This person named Tore Zenji is one of the main disciples of Hakuin Zenji, a Japanese Buddhist monk, sometimes called a Zen monk or Zen master. So Tore Zenji is his disciple and Tore Zenji apparently wrote or said, when I contemplate the true form of the universe. Is that what he said? When I contemplate the true form of the universe. The real form of the universe. When I contemplate the realized universe. So here we have a student of Dharma saying, also called a Zen Master, who sometimes, anyway, he contemplates the Realized Universe.

[01:02]

In this way, he's very close to my heart, your heart, when you also contemplate the Realized Universe. So I started out by saying that we have an opportunity to contemplate how the practice of sitting of the Buddhas is actually an expression of the vows of Buddhas and also how sitting is a

[02:19]

a venue where we receive the vows of all Buddhas. So sometimes you could say, and I kind of do feel this way, that our practice of sitting, our practice of just sitting, when I say our practice, I mean the practice which I that this person that I personally, together with all of you, whether you like it or not, that I personally wish to encourage in this world, as Dogen says, the sitting meditation that I teach, the sitting meditation that I most highly value, is basically receptive, or you could say feminine.

[03:27]

That the core is receptive, it's open. That's, in a sense, the core is openness to, like I said yesterday, all beings, all forms of suffering. but also it is receptive to the realized universe. It seems right now that the openness to all forms of suffering is a warm-up exercise, a big warm-up exercise to opening to the realized universe. If we close to suffering, we close, of course, to some part of the universe. In closing to some part of the universe, we close to some part of the realized universe.

[04:32]

So Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are just sitting, I say, and that just sitting, although it's called just sitting, and it is just sitting, and they are, this sitting has a boundless activity. It has an unlimited function. It's very functioning and active, this sitting. The sitting includes the activity of the entire universe. But they are just sitting. The openness of the Buddhas is just sitting. The openness of the Buddhas has this great activity. So the context and the content of the sitting of the Buddha's practice is this vow. and is also the realized universe.

[05:49]

The context of the sitting practice, of the meditation practice, and the meditation practice which I'm trying to encourage in this life is the realized universe. So the word genjō koan is the Japanese way of saying it. And it has, I think it has a historical, historical, it has a story. And the story is that sometime in China, a teacher said something like, the koan is realized, or the universe is realized. Somebody did something, you know, some monk did something, the teacher said, the universe is realized at this moment through this person.

[06:55]

Now you could say, some people might translate it as, this person solved or the universe, the koan, the truth is understood by this monk. That's fine too. The koan is realized. The genjo koan can also mean is realized. But it means more than that, it means the Ramana is realized and given away. So when we're practicing the just sitting of the Buddhas, the universe is realized. The universe is realized and just sitting.

[08:16]

The universe is realized and is just sitting. Or the universe is realized and is just sitting. Just sitting, the universe is realized. That's the content of the sitting. Someone said to me, I heard you say something like that, what I just said, that when we're sitting, the content of the sitting is the realized universe. And I think that's very beautiful. Starts to run with that. I start thinking about it and I start running away in my thinking about how beautiful it is. that the sitting is the realized universe. And that person says, should I pull myself back?

[09:21]

And I said, no. When you're running away, you know, crazy person, running away with thinking how great it is that the content of your meditation is the realized universe, when you're being crazy lady or whatever, Right there, the crazy lady is the realized universe. You don't have to go back someplace that you used to be to be the way you are now, which was really cool. I am... Sometimes, you know, if I say I, or if I say... I don't like that. Why don't you say we?

[10:23]

But this case, I want to say I and you. I am not the whole universe. I am the whole universe manifested and realized as me. You are not the whole universe, but you are the entire universe in ten directions realized as you. The whole universe is based on you and the whole universe is based on you. I am like this and you are like this too. In practicing just sitting we open to not, you know, the realized universe and we open to the universe realized as ourselves.

[11:38]

and we open to receiving the realized universe, and we open to receiving the vow to be open. We open to receive to all beings. We open to receiving all beings when we practice just sitting. Just sitting means to be open. and receptive to the entire universe. The Buddha, the Buddhas by their wisdom can affirm that the world is already saved and is already purified. But they also understand that the saved world is full of people who are not open to saved and purified world.

[12:44]

Therefore, they wish to help people open to it and see it demonstrated and awaken to it and enter it. And these beings who they wish to open to this openness they did not see as the slightest bit in addition to themselves or less than themselves or separate from themselves. They understand this and this is the same as understanding that the world is saved and pure. The world is purified actually of separation between us And it's saved from us. If we don't get this, we need help to open to the way the world is.

