Good afternoon. So, I said in workshop today, I believe we did two more classes. Actually, today and the 25th. That'll be it. And I'll go to Houston to teach. Yeah. So, We'll see, but as I was working on this yesterday, I was suddenly filled with optimism. Of course, I'm going to have to keep going, but in the last class, if you weren't here, in the last class, we talked about Dr. Kanze saying, you know, expressing his academic kind of skepticism about the latter part of the sutra, saying that a lot of it could be misplaced sections that were reinserted, repetitioned, and even possibly marginalia, marginal notes that were later added into the sutra.

[01:06]

Nobody really knows. I do like that things are repeated for emphasis, and many commentators say that the repetitions are coming from a different perspective as this practice discussion, if you will, this dokasan between the Buddha and his disciples, the Bodhi, and Sabuti's understanding progresses from Shravaka to Bodhisattva. So, I already read chapter 15, and I just want to say a couple things about it, because the last class, basically, all I did was read it. The beginning of chapter 15... Again, it's talking about offering and renunciation. And in this case, the Buddha says, what if a man or a woman renounce their self-existence as many times as there are grains of sand in the Ganges?

[02:15]

So that's kind of different. It's kind of taking it to the next level, in a way. Renouncing their self-existence, it doesn't mean, like elsewhere earlier, The Buddha talked about King Kali and being attacked and dismembered and the body being tortured and destroyed. No, actually, talking about the self-existence, like your sense of self, your sense of who you are, which is not actually bound by temporal or spatial limits. It goes much deeper than that. You want to... You want to make somebody defensive? Go for their sense of self. Go for, you know, attack that. So that's the ultimate sacrifice in a way. Also, Thich Nhat Hanh says we should make note of the fact that chapter 15, this is the first time where it says write down.

[03:24]

This is a... those people, you know, instead of renouncing their self-existence, if they would just uphold the sutra and the list of things, reading, reciting, and so forth, it says also write it down. Much more so. How much more so if they not only wrote it down, but grasped it, memorized it, recited, mastered, and explained it in detail to others. So this is right about the time where sutras were beginning to be written down. And prior to that, it was strictly oral transmission. So it actually mentions that in the sutra. And in Chinese Buddhism, Chinese culture, reproducing sutras was considered a very, very meritorious act. And I said in the first class, this is the oldest written, dated book existed in the world, is the Diamond Sutra.

[04:24]

And then there's this interesting phrase in Chapter 15, for all such beings as these, Suburi, likewise wear enlightenment upon their shoulders. What do you think it means to wear enlightenment upon your shoulders? To show it off? In what sense show it off? That's just what sprung to mind. It's out of context. To me, that sort of says you're exposing me. It's sitting on each other. Well, is that what you meant? Puffed up? I don't know what I meant to be more. What is it? The Buddha is saying, if someone grasps, memorizes, recites, and masters this Dharma teaching and explains it in detail to others, the Tathagata will know them, Subuddhi, by means of his Buddha knowledge, and the Tathagata will see them, Subuddhi, by means of his Buddha vision.

[05:45]

The Tathagata will be aware of them, Subuddhi, for all such beings produce a body of merit that has no limits, which we've talked about plenty, a body of merit that is inconceivable, incomparable, immeasurable, and boundless. For all such beings as these, Subuddhi, Likewise, wear enlightenment upon their shoulders. Yes? I think what that means is that it's obvious to those around them the effect of the sutra on their existence. That's what it sounds like to me. Yes. My first teacher had Susan taught us that we can't erode verse... all of us are addressing the intention of the Buddha.

[06:45]

For me, it's kind of the sense of Jesus of Nazareth saying, don't hide your light under a bushel. So kind of showing up and not withholding the Dharma. That's important. And interestingly, there's also a sense of, like we say, shouldering your responsibility. One of these Chinese commentators, Xu Lingyun, says to shoulder means to accept the task of going about spreading this among others so that it persists for a thousand years. Chapter 16th. Nevertheless, Subhuti, the noble son or daughter who grasps, memorizes, recites, and masters such a sutra as this and contemplates it thoroughly and explains it in detail to others will suffer their contempt, their utter contempt. And how could this be? Subhuti, the bad karma created by these beings in their past lives should result in an unfortunate rebirth.

