We are assembled now around this place called no abode, a place devoted to practicing the bodhisattva mind and heart, which doesn't abide in anything. and by not abiding in anything, may be of service to all beings without hindrance. From ancient times, we have been encouraged by various teachings.

[01:05]

One teaching is, and this is a radical teaching, when we find our place, where we are, practice occurs. actualizing the fundamental point. When we find our place in this moment, practice occurs, realizing the fundamental point. the fundamental point of the Buddhist teaching, the true Dharma.

[02:10]

When we find our place, where we are, the practice occurs, actualizing the fundamental point. Another way to say it is when we find this place, Inevitably, this action of finding this place actualizes the universe.

[03:30]

When we find this place in this moment, This action is realized as the entire universe. This action of finding our place, finding this place, where we are actualizes, this action actualizes the entire universe. And again, finding this place in this moment is actualized as the entire universe.

[04:39]

This action actualizes the entire universe, and this action is actualized as the entire universe. This is a description of the mind of the Bodhisattva, which abides in nothing and responds appropriately to everything. One of the people in this assembly just a few days ago brought this teaching up with me. When we find our place where we are, when we find our place in this moment,

[05:43]

And the person brought it up with great joy of what a simple and radical practice it is. What's the practice? To find your place where you are. To find this place. The activity of finding this place. The activity of finding this place where we are. This practice realizes the universe and finding this place in this moment is actualized as and by the whole universe. This is the mind of no abode. And the person brought that up and was, I felt, deeply encouraged and touched by the teaching.

[06:54]

And then the person said, yeah, but. But. But what? But. Isn't there something more? Isn't there something more than finding our our place where we are. Isn't there something more to helping people than finding our place in this moment? And one could go on with lots of questions about this practice. And those questions are welcomed. They are welcomed by the whole universe.

[07:59]

And these questions welcome the whole universe in the mind of no abode. Yeah, but is karmic consciousness. We have to take care of karmic consciousness, which has some obstacles, some challenges, some lack of faith in the practice, which was just offered. Every moment, things come up in our mind and body. Can we trust that whatever comes up, the practice is to find our place in this arising, in this place we are, to find our place in this moment of karmic consciousness?

[09:23]

But there's this subtle flicker, which is when we forget the practice, we forget to practice the practice by finding our place in our doubts, to finding our place in our resistance. Resistance to what? Finding our place where we are. Karmic consciousness produces things which look like they do not want to cooperate with the practice of finding this place where we are. Karmic consciousness seems to not allow actualizing the whole universe, which seems not to allow being actualized by the whole universe.

[10:39]

It seems to disagree with that possible practice of the Buddhas. The place, the way is here and now. Of course, what about the practice? The practice is to take care of this place, this way. And we have karmic consciousness. which is a hard boat to ride in, a hard place to sit and stand and walk.

[11:45]

And remember, there is a practice. What's the practice? to find this place where we are now, to find this place in this moment. This is a radical practice, and it's available every moment. matter where we are, it is the practice of the mind of no abode. It is the practice that this temple is devoted to, and it is challenged by every moment of karmic consciousness.

[12:51]

I vow to continue to be devoted to finding this place. There is a Bodhisattva vow which vows to continue, moment by moment, finding this place where we are. and finding this place in this moment. And finding this place in this moment of speaking to the assembly, of speaking in the assembly. Find this place here at Noah Abode, speaking to the great assembly.

[14:04]

to find this place in the great assembly of no abode, listening to these words, where we are. Perhaps from finding this place, or not finding this place, and in not finding this place, find this place in not finding this place, perhaps the assembly has something to offer to the assembly. You are invited to make offerings to this teaching and to this assembly. And this assembly is also this teaching.

[15:07]

And this assembly is actualizing this teaching. This assembly is actualizing finding this place. Our first offering is from Jeremy. Rev, can you hear me? Yeah. Good. I wonder if in finding the finding of this moment might give rise to laughter. I've always thought that I'm laughing. I'm laughing.

