Embodying the Lotus Sutra 

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have you may remember there's a chapter in the lotus sutra
cause a comfortable conduct our
a serene and joyful practice
or a happy life
it's about the happy life
of the serene and joyful practice of teaching a lotus sutra and instructions about how to be able to teach the lot of sutra
and the buddha
hi
as find a manjushri how these boys office can teach the lotus sutra in a boat explains
that there's for methods
serene and joyful practice of body serene and joyful practice of speech serene and joyful practice of thinking and serene and joyful practice of valley
and then
the first one is there
the first practice can be steadfast in his
is as two parts one is call is called them
call the
the place of action
and the place of intimacy
or already am
types of actions that are appropriate the body suffers in the type of intimacy cetera
are appropriate for the kind of intimacies for party bodhisattvas
and the place or the sphere of action
this is what can what was the sphere of action what that's like
no way or the away
having no way of acting like
and then a more to having no way to act
having no way to act and patients
as part of a to as part of to it's it's been patient
and
gentle
not overbearing a nasty life every the agreeable thing that way and then with regard to any phenomena
living or nonliving thing
they have no laws by which to act
did you say no way to act and then and then
five and they don't discriminate
and i can get a things so they're with regard to phenomenon they they have no way of acting
they don't take action with regard to phenomena but they do observe
the phenomenon is true characteristics
that's their action is that the
gentle and so on
and then when phenomena appear to them they had they don't take action
they observe
that's a place of their action
so he developed his body which is gentle and patient and agreeable and so on
and then this body
his present and not taking action but this body is an observing body
it observes all things
in that the way they really are
that's the place
have
the boy sat for action that is an action
that doesn't make possible the teaching of the cetera and also all the ashes and boys side fat
come from and are enacted in that place
so theme and he posture they take is a pastor in that place is in the past it's in a place of this way of being
well done says in not in can on i said something like when you find your place right where you are the practice occurs realizing
the universe are realizing the ultimate truth
you find your place where we are
observing the way things are
realizing
sun in no translation is that so basically they all the transition said they observe the way things are
in the end and the internet and they also don't discriminate in our place either
that's the bodhisattvas
a place of action
and bodhisattvas bodies are active
the boys up as bodies are changing all the time like hundred ounces so every
hairy moment the body thought that body like
everybody else's body manifests in that body in this place is a body that that teaches the suture
it teaches the sutra it is a body in the place of the suture showing the cetera
the next part of the of the

of body is the sphere or the place of intimacy so there again the body sat fat is not intimate with beings just to be intimate with them so and again it it says that they do not on
i associate with the
if they do not associate
with beings
yeah
ah for example says and this is a tricky one it says my myself as do not preach the dharma to women
then he says do not speak the diamond a women displaying an appearance capable of arousing passionate thoughts
now isn't that it is they don't they don't preach dharma the women themselves displaying
appearances that arouse passionate task
you say no
we don't think so you think they do display appearances that arouse passions
have you don't think that
it says that bodhisattvas when they pushed the dharma they don't they do not preach the women
displaying
appearances are would arouse passionate thoughts
now some people might think that they wouldn't be with women who aren't displaying appearances that uralic passionate thoughts on them
he's always wanted to take teaching and lawyer thought i wasn't the one taking it i think it's both

is both
i think the body sought this do not put on a they do not put on a parents which will arouse passionate thousand there was a do not put an appearance which will rouse thoughts will make it difficult for the person to hear them actually show them that they're going to this is body right they want to show the person or body
they want to show it is such a way that the person doesn't get distracted by their appearance but opened to their parents so that they can see the dharma dharma gate the dharma he gave here
they themselves do not also go and try to find people who are displaying
appearances which will arouse passionate daughter now they don't go looking for that either
and then it says lot of the stuff that they don't lot on places they don't teach they don't am
after the is a traditional teaching from monks in a buddhist traditions that just monks ah ah when they go places they generally speaking a recommended to go with another monk
and not to enter a house alone
so the here it says to that they don't think they do not enter a house alone
somebody else's house alone but if they do enter alone
they just think about buddha
other words if they enter the house alone they practice the way we just talked about
they practice the body such
a place of action with their body when enter the house without another monk
and then also they don't take pleasure in keeping pupils monks and children nor pleasure in being with them as a teacher
they don't do that are not intimate in that way that's the way their intimate is that they don't do that
the intimate with people by not taking pleasure and then being regarded as the teacher that's the way they are intimate
even though the people may regard them as teacher they don't take pleasure in that that's the way their intimate
it was not be improper intimacies if they can take pleasure
and the eye and that's the first that's the first kind of intimacy that's the first aspect of the way they are internet
any questions about that

