At the beginning of Chapter 8 of the scripture which reveals the Buddha's thought, Maitreya asks, abiding in what, and depending on what, the Bodhisattvas in the great vehicle cultivate tranquility and insight, shamatan vipassana. The Buddha says, abiding in and depending upon an unwavering resolution to expound the doctrinal teachings and to become unsurpassably perfectly enlightened, the Bodhisattvas cultivate tranquility and insight. And I would add that

[01:08]

this resolution, this unwavering resolution, it also abides in and depends upon the practice of giving ethical discipline, patience, enthusiastic and diligent practice of all those previous ones and then you're ready to practice tranquility and insight. Diligence, patience, ethical discipline and giving. This unwavering resolution which supports the practice of tranquility

[02:10]

and insight is really about being kind and compassionate, learning how to practice those things. Even prior to formally starting to practice tranquility and insight, the Bodhisattvas are listening to and reading the teachings of the Buddha. And while listening to the Buddha, they are practicing generosity, as they listen they practice generosity, as they

[03:10]

read they practice generosity. They listen to the teaching with a generous mind. They practice precepts while they listen to the teachings, they are patient while they listen to the teachings and they are diligent in listening, patience, precepts and giving. The teachings, under those circumstances, they hear well the teachings, they apprehend them well, they repeat them well, they memorize them well, they analyze them well, and then if they can practice shamatha and vipassana, then through insight they fully realize the teachings. Then, remaining in seclusion, and having

[04:26]

genuinely settled their minds inwardly, they mentally attend to those doctrines just as they have contemplated them. That sentence is a shorthand for shamatha and vipassana. So, the Bodhisattvas are practicing giving, precepts, patience and diligence, now in seclusion they genuinely settle their minds inwardly. In other words, they practice shamatha. Genuinely settle their minds inwardly. Genuinely settle their minds into the light turned around, shining back, giving up involvement with objects and looking then at the capacity to create objects.

[05:37]

Having given up involvement, having given up being active around objects, inwardly their minds are clear and unobstructed, and they continuously attend to this mind which is actually quite clear, always was, but there's no distraction from it by being involved in the objects which it creates. No involvement with the objects which are generated together with this clear awareness. Again, we could talk about this turning around from involvement with objects, giving up being discursive with the objects, returning to the awareness of

[06:43]

the inner mind, but in short, they genuinely settle their minds inwardly. Having done that, then they mentally attend to those doctrines just as they have been contemplated. So the mind pivots, having settled and become tranquil, the mind pivots and now starts contemplating these doctrines, looking at these, looking, turning back towards the objects, now returning into vipassana. Then going back again, to talking about tranquility, the sutra says, with continuous mental attention, they attend to the mind which is mentally contemplated by any mind, and then the physical and mental pliancy and ease that arise through engaging

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in this attention to the uninterrupted mind. The mental and physical pliancy that arises through engaging in giving up discursive thought is called Samatha. Then abiding in that Samatha, abiding in that tranquility, and then giving up this continuous mental attention to giving up discursive thought. Now they analyze, they investigate, and inwardly consider the doctrines again. So the first time it just goes through briefly, inwardly settle, then look at the doctrines. Now a little expansion of the inner settling, and now an expansion

[08:55]

of turning around and looking at the doctrines. Giving up discursive thought, giving [...] up discursive thought, until the dawning of this tranquil state. At that time, either because of previous intention, or because of the teacher's instruction, or because of wondering if it's time to enter into insight work, the mind pivots around and starts looking at these teachings, looking at phenomena again. But now they're looking at them in a state of Samadhi. So they're looking at the teachings as they appear within tranquility. And they differentiate, they

[10:03]

thoroughly differentiate, they thoroughly investigate, they thoroughly analyze, and discriminate, and view, and investigate these objects, which again, they investigate them as they appear in the state of tranquility. This is how the Bodhisattvas are skilled in Vipassana. So again, it's in the Sutra, you can check it out. So, it introduces tranquility and insight, and very quickly, in two sentences it says, after they've listened to all these

