Yesterday was Buddha's enlightenment day, the day we, anyway, remember, commemorate as Buddha's enlightenment day. About 2,500 years ago, Buddha realized the truth of our life. And what I'd like to try to talk about is how that realization is continuous with our lives now. Not 2,500 years ago, but right now. As you know, Buddha began his all-night sitting after coming to the conclusion that asceticism was not the way to practice, to realize the truth.

[01:28]

things, each in its own terms, or just as they are, was his intuition. And so he turned away from asceticism. And asceticism, since I'm using it, some people consider Zen ascetic, you know, because it's rather strict. Zen really isn't ascetic, it's just a recognition that our nature is free from possessions. But asceticism, as I'm using it, means to deny the body or limit the body for the sake of the spirit. And Buddha did the opposite. he affirmed the body. And just as we practice, we practice, we come to a particular physical location. And spiritual life is very particular. It's not something universal or a big generalization. It's this minute particular. So we, in our practice, come to a particular place, find a particular place, our body.

[03:06]

And we bring our breath to our body. Usually we start sitting by rocking a little back and forth. This isn't just to center yourself, but also to bring your breath and your body together. And then your mind following your breath. So, mind, breath and body becoming one. Material and spiritual, one. So for Buddhism, mind and material and spiritual are all one. And the separation of spiritual, so-called spiritual life and material, is, from the point of view of Buddhism, a defective and ineffective understanding of material, this material world.

[04:33]

So Buddha sat and was enlightened, you know. But here, it's very important, he was enlightened with all things, or all things were simultaneously enlightened with him. If you think Buddha was enlightened, that's incorrect understanding. But if you think, no, he was enlightened and all things were enlightened with him, this is enlightenment. So we have a poem of somebody like Layman Pang, who was a disciple of Matsu, Baso. And Baso asked Layman Pang.

[06:01]

some question, I can't remember, about Buddhism or enlightenment or something. And he said, I can't answer. And he said, so Matsu said, just because you can't answer, I want you to answer. I think he said ordinary activity is, just ordinary activity is enlightenment. Anyway, so he responded with a famous poem. which goes something like, anything that just comes to hand, anything I find in front of me to do, or just ordinary daily life, is harmony within, or there is no contradiction anywhere, not taking, not rejecting, just doing what's before me. There is no contradiction anywhere. Anyway, that's the sense of the first part. No need for emblem or sign or purple robes, he says.

[07:48]

Mountains and hills, means us or you, are without dust. Supernatural activity. Supernatural activity is carrying water and chopping wood. Carrying water and chopping wood are supernatural activity or wondrous supernatural activity and wondrous functioning. are carrying water and chopping wood. Now, it's quite easy to understand that as, oh, then Zen is just something natural, just doing whatever comes to you to do, or doing just what you're already doing. That may be true, but you have to understand the actual realm or simultaneity of realms in which events occur to know what Layman Pang meant. Just whatever comes to hand to do is very similar to the sixth patriarch saying, my mind is a field of blessedness.

[09:23]

which does not stray and in which wisdom naturally arises. And then he said, following that to the fifth patriarch, I do not know what you'll give me to do. Same as Layman Pang, I do not know what you'll give me to do. Anything that comes to hand. But how many of us can actually do, right now, from this moment, anything that comes to hand? without any idea of anything. The Diamond Sutra, the first seven sections of the Diamond Sutra, seven paragraphs, start the same way. Buddha got up in the morning, took his begging bowl and went out and begged and got some food.

[10:28]

returned and ate it and washed and put on his robe and sat down. So this is ordinary activity, you know, taking this posture. He sat cross-legged. And then the next is the action is begun. The activity is begun by the disciple. Who asks? What is the... Is there anyone who practices Buddhism or anyone who realizes enlightenment? And Buddha says, if there is anyone who has any idea of enlightenment or any sense of self or any appearances, he is not a Bodhisattva. No appearances.

