The title of this class, as you may have noticed, is actually Spring Zen Meditation Series, I think. And then underneath it says Buddha Activity. And I looked at that and I said, yeah, right. Zen meditation is Buddha activity, in my heart. I use Zen meditation for Buddha activity. I don't use it for like just part of the practice. So sometimes people think Zen meditation is concentration practice, which it is, only, which it isn't. It's more than just concentration. It's more than just developing, training and developing a calm, undistracted, flexible, open awareness.

[01:11]

It includes that, but it's much more. So I'm using the Zen meditation to include that, but to include all the virtues of the Buddhas. I call that Zen meditation. And in the Zen family, I call all the activities of the Buddha, Zen meditation. But it's kind of a family term. But there's some confusion about it, because the word Zen is related to the word for meditation. And I started out with, during your sitting, I said something like, we are sitting, and this sitting is supported by all beings.

[02:18]

And this sitting supports all beings. If we had been standing, I could have said, We are standing, and this standing supports all beings, and this standing is supported by all beings. This mutual support is Buddha activity. In this mutual support, we have the same practice. We all have the same practice. of being supported and supporting. And this practice is also awakening. It's the Buddha activity, it's the Buddha practice, it's the Buddha enlightenment. Buddha's enlightenment

[03:20]

is Buddha's activity. Buddha's activity is Buddha's enlightenment. Buddha's practice is Buddha's enlightenment. And the way we are supported by everything and supporting everything is Buddha activity. So I've said this, I hear myself say it, you hear me say it, and maybe you understand what I say, and maybe you trust what I say, and I maybe understand what I say and trust what I say. But what I say and what I hear That's not the Buddha activity. That's just something that I can say and something I can hear. I can't say... I can't say the way all of you support me and the way I support all of you.

[04:27]

I can't. Whatever I say doesn't reach it. But I did say it. But there is, in a sense, the challenge to train in such a way, to practice in such a way, to wake up to this practice of Buddha's. And so, this is another series of meetings to consider what is our responsibility if we wish to realize Buddha activity. Again, when we were sitting, our practice that was going on here was realizing it.

[05:29]

your sitting was realizing your sitting. That part may be an easy step, right? Do you understand your sitting was realizing your sitting? But your sitting wasn't something you did by yourself. Your sitting was supported by all beings. And your sitting supported all beings. That sitting which you actually where, therefore, that was Buddha activity. So when you sat here, and now you're sitting again, this sitting is realizing Buddha activity. But you may have some doubt about that, so that's what the class is for, is to help you become free of doubting that you are always, in reality, always, unavoidably involved in Buddha activity.

[06:39]

The sitting we did kind of started at a certain point. Each person sat down a little bit different time. So each person was walking and standing and then they sat and their sitting started and ended. You were sitting temporarily, then you were standing, then you were walking, now you're sitting again. These actions have beginnings and ends. But the way they are in the moment is a way that has no beginning and no end. There's no beginning to the way you support all beings and the way they support you. To me, it's kind of just starting out simple.

[07:54]

Simply would be just to say, we have the opportunity to practice compassion with what has a beginning and has an end. We can see things that have beginnings and ends. We can't see something that has no beginning or end. That's not how our nervous system works. We can't see an activity that doesn't have a beginning or an end. We see things that start and stop. And if we practice, if we train and practice compassion with what begins and ends, we will awaken to what doesn't begin or end. like how somebody came to talk to me yesterday, I think it was, and she heard me talking about practicing together, and she said, at the temple over at Green Gulch, she said, here I can see, can you hear me okay, Linda?

[09:11]

Here I can see that we're practicing together, but when I you know, go out over the hill, I don't see it. And, you know, I said something like, well, I'm glad you can see it, and it's probably very nice to see it, but what you see is not how we're practicing together. what you see is your perception that we're practicing together. And one of the problems, one of the challenges when you have a perception that we're practicing together, which you sometimes have, and it's a very nice perception. It might be a very nice perception that we're practicing together. If you think that that perception is the way we're practicing together, then when you go over the hill, you won't see it anymore.

