Last year during the first talk I gave on a Sunday here, I vowed to spend the whole year concentrating on wisdom teachings and teachings about how to meditate on the wisdom teachings in order to realize wisdom. But part of me hurts a little bit to concentrate on wisdom because part of me wants to talk about compassion. Discussing compassion is so encouraging, and really the point of it all is compassion, is the realization of compassion.

[01:14]

The realization of, if you'll excuse the expression, Buddha's compassion. which means totally unobstructed, totally purified, totally effective love. The Buddha's wisdom teachings are for the welfare of all living beings. They're for the sake of purifying our compassion. Many of you, I know, have great compassion already in your hearts. But even those who have this great compassion confess that there's still some attachment in your heart.

[02:23]

There's still some dualistic thinking in your mind that interferes with the full function of your compassion. The wisdom teachings are for removing any obstruction to this natural compassionate nature which pervades everything, which totally pervades our body and mind and the bodies and minds of all beings. Compassion is really always sitting in our heart waiting to be released. But dualistic thinking can can interfere somehow in this world. So wisdom is to free us from misconceiving what's going on, which we so naturally do.

[03:26]

So we're both sometimes naturally compassionate but also naturally mistaken, deluded about what's happening. For the last year and still now we're studying teachings on how to realize wisdom, teachings for people who wish to become Buddhas. We have teachings for people who wish to become Buddhas, who wish to realize Buddha. This scripture we're reading is called the scripture, it's called the Samdi Nirmacana scripture, Samdi Nirmacana Sutra. Full name is Gambira Artha Samdi Nirmacana Sutra.

[04:33]

Gambira Artha means the profound thing of revealing the deep intention of the Buddha. Sometimes the way the Buddha teaches, it's not clear what the deep intention in this sutra is trying to reveal it. And in many chapters of this sutra, bodhisattvas, those beings who wish to become Buddhas, ask the Buddha questions. And after they ask, and they ask questions about, for example, they say, how are bodhisattvas with respect to the secrets of mind, consciousness, and thought? How are bodhisattvas wise with respect to the characteristics of all phenomena? How do bodhisattvas practice tranquility and insight?

[05:35]

What is the purpose, what is the intention of bodhisattvas who do these practices? And after the Bodhisattva has asked this question, there's a standard response, although it's always fresh in the Buddha's standard response is, you are involved in asking this question in order to benefit many beings. to bring happiness to many beings, out of sympathy for the world, and for the sake of the welfare, benefit and happiness of many beings. Your intention in asking this question, it is good. It is good. So at the beginning of these various chapters on wisdom, the Buddha reminds us that these bodhisattvas, the reason for studying wisdom, is out of concern for the welfare of this world.

[06:38]

I might say that wisdom teachings are about the way things are and about the way they aren't. They're also about ways to meditate in order to realize the teachings about the way things are and the way things are not. Or the wisdom teachings are about conventional truths and ultimate truths. The wisdom teachings are about provisional truths and final truths.

[07:52]

They're about conventional truths and ultimate truths so that we can function fully in this conventional world and in the ultimate world. So we can help people in this conventional world and also so we can live in the ultimate world where we are already helping people and already being helped. I wondered, should I talk about the way things are or the way they aren't? Which should I talk about first?

[08:57]

Start with the way they aren't? The way they aren't is that Things do not exist by their own power. That's the way they aren't. And the way they aren't is the way they appear to be. The way things are is they don't do anything by themselves. They exist due to the support of things other than themselves. So the way they are is that they're interdependent, and the way they aren't is that they're independent. And the way they appear is as independent, and the way they don't appear is as interdependent. The way things appear is like this and that.

[10:28]

The way they actually ultimately are is there's no this and that. There is this, but this is nothing but that. There's no and that. In this, there is really only that. That all there is to this is that. There's nothing more to this than that. There's no this and that. But it looks like there's this and that. That appearance is totally non-existent. But the way this is nothing but that does exist. And the way there's no this and that in this, the way there's no this and that in this is what we need to see in order to become free of delusion.

[11:42]

So the process by which we switch from believing the way things are not as true, the way we switch from misconceiving what's going on, the way we switch from being unwise to wise, is described by an ancestor of ours when he said, first, when I first started studying the way, mountains were mountains and rivers were rivers. After studying for 30 years, I realized that mountains are not mountains and rivers are not rivers. Now having matured a bit more, Mountains are mountains and rivers are rivers again.

[12:49]

When we first start practicing, there's this and that. After practicing for 30 years, if we're lucky, this is not this and that is not that. And then we mature a little bit more, this is this and that is that. But we take a little break in between and become wise. We take a little break in between, this is this and that is that. And then again, this is this and that is that. We take a little break, but we become wise. and the obstructions to being kind in the world of this is this and that is that are removed. Another way to say this for future reference is that the way things are now, first, the way things are right now is that everything we see, in everything we see, in all of our experiences, our minds are infused

[14:13]

with conventional designations. Everything we see we interpret with conventional designations and project selves on them. We do this. And that someday we'll learn a way for our minds to not be infused with conventional designations and the projection of self on things. And after that we can go back to have a mind that's infused with conventional designations so we can talk to people and tell them about the way of freedom. What Buddha sees and understands, and when I say Buddha, there's three basic meanings of Buddha.

