Yesterday I talked to you about a method which the Buddhas have, an unconstructed, unmade method, and the authentic gate to this method, to this samadhi, is to sit up upright, dropping off body and mind. And the experiences of a body-mind, letting go of the viewpoints that arise while having a

[01:55]

body-mind. And having a body-mind and not practicing Zen, having a body-mind and not entering into the dropping off of body and mind, there is grasping of views, there is grasping of appearances, there is believing

[02:55]

in misconceptions which are produced naturally by the mind and body. So, there's grasping and seeking, grasping views, grasping conceptual images. Grasping the appearance of externality, grasping the appearance of a separation between knowing and what is known, grasping the appearance that subject and object are different entities,

[03:59]

grasping these things, there is thirst, there is seeking. In a way, Zen is really not all of Buddhism. When Dogen says, sitting upright, practicing Zen, I think what he means by Zen there is the Zen of the Buddhas and ancestors. And I think what he means by Zen there is a kind of practice which is the gate to the self-fulfilling Samadhi where the Buddhas and ancestors live. I remember Suzuki Roshi saying something like, Zen is the key that opens the treasure of

[05:15]

the Buddhadharma. The treasure of the Buddhadharma in a way is this unconstructed, unconfined realm of the inconceivable Dharma and living there is the self-fulfilling Samadhi. Practicing Zen is the way to enter and live in the Buddha's Samadhi, in the ancestors' Samadhi. And so there's one little paragraph in the Samadhi Nirmachana Sutra which says, in dependence upon the absence of strongly adhering to the other dependent character

[06:22]

as being the imputational, the thoroughly established is known. There's the Zen part of the Sutra. There's quite a bit more to the Sutra, but there's the door. There's the key to suchness. Did someone say something? What? I didn't read it. Independence on the absence of strongly adhering to the other dependent character as being the imputational, the thoroughly established character is known. This could be called Zen practice or it could be called practicing suchness.

[07:33]

This is the teaching of suchness in the sense of teaching how to enter suchness. There's also teachings about suchness, but this is the teaching about the door to suchness, the door to emptiness, the door to the absence of conceptual superimposition, and particularly of conceptual superimposition, where the concept is the concept of something that does not exist. There is more than one kind of conceptual imposition or superimposition. Matter of fact, there's two kinds. What are the two kinds of conceptual superimposition?

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Anybody? Yes? That's one kind. There's basically two kinds of conceptual superimposition. What are they? Do you know? Yes? Not from what I said. Right. Brilliant. Those are two kinds of imposition, of conceptual imposition. Conceptual impositions which exist and conceptual impositions which don't exist. The conceptual impositions which don't exist, when superimposed and believed, are ignorance.

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The belief of the imposition of things that don't exist upon what does exist is ignorance. The superimposition of an existent fantasy upon what does exist is not ignorance. However, to make a long story short, let go of both of them, both types. Don't cling to conceptual impositions that exist and don't cling to conceptual impositions which don't exist, or conceptual impositions of what doesn't exist. And there's two kinds of conceptual impositions of things that don't exist. What are the two kinds? Shouhou? Pardon? No? No. Anybody else? What are the two kinds? No? No? Self and independent projection?

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No? Well, self, yes. The imputation which doesn't exist is self. But there's two types of self that are imposed. What are the two types of self that are imposed? Yes? What? Self and other? No. Well, self and other as being separate entities, that's one self. The other self is what? What? Same thing. Hmm? Same thing. Interconnected self? Hmm? Interconnected sense of self? No, that's not a self. No self? What? No self?

[11:49]

That's the same thing. So there's two kinds of… No, that's a different thing. No self is not a super-imposition, that's the way things actually are. The other one is the imposition that things exist… Externally. That's the same as the other one. Externally is that subject and object are two different entities. So the object is external to the subject, that's one type of self. That's one type of imputation that doesn't exist. The separation of subject and object doesn't exist. That's one type of self. The other type of self is… Things exist by their own? Hmm? Things exist by their own? That's like… Yes, but that's like… Things existing on their own actually applies to both types of self.