is
does it assume their selamat now
it just means that if am
if if you are looking at them and they were at
he caught
looking like they were involved in sexual union
the bodhisattva would not be
making displays
in order to arouse ah
a passionate thoughts in this chapter they were not do that
click
i'm just anyone forget about next chapter okay i'm just saying that we have a picture here in our human beings are some some kind of beings who are in your you brought up sexual his sexual thing by myself busy right yeah so when you say
when you see when you say celibacy i i think you mean let me know sexual interaction right okay somebody saw first why didn't want to save you know that ones and teacher says if sex was effects was bad there would be no buddhists
we we need sex to have buddhas in this among human beings
but when bodyside friends are sexually involved they are not displaying appearances to arouse passionate thoughts they are displaying appearances to help people be
a patient
gentle not disturbed
in in their hearts and nasty or overbearing displaying a body of bodily appearance
to encourage people to
not take action with regard to phenomena but first of all observe them as they truly are that's what they're displaying
whether they're in bed with somebody or taking a walk with somebody or talking to somebody or having lunch with somebody whatever they're doing that's the way their body is
and from that place is where their action comes in action could be sexual involvement
leading to reproduction or not
and it can be male or female
hence the and there's no thing about the in here anyway about homosexuality or not here
point is very clear i think they aren't taking action with regard to the phenomena of the person or involved with our court with the of sexual activity they are not taking action they are primarily observing the true nature of sexuality
and they're displaying your body
which helps other people do that they're teaching
the body is teaching the sutra and the teaching people to open to the true dharma
so this would be section where it was if if there were two body started as amount will be sex were neither one of them were giving rise to
the striking as
dr trying to get something
that's of taking pleasure in possessing something or being regarded as beautiful or powerful or skillful
there wouldn't be that in in this
pleasant practice of the body
it seems maybe
maybe you know sometimes you might think well gee that seems amazing but sometimes you may think from no not ceremony
i could imagine being sexually involved with someone without trying to display something to make them get all worked up about me i can imagine just being of service to someone you know just been devoted to someone in a physically intimate way
just like beef many devoted to change somebody's diapers when your baby or when they're old person
you're changing your diapers but you're not trying to arouse passionate thoughts in them
right but you're like physically intimate your hands are like down around there
anus is that cleaning upright it's kind of fred around the sexual area but you're not trying to arouse anything
to get it people somebody you know to get something or to get some pleasure you're just trying to what see what's going on
so that the diner can be
received and understood
the for example the dharma of i love this baby i want to carry this baby gets debated that message
yes but also not just that but that coming from a place of what is the true nature of the baby what is this baby how is this baby what is the true characteristics of a baby which has something to do with the to characteristics of adult kind of all things that the body fat
this concentrating always
on the middle way no matter what she's doing
and she could do anything from that place of concentrating
but it would all be skillful and all if that place it would be encouraging the realization of this wonderful dharma
he looked like some will last couple he looked like you just kind of are mystified but tonight you seem to understand better
yes
yes sarah
sexual around
that seems to me
scans and
that is

