This podcast is offered by the San Francisco Zen Center on the web at sfzc.org. Our public programs are made possible by donations from people like you. On this... blessed day of rain the skies touching us with nourishing I wish to dedicate this morning's meeting to our former abbot and great friend and compassionate teacher, Daitsu Myogen Dayosho, Steve Stuckey, who passed away, or I should say, who demonstrated and taught passing away 40 days ago.

[01:26]

40 nights ago. I see it. This new speaker, I can't turn my head. Yeah, if I turn my head it gets too loud. I have to keep straight ahead. This consciousness was visited by a story which is called sometimes an outsider questions the Buddha. And I'm just reminded that they often speak of the Buddha.

[02:44]

You know, when he spoke, he spoke like, he used his head like elephant, like elephant moves, doesn't just move the head to the side, they move the whole body. So if I want to go, I just move my whole body like this. It works. But I can't move my head alone. so an outsider came to the Buddha an outsider in this case I understand means a person who wish to question the Buddha but who was not initiated into the Buddha's community he wasn't ordained into the Buddhist community either as a lay person or as a monk still he came and he met the Buddha and he said something like, I don't ask about words and I don't ask about no words.

[03:53]

And the Buddha sat And the outsider sighed in admiration. Can you hear that sigh in the back? The world honored one's great loving kindness and great compassion has opened up my clouds of doubt and delusion.

[05:09]

and has allowed me to enter reality. Then the outsider left the Buddha. After he left, the Buddha's great attendant, Ananda, said to the Buddha, what did the outsider realize that he said that he was able to enter your teaching? And the Buddha said, like a good horse that goes as soon as she sees the shadow of the whip. This story came to me for some reason.

[06:20]

I don't know why, but it's been in my mind for a while. And so now here I am today and telling you, I feel blessed by this story that came down from the sky. It's so appropriate for today. In the Buddha's early teaching, she said, there are four kinds of horses. The first kind is startled and goes at the shadow of a whip. She follows the writer's intention. The second kind of horse is startled when the whip touches her mane, her hair.

[07:32]

She's startled and goes just by being touched on the hair with the whip. Then she can follow the rider's intention. is startled and goes when touched on the flesh and the fourth kind of horse goes when the whip touches his bone the Buddha goes on to say the first kind of horse is like someone who hears of impermanence in some other village from her own and feels aroused

[08:54]

practice the Buddha way the second kind of horse is like someone who hears of impermanence in his own village and then hearing this is aroused the way of the Buddhas the third kind of horse is one no the third kind of yeah the third kind of horse the one whose flesh is touched is like someone who hears of the impermanence of her own beloved parents not to mention children, brothers and sisters.

[10:03]

And hearing and seeing this impermanence, they are aroused to aspire to the great way. The fourth kind of horse is one who hears of the impermanence, the fourth kind of person, The fourth kind of horse is like a person who hears and experiences their own dying and death. And as they die, they finally arouse the will to enter the way. Sometime later, in another great scripture which is called the great perfect nirvana scripture, Maha Parinirvana Sutra, the Buddha said, good sons and daughters, it's like training horses.

[11:38]

Some horses go when touched on the hair. Some horses go when touched on the skin. Some horses go when touched on the hair, skin, and flesh. And some horses go when touched on the hair, skin, flesh and bones. The Buddha has four methods. First, she speaks, she teaches about birth.

[13:06]

So that living beings can accept the true teaching of liberation. This is like the horse who goes when you touch the hair. Second method is that she speaks of birth and old age. In this way, when people hear the Buddha speaking of birth and old age, they accept. They give up resistance to the true teaching. The third method, and the second method is like touching the hair and the skin of the horse so it will go.

[14:27]

next method is the Buddha speaks of birth of aging and sickness so that beings can accept the teaching this is like a horse who goes when the hair skin and flesh is touched and finally the Buddha teaches the Buddha demonstrates birth aging sickness and death so that beings will enter will accept the truth this is like the horse

[15:32]

who goes when you touch her hair skin flesh and bone I see something important in this the Buddha wishes to show us the truth but the truth is hard to show other than something we can see so among the various things the Buddha can show us the Buddha start by showing us birth her own birth her own youth her own life she shows that and some can see that and enter the truth And then she goes on to show old age and so on.