[12:55]

One type of self is that subject and object are two different things. The other type of self is that phenomena are established as reference of words and conceptual consciousness by way of their own character. That's the other one. Did you hear that sutra? The idea that things are established by their own character as reference to words and conceptual consciousness. That's the other kind of self. Those are two kinds of self. Those two kinds of self are imputational characters which don't exist. So Zen is to not strongly adhere to what's happening as being either of those types of self.

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But also don't adhere to any concept of what's happening. Because you've sort of got to break the habit. It's too hard to pick and choose between letting go of concepts. Even though the one type is really the problem and the other one's not so bad. In other words, the other one can be used. It's okay to apply a concept like, for example, the idea that Leslie is the referent of the word and concept. That's an imposition upon her. But that imposition does exist. And it's useful. But the other imposition is that she exists as a referent to the word Leslie by virtue of her own character.

[15:14]

That's totally imaginary. Right? Okay? And that's the one you really believe. So Zen is to not strongly adhere to this idea, this view, that a person or a body or a house or a Zafu is established as the referent to those words or to conceptual consciousness by its own character. That's another way that self is created. So there's two different basic types of self that we put on to things. And Zen practice is to, like, let those drop. Give them a rest.

[16:19]

Don't grasp them. And letting them go, not strongly adhering to them, as applying to life, is practicing suchness, practicing emptiness, practicing the thoroughly established character. This is also called learning the backward step. The basic instruction that Wangbo gives of just giving up conceptuality, giving up grasping concepts, giving up grasping concepts,

[17:33]

over and over he teaches this. In a sense, it's enough simply saying, let body and mind drop off, let body and mind drop off, is enough. Sit upright, letting body and mind drop off. That's enough, in a sense. And the details about what it is you're clinging to may not be necessary. For you to know where it is that you're clinging may not be necessary. But in a sense, the whole Sutra is about showing, getting into some details about where it is we're actually holding. So we can see our holding and then allow the holding to drop.

[18:40]

Someone said to me recently, there's no way I can do this. I thought she meant, there's no way I can do this practice, do this zazen. I hear that as another way of saying, let go of body and mind. Let go of body and mind, in other words, let go of me having a body, me having a mind. Let go of me sitting upright, or I am sitting upright, or I am practicing zazen. Let go of that. That zazen is permitted in this zendo, that type of zazen, where somebody comes in the room, sits down, and that person thinks, I'm doing zazen.

[20:15]

That's allowed. You can do that. We do not kick you out for doing that. And we know who you are. It may take a long time before it's allowed in your mind that there would be sitting happening, but it isn't sitting that you're doing. It's the sitting that arises when the conditions for the sitting to arise have arrived. And you're there too. In a sense, learning the backward step means learn how to turn around, turn the light around and shine it back to see the sitting that is happening when you're sitting,

[21:19]

without you making the sitting happen, but rather that when the sitting's happening together with everything else that makes the sitting happen, you happen too. Letting the sitting happen while giving up body and mind. Sitting upright and giving up body and mind, the sitting can happen. Seeing the sitting happen by virtue of the arrival of everything that's happening to make the sitting happen You are born there. And that is your original face. And you get an original face every moment that way.

[22:26]

The Buddhas have an unfabricated wondrous method and the self-fulfilling Samadhi is its standard. And the entry to this realm of Samadhi is to sit upright. Dropping off body and mind. The entry into this Samadhi, which is the standard of the Buddha's method, is to let go of the self-fulfilling Samadhi. It's to let go of all views. Now, I guess I have a view, which I'm going to tell you before I let go of it.

[23:52]

And the view is that you have views. I've talked to some of you and it sounds like you have views. Like even the view, I can't do the practice. Or the view, I can do the practice. Or the view of my practice is right and yours is wrong. Or the view, my practice is wrong and yours is right. Or the view that both of our practices are right. I've heard views like this and a few others. So I think I have a view that you have views. Now I give that up and I'm here to say, now that I've given that view up, that you've got views. But guess what? All you've got to do is give up those views you have. Those views you have. You don't have to give up my views. Just give up your views and you've got them to give up.

