I propose to you that there is a way through which unsurpassed complete and perfect enlightenment of all things resonates back to the person practicing sitting whereby that person practicing sitting, an enlightenment of all things,

[01:06]

intimately and imperceptibly influence, assist, benefit each other. There's a way that the vast enlightenment, it's back to you and helps you inconceivably. Therefore this sitting practice person, without fail, is dropping off body and mind, cutting off defiled or tainted views, genuinely awakens the Buddha dharma and helps in the Buddha work everywhere.

[02:16]

This is a description of the dependent co-arising of Buddha activity. In the sutra we're studying, when it first introduced the other dependent character, it said, it is simply the dependent core arising of phenomena. It is like this, because this arises, that arises. Because this is produced, that is produced. Because there is a person sitting, a person sitting assists

[03:44]

the Buddha assists and influences complete perfect enlightenment, and complete perfect enlightenment resonates back to the person sitting, and resonates back to enlightenment, and back to the person. This resonance, in this resonance, in this mutual assistance, which is imperceptible, which is the other dependent character of the person sitting, that is enlightenment itself. Because this exists, that exists. It doesn't say so, but when this does not exist, that does not exist. When this person is not sitting, that does not help the Buddha. When this person is being cruel, it does not assist the Buddha.

[04:48]

This is also a resonance, but this is the resonance of complete perfect ignorance. This is ignorance itself. The person is not practicing, not assisting Buddha, and not receiving Buddha's assistance. Buddhas assist people in practice. People practicing assist Buddhas People who do not practice do not assist Buddhas, and Buddhas do not assist . They love people who aren't practicing, but they don't help them not practice. They let them do that according to their own ignorance. And then it says, about describing dependent co-arising, after saying, because this exists, that arises, because this is produced, that is produced, it ranges from due to conditions of ignorance, up to in this way the whole great assemblage of suffering arises.

[06:05]

Dependent co-arising describes that process, but it also describes the other process. Depending on the absence of ignorance, depending on the absence of the compositional factors arise, and so on up to the absence of suffering arises. there is a way through which anuttara-samyaksambodhi, of all things, resonates back to you when you're wholeheartedly practicing, whereby you and enlightenment

[07:19]

intimately, mutually assist each other. In this situation all the wonderful things of dropping off body and mind and so on are living. The other dependent character can be. This is the way dependent core rising can be. The story of the dependent core rising of this relationship can be like that. And when one does not strongly adhere to the own being character, to the own being of the process of the origination of suffering, or the own being of the process of the origination of enlightenment. When you do not adhere to the own being of anything that exists, any other dependent character, the own being of the imputational character, then the thoroughly established character is known.

[08:29]

And when the thoroughly established character is known, and you meditate on that, you will come to understand the other dependent character. And understanding the other dependent character, you will understand that there is a way through which unsurpassed awakening to the practitioner whereby the practitioner and the enlightenment of all things mutually assist each other. It is necessary, however, to understand the selflessness of all things, the thoroughly established character, in order to understand fully the other dependent character, the dependent core arising of the mind and living work of Buddha.

[09:38]

Because these various wondrous and inconceivable forms of mutual assistance, of mutual influence that I just spoke about do not mix in the dualistic perceptions of the person practicing sitting. They do not mix with the dualistic perceptions of anybody. Because these miraculous activities take place within stillness, in the absence, of any conceptual super-composition upon this wonderfully beautiful other-dependent nature. This wonderfully beautiful other-dependent nature does not appear within dualistic perception.

[10:53]

It appears, it doesn't appear, it occurs within the stillness of the absence of any conceptual imputations upon this intimate mutual aid which is the movement itself. This realization can be known, but it can't be known as an appearance, as a dualistic appearance.

[12:11]

associated with dualistic perception of appearances cannot be the standard of enlightenment. The deluded human sentiment of agreeing to the imposition of images of dualistic appearances cannot reach the standard of enlightenment, which is this mutual resonance between enlightenment and the person practicing. The resonance of the person practicing and the Buddha, however, goes on even in a person who is still in dualistic perception, even in a person who still is living within deluded human sentiment.

[13:53]

in the sense of sentimentally believing that appearances are what is appearing, who believe that the ideas about things, that the images of things are the things. Even in such a person who is practicing wholeheartedly, the resonance is still. However, this person cannot understand this process through perception. You cannot see it out there as an appearance. Practicing this way wholeheartedly, enjoying the teaching that you are in an intimate mutual aid with Buddha, that you are helping Buddha and Buddha is helping you, and that this helping, this mutual help, is enlightenment itself, that you're sitting is immediate realization, which does not appear to you in your perceptions,

[15:19]

still in that situation, body and mind is dropping off. However, it is possible through further study to actually verify this. Completely certain of it, as certain of it as you are of when you taste water and know it's water. completely, unshakably certain is what's going on all day long when you are practicing and when other people are. So there is this work of learning to know the absence of appearances

[16:26]

to learn to see the absence of appearances, and in this way to learn to understand that appearances are non-existent, except in the mind of a deluded person. And to stop believing them, to stop agreeing with them, even when they do appear. And I shouldn't maybe say a deluded person, I should just say a deluded consciousness. And the Buddha can look simultaneously at dependent core arising through deluded consciousness and look at dependent core arising through non-deluded consciousness. Looking at dependent core arising through non-deluded consciousness, there are no appearances.