[15:22]

One is complete, perfect enlightenment. Another meaning is a person who realizes the truth. And another meaning of Buddha is the education of people, the edification of beings. So what perfect enlightenment sees, what the person who's realized it sees, and what is seen in the process of learning the truth, what is seen is that in every moment In every moment, we are receiving a life. We are receiving a life. This is what is seen in every moment. We are receiving a life. We are receiving a body-mind life.

[16:25]

We are receiving a mind that is embodied. we are receiving a body that is a conscious. Every moment we get a conscious body, every moment we get an embodied consciousness given to us, moment by moment. We don't have it beforehand. That's what we usually think. We usually think, I already got one and I'm going to have one and when the next moment arrives, I'll already be here with my body and mind waiting for it. But actually that's the way things look. That's the way they aren't. But there is the appearance of things being like that. That's true. It's true that there is the appearance of things that don't exist. Constantly there's a production of the illusion that we're already here before things arrive.

[17:27]

But what Buddha sees is that there's nobody here before our life is given. And that in each moment, the Buddha is receiving life. The Buddha, the complete enlightenment, is aware of and receiving a body and mind. Receiving. And we're receiving a body and mind, receiving a body and mind, and then immediately letting it go. We receive a life and let it go. Receive a life and let it go. That's what Buddha is seeing moment by moment. Having a life and keeping it is not what Buddha sees. That's what non-Buddhas see. But this is actually already going on according to Buddha, is that right now each of us has just received a body and has now just let it go.

[18:38]

Has just received a mind and a life and let it go. That's actually what's going on. That's what Buddha sees. Right now we're receiving a story of what's going on. Because we have a body which has a mind which has just given rise to a story of what's happening. But this story has been given to us according to Buddha. And now it's time to let go of the story of what's going on and receive the next one. So I would suggest that what I just described to you is the realm of Buddha's mind and the realm of the Bodhisattva's precepts. the realm of the activity of the bodhisattva. It's the realm of the activity of those who are on the path to become Buddha, and it is the realm of the Buddha.

[19:42]

And it is the realm of saving all sentient beings. The realm of saving all sentient beings is the realm that's actually happening. The Buddha actually sees right now sentient beings saving each other. The Buddha can also see the realm where sentient beings are not enjoying saving each other. The Buddha can also see the realm where sentient beings are competing with each other, liking and disliking each other, totally believing this and that, The Buddha can see that too. But simultaneously the Buddha sees the realm where beings are helping each other.

[20:44]

Someone said to me this morning, part of the reason why I said this is because someone said to me this morning, are the Bodhisattva precepts The precepts of the activity of a bodhisattva, are they the same as saving all sentient beings?" And I said, yes. And then the person said, well then if I like choose to do some kind thing, am I saving all sentient beings? And I said, well you are, but that attitude will alienate you from the process of saving all beings. Because that's the attitude of I choose to do a good thing. Then I'm here and now I have a chance to do a good. But receiving the body and mind which wishes to do something good and then letting go of that body and mind

[21:54]

That's the realm of the Bodhisattva doing good. The last time I talked here on Sunday, I said, I suggested as an induction into this Buddha mind, I suggested the practice of being awake to or being aware of how you are receiving help. Today I would say, learn to reverse the light, turn the light back and shine it back on the place, on the place and the way that you are receiving help. I said that at that time, I said, the Buddha is actually looking at how she is being helped.

[23:02]

No, excuse me. And I keep flipping on this. The Buddha is turning her light around. Actually, and giving up judging how this is helpful and that's not. And looking at how, how. you are receiving help. Not how what is happening is helpful, but whether what is happening is helpful or not, according to your judgment or anybody else's judgment. No matter what's happening. No matter if everybody gets together and says, this is helpful. Even though everybody says, this is helpful, still what you're looking at is how you receive help. And if everybody gets together and says, this is not helpful, and you see that, you still are focused on how you're receiving help in the world where everybody says, this is not helpful.

[24:06]

And in the United States, we have about half the people thinking this is helpful and half the people thinking this is not helpful. Or actually, not even half. 49% think this is helpful. and 49% think this is not helpful. But if the percentages shift, which they might, still the Buddha doesn't move or waver in these percentages. The Buddha lives in these percentages and always sees how she is receiving help. There is a place where I am receiving help every moment. I am receiving help. I am receiving a life. I am receiving a body and mind. Now, to an unhealthy person, they might say, well, that's not helpful. I don't want this body and mind. Give me another one.

