Waiting for you. This morning, I want to talk about something called the Three Doors of Liberation, which is a very fundamental teaching of Buddhism. And these, of course, three doors go by different names and you find them appearing all through Buddhist doctrine and literature and teaching. But the three doors are the doorway of emptiness, the doorway of signlessness, and the doorway of And of course, they all interpenetrate each other.

[01:08]

The doorway of emptying, we talk about emptiness a lot. We don't always talk about emptiness. hear about signlessness or wishlessness so much. So I want to emphasize, I want to talk more about those too, but emptiness, doorway of emptiness, when we chant the Heart Sutra, the Heart Sutra says all five skandhas are empty in their own being. own being is the key word here. Own being, of course, as we know, there's no entity that has its own being. Everything is dependent on everything else.

[02:12]

So this is one characteristic of emptiness. Emptiness is in between birth and death. Birth and death are both empty of their own being, so there's nothing to hold on to here. then it says all dharmas are empty. The mark of all dharmas is emptiness. So mark means characteristic, main characteristic. The main characteristic of water is wetness, the main characteristic of fire is heat, of earth air is ether or transparency maybe.

[03:25]

But it says, but the main, although those are characteristic marks of those qualities, but the true mark of all dharmas is emptiness. So even though everything has its own characteristic marks, phenomenally speaking, the true mark of everything is emptiness. So even though the mark of this table would be, it has various identifying marks. Its substance is wood. but actually its true mark is emptiness. It only exists provisionally because of all the elements which are not it.

[04:28]

Fire, water, air, and so forth are all contributing factors to the existence of what we call a table. So a table is not a table, which makes it a table. So the main characteristic of all phenomena is emptiness, which also implies its existence. If it didn't exist, we wouldn't call it anything. So we call it table, but it's all mixed up with our consciousness. Emptiness also gives everything the space to arise and to disintegrate, disintegrate, to integrate and disintegrate.

[05:50]

That's the space. That space is emptiness, and of course the arising And the solidity is also emptiness. So we say water is, you can use water as a basis for fundamental existence, the fundamental thing of everything. We say Buddha nature, but you can say water. And in a glass, water is round. And in a bathtub, it's oblate. in a body, it takes the form of blood and phlegm and all of the characteristics of everything, so it has no special shape or form. but it takes the form of everything.

[06:54]

So, emptiness is also form, as well as emptiness. So this is, of course, the Heart Sutra, form is emptiness. Emptiness is the form. The forms are the forms of emptiness, and the emptiness is the main quality of forms. So the mark of all forms is emptiness. So signless, you know, signless is like a mark. Everything has its sign. Everything has a name. We give names to things and then we call these things by their name and it makes us feel comfortable. I know it's like when you we're really actually revolving on a little ball of earth in this huge space.

[07:58]

It's interesting. I think we should back off sometimes and take a good look at this ball of solidity as we think it's solid. We feel it's revolving in space. And we all have the characteristic of revolving in space. And there's really nothing, no place to hang our hat. But we drive a nail into space and we hang our hat on it. And we say, this is the orientation point. somewhat arbitrary, but we have reasons, of course, we reason it out, we put the nail in the right spot in space, but it becomes the right spot when we put the nail there and then we orient ourself around that sign. So we have all kinds of signs, we have religious signs, we have home signs,

[09:09]

importance to these signs and then this becomes our reality, our phenomenal reality, but actually these signs are all emptiness. So we give ourselves a name and we all have names and that really helps us to distinguish and we give names to all of the things around us. But actually, these signs only exist for our convenience. They don't really designate a real thing. it's real but it's also not real at the same time, it's not what we name it.

[10:19]

So then we start believing in the signs and we create our society out of the belief in these signs, of all things is emptiness. So there are two levels. One is the basic reality, and the other is the temporal reality, the momentary reality of things. So creating signs, another name for that is called discrimination.

[11:37]

We discriminate between the various phenomena, but at the same time, all phenomena come from the same root. And to recognize the root of all things is to see things the way they are. So this is why we practice, this is why we sit zazen, is to come down to our, to return to our fundamental root, ground of our being. so that we can actually identify with all phenomena. So problem with discrimination is that when we believe in only discrimination, then we separate ourselves from each thing.

