I could discuss with you this plaque for the so on, but it actually is a compound that's used to translate Bodhimanda or Bodhimandala.

[01:08]

The mandala, the sacred place for practicing and realizing enlightenment, the place where Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree is called Bodhimanda. So this is a Bodhimanda, a licensed Bodhimanda for practicing Zen, which means a licensed Bodhimanda for dropping off body and mind, and then the seal of the headquarters of Soto Zen in Japan is on the bottom. So in one sense it seems a little funny that you need a license to drop off body and mind, or that you need the approval of the headquarters. I don't think they mean it that way. I think what this is for is that if someone was traveling around and they want to know is this a place that has anybody else's approval for offering Zen practice other than just

[02:13]

the people saying that they're offering it, like at a doctor's office, they have those diplomas saying so-and-so went to such-and-such a school. So that's part of the meaning of this, is that we're approved by some organization in Japan, we're not just, I don't know what, they trust us somewhat. And so other people maybe can trust the practice here somewhat. I could go into more detail about that, but let's go back to the sutra and begin with an apology. Yesterday when I was reading about Buddha's introduction of the lack of own being in terms of character and lack of own being in terms of production, I said it would be reasonable

[03:17]

that he would go in and then after that introduce the lack of own being in terms of the ultimate lack of own being of thoroughly established character, and actually he did. I just somehow, when I put these papers in the folder, I mixed up two pages and I kept looking at it, but it just seemed to make sense the way it was except for that point, but actually right after introducing the lack of own being in terms of production and then also pointing out that the other dependent character is not the ultimate, the lack of own being in terms of production is not the ultimate, and just to make that point, that it's not the ultimate, it's called an ultimate lack of own being, in the sense that it lacks being the ultimate lack of own being.

[04:19]

Then he goes on to talk about the ultimate lack of own being, and then those examples of the sky flower and so on, and then he says that thinking of a lack of own being in terms of character, or thinking about how the marks of things have no essence, I taught all phenomena are unproduced, unceasing and so on.

[05:26]

And then, thinking of suchness, thinking of an ultimate lack of own being, the selflessness of phenomena, I taught all phenomena are unproduced, unceasing, quiescent from the start, naturally a state of nirvana. Now, usually we would think that when Buddha, what we thought before this sutra was introduced, we thought if somebody was saying, well, what were you thinking of when you taught all dharmas lack of own being are unproduced, unceasing, quiescent from the start and naturally a state of nirvana, what were you thinking about? We would expect Buddha to say, well, I was thinking of the ultimate, I was thinking of the ultimate lack of own being, the selflessness of phenomena, that's what we would have expected him to be thinking of, right? Does that make sense? No?

[06:30]

That didn't register, Charlie? It did? No, it doesn't. Does that make sense? That's what I would have thought before reading this sutra, right? Or hearing about these, and in fact, he was thinking about it when he taught that, right? That make sense? He was thinking about the ultimate when he taught all phenomena lack own being, or without own being and so on, but sometimes he was thinking about these other kinds of lack own being when he taught that too, and sometimes he was thinking about all three simultaneously. And I keep thinking that I'm missing something in the text, but I just wanted to say again that I would expect him then to say, thinking of a lack of own being in terms of production,

[07:39]

thinking of how there's no essence to dependent co-arising, I taught all dharmas. But he doesn't say that. He didn't say, thinking of a production lack of own being, I taught all phenomena, are unproduced, unceasing, quiescent from the start and so on and so forth. Did you notice that before, some of you? So, he just left it out. Again, just like thinking about this license, we could go into great detail about how come the Buddha didn't say, thinking about a production lack of own being, thinking about the other dependent, I taught all phenomena are unproduced, unceasing and so on. But he didn't say that. So one reason why I think he didn't say it is because maybe when you're thinking about dependent co-arising and how phenomena lack own being in terms of self-production,

[08:48]

you don't think, oh, all phenomena are unproduced. Try it sometime. Enter Buddha's mind, think that way and see if you think, see if you start to want to teach people all phenomena are unproduced. When you're thinking about dependent co-arising, do you want to tell people all phenomena are unproduced? Do you, Buddha? No, you don't want to then. It never occurs to you, just like you're into production but no self-production. Yes, right on, yeah. But I'm not going to say at this point, when I'm into how things are arising depending on things other than themselves, I'm not going to say things are unproduced, not me. Maybe later, when I'm thinking about a lack of own being in terms of character, then I'm going to think, hey, that's unproduced. There's nothing. That doesn't exist by way of its own character, so I'm going to tell people that's unproduced.

