I have a confession which I made before, which is that when doing the chant, the robe opening chant, which we just did, did you hear it? After we do it once, and it's time to do it twice, at that point sometimes I think, we don't have time for this. We've got to get on with our life. We can't just sit here on surpass, penetrating, perfect armor over and over. In other words, I don't respect that time of doing it three times. I want to just get it over with and do something really interesting. I confess that and I'm sorry that such thoughts arise in my mind.

[01:06]

But they just did there. Did you have your hand raised? No. Ah, scratching your head, okay. You made the Buddhists happy. Yeah. We made the Buddhas happy, that's enough. Not three times. But also confessing that I'm kind of in a hurry before the Buddhas. They're happy to hear my confession. So the next section of Book 18 of the Flower Dormant Scripture, starts something like this. The bodhisattva, dharma wisdom, says to the other bodhisattvas, there are ten things by which bodhisattvas quickly enter the stages, the bodhisattva stages.

[02:21]

This great sutra more than any other sutra that I know of has stages in it full of stages it's got one section of the sutra which is a huge sutra and the name of the huge sutra within the bigger huge sutra is the ten stage sutra in Sanskrit dashabhumika Sutra. Ten stage. And Bhumika also means not just stage, but ground. The ten grounds of bodhisattvas. But they're listed. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. And they have an order. Anyway, it's a great sutra. And maybe we'll live long enough to do it. It's not so far away. It's not very far away. It's book 26. And we're on 18. So we might get... Book 26?

[03:27]

Pretty soon. Or not. And then that book will take a really long time because it's huge. That book's as long as all we've read so far in the first three years. It would take us if we give it its due respect it probably would take us three years to do that. So anyway. this suture teaches stages and each stage it has teachings for that stage about what that stage is. Okay? And then after it talks about how to quickly enter the stages, ten ways to quickly enter it, I'm just going to talk about one today, one of the ten. I had to have time to read the other nine. I'm just going to talk about number nine of the ten.

[04:31]

Number nine of ways to quickly enter the stages. One of the quick ways to enter stages is that the bodhisattva mind does not abide in the teachings of each stage. One of the ways that bodhisattvas quickly enter the stages is that their mind does not abide in the teachings of each of the stages. So each stage has teachings, and when bodhisattvas don't abide in the teachings, they enter quickly. However, I may comment, the sutra doesn't say so, but they are listening to the teachings. These are great teachings. They're listening to them and then they just listen and they just reach behind their head for a pillow in the dark. They don't try to get the teaching.

[05:37]

They don't try to abide in the teaching which they're devoted to listening to. That's what the sutra says. So I was very happy to see that. that the sutra says this, the sutra is kind of saying could apply more widely. The way bodhisattvas enter into this great dharma is by not abiding in this great dharma. As soon as you listen and don't abide, you've entered. But since the teaching is so great, we might be tempted to abide or even possess and become famous. So anyway, that's what it says. And I don't know if our ancestors read that line of Book 18 and said, let's do that. But they act like they had heard about this teaching.

[06:38]

And so one of the, one of our great ancestors is named Ching-Yuran, no, Ching-Se, Ching-Se, Ching, no. Tsingsha Yuran... Oh, yeah. Tsingsha Yuran... Anyway, I wrote Tsingsha Yuran... Oh, no. I know, I got wrong. Then his name is Tsing Yuran Tsingsha. Tsing Yuran Tsingsha. He's one of the main successors of the sixth ancestor. So Qingyuran, Xingza, goes to the sixth ancestor and says something like, in Chinese of course, how can I avoid falling into stages?

[07:48]

Somehow he got the idea. Maybe he read the sutra and thought, huh, how can I avoid falling into abiding in these stages? So he goes and asks his teacher. And his teacher says, well, what have you been doing up till now? And he said, I haven't even practiced the noble truths. And the teacher says, well, if you haven't even fallen to the, oh no, I haven't even been practicing the Four Noble Truths. And then the teacher says, well, what stage have you fallen into? And then the student says, if I haven't even been practicing the Noble Truths, what stage could I have fallen into? So this is one of the big stories in the Zen tradition. And this is the Zen position, which I feel like that describes how to quickly enter into the steps and stages without abiding in them.

[09:06]

Because entering into the steps and stages is a really beneficial thing in this world. What did he say about his relationship to the Four Noble Truths? He said, I haven't even been practicing them, or I haven't even practiced the Four Noble Truths. He didn't say Four, the Noble Truths. How is that different than practicing, the implication being practicing without abiding it, I guess? I don't think it is different. So after he said he hasn't even been practicing the noble truth, the teacher says, well, then what stage could you fall into? And he said, no, he said, what stage did you fall into? And he basically said, how could I fall into it?

[10:07]

But he was practicing. So how do we know what he meant by practicing? It could mean abiding or not. He didn't even say he was practicing. He just... He said he wasn't even doing the noble truths. So he's practicing. He hears about maybe not falling into steps and stages. He hears that that's kind of a good thing. For those who are devoted to the Dharma, the teaching of the stages, how can we not fall into the teaching of the stages? And the teacher said, what have you been doing? And he says, well, I haven't even done that. And then she says, what stage could you have fallen into? So shorten the story is, how can I avoid falling into steps and stages? Shorten it to, what stage have you fallen into? But this story, we see that he was practicing, but not even the most basic teachings did he practice.