[25:09]

This is an ungrateful person. I don't like this life, this life. I don't want to receive it. The Buddha is a happy person, helpful person, person full of joy of helping beings. They consider it helpful to be given a life to help people. They consider it helpful to be given a body and mind of the Buddha. Can you imagine that you might feel grateful if you were a Buddha? I have not heard of an ungrateful Buddha. Have you? A Buddha says, well, I wish I had different students. I wish I had different friends. I wish I had different enemies. People attacked Shakyamuni Buddha. Some people were mean to Shakyamuni Buddha. I never heard of him being ungrateful and complaining. A friend of mine is reading a biography of a very, well, I'll just tell you, of Jung.

[26:16]

After a while, Jung didn't like his patients. He wanted different patients. Now maybe he got over that. Maybe this is just during the first 30 years. But in the end, because you've gone through, first there is the mountain, then there is no mountains, then there is... Because you've gone through that process, you are grateful for whatever comes because whatever comes... whatever comes gives you life with no exception. And you see that, and you see that, and you understand that, and you are realizing Buddha's mind. We turn the light around, shine it back on the place, on the time where we are receiving help and where we let it go and give it away. This is called the self-fulfilling samadhi, the self-fulfilling awareness of the Buddha.

[27:26]

But it also can be translated as the self-receiving and the self-employing awareness, or the life-receiving and the life-employing awareness. The Buddha receives life every moment and gives it away. Receives the moment, and in the mode of receiving life, the life that's given away is beneficent. The Buddha mind, the Buddha's meditation, the Buddha's awareness is like this, is being aware of how you are receiving help in this moment, in this moment, how you are receiving help. Where is that place where you are receiving help? It's very nearby, but I don't know what direction it is, but it's sort of like, turn around, it's the other way than you're usually looking.

[28:33]

Another way we say this, another way to enter Buddha's mind, to enter Buddha's meditation, is to turn the light around and shine it back on the place where you let go of your body, mind and life. Usually we're looking from a place of holding on to our body, mind and life. Now, can we learn the backward step which turns the light around and shines it back to the place which is always where we are, where we are letting go of our life which we have just received?

[29:56]

it may be the case that it's a little bit difficult to see how we are being helped, how we are being given a life, how we are being given Buddha's life. It's a little difficult to see that, perhaps, if you can't simultaneously see how you're letting go of the life that you have. So letting go or giving up the life you have right now, the body you have right now, the mind you have right now, is another way, another way to enter the Buddha mind, the Buddha heart, the Buddha awareness. And again this morning someone said to me, would you say again what you said about the essential import of the source. And by the way, what does import mean there?

[31:07]

And I said, well, it means meaning or significance. So a great Zen master asked his teacher, what is the essential import of the source? What source? The source of mind? the source of Buddha's mind. What is the essential significance of the source? And his teacher said, it's just the place where you let go of your body and life. And I'll add mind. It's just the place where you let go of your conscious body and life. That's the meaning of Buddha's mind. Or rather, in that practice you realize the meaning of enlightenment. And then the person said to me, that sounds like making an effort or something like that.

[32:11]

And I said something like, usually people think I make an effort. But really it's more like what you are is effort. You are effort. It's not you plus effort. There's nothing more to you than effort. And this effortful creature this creature which is full of effort, when this creature hears the teaching, sometimes this teacher goes, I mean, this teacher goes, this teaching goes, this person goes, I like it. I like the teaching. I want to practice it. I want it to be practiced. I want my effort to be that kind of effort. I heard the Zen master say, it's just the place of letting go of body, mind, and life.

[33:23]

I like it. I received a body which wants to be that way. The light is turning around and shining back. Where's that place where body and life are let go? And if the place where the significance, where the meaning of the Buddha will be realized will never reach the source, The source is beyond our reach, but the source can be manifested, the Buddha mind can be manifested in our life if we just let go of body and life. But again, this is not something I can do. That throws me back into holding on to body and life that I would do it. It's actually the place that's already here all the time. Just turn around and look at it. Where is it?

[34:24]

It's very, very near. That's where it is. Where is near? It's near. How near? You're getting warmer. This is where you want to be. You want to be in the meaning of the Buddha mind. And it's this place which is already where you are. It's where you actually are living. It's where you're receiving your life and giving it away. It's where you're receiving your body and mind and letting go of it. That's where you already are. It's where you're totally effortful. Somebody heard about some of the work that Buddhas do and they say, gee, that sounds like hard work. And somebody said, Buddhas are hard working.

[35:27]

But hard work is not hard for hard workers. You are a hard worker. You are. Something like 98.6 as a result. You're cooking. Some of you are harder workers than me. You know, I'm only 97.2. I'm kind of lazy. Please accept me. But still, that's pretty good. I got up to 97.2 or 4. Occasionally I get up to 99 when I'm sick. I'm really working then. You are hardworking. You're working hard all the time, receiving a life. It's a big deal. Get a life. Get a life. Receive a life. Get a body. Get a mind. That's a big deal to do in a moment.