[07:51]

But now, by suffering such contempt, they put an end to the bad karma of their past lives and attain the enlightenment of Buddhas. Subhuti, I recall in the past, during the countless infinite kalpas before Deepankara Tathagada, the Arhat, the fully enlightened one, I served 8400,000,000,000,000,000 other Buddhas and served them without fail. Nevertheless, Subhuti, Although I serve those Buddhas and Bhagavans and serve them without fail, in the future, in the final epoch, in the final period, in the final 500 years of the Dharma-ending age, the body of merit of the person who grasps, memorizes, recites, and masters such a sutra as this, and explains it in detail to others, Thank you.

[08:51]

Subuti, if I were to describe this noble son or daughter's body of merit, the full extent of the body of merit this noble son or daughter would thereby produce and obtain, it would bewilder or disturb other people's minds. Furthermore, Subuti, inconceivable and incomparable is this Dharma teaching spoken by the Chittagata, and inconceivable is the result you should expect. So, there's a lot there, but what there is a lot of... more than anything else, there's a lot of Mahayana sectarian fervor. You know, this is like basically religious encouragement. Take it up because this is awesome. And furthermore, a kind of folk, folkish belief in karma and undoing the results of bad karma by enduring, you know, the humiliation because you're, you're, uh, Waving the flag for the Mahayana, in a way.

[09:51]

So there's a fair amount of just like rah-rah. Yeah, do it. This is awesome. And it says, the result you should expect. That's Buddhism. It's nothing special. It's like a lot of other religions. It'll say that from time to time. The result you should expect. Also, This is around the beginnings of the Mahayana. There's also in Indian culture when base 10 math came from Arabian Peninsula into India. And the Buddhist scholars went crazy with base 10 math. They had so much fun with it. And you know this... If you read the Avatamsaka Sutra, yeah, the number 10 is so huge in the Avatamsaka Sutra. Okay.

[10:53]

Chapter 17. Yeah, please let me know. I've been wrong once before. Chapter 17. Again, the Venerable Sabuddhi asked the Buddha, Bhagavan, if someone sets forth on the bodhisattva path, how should they stand, how should they walk, and how should they control their thoughts? The Buddha said, Subuddhi, someone who sets forth on the bodhisattva path should give birth to the thought. In the realm of complete nirvana, I shall liberate all beings. And while I thus liberate beings, not a single being is liberated. And why not? Subuddhi, a bodhisattva who creates the perception of a being, cannot be called a bodhisattva. Neither can someone who creates perception of a life or even the perception of a soul be called a bodhisattva. And why not? Suburi, there is no such dharma as setting forth on the bodhisattva path. What do you think, Suburi? When the Tathagata was with Deepankara Tathagata, did he realize any such dharma as unexcelled perfect enlightenment?

[12:05]

To this, the Venerable Subhuti answered, Bhagavan, as I understand the meaning of what the Tathagata has taught, when the Tathagata was with Deepankara Tathagata, the Arhat, the fully enlightened one, he did not realize any such dharma as unexcelled perfect enlightenment. And to this, the Buddha replied, so it is, Subhuti, so it is. When the Tathagata was with Deepankara Tathagata, the Arhat, the fully enlightened one, he did not realize any such dharma as unexcelled perfect enlightenment. Subuti, if the Tathagata had realized any Dharma, Deepankara Tathagata would not have prophesied, young man, in the future, you shall become the Tathagata, the Arhat, the fully enlightened one, named Shakyamuni. Subuti, it was because the Tathagata, the Arhat, the fully enlightened one, did not realize any such Dharma as unexcelled perfect enlightenment, that Deepankara Tathagata prophesied, young man, in the future, you shall become the Tathagata, the Arhat, the fully enlightened one, named Shakyamuni. And how so? Tathagata-saburi is another name for what is truly real.

[13:10]

Tathagata-saburi is another name for the Dharma with no beginning. Tathagata-saburi is another name for the end of dharmas. Tathagata-saburi is another name for what never begins. And how so? No beginning-saburi is the highest truth-saburi. If anyone should claim the Tathagata, the Arhat, the fully enlightened one, realized, unexcelled, perfect enlightenment, such a claim would be untrue. Subhuti, they would be making a false statement about me. And how so? Subhuti, the Tathagata did not realize any such dharma as unexcelled perfect enlightenment. Furthermore, Subhuti, in the dharma realized or taught by the Tathagata, there is nothing true and nothing false. Thus, the Tathagata says all dharmas are Buddha dharmas. And how so? All dharmas, Subhuti, are said by the Tathagata to be no dharmas. Thus are all dharmas called Buddha dharmas. Subuddhi, imagine a perfect person with an immense perfect body. The Venerable Subuddhi said, Bhagavan, this perfect person whom the Tathagata says has an immense perfect body.