[16:09]

Good. It says unmute myself. Okay. Yeah. I've always thought Zen was very much like a joke. And I remember you. It is a joke. Yes, you're right. It is. And, but it's not just a joke. It's get it's getting the joke. Yeah, I was going to say that I remember when... Universe is a joke. Yeah. Zen is getting the joke. Right. I remember on an occasion somebody had asked you what makes a good story and you have quickly answered a good punchline. And It's come to mind particularly because I struggle with Zoom and I've been listening to a number of archived talks of both yourself and of Suzuki Roshi. And the amount of laughter is, we miss it.

[17:12]

I miss it anyway. You just got it there. You just got it. Did you hear yourself? Did you hear yourself laugh? Yeah. Yeah. And yeah, it's. And this is speculatively, but it's inevitably funny because it's a clash between this karmic existence. And that existence that is free from karmic, the karmic I think, perhaps. So that to sit in that moment with a sense of having found one's place, it's funny. Yeah.

[18:17]

And there it is again. Thank you. You're welcome. Our next offering is from Yuki. Morning. What I'm wondering is in this finding of place, What happens to the affliction of self and all the other afflictions? Do they come along or are they transformed in this place-finding? If there's afflictions where you are... Yes. If there are, then it's being proposed to find your place in the afflictions. And find your place in this moment of afflictions. finding your place in the afflictions, that action of finding your place in the afflictions realizes the whole universe, and finding your place in this moment of afflictions is realized by the whole universe, as the whole universe.

[19:45]

And this Mutual realization is freedom from affliction. Is the vital path of emancipation. And nothing has moved any afflictions around at all. And finding your place where you are, you don't move at all. You're already there in the afflictions. And this concept of self is also there at that point. If where you are there's a concept of self, then find your place where you are with the concept of self, which just happens to be there. If it goes away, find your place with the departed self. That's the practice. That's the radical practice which inevitably actualizes the entire universe.

[20:51]

And that's the practice which is actualized by the entire universe. This mutual actualization between our situation and all beings is the Buddha mind, which is not trying to get rid of anything or hold on to anything. or abide in anything. There's a feeling of excitement that comes when you talk about it. And that, so that's where you are. Find your place in that excitement. That's the practice. Thank you. You're welcome. Our next offering is from Gail. Good morning.

[21:56]

Good morning, Gail. Good morning, Great Assembly. And also, good evening to the Great Assembly. Oh, yes. That too. Well, in those rare in the rare moments when I find my place, when I think I let go and, and have brief moment of being right where I am. The sensation is sort of like being home. It's sort of, well, it's very peaceful, and it feels like the whole universe kind of just comes forward and holds me in place. And, and I assume and believe that the universe is always there holding me in place, but I can't always see it or align with it. But You've often said that, that, you know, there's a lot of irony and contradiction in Buddhism and, and it seems like, you know, in life.

[22:59]

So could one say that a bodhisattva realizes there is no abode as long, well, what am I trying to say? That, that one can perceive an abode as long as one doesn't cling to it. That it's. It's not something you can reside in, in a permanent way, but there is an abode. Could one say that? There is an abode. It's available for you not to abide in. And that's part of the irony. Moment by moment, abodes are offered for us not to abide in. And the way we don't abide into them, is just to find our place in the abode. That's it. And realize by that action, the entire universe.

[24:02]

So there's no way to abide, even though we've got an abode. Right. That makes sense to me. What happens for me is my yes, but is Yes, but I was there once, I want to go back. So that's another abode. I want to go back is another abode, perfectly good abode. Another abode is I don't want to go back. These are karmic consciousnesses which we have the opportunity to not abide in by finding them. just as they are. That makes sense. It's quite a practice. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you. Our next offering is from Frederick.

[25:07]

Good morning, Reb. Hello, Frederick. Greetings, everyone. So I clearly get that the world presents itself in every moment where the universe does without my needing to be active. It's a gift what shows up that makes this thing that is known as Frederick possible. I've reflected that I've done nothing to have this moment arise. It's all given. It's a gift. So I've been watching starlings and pigeons outside and they all also have their Buddha nature that arises in that very moment for that entity to have its singular experience is something that we label.