[11:55]

And this means actually no thoughts, no possession of thoughts even, no ideas. It's hard to imagine a mind without ideas. But the kind of thinking where you see something and make an idea of it is not the mind of a bodhisattva. just to know the actual changing nature of everything and enter into it without thought. But how to enter into it without thought is also some secret. Thinking mind disappears into the activity itself and the activity itself you are one with, not too late and not too soon. Since your thinking mind exists in its own thinking, you know, you think of something to do, you decide to do it, and then, according to how you do it, you recriminate yourself or are angry or something. But this is all the products of your own mind. So when this is, as Layman Pang says, in harmony with your activity,

[13:32]

There is no difficulty in knowing what to do at any moment, because your thoughts exist in their own products. So we know what to do, actually, each moment, but we're not able to know how to act on it or to understand the signals we get. We always ignore overeating, overacting, underacting. So then next section is Buddha characterizes the Tathagata as a great giver, one who's always giving. Whatever appears in your zazen you give away, give away your thoughts, give away your... instead of you know trying to push it aside, oh that's for later or I'll come back to it later or that's something to keep away, you actively give it away.

[14:34]

giving his way. So the bodhisattva is a great giver. And in Rinzai's terms, a man of no rank. A man of no rank. It doesn't matter what you do. Good, bad, status, or anything. All activity is essentially the same without distinction, without form. Wang Po says this world is neither round nor square, long or short, just shining, omnipresent. Anything you do is this. Nothing is on this level. This is also the seventh booming, the level of the far-reaching, in which all realms are simultaneously present, in which you're not caught by your thoughts, not caught by particular ideas, This realm is what we mean by enlightenment, in which carrying water and chopping wood is supernatural activity, power, and wondrous functioning of enlightenment. And it means some real trust, not trying to figure out what to do,

[16:00]

through your direct experience, knowing how everything reaches everywhere. Not discriminating, I should do that, I should do this, just doing what's right there. Carrying water or chopping wood without any idea of something else is better or worse. And in fact, taking your rest in carrying water. Now it's some great opportunity to rest. I will rest carrying water. Nothing else to do ever. And next I do whatever is there. Taking your rest. Eating. You eat something. Just taking your rest in eating. So then Buddha is asked in the Diamond Sutra, you know, can the Tathagata be known? And Buddha says, the Tathagata cannot be seen, has no appearances. Nowhere can you find Buddha.

[17:30]

If you know, know this. This is the great mind of the Tathagata. So our practice is not something you can see. I've described it as elusive. Something you can get a hold of. It means giving up all possessions. Possession of self. thoughts, ideas. And then Buddha is asked, Well, what about in the last 500 year period, 2,500 years from now, will there still be Buddhas?

[18:37]

and patriarchs speaking about Buddhism, and will there be people listening, understanding, and practicing Buddhism? Will the Dharma be expounded in the last 500-year period?" And Buddha says, do not speak that way. It's up to you if you say, 2,500 years from now there will be some Buddha. This is conceptualizing the Dharma as some thing. Right now, it's your responsibility. If there will be Buddhism in the last 2,500 years, there must be Buddhism right now. And that's true for you too. You have equal responsibility with Buddha, Subhuti, Sariputra, all Buddha's disciples. If you realize right now, as they realized, it's your responsibility. If they didn't realize it, there would not be Buddhism now.

[20:00]

there wouldn't be a possibility of realizing Buddhism. For if you realize Buddhism, all beings, all things realize Buddhism. Everything is upheld by your way-seeking mind. Dogen says, although we use water, although we use water as water or although

[21:10]

rivers and seas contain what we call water. Do not foolishly assume that dragons and other beings understand water as we understand water. For dragons it may be a palace Anyway, he says, do not limit yourself to the human use of water. If you want to study water, he says, study the water of Buddhism and how we understand how the Buddhism patriarchs used water. Some of you in your practice, you know, you have the feeling of water seeking its own level or some natural way. Water is, in the leaves it shines green, in the sky it's blue. Water does not have any up or down or ten directions or three times. He also says, you know, since ancient times wise men have lived

[22:40]

by streams and rivers. And when they live by streams and rivers they fish for fish. And they fish for men. And they fish for the way. And he says, these are all traditional water styles. And he goes on to say, and there should be hooking the self and there should be finding the hook and hooking the hook. Someone said, you know, that our way of practice is like fishing with a straight hook. You won't catch very much, but many fish will come up and visit. Go away. Our practice is like that, our zazen is like that. You don't hook anything, but many things will come and go away.