there is is it an excellent
and it's easy
get pleasure
it yourself
yeah
so it is a joy to teach especially teach the truth it's a joy that's it
but if you're teaching the truth you're not you're not concerned about
getting joy for yourself petition the truth protection the truth by by looking at the truth
it's a joy to look at the truth
not the people then look at you and say oh you're a wonderful teacher
can you find pleasure in that
ah well i kind of little bit like guy you know your limit on track their public because like
unless the pleasure is that they're happy
but the main pleasure here is not so much just that they're happy but that you're looking even when they're happy you look at them like you do when you're not happy
and that's why they're happy is because when they're happy you look at him
the same way you do when they're unhappy in other words they feel that the way you look at them doesn't obstruct your compassion
you don't discriminate between happy student and unhappy student the student understands and the student doesn't the student whose practicing in the student isn't you look at them all the same because you're like not taking action with regard to them you're observing your true nature
when they see that they feel joy which is
doesn't bother you that they feel joy you want them to feel joy but the reason why they feel joy is because
you you're meditating on in this way the practice of the bodhisattva is to meditate on the middle way no matter who they're talking to and then they become a vehicle for the kitchen which is a great joy to everybody
but not just because a joy to them because they're in the position of being a teacher that teacher in this case
now this people who are looking at them although they're starting to feel this teaching they still may think that that's the teacher and that dino and that they they don't look the teachers are they doing the other students maybe they haven't quite learned this yet maybe that when they learn it they still see the teachers in that position but they don't discriminate between the teachers position in their position
one because they've learned this
and again the teacher doesn't discriminate between the teacher position the student position when they get to this place of the body stock is action
the i'd actually this is this is the intimacy this is the intimacy or place of intimacy that that they don't get caught by that but the reason i don't the cockpit because they have this this practice
t-cell
she's practicing
they themselves to receive yeah
the opener seating there hope they're open to the to change places with the students
you don't change roles
and then the rolls not complaining again
yes i
so then
then the next phase the next part of a
the body suffers place intimacy
is ah

yeah the next part of the boys are the intimacy is
furthermore and bodies out the mas office contemplate all
phenomena
has empty
whereas can do this
this is the next phase the bodies that this intimacy
and
k
it's not unrelated to the previous part but so it's going to go into a little bit more now
so the boys got this approach this place
this place what of contemplating constantly constantly
does the of
the boys that the contemplate all phenomena as empty and then there's three out of a different drive translations in expert
i transmit all phenomena is empty
and then
and often on is empty
that being a true entity
all phenomena and empty in accord with action marks or phenomenon empty appearances as a really are all the phenomena empty duly established
as they are reality k
that's
bozak as contemplate that way in the practice
how intimacy and the place of intimacy and cake so all these phenomena i've been contemplated empty has neither
upside down
nor moving nor receding nor turning just like space
like space the void
that ebonics
like empty space without innate nature beyond the reach of all worlds beyond the week reachable words cut off from all courses of all words and expressions inaccessible to of approach by any words
on born not coming forth not arising nameless formless
really without existence unimpeded
infinite boundless bottomless
unrestrained only existing by causation
through perversion
or come to be turned upside down or born
to be borne by inverted notions
how are three translations the on the last point
so they're they're contemplating all phenomena has produced through perversion
or contemplating all phenomena as
that they come to be through term to they come to be turned upside down to be born they come to be up turned upside down to be born
or get born through inverted notions
add this is that
and then and then that's that's a one instruction i've actually i wrote here that it's like a lotus heart sutra
it's like the heart sutra but kind of the lotus sutra version of it
so the bodhisattva and his first has first practices are cut they're contemplating like the heart sutra on everything they meet
they apply the heart sutra a perfect wisdom to all phenomena
this is how they make their body or teaching vehicle
any questions