[13:48]

When I say that, I realize that some people who are anti, who are phobic to certain other religions get scared when you say it. But I just want to say that in the Buddha Dharma, The Buddhas do not take credit for the world being saved. Although, in some sense, they could. But also you can take credit for the world being saved. So not only do we open to all beings, and in the sitting of the Buddhas we open to all beings, or we learn to open to all beings, and we open to the vow to be open to all beings. I vow to be open to all beings and I vow to be open to all Buddhas and all their wonderful practices. And I vow to open to this

[14:57]

at the same time. I open to all the beings who do not feel saved, and I open to the saved universe. I open to responsibility for all beings, and I open to all beings being responsible for me. And I open to the realized universe, responsible for the realized universe. I am responsible for it with all of you. I open to that. I want to open to that. I vow to open to that. There is a vow to open to all the activities of all Buddhas, to all the practices of all the Buddhas. and again the Buddhas being open also to all the practices of all Buddhas.

[16:04]

So there is also the situation of people who seek blissful state of concentration. and they are allowed in a number of Zen centers around the planet. People who wish to attain blissful states up to the blissful state of Nirvana. Those who seek blissful states are what we call sentient beings. They're other sentient beings, they're living beings. a lot of different kinds of living beings might seek the blissful state of nirvana. Among sentient beings there is one type of sentient being who does not seek to attain the blissful state of nirvana. Guess what kind of sentient being that is?

[17:14]

Don't be afraid to appear to be a smarty pants. What kind of sentient being does not seek the blissful state of nirvana? Bodhisattvas do not seek the blissful state of Nirvana. They're sentient beings, they're still sentient beings, but they do not seek the blissful state of Nirvana. I think psychopaths seek the blissful state. I think when they hit people at bars that that's what they're seeking. They think that'll be a lot of fun. Or, you know, when they rob those gas stations, they think it'll be, you know, oh boy, that was really, wasn't that something? I think they kind of... I'm not saying everything that every sentient being ever does is seeking the blissful state, but anyway, those who are seeking this are sentient beings, and a lot of people are sentient beings.

[18:17]

Among those who do not seek... the blissful state of nirvana. Those who are open and vastly responsive and responsible to the suffering of such seeking are what? Is that too long? Those who are open and responsive to the suffering of those who are seeking blissful states are called Bodhisattvas are open to all the beings who are seeking whatever, but including the state of nirvana. Some pretty lofty spiritual beings are still seeking nirvana. Some amazing, wonderful people are seeking nirvana. They're sentient beings, but not...

[19:19]

and bodhisattvas are open to those beings and responsive to those beings and do not put those beings down, even the ones who realize it. Now in their openness, in bodhisattvas openness and boundless respect to all sentient beings who are seeking the state of nirvana, they, the bodhisattvas, quickly and easily attain nirvana. Bodhisattvas know how to attain nirvana and can do so very quickly. They do not seek it, though. They don't seek it. They just open to all sentient beings. And when they actually get all the way open and all the way responsive... realize it, and easily give it away.

[20:25]

Joyfully give it away. They don't seek it, but they do realize it when the time is right, whenever it's helpful for them to realize it. Bodhisattva's know how and they can do so easily and they give away both the blissful state and the quick attainment. So they can not attain it or attain it. They can attain it quickly or they can attain it real slowly. Whatever. Because they're open. Because they practice just sitting so the just sitting of the buddhas and you might say the just sitting of a certain lineage of zen is the is uh knows how to quickly attain nirvana knows how to attain nirvana quickly and knows how to and wishes to give it away

[21:44]

give it away, and then what? After giving it away, then what? Go ahead and say something, please. What? Yeah. Open, yeah. Then open to sentient beings again and open and accept your responsibility with them and to them and by them and of them. And then again, you're ready. Anytime. Nirvana. Nirvana. Open. Open. That's how you give it away. In just sitting, we are thus open. When we are open, we are just sitting. When we are thus open, we are just sitting. That receptive core, we're not trying to get anything, we're opening.

[22:50]

Infinite compassion is developing, but no seeking. And infinite compassion to all beings who are seeking. And as you may know, when you see seeking beings, it's sometimes a challenge to open to the seeking being. Like my grandson is an intense seeker of states of bliss. I told you about the massage thing, right? So I'm giving him a massage and I say, okay, is that enough? He said, no. I said, well, I have to do some work. He said, work schmirk. No, I really don't need to work. No! Open to the seeking grandson. who does not allow me."