[17:36]

Looking at dependent core arising through deluded consciousness, there are appearances. These appearances are false. The Buddha knows they're false, does not believe them. The non-appearance is dependent core arising, uncovered appearances. conceptual grasping. Buddha can see the absence of dualistic imputations upon and by seeing that does not believe appearances even when they come up. Buddha can see the world of falsity without believing it Bodhisattvas can also do the same thing, it's just that they can't do it simultaneously.

[18:39]

They switch back and forth. Almost everyone you know is capable of looking at the world of dependent co-arising, seeing the appearances of it that arise by superimposing Almost everybody you know can do that and almost everybody you know can believe that and can suffer because of that. But even people who are seeing appearances which arise because of the imputation of images upon that which is not images, even those who take how things appear as to what is appearing, even in such people, when they wholeheartedly practice sitting, for example, they help the Buddha.

[19:54]

And the Buddha appreciates it. And the and they appreciate it. If they don't appreciate it when they're sitting, that's not what we mean by sitting. You're still holding back. But if you wholeheartedly, gratefully practice sitting, you are helping Buddha, and that really is what enlightenment is. Except it's not what I just said. When I say sitting, I feel a little pain or a little discomfort in saying sitting because I don't want to encourage the idea that this practice can only happen in sitting, or even that this practice can only happen to a person.

[21:16]

because rocks also help Buddha, and Buddha helps rocks. There's a resonance between the enlightenment of all things and all things, all things. But the resonance between a person who does not wish to practice and who does not want to help Buddha is not the resonance between Buddha and the person which is enlightenment itself. It is the resonance between Buddha and the person which is that the Buddha feels compassion for the person who is not wishing to practice. Buddha feels compassion for the person who does not wish to help Buddha and help in Buddha's work. Buddha feels compassion. Buddha is trying to practice with that person, but Buddha does not wish to help that person, not help Buddha.

[22:23]

So this person then evolves towards suffering. And Buddha can't stop it because the person not listening to the Buddha tells them that if they would just try to help Buddha, they would be helping Buddha. And then they could feel Buddha's help to them. Then they could practice gratefully. And this mutual assistance would be... And this is enlightenment itself. this person will become more like what we call a Buddha when this person understands this process better. And again, so this person who is practicing wholeheartedly can be grateful to be practicing wholeheartedly, can be grateful to be sitting wholeheartedly, can be grateful to be walking wholeheartedly and standing wholeheartedly as an act of

[23:36]

influencing and blessing Buddha, and can accept the influence, assistance and blessing of Buddha, this person can practice happily that way. But this person has the potential to understand that what they're doing is beyond their ideas, and understand the way they're actually working with Buddha, which is beyond their perceptions. And this is also part of Buddha's work. But before you're ready to do that work, you can just wholeheartedly sit. And then sometimes in the middle of your sitting there'll be a Dharma talk where you hear about other things you can learn. Other ways you can become not only Buddha's assistant, and the recipient of Buddha's assistance, but ways that you can become.

[24:41]

Well, that you can become. Not so much that you can become, but so that we can not only have assistance between the enlightenment of all things and you, mutual assistance, but so that we can realize a Buddha in this world which will be helpful. I was going to say, but I could also say apparently, but I could also just say it may be so, that Buddha is not in control of life.

[25:53]

Buddha is not in control of how life goes. Buddha lives in the midst of life, and life can take the form of a sentient being who is ignorant, and a sentient being who believes that what they think is going on, that what they imagine is going on, that what they imagine is going on, is actually so. what appears to them, how things appear to them, I should say, how things appear to them, is actually what's appearing. Buddha does not stop sentient beings from being like that. But Buddha offers messages, teachings to people like that. However, before they hear these teachings, they go through this process which is described as those twelve lengths of causation leading to suffering, but also the process that's described in this chapter seven to the other dependent own being as being the imputational.

[27:05]

That process set up. Buddha sees beings doing that. Buddha cannot stop that. Just Buddha sends messages, sends Dharma to these people in all kinds of skillful ways that Buddha can. The enlightenment of all... Sending messages to beings who are caught in this diluted pattern. Nobody's in control of how the messages get sent or whether people hear or not. the enlightenment of all things, and when it manifests in the form of a practitioner, they wish the message to get through to this ancient being, to help this ancient being give up the patterns of conceptual clinging, give up believing that the way things are appearing is what is appearing. But they can't control it.