[09:51]

And now I'm thinking about selflessness. Now that does exist by way of its own character, but it's not produced. So that's why he left it out. And you heard it here, at the licensed dojo. So that doesn't mean you can blindly trust what you hear here just because there's a license behind me. Believe, believe. Yes, Soto Shu. And see this big thing here? Somebody thought I was going to hit people with this. This is a big one. It's a big one. I don't know how much we paid for it, but I think we paid about, well, several hundred

[10:52]

million tons of sweat. Uncountable mosquito bites and deer fly gouges. Many, many damaged toes and fingers due to the chill in the winter before we had heating. If they came here now with the heating, they might take this thing away. You can't have it. Our ancestors earned this. Okay, and then I also read you yesterday the part of the sutra where they're talking about

[11:54]

Buddhists in a strange, convoluted way. I don't teach these three kinds of lack of own being to people who actually understand something about, you know, these characters. I teach it to people who get this stuff all confused. That's why I teach it. I don't teach it to people who don't confuse the imputational with the other dependent and the thoroughly established character. And then he talks about what happens to these people that he teaches to before they get taught. Remember that horror story about how they start to believe they strongly adhere to the imputational as being, they strongly adhere to their fantasies of inherent existence, applying to dependent existence and then they get involved in conventional designations which proliferate conventional designations which makes us prone again to seeing things that way

[12:58]

and pretty soon we're pretty much stuck in a cycle of affliction. Remember that part? We don't need to go over that again, do we? Well, if you want to, that's in there. You can read about how it all works. So he teaches people that do not understand and that get kind of all bound up in conventional designations and they're like tied into them, they can't get out of them. They believe the appearance of things which is false and they get all tied up in continuing to believe that. So then the Buddha teaches these different kinds of lack of own being and the Buddha starts with a lack of own being in terms of production.

[14:00]

And I've gone over this with you before, right? So basically this is the basic practice is to meditate on the teaching that things are dependent co-arisings. To be mindful of that teaching all day long as much as possible. Somehow understand that teaching, listen to that teaching, understand that teaching about everything you meet. And then you start to become disenchanted and disillusioned about that impermanent, dependently co-arisen things will be the things which will make you happy. When you don't remember that things are dependent co-arising you think things will make you happy or things will make you unhappy but things don't make you happy and things don't make you unhappy. They're just unstable, impermanent, things that aren't worthy of confidence.

[15:19]

What makes you happy is to understand that and then relate to them in the appropriate way. Relating to impermanent phenomena appropriately is what brings happiness. And so by listening to the teaching people start to understand the nature, the teaching starts to sink in, the teaching of causation of dependent co-arising starts to sink into the meditator and their attitude towards everything they see starts to be transformed. And in that transformation they stop treating impermanent things inappropriately. They stop being greedy about impermanent things, for example. So they give up wrongdoing and they practice virtue.

[16:29]

And then it says all this great stuff happens in addition to that and basically they it says they complete the accumulation of wisdom and merit. It says complete but then later as you know it says they don't complete it. But anyway they make a huge progress in developing merit and wisdom by relating to things quite appropriately in the context of them being impermanent. In other words you see various things and you see them as and you understand them as impermanent and therefore you do not get excessively involved and you relate to them skillfully. This person who is really being nice to you, you remember that this is an impermanent niceness

[17:34]

and you say thank you very much but you don't try to grasp them and keep them there being nice to you and try to kill anybody who takes this nice person away from you including the nice person who wants to get away and go spend time with somebody else and give their niceness to somebody else. You know that that's going to happen pretty soon with these nice people. You know they're going to go away and be with somebody else pretty soon because they're dependent co-arisings. They're not under your control or their control. So when they say bye-bye, no more nice person around you, see you later, you say hey, great, thanks for visiting. And if they're monsters and they come you also don't try to push them away so hard because you know that monsters don't make you unhappy. It's relating to monsters inappropriately that makes you unhappy

[18:36]

and inappropriate ways to relate to monsters are to try to control monsters, try to get away from monsters, try to hide from monsters, try to kill monsters. These are inappropriate things to do with impermanent unstable things. So you start relating to monsters skillfully and maestros and majesties and everything you relate to appropriately and then you're happy, virtuous, merit-generating, wise person. But not completely. You get free of afflictions but not completely. The reason is you have not yet understood the more profound aspects of these dependently co-arisen phenomena. Therefore, the Buddha teaches further the other two. Yes? Can you talk about how that functions for you when you look at your wife or your grandson? My grandson? Or your wife?