[14:13]

Bhagavan, the Tathagata says has no body. Thus is it called an immense perfect body. The Buddha said, so it is Subuddhi. And if a Bodhisattva says, I shall liberate other beings, that person is not called a Bodhisattva. And why not? Subuddhi, is there any such dharma as a Bodhisattva? The Venerable Subhuti replied, No, indeed, Bhagavan, there is no such dharma as a bodhisattva. The Buddha said, And beings, Subhuti, beings are said by the Tathagata to be no beings. Thus are they called beings. And thus does the Tathagata say, All dharmas have no self, all dharmas have no life, no individuality, and no soul. Subhuti, if a bodhisattva should thus claim, I shall bring about the transformation of a world, such a claim would be untrue. And how so? The transformation of a world, Sabuti, the transformation of a world, is said by the Tathagata to be no transformation. Thus is it called the transformation of a world. Sabuti, when a Bodhisattva resolves on selfless dharmas as selfless dharmas, the Tathagata, the Arhat, the fully enlightened one, pronounces that person a fearless Bodhisattva.

[15:21]

You said you wanted me to read the chapters. I think that's one of the longer ones. So this is a lot of repetition of what we've gone over earlier in the sutra. And I could say repetition for emphasis. The question that Sibburi asks at the beginning is the question that he asks at the beginning of the sutra. Do you recognize it? If someone sets forth on the bodhisattva path, how should they stand? How should they walk? How should they control their thoughts? That's the very beginning of the Diamond Sutra. The conventional understanding about this is that at the beginning of the Sutra, he was asking as a Shravaka, and now he's asking as a Bodhisattva, and the whole Sutra is shifting gears. So there's a lot of this re-emphasis for Sabuti's benefit, and it's about Upaya Paramita.

[16:25]

It's about the skill and means. So even though we say there's no such thing as a bodhisattva, there has to be bodhisattvas because this is the world we live in. We live in this suffering world. We live in this world of duality. White Nung, the sixth ancestor, says, if there is no self at all, how can there be others? In order to liberate people, we establish a provisional self. Thus follows a chapter on ultimate selflessness. So this chapter 17 is big, big repetition and emphasis on ultimate selflessness. But, you know, I look around and I see, you know, there's and I see people, you know, I see people.

[17:26]

We live in this world of people And we have to function that way, even though we might have gained the insight, the Buddha eye that sees... So, this is about letting go. It's about letting go of attachments to ideas of being and just having this provisional teaching and... letting go even of an attachment to the teaching at all. The Buddha says, and why not? Subhuti, there is no such dharma as setting forth on the Bodhisattva path. That's probably the most significant sentence in chapter 17. There is no such dharma as setting forth on the Bodhisattva path. What the heck are we doing here? Anyway, we are setting forth on the Bodhisattva path provisionally. For expediency, we say there's a bodhisattva path.

[18:30]

But the diamond, it cuts to illusion. Saying, yes, and. Yes, and. So this is a great tie-in to a great... Because we need to introduce other stuff in this class. An amazing koan. Case 2 of the Blue Cliff Record. Very well known. I'm not even going to read the whole case, but it's about Zhao Zhou. Here he is again, the great Zhao Zhou. And he's teaching, I think Zhao Zhou taught the Xin Xin Ming a lot. And he starts out saying, Zhao Zhou, teaching the assembly, said, the ultimate path is without difficulty. Just avoid picking and choosing. As soon as there are words spoken... This is picking and choosing. This is clarity. This old monk does not abide within clarity.

[19:35]

It's a very famous statement that John Joe makes here. This old monk does not abide within clarity. Do you still preserve anything or not? At that time, a certain monk asked, since you do not abide within clarity, what do you preserve? Zhao Zhou replied, I don't know either. The monk said, since you don't know, teacher, why do you nevertheless say that you do not abide within clarity? Emphasis is mine. I'm with him. I'm with that monk. Zhao Zhou said, it is enough to ask about the matter. Bow and withdraw. Get out of here. Welcome to Zen. Welcome to the Mahayana. This is how we practice. Because, actually, this is how not to get caught by any teaching.