[11:06]

teachings, then they inwardly settle, and then they study them. And then it talks a little bit more description of how they inwardly settle, and then it turns back to studying the teachings. So the first time they say they inwardly settle, and then they turn around and start studying the teachings. The second time it explains more about how they inwardly settle, and then say what arises from that inner settling, and say that's Samadhi. Then, after that's attained, they live in that Samadhi, and give up the Samadhi training, and the mind turns back to insight work. And that's, they describe, lots of analysis, investigation, investigation, thorough investigation, discrimination, and now, really using the discursive thought now. But for what? To study these teachings in the new context. To study what teachings?

[12:09]

To study the teachings you were listening to while you were practicing, giving, precepts, patience, and diligence, and perhaps hearing about Samatha. But when you're practicing Samatha you're not necessarily taking in much teachings, although they get in somehow, probably even then. And then I mentioned also that the technical language in the Sutra, the very things that are given up in the process of training and tranquility are the same mental factors that you use then to investigate the teachings. And then again, this is a nice thing, that Bodhisattva asked the Buddha, Are the path

[13:15]

of Samatha and the path of Vipassana the same or different? And the Buddha says, Maitreya, although they're not the same, they're also not different. Why are they not different? They're not different because both of them are looking at mind. One's looking at non-conceptual mind, one's looking at the ability to generate images and generate objects, and the other one's looking at the mental objects. So one's looking at mental objects, and one's looking at the mental object generating system. So they're both looking at mind, so in that way the paths are the same. But they're different in that one is giving up discursive thought when it studies mind, and the other is using discursive thought to study the mind. That's how they're different.

[14:16]

Now the next thing that comes is a question about this meditation process, but it also leads to a teaching. So now here comes a teaching. In the middle of discussion of the nature of Tranquility Insight, Maitreya says, Bhagavan, what is the image, the focus of this tranquil state, what is the image that's the focus of this tranquil state? What is the image in which the image is perceived? But in short, what is the image? Is it different from mind,

[16:00]

or is it not different? So in Vipassana you're looking now at the image, you're not looking at the mind which can generate images. You're tranquil, you're practicing Vipassana, you're looking at the images, you're analyzing the images, analyzing the objects of mind. So the Buddhist says, is that image which is being analyzed in this tranquil state of Samadhi, is that image the same as the mind contemplating it, or is it different? The Buddha says, Maitreya, it is not different. Why is it not different? Because the image is simply cognition only. What cognition is perceiving is just cognition. I have explained, Maitreya, that consciousness

[17:07]

is fully distinguished by the fact that its object of observation is cognition only. So in Chapter 5, 6 and 7, there are lots of teachings which you got exposed to during this retreat. Those teachings are sitting there waiting to be contemplated too. All those teachings will help you study this teaching which you just got. All those teachings back up this teaching. Those three chapters in particular, and the ones before too, all those teachings are setting up this one. This is the main teaching of the Sutra, in a way. All the things about the mind that you learned in our learning help understand how it could be that the object

[18:15]

is cognition only, that the image that you are aware of right now is cognition only. So all those teachings and this teaching will be subjects and objects. They will be objects to study, teachings to study. I have explained that consciousness is fully distinguished by the fact that it is the object of observation. I have explained that consciousness is fully distinguished by the fact that its object of observation is cognition only. Bhagavan, if that image, which is the focus of this triangular state, if that image, which is not different from mind, how does mind itself investigate mind itself? The Bhagavan said,

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Maitreya, although no phenomena apprehends any other phenomena, nevertheless, the mind that is generated in that way appears in that way. Although no phenomena is apprehended by any other phenomena, nevertheless, mind is generated in that way that it appears that a phenomena apprehends a phenomena. Mind is generated in the way that it appears that a phenomena apprehends a phenomena. That's the way mind is. That's the kind of minds we got. Minds that appear to be apprehending something other than themselves or that put up an appearance of a phenomena

