This book is, I guess, the largest Buddhist scripture, the largest sutra. There is a canon called the Pali Canon. And then there are many scriptures, and the total of all those scriptures in Pali and also in Sanskrit, there's another set of discourses of the historical Buddha in Sanskrit and Pali. The total of all of them, I think, might be more than this one scripture. But in terms of each one of those discourses, of the Buddha is a separate discourse. This one discourse is bigger than any of them, but all of them together are probably greater, bigger than this. This is the largest one scripture that's called one sutra, the Avatamsaka Sutra. And this scripture had a lot of

[03:07]

strong influence on the phenomenological event called the Zen school, the social event called the Zen school, strongly influenced by this scripture. Others too, but this one. This is a scripture which almost no one reads. But here it is. And the last section of it, the last chapter, the last chapter really is a separate scripture, but it's also called the 39th chapter. It's maybe, let's see, three, depends on the way the type is, but probably three, four hundred, five hundred pages long, this last chapter.

[04:15]

And it's called in Sanskrit, Gandavyuha, and the translation is, entry into the realm of reality. And it is, a depiction of a pilgrimage of a young, of a boy, who in the course of this trip, which takes many, many years, he probably gets quite old, but they never mention when he stops being a boy. His name is Sudhana in Sanskrit. In Chinese it's Zenzaidoji. So somehow he has this

[05:20]

wonderful opportunity to meet Manjushri Bodhisattva. So in the beginning of the scripture it has this elaborate description of the presence of this great Bodhisattva of wisdom and lots of people are coming to visit him, many people coming and receiving the blessings of wisdom. And one of the people who comes is this young man named Sudhana. And so they focus in on what happened to him when he met Manjushri Bodhisattva, Mahasattva. And basically what happened was, in the meeting with Manjushri, he was inspired with the wish to realize supreme, perfect, complete enlightenment in order to benefit all beings.

[06:52]

He had that aspiration. It arose in him in his meeting with Manjushri. And the path which he was wanting to embark upon the path to complete perfect enlightenment, he understood that that path was called the path of a Bodhisattva. The Buddha was a Bodhisattva who went on a long trip to become Buddha, and he wanted to also walk that same path, that same Bodhisattva path. And then it occurred to him that he didn't know how to do the practice of the Bodhisattva, which is the practice of realizing supreme perfect enlightenment for the welfare of all beings.

[08:10]

And he thought that, and maybe he even said it out loud to Manjushri, I want to realize supreme perfect enlightenment, but I don't know what the practice is." And so Manjushri said, well it's really good that you want to obtain enlightenment, that you really do. And then, to make a long story short, Manjushri Bodhisattva talks about what a wonderful person this is who has this aspiration. calling him stuff like ocean of virtues. And he said, it's good that you wish, that you have this aspiration. And it's also good that you realize that it would be good if you got some instruction on how to practice. It's good that you realize that you need to meet a good friend.

[09:14]

It's hard to meet anybody who has this aspiration, and it's even harder to meet somebody who wants to learn how to practice, and it's even harder to find a good friend to instruct you in this practice. So he's met Manjushri, who is a good friend, and Manjushri basically wakes him up to this aspiration. I shouldn't say Manjushri does. The meeting wakes him up to this aspiration. He discloses it and discloses his not knowing how to proceed and wanting a good friend to teach him. And then Manjushri teaches him in a most marvelous way. And Manjushri has been demonstrating in various ways the great samadhi, the great meditation practice that he has realized, the great liberating practice that he has realized.

[10:41]

And then goes into some detail about how amazing this practice is. And then he says, but how could I teach you what the Bodhisattva way is? And then he describes what the Bodhisattva way is, and as the description goes on you realize, who would be able to teach that? And Manjushri says, how can I teach what a Bodhisattva is? I am a bodhisattva, I have this great realization, but how can I teach you? Therefore you should go study with somebody else." And so in the Zen tradition there is a thing that you have a great teacher, but your teacher doesn't know how to teach you the bodhisattva way, so go study with somebody else. Another great teacher who also doesn't know how to teach you, who will send you to another teacher, who also doesn't know how to teach you, because how could they? How could anybody teach you what the Bodhisattva way is? And yet, there's another person I recommend you go teaching.

