We shall renounce worldly affairs and maintain the Buddha Dharma, and that in doing so, the great earth and all living beings together will attain the Buddha way. and karmic effects, allowing us to practice the way without hindrance. May they share with us their compassion, which fills the boundless universe with the virtue of their enlightenment. We, we in the future, shall be Buddhas and ancestors, being Buddhas and ancestors. We are one Buddha and one ancestor, awakening Bodhi mind. We are one Bodhi mind.

[01:03]

that they extend their compassion to us freely and without limit. We are able to attain Buddhahood and then we will all be attainment. Therefore, the Chan Master, Lunja, said, those who in past lives were not enlightened will now be enlightened in this life. Save the body, which is the fruit of many lives. The enlightened people of today are exactly as those of old. I at least explore the farthest reaches of these causes and conditions, as this practice is the exact transmission of a verified Buddha. Nursing and repenting in this way, one never fails to receive profound help from all Buddhists and ancestors by revealing and disclosing our lack of faith and practice. We melt away the root of transgressions by the power of our confession and repentance. This is the pure and simple power of true practice of the true mind of faith, of the true body of faith.

[02:08]

We have just recited a verbal expression of a vow written by a person named Ehe Dogen about 775 years ago. as you heard, and as you said, as you recited, he said, we vow with all beings from this life on, throughout countless lives, to hear the true Dharma.

[04:18]

We also have another verse that we recite at the beginning of our Dharma talks, which starts out, an unsurpassed, penetrating, and perfect Dharma is rarely met with, even in 100,000 million kalpas. Having it to see and listen to, remember and accept, I vow to taste the truth of the Tathagata's words. In Dharma practice centers, in centers and communities dedicated to the Buddha Dharma,

[05:26]

It is often simply stated that part of our practice is to listen to the Dharma, to hear the Dharma, and to taste the truth of the Dharma. We say this over and over in Dharma practice centers. Now, as you know, we're just starting a week of practice.

[06:35]

We're practicing together. We were all in this room, we all made an effort to get into this room, and now we're all sitting. But one might wonder, is this sitting that we're doing the true Dharma practice? in a sense, we are certainly practicing, all of us, and all of us are sitting now in the midst of the truth, of the true teaching.

[07:57]

But does illumination of this true teaching manifest in all of us right now? even when the Buddha's words are not being recited, even when a teacher is not speaking, even when a bird is not singing, the true Dharma completely pervades every cell of our body. the true Dharma completely pervades every particle of our body and of all bodies and of all things.

[09:17]

I know of no mature teacher in any Buddhist tradition who would not agree with the total penetration of all things by the truth. We live in this wondrous, inconceivable truth, and so do all Buddhas. And for the Buddhas, who are the form of being wherein there is illumination, with regard to this wondrous Dharma, there is no trace of consciousness in their illumination.

[10:32]

And for non-Buddhas, living beings who are not fully illuminated, the illumination as to this Dharma does not manifest in their consciousness. For those who understand, for those who understand the true Dharma perfectly, there is no trace of consciousness in their understanding.

[12:37]

Illumination manifests in their consciousness, but there's no trace of their consciousness in the illumination. The illumination reaches their consciousness, but their consciousness leaves no trace in the illumination. at noon service today, we will recite a text describing the type of awareness

[14:21]

which is the true path of enlightenment. This is an awareness which is illuminated by the way things actually are. It's an awareness which is illuminated by the way we actually are always helping each other and being helped by each other. and the text describes the type of awareness, which is the true path of enlightenment, and then it says, all this, however, does not appear within perception. This wonderful way that we're helping each other is unconstructed.

[15:52]

It's unrecognized. It's unconverted. and unconstructed into a form that we can see as an object. It is an awareness which is illuminated by the non-duality of all beings. The text which describes this and tells us that that which can be met with recognition is not realization itself, can be heard by a consciousness which is recognizing objects. It is a text to educate unilluminated consciousness

[17:08]

as to a way to enter illuminated consciousness. Words are, I would say, generally speaking, in the Buddha Dharma, words are for the sake of unilluminated consciousnesses, to assist them to open to the illuminated consciousness. Words are for unilluminated consciousnesses which live in the midst of the true Dharma, but are looking for the Dharma to be something which they can recognize, and their words are to encourage the letting go

[18:38]

of dualistic practice so that the dualistic consciousness can be also released. So on one side of our life we have what seems to be a dualistic approach, a dualistic view. At the same time, we have a non-dualistic life and a non-dualistic view. And the non-dualistic view includes that the non-dualistic is non-dual with the dualistic And the dualistic, of course, would see the dualistic as separate from the non-dualistic.