[36:31]

And then, because you're alive, you let go of it. If you were dead, you would hold on. If you hold on, you're dead. Holding on to life is death. Got it? Got it? Let it go. You are alive. You are Buddha. in this way. But have you lately turned the light around and appreciated it? It's right there. To steadily be mindful of this practice of looking at how, looking for how you are receiving help. Again, I keep slipping, and it's not how you are being helped, it's how you are receiving help.

[37:35]

You're not quibbling and saying, that's not helpful. You actually are receiving it anyway. You are receiving life. You're not saying, no thanks, I don't want that kind of life. You are actually receiving your life. So it's not how you're being helpful or whether you're being helpful, it's how you are actually receiving life. How you are actually receiving life and letting it go. Steady mindfulness of how you are receiving life and how you are letting it go. This is Buddha's meditation and this is the standard, this is the criterion of Zen meditation, the self-fulfilling samadhi, the self-fulfilling awareness, how you are receiving and giving away life every moment. This is how we get ready to make the transition from me and you being separate to not seeing things that way anymore, to where there's no me and you.

[38:49]

And it's not a problem that there's no me and you. It's a big relief. There's no more fear. There's just freedom and unobstructed compassion in the realm of no me, where I'm not me and you're not you. A reb is not reb and you are not you. And you tap into that on a regular basis because you tap into on a regular basis how you're receiving life and giving it away. How you're receiving life and giving it away. As you tap into that way of being, that Buddha's mind, you get more and more revelations of how you're not you and I'm not me. You get relieved from the dualistic world, from the world of separation, from the fear, from the anxiety, from the selfishness, etc. And then you can come and play in the world of me and you again.

[40:00]

And I can meet you there. And it's okay. The illumination and the freedom from dualistic thinking pervades the dualistic world after that. But you still keep going back to refresh yourself in non-duality. Because you could slip back, you know, for quite a while anyway, we can slip back and start believing again that what's good for other people might not be good for me. That your life and my life are not the same. That I'm me and you're you. Independent of each other. I think I can briefly mention that there's more to this teaching than I'll ever be able to say.

[41:38]

And yet I'd like to say just a little bit more. And that is that when we first enter the practice, when we first receive the practice, and give the practice away. When we first receive the practice of turning the light around and shining it back on the source and letting go of body and life and starting to see that our dualistic world of separation is actually not separate from the Buddha's world of non-separation. There's not a separation between the world where there's separation and the world where there's not separation.

[42:47]

There's not a separation between the world of delusion and misconception and obstructed compassion, and the world of correct vision and unobstructed compassion. Those aren't separate either. So you get to see that your present state of development and the state of development of all beings, even beings who are not very far along in the path, all beings themselves actually are this great Buddha mind. No difference at all. When you first see that, of course, it's a big relief and it's a deep, deep calm. So this wisdom opens you to that great calm of the non-duality of deluded beings and Buddhas, of misconception and correct understanding. And then after that, we enter into the wisdom exercise program where you're actually now working the wisdom which you've achieved

[43:54]

and you deepen it by actually bringing all the teachings about the way things are to bear and to test and to spin and to play with this non-duality, to unfold it and enact it. So that's a kind of like a forecast of future work that we can discuss. And off and on I, in my meditation, I'm vigilant of the possibility of songs that might apply to the teaching. But today, unfortunately, I'm sorry to say, I've got plenty of nothing. Nothing's plenty for me.

[44:56]

Yeah, that's it. I didn't even get the words to that song. I'm so sorry. Because I know you like to, especially Vernon, likes to hear me sing. It's so nice to see a person making a fool of himself. Right? A fool. A fool. Not only that, but he's an arrogant fool because he doesn't even mind being a fool. He's almost proud of being a fool. He's like, hey, I'm a fool, so what? Yep. When I first started practicing, Hey, what you do there?

[46:01]

Don't turn me off. Don't fence me in. That's another one. That's a good one. Don't fence me in. So when I first started practicing, I was a little bit afraid that people would find out that I was a fool. And now, after thirty years, I'm less afraid. Nay, our intention is to be happy every day. To do good. So if you think, if the thought arises, I am choosing, or I choose to do good,

[47:07]

if you looked at how you're receiving help at that moment, then you'd still have this thought, I am choosing to do good, or I choose to do good, but you would be feeling, you would be attending to how you're receiving help at that moment. So that would be a different way than I'm sitting here, nobody's necessarily helping me, but I'm going to help you. Rather than I'm attending to how I'm receiving help and I happen to be somebody who is choosing or has the thought of I choose to help you. Then I don't so much fall into, like, I'm choosing, actually, by my own power. I didn't choose to choose.