[20:42]

Not to get stuck with any teaching. This is what the sutra is encouraging us to do. To let go, [...] let go. Chapter 18 The Buddha said, Subuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess a physical eye? The Subuti replied, So he does, Bhagavan. The Tathagata possesses a physical eye. The Buddha said, Subuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess a divine eye? Subuti replied, So he does, Bhagavan. The Tathagata possesses a divine eye. Subuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess a prajna eye? Subuti replied, So he does, Bhagavan. The Tathagata possesses a prajna eye. The Buddha said, Subuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess a dharma eye? Subuti replied, So he does, Bhagavan. The Tathagata possesses a dharma eye.

[21:42]

The Buddha said, Subuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata possess a Buddha eye? Subuti replied, So he does, Bhagavan. The Chathagata possesses a Buddha eye. The Buddha said, Siburi, what do you think? As many grains of sand as there are in the great river of the Ganges, does the Chathagata not speak of them as grains of sand? Siburi replies, so he does, Bhagavan, so he does, Sugata. The Chathagata speaks of them as grains of sand. The Buddha said, What do you think, Sibburi? If there were as many rivers as all the grains of sand in the great river of the Ganges, and as many worlds as there are grains of sand in all those rivers, would there be many worlds? Sibburi replied, So there would, Bhagavan, so there would, Sugata. There would be many worlds. The Buddha said, And as many beings as there might be in those worlds, Sibburi, I would know their myriad streams of thought. And how so? Streams of thought, Sibburi... What the Tathagata speaks of as streams of thought are no streams.

[22:43]

Thus are they called streams of thought. And how so? Subuti, a past thought cannot be found, a future thought cannot be found, nor can a present thought be found. Very famous line there. Very significant part of the sutra. So what are these five eyes? What is that all about? Classically, this is understood as part of what the Buddha acquired upon his enlightenment. Thich Nhat Haase does something very sweet about this. He says, the Buddha eye is the eye that can see clearly the past, the present, and the future, as well as the minds of all living beings in the past, the present, and the future. These five questions and answers state that the Buddha has not only the Buddha eye, but also the eyes of the bodhisattvas, shravakas, gods, humans, and all other living beings.

[23:48]

The fact that the Buddha has a human eye gives us a pleasant feeling. It makes us feel closer to the Buddha. It means that what the Buddha accomplished, we too have the ability to accomplish. And many other commentators also mention that. that the physical eye first, that he mentions the physical eye first, is significant. And one Chinese commentator, Gao Chuan, said, concerning their location, look beneath your eyebrows. If you want to find the five eyes, look beneath your eyebrows. So past thought cannot be found, future thought cannot be found, nor can a present thought be found. You might be familiar with that from the tea lady in the Mumankan, right?

[24:51]

You know about that? Case 28, another koan collection. Case 28 in the Mumankan Lungtan. Lungtan Durshan. usually better known as Durshan. Oh, I see. No, Lung Tan's the other teacher. Let me see. Yes. I have to read you the whole koan. Durshan visited Lung Tan and questioned him sincerely far into the night. It grew late, and Lung Tan said, Why don't you retire? Dershan made his bows and lifted the blinds to withdraw, but was met by darkness. Turning back, he said, It is dark outside. Lungtan lit a paper candle and handed it to Dershan. Dershan was about to take it when Lungtan blew it out. At this, Dershan had sudden realization and made bows. Lungtan said, What truth did you discern?

[25:55]

Dershan said, From now on, I will not doubt the words of an old priest who is renowned everywhere under the sun. The next day, Lung Tan took the high seat before his assembly and said, I see a brave fellow among you monks. His fangs are like a sword tree. His mouth is like a blood bowl. Give him a blow and he won't turn his head. Someday he will climb the highest peak and establish our way there. Durshan brought his notes on the diamond suture before the Dharma hall and held up a torch, saying, even though you have exhausted the abstruse doctrines... It is like placing a hare in vast space. Even though you have learned all the secrets of the world, it is like letting a single drop of water fall into an enormous valley, and he burned up all his notes. Then, making his bows, he took leave of his teacher. So, Dershon was this guy who was probably the preeminent Diamond Sutra scholar of his time.

