Yesterday I mentioned that the entire universe is the true body of the self. The entire universe is the dharmakaya, Virochana Buddha of the self. When you hear this, if you relax and settle down where you are, I think that's pretty much the right response. or maybe an unright, but appropriate.

[01:24]

If you tense up and try to get something out of that, that's called hindrance. And right now, the true body of the self is the way the universe is right now. Any tampering with that is what is meant by some hindrance. The true body of the self means that you are not making any more deals with Buddha.

[02:33]

That you're willing to work with your present set of armpits. You're willing to work with the tongue in your mouth. Yesterday, I appreciate Klaus's comment about skill and means. And I said, today is not skill and means day. I didn't realize that it wasn't until I heard myself saying that to him. But it wasn't, exactly. Really, it wasn't skill and means Dharma talk. It was just straight Buddha. Buddha that you can't get a hold of and that you can't get away from. You can't do anything with it. You can't not do anything with it.

[03:44]

You can just resist it. And then Rain said, I wanted me to explain a little bit more. And I explained some more by saying it the same way that I said it before, which was useless to him. So then I temporarily switched to skill and means and said, come over here. But he didn't want the skill and means. So I realized that my talk yesterday, and today too, is not really skill and means. Please let me not give a skill and means talk. I'm willing to do skill and means in the doksan room. I'll bend it, hopefully kindly, to your, whatever you want, whatever you need. But I'd like to actually talk about an uninterpretable, useless reality.

[04:48]

Nobody can use nirvana Nirvana's where you're not into using anything anymore. As long as you're trying to use what's happening, there's this hindrance. The true body of the self is the entire universe. There's no way to use, to manipulate, to negotiate with the entire universe. You can't negotiate with it over there, and you can't negotiate with it here. What we're talking about in this way of this kind of talk is not about controlling the universe.

[06:06]

It's about the universe blooming all over the place. Blooming in your heart in your body and mind, and it is the blooming all over the place of everybody's body and mind. It's not about control. But it is true that Blooming Buddhas sometimes do give some instruction to people who refuse to give up control. They give them control, little control exercises. Say, here, you can do this. And then they can put that impulse to control to work. And when they put that impulse to work, they sometimes calm down enough to practice. the Buddha's practice.

[07:18]

And now the Buddha once gave a little talk, and they call this talk the Dattu Vibhanga Sutta. the scripture on the discourse about the elements. And he's going along and talking. The Buddha's talking to his students, and particularly he's talking to this person named Phukasati. Sati means mindfulness usually, so I guess he's mindful of Puku.

[08:25]

That's his name. This is a monk named Puku Sati. The Buddha's talking to him and he says that... that a human being is made up of six elements. Sometimes we say four, you know, four great elements. Water, fire, air, and earth. But sometimes they say six, they add to it space and emptiness, making six. And you can change these material designations into the quality of each one of them, which is solidity, earth, fluidity, water, heat, fire, motion, wind or air, space, space, and consciousness as emptiness.

[09:42]

So if a monk, if a yogi analyzes them, she will find in none of them mine or me or myself. The Buddha said if somebody would analyze these elements which compose you, if you analyze any of them, you won't find mine, me, or myself. You won't find that. And in fact, it's true, you won't find it.

[10:58]

And I, by the way, have a standing reward. I used to say a dollar or ten dollars, but I'll raise it to thirty-five. Thirty-five dollars for anybody who can find itself in any of those elements. Nobody's ever come to collect it, at that lower rate anyway. I don't want to make it too high to encourage and get people excited. I keep it fairly low. For inflation, I've raised it to $35. $35 for anybody who can find a self in these elements, in the skandhas, or in these elements, these gross elements of material existence. I have run into some people who look, though, and were unsuccessful finding a self, and they sometimes brought me some money. They did.

[12:01]

No deal. No deal in that direction. And it's really not a deal. It's just a challenge. It's a challenge grant. And it's not so much that I'm sure nobody will find it, but if anybody does find it, then we'll start a new religion. which is the religion not of that the whole universe is the true body of the self, but that, for example, feelings are the self, or fluidity is the self, or color is the self, or your ideas are the self. That would be the new religion, that things have a self, rather than the only self that you can really come up with is the whole universe. Anyway, this is really just a warm-up that these people who don't find a self, when they look into what's happening, what happens to them is they develop a certain level of... they relax.

