So, tonight, Roshi has given, wants to test me. He's going to test me on four lines from a poem, The Song of the Precious Samadhi Mirror. I've spoken on this Song of the Precious Samadhi Mirror in New York, and in fact, we've even published a book on it. So to understand the Chinese version of the poem is very difficult. To understand the Japanese, when it was translated into Japanese, to understand the Japanese

[01:26]

is even more difficult. And by the time it gets translated into English, nobody knows what is being said in that poem. So, something that everybody doesn't understand, that's the easiest topic to speak on. But, Roshi has pointed out four lines in particular that he himself understands, so that makes it difficult. It makes it difficult for me.

[02:27]

So, the poem, Song of Precious Mirror Samadhi, was written by an enmight in New York, and he's been practicing for quite some time, but was unable to achieve enlightenment.

[03:44]

And his master was unable to help him in that quest. And then that day came when he crossed the river, and he looked down at the reflection and thought, is that reflection me? Is that reflection me? Is that reflection me? If it is me, why is the reflection there and I'm here? Now, if the reflection is not me, then other than myself, then why could there be reflection

[04:59]

without me? Actually, this is all... Actually, Shifu doesn't know that those exact thoughts that went through his mind, but he's adding those in. Actually, if he started thinking just like Shifu was describing, he wouldn't have gotten enlightened. Just right upon seeing the reflection, he immediately became enlightened. There was no thought process going on there at all. So, there's a lot of important things being said in this Song of the Precious Mirror Samadhi.

[06:28]

However, only four lines deal with his enlightenment experience itself. So, my throat is not that good from giving too many lectures recently. So, just listen to my voice. So, the four lines, Shifu will read them in Chinese, and then I'll repeat them in English. So, the four lines, Shifu will read them in Chinese, and then I'll repeat them in English. So, the four lines are translated as,

[07:31]

As before the precious mirror, the form and reflection gaze on each other. You are not it, but it is just you. I'll read it again. It's like taking a very bright mirror and reflecting your own face in it. Oh, a very expensive mirror and reflecting your own face in it. So, what's seen in the mirror is a reflection, and what's being reflected out here is one's body.

[08:56]

So, the body is looking at the reflection in the mirror, and the reflection is looking back at the body. So, the reflection in the mirror is not this body. It's you. Who is you? You. It's you. It's the reflection in the mirror. The body is it. It is just you, just to refresh your memories.

[10:13]

So, the reflection that is in the mirror is not the body. And that body is that reflection in the mirror. Does everybody understand? So, that's the way Master Dong Chan got enlightened. Did everybody get enlightened? Yes.

[11:34]

So, reference is made in the Sarangama Sutra. And the Sutra of Complete Enlightenment to mirrors and reflections. It's also a story. You see, that monkey is wearing an ancient mirror, an old mirror. What does an old mirror mean? It's an ancient mirror. An ancient mirror. What is a mirror? It's a mirror.

[12:38]

It's wearing a mirror. It's wearing a mirror. It's wearing a mirror to reflect on itself. It's carrying the mirror up the mountain. The monkey. Yes, it's carrying the monkey, isn't it? Yes. No, it's not. It's not the real monkey carrying the mirror up the mountain. It's what Master Dong Chan said. These monkeys are carrying a mirror. It can't reflect on itself. It's not the real monkey running. He's just using a metaphor. So, one time, there's a story. This one Chan master was talking to one of his disciples and said, these monkeys are carrying mirrors on their backs and climbing up the mountains. But they're unable to see their own reflection in those mirrors.

[13:40]

Because the mirror is being carried on the back, there's no way for them to see the reflection. So, the disciple replied, that monkey is very stupid. And the master replied, well, you're smart. Have you seen the mirror? Actually, we're all like that monkey. We've never been away from the mirror, but we're not able to find where it is.

[14:49]

So, the precious mirror samadhi refers to our own wisdom. Before we're enlightened, we don't know what the mirror is. After you're enlightened, depending on whether you've had a great enlightenment or a smaller enlightenment, if it's a great enough one, you won't even need the mirror anymore. Now, the first time one has enlightenment experience, one discovers the mirror and its importance.

[16:17]

So, now I'll describe, explain those four lines in several different levels. Several different levels of understanding of those lines. First, is one who has not seen the mirror. For someone who has not seen the mirror, oneself and all other beings are separate. We are also alienated from ourselves.