[11:12]

Did he fall into? He didn't even fall into the most basic. he didn't even do them what's he worried about maybe he wasn't worried maybe he was just testing the teacher to see what the teacher would say he heard about not abiding in the stages so how can that be and the chief says what have you been doing and he says And he says, well, how could you fall into stages? He says, well, if I don't even practice the Noble Truths, what stage could I fall into? But if you shorten the story, you miss the fact that he hasn't even been doing this practice. He mentions what he hasn't been doing, and then the teacher can ask him, well, what stage are you falling?

[12:16]

Anyway, that's the Zen story. That's a big typical teaching of this great Zen bodhisattva. It sounds like he read this section of the Avatamsaka Sutra. He's also the same Zen master that inspired Donovan. You know Donovan? First there were the mountains, then there were no mountains, then there were... That comes from this teacher who didn't abide in any stage. He didn't abide in the mountains, the not the mountains, or the mountains again. He's like a Mr. Non-Abiding. But I just want to point out, this Zen person, great Zen teacher, is right out of the Sutra. Number nine of the ways that you enter, enter,

[13:17]

Enter, enter, enter, but not abide. And if you don't enter, you don't have any problem abiding. But if you hear the teaching and you don't abide, you enter. And you enter fast. You enter fast. You know how fast it is not to abide? It's very fast. It's very fast. Every moment. not abide and every moment enter but we have to train because turning away and touching are both wrong don't okay so that's what I want to bring up not abiding similar or related to being a quantumist is not abiding similar to not Abiding is very similar.

[14:20]

Being equanimous is similar to not abiding. Being equanimous is early Buddhist teaching to develop equanimity towards this stage and that stage. Equanimity between going up and going down. Equanimity between pain and pleasure. and equanimity between birth and death, and so on. But here we have a different way of talking coming from, for example, the Diamond Sutra. The bodhisattva is supposed to give rise to a mind that has no abode. And that sutra is older than this sutra, but this sutra reiterates it as it's getting ready to go through all these stages. We're going to go through these stages But in order to enter them, we have to listen to the teaching without grasping it, without landing in it, without building a nest in it.

[15:29]

But we're nest builders. Yes? Speak up, please. It reminds me of a story kind of at the end of the mountains and rivers. She talked about... an ancient Chinese idea that... Louder, please. Hitching your donkey to a post. Is that in the diamond? She says in mountains, rivers, etc.? Uh-huh. And the idea is on attachment. It's like, you know, because the donkey is hitched to a post and the donkey is totally happy walking in a circle around the post, but it never actually gets brief at the post. Thank you. That's lovely. Happy donkey. Happy donkey. Not trying to get away, not trying to get closer. Just walk around the pole. Walk around the Dharma.

[16:32]

Of course, the donkey could go both clockwise and counterclockwise. It could do it either way. I don't know who was next. Did you have your hand raised, Patty? No. Would you like to raise your hand? Okay. Did somebody else have your hand raised? Sort of, yeah. Sort of did? Did you really raise your hand? You really did. She sort of did. How about you? No. All right. All right. Go ahead, Deborah. It's contemplation. Contemplation is not... That can be non-abiding as well. Okay. Contemplation can be non-abiding, right. Matter of fact, you can contemplate in such a way that you look at your abiding and it evaporates.

[17:33]

Like you look, you're watching, oh my gosh, somebody's trying to hold on to something. And you look at that with equanimity. Not trying to stop that. And not going along with it. What? Going along with abiding. clearly contemplating it or walk around it like a donkey contemplating the clinging at the center of our life which is not really clinging but we have to contemplate that and we'll let go in the contemplation contemplation doesn't believe it or disbelieve it it just clearly observes Yes, Homa? I know you say not to abide. I didn't say not to abide. I did not say that. I've heard you saying not abiding.

[18:40]

I've heard you saying not... I did bring up not abiding, but I didn't tell you not to abide. I just told you... that the bodhisattva has a mind which doesn't. I also like to challenge that. Oh, you're going to challenge it. Is that like calling me into question? Yeah. But it says so in the sutra. Yeah, she's calling me in the sutra into question. I am in the question that I'm not here to hide. I'm not here to move away. I'm not here to whatever it is. I'm just totally here. And in the totality of suchness, here-ness is that full awareness. And you also mentioned going entering.

[19:41]

Yes, when there's fullness of awareness entering, there's no abiding. And I'm here to get. I am not going to move away from not getting that which is here, that which is all we need, that which is the beginning, that which is the end of it. Thank you for telling us about your practice. Thank you. We have five more minutes. Can you believe it? Uh-oh. Yes? I confess, I really don't think I understood the story when he said, well, I never practiced before noble truth even, so how could I have fallen into it? He didn't say, how could I not fall into it? The teacher says, what have you been doing?

