Good morning. As I was walking over from my cabin, I was thinking about Shashin. This point in Shashin, where we're just the energy of initiation. Maybe some mix of and positive anticipation and dread or maybe we could have low-level anxiety and how most likely in about three or four days this is going to be our life this is going to be the new normal our way of thinking of the day will be in the time in the in the day will be in relationship to the schedule of she seen can you hear okay in the corners yeah and then within each of us the

[01:24]

the unfolding of our own being whatever connection to the deep request of practice that brought us here that has a sitting here how shall I come forward and then whatever issues dilemmas sadnesses, conflicts that are part of our karmic being, how shall they come forward? What I'm going to talk about this morning is ... ... It's interesting since I taught the class on it and I mentioned in the class that it was bereft of a certain... The standard text of Fukunza Zengi is absent particularities.

[02:47]

And as I studied it, I discovered a very interesting thing that... modern scholarship now thinks that Dogen wrote his first version of Fukunza Zengi in about 1227. And he wrote his latest version of it in 1244, 17 years later. And that he wrote a version in 33, and then that later version in 44. And the interesting thing in comparing them is you can sort of see what he added. And presumably he added it because he thought it was significant, relevant. In some places he uses a different kind of language.

[03:53]

In the first one, it's almost like it's a polished presentation. Cease all involvement and set aside all affairs. And then in the later version, he adds about four paragraphs and says, however, if that's not what happens, that way that from the place, the inner place of what brought us here, the inner place that says, yes, I will. That inner place, as Hakkawan says, yearns for who we were before our parents were born.

[05:06]

It calls forth a certain commitment, a certain resolve, a certain expression of engagement. However, the karmic workings of our being will come forth. Not predictably, not consistently, but I would say arising out of a complexity of being and interbeing, that's beyond our knowing. And I think these are good things to both note. It's wisdom that seeks wisdom.

[06:19]

this inter-being. Dogen Zenji is saying in Genju Kod. When the Dharma fills our body and mind it's experienced as something missing. We discover that we're not in control. that the workings of even something as intimate as our own thoughts and feelings comes forth from a complexity of interbeing that we can't fully comprehend. And if we make the agenda of our practice

[07:31]

master it to control it to figure it out and something will always be missing something will always be beyond our grasp in a way it would be impossible to settle if we meet it as it is if something in us can allow what arises can just be what it is practice occurs actualizing the fundamental point to use our standard translation of doggone how do we remind ourselves in the clarity of just being present and initiating the process of engagement.

[08:39]

A broad, all-inclusive awareness. And I think, in this consideration, the language of the Fukanzazengi, as we chanted, helps us the way is perfect and all-pervading the way includes everything how could there possibly be a way that excludes part of who we are how we are what we are something in us is exhibiting wisdom discovering rediscovering realizing wisdom how do we stay close to that is there a way to stay close to that

[10:04]

that doesn't get swept away by what arises out of the conditioned karma of our being. And certainly as we're settling into Sushin, one of the things we can notice, and I would say become skillful with, is the way our attention our consciousness gets swept away. In my thinking and offering in the class a couple of what I think of as slogans, sort of concise admonitions. Experience the experience being experienced. Maybe your mind likes or dislikes it.

[11:13]

Maybe your mind has already judged it good or bad, succeeding or failing. Can it be experienced? And then the active version of that, notice, acknowledge, contact, experience. Finding a way where the resolve of our innate wisdom and compassion meet the karmic constituents of what we are. And the classic formulation

[12:15]

We direct attention that initiates contact with the moment, and we receive it, receptive attention. And how for each of us to internalize that in a way that... an intimate part of how we function in the language I've been using is it's a yogic process something is joined yeah awareness is joined to the experience of the moment of the moment is embodied rather than simply processed by our thinking.

