The chant we have been reciting, we have been chanting at noon service, we call it the Self-Receiving and Employing Samadhi. But I actually think maybe we could try a different title for that, a Buddha Samadhi or Buddha Activity Samadhi. Literally, the Chinese says, self, ji, ju, receiving, and ju, employing. But the compound means enjoyment, the self-enjoyment. It's referring to the actual experience of the Buddhas in meditation, the actual Buddha mind. So it's It could also be translated in English as Buddha Samadhi. So we've been chanting a text describing the Buddha Samadhi.

[01:01]

In that text it says, earth, grass, trees, etc. All phenomena are engaged in Buddha activity. So some people have been saying to me, all phenomena are Buddha activity. It's slightly different than that. So I would say phenomena are not exactly Buddha activity. The phenomena are engaged in Buddha activity. All phenomena are engaged in Buddha activity. Cruelty is a phenomena.

[02:11]

Cruelty is not Buddha activity. But cruelty is engaged in Buddha activity. Cruelty is engaged, actively engaged in the process of becoming liberated from cruelty. All the cruel things that are done are on the Buddha way. And they're in this unceasing, beginningless, endless path with everything, towards liberation. The Buddha activity is bringing everything along towards freedom and peace. And even kindness is not Buddha activity, but kindness is always engaged in Buddha activity because kindness is immersed in the same path and the same practice as the Buddha's.

[03:22]

Kindness is also in the process of becoming liberated from kindness. Of course being stuck in cruelty is horrible, but being stuck in good karma is stressful, anxiety, confusion because you're holding on to something that cannot be held on to. So being stuck in even good karma is suffering. Of course being stuck in bad karma is. That makes sense, right? So I think a lot of people say, yeah, being stuck in bad karma, that would really be the pits what people may be surprised to hear is that being trapped in good karma is also a pit.

[04:31]

Buddha activity is to free us from evil karma, below average karma, above average karma, all karma. It's the activity of freeing all phenomena earth, grass, trees, animals, plants, fear, happiness, sadness, encouragement, discouragement, you name it, whatever phenomenon it is, it's engaged in becoming free of being entrapped by its existence. And in fact, it is in the process of becoming free, but some phenomena are, you know, you could say, not very close to being free. but they're on the path, they will become free. They will become Buddha. And in the text, it talks about how all these, you know, the various states, the lower states, even they, hell, hungry ghosts, animals, you know, they're all involved in the process of being liberated so that they may live in peace, so that they may actively work for peace.

[06:06]

Everything's involved in it. And so, in other words, when you're sitting in this room practicing Zazen, you are involved in Buddha activity. You cannot get away from being immersed and actively working together with all beings to free all beings. That's what we're doing. All beings are engaged in turning the wheel of the Dharma. BUT SOMETIMES THE WAY SOME PEOPLE TURN IT IS THEY SAY, I HATE THE WHEEL OF DHARMA AND I JUST WANT TO, LIKE, BREAK IT. OR I'M... I'LL LET THOSE OTHER PEOPLE TURN IT. I DON'T WANT TO. WHATEVER YOU SAY, WHATEVER YOU DO, THAT'S YOUR WAY OF TURNING THE WHEEL OF DHARMA. I hate everybody.

[07:11]

That's your way that you're engaged in learning to turn the wheel of Dharma. And then it also says in that text, all this, however, all what? All this Buddha activity, this unthinkable, unnameable, inconceivable, unstoppable, unavoidable Buddha Dharma. It's unavoidable. However, all this, it's not appearing within perception. Because it's unconstructedness and stillness. Nobody, no God or Buddha is constructing this. is manipulating the way each of us is supporting the whole universe and being supported by the universe. That's not a constructed activity. And that's going on in stillness.

[08:15]

The Buddha activity is unconstructed. The way you're in a reciprocal relationship with all things and they with you, that's unconstructed. That's immediate realization. It can't be perceived. It doesn't appear within perception. It's not mixed with perception. In other words, human perceptual equipment doesn't reach it. Human perceptual equipment reaches phenomena. Our conscious mind does perceive things, and the things it perceives are called phenomena, both in Buddhist psychology and Western philosophy.