[10:14]

So then what's going to happen? Well, maybe you'll see it again, but you might not. You might not be able to come up with a perception that you're practicing together with the people who, for example, who say, you know, I'm not practicing with you, and I have no interest in practicing with you. Whereas, you know, at the Zen Center or at the yoga room, we don't talk like that, do we? Usually. unless somebody really is insulting, that we say, I don't want to practice with you. And then they say, but I thought we were practicing together. Well, you're an exception. When you see how we're practicing together, which is not just something you can see with your eyes. When you see it, then you'll see it everywhere, because it's everywhere, because you can't get away from it. So we need this realization, which means we need the practice.

[11:21]

And we're doing the practice, and by doing the practice with what you can see and with what you can hear, you awaken to what you can't see and hear, which is all that's going on. So that's a kind of summary of this series and several other series too. So here we are, we can see each other and we can practice compassion We can experience ourself and we can practice compassion. And we can, while we're seeing each other and hearing each other and practicing compassion, we can also have conversations. And while we're having conversations, we can continue to see each other and hear each other.

[12:23]

And we can learn how to be present for the Buddha activity, which is already here. It's already here, we already have it, we can't get away from it, so how can we be present for it? We can discuss that, and we're starting to right now. And yeah, It's pretty late already. Time flies when you're having a conversation. And the conversation also, this conversation that we've been having so far for quite a while, This conversation supports all beings and is supported by all beings.

[13:29]

And then there's a thought which just arose, which is, maybe I've said enough. So maybe I can be quiet for a while and see what happens. And hear what happens. And eat what happens. Oh, a car just drove by. Yes, Patrick. Thank you, Patrick.

[15:38]

Now maybe I said everything is Buddha activity. If I did, I'd like to now apologize for that. And maybe I'll just say the opposite. Nothing is Buddha activity. Oh dear. Pardon? I said, oh dear. Oh dear. Okay? You feel better, Patrick? Being cruel. Being cruel. I'll say it one more time. Being cruel is not Buddha activity. Buddha activity is being kind.

[16:47]

But being kind is not a thing. In what way is being kind not a thing? The way being kind supports all beings and is supported by all beings, that is the Buddha activity of that being kind. So nothing really is Buddha activity, but the way everything is Buddha activity is the way all things support it and it supports all things. It's not the thing. It's not the thing that begins and ends, like the kindness that starts and stops is an opportunity for Buddha activity. The Buddha activity is there, not in the thing, but in the way the thing is actually relating to everything. It's the conversation of the thing. So good, the good which is the opposite of

[17:56]

bad, that good is not Buddha activity. And the bad, which is the opposite of the good, is not Buddha activity. You could say Buddha activity is good, but it's not the good that's opposite of anything. It's the good of reality. So to say there's no good or bad, that statement is another opportunity to realize Buddha activity with that statement. And the way to realize Buddha activity with that statement is to have a conversation with it. And that applies to all statements. The way to realize... The Buddha activity is right there in the statement, but it's not the thing. It's the way the thing is. It's the way the thing's working with everything.

[18:58]

And that way liberates the thing, liberates the evil from evil, and liberates the good from good. The way my consciousness actually is, is that it's free. And the way it's free is that it doesn't make itself, but it thinks it makes itself, and it sometimes believes that and feels stuck in itself and then feels afraid and feels, you know, on and on. In other words, bad things happen in that consciousness where there's a lack of presence and awakening to Buddha activity, which is there, but it's not the thing. So if I said everything is Buddha activity, now I'll just balance it with Nothing is Buddha activity in itself, and Buddha activity is the same. So what's required is for us to be fully present with each thing.

[20:05]

Elizabeth. Synchronicity is part of the deal, yeah. Synchronicity and reciprocity. And, yeah, and not running away, not running away-ism, not running away, not running, not escaping it, not escaping, not trying to gain anything goes with the synchronicity. If you're trying to gain something, you miss the reciprocity and the synchronicity because you want another chronicity rather than a synchronicity. And our nervous system's built on another chronicity. Always, what's next, what's next?

