The vow which you just recited was written by the great ancestor, Ehe Dogen. And when I hear it or read it, the language sometimes sounds like we're talking about Buddhas and ancestors as though they were something outside ourself. But that certainly is not what the person who wrote it meant. The person who wrote this vow is also the person who wrote the words which we chant under the heading of the self-fulfilling samadhi or the self-receiving and self-employing samadhi.

[01:28]

Same person. So what's being recommended is an awareness which completes the idea of self. An awareness which fulfills the limited idea of self. If we think that there's a self which is separate from the other, a self which is separate from the Buddha. This is an unfulfilled self. If we can see the self as it receives itself, as it receives its function,

[02:35]

If we can see our self as it's receiving its activity, we will see that this self receives its activity, or the activity of this life is something which is received from the entire universe. If we see this, this is called the self-fulfilling awareness, or the awareness of the self receiving its employment. seeing how the self receives, how it is used. The self is used and it receives its use. The universe uses us and it gives us our use. Seeing how we receive the way we are used, is what all Buddhas are watching.

[03:46]

This is the door to their enlightenment. This completes the picture of ourself. All day long, Can you watch and see how this place, this body, this mind is receiving its function? We do not generate our activity by ourself. It is given to us. And once it's given to us, then there is this activity here. This awareness is a mind which sees that the activity of a living being and the activity of all other living beings and the activity of all the Buddhas is just one mind.

[04:56]

And there is nothing outside this mind it includes the entire universe and each individual being, receiving its function from everything else and supporting everything else in having its function. Today I can say, along with practitioners of the past that my only wish is to understand the Dharma of this one mind. And I also understand already to some extent and trust already to some extent that I can only understand

[06:08]

this one mind, if you do too. So my wish is that everybody understand this one mind, this dharma of this one mind. that everybody understand the truth, the teaching that all living beings and all Buddhas are just one mind. And this one mind allows for the arising of beings who try to attach to the one mind.

[07:14]

The one mind has allowed for and has never been separate from living beings. And living beings have this marvelous tendency to try to attach to the one mind. And the way they try to attach is by trying to characterize it or conceptualize it. But this mind has no characteristics. It cannot be attached to The Buddha has no characteristics, has no signs, has no marks.

[08:22]

And people hear stories about what a Buddha's like, and they convert the story into characteristics. and then grasp the characteristics and then feel cut off from Buddha and feel cut off from the mind where there's no separation between Buddhas and the ones who are conceptualizing Buddha and grasping and feeling separated. According to one account, when a certain yogi was 35 years old, on December 8th in the morning, when Venus was sparkling brightly, this yogi understood the Dharma.

[09:54]

He said, now I see suffering as it is coming to be. Now I see the conditions or the origination of suffering as it has come to be. I see the end. of suffering as it has come to be, and I see the path, which is the cessation of suffering as it comes to be. I was looking for how this house of suffering was built. I was looking for the builder, but I never found it.

[11:00]

The Buddha's heart was content. And the Buddha also looked at how the world was created, how it arises, how suffering arises. He saw how it arises. And he saw also if those conditions which give rise to it are not there, how there isn't any suffering. And after that he said that practitioners of the way should contemplate the equality of all things, the sameness of all phenomena and all beings. And basically, if you meditate on the sameness of all things, you might notice that you think that there's difference.

[12:36]

And you might notice that the pivotal issue in the difference is that you're grasping to a self. And that if you don't grasp to a self, then there's no different things. without moving a particle of dust.

[16:31]

How can great compassion coexist with no seeking? How can you feel the desire for all beings to understand and not seek anything at the same time. to bring these best wishes to each situation without moving, without seeking.

[20:43]

Completely still. and unhindered by the way things are, not wishing for them to be different, and feeling great compassion. with your own pain, wishing freedom from the pain without seeking something different. There is a mind born of

[21:53]

great compassion, which is not moving, is not manipulating, and is intimate with each thing. wishing very well each thing, not trying to get rid of anything or hold on to anything. Right now.

[23:36]

These two go together, great compassion and not moving a particle of dust. Great love, great stillness, great silence, great non-preference, great non-attachment.

[25:40]

These are words gesturing towards the self-fulfilling samadhi. Everything is the same. Everything is treated with the utmost respect. is improved. Nothing is depreciated. and wishing that there be an understanding of this, and wishing for the happiness of this understanding.

[27:07]

If there's grasping, if there's making this one mind into characteristics and attaching to it, There's no distinction between that and Buddha, even though that is by definition a sentient being. And it is not, by definition, a Buddha. There is not the seeking that this one who is attached would be something different, would be a Buddha.

[29:24]

But there is the wish that there would be understanding that the one who's attached and lost and anxious and frightened and agonizing would be free. But not by being something different from what he is. Because what he is is the one mind. He and I are the one mind. I wish for not another universe and I wish for this universe to be

[30:31]

a universe of understanding. Not all of San Francisco, but about 200,000 people in San Francisco or 200,000 households do not have electricity.

[31:37]

All the trains are stopped. The stock market can't operate. There's people in traffic jams all over the city because the semaphores don't work. All the bridges and freeways are packed. And here we are. meditating on the oneness of all dharmas, wishing that all those people will be happy and free of suffering, wishing that all those people will understand.

[32:50]

Here we are holding down the fort. Soon we will be out there too, holding their hands in miserable traffic jams. But can you bring with you, will you bring into your bones and your flesh The meditation which is always concentrating on the oneness of the way you are and the way he is and the way she is and all Buddhas. Do you bring that? Do you see the Buddha right there in every being?

[33:53]

Do you understand that each person is Buddha? Do you remember that? Do you concentrate on that? Now, before the big wave hits, it's a time to melt into this samadhi, which will fulfill your sense of yourself. Every person you meet gives you your chance to be a Buddha for them. In that way, each person is a messenger, a Buddha to you. Now you hear it.

[34:59]

Can you concentrate on this? It's so easy to forget. Buddha taught this. All his disciples, through the Zen tradition, teach this. Will you receive this samadhi of the ancestors and let it take over your life? so that your personal activity will also be the Buddha's activity. My poor little personal activity, your poor little personal activity is all Buddha has.

[36:15]

There's no Buddhas outside of us. We're all that Buddha has. Buddha is us. Can you concentrate on this without attaching to it, without attaching to any characteristic of your Buddhahood? Please try. This whole world depends on each of us doing this right in the middle of our pain. You look like you understand.

[37:50]

But I'll try not to grasp that characteristic. Because if I do, then when you don't look like this, I might think you don't. Now you're awake. You look awake. But I have to remember that even when you look asleep, you're still Buddha for me. You still remind me of the one practice samadhi of the self-fulfilling samadhi, you still teach me who I am. And who I am teaches me who I am.

[39:04]

I have to remember not to ask for a different teaching than the one you're giving me. Not to ask for a different teaching than the one I'm being given. This is the one. It's not a mistake. This is the Dharma. One more time.

[40:11]

When you sit in zazen, always concentrate on this understanding. Then you will make Suzuki Roshi a success. You'll make his life worthwhile. You'll make Dogen Zenji a success. You'll make Wang Bo a success. You'll make Dai Daoshin a success. You'll make Buddha a success. You'll make their life worthwhile. You'll make their suffering and their compassion worthwhile. They depend on you. It's a big responsibility, but Buddha is you, so it's possible. for you to accept and employ yourself.

[41:19]

Thank you very much.

[41:27]

@Transcribed_UNK
@Text_v005
@Score_93.86