[19:54]

The dualistic view is that there's two things at least, really. For example, myself and others. That there's myself and others, and that they're actually separate. that it isn't just an appearance, but it's really so. That there's two separate beings, myself and another. This is a dualistic view. And human beings are innately gifted with such a view. And they also are innately gifted with the predisposition to believe that appearance. if they do believe it, in that belief, the elimination of the true Dharma does not manifest.

[21:10]

Practicing with this dualistic view usually leads to practicing with some sense of gain and loss, with some sense of attainment or non-attainment, with some sense of self-concern. in particular with some sense of separate self-concern, concern for a separate self, concern for whether this self or other selves will do well, will accomplish certain things during this seven-day meditation retreat. concern for whether I gain something now or lose something.

[22:33]

We are actually practicing together, but we can have a dualistic understanding of our practicing together. Even if you leave this valley right now and go someplace else, you're still practicing together with all sentient beings and all Buddhas. No matter where you go, no matter where I go, no matter how long I live or where I am, I'm always practicing together with all sentient beings and all Buddhas. However, if I have a dualistic view of my life, even if I'm right in the middle of a room full of meditators, and even if they all have halos around their head, I still don't see and understand how we're practicing together, how we're actually practicing together, the way we're actually practicing together, which never begins or ends.

[24:12]

The actual practice does not begin or end. It is, in fact, the way we always are together. Still, we can come into this, in some sense, small room, in some sense, large room, for a week, and seem to start to practice on Sunday night, and seem to stop to practice on Sunday afternoon. This can seem to be a beginning and an end. and the practice that we see happening, we can think of that as the practice. And that view of the practice, which seemed to start on Sunday night and end on the next Sunday, that view of practice is completely inseparable from another practice, which is the practice that we're doing together with all living beings and all Buddhas.

[25:58]

That practice is inseparable from the one that seems to begin and end on Sunday and Sunday that seem to begin and end with periods that last for a few minutes. We're always in this actual Dharma practice, but illumination adds to it, or about it, does not manifest in our consciousness, which sees objects as separate from subjects. In the consciousness, which you probably can experience right now, which sees yourself as separate from me, in that consciousness, this beginningless and endless Dharma practice

[27:03]

is not seen. It is totally present, and actually what's going on, but you can't see it in the realm of subjects separate from objects. Buddhas, however, realize this actual practice, and we are inseparable from them right now. So how can we practice, or how do we practice in such a way as to realize the actual practice that's already going on, that's already going on in this room and throughout the universe? to begin to open the door to the actual practice, or the practice which is the true path to enlightenment, I'm speaking this way.

[28:21]

I'm talking to you this way in the hopes of initiating everyone here and all beings into the true path of enlightenment. I'm saying in this world that all sentient beings, those who are awake and those who are sleeping, and all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are just one mind. I say that. I say that. and perhaps you hear that, and perhaps you remember that, and perhaps I hear that, and remember that, and accept that. Hear it, remember it, accept it, and taste it. Taste it with a tongue that does not taste objects.

[29:30]

The tongue which tastes objects does not manifest illumination of this one mind. But that same tongue in your mouth which tastes objects is the same tongue which tastes the true Dharma. Same tongue. We say, practice just for the sake of practice. We say, leave the practice, leave the practice to the practice.

[30:45]

and the practice will be attained. Entrust the practice to the practice and the practice will be attained. This is instruction to realize the true path. One time I said this at Tassajara, and the director got up and walked out of the zendo. Leave the practice to the practice and attain the practice? Okay, see you later. It could be like that. Release it, and it fills the hand. Release the practice, release the Dharma, and it fills your hand.

[31:59]

Release the practice, release the Dharma, and it fills your hand. Release the practice, release the Dharma, and it fills your hand. It's already totally pervading every particle of your hand. Release it, and it fills your hand. It's already totally penetrating every particle of your body. Release it, and it'll fill every particle of your body. And again, and again, and again, for one week. This is the non-dual practice. It's not what I do, it's not what I don't do, it's leaving the practice to the practice.

