Well, today is the first day of our three-day Labor Day weekend, Sashim. So we'll be sitting today, tomorrow, and Monday from 5 in the morning until around a little after 9. every day. And so today, being the first day of Tsushin, I want to comment on Master Hongzhi's practice instructions. Master Hongzhi, we know him as Shogak Wanshi Sogaku, who is the 45th ancestor in our lineage, and who lived in China in the first half of the 12th century.

[01:23]

Wanshi was an advocate of silent illumination Zen, which was sometimes criticized by some of the Koan study Zen teachers. The criticism was that Silent Illumination Zen was too passive or too inactive. But This is just somebody's criticism. Although there is a danger in silent illumination style of Zen to be complacent or passive, which is one of the dangers. And there is a danger in Koan style Zen to be too intellectual.

[02:36]

And so each style of practice has its dangers and its awarenesses. But if you really look deeply into Zen practice, you realize that silent illumination practice is itself a koan. So, there's no real problem. It was not Hongzi and his contemporary who had a problem, but their students. So, sometimes the students of the various schools will start fighting with each other over who's right and who's wrong, which is a corruption of the practice. There are many entrances to Zen practice, and I think we should be very careful in our criticisms of various schools, both of Buddhism and of Zen.

[03:57]

But anyway, Master Hongzi had his practice instructions, and of course someone wrote them down, some of them, and presented them very humbly. I just want to read you the introduction to this collection of Master Hongzhi's practice instructions by monk Pu Kung. He says, Hongzhi made vast and empty the bright mirror and saw through it and reflected without neglect. He manifested the mysterious pivot of subtle change, then trusted his fortune and certainly found the core. Only one who had the true eye and deep flowing eloquence could have mastered this. My teacher lived below Taipei Peak.

[05:03]

Dragons and elephants tromped around. The hammer and chisel of the teaching chipped away. The meaning of his words spread widely, but still conveyed the essence. Sometimes scholars and laypeople who trusted the way asked for his directions. Sometimes mendicant monks requested his instructions. They spread out paper and wrote down his responses. He spoke up and answered their questions, producing appropriate Dharma talks. I have selected a few of these and arranged them in order. Ah, the emptiness of the great blue sky, the flowing of the vast ocean. I have not yet attained these utmost peaks. So please excuse my attempt to record his talks. I must await the ones who mysteriously accord with spiritual awakening to pound out the rhythm of his words and appreciate their tones. humble Chinese way of speaking.

[06:06]

So today I will present this teaching of Shogaku. This is by the translator. It's called the Ancient Fairy Boat. in the bright moonlight. A patchwork monk's authentic task is to practice the essence in each minute event, carefully discerning the shining source, radiant without discrimination, one color unstained. That's the first sentence. He's addressing a patch road monk, but actually this applies to anyone, not just patch road monks. He's talking to both monks and lay people, but he's here addressing the monks.

[07:15]

So he's saying the authentic task of anyone practicing is to practice the essence in each minute event, carefully discerning the shining source, radiant without discrimination, one color unstained. To practice the essence in each minute event carefully. Today we have Sashin. During Sashin, There's nothing else to do but to practice each event, each moment, each moment's activity totally from moment to moment, to touch the essence of each moment's event. Suzuki Roshi used to say,

[08:19]

Zen practice is nothing but living your life from moment to moment. To live your life totally from moment to moment. In Zazen, it's to take your posture, be aware of breathing, and be aware of the thinking mind without being caught by or attached to any of your thoughts from moment to moment. And sometimes, as Zazen becomes deeper and deeper, one is just nothing but the breath of each moment, the inhalation and the exhalation of the breath.

[09:22]

on each moment. Sometimes the pain in your legs will cause you to concentrate, because all you can do is concentrate on one breath at a time. And although that's a difficult place to be, it's also very real, total reality. and you're forced to live one breath at a time. Inhale and exhale. Good concentration. And when we eat our meal, to eat each bite of our meal, one bite at a time, to receive the food one serving at a time.

[10:25]

When we walk on the floor, to walk one step at a time. So the advantage of our practice is to narrow down our concentration and our activity to one moment's activity at a time, totally. So it's not so easy to get here. to that place because our life is so busy. So the first day of Sachine is just calming the mind, calming the body and finding our place, settling on our activity moment after moment. He says, to practice the essence in each minute event, carefully discerning the shining source."

[11:27]

Shining source is an interesting statement. Our practice is sometimes called zazen. Zazen means sitting in zen. whatever that means, sitting in silent illumination, actually. Because when we narrow our activity down, it's like lighting a match in a closet. When you light a match outside, it doesn't have much effect. But when you light the match in a closed space, like a dark closet, a single match, light from that match will illuminate whole closet. And when we narrow our activity, our light, our Buddha nature light, becomes apparent.

