Well, this is Mia, who just arrived. So those of you who weren't here the first week, just a quick review, whenever that was, two weeks ago, we've been talking about the origins of the nuns' order, how the nuns' order was established. And this book is a good book to read more about that if you want to. We do have a reserve shelf that's over there. I don't know if people have looked at the reserve shelf or not. And tonight, this is what I had in mind. Some of you have been given assignments of a nun, one of the acharyas, to give a little report on and say their poem, because the enlightenment poems of these women

[01:04]

were orally transmitted, and it's part of the Pali Canon. So we have some of those poems, and then little biographies along with those, which come from a body of work called Apadana, Apadana, which were written much later and are kind of spiritual, legendary biographies. The poems came first and the biographies came second. So those of you, did you get, you did get an assignment? Who does not have an assignment? Did not get one, Nancy? Okay. Everybody else has a nun to report on? I'm just a guest. You're just a guest. Okay. So you get to listen. And then I had a surprise, and I really hope we can do this tonight, which is the Apadana, the full Apadana story of Gautami Mahapajapati, the Buddha's foster mother and aunt, is a very interesting one in a kind of

[02:16]

a drama form. And so I worked out different parts, actually Matt helped me work out different parts to do this drama of Gautami's story, which is a longer poem, and I don't know how long it will take to do, maybe even a half an hour, but I thought we could do that. Doesn't that sound like fun? Okay, so we have those, and we have the reports. And then before we begin, I just wanted to give you a little bit of information about androcentrism, which this is kind of a background fundamental concept that I wanted to make sure we all understood. Is this somebody else? Hi. I'm looking for Stuart and Travis. You're looking for Stuart? Are you a new guest student? Yeah. Does anyone know where Stuart might be? Probably at home. Probably at home? If you walk that way, I'll meet you at the door. Okay. Thank you, Amy.

[03:24]

So, are some of you familiar with the term androcentrism? Androcentrism, androcentric? Well, andro is like male, and centrism means in the center. And it is said about Buddhism, Buddhist, that it's androcentric, meaning it has, it's a male-centered, not teaching, but a male-centered institutions, actually, rather than misogynist, which is hating the female. Misogynist is to hate the female, but androcentric is to make, have the male in the center. And so, it's a, androcentrism is a mode of thinking that thinks of the male as the norm, as the kind of human norm. And the female is kind of an exception to the norm. It's a kind of collapsing of the norm into maleness, rather than

[04:36]

maleness and femaleness being two, you know, two genders in a multifaceted humanness. The male is seen as the norm. So, just some ways this is played out, for example, is in medical research, where for years and years and years, there would just be male subjects in these various tests, and then that would be the standard dosage, and so forth, and then it would be universally applied. But female biology and all the differences were not taken into account. This, I think we're familiar with this. So, this is a kind of androcentric view, where male is norm, and you just, so you only have to test one. So, and patriarchy is like the institutionalism, institutionalized androcentrism. It's the patriarchy. So, I wanted to just say that in the scholarship, Buddhism has a four-part

[05:45]

androcentrism. The first part is that the androcentric consciousness set values in choosing what would be written down, what would be remembered, what teachers were important, and so forth. So, this conceptual view of the world, certain actions are taken. So, which documents to keep, and so forth. So, often it said, well, and then it said later, well, there's women didn't write anything, or there were no women teachers, rather than those things were not thought of as important, those things were not saved, those things were not passed down. So, that's the first part of this. The second is, even when women's stories were preserved, they were tended to be ignored, and in later centuries, because of androcentrism. So, for example, the Therigatha, the verses of the women nun, you often hear more about, you know, what the Buddha refusing to let women join

[06:54]

the order, you know, this is rather than the teachings of the Buddhist women who were joining the order. So, this is a kind of, even when those stories were remembered, they were played down or not brought into the forefront. And then the third part of this quadruple androcentrism in Buddhist scholarship is that Western scholarship is also androcentric. So, when the Western scholars began to look, they chose what they thought was important too, and the women's side was often not valued as much. And there is often, or I don't know about often, but you can find instances where Western scholarship ridiculed women and so forth. And then the last part of this is that contemporary Buddhism itself is androcentric as well in contemporary times. So, you put this all together and there's, and this is changing, I feel this is definitely changing,

[08:00]

but this is a kind of an unbalanced kind of a situation. So, modern, in terms of how the nuns order was begun and these stories that we have about it, and Amy brought that up about, you know, why the Buddha would do this, and I think this is why the Buddha would impose the eight special rules and so forth. But modern scholarship basically, just so we're all kind of on the same page about this, has found that there's few Buddhist texts that can be definitely dated in the present form that we have them to before the 4th or 5th century CE, common era. And the Buddha was living in 500 BCE, right? So, that's about a thousand years, a thousand years time between what

[09:00]

we have now of these sutras and so forth, Pali texts, they cannot be dated for sure in the present form that we have them from before, earlier than 4th or 5th century CE. There were things written down in the first century, there was oral transmission and there were some things written down. For example, these poems in about the 1st century BCE, so maybe 300, 400 years after the Buddha lived, 200, 300 years. But I think what we have to be aware of is that when they finally were written down, it was probably by monks at that time. And there was probably revisions and interpretations and refinements in different ways. So what we have now maybe says more about how the

[10:03]

monks saw or placed the nuns order relative to the monks order. This may be more of what we have than the actual words of the Buddha. So, just so that's kind of out there. So we can, I think we can definitely talk about these things because they were set down. We do have them in writing now, but when they actually originated, what was the Buddha's actual words about this? It's hard to know. Okay. So just to include that. So with that in mind, we do have these poems and who would

[11:08]

like to. So these are poems from Terry's or elders, and these are our hearts. I just wanted you to, our hearts from the Mahayana point of view are, are always seen as, you know, and they're always contrasted with the Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva is the ideal in Mahayana Buddhism. And the Arhat is seen as a little more narrow and rigid, but we should understand that our hearts were enlightened beings. The Buddha was called the Arhat, the fully enlightened one. Arhats are those who have cooled, you know, put, settled the passions and have, will have entered nirvana, right? Not the parinirvana is after death. So these are, these are amazingly wonderful beings in the world. I think we, we tend, if you read certain Mahayana sutras to think of the Arhats as being the foil for a lot

[12:11]

of jokes about how Bodhisattvas are really know what's going on and the Arhats don't. But the Arhats were the Buddha's first disciples and the Buddha was an Arhat as well. So, so these women that spoke their enlightenment poems were enlightened beings. Now this, this whole dialogue between the Arhats and the Bodhisattvas that still is going on. You still hear discussions about the merits of one or the other or what it actually means. And was the Buddha Bodhisattva in this final, you know, in these teachings in this world system and so forth. So who would like to go first to report on their Arhat, their Terry? I'll go first. Okay. I'll read the book for the poem, I don't know the poem. Okay.