[28:06]

apparently, obviously, or maybe they can't. But sometimes it gets through. And when it gets through, then they say it goes like this. The process starts turning. But still, even before it gets through, or even before this teaching which will turn around the process of delusion, even before that teaching is heard, even before the process starts turning around, if somebody practices wholeheartedly while still deluded, the Buddha work is happening. And of course, I think, of course, in this case, of course, if they keep practicing and enjoying this mutual aid, even though it doesn't appear the merit of this, which can't be measured, sets up the possibility for hearing the teaching and being transformed.

[29:10]

Walking, sitting, standing, reclining, prostrating, working, whatever, repeatedly doing it wholeheartedly to influence, encourage, assist, bless Buddha, opens the other direction, sets up the realization. So the study of these teachings goes on within this context of practice. I think it works best this way. In other words, not just studying the sutra and trying to... For the sake of becoming wise, but studying the sutra in the context of already immersing yourself in enlightenment itself.

[30:32]

Already on a... moment-by-moment basis, enjoying enlightenment itself. And in that context study, we're always in the midst of dependent core arising. With me, if we're aware that we're in the midst of dependent core arising, But even if we're not meditating on the pentacle arising, which sets up this reversal of patterns of ignorance, still we're living in enlightenment itself when we give ourselves to the practice. And it sometimes helps to, that's why it sometimes helps to say, the sitting practice person, rather than just the person, or just the practicing person.

[31:51]

The standing practice person. It sometimes has helped to make it very specific. But it doesn't mean just whatever specific we pick, it doesn't mean it has to be that one. Yes, John? Perception and appearance?

[32:52]

They're generally the same thing, but there is a possibility of a, in a sense, you could say a perception of a lack of appearances. There is that possibility. In other words, of not perceiving, being aware that you're not having any appearance. So, when you're alive, when you exist, This is a dependent core arising. You're functioning. But when you perceive things, they are perceived, even in direct perception, they're perceived dualistically. They seem to be out there. So all perception that untrained perception is dualistic.

[34:04]

But it's possible with training to actually, in a sense, perceive. And you can actually perceive, have a perceptual cognition, absence of appearances. And you can also have a conceptual cognition of the absence of appearances. So, for example, if you leave the room now, I can easily have a conceptual cognition of your absence on appearance. However, I still have the image of your absence that I'm using to know that. But also I have a direct perception of your absence. But in that absence there still is a duality. I don't see the appearance of you, I see the absence of you.

[35:13]

I see the absence of your appearance, but there's still a duality in that too. But it's possible to understand that something is absent. and then supposedly have a non-dual understanding, not even use a sign, not even use the sign of the thing to verify that it's absent, or to, yeah, experience that it's absent. To say that appearance is a perception? I think a perception is of... But there can be a perception of an absence of an appearance.

[36:37]

And the perception of the absence of an appearance can change your attitude towards that appearance when it comes back, when it appears again. It can be so that when it appears, you don't believe it's really there. In other words, how it appears, you can see that how it appears is not really existing. It's an image of something that does not exist. It's an imagination of something that does not exist. You can understand that when you see its absence while you're looking at what does exist, the other dependent character. This section which I'm alluding to in the Bendo Wa by Dogen where he's talking about the self-fulfilling is, I feel, rather technical and very close to the teaching of this sutra.

[38:11]

This section of the work is about the standard of enlightenment. The standard of enlightenment is this self-receiving and self-fulfilling samadhi, which is actually the awareness of this mutual aid. It's also called self-fulfilling samadhi and it's also called the self-enjoyment samadhi. So you're receiving this benefit and you're receiving the awareness of how the benefit is mutual. And you're also acting upon this, acting from this awareness of the receiving and giving of assistance. And this receiving and giving of assistance is enlightenment itself.

[39:23]

and the awareness of it is Buddha's awareness or Buddha's meditation. The process is going on anyway. The question is to develop a deeper and deeper appreciation and awareness of it. And the process as described here is, I feel, very close to the process described in the sutra. especially including the point that's saying that this does not mix with perception, because what can be an object of recognition, what can be recognized, is again basically the imputational upon the process. Yes? Does this mutual assistant apply between two sentient beings?

[40:47]

Is the resonance between enlightenment and the person, is it also going on between persons and persons? And the answer is yes. Because this is not just the enlightenment of the person resonating with the other person, it's the enlightenment of all things. resonating with the person. So you're a person, but the resonance of all things is influencing you. It's not just the resonance of Buddhas, it's the resonance with the enlightenment of Buddhas. It's not just the resonance with enlightened beings, it's the resonance with the enlightenment of everything. So it discusses The resonance of an enlightened being emanates and touches all living beings and touches the rocks and the grasses and the walls and the tiles and the pebbles and the skyscrapers and the cars and the gas and the government. And it resonates back from all that stuff back and forth, back and forth.