[16:37]

But it doesn't say, in this teaching, it doesn't say the Buddha speaks of death, teaches death, and beings can accept the truth. It's said that Buddha teaches of birth, old age, sickness, and then death. The Buddha doesn't start his method by touching the bone. Starts by touching the skin. And for some, that's enough. Starts by touching the hair. Or showing the shadow of the whip. And for some, that's enough. Saves on Buddha's work. But for others... must go from skin to flesh, from skin, from hair to skin, to flesh, to bone.

[17:42]

But he doesn't go directly to bone. He gets the person other options. And if they don't accept the first, he gives the second and the third. And finally, if you haven't accepted the Dharma yet, you have one last chance. at death. And many people that's when they finally accept the teaching. Some accept earlier but this teaching says that the teaching is not to immediately show death, to immediately strike at the bone. It's starting gradually seeing what is needed and teaching all four to some, three to some, two to some, and one to some. But when the Buddha just teaches one, the one that the Buddha teaches is touching the hair or showing a shadow or being silent.

[18:51]

For some, the Buddha can sit in silence and they enter because they're like the first horse. But there's no feeling like the fourth horse is not as good as the first horse. The feeling of the horses is that they're different types of beings and all will be able to enter. Some by all four methods, some by three, some by two, some by one. But the ones who enter by one method are the ones who enter like the outsider who said, I don't ask about words. or no words but I do ask and the Buddha showed the silent stillness of Buddha's wisdom and there was a sigh of admiration for this teaching and an experience of Buddha's great loving kindness

[20:05]

in the silence but sometimes the loving kindness comes with words like the words about life There is a poem celebrating the meeting of the outsider and the Buddha. One translation goes like, the spiritual wheel does not turn. The wheel of great potential does not turn. If it turns, it goes two ways then the brilliant mirror is leaned against a stand and divides beauty and ugliness and lifts clouds of doubt and illusion

[21:32]

however no duality or what duality can exist in the gate of compassion fine horse watches the shadow of the whip it goes a thousand miles in pursuit of the wind Buddha calls her back. And if the horse comes back when the Buddha calls, the Buddha snaps her fingers three times. The outsider met the Buddha and

[22:49]

did not ask the Buddha to move the wheel of the teaching. He said, I don't ask about it going this way or that way. So the Buddha did not turn the wheel. So no duality was set up. So there's no issue of dust. in the gates of Buddha's compassion and so the good horse dashed off a thousand miles following the wind and the Buddha did not call her back but sometimes people come to the Buddha's teaching and they ask it to be turned and it gets turned and when it gets turned it goes this way and that and duality is set up which separates good and bad horses beautiful and ugly horses and then clouds of illusion and doubt arise still

[24:23]

in the friendship of the Buddha the dust drops away the duality evaporates and the living being is liberated and still the Buddha might say come back as a final test If the liberated being comes back when called, the Buddha goes. But the outsider did not come back. But Ananda came back and said, what did he see? And the Buddha said, he's like

[25:25]

the fine horse who goes at the shadow of the whip, at the shadow of the wheel of the truth being turned. I don't know if the wheel of the dharma was turned this morning and if any duality puffed up in the gate of Buddha's compassion. Duality is not a problem. We don't have to get rid of it. We don't have to hold on to it. is this showing birth has birth been shown and spoken of is this showing old age is this speaking of sickness

[27:08]

is this speaking of birth aging sickness and death this speaking of these things is not for the purpose of encouraging living beings to stay away from birth, aging, sickness, and death. It's not for that purpose. That's not why it's spoken of. It's also not spoken of so that living beings... will understand that birth and death are the Dharma.

[28:24]

Or it's not offered for the sake of helping living beings think that birth and death are not the Dharma. The purpose of this speaking of the Buddhas is to help people enter the reality of perfect enlightenment. All these words, all this speaking is just for the purpose of helping us enter the reality of perfect wisdom. Is there readiness? Is there readiness and openness to accept the true Dharma?

[29:46]

The unsurpassed penetrating and perfect Dharma is rarely heard even in a hundred times thousand million kalpas. Having it to see and listen to, to remember and accept, I vow to taste the truth of the Tathagata's words. The rain is making sound on the roof of the hall. The rain is ready. Are you? Thank you for listening to this podcast.

[30:53]

offered by the San Francisco Zen Center. Our programs are made possible by the donations we receive. Please help us to continue to realize and actualize the practice of giving by offering your financial support. For more information, visit sfzc.org and click Giving. May we fully enjoy the Dharma.

[31:22]

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