This morning in the dark I said that the entire universe in ten directions is the true body of the self. An ancient teacher said that although the entire universe is the true body of the self, we must not be hindered by the true body.

[01:06]

if we are hindered by the true body, then we cannot turn freely. There's nowhere we can go. No matter what we do, But really there should be some way to be free of hindrance. How can we be free of hindrance? If you cannot say how to be free of hindrance, then you lose the life of the true body and sink into the ocean of suffering.

[02:33]

That's what an ancient teacher said. So if you are asked, what is the way that we can be free, that one can be free of hindrance, what will you say? How can you answer? so as to keep the true body alive. If you're asked,

[03:59]

How can we be free of hindrance? You could say the entire universe is the true body of the self. now we have the good fortune of spending a week with the entire universe coming to us every moment as our body and mind as a body and mind that can sense spring

[05:08]

in a green valley. The whole universe comes to each of us every moment. Right now, is this the true body of the self? Are you unhindered by the present experience? Are we willing to be how we are right now without making any deals?

[06:36]

Is this freedom from hindrance? And is this freeing living beings from hindrance? Is this freedom?

[08:47]

Or is freedom some other thing from this? Are you free the first morning of this retreat or are you going to wait till the seventh Maybe you've heard the saying that Buddha or Buddhas appear or manifest a body and awaken living beings.

[10:59]

Buddha manifests a body and awakens living beings. I like to understand this as meaning that the awakening of living beings is itself the manifestation of the body of Buddha. Sometimes living beings think that there's a Buddha body that manifests and then that body wakes up living beings. My vision is, when beings are awakened, that's the body of Buddha. Are living beings awakening now?

[12:46]

This is the manifestation of the Buddha's body, of a Buddha body. We got the living beings. Are they awakening? This is all there is to Buddha's body is the awakening of living beings. That's it. The awakening of living beings can be no other place than where there are living beings.

[14:14]

So nobody here has to move at all. from her life, from her living, from his living body. That's the place of awakening. It must be there. And that awakening completely manifests the Buddha way. Today and forever you don't have to move a particle of dust of your life. All that matters is awakening. And this awakening is the awakening of all

[15:24]

living beings at the same time. This is the Buddha manifesting a body. What is the practice of this Buddha body, of this body of Buddha?

[17:05]

What is the practice of a Buddha? What is the practice of the awakening of living beings? What is the practice of caring for the body of Buddha? What is the practice of caring for the awakening of living beings? It is this practice which is being carried out right now with all living beings.

[18:55]

It is this practice that is being carried out right now with all living beings. This is the practice of awakening living beings. And this is a practice that each of us has to take care of. That we take care of this practice that we are doing with everybody, with all living beings. And that includes the mountains, the valleys, and all inanimate things.

[19:59]

It has to include all of this for it to be the practice of awakening living beings. It has to be simply universal, including every being, every moment, every manifestation of every living creature, every moment. Well, this moment. The old teacher said, that it's not like this is the way it is and you can just sit back and let it be like that.

[21:20]

You have to be able to say it's like that. You have to do your part. Otherwise this body, this body of Buddha, this true body of the self will lose its life The true body of the self needs you to practice this way today. Its life depends on your life. The awakening of all beings depends on your life. It cannot happen without your life. And without you taking care of the awakening of all beings this morning. and this evening. We don't have an alternative to this responsibility.

[22:26]

And Buddha is about us waking up. And Buddha is about us taking care of all beings waking up. As far as Buddha is concerned, this is all you have to do. Maybe somebody else, maybe somebody thinks they're not Buddha and wants you to do something else with your day. This is all that Buddha requires of living beings, that they wake up and that they take care of the practice of Buddha, which is the awakening of living beings.

[23:31]

That's the entire body of Buddha, and that's the entire true body of the Self, and that's the entire universe. Was that simple?

[25:05]

Or was that not simple? So I talked. I don't know if that was a Dharma talk or what, but I talked. And I did say Dharma. and Buddha. I think I'd like to now mention Sangha.

[26:08]

Does Sangha have anything to say? Lorraine said, could you say something about the awakening of beings, what that means? What does the awakening of beings mean? It means the manifestation of Buddha's body. You like that? Come here. Stay there. Now do you understand?

[27:12]

You don't have to respect a duck. And then you said, you have to be able to say, you have to be able to say something. You have to say how beings can be free of hindrance. You have to be able to say how living beings can wake up. You have to be able to talk about that. You have to be able to talk like that. And without... I don't know if I said raise, without moving a speck of dust. In other words, you need to know how to use words to show the way to be free of hindrance. Without... moving something to make hindrance go away. You need to learn how to use words without them getting in the way.

[28:38]

You need to learn how to use words to open the way. Buddhas can use words without moving anything around, use words just to wake people up to what's happening now. And when beings hear words and understand what's happening now, Buddhas have just spoken. That's the speech of the Buddha, is when people hear and understand that there's freedom in the hearing. In the not understanding, then the true body loses its life.

[29:45]

Pardon? There's no Buddha. I don't agree. The Buddha has not spoken when beings do not understand. This is not skillful means day. Why not? This is Buddha Day. This is Buddha Day. You don't need any skillful means today. Today is just wake up with no excuse. And if there's waking up, there's understanding, there's Buddha.

[31:07]

If there's not waking up, Buddha loses her life. There's not a living Buddha with sentient beings sitting around asleep. That's not a living Buddha. That's a Buddha that's lost her life. You want to save Buddha's life? Wake up. Don't ask for any special treats, some special skills and means as an excuse to wake up. You help Buddha. What is it? Ask not what Buddha can do for you. You help Buddha. You wake up now. And not just you wake up, You realize the awakening of all living beings right now. Otherwise Buddha's life is hanging in the balance. You need to help Buddha. Buddha's helping you right now.

[32:16]

Why don't you help back? Please. Be kind to Buddha. Buddha's kind to you. Why not make Buddha a success today? Don't keep her waiting any longer. Give it to her. The awakening of all beings. Okay, Klaus? Thank you. Well, if we stop now, it's before the kitchen even leaves.

[33:19]

Wouldn't that be something? Huh? If we stop now, it's before pushing anybody to the limit of their endurance. That's okay sometimes. You can sit quietly with the awakening of all beings. You can sit quietly now. You can walk quietly with the manifestation of the body of Buddha. with the manifesting of the body of Buddha. Wonderful work. We, you and I, are the people who have to maintain the life of Buddha. It's not somebody else that's going to do it in some other part of the world.

[34:25]

We can't depend on that. It's our responsibility.

[34:30]

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