As it says in this little article on the ceremony of Zazen, the upright sitting of Buddha survives every reduction. It cannot be reduced or trapped into mindfulness or mindlessness of breath or posture. In fact, it cannot be captured by any activity of human body and mind. Upright sitting doesn't start when we start making effort and doesn't stop when we stop. However, our sitting upright is like a hammer striking emptiness. It's inconceivable beauty.

[01:10]

Its wondrous sound extends endlessly before and after we sincerely sit. When practicing in this way, there is complete mindfulness and we may very well notice that we are breathing. It's not that our ordinary, everyday, busy consciousness isn't going on. It's just that the practice doesn't abide in and cannot be confined by our awareness or by the things we are aware of at a given moment. The practice does not abide in what we hear and is not defined by what we hear.

[02:41]

The practice is just that the herd is just the herd. When we hear without dwelling in what is heard, we are training in suchness. The practice is realized on everything without being confined or defined by anything. Bodhidharma's teacher, Prajnatara, taught another aspect or another way of training in suchness. He was invited to a vegetarian feast by an Indian rod.

[04:01]

And usually, when monks come for lunch, they chant scriptures in the home of their guest and then get fed. Prajñātāra, however, did not chant scriptures or the king. So the Raj said, Master, why? How come you don't chant scriptures? Prajnatara said, this poor wafer when breathing in does not dwell in the realms of body-mind, when breathing out does not get entangled in various objects of experience.

[05:31]

I always recite such a scripture. One hundred, one thousand, one million scrolls. One hundred, one thousand, one million inhalations and exhalations. Breathing in I don't dwell in the sound of the skill saw. Breathing out, I don't get entangled in the sound of the hammers or the blue jigs. I always recite such a scripture. For me, in the sound of the skill saw, there is just the shrill sound of a skill saw.

[07:01]

In the thud of the hammer, there is just the thud of the hammer. The breath of sitting upright is to be thoroughly intimate with and liberated through all realms of experience. Intimate with means not entangled by, not dwelling in. Close, so close, but not stuck.

[08:10]

Not wishing for the experience to be different. This is the breathing of Buddha. Still, one may need to familiarize oneself with and become proficient in forms of concentration on breath and posture in order to develop enough confidence to selflessly practice the formless breathing of this poor wayfarer. Right now, as Baijian said,

[09:34]

Just detach. Right now, just detach. From all sounds. From all sights. From all tastes. From all touches. From all smells.

[10:55]

from all thoughts, existent and non-existent. And when you manage to detach from all these things, Then detach from the detachment. Having detached from all things, existent and non-existent, and detached from detachment, passing beyond these three phases, you will naturally be no different from Buddha.

[12:27]

Pa, pa, pa. The teaching of suchness. Now you have it. Keeping it well is the practice of suchness. Receiving ta-ta-ta. detached, open, flexible in the wind of suchness.

[15:31]

Your practice will be just like a wind bell. Your whole body and mind are like a mouth hanging in emptiness. Without picking or choosing what direction the wind blows from.

[16:52]

With no preference, your body and mind sings transcendent wisdom for the sake of all beings. Tit, tit, tit, tit, tit. With every sound, your whole body vibrates.

[18:35]

Not dwelling in the realms of body or mind. Not getting entangled in the myriad circumstances. You realize Buddha's wisdom.

[20:33]

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