[21:14]

but compassion doesn't try to suppress the other chronicity of our nervous system. It doesn't try to suppress it. I saw this, I was just at the library and I saw one of these books, I think with psychology today it says, I think it says, silence your inner critic. Now usually when I see these these books, these pop psychology books, I think, hey, they're saying the same thing I am. I don't need to teach anymore. But that one, I thought, hmm. That's not what I recommend. I don't recommend silencing inner critics, because that kind of goes with silencing outer critics. And so, in a way, Patrick, in a way, did a little critique on I don't know if I said what he said, but in a way he called me into question.

[22:20]

Thank you. Because part of Buddha activity is ethical training. Part of being present, for what? For Buddha activity, is to train yourself ethically. To be very attentive and careful of everything you think. But being careful doesn't mean you're trying to control what you think. It means you're questioning what you think. Questioning it. Questioning what you think helps you come into synchronicity with it. Charlie? When we miss synchronicity, we get stuck in synchronicity? Synchronicity? Yeah. Well, that's a good one. There's several words of it. There was unlimited words I was looking for.

[23:21]

Synchronicity knocks us off the synchronicity, distracts us from synchronicity. And one of the ways we can think is some other time or what's next. What's next is not exactly inner critic, it's anxiety. It's a linguistic term, it's a linguistic expression of anxiety, what's next? Dash, what should I do next? And also when we say what should I do now, we mean what should I do next? Now what should I do next? This kind of thinking challenges us to be present with that kind of thinking. Because when you think that, you actually are thinking it right now. And if you can be present with the thoughts of thinking of some other time, you're not tricked by it.

[24:21]

So to be again and again not tricked by your mind allows you to be here. To again and again not be tricked by what starts and stops, you can open to what doesn't start and stop. Being open to what does start and stop opens us to what doesn't. But what starts and stops often tells us, don't be here, go someplace else. And in very convincing ways. I heard some talk out there, it started. Once again, part of Zen meditation is ethical training, and part of ethical training is questioning and being questioned.

[25:31]

I heard somebody say, I'm trying to understand what support means, right? If you can train yourself to fully engage with, I'm trying to understand what support means, that statement, if you can be fully present for that, you will understand what it means. But if you get caught up in trying to figure out what it means, what that statement seems to be trying to do, you'll miss it. Did you follow that? I want to get what you're saying, the same question also. But, I mean, it sounds like you're asking this, it's not rational. I mean, to me, it doesn't rationally make sense. world and supporting them.

[27:04]

Okay, so, Jeff said something like that what I was talking about, this way that you're supported by everything, he said didn't make rational sense to him, right? And the other way maybe has a slight chance of making some rational sense. But if it did make rational sense to you, then you would like say, okay, it makes rational sense, cool. But it didn't. Okay?

[28:39]

I didn't. I didn't. I did not try. I did not attempt. But I did use the example of this person yesterday who came to me and to her it made intellectual sense that she was supported by everybody at Green Gulch. Okay, well, and what did I say to her? Do you remember what I said to her? Yeah. What? Something to the extent that if you're limited to that, you won't see when you get outside. Yeah, that's right, but also I said, the way you see it is not the way it is. So she rationally saw how she was supported by everybody and how she was practicing together and supporting the people there and how they were supporting her. She rationally saw that. And I said to her, that's nice to see, but that's not the way you're supporting everybody.

[29:44]

And so I didn't say it at the beginning, but thanks to you, I can now say it. The way you're supported by everybody is not rational. Also, it's not irrational. It's inconceivable. That's why you can't see it. You can actually see it, irrational things to some extent. Like we have discovered irrational numbers, even though you, it's hard to, you can kind of see them, like you can kind of see pi. So the way we're actually living together in peace and harmony is not reached by intellect. And sometimes people think, I see how everybody's helping me, which is a lovely vision, but that's not how they're actually supporting you. They're supporting you in ways which you cannot, with your limited consciousness, you can never actually comprehend.

[30:55]

However, if you can take care of this realm that can't comprehend it, you will open to what does comprehend it. I understand what you're saying. Yeah. What I asked you was kind of, well, that sort of... I mean, you say a lot of wise things, but that sort of asks me to put faith in you and other Buddhist thinkers, writers, whatever, teachers, saying that. I mean, you can't see the glimmer of that. I don't really... I don't want you to put faith ahead of what you want to bet on. So, if you feel, if you think, if you are ready to bet on, for example, being present and being kind, you can go ahead with that one. And I'm just saying, in addition to that, there's more in heaven and earth than is dreamt of by your philosophy, Horatio.