[20:31]

apprehending a phenomena. Within this phenomena there is the appearance of a phenomena apprehending a phenomena. That's the way mind gets generated, such that all the objects of awareness are just mind. And Maitreya, for instance, based on a form, form itself is seen in a perfectly clear round mirror. But one thinks, I see an image. The form and the appearance of the image appear as different factualities. The form and the appearance of the image appear as different factualities. Likewise, the mind that is generated in that way and the focus of samadhi, known as the image, also appear as separate factualities. This is a teaching

[21:41]

which bodhisattvas hear well, listen to well, consider well, memorize well. Now that they've done that, they have a chance to realize through insight. Once again, all this is based on patience, generosity, precepts, enthusiasm, and tranquility. Bhagavan are the appearances of forms of sentient beings and so forth, which abide in the nature of images of mind. Not different from mind? The Bhagavan replied, Maitreya, they are not different. However, because childish beings with distorted understanding do not recognize these images as cognition

[22:43]

only, just as they are in reality, they misconstrue them. Someone might say, that's a little harsh. There's quite a bit of training not to misconstrue them, but anyway, then Maitreya says, Bhagavan, at what point do those bodhisattvas solely cultivate vipassana? In other words, they are not practicing giving up discursive thought. They're just going to practice vipassana now. So they're solely practicing vipassana. Oops, where's the answer? Oh, there it is.

[24:01]

The Bhagavan replied, when they attend to mental signs with continuous mental attention. Attend to mental signs, and that means also, as you heard earlier, investigating, thoroughly investigating, analyzing these signs. At what point do they solely cultivate samatha? The Bhagavan replied, when they attend to the uninterrupted mind with continuous mental attention, they cultivate samatha. Then Maitreya says, at what point, having combined the two, samatha and vipassana, do they unite them? So, you can practice them separately, but you're getting a sense of how to practice samatha just by itself, how to practice vipassana

[25:04]

just by itself. Now, how do you practice them together, and not just practice them together, but unite them? So, first of all, you practice them separately, then you practice them together, and then they become united. At what point, having combined the two, do they unite them? The Bhagavan said, when they mentally attend to the one-pointed mind. Then Maitreya goes into some more details, he says, what are the signs which are contemplated in vipassana? What are the signs, what are the mental signs, the nimitta? And the Buddha says, they are the conceptual images that are the focus of the samadhi, the objects of observation of vipassana. What is the uninterrupted mind? It is the mind that observes the image.

[26:06]

The mind that observes or generates the image is the uninterrupted mind, and the uninterrupted mind which observes the image is the object of the samatha. And you practice the samatha if you are looking at the uninterrupted mind, when you give up involvement in the objects which the uninterrupted mind is looking at. Then, what is the one-pointed mind? And the Buddha says, it is the realization that, quotes, this image which is the focus of samadhi is cognition only. Having realized that, it is mental attention to suchness. So the previous three chapters help you understand what that is. It's also, as we said, mental attention

[27:16]

to a thoroughly established character. It's also mental attention to the ultimate lack of one being, and so on. So now that you've heard this teaching, if you listen to it well, consider it well, study it well, then as you enter into tranquility... Oh, I just want to also mention, right after that it says, not right after that, but it says, you know, if you're practicing samatha, training, giving up discursive thought, but this prashrabdhi, this ease and impliancy hasn't arisen, is that samatha? And the Buddha

[28:18]

said, no, it's not samatha. It is, however, concentrated or intensified effort in the trust of the practice of samatha. So it's still appropriate, but it's the training in samatha when the state hasn't arisen. And then he says, if you're practicing this, listening to the teaching and investigating them and so on, and discussing them and analyzing them, but you're not yet in a state of tranquility, is that vipassana? And this sutra says, no, it's not vipassana unless you're in a state of tranquility. And one other thing which I mentioned before, I want to say one more time, is that based on the state of samatha, one can then deepen the samatha, and it talks about these deepening of samathas also in this chapter. One can deepen the samatha, but at the beginning, just at the beginning