[19:39]

Or my wife? Well, my grandson. So I look at him and there he is. This is kind of like, generally speaking, Mr. Happy Camper, you know. Hi, granddaddy, blah, blah, you know, just full of energy and life, just like a very cheerful creature, you know. He's often that way. So I practice remembering this is a dependent co-arising. And when the dependent co-arising raises his chubby little hand up, I often take a hold of it and walk with him. But when he doesn't want to hold my hand and hates me, for some reason, like interfering with his waterworks. Like he was washing some trucks in the sink over here recently. You know, somebody, I guess it was Bev, found some nice little trucks and cars in the Goodwill and gave them to him.

[20:40]

And I gave them to him and he didn't want to wash them in the sink. So I was like, I didn't want him to use too much water. And he turned at me and looked at me with such hate. You know, like, this is totally inappropriate, mister. Get away from this water, you know. So anyway, I'm ready for that because of this teaching. So I don't like, generally speaking, I don't like to get pushed out of shape when he hates me, when he turns into a little monster temporarily. Now, the more he's mister cheerful, chubby-handed, energy ball, happy kid, you know, the more that happens, the more you can get lulled into, you know. You know, you get lulled, you get lulled. What do you get lulled by? Happy boy, beautiful boy, lovely boy, happy boy, beautiful boy, cheerful boy, lovely boy, these words, they lull you, they lull you into a trance.

[21:41]

I was with a certain Zen teacher, or former Zen teacher, and I said to him, and I was talking to him and I was noticing the way he was talking, I was feeling kind of lulled into a trance. And I said, you know, I have to be really careful because when, as I listen to you sometimes, I feel myself being lulled into a trance, like you're enchanting me with your speech. And he said, what's the matter with that? Enchantment's good. There are uses of it, but anyway, then if he switches from, you know, blah, blah, blah to da, da, da, sometimes you act inappropriately. You've already acted inappropriately because you allow yourself to be enchanted by the lull of these splendid conventional designations. Matter of fact, this particular guy you asked me about, we used to call him Splendy, Splendy.

[22:49]

Splendy is short for Splendiferous. We're referring to his Splendiferous bod. Huh? Splendiferous? What does Splendiferous mean? Splendid. It means, like, if you saw the way the king of the Holy Roman Empire would dress, he'd probably wear splendid clothing. Splendor. Very, what do you say, pleasant, gorgeous, lovely, often appearance. Or something you could say, a splendid meal. Very good meal. So there's splendid, there's splendor. Like, well, we speak of kings or even the Buddha appearing in splendor.

[23:50]

For royal, holy things, we often say appearing in splendor. Okay? And then there's Splendiferous. Splendiferous. So when you see something splendor, when you see splendor, that word splendor, you can entrench yourself with it. And then when it changes, you can totally freak out. And again, even before it changes, you can try to maintain it and do inappropriate things to protect it from any kind of change. Does that make sense? So the way you work on it is you notice that you're being lulled into a certain state and then you listen to the teaching to balance your way of being with it. So you don't go to sleep and get rudely awakened

[24:50]

and then in your rude awakening be rude yourself and harm people and yourself because you're so irritated that somebody has disturbed your conventional world, which you've become all tied up in. So listening to this teaching starts to loosen the grip of conventionality upon your mind and your behavior. But not entirely. So then the Buddha teaches the next two aspects and then when you're hearing those next two aspects, hearing about the more profound aspects of dependent co-arising, so part of what makes the story of dependent co-arising more profound, which is the part that's not usually taught. And that reminds me, Jackie asked me to talk about something

[26:02]

which I think if you remind me I can work it in at some point, about how a monk said to a monk, a monk said, mind itself is Buddha. And then a monk said something like, how come you teach people mind itself is Buddha? And he said, I teach that I teach the people to help children stop crying. And the monk said, what do you teach them after they stop crying? And he says, no mind, no Buddha. So Jackie asked me to make a comment on that, so if you remind me I think I can work it into the situation. But not right now. Right now I'd like to say that you have, and maybe you can see why it came up in my mind just now, you have dependent co-arising, which has a lack of own being in terms of self-production,