[11:52]

So he goes and visits 53. There's 53 teachers he visits here. One of them, The first one and the 53rd one is the same one. In the end he comes back to Manjushri and says, I finished the course. That has no end. So he visits all these teachers, and as he leaves each teacher he's filled with joy at the teaching which they gave him including that each one says, how could I teach you? And sends him to the next one. Each one, as he goes from one to another, he practices what they taught him, even though they said, how can I teach you? And he's so happy to do the practice. But he still goes to the next teacher and says again, I have set on this path, but I don't know how to practice the way of a bodhisattva.

[12:54]

And then he goes off into great detail about how much he doesn't know how to practice. And then the teacher says, great. And then the teacher tells him, well, I've got, here's my practice. And then they show him the practice. And it's amazement upon amazement of the practices that these Bodhisattvas are doing. And then they say, but how could I teach you? And then they talk about the way, which how could anyone teach? And they say, sends them to the next person. So, that's part of our tradition in Zen, is that we go to see a teacher, who causes and conditions have led us to, the teacher has a wonderful practice, and they teach us and they don't know how to teach us. This is nice because there are so many great teachers in here.

[14:02]

A lot of the teachers are female. There are lots of night goddesses in here. And these night goddesses have these spectacular names about the way that they illuminate the darkness. So there really aren't any teachers, and yet people make themselves available for people to come and say, I hear you have instruction for bodhisattvas, and I would like you to teach me the bodhisattva way, and then the person shows their practice, and then in the end says, I really don't have anything to teach you. Do they come and say, I would like you to teach me the Bodhisattva way?

[15:06]

Or do they go so far as to say, please teach me? Do they ask for it, or do they just mention it? Oh, they say, please teach me. Please teach me. Please instruct me. In the practices of the Bodhisattva way. Which I don't know, even though I visited Manjushri. even though I visited 35 great bodhisattvas, even though I visited 36, even though I visited 37, I still don't know. And the people they're visiting, they don't know either. They don't know how. And yet, they have this tremendous, generous relationship where they give their whole life of practice. Each one says, but how could I teach you the Bodhisattva way? Please teach me the Bodhisattva way. Here's my practice, on and on and on.

[16:08]

All these demonstrations. And the young person is totally open to it, totally inspired and encouraged. And then they say, but how could I teach you? And then they teach you some more. They don't know what it is. They say so. and they teach it, but they don't know how. They're teaching it, and they don't know how. They don't know how, and they teach. They teach, they don't know how. They teach, they don't know how. Go see somebody else who is really a good teacher, and they might say the same thing. And each one pretty much... I'm not sure if anybody's found any exceptions, but so far they all go the same pattern. In our precept ceremony that we do at Zen Center, there's a celebration at the end, a celebratory kind of poem at the end, where the preceptor of the ceremony says, now, at this time, in Buddha lands, throughout the universe, there's a whole lot of shaking going on.

[17:36]

and celestial flowers are falling, and the Bodhisattvas in those lands are amazed by this amazing event, and they ask their teacher, the Buddha in that land, what's the reason for this? And the Buddha says, In the world of patience, not so much of patience, but in the world where you can practice patience, like this planet, we have lots of opportunities to practice patience, right? where there's no lack of pain and suffering to practice patience with. On that land, Bodhisattva or Bodhisattvas who have heard teachings about the precepts, have aspired to receive these precepts from their teacher, their preceptor,

[18:39]

who was inspired to receive precepts from their teacher, who was inspired to receive precepts from their teacher. This lineage of receiving the precepts, they have just received the precepts. That's why our worlds are shaking. We actually use the expression, take the precepts, sorry. I'm going to take the precepts. It's okay. It means really, I'm going to receive the precepts. They're going to be given to me and then I'm going to take them. I'm not trying to eradicate the word take. But anyway, we take what is given. And the precepts are offered. to be received. And in the ceremony it says, the preceptor has received it from their preceptor who received it from their precept. The preceptor has received it from her preceptor who received it from her preceptor.