[13:15]

I didn't write them down. I'm sorry. Oh, it's fine. Do I know? You know, I was trying to remember the one. Yeah. The one who crossed the river. That's one child. I think somebody took it last week. Oh, it was, it was Toba. She went and that's right. And she's not here. Why don't you take it next week? Yeah. She definitely wanted to put the chart. Oh, that's the other one. There's two of them. Patachara is could have been the other Patachara. If you want to, if you're going to do this right as we let me give you another one. How about

[14:38]

Amba Pali? Does anybody have Amba Pali? Okay, why don't you take her? Go ahead, Elizabeth. So I think the feeling is something brief and the poem and some just something that came up for you around it. Just so everybody gets a chance. Oh, okay. So something brief about the book and then poem. And then your own personal. My own personal. Again, not obstruction. Her reputation is as the greatest, I think, of the women preachers, what came down and her story was she was a wife and I don't know how to pronounce her husband's name. Visaka or something. Visaka. And he was an eminent man in town. And he went off one day to hear this new teacher speak, Gautama. And on returning home, he didn't smile at her in the window as he usually would and didn't even look up.

[15:45]

And she went to meet him at the door and held out her hand and to welcome him. And he just walked right by her. And she thought he must be angry with me. He'll tell me lunch together. And he sat down and she served him rice. And he didn't invite her to join him at lunch, as he usually did. And finally, at the end, he did call her over and said, I, I had this realization. I think I'm going to renounce the world and what this will mean. And I will know I will never touch a woman again. And what this means for you is that you will now have the riches of the house or you can go to your parents. What do you wish? And she said, I wish to renounce the world as well. And that's what I wish. So he sent her off in this golden palanquin to a nunnery. And she lived out in the country and practiced very deeply and reached the highest levels, returned to town and found that her husband had not become a monk. But he was very curious about what she had learned and proceeded to question her deeply about the teachings. Is this too much information?

[17:10]

I'm fascinated, but I just I just want everybody to have enough time. And the biggest questions that he asked her were, what is meditation? What are the outward signs of meditation? What is necessary for meditation? And how do you cultivate it? And she answered that focusing meditation is focusing the heart. And there are four outward signs of attention and four types of right effort are needed. And you cultivate by practice. And then he asked more and [...] more questions. And finally was about Nirvana and her response. And I don't understand her response. That's the part I didn't understand was that she said, you will never have an end of questions. And Nirvana is the merging of your goal and consummation and you need to go speak to Gautama.

[18:15]

And so the husband goes off to speak to Gautama and Gautama listens to his version of his exchange with his wife. And the Buddha says to him, your wife is wise and learned. She answered exactly as I would have, you know, go go now and treasure what she said. And from that moment and her status became, there's a word for it, to Buddha Vakana or something. What she actually said was then written down and included as exactly as the word of Buddha because she had Buddha's total approval. Her word was considered the same as Buddha's and it was one of the only women recorded in a particular document. And that's that's who she was. And the other thing that they have on hers is is the poem. Which is eager for the end of suffering, full of awareness. That's the way when one's heart is not attached to pleasure. We say that woman has entered the stream.

[19:23]

Thank you. And just briefly, you're. Yeah, mostly my question, I really don't understand the Nirvana question that the husband asked that sent her to the Buddha and what exactly the Buddha thought was so right about her answer. So it's like I'm left with this big question that I didn't feel was in here or I just didn't understand why this was this great response. It's almost like there's so it's hard. It's not enough there. You want to sink your teeth in and there's not enough there somehow. Also, I just wanted to mention that many of them have this thing of rejecting, you know, sensory pleasures, sensual pleasures and and the body, you know, seeing into the impermanence of the body. And so sometimes in our Western with our Western sensibilities, we find them a little too much sometimes or a little puritanical or something like that. But anyway, we'll see. That one wasn't actually quite that way.

[20:31]

And I did love this, the relationship with her husband, where he was kind of interested and she just took it the whole way and then he still didn't trust it. And it took the Buddha to really give her her place. Yeah, yeah. It's quite something. Dhammadena. Ruth Denison has a place called Dhammadena. That's the name of her place in the desert. She named it after Dhammadena. Dhammadena. Okay. Who's next? I'd like to get it out of the way. Go. Go, Amy. Well, I'm impressed with Elizabeth's clear mind. I'm an actor. Okay. Thank you. You get the drama. I have the book here. So my mind was Kisugotami. Helen was trying to correct my pronunciation. Kisugotami.

[21:32]

Kisugotami. I think there's an emphasis on the meaning of Kisugotami. Anyway, go ahead. Anyway, so she was a woman who came from a poor family. She was actually Buddha's cousin. Her mother's brother was the Buddha's father. And so she married a banker's son and was kind of mistreated by his family until she bore a child, a son, and then kind of gained respect and her worth. And then somehow her son died while he was still a toddler. Apparently she had never seen death and she just completely went mad. And she was wandering around just in a state of insanity, carrying her dead child. And finally somebody said, why don't you go see the Buddha?

[22:45]

And so she did. And he said, well, he sent her, he said, if you can bring me, I think she wanted him to bring her son back to life. And he said, well, if you bring me one white mustard seed from a house where no one has died, then I can heal him. And so she went from house to house to house and, of course, couldn't find a place where no one had died. And then she just realized, oh, you know, it's not just my son, you know, everyone suffers of this. And so she was suddenly sane again because she just realized what was really going on. So she buried the child and she went back to the Buddha and said, you know, I want to be ordained. So she did ordain and apparently she had a reputation for being quite ascetic. And that was kind of her trademark. And it says that she ultimately gained the peace of nirvana.

[23:56]

So I guess she was enlightened. So then she has this poem, which is difficult because there's all this stuff about it. I've read it over and over and I still don't understand. But apparently in the middle of her poem is this verse they think is from Patachara, because it really is more her story. And so they don't know if she wrote it, but she was, you know, telling Patachara's story or if somehow the story got confused or what. But so then in the poem they have Patachara, the verses that they think are really actually hers are indicated. So I could read just a piece of the Gotama. OK. The sage looked at the world and said, with good friends, even a fool can be wise.