[29:21]

of the first major step in deepening the samatha, what happens is that the discursive thought and application of thought drop away. They're so totally engaged in the concentration that they drop away. And in that situation, you cannot speak, you cannot talk with people about the Dharma anymore. You can't really like apply the teachings that you've heard from the Buddhas. So actually, this practice is, although you can practice samatha and then go into these deeper states of trance, you need to come back from them and enter just regular old samatha, pre-gyanic samatha, where you can hear the teachings and investigate them. Having heard, having studied the scripture up to this point and heard this new teaching,

[30:53]

which is kind of like the flower of all the root teachings which you heard before about cognition only, now if you enter into tranquility, it's possible then for some reason or other that once being tranquil, the training in tranquility would drop away and the mind would turn and look at something. One might look at this teaching which you just heard, or one might look at a flower, or hear someone clearing his voice. And then, in the awareness of that image of the voice being cleared or the flower, one would hear the teaching maybe, this object of observation in the state of tranquility is cognition only. One would hear

[31:59]

that teaching and apply it to this thing and attend to suchness. And one might continue to investigate this over and over, deeper and [...] deeper, with many different objects, in each case then removing the sign of these objects and transforming the meditator through the process which is described in our discussions of alaya. It seems, from what I've heard, that the first appearance of this teaching in this explicit form in the tradition of the last 2,500 years, the first appearance of it, of

[33:05]

this teaching of cognition only, is right here in Chapter 8 of this sutra. However, some people feel that you can see, in a less explicit way, this teaching taught in sutras which appeared before this sutra. For example, the Lotus Sutra appeared before this sutra, and there are places in the Lotus Sutra where Buddha seems to be basically given the same indication, but not in quite this way. And then, in sutras which appear before the Lotus Sutra, in sutras which arise around this same time, or at least the compilation of these sutras appear around the same time, like the great Avatamsaka Sutra, the Flower Adornment Scripture, in that sutra the Buddha says, the three worlds are just one mind.

[34:07]

Outside mind, there is, or there are, no separate things. Mind, Buddhas, and sentient beings, among these three, no distinction. Or, mind, sentient beings, and Buddhas, no distinction. There is no distinction, or without distinction. So I don't know, it may be difficult to ascertain, at what point that teaching appeared in the Avatamsaka Sutra, whether that was before or after this sutra, but still, although the teaching seems to be saying the same thing, in this sutra, this whole sutra is bearing down on that one point, where the Avatamsaka

[35:19]

Sutra has many other agendas. Of course, it's a much, much bigger sutra, too. And it also says in the Avatamsaka Sutra, instead of saying, our mind only, it says, our only one mind, the character one is in the Chinese anyway, our only one mind. The whole universe is just one mind. But this sutra is saying, and 30 verses are saying, and Mahayana Svamdraha is saying, the appearance of ideas as separate things, as separate dharmas and selves, those

[36:24]

appearances depend on the transformation of consciousness. This one mind, this one mind is not necessarily an appearing triple world. The triple world is not basically an appearance. Mind is not basically an appearance. Consciousness is not basically appearance. Consciousness is basically knowing. And this is what Mahayana Svamdraha says. The universe and knowing are two sides of the same thing. However, the appearance of

[37:29]

separate things and selves depend on this consciousness being transformed into a live alaya, the resultant, into klishtamanas, the defiled thinking function and the organ of mind, and thinking consciousness and sense consciousness. The resultant alaya, the reflective capacity of mind, and the concept of an external object. Those three transformations create the appearance, make the universe appear to be composed of separate things. Outside of this process, there are no separate things. That's not quite to say that there's nothing, just that there's no separate things. These ideas, these ideas

[38:38]

that the appearance of these ideas happens in the transformation of the universe, which is one mind. And the three worlds could be said to be, actually, not the same as the things. And these things can never appear outside of mind. Mind is necessary for things. The universe does not come as things. Being released into the actuality of the universe which is beyond things comes through understanding mind, through which things are generated.