[27:02]

which you can understand, right? You can see that something that exists by its other dependent nature, something that exists depending on other things, of course it doesn't produce itself. By its own nature it doesn't produce itself, so it lacks the essence, it has no essence of self-production. It's arising. The way it arises has no essence. Does that make sense? There's no essence in the process by which you arise, for example. Because you arise from things not from an essence, but you arise from things other than anywhere around the essence. Does that make sense? There isn't an essence in the way you happen. You happen because of things that are other than your happening. Your happening doesn't have an essence. So that makes sense, I think, pretty easily.

[28:03]

But the more profound aspect of this way that we happen is that there is a superimposition upon it. A superimposition. Different kinds of superimpositions, and in particular there's a superimposition of an essence upon a process that we just said doesn't have an essence. So the process which doesn't have an essence in terms of self-production now looks like it has an essence. It appears as though it has an essence even though it doesn't. And that in a sense is a more profound, that's more information about this essence-less process. This process which doesn't have own being because of mental fabrication, a process that doesn't have own being in terms of the way it happens has a superimposition so it looks like it does have own being

[29:04]

in terms of the way it happens. It looks like it makes itself. And that's in a sense more profound because you're more educated now about things. So we teach children, you know, no, the milk does not grow in the refrigerator at the grocery store. And the milk also doesn't grow in the refrigerator at our house. It isn't that you just open the door of the refrigerator and the milk pops up there. We don't say that. We say, no, the milk comes not from the grocery store, before the grocery store it comes from the dairy, before the dairy it comes from the cow, before the cow it comes from the cow's body and the grass and the sun and previous cows and the calves have something to do with it and the farmer and the dairy man and the earth and all that stuff, that's where the milk comes from. So we think, oh, now we understand dependent co-arising, except that we usually don't mention to the kid,

[30:06]

but even though we just told you this, your mind is projecting an essence on that process and you actually still think that the milk produces itself, don't you? And then they look at you like, I hate you. You better start meditating on dependent co-arising yourself, otherwise you're going to hit me for looking at you like this. So it's an education to hear about this. Now we also hear that whatever phenomena we're talking about, whatever dependent co-arising we're talking about has another characteristic. This other characteristic is that it actually has an absence of that superimposition. That superimposition doesn't really apply. It's not established by this essence that's been projected onto it. And that's its most profound aspect,

[31:07]

in the sense that that's its final purifying aspect. So its initial purifying aspect is dependent co-arising. So that's where Buddha starts by teaching dependent co-arising. And that starts to purify our understanding of things that exist in our conventional world. So we're caught in convention, we're mired in conventional existence, grasping and clinging and so on, full of affliction. We hear these teachings about these conventionalities which we're totally caught up in and things start to loosen up a little bit and allow virtue to emerge and understanding to emerge and virtue to emerge and understanding to emerge. And then we hear this more information. We hear, yeah, but you still haven't really stopped and understood this superimposition and you still haven't understood the lack of the imposition. So now study those.

[32:08]

So then when they hear those teachings, which we've gone over again and again and again in many ways, when they or you hear these teachings then basically the complete story of liberation sets in. So now they tell this. First they tell the horror story of what happens when you get confused about these natures. Then they tell the good things that develop from meditating on dependent co-arising and the lack of well-being in terms of production. And then if you hear the next two teachings, then hearing those teachings, they do not strongly adhere to the own being of the other dependent as being of the character of the own being of the imputational. So in this sutra we're being told that listening to these teachings

[33:12]

are a way that beings can stop adhering to the own being of the other dependent as being the own being of the imputational. So this is an example of a scripture saying if you meditate on the teachings in this scripture, part of the teachings of this scripture are saying that if you meditate on these teachings and listen to these teachings and meditate on these teachings and as they impact you, your mind will stop adhering to the other dependent as being the imputational. By using scriptures and meditating on them as described in the next chapter, this will happen. In other words, you will come to know the thoroughly established,

[34:13]

you will come to know the ultimate purifying characteristic of phenomena by not strongly adhering to what's happening as being the imputational. So this is familiar to you, right? It says by hearing these doctrines. And so I also said that I proposed to you that the Zen teachers interact with the Zen students in such a way that students will hear these teachings without even having read this sutra. They'll hear these teachings. The teacher may not say, you are superimposing the imputational upon the other dependent and I'm going to help you not so strongly adhere to that confusion so that you will be able to see suchness.

