As you may remember, today is the day when we commemorate the awakening of Shakyamuni under the bow tree. So there's a story that he became Buddha. He became awakened under the tree when he saw the morning star. Actually, when he saw Venus.

[01:05]

He saw Venus and woke up. According to another story, after awakening he didn't think that his awakening could be communicated to ordinary people. It was so different. And therefore he didn't immediately start teaching. But then, again, according to another story, he was encouraged to teach. And so when he first taught, he just talked about the way it was for him. And he was right.

[02:12]

People didn't understand. So then they said, people said, we don't understand. Try again. So then he tried again, and he came up. His second attempt was to teach the Four Noble Truths. And humans understood that. Yesterday, you read his first teaching, where he gave the Four Noble Truths, which were also the way things looked to him, but that way worked better for people. This is a roundabout way to come to what did he say when he just said how it was for him. And the way he put it in the Avatamsaka Sutra, he said that the fundamental affliction of ignorance

[03:21]

is itself the immutable knowledge of all Buddhas. So if any of us have access to the fundamental affliction of ignorance, there is also the immutable knowledge of all Buddhas. In his first scripture, as we have been discussing, he recommended that those who want to be his disciple would not give up being devoted to distracting themselves from what's happening.

[04:51]

by being devoted to addiction, to sense pleasure or being devoted to self-mortification. He recommended that we live without being addicted to self-indulgence or self-denial. In other words, without being involved in self-indulgence or self-denial, we're just with the self, whatever it is, however it appears. In this way we study the self. And we see how we understand the self. And if there is ignorance about the self, if there is delusion about the self, then we see that there is suffering.

[05:59]

And we see that based on delusion about the self, there is craving. And that this delusion about the self and this craving are the source are the origination of suffering. And when we see the source of suffering, when we see the fundamental affliction of ignorance about the self, the suffering ceases. And the way to see is the middle way, which is to not distract ourselves from looking at the fundamental affliction of ignorance by self-indulgence and self-denial.

[07:09]

After two days, more than two days, the group is settled somewhat into this situation of the appearance and disappearance of phenomena, the arising and ceasing of phenomena, the giving up of the devotion to distracting ourselves from what's happening, at least a little. So I'd like to introduce another teaching of the Buddha about the Middle Way.

[09:17]

So Ananda says, Thus I have heard the Blessed One was once living in Savatthi in the monastery of Anatta Pindaka in Jeta's grove. At that time, the venerable Kacchayana of the Kacchayanic clan came to the Buddha, saluted him, sat down on one side. So seated, he questioned the exalted one. Sir, people speak of right view, right view. To what extent is there a right view?" The exalted one said, this world, Kachayana, is generally inclined towards two views.

[10:28]

existence and non-existence. This world is generally not upright towards two views, existence and non-existence. the Buddha said, this world is generally not upright towards the two, existence and non-existence.

[12:33]

But I would elaborate to say that this world generally is not upright towards anything that happens we're generally inclined towards or away from anything that arises. And not only that, not only are we not upright with our experience as it arises and ceases, but we give rise to abstractions, ideas about our experience, like it exists or it doesn't exist.

[13:37]

And then with regard to these abstractions, we also have inclinations. And this is generally the case in the world, that this is how it is, how the world is, how we are in the world. Then the Buddha says, to him or her who perceives Oh, that's everybody, right? Him or her who perceives. That's everybody. That's like ordinary people and Buddhas perceive. But to him or her who perceives with right wisdom. This is a wise one now.

[14:41]

To him or her who perceives with right wisdom the arising of the world as it has come to be. the notion of non-existence does not occur. If one perceives the arising of some phenomena as it is actually happening, how it happens, to be right there with it, the abstraction of it exists will not occur. Actually, he said the abstraction of the idea of nonexistence will not occur. You won't think, oh, this doesn't exist.

[15:50]

As you clearly watch it arise, that notion will not come up for you. But I would add even further that you won't even have time to think it exists. Similarly, or on the other side, for one who perceives with right wisdom the ceasing of the world as it has come to be, the notion of existence in the world does not occur. Just watching just perceiving without any inclination, without any bias, the ceasing of something.