[39:44]

Cultivating Samatha is continuous mental attention to one mind. Continuous mental attention, the price of admission to continuous mental attention to one mind is to give up discursive thought. Discursive thought is not concerned with one mind, it is concerned with all the little objects and getting them all lined up and talking about them. Those things are not different from one mind, but our involvement with them distracts us from one mind. So Samatha is continuous mental attention to just one mind, giving up discursive thought so that you can see, so that you can focus on it. Vipassana is the discursive analytic examination,

[40:52]

the thorough study of the three transformations of consciousness. Vipassana is studying and examining the things that appear in the transformation of the one mind. Now, what I've just said up until now, and the kitchen has just left, what I've said up until now was just sort of a review and a preparation for what I wanted to say. But since it took so long, I hope it sunk in, because if I do it again tomorrow, I'll be

[42:01]

in the same situation. The next step, which I thought was going to happen today, which I don't think today is the right day, was to start to do a little bit of investigation, a little bit of insight work on this teaching of mind and three worlds. So I think I'll do it tomorrow, so the kitchen can be here. I already got you started by these teachings. We've got the teaching, the teaching from

[43:04]

the Avatamsaka Sutra. Remember it? Remember it, Nancy? You don't remember it? Do you remember it, Deirdre? Everything is the one mind. Everything is the one mind. Close. Remember it, Simon? Avatamsaka Sutra? Remember it, Stephen? No. Remember it, Jane? Yeah, right. So who remembers it? Anybody who remembers can say it. Yes, Barbara? The whole thing. It's a four-line statement. Pardon? The triple world is just one mind. One. No. Two. Three.

[44:16]

Yeah, right, that's three. That's right. Mind, Buddha's ascension being, that's three. Four. Number four. What? Yeah, without distinction. That's the Avatamsaka Sutra. What? This is the quote? This is from the Avatamsaka Sutra. Triple world, three worlds, one mind only. Triple world, just, triple world, only one mind. Outside mind, there aren't any separate dharmas. Ascension beings, Buddhas, three worlds.

[45:22]

Without distinctions. There are no distinctions. The three worlds, actually, the character they use is realm. Also, it means rupadhatu, kamadhatu, rupadhatu and arupadhatu. It means the kamadhatu, kama is the word for sex, like in Kama Sutra. So it means the realm of desire. So there are six realms there. And then six worlds within the kamadhatu. And then there are the worlds of the fine material meditation states, there are four of those.

[46:29]

And then there are four formless absorptions. So that's the three worlds. And then the births that happen from them are actually included in the... The births that happen from those jhanic practice places are included in the heavens, which go as a sixth of the three worlds of the kamadhatu. But when you're actually practicing those states of concentration, you're not actually in the resultant births. Actually, I don't know if beings in the resultant heavens can practice the jhanas. I don't know if they can. I never heard of the gods practicing jhanas, even though they're born of practicing jhanas. So those three worlds are only one mind.

[47:32]

And within those three worlds, Buddhas can scoot around in those worlds, sentient beings can scoot around in those worlds, and the worlds they're scooting around in, all that stuff, there's no distinction among it all, that the sutras say. And then this sutra says, and this is one kind of unusual translation, which I really appreciate, but I haven't been able to figure out where they come, how they come to say this. It is instructed, see the other ones say, well I'll say the other ones, Maitreya, I have instructed, I have explained that consciousness is fully distinguished by the fact that the object of observation is cognition only. I say that the object of concentration, the objects of concentration

[48:41]

are only manifestations of consciousness. Good child, I have taught that the object of consciousness is nothing but a manifestation of conscious construction only. And this other translation is, it is instructed by supernatural power of the omniscient Buddhas and Bodhisattvas that consciousness is consciousness only, appearing as objects. And this supernatural power of omniscience of Bodhisattvas, see in the other translations they're saying, Buddha is saying, I taught this, the Buddha is saying, I'm teaching this. This translation is saying that it's by the supernatural power of the Buddhas that this teaching is appearing in the world.