[35:15]

They don't say that, but they do something, sometimes something non-verbal, which seems to help the person in fact not adhere to their idea of what's going on as being what's going on. And in that not adhering to their imagination of what's going on as being what's going on, they open to a vision of emptiness. And when they do that, and when that happens, they become confident, when they don't adhere anymore, they become confident of the lack of own being in terms of production. They become confident that the lack of own being in terms of production does not exist as the

[36:17]

does not exist as an ultimate lack of own being in the sense that it is the absence of own being in terms of character with respect to those imputation, to those phenomena. They will become confident that it's not the ultimate in the sense that it is the absence of the imputational in those phenomena. They fully realize this, they realize it as it is, and in this way their understanding is not infused

[37:36]

with conventional designations. They will ponder, think, and really understand for in their other dependent pattern of consciousness they will not cling to imagined essences or marks. Once they have heard these teachings, they are able to truly believe the essencelessness of characteristics and ultimate essencelessness in the essencelessness of birth.

[38:40]

When they hear these teachings, they are able to truly believe and understand the lack of own being in terms of production and the ultimate lack of own being in the other dependent, the production lack of own being. And then they are able to investigate these phenomena and realize them in the sense that in truth, so as to be able not to cling to conceptualized nature in the dependent existence. Therefore, because they are not bound by conventional designations

[39:50]

and because their understanding is free from predispositions towards convention, in this lifetime, they produce the ability to understand the other dependent character. Because of a wisdom that is not permeated by language, because of an insightful wisdom not formed by language, because of a wisdom freed from inclinations towards language, they are able, they will be able to destroy the pattern that arises

[40:53]

dependent upon others. Because of knowledge that is not conditioned by words, not thinking in conformity with words, free from the lull of words, they are able to extinguish dependency. Let's see. So I've been... For a couple of days I've been prepared to try to move from the sutra

[41:58]

again to look at stories of how Zen teachers teach, but by the time I look at the sutra a little bit it's already time to stop and that's happened again. Sorry. So what I think I would do is I think I'm going to introduce, get ready for looking at the Zen stories. The last two days I was thinking of telling stories about Dungshan's great enlightenment. I told a story about other people's great enlightenment. The last great enlightenment I told a story about was Linji. So I was going to now tell the story of sort of like

[43:00]

his parallel, his contemporary. These are the two founders of the two big schools and the two schools which are represented on our blood lineage chart. Linji school and Sao Dung school. So I was going to talk about Dungshan but yesterday and today when I was bowing at the place of talking about Dungshan both days I got tangled up in my robes and was late and wasn't able to get down in time for Dungshan so I thought well that's probably it for Dungshan and sure enough I don't think I'm going to be able to get to Dungshan except to tell you that I've been trying to get to Dungshan for three days and haven't been able to get there yet. So I'm telling you ahead of time that I'd like to not tell you the story of Dungshan's enlightenment but I also want to get you ready for it and one of the ways I want to get you ready for it

[44:00]

is to say that a number of people like for example two is a number two people have said something like I wish I was ready to be hit somebody else said the people around Wang Bo must have been really relaxed because he could hit them and they didn't break into 50 pieces and I think some of the success stories are when the student is relaxed and the teacher hits the student if the student is not relaxed and you hit the student they just break, it doesn't do any good so like Wang Bo tried to get the students to let go with a stick, he ran into the room, big guy swinging the stick at him they didn't move, they were not relaxed that day and he called them dreg slurpers, he didn't say we're dreg slurpers

[45:04]

he said you're dreg slurpers, remember that part? they weren't relaxed that day, he couldn't hit anybody he tried to scare them, he tried to get them to move I should say he didn't try to scare them, they were already scared he tried to get them to stop strongly adhering to the way he appeared as the way he was he appeared probably as this other person who is big, famous zen master with big stick he appeared that way as an external giant monster he tried to get them by being that monster but they couldn't go with it so he gave up and just told them maybe tomorrow you won't be dreg slurpers but with Linji, he could see this guy is relaxed I can hit him, so whacko