[13:24]

They get kind of calm because a certain level of attachment drops away. And then they can direct this detachment. This is like a detachment which comes from wisdom, and then they can use that wisdom actually to develop various kinds of concentration practices. And then he talks about that some monk then might apply this equanimity that comes from this, might apply it to attaining various yogic states of concentration, like the infinity of consciousness, the infinity of space, and so on. These are various names of various high-level, super high-level trances that someone might get into, which the Buddha got into. But he says that when the yogi enters into these fantastic, high-quality states of existence, she will be able to see that even these lofty qualities of mind, we're talking like really happy, comfortable states, that in those states they will still see that these are constructed

[14:38]

that they're dependently co-arisen. They're nothing to depend on there. And then this wonderful thing will happen. By the kindness of the great Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, this wonderful thing happens is the yogi will then will not generate any will or construct any intention concerning existence or non-existence, will not develop any agenda to create being or non-being. No no will, no volition to create continuity or annihilation.

[15:47]

Of what? Well, of what's happening. Moment by moment, the yogi will not tamper with what's happening, will not try to make it stop or go on. This is called no hindrance. Here we are. Where are we? In the universe. Here we are in the universe. We're in the whole universe. And what does a yogi do? Totally attentive, awake, and non-manipulative. Not trying to make this go on. Not trying to make this stop. This is called hearing the teaching, hearing the Dharma, having no doubt, and making no deals.

[16:57]

It's called being attentive and no manipulation. It's called relaxing into the unfamiliar true body of the self. and not resisting or hindering it. From this place various skills and means can come forth. But this is not a skill and means practice. This is the practice of the Buddha. This is the practice of Supreme Truth. just, what do you call it, for the moment and forever, simply accord with the universe. Locally, this body, this pain,

[18:01]

non-locally, which is really locally, what you see all over the place, all the people you see, the whole world you see, you accord with it. You pay attention to it, but you don't have any impulse, any impulse, generate any volition to make it go on or stop it. This pain that you have, you have no impulse for it to stop, to annihilate it. None. You have no impulse for it to go on. This pleasure that you have, you have no impulse to keep it, to have it have some continuity, like one more moment of this please. No. You don't try to stop it either. Why? Because you have realized the true body of the Self, and this is what it is.

[19:11]

You realize nirvana, right? Like that. That's what the Buddha said. you have then all your experiences still keep happening boom [...] but you don't you're not bound by them you're not bound by them because you don't grab them they don't bind you because you don't bind them This is, you know, this is pure, what we call, not moving, a particle of dust. This is pure Zen practice. And here it is, right here in the early teaching of the Buddha. I must sort of hidden, you know, into the little corner here, but it's in here.

[20:24]

Absolute, I don't like the word absolute, supreme, supreme practice, supreme truth. Of what? Of according with what's happening, with no agendas, no intention, no volition, just simply in accord. And then attachment drops. When you're not clinging to what's happening, then you're not agitated. When you're not clinging to what's happening, you're not anxious. When you're not anxious, when he is not anxious, he personally attains nibbana. When she doesn't cling, she's not anxious, and she personally attains nirvana.

[21:30]

And for the Buddha, this is the supreme truth. The supreme truth is attaining this nirvana. Supreme truth is that you don't cling, there's no agitation, you're in accord with what's happening. And that is, by the way, nibbana. And what is nibbana? Nibbana is, I don't like this word, but anyway, it is the extinction, it is the destruction of suffering. This is the Supreme Truth. The Supreme Truth is the same thing as the end of suffering. It is the true body of the self. It is in accord with what's happening all over the universe.

[22:43]

And to be in accord with what's happening to have the proper attunement and adjustment to the entire universe is the end of suffering. Other forms of adjustment to what's going on, according to the Buddha, that's not the ultimate true adjustment. Yes? Are not impulses part of the universe? Are not impulses part of the universe? What's the answer, folks? Yes. So, when the universe manifests an impulse, what is the practice, David? No.

[23:45]

Huh? Yeah, to be mindful. Impulse. Impulse is the universe. That's not the practice. The practice is no resistance to this impulse. Okay? There's an impulse. The universe is manifesting an impulse. Right here. What is the practice? Don't move a particle of dust. So if there's an impulse to get rid of pain, there's an impulse to get rid of pain. It's happening. Here it is. You ever seen one of those? The practice is to be attentive to that impulse to get rid of pain. The impulse to get rid of pain is not the practice. It's just the whole universe manifesting right here as an impulse to get rid of pain. What's the practice? The practice is to let that impulse to get rid of pain just be the impulse to get rid of pain. That's it. There's no clinging to it.

