Once upon a time, a living being met another living being, a bodhisattva named Manjushri. And during the meeting, the living being felt an aspiration for unsurpassed, complete, perfect awakening. And her mind became set on unsurpassed, complete, perfect awakening. And then she thought, but I don't know how to proceed on the path.

[01:13]

I don't know how to practice the way. So I should ask. So she asked, how can I enter perfect awakening? how can I enter the samadhi of the Buddhas? And the good friend said, enter samadhi without contrivance. Enter the samadhi without moving, with no plan.

[02:18]

Enter the samadhi by giving up thinking. Don't turn away from the samadhi and don't try to get a hold of it. This samadhi has been transmitted to you. You already have it. And yet, even though we already have it, we also have the opportunity to receive it.

[03:20]

and use it and receiving it and using it is the samadhi. It has been given to you you have received it, but if you don't practice receiving it, then there will be no realization of what you have received. So may all living beings remember the Buddha's Samadhi and receive Buddha's Samadhi and practice Buddha's Samadhi and transmit Buddha's Samadhi.

[04:38]

Our sitting still together can be understood as a request for the transmission of the Buddha Samadhi. Our sitting still can be understood as receiving the transmission of this Samadhi of Suchness. Our sitting upright and still can be understood as practicing this samadhi. Our sitting upright and still can be understood as transmitting

[06:26]

the samadhi of suchness. Together with all Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and sentient beings, This morning we sang a song, a song of the samadhi of suchness, a song of the precious mirror, samadhi. Traditionally we say this song was written by Dung Shan, Liang Jie.

[07:41]

Tozanryokai Dayosho. Our Bodhisattva ancestor in this tradition. And he says, or it says in the song, the teaching of suchness which is the samadhi of suchness, intimately entrusted, Buddhas and ancestors. Now it's entrusted to you. Please take care of it. The tradition also tells the story that his teacher, Dung Shan's teacher, Yuen Yen, said to Dung Shan, now your body is the precious mirror samadhi.

[08:57]

It has been transmitted to you through our relationship. Now you may transmit it through your relationships with all beings." And so he did, and so may we. There are many suggestions, many instructions about how to give up contrivance and thus enter the samadhi.

[10:07]

Sentient beings are often involved in contrivance, in maneuvering, in strategizing, in planning, in going from here to there, in trying to get things, thus the mind is distracted from entering the samadhi, accepting the samadhi. How can we think in a way that helps us give up thinking? How can we sit in a way that helps us let go of sitting while sitting? How can we let go of thinking while thinking?

[11:13]

So we say, just sit. How can we let go of breathing when we are breathing? Just sit. Let the just sitting receive the samadhi, practice the samadhi, and transmit the samadhi. As the founder of Zen Center said, this practice is the key that unlocks the treasure store of suchness.

[12:47]

Just sit in a way that is free of sitting. Just stand in a way that is free of standing. Just walk in a way that is free of walking. Just lie down in a way that's free of lying down. This simple practice of sitting which is free of sitting requires and uses all the bodhisattva virtues.

[16:11]

This just sitting requires and uses generosity. Great generosity is needed in order to just sit, giving all life to the sitting. Just sitting needs thorough ethical conscientiousness. Just sitting requires thorough carefulness with each moment of sitting.

[17:31]

carefulness with all aspects of our body, gentleness, tenderness with our whole body, leaving nothing out. This conscientious, thorough care of body and mind is necessary in order to just sit, which drops off sitting. And patience is required in order to just sit. patience with the mind that's commenting on how hard and boring it is to just sit.

[18:52]

Which is saying, we can't do this. We can do this. I'm not worthy. I can't just sit with this person being patient with the pain of that thinking and the pain of the knees and the back and the head and all parts of the body. and patient with the pain of all our relationships, all of our attitudes, all of our views of others, to be in the present with the difficulty, the present moment. It's necessary in order to just sit. And when we're sitting, this patience grows and becomes more and more alive.

[20:06]

And we must be diligent and enthusiastic in order to just sit. We must be filled with joy in order to just sit and thus drop off sitting and thus receive and use the samadhi. And we must practice samadhi in order to just sit And we must be profoundly wise in order to just sit. And when we are just sitting, this is profound wisdom, ultimate, unconditioned, beyond all human agency, and fully realized.

[21:21]

All these words do not reach the samadhi. But the samadhi is speaking through these words, as always. We don't need to remember these words, but I pray we remember the samadhi. And receive it, practice it, and transmit it in every single action, in every moment. I may have said this samadhi, but I want to also say that this samadhi also has the name of the samadhi which includes all samadhis.

[25:04]

And in this samadhi there is the unceasing effort to free all beings so that they may dwell in peace. And at the same time, there is the unceasing effort of all beings being freed and dwelling in peace. This is where peace is living. Our mind, our conscious mind and words cannot reach it but our conscious mind and words can realize it. And only our conscious minds and conscious actions can realize it in the way that liberates all beings.

[26:17]

Thank you very much for transmitting this samadhi to me.

[28:03]

@Transcribed_v005
@Text_v005
@Score_93.54