[16:53]

As it comes to cease, the notion of existence in the world does not occur. There's just a rising and ceasing. This way of being with the arising and ceasing of experience is not generally the case. We would like it to be, as bodhisattvas, we hope that this could happen someday, that many, many beings would be with the arising and ceasing of the world in this upright way, to be with the thing as it comes to be, to be with something as it comes to cease. And when we're that way with things, we are not inclined towards, we are not biased towards, we are upright with

[18:07]

the views of existence and non-existence. We do not cling to them. Not clinging to them is the middle way. Grasping these views, these abstractions, about the happenings and ceasings of our life is not the middle way. Not grasping them, avoiding the grasping of them is the middle way. someone told me a story about himself.

[19:18]

He said, there is a very strong magnet and it has Velcro on it. And I have a little piece of Velcro on me He didn't say, and I am a magnetic entity, but I guess that's what he meant. And this strong magnet pulls me to it. And then when I get pulled to it very strongly, my little piece of Velcro sticks to it. And that's that. But then something, I don't know, something happens, there's a little pause or something, or something happens and I get dislodged from this thing I got pulled to, just long enough to get pulled back again and stuck again.

[20:20]

So over and over again, I'm inexorably drawn, pulled to this magnet, stuck to it, then released and pulled to it again. Not only that, but I have expectations. And my expectations are constantly frustrated by this process of being pulled and stuck, released, pulled and stuck. So there is a continuous frustration. And I said, there's insight there. That's the way the mind works.

[21:28]

It has this basic tendency to grasp. It assumes that there's something graspable, some actual fundamental thing that can be grasped, and it cannot resist trying to grasp it. So it tries to grasp. It reaches out and tries to grasp, to get a hold of that thing which it thinks is there, that it thinks exists or doesn't exist. It has expectation of success and it never succeeds, so it's frustrated. But then it gets another chance. It gets released and try again. So it does, again and again it does. So there's a continuous experience of frustration and anxiety. This is the fundamental affliction of ignorance.

[22:40]

Ignorance isn't just ignorance, it's an affliction because we act on it. We act on this ignorance that there might be some ground, something solid, something out there, a world that's out there to be gotten, or a self inside to be gotten. This is our ignorance. Based on this ignorance, we act. we grasp outwardly and inwardly, and we never get what we are trying to get, but we keep getting another chance, and we try again. So this is the fundamental affliction of ignorance. And then he said, and I won't ask you how I can get out of this I think the reason why he didn't ask me because it was brief, Doksan.

[23:49]

So he knew there wasn't time. Also, I think he remembered that he told me this story before once and asked me how to get out. And I said, uh-uh, you can't get out of this. Because trying to get out of it is you think there's some place to get out of that you want to get. It's the same thing. Of course, if you're in this situation, you want to get out of it. Of course, if you're trying to grasp things all the time, you want to grasp getting out of this endlessly frustrating situation. But that just cranks it one more turn. So there's no way this situation will never end. There's no end to it. It's self-perpetuating. And everything you do in that world to get out of it will be frustrated. And everything you do to stay in it will be frustrated too. Although you get to stay in it, you never get to stay in it the way you intend to stay in it. You get to stay in it, but that's not what I meant by stay in it.

[24:58]

Any idea you have of how to continue it is frustrated. Every idea you have of how to end it is frustrated. because it's based on ignorance that there's something out there or in here to get a hold of. But that ain't the way things are, except from the point of view of ignorance. And they are that way from the point of view of ignorance. There is something to grasp, and you can't resist. And you can't not have expectations when you reach for something about what it's going to be like. And it's never that way. So, welcome to the fundamental affliction of ignorance. So anyway, he didn't ask, how do you get out of this? But maybe you do. And again, there is no way out of it because this

[26:02]

fundamental affliction of ignorance is the immutable knowledge of all Buddhas. It's not a matter of getting out of it. It's a matter of seeing what the fundamental affliction of ignorance is. What is it? It's the immutable knowledge of all Buddhas. I like that immutable part. Because it doesn't mean like, well, could there be something else that could be the immutable knowledge of all, that could be the knowledge of all Buddhas? No, this is the knowledge of all Buddhas. What the Buddhas know about is the fundamental affliction of ignorance. That's their thing that they're into. That's what they understand. That's their knowledge. That's their freedom. That's their wisdom. That's their compassion. If the world doesn't exist, I mean I shouldn't say if it doesn't exist, if the Buddha doesn't grasp the view that the world exists, and the Buddha doesn't grasp the view that the world doesn't exist, if he doesn't attach to these views everything exists, absolutism, eternalism, if he doesn't grasp the other extreme that everything does not exist,