[12:37]

So we manifest this radiant light, komyo zo. It's sometimes called the samadhi of radiant light. This is what Hongzi likes to call it. And this is what I like to call it. We also call it shikantaza. Shikantaza was what Suzuki Roshi liked to call it, which means just doing. Just doing without being self-centered. to just do one activity at a time without self-centeredness. When we can do just one activity at a time, live our life one moment at a time, from moment to moment, this is Shikantaza, and living our life from one moment to moment without

[13:47]

self-centeredness, because self-centeredness is what creates duality, self-consciousness. So Shikantaza is to live our life moment by moment without self-centeredness and in a natural non-dual state. where we realize that we're not separate. Even though we're separate, we're not separate. So that's what he means by without discrimination. A patchwork monk's authentic task is to practice the essence in each minute event, carefully discerning the shining source radiant

[14:50]

Without discrimination, that means non-duality. One color unstained. One color unstained means to be able to see the oneness of everything, the leveling of all things. There's a saying, all the streams return to the ocean. all the various streams return to the ocean, but the ocean only has one taste, the salty taste. Non-discrimination means to be able to see the differences between things and realize that all these differences are basically aspects of one thing. This is a realization.

[15:55]

So then he says, you must keep turning inward and then the source is apprehended. Turning inward means to practice Zazen. That's what he means by that. You know, sometimes we think, well, if we go far enough inward, we will reach the source. But strictly speaking, there is no inside or outside. Inside and outside are relative values. We may say that I'm inside the house, but the inside of the house is the outside to the mouse. You may not know he's inside the house, Insides and outsides are just ways of speaking. To say, turn the light inward is just a way of speaking.

[17:01]

But it means that to realize that everything is subjective. In other words, to realize that your light is the same light that is illuminating everything. We have a term, Ji-Ju-Yu Samadhi. Ji-Ju-Yu Samadhi means Samadhi means to be at one with the essence, to be at one with yourself, totally. GGU Samadhi means the self-realization or self-joyousness of knowing who you are.

[18:02]

And there's a term, TAGYU Samadhi. TAGYU means illuminating outward. Jijuyu is illuminating inward. Tajuyu is illuminating outward. So, through Zazen, Zazen practices Jijuyu Samadhi, which is the Samadhi of joyous realization, inwardly, so to speak. And Tajuyu is the expression of that to other people or to your surroundings, illuminating your light outwardly to support others. And to, you know, when one's illumination is radiating,

[19:17]

radiant, then others realize their illumination or it awakens illumination in others. This is why when one has realization or is enlightened, there's nothing special that one has to do. All you have to do is live in the world. in relation to other people. Suzuki Roshi always used to say, when you sit zazen in the zendo, and then just go out in the world and forget about it. Don't try to do anything special. But that's a little difficult. We always want to do something.

[20:21]

What shall I do? How shall I practice in the world? We always have this question. But if you have confidence in your Zazen practice, you don't have to really worry about it. But this is when you have a real Zazen practice. You can't just sit Zazen once or twice and then or go out in the world feeling illuminated. You must keep turning inward, then the source is apprehended. This is called being able to continue the family business. The family business is the business of patchwork monks, or the business of people who practice. So when we sit zazen, we apprehend the source.

[21:26]

Of course, the source is always there, but we don't necessarily apprehend it. So it's not so difficult. It's not something difficult. It's just that we stop discriminating mind. Discriminating mind is what keeps us from realizing the source. So when we sit in zazen, we narrow our attention and stop discriminating and stop thinking dualistically. And then the source is right there. It's just underneath the floorboards. The water is just underneath the floorboards. Then he says, Do not wear the changing fashions. Transcend the duality of light and shadow, and transcend the duality of light and shadow.

[22:30]

Do not wear the changing fashions. I don't think he cares what you wear, but he's kind of warning people to not get caught up in materiality. and in fads and always looking for the next exciting thing to come along in order to entertain yourself, in order to entertain the mind. Transcend the duality of light and shadow. Well, light and shadow is a kind of metaphor for day and night. But it also means the changing lights and colors of things. Don't get caught by or fooled by the kaleidoscopic changes that are constantly happening around you.

[23:38]

Accordingly, the ancestor's single trail is marvelously embodied. The Ancestors' Single Trail, as Suzuki Roshi talked about that, he said the Bodhisattva's Way is like a railroad track, an endless railroad track. He also said the Soto Zen noodle is endless. usually are so long, pretty long, you know, but you start at one end and then you finish at the other. He said, the soto zen noodle is endless. You start eating it and there's no way to finish it. So you shouldn't think of the way as being something that you begin and end.