[48:30]

I didn't make myself into somebody who wanted to choose. I received a life, and in this life, the wish to, or the choice to help you arose. But the actual choosing, the actual idea of I choose, that's not recognizing that you were made into a person who thought that way. If you turn it to another example, you can see how important it is, because you could also have the thought, I choose not to help someone. I'm not going to help you. And I'm choosing not to help you. But if I realize at that moment, at the same time, if I pay attention to the place where I see or pay attention to how I'm receiving help, then if I actually am aware of how I'm receiving help, of how what I am is,

[49:37]

simply receiving help, then the idea that I'm not going to help you is just a joke. I'm not going to fall for that. You can think things like that. You can think things like that. I just saw this morning The cover of a magazine called Psychology Today has a kind of cartoon face of a woman and a bubble above her head and in the bubble it says, how can a nice girl like me think such terrible thoughts? You know? But nice girls can think terrible thoughts and nice guys can think terrible thoughts like, I don't care about these people. I don't care what happens to these people. But if a person has this thought arising in their mind, at the same time they realize that all beings are giving them life, that thought will have no function. And people come up to you and say, would you give me your left arm?

[50:42]

And you say, fine, if you need it, here. Your compassion will not be hindered by your thinking. Most people's compassion is hindered by their thinking. Either way, if you think I'm going to help you I'm going to help her, that hinders your compassion. If you are not simultaneously letting go of your body and life. If you let go of your body and life, then thinking, oh, I'm going to help you won't hinder the compassion. And thinking I'm not going to help you won't hinder the compassion. We say, you know, like, flowers fall in our attachment. Weeds grow and we don't like them. So if you have a nice thought like, I'm going to be devoted to this person, that's kind of a flower that's sprouting in your heart. I want to help this person. There's the flower.

[51:43]

I want to help this person. There's another flower. I want to help this person. I choose to help this person. That's lovely. If you grab that, the helping gets interfered with. It withers. If you want to hurt people That's like a weed. But if you fight that or, of course, attach to it and say, yes, let's do that, then it flourishes. But if you don't attach to either one, then the good blossoms further. It's unhindered and the weed of unkindness that has no function. It's being in touch with the source of the Buddha mind that makes all activity Buddha's activity. But if you think of something that a Buddha might do, like benefit beings, and then you hold on to that, in other words, or put it negatively, you do not let go of your body and life, then that attachment interferes with the good intention.

[52:50]

Again, I started the talk by saying, I think many of you have compassionate thoughts and intentions. You wish to be of service to beings, including yourself and everyone you love. But if you're not tuned into the Buddha mind, there's some degree of obstruction, sometimes big-time obstruction. But if you're tuned into the Buddha mind, even the thought, I hate you, won't be harmful at all. I'd like to really do something terrible to this person. You just go, whoop. I want to do something really good for this person. It won't get choked if you're at that same time appreciating how you're being given life and you're letting go of life. You do not choose by your own power anything. You never make yourself the way you are. You are responsible for the way you are, but so am I. You are responsible for the way other people are, and so are they.

[53:59]

We're working together is the Buddhist perspective. There's no blame. There's only perseverance furthers. Perseverance at what? at being mindful that life is being given to you to give away, that life is being given to you, that a body and a mind are being given to you by everything in the universe but you. And you get to celebrate this by Buddha's meditation. And when you're celebrating it, then whatever arises in your mind will not be harmful and could be beneficial. So even a harmful thought could be beneficial, but it won't be harmful. It won't manifest its harmful potential. Does that make more sense? Keep meditating on it, it'll make more sense and more sense. It'll start to take over and realize the Buddha.

[55:03]

Frederick and Steven? And Rayrin. Yes? You know, this is another subtle point. I recommend that you don't so much get into appreciation for what does give rise to you. In other words, not so much grateful for what does give rise to you, A grateful because grateful is a beneficial meditation. So if you spit in my face, that gives rise to me with spit in my face. But I think it's a little bit too advanced and somewhat potentially perverted to think, oh, thanks for spitting on me. You know, like, then it's good to spit. It's not so, maybe not so good for you to spit on me. So I'm not actually, it's like, grateful that you spit. I'm actually kind of sorry for you that you spit, but I'm grateful that I can practice, that the practice can arise even though I'm being spit upon.

[56:15]

So the practice of gratitude is not so much grateful for, it's grateful because gratitude is beneficial to beings. Just like it's not so much to think about how you're being helped, Because if you get into how you're being helped, then you start playing judging, well, this is helpful this way. This is how I'm being helped. I'm being helped because of this, this, and this. That can be slippery because then you think, well, since that's how I'm being helped, then this way wouldn't be helpful. So then you get off the track of how you're receiving help no matter what and how Buddha's grateful no matter what. But Buddha's not grateful that beings are suffering. Buddha's grateful to be devoted to beings that are suffering. experiencing gratitude nurtures gratitude if you're not experiencing gratitude I think it's good to be mindful that it that that nurturing it might promote experiencing it and experiencing it would be good

[57:29]

So you might think about, where is the gratitude? Where is it? Where is the gratitude? When I'm worried and I can't sleep, I count my blessings instead of my jerks. Instead of thinking about how people are mean to you, count your blessings. Count how you're receiving blessings. Learn to see how you're receiving blessings. Buddha sees suffering beings and Buddha considers suffering beings a blessing even though Buddha wishes to help suffering beings become free of suffering. Buddha wants us to become free and wise, but Buddha doesn't think badly of us. Buddha is happy to meet us. And I say Buddha, I mean a person, but I mean the enlightened mind is happy to meet us. The enlightened mind is happy to work with us in whatever condition we're in. but also can see, well, this person is really frightened or this person is really distracted.

