May I say again, once you have adjusted your posture and are sitting upright, settle into a steady, immobile sitting position like the great ancestor, Yaoshan, think of not thinking. How to think not thinking? Non-thinking. This is the essential, necessary method

[01:08]

of the zazen of the Buddha ancestors. And this zazen is not just concentration practice, although it's based on concentration practice of sitting upright immovably grounded on the earth. Further, it is wisdom practice. It is the practice realization of totally culminated enlightenment. In other words, it is the practice of totally enlightened beings, which are called sometimes Buddhas or Buddha ancestors.

[02:14]

At the beginning of this auspicious retreat, I said something about Buddhas. I said that Buddhas are greatly enlightened about delusion. Great enlightenment in the midst of and about, delusion is Buddha's. Sentient beings have abundant delusion to care for compassionately and enlighten.

[03:32]

We must love enlightenment, we must love delusion in order to liberate it. We must love the world of delusion in order to save it. And if we are bodhisattvas, we vow to save the world. And in order to do this, we must love delusion, affliction, karmic consciousness. Buddhas have all done this. and realize the way. The way has been realized, is being realized, is basically perfect and all-pervading. But somebody has to make concentrated effort in the Buddha practice, otherwise it's as though

[04:40]

the Buddhas are not in the world. It's as though enlightenment is not present in this world of delusion. There must be a practice which performs and enacts this love of the world, this release of the world, this wisdom of the world, Here I'm proposing that we must study being unwise in order to be wise. Wisdom grows from thoroughly loving delusion. To sit upright, thoroughly loving delusion is zazen of the Buddha ancestors. We have a chance now to sit upright, to sit upright, and to sit upright, to stand upright, to walk upright, to rest upright, and to love delusion and understand it.

[06:04]

We're supporting each other to do this. But I don't know if it's clear that we want to do it. So in Admonitions read this morning, it said that the sesshin is an opportunity to discover perhaps a new your ultimate concern in life, and to clarify it and even realize it. So I don't know if your ultimate concern is to practice and realize the Buddha's enlightenment, the Buddha way. or I don't know if you see that, is your ultimate concern in life. I don't know. And I myself look inward and I ask myself, do you really wish to work to make a Buddha in this world?

[07:17]

I ask myself that over and over. I don't stop asking myself that. There may be pauses, but it's not a stop. It's just a rhythm. And I have a sense of how to make a Buddha, if I want to make a Buddha. I've heard of a way to make a Buddha, to make Buddhas. to make enlightenment and to make enlightened ones. In Asia, Zen monasteries are sometimes called Zen gardens or Zen forests or Zen mountains.

[08:27]

But they're also called place for enlightenment. They're also called a place for making Buddhas. In the garden of Zen and in the forest of Zen, all beings are allowed to enter and wander about, even if they are not clear that the ultimate concern of their life is to make a Buddha. But I ask myself and I ask you, is making Buddhas for the welfare of the world your ultimate concern? So I didn't ask at the beginning, is Buddhahood, is the Buddha way your ultimate concern?

[09:31]

And if it is, then please understand that Buddhas study and love and realize delusion. If you have another ultimate concern, you are welcome in the Buddhahood. in the Buddha's heart, in the Buddha's mind, you are welcome. I do think that if you're welcomed enough, you will eventually wish to realize Buddha. I would actually, I wish everyone would wish to become Buddha. But I accept that it's not clear yet for everyone that that's what they wish for with this sentient being life. sitting here, developing tranquility, considering what the ultimate concern of your life is, are welcome activities.

[11:13]

And also it is welcome that you sit here tranquil and still, upright and open, and lovingly study your karmic consciousness for the welfare of the practice of the buddhas. for the realization of the practice of the Buddhas. Those who devote themselves, the sentient beings,

[12:33]

The karmic consciousnesses who wish to devote themselves to making, to realizing Buddhas for the welfare of all beings are called bodhisattvas. Those who wish to make Buddhas for the welfare of all beings, those who wish to realize Buddhahood for the welfare of all beings, are called bodhisattvas. There's a practice for bodhisattvas, and the practice for bodhisattvas is to realized Buddha. When I was first attracted to Zen I hardly heard the word Buddha.

[13:47]

I just heard about human Zen monks and I was deeply attracted to their example. Now today I've said Buddha many times and I'm almost feeling as though I should apologize for saying Buddha so many times. And I request your tolerance of me if I should happen to use the word quite a few times more in the next few days. But after the 27th, for a few days, I probably won't say Buddha out loud anymore. If you want to come and be with me when I'm not saying Buddha very much. Last night at dinner I was sitting next to Mikael and across from Luca.

[14:57]

I didn't say Buddha once. I was just concerned for Mikael's health. And there's something about Luke I was concerned about too. I can't remember what it was. But I didn't say Buddha. But somehow in this situation, I feel that you're supporting me to bring up the big B with a circle around it and ask you to consider if you wish to give your life to realizing the Buddha way, to realizing Buddhahood in this world. We need it. with all these problems. Beings are suffering.

[16:01]

Beings are unable to live. Species are being extinguished. The ice is melting. People are fighting. There's great fear. We need enlightenment in this world to aid us to cope with all this. And it is here we just need to practice to realize it. And perhaps I will discuss in more detail this essential art of enlightenment which we call Zazen in this room. but is really just loving the entire world to the point of wisdom.

[17:12]

It's just not despising any being in any state. That's all. It's just complete great compassion and great loving-kindness all the way to the end. So we have beings and we have many states to love here in this room, in this valley. I pray that we can do so, that we can give ourselves to such a practice. I think we already have been. I'm just reiterating the request and the encouragement to continue moment by moment what you've already been doing your best to do.

[18:15]

But we can all be more thorough and more consistent, probably. And if we can't be more thorough and consistent, then just be at your present level of unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. Please take care of it. Please take care of it. Please take care of it. It's right before you to take care of. Extend to every being

[19:26]

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