[26:56]

And there's... Great, great reverence for the Diamond Sutra in China at that time. You know, all these commentaries that Bill Porter is talking about, they're all there. Dershon was one of them. And he heard about this Zen school. And he actually had the... He took it upon himself. He's going to go and straighten them out. They don't know what they're doing. They're just winging it, you know. I have to teach him the true Dharma of the Diamond Sutra. So he goes, and he's looking for a Zen teacher, and somebody says, well, maybe you should go visit this guy, Lungtan. But on his way there, he meets a little old lady who's nameless. We don't know what her name was, so we just say tea lady, one of these Zen tea ladies, right? And she's selling refreshments and little cakes.

[28:00]

The little cakes are called dot the mind. So like mind refreshers. The word mind is in there. In Chinese, we'd say dim sum. That's what dim sum is. So she's got these little cakes and probably some tea, too. Yeah. Durshan, full of arrogance, he went south to exterminate the doctrine of a special transmission outside the sutras, i.e. the Zen school. He was going to exterminate the doctrine. He was on a mission. When he reached the road to Lijau, he sought to buy refreshments from an old woman. The old woman said, Your reverence, what sort of literature do you have there in your cart? Durshan's probably proud of himself. He said, notes and commentaries on the Diamond Sutra. The old woman said, I hear the Diamond Sutra says, past mind cannot be grasped, present mind cannot be grasped, future mind cannot be grasped.

[29:09]

Which mind does your reverence intend to refresh? Durshan was dumbfounded and unable to answer. He did not expire completely under her words, however. but asked, is there a teacher of Zen Buddhism in this neighborhood? And she directed him to Lungtan. So that's that story. Case 28 in the Mumonkan, the gateless gate. Thich Nhat Hanh said, if I was there, I would have just told her, this is not about my mind. I'm hungry. It's about my stomach. But... Dushan, no such luck. Okay. So much fun. Chapter 19. Suburi, what do you think? If some noble son or daughter filled the billion worlds of this universe with the seven jewels and gave them as a gift to the Tathagadas, the Arhas, the fully enlightened ones, would the body of merit produced as a result by that noble son or daughter be great?

[30:15]

Suburi replied... Great indeed, Bhagavan. It would be great, Sugata. The Buddha said, So it would, Subuddhi, so it would. The body of merit produced as a result by that noble son or daughter would be immeasurably, infinitely great. And how so? A body of merit, Subuddhi, a body of merit is spoken of by the Tathagata as no body. Thus is it called a body of merit. Subuddhi, if there were a body of merit, the Tathagata would not have spoken of a body of merit as a body of merit. Sound familiar? Yeah. Guess what? This is the sixth time this offering has been mentioned in this sutra. If you've been following so far, that's number six. Why? Why does he keep coming back to this over and over again? For me, it is repetition for emphasis, and the sutra is...

[31:16]

Really, a very, very central theme of the sutra is the practice of giving. Dhanaparamita. So it's emphasized over and over again. How do we practice giving? The first of the paramitas. It's said that you can't practice the other paramitas if you don't have a generous heart. And if you are unable to grasp the emptiness of the three wheels, giver, receiver, and gift, if you give attached to an outcome, You're caught by that. So the sutra emphasizes it over and over and over. How do we practice giving? Chifo, one of these commentators. But Porter never says who they are. He just says their names. Chifo says, this is the sixth time the Buddha has mentioned an offering of the seven jewels in this sutra. In chapter 8, he says, making an offering of the seven jewels does not compare with seeing one's nature.

[32:21]

In chapter 11, he says, making an offering of the seven jewels does not compare with grasping this sutra. And in this chapter, he says, making an offering of the seven jewels does not compare with detachment from form, for attachment to form creates a karmic seed that can never produce a non-karmic fruit. That's right. So this is really about how do we practice giving? How do we practice giving and let go completely? How we doing? Chapter 20. Subuti, what do you think? Can't the Tathagata be seen by means of a perfectly developed physical body? Subuti replied, no, indeed, Bhagavan. The Tathagata cannot be seen by means of the perfect development of the physical body. And why not? The perfect development of the physical body, Bhagavan, the perfect development of the physical body is spoken of by the Tathagata as no development.