[09:20]

And, or however, or fortunately, or whatever, as yesterday Dora Lee used the example of, she saw Tara Buddha here, my neighbor. I have a good seat, right? I get to sit next to Tara Buddha, and I get to sit next to Earth Store Bodhisattva, and they're like, you know, patting me on the head during Zazen, adjusting my posture, you know, hanging there, keep doing that work, that Buddha work. Yes, ma'am. I have a nice seat. But these bodhisattvas are also helping you. Anyway, and also they practice stillness. Now, Dora Lee saw Tara turn towards me.

[10:26]

Did you turn towards me? And she came and told us about that, right? And then she was saying that that was the perception that she had. Is that right? She had a perception. Her conscious mind perceived Tara still and then Tara turned. Do you remember her talking about that yesterday? Her perception? Buddha activity is not mixed with her perception of Tara sitting still or Tara moving and looking at me. It's not mixed with that. Buddha activity doesn't appear in that lovely perception that she had. However, she also said, I don't know if she enjoyed saying it, but she said it, The perception is a jewel mirror.

[11:31]

Did you say that? The perception is a precious mirror. It's a mirror of something that does not appear in it. So, our perceptions are precious mirrors in which that which is not in the perception is reflected. You can't see light, but it is reflected to you through the things you can see. I can't see light, but I I only see it as it's reflected in your faces. That's how I see it. I see it as you. So you are our precious mirror showing me light.

[12:32]

All phenomena are precious mirror showing us Buddha activity. But it's not in the thing that's reflecting. So again, the ancestor, Dung Shan, inheriting the teaching, just this is it. He sees in the mirror, well, I'm it, but it's not me. When you look in a mirror, you see yourself, but that's not you. But it is you, but it's not you. And just like you, you're you and you're not you. Just like the Buddhas that you're giving birth to when you're sitting Zazen, the birth is not birth. All this does not appear in perception.

[13:46]

Awakening, realization, doesn't appear in the phenomenal practice that we're involved in. But they're not two things. The practice is a precious mirror of the realization. Also, I was struck yesterday, maybe somebody told me this, the teaching, remember the teaching? Tung Shan says to his teacher, after you die, how should I depict your Buddha activity? How should I describe your Buddha activity that you're engaged in with us?" And the teacher, Yuen Yuen, said, Just this is it.

[15:11]

And the person said, Is that another way to say stillness? And I said, yeah, right. Just this is it. Is stillness made into a sentence? What is your Buddha activity? Stillness. Stillness is an activity. It's not going anywhere. It's not coming from anywhere. It's not doing anything. It's unconstructed. And it is just this is it. So we have been given stillness. We've been given stillness.

[16:15]

We've been given just this is it. We have received stillness. Just this is it. And we are practicing. Just this is it. and we are transmitting just, this is it. And this way of practice, of practicing stillness, when we sit here and practice stillness, we don't make stillness, we don't do stillness, we receive it and we practice it, and we give it away. In that way we are turning the wheel of Dharma unceasingly. and all this unceasing turning of the unsurpassed Dharma, by accepting the teachings, accepting the teachings, the wheel turns. Accepting just this is, the wheel turns.

[17:19]

The teaching is given, we receive it, the wheel turns, but in stillness, in stillness the wheel is turning. And just this is it. The wheel is turning. In stillness, justice is it.

[18:32]

And that is imperceptible. And in stillness, all perceptions are precious mirrors of this justice is it. Yuen Yen transmitted the precious mirror samadhi to Dungsan. They practiced together. And Yuen Yen transmitted the precious mirror samadhi to Dungsan. And in the last, the famous last meeting, after Yuen Yuen gave Dung Shan just this is, gave him this precious mirror samadhi,

[19:58]

with the words, just this is. This is the precious mirror samadhi. And then he said, now you have inherited this great, this great teacher. You must be thorough going with it. And then as I said, the disciple, Dung Shan, went off for a long walk. And I've told you before that I went to the river that Dung Shan crossed at the place where he crossed it. And I went there after visiting where Yun Yan lived. And I said, how far is it from Yuen Yuen's place to this river.