[19:41]

All the way back to the founder of the tradition in this historical setting on the planet earth. All these teachers had practices which they were involved in, amazing practices. A lot of them practiced sitting meditation in one way or another. So we practice sitting meditation. We actually sit upright on a cushion.

[20:44]

It's a practice we do. It's a practice which we aspire to do wholeheartedly. And in the wholeheartedness, there is this dropping away. A liberation occurs in the wholeheartedness of the activity of, for example, sitting. It could also be done standing. In the wholeheartedness of sitting, we fully realize the giving, or in fully realizing the giving, we are wholehearted, both ways.

[21:52]

And there is a There's a term, it's a kind of a Zen term, which in the Chinese way of saying it is kī kāng, and kī is the key, for example, of my name Zenki. Kī means energy, or opportunity, or function, or working. So when the energy is applied to flying, it's called a flying machine, an airplane. When it's applied to the mind, it's called intellect. When it's applied to certain sports, it's that sport. This energy, this opportunity, can be applied to all of our activities, and khan means barrier So it's kind of like it's a way of working with our energy which energy becomes kind of like a barrier and it's often used or pictured as like drawing a bow pulling the string back on a bow and drawing a bow and

[23:32]

into the shape of a full moon. So what you're doing is you're pulling the bow back and making it into a full moon. Or you're sitting And you're making your body into a full moon. You're making your mind into a full moon. You're making an effort, a full effort, to bring your effort into a full, round moon. And if there's any wish to get anything out of this effort, It's accepted, but the effort is just to pull the bowstring to make the posture. It's just to make the sitting posture, and to make it wholeheartedly. Again, if there's any idea of getting anything out of this sitting, it's alright.

[24:36]

That will make it harder to just pull the bowstring back wholeheartedly. It might take away a little of your energy, So it's okay, but you probably need to give it up. Trying to get something out of it will make it harder to just totally do it. So what you're doing is just being wholehearted. Pulling the string of your posture. Pulling the string of your attention all the way to fullness. And in that, there will be a release of whatever you're doing. What you're doing is not the release, it's the release of what you're doing that happens in the fullness. Many of you have heard the story of

[25:43]

The archery teacher who taught his student just pull the bow and just hold it. Pull the bow all the way back and just hold it until the string is released. But you don't release it, it will just be released. So when we sit, we just make the body a wholehearted body, and that body, when it's wholehearted, that body will drop off. We make the sitting, when the sitting is wholehearted, the sitting will drop off. We'll become free of the body, we'll become free of the sitting, and when the bowstring is released, you're free of the pulled bowstring. It's not so much about shooting the arrow into the target. There is that too. That's something to mention a little later. I kind of feel like the kikang, making your energy into like a barrier.

[26:45]

A barrier to what? Barrier to what? What's it a barrier to? I don't know. It's a barrier to half-heartedness. It's a barrier to trying to get something. And when that barrier is established, and there's no more trying to get anything by this practice, the door opens. The string is released. I've seen today, it's kind of like that's the feminine part of our practice. It's like the wholeness of it. We had Mary here earlier. Did you see Mary? So Mary is going to have a baby next month. The wholeness, the roundness, the pregnancy of the moment. And the moment. And then there's the arrow getting shot straight ahead to a target.

[27:56]

That's the masculine part. But it comes from this wholeness. So our practice is, this is at the center, and then the activities which come from this center, they complete the picture. But this is at the center, this sitting, wholeheartedly, without trying to get anything. And just, that's... Or as it says, just wholeheartedly sit, and then you will unmistakably, unmistakably drop off body and mind. And one meaning of unmistakably is like, for sure it's going to happen. But the other meaning of unmistakably is, when it happens, when the dropping off occurs, it will not be mistaken as something you did. When it's wholehearted, there will be dropping off, but because you're wholehearted, you won't think that you did it.