[24:56]

Keep good company and wisdom grows. Those who keep good company can be freed from suffering. We have to understand suffering, the cause of suffering, its end and the eightfold way. These are the four noble truths. The guide of a restless, passionate humanity has said, to be a woman is to suffer. To live with co-wives is suffering. Women can give birth and, becoming depressed, cut their throats. Beautiful young women eat poison, but both will suffer in hell when the mother-murdering fetus comes not to life. I have practiced the great eightfold way, straight to the undying. I have come to the great peace. I have looked into the mirror of the Dharma. The arrow is out. I have put my burden down. What had to be done has been done. Sister Gotami with a free mind has said this. So the one thing that they said about that is that none of the other poems actually had the person's name in it.

[26:03]

So, anyway, I thought that was kind of cool. Sister Gotami with a free mind has said this. So, my own personal thing about this is that there were these birds. A lot of you might know that there were these birds that were living outside the bathhouse. The shower around near the zendo. And, you know, we've been watching them grow up. And recently, just Sunday, actually, I noticed, well, one of them was dead. And then I looked in the nest and there was another one dead. And then yesterday, the other two. So there was two out of four dead and two alive. And yesterday, I noticed that the other two were dead. So Rin and I gave them proper burials and burned incense and gave them some flowers and stuff. And the mother is, it's so sad, she's just hanging around.

[27:07]

She doesn't, she just doesn't know where her babies are. She's just hanging out up in the eaves and every now and then she flies and she looks at the nest. And, you know, she's just kind of lost. So that, see, it seemed, you know, I guess what I thought about it is, it's so sad, you know. It's just been so sad to watch that. But just the amazing thing is that, you know, as a human, we have the chance to, you know, to try to understand this kind of grief. You know, whereas that bird, I don't know what will happen to her. You know, she just keeps looking for her babies. And the Buddha can't help her, at least that's my understanding of it. So, it's been interesting. Yeah. Sorry. Thank you.

[28:11]

Amy, this last part on page 90. Oh. Page 90? Mm-hmm. Of the last part of the poem? Mm-hmm. Would you like me to read it? Yes, please. Oh, yeah. I have finished with the death of my child. And men belong to that past. I don't grieve, I don't cry. I'm not afraid of you, friend. Everywhere the love of pleasure is destroyed. The great dark is torn apart. And death, you too are destroyed. I guess that's a good bit to finish. Mm-hmm. Finish with. Thank you. I'll keep. I'll keep. Yeah? Oh, sorry. So, mine is Adekasi.

[29:28]

Um. That was a little bit about her story. So, in a, um. In a past life. Um. She is called a nun, a prostitute. So. Um. Because of that, she was reborn as a prostitute in the, um. Area that was known then as Kasi. But we probably know it more as Varanasi. Um. And at the time, it was, uh. It was a major seaport. And there were a lot of wealthy merchants there. But she's actually, um. She's actually part of the category of women. Written as courtesans rather than prostitutes. Which means they're basically, um. They're wealthy. There's an interesting part.

[30:36]

Maybe I'll just read. Um. This part about her name. Adekasi. What it means. It says the revenue of Kasi was 1,000 pieces of money per day. Kasi, the word literally meant 1,000. And Ada meant one half. Had 500 pieces of money. Um. And then later in the poem. It says that her fee as a prostitute was 1,000 pieces of money. So her name can be explained in one of two ways. Um. The first was either that. She was called Adekasi because a night with her. Um. Half of 24 hours. Would cost her patron half of the daily revenue of Kasi. Or, um. That the fee, 1,000 pieces. Was so expensive that even the wealthiest man who visited her.

[31:40]

Would have to come to her briefer times. And pay half price. 500. Um. And it's interesting because Kasi at that time was. It was a wealthy seaport. But it was also a place that the Buddha. Came to a lot for lecture. And he. I guess he delivered his first. His first sermon. Outside of um. Sarnath. In Deer Park there. Uh. She wasn't. At that one. But at the later talk. She did hear him. And. Because of. What she heard. Of the teachings. She decided that she'd like to become a nun. Um. And so later when she was. Seeking her full ordination. Um. Kind of important thing happened.

[32:42]

And there's this. Quote from the. I don't know how to pronounce it. Kulavaga. Um. Kind of tells the story of how it was a. Difficult. Process. But also important for. Other women. It reads. Now at that time a courtesan named Adikasi. Had adopted their religious life. Under the Vikshunis. And wanted to go to Sabati. To be received as a full member of the Sangha. By the Blessed One himself. And men of abandoned life. Heard of this. And beset the road. Adikasi in turn. Heard that they had done so. And sent a messenger. To the Blessed One saying. I want to receive. The Upasampada initiation. What course of action. Should I take? Then the Buddha agreed. That the ordination. Could be conferred by a messenger. And the monk sent.

[33:45]

First a monk. Then a female student. Then a male novice. Then a female novice. Then an ignorant and competent nun. In each case. The Buddha rejected the ordination. Until finally he said. I allow you a monk to confer. The Upasampada initiation. By sending a learned and competent. Nun as a messenger. Um. This was important because. It. It kind of established. A precedent. Um. Whereby the nun. Could have further religious authority. After her. Um. So. In the end he did send. A. A. What a very competent nun. This was supposed to mean. That somebody who could. Coordinate it. Properly. And I think. The poem is probably the most. Interesting part. I used to be priceless.

[34:47]

When they set my feet. It was the same as all the revenue of coffee. Then discussed. I couldn't care less about my beautiful body. I wish to stop running. Never to go from birth. To birth again. The three knowledges have been realized. The Buddha's teaching has been done. So I guess my personal. Reflection on this is just. Has something to do with words. Language seems to be a big thing in her story. But the first. The reason that she was. Born. As a prostitute. Had to do with. An act of wrong speech. And then the way that she. Came to the teaching. Was. Hearing the Buddha's word. And then. Later. The way we really know about her.

[35:49]

Is because she wrote this. Verse. I was able to say this verse. It seems to me. That's a. Kind of beautiful model for. Learning right speech. That first you. First you make a mistake. And then. Maybe you. Are inspired by someone else. Who. Practices right speech. Or masters. Right speech. And then. To have. The ability to. Express something of your own. To. Reflecting on. Something we brought up last night. In Rev's class. He was talking about how. Everything is superficial. And nothing. Do you think that anything is not superficial? So as far as words are concerned. Pretty much once you say it. It's superficial. But. It seems to me.

[36:51]

Yeah. It's just this really interesting thing. In her case. Of how. Words. And actions. Are so tightly linked. And. Yeah. Certain words. And certain. Uses of language. Can really point to something. That moves your life. Shapes it. So I'm wondering about. I'm wondering still about. Superficiality. Language. And. I find also in the poem. Just the. The way that she. She talks about what it was like to be a prostitute. And the language of it. Is just all about. Measuring up. Kind of. Her. Her. Name at that point. Was all about. Kind of measuring up. And then the second.