[24:50]

There's no agitation around it. It arises. Impulse to get rid of pain. There it is. It is a blooming of the universe. And you say, hello bloomer. Hello blooming impulse to make this go on or end this. Klaus? What if there's an impulse to do something unwholesome? Like what? Huh? You had an impulse to kill somebody?

[25:54]

Yes. So what's your question? Well, they come in there, but they also come in all the other places. Okay? So in this meditation practice of the Buddha, which is the meditation practice of the Buddha is the whole universe is the true body of the self. The precepts are kicking in right there. There's not killing right there. There's not stealing right there, and so on. Okay? Now, the universe has an impulse to kill. Okay? There's no... That's no hindrance. There's no clinging to that impulse. There's no wishing for that impulse to go away or go on.

[27:00]

or be realized or not be realized. It just arises when it arises and then it ceases when it ceases. The likelihood, however, that you want to kill somebody in the space where there is the practice of this kind of practice. The likelihood that that's going to happen in the mind of the yogi is rather small. But I'm not going to say that in a Buddha's mind there would never be that little cartoon coming up, I want to kill so-and-so. I want to kill Klaus. I'm not saying a Buddha would never think that if a Buddha met Klaus. But if Klaus comes to the Buddha and talks about killing, the Buddha might think, well, let's think about it. I'll just try on the thought of killing Klaus and show you how I handle it.

[28:01]

And if the Buddha thought of this thought, the meditating Buddha thought, okay, here we got this sentence, let's kill Klaus, period. You would be able to see, you know, the Buddha handling that thought. And that thought would be a nice fresh thought for the Buddha. Be very fresh. it would be a blooming sentence in the Buddha's awareness. And you would watch the Buddha like, you know, enthralled, perhaps, by the beauty of this lovely sentence. The Buddha can't do anything with any of these sentences. Did you know that? Like when the Buddhists think, oh, I'm going to give David a carrot, or I'm going to kill Klaus. These are like flowers in Buddha's mind. The Buddha just keeps fainting, you know, sort of, without going unconscious.

[29:09]

The Buddha is like, oh, wow, [...] oh, wow. And not just, you know, not just for other people's faces and other people's ideas, but also for the ideas in her head. Everything's just, you know... What? Just wonderful. It isn't like, oh, wow, let's like, you know, do something with this one. You know, here's this great flower, you know, this great thought. Oh, let's kill Klaus or, you know, or let's take a walk. It's like, oh, here's this gorgeous flower. Now let's do something with it. Let's sell it. Let's, you know, prune. Let's move those petals around there a little bit. No. This is a beauty. This is a dependently co-arisen beauty. The Buddha reveres the beauty of the universe. The Buddha is incapable of doing anything about what's happening.

[30:12]

That's not the way the Buddha operates. You're confronted with the flower and you respond, but your response is not something you do. And it's not something you do to the world. It is the next dependently co-arisen response. But it dependently co-arises with your vision of beauty rather than your dependently co-arises with grabbing what you're seeing. when you're really face up to the beauty of the moment, you don't grab it. When you turn away from the beauty of the moment, then in the darkness you can grab it. But if you look straight at the light of this word in your mind right now, if you look straight at the light of the pain, you won't try to manipulate it.

[31:23]

You won't. You might turn away from it after you look at it, but in facing it, you do not manipulate. That's why we turn away. So we can do something familiar called an impulse to get it to go on or an impulse to annihilate it. If you were, if some of you, well, some of you are perhaps going to be subjected to states of bliss during the sesshin, and some of you will be subjected to states of blandness during the sesshin, and some of you will be subjected to states of intense pain, the response is the same to all three.

[32:24]

the response of the practice is the same in all three, namely, to see if you can find the mind which doesn't generate any manipulative impulse. And even in the midst of a mind that's generating a manipulative impulse, that there's no manipulative impulse about that. And from that place, Walk forward. And realize nirvana. Yes? In dependent co-arising, is there a multiple experience, the one you're describing, as well as going into that, that action that is taken that is not necessarily in with this, but... Yes.