[23:53]

So I don't know if I can actually convey to you what I mean, because although you already know what I mean, to try to understand it is impossible. So you can get some sense, maybe, and can begin to try to act on each thing, knowing that each thing contains past, present and future. space and time. Each thing is the book. The phenomenal world and the ... If I say, subtle world. You'll think something magic, but how we act on each thing, knowing it's both one and many. Now, if you know your wholeness, you know, after you may have noticed in a sashim, everyone chants very clearly.

[25:57]

and everyone chants together very clearly. But because each person sitting in sasheen usually has some sense of their wholeness, the particular is an expression then of the wholeness. And if you can express your wholeness, it's easy to do things with other people. Not just all the same thing. If you're all doing something different, everything is quite harmonious. If you're expressing your wholeness in the particular, now this particular, sometime else, some other particular thing, but always with a sense of this very mind is Buddha. Neither Buddha nor not Buddha. So enlightenment isn't some particular experience or particular thing which you can possess or some other person can possess. A bodhisattva literally means an enlightenment being

[27:21]

There's a story. Two monks, of course, always two monks, are talking, and one says, How many hands has Avalokiteshvara, or Kannon, you know, Avalokiteshvara has so many hands, you know, a thousand hands and eleven heads. So he says, how many hands has Avalokiteshvara? And his friend says, his whole body are hands. His whole body is hands. And the first one says, question and answer are the same. And his friend, the second monk, says, 99% correct. And Dogen comments on this story and says, 99% is the right answer. But if you say 100%, that's something finite.

[29:45]

If you say anything particular, that's some limited idea. But ninety-nine percent is not limited idea, something missing. As if something's missing, complete and incomplete simultaneously. at rest in activity. So enlightenment means your whole body are your hands. Or you can take any form. In leaves you shine green, in the sky you're blue. Before morning do on the grass before midnight the sun.

[31:08]

So a bodhisattva is one, an enlightenment being, is one who is not caught by any particular realm, space or time. And because he's quite free from the products of his own thoughts, he can take any form, any form, any person, entering their suffering where they can't enter. without fear, able to do anything, any kind of activity or work, not high or low, good or bad, knowing how each particular thing contains everything. all past present and future in this particular moment and everything will come from this moment and how to do it you know with that energy that sustains everything

[32:49]

Okay. If I try too hard to try to have you understand what I mean, it won't help. Only by

[34:05]

the practice of dropping away mind and body, dropping away the concept-forming tendencies of your mind, in walking, sitting, lying, talking, whatever you're doing, can you realize how we are participating with everything? How our nature that you can realize is continuous with the nature of everything? that this very energy which sustains you is sometimes shining as intelligence, sometimes will, sometimes feeling, sometimes thought. And if you can give yourself over to this shining intelligence,

[35:17]

it will take over all your faculties, facilities and you can act in accordance with everything with no contradiction anywhere in harmony with in and without with each thing as it arises This kind of practice, maybe it begins from a person who's willing to be a nobody. A man of no rank is a nobody. I mean really willing to be a nobody. Accomplish nothing, do nothing, just some plain person no one notices much. If you're really willing to.

[36:25]

be that kind of person and willing to be a loser. Each moment you're losing, actually. But you try, but you lose. Everything is like that. And willing to be bored, patient, waiting, This may be the base of our practice. Not trying to form something unusual or special or enlightenment. Just willing, just as it is, for it to be that way without adding anything. Giving up whatever appears. With this you'll find, if you can do this, that everything is enlightening you and you're enlightening everything. And that wondrous activity is at work right now with all of us. And we're just resisting it, holding out for some destiny, trying to make even our practice

[37:55]

our merit or something special. No Buddhism, you know. No person who realizes Buddhism. Giving up your life just to be available for each thing and each person. How wondrous this activity, this realm of perfect wisdom. Ninety-nine percent

