To the amount of shouting that you want me to give, is I'm talking too loud now? Too loud? No, it's okay. I had this plan to talk about the four, no, not the four, the eightfold noble path during this seven day meditation retreat, but then it started raining. As I mentioned before, the cosmic vision of the Buddha, Shakyamuni, is that there are two modes of existence open to living beings, two and only two, with no in between.

[01:06]

One mode is called the circle, samsara. The other is called cessation, nirvana. These are the two ways that we can live. Practicing the eightfold path is the realization of nirvana. Not practicing the eightfold path is the realization of samsara. The eightfold path is what I often speak of as being upright.

[02:07]

Being upright is the eightfold path. Being upright realizes nirvana. Not being upright realizes samsara. The eightfold path, being upright, is not messing with samsara. Not messing with samsara is nirvana. Messing with nirvana is samsara. The course of learning how to stop messing with samsara and thus realize the uncreated, unmade, unfabricated nirvana is the eightfold path. Nirvana is the uncreated, un-messing, uncreated way of responding to life, even life in samsara.

[03:29]

Nirvana can exist in the middle of samsara. The fourth noble truth was first spoken of as the path, the eightfold noble path, leading to the cessation of suffering. The fourth truth is the eightfold path leading to the realization of nirvana, cessation of suffering. Later disciples of Buddha would say that the eightfold path is the way of realizing

[04:33]

nirvana. The eightfold path leads to and is the realization of the cessation of suffering. The first aspect of the eightfold path is called right view or right understanding. It is the eye of the path. It is the guide dog for the blind.

[05:38]

It is also the ear of the path and the nose of the path and the tongue and the body of the path. Right view sees, looks at, meditates upon the four noble truths. It looks at the path. It looks at all the other aspects of the path and watches them and guides them. It also looks at the other truths. It watches suffering. It watches the cause of suffering. It sees the end of suffering. It looks at samsara and looks at nirvana at the same time. It sees the relationship between samsara and nirvana. It sees delusion and it sees enlightenment at the same time.

[06:44]

This is right view. It just sees. It doesn't prefer nirvana over enlightenment, over delusion, over samsara. It sees both at the same time. It sees the first truth of suffering. It sees this is the truth of suffering. It sees it all the time. It sees this is the condition for suffering. It sees this is the end of suffering. It sees this is the realization of the end of suffering. It sees that. This is right view. Right view sees this. In the present, right now, right view is to see the first truth. Do you see right now the first truth? Do you see the truth of suffering right now?

[07:49]

Do you see right now that in brief the truth of suffering is that to see the self and the five aggregates as separate is suffering? Do you see that right now? Do you see right now that seeing yourself as separate from any other living being is suffering? Do you see that? Do you feel that? Do you smell that? Do you touch that? Do you taste that right now? Do you see the condition for the arising of suffering? Do you see the delusion that you're separate from other beings as the condition for suffering? Do you see the craving for something other than this as the condition for suffering? Do you see it right now? Do you see right now that the abandonment of the delusion that you're

[09:19]

separate from other beings, that the abandonment of the delusion that you are separate from your own five aggregates, do you see that will be cessation of suffering? Do you see that right now? And do you see that seeing that is the way of realizing the cessation of suffering? And do you see that not seeing that is the condition for endless suffering? Do you see that? If you see all that, this is called right view. Do you see that? Do you hear

[10:20]

that? Do you see that renouncing any kind of manipulation and messing with what is happening right now is a condition for suffering? Do you see that abandoning any kind of manipulation, any kind of messing with what's happening is the realization of freedom and peace and the end of suffering? This is called right view. Right view sees, right view hears, right view smells, right view tastes the laws of karma. It sees how karma drives the wheel of suffering.

[11:31]

It sees, it studies karma. It studies the delusion of separateness which gives rise to the idea of individual action. It watches the actions, it sees the results, it sees the suffering caused by this, it sees the response to the suffering, it watches this wheel of karmic misery. It sees the laws of karma, it studies them. It sees that rebirth is necessary in order to understand these laws. This is right view. It sees the other seven aspects of the eightfold path. It watches them and it sees that they're operating all the time. It sees if there is right thinking, if there is right speech, it looks to see if there is right

[12:38]

action, if there is right livelihood, is there right mindfulness, is there right effort, is there right concentration. It watches, it looks for the other seven, it sees the other seven right now. Do you see the other seven right now? If you do, this is called right view. If you don't and you want right view, open your eyes and see the other seven right now. Right view is the guide, is the teacher. It provides the curriculum of study, of freedom. It doesn't overlook what must be studied in order to be free of suffering. Right view is the guide, is the teacher. If you don't and you want right view, open

[14:26]

your eyes. Right view sees the laws of karma operating right now and sees the dharma in the midst of it. Right view is working. Do you see the karma? Do you see the dharma? Right view is moral development in the midst of karma and the observation of the laws of karma. Right view is the guide. Right view is the guiding aspect of wisdom. Do you have right view to guide you in your moment-by-moment practice of the Eightfold Path?

[16:18]

Do you have right view now? Is there right view now? Would anyone like some postural adjustment? Any questions or comments? Do you have a question? Do you, Melissa, do you have a question? If you do, would you come up here and ask it?

[17:23]

Would you sing that song you sang yesterday? Would you say it louder, please? Will you please sing that song that you sang yesterday? Did you hear what she said? I am calling you. Now can't you hear me? I am calling you. Now can't you hear me? That's it. That's all I know.

[18:55]

Okay. Any other questions or requests? Anybody else who has a question, just line up. Could you please give a commentary on that song? Could you please give a commentary on that song? I am calling you. I'm calling you.

[19:59]

What for? To practice the Eightfold Path. Okay. I'm calling you to practice right view. Will you do it, brother? I'll try my best. Okay. That's my commentary. Do you understand? Is that it then today? No more questions? Well, then blame it on the rain. Thank you.

[20:46]

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