As I remember, today we read and recited teachings about the Four Truths of the Buddhas, the Four Truths of the sages. as they are presented in the earliest scripture and as they are presented in the great Mahayana flower adornment scripture. Do you remember that? Were you here for that? And now I guess I'm praying that this discussion

[01:04]

about these Four Truths inspires all of you to wholeheartedly embrace and sustain all living beings. The third of the three pure bodhisattva precepts is to embrace and sustain all beings, all living beings, in all their various, endlessly various difficulties. So I pray that we feel more encouraged to enter this precept

[02:10]

of embracing and sustaining all beings. And this precept of embracing and sustaining all suffering beings goes with the precept of embracing and sustaining the precepts which are conducive to awakening and the precept of all wholesome activities like generosity and ethics and patience and diligence and tranquility and insight. We offer some quiet for all of us to consider. Do we feel inspired to practice this embracing and sustaining all beings?

[03:18]

The Sanskrit original of this third pure bodhisattva precepts is sarva-sattva-kriya-sila sarva-sattva-kriya-sila which means all beings ... actually we have a member of our community whose name is Kriya, right? Which means to mature or develop. It's the precept of maturing or ripening all living beings. Embrace and sustain them to Buddhahood starting with the way they are right now,

[04:28]

starting with the way we are right now. I imagine you might feel embarrassed if I ask you to say whether you feel inspired but I feel okay about at least asking you to look inside and see if you feel inspired to do this great work, this great and endlessly challenging work. I feel inspired. Great. Is there anything else that you wish to bring up today? Yes, please. I don't remember the character. I'll look it up and let you know.

[05:50]

So she's referring to a story where a monk is about to leave his teacher and the teacher says, where are you going? He said, I'm going to go on pilgrimage. The teacher says, what's the purpose of this pilgrimage? And the monk says, don't know. But I don't know what the no in that case is. And then the teacher says, not knowing is most intimate. And I don't know if that's more of a common word for knowing or if it's that same character which means discriminating consciousness. It would be interesting to see which one it is. I'll check it out. Yes? Since Nick brought up the knowing again,

[06:51]

and the Bodhidharma when he said, I don't know. Some people translated it that way. Yeah. One way I heard that, one way I felt it at some point was that the emperor was asking, and when he said I don't know, which is, I don't know how you're categorizing my seeing. That I don't know, meaning it's in your consciousness, it's not over here. What do you think about that? You ask me and I say, I don't know. Then I go, I don't know what you see or think. And you don't, do you? Right. So another way is, what is it that stands before me or what is it that's facing me? Another answer is, it's not what you see or it's not what you think. Another one is, who is it that's facing me?

[07:55]

And it's not an I that knows. However, there's no I in the Chinese. It just says, not consciousness, not knowing. But if you're going to say, I don't know, you can also say, I doesn't know it. But we have consciousness, most of us, where there seems to be a sense of self, and the sense of self often is accompanied by various delusions. So you've got the sense of self, and next to it is an idea that this self is doing the knowing. That's a delusion, the self is not doing the knowing. The knowing is co-arising with the sense of self and all the other factors of consciousness. But the delusion that's often there

[09:01]

is not that the colors are knowing or that the feelings are knowing or that the ideas are knowing. That's a rather uncommon delusion. It's also not true. But the one that's quite common accompanies the sense of self. The sense of self comes with its delusion. The self is the one who's knowing. The self is the one who's doing the karma. The self is really great. And the self is thinking these thoughts. Those are delusions. The self is not doing it. However, the self is there with all that. But everything else is there with that too. But we don't say everything else is doing all that. There's not those delusions. We could make them up, but almost no one would believe it. Like most people don't think that the colors are the ones who know or the smells. But they coexist with the self and the knowing arises with colors, smells, sense of self, feelings, various emotions.

[10:04]

All that comes up together and all that together is the knowing. No one part of it does the knowing. It's a communal event. And in that communal event are various delusions like this is not a communal event. This consciousness is not communal. It's the self in charge of what's going on. That's one of the main delusions. An exaggeration of the power of the self, which is just one of the five skandhas. It's not an independent skandha. Yes? I would love to... When you ask, are you inspired to these teachings, I used to say, yes, I do, but now I like to say, not no. Okay. Yes? So where does wisdom arise?

[11:05]

Where does it arise? It arises together with the entire universe. No, I'm saying wisdom arises with all of the universe. Wisdom is the understanding of everything. The wisdom is understanding that everything is thus. And its location is everywhere. Because it's the illumination of everything as thus. Isn't that true for ignorance too? That it's where? Isn't that true for ignorance also, that it arises with everything?