[17:40]

One's mind and body are separate. One's former and latter thoughts are separate. Today and tomorrow are separate. So, we don't understand who we are. The self that we understand is just understood in little strips, and they're all put together, and that's how we understand ourselves.

[18:49]

But those who really understand this kind of alienation are very few. This is the first level. The second level, we have already seen the mirror. This mirror is not seen with my eyes, but I believe it is seen with my ears. I believe that with the mirror, we are able to separate our worries and wisdom, our worries and happiness. We are able to separate our worries and happiness.

[20:04]

We are able to separate mud and fog. At this stage, one discriminates between ignorance and wisdom, vexation and bodhi. One has heard that there is something called wisdom, and also believes that one is in the midst of vexation. One has heard of Buddha nature, but has yet to comprehend it. Someone at this stage is ready to practice. Some people have just heard of wisdom of this precious mirror, even though they don't have full faith in it yet, the existence of it yet,

[21:37]

but they are willing to take a try and practice to achieve it, to understand it. At the third level, one has already seen into one's own nature. One sees into one's own nature, one understands that the Buddha nature and vexation are one and the same. But that's not to say that after one has seen into one's own nature, that vexation will not arise again within oneself.

[22:43]

But one will be very clear about what is wisdom and what is vexation, and will know what Buddha nature is. Such a person will be ready to practice very hard, having clearly been able to distinguish ignorance from wisdom. And one will often discover that one is in the midst of vexation. So the one who has seen into one's own nature has seen into one's own nature. He or I, when we see into one's own nature, we know that we are one.

[24:03]

But when we are in vexation, we discover that we are two. A person who has seen into one's own nature looks into the mirror. He knows that the reflection in the mirror and himself, the reflection and the self are one and the same thing. But when vexation arises again, then again they become separate. So such a person would have a very strong desire to continuously practice. And their faith will be very strong. And their faith is not apt to recede.

[25:07]

We have talked about three levels. He should be referring to the fourth level. He should see into his own nature. When he sees into one's own nature, he sees into his own nature. To his disciple, vexation is the body, and the body is vexation. To his disciple, Vexation is wisdom and wisdom is vexation. The reflection in the mirror and what's being reflected in the mirror, these are one and

[26:28]

the same. So, you in the mirror are not it, meaning the body. There's no self in that. So where is self? You are not it, and in fact, you do not exist and neither does it. You are not it, and in fact, you do not exist and neither does it.

[27:50]

Because if there is no self, then you are unable to know that there is you and it. You are not it, and in fact, you do not exist and neither does [...] it.

[29:00]

You are not it, and in fact, you do not exist and neither does it. If neither you nor it exists, then of course there's no self. So, does everybody understand that? So, does everybody understand that? So, there is neither you, it, nor self. But the next line says, you, it, but it is just you.

[30:04]

So, this line is an expression of great wisdom that arises right after this enlightenment experience. So, the previous line was referred to no self, no others, no sentient beings. So, the previous line was referred to no self, no others, no sentient beings. And the fourth negation in the Diamond Sutra that's mentioned is no life. So, this could be termed wisdom which is apart from vexation.

[31:48]

So, the next line says, you, it, but it is just you. So, the next line says, you, it, but it is just you. This is a contribution and effect of wisdom to this world. Wisdom, functioning aspect of wisdom. 看外面的众生都是跟自己一样。

[32:51]

这就是慈悲。 So, at this point, one sees others or sentient beings as one's self, and there's compassion. 也可能从此以后这是在山里面打坐,不换其他的原始。 So, if one were to have stopped at the first of those two lines, this would have been very negative. One is likely that a person who would stop at that point would be someone who would practice up in the mountains alone by themselves and not bother with other beings. 因为下面第二句使得他马上要出来是众生。

[33:54]

Coming out to help sentient beings. 这可能作为听道夫,在朝中宫一共有五个位置。 有五位,有五个位置。 其实这个五个位置,从开始第一个到第五个是同一个位置。 在前面看起来好像是五个位置,不同的五个位置,也不同的五种情况,其实是相同的。

[34:57]

今天我们没有时间讲那个五位,五个位置。 但是我们刚才讲到的就是你,他,实际上你和他这里面要告诉我们的消息是两层的。 第一是悟道无我,第二是悟道一切的世界所有的一切都是我,跟我完全相同。 开悟以后应该是不同的两个人。

[36:30]

开悟以后应该是不同的两个人。 And that one is different after enlightenment than before. The Chan Master, Dong Chan, before enlightenment and after enlightenment, is it different or the same? Does anybody know? They are the same, then how could there be a before enlightenment, after enlightenment? Then there would be no need for practice. There is no need for Zen.