[26:14]

Isn't that correct? That the dog has Buddha nature because it is the effect of everything arising in that very moment for it to be called a dog. Is that correct? That's half the story. So what's the other half of that story? I think you said the dog's there because of everything coming together to make the dog, is that what you said? Out of the universal causes and conditions and karmic dislike for each other. That's half of it. And then the other half is that that's not true because that's... No, no, the other half is the dog makes the whole universe. The whole universe makes the dog and the dog also makes the whole universe. The dog is actualized as the whole universe and the whole universe is actualized by the dog. So one of the confusing points to me, I think really the only confusing point is this use of the word universe.

[27:19]

Now I understand the causes and conditions that create this entity known as I, in my mind I, without me having any ages around that happening. It just is a gift from something unnameable. Now, you name it a universe and that brings into the effects of life. You could do that. You could change the teaching to when you find your place right where you are. Right. The practice occurs actualizing the unnameable. Right. so wherever every one of us is is this gift from the universe that gives us all of the sense and a gift to the universe because everything in the universe is created out of itself out of the no not out of itself out of other things right

[28:28]

and other things are created out of itself. It's not created out of itself. It's created out of the dharma. The way the dharma works is how it's created. The interdependence with home. Yeah, yeah. Got it. Take care of it, please. Our next offering is from Pam. Good morning, Rob, and the great assembly. So I have a lot of things in my head right now in no particular order. So I'm not quite sure how consciousness. Yeah. Yeah. So I so I have a sense of when you find your place where you are practice occurs.

[29:34]

I have a sense that that means in part being present, being present, fully present in context, in context with everything. Your place. What's that? Your place. Yeah, your place, that my place has a context. This place. This place. And, and practice occurs actualizing the fundamental point. What is the fundamental point practice that the fundamental point is the fundamental point. I guess it's realizing this, this context this being present in it, that that's the point. pretty wild.

[30:36]

But not only is that actualizing the point, like, it's, I guess, because I'm not separate from the rest of the universe. Those are just, you know, designations for one thing. That is why it's not just actualizing in me, but the whole universe is actualized. That's a fuzzier place in my mind. And fuzzy place. That's the point here. The fuzzy place is where you are. And if you find your place in that fuzzy place, that's the practice. And that practice has this amazing function. But find your place in the fuzzy place. And if it gets clear, fine. Find your place in the clear place, where you are.

[31:36]

And if there's a preference for the clear place over the fuzzy place, that's where you are. Find your place in your preference of clear over fuzzy, et cetera. Find your place where you are. Then the practice is alive, and it has this great function. But we can stop. before we tell how great the practice is and just say, if you find your place where you are, the practice occurs, the practice is alive. This is the action, finding your place in whatever is your place, finding your place in whatever is your time. And then we can stop before saying how magnificent that will be for the universe and for all beings. I didn't, I added that little bit at the end about how great the practice is. And that's part of the part that that's part of my fuzzy. Yeah, that and so mentioning, mentioning how great the practice is, can give rise to a place that's really confused.

[32:46]

And I so it reminded me of something we just read last night in this, the question to sub booty, when you're talking about because conceit, that even the most enlightened people often have conceit about their enlightenment. And similarly talking about becoming intimate with the conceit or with the pride and thereby becoming free of it. And you said a similar interesting thing. You said, if you can drop them, the conceit and pride, you can open to the ultimate and you can open to the one taste of all things. which will then purify all phenomenon of self-clinging. And it isn't just you that will be purified, everything will be purified. This is that. Is that what it says? Yes. Great! And I'm not just actualizing, the whole universe is actualizing.