[58:40]

This person really needs training. And I'd love to train this person, help this person train. And I'm so grateful to be able to work with this person and help this person. And they really need a lot of work. Matter of fact, they're being really mean to me right now. This is really astounding how cool they are. Wow, this is like big-time cool. Ooh, gee. But I still am, you know, I'm clocking in my patience time here, you know, getting lots of tolerance credit. So it's wonderful. Yes, Steven? You think what? I've missed the beginning? Okay. That's true. Either you do or you don't. That's right. Yes, there are degrees. There's like, either you change...

[59:42]

your view of the world entirely, or you don't. And in don't, there's changing a little bit, and there's changing quite a bit, and there's changing a lot, and there's changing really a lot, and then there's changing completely. And all of you are probably, like probably most people that came to this talk this morning, changed a little bit their view. Those of you who are already quite a ways along changing your view probably changed your view more. I would guess. I did. The mind is constantly evolving. And when people bring up the Dharma teachings like I did this morning, that causes the Dharma teachings to evolve, but also it causes all of our minds to evolve. So you're constantly evolving. And in a given moment you might completely change. But then in the next moment, a kind of old pattern might arise again. Or in a given moment, you might mostly change.

[60:55]

Like in a given moment, you might like really like say, that would be wonderful, actually like see that place where body and mind drop away. Rise again. or in a given moment you might mostly change like in a given moment you might like really like say that would be wonderful actually like see that place where body and mind drop away it would be wonderful to like get an understanding of how my life is really the letting go of my life that's really my life and how there really isn't death Death is just grabbing life. But there is a moment when you might completely want to do the practice.

[62:02]

And there might be a moment where you mostly want to do the practice. And there might be a moment where you a little bit want to do the practice. So these are possible. But in fact, we have the ability to do something completely or to hold back a little bit. That's a fact. And I think sometimes we can sense there's a little bit of holding back. And sometimes we think we're not holding back at all, and then we go maybe interact with somebody who's into the not holding back work. And we say, hey, I'm not holding back at all, and they say, congratulations. And then we notice that we're holding back. Or they say, you know... oh, yes, you are, and we notice that we're holding back. Or they say, oh, yes, you are holding back, and we notice that we're not holding back. They help us realize again. So that's why we practice together is to help ourselves play with this practice so we don't just have a dream that we ourselves, by ourselves, are making ourselves into what we are, which is our natural tendency to dream that.

[63:12]

We've got plenty of that going on. So if you notice that, that's good though. So part of the practice, part of wisdom is to notice that we do not, the way we think things are is the opposite of the way the Buddhists teach. I see Jackie's hand and what's your name? What? Sage. Was there somebody else before that? Oh yeah, Seiren. Sacred Forest is it? sacred for us. Yes? Are you saying that when we can realize the help that we've been given, that the dust goes away automatically? Yeah, right. Exactly. And realize When you realize how you're being helped, you said that the self drops away automatically.

[64:16]

It's the same vision. To see how you're helped is to see how the self has dropped away. It's the same thing. It's not like you see how you're helped and then. It's the same vision. It's not the source, no. It's the meaning of the source. The meaning of the source is manifested. The source we never reach. Consciousness doesn't reach the source. The source is like beyond any like perception. But the meaning of the source comes into our life when we let go of our body and life. If we hold on to our body and life, we say, no thank you, no thank you, meaning of the source. I'll take the source, but not the meaning. Give me that source. Or give me that meaning. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. You know, Buddha's being patient with you. You're helping me. I mean, I'm receiving your help by you talking that way. Thank you so much. Now, it's the same thing. To see how you're helped is to see the dropping away of body and mind, is to see how the self is not really there.

[65:24]

You realize that, you understand that. And then the source of the Buddha mind, the Buddha mind source, is illuminating your ordinary consciousness. And then your ordinary consciousness is not hindered by what's going on in it. So like if you look at me and you think, he's a jerk, it doesn't stop your compassion for me at all. And I'm even wearing a sign saying, I'm a jerk, and you read the sign. I'm a jerk. But you don't know who that applies to. And you feel compassion in all directions simultaneously. Because you don't know where not to. Because there's no obstruction due to clinging to mountains and rivers, this and that. Jackie? I was using an example of what? Meanness? Yeah, right.

