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Avatamsaka Sutra - Follow The Way, Drive The Way
The talk explores the concept of "emptiness" as a pathway to accessing the Buddha's wisdom and compassion, highlighting the Avatamsaka Sutra's teachings. The speaker describes how through mindfulness and practice, individuals can perceive the interconnectedness of all beings and transcend suffering, achieving unity with the Dharma. Moreover, the speaker emphasizes that the practice does not involve striving for special achievements but rather embracing the continuous and shared activity of practice.
- Avatamsaka Sutra: This text is central to the discussion, illustrating the pathway to the Buddha's wisdom through "emptiness."
- Shakyamuni Buddha and the Patriarchs: The historical figures underscore foundational teachings on entering the path of enlightenment.
- Dogen Zenji: A reference to his teachings on the practice of mindfulness and the realization of interconnectedness.
- Suzuki Roshi and Karagi Roshi: Mentioned as modern interpreters aiding in the understanding and accessibility of these teachings.
AI Suggested Title: Embracing Emptiness to Transcend Suffering
Partial talk after previous talk on this tape
The only entrance to Buddha's ancient of infinite compassion and wisdom is through the door of emptiness. moment after moment. In our practice, this door is wide open. In the teaching, Shakyamuni Buddha through the patriarchs, Dogen Zenji, Suzuki Roshi, Karagi Roshi, point directly how we are able with body and mind, effortlessly, freely come and go.
[01:22]
Before we enter that door, it seems as though it may be the end of everything. By entering that door, we see a careful, minute detail all things, all beings, system, and perfect core.
[02:44]
In our careful attention We forget all about doors, about emptiness itself, about ourselves, about whether sentient beings are many or none at all. Before we enter that door, it seems that we suffer.
[04:34]
And we suffer when we see all sentient beings suffer. In fact, we live in a sea of fire. Moment after moment we are burning up. All sentient beings are burning. But to enter the door into Buddha's mansion, infinite wisdom and compassion,
[05:59]
There are no sentient beings. There are no Buddhists. There's no suffering. Nothing particular that we can call our own or lay a finger on. or describe or touch or feel or perceive. But nothing is thereby destroyed or altered or changed Many things are of themselves taking good care of themselves in all things.
[07:42]
And to see sentient beings, all sentient beings There's no distinction of someone to save them or someone to be saved. In fact, all sentient beings in doing as they're doing, as they are, as we perceive them as such, are in fact saving oneself. In the sea of fire, birth and death,
[08:51]
There's the sea of light. There's no sea at all. There's a vast stage where many activities of the Dharma, the truth, are being clearly, carefully enacted. It's impossible to distinguish which is this world, my own world, like their world, It seems that our practice here, right now, in Thessalonica, seems, from one point of view, as though it's calm, peaceful.
[10:12]
Beautiful sound penetrating this universe. clear waters of the Tulsa River. And we may feel that we're very fortunate and that somewhere, exactly at this moment, there are many beings burning in napalm somewhere else. But actually, this stage, Tassamahara, whether we have just come here, or whether we've been here one year, two or three years, five or ten years, a lifetime, Kalpa,
[12:08]
or an eternity, whether we're new students, just finished ,, or whether we're a doan, a work in the kitchen, an officer, ,, a shuso or a roshi. There are innumerable, vast number of stages. Each one of us alone is perfectly free, independent in our activity of practice. At the same time, each one of us here is sharing what is exactly in one practice.
[13:17]
Neither old or new The vows of a bodhisattva we chant every day to save sentient beings, to put an end to normal passions, to master and realize the boundless dharmas,
[14:30]
to realize the Buddha's way, is not something we do a little bit at a time, or we grow more proficient in, whether it has a beginning or an end. what is our activity of entering this door to Buddha's mansion with body and mind, and in each activity, moment after moment of our life. It's not that we're trying to do something special or that necessarily this practice in any way can be said to be better than some other practice.
[15:59]
But clearly to miss the opportunity experiencing body and mind coming and going freely through this dark. Anyway, this is why we've come here. This is what is available here. Otherwise, existence here is like a dream.
[17:14]
It's not that we emphasize our special fantasies, but that on the occasion of each moment we find ourselves. And our suffering, which does not disappear as such with this experience, it's hard to In the framework of this experience, to distinguish it from the indescribable,
[19:00]
feeling, presence of each momentary, momentarily new experience. The ocean congregation of innumerable bodhisattvas, good-bye bodhisattva, said that when the revolution is over, clean up the mess.
[20:21]
From Buddhist point of view, The revolution is never over.
[20:38]
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