[33:28]

When the yogi enters into the vision of the pentacle arising, okay, This is the same as the vision of the true body, of the self, which is the whole universe. You don't see the self, you don't anymore see the self that's by itself, cut off from the whole universe. Well, you can still see it, but that's not the self that you're appreciating. You're appreciating this new self a freshly delivered self, which is none other. Actually, it's not just a freshly delivered self, but a freshly delivered body, true body self, which is none other than the dependent co-arising of the universe. And that's that dependently co-arisen self, okay?

[34:45]

can be a place where action, arms and legs and mouths move. But it's not the independent self that's doing it at that point. It's not the anxious clinging person who is now acting. But anxious clinging people can, anxious clinging people, clinging anxious people, they do think that they can personally act. They don't see themselves as being held by the whole universe and supported by the whole universe. They don't see themselves that way. They see themselves as not being held, not being supported, and also they don't see themselves supporting and holding the whole universe.

[35:49]

They don't see it that way. I'm not supporting you, you're not supporting me, and I'm going to do something now by myself. And I'm anxious. And I'm resisting this other self this true body self, I'm resisting that. I'm hindering that. I don't want that. I want this one that can do things by her own power. And there's skill and means to help this person who is... who is living out impulses to continue and annihilate what's happening, to continue or annihilate what's happening.

[36:53]

There are skill and means for such a person. Yes? Is it better to live than to die? Is it better to live than to die? I don't understand where that came from. Do you want to tell me about it? . To destroy? Yes, destruction. Destruction does appear. For example, there's the destruction of suffering. So what's your question?

[38:12]

In the vision of dependent core arising? In the vision of dependent core arising there is the destruction of suffering, but the person doesn't destroy the suffering. The suffering is destroyed, but the yogi doesn't destroy suffering. The yogi doesn't have an impulse, doesn't even have an impulse to destroy, doesn't even have the impulse to continue. The yogi does not have, the yogi in this case, this yogi who is turning into the supreme truth of the destruction of suffering. As you're turning into that truth, that yogi has renounced destruction and continuation of any state of experience.

[39:21]

When you renounce all impulses to continue what's going on, and when you renounce all impulses to annihilate what's going on, you start to settle into the Supreme Truth in which suffering is ended. So the impulses to make something go on and destroy something, they're arising all over the place, like flowers on the hill. In your meditation, you renounce them. You renounce those impulses. As you renounce those impulses, you start to settle into a perfect accord with the entire universe.

[40:29]

You realize the true body of the Self, and the true body of the Self is the end of all suffering. Now I just might mention parenthetically that the bodhisattvas vow that if they are able to tune into this and realize this destruction of suffering, they will not camp out there. They vow to bring the truth to other people who have not yet realized it. Does that make sense?

[41:31]

That was kind of a parenthesis, just so you don't think you go there and stop and stay there. Does that make sense, Kathleen? Yes? When the bodhisattvas do that, are they responding to impulses? When they do what? When they bring this truth to others. Are they responding to impulses? Yeah. Is that an impulse that they are responding to? In themselves, do they have an impulse to bring it to others at this point? It is an impulse, okay? But it's not an impulse which they personally own and do. Because the bringing of the truth is not something that a person does. But it is a kind of impulse. It's a kind of like a phenomenon in the world is that there's the desire to bring the truth to beings.

[42:38]

but they don't identify with the process of the bringing. Yes? It just happens, right. No, it's an impulse in the sense of... Well, you can say it's not impulse, but you can also say it is. It's just that it's not the impulse of, like, this individual person owns it and this individual person, you know, makes it happen. Because it's happening in a field of understanding which includes that the question or the presentation of the being and this impulse are, you know, both held by everything that's happening. And nobody owns it or gets more credit for it than anybody else. But there is an understanding of this process which allows this to come forth unhindered.

[43:48]

Now, is this clear? Yes, Miriam? Yes. So, could you give me one example? of something in the universe that you want to put together with this? So let's say you're imagining that we have a practitioner. Alright? Maybe you? You're practicing and you have this experience of seeing with your eyes or something

[45:03]

You see a child, did you say? Being beaten. You see that. All right? So you're wondering how do you practice this way when the child is being beaten, when you have this vision of a child being beaten? Huh? Okay. What I'm suggesting to you is that you do not... is that not, you do not, but the mind does not give rise to the impulse to annihilate what's happening or continue what's happening. You have this experience, which you call, quote, child being beaten. All right? Okay? Okay? and there is not the impulse to manipulate this in any way.

