This Koan class that I have, this particular series of Koan classes, started about ten years ago. We had Koan classes before that, but what I would usually do is offer, start at the beginning of the Book of Serenity, and then go for a while, and then people would drop out of the class, and I'd start over again at the beginning, and then they'd go for a while, and then they'd drop out, and I'd keep doing that, so it just kept going over and over to the beginning. And sometimes I would just do this with cases from different parts of the book that I was interested in. But about 1990, I made a commitment to go straight to the Book of Hope. So I went through, even though not everybody would come to the Book of Hope at the first time, I don't know if anybody can hear me now, I don't know if anybody can hear me, but I did, and the last class that we had there in the fall,

[01:09]

we were studying case 77, 761, and we spent all the practice period in a case, a short article in a case, a comprehensive case. I thought we'd just go on now to case 77. This morning, I had a meeting with some priests here,

[02:20]

and we were discussing, we were studying a scripture, this one here, and it's called the Swami Nirmala Janasutra, I think that's the Sanskrit name for it, I think it's an important line on the scripture, and one of the chapters is about, it's called the Analysis of Yoga, and in that chapter, everybody except for Maitreya has to do a very questionable lot of practice, to measure on clarity and insight. It is possible to study Buddha's teachings in a non-meditated way,

[03:23]

for example, one of the Buddhist teachings, or one of the teachings of the Buddhist tradition, is the life story of Shakyamuni, and that's the kind of teaching. Another part of the teaching, actually, is teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha's previous life, that's part of the teaching too. It's possible to to read or hear about the stories of the founder of Buddhism, and listen to them, and that's a kind of study, a kind of learning. But in the chapter I'm referring to, it's talking about a way of studying scriptures in the state of meditation, or while in meditation, to study scriptures. Most people, of course, need to have

[04:29]

teachings given to them, in order to practice meditation in the first place. In this chapter, you get teachings about meditation, but then it talks about how to meditate and study the teachings. The first time you hear teachings, you usually don't hear them in a meditative state. You might, but you often don't. Sometimes, just by accident, you might hear something in a meditative state. Those are those times when sometimes you hear something, and it penetrates in deeper. So it's possible to be involved in the usual discursive thinking, and hear the teaching, and receive it on that level, and have some insight. Just like right now, I'm in a meditative state. It's a common thing. You come out in the mind

[05:34]

of discursive thought, and you hear me talking, and maybe you understand me, or not. That's fine. That's also fine. If you're in a meditative state, these words are the sounds of the coming of Jesus. There are so much people in here. The idea is that the teachings that we study are examples, and that we're studying those teachings isn't complete until we study them in a meditative condition, in an actual communion with the body, in which you transform the body. So, for example, the teaching that I've terminated, you can hear it. The teaching that I've terminated is that all phenomena are impermanent. They all come into their rise and cease. And you can actually, in a non-meditative state, hear that, and understand that. And you can also hear that because things are impermanent,

[06:36]

any attachment will... any attachment to impermanent phenomena will be painful. So this is the teaching that I've terminated, that all phenomena are painful. It doesn't have to be painful to anybody, it doesn't have to be a passion to be useful. You can hear it, you can understand it, you can find it helpful, and be a different person after you hear it and understand it. But to hear it again and again, and reflect on it, and go deeper, and then deteriorate in a state of meditation, it goes even deeper, so that your actual physical habits of grasping impermanent phenomena just disappear. And... you can understand it with your whole body as a teacher. I've been studying it this morning, and part of

[07:38]

one section of this chapter, the analysis of yoga practices and meditation practices, there's a section where I'm talking about studying and teaching of integrated doctrines. And that means doctrines that are totalistic, and doctrines which are bearing on ultimate truth. They're on the way, I think. I think, basically, at this point. So, all the different types of teachings are presented, but they're presented as an integrated unit, as an integrated unit. And then, and then they're studied in a meditative state, so that it's used in a different way of studying it. But I thought I might mention it, because it might be of interest to me, that this class sometimes does not