[41:57]

So it's going in all directions at once. That's enlightenment. And there's no end to appreciating that. And when our appreciation reaches a level that we call great enlightenment of the person, it's not really great enlightenment of the person. They have access to this process. They touch upon, they wake into this process. It's not really them, it's what's going on. and that's important that people know this because then they can be more whole-hearted in their appreciation and more enthusiastic about sharing it with others and more exemplify it because once you see it it's more continuous throughout your life so you're a better example, a better encouragement for others to wake up to this but it's happening

[42:59]

the enlightened nature, the authentic enlightened nature of all things, and each person. And each person is also resonating and reflecting this back to all other things. Unfortunately, this does not appear within the kinds of perceptions where things seem to be out there, which is our normal type. But we're part of it anyway. And when we take a break from our normal type, we actually feel more intimate with this process which is not within the realm of our normal type of dualistic experience. That's why experiencing non-duality is not just a yogic feat, a wonderful philosophical breakthrough, it opens to certainty of this wondrous realm of Dharma.

[44:15]

It opens to a realm of really good news, a really encouraging process. which then becomes a great resource because it's not blocked anymore by being stuck in belief, in dualistic appearances. Yes? it says there's no activity? Are you talking about the place where it's not perceived, the eye organ and so on? I don't think it quite says there's no activity. I think it says that these other kinds of apprehension don't occur. It says... Oh, this is chapter... Oh, there it is.

[45:18]

So it's... So bodhisattvas who rely on knowledge of the system of doctrine and abide in knowledge of the system of doctrine are wise with respect to the secrets of mind, consciousness and intellect, or mind, consciousness and thought. However, when the Tathagata designates being wise with respect to the secrets of mind, thought and consciousness, it is not only because of this, that he so designates those bodhisattvas as being wise in all ways. Those bodhisattvas who are wise in all ways do not perceive their own internal appropriators. They also do not perceive the appropriating consciousness, but they are in accord with reality. They do not perceive a basis nor perceive a basis consciousness. accumulations, nor do they perceive mind.

[46:24]

They do not perceive eye, nor do they perceive form, nor do they perceive eye consciousness. They do not perceive ear, and so on. Nose, tongue, taste, should be tangible, When those bodhisattvas do not perceive their own particular thoughts, they do not perceive phenomena, nor do they perceive mental consciousness, but they are incorruptible. These bodhisattvas are said to be wise with respect to the ultimate. to target and designate bodhisattvas who are wise with respect to the ultimate as also being wise with respect to the secrets of mind, thought and consciousness. So maybe you put... Huh? Yeah, I don't see... This is a very... These people are like cooking.

[47:26]

These are nice warm yogis who are seeing this stuff. This is like, you know... They're eating their brown rice and chewing it. They may have a cold, but they're working hard on this meditation. They're happy yogis. They're very active, functioning, dependently co-arising creatures. And they're ready to move on to Chapter Six. And Seven. And Eight. Okay? Very active. They're doing Buddha's work. Buddha's like, helping them, they're helping Buddha. They're studying the Buddha's teaching, the Buddha's giving them teaching to study, so it's, things are cooking here, yeah. Active, yes. Yeah. When I listen to what you say, sometimes it sounds, it looks like things would turn over.

[48:37]

Things would turn over? Uh-huh. Like knives and touched. But that's it. That's all there is. It's not the idea of itself. It's just happening. But it's not happening to someone. You understand this, right? It's not happening to somebody. It's not happening to somebody who is like existing independent of this. There is somebody there. That's important. But the somebody is nothing in addition to all the things that are defined there. To add up all the things that make there, there's not somebody in addition to that, but there's somebody there.

[49:39]

It's just not anything. Somebody gave me a Mary Oliver poem like that this morning. Somebody gave me a poem about describing a situation, a very nice situation, and then Mary Oliver said, but I wasn't there. But I think the way I would understand it, I wasn't there for that. So you're nothing in addition to all the things you depend on. But that doesn't mean you're nothing. You're this dependent person, other dependent person. And you are there in your other dependent way. All the things you depend on, you're nothing. You're not another thing on top of that. So in that sense... So it may be the case that when even for a moment You express the Buddhist seal in the three actions of body, mind and speech by sitting upright in samadhi.

[51:09]

Express the Buddhist seal. What's the Buddhist seal? What's the Buddhist seal? Suchness opens the door to the Buddhist seal. If you realize suchness, you will understand the Buddhist seal. What's the Buddhist seal? Hmm? Selflessness? That's what Frederick said. He said, suchness, that's selflessness. Hmm? So, Frederick said, Michael said, selflessness, and Nancy said, emptiness. Selflessness, suchness, and emptiness are synonyms. Why don't you say another synonym while you're at it?