[46:07]

You're attentive, you're awake, and there's not the impulse, at some core level anyway, there's not the impulse to annihilate this vision, this experience, or continue it. Okay? That's called the... That way of being is the true body of the self in the universe, which has in it, quotes, beaten. Okay? That's what I'm saying. Did you get that? You're shaking your head, no? Did you say, well, did you say it seems impossible not to have some motive to try to end suffering?

[47:17]

Okay. Did I have to say it? Okay. So the motive to end suffering... All right? So maybe, you know, make it a less inflamed situation. Just because you have, instead of, quote, child being beaten, you have now, unquote, suffering. All right? Hello? You've got to, you know, when I ask you a question, say, yes, sir, or something like that. Hi, boss, or yes, your majesty, or I hear you, or something like that, okay? Okay? Just, you know, interact with me here, okay? When I ask you a question, let me know if you heard me, okay? Okay, so, just a second. I've got another example, okay? The example is, quote, suffering, all right? Okay, suffering in your knees, okay? Suffering in Miriam's knees, left knee, all right? Sometimes when people make exaggerated examples, they can't concentrate because they get too excited.

[48:22]

Maybe you're like that. I don't know. Anyway, let's say you've got some pain. And let's say the pain isn't even that bad, but you've got pain in your left knee, all right? Quote, suffering in the form of left knee pain, okay? I'm actually saying that there might be an impulse to end that suffering, to annihilate it, all right? Okay? Can you imagine that? That you can imagine. What you can imagine, I thought you said, was that there wouldn't be an impulse to try to end that suffering. That's what I thought you said. Excuse me. Can you imagine that you have pain in your left knee and that you would not give rise to the impulse to annihilate it. Can you imagine that? Can't do it.

[49:27]

Okay. Well, that's what's called the true body of the self, is that when you have pain in your knee, that you, for a moment, at that time, do not wish that that pain would end. Because that's part of the whole universe, is that pain in your knee. That pain in your knee, not to mention a lot of other pain in a lot of other people's knees, is the whole universe. The true body of the self is just like that. So I'm actually saying, and I'm actually proposing to you, that maybe the Buddha literally said what I'm saying, but maybe that's what he meant too. I don't know. Consider that, that actually the Buddha really means that the supreme truth is the end of suffering. And that the way to realize the end of suffering is to not indulge in the impulse to end suffering.

[50:31]

That's actually what he might mean. He also might mean that the end of suffering, the ultimate truth of the end of suffering, that the way to realize that is also not to wish for the continuation of suffering. That may be easier for you to remember, to imagine. But some people want other people's suffering to continue. Can you believe that? They do. Now, you can say, well, how could I possibly not want the suffering of a poor child? How could I possibly not want for the annihilation of that suffering of that child? And I'm saying, well, it's not that you don't want it. It's that you renounce the impulse, the desire, the intention. You renounce that.

[51:34]

And you work with the fact that this apparent phenomena is occurring. You work with that. And the proposal here is that this will be the way for you to be free of suffering. For you to be free of suffering. For the suffering to end. And then we have a person who is free of suffering. And what will this person do? What will this person who is free of suffering do? Especially if this person has made the bodhisattva vows and is now not afraid anymore of what will happen to her because she's free of suffering. Nobody can hurt her anymore. What will this person do? She can do whatever she wants. And if it's a big monster that's hurting the child, she won't be afraid of the monster because she's free of any suffering. If that monster starts hurting her, she's free of suffering.

[52:40]

She can do whatever is helpful. And also, her eyes are clear. Her ears are sharp. This is somebody who can really work for the benefit of other beings because she's no longer scared, anxious, self-concerned, and caught by suffering. She has actually harmonized with supreme truth. And now, among the various people who do not like this child being hurt, or among the various people who are suffering in various ways, she's one who's free of it. She's seen, she has the knowledge of the end of suffering. And now she can really help people. What do you think, Miriam? Is this hard to imagine? Maybe hard, maybe easy. The point is, it's hard to practice.

[53:43]

It's hard to practice. You've got a nice example here. You have some discomfort during this week. Can you actually sit with your discomfort and find the way of being with it that does not grab onto the impulse to eliminate that suffering? Can you enter into that suffering and feel that suffering in its vivid, freshly delivered, dependently co-arisen whatever, and just be there with it, in the middle of it, right where it's happening, right when it's happening? Can you stand to be patient with what's happening and renounce all impulses to manipulate, to negotiate, to annihilate, to continue. If you can, you have just entered into the very same samadhi that the Buddha recommends to this pukusati, to realize supreme truth, the supreme truth of the end of suffering.