[39:04]

How restful it is. How easy, what a great relief when you finally decide to give up. Acting in accordance with everything, trusting the wondrous power of enlightenment. What special value can anything have? So the obligation of a bodhisattva, one who has given up all possessions, given up all appearances, given up all idea of self or other,

[40:23]

What we mean by saving all beings, then, is such a person, by his own giving up, helps others to give up their possessions. If there is one person who has no possessions, other people's possessions will fall away. The understanding of cause and effect, the twelvefold Conditioned origination ultimately means if A appears, B appears. If A disappears, B disappears. Or Dogen says, if one person is mixed up or wicked, another person will be mixed up or wicked. If one person is enlightened, another person is enlightened. So we don't know who is Buddha. So Buddha is someone we look up to, Bodhisattva is someone we look down to. So we don't know who to worship, Dogen says. Someone at Tassajara asked about, he said,

[41:56]

I like Buddhism very much, he said. I've found my home, I think, here. But I expect something of this practice, he said, and of being a yogi. And he said, my nose is always stuffed up. I want a clear nose, he said. I want the power of Sazen to empty my nose. This kind of attainment really isn't the activity of a Bodhisattva. Maybe you won't understand, but the proper understanding is Just at this moment, a runny-nosed Buddha has appeared for the sake of all runny-nosed beings. If there are runny-nosed beings, there should be a Bodhisattva of runny-nosed beings. So right now, you're appearing as a runny-nosed Bodhisattva for all beings who have runny noses.

[43:19]

So a bodhisattva is willing to suffer anything, undergo anything. We all have our suffering, but it's not very important, actually. It's not a matter of, I want to be pure and shining or something. Just sometimes we take the form of a runny-nosed Buddha. There's no dualistic idea there. Some people say, you know, Suzuki Roshi was such a great person, so wonderful, how could he have died of cancer? But this is inconsequential thought. If one person suffering of cancer can say, Oh, Suzuki Roshi, who was so wonderful, was able to stand this, I will try to stand this suffering. This is so much more important if you can help one person in this way. And how many of you, actually, your parents are suffering from cancer?

[44:53]

If there is cancer, we should be willing to have cancer. It's not just some idea somewhere about practice that it's, oh, we'll do this and it's nice. It means you should be willing to have cancer. In the realm of cancer, there should be Buddhas and patriarchs. In the smallest drop of water, Dogen says, you will find world on world and in each world Buddhas and patriarchs. What difference does it make whether your life is long or short? So if you can understand this very mind is Buddha right now, how you appear if your understanding is correct, is as a bodhisattva for beings in this realm. But a bodhisattva is not caught in the realm of the runny-nosed, not caught in any particular realm. Quite free and comfortable, as Suzuki Roshi said, sun-faced Buddha, moon-faced Buddha.

[46:23]

You live this way calmly and easily. Here's what we mean when we say, mountains are mountains. Zen is just wearing clothes and eating when you're hungry, just carrying water and chopping wood. It has some deep meaning. Dogen says, Mountains may be found in marshes. Mountains may be found in the sky. Mountains don't exist in the human realm. You mustn't confine mountains to the human realm. Mountains exist in mountains. Mountains exist in hiddenness. Mountains are hidden in hiddenness, he says. He says, so when a patriarch says, mountains are mountains, he does not mean mountains are mountains. He means mountains are mountains, says Duggan.

[48:16]

So I think you've understood what I mean. How a bodhisattva can exist anywhere, in any form, for any being, any situation, and yet is free from any situation, particular situation. because he's realized his non-possessive nature from the beginning nothing after nothing now This which is essential abides nowhere. In knowing your most commonplace desire, if you know it intimately, that is the fundamental desire of a bodhisattva. It's because your desires are caught in some particular realm that you see them as petty or mundane or overreaching.

[49:56]

to know our true desire is to know the fundamental desire that which manifests as an enlightenment being bodhisattva free from time and place but right here with us now Thank you.

[50:57]

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