[24:59]

It is recommended, actually, to give them up sitting upright rather than lying down asleep. Giving them up in a dream, I think, is somewhat good. But to be sitting up, dealing with gravity and bones and muscles and schedules and neighbors, to be sitting upright in that situation and then give up your views, this is the way to enter the self-fulfilling samadhi. According to the Zen tradition. Yes? What? Well, when you give up a view, you give up the grasping of the view. And when you give up grasping of the view, you give up the view. Right? Give that up now. So now, I have this view that came back again, that I let go a little while ago, that you have views.

[26:19]

It keeps coming back. But maybe I'm just projecting. Maybe you don't have views, you look like you do, but maybe you don't. Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho. Maybe you don't. Do you have any views? Maybe. Maybe? Is that a view? Do you have any views? You can say maybe again. It's a free country, you can say maybe over and over. But you don't have to say maybe over and over. For example, do you have any views? Maybe, no, you don't. Go ahead. Do you have any views? Say it again. Say maybe again. Yes, she said yes. See, you don't have to say it over and over. Now you can say maybe. Well, if you want to. Do you want to? No. Has conceptual thought been given up?

[27:22]

No. Have all views been given up? Yes. Great, now you're ready to go. Let's have the shisho ceremony. We've got her at a good time. She's ready to answer your questions. Like a Zen master. With no views. Attached to. They just keep appearing. Monk comes to see Jaojo, right? Says, I want to see Jaojo. Or is it Matsu? He tells the guy's attendant. The attendant comes and says, Monk's here and wants to see you. And Jaojo says, what does he want?

[28:24]

He says, he wants to know the meaning of Buddhism. He says, tell him to have some tea and go. You know that story, Diana? And so he goes and tells that monk that. Then the attendant comes back and says, Teacher, I told him. But by the way, what is the meaning of the Buddhadharma? And Jaojo or somebody says, Have some tea and get out. This is called taking a break from the usual mode. Which is to have tea and stay. Have tea and stay. Have views and stay. Stay, stay, hold, hold, stay, hold, hold, stay. That's the usual way. Zen way is let go of your tea and your body and mind. Right?

[29:24]

That's practicing Zen. And that opens the door to the self-fulfilling Samadhi of the Buddhas. And then you can start, you know, living your life without being hung up on body and mind. Does that sound good? Sound good? Okay, now let go of that. Did you? Ready? Just about. Getting close. The Samadhi Nirmacana Sutra is an opportunity to open the door to the treasure of Buddhadharma.

[30:29]

But what I'm emphasizing, first of all, is the key to open it. The key to open the treasure store. So you can use it as you like. Over and over, Wang Bo says, give up conceptual thought. So. A monk named. What is it? Yishun. Yishun. Known as Linji or Rinzai because a school is named after him.

[31:31]

Yishun comes to see Wang Bo and practices there for three years. Is that right? Three years? Something like that? And the head monk, Mudjo, says to him one day, Have you gone to see Wang Bo, the teacher? And Linji said, No, I haven't done that. And the head monk Mudjo said,

[32:40]

Or Mudjo said, You should do that. Mudjo, yeah. And Linji said, What should I ask him? And Mudjo said, Ask him what is the essential meaning of the Buddhist teaching. Of the Buddhist teaching. So Linji goes to, Yishun goes to Wang Bo and says, What is the essential? But before he finishes the question, Wang Bo hits him. And Linji leaves. There is a view, a possible view one could entertain at this point.

[33:55]

The view is that Linji went to see Wang Bo, but he had views of going to see Wang Bo that he was holding on to in the meeting with Wang Bo. He had some view. His body and mind gave rise to a view of meeting the teacher and asking a question about the Buddha Dharma. And the teacher saw him holding to his view so he slapped him to help him practice Zen. So he could enter the... What's it called? What do you call it? Hello, what do you call it? Right, that's right. Did you know the answer to that question? What did you say?