[37:54]

Portion of it. Is more the. Feeling. And then. The third portion. Sounds to me a lot like. Awakening of seeds for enlightenment. Or kind of like this. First. Thought. Cultivating. And just. Bodhicitta would be. Appropriate word to describe that. Something. Something I think we can all relate to. It's a process that you go through. In the. Judgment. And then maybe. Take that away. Feeling. And then. See kind of where you want to be. Thank you. Well. I should definitely follow next. Okay. Because. The story is. Kind of fun for reading it. Quickly. After.

[38:55]

This intensity. They say that. Her origins. Were supernatural. And according to legend. She came to birth. Spontaneously. In the city of. Vasavi. And. Her name. Means. Mango protectors. Or mango guardians. So that's kind of interesting. I didn't realize that. Because she was so astonishingly. Beautiful. That princess. Sought. To possess her. And. She became. A courtesan. And then she. Was kind of. Passed off. With one of her. Highest patrons. Being a king. And one of her. Sons became. A Buddhist monk. And they were. Convincing. Processizers. So the story. Goes. She. Became. Abandoned. Her fame. And her money. To become. A devout Buddhist. And she had never. Heard the Buddha. Speak. But. By then. He was a man. In his 60s. Or 70s. And with a ride. Reputation. Of following. And she went. To see him.

[39:56]

And she invited him. And the monks. To eat with her. The coming day. And he accepted. Though later in the day. He received an invitation. From a. A powerful. Tribe. But he postponed it. Until after the lunch. So. He went to the lunch. And as a result of it. She built the hermitage. On her land. And gave it to the Sangha. And it was at this very place. That the Buddha rested. In his 80th year. Four months before he died. So that was kind of interesting. So their commentary. On her poem was. It's not a formal meditation. But it's the. The 32 parts of the body. Which I found especially. This time of my life. And it's humorous. And it's a serious. It's serious. Because according to the book. That it brings about impermanence. For all those things. That we hold so dear. And they also talk about. The parallel in the song.

[40:57]

Of Solomon. Of the bridegroom's song. In the old. Testament. That there's a lot of similarities. I won't read that. Because there's not enough time. But Avalokiteshvara. She has a mixture of humor. And disgust. And I certainly enjoy that. That disgust. Achieves her purpose. And I think that's really true. When we're just jarred out. Of something. And especially in our culture today. Just glancing through this poem. We did not study this. In that practice period. It was thick as a grove.

[42:05]

And I parted it with a comb and pin. Now because of old age. It is thin. Very thin. This is the teaching. Of one who speaks the truth. I had fine braids. Fastened with gold. Now old age. Has made me bald. This is the teaching. Of one who speaks the truth. My eyebrows were crescents. Painted well. Now they droop. And are wrinkled as well. This is the teaching. Of one who speaks the truth. My eyes flash like jewels. Long and black. Now they don't make anyone look back. This is the one. Who speaks the truth. This is the teaching. Of one who speaks the truth. My ear lobes were beautiful. As bracelets. Highly crafted and bright. Now they sag. And have wrinkles of a light. This is the teaching. Of one who speaks the truth. My teeth were beautiful. The color of plantain buds. That's interesting. Now because of old age. They are broken and yellow. This is the teaching. Of one who speaks the truth. I had a sweet voice.

[43:07]

Like a cuckoo. Moving in a thicket. Now cracked and halting. You can hear my age in it. This is the teaching. Of one who speaks the truth. My neck was beautiful. Like a polished conch shell. Now because of old age. It bends and bows. This is the teaching. Of one who speaks the truth. My arms were beautiful. Twin pillars. They hung free. Now because of old age. They are weak as a patella tree. This is the teaching. Of one who speaks the truth. My hands were beautiful. Set off by rings. Gold as the sun. Now because of old age. They are radishes or onions. This is the teaching. Of one who speaks the truth. I really relate. That makes the beautiful. But the results. My breasts were beautiful. High. Close together. And round. Now they hang like empty water bags.

[44:08]

They hang down. This is the teaching. Of one who speaks the truth. My thighs were beautiful. Like an elephant's trunk. Now because of old age. They are like bamboo stalks. This is the teaching. Of one who speaks the truth. My calves were beautiful. Gold anklets I wore as jewelry. Now these same calves. Look like sticks of sesame. This is the teaching. Of one who speaks the truth. My feet were beautiful. Delicate as they're filled with cotton. Now because of old age. They are cracked and rotten. This is the teaching. Of one who speaks the truth. This is how my body was. Now it is dilapidated. The place of pain. An old house. With a plaster falling off. Isn't that great? It's always going to impress me actually. Why? Anyway, we're not like discussing.

[45:11]

I have such a hard time with this poem. That's because you're young. It's not. I feel like it says. It doesn't sound like an enlightenment. Really? I mean it sounds like. There's been a maturing aura. You know she definitely has a sense of humor. About the body changing. I don't know. I don't know what it is that bothers me about it. Like that they put so much importance. That she puts so much importance on the body. Or that sagging breasts. Aren't just as beautiful as high round ones. Or something you know. I mean you know. So it's just. It sounds like there was as much pure. I mean they didn't even have mass media. And still there was that much importance. Placed on the beauty in the body. Yeah. But the purpose they say here. Was to jolt the listener into anxiety. About her or his own transiency. Hopefully stimulating in that person.

[46:13]

The desire to renounce the world. And strive for enlightenment. So for me being on kind of the other side. Of life. And going into. I can't think of an elephant's trunk as beautiful. The idea of legs. But I prefer the sesame sticks myself. But I found a lot of joy. Because as a young woman. I think I grew up in that. Kind of feeling growing up on the ocean. And on the beach. You know that you should have legs up to your neck. I think it's really a litany. Of all the stereotypical. You know the crescent. For the Indian woman. The high breasts. The earlobes. So it really brings out. What the fantasy of the perfect female was. For that age. It's certain motifs. It comes up in other places.

[47:14]

With the almond eyes. And the dough. Various things that are brought up. But I think it does. When you say it doesn't remind you of an enlightened home. I think it does. I feel like there's a real peace. About settling with. What kind of the aspects. Of one's self is. With how we come in. With just whatever form. I really. I don't know that I thought it was profound. In reading it. But there was a great joy. And peace and release. And saying. She doesn't seem too upset about it. It's just. They were like this. Now they're like this. This is the truth folks. So there's a kind of calm in it. I think there's not. A lot of anxiety. I am glancing down and watch. And it's about 830.