[13:31]

There's an enormous amount to learn through that process. And no matter what we read, no matter how knowledgeable we become of the details written in a version of the Dharma still a challenge for us is to experience it directly to let that be discovered within our own workings and so what I'd like to do I would like to reference some of dogan's later editions one of the most significant first significant later editions he added in the original text it says as we chanted if the least like or dislike arises the mind is lost confusion

[14:49]

And he says, we should know that there are eons of transmigrations in samsara. And that's what causes the discrimination in one moment. The path of delusion in the dusty world is also caused by ceaseless evaluations. If you want to thoroughly transcend, you should simply settle down here and now. I think the admonition to settle down has within it a wonderful paradox we settle down by being willing to not be settled down or if you want to be a little humorous or contrary about it you lower your standards you accept that the nature of consciousness is beyond the dictates of our most sincere and dedicated efforts.

[16:04]

And as I said a few moments ago, if our effort is to dominate that in a way that it settles, it's not going to work one of the early suttas likens this process to a very strong wrestler wrestling the mind into submission and it describes the intense and determined and persistent effort and then it says eventually and this doesn't work the wrestler does not succeed technically speaking I would say yes directed attention

[17:18]

receptive attention make your best effort moment by moment now come back to that phrase in a minute because within directed attention there is energy That's not the whole story. Otherwise, we make a split. There's some virtuous path and there's some profane falling away from the virtuous path. Whatever arises is part of the nature of being.

[18:21]

Experience the experience being experienced. However, that is not accessible to us until there is some capacity to meet the moment. to meet the moment is the contact we make the contact we make through directing our efforts directing our attention if you attend carefully

[19:25]

the process of chanting service and you start to see oh it requires attention to stay in touch with what it is we're chanting in that moment it requires a directed attention that takes us, invites us into the moment. And then we also, we chant it together, which also invites us into the moment of interbeing. It's a significant part of our way that we chant part of the one voice of service.

[20:35]

So please listen to yourself. If you're a little behind, speed up. If you're a little ahead, slow down. Becoming that one voice teaches us in a way that is not part of our comprehension, it's a felt experience. So directed attention initiates interbeing. Directed attention helps the mind to settle. When we direct attention, Zazen in seated as I said we're directing attention to the phenomena of the moment and I would suggest to you the sensations in the body and the sensations in breath in the body as a basis

[21:52]

all the nuances that can be involved in that. But the point I'm trying to make now is directed attention to draw experiencing into being. This body is part of the form of all being. these sounds here heard here arising from the creek these sites expressed through seeing all creating engagement and as the direct attention makes contact it creates an energy One of the things we're going to do after we have the afternoon work period and exercise period, when we come back to the Zendu, we're going to chant the Enmei Juku Kanan Gyo energetically.

[23:19]

And I hope through that, I must confess, it's a process. I learned in Rinzai practice. In Rinzai practice there's many ways to do something with as much energy as possible. The notion being that it brings forth a becoming part of everything. And of course the shadow of directed attention is gaining mind, tightening around the effort. So rather than it coming in an easeful flow, it's the body and maybe the mind is straining to make it happen.

[24:32]

especially as we're initiating sasheen if you can give purposeful directed attention classically speaking in our tradition one of the main objects of that would be the body and the breath in the body this is Powerful and wonderful practice. There's many ways in connecting to the body that it stabilizes our being. Just as there are ways in which our emotions and our anxieties and our concerns about the past and the future can unsettle, settling into the body of now helps to settle. So all this is implicit in Dogen saying, settle.

[25:54]

Settle into a steady, immovable city. And then he continues after saying, the path of delusion in the dusty world also causes ceaseless evaluation if you want to thoroughly transcend you should understand how to settle here and now we start with understanding and hopefully that guides our engagement and we fully embrace but that creates our workings are complex I would imagine that each of us will have moments when that will thoroughly take hold and will settle, and each of us will have moments when it seems like the very opposite happened.

[26:59]

So be it. And then Dogen returns to the primary text and even if you're proud of understanding and have considered yourself as having deep experiences of enlightenment and he cautions us that's just the beginning and then he didn't add any footnotes until the line if you wish to attain suchness, you should practice suchness without delay. You should diligently practice samadhi.

[28:04]

Continuous contact. So the directed attention creates a moment of contact. Continuing that attention. starts to create a pervasive influence on our consciousness. One way to think about it is, for a moment you interrupt the world according to me, the narrative of thinking and feeling that's creating that. For a moment you interrupt it, and then you resume it. So it has an abiding authority. The more you interrupt it, the more its abiding authority starts to loosen up. And as it starts to loosen up, it creates the possibility for other modes of engaging the moment.