[66:30]

If people are mean to me. Not if people are mean to my enemies. If they're mean to my enemies, I think, good, nice. But when they're mean to nice old me, dear me, then... Yes. My vow is to practice patience. I'm not saying I always do. I sometimes do. That helps. Right. That helps practicing patience. But seeing where they're coming from is a little bit later. Buddha can see where people are coming from. But first of all, realize Buddhahood before you start trying to figure out what other people are doing.

[67:31]

Did you say no? That's what I thought you said. I don't say you have to wait. I'm just suggesting you wait. Suggesting. I'm suggesting that you wait to understand other people's motivation until you're more enlightened. In the meantime, check out your own. That's what I would suggest. But it's a free country. You can go around trying to figure out other people's motivations if you want to. I'm just not recommending it. That's all. Just a guy over here saying, don't recommend it. Maybe, but you can try again. I think I am. See, now you're interpreting my motivation again. Perhaps what you mean to say is you don't think. Yeah, that's more like it. You don't believe it or you don't think it. Now you're talking about what you believe, right?

[68:39]

Okay? That's good that you can talk about what you believe. And I'm here to tell you that I don't agree with you about what you're attributing to me. That's what I'm trying to suggest you do. To turn the light around rather than be examining other people. That's exactly what I'm suggesting. Yes? No, you... Then I'm saying, you're receiving meanness, okay? I'm saying when you think you're receiving meanness, okay, at that time, that you think that, then concentrate on how you're receiving help at the same time without messing with your opinion. Yeah, well, when you... Yes, yes, yes, but... No, you can't wait until you're a Buddha until you practice... Well, you can wait, actually.

[69:47]

Some people are waiting until they're a Buddha to practice wisdom teachings, but again, I don't recommend that. I recommend starting wisdom practices prior to being Buddha, prior to realizing... Actually, I shouldn't say prior to being Buddha, prior to realizing Buddhahood, I suggest you practice wisdom practices. But practicing patience is a wisdom practice. And so when I think somebody's being mean to me, then because I think they're being mean to me, that often hurts. So I practice patience, and that helps me turn the light around. But if I don't practice patience with my view that they're being mean, I may forget to do the wisdom practice. So patience and wisdom go together very closely. So when you feel hurt by what you think someone's doing, practice patience with the pain, and then turn around and look at how you're receiving help while you're thinking they're doing that thing which you think is painful. Right, and that's completely funny because when you say you practice patience, it seems like you're saying it's their bad, it's their thing, and in fact, it's not only that, there's more to it.

[71:03]

Right. Right. That's a wisdom practice. And patience is too. I think maybe Sage is next, maybe. Dharma doesn't end and psychology begins. Dharma pervades everything. So there's dharma penetrating the psychological realm. Okay, what's your second question?

[72:15]

Say it again. Okay. My wife asked me to meditate on something, because my family is very dynamic. I'm not here to meditate on all of these things. I'm here to let God's life and future to know that. So what you mean is to let it go. Okay. That's what I'm very suggesting to you. So first I'm going to go back and do a little bit more on the first question.

[73:31]

Where does dharma end and psychology begin? I said the dharma doesn't end and then where the dharma ends, psychology starts. I said that's not the way it is. If there's a psychological phenomenon, it isn't like the Dharma is floating around the outside of the psychological phenomena. The Dharma is the actual nature of the psychological phenomena. The question, where does the Dharma end and psychology begin, that's a psychological question. Let me talk some more. Let me say that again before you say something. The idea that dharma ends and psychology begins, or psychology begins and psychology ends, that's a psychological phenomena, that idea. That's an idea. Dharma is about how psychology doesn't really begin and end. Nothing really actually has a beginning and ending. But psychology projects onto phenomena beginnings and endings.

[74:37]

People do not have beginnings and endings. Life does not have a beginning and an ending except by psychological projection. And Dharma helps us understand that birth and death, beginning and end, that these are psychologically determined, mind-imputed partitions on an unlimited life. It's segmenting. So, don't fence me in. In other words, you can have psychological views of me that I start here and end over there. But don't grasp those. Dharma is about how you do not actually believe the divisions between dharmas, between people. So that's more on the first question. Now do you want to talk more about the first question? I think the second question is more important.

[75:38]

I think your second question is more So I actually didn't mean to recommend Zen meditation. Okay, I don't exactly mean to recommend Zen meditation. I hesitate to recommend it because I don't want you to do it because I recommended it. I want you to see if you want to do it when I tell you what it is. And Zen meditation might be said to be not meditating on something, like you said. Zen meditation is basically letting go of your body and mind. So, that's Zen meditation. But you don't have to meditate on that. All you've got to do is just be the dropping of your body and mind. And that's Zen meditation. If it helps you to remember that instruction, you start to kick-start, you're leaping into the realm of body and mind dropping off, then you can listen to that teaching.