[08:41]

actually have things on your mind, that's kind of integrated into a totalistic unit. And it's not that they actually have a state of deep meditation in the class. You can also think deep things. The other state comes as a prime field. So, if you're in a very nice state of prime field, if you're in a reflective state of prime field, you're in a great calm, you're in a stream of this state, you're in a stream of that state. But at this point, there's an open possibility that you can meditate in this state. Part of the way teachers are teaching are studying for a very state of meditation is something that they're doing in a way that makes you believe it, and that's the way it is. That we

[09:47]

we attend to the limitless and boundless quality of the teachings. In other words, we understand that everything that comes to you as a bond is the integrated teaching of this. If you see some cruelty in the world, well, this isn't saying that there's cruelty, it's just saying that when you see cruelty, you look at it, you try to understand how this is the integrated doctrine here of cruelty. If you see something horrible, try to understand that this horrible thing

[10:50]

is not something that's irrelevant to the study of the truth of the truth. If you know that there's no way to stop the study, then it's as if there's no point in discussing it unless you understand it. In the case of the continuous practice of study, how to appreciate it all in the realm of opportunity. Okay. Now, I don't know if the reason why most people got on this project before five years is because they lose sight of it, right? Like, you know, it's going on here, it's growing into their lives. Okay. I think that they think so, but it's something they say because they don't like the virus.

[11:51]

They understand it's going on. Something like that. Oh, by the way, anything that happens in this class, I think some of the people who've taken it many times know that some of the people in the class who don't understand what's going on think they're the only one who doesn't understand. So if you ever have that feeling, be assured that you have comrades who are being quiet. They think they're the only one who really don't want anybody to know that they're the one person in the room, the one retarded one. It isn't just that one retarded one. There are infinite retarded ones. And all the retarded ones together are the good ones. And the isolated retarded ones are suffering people.

[12:57]

Suffering people. But still, if something's happening in the class and you feel, you have this sense that the entire class is going forward into some mysterious realm that you've been left behind, it's okay to stop the class and ask us to somehow reinclude you in the mysterious process. I'm not saying you can't include yourself in the process, I'm just saying if you feel included in it, if you feel excluded in it, I don't care, I think you're included in it. Because you are included. If you feel excluded in it, then you're included. If you don't feel excluded, then you should quit the class. If you stay in the valley of Sacramento or San Francisco, you won't feel excluded. But if you come in the room and feel excluded, that's because you're here with us. And you're not following us on the internet.

[14:01]

But still, if you'd like to follow us on the internet, then you've got to be able to just stop and say, if you feel like you're lost in this process, then you're included. Also, if it's frightening in this process, I'm not going to help you explain the psychology of it. I'm not going to explain to you what's going on. But what these Zen masters are teaching is that you can typically get frightened because they think that they're going to be kicked out of the group because they're crazy. I'll help you get out of the group. Or somebody might not like you. People are going to be concerned if that's normally part of an event like this. Now, if you know before you come into the class that you've never called anybody, and you can sit there and not know,

[15:03]

and no one will ever know, then that's frightening. That's not the kind of class that you're in. If you call a lot of people, and ask people to get in the group, people will find out about you. And people finding out about you is part of it. It's part of it. If people finding out about you, or you finding out about you, then that's part of it. It's part of it. Find out about yourself. And in particular, to find out, for example, that I really remember that what's happening with you now, including Darwin, I remember that I'm not going to be able to do something for the next season because I don't think I'm going to be a good teacher. But so far, it's not so much that I don't think I'm a good teacher in this class, or a bad teacher in this class,

[16:04]

it's that everything that's ever happened in this class has been Buddhadharma. And everything that ever does happen in this class, or any class, any place, is Buddhadharma. Buddhadharma is what's happening in this class. It's not what sometimes happens and never gets nice. It's what's happening all the time. Our job as students of Buddhadharma is to be present so that we can see and appreciate and listen to and take the teachings. So it's there to encourage us to be encouraged to be present to the teachings that are coming every moment. Every moment. So, the reason I go on here is because I feel this way. Because I'm able to live the way I feel and I think that this is what we have to be able to do. And that's what I do. It's just because they're not relevant. They're not beautiful.