[46:05]

so people came to me and they said I wish I was ready to be hit but then one person says something like do you think it's ever by kindness that the zen masters prompt the students into the enlightenment is it ever by kindness that they prompt by which the student like stops adhering and sees emptiness and I thought, I don't know what I said to the person but later I thought how interesting it is that the story of Linji is exactly about that it's exactly about how Linji comes to Wangbo sees he's relaxed and swats him to help him and Linji doesn't see this as kindness

[47:08]

he thinks this is a swat, probably I did something wrong probably I'm not a very good student rather than I must be a really good student because not only did he swat me which shows he probably thinks I'm really relaxed but I am relaxed yeah, he didn't do it that way he thought he was relaxed enough to get hit but he wasn't relaxed enough to get over his imputations on being hit there was a dependent co-arising there was the other dependent phenomena of being hit but Linji's mind put an essence on it and he strongly adhered to it three times so then he went to see Dayu and Dayu explained Wangbo was so kind to you and it was actually to see that the swat was kind that's actually what he turned on, is that issue

[48:10]

that's what he woke up to is that this was kindness so then it makes sense that someone would come to me and say well, it's always by kindness never by anything other than kindness it's always kindness that wakes you up never not kindness but it often looks like not your idea of kindness because if kindness looks like your idea of kindness you just stay asleep because you got everything under control these are the unkind things these are the kind things I like the unkind, I like the kind and I don't like the unkind it is kindness that knocks you out of that the teaching which tells you about this is a kindness which if you meditate on it, you move out of it and the behavior of some people is a kindness when it is attempting to do that

[49:11]

but even the kindness of Wangbo three times was not sufficient Wangbo could not do it by himself Linji could not take any more lessons he had to go to somebody else who told him this guy is extremely kind to you and then Linji got it it didn't look kind, it was kind, he got it and someone also said to me do you believe it's by that hitting and shouting that how did you put it? do I believe, how did you put it? do I believe the stories? do I believe the stories? yeah, so I don't believe the stories but I do believe that something has to stimulate the person to see how absurd their view is

[50:20]

for them to allow the arising of mind which sees emptiness there is a school, one of the basic schools of the Mahayanas called the Prasangika the Prasangika Madhyamika the middle way school of those who use consequence how do they use consequence? they use consequence they take somebody's position and they use the consequences of their position the absurd, ridiculous consequences of their position they use it to stimulate the birth in their mind of a consciousness which sees emptiness like, so what is it? Kweka came to Bodhidharma and said my mind's anxious that's his position

[51:21]

please pacify it teacher Bodhidharma says bring me your mind, I'll pacify it Kweka at some point comes back and says I looked for it and I couldn't find it Bodhidharma says it's pacified the position is I've got an anxious mind, that's the position there's the imposition upon the dependently co-arising anxious mind the absurd position that really you do have such a mind well, if you've got one, bring it here and I'll pacify it for you look at that and you see the absurdity of it another mind arises a mind which sees the absurdity of it if this works, this is what we mean by compassion if it doesn't, it's trying to be compassionate

[52:25]

by John's walking with Matsu some ducks fly over, Matsu says what's that? in other words, what's your position? what's your position on that? by John says wild ducks okay where'd they go? they flew away that's your position? here you think they went away? what's the consequence of thinking of your position that the ducks flew away? what's the consequence? the ridiculous consequence your nose gets twisted and then in this twisted nose is in the consequence of your position a new mind has arisen a mind which understands emptiness emptiness of what? emptiness of the position the ducks flew away emptiness of the belief

[53:38]

in the actual inherent existence of ducks flying away which you superimposed on the flying ducks so on and on these stories don't necessarily sound so kind they're recorded they didn't record the ones where the nose twistings didn't work I don't know how many of those there were probably quite a few people after Matsu tried it but apparently I say probably they did but it only worked like one time the rest of them were not they were trying to be kind but it wasn't it wasn't that skillful so another thing I'd like to mention this is somewhat related I suppose

[54:40]

someone said to me does Zen Masters ever cry? I don't know what I said but anyway that person said to me I think she said something like well I don't really see them crying or hear about them crying I don't hear about so and so I asked the Zen Master blah blah and he started crying well anyway Dogen was really into crying he cried a lot when he went to China he would see pieces of paper he would see documents of inheritance that people receive and he'd burst into tears he would see Rujing hitting people and he would start crying because he was so kind