[33:48]

That's why we mentioned the second part of the statement. It isn't just that you get purified, to do the practice when you accept your fuzziness, when you really find your place. The whole universe participates in this practice. That's the part where I'm like, how? What are you talking, what do you mean? Well, how is another place for you to find your place? It's another place you are. How? Don't let how distract you from being in this place of how. But how does sometimes throw us off from the practice, which is to find our place in how. So everybody's can give us a different abode, you know, like one abode is how, or I prefer this, or I'm fuzzy, or I'm confused. These are the places we are, afflictions and so on, self. When we find our place in these examples of where we are, everybody's included in that practice.

[34:52]

And yeah, this is the great practice of the Bodhisattva. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you. Our next offer is from Haley. Good morning to the Great Assembly and to the evening Great Assembly. And I'm so grateful for you, Venerable Reb Anderson, for being with us in this lifetime with your teachings. I'm grateful to be with you. I feel really content. And I have a question for you. The opening invocation, I don't know what you people call it. It's actually a vow.

[35:54]

It's a vow that I keep taking when I'm with you. It says that... To drop all worldly life into... Or whatever, however it's said. I don't mean to misquote it, but I just don't know it by heart. To be free of worldly affairs. To be free of worldly affairs and to... You know, live this life. There's nothing more. I mean, when was this writ? Okay, I'm not asking this. Let me just be worldly affairs is where we are to drop worldly affairs and to pursue this and there's nothing more than I would want to do. However, there's something. called paying the rent and living in this lifetime. I mean, when was this written? It was centuries old, probably. And in my heart, there's nothing more than I would want to do than bless all beings, if I could, in this lifetime.

[37:01]

And I do it in the way I can, what little way I can. And I guess that whole idea how do I support myself while I'm doing this? And, and the question, how do I support myself? That is a being? How do I support myself is a being? And you want to bless you want to bless that being? Sure. Yeah. I want to bless that being to what's the being? How do I support myself? So sometimes the place we are is called how do I support myself? And this teaching is, when you find your place in, for example, how do I support myself? There's the practice. When you find your place in how do I support myself? There's the practice. And that practice liberates us from worldly affairs.

[38:02]

Without getting rid of How do I support myself? It blesses, how do I support myself? How do I support myself can keep coming up again and again. And when you do this practice, it keeps getting blessed again and again. It gets blessed and liberated. That's to be free of worldly affairs, is to find your place in them. Okay. Find your place in okay. Okay. Thank you for your beingness and being with us. Thank you for blessing my beingness. Your next offering is from Enrique.

[39:05]

Good day, Red. Good day, Great Assembly. I apologize to all for my barking dogs. Well, that's where we are. We're going to try to find our place in the midst of the barking dogs. Thank you. How about you? Well, I'm still kind of lost, I'm afraid. Okay, well, Do you want to find your place where you are in being lost? That, do I want to? Do I have a choice? I don't know if you have a choice. I didn't ask you if you had a choice. I'm just asking you, have you heard the teaching of finding your place where you are? I heard it today and I wondered where it came from. Well, you could say it came from Dogen Zenji, if you want to. Finding your place where you are.

[40:17]

If you're lost today, then the instruction, the teaching possibility is finding your, this place, finding this place of being lost. That's a practice. It's not talking about getting rid of feeling lost. Talking about finding your place where you are when you're feeling lost. When you do find your place in being lost when you're lost, that's the practice, the practice is alive. If your mind, if you look to the right or the left or up or down, if you don't take care of this place, you miss the practice. The practice of finding your place in feeling lost. If you're feeling lost. Is that why you call the place you're at now know about?

[41:25]

Yeah, that's why. So you don't abide, you don't abide in feeling lost. You find this place in being lost. And in that place, you do not abide. Because in that place, you actualize the whole universe. and you're actualized by the whole universe. But if you don't find your place in feeling lost, you miss the practice because the practice is to find your place in being lost. And if being lost goes away and you have being found, then you find your place in being found. And if you have a preference for being found over being lost, then you find your place in that preference. which is an affliction, and you find your place in that affliction. And that action of finding your place is the practice.