[24:46]

Or, I'll work until I get enlightened and then I can do something else, or Zazen is just a raft to get to the other shore. And then when I get to the other shore, I can abandon it. That's not our practice. Zazen is how to live our life, moment by moment. If it's some means to an end, then it's not worth so much. So practice is not a means to an end. Practice itself is the means and the end. As you walk the way, the walking itself is where you want to get to. There's no place to get to except where we are, which is the hardest place to get to. It's easy to get from here to San Francisco. There are a lot of ways to get there.

[25:50]

But to get from here to here and settle on this place in this moment, moment after moment, is the most difficult. I mean, it seems easy, but it's difficult. Very hard. So the ancestors' single trail, which means Don't deviate. Even though you deviate, you have to come back. You get lost and you come back. You get caught by something and you come back. Don't be discouraged. The ancestor's single trail is there, and it's your trail. It's not just the ancestor's trail. When you practice, it's your trail. Your trail is right there, and you fall off and you come back, and you fall off and you come back. Don't get discouraged. You should never be discouraged.

[26:52]

Or if you are discouraged, don't let it discourage you. The residual debris of the world departs. Its influence ended. Isn't that wonderful? When one's practice is deep enough, the residual debris of the world departs and its influence is ended. The residual debris is like your karma. When you practice is to live by intention rather than by karma. To live by karma is to just allow yourself to be turned around by things and to let your emotion and thought become attached to various entities. so that you can't really free yourself. To live by intention or by vow is to live an intentional life of practice.

[27:55]

And when you do that, then you realize how much you're caught by things. As soon as you start to practice and live an intentional life of vow, you realize how much you're caught by your emotions and by your thoughts and by your feelings. And so then you have this kind of problem, and it's easy to become discouraged. But don't get discouraged, because you have to realize that you practice with all that stuff. And that's your residual karma. It's your habit energy. Your habit energy keeps wanting... The more you want to leave or get rid of your habit energy, the more it wants to hold on to you. These are the two sides of your mind, which are always in conflict. So it's kind of endless. Even someone who's been practicing for 50 years will have residual karma. And you'll say, gee, that guy's been practicing for 50 years and he's still doing these things.

[29:01]

What kind of priest is that? Or what kind of Zen student is that? But you have to realize that everyone has residual karma. And we have to be able to see behind that, to be able to see behind the facade of things and realize that this is true of everyone. So all people who are practicing have big problems, and the big problem is also a big opportunity. So our problems become our opportunities, always. So really there's no problems. Even though we have problems, if we realize this, there's no problem. So there are really no obstacles. The only obstacle is ourself. So that's why determination is so important.

[30:06]

Determination and energy. Sometimes you just have to plow through with sheer force until you get to the other side. But that's not the best way, of course. Sometimes you just have to be very patient with yourself, knowing that you will keep making the same mistake over and over again. This is very important, to be able to have enough patience with yourself to realize that over and over you're going to keep making the same mistake until at some point you realize you're not doing it anymore. But practice wears off those edges. But practice is endless, just like our residual karma is endless. So this is very up.

[31:08]

He says, the residual debris of the world departs, its influence ended. That's very nice. We hope so. This worldly knowledge does not compare to returning to the primary and obtaining confirmation. Confirmation should be when you confirm yourself through your practice. You are confirmed by the universe. This is real Dharma transmission. It's when you are confirmed by the universe and you realize that you are confirmed by the universe. Usually we want to be confirmed by everyone around us. We want to be confirmed by our boss. We want to be confirmed by our school. We want to be confirmed by our profession or career or

[32:10]

our peers, which is OK. But actually, true confirmation is, you are you. It has nothing to do with what kind of success you are in the world. True confirmation is not worldly success. So each one of us should find our confirmation has nothing to do with all that stuff. When we have this confirmation, then we have our freedom, because we're not concerned or worried about what people think of us. I mean, of course, we should be concerned about what people think of us, But when we have this confirmation, we know how to act in the world.

[33:14]

So we're not dependent upon other kinds of confirmation. Observing beyond your skull, that's your head, the core finally can be fulfilled and you can emerge from the transitory. In other words, you can stand above what's transitory. even though we live in a totally transitory world, we're not bound by it. The reed blossoms under the bright moon. Now he starts to wax poetic. Wonderful Chinese poetry. The reed blossoms, the reeds blossom under the bright moon. The ancient ferry boat begins its passage. The jade thread fits into the golden needle. The reed blossoms, and the moon of course is enlightenment.