[52:13]

What's another synonym? Ultimate lack of own being. Ultimate lack of own being. Or the thoroughly established character. Those are synonyms. Okay? That's not really the Buddha seal, I don't think. express or impress or express the Buddhist seal in your speech. Any other guesses at the Buddhist seal? Body and mind dropping off? Closer. Whatever is perfectly appropriate for a given situation. That's closer. Yes? Absence of non-virtue. Absence of non-virtue. I think it's a little bit more positive than that.

[53:17]

It's the pinnacle arising, but it's the pinnacle arising in the form of what? Of compassion. And compassion, how does compassion function? It's the resonance. It's that resonance. That's the Buddhist. That's the seal of bodhi, is that it resonates between beings, all beings, and the enlightenment of all beings. resonates when that bit when you express that seal in your three actions then the entire this resonance and the entire the whole earth also manifests this and this and you start enacting this this in resonance starts to be manifested in the world by impressing it on your thoughts by expressing your speech, and your posture.

[54:23]

And this, again, this resonant or this intimate between all things resonates back to you So you express it in your sitting or whatever you're doing. In your sitting, if you happen to be talking when you're sitting, then it's expressed when you're talking. If you're silent in your sitting, it's expressed in your silence. It's expressed in your thinking. It's mutual assistance. There's a way that this is happening And the way that this is happening is enlightenment. And then I'd like to look at this part again where it says, all this impressing a Buddha seal and expressing and realizing enlightenment, all this miraculous mutual aid among beings and Buddhas and enlightenment does not appear within dualistic perception.

[55:51]

Because it is unconstructedness and stillness or it is a stillness without any constructedness. It is being unconstructed in stillness, or you can say it is a stillness without any superimpositions, without any mental constructions put on it. And again, that is enlightenment itself. That is immediate realization. So simple, I don't know if it's going to be simple, but in stillness.

[57:09]

In stillness. Or not moving. is a way of being in the midst of impermanent existence. So that you're in the midst of impermanent existence, you're in the midst of things arising and ceasing, you're in the midst of appearance of change, But there's no movement.

[58:15]

The movement in change is part of constructiveness. Movement is constructed by discursive thought. Giving up discursive thought, stillness is realized. And then in that stillness, in the absence, in that stillness which is giving up the discursive thought which creates movement, being in that stillness, being awake and alert and calm in that stillness, settled in that stillness,

[59:18]

There is an absence of the imposition of false appearances upon what's happening. And so in this state, without disturbing anything or moving anything around, the Buddha's great activity is extended. So another way to put this is, someone said to me, how does this relate to justice? And so it says in the simple instruction, it says, once you've settled into a steady immobile sitting position, and I would for today interpret that to mean once you have settled into giving up discursive thought, once you let go of the kind of thinking that create

[60:48]

the appearance of movement. Once you're and upright. Then it says, think of not thinking. And then it says, how do you think of not thinking? Non-thinking. And then, as some of you know, mind is The instruction is saying, start with non-thinking. It's saying, think not thinking, but that's the ultimate. It's telling you, think not thinking. Once you're settled, think not thinking. Now, if you hear that instruction and you immediately think of not thinking, then you immediately realize just sitting. But most people, even if they have heard the first instruction, settle into the steady immobile sitting position.

[62:07]

And when they hear that instruction, they just give up discursive thought by which there can be any unsettledness in immobility. Some people hear that instruction and immediately enter into tranquility. Some people it takes a long time. But there is that instruction. And when you have settled into a steady immobile sitting position, then you hear this instruction, think of not thinking. Now some people, as soon as they hear that, they enter into thinking of not thinking. Immediately. They immediately realize emptiness. But most people, when they hear that, they start thinking about, what do they mean by think of not thinking? Okay. Then they say, well, how can I do that?

[63:11]

Or what's the way to do that? Or how would I know if I was doing that? Etc. Let's just stop there, shall we? Just a minute, please. So then the answer is non-thinking. And then you can say, well, how do I do that? And we'll explain. Practice non-thinking by meditating on the other dependent character phenomena. By meditating on the other dependent character phenomena, by meditating on the other dependent character of what's the basis of your thinking. Ready to practice thinking of not thinking. So, the first step is give up discursive thought, settle into a steady, settle into stillness.

[64:16]

Next step is practice non-thinking, meditating on dependent core rising. After you're well established in tranquility and the wisdom practice of meditating on dependent core rising and meditating on the other dependent character, then you're ready. Based on this, continuing to be based on this, then you're ready to start studying thinking. You're ready to start thinking, study how you think about the other dependent character. And after you study thinking for a while, you're ready to realize nothing. You study thinking for a while means you study how you put, how you superimpose images on other dependent phenomena so you can grasp them. You study that process. And by studying that process, you get more and more ready and more and more suspicious of it, more and more convinced that it makes things appear in a false way.