[33:13]

It's entrusting the non-dual, totally pervading practice of the Buddhadharma to the non-dual, totally pervading practice of the Buddhadharma. It's entrusting the practice to the practice. I don't do that, but there is entrusting. When there is entrusting, there is attainment. When I get in there and I do it, when I do the practice, every practice that I do is totally inseparable from the practice of all Buddhas and all of you. But when I do this practice or that practice, I think that my practice is not separable from your practice and the practice of all Buddhas. That's why I think I'm doing this or I'm doing that.

[34:16]

And I'm proud or I'm ashamed of what I'm doing. I'm proud that I can follow the schedule, or I'm ashamed that I'm proud. Such stories can still occur, and they are totally inseparable from those who are not into those stories. All the while, there is a practice which is going on, and that practice is entrusting the practice to the practice practice, which nobody does, and which is completely happening right now. However, not everybody is letting that practice illuminate their consciousness. trusting the practice to the practice is to practice with no gaining idea.

[35:39]

You've all heard that before. It's to contemplate this moment, this morning, this day, this week, with no gaining idea. Where is such a contemplation where you can look at a moment? Where is a contemplation of looking at a moment? How can I look at right now? How can there be a view of right now with no concern for gain? That view is the view which we call the true path to enlightenment. It's available. Where is it? How can I sit here and talk to you without any concern of gain and loss?

[36:47]

Where is that? It's so close. It's who we really are together. However, that way, that's not concerned with gain and loss, does not appear within consciousness. So it seems, it seems like the practice, the dualistic practice, practice which I'm doing separate from you, or that you're doing separate from me, that practice again is a practice that naturally goes with gain and loss.

[38:03]

And it is practice, and you are, when you're practicing that way, when you see practice that way, you are, when you're practicing that way, you are practicing together with all the Buddhas. When you're practicing in that dualistic way, you're practicing together with all the Buddhas. All the dualistic practitioners are practicing together with the non-dual practitioners, and they're non-dual. It's not that the dualistic practices and the non-dualistic practicers are dual. They're actually one, according to the non-dual practitioners. According to the sentient beings, the dualistic practicers, their practice and the Buddha's practices are two. According to the Buddhas, the Buddha's practice and the living beings who practice dualistically, their practice is one. So some of us have a dualistic attitude towards practice, and we really think it's true.

[39:16]

We really do think our practice is separate from other people's practice, at least some other people's practice. We really think so. We think our practice is separate from the practice of our enemies. We think that our practice is separate from George Bush, George Bush's practice, or somebody's practice. And if we hear about Buddhas who do not think that their practice is separate from George Bush's practice or your practice, if we hear about those Buddhas, we may think that their practice is also separate from our practice, but they're telling us that they don't think that their practice is separate from ours, or that theirs is separate from those who we feel separate from. They don't buy into that, but they don't feel separate from those who do buy into it.

[40:24]

And you know, there's certain principles of our tradition here on this continent, which are in accord with the Buddha's values. I disagree with you, but I will defend your right to disagree with me to my death. I will give my life to protect you or your right to disagree with me, because we're non-dual. How does it say? All men are created equal. Is that what it says? All beings are created equal.

[41:30]

We're all equal. We're all in one mind. We're in one great equality. Now, leave that one great way that we are to that one great way we are. But we have to somehow practice that, again without thinking that you're doing it by your own power. There's this difficult word in Sanskrit called Hinayana, and this lovely word in Sanskrit called Mahayana, and the word Hina, I think in Sanskrit, has pejorative connotations.

[42:48]

It literally just means, you know, small or narrow, but it has some kind of, it's not bland as that. So I don't like to say hinayana about anybody, including myself. I don't want to call myself or anybody else hina, small and narrow. If there's some way to respectfully speak of a narrow view or a small view of practice, then I'm speaking of it respectfully. an individual view, a separate self view of the practice. People are allowed to practice that way. People are allowed to approach the Buddha Dharma, to approach Buddhist practice from the point of view of I separately by myself, I'm going to go study Zen at that temple.

[43:50]

It's okay. And this person who thinks that they're going to practice Zen by themselves or by their own power, this person is actually totally practicing together with all Buddhas who don't think that way. And they're allowed to practice that way as long as they need to practice that way. But it is dualistic. It has that problem of being dualistic. And there's another path which is the path of practice which does not view the practice as what I do by myself.

[44:52]

but it's the practice, for example, of this whole group here in this room for this day and this week. That's the practice. That's called the Mahayana view of practice, which is the practice in the context of the understanding that this self and other selves are not two.