[34:57]

Ana said, Self-fulfilling Samadhi. It's a secret, it's a Zen secret. It's called the Self-fulfilling Samadhi, but don't tell anybody. And I asked Diana if she knew the answer and she said yes. Or did you say no? You said no? You really didn't know? You really didn't know? Do you know now? This is another, again, preparation for the Jigsaw Ceremony. That's the answer to most of the questions. The people here don't know that, but it's the right answer. So Wangbo was trying to help Linji

[36:02]

with realizing the dropped-off body and mind, so he slapped him. But it looks like it didn't work the first time. It loosened things a little bit. So anyway, he left. He went back to the head monk Muzhou and said, Muzhou said, what happened? He said, well, he slapped me. I asked him the question and before I finished, he slapped me. And Muzhou said, you should go ask him again. So he went back and asked him again, I guess, the same question. I don't know if he finished that time, but anyway, he got slapped again. So he went back. Muzhou said, well, what happened? He said, slap me again. Ask him another time. He went back and asked him another time and he slapped him again. Three times the great Wangbo couldn't get this excellent monk to give up his views. Apparently, even for an excellent monk, maybe all the more for an excellent monk,

[37:06]

who's like, I'm an excellent monk. I got that down, man. I've been here for three years. I'm like, I'm a superb monk. I got that. It's not so easy to let go of being a superb monk. It takes a lot of work to get to that attainment. Right, Diana? So now, got something to lose, right? Even Wangbo, big guy, boom, boom, boom. No, doesn't let go. So Linji says, OK, I'm out of here. I'm leaving. I was happy here before I went to talk to him. But he's not leaving at the end of his practice period, so I'm going to. You got it, didn't you? I'm not even threatening to return.

[38:10]

Although I'm kind of offering. Anyway. Anyway. The head monk, Mu Zhou, said, you should go say goodbye before you leave. But you can stand far away, it's OK. So then the head monk goes to Wangbo and says, Master, this guy is really not that bad. You know. He's going to be... If you take good care of him, he's going to become a great tree. And he's going to provide shade for all beings on the whole world. And you know, he did. He became a wonderful refuge for this planet. He's a great teacher. Zhao Zhou said that. I hear Mu Zhou said that. So when he comes, you know, be nice.

[39:17]

Take care of him. Now some people say, well, of course Wangbo knew that. He just knew the guy had some sticking points. Wonderful monk, a little bit stuck though. Stuck, stuck, stuck. Just like some other monks we know. Who are excellent monks, but they're stuck, stuck, stuck. Stuck, stuck, stuck. You try to move these wonderful monks a little bit. No, you don't. Don't move me. I'm good. I'm fine. This is fine. Leave me alone. I got a good view here, good understanding. Don't mess with it, man. Otherwise I'm out of here. You should go see a teacher. No way. He's going to mess with my views. Well, okay, just go say goodbye. When he comes, be nice to him. So he comes and he says, I'm out of here, man. And Wangbo said, you don't have to go anywhere else.

[40:20]

Just go over to, what is it? Well, he said the name of the monastery. Anyway, just go over to that guy's place. Da Yu's place. I think it's Ming An Monastery. Apparently it's like right over the hill. Because, as you'll see later, he was able to go see Da Yu and come back the same day. He said, just go see Da Yu. He will be able to explain it to you. Explain what? Explain this hitting business. He will be able to explain what the hitting's about. Yeah. So he goes and sees Da Yu and he tells him what happened. And he says, so was I in error or not?