[12:06]

Yes, it does arise with everything, yes. However, ignorance is not the understanding of the nature of everything. But it does arise with everything. So everything that arises comes up with ignorances in the neighborhood. Every sentient being is arising with ignorance. But the sentient being and the ignorance, which are inseparable, each one of them is thus. Ignorance is the fact and the understanding that everything is thus. And the teaching. Yes? You know, many times you'll teach something and then you'll say, well actually the character says this. So we have this version and then we have your version. And I really appreciate that. It really opens things up for me. I really appreciate the Four Noble Truths and the Four Truths for the mind.

[13:10]

And I really appreciate the think, not thinking. How do you think, not think? Think, not think. How do you think, not think? Non-think. It really does open me up and I get to kind of play with those. So, thank you for that. You're welcome. I'm glad you're playing with it. I want to say also, there's no small potatoes. If you say there are no small potatoes, there are just some things that are called small potatoes, but they're not small potatoes. Even small potatoes are not small potatoes. That's right. You could say especially small potatoes are not. So in other words, for me the implication of this is to respect small potatoes and respect them into realizing that actually they're not small potatoes. Everything is not what we think it is.

[14:11]

Yes. And we realize that when we love everything. The way it seems to be. I don't know if this really relates to the things you just said. I don't either. If it doesn't, I apologize. As you often say, this just came up in my mind. I'm going to say that too. You know the children's book by Sendak called Where the Wild Things Are? So there's a line in there, the little boy has problems and he goes to this island where these wild people, beings are. And he says at one point, I'll eat you up, I love you so. Wow. Right? And just now, that I'm saying to you, this is kind of crazy, I'm saying to you, I'll beat you up if you don't make me compassionate.

[15:14]

Lovely. I can play with you. You know, it sounds like a joke, but in a way it ... It sounds like a joke and maybe it is. Maybe, maybe our life is ironic. Ironic. Scott. Mm-hmm. Well, how do you understand it? The one dying would be a Latin dance.

[16:40]

And so you've heard that it's good for that to die as soon as possible. Don't wait for that one to die. But if it doesn't, embrace and sustain it until it's ready to let go of itself. As soon as possible, then you'll be a Dharma jewel in this world until you seem to not be here anymore. You have an interesting look on your face, Mary. My question is kind of on a different subject. Well, not a different subject. In a Buddhist context, what is emptiness? In a Buddhist context, what is emptiness?

[17:56]

Well, right now it seems like a big question. I was trying not to ask it. You seem to be rather unsuccessful. So, in a Buddhist concept, what is emptiness? Is appropriate. It's good to have that question in a Buddhist concept. There was a cartoon many, like 50 or more years ago, there was a cartoon in Playboy by that guy who does those kind of bizarre cartoons. Forgot his name, anyway. Gahan Wilson? Yeah, Wilson, yeah. So here's this huge, maybe like an elephant with a big banner on it or something, anyway, or some kind of float,

[19:02]

some great float with big wheels and on the outside of it said, it said nothing across it and people were beating drums and blowing horns and a bystander said, Is nothing holy? Is nothing holy? So, some people think emptiness is holy, but some people think emptiness isn't really holy, like the truth isn't really holy, the ultimate truth isn't really holy. Understanding it is holy. Those who want perfect wisdom, which understands it, that's holy. But perfect wisdom is very, what's the word, intimate with wondering what it is that's being understood. It's understanding without any grasping. It's illumination without holding on to the light. So your question in a Buddhist context is appropriate.

[20:07]

What is emptiness? What is emptiness? And, you know, you could also say, What is thus? That's a question which has been asked by, of all people, the sixth ancestor. So the sixth ancestor had another major student and when that student came to see the sixth ancestor, the sixth ancestor said to him, What is it that thus comes? What is it that thus comes?

[21:09]

The sixth ancestor answered, kind of a question just like yours, What is it that thus comes? And the student said, To say it's this, misses the point. But the question doesn't have to trick us into saying it's this, and he didn't. He didn't say it's this, or not this. He just stayed with the question. And then the teacher asked another question and said, Okay, he's not going to say it's this, or he says saying it's this misses the point, he's not going to say it. So I'll ask him another question, which is, Well, does that mean there's no teaching or practice and realization? And the student said, I don't say there's no practice and realization. I just say you can't defile it. And the teacher said,

[22:16]

Now you are thus. What is it that thus comes? Now you are thus, and I'm thus too. And we proceed this way together. We're all thus. Without pointing to anybody. So your question is good. I hope it keeps coming up for you until all beings are saved. What is it that thus comes? And there's a lot of answers, but I think the student's response was really good. I'm not going to say what it is, even though there's no end to what I can say. Yes? I heard you say recently that

[23:21]

this is thus, but thus is not this. Yeah, all this is are thus, but none of the this's are thus. Excuse me, all this's are thus, but none of the thus's are this. So each of us is thus, but none of the thus's that we are are this. It's not reciprocal in that way. It's reciprocal in a way that doesn't get stuck. And that was a summary of the book you wrote? Yeah. I had a little birthday dinner with my daughter and her mother and her children and husband.