[17:06]

They're relevant to yours, given to you. Try to trust not me, or the Buddha community, or all the Dhamma teachers, or even yourself. Try to trust the truth. The truth. Don't just push around. All the time, listening. Listening to something more interesting. It could be happening like this. So that way it's better if I can acquire a better place to hold it. I like this new expression.

[18:11]

This new kind of pop term. Pop term. What do you call it? 24-7? Is that how it goes? Don't you call that a pop expression? What? Is it the beat of it? Yeah, I think it's in terms of practice. 24-7. So, in this kind of practice, whatever comes, 24-7, beat it to me. 24 hours, 7 days a week, 12 months a year, every year. Including now. I have copied here

[19:19]

24-7, but I think those who don't have it have an advantage. But if you want to give up your advantage, you can have these exercises. But during the class, you see, you have an advantage over these. I don't know if that's what you call this if you're half-broke. I think I'm going to start looking at it. You have an advantage over these. If you wish to be free from this freedom and enter the bondage of having a text, you can have one at the class. But I think I'd rather have you not be looking at your book during this class. And, you know, I'd rather that you make sounds like that. But, you know, I wouldn't want you to suppress it. So, go right ahead and make those sounds. Oh, this again. Anyway,

[20:19]

so this is case 77 and it's called, nickname is Yangshan's Enough. It's more like Yangshan's Enough. Yangshan's Enough. Or, Yangshan's I'm doing alright. Or, Yangshan's I'm content with my situation. Or, Yangshan's Enough. Okay. So, the introduction says, like the man writing on space, or the woman writing on space. Chinese people write on space. Chinese people Chinese people often, when they talk to each other sometimes, they say a word, but Chinese have lots and lots

[21:21]

of homonyms, so sometimes they write the character in space so the person will feel rich with the character they're writing. And I think they write it the usual way the person reads it, you know, backwards, but if the person is more physical, you know, like this one. So, like this character. You know, this guy, guy. So, they sometimes they say the guy, such and such, and this, and that, and that. And often, they write it because they're talking to each other, because they're talking to each other. The way they write it, you can feel the way they read it. Chinese characters because of the strokes, you can actually, you can also feel the order. You know, if you write the character, you can see the order. It's hard, it's hard to look at the character, the way they write it. Does that make sense?

[22:27]

So, this is like a person writing in space. As soon as the pen as soon as he sets his pen, he's wrong. How can it bear creating a pattern? What is the use of making likeness? A likeness. I have already revealed a loose end. If there's a rule, go by the rule. If there's no rule, how about the pen? In this situation, it's not a rule. That's what he does with the pen. Here's the example. A monk comes up to Yangshan. Yangshan is a Zen teacher and he has lots of stories in his book about Yangshan. Yangshan is like adoring mountains

[23:29]

or revering mountains. Yang means to revere or adore. Yangshan is mountain. So this Zen master approached by this monk and says Do you know some characters? Chinese says Do you know some characters? And Yangshan says I'm not. I can hold my own. I'm okay with it. I'm okay. Do you see characters? Do you see? [...] Okay, so then the monk walks around him and talks to him. Which is a typical thing in Buddhist tradition to do when you meet a teacher. Circumambulate the teacher and talk to him. Talk to him three times.

[24:31]

If you look at his picture, people come to see him and they walk around him and they walk around him three times and they meet up and ask him questions. This monk comes up to him and says Do you know some characters? And he says I'm not. And he walks around him clockwise and says What character is this? And Yangshan right on the ground says I'm not. And he walks around him and asks him Do you know some characters? And he says Do you know And the monk walks around him

[25:33]

and starts laughing and starts talking And he walks around him I'm going to have to do it again. I'm going to have to watch for the time being. I'm going to have to do it again. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

[26:35]

Yeah. Mhm. Mhm. Yep. I would just say that one. Okay. So, clearly, Yeah.

[29:04]

Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Yes. Are you? Yeah. Yeah. So. Yeah. [...]

[30:25]

Yeah. [...]

[31:33]

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Finally, the way of the Self is, I receive and I govern. So you express yourself. I receive and I govern. This has one of the longer commentaries in the book. So if you ever want to look at the book, find it in the commentary. Some of you, again, do not have a book to look at, so all you've got is Buddha Dharma.