that last part the last part was a kicker wasn't no no it's not all phenomena are version of phenomena are produced through perversion
ha ha
yeah yeah that three free translations
phenomena come to be turned upside down to be born
or phenomenon born through inverted v that you had to turn phenomena upside down to get him to be born
yeah yeah yeah you have to pervert them in order to get to be born
what's the alternative mean boy alternative been born
that i said you should contemplate them as unborn
contemplating his unborn and then and then you could say and then contemplate them as born through perversion they don't get borne by their own nature they get borne by perverted notions
it's through it's to turn things upside down and to get born
things are basically unborn they're empty things are empty
and if you term upside down or look at them through perversion they seem to be born can then of course they die
because they're born
what on rising sun
well the sun the sun is a phenomenon now so the birth of his son
the birth is is not the the actual nature of the some nature the way the sun really is that the sun is empty of son you know it's empty is beyond resemble the sun is beyond the reach of all words for example son or helios
or sulay it's beyond any words or gary it's beyond gary to
that's one of the ways it is it's unborn it it's it's unmoving it's unrestrained is infinite
where the sun is in the moon's like that too and you're like that i'm like that were empty from bottomless were ungraspable are beyond the reach of any words bodhisattvas are encouraged to the lotus sutra and in the project prime minister to the encouraged to me
meditate on this these teachings the contemplate these meditations
no increase not decrease no birth no death
no birth know death is kind of equivalent to unborn and undying
however there is the birth of things but how are they born in born through upside down views the mind take something and twisted around and then it seems to be born
right and leaving it alone and looking at its unborn while we we have a way to flip
we flipped the from unborn to born projected for around with it to the that way it's through a perversion her inversion that birth appears
yes
are you suggesting
am i suggesting the things that are unborn are part of the vessel
fire
there are part of the emptiness
they're not a part of emptiness there they aren't is like like a person is not mourn
and their unborn miss goes with the emptiness
the emptiness of ron
is the true nature run the true characteristic of ron is that his empty his infinite is etc
he's not he doesn't move doesn't increase or decrease
there is change but isn't executive ron changes anticipate around in the nickname ron changes we don't have that ron and while we have another round for all his rounds are empty and impermanent and unborn
and all marked by emptiness all runs a marked by and kinases and all stairs and friends are marked by emptiness
what is offers are watching emptiness all the time
so so they can teach the time
the intimate with the emptiness of things the middle way of things
they contemplate that
birth depends on
invert inverted views
you still work
yeah
oh boy
let's not inherently anti but significant what's the significance of been born depends on the person on the birth bodhisattvas are borne by vows
so that's why we say bodhisattvas are wonder if ticket among all the different non buddhas bodhisattvas i can say the supreme central be because they're born out of compassion they're born out of out of good routes that born you know under great vows
that's how they're born and they're happy to be here in is suffering
to play with this other sentient beings teaching the lotus sutra
sell
for them that the meeting and birth is
but he sat the life
the life of kitchen the lotus sutra
for the what for the for the welfare of sentient beings and are also help out the buddhists who sometimes have to go away
you know because people need to go away and then if they go away any bodhisattvas to carry on the work
so the historical shakyamuni buddha has gone away and that's what the suitors but each one of these sections dissect after the buddha's extinction when the dam is about to perish how will the bodhisattvas teach
like this like we're talking about here cause i run
better
i think rate where your next reboot sort of us
right now yeah help not
and is about number no death and of it's about no birth but an emptiness there's no there's no berlin
yeah in that context in the context of the way things really are in the context of ultimate truth there's no birth or death
there's no caitlyn knock there's no colors no sounds no smells no touches know tastes either
and in the context of not being able to find anything you can't find anything
in the context of things being on born
you can find him and you can find birth either and toughs it out in thirty or pervert
that's the only way cheaper that's the only way to see person dies et cetera

but you don't have to have perverted used to see hamptons
let's see it quite a hands
michelle and and linda and john was there are other people
michelle so anything that is born is headed to to hurt to see
there was just cause effect thing for
if somebody had a you it's not something's added
yeah the the v on the burden of the birth if something has tied into the herd so you're you're hearing something and then an have to have birth of that thing you had something to that then the thing actually it doesn't have birth ultimately it doesn't have birth seem to have to add something to the thing that it doesn't really have
doesn't read but you know it actually comes barn
but you can you limit it right so the actual way the thing is is unlimited you had to add limits to it and one of the limit you can add is that is born
yes linda
interjected

i'm very very very sharp are you linda
they are born
and how are they born
you know them well in other the in other people's minds they're born yesterday their mom and dad think are born to their mom because your mom and dad have perverted views but the body softball so it goes along with that and they adopt the perverted views in our to be born
so even before the mahayana rose the buddha said that you have to pet a perverted birth consciousness is a perverted consciousness
you can't come in the birth without getting kind of dirty
the body so that the body
yeah