[24:25]

And it was mentioned that I had those four books with my name on them. And she said, I didn't know that. I thought you just had two new books with your name on them. And I told her the other two books. She never heard of them. Your daughter? My daughter, yeah. So that's the kind of family I have. For example, they don't know the books I have my name on. And I told her the names, she'd never heard of them. I don't like force this stuff on her. But she found out, finally. She found out. And here's a terrible story to finish with today. I read Gurdjieff. And he said that his father used to get him up in the morning and put him in cold water. And his mother and grandmother just totally tried to stop him.

[25:31]

But his father did it. And he said, everything I've done in my life, all the difficulties I've been able to face and engage with are because of that cold water immersion. So I thought, I'll do this for my daughter. I thought you'd think that was terrible. So I got her up and brought her into the bathroom with the bathtub full of water and I put her in. To help her become the superwoman that she has become. And then I did it the next day. But the next day when I went in to put her, take her into the bathroom to put her in the water, I don't know if you've ever seen this movie called, are they called The Incredibles? And the mother has these legs which can spread, you know, like blocks away. So we're going into the bathroom and her legs gripped the edge of the door.

[26:35]

And her arms gripped the edge of the door. I could not get her into the bathroom. And her mother's screaming at me to stop. So I only did it once. And now she goes in. Now she goes into the ocean. But it took about 45 years for her to realize that that would be a benefit. But she could do it. She can do it. Voluntarily. So, I know it's terrible what I did. And I'm kind of doing that with you too. I'm sorry. Putting you in cold water. Are you confessing? I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm putting you in cold water. I am.

[27:38]

Am I sorry? No, I'm not sorry I put her in cold water. But I know it was a terrible thing. I know it was terrible, but I don't think it hurt her. Matter of fact, I think it gave her a chance to strongly resist me and not read my books. So, I think, you know, I'm not all that made her the great person she is, but I think I'm part of it. And that's one of the things I did for her. And I tried to do it repeatedly, but she was too strong. And she still isn't really strong. And sometimes she didn't know how strong she was, but I still knew how strong she was. And I was just waiting for her to find out where she wanted to apply her strength. And before she found it, she was not really applying her strength.

[28:42]

She was like, you know, using 10% of her muscle power, which was not much fun for her, and didn't fool anybody, and nobody really thought it was good, because they knew what she could do. And I said, well, I found out what I wanted to do when I was your age. I was very lucky, so I could apply my effort to it. I said, when you find it, what you want to do, you're going to do it, and you're going to do it thoroughly. But I don't know when that's going to be. And so, one year later, she found out what she wanted to do. She got pregnant, and she wanted to be a mother. And there her strength came. She's such a good mother. Her whole being takes care of those kids.

[29:43]

And then once you do it that way with one thing, like your children, then that spreads to everything else. You wholeheartedly take care of this person, then you start wholeheartedly taking care of other things, like all the things she wasn't doing wholeheartedly then. It didn't make sense to do them that way anymore when she started to do things in a way that respects the things. So, I'm not saying I have any much credit for that, but along with you, we all get some credit for this wonderful woman. You all contributed to it, me in my strange ways, you in yours. Well, thank you for the wonderful day, as usual. Thank you for taking care of this temple. Again, may it be a blessing in the world for all beings.

[30:46]

And Charlie has an announcement. Yes, the archive team did a perfect job this afternoon sorting out the tapes. We found 13 new ones, which is great. On that note, if anybody finds a box of cassette tapes of Rev or others, then send it to us. But the remainder of the tapes are sitting in a cardboard box over here and are destined to be recycled. Unless anybody wants to take one home. There's mostly cassette tapes. There's a couple of VHS tapes. About half of them are Rev, half are other Zen Center teachers. There's some Ram Dass, Barbara Thurman, Dalai Lama stuff, and it's obsolete technology. So, please help yourself and the rest will be sent on their way. Okay, thank you. And now, we will do some concluding prayers.

[31:52]

But before we do them, I just want to mention to you that we have discussed here over the last few years the ten great vows of Samantabhadra, which are stated at the end of this scripture. And also in this scripture, which has those ten at the end, inside the scripture, there's other groups of ten bodhisattva vows. So, there's other ten bodhisattva vows inside the scripture, for your information, which I will tell you about later. So, there's lots and there's infinite bodhisattva vows, but those ten famous ones are at the end, and inside there's other ten bodhisattva vows, which are also really wonderful, and I highly recommend them.

[32:47]

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