This podcast is offered by the San Francisco Zen Center on the web at www.sfzc.org Our public programs are made possible by donations from people like you. I seem to remember some expression like this is a time to gather body and mind into one suchness. This is a setup which is auspicious for gathering body, mind, and the whole environment.

[01:01]

into one suchness. It could also be a time for gathering the teachings of this tradition, cares for the teachings of Ehe Dogen, to gather those teachings together with the teachings of the scripture, which unravels and understands the deep intimacy of Buddhist thought. we chant that in stillness mind and objects merge in realization and go beyond enlightenment.

[02:48]

Mind and objects merge and go beyond enlightenment. Mind and objects enter enlightenment together and leave enlightenment together. This intimacy... of the mind and objects, of subject and object. When understood, when we understand this, this is also called mental attention to suchness.

[03:55]

the sutra Unraveling and Understanding the Mystery says that the intimacy of mind and objects it doesn't actually say that. It says that the understanding that mind is engendered in such a way that it sees itself as objects. This teaching is called mind only or cognition only. Understanding that objects are the mind being generated in such a way as to seem like objects is called mind only.

[05:13]

Understanding that is paying attention to suchness. And suchness, this suchness, is the intimacy of subject and object, the intimacy of mind and objects. This suchness is what bodhisattvas meditate on in the process of realizing complete enlightenment, according to the sutra. What do they meditate on? They meditate on... the teaching of cognition only. They meditate on the intimacy of mind and objects. They meditate on the intimacy of self and other.

[06:21]

They meditate on intimacy of sentient beings and Buddhas. we have the opportunity again, this auspicious opportunity of stillness to look inwardly and see mind and object enter enlightenment together and leave enlightenment together and enter realization together and leave realization together. in stillness there is the opportunity to I say see but it's not see like recognition it is to see in an unconstructed way by sitting still it is to realize without recognition this intimacy

[07:41]

actually, when recognition comes into the intimacy, it kind of, in a sense, it can obscure the intimacy. So, I take back my statement that we have the opportunity in stillness to see mind and object enter realization together and leave together. It's more we have the opportunity to participate completely in mind and objects enter realization and going beyond enlightenment. We have the opportunity to participate in mind and objects entering the teaching of mind only. And by participating in this teaching of mind only with our mind and objects, we enter into attention on suchness.

[08:56]

Dogen Zenji, in commenting on the second major bodhisattva precept of not stealing, says, in the suchness, of mind and objects, the doors of liberation open. In stillness, and having heard the teaching, that in stillness, mind and object join and enter realization, having heard that teaching, practicing stillness, we can enter with mind and object, because we are mind and object. We are mind, and we are the objects of mind. Receiving that teaching in stillness, we can enter the suchness of mind and object.

[10:08]

And in that suchness of mind and objects, the doors of liberation open. I see in this teaching of Dogen Zenji, him being a practitioner of this cognition-only teaching of the sutra. This teaching, as far as I know, is first introduced into the world in this scripture, chapter 8. We're talking about the second bodhisattva, major bodhisattva precept, and the way of talking about this precept is also a way of understanding what we call zazen in terms of understanding the suchness of mind and objects.

[11:46]

Also Dogen Zenji says, which you're familiar with this way of saying it, each moment of zazen is equally wholeness of practice, equally wholeness of enlightenment. Each moment of intimacy each moment of the intimacy of mind and objects, each moment of intimacy of self and other, is equally wholeness of practice, equally wholeness of realization. Each moment of understanding, of sitting still, Each moment in stillness of understanding the intimacy of mind and objects is equally the same practice and the same enlightenment of self and others.

[13:20]

Each moment of this kind of zazen, this zazen which understands the non-separation of subject and object, which understands this teaching of mind only, each moment of that kind of zazen is equally the same practice and the same enlightenment for both Buddhas and sentient beings. cultivating stillness, entering and realizing stillness, and remembering and being mindful of the teaching of mind only.

[14:34]

Being aware, remembering and remembering and remembering and that mind and objects are intimate. That objects are mind. That mind is objects. Remembering this in imperturbable stillness and finally understanding this teaching, one is doing the essential meditation of bodhisattvas. You are meditating on suchness. And in that suchness, the doors of liberation open. So, again, I feel an intimacy between

[15:39]

Dogen Zenji's central teaching here on Zazen about the unconstructedness and stillness, about the immediate realization of mind and objects, intimacy, entering and leaving realization. This teaching and the teaching of the sutra. unraveling and understanding the deep intimacy of Buddha's thought. Understanding this teaching of mind only, we are then paying attention to suchness. Paying attention to suchness removes all the hindrances and obstructions to enlightenment.

[16:53]

The sutra goes into considerable detail on this process by which one moves forward in enlightenment along with meditating on this suchness. Today I give you this simple, fairly simple teaching of intimacy, mind only, and suchness. See if this can, if this teaching can sink down and pervade the stillness which we are devoting ourselves to realizing. In the course that Doga Zenji sets out, in the course that the sutra sets out, in both cases we are encouraged to develop stillness, imperturbable stillness, and to receive the teachings about the nature of reality and learn to remember

[18:37]

one, then the other, one, then the other, the one, [...] the other, the other, the other, until finally we can remember both at the same time. And join these two kinds of practice, the practice of stillness and the practice of listening to, receiving, and penetrating the teaching and then bringing them together. And when they're brought together, then we have the kind of understanding of this teaching, which is attention to suchness. Thank you for listening to this podcast offered by the San Francisco Zen Center. Our Dharma talks are offered free of charge, and this is made possible by the donations we receive. Your financial support helps us to continue to offer the Dharma.

[19:38]

For more information, visit sfzc.org and click Giving.

[19:46]

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