[27:25]

It's slightly different to say nothing exists. He said everything does not exist. He doesn't grasp that either. In other words, nihilism. In other words, annihilationism. The Buddha doesn't grasp either of those extremes. Well, how does the Buddha explain that there seems to be things happening? Arisings and ceasings. How is there rising and ceasings? Well, He says, dependent on ignorance, there are dispositions. Dependent on dispositions, there is consciousness. Dependent on consciousness, there is psychophysical personality. Dependent on psychophysical personality, there are sense organs. Depending on sense organs, there's contact. Depending on contact, there's feeling. Depending on feeling, there's craving. Depending on craving, there's clinging. Depending on clinging, there's coming. Depending on coming, there's birth. Depending on birth, there's old age, sickness, death, lamentation, sorrow, misery, grief, and more ignorance.

[28:36]

Depending on which, there's more karmic formations, more consciousness, and so on. That's how the Buddha tells the story. The Buddha saw how it worked. That is the content of the Buddha's awakening. The content of the Buddha's awakening is the arising of the world and the ceasing of the world. Well, you get to see the arising of the world and the ceasing of the world every moment. And not only do you get to see the arising of the world and the ceasing of the world, but you get to see the arising of ignorance each moment. Your own ringside seat on the ignorance, you get to see the fundamental affliction of ignorance, which is the mutable knowledge of all Buddhas. But only a Buddha would like to watch the show of ignorance. Everybody else wants to get out of ignorance land, because ignorance land is nonstop frustration, right?

[29:46]

That's what he said. What is suffering? Suffering is birth. Suffering is everything that happens is suffering in ignorance. So, let's get out of here. Okay, here, some more ignorance. Well, no thanks. Okay, here's some more ignorance. You don't seem to understand what I mean. I don't want any ignorance. Fine. Here's some more. No, I wasn't kidding. I don't want any more ignorance. Oh, okay. Okay, fine. Here's some enlightenment. Ah, that's more what I had in mind. Thank you. This is called Mara. Mara says, okay, you don't want to face ignorance. You're my boy. Okay. Here. Here's enlightenment.

[30:49]

You're enlightened. You're okay. You're better than these other morons. And somebody whispers to you, that's Mara. You go to see the teacher and say, well, I'm enlightened. Teacher says, that's Mara. That's delusion. You're crazier than most people. So then you say, oh, well, let's get rid of Mara. Let's get rid of Mara. It was bad enough before when I was just ignorant. Now I have, like, ignorance coming in disguise of enlightenment. This is worse. Let's get rid of that so I can just go back to being an ordinary ignorant person. Well, it's too late. You can't get rid of Mara. Mara, however, has his own schedule and may leave if you're not interested.

[31:53]

But if you want to get rid of Mara, Mara's got a job called, oh yeah? You know, one time, actually, a long time after Mara sort of gave up on Buddha, you know, like last night, what we celebrated last night, Mara tried to get Buddha to get off the seat, to indulge in, you know, in sense pleasure or to go back to his old practice of self-mortification. And Buddha didn't move. Buddha didn't move and Mara split. Mara left, left Buddha all by himself to study the fundamental affliction of ignorance. Mara's part of ignorance, but Mara's the part of ignorance that's trying to distract you from looking at ignorance.

[32:55]

It's the creative aspect of ignorance to distract you from it, just studying it. It's like, this isn't just ignorance, this is like interesting. This is something to, you know, write home about. I got enlightened. The fundamental affliction of ignorance, like, left. And there was just, like, beautiful enlightenment. And it was just as much fun as, like, a date. It's just what I always wanted. No more frustration. So anyway, Buddha just didn't move at these opportunities and Mara left. But then after Buddha was like well into his career as Buddha, you know, and he kept telling stories over and over about how Mara split and stuff like that. So then Mara came to Buddha and said, you know, partly because of you and your disciples, my reputation is shot.