[33:28]

Thus is it called the perfect development of the physical body. The Buddha said, Subuti, what do you think? Can the Tathagata be seen by means of the possession of attributes? Subuti replied, No, indeed, Bhagavan. The Tathagata cannot be seen by means of the possession of attributes. And why not? Bhagavan, what the Tathagata speaks of as the possession of attributes is spoken of by the Tathagata as no possession of attributes. Thus is it called the possession of attributes. Again, this is more about skill and means. This has been brought up before, earlier in the sutra, seeing this perfectly developed physical body. I think the idea of the perfectly developed physical body, that's something that might resonate with a lot of people in our Western culture.

[34:30]

We think we have many ideals of beauty and health that people attach to that they think they should be like. Yes, that's what I aspire to. And that's what I should be. And if I fall short of that, I'm inadequate. But, you know, even earlier in the sutra, it points out that even somebody possessed of the 32 marks of the Tathagata is not necessarily a Buddha. According to the belief, it could also be a great wheel-turning king or even bara. So... It's not necessarily so, but even more to the point, even more to the point, can the Tathagata be seen by means of the possession of attributes? No. Why is that significant?

[35:34]

Why is that important? you returned for the past couple of minutes, and this is about what you just said, you know, this slide about all of the repetition and this kind of fantastic conjuring of orientations. So as you're reading, these orientations become very quickly... there somehow. You're just making words on the page, but they're there somehow. And then those very same words on the page are taken away. You know, it's like this constant washing that's happening.

[36:35]

And so this question about the three or two attributes, you know, it's things that are being offered to us as a kind of conjuring of a body. It's not just a deal. It's being... rested away from our imagination at the same time that's being offered to us. And that movement is the truth of it. And that movement is a practice of non-abiding. It's a practice of what Thich Nhat Hanh says, which I like a lot, so I've repeated it about a million times in my life, learning to see with the eyes of interbeing, you know, learning to see the emptiness of all dharmas, that nothing at all has own being, including the Buddha, including your idea of religious or physical perfection.

[37:36]

So, therefore, the Buddha cannot be seen by the possession of attributes. Ultimately, no. Therefore, Famous Zen teacher, Chinese Zen teacher, Lin Ji, said, if you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him. What? Kill the Buddha if it's something outside of you. Kill the Buddha if it's other. If it's something, some ideal to attain, because that's created. That's a mental... Like you were saying, it's a story. That's another story. It might be a wonderful story, but it's just another story. So I have another question for you. What is the body of the Buddha without attributes? No self?

[38:38]

No self? this teaching of the three bodies of buddha uh there's a nirmanakaya the sambagakaya with no attributes it's the dharmakaya it's it's just the pure body of buddha everything that exists the reality body the dharmakaya is the reality body The Buddha said, Subuti, what do you think? Does it occur to the Tathagata, I teach a dharma? Subuti replied, no indeed, Bhagavan, it does not occur to the Tathagata, I teach a dharma. The Buddha said, Subuti, if someone should claim that Tathagata teaches a dharma, such a claim would be untrue. Such a view of me, Subuti, would be a misconception.

[39:42]

And how so? In the teaching of a Dharma, Sibuddhi, in the teaching of a Dharma, there is no such Dharma to be found as the teaching of a Dharma. Upon hearing this, the Venerable Sibuddhi asked the Buddha, Bhagavan, will there be any beings in the future, in the final epoch, in the final period, in the final 500 years of the Dharma-ending age, who hear a Dharma such as this and believe it? The Buddha said, neither beings, Subuddhi, nor no beings. And how so? Beings, Subuddhi, beings, are all spoken of by the Chathagata, Subuddhi, as no beings. Thus are they called beings. Okay. So... This same question, again, was asked in Chapter 6.

[40:43]

It comes up here again. Does the Chathagata teach a Dharma? She's Thich Nhat Hanh. Again, when we can see the non-rose elements when looking at a rose, it is safe for us to use the word rose. When we look at A and see that A is not A, we know that A is truly A. Then A is no longer a dangerous obstacle for us. So, again, There is no such dharma to be found as the teaching of a dharma. Just helping us to let go.