[49:42]

Anyway, now you have it, there's the teaching. Now, when you're ready, you can contemplate it. And it's recommended to contemplate it in a state of tranquility. It's extremely profound, never ever would we ever be able to exhaust it, and yet you can start any time, you can start even before you're in tranquility, but in tranquility it will actually be insight work, before that it will be getting ready for insight work, which is also part of the course. And tomorrow I'll do a little bit of the investigation stuff with you.

[50:52]

So please get really concentrated today, and if you do it will last all the way through lecture tomorrow. Yeah, it might be beyond, you can just sit there and just let this stuff, and then once you get concentrated you can give up the discursive thought, and then you can turn your discursive thought back on and listen to me, and even talk to me. But if you don't get really calm you still probably can, you'll still be able to talk to me of course, but you may find that tomorrow's talk somewhat irritating. But we'll go into this teaching tomorrow. But if you have questions, Emmanuel, go ahead. I'm just wondering if the two English translations you have in the Chinese,

[51:54]

are they both translations of the same Chinese source? I think so. Did the three come from Tibetan and Chinese, because there is no other record? The Sanskrit original is, I think, almost entirely lost. I haven't even heard of any fragments. So, I guess the Tibetans and Chinese were pretty happy with their translations. And there's quite a few, I think, of each. So, it would be lovely to have the original, but I'm afraid we don't. Well, yeah, someday what we need is somebody who understands this, and then they can give a new sutra in English.

[52:56]

That would be a shame. That would really be cool. Yes? Could you describe a little more what the mind would be like if it's pliant? If it's pliant? Well, it's like you're very awake, and you're very relaxed, you're calm, and full of energy, and if somebody wants you, if some big effort is necessary, it's like, okay. It's like, yes, ma'am, I'm right here. In Japanese, I learned this expression, it's called, kashikomarimashita. If somebody asks you to do something,

[53:57]

and you say, kashikomarimashita, and almost every time I say that, Japanese people say, oh, that's a good word. They like that word. It means, I understand what you've said, and I will do as you say. Or, I understand what you've requested, and I'm happy to do so immediately. You know, if somebody asks you to do something, you can also say in Japanese, Hai! Please wash your dishes now. Hai! Please go to the zendo. Hai! Please clean the toilets. Hai! That's good, too. That is the spirit of this pliancy. But kashikomarimashita is a little bit more, you know, like, I'm right there with you, and I'm totally for this good activity. We don't say kashikomarimashita for unkind deeds. And you're flexible.

[54:59]

If you start to work, and they say, we're calling no more of this work, you know, like, what is it? You know that story of Marpa telling Milarepa to build these towers, and then as soon as he gets them done, to take them down and build another one. It's kind of like, okay, fine. That's what I'm here for. Whatever, you know, you're flexible. And if something good needs to be done, there's no kind of hindrance to it. No stickiness. Which is very similar to when you give up involvement with objects externally, then inwardly your mind is very unblocked. So then when someone brings up, you know, and you've been diligent in this practice, right? So then someone brings up some wholesome activity, and you have this diligence, and there's no blockage. Sometimes there can be diligence. You know, like you can really feel like, oh, that would really be good, but you're kind of like, a little bit of a blockage in you, because you're still involved in objects like,

[56:01]

I don't know about for this person, you know, but when you know involvement in objects, then inwardly the mind energy flows very clearly. So then the state that arises has this very clear, unhindered freedom to do all kinds of wholesome activities in a very flexible way. Not like, okay, you told me, you just assigned me to this, and you're called, no, no, none of that. And that's nice. Zen Center is sometimes known as a kind of place like that. You know, we send people to some work project, and then before they get done, they say, go to the Zen Do. You know, we're not finishing the work here. Yes, that's right. We're not finishing the work, and now we're going to the Zen Do. We are, we want to do the work, it's good work, but we mostly want to be flexible. So we're here to make flexible, buoyant, calm people