[32:06]

And if you practice, I'm saying to you, if you practice in the ways you already feel confidence in, if you bet on those, those will show you that there's more than you can conceive of that's actually going on. you will gradually realize that there can be an activity that's beyond your conceptual, rational ability. And the virtues of that is that it won't be just that sometimes you see how people are helping you and you're helping people. If you keep talking to me and conversing with me, you'll actually come to understand, you'll have an insight and you'll see, oh yeah, it makes sense that if I had a rational intellectual understanding of what help looked like, then other ways that don't look like that, I wouldn't be able to see it.

[33:09]

So by this kind of conversation, you can see the drawbacks of a conceptual understanding, even though when it's understanding that it's helpful, it's a very nice conceptual understanding. But what about when you don't see it? I'm talking about a way where you can see it all the time. And my appreciation of your questions gives you a glimmer of what it's like to see it all the time. By the way, there's a story about some people who live in Berkeley. There's a story about some people who live in Berkeley. And I married them many, many years ago. Did you know that story? So these people who I successfully married, in other words, they haven't got divorced yet, a long time ago, they told me quite a few years ago, like after they'd been married for a while, they told me the story about when they were going to get married.

[34:14]

And they told me the story because they said to me, you don't know how you're helping people. They told me I didn't know how I'm helping people. Now, guess what when they told me that? Guess what? I knew that. I know. I know I don't know how I help people. Do I have some idea how I help people? Yeah. Do I believe that? No. I've trained myself enough so that I don't really believe when I think I see how I'm helping you. And also if you tell me how I'm not helping you, I don't believe that either. But I listen to you. And by listening to you, this is the part that's hard to believe, I open to how I am helping you, which I do not know. So then they told me the story. But before I tell you the story, I want to tell you that they told me I didn't know how I was helping people.

[35:23]

So then they told me a story of how they knew I was helping people. And the way they knew I was helping people, I didn't know about that. But they didn't either, but they thought they did. So it's like, we know how you're helping people, but you don't know. We're going to tell you. So they told me. And so here's the story. They were going to get married, so they went to buy? Rings, right, two of them. And they went to a ring store, a jeweler. And they went to a store that had jewels in it. And they were talking to the jeweler and the jeweler was being unkind to them. And they didn't say to the jeweler, you are being unkind to us. And they didn't do that.

[36:26]

They just felt that they were treated unkindly. And they just happened to notice that among the jewels there were also statues of Buddhas. And they just happened to mention about these Buddhas to this person. Like, I don't know, maybe they said, are you a Buddhist? Do you appreciate Buddha activity? Something like that they said. And he said, yeah. Yeah. And they said, well, where do you, where do you, do you practice at some temple? He said, yeah. Where? Green Gulch. And do you have a teacher?" He said, yeah. Reb Anderson. And they said to him, he's performing our wedding ceremony.

[37:27]

And he said, oh. And he started treating them really nicely. And gave them a really good deal. So they told me, that's how you're helping people. They think they know. And that's good enough for them. But that doesn't make me think, yeah, I'm helping people. It's just like, wow, what a world this is. We are helping each other. That's the part, you don't have to believe that. I'm just saying, but what I am saying to you is, If you want to find that out, then you have to do some stuff, and I'll tell you what to do. And then if you think what I tell you to do is not good, let me know. But what I'm gonna tell you to do just happens to be quite good. But it will not just good, it will open your eyes to see something which is inconceivably wonderful, and will apply to all your situations.

[38:33]

So don't, I'm just saying, if you wanna see that someday, do these practices, and if you don't think these practices are good, let me know, because I don't want you to do practices that aren't good now, because these practices are good now, but they open you to something beyond. You can see now that they're good, like now they'll help your friends get good deals in jewelry stores, which you can see, but that's going to open you to the inconceivable, this Buddha activity is uninterrupted, it's going on all the time, it's always available to you, whereas jewelry stores are only open, you know, from 10 to, you know, all this other stuff is beginnings and ends, which is fine, they're all good opportunities, but we're talking about something that you can do here, Green Gulch, Oakland, Oakland, San Jose, you can do it.