[41:46]

Chapter 22. Subuti, what do you think? Did the Tathagata realize any such dharma as unexcelled perfect enlightenment? The Venerable Subhuti replied, No, indeed, Bhagavan. The Tathagata did not realize any such dharma, Bhagavan, as Unexcelled Perfect Enlightenment. The Buddha said, So it is, Subhuti, so it is. The slightest dharma is neither obtained nor found therein. Thus is it called Unexcelled Perfect Enlightenment. So, if you were to take this on the face of it, it's almost heretical. Unexcelled Perfect Enlightenment, Anuttara Samyaksam Bodhi, That's supposed to be the thing that the Mahayana is holding up, like, this is it. This is what we chant every day when we chant the Heart Sutra, right? Both Prajnaparamita literature, all Buddhas of past, present, and future rely on Prajnaparamita and thereby attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, Anuttara Samyaksambodhi.

[42:59]

I mean, the Heart Sutra says they attain it. The Buddha says it doesn't attain it. Why? Because if you say, I'm going to answer the question. If you say that you attain it, forget it. Forget it. Right there in that instant, you've turned it into a thing. And that's not what the Buddha is talking about. It's not a thing that can be grasped. Huynang says, when the thought of realization is gone, this is enlightenment. When the thought of realization is gone, this is enlightenment. This is like double distilled. This is like really hardcore emptiness teaching. The real deal. Chapter 23.

[44:03]

Furthermore, Subuddhi, Undifferentiated is this dharma in which nothing is differentiated. Thus is it called unexcelled perfect enlightenment. Without a self, without a being, without a life, without a soul, undifferentiated is this unexcelled perfect enlightenment, by means of which all auspicious dharmas are realized. And how so? Auspicious dharmas, Subuddhi, auspicious dharmas are spoken of by the Tathagata as no dharmas. Thus are they called auspicious dharmas. So, here again we have unexcelled perfect enlightenment. Supposed to be like the ultimate thing, right? It's kind of, I see this one as connecting with the previous chapter.

[45:07]

kind of explaining where you're coming from the previous chapter, what we were just talking about. It's undifferentiated is this dharma in which nothing is differentiated. Thus is it called unexcelled perfect enlightenment. That's the dharmakaya. That's the body of Buddha without attributes, without a self, without a being, without a life, without a soul. And then he goes on to say, Undifferentiated is this unexcelled perfect enlightenment by means of which all auspicious dharmas are realized. And what does he mean by auspicious dharmas? Yes? Deconstruction of dharmas? Like it kind of assists and deconstructs itself, possibly? It just kind of appears and disappears all the time.

[46:12]

Yes, yes. So maybe we could say deconstructed and reconstructed. Again, this is, if you want to study more about it, it's chapter two in the Lotus Sutra, which the last practice period that Linda Ruth led. That's what we studied. Just chapter 2 of the Lotus Sutra. In Japanese, Hoben. In Sanskrit, Upaya. Skill and Means. So this is another very important teaching in this sutra and in other sutras. If we just say undifferentiated, you know, everything is everything, where does that leave us? Where does that leave us? How will we practice? How will we actually be of any use in this world, this world actually, this world that we are operating in?

[47:18]

If you say everything is everything, nothing matters, a Zen teacher would probably pick up a stick and go, well, did that hurt? So what are auspicious dharmas? What are auspicious dharmas for you? That's good. That's helpful. There's a gratitude in the word. Yeah. Auspicious. Yeah. Good fortune. Yeah. Good fortune. Good, helpful, useful. They are also auspicious because they are undifferentiated and empty of... Now, this is just Bill, actually, Red Pine.

[48:26]

They are also auspicious because they are undifferentiated and empty of anything to which anyone might become attached. Thus, they are no dharmas. However, although they are no dharmas, they are still used for liberating others. Because that's what we have to do, us bodhisattvas in training. That's actually what we have to do. Hence, they are Buddha dharmas. Although the Buddha does not tell us what he would include among efficacious dharmas, in other texts that focus on the bodhisattva path, he includes the 37 bodhisattvas, bodhipaksyas, age to enlightenment, the six paramitas, the seven or ten dhumis, stages. And he says Zen masters, no doubt, would also include koans and tea. Yeah. So what are auspicious dharmas for you? Stellars jays. Stellars jays. The sound of the stellars jay.

