As you must have gathered by now, I'm completely serious about practicing faith. And you're pretty serious too, I think, about it. But you can't sit here being serious with each other all the time. There are many other things each of us could do. But there's no question for me what to do. But then when we're here together, what do I do with you? Sometimes I feel like it. Those of you who want

[01:43]

who could take it, I feel like being quite strict with you, and pushing you hard. But if I do that, I'm afraid we raise the ante all the time, and Our descendants have to become stricter and stricter and shout more and etc. And it makes you dependent on me, on a teacher, on pressure. of the older people. This koan we've been discussing, Tozan's Three Pounds of Flax, is about the path of Buddhism. The previous story about Obaku and the wine drinkers

[03:22]

is about there's no teacher. This one is there's no Buddha, or Tozan is pointing out the path of Buddha. When the other Tozan, Tozan Ryokai, was sent to Mungan Dojo, his teacher. Kueshan said, follow the bending grass. That was very important statement for me many years ago. For those of you who are gone way out on a limb already,

[04:49]

Maybe I have to be rather particular with you. But for those of you who can still climb back onto the tree, I don't want to be too strict with you. Somehow I just want you to find a way to be more alert. You're practicing here, your body is here, and mind sometimes is here, and you are staying, polishing the time.

[05:56]

You know, maybe like a horse in your stall, if you're not alert, just to stand in your stall or sit on your cushion or follow the rules, will polish you, that's true. Something, some subtle I, is necessary. A monk asked Tozan, the Tozan of this flat's story, what is the remote path And Tozan answered, on a fine day, postponing going out, awaiting till the rain is falling heavily on one's head before going out. That's a very good answer and a very good question, too.

[07:32]

That kind of question, what is the remote path? It means the monk, this question is some precipitant from many questions, answering them yourself. Until you come to something fundamental, what am I doing? What is this path? Where is the path? We talk about way-seeking mind or path. This commentary on this koan talks about upward path and downward path, and no one can point it out. What is this path? Well, this monk, I think you can feel it. Mike Tozan said, what do you mean, no eyes, no nose? I have eyes and nose. So this monk, I think, was feeling. Well, where is this path? The path, of course. What is this path? It's very remote. I can't find it. It's not obvious. It's a very good question. What is the remote path?

[09:01]

Tozan's teacher was asked for advice by some official, and Umang said, There are no divergent ways in front of you. This story of Dozan and the Three Founds of Flux is a good example of Huayen, or Kegon, Buddhist philosophy in practice. in which the feeling is that everything is equal. Buddha, blacks, secular. But still a sense of path in everything equal. So it means some open eye to find out the path.

[10:29]

The commentary says, quoting, Kosen. In the spring, a budding flower, budding blossom. In the fall, a brocade, a spread of brocade. And it comes from monks that I don't understand. in the original story. He said, bamboo is short in the south and tall in the north. Yesterday I heard at noontime what sounded like a frog. I couldn't imagine why he hadn't gone home. As I was saying a couple of days ago about the Sixth Patriarch, unsupported thought or to, without abiding anywhere, manifest your mind.

[12:37]

At least, that's the Sixth Patriarch, at least be more alert. Some kind of pressing is necessary. Tozan was also asked by a monk Before mind exists, where are things? What are things? And he says, without a breeze, the lotus moves. There must be a fish swimming by. This feeling I've mentioned to you before, because it also was quite important to me. In about sixty, three maybe, suddenly I began to feel

[14:23]

some unusual interrelationship of everything, which at first I could only express by being underwater, in which everything touched everything. Humong was also asked, what is the path to Mount Humong? That's like saying, If we call this mountain Shogaku, what is the path to Shogaku or what is the path to Zenshinzan, Zenshin Temple or Zenshin Mountain. It's also a name in this case. What is the path to Mount Shogaku or Mount Umman. And Umman said, Intimacy. This intimacy is an intimacy without closeness or distance.

[15:38]

By your alertness you know this tangible touching of everything. Then by the way of grasp, then you can find your ngan, donjo, find yourself. Some of you are pressing in your practice, but you press with the idea of attainment. So you're in a box and you'll only make your practice ascetic or life difficult for yourself and you'll always be rejecting others and finding fault with everything. This pressing I'm talking about comes from giving up. It's a kind of ability to sense your stomach gets or you get, which allows you to stay with things without flinching. Or if you flinch, you stay still without pulling away. You can see it when a person sits. You may all be sitting there without moving,

[17:19]

But some few people are staying with their city, or they have their home, or they're, I can say also, pressing, knowing there are no alternatives, knowing there are no alternatives true or some real alertness is there. As long as you think there's some alternative, something better to do, your alertness won't be able to see anything except what you're used So in Sashin and in practice, this aroused and yet relaxed home feeling will begin to come out.

[18:44]

and you may be able to move into it. If you find this, you won't need strictness or laxness. You and the past are one without any looking around.

[20:11]

And you may stop to join people in what they're doing because the path goes in all directions. This subtle staying with. soaked through, through. Don't give up thinking and comparing your practice to others and to your own idea or development.

[21:35]

give up harboring the will, so many ideas and attitudes. Why is it so difficult to practice them? Because you're so greedy and afraid. Lazy. Fake lazy. The path I'm talking about is so much easier. Everything stops. Like moving at the same speed with everything.

[22:52]

Wave follows wave. Wave leads wave. The Kiyoshi always said. I can't show you my insides. I can't show you anything until you have that alertness and ready to hear. No chances

[24:00]

Your mind doesn't sink. We have some problem with priest and layman. You understand what I'm saying. But you think I have to become a priest, then? Maybe so. But it's not so. It will be clear in a few years how it's not so.

[25:14]

A little confusing for you. But it will sort itself out. If you become ordained, it'll be all right. If you don't, it'll be all right. Don't worry about such things. Be true to this intimate path which is true to what you finally don't have qualifications for. It should be obvious by your own existence. Why can't you do it? That should be your question, not should you do it.

[27:25]

What's hanging your back? What are you so fond of? of your practice, of your zazen, of your own hands, of your skin? Isn't that enough?

[29:13]

and stay with your practice.

[30:16]

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