[48:15]

And this is what occurred to me. Which was. To do this drama thing. And then to do. The rest of them the next time. How would you feel about that? Is anybody dying to do this tonight? Shall we. Shall we switch and do. Go tell me story. I haven't heard a resounding. Yes. Yes. Okay. These are the different parts. To the show. We have. How many are we. More than I thought. Okay. I just like to observe. You're going to just observe. And listen. Okay. These are the different. Parts we have. None. Ananda. None. Ananda. We put together. None. And the. Best Lotus Buddha.

[49:18]

There's go Tommy. One and go Tommy too. Because her. Her. Part is very big. And there's narrator one. And narrator. Because their parts are very big. There's the Buddha. There's Rahula. And Nanda. The lay women. The lay folk. And the goddesses. Which are kind of scattered throughout. So those. I think those are the different parts. But we can also share those. Because those aren't enough for everybody. So. Who would like to be. Go Tommy. Go Tommy. Anybody. Go Tommy. I want to be Ananda. You want to be Ananda. Is that a shared part. No, this is. You have two parts in there. The nuns and Ananda. I'll be a go Tommy. You'll be a go Tommy. Okay. Maybe I'll be a go Tommy. A narrator. A narrator. Another narrator. I saw these two people over here. I'll do something. I don't care.

[50:19]

Okay. Well, there's the Buddha. Okay. Now we should actually. Oh, let's see. Here's nuns. Nuns and best Lotus Buddha. I don't want to throw this. And then there's Rahula, Ananda, lay women, lay folk and goddesses. Somebody. And there's a couple more to pass out to just read along. And I think the narrators could actually go. I could share. There could be a third narrator, definitely. Who doesn't have another? Who doesn't have a part? More than one, nuns and best lotus buddha? Yeah, maybe somebody could be a best lotus buddha. Okay, so nuns could be best lotus buddha. It's just a small part, that's why we added. And Dennis, do you have a part? I have Rahula, nandas, may women, may folk.

[51:22]

Okay, and who's missing something? Jen, do you have something? I have. Oh, you're, okay. This has a lot of narrator parts. It is, the narrator could really be in threes. Okay, so why don't I just do... You have narrator one, I have narrator two. Right, but it could be a third narrator. So after I do a couple pages, I'll... Pass it on to somebody. But I mean, we do, I think she highlighted different parts. Yeah, I highlighted different parts, but... Even for mine, there's a lot of reading, so I'll pass it on. Okay. So just to say a word about this, what we're about to read. This is one of these apadhanas, and it's kind of a moral biography, or supposedly autobiography. And they did these about both the monks and the nuns from the Therigata and the Therigata. Excuse me. The kind of purpose of these was to show past lives

[52:24]

and the deeds that they did and then how they were reborn and attained nirvana. So most of them have a kind of set formulaic. But the difference with this one is that it really brings forth the women's, the nuns. It's not only Gotami, it's also the nuns. And it's a story that takes place on one day of her death. And it equates Gotami with the Buddha in terms of her accomplishments, what her funeral's like, her magical... She does magical powers. She exhibits her magical powers. And so it actually was probably written by nuns and equates, in some ways it makes Gotami like a female Buddha,

[53:25]

which of course there weren't any, but it makes her equal too in terms of... She goes into parinirvana. It's a kind of parallel story. The monk stories are always monks, men who were reborn as men who were reborn as men. And so their stories were not supposedly something that the nuns could actually relate to because they were not reborn as men. Whereas this Gotami story, she attains the highest just the way the Buddha does. This is the first full Upadana biography that's been published in Western language, and it was probably at one time acted out by the nuns in festivals. So, shall we?

[54:34]

Do you want to sit next to each other? You're going to share with everybody? So this is basically going to... She's decided that she's 120 years old, Gotami, and this is Mahapajapati. Her other name was Gotami. And she's decided it's time to go. She wants to say goodbye to the Buddha, her foster son, and it's wonderful how she praises him and his beautiful feet. And then he praises her. So why don't we just see how this goes. So, starts out with narrator number one. Gotami's story. One day the world's bright lamp, the charioteer of men, dwelt in Mahana Hall among Vesales Gable Huts.

[55:35]

The victor's mother's sister then, the nun Great Gotami, dwelt in that white and lovely city with saintly nuns five hundred. Gone off alone, she reasoned thus. Are you the purple one? You're purple. I'm purple. Yeah, whatever's marked there, mine comes up later. I can't purple, so I didn't know. Yeah, that's you. I cannot bear to look upon the Buddha's final passing, nor that of his two chief disciples, nor Rahula, better, Ananda, joy, Ananda, delight. Ending life's constituents and letting go, I shall go out, permitted by the greatest sage, by he who is the whole world's lord. The five hundred nuns there, Kena, Peace, and the rest, reasoned that very thing out, the same thing they too reasoned out. And then there was an earthquake, the god's thunder roared.

[56:37]

Weighted down by the grief, the goddesses who dwelt there wailed and wept. The guns all came to Gotami and bowed their heads up upon her feet while questioning her death. In solitude, sister, we were dampened with tears. The solid earth trembled, the god's thunder roared. There, it's as though someone's crying. There, it's as though someone's crying is heard. What does this mean, Gotami? Then she said to all of them just what she'd reasoned out, and all of them then also said that's what they thought too. If this is what you want, sister, the unsurpassed pure going out, then, pious one, with his assent, we all will go out too. Along with us, you left your home and also left the world. Again, together, all of us, to the great nirvana city go. She said, what is there to be said to women who are going out? Then with all of them,

[57:39]

quit the ashram. Forgive me, goddesses dwelling here. I take my last glance at the ashram. I'll go to unconditionedness where death and decay are both absent and one doesn't meet the unpleasant nor get cut off from pleasant things. The Buddhist goddesses, not free of passion, wailed in grief when they heard that speech. Alas, meritedless women are we. This ashram has become empty. The victor's hair is no longer seen. And like the stars at daybreak, Gotami goes to nirvana. So do her five hundred. She's like the ganges flowing toward the sea with all her tributaries. The faithful laywoman came outside at seeing them go down the road and bent down at their feet to say, Your good fortune, does it please you to go and leave us destitute? It's something that, to go and leave us destitute is something that you should not do. Thus lamented the ladies, distressed. So Gotami spoke this sweet song,