[42:27]

And it has this great function, which includes everybody. It feels like being lost is like being homeless in a way. Same with homeless. If you're homeless, if you've got a homeless bodhisattva, They find this place where they are in homelessness. That's where they practice. And if they have a home, it's the same. They don't abide in their home. They don't abide in homelessness. Thank you. You're welcome. Our next offering is from Marjorie. Thanks to read, and also to the Great Assembly, regardless of the hour.

[43:34]

Thank you. Can you hear me. My place in the line is such that I've had a chance for things to get more complicated with my karmic consciousness in my remarks, but maybe also a little simpler. I think I can frame it in the last month, approximately four weeks since we last met as Noah Boad. Shortly after that, one of the small groups that I study in more intimately with chances to talk more often and listen and be responded to more often. Overtly, I mean in the mouth open, etc. Although I'm very much responded to in large group as well. We were asked to think about and comment on, at a certain point, what does bowing mean to you, to me?

[44:38]

And I thought immediately of two things. One, the passages on bowing in Suzuki Roshi's Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, which were so helpful. And I also thought of one of my first really conscious experiences of, I wouldn't have put it this way at the time, but I would now with your help, of bowing, being the Dharmagate to being able to feel, experience, a union of practice, intent, Buddha nature, complete sincerity, and my karmic consciousness somehow together and not having to worry about it.

[45:44]

And that was after a number of years of having ambivalent feelings about you in the 70s. Around the corner, you came from the dining room in San Francisco Zen Center one day and I was walking towards the altar in the hall toward the kitchen. And at that point, you bowed in such a complete way, nothing personal, we knew each other quite well, but not closely. Your bow was so complete, that I really got your complete commitment to bowing to all Buddha nature in every single bow. And that began my progress towards gratefully being ordained by you. And as I have been thinking about bowing in the last month, I have felt that for me, each time I bow, fortunately somehow, I can feel a sense of

[46:58]

a combination of recognizing, respecting, and having faith in Buddha nature in all beings, to the point where in that moment, in that place that I bow, I am free of doubt. And so it is a Dharma gate that is effective immediately, no matter what. And Suzuki Roshi, of course, in those passages says, We have to be, our nature, we have to be ready to bow at any moment, every moment. In our last moment, our nature requires us to. And I have felt that regardless of what's around me in the world, that my nature somehow wants me to affirm, to assert, to insist in an existential way that Buddha nature is in all beings, whether I see it or not. And so that helped to develop intimacy in a healthy relationship between bowing to Buddha, to somehow the kindness to my, whatever my karmic existence, nature, consciousness is at any one point, to find it in that bow at that moment.

[48:20]

And then over maybe weeks, months, years, decades, somehow participate in, okay, I'll sort of joke and say the whole works because that's what we have faith in and that's of course relevant to you particularly, is for me just maybe even more immediately helpful than sitting down to Zazen, although of course that's helpful. And then I want to say just one thing, which I don't assert is necessarily related, but I want to have a chance to say thank you or thank all the causes and conditions in the universe that resulted in, and all the Buddhist intent, that resulted in your walking slowly up the path at Green Gulch on the morning of April 29th and meeting

[49:23]

someone who was expected to come by car and walk down that path but who had changed her plans and only somehow in that moment there was a chance because she was shy or whatever had not made specific arrangements to meet you as she was going to cast her mother's ashes in the ocean. Somehow there was a meeting between you and that person so important to me for a wonderful talk for five minutes and then off down the road to Muir Beach for which I am so grateful to whatever causes and conditions made that happen. It was a miracle. Thank you. And any comments you feel like making, thank you. My comment is thank you. The next offering is from Jim.

[50:33]

Jim. OK. OK. Hello. Hello. Gee, it's been 20 or 30 years since we've talked. Is that all? You're older. You probably wouldn't remember. But mostly, I just wanted to express my appreciation for the way you just got right to the fundamental point at the beginning of your talk. For me, it was like a home run. And it made all the karmic consciousness and the complex ideas that go with that easier to take. Because I feel like you got right to the point and that was very helpful for me. So I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for the good news. See you in 30 years. Dream on.