[23:52]

Someone says, I said, early in my Zen story, I said, I want to be like him. I want to be like her. You know, I feel so blessed. I never thought, I'm Zen practice, I never thought, I want to be concentrated. I want to have deep concentration. I want to attain Nirvana. I want to be free. I never thought in that. I just wanted to be like... I saw this person, just wanted to be like that person. I found out that person was concentrated and so on. But I didn't want to get their state. I wanted to function like them. So... I want to be like her.

[25:19]

And who are they? They are somebody who gives their life to everybody. They didn't say, they weren't walking around saying, I'm open to everybody. They just acted like that. They didn't walk around like they were in a way. They just were acting. in such a way that showed that they did attain nirvana and they gave it away. And when it came, they said, okay. And when it was taken away, they said, okay. Excuse me, this is terrible, I know, but in the realized universe, all the terrible things are there too. In the saved universe, All the terrible, horrible things are there too. So I sometimes think of this story of Suzuki Roshi. But anyway, I think of this story.

[26:23]

He says, sometimes when I sit, I feel like I can sit forever. In other words, sometimes when I sit, I quickly and easily realize nirvana. But when the bell rings, I get up and do kini. I often think of that story when I'm sitting in this seat. So I sometimes think that he's sitting there too. That's the horrible part, sorry. I sometimes feel like he's sitting on this seat, which is the same place I sit. And sometimes it's like nirvana is quickly and easily and skillfully realized and given up. It can happen at any seat in this room. And sometimes it does, actually. But, when the bell rings, somebody gets up. And he goes, would you please get up, Dukini?

[27:24]

No, no, let me stay here a little longer. You don't want to give up the nirvana? No. Okay, so anyway, you've heard about, I think there's something about Bodhisattva's what do you call it, postponing their own enlightenment until all beings are enlightened? In a way, I think that's wrong. They postpone permanent entry into parinirvana until all beings are saved. But bodhisattvas are easily... and constantly being enlightened. But their enlightenment is constantly being given away to those who they are open to.

[28:27]

And they easily realize it in their openness to all beings. And they easily give it away in their openness to all beings. And that process of easily realizing it whenever it's helpful to people and not realizing it when it's not helpful to people. If it doesn't... Again, be open to all beings and listen to them. They say, do not realize it. Okay, fine. Or, okay, no. I'm going to realize it. Whatever, you know, accept your responsibility. that you're open to. So you easily attain nirvana or not, easily give it up after you attain it, whatever. But that's not the same as just becoming a Buddha.

[29:36]

So bodhisattvas long before they're Buddha, After enlightened, they churn up the ocean of beings. They swim with all beings for a long time, joyfully developing beings as part of becoming Buddhas. But they're enlightened. They become Buddhas. So when you hear about the long path of bodhisattvas, that's true. But it's a long path of enlightenment. It's a long process of enlightenment which they are enjoying. and they are, in some sense, are the ones who are open to all of us and accept responsibility for all of us. And in that realm, they easily attain blissful states which they easily give away and easily postpone the enjoyment of, if that's .

[30:39]

And that is the same as sitting and meditating on the realized universe, meditating on Genjo Koan. I know this person who likes to read catalogs and Sometimes she tells me about, what do you call it, excellent offerings in the catalogs. And she recently showed me a Zen chair. She showed it to me and she said, do you know this is a Zen chair? And I said, yes, I do. I can tell it's a Zen chair. It's a black chair, very simple lines. It says, this would be a good chair to sit in.

[31:44]

and perhaps write a book called Zen and the Art of Sitting. Yesterday I imagined that somebody besides me was struggling to open to the suffering of all beings. In some meditation traditions, they recommend, you know, when you sit, sit in a comfortable position, in a comfortable posture. And then even, and sometimes when they recommend this, they say, but in the Zen tradition, they sometimes don't recommend that. And in fact, they think there's some virtue in it, it seems. I would say, yeah.

[32:47]

I mean, yeah. There is virtue in pain. Pain is the entire universe realized as pain. So it's not that we're looking for pain, it's that we're opening to all forms of pain. in so-called Zen, bodhisattvas aren't trying to find. They're just opening to all the different varieties. And so that's part of our practice is to train to see if we can open moment by moment, moment by moment, to the pain which is right now surrounding us and penetrating us. It's already here. So we're training to find some way to open to it, to be upright and relaxed and soft and gentle in the middle of all this suffering.