[57:06]

rather than people who do a lot of work, and you try to stop and watch out. We're not trying to make these people who are like, okay, you assigned me this job, and I'm going to do this job, and don't try to change it on me. So that's kind of a, I remember one of the early days at Tatsahara, we had one of my friends who was a very energetic worker, and he probably still is, and he said, this is interesting, if we're working, you know, like digging a ditch or something here at Tatsahara, and people are working slowly, what should we do? And he said, you should slow down. And somebody says, well, what about in the kitchen? We have these people coming in the kitchen, and they're cutting these vegetables really slowly. Was the Tenzo supposed to slow down? The word from the ancient master, yes, you should slow down, Mr. Tenzo. Once you slow down and join them,

[58:09]

then they can join you. It's like the story of the Zen teacher who was, I don't know if he was trying to sleep, or somebody else was trying to sleep, but let's say he was trying to sleep, and then either on top of the, it was maybe a covered bed or in the roof above the bed, a rat was going, so what he did was, he joined the breathing of the rat. And, you know, rats, along with this, and their breathing is quite fast, generally, they're related energetically to moles and shrews, very high metabolism little critters, and hummingbirds. So, in this case, he speeded up his breathing to join the rat's breathing. And then he started,

[59:16]

once he united with the rat's breathing, then he started to slow down, back to his normal breathing rate, and the rat slowed down with him, and the rat went, so then he and the rat could sleep. I don't know how good this was for the rat's evening plans, but anyway. And the other way can be, too, you can, like a Tai Chi teacher, you know, if a Tai Chi teacher can do these moves very fast, but they slow them way down to the student's rate, and they join the student's rate, and the student and the teacher move together, and then they move together, and then they gradually together, and the student and the teacher are moving very fast. But first of all, unite. And that's Prasad, you can do that. Even if you're not that skillful yet, you can join the teacher's movements, and gradually.

[60:18]

So, that flexibility and ease, this is easy. It's easy because you worked hard, you're very diligent about giving up discursive thought, which is really hard, as you know. But that hard, concerted, energetic, giving up of your usual patterns, again, sets the pattern for flexibility. I can change. I don't have to keep doing this same old chain of thought. I can just, like, find a way to say, okay, drop away, it's fine, I'm not going to push you away, I'm not going to get involved with you, I'm going to find a new way here. So, the Prasad is related to the way you're learning to relate to objects, namely not get involved with them, which is learning to be flexible, which is learning to be different from our habits,

[61:22]

but without fighting them, because if you fight them, you're going to fight them in your habitual way and make them stronger, which a lot of people do in practicing Samatha, is they use their object-involved attitude towards giving up involvement with objects. So it doesn't work, it just reinforces. But then we, you know, learn by trial and error. Is that enough for today? Oh, yes? Yes. Yes?

[62:26]

Yes. Is it perceived through the senses? The perception of it, even while the lie is still operating, the perception of it occurs in the coordinated activity of these three transformations of consciousness. But it's not that suchness is a color or a sound or a smell, but rather when you are looking at a sound with your mind consciousness together with your reflective consciousness and your alaya consciousness, that combination can see

[63:37]

the lack of inherent existence of the color. But it isn't that suchness is a color, but that when you look at the color you don't find any imputational character in it, you don't find any self in the color. You're looking at the lack of self in the color when you're looking at suchness of a color. So a moment of sense consciousness can be the ground upon which we have a realization of suchness. But suchness isn't perceived by the sense consciousness. Is that enough for today? May our attention equally extend

[64:38]

to every being and place, where the true narrative of love is laid, meaning of our numbers. I love to say them. Delusions are impossible. I love to enter them. The memories are countless. I love to enter them. We learn through the incidents we've had before. Why don't you become one?

[65:25]

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