right the world where you can find things
yeah the world where things are limited
that's the world of perverted view
i mean there isn't the youngest and i have pervert the going to have been perverted views but that world the birth of that world depends on a perverted view
once you're born into a world you can get over your perverted views
and go back to being the world as you know but without without having birth of era again so there's there's an expression you know i wonder yeah
in the book of serenity there's a story about joshua talking to the monk
and some a famous story is the monk as giorgio does the dog and buddha nature in georgia as move and among cares that has no means there isn't any or no so the monk thinks that georgia thing know the dog doesn't have buddha nature
hey
so then i said he says that
all all living than he quotes the as all living beings have buddha nature why doesn't a dog and gallagher says because of karmic consciousness
and then either in another occasion or the same monk or different monk said to joshua does a dog a buddha nature in georgia says yo which means it does have it and then the monk says well if it has good english of why does it enter into is this stinking skin bag of a dog
dog actually just as why does it end his skin bag
and jogos as because it knowingly and willingly transgresses
the body shots as knowingly and willingly transgress i say what a by as or lower level body stuff as they don't do annoyingly
at the moment of birth if you're actually a boy sat fat
you knowingly and willingly do it
you pay the price of admission to the flatland of birth and death
out of compassion you transgress
because you want to help you want you to lotus sutra
something like that
so they do they do transgress they do they do adopt a perverted view and order to be born in this world and some of you may have done that and you may be forgot
so the given to candidates start remembering that that's why you're here that's what you get what you came here for
a part of what you can understand is that
you know as i say last weekend
the extent
that you're surprised by what happens the future
triumphed over the past
the extent that you're surprised by what happens the future triumphs over the past
so your your life like that
k
changes your what you're here for he didn't get get forced into her he and stumble into this situation you actually came here on purpose

the way

well i guess some people do are some people do it it out of their vow other people do it out of out of the habit of trying to get something
because if you know in the past thing they had that perverted view so now they continue to have perverted view but it's unconscious they feel impelled by unconscious habit into birth
it is feel his forthcoming that have passed from the past stories of birth
my boys thought this train themselves so that they don't have this compulsive birth thing they do it as a vital part of their vow so that isn't compulsive his voluntary would they wanna do it they know it's gonna be hard but they're up for
john

physically play
play yeah it definitely like play
right
without preference but
results
without preference for result but they do want a result they want to teach other people to play
they wanna teach those who do not know how to play to play because the quick start playing with this
then we can open to
emptiness
so like you your ear you're here in this class you're actually playing with this you started to play with this kind of unusual way of thinking about
your body as a practice body
derek actually be helpful for you not to take action on things but just observe the way they are
just thinking about that is kind of playful of your actually
a child would probably be willing to do it but a lot of adults would not they would say it is
and they'd have a lot of
habit patterns of would make it difficult for the evening to consider not taking action or not having a way to take action in regard from have a rule by how to act of people
children are going to do that
he won't play without a rule on a play
and they're also going to change the rules
willy nilly for their advantage
yes i just said
devotion adopted

ah
you can get into them you can do it that way you could say that
yes
yes

sts it's you're good
clipart the other way
how are you like usually when we think that things are out there on their own
separate from us
so he could look back at yourself
when you look at something you could actually see that you're looking at yourself are you look at it
whether you think you're looking at something that's not you out there on zone tax you looking at yourself that's another waited to the backward step
so like i'm looking at you
but i'm actually looking at the middle way that's a backward step i'm looking at you but really i'm looking at the two marks of you
in order to
teach the dharma with you are in order to teach the dharma of the lotus sutra on the occasion have you
thats a backward step
and i tell him that teaching me who i am
and what i
and how and helped me understand how my life can be at the service of the dharma
how i can teach them how i my life could keep the lotus sutra by that reversal that flipping that reversal that backward step that turning around

yeah

you can call course if you want to remind
it's a version of it anyway
with or without of course
so he looked at somebody's got a problem with them okay
so when you said if something in me
the right can i have a problem with brownish i see it has as had standing the problem and the words another way to says they're not me
they're not me
now how about the army
so there's something about demo i don't like something about them that's something on me i don't like but how about just flat out there me they are me
that's something to do with way they really hours after me it to do it the emptiness is that in me
and the way there and the way their me is beyond any words
and it's unborn is on