[37:34]

If you say that they are different than the Master Dong Chan after enlightenment, where did he come from? So, first of all, the Master Dong Chan before enlightenment and after enlightenment is not the same. That is to say, you are not it. But what he sees after enlightenment is that this Dong Chan after enlightenment is the same

[38:57]

as the one before enlightenment. So, there is one famous Zen story that many of you are probably familiar with, of a Zen Master who practiced for many years, seeking enlightenment, never gained enlightenment, and all of a sudden one day he bumped into a door frame, his nose bumped against the door frame, and he discovered that his nose was there.

[39:58]

He was very happy about that. People asked him, why are you happy? He said, because I just discovered today that my nostrils are pointing downward. What did he discover? He discovered that everyday things are just as they are. So, there is a problem here though.

[41:16]

The nose before enlightenment is the same as the nose after enlightenment. So, before enlightenment the person is seeking enlightenment and feels that it is something outside themselves, but when he hit his nose against that door he realized that it was there within him all the time. But if you went over and bumped your nose against something, what do you think?

[42:25]

Are you going to get enlightened? It was only after having given rise to the doubt sensation and holding it for a long time that this occurred for this person. The same thing with this master. He was looking for this precious mirror and only at that moment when he crossed the river

[43:29]

was it discovered. This precious mirror is only an analogy. So that seeing of one's reflection when he was in the water as he was crossing the river was merely a key. He was looking to get into the door. But he had no key and at that moment when he was going through the river he discovered

[44:35]

his original face. So, that's my explanation on the four lines. I don't know whether I've explained them correctly or not. Perhaps Roshi can tell me whether I have or not. Zen speaks of sudden enlightenment. It cannot be spoken. Zen speaks of sudden enlightenment. So, it would be much better for us to experience this directly.

[45:46]

So, a hundred different people could give a hundred different explanations of this same topic and it would all be different. Because I'm not Master Dong Chan who wrote the poem and he's not me. So, if I continue speaking about the poem like this is that to say that I'm him and he's me? Only if the Master himself, Dong Chan, could come forth and verify that. There are different levels of depth of enlightenment experiences

[47:10]

and only those who are at the same level or higher can verify the experience of another person at the same level or lower. So, I've spent a certain amount of time trying to understand this song of the precious Mira Samadhi. But, I tell you the truth, I don't feel I fully understand it. I don't understand what other people write or say. I think I understand it. So, when I speak about it, it may be different from what other people say.

[48:13]

It's the same experience. It's not easy to fully understand. So, I figured I'd write something on it, of my understanding of it. So, the time is up for today. So, thank you for your patience in listening and if anybody's got any questions... The time is up, but if you have any questions, please...

[49:19]

Because it's difficult to understand, therefore, it's probably not too many questions. Would it be a new person, like a question, do you remember your enlightenment experience? He said, do you remember your own enlightenment experience? He didn't want to ask this kind of question, because it's rude, but he wanted to ask. I don't dare to say my own enlightenment experience. But my teacher thinks I seem to have understood something. I don't myself say that I proclaim myself as enlightened, but it seems that my teacher feels that I understood something. I don't dare to say that I proclaim myself as enlightened,

[50:40]

Because many people like to ask about enlightenment. For example, they ask me, have you enlightened? I say, I have enlightened. They ask me to show them my enlightenment. I can't show them. I have to show them something of that. If I was to say I'm not enlightened, then people are going to respond to that with, if you're not enlightened, what are you doing sitting here talking about all this? So, my usual response is to say,

[51:44]

don't worry about whether I'm enlightened or not. But just if you feel that what I'm saying here is of some use to you and is helpful to people in decreasing their vexation, then that's good enough. In this book, I talk about my experience. Many people have not read this book. Any other questions? Ok, time is up. May I ask your attention before we begin our prayer. May we begin our prayer. May we begin our prayer.

[52:42]

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