[29:00]

If you're somewhat, if you're 79% hearted, you might still have 21% of your effort left to think that you did it, that you did the dropping off, but the dropping off won't happen. or you'll get kicked out of this temple if you think that you did it. If you think you did it, then you think you did it, and if you did it, you're out. You're being told to practice wholeheartedly. You're not being told to practice sitting and then also release body and mind. You're told to practice sitting wholeheartedly, and in the wholeheartedness, there will be dropping off, and there'll be no mistaking that you did it. And there will also be no mistaking that somebody else did it. There will be no mistaking. And you'll see it's the same thing.

[30:04]

Freedom is the same thing as wholeheartedness. Yes, Kurt? Yes, thank you, Rick. As you're talking, Isn't that nice that Zen gets to own that? People give that to Zen. They don't say, well that's the Tibetans, that's their symbol. People are so generous to give us a nice symbol. That's what that circle is supposed to be. So every Zen priest draws a circle to see if they can do it wholeheartedly. Like, I wonder if this one is going to be wholehearted. I wonder if I'll get famous on this one. Oh darn.

[31:07]

Make every action like drawing a circle without trying to make it beautiful. Wanting it to be, but not thinking that you're going to do it. May this be beautiful. May this be beautiful. May this encourage beings. May my life encourage beings, even though I'm not doing the encouraging myself. So I thought of this this morning. I was talking to someone who likes this story about a Zen teacher in China whose name was Lu Pu. And the name of the story is, Lu Pu Faces the Wall. And so the story is, whenever a monk came to visit Lu Pu, Lu Pu would immediately face the wall. That was Lu Pu's teaching. Bodhidharma,

[32:08]

is also known for facing the wall for nine years. Did Lu Pu copy him? Maybe. But apparently Lu Pu wasn't already facing the wall, just when somebody would come, he would face the wall. He might have been doing something else, but when a monk came, he would face the wall, just face the wall. Reverend Lu Pu, please teach me the way. He just faced the wall. Now I guess when he's facing the wall, he wasn't trying to get those people to be enlightened. Or he wasn't trying to gain anything by this teaching. Just faced the wall. Just be wholehearted.

[33:19]

It says no bud on here. Ah, yes. Two weeks ago I had an experience and the gratitude for the depth of this goodness and the strength of this goodness

[34:36]

And I don't even know how to even say thank you to all these great masters. And I wish to be able to live that. But I still can't. That sounds like the story I just told.

[35:51]

Sudhana saw the great master, and wanted to become a great master, and didn't know how. And he cried quite a bit. He cried for a long time. He walked around Manjushri hundreds of thousands of times before he left, crying with gratitude, not knowing how to do what he most wanted to do. But that's why we need a good friend who can practice with us so we can walk around a hundred thousand times crying and keep going even though we don't know how, even though we think we don't know how, and even though we feel like we don't know how.

[37:21]

We need somebody to practice with us through that. We can't do it by ourselves. But we can do it together, and we are doing it together. And you don't have to feel like anybody else, but you do have to feel like you feel. And you have to feel it wholeheartedly. And that's quite a challenge. But everybody's helping us do that. But again, it's hard to receive all the help. It's hard to find a good friend, and then it's hard to get along with them.

[38:31]

it's hard to receive their help. And there is a story of people who had a hard time receiving the help, and this is the story of the Buddha way. of needing the help, receiving the help, and it being rather difficult. But the help is bringing us to the wholeheartedness wherein there's just sitting. wherein there's just complete devotion to the current event, the current daily life.

[39:57]

And in this way, we are, how do we say, practicing, we're devotedly practicing a straightforward path of directly pointing. Everything we do is pointing to complete perfect enlightenment. Everything we do is expressing it. Everything we do is in service of it. Everything we do is demonstrating it. Everything we do is making offerings to it. And we don't know what it is. But it's what we want because we are that kind of people that we want to be perfectly enlightened in order to help all beings in the best possible way.

[41:07]

Lu Pu faced the wall. Gu Te raised one finger. What will you do? Thank you very much. Our intention equally is to extend to every being and place with the true merit of Buddha's way. Beings are numberless. I vow to save them. Dharma gates are boundless. I vow to enter them.

[42:27]

Buddha's way is unsurpassable. I vow to become it.

[42:35]

@Text_v004
@Score_JJ