[33:59]

And again. And if you run away, the suffering will come with you. So no matter what your mind does, you're always surrounded by suffering beings. And Buddhas sit in the middle of all suffering beings. They also sit in Nirvana. Bodhisattvas sit in Nirvana. But the Nirvana they sit in is surrounded by all suffering beings and they give up dwelling in that peaceful blissful state though giving it up and opening is the gate to it the gate to it is also the gate out of it so we enter and leave playfully enter nirvana and leave nirvana open to suffering world we enter the sub open to the suffering world we enter the suffering world open

[35:04]

Be at peace. Realize Nirvana and give it away. Joyfully. Readily. Realized Universe. Realize peace. Realize bliss. And give it away. Open to the realized universe. We're surrounded. We live in the realized universe. There's no other place to live. There's only dreaming of another place and limiting our openness to suffering by such a dream. And being open to that limiting is also part of the Bodhisattva's work. So, it says, you know, revealing and disclosing our lack of faith and practice before the Buddhas.

[36:17]

So we notice, also recently, I want to be open, but then A feeling in the wanting to be open, a feeling of vulnerability comes to me, which seems to obstruct it. I want to be open, but then I start feeling more vulnerable and then I want to... Very normal thing to happen. I want to be open. Oh, yikes, does that mean be open to that person too? Ooh, I feel so... that might hurt me. Yeah. It was that way before you started opening too. Maybe it'll hurt me more if I open. Maybe, I don't know. Maybe less. I don't know how this works actually. It's not that we become more vulnerable, it's that we start to feel more vulnerable often when we start opening.

[37:19]

And then again the vulnerability seems to be fighting us opening. Yes, that's the way it often works. So open to that. And just sit with that. Be gentle with the fear of the feeling of vulnerability when you start opening to the suffering of all beings. Some beings. But again, when you practice just sitting, you just naturally open to this. Because you're not really trying to get anything. So you stop. And then you get scared, so you start practicing something called not just sitting. I don't know what you call that. Sitting to get something, I guess. Sitting to seek something. And I wanted to tell you that on the horizon is a meditation on our Buddhas and ancestors.

[38:39]

In particular, a meditation on the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. So I put a statue of Samantabhadra on the altar yesterday. Samantabhadra is the part of the three big bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism. So we have on that altar now, we have the three big bodhisattvas of Mahayana Buddhism. The big guy up there sitting above Buddha is Manjushri. He's traditionally the bodhisattva and the zendo of the Zen temple. and then Buddha sitting in front of him. They even say Manjushri is the mother of the Buddhas. And behind Manjushri is Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva. Manjushri is the expression and epitome of wisdom and

[39:42]

Avalokiteshvara of infinite perfect compassion. So we have them on the altar and now we have the third great bodhisattva of the Mahayana, Samantabhadra bodhisattva. And Samantabhadra's bodhisattva is the vows of the Buddhas. Samantabhadra represents the vows of the Buddhas. The vows. Wisdom is great, of course. Compassion is great. But the vows are also great. And the vow forms the world. This is the worker, the worker bodhisattva, Manjushri worker, working the vow. So I'm emphasizing... What? Samantabhadra? What? I meant Samantabhadra is the bodhisattva vow, or the Buddhist vows.

[40:47]

He's up there on his elephant. So if you want to, you can get on your elephant now. Your elephant, whenever you sit down, you can sit down on your elephant. And when you get up to Dukkhini and you can get up with your elephant and walk on your elephant, walk with all the Buddha's vows. And Samantabhadra has which I don't know how to bring them out to you, but I have sort of brought some of them out, but I'd like to bring out more of them during this during this retreat, tell you more about the vows of Samantabhadra, which I feel reveal the inconceivable practice of just sitting.

[41:55]

This shows the working, this openness of this vow. that we're opening to when we just sit. If anyone wishes to express something, come up and do so. We have an elephant up here for you to sit on. It's one of those ones you put a quarter in and start moving around. Yeah, on top. Thank you. I think you said that nirvana is surrounded by... Yes.

[43:39]

Could it also be said that nirvana is the totality of the suffering beings in their true nature? Yes. Not even leave aside the true nature. I want to just say all the suffering beings, nirvana is the totality. So then if we say it as it's surrounded by, what would be... Surrounded by and interpenetrated by, totally immersed in and open to and responsive to. So this nirvana is not a dead state. It's a peacefulness and a stillness that's also... The peaceful, still responsiveness as all suffering beings.