[54:58]

Is it hard? Yeah, it's hard. It's hard to renounce all these impulses to manipulate. Sure, it's hard. But I'm suggesting this practice as a practice to realize the supreme truth. I don't know if exactly I'm suggesting that you do this practice, but I wish you would. I actually wish you would. I would just assume you're actually doing a practice which will actually end suffering, where you actually will realize the Supreme Truth. I would like you to. I don't know if it's really the time for you to do that. I wish it was. I hope it is. If you need to be bribed to get ready for that, fine. Yes? What about if it's an impulse to understand? Like... Like, you know, if one studies dependent co-arising, I think that would be maybe the same as karma, and perhaps, you know, if you're in a painful situation or a peaceful situation, it might be an impulse to understand what led to that and what causes that to change, what changes.

[56:18]

So, would you look at that as a skillful means? You mean, you're in a situation and you feel an impulse, you say, I would like to understand this? Okay. Would that be, that's like a skillful means, or is that, because that's another impulse, perhaps. Did you hear what she said? What if you're in some situation, like, for example, right now? You're in some now situation. You're in some present moment, and this impulse arises, I would like to understand how this happened. Okay? What about that? What about that impulse? Do you want to understand how that happened, too? Or do you want to skip over that one? You haven't gotten to that? That's the one that's actually happening right now. That is your example. Did you notice? That's how we work. We say, what if we're in a situation and the impulse arises and then we skip over the thing that we just said happened? Now, this impulse has got this really nice name called, I would like to understand what's happening.

[57:21]

But actually, that's what's happening. And you're saying, isn't that a good one? Wasn't that a nice one? Yeah. Wouldn't that be a good one? Yeah, it's a good one, isn't it? That's the kind of one you might say, let's have that one continue for a while. Okay? Can you believe it? That the door to ultimate truth is when a nice thought like, hey, let's study Buddhism comes up, or let's study the Buddha's main teaching. Okay, that's a good one. that the door to ultimate truth is, you wouldn't say, well, let's keep that one going for a while. Can you believe that? That's what he said. Now, he gave you some examples which I didn't go into, but those were states where most people in those extremely lofty states, these are like wholesome on top of unwholesome, wholesome on top of wholesome on top of, I mean like super wholesome states, the states, very high states, he says,

[58:27]

No matter how good they are, you don't wish that they would continue. And no matter how low they are, you don't wish that they would end. So then you said, well, what about this really nice one called, let's study Buddhism, or let's study dependent core arising. Isn't that like what we're supposed to be studying? Yes, it is what you're supposed to be studying. Yes. But the way you study dependent core arising is not to wish that the thought, I would like to study dependent core arising, would go on. or like, let's have that happen again, or let's do that again. Studying dependent co-arising would be that when the thought, let's study dependent co-arising arises, he would have watched it happen. He would have seen, oh, the thought of studying dependent co-arising has just dependently co-arose. And actually, that thought is no more about studying dependent core arising than the thought, let's not study dependent core arising. It's just a thought. Studying dependent core arising is that you would spot, you would see that the entire universe was happening in that form for you right then.

[59:39]

But then you wouldn't say, oh, this was a fantastic moment of the dependent core arising of the whole universe, so I'm going to keep this going for a while. Let's do that again and again. Uh-uh. That isn't the way to work with it. If you get the door to truth, that's not the way you work with wonderful, wholesome thoughts. Because they are dependently co-arisen. That's why you don't hold on to them because they're just blossoms. They're not meant to be held to. You appreciate them, that's it. And that attitude... of letting go of the best thought you've ever had, or at least for the last few minutes, the best thought you've had for a while now, letting it go and not wishing it would continue, that opens your eyes to actually realizing dependent core rising. And it's possible to have some pretty good understanding of dependent core rising and actually some pretty good understanding of truth and to cling to it.

[60:54]

That's exactly what he's saying here. He said, these people have pretty good understanding. And then they apply that good understanding to get a better understanding. And then they apply that better understanding to get a better understanding. And then finally, they don't apply anything to anything. They don't try to make anything go on or stop. and therefore there's no clinging, and therefore there's no anxiety and no agitation, and then there's perfect resonance, perfect congruity, perfect harmonization with what's happening. And this is the way to study the pentacle rising. In its final You know, realization. Yes? When you're talking about this person who's seeing a child being beaten and motives are coming up when she's just letting him beat her, but at the same time she's maybe doing something about it.