[65:29]

You get more and more ready to see the absence of thinking in what's happening. And then you become ready to think of not thinking. And then you have realized what we call just sitting. First, you sit. You settle down. Next, you study the dependent core rising of sitting. You study the other-dependent sitting. You listen to it. You remember that this sitting has an other-dependent character. Then you're ready to see, but I think about this sitting. And the way I think about it obscures its other-dependent character. It doesn't look like an other-dependent character to me. And then you see how that works, and where you see how suffering arises from that. And then you get ready to see, finally, that the sitting that you see is not sitting.

[66:37]

You get to understand that it's not sitting. There's nothing about sitting that justifies calling it sitting. although it is the referent of the word sitting. You're practicing just sitting. Just sitting is when you're no longer fooled by the appearance of sitting as being sitting. Then you're just sitting. That's mature just sitting. Introductory just sitting is being still and the other dependent character of the sitting. Being still without meditating on it, its other dependent character, maybe is even more of an introduction to just sitting. But it's not really mature, just sitting, because you're sitting still, but even though you're giving up the scarce of thought, it still looks to you.

[67:44]

like the way the sitting you're doing and the stillness you're involved in is the stillness you're involved in. But actually, the stillness you're involved in, the stillness which you've realized, is completely empty of the way the stillness appears. It's a wonderful appearance, the way it appears. You'd be very happy with it, if it ever did. You'd be very happy with tranquility, if it ever appeared. But the way, how it appears, does not exist. The tranquility is there. That is what's appearing, is the tranquility. It's a dependent thing that's happening. While you're giving up discursive thought, it arises. The way it appears to you doesn't exist, but you still think so because you haven't yet studied non-thinking, and you haven't yet realized thinking from not thinking. You haven't yet realized non-sitting by which you realize sitting is not sitting, and that's the mature just sitting.

[68:48]

So in order to practice just sitting in the fullest sense, you must be calm and wise. But Dogen says, actually, start with being calm. So that might be clear. Did you have a question, Mikhail? Well, thanks for the instructions. I was just thinking about how much help I need with non-fiction. And then I thought, What about sitting with you for a moment and joining in your non-thinking and to resonate with non-thinking? All right, first we get to the settlement in mobile sitting first. Should we settle into the immobile sitting position first and become tranquil and still, and then do the non-thinking, or do you want to go right into the non-thinking?

[69:54]

Right into the non-thinking. Never mind. Well, if you want to go right into the non-thinking without giving up discursive thought, then I'll be able to keep talking to you. Never mind is a little bit like non-thinking. In other words, never mind whatever just seemed to appear there. However that appeared, don't mind it too much. Whatever it is, go to what's the basis of what just appeared. Always relate to the basis of appearance. Always remember the basis of appearance. That how things appear is based on the imputational character.

[70:59]

I mean, based on the other dependent character. Thinking about how whatever appears is based on an actual, impermanent, other dependent phenomena. Always remembering that whenever you see appearances, in the guise of an appearance, but the appearance doesn't reach it. Always, no, I shouldn't say always, but moment by moment, remember that about things, which is a little bit like, never mind what's appearing. Not push it away, just don't get, withdraw from the and remember the foundation of the appearance. Withdraw from the story and remember the story based on something. It's not a total baseless imagination, even though what they imagined doesn't reach what is the base. But the appearance has a source.

[72:03]

So that's the way of instruction of non-thinking when we're not just sitting Resolute stillness. And resolute stillness means a realization that moving is not happening. Breath is happening. Body is happening. But the body is not moving from one body to the next. And the breath is not moving from one phase to the next. It's just breath. And you still may call it exhale, but it's not moving. I understand and I'm cooperating with the part of the practice which is that we meet and discuss the practice individually

[73:19]

which means, and we don't do that in this room, usually we do it in another room, so it takes me out of this room. But another way of practicing is that we would just sit together and we would, if some of us were practicing non-thinking, we would be sitting and resonating with each other. So in a way I apologize for not being in the Zendo very much, that they've been trying to see the plague victims. But I appreciate your question and I hope we can sit and resonate in stillness. Was there a question? I see Stephen. Is that Stephen's arm? Yeah. Digons per second there.

[74:22]

Yes? Deeper than discursive thinking? Yeah, it's deeper than... So you can give up discursive thinking and still, when something happens, even in a direct sense perception of a color... there is the imputation, the mind creates, puts a superimposition in that color, that the color appears to be out there. Or rather, the way the body and mind construct the experience of the color is that the color is out there separate from the awareness of it. Then you can be discursive about that. But even if you're in stillness, things still appear out there.