[12:48]

And to return to our fundamental understanding of the non-separation of all things, and how each thing, each phenomena influences every other phenomena, is to return to the root. So the actual practice of Buddha Dharma is to go beyond discrimination. So Zazen is the activity of non-discrimination, even though there's discrimination. So in our life, we're always discriminating. We're always making a choice between things. So discrimination is necessary. So on the basis of the oneness of all things,

[13:52]

we practice discrimination. If we're only practicing discrimination without disengaged from the ground of non-discrimination, that's called delusion. We only see things, differences. we only see the difference between things. And then we become isolated. So when we practice and understand through the understanding of non-discrimination, then discrimination is also realization. So we are all the same and we're all different at the same time.

[15:12]

In monastic practice, everyone wears the same clothes, all the same color, and does the same practice, but each one each person stands out in their individuality against the background of oneness. It's like the movie, Suzuki Roshi talked about the movie, the screen and the projection. The screen is the ground and has no special characteristics. And the movie is projected onto the screen, and everything in the movie is discriminated from everything else, and has its own mark, its own characteristics, each person and each situation.

[16:23]

But it's on the background of the screen, which has no special characteristics, and is the ground. Without the ground, There's no movie. So as much as we see our differences, to actually practice is to see our oneness, to experience our oneness, and to realize that whatever we do affects all of us, and we're affected by everything in the world because we're all one piece.

[17:35]

It's one piece of cloth. Many characteristics. Little bumps on the cloth. So we talk about discrimination in Buddhism a lot, especially in Zen, non-discriminating mind. Non-discriminating mind doesn't mean there's no discrimination, but it's discrimination on the basis of oneness. Without losing sight of the basis, we make our choices. If we only make our choices based on discriminating mind, it's called egocentric activity.

[18:43]

So Suzuki Roshi also called this big mind, which includes everything. He was always talking about big mind, which includes everything. Our mind should be big enough to include everything. then we have some sense of the reality of our lives. And we can see the true nature of things. Aimlessness means that there's nothing special that we have to do. In our practice, it's called shikantaza.

[19:56]

It doesn't mean just wandering around with nothing to do, although there is a title of a poem or a book, the old man who had nothing left to do or something like that. It means that life is its own reason for existence. To just be able to realize that, Each moment is its own reason for existence. If we can realize that each moment is its own reason for existence, we can appreciate every moment. That's called enlightened activity. And whatever appears, we can engage with.

[21:05]

If someone needs some help, we can help them. If something needs to be done, we can do it. But in the end, there's nothing to strive for. and it's characterized by zazen. When we sit zazen, it's simply to sit zazen and to appreciate each moment, moment after moment, without discriminating. Whatever appears on the moment, that's where we are, and that's who we are. We know who we are, even though we don't know who we are. We know where we are, even though we don't know where we are.

[22:10]

We're doing absolutely the right thing, even though we don't know what the right thing is. And we can respond right away. because there's nothing special in our mind. So sometimes we get a little bit discouraged because we think that there's supposed to be something to accomplish. It is a great accomplishment, actually. The accomplishment of no accomplishment is really a great accomplishment. The Heart Sutra says there's nothing to accomplish.

[23:23]

But that non-accomplishment takes a lot of effort to get to that place. Suzuki Roshi was always talking about just to be yourself. When you are you, Zen is Zen. Our practice is just to be ourself. But it's very hard to understand that. It's really hard to understand that. Sometimes, um, We don't know what just to be ourself really means.

[24:34]

It's simply to empty out. When everything is emptied out, then we can find ourself. we bring all our stuff with us to Zazen or to practice. And the great accomplishment is to be able to empty out, not to get something. There's really nothing to get. And even though we know that, we still feel that there's something to get. it's hard to really get down to, there's nothing to get. So humility is, I think, an important term, which I think means

[25:58]

just being exactly who you are with nothing extra, without being ahead of yourself or behind yourself, or thinking you need something, or thinking you don't need something. or thinking you need to be someplace or not be someplace, just where you are. So in our zazen, in our sashin today, I would like us to not think about these things, but practice these things.