[41:26]

And Da Yu said, Wangbo was extremely grandmotherly kind to you and you're asking me, and you're concerned about whether you made an error or not? And Linji woke up. And he said, Yep, that's it. And now, here's a view for you. Now you get to see what it's like in the Samadhi. Before this, the teachers are in the Samadhi,

[42:32]

but the monk is holding on to his views of practice, so he's like exiling himself from this unconfined exercise club. Did you understand, Licha? Exercise club? It's a club, a little place, a friendly little area where you can exercise, where people can come in and exercise, with no constriction. You can lift weights in the swimming pool. If you, you know, do it politely. So he's awakened, and then I think he says something like, one version is, there's not much to Buddhism, or another version is, there's not much to Wangbo's Buddhism.

[43:38]

And then, and then Dayu says, you little bed-wetter. Do you know a bed-wetter? Bed-wetter. Somebody who, at night, sleeping at night, they urinate when they're sleeping, like a baby. So you little bed-wetter. You just asked if you had made any error or not, and now you say there's not much to Buddhism. How much is this? How much is this? So Dayu grabs Linji and pulls him over, and says, speak, speak! And Linji knocked Dawu three times in the side with his fist. Boom, boom, boom.

[44:48]

Now we don't know exactly how hard. This is one of the, when Matsu twisted Baizhang's nose, apparently it was pretty hard, because Baizhang said it really hurt, and he cried out in pain. But this rib-pounding, we don't know. It might have been, but anyway, it was three hits registered on the side. Boom, boom, boom. Now, for further reference, you know, Dayu was holding him, was constraining him. He grabbed him, you know, so he was pounding somebody who was grabbing him. So at the grievance procedures,

[45:49]

he says, well I hit him, but he was holding me, he had me in a headlock. So I was just trying to get away from the headlock, that's why I hit him. So then Dayu released him, released Linji and said, your teacher is Wangbo. This enlightenment has nothing to do with me. So Linji returns to Wangbo, and Wangbo says, coming and going, over and over, will it ever end? And Linji says, it's just because you're so kind. Then Linji told a story of what happened at Dayu's place, and Wangbo said, that old fellow Dayu is too talkative.

[46:52]

Wait till I see him. I'll give him a swat. And Linji said, why wait for swatting? And swatted Wangbo. And Wangbo, happily laughing, said, this lunatic comes to grab the tiger's whiskers. And Linji hollered, and Wangbo said, attendants, attendants, take this madman into the meditation hall. All this freedom and spontaneity,

[47:56]

hopefully it occurs within the spirit of the august deportment of the Buddha. We have an exercise club here in Tassajar. It has two rooms. One's for yoga, and one's for weightlifting. You saw the weightlifting room, right? Soren was in there the other day, and he said, is there any decorum about putting on and taking off the weights? Something like that, did you say? And I said, we always do so very, with utmost politeness, when we take the weights off and put them on. That's the club policy. Do you understand, Licha? Polite. Very polite club. So we're very polite, we want to be very polite, and at the same time very free. Very gentle, and kind,

[49:01]

and swat people, left and right, when it's appropriate. Now, these stories, maybe they didn't happen every day. Maybe those, like that swatting, maybe in Linji's whole career, he had never been swatted before, and then, in a few days, there was a lot of swatting, a lot of swatting going on. But then he kept doing the swatting for the rest of his life. He got into it. And still people came to see him, knowing that they might get hit. Because they heard that when you get hit by Linji, there's a good chance that body and mind will drop off at some point in the hitting. And you will get entree into the self-fulfilling samadhi. So it's worth it. But I don't know too many stories of Dogen hitting anybody. However, his teacher hit the people.

[50:06]

His teacher hit the people sometimes. I don't know if he ever hit Dogen, but he hit some of the other monks. Body and mind dropping off is available at the point of every view we have. Every view you have, every moment you have a view, every moment you have a view, there's an opportunity for body and mind to drop off. Sitting upright, letting everything go, no grasping, no seeking. This is the authentic gate to the self-fulfilling samadhi of the Buddhas, where no consciousness reaches

[51:11]

the illumination of the realm. So it's two days in a row when we can stop before the kitchen has to leave. Isn't that lovely? May our intention equally contrary to every place in the true land of the insane Dharma of the Heavens and the Spirit of the True and the Free

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