[39:39]

We're looking for something that works everywhere, that doesn't go just some places. And there's a practice which will help you be there for that. It's already here. But if we don't do these practices, if we don't train, If we don't ask questions and converse, we're going to miss it because we're not going to be fully present. It's fully present, so we have to train ourselves to be fully present. And part of it is to ask questions and express doubts and disagree and express your... sometimes disagree and sometimes agree. But get it out there and don't hold on to your agreements. or your disagreements. If you disagree, get it out there so we can not get stuck in disagreement. If you agree, get that out there so we don't get stuck in agreement. I don't want you all to agree with me and then don't talk to me. I don't want you to disagree with me and not talk to me. I'm fine with you disagreeing with me and agreeing with me. That's fine.

[40:43]

the conversation keeps us from getting stuck in it, and when you're not stuck in it, then you can be present, and when you're present, you're going to wake up to this. Yes? in my practice, I actually, in some way, feel like I'm practicing with all beings, and I'm supported by them, and they're supporting me. And I don't understand it, but there's a feeling there. Well, that's nice. Yeah. And I'm not saying that that is knowledge of I understand. Yeah, but you have this nice feeling, right?

[41:46]

Yeah. Just like that woman, she had that nice feeling too at Green Gulch, but not other places. But you're feeling it even in Berkeley, right? Yeah, lots of places. Lots of places, that's great. It's a nice feeling, it's an encouraging feeling. Now, by the way, would you like to have realization of what's beyond that feeling? Yeah, so this thing is not within reach of feelings. So you can have a feeling like you got, which is great, but you can also have the feeling that this is not helpful, that people are not supporting me. That's also an equal opportunity, because this thing is not reached by your feelings, but doesn't mean you shouldn't have feelings. It just means your feelings are opportunities for the practice to realize what isn't reached by your feelings, but not by getting rid of your feelings or silencing your inner critic. Your inner critic is not Buddha activity, but the way your inner critic is helping everything, and everything's helping your inner critic be a critic, that's Buddha activity.

[42:56]

But that you can't see, however, If you practice compassion towards the inner critic, you'll be there with the inner critic, and you won't be someplace else, and that's where you'll discover, where it will be revealed, where the world will show you something you can't see. Am I talking about prajna? Yeah. Yeah, I'm talking about prajna. Prajna is wisdom. It's a Sanskrit word for wisdom. I'm talking about wisdom. Wisdom, especially the wisdom which has gone beyond wisdom, wisdom which is not stuck in wisdom, okay, that is Buddha activity.

[44:03]

And that wisdom operates with everything. It operates with every moment, every place, and every being. Who are you going to tell us something to do? You suggested that you were about to tell us. I got very excited. Did I say I'm going to tell you something to do? It doesn't sound like me. Did I say that? No. You said you could do it all. Oh, oh, [...] yeah. You, you, you can do

[45:16]

being supported by all beings. You can do that in Oakland. So, you can do all beings supporting you. Of course, I made a mistake. You cannot do all beings supporting you. and you cannot do supporting all beings. But all beings are supporting you, and you are supporting all beings, but you can't do the being supported, and you can't do the supporting. You can't do it. You can only do things that begin and end. But everything that begins is supported by all things and supports all things. But that's not done. There's no way to construct the whole universe supporting you. And there's also no way to deconstruct it. But you can ignore it, you can distract yourself from it.

[46:29]

You can distract yourself from it. Anyway, I'm sorry if I said you can do it in Oakland. I should have said, it can happen in Oakland. And I'll take that away too. It can't happen in Oakland. It is in Oakland. It's already in Oakland. And it can be realized in Oakland. And you can be there for the realization in Oakland. And in fact, yeah, and so whenever you're in Oakland or Berkeley, you have the opportunity to maintain the realization of the way you're supporting and being supported. But it's not something you do. Like not running away isn't really doing anything. But it is, not running away is giving up

[47:37]

running away. It's like giving away. But giving away things isn't really doing anything, because in fact, they are naturally given away. You actually do give yourself away all day long. Thank you. When you asked, when you pointed out that I told you you were going to do something, you gave yourself away. No pun intended. But even more so, when you told me you got excited, you gave yourself away. But that was a gift. Not only did you reveal yourself, but the revelation of you was a gift. And you didn't do that. We all supported you to do that. We supported you to be the way you are. And we shall continue. Yeah, yeah.