[27:11]

Let everything come as it comes. Let everything go as it goes. Just be there for everything. Feel the sensations in your body. Feel the, be aware of the thoughts that come bubbling up. But without discriminating anything, everything is just what it is. Not necessarily what we think it is, Let go of good and bad, right and wrong. So, you know, zazen is to be awake.

[28:39]

Even though we sleep, we should be awake. If we need to go around and hit everybody, we can do that. But I think we can stay awake without doing that. Keep our eyes open. Sit up straight, put effort into sitting up straight. That's the main thing. Keep coming back to posture and breathing. Practice Shikhandaza, just doing this. When we're serving, just doing this. When we're cooking, just doing this. So everything thoroughly, then we appear and disappear within our activity.

[29:53]

That's just being one with the activity, one with our activity. And in this so-called sasheen, one being with many, many facets, all contributing to this same activity. So, when I let go of my discriminating mind, the whole body is myself.

[31:07]

Do you have any question? That's right, the three doors of liberation. I'm not sure who said that. I think a lot of people said that. Who knows who said what? Nobody knows. We say attributed to. I always like to say attributed to. And then we say, you know, so-and-so said something, and then we realize that before they said something, someone else said it.

[32:24]

And then we realize that before that person said it, someone else said it. So, hard to know who said what when. Yeah. So when I meet things or people from a place of emptiness, I feel great joy because I see the perfection of what those objects are just as they are. But what about my preferences to still go out to the movies with some people and not with others? Well, birds of a feather flock together. It's not like, I mean, you may have some, maybe I should, I don't want to say anymore.

[33:27]

Maybe that's enough. So I'm falling asleep. Say that again. I'm falling asleep. Ah, yeah. And then I'm, And I'm thinking just being myself is falling asleep during the next period of exhaustion. Yeah, just don't think. Just practice. It doesn't mean that there's no right or wrong way. There is no right or wrong way, but there is a right way and a wrong way. So right way is to make some effort to wake yourself up.

[34:29]

You know, I can say, I'm going to fall asleep in the next, you know, that's like a challenge, right? No. I mean, it may be the appropriate time. If you fall asleep, it's okay, but there's no way to judge it. But your effort should be to stay awake. We can't say that falling asleep is good or bad, but your effort should be to stay awake. Because if you want to present yourself fully, you do it by staying awake.

[35:44]

Sometimes I don't know if I'm asleep or awake. And it's hard, I don't know if that's fuzziness and confusion or non-discriminating. I think it's simply not knowing whether you're asleep or awake. I have a question about bowing. How do you do it? How do we do it? How do you do it? Well, bowing is... You mean bowing down or putting your hands together? What do you mean exactly? The full bow. And I ask the question partly because

[37:14]

I brought my sister here several years ago and she had a big problem with that. Considering it, I think the mental component for her was this is worshiping something. But I realized that to put one's hands together and pay attention to that and to get oneself down on the floor can be non-realistic activity. You know, we say we bow to ourself. But then that's the question of, well, what do you mean by ourself? Big self. In other words, that's communion with everything. It's non-separation. Just putting the hands together, you know. This is Buddha, Bodhisattvas, Pracheka Buddhas, arhats, and human beings.

[38:22]

This is heaven, hell, animal realm, fighting demons and hungry ghosts. So we put them together like this, and then We bow. So, this is called non-separation. The Buddha and ordinary being. And we put them together because this is who we are. And we include everything. When we put our hands together, the whole realm of this side comes together with the whole realm of this side. that includes the whole universe, the whole world. I won't make it too big. Okay, the whole universe.

[39:28]

So it's actually letting go. When we prostrate ourselves, it's like letting go. We just let go of everything. And then, surprisingly, we can stand up again. And then... But maybe not letting go of our abdominal muscles. Whatever it takes. You should do your sit-ups every morning. Letting go of body, whole body and mind. Just let go. So people think that we're worshiping idols is one thing, but also a lot of people don't let go. I have trouble with that. But it's great relief. I always think of bowing as a great relief. No, we don't worship.