[62:11]

Yeah, same time she might be doing something about it. Is there something else that makes people move around? Yeah, the whole universe makes people move around. That's what actually makes people move around. People think that people make themselves move around. That's what most people think, right? Isn't that what most people think? Unless they do something bad and then they think other people make them. But everything good that they do, they think they do on their own. Or at least the really good things they do, they do on their own. And the bad things, you made me do that. You made me say that. You made me angry. You made me impatient. You pushed me too far. This is the way we usually think. The motive of the universe is for us to be Buddha.

[63:22]

Oh, you mean if you do a little tap into the person's mind where you find a motive? Is that what you mean? Yeah. You would find a motive. If you tap into the Buddha's mind, the motive is... let's benefit all beings. That's the motive. Pardon? Do you sit there and watch that one? Sure. You do. No, I'm not acting on it. The motive, if you look in the head of the Buddha and see what the motive is, the motive is very clear, you know, it's very clear. It's like, let's help the people. Let's help them be Buddhas. That's the motive. It's like permanently, permanent rut of the Buddha's mind is let's help the people realize Buddha's truth.

[64:29]

That's it. That's all they ever think about. It's like real narrow-minded, except that they got everybody in the universe included in that. Okay? All right? They say, do they act on that impulse? Well, they don't think of it that way, but in fact, everything they do is nothing but that. And you may look at them and say, oh, they did that, the Buddha did that, but actually, it's nothing but that intention. Everything they do is for that. So if they see suffering in others or suffering in themselves, they don't have suffering in themselves because they have this attitude. When they see suffering in others, they feel compassion for them, which is the same thing as wanting others to be happy. They feel compassion, and everything they do is an outgrowth of this compassion. And they talk and they walk.

[65:33]

They talk and they walk. If they've got a human body, they talk and they walk. They're not thinking, I'm going to do this anymore. It's just, let's, you know, benefit beings, benefit beings, benefit beings, that's all it is. Everything is coming from that. Benefit beings. Benefit all beings. Everything comes from that impulse or that intention. And this intention is in the mind which has experienced... This intention to benefit beings is in the mind which knows the end of suffering. If you don't yet... Not knowing the end of suffering goes with wanting to benefit some beings... Some.

[66:37]

For example, one. How about two? Okay, two. How about three? Okay, three. How about six? Fine. But anyway, it's some. Knowing, understanding the supreme truth and knowing the end of suffering goes with wanting the welfare of all beings and practicing with all beings. Those go together. And not just wanting it, but actually practicing with all beings. In other words, before we know the end of suffering, we cannot practice with all beings. that suffering which we're still caught up in cuts into and undermines us in practicing with all beings. Put it the other way, when you practice with all beings, you know the end of, you understand the end of suffering.

[67:43]

When you're working, when you're practicing with all beings, helping all beings practice the Buddha way, that's the same as knowing, that's the same as understanding the end of suffering. If you're missing one, you're missing the other. And missing the one, which we're talking about here, missing the knowledge of the end of suffering, missing that comes from not being in accord with what's happening. And not being in accord with what's happening is when you want what's happening to be destroyed or you want what's happening to go on. In other words, you have craving in the midst of the whole universe. You're hooked up with, I want this to continue or I want this to stop. That blocks our settling with the ultimate truth. and that blocks our understanding and our realization of the end of suffering.

[68:51]

So you have various pains in your bodies this week. How can you find out what it means to not wish for them to be annihilated or continued? Don't switch over to like continuing them either. That's worse probably. You have to choose one, choose the annihilation. How can you work with your posture in the appropriate way without trying to get rid of your suffering? If you can abandon the impulse to get rid of what's happening, abandon the impulses to make what's going on continue or get better, you settle into what we call the wishless samadhi. which is the door to the truth and the truth of the end of suffering. And when you have that understanding, that wisdom, this is the supreme wisdom of the Buddhas, then naturally you want to practice with all beings and you're unhindered in your practice with all beings.

[70:07]

There's nobody you can't practice with then because you're not afraid to practice with them. You're not afraid what will happen to you if you practice with them that way or this way. Yes? I'm a little confused because yesterday in the Zazen period after repeat, when you spoke with us about This is the way to start what we're doing, speaking about this practice and this machine. The very last thing you said was, it's a matter of continuing in this way. It's a matter of, yeah. Well, I said it's a matter of continuity. So, well... The word continuity, so you have to have continuity in not... You need to have continuity in not trying to make things continue.

