothing can be found. And realizing that nothing can be found, your kindness will be unhindered. At least that's how they work together. And we have all these opportunities, all our daily plums, and all the beings we meet, all these are opportunities to give close, kind attention. But not just to beings, not just to other humans and other living beings, but to all our feelings, and especially don't overlook action. Action. Action.

[56:16]

Daily plums. Thank you very much. May our intention equally extend to every being and place with the true merit of Buddha's way. Beings are numberless. I vow to save them. Delusions are inexhaustible. I vow to end them. Dharma gates are powerless. I vow to enter them. Buddha's way is unsurpassable. I vow to become it.

[57:19]

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