[40:44]

We don't have a rock, because it could be a rock, but it's not, no. Because we bow to everything. You know, if we only bowed to the figure on the altar, then that could be considered idol worship. But since we bow to each other, we bow to dogs and cats, we bow to the pillar, we bow to the post, we bow to the food, we bow to the, you know, everything is, it's, we bow to everything. And so the figure on the altar symbolizes, you know, that whole thing. But we don't expect to hear the figure on the altar say something, you know. Whoa, whoa. you were a good boy, or something like that. So you can say it's idol worship, but it's not... I know you do, yeah. Well, yeah, but I understand what you're saying, and I agree that we should acknowledge what we're doing, right?

[42:18]

But you know, like the monk that burned the Buddha, right, to keep warm, right? you know, Thangka, who, not Thangka Shijun, but the other Thangka, who took the Buddha figure off of the altar because it was cold, you know, and freezing in the snow, and he tossed it on the fire, you know, to warm himself. I think that's our attitude. Even though we wouldn't want to do that, you know, except in the desperation, but I think it would be okay. And I think that the Buddha would say, okay, go ahead. But if it is idol worship, we should say so. And if you, you may feel that way. I don't feel that way, but it's okay if you feel that way. Yeah, I don't think in those terms about other religions.

[43:40]

The thing is, if you're Jewish, it's a problem. It can be a problem. More than, and maybe Christian too. But Christians worship saints and all this, right? Okay, I'll get to you. So there's always this hesitation. You're brought up to not worship idols. It's a big deal. You know, big deal. So doing that gives you a problem, you know. And even if it doesn't give you a problem, there's always that little problem in the back of your mind that's there. I was just going to comment, in Israel I know some sanghas practice with a mirror on the altar instead of a statue because it is, you know, it is a big problem. Yeah, yeah. Yes, right, right. Well, you know, if you take the swastika, you know, which is originally a Buddhist symbol.

[44:53]

I mean, it's an ancient symbol from civilizations before Buddha and India. And it's interesting to see all the different forms of a swastika. We should study that sometime because there are all kinds of different swastikas. and the history is interesting, but it was a Buddhist symbol and the Nazis took it over, you know, and so it's identified with the Nazis, but it's really a Buddhist symbol. And I have this symbol. I mean, its symbol appears in the transmission documents all the time. So how to reconcile that? I think my feeling is to redeem the swastika for Buddhism and not to let it be hijacked by the Nazis. That's my feeling. Take it back.

[45:54]

You know, but it has so much stuff around it that, I don't know if that's possible, but for me it's possible. There are different directions, yeah, there are different directions. I like to think of the teaching is that it's not a special vow to the Buddha on the altar versus the vow to the Buddha or whatever, but our conditioning is such that when we alter, well, that must be like a really deep special vow or to my father or to whatever we attribute certain attributes.

[47:01]

It's a focal point. It's a focal point. But in each moment, the focal point is the same, but we don't see the little, kind of the Gammasio all the time, but we see that. Yeah, yeah. When we bow to the Gammasio, we're actually bowing to the true nature of Gammasio, not just, but also to its phenomenal nature. Yeah. Yeah. So if we can see beyond the image to the true nature. So, sometimes you think, well, maybe it would be better not to have anything, you know, but then little by little you have something. mother and daughter, and the mother is 85 and the daughter is 50, and they're always bickering, continually.

[48:14]

And my yoga teacher told me that people who argue all the time, they're afraid to die, because they're afraid to let go of their ego. So I was just wondering if the mother, she's getting older and older, and maybe she's afraid to die. And so I'm just I'm wondering, my position, I'm feeling like I'm in between the two women, and I'm not quite sure how to approach this situation. Is that true that people who argue all the time are afraid to die? I think everybody's afraid to die, but people who argue are afraid to let go of something, right? They're afraid to let go of something. If you could help them to appreciate each other, that would be good. Somehow they're not appreciating each other, they're hung up on their, yeah.

[49:16]

It's like, there are various reasons. Who knows, I mean, yeah, who knows the reasons, but they're too much attached to something. And when they see how that's not helping them, they can appreciate each other.

[49:39]

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