[58:40]

attempting to dispel their grief. Enough with all your crying, children. Today's the day to laugh. Suffering is understood. The cause of suffering allayed. I've experienced cessation. I've cultivated the path. I have worshipped the teacher and done what the Buddha taught, laid down the heavy load and loosed the ties to life. The reason for which I went forth from home to homelessness is finally attained by me, destroying all the fetters. The Buddha and his splendid truth are still around, complete. So now's the time I should go out. Do not grieve for me, children. Kondana, Ananda, Nanda and more, Rahula and the victor remain. The monks are now all cheerful and close, the conceit of the heretic slain. The famed one in Okaka's clan

[59:41]

has crushed Mara, the god of death. Now, children, isn't this the time for me to reach nirvana? My wish I've had for very long today will be fulfilled. This is the time for drums of joy. Why are you crying, children? If you all have love for me and if you all appreciate the Dharma's great stability, then strong and fervent you should be. The great Buddha made women nuns only at my beseeching. So if you love me, be like me and follow after him. Preaching thus to those women preceded by the nuns, she proceeded to the Buddha's palace and prayed, and then worshipped him and said, Well gone, one. I am your mother, your father, O wise one. Lord, we give the truth pure pleasure. Gotama, I'm born from you.

[60:43]

It was I, O well gone one, who reared you, flesh and bones. The fire nurturing which reared my flawless Dharma body. I suckled you with mother's milk which quenched thirst for a moment. From you I drank the Dharma milk perpetually tranquil. You do not owe a debt to me because I brought you up. Great sage, to get a son like you sates all desire for sons. Mother of kings, like Mandapa, are sunk into existent sea. Across this ocean of becoming is how far, son, you have helped me. Women can obtain with ease the name's chief queen, king's mother. The hardest name of all to get is mother of the Buddha. O hero, I attain that name. My only aspiration is this. Be they minute or massive ones to fulfill all duties to you.

[61:45]

I wish to go out totally abandoning this body. Grant me permission, hero, guide, O ender of dis-ease. Stretch forth your feet like lilies soft, marked with the wheel, good, and flag. I will bend to worship them, my son, with all my love. Show your body to me, it's like a heap of gold. A good look at your body, then off I go to peace, O guide. The victor bared his lovely body, marked with the auspicious mark. It was as though a pale sun emerged from a dark evening cloud. She put her head down on his feet, which looked like lotuses in bloom. Upon his soul were wheels remarked like young sun shining rays. I'm bowing to the sun for men, the banner of the solar clan. After this, my final death,

[62:48]

I'll not see you again. It is thought, chief of the world, that women are all flaws. If there should be some flaw in me, compassion mine, forgive it. I begged you over and again for women's domination. If that is somehow false in me, forgive it, full of men. Having gotten your permission, I taught and I instructed none. If I have given bad advice, forgive it, Lord, forgiveness. Unforgivable, forgive. Why should I praise my virtue now? What more is there to say to you when I am going to Nirvana? Those in my order, pure and faultless, made ready to escape the world are like the crescent moon at dawn, which, fading, sees destruction. The other nuns among them worshipped the Buddha and fell at his feet and sat there gazing at his face like stars and moon round Mount Meru.

[63:51]

My eyes and ears weren't satisfied to see you or hear you speak. But now that I've become perfect, my mind is quenched by Dharma taste. O bowl of men, when you roar forth, debunking the assembled sophists, those there who get to see your face are fortunate to do so. O battle-ender, fortunate are they who worship your fine feet, which have broad heels, extended toes, and golden nails upon them. Fortunate indeed are they, O best of all men, who hear your anger-slaying words, so cheerful, friendly, sweet. I am fortunate, great hero. Intently I worship your feet. The existential deserts crossed. The Dharma makes me shine. She told the monks of her intention

[64:54]

those who were devout and worshipped Rahula Ananda Nanda. She spoke like this to them. I've had it with this body, needing others and hard to control. This sick house like a serpent's lair is pastured for old age and death and covered with suffering slime. Therefore I want to go out now. Give me permission, children. Nanda and the auspicious Rahula, free of grief and defilement, lies unmovingly steadfast, reflected on the way things are. Grieved for real things, all condition is worthless as banana wood. It is impermanent and fleeting, only an unreal mirage. Conditioned things? Impermanent? Butami, the victor's aunt, the one who nursed the Buddha, goes, leaving behind no trace. Nanda was still in training.

[65:56]

He loved the Buddha, but he was sad, standing there and shedding tears. He piteously wailed. Gotami is going, smiling. Soon the Buddha too will go to non-existence called nirvana, like a fire without fuel. Gotami spoke to Ananda, who was weeping in his way. My son, intent on serving the Buddha, your wisdom's deep as is the sea, and so you really shouldn't mourn when the time to laugh has come. With your assistance, son, I reached the goal towards which I strived, nirvana. At your request, son, he ordained us. Do not be distressed, my child. Your toil is bearing fruit. That state which is not seen by elders nor by non-Buddhist teachers is witnessed by some Buddhist girls when they are only seven. Take your final look at me, preserver of the Buddha's word. My son, I'm going to that place where one who's gone cannot be seen.

[66:59]

Once, when he was preaching Dharma, the chief guide of the people sneezed, and then, compassionate, I spoke these words of blessing to him. Enjoy long life, great hero. Remain in eons, sage. For the sake of all the world, don't dare grow old or die. The Buddha then replied to me, who'd spoken to him thus, A Buddha never should be blessed as you would bless me, Gotami. How then, I asked, O all-knowers, should thus-gone ones be blessed? And how should Buddhas not be blessed? Tell all of that to me. He said, Look close at my disciples in harmony and vigorous, energetic, resolute. That's how to bless a Buddha. Then I returned to our ashram and thought it out alone. The Lord, who ended re-becoming, is pleased by monks and nuns at peace. Well then, I'll go out utterly. Don't let me see a hindrance. Thinking thus, and having seen

[68:01]

the seventh of the sages, I announced to that instructor, It's time for my great going out. And then he granted me permission. Know that it's the time. Defilement's gone, I've abolished existence. I am now like an elephant cow who, breaking every single fetter, dwells without constraint. Being in the Buddha's midst was pure profit for me. I attained the three special knowledges. The Buddha's teaching is achieved. The four analytical knowledges, the eight deliverances, the six higher knowledges experienced. The Buddha's teaching is achieved. Yet still there are fools who doubt that women, too, can grasp the truth. Gotami show miracles that they might give up their false views. Gotami, are you? No. You? Huh? You? Gotami bowed to the Lord,