[71:11]

In other words, in this moment, maybe, say, okay, in this moment, I have this nice ice cream cone here, you know, and I'm going to practice not wishing that I will continue to have this ice cream cone in that moment. Okay? Okay? So one moment, you've got one moment of, if they come and take the ice cream cone away from me, I'm going to, like, just, like, really try to, like, tune into what it would be like not to wish to continue to possess this ice cream cone. So you do it for one moment, okay? And then I come walking over towards you to take it away from you. You've still got it, you know, but you're sort of saying, I'm willing to let it go, so I come closer to you. So he's getting closer to taking this away from me, and I really feel, like, ready to let go of it. And then I take another step, and you still feel that way, and you still feel that way. And as I get closer and closer, and I start to grip the ice cream cone and pull it out of your hand, peel your fingers away from the cone. Say, you know, Mimi, I've got it now. You don't have to worry. I won't drop it. I'll take it from you now. And you watch me walk away from it.

[72:16]

And each one of those moments, you watch that impulse to sort of like, you know, is there any impulse there to keep having that ice cream cone? Well, there is, but I let go of it. Yes? So in other words, some of you probably have had moments during this session already when you had some pain. Maybe some of you, for one moment at least, have had, in the middle of your pain, have not wished it would end. There might have been a moment like that. Just like, hey, pain, hi. Not pain, okay, you can go now. No, just pain. It's a matter of continuity. I'm not just having one of those moments. but not just two even, but several. Like, maybe in the middle of session you could have like one period where the whole period you did not wish that your life was different from what it is.

[73:17]

Just for one period you could feel that moment after moment like, this is it, this is it, this is it, this is actually my life. You could experience that for one, maybe for 40 minutes. That would be amazing, but you know, just to talk about something amazing. That would be some continuity. But if you're trying to continue it for the whole period, if you're trying to continue this particular way, whatever that thing is, then that's not what I'm talking about. You know, and I have this thought in my head, like, I can't believe you don't understand me. To me, this is like, you know, really simple. But, you know, I'm here living with this reality, and I don't wish you were different. I don't wish you would get this any faster. I really don't. Honest. It's fun. You know? I told you that story about my daughter, you know, learning to ride a bicycle.

[74:18]

I really... THE TIME WHEN SHE WANTED TO LEARN WAS THE TIME SHE WANTED TO LEARN. AND IT'S NOT MY JOB TO HAVE YOU UNDERSTANDING WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT OR ANYBODY ELSE'S UNDERSTANDING. AND ALSO NOT MY, NOT, YOU KNOW, FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. ALSO, YOU SHOULD JUST DON'T BE IN A RUSH FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. Anyway, if you look over the Buddha's teaching, if I look over the Buddha's teaching, I don't see him teaching this way all the time. But I draw your attention to this point in this scripture when he taught the way to actually bring yourself in alignment with the Supreme Truth and realize the Supreme Truth. It requires this literally superhuman meditation practice.

[75:18]

Superhuman, transcendental meditation practice of dropping impulses to continue pleasant things, continue wonderful Buddhist practices, extremely lofty yogic states, or even low-grade ice cream cone states, renouncing, continuing all of those, and renouncing, ending all those unwholesome, stupid, painful, all those stupid. You drop trying to end those, and you drop trying to continue these or promote these. And you realize the truth, namely, whatever it is. ice cream cone, pain in the knees, so-and-so being tortured, whatever. You become a person who's free of suffering and then we have a person who's free of suffering in the world and we watch what this Buddha does. You then become a servant of the universe and the universe uses you at its will.

[76:27]

And you spread the supreme truth as the universe wishes you to do so. talk to people about it in the way that you have to talk to them about it. You show it to them as best you can, but not by your own power, but through the power of knowledge of freedom, which does not belong to anybody. You're a truth slave. Truth operates you. And those who are servants of truth want to benefit all beings because the truth is all beings are benefiting you. The truth which sets you free from suffering, the supreme truth is all beings are benefiting you. There's other truths which is some beings are benefiting you, which I think some of you know those truths, right? There's a conventional truth that some people are helping us and others aren't.

[77:35]

But the ultimate truth, everybody's helping us. And we want to help everybody, without any exceptions. This is Buddha's truth. And if you can tune into that for a moment, that's nice. But then to do it again and again, I hope that too.

[78:05]

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