henderson's at the end of this section is for section
the buddhist says that
there
are there that say
dare i say
thus i say
oh no therefore i think therefore i say constantly to delight in contemplating things such as these his time the bodhisattvas fear of intimacy therefore i say
that one should constantly delight in viewing the form of phenomena like this this is what i call the second thing that body sought for a concert with my surface should associate with that is why she preaches it ever wishing
the to see such diamond marks as these
this is the second place of the body sad for my surface
the second place that boys out for such as approach with intimacy third try and say his all different it says after this description of his meditation we just went through it says
that is why she preaches she teaches the reason she preaches is to act is ever wishing to see such true dhamma
that is why she preaches ever wishing to see such diamond marks as these
seeing these dumb remarks is how you can preach and you preach in order to see the true marks of things
and then
when body sought for enter a quiet room
and are being up and and uprightly contemplate phenomena
in the true meaning then arising from such meditation
torte all sentient beings i'll say they reveal and expound and preach the suture the mind shall be at ease and free from timidity and weakness

but it's it's it's really takes a lot training to always be mindful to meditate on the middle way
with regard to everything that comes
and then of course the basic also stance which is easier in some ways to memorize or remember of being gentle and patient
and not overbearing socks on
friend

i'm a buyer by practice
but
i'm not saying that having the all the body surface
do not get last wednesday adopted perverted view in order to be born so they can play with sentient beings and teach them how to play i'm not saying they don't get lost in that process
yeah there's a recipe will get lost
but
ah my general impression is that if you are bot if you are born if you are born in to perversion out a bodhisattva vow although you may slip
you'll come out of it because your bows pretty strong you recover eventually
and i think i am if i remember correctly or
the buddha talks about either three or four types of a birth
one type of birth
you're a
at conception
you're not conscious at the embry embryological development phase you're not conscious at the delivery phase you're not conscious
gimme your conscious being but you're not like aware oh here we go conception
the next the next kind of person and is just to is at birth at at conception there there is kind like okay here we go
we're going to do this now we're going to do this thing
in order to be born and and play with sentient beings and teach them how to play and entered the board away
the next one is a button and but then they forget after that during the embryological phase they forget
and then went in and i forget during they will continue to for be forgetful during the delivery the next one is they remember
there were at the conception that were during embryological may lose it and the delivery
the last one is at conception embryological development and delivery they were they stay conscious
and a boy says
the first one is that most people
most people are unconscious during all those for on kinds during all the second one is a saint they they're conscious for one and lose and next to the third one is a bodhisattva in the fourth one is a buddha
necessary

a final
ah it's a fundamental tenet and i love to start believe believer or not but it is the buddhist the buddha's basic teaching of right view is there it is that action has consequence there his rebirth
there are accomplished beings
you know your parents do deserve respect and so on
so one of the key one of the key ingredients he said you had to open your mind to
is it a basic tenant that action has consequence in booty intact is teaching yes to have to believe it now
but if you don't even listen to it you're not going to be able to practice
much at all
when you're first listen to you go okay and then you listen to someone you're okay with dismore okay okay the more you listen to anymore use listen to it the more you listen to the more you open to it tomorrow
more awake again and the same with the teaching of rebirth even you fear i just keep listening hear about it
this isn't rebirth this is just birth
the however
there's something that says okay i'm gonna a form
and the force and past vows leads to this conscious birth conscious conception
and i do not know it at any text that says render conception happens however this is part of the pro life pro pro choice thing i don't know at what point that the conception occurs
it doesn't say exactly and in the scriptures i know of what point in the process that occurs at that point you've got a conscious being whether they know it or not and a saint would be if somebody who like knows that they've made that choice
and then if they could have made a for various but for various reasons
so i just talking about the birth process that everybody goes through and he's made his different phases and and takes a lot training to stay conscious new magistrate conscious
and you get flipped around from you know
for the growth process and go all these changes and keep remember how yeah i'm here yet push watching the way things are here
the
yeah
we're talking about totally cool here
we're talking about being able to stay conscious of your intentions and your vows as she goes with his big changes
you know now were born but now we have various kinds of illnesses and you know
alzheimer's and dementia
or whatever follow these big changes are happened to us memory is going over the place
but you gotta tweak i learned to tune into beam of loss of memory but the nature of that memory what's the nature of that
always been a beam this is a beam to beyond so you can teach the lotus sutra no matter what your becoming no matter what your changing into
somebody surface
this is like during you know we're talking about during a time we think get really tough how they're going to teach

every hour
can actually have intentions