[76:40]

You heard that teaching. Zen meditation. Meditation is leaping into the realm of body and mind dropping away. Meditation is leaping, is falling into the realm of letting go of body and life. That's a meditation. But I'm not necessarily saying you should meditate on that. I think it's more important that you leap than that you meditate on it. Zazen, the basic definition of Zazen is the dropping away of your body and life. But you don't have to think about that once you've heard it. But if you want to think about it, that's okay. But thinking about it is not the same as entering and dropping away a body and mind, or turning the light around and shining it back and looking, where is the place where my body and mind are dropping away? Where is my body and mind dropping away? It might be right near the place where you're holding on to your body and mind, which you can find.

[77:44]

But I'm not recommending you do this. I'm just saying that's Zen meditation. If you want to do Zen meditation, that's it. But my words are just gestures towards that. It's not really what I'm saying when I say that's it. I mean, I'm just saying that's an inducement, that's an induction into the Buddha's mind Ready to leap into Buddha's mind? I'm not recommending it, but are you ready? Do you want to? Yeah, I'm asking you. Yeah. Yeah, so let's do it. Yes. Are you brother and sister? Wow. I didn't think you were, but you sure look alike, yes? Your noses are very similar. Have you ever noticed that? Are you kind of a couple?

[78:46]

No? Do you know each other? Yes? You're not a couple, but you know each other. Okay. We're a couple, aren't we, Danny? A couple of guys, right? Yes, excuse me, what's your name? Ann? And what's your name? I now pronounce you a couple. You are a couple of people. With similar noses. Yes, Anne? Yes. How does such a meditation change the way you view your life? I think what I would suggest is that if you want to find that out, I'm not necessarily recommending it, but if you want to find out how it changes your life, enter the practice and you'll see.

[80:11]

Now I can generally say it'll make you unobstructedly compassionate, but what that looks like, how your vision will change, I can't say, but you can tell me. So people do this practice and then I hear from them how it's going. I see that they do change. They change anyway, but they change in a certain way when they do this meditation. And the way they change affects me such that I say, hey, let's do more of that. Let's do that practice because you're changing in a really good way, I think. You're becoming more and more fearless, more and more present, more and more grateful, more and more kind, more and more settled. more and more less self-righteous about what you see. So you might still see things in a certain way, similar to before, but not be so self-righteous about what you see. You might still think, for example, you're better than some other people. That might not change for a while. But you might kind of get the joke more and more.

[81:16]

And be able to go around people and say, I don't really think I'm better than you. There was a bodhisattva who did that. He walked around and told everybody, I don't think I'm better than you. I don't think I'm better than you. People would punch him and slug him. You know that bodhisattva? He's called never disparaging bodhisattva. He didn't never disparage anybody. But he'd go up and say, I don't disparage you. Oh, you don't, huh? Well, thanks. Couldn't help himself. Because he was in this samadhi. This awareness of like, Yeah, I think I'm better than people, but it's a joke. And I'm going to tell everybody about it. And they're punishing me for that, but jeez, I still don't think I'm better than them. I mean, I do think I'm better than them because they're being mean to me and they're cruel and slobs. They're so violent, you know, and I'm so kind. But I don't believe that. And I want to tell them. It's like that. You stop being fooled by your own thinking in the samadhi.

[82:22]

When you're a Buddha, you're no longer fooled by what you think. Buddhists think stuff, but they know it's just a thought. It's just mental activity. It's not what's going on, other than it's mental activity, which is a big deal. But not reality. It's a false thing. What you think of people is false. It never reaches what they are. But what they are can illuminate your views. And the main way it illuminates your views is that you stop believing your views. You start to see how funny your views are. You chuckle more, probably. Or if you chuckle a lot, you might chuckle a little less. Okay? So check it out and let me know how it goes. Let me know how your view changes if you do this meditation. Is that all?

[83:24]

Yes? That's right. Mind is one of those things that determines you know, what your experience is. One of the things that's not you that makes you what you are is mind. It's a big one, as a matter of fact, a real big one, a real big one. But your mind is not you, but your mind, past minds, give rise to your present mind. Past mind gives rise to your present body. Past minds means past embodied minds. give rise to your present embodied mind. So past bodies also, past body minds give rise to present body minds. That's a big, big, big, big one. So thanks for mentioning it. It's a big condition other than what's happening that gives rise to what's happening.

[84:29]

What you are right now, what I am right now, I do not produce this myself. This person does not make this person happen. But past people that I have been, that were also not made by me, They are conditions for my present self, for my present life. That's part of the big reason by which I'm now receiving this life. Yes? The worst way, huh? As long as you know it, that's what counts. Fine. It's a nice word. I don't know if it's in the ballpark, but it's a nice word.

[85:32]

It's in the flow ballpark. Flow does not reach the source of it, but the source can illuminate you, and it could be that the illuminated you would come up with the word flow, and that might be helpful. Because there is kind of a flow, a stream. There is that kind of thing. However, the way it appears is not the way it actually is. it actually, ultimately, is very quiet and it's not moving. You know, things are basically... Should I stop now? Should I stop now? Would you want me to stop? Yeah.

[86:36]

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