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

[01:01]

Sometimes I feel like... Those of you who want, 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.

[02:36]

And it makes you dependent on me, or on my teacher, or on pressure from the older people. This koan we've been discussing, Tozan's Three Pounds of Flax, is about the path of The previous story about Obaku and the wine drinkers is about there's no teacher. This one is there's no Buddha. Or Tozan is pointing out the path of Buddha. The other Tosan, Tosan Ryokai, was sent to Hungan Dojo, his teacher. Kueishan said, follow the bending grass.

[04:13]

That was a very important statement for me many years ago. For those of you who who are gone way out on a limb already. 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 tiles.

[06:10]

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, Subtle I is necessary. A monk asked, Tozan, the Tozan of this flat What is the remote path?" And Tozan answered, "...postponing 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

[07:48]

And a very good question, too. What kind of question? What is the remote path? It means the monk, this question is some precipitant from many questions. Answering this 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 poem talks about upward path and downward path, and no one can point it out. What is this path? Well, this month, I think, You can feel it. He... He... 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 at? The path of wisdom. What is this at? It's very remote. I can't find it. It's not obvious.

[09:17]

Very good question. What is the remote path? Suman, Tozan's teacher, was asked for advice by some official. And Suman said, there are no divergent ways in front of This story of Dozan and three pounds of flax is a good example of Kuo-Yin or Kegon Buddhist philosophy in practice. in which the feeling is that everything is equal, Buddha, blacks, etc. But still a sense of path in everything equal. So it means some open eye to find out the path.

[10:53]

the commentary says, quoting. Kosa. In the spring, a budding flower, budding blossom. In the fall, a brocade, a spread of brocade. And it comes from, a monk said, 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 truth, without abiding anywhere, manifest your mind.

[13:07]

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

[14:56]

some unusual interrelationship of everything, which at first I could only express like being underwater, in which everything touched everything. Umon was also asked, what is the path to Mount Umon? That's like saying We call this mountain Shogaku for Fujoshi. 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 Uman. And Uman said, intimacy. This intimacy is an intimacy without closeness or distance.

[16:26]

By your alertness you know this tangible touching of everything. Then by the way of grasp, yes, 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 kiss or your 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,

[17:59]

But some few people are staying with their city. They have their home, or their, I could say also, present. 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 to So in session and in practice, this aroused and yet relaxed home feeling will begin to come out.

[19:27]

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

[20:57]

And you may stop to join people in what they're doing because the path goes in all directions. It's subtle, staying with. soaked through and through. So give up thinking and comparing your practice to others and to your own idea or development.

[22:24]

give up harboring ill will, so many ideas and attitudes. Why is it so difficult to practice Zen? 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.

[23:43]

Wave follows wave. Wave leads wave. It's a Kirshenbaum effect. I can't show you my inside. I can't show you anything until you have that alertness. And ready to hear. No chance.

[24:53]

Your mind doesn't think. You 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, but now it's

[26:11]

A little confusing for you. But it will sort itself out. If you become ordained, it will be all right. If you don't, it will 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 about.

[27:12]

Why can't you do it? Should be your question, not should you do it. What's hanging you back? What are you so fond of? The testimony of your practice, of your dozen, of your own hands, of your skin, isn't that enough?

[29:05]

May you stay with your practice.

[30:09]

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