[45:59]

And if this self, in a moment, thinks, oh, this self and all these other selves are not two, then I'm thinking of the teaching of the Mahayana. And maybe I don't even think, oh, how can I remember to think like that? but anyway right now I am kind of thinking and feeling which I'm not in control of and neither are you and yet it is the practice that I am living in.

[47:26]

And I think it's the practice you're living in. And if I forget that view, let go of that view, and then another one arises that I'm practicing by myself, separate from you, I may notice that, and notice, oh, there's that dualistic view of practice again, which I've seen that before, I've heard about that, people talk to me about that, and And I noticed that when I see the practice that way and when I listen to other people who see the practice that way, I seem to be more or less uncomfortable and stressed.

[48:43]

And when people tell me that they're practicing from that point of view, they seem to be afflicted. either a little or a lot. But when there's openness to the practice that we're doing together, there seems to be peace and harmony even though some of the people that we're practicing together with are feeling like they're practicing separately and are in misery. So there's peace and harmony with those who do not feel peace and harmony.

[49:50]

We're practicing together with all those who view the practice as a self-centered enterprise. We're practicing together with all those beings who view it that way. And it may be somewhat painful to be connected with and practiced together with those who suffer because they feel like they're practicing separately from us and from the Buddhas. But the Buddhas are also feeling the pain of being with those who are not open to the Buddha Dharma because they view things

[50:54]

in a way that obstructs their realization. And this is a difficulty which can be again viewed or framed as an encouragement to deepen the realization of practicing together. Part of the reason why we hesitate to open to the practice of one mind together with all Buddhas and all living beings is because it might be somewhat painful to open to

[51:58]

living beings. And it might be somewhat painful to open to Buddhas. They might ask us, by the way, to give everything to all beings. And we might think, will I be able to? I don't know. I'm embarrassed. I'm unsure. The person who thinks that way is practicing together with all Buddhas. You can be, I can be, exactly the way I am, every moment. It does not ever dislodge the Mahayana. as I closed my little folder, my finger touched a piece of paper so that when the folder closed, the piece of paper would not get bent.

[53:39]

And I could conceivably be proud of straightening that piece of paper out there so that when the folder closed, it didn't get crumpled. It was actually somewhat enjoyable to straighten that piece of paper. It could have also been the case, though, that I would say, I can just close this now. And if I do, that piece of paper is going to get folded The crease is going to get bent back. I could have enjoyed that too. And I could think I did it, which I did. And I could also think that I did it all by myself, which I didn't. I can easily think I'm doing, I'm speaking all by myself. which I'm not, and I'm holding the stick all to myself, which I'm not.

[54:55]

I can easily think that. It's amazing that I can think a thought like that. But I can also see how silly that is, simultaneously. and open to the world of Dharma, where I do not move a stick or breathe a breath by my own power, but only together with all of you and all the Buddhas, and only with your support and the support of all the Buddhas, do I have any activity. Because of all of you, and because of the Buddhas, I can think that. And I can be the person that I am when I think that way.

[56:02]

How about you? Are you able to be a person who can think that you're sitting here right now is because you're practicing together with all beings and with the support of all beings, enlightened and unenlightened? Can that thought arise in your mind? Can you listen to that? Can you hear that? Is your hearing happening? Can that be accepted? Can all beings support you to accept that all beings are supporting you to accept? Can you resist and hear the teaching that your resistance is also through the support of all beings?

[57:17]

that the Buddhas are practicing together with those who reject heartily, that the Buddhas are practicing together with them. And they see this person thinks, he's not practicing with me, and I totally support them as they think they're not practicing with me. after a Dharma talk's been going on for a while, the person who sits in this seat may feel, geez, maybe the Dharma talk should change into not a Dharma talk, or maybe we should do that chant that we do at the end of Dharma talks now.

[59:26]

But how does that happen? Who decides? when the person, who makes the person's hands come up and come together and how does that happen? Do I do it all by myself? Or do I feel innumerable hands pushing my hands together and lifting my elbows up and stopping me from talking about anything but doing that chant? How does it happen? How does this, how does this happen? How does this activity happen? How does it happen? How do you happen to be not putting your hands together? You know, what makes you put your hands together, lunch or what?

[60:36]

When do you feel the power of raising your hands? You like that? May our intention fully extend. for every being and place with the true merit of Buddha's way. Beings are numberless. I vow to save them. Delusions are inexhaustible. I vow to end them. Dharma gates are boundless.

[61:37]

I vow to enter them. Buddha's way is unsurpassable. I vow to become it.

[61:51]

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