[32:37]

You get it now. All you've got is you've heard this story. So now it's your turn to express yourself. Please come closer. What do you think? What do you think? Who learned this? Yeah. Did you learn it? Did we ever do anything we haven't learned? Hmm? Well, if you hear a bell ring, did you learn to hear the bell? Hmm? No, you didn't learn? Please stand up. Please stand up.

[33:38]

Anyway, I just ask you to consider whether what you've recently learned, have you learned what you did? Like, when a child walks, does it learn to walk? You sometimes say that they learn to walk. How do you do it? Did you learn to stand up just now? Did you learn to smile? Hmm? I think we sometimes say that children don't learn to smile very well. Like, they just smile. Do they smile before them? Do they smile at them? No. But, I'm not trying to push you too strong. You're asking me, did you learn? I guess I would say, you know, try to understand how you learned, did you understand? I'm trying to say how you learned and how I learned. But, if you grew up in a culture that has Chinese characters in it,

[34:46]

if you didn't know Chinese characters, have you learned the Chinese characters? Who are we talking about? The one who made the gesture. The one who made the gesture? The one who made it? Is he communicating his learning? I think whenever you do anything, you're communicating your learning. But, that doesn't mean that what you're communicating is only your learning. We could have different definitions of learning, but whatever definition of learning you use, it always is based on our fact that you use whatever learning you have. It may be that what you're showing, what you're conveying, what you're showing us, is you're learning and also you're showing something that you have not realized before. Many of the stories that have been shown are people who have learned whatever and are not holding on to it.

[35:51]

And that's how they can behave the way they do. I think part of what's been suggested in the Zen tradition is a way of behaving that would not be possible if you held on to what you learned. Part of what we're talking about here is a condition, behavior, activity, which involves people who have learned something and who have not hung on to it at all. And it's sometimes also a story of somebody who has learned something and has hung on to it and in the Zen future he has something. He's teasing you. There are a number of stories of very highly educated people who hold on to what they know and in the Zen future just keep probing them and help them let go. Because what they've learned is something which you shouldn't reject or cling to.

[37:02]

If you do either, then the pain is total. So he may have learned to do that thing. Or he may have learned some other things and let go of what he had learned and because he let go of what he had learned, he could do what he did. You can think about whether you can think amongst those things and tend to learn. Now some people would say, well, Yangshan is the great Zen master, so we can assume that Yangshan, whatever Yangshan has learned, Yangshan becomes the owner. But I think, don't cling to that. But be open to that. That a Zen teacher perhaps could become free of her knowledge, free of what she has learned. And there's actually a story about Yangshan that a teacher taught Yangshan 97 of these circles.

[38:04]

97 of the symbolical circle teachings. And I think he gave him a text which had these 97 symbols in it. And made some commentary about what they meant. And then he burned it. And then the teacher came back later and said, well, by the end of the 97 symbols, he said, well, I burned it. I think the teacher told him that he should have kept it hidden. He said, by the way, I gave you those 97 circle symbols. He said they should be deeply hidden. And Yangshan said, I already burned them. And then he said, well, remember what they are. And then he tried to recreate the text. And then he burned it again. So, in the stories of Yangshan, the fact that he did, he did have these teachings of the 96 or 97 circles, has been lost, fortunately for you.

[39:06]

But we can make new symbols. We can make new symbols. We can learn new things. If you don't think about it. Yeah. Yes. [...] We spit it, and it's a trail, a burning trail that gets to the cross over there.

[40:17]

So it symbolizes that we transmigrate between heaven and hell, and it symbolizes some sorrow. Particularly this one, it's clockwise. Counterclockwise, one symbolizes emancipation. One and the other. That's another possible interpretation. Yeah, that part of it is embodied in how you write in space, how you take pictures. So of course it's sometimes ridiculous to take pictures of this, so we do. Because we're not afraid to be ridiculous. Sorry. Is it possible?

[41:23]

Yeah. Yeah. Right. And the clock... I don't know. I don't know. The clockwise prospector means the way the world goes. The clock. This is the clockwise one. This symbolizes the way we transmigrate in the world. The other way. The other way means to go the opposite direction from the world. So, because we're twinging, we go through birth and death. That's the usual way. It's real hard for me to do this, you know. You have trouble reading... I have a real hard time reading this. Uh-huh. Because it's... You haven't... It's like a vial of fuel all the time on the clock.