[20:43]

And he says, I haven't been even doing those basic practices. And then the teacher says, well, what stage did you fall into? The teacher said that. And then he said, well, how could I fall into a stage? I didn't even do the basic practices. Somehow I'm not connecting. Because if you don't fall practice and you don't fall in, you're still abiding. You're abiding in this habitual self. Yeah, so when he says I haven't even been practicing that, what do you think he meant? Well, he's been, this is somebody who's been practicing for quite a while, right? And then he says, I haven't even been practicing the noble truths. What did he mean? He knew about the noble truths. He knew about the noble truths. He's been practicing. This is a very sincere practitioner who says, I haven't even been doing the basic practices.

[21:50]

Could be that, yeah. He wants to practice without falling into abiding. And then the teacher says, well, how have you been practicing? And he says, I haven't even done the basics. But he's been practicing. And so the teacher says, well, what stage could you fall into? If you go over this quite a few times, you'll get it. So have you memorized it? Yes. Where is it? Well, one place it's written is in the, what is it called? Is it called the Transmission of the Light? Oh. And this guy is number 34. And the sixth ancestor is number 33. So you look there, and this is what you call... Koban, which you could meditate on.

[23:00]

Yes. So you just said that he says, I haven't even done the basics. The basics is a cat. I mean, it's just a fun game. The basics is a category which implies the advanced. So I don't do that stuff, he says. They're just playing hacky sack. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It doesn't make sense. Because he's asking, how can I avoid doing what I know I'm not doing? Say again. He's asking the seventh ancestor, how can I avoid doing something which I'm not doing, which I know I'm not doing? If you ask me, I'll tell you I'm not doing it. Yeah. Good. these guys just play, right? Sometimes, yeah.

[24:05]

Sometimes they're playing with each other. Sometimes they're being ironic. And irony is available in our life. Yes. Did you say entry? I think it kind of means for example not just like hearing about it and not even like trying to practice it but diving into it. And entry is like the deepest way to relate to these bodhisattva practices. Yeah, like completely living it. Yes. So... Yeah, so like one kind of wisdom is wisdom that comes from hearing. Another kind of wisdom is wisdom that comes from contemplating the wisdom of hearing.

[25:12]

So you hear a teaching, you hear a teaching, and then you understand. Like sometimes you hear teachings and you hear them, but you don't really feel like you understand. Or maybe you do feel like you understand. And then suddenly you hear it and you change. You become a different person. You go, wow, actually I thought I understood all that time. Now I have this completely new understanding. That's from hearing, just by hearing. Hearing, hearing, hearing, and then suddenly really hearing. Yes? You have some groups that you teach and study the Avatavska Sutra with who are called advanced students, right? Senior. Senior. Yeah, senior students. Are you just leading them into the delusion of steps and stages?

[26:14]

And how come I'm not in that group? I think it's because, what is it? It's because you haven't been an abbot. They're all abbots? Or former abbots. Pretty much, yeah. Oh, excuse me. It's okay, it's okay. And there's another group, which is people who have been shiso. So it's not like the people, it's like certain initiations they've gone through. That's all. And so here we are. Can I say the next wisdom? The next wisdom? The next wisdom is wisdom that comes from contemplating what? Contemplating the wisdom that came when you were hearing. So then you contemplate and analyze what you think you are. Question and answer around what you understood.

[27:15]

So first of all, without any analysis, you hear and understand. Then you discuss it. You think about it. You talk to people about it. You think of all different ways of understanding this thing which just came to you by hearing. That's the second kind. The third type is you become it. Now you contemplate it but no more analysis. You just are with it without touching it. Now you have this wisdom and you just walk around it. And then you become it. The fourth bodhisattva vow. The fourth bodhisattva vow. You become it. You become Buddha. So first you hear about Buddha, you hear about Buddha, and then suddenly you understand something just by hearing. Then you analyze and question and discuss this thoroughly, and then suddenly you change again. And then after that, you just sit quietly with what you have understood in these two previous ways.

[28:23]

And the third one's called also entry. Yes? Can that translate into life stories, life experiences? I know we're talking about... Life experience? Yeah, so you have a life experience, and then you have a life experience, and even one that's really important to you, that you keep thinking about and reviewing, and then the day comes, and I understood. There's many stories like that. When I was first there, I thought she was saying that. Now I see what she was actually saying, just by hearing. And then you could analyze that for some time and then enter it. Okay, so I'm not in a hurry, but...

[29:26]

I don't know how many more times we're going to talk about the wonderful chapter 18. I'll look at it and see what we need to look at and then we can go on up towards chapter 26. And I've mentioned this before but today I mentioned it again so I thought I would share with you that certain great Buddhist scholars in Asia read this scripture and they said, you know, I read it and I read it, but I couldn't find any way to get a foothold in this sutra. Or I read it and I read it and I just didn't understand anything, but I kept reading. And then when I was reading, somehow I felt some great, huge, compassionate, presence embrace me and lift me up into the way.

[30:32]

Thank you for the wonderful day again. I hope we can do this again before too long or too short. Some of you might want too short.

[30:54]

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