[51:42]

The next offering is from Mary. Hi, Rab, and great assembly. I'm coming to you from finding my place at the farmer's market on Maui this morning, which is where I come every Saturday morning. And I rarely get to be on the talks because I think, well, I can't meet you from the farmer's market, but I found out today I can carry you around at the farmer's market. So I found my place with you today at the farmer's market. Wonderful. And I just wanted to say hello. And I also wanted to say that I find in finding my place that it's often very vertigo inducing, maybe a little nauseating.

[53:00]

That's what I find when I am really trying to locate myself and my place. And it's hard not to swarm when I feel that way. And I just wanted to make that offering. It's not the place where you are is sometimes difficult to be present with because it's swirling. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah, you, you, you and this practice really helped help me stay. Stay with that. Thank you. Our next offering is from Angela.

[54:13]

Hello, Reb. Hello, Great Assembly. Finding the place. It seems there's tremendous energy. And I relate to what Mary just said. Nauseating sometimes. Tremendous energy and very tender is a present experience that I wish to stay with and not forget throughout my daily practice, daily life.

[55:28]

So I wanted to offer that. Thank you. Thank you. Tuesday night, you shared a story from the treasury of true Dharma eyes. Life is like writing in a boat. You raise the sails and row the oars and the boat. gives you a ride. And then there's more to it, but that's just sort of where I am with it now, finding my place. Can you say it a little bit more? Please. No one can ride without a boat.

[56:33]

and your riding in the boat makes the boat a boat. So in the effort of finding my place, I have a question. So is brazing the sails and rowing the oars, is that finding the place, finding one's place? Is that practice? I would say raising the sails and working the oar, that's an example of where you are. Okay. You could be there. You could also be driving your car. But if you're on a boat and you're raising the sails, that's where you are. So the practice is to find your place when you're raising the sail.

[57:37]

Don't take a break from finding your place when your place changes. Whatever the place is, whatever the way is, find your place there. Be mindful of finding your place where you are. And it can be, your place is infinitely varied. And so we're learning how not to let the constant change of the place kind of derail us from realizing where we are. So a story which comes to mind, may I tell it? Please. So there was a Buddhist monk in China. I think his name was Zui Gan. And in the morning he woke up and after he got up he said, master.

[58:44]

And then he answered the call, yes, master, yes. And then next was, are you awake? And he said, yes. And then he said, all day long, don't let anything fool you. And he said, I won't. Or anyway, I vow not to. So, Angela. Yes. Are you awake? Yes. And don't let anything that happens during the day distract you from that. I won't. Thank you. Thank you. The next offering is from Tracy. When you find your place where you are, who is the you?

[59:56]

You can say who is the you, but the you could be where you are. That could be where you are. But you don't have to have a you there. Another way to say it is, when one finds this place, you don't have to add the you in. But if you've got a you, then that's an aspect of where you are. It's not where you are that finds the place. The you doesn't find the place. So you could also say, when this place is found. So one translation is, when you find your place, or when we find our place. But another one is, when one finds one's place, or when this place is found, where we are. But it isn't the we that finds it.

[61:02]

It's the practice. The practice finds it. The finding of it is the practice. Thank you. Thank you. With all this, this no self and that the arising of all these things. That's where that's where that's where we find this place is in all these things, right things, the things aren't aren't the practice the practice is finding our place in whatever's happening. Great. Which blesses whatever's happening. Our next offering is from Basha. Hello, Reb. Hello, Assembly. I missed last Tuesday. I thought we were done. So I just didn't show up because I thought the course was over.

[62:05]

But I was really happy to find out that it wasn't. And I listened to the video. And it was very interesting. And I had a whole bunch of ideas that came up, but also you kind of threw, stuck a stick in an anthill for me in the previous class when you said, or even the one before, when you said, when you were talking about karma, And you said, and the number one response is not by God. So in Buddhism, we don't say that God creates the world. In Buddhism, we create the world. All of us, we create the world. I thought that was a little bit reductive. It didn't sit right with me for two reasons. One is that God is really undefinable.