[21:01]

And the message I got was 155 miles with mountains. So he walked for a long time. He came to the river. And then after that, after meeting it, he wrote a poem which we call The Song of the Precious Mir Samadhi. And at the beginning of the poem, he says to us what his teacher said to him. The teaching of suchness, the teaching of suchness, just this is, has been intimately transmitted by Buddhas and ancestors.

[22:02]

Now you have it. Please take care of it. Be thorough going with it. Every morning that you chant that, you're saying what the ancestors say when they transmit the Dharma. We're reciting a poem which is reciting a conversation. All phenomena are in this conversation with the universe. And the universe is in this conversation with all phenomena. I guess many of you have heard the word koan.

[23:25]

That's the Japanese way of pronouncing two Chinese characters. The Chinese way is more like gung-on. How do you say it, Ellen? Gung-on. You don't know? Would you say gung-on, please? Yeah, that's how to say it in Chinese. Gong An. Translated in English, public case. The case made public. So I was going to say, I rest my case. And then I did. Or maybe I should say, I rest our case. This is our case.

[24:31]

This is a story about our life. Just this is. Stillness is a story, a short story about our life. I rest the case. Still, I might bring it up again tomorrow. And then rest it again. And although I'm not bringing it up, I put it to rest, it might bring itself up.

[26:18]

You've been saying that all phenomena in each moment are supporting us, and we are supporting all phenomena in each moment. Would it be also correct to maybe say all phenomena are creating us, and we are creating, co-creating all these phenomena in each moment? Yes. We are created by all phenomena. But not just all phenomena, all beings. Because there are some beings that aren't phenomena. For example, in a way, light isn't a phenomena because you can't see it. But we know it exists. Realization isn't exactly a phenomena. It's not something we, phenomena are things we can perceive. But we're supported by all phenomena and all beings. And also we support them.

[28:11]

So we, yeah, we're dependent co-creation is another word you could use instead of dependent co-production or dependent co-arising. And you've also said that we're in conversation with all beings. Yes. Yes, and they with us. And another way to say that is maybe that we're in a dance with all beings. Yes. So another way of saying this teaching is just we are all, moment by moment, in a constant creation dance together. Yes, you can say it that way. And I would thank you for saying that. Just in case.

[29:37]

I felt that. What can you concentrate on until they realize just this is? Stillness. Why? You can concentrate on why, too, if you want to. Want to concentrate on why? I want something, but I don't... I'll just give you more and more. How about concentrating on compassion? Will that be helpful until I realize this truth? Probably. Not only concentrate on it, not only focus on it, but also maybe before I go any further with more examples that you will reject, I'm assuming I'm going to reject them. No, no, I thought you just did. Oh, I did then, but maybe I'll be open now. Yeah, right.

[30:37]

I'm willing to offer you stuff, and you can reject one after another. It's fine with me. Or accept it. Or accept it. Yeah, yeah. But before I do, I just want to check, what's the most important thing to you? Realizing just this is. Okay. So you could concentrate on just this is. That would be quite handy. And you could be in conversation with all your friends about what you're concentrating on. How about that? That sounds good. Yeah. Like classical Zen. Focusing on the koan, just this is. And will I know when I realize it? Or am I just going to keep... You will not know. I will not know. Knowing this koan is not done by a person. You won't know. And I won't know either. However, our conversation is realizing this koan.

[31:42]

Our conversation is in the process of realizing this koan. The conversation realizes it, not me or you. Just like the dance realizes it, not the dancers. And they're not excluded. And we conversing people are not excluded from the conversation, but I don't know it. You don't know it. Even we don't know it. But our conversation realizes the koan. Thanks. You're welcome. Thanks for the conversation. Appreciate it. May our intention equally extend to every being and place.

[32:51]

May the true merit follow Buddha's way.

[33:00]

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