[75:28]

However, you're not with the output from that misappearance or misconception attenuated, so you're calm. You're not acting out based on that misperception, so that's calming. But if you do start talking about that misperception, then that, generally speaking, will be agitating. Now, if you're already calm and you start talking about it, it will also agitate you some. But if your talk is talking about how it's false and talking about meditating on that in order to overcome it, that type of discussion sometimes makes you even calmer. So some kinds of discursive thought do not agitate you. once you're fairly calm. And those are usually discursive thoughts which are applying teachings to phenomena. So as you use your discursive thinking to apply yourself to non-thinking, to meditating on dependent core arising, they found that that way of discursive thought actually calms you as well as giving up discursive thought.

[76:46]

or even makes it easier for you to give up discursive thought. Because part of the reason why we think we need to be running around objects so much is because we believe the way they appear. So when you see someone who seems to be really nice, so you think, I've got to think about this person. I've got to think about how to please this person or have this person stay around me or whatever. Or keep them being friends. Or repay them for their friendship. And if they're not so attractive, you have to think of how to get away from them or put makeup on them or something. So... You know, what do they call it? Is it called a redo? What do they call that? A makeover. A makeover. So, and they really look like they need a, they really appear, they appear like they really are a person who needs a makeover.

[77:52]

So it's hard then to like give up discursive thought. But if you switch to this appearance of a person who needs a makeover... and you, I don't know what that is, but I'm going to orient towards that, then you kind of say, well, it's okay, I don't have to get involved in this makeover. I can give up that discursive thought. So, and that sets up the process of undermining this very deep attraction upon things that makes them appear in a way that they are not. Yes. What do you think of the situation? Would that be the same as... What are the retreats that I asked you after? We should wonder more about opening doors or sitting on chairs. Would that be the same? Like not sitting on a chair and sit down,

[78:55]

Like, you come up to a chair and you look at it, and it appears to be a chair, and it appears to be solid, and it appears to be out there. What's the basis of that chair? And you can kind of like, physically, you can get... But more getting physical with it as a meditation on other dependents, You can put your hand on the back of it or put your buttocks on the seat and start putting some weight on it and sort of see how that... But not get into assuming that it's going to be the way it appears. And that could be a way for you to remind yourself to meditate on the other dependent character. But think about meditating on their dependent character.

[80:03]

If you relate to things that way, in fact, you're relating to them as though you didn't assume that they are how they appear. Now, if you look at some chairs, they appear like they won't hold you. Some chairs that look like they won't hold you. But you, you know, and I'm not even saying go and, you know, push down on chairs that look like they won't hold you so to prove that they're going to break. But it might be just a, you know, it might be something other than what it appears to be. And fundamentally everything is other than how it appears. Not, I said other than what it appears. But it's not other than what it appears to be. It's other than how it appears to be.

[81:04]

It is a chair. But it's not how it appears. How it appears does not exist. And if you approach it as though you don't really know what it is, you only know how it appears. that way of approaching it will introduce you in another way into this meditation. And this way of approaching sitting in chairs and picking up knives and opening doors and talking to people, this way is what we call leakage of your energy or blockage of your energy or disturbance of your energy because this is another way of not getting involved with appearances. You're withdrawing from appearance by doing that. You're giving your story about this knife a rest. So your energy starts flowing more smoothly, which leads us into, again, how meditation on the pinnacle of arising sponsors the arising of virtue.

[82:13]

Virtue is what you do when your energy is moving more smoothly. Now, did I go too fast there? Does that make sense, what I said so far? So, again, someone who was too shy still was uncertain about when you do this meditation, you develop an aversion or antipathy towards compounded phenomena. So, Another way to say it, even though the sutra doesn't say it that way, which I think is fine, the real comment on that is it's more like you develop the way you know compounded phenomena, and the way you know compounded phenomena is in the guise of your imagination. So you develop an antipathy towards how you know them, and they appear to be concrete.

[83:22]

If you don't see compounded phenomena without this imputation, they don't appear to you. So this means, again, if I was thinking of rewriting the sutra, I wouldn't really rewrite it. with the commentary in it, because it's hard to take in developing an antipathy towards the way things, the way compounded phenomena appear. Because then people might think, well, but you don't have an autonomy to the way they don't appear. But they do appear. So I think the way it's written is fine, but it just needs a little commentary. So you see a chair and you have an antipathy towards the chair that you're suspicious of its appearance of being what it is. And same with a door and same with a person.