[42:26]

Right. So it has different meanings to it. So you have a hard time seeing things on the clock? Uh, if I do tap instead of I can see it, yes. It's nice. Do you have a hard time with any of this? No. I can do that. Then do you have a hard time? Uh... Sometimes I do. I mean, if I felt it wrong... Not sometimes. Check it out now. Are you relating to it now? No, right now I'm relating to it. It's just one thing. I don't know what it means. Well, then you're going to have a hard time. If you try to relate to it... If you have a hard time, you're going to have pain and suffering. If you try to relate to it in some way. I'm not really trying to relate to it. That's the real problem. I thought you said you were having a hard time relating to it. I'm trying not to relate to it. That's also what you're talking about.

[43:28]

You're trying not to relate to it. Maybe I'm not relating to it. No, you are, but you're trying not to. And so that's going to be a problem. I'm trying to relate to it. So if you try to relate to this story or try not to relate to this story, either way, you're in trouble. If you try to relate to this poem, you're not relating to this poem. You're in trouble. It's in. If you're completely okay with being in trouble, you're not in trouble. Um...

[44:44]

Part of what the Nebuchadnezzarian myth of saving the world tells us tells us a story. It's a story that will help you devote your life to all good, for all good and all being. It will encourage you, persuade you, give you something, all being. But it's not just the story that will bring it. Um... If you devote yourself to it, help you devote yourself to it, it's the stories together that will help you devote yourself to it. And so another story you've heard of, I don't know if you know it now, but I'm thinking that you should know this story. Does anybody know this story? Do you know this story?

[45:44]

Hm? Anybody not know this story? Okay, so you don't know this story, you can stand up. I think you don't know this story. Is your name Christopher? Can you stand up, please? So since you don't know this story, Christopher, can you tell us what you know about this story? Do you know any of that story? Nothing. Do you know any of that story? No. What? A couple of months ago. A couple of months ago. Do you know anything of this story? No. One month after the other one. Uh-huh. That way? That way. Yeah. Do you remember that part, Christopher? No. Do you remember Christopher's story? That's right. Walked around clockwise. Yeah. Great. So, we've got the first part going. One month walked around the other month, clockwise.

[46:47]

And then, the one who walked around says to the other, do you remember this? A couple of months ago. A couple of months ago. A couple of months ago. Okay. Got that, Christopher? All right. And you know what he said? And he said, do you know a character? Do you know any of that? Do you know any of that, Marjorie? But it's not close enough. Anybody else want to tell Marjorie what story it was about? You want to tell her this? No, I just thought that he actually could be a character. No, he actually could be a character. And then he said, do you know a character? Yeah. And then he walked around, and then he said, what character is this? What character is this? And then he wrote that. Okay? All right.

[47:49]

You want to guess what he did next? No guess? I didn't say no. I said yes. He walked away. That's close. What did he do? All right. He walked around the counterclockwise. Want to guess what he said after he walked around the counterclockwise? That's close too. What did he say, Marjorie? What character is this? And then what did he do? And then what did the monkey do? No. No? No. He didn't like the gesture he could do. Gesture he could do. What did he say?

[49:04]

What did the monkey do? What character is this? What character is this? And then what did the monkey do? And then what did the monkey do? Yeah.

[50:17]

Yeah. [...]

[51:48]

Yeah. Well, Christopher struggles sometimes to remember his story. That's the truth? Yeah. Well, I would suggest you memorize it. Try to memorize it so that you can tell us when it's possible. So that you can get over this, so you can have something to get over. Something to let go of. It's hard for me to help you let go of your pain if you can breathe. All you can bring your pain is your heart. That's true. It's easier for you to get started with it. Come on.

[53:25]

Just breathe. Just breathe. Come on. Come on. Come on. Okay. Yeah.

[55:22]

Yeah. [...]

[56:32]

All right. Can we take a photograph? Yeah. All right. [...]

[57:36]

All right. [...]