[34:00]

You know, and nobody likes me anymore. They don't think I'm interesting. I'm losing ground here. My popularity rating is really going down. And almost nobody falls for my tricks anymore because of you and your teaching. A few people. I have a few clients still, but basically, I would like to quit, so I'm going to quit. And the Buddha said, you can't quit. He said, and I can't quit either. I'm teaching all the time and, you know, very few people listen to me. And, you know, my popularity rating is not doing too well either. But I can't quit. I got to keep being Buddha and you have to keep being Mara. So get back to work. So Mara has followed instruction and is still working. But the fundamental affliction of ignorance isn't Mara. The fundamental affliction of ignorance is ignorance.

[35:05]

It's like there's something there to get a hold of. There's something out there to get a hold of, something out there all by itself that you can grasp, or something in here that you can grasp. That's the fundamental affliction. There it is. And it's not going to go away, and it's not going to last. because nothing goes away and nothing lasts. But it will keep arising and then it will cease. You can depend on it appearing and disappearing, but it doesn't last and you can't get rid of it. And you can't get rid of the potential to distract yourself from meditating on the fundamental affliction of ignorance. But even though you can't get away from the potential to distract yourself, it is also possible to be undistracted.

[36:10]

Right in the middle of this kind of like magnetic pull to grasp and getting stuck and being released and being pulled and grasping and getting stuck, right in the middle of this horror show, this unstoppable machine this indestructible mechanism of attachment. Right in the middle of that show, one can practice meditation. One can be upright and see that this fundamental affliction of ignorance is itself the immutable knowledge of all Buddhas. one can settle down and be upright.

[37:14]

It's possible. If you try to get out of this horror show, that's not being upright and that's not settling down. If you try to be in it, that's not settling down and that's not being upright. But as it arises and ceases to be present with no agenda, And you don't need an agenda to be present because you are. You get to be present not because you're in charge, but because you are. That's what you are, is the one who is present. You don't have to do anything for that to happen. You just have to give up distracting yourselves from what's happening. And watch the arising of the suffering that's subject to arising. And watch the ceasing of the suffering that's susceptible to ceasing. It's all you have to do, and it's difficult if you think you have an alternative.

[38:23]

And you can think that there's an alternative. You won't lose your ability to think there's an alternative. You just have to give it up. So one time there was two monks, and one said to the other, in the Avatamsaka Sutra it says, the fundamental affliction of ignorance is the immutable knowledge of all Buddhas. This teaching seems really abstruse and difficult. the monk said to another monk named Nanyang.

[39:29]

And Nanyang said, oh, yeah, it doesn't seem difficult to me. It seems quite clear. And then Nanyang said, see that boy over there sweeping the ground? Watch this. And he called out to the boy. Hey, boy. And the boy turned his head and looked at him. And he turned to the other monk and said, is this not the immutable knowledge of all Buddhas? And then he said to the boy, what's Buddha? And the boy looked perplexed and confused and stumbled off into the sunset. And he turned to the other monk and said, is this not the fundamental affliction of ignorance? Looks like one is the fundamental affliction of ignorance and the other one is the immutable knowledge of all Buddhists.

[40:45]

Do you see how they're not two different things? And in the same, right next to this story is another story where Yangshan says to Guishan, oh no, Guishan says to Yangshan, All sentient beings just have karmic consciousness, boundless and unclear, with no fundamental, no ground to rely on. How would you test that? In experience. So karmic consciousness, all we've got is karmic consciousness.

[42:02]

It's all we've got. In other words, karmic consciousness is a consciousness that arises dependent on karmic formations, and karmic formations arise in dependence on ignorance. It's all we've got. It covers everything. It covers everything, whatever things there are, it covers it, and it's unclear, and there's no ground. There's nothing to it, really. So how do you test this? In other words, how do you test if somebody understands this? And Yangshan said, If I see somebody, I walk up to them and I say, what is it?

[43:04]

If they hesitate, I say, all sentient beings just have karmic consciousness, boundless and unclear, with no fundamental to rely on. And Guishan said, good, good testimony. So when somebody comes up to you, when a great Zen master comes up to you and says, what is it? Do you hesitate or do you answer? If you hesitate, that is the fundamental affliction of ignorance. How can we hesitate? Because you think. Because you think there's some fundamental to rely on, so you want to give the right answer, right? What is it? Well, in just a second, it's a... You want to get it. You want to get what it is to tell the Zen master what it is, right? A reasonable thing. Because you think there is something, and they found out that you do. So then you're going to give it to them, right?