[63:06]

Everybody's struggling to define that, that thing, that so-called God. Of course, some people think they have the definitions, but many people don't. And also in Buddhism, we create, who are we? So you were talking about karma, which there are no karmas running around, it's a concept. And we were talking about consciousness, and unconscious, and I happily listened to it, but then I thought me being psychotherapist training, but really what is consciousness? So I had a whole bunch of questions coming up. Lots of ants. Yeah, big scatter. I was wondering, like, why did you make that statement?

[64:11]

Because I don't know why I made it. But some people do say, I don't know about God. But anyway, some people do say, God creates the world. And I'm just saying in Buddhism, we don't say we don't say that God creates the world. We don't say what God is. We just don't mention that God creates the world. We don't say that. We say dependent create dependent co arising creates the world. And we are part of the dependent co-arising. Without us, there's no world. Right. I wasn't trying to talk about what God was. I'm just saying that some people say that whatever they mean by God, that that God creates the world. But in Buddhism, we don't have that. We have a teaching of dependent co-arising. Right. We are part of that. Right. Because for me, the fact that God is undefinable is great. It's the mystery. And in Buddhism, I think there is room for the same kind of mystery.

[65:13]

We really cannot explain everything to them. Our mystery is dependent co-arising. Right. You just said it. Exactly. Totally mysterious, inconceivable, and beautiful. But it's inconceivably beautiful and beautifully inconceivable. That's our story, is dependent co-arising. Right. Which we can't abide in. Yeah. For me, I just wanted to share that the last winter was very tough for me because politically the world is really going upside down. Canada seems to be going into a state of fascism or something, it's scary. So it was tough to deal with this. And actually, I was recognizing that it is really pushing me towards non-abiding in anything whatsoever, because our legacy media are not reporting reality anymore.

[66:26]

I don't know what they are reporting, but that's not reality. So it was just fascinating to see how hard it is to non-abide. Even the things that we have taken for granted and had relied upon had failed. So, it's like... The things that we were abiding in. Yeah, yeah. So, at times I felt like I was walking on a surface that is one molecule thick. and it would crush any moment. As you can see, I gained some weight because I was struggling with it in different unskillful ways, trying to create some abiding in my fridge. So yeah, thank you.

[67:27]

Our next offering is from Linda. Put a moment for my ear pod to fall out of my ear. Just a second. You started out today. simple, clear, just like I said, Oh, I understand that. Then I thought, I'm not going to say yeah, but I mean, trying to practice, trying to do the practice that you stated so clearly at the beginning. I'm not finishing my sentence so well.

[68:55]

Well, anyhow, could go anywhere with this. But... You can go anywhere. There's many, many, many where's. Yeah. I'll just go where I did for the last 40 minutes or whatever since that first teaching and then ultimately raising a hand. I'm trying to do the practice and then the practice, which looked like it could be crystal clear at the beginning, became less crystal clear, and then I heard your voice saying, be with that, be with that. That is the practice. And I found this pattern, which I've often found, of just focusing on trying to be right and get the right answer and say it to you and in front of the assembly in the right way.

[69:58]

And then say, that's where you are. Just be with that. And I was so busy trying to be with that. It was really hard to listen to anybody else. So, so what? Yeah. Another image I had was, I'm sitting in this room. The room is messy. If I keep trying to clean it up, I'll never get it cleaned up. Anyway, Reb, Here's a person who always wants to be right and get a good answer and say it in a way that you will think I really got it and everybody else will too.

[71:02]

And also I have a sense of humor, you know, all that. Just keep trying or just keep whatevering. Just remember that to find your place in the messy room the practice occurs. To find your place in wanting to say something perfectly, to find your place in that wish, the practice is alive. And that practice has this incredible function of realizing and being realized by the whole universe. But it's hard to remember that the practice is to find this place in the messy room, in the messy consciousness. It's hard to remember because the room keeps going, clean it up, clean it up.