[48:41]

I'll be right with you, Katie. Linda? You said something about showing compassion to the inner critic. I was just thinking about that. So, I have an inner critic who is critical of me, and also critical of others. things arise in my mind that are actually mean thoughts about other people. And I thought, how would I be compassionate to that critic? And I just didn't really know it. Could I imagine that critic and I'm stroking his or her head? That sounds good. Hello, darling critic. Hello, darling thinking bad thoughts about people. I'm here for you. I'm here for you. I am your dear friend. I love you. Not like you.

[49:43]

I don't like that you're doing this. As a matter of fact, would you please stop as soon as possible? But if I say would you please stop, I don't think that will work. So forget it. Forget you stopped. Let's just forget that. Let's just say, thank you, Linda, for pointing out that that was not good to tell it to stop. Let's just say, I'm here with you, dear inner critic, and I'm going to be with you as long as you call me to be with you, which I don't see any end to. And that will free the inner critic without getting rid of her, or him, or it. And even we can also, instead of getting into the critic, we can get into the criticism. We can be the friends to the criticism, too, and not even talk about the critic at the moment, but actually do the same with the criticism. We can do the same with the mean thought, because the thought's a being, too.

[50:47]

And then revelations start coming. With the kindness to the mean thought, revelations about the mean thinker come. And we start to see the relationship between mean thinker, the one who thinks, and the thought that's thought. We start to see that, and we start to see And then we start to see the function of being kind to the situation. We start to see how it clarifies. Unless they come in couples. Then be kind to the couple. But they often do come one at a time, and you're there one at a time.

[51:55]

So these are opportunities to realize Buddha activity. By being compassionate to these visitors, the world reveals Buddha activity to us. What pops in my mind is something that Kafka said translated into English. I don't know what the German was. But it's something like, you don't have to leave your house. You don't have to leave your desk. Just wait. Don't even wait. Just listen. Don't even listen. Just be still and silent. and the world will come before you and take off its mask and roll at your feet in ecstasy. So this is how to practice being present in such a way that revelation can happen.

[53:00]

It's happening all the time, but if we're leaving or moving, if we're not here, we miss it. And it's hard to be here. It's hard to be here with what's going on, with inner critic, outer critic. Or maybe sometimes it seems easy to be here, but when it's easy to be here, sometimes it's hard to not hold on to easy to be here. Let's go. No, no, it's easy to be here. Let's just stay here, okay? Where it's easier. I'm practicing being here, so. I'm a success, finally. Don't ask me to go someplace. Or I'm a failure, I'm happy to go.

[54:02]

I want conversation, and yet I'm talking. What? And yet? No. Conversation requires that I talk. And I say, conversation works well in silence and stillness. So now we're going to have some silence for the next moment of conversation. Don't even wait. Yes.

[56:11]

Uh... I don't know about the best way, but when you say best way, I welcome the statement best way. But I don't think that me welcoming you asking about the best way is the best way. However, I do think it's an appropriate way. For me to welcome you, you ask for the best way. and I am okay with you asking for the best way, but I actually don't want to get into, I don't want to tell you the best way.

[57:16]

It's not like I know it and I'm not going to tell you. I don't know the best way. Do I know an appropriate way? I think I do. The appropriate way is for me to welcome you asking that question you just asked about the best way, because that's the one you asked. So the appropriate way to practice is to practice with this, which is you asking for the best, and me thinking, which I told you, I don't know the best. So you ask me for the best, I want to welcome your question, and then I also want to welcome the thought in me, in my consciousness, I should say, where I am, of I don't know what's best, but I do know what's appropriate.