[44:50]

As all suffering beings, yeah. I could even say also that that's true nirvana, because some beings might attain nirvana but not yet have fully realized that openness to all beings. So there could be a lesser nirvana even. Could you hear his question, by the way? Excuse me, if you can't hear, put your hand up and I'll ask the person to speak up.

[45:53]

What if you start feeling like you're negotiating your openness? Is that still... That's another sentient being to open to. Is the realized universe compromised by the counterfeit universe? No. It's offered, it's a gift. All the counterfeit universes are gifts to and from the realized universe. Do I have to worry about... No. But you're allowed to, and you're welcome to. Being grateful. You can say that. I'm open to you saying that. What would you say? I would say that that doesn't reach it. I have nothing more to say.

[46:57]

That expresses it. One other point I'd like to make is that if you wish to come up here and express yourself, but it's difficult for you to sit down on the floor here, you can stand. Because some people are sitting in chairs and might have trouble kneeling down here. You can deliver your knowledge in a variety of postures.

[48:03]

as we bow down to the realized universe, as that chant says, as we vow to do. What view and what action do we take to those who embody the causation of suffering? As we bow to them, as we bow to nature, what else do we do? Well, first of all, we open to them, which means not getting into any judgments. There may be judgments to those too. We don't cling to them. We're just open to all the judgments about all the beings who we're opening to.

[49:47]

So a being and our judgments about a being is also a being. So it isn't like I open to the being and then hold on to my judgment. I open to the being and I open to the judgment of the being. I let go of both and accept responsibility for the being and accept responsibility for the judgment of the being. It's all included, all closely attended to, all generously given away. This is just sitting. This is just sitting. What I just described. But in action. And just sitting has a boundless activity. Activity without moving. Without moving, a particle of dust, a great activity.

[50:53]

Seeing someone is an activity. See something without moving. see movement without moving. Open to someone without moving. Open to your judgments about them without moving. All this is the great function of the Buddhas. And everybody who's holding on to things that is also a great function, but it's a small part of the function which we can open to. But those of us who encounter directly in the action of our lives those who would perpetuate suffering as we make those judgments to those beings and our judgments of them, we still have actions to take, right actions to take.

[52:15]

Right actions to take, you can say, but I'm saying right actions to receive. I don't understand. Receive. We don't take what is not given. We don't take actions which are not given. Most people take action which they see as given. I don't understand not given. Well, if you take something, you're not aware at that moment that it's given to you. That's why I say you receive action. First receive. I receive the action of speaking to you now. It's like I'm taking the action of giving you my words. But first of all, I didn't take these words which weren't given. They were given to me, and now I receive them and give them to you. I didn't take the action of talking to you.

[53:17]

Reverse the attitude of taking what's not given. So the bodhisattvas are trying to learn that we do not take any action. We only act. All of our actions are given to us. And we're responsible for what's given to us. We're responsible for what we give, which is given to us. This is part of the openness too. Open to this way of being, to this responsive relationship to the world in which you have great activity. Thank you for your questions. I received the idea of the action of coming to confess a very resistant mind.

[54:33]

And then it seemed to dissolve. And then it seemed to dissolve. She received the thought to act confession of a resistant mind, and then the resistant mind seemed to dissolve. The action of confessing didn't? I still felt the need to come confess. As I suspect that... You still received that need? I did. Okay. Thank you for expressing it. May I continue? Yes, you may. And I suspect the resistant mind may. you suspect the resistant mind, a resistant mind will return. It won't return. Another one will appear. Yes. Ever so familiar. A new resistant mind, like the old resistant mind, but actually a new one.

[55:37]

A new one. New ones are coming. And if not, sort of in your consciousness, in your neighbor's. or maybe not your neighbors, but down the road somewhere, someone's got a resistant mind, which is coming for you to open to. We don't confess other people's resistant mind, but we open to them. The tendency is sometimes to confess other people. Yeah. So be open to other people's resistance and confess our own. And then, actually, if I confess my own, which is, again, one of Samantabhadra's vows, confessing our own resistance, then the next vow is rejoice in other people's merits. Once we confess fully, we start to see the merit of other people's resistance. Other people's resistance, like my grandson's resistance, is great stuff, especially for me.

[56:41]

like work schmuck. What do we do with that one? I saw him be very reflective the other day. Yeah, he's amazing. I was quite impressed. He might be one of those bodhisattvas in disguise. It's possible.

[57:03]

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