[69:07]

then leaped into the sky. Permitted by the Buddha, she displayed her special powers. She was alone and she was cloned. Cloned and then alone. She would appear then disappear. She walked through walls and through the sky. She went about unstruck on earth and also sank down in it. She walked on water as on land without breaking the surface. Cross-legged, she flew like a bird across the surface of the sky. With her body, she controlled the space right up to God's own home. She made the earth a canopy. Mount Meru was its handle. And twirling her new parasol, she walked around the sky. It was as though six suns rose. She made the world fume. As though it was the end of June, she garlanded the earth in flames. She held Mount Meru, Mandara, Dadara, and Great Mukhalin,

[70:10]

all of them in a single fist like tiny mustard seeds. She concealed with finger's tip the makers of both day and night as if her necklace had as gems a thousand suns and moons. From her tiny palm that held the waters in the four great seas, she rained forth a torrential rain like an apocalyptic cloud. She made appear up in the sky a world ruler with cortege. She showed Vishnu as the lion and boar and Garuda his eagle mount. Alone, creating magically a measureless chapter of nuns, she made them disappear again. Then said this to the sage, This one who's done the work, hero, your mother's younger sister, attained the goal, eyeful one, and now worships your feet. Go back.

[71:11]

The miracle display complete that nun descended from the sky paid homage to the world's lamp then sat down at one side. A century and score from birth. Great sage, that is my age. That much is old enough, hero. Oh, God, I'll now go out. Astonished, her hand clasped in praise, spoke then to this Gautami. Your prowess has been shown, sister, in supernormal miracles. Gautami then told them all how she had come to be a saint. Arlene, do you have anything to read? No, but I'm happy. Why don't you do Gautami, right here. This was the seer of all things, the Buddha Padamattara, best lotus. The god was born into the world 100,000 eons ago. I, too, existed at that time, born in a clan of ministers.

[72:13]

We lived in Hamsavati, swan-filled town, quite rich with many servants. Once, when tagging on my father, surrounded by a group of slaves, along with a large retinue, I approached that bull of men. The victor-like god – here, you can say this word – son, surrounded by a group of slaves, was raiding forth a dharma cloud like kings of all the gods. Seeing him, my mind was pleased, and then I heard his lovely voice that God for men was making his aunt chief of all the nuns. Hearing this for one week, I sponsored lavish donations. I gave a lot of requests to the chief and his disciples. I fell down prostrate at his feet, aspiring to that rank. And then the greatly mindful one,

[73:14]

the seventh sage, said this. This one, who for a week has fed the world's god and disciples, I shall relate the fate of her. Listen to my words. In one hundred thousand eons, born into Okaka's clan, the one whose name is Gotama will be the master in the land. Rightful heir to his great teachings, transformed by his truth, the woman Gotami will be his female disciple. She will be his mother's sister, the Buddha's wet nurse all his life, and she'll attain preeminence among the senior nuns. Hearing that, I felt true bliss, and then I spent my whole life serving the Buddha's requisites. And when I died, I was reborn among the highest gods who lived in Tavatinsa, 33 Heaven. In all delights and riches, I outshone the others in ten ways,

[74:16]

with my shape and sound and smell, and with my taste and feel, in terms of lifespan and complexion and happiness and fame, I shone, attaining supreme power. And then I was seen in the place of the most favorite of the queens, of him, the king of gods. Transmigrating now here, now there, I was blown on by karma wind and born into a slave's village in the king of Kashi's realm. Every day there were five hundred dwelling in that very place. There I became the wife of him who was the eldest of them all. Five hundred self-enlightened ones entered our village for alms. I was very glad to see them, as were all the women. We formed ourselves into a guild and served them for four months. We gave to them monastic robes. We women, with our husbands then, transmigrating, passed on from there and went to Tavatinsa. And now in this, my final life,

[75:17]

I was born in Devadaha. My father was the Shakyan Anjana. My mother was Sulakana. We left there for Kapilavastu, staying with Sudhodana, queen ghoul. All the other Shakyan women also went there then. But of them all, I was the best. I was the victor's nurse. My son, once he had left the world, became the Buddha, the instructor. Afterwards, I too went forth with the five hundred women. I witnessed the joy of peace attained by the male Shakyan heroes. They were the men who formerly had been born as our husbands. They were the doers of good deeds and seized the crucial moment. Pityed by the well-gone one, they all became great saints. The other nuns who were still there rose up in the air and came together just like stars, those great women

[76:19]

then shone. They displayed some miracles, just as ornaments of every kind are shown by craftsmen who are skilled, especially the cycle queen. Having shown these miracles, diverse the number, and having pleased the stage debater, the descent assembly at that time, they all descended from the sky and worshipped him for seven stages, obtaining the chief man's consent. They sat down in that place. Hey, hero, it was the Tami who pitied all of us. Perfumed by your good karma, we slew the imperfections. Defilement's gone. We've abolished existence, and now we are like elephant cows who, breaking every single feather, dwell without constraint. Being in the Buddha's midst was pure profit for us. We attained enlightenment We attained the three special knowledges. The Buddha's teaching is achieved. The four analytical knowledges,

[77:20]

the eight deliverances, the six higher knowledges experienced. The Buddha's teaching is achieved. We've mastered all the miracles, and the divine, your faculty, great sage, we've, we're masters of the knowledge of what is stored in others' hearts. We know all of our former lives. Divine I now is purified. With every imperfection gone, we won't be born again. We understand meanings and doctrinal things. Etymology and how to preach. Great hero, it was in your presence that our knowledge was produced. O guide, you are you are surrounded by us all with loving hearts. Great sage, now give us your consent to go and reach Nirvana. Right now, we're going out. The victor said, What can I say to women who are going out? Know that it's the time.

[78:21]

Gotami and all the nuns paid homage to the victor. Then from their seats they all rose up and went away from there. With all the people, the great man, the wise one, chief of all the world, followed after his own aunt until she reached the gate. Then Gotami fell to the ground beneath the world's kinsmen's feet and with all the other nuns she worshipped them once more. Would you like to read? Yes, thank you. Really? Somebody who hasn't had a very big part. I think, Amy, I think the nuns were supposed to read together. Oh. I forgot to be there. It would have been nice to hear the two of you. So why don't you read this Gotami, Amy? Okay. This is my last look at the world. No. This is my last look at the lord of the world. Your face, a mountain of ambrosia, won't be seen again. No more homage to your soft feet. I won't touch them again.

[79:22]

Oh hero, chief of all the world, today I go to nonexistence. Who needs your face and body with things such as they are? Everything conditioned changes. It provides no comfort. She had been gone along with him, back to her own nun's lair, sat down with legs crossed on each other in her own efficient feet. The lay woman residing there adored the Buddha's words, heard her lessons about those what worshippers approached, pounding fists hard on their chest and crying tedious tears, leaving themselves to the earth like creepers cut off at their roots. Oh lady, bestower of the refuge, please don't leave us for Nirvana. Bowing down our heads, we all are begging this of you. One of them was energetic, a lay woman, faithful and wise. While gently stroking that one's head, I spoke these words to her. Enough, enough, depression, child.