[44:06]

The what is it. So then they tell you, all you've got is karmic consciousness. It's unclear. It's boundless. And there's no fundamental. So don't try to get the fundamental and give it to me when I ask you what is it. Give me the middle way If you don't give me the middle way, that's okay. But then what you've got here is you're reaching into your karmic consciousness in that unclear boundlessness and trying to get something which there isn't to give me as an answer to what is it. So I just tested by that question, and you hesitated, so I got karmic consciousness. Now, if I tested... and you knew all you've got is karmic consciousness, you wouldn't be reaching for karmic consciousness to answer me, what is it?

[45:06]

You'd give me the answer from the middle way, which is from uprightness of not grasping existence or non-existence. And you'd be the mouthpiece for the middle way, And what does the Mosby for the Middle Way say when you say, what is it? It says, wah, oh, hey, [...] hey. It doesn't say, just a second, I've got to check what part of karmic consciousness to get the answer from. What part of the basic affliction of ignorance I'm going to sample to answer the question. And if I do go to karmic consciousness and try to get some ground to give you the right answer, then you say to me, while I'm looking around, just a second, kid, I wasn't asking for that.

[46:11]

I don't need any more karmic consciousness. I've got enough of my own. You keep your own karma consciousness. So Bodhidharma teaches how to enter the middle way. Outwardly, anything in the world, any phenomena you see in the world, don't activate your mind around that, in response to that. Just be upright with it. Don't activate your mind with, it exists.

[47:13]

It doesn't exist. Don't grasp the view. It exists. It's non-existent. Anything inside, he says, don't cough or sigh. Oh, that's not myself. Oh, that's myself. Yeah, this is really me. This is not me. No, don't do that. Anything inside, no coughing or sighing, no gasping, no grasping. What about the constant grasping that's going on? What about this magnetic getting stuck and being released? What about that? What about this fundamental affliction of ignorance? If the fundamental affliction of ignorance is outside, don't activate the mind in response to it. If it's manifesting as Mara,

[48:16]

Just be upright. If it's inside and manifesting as you or as not you, no gasping, no sighing. Thus you enter the way. This is how you enter the way. And then you'll see what was there all the time. What? Ignorance. You'll see what the Buddha saw. Ignorance, depending on ignorance, karmic formations, depending on karmic formations, consciousness depending on consciousness, psychophysical experience depending on psychophysical experience, sense organs, contact feeling, craving, clinging, becoming, birth, death, ignorance, karmic formations.

[49:29]

You get to see. And what do you see? You're seeing the fundamental affliction of ignorance, how it works. You're seeing how it works. Seeing how it works is the immutable knowledge of all Buddhas. Being possessed by ignorance, which we are, and trying to get away from what we're possessed by is just compounding it. Being possessed by ignorance and saying, okay, you got me, and then watching how you're caught, that's insight. To see how powerfully you're caught is an insight. To see that you're completely caught is an insight. To see there's no way out of being caught and to give up trying to get out of what you can't get out of, because that's where you are, is insight.

[50:31]

It's the immutable knowledge of all Buddhas. The world, the Buddha said, for the most part, for the most part, there's a few exceptions, there's a few sages roaming around, but anyway, the world for the most part, Kajayana, is bound by approach, grasping, and inclination. And she who does not follow that approach, grasping, and determination of mind, Okay, so you got the world.

[51:40]

So mostly what's going on in the world is approach, grasping, and inclination, okay? Approach, grasping, inclination, being dragged towards the magnet, stuck, released, dragged towards the stuck, boom, dragged, approached, pulled. This is the world generally. And then it says, he who does not follow that approach, right in the middle of this, Could there be somebody in the middle of this mess who does not follow? Who's right there in the middle but not following this approach, grasping, and determination of mind? The approach, grasping, and determination, for the most part, that's what's going on. But then there's a possibility being right in the middle of it. Anyway, for one who is like that, who doesn't follow this approach grasping and determination of mind, that inclination, that disposition, who does not cling or adhere to the view, this is my self.