[58:20]

I mean, I believe that the appropriate thing is for me to let you ask for the best way, and for me to welcome that. That's appropriate to revelation of Buddha activity. If you ask for the worst way, I don't know the worst way. I don't, honestly. However, not knowing the worst way and not knowing the best way, those are also something, it's appropriate for me to welcome my own thoughts, to welcome what you say to me, to welcome what I'm thinking in response. Welcoming those things is appropriate. It's kind of the beginning of being ready for revelation. So it's the conversation? Yeah. And the conversation is, the conversation calls for, the conversation is calling for compassion.

[59:27]

Compassion is a conversation that calls for conversation. So you compassionately asked me that question so I could listen to it. And you heard me calling for you and you said that to me. But I'm not saying that's the best way, I'm just saying it's appropriate and it's also kind of like number one. Number one just happened to come first in this case. Yes. Are there what between beings? Distinctions? No, there's no distinctions between beings.

[60:39]

There's only distinction in beings. Distinctions are beings. So you have, here's a being called a distinction. Got another distinction over here. There's nothing in between them. Can I explain more of that, did you say? Yeah, I definitely can. I will. You will make me a person who will say more. Partly by asking me and then you ask me and some other people might too. But there's no distinction between beings. Distinctions are beings. You are a distinction. You are a being. And this distinction which you are is pervaded by all things. So as a phenomena you are a distinction.

[61:41]

You are distinct from Bradley and E.J. and Eric. You're a distinction from them. You're not them. And the way you are a distinction depends on Them, for starters, and it goes on indefinitely. That's not a distinction. That's an all-pervading principle of causation. And so, again, you are a distinction. Every moment you're a distinction. And there's no distinction between you and the beings who support you. And there's no distinction between you supporting them. You're the only distinction. But if we're talking about one of them, they're a distinction. All the distinctions support this distinction, and this distinction supports all the distinctions. And again, I can say more about that, but it seems like that was enough for the time being for you.

[62:59]

Pardon? Yeah, you're good for now, but this isn't the end of the conversation, no. This is just like, okay, there's a rhythm to it. But it's an ongoing process, it never ends. The Buddha activity doesn't end. And every moment, every distinct moment, is an opportunity to practice it and realize it. And there's no moments that aren't an opportunity. And that's one of our challenges, is we sometimes think, well, this moment's not such a good one, let's go on to the next one. Yes? Yeah, it's another way to say the same thing, yeah. All beings are included in us. That's the principle. All beings are included in us in this way and no other way.

[64:09]

No other way. And part of what we are sometimes is we think another way would be better. The whole universe has, you know, given life to us. And we, this way that the universe has given life to us, this way gives life to the whole universe. And we think, well, could we negotiate this? Could we have another chance at this? Even though we have this precious, distinct, unique universe in this form and this form. We're not separate. However, the universe made us into beings who have a conception of separateness and who can believe it. But the whole universe supports us in believing that we're separate. As we say, we come by it honestly. We didn't steal this concept and we didn't steal this tendency to believe it.

[65:16]

It was given to us by the whole universe. But that process by which we're given delusion is exactly Buddha activity, which if we're kind to our delusion, we can open to. But it's hard to be kind to some of our delusions. We would like to move on to either a better delusion or perhaps to something that's not a delusion. Usually we're like, well, could I have a non-non-not delusion then? Or at least a better one, not such a stupid one. Not that distinction, but another distinction. That's the way, the whole universe supports us to be the unique, resistant person. who cannot be the slightest bit different because the whole universe is making us this way, not another way.

[66:20]

We are an unmovable mountain that begins and ends. And the process that begins us and ends us doesn't begin and end. There's no end to how the whole universe makes us this way and we make the whole universe. There's no end to that and no beginning to it. the very challenging art of being present with a person who would like to be someplace else and thinks there's a better place than this place and a better way to feel than this feeling or thinks there's no better way to feel than this and I'm going to hold on to this which is not being present to try to hold on to the present. It's not being generous to try to hold on to what's happening.

[67:23]

And of course it's not generous to try to get rid of what's happening or to get something different. But when we feel like that, that's the opportunity. There's no way that we can get away from this great opportunity. But we can try. And we can be kind to trying. not eventually, moment by moment, we're on the path of becoming perfect at Buddha activity. So, tonight, we have been receiving and upholding Buddha activity. Thank you very much.

[68:09]

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