[49:31]

calling rises and then it dissipates and perishes, and then it rises, focusing on the perishing. Is that helpful? I think so. I think any time, like Philip says, that there's non-identification of the rising dharmas, that meaning is auspicious, and it shows the efficacy of a Buddhist teaching. Anyone else? There's two things that don't give you anything to grow a boulder or anything that I try to grow like that tickle something and yeah, ground it. Sit with it for a while. It just sort of disappoints me in the end.

[50:37]

I was thinking I've been out of the valley for two days. I'm really looking forward to shaving the bath house, just bowing. The silence of student bath time. Getting in the creek. It's kind of a non-event. And yet, it's so beautiful. I can wake up to that. I can wake up to the sound of the Stellars Jay. The sound of the creek right now. The fans spinning around. Anything. Just about. Chapter 24.

[51:41]

Moreover, Subuti, if a man or woman brought together as many piles of the seven jewels as all the Mount Sumarus in the billion worlds of the universe and gave them as a gift to the Tathagadas, the Arhats, the fully enlightened ones, and a noble son or daughter grasped but a single four-line gatha of this Dharma teaching of the perfection of wisdom and made it known to others, Subuti would their body of merit would be greater by more than a hundredfold. Indeed, by an amount beyond comparison. Does that sound familiar? That is the sixth time that comparison has been made in this sutra. Yeah. I don't know what more to say about it, actually. Except, obviously, it's more about giving. It's more about giving, the practice of giving, and how to... You know, as we said, bodhisattvas give material aid, teaching, and non-fear.

[52:42]

So this is contrasting giving material goods and giving the teaching. And saying that for bodhisattvas, giving the teaching is by far the greatest. It's superior. I think we should give all. We should practice giving in all realms. But it's contrasting that and saying that the giving of the teaching, even a single four-line ghatta, a body of merit, be greater by more than a hundredfold, indeed by an amount beyond comparison. Seng Chao says, A pile of jewels has its limits. A profound understanding is never exhausted. He has a point. A pile of jewels has its limits.

[53:49]

A profound understanding is never exhausted. Chapter 25 Subuti, what do you think? Does it occur to the Tathagata, I rescue beings? Surely, Subuti, you should hold no such view. And why not? Subuti, the being does not exist who is rescued by the Tathagata. Subuti, if any being were rescued by the Tathagata, the Tathagata would be attached to a self. He would be attached to a being, attached to a life, and attached to a soul. Attachment to a self, Suburi, is said by Tichagara to be no attachment. Yet, foolish people remain attached. And foolish people, Suburi, are said by Tichagara to be no people. Thus are they called foolish people.

[54:53]

So, what are we to make of that? And who are these foolish people? And why do I suspect it's me? I suspect it's me because I see my attachment arising moment after moment after moment. This expression, foolish people, is very important to another school of Buddhism. Pure land. along with Nichiren Buddhism became a big religious movement in Japan about the same time as Soto Zen in Stogen's time was taking off and Pure Land Buddhism you know what they do they chant the Nambutsu Namo Amitabha Buddha Namo Amitabha Buddha Namo

[56:04]

How do they do? They shorten it. Amitofo, they say in Chinese. It's actually a kind of exclamation in Chinese. Amitofo, like somebody might say, you know, Jesus Christ. Amitifo. Supposedly, if you just chant it seven times, you'll be reborn in the Buddha's Pure Land of the West. And the popularity of that is because there's this belief that we were in the declining age, the Dharma-ending age, and we're too foolish to save ourselves. So that's called bonbu in Pure Land Buddhism, bonbu. foolish beings.

[57:04]

Actually, foolish beings rescue foolish beings. The Tathagata doesn't actually do any rescuing. We do. We do. This is one way to understand this chapter. The Tathagata wouldn't be the Tathagata if she were attached to a self attached to a life, attached to a soul. But we here in samsara, we here in the saha world, we see that attachment rising over and over again. So it's not actually the chitagata doing this, because that would involve concepts of self and others. But we who are stuck with, practicing with, concepts of self and others, we do the work. So you could say that bamboo rescues bamboo.

[58:07]

Foolish people rescue foolish people. Wow. I am so thirsty right now. Thank you for your attention. That's exactly how far I was hoping to take. That's pretty exciting to me. We will definitely... I'll be here. Thank you so much. May our intention equally extend to every being and place.

[58:56]

@Transcribed_UNK
@Text_v005
@Score_93.16