[52:48]

This is my self, not that, this. I didn't mean that, I meant this. This is my self, not that, not that, not that, not that. Of course you can still do this. This is myself, not that. That's generally speaking going on. You're surrounded by an ocean of this is myself, not that. This is myself, not that. Inclination. Approach. Grasping. Clinging. This is going on. An ocean of that. An ocean of suffering. In the middle of this ocean. Not this is myself. And that's not. who just, you know, who doesn't say, this is myself, and that's not. Even while you can hear, this is myself, that's not. Somebody else is sitting there listening. This is myself. Oh, what a lovely jazz song that is. This is myself, not that. This is myself, not that.

[53:52]

This is myself, not that. I hear that. This is music. This is the fundamental affliction of ignorance, blues. But I don't follow that determination. I just listen. I just listen. This is like compassion in action, listening to this delusion. This is myself, not that. This is mine, not that. That's mine, not yours. Give me that. I'm listening to that song. I'm listening to that music. I'm listening to that suffering, that frustration, that frustration, that anxiety. I'm listening to it. I hear it. I'm listening. I'm listening there. But I'm also watching, and I watch. Oh, what do I see? The one who does not adhere to the view, this is myself, also sees suffering that is subject to arising arises, suffering that is subject to ceasing ceases.

[54:54]

So while you're hearing this, this is myself, not that, give me that, give me out of here. You see, watching, stuff's rising and ceasing, rising and ceasing, arising and ceasing. The world is appearing. Oh, and how does it happen? How does it happen? Oh, the ignorance is sponsoring this whole thing. Yeah, wow. Ignorance, yeah. This is all coming from this ignorance thing. Oh, I see. This is how it happens. Gee whiz, wow, look at that. So for one who sees the suffering that's subject to arising arises, the suffering that's subject to ceasing ceases, such a person does not doubt, is not perplexed. is not confused, is not frustrated, is not anxious. This is Right View.

[55:57]

Katayana. So, some of us are living in this world of strong magnet. I can't help but attach to this. Oh, here we go. Another example of attachment has occurred. And now, oh yeah, now I'm released. And another one. This is where I live. And I don't ask, how can I get out of here? I don't ask, how can I get out of here? Because this is brief toksan. This is just long enough for, here we go, here we can draw, we're drawing, stuck. Now release. That's it. That's as long as you get. That's no time for questions. No time to even think of how do you get out of this. Just, here we go.

[57:05]

That's all. Just the fundamental reflection of ignorance. It's all you have time for. But still, there is the arising and ceasing of this scenario. Here it comes. Here we go. Getting drawn again, and it's over. Here comes another one. The suffering that's subject to arising is arising. Here it's arisen. It's now ceasing. Here we go again. There it goes. Here comes another arising, ceasing. Here it comes up, and now when it's going to stop, it's going to stop. And here now it's stopping. There it goes. This is happening over and over. I don't have time to talk about how to get out of this, because I'm just like living my life here. in the fundamental affliction of ignorance watching it arise and cease watching the world arise and cease watching ignorance karmic formations and so on go round and round I don't have time to think to activate my mind around this I'm just

[58:12]

I'm just working with what's happening here. I don't have time for coughing and sighing about this. Thus, we enter the way. And then sort of, by the way, no perplexity and stuff like that. It's going to be nice once you enter the way. LAUGHTER But if you try to get out of this fundamental affliction of ignorance cycle, if you try to get out, that's just Mars got you. You want to get out of this thing? Join my school. The Zen school is really a bummer. I've got another way for you. You don't have to face this suffering. You know, we got this other way. You can like, what?

[59:14]

You can get out of it. Of course, it takes a little while and you got to pay a little money, but basically you get out of it. All sentient beings just have karmic consciousness, boundless and unclear, and there's no fundamental to rely on.

[61:56]

But they think there is a ground to rely on because Karmic Consciousness thinks there is a ground to rely on. And this affliction is the immutable knowledge of all Buddhas. Do you see this affliction? If you do, you have insight. Now, can you face your insight? Can you stay upright, be upright with this insight? And let it sink down into every cell of your body until you're nothing but insight. and tell you nothing but the immutable knowledge of all Buddhas.

[63:28]

They are intentional.

[64:13]

@Transcribed_UNK
@Text_v005
@Score_88.5