[29:17]

Dugan Zenji says, arousing the Bodhisattva vow helps to do that. Just experiencing what's happening also helps us to do it. And in some ways, especially when we experience the body and the breath, As Dogen says in the Genji of Koen, we forget the self. And when we forget the self, this interbeing that we're part of just becomes what's experienced. In the later version, Dogen spoke of it this way.

[30:26]

You should let go of all associations, put aside all affairs. Your body and your mind should be one, and your movement and stillness should be continuous. You should consider the amount of food and drink you consume, neither too much nor too little. skip ahead to this phrase your eyes should always remain open and should breathe the gently through your nose and then in the later version Dogen added a several paragraphs they'd worked in the original version

[31:27]

When you start to experience samadhi, when you start to experience the energy of contacting what's happening, this is a great assistant. This is a great way of helping to experience the process of zazen. Eminent monks from ancient times were known as practitioners of this way. Zen master Fan Yun also admonished that the monks practice in this way. And then he adds, quoting Zen master Fan Yun as saying to his monks, If you sit with your eyes closed, you're sitting in the cave of demons in the Black Mountain.

[32:40]

And then he also said, there's deep meaning in those words. I would say, if you find yourself closing your eyes, Try and examine the influence that causes that. I would say each of us is exploring the settledness, the settling process of letting go of agitation and affliction in the opening process of experiencing what's happening in the moment without limitation without a strategy of editing or monitoring it and we're looking for the balance between the two and opening or closing the eyes

[34:02]

part of that equation. It's part of that exploration. As we settle into Shashin, I would say it's helpful to be more diligent with opening your eyes. If you just simply close your eyes, it towards making dominant this kind of soothing settling that's not so attentive to what's going on and then in response to the statement where he's quoting a koan, a teacher's response to a student, think of not thinking.

[35:11]

How do you think of not thinking, non-thinking? And he says, when thought arises, in the later version, he offered a different, a more explicit version. When thought arises, be aware of it. When you're aware of it, it will disappear. Put aside everything outside continuously and make yourself into one piece. These extra quotes that I'm reading are translations by Shohaka Gomorrah. Make yourself one piece. My way of thinking that is that what's experienced here becomes what we're attending to.

[36:19]

That is continuous attention to what's experienced here and now. And that it's a singular activity. It's utterly subjective. Especially when what's happening here has a lot of activity to it. When there's still a lot of thinking or a lot of emoting, attending and attending and attending to it. And as we attend to it, exploring, as Dogen's energy says, the difference between experiencing it and letting it create a reality that then... we react to respond to you know even if we respond to suppressing it we're still allowing it to be a something we're still asserting it as a something that needs to be diminished and of course if we grasp it then it's a something that needs to be continued so neither diminishing neither grasping how do we experience

[37:37]

Maybe that's enough for today. All that is a long-winded way of saying this is a crucial time in Shishin. This is a formative time in Shishin. This is when we're setting the foundation of a new normal. If we can train ourselves, encourage ourselves to bring this kind of continuous awareness, then it becomes who we are and how we are in Shashim. If we can ingrain in our being, experience the experience being experienced, then that becomes the through line while the unwinding, the unfolding of our karmic existence expresses whatever it expresses.

[39:01]

If we simply settle into a habitual way of being, then that will dictate what's created as your way of being in Shishin. In the seven factors of awakening, the first factor is awareness. The second factor is investigation. So taking up that admonition and watching in your in the workings of your own being how how is that possible how can that way of attending to what's going on how can it be promoted how can it be preserved not making it harsh and demanding that will just exhaust you not being lax

[40:19]

then of course your karmic being will take over and preoccupy your consciousness this is an interesting time investigating rediscovering letting this precious time of already having established practice before we moved into Shishin. This is a great foundation for what we can do in Shishin. And as we settle, what arises then becomes our guide. It becomes our teacher. This is the path that Shakyamuni proposed.

[41:28]

Thank you.

[41:30]

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