[58:53]

All right. [...]

[60:04]

All right. [...]

[61:13]

All right. [...]

[62:25]

All right. [...]

[63:55]

All right. [...]

[65:18]

All right. All right. All right. Trying to get control I think they had a first idea of these dancing women in these formations And then they... If we clear the space we can... Make a living Right here Up above the June pterodactyl

[66:30]

Look at that He would run and then fall on the ground Big fat guy Falling around He also would take that... Can you talk? Can you talk? I still can't hear The Japanese people started off... With the June pterodactyl The Japanese was on a drill And they had to... He couldn't support either He had to kick himself And he would stick there Looking for the fleas And the honeymoon was started with the June pterodactyl

[67:36]

The Japanese were trying to take over from the June pterodactyl And the Japanese were trying to stop the June pterodactyl And the honeymoon was a... A circus It was called a Circus of the June pterodactyl It took place in one room One simple room And this room was... It was exactly like a TV And it was like a TV box And... It was exactly like a TV box It was really... Kind of like a special room And the colors were like... It wasn't exactly like a room The colors were like... June Red And the Japanese were sticking their eyes in Checking the room The room The room They wanted the room The colors of the room The colors of the walls The colors of the chairs The colors of the chairs The colors of the... The brick buildings on top And everything was just a... And this was...

[68:38]

It was a bed A bed A very big bed And this was a laptop And this... The Japanese were trying to take down the June pterodactyl He had a friend who was the same age as him, and we never went up to him, but he had always been around to help us. And there were various occasions where Ralph had some ideas for us. He wanted to investigate Ralph's ideas. I figured he knew what Ralph was doing. He could figure it out. He could investigate Ralph's ideas. He could figure it out. But he wanted to investigate Ralph's ideas. But he wanted to figure it out.

[69:41]

It was big. And so, then, there would be this thing where Ed would play the sign from darkness, and take the pen, and add it to the end. And Ralph would be communicating with you. But he wanted you to sign it. But he didn't want you to scream at him while he was signing it. Because then he might interrupt the signing process. In fact, when he did scream, that did interrupt the signing process. And then Ed would then sort of fall on the table and drop the pen. And then they'd have to start over. And Ralph would get all jammed with the nervousness.

[70:50]

And he'd have to scream at him. So now he's got to go through the relaxation process. That's apropos of it. That's apropos of it. The application of communication is what it tends to be about. It's what it takes for you to be able to sign. If you make a connection with what you're really feeling, you can walk forward. And part of what the story is about is you have to feel it. You have to use it to do it. You have to feel it. You have to take it in. You have to feel it. You have to feel it. You have to feel it. You didn't want to do it.

[71:51]

But you have to feel it. You have to feel it. You have to feel it in order to do it. You have to do it. You need to work on it. You have to work on it. It doesn't work. I didn't want to do it. You didn't want to start it, did you? No. Because you have to work at it. But I'm still scared of it.

[73:20]

I'm afraid of it. But really, I'm scared of it. I'm scared of it. I'm scared of it. I'm not scared. I'm not scared of it. I'm [...] scared of it. The top part of the face is the polypacteum. This polypacteum is in part the neck bone.

[74:21]

Polypacteum is not the neck bone. It is the polypacteum. Polypacteum. Polypacteum is the region where the polypacteum is located. Here is the polypacteum. I'd like to start by saying we want to look down upon the world. We want to look down upon the world. We want to look down upon the world.

[75:30]

We want to look down upon the world. [...]

[76:57]

We want to look down upon the world. [...]

[78:31]

We want to look down upon the world. [...]

[79:40]

We want to look down upon the world. We want to look down upon the world. We want to look down upon the world.

[81:05]

We want to look down upon the world. We want to look down upon the world. We want to look down upon the world.

[82:26]

We want to look down upon the world. We want to look down upon the world. We want to look down upon the world.

[83:34]

We want to look down upon the world. [...]

[85:05]

We want to look down upon the world. We want to look down upon the world. We want to look down upon the world.

[86:33]

We want to look down upon the world. We want to look down upon the world. We want to look down upon the world.

[87:22]

@Text_v004
@Score_JC