[80:24]

Free yourself from Mara's snares. Everything existent changes, shaking, it's lost in the end. Then having sent them all away, she entered the first altered state, the second, yes, and then the third, and then she reached the fourth of them. In order, moving higher still, the plane of space infinity, the plane in which perceptions pure and that where nothingness is seen. Gotami reversed the order, backward reaching all these states, the last one first, the first one last, and then back to the fourth. Rising up, she went out like a fuelless lamp's flame. There was a great earthquake, lightning fell from the sky. The thunder rumbled loudly, the deities were there wailed. A shower of flowers from the sky rained down upon the earth. Meru, king of mountains, shook just like a dancer on the stage. The great ocean was greatly grieved,

[81:25]

and he was weeping in distress. The gods, snake gods, and demons too, and even Brahma, in awe, said, this one now is all dissolved, in flux indeed is all that is. The other women who were there who practiced the Buddhist teachings, they too went out just like the flames and lamps with no more fuel. Alas, attachments end up cut. Alas, conditioned things all change. Alas, life ends up in destruction. Just like this, the people wailed. Then Brahma and the deities approached the seventh sage and acted as one ought to act in such a situation. And then the Buddha told Ananda, whose knowledge was an ocean, Go now, Ananda, tell the monks my mother's reached nirvana. Ananda, who had lost his joy, his eyes filled up with tears, announced, watch over me on the way. Now assemble,

[82:26]

all you monks, who are out of the east or in the south, or in the west, or in the north. Listen to my words, you monks, who are the Buddha's heirs. This Gotami, who carefully reared up the sage's body, is gone to peace, no longer seen, just like the stars at sunrise. Her destination now is reached, her name alone remains. Even the Buddha, who has five eyes, cannot see where she went. Each who has faith in the well-gone one, and each who is the sage's pupil, ought to come, that Buddha's son, to honor Buddha's mother. How about Matt, why don't you take this next narrator? The wise monks living far away heard that. Then they came with speed. Some came by the Buddha's majesty, some by their own great power.

[83:28]

The folks there raised a funeral here, where Gotami now lay, inside a shiny gabled hut, gold in color, lovely. The four great gods lifted it up, each corner one supported, while their king and all the other gods stood in the gabled hut. The cosmic builder, Vishvakarma, erected many gabled huts, five hundred of them, which were all the color of a tumble sun. And all the nuns there in those huts had been laid out on bears, hoisted up on god-shoulders, lined up in proper order. A canopy up in the sky was stretched out over everything. The sun and moon and all the stars were drawn on it in gold. Flags of different sorts were raised, a floral carpet laid, and incense rose into the sky like blossoms from the earth. The real sun and moon and stars were sparkling and seen by all,

[84:30]

and even though it was high noon, the sun cooled like the moon. The gods made offerings of garlands scented with divine perfume and worshipped Gotami with songs, with music, and with dance. The snake gods, demons, and Brahma, according to their powers, made offerings as best they could for the Buddha's gone-out mother. All the Buddha's daughters there, gone out, were carried off, and after them came Gotami, the wet nurse of the Buddha. Proceeding, worshipping the mother, came forth gods and men, the snake gods, demons, and Brahma, then Buddha and disciples. The Buddha's great nirvana, good, but not as good as this one. Gotami's great going-out was positively stellar. All monks, we will not see the Buddha at his own great nirvana. The Buddha's here at Gotami's,

[85:32]

and monks like Shariputra... Who else hasn't read very much? Mia, Arlene... Ritchie, is that yours? Is that on your... I don't have your Ritchie on my mind. Why don't you go ahead. Somebody. Then they built the funeral pyres, made out of fragrant wood, and sprinkled them with sweet perfume. Being set afire, they burned. Each part of them had been consumed. Only bones remained then. At that time, Ananda spoke, words giving rise to deep emotion. Gotami is gone. No life. And now her body's burnt. The indication is that soon the Buddha too will leave. Ananda put all her bones into her begging bowl, and urged to do so by the Lord he gave them to the Buddha,

[86:32]

taking them up with his hands the seventh stage. Then he spoke. Even the trunk of a huge timber tree, however massive it may be, will break to bits eventually. Thus Gotami, who was a nun, is now gone out completely. It is so marvelous a thing. My mother, who has reached nirvana, leaving only bits of bone, had neither grief nor tears. She crossed this ocean of existence, grieving not for others left. She now is cool. She's well gone out. Her torment now is done. Know this, O monks. She was most wise, with wisdom vast and wide. She was a nun of great renown, a master of great powers. She cultivated divine ear and knew what others thought. In former births, before this one, she mastered divine eye. All imperfections were destroyed. She'll have no more rebirths.

[87:33]

She had purified her knowledge of meaning and the doctrines of etymology and preaching. Therefore she did not grieve. An iron rod aglow in fire cools off and leaves no ash. Just like the flame once in the rod, it's not known where she went. Those who are emancipated cross the god of lust's deluge. Those with solid happiness do not get born again. Therefore be lamps for yourselves. Go graze in mindfulness. With wisdom's seven parts attained, you all should end your woe. Thank you. Thank you very much. Could you imagine this being performed? A musical. With special effects. Yeah, there's so many, her crossing her legs and, you know, in full lotus, flying across the stage. And

[88:37]

the whole thing about the Buddha's feet, they were soft, wide heels, stretching toes. In yoga, you know, feet that have those toes that are apart as they walk is very, very highly praised. But she kept going back to her soft feet. Well, that's traditional too, to worship the feet of a master. Like with Amici, the Divine Mother, her feet are like, you know, really revered. Everyone washes their feet. Very sacred. I guess Jesus too. So you can all keep these. Did everyone get a copy? It's after 9 o'clock, so I think we should end. Yes. I do. Barbara, I have an extra. Okay. I just wanted to say that Nirvana,

[89:41]

they talk about Nirvana being blown out. In English, they did this going out and blowing out, and this kind of figure of speech is going to Nirvana or prior Nirvana. Okay, well, thank you all very much. And we'll meet next Tuesday for sure, and I'll be keeping, you posted on the makeup class. Yeah, I do need that. Did anybody find the bibliography on the table that was folded in half? Oh yeah! Why don't we chant, and then I'll give it to you? May our intentions ... May our

[90:39]

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