[55:42]

he thought Rujing was so kind he heard the road chant you know Daizai gate up he heard the road chant and started crying remember when Tetsugekai came to see him how he cried Dogen cried a lot so according to stories Zen Masters cry quite a bit some of them In the description of the type of Majamaka who is called a Prasangika in the type of middle way practitioner in the Mahayana who uses consequences they use consequences they use consequences

[56:46]

to help people see emptiness they use consequences to cause the arising of a consciousness they use the consequences of somebody's attitude somebody's position they use the consequences of what people believe to give rise to a mind which sees emptiness and actually in the book it actually says they use the consequences of the opponent's position they're actually arguing with people who have these views that things inherently exist they're arguing with these people who will not switch from believing in inherent existence just by being invited to do so what seems to this particular style of teaching is to use the absurdity not of the position that the person has

[57:49]

the person's position isn't really absurd to use the absurdity of the consequences of their position to shock them into realization or not to necessarily shock them to lull them into realization not by their position but by the consequences of their position but that's just one school so now I think you're ready or we're ready to look at the story of Deng Xiang's enlightenment but that's a big story the kitchen's got to leave pretty soon, right?

[58:52]

so I'm not going to tell that story I'm going to do that tomorrow, maybe if I don't get tangled up in my robes but I'll tell you beforehand if you look at the story of Deng Xiang's enlightenment there's no hitting something happens but it doesn't look harsh but also doesn't look necessarily sweet or gentle necessarily either it is the way he awoke it's the story of the way he awoke of the type of interaction that helped his mind stop adhering to the other dependent as the imputational how he awoke so this story we can look at in detail to see how that maybe works I'm going to do it but

[60:04]

not necessarily in this particular flow of events I'm more like registering that as a as something I'd like to deal with because I thought she wanted to hear about it so so I feel a what do I say I guess this is even kind of an inflated thought that I would have this thought

[61:07]

but to some extent I have this inflated thought that I'm that I want to apologize to any of you who have not yet had this consciousness arise in you which understands emptiness in your interactions with me that I have not been able to be with you in such a way that you have not yet realized emptiness I'm kind of apologizing that I'm that I'm in such a way that our interactions have not engendered that mind in you if that in fact is the case that you have not yet understood the thoroughly established character of phenomena but I would say to you that I'm

[62:11]

I'm spending some effort trying to encourage getting ready for a way of interacting to arise to do what might be conducive to a way of interacting to arise that becomes a condition for this mind to arise this mind which understands the absence of the imputational in the other dependent but the uninflated way to put it is that you should be apologizing to me for not interacting with me in such a way as to give rise to that mind that would be uninflated for me to think that

[63:14]

it would be uninflated for you to think that that you should have interacted with me in such a way that my mind would be transformed into a vision of emptiness but I bet none of you are ashamed of that because you're not inflated enough to think that you could teach me that, right? You're so humble So so tomorrow we can look at a different kind of a story a different story about how Dungshan's teacher Dungshan's teachers worked with this wonderful person to help him wake up to suchness and again if with your help maybe I can work in

[64:22]

Matsu and so on to the story of Dungshan and I want to say one more time when I said yesterday Gambhira Artha Sandhinirmochana Sutra Gambhira means deep and Artha means meaning or object it's a very deep there's a very deep meaning in this sutra and so it is a very difficult sutra and I I've always enjoyed the idea that we right now are living on the front edge of history we are like the latest version of the history of the world that we are here for happening right now

[65:25]

and that we are the unfolding of the history of Buddhist studies in the West that this practice period we have studied this sutra for the first time that it's ever happened in the history at least of the Western Hemisphere I bet this has never happened before something like this so we're really together being very creative in the unfoldment of Dharma and so it's a it's just you know unspeakably wonderful that we can study this deep teaching and have our the life that arises from this study together and again I really I'm really what do you call it I'm deeply moved by the fact that you're you know letting this

[66:29]

letting this experience into your body and mind letting it sink down into your marrow even though there's some you know quite a bit of insulation because it's cold it is sinking down I can see it's sinking down into into the bodies here so in that sense too we're making history we're creating a basis for for the Mahayana in this on this continent in this hemisphere so I congratulate the practice period to play this role in the unfolding history of the Dharma on this planet and congratulate each of you individually for the great effort you're making

[67:29]

to be present in this process so I'll try to I try to start with Dungsan tomorrow rather than start with the sutra DUNGSAN May our intention equally penetrate every being and place with the true energy

[68:01]

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