[72:02]

It's hard to find this place and clean it up, clean it up. Or I never want to clean ever again, whatever. Those karmic consciousnesses are challenging us to remember the practice is to find our place in this, where I am. Okay. And, yeah, it's hard, but this is a possibility for a Bodhisattva. Okay. Yeah, okay. Let's be Bodhisattvas together. Yeah, let's be Bodhisattvas together. All right. Our next offering is from Catherine. Good morning, Reb. Good morning, good evening, and good day.

[73:03]

Great assembly in this construct of time. I want to thank you for the privilege of being listened to and the privilege of being seen. And I feel very trembling right now. In listening to you, Today, Rabbi, I also heard dualism in what you were saying. And I've always thought of dualistic thinking in a negative way. But for me, it became something else today from listening to you speak that perhaps it's the both and, and being with it all at once, and then that space in between. And I've been thinking of the beautiful horrific in the world that I feel so acutely right now. I was thinking of the birds in India and Pakistan because of the lack of moisture and water that are literally falling dead out of the sky.

[74:11]

And I'm thinking of the birds on the balcony here celebrating and drinking water and being so vibrantly alive. And I how to be with life and death at the same moment comes to my mind, and so I would appreciate any offering. Did you appreciate the offering you made? Oh, I can. Okay. You appreciated the offering. Thank you. You're welcome. The next offering is from Samir.

[75:15]

Hello, Red. Hello, everyone. I have to check something, because for me, it seems it's crystal clear that the place is everywhere, everywhere, no matter what I fall in no matter the circumstances, it's constantly the place and it's constantly the practice. So when you say that at the beginning of your Dharma talk, it felt for me so evident

[76:31]

Okay, but now what I'm trying to see, because I have my filters, of course, if I'm missing something or escaping from something, I'm trying to practice wholeheartedly in every circumstances, on the pillow with my granddaughter, with everything and everyone constantly, reminding the teaching that I so gently receive and we receive from you. But at a certain point, I feel Is it really so clear in you?

[77:38]

Is it really so evident? Because it feels very clear and very evident. This clarity, it's inside and it's here, but in some way I need to check with the teacher Because I love the teacher, I love the practice, I love the teaching, and I receive your feedback as a gift. Really. Thank you. Here we are.

[79:06]

May we find this place where we are together now. This place is very present and is here now in this in this moment, and you know that, and you know that I know that, and we know that, and it's witnessed by many people from many parts of the world. Our next offering is from Yuzon.

[80:12]

Hello, Rob. Hello, Yuzon. Um, I have a lot to say. I just typed out about seven pages. So I could say about six words. Um, thank you for this. Thank you for being here. Everyone. Um, uh, I just like to check in, um, and, uh, on the idea of the gift and the giver. Um, say that again. The gift and the giver? Oh, the gift, the giver, and the receiver. Receiver, yes. Those three. Yes. Hearing people speak today really organized my mind. And I recall some things that happened to me that I'd like to share. In 2011, during Dōkasan with you, I had two things happen.

[81:41]

And I was asked to, I was going to leave the dokasan, or leave the retreat. And I was going to be moving away from Green College. And I asked, what should I do? And he said, well, just try sitting five or 10 minutes a day and see what happens. And that stuck with me. Thank goodness. That was a gift. Another gift, so I've moved around quite a bit and I don't know how it stayed with me. Another gift off the wall, you gave me a picture and said, take this with you of the Dalai Lama. And so I've uncovered it. It's been with my valuables that I recovered, I didn't know there would be back to me. And I have that as a gift.

[82:44]

So thank you. I have a lot more to say about that and we'll talk later. All right. Are we complete, Amanda? There don't appear to be any hands raised at this time. Pardon? I'm not seeing any hands raised at this time. All right. Well, my great gratitude to the universe that we could meet here at Noah Abode today and all over the world. It's amazing. May our intention equally extend to every being.

[83:40]

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