[34:18]

In Chinese poetry, the moon stands for enlightenment. Under the reed blossoms, this is a wonderful picture of the moon on the water in the night, in the ferry boat, right? The reeds blossom under the bright moon. The ancient ferry boat begins its passage. The jade thread fits into the golden needle. It's like everything fits. You and the universe are one. The intertwining is perfect because it's real. And the ancient ferry boat begins its passage. The ancient ferry boat is like you. your true nature. It's something like your ancient past, you know, that you forgot about. He has another poem that relates to this, and that's, when by the side of the ancient ferry the breeze and moonlight are pure and clear, the dark vessel turns into a glowing

[35:40]

into a glowing world. To me, this is the perfect description of Zazen. The dark world, the dark vessel turns into a glowing world. I'll read that again. By the side of the ancient ferry, the breeze and moonlight are pure and clear, The dark vessel turns into a glowing world. He says, then the opportunity arises to turn around. So he's been talking about zazen. He's been talking about taking the backward step that illuminates yourself. Now he says, then the opportunity arises to turn around, enter the world, and respond to conditions. In other words, just forget all that and go into the world and respond to whatever turns up because you have nothing to do except to respond to conditions and work for the benefit of all beings.

[36:58]

That's all there is to do. All the dusts are entirely yours. All the dharmas are not someone else's. Dharma here means everything, all things. follow the current and paddle along naturally unobstructed. So, when you can really settle on yourself and be illuminated by Buddha nature and you enter the world, the world is a place for you to play. And of course it's a rough playground. So playing doesn't necessarily mean just, you know, having fun. But you can be nimble enough to help people without being caught by anything.

[38:02]

Without being dragged down by things. Because you know how it works. And you know that everything is transient. And you know that you are transient. And in this transient play, in this play of light and shadow, that's where we have our We have time for one or two questions, if you have a question. Yes? This is a really quick one. What's the name of that book? The name of this book is called Cultivating the Empty Field. And it was translated by Tai Gien, Tai Dan Leighton, and a Chinese man named Yi Wu.

[39:09]

It is out of print, though. It's already out of print, and it just came out. Well, to me it just came out. It's probably been out for about four years or something. Not very long, but that's the way it is. Suzuki Roshi said that Zen practice is awareness moment by moment. A lot of people do mindfulness practice sometimes before they come to a Zen center.

[40:18]

Where does Zen expand or take off from just mindfulness practice? Well, mindfulness practice may have some benefit, whereas Zen doesn't. Yes. G-G-U? G-G-U is samadhi. Samadhi. You said that it's knowing who you are, but there is no you.

[41:21]

That's right. When you know who you are, you realize there is no you. But that doesn't mean that there isn't a person here. So we have to be very careful in the, you know, This is called thorns in the mud. The mud is nice and squishy, but be careful when you say, well, there isn't any you. If you keep saying that, I'll hit you. Then you'll see, well, that hurt. So there isn't any you. You shouldn't throw that around carelessly. There is a you. But that you has no inherent nature. Because when you strip away all the things that you call you, you'll find emptiness, which is called everything.

[42:30]

What is it that the influence of ends? The influence of something ceases. What was that? I think he means worldly influences. being caught up in the influences that are constantly creating conditions in the world. So he's saying that we actually can get to a place that we don't have that koan to solve anymore? Well, it's always a koan. Yeah, I think you can get to that place where you don't have that call on it to solve anymore.

[43:43]

Where you're not apart from the world and you're not caught by the world. Are you still caught by something else? No. Really? Yes. Isn't that a benefit? That is a benefit. I'm sorry, but it is a benefit. But you have to pay for it. Yes. Everything is paid for. It has to be paid for. There's nothing that isn't paid for, one way or another. So you're always paying your dues for whatever you do. For whatever happens, you pay your dues. So if you get caught up in emotional things, you're paying your dues for that. So if you get caught up in happiness, you pay in seeking happiness, then you pay your dues through unhappiness.

[44:51]

So without seeking anything, you just flow with things without being caught by them, and then you have happiness. Happiness arises, but it can't be sought, trying to seek happiness all the time. And in our pursuit of seeking happiness, we become very unhappy. Because we can only be happy through finding our true nature. That's the only way we can be happy. And we seek it out on the outside, rather than seeking it on the inside. It's not something we can seek even. It's just letting go of things and letting joy arise through pure existence.

[45:55]

But we think we have to do something in order to be happy. But happiness arises just through pure existence. And it has nothing to do with the shifting conditions of things. true happiness is very deep and really has nothing to do with how things are going. So to stay on that level is to be free of conditions. But it doesn't mean to not engage in the conditioned world. Within engagement, to find our freedom. That's what we have to do all the time. We have to find our freedom within all of our activity, moment by moment. Zazen is the most confined position you can find.

[47:02]

This is the ultimate confined position, to sit here all day long and to find your freedom within those conditions. How do you find your freedom, moment by moment, within painfulness, discomfort, and emotions coming up, and thoughts coming up, and all this stuff coming up? How do you find your freedom? That's what Zazen is. It's not trying to build some kind of, you know, powerful person. It's just finding your settling on your nature. and being illuminated by your nature. And there are conditions. It's called unconditioned activity within these conditions. today because of Sashim.

[48:39]

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