[84:28]

Same with a healthy person or a sick person. You're afraid that you're going to fall for their appearance of what they are. And that's my old story of, you know, when I was talking to somebody one time, I was jumping up and down saying, I do not believe the way you appear. I do not believe the way you appear. I'm not going to believe the way you appear. I knew that that would be very bad to believe the way the person appeared. Well, that's good, too. I don't believe what I think you are is the same as I don't believe the way you appear. Because the way you appear is the way I think you are. Again, if you're walking on the street, you're not an appearance. You're only an appearance when somebody thinks about you. When they think about you, then you're an appearance. So not believing what they think about you is another way to say they don't believe how you appear to them.

[85:34]

So basically, when I stop or when we stop assuming that things are the way they appear, and we sit in chairs experimentally, and we step on the floor experimentally, and we try a word experimentally, our energy starts flowing better. and we stop caring too much or too little about what we say. So we speak and this appears to be the right word, but I'm not too involved in the appearance of its appropriateness. So my energy flows more smoothly and the word comes out more skillfully. If I care too much or too little sometimes, I can't speak. Too much or too little, I speak with too much charge on it, which then disturbs my energy and makes the speech less skillful.

[86:51]

So again, this meditation, if you apply it to your sitting, non-thinking, you won't care too much about your sitting, or too little about your sitting, and your energy will flow more fluidly, and your sitting will become more alive. But if you say, oh, that's my sitting, and you just do it like sitting on a chair without, well, if you sit, well, this is going to hurt or whatever. or you know what this body sitting is, that blocks, or drains, or floods, it disturbs your energy flow from finding a true path, a true harmonious path into pinnacle. So that's also part of what non-thinking is. It's an energy practice.

[87:54]

It's a practice to smooth the course of your discrimination so that you're not pushed so hard on what's happening. And then again, when things get smoother, that provides an opportunity to, again, not take things too seriously or not seriously enough. He needs a makeover? Yes. Yes. I didn't hear what you just said.

[89:07]

Mm-hmm. Right. And that's... So from one direction, when that happens, in fact, you're kind of practicing non-thinking. You're kind of remembering that maybe something else is going on here other than some guy calling me honey and me saying, don't do that. Maybe there's something on the basis of this little chat we're having. Just like I heard in some sutras that there's something going on which is much more complex than this graspable version of it which we superimpose upon it.

[90:17]

Which... Which can be... The superimposed part can be kind of enjoyed as an ongoing... Basically... Hollywood production. Or, you know, Trojan production. Or, you know, it's drama. But it's hard to enjoy it if you think that's really happening. It's hard to get the joke. But when you get the joke, in some sense, you're tuning into the meditation on the other dependent. You're tuning into non-thinking when you get the joke, it's kind of funny that people think of something and then they think that that's what it is. It's kind of funny. Even though it's a source of suffering. He starts to loosen it and turn around towards realizing that it's actually absent in what's going on.

[91:27]

That all our stories about what's going on are really not in what's going on. So that's hard for us to understand, but there it is, that our stories are based on our practice, which they don't reach. Just like our stories of our practice are based on our practice, but they don't reach our practice. Our stories of enlightenment are based on enlightenment, but they don't reach enlightenment. And if we think they do, it's kind of funny. And if we think they do and we realize that that's funny, then that's good. It's a relief and an energy starts flowing in a very nice way for a little while until the next moment. No one happens. It happens again. If it doesn't happen, nothing would happen, nothing would appear. Something's happening, but nothing would appear unless we project onto it

[92:32]

But then to get it again is another one. So you can make a theory about that's why Buddha is slightly smiling. I always kind of go, oh, there he goes again. Got me again. But then I got away. Yeah. Yeah. He does. He says that sometimes. Why does he say it and let it go? He does say in the earlier part, he says, in the earlier part of Thukkhan Zazenji, he goes into detail about the discursive thinking to give up. He says, do not think good or bad, do not engage in pros and cons, cease all workings of mind, consciousness, and thought.

[93:36]

He tells you to, like, let go of that. So he does say earlier. No, he doesn't, because that's just the shamatha part. That's not sufficient. That is an important part. The giving up discursive thought is a wonderful practice. It comes to fruit as this excellent way to take vacations. It's the best way to talk about great getaway. There's no place as comfortable and blissful as tranquility. Those are the highest states of worldly bliss, are these states of tranquility. But they're not just pleasant, they're also flexible and you can see a little bit better what's going on in that tranquility. But you still do not, in that state alone, get over the way your mind projects this false appearance on things.

[94:38]

So he then goes on. You have to learn to, like, not think that how things appear are the way they are. You have to get... It goes on. But he, in his earlier versions of the Pukan Zazengi, he put more emphasis on just tranquility and the power But this one, this last version, and a lot of his works are really saying that the essential art is this thinking, not thinking, non-thinking. Because he's not giving the wisdom teaching, but he's emphasizing the wisdom teaching based on tranquility practice. Uh, so I'm not sure I, I'm not sure I understand the question.

[95:44]

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