This morning I wanted to talk some more about breath, but in relation to, I wanted to talk about Samatha and Vipassana and Samadhi and Pragya. In the Theravada school, I use the word Theravada to mean the schools of Buddhism which are not Mahayana. You know there were 18 schools that are recorded in India just after Buddha's time, and one of them was the Theravada school which was the school of the elders, but there

[01:10]

were many other schools as well. And out of those schools grew what people refer to as the Hinayana and the Mahayana. Hinayana means various things, it can be used in various ways. Sometimes all of the non-Mahayana schools are referred to as Hinayana, meaning smaller vehicle of course, and Mahayana meaning great vehicle or inclusive, but it's a kind of derogatory term. But Hinayana can also mean narrow as opposed to broad, which means not very inclusive. And Mahayana is the school which includes all the outgrowths of Buddhism, and Hinayana sticks to a certain attitude. But also Hinayana can mean a narrow view which is

[02:28]

dualistic, kind of like fundamentalist Buddhism, which is hard-headed, narrow-minded. But it doesn't really refer to any particular school of Buddhism, but people associate it with sometimes Theravada. But Theravada is only one of the schools of Buddhism, and modern day Theravada I don't think is the same as Theravada or southern schools which were being criticized with that term. So I think I like to use the term Theravada to mean all of the schools that are not Mahayana, rather than just one particular school. And Theravada

[03:28]

school is the only one of the 18 schools which exists as a school today. So it's not a derogatory term, it's simply a way of differentiating styles of practice. And then the southern schools, Ceylon and parts of India and Southeast Asia, are where the southern schools flourished, the Theravada schools. And Tibet and China and Japan are mostly where the northern schools, the Mahayana, flourished. And the literature of the southern schools comes from the Pali Canon, and the literature of the

[04:43]

northern schools comes from the Mahayana Sutras. I don't want to go into what all those are, the differentiations, but Mahayana Sutras tend to be more imaginative, and the Theravada Sutras tend to be more down-to-earth, earthy. So in basic Buddhism, of the Theravada schools, meditation has two aspects called samatha and vipassana, which you probably already know. Samatha means to stop, means to stop the turbidity of the thinking process, to stop the busy mind. It's like

[05:58]

the ocean is full of waves, the mind ocean is full of waves, and to still the action of the waves of the mind, so that the ocean becomes calm and broad, and one can see clearly down to the bottom. And that seeing is called vipassana, observing. It's also called insight. In America, the insight meditation school, the vipassana school is called insight meditation, but insight or observing, observation. So to still the mind and observe, to see what's really there, to take a clear look. And this is

[07:01]

the basis of Buddhist meditation, and it takes different forms. In Mahayana, it's called samadhi and prajna. It's the same but different. Samadhi, as you can see or hear, is very close to samatha, and it has various connotations as to its meaning. Samadhi is stillness, in the same way, to let go of the dynamics of mental action, and let the mind rest in stillness, and to look down into the deep pool

[08:10]

of clear mind. But prajna is intuition, intuitive wisdom. When the mind is calm, then intuitive wisdom naturally arises. When the mind is calm and concentrated, of course, without discriminating thoughts. Very similar. Vipassana means to investigate also, and to look deeply into what's there. Prajna is to let what's there come forth and inform, or to be expressed

[09:13]

as reality. The sixth patriarch says, samadhi and prajna are like the lamp and its light. Samadhi is like a lamp and its light is prajna. They depend on each other, but they're actually two aspects of the same thing. To say which comes first is not necessary, because they together. One is the foundation for the other. So samadhi, or stillness, samatha, is the prerequisite

[10:21]

for clearly seeing, or for letting prajna arise. And for access to samadhi, awareness of breath is a very important factor. You know how difficult it is to quiet the mind. When we sit in zazen, the most often heard complaint is, but I can't still my mind. I can't

[11:25]

stop my thoughts from running amok in my mind. That's a more common complaint than, the pain in my legs really is unbearable. But the pain in my legs is unbearable is a thought run amok in the mind. It's this little athlete, you know, running around, knocking against the walls, trying to find a way out. It's very good, because you finally knock yourself out, hopefully. So breath is a very important factor in calming the mind.

[12:38]

Instead of concentrating on the pain in our legs, or our back, or whatever, we concentrate on the breath. Breath is a better focus. In vipassana, it means observing, right? To observe. But there's a really important distinction here that separates the Mahayana from the Hinayana. In observing, the Hinayana way of observing is to see the body, the feelings, the mind, and mind objects as separate, as objects.

[13:44]

When we say, observe something, we look at something and say, oh, I see that thing. That thing is an object. But Mahayana way of observing is to see that object as myself, to be one with the object of observation. That's called non-duality. So to observe, to stop and observe, means to see painfulness as not outside, not something separate, and to see pleasure as not something separate and observing. In other words, to be one with the object of observation. So, in the four foundations of mindfulness, to observe the body in the body, if we just say to observe the body, to observe the feelings, to observe the mind, to observe mind objects, is simply to see things in an objective way.

[15:05]

But to observe the body in the body, to observe the feelings in the feelings, the mind in the mind, mind objects in the mind objects, means to not be separate from what is observed. So the secret of Zazen is to be one with what is observed. Instead of trying to make an object, as soon as you make something into an object, then you're separate. And as soon as you're separate, then it becomes a reality. What I mean is, when you have pain, to be one with the pain. When you try to escape from the pain, you create an object of the pain. This is why it's so painful to sit Zazen, because we keep trying to escape. How can I get out of this?

[16:13]

How can I escape? I know I got myself into this, but now that I got myself into this, I want to get out of it. But I can't get out of it because I'll be embarrassed if I run away. But we run away in our mind. Keep trying to run away in our mind. And when you try to run away in your mind, you create a dualistic split. The only way that you can escape is to be one with it. That's the great escape. The only way out is in. This is called freedom, or nirvana. Because you can't escape from the pain in the world. This is the world of pain. It can be the world of suffering. It is the world of pain, and it can be the world of suffering. It will always be the world of pain.

[17:28]

But it's not necessarily the world of suffering. But we create our suffering by trying to escape from the world of pain. And I don't blame us. It's the natural thing to do. It's natural to want to run away and find ways of being comfortable, which don't work. And being one with our difficulty is unnatural. So, you know, practice is unnatural. But it's naturally so. But what is unnatural is also natural. It's just that you have to go against your tendencies. We have to go against our tendency to just be one with the pain, to be one with our discomfort.

[18:51]

So, our biggest problems are aversion and grasping. Right? Aversion toward what is uncomfortable and undesirable, and grasping what is desirable and what we want, what we like. But it doesn't work. So, being one with is not the same as taking hold. Actually, being one with is not like grasping our pain. That's not it. You know, we don't want to put our hand in the fire, right? But letting things be, to be big enough, open your mind enough to let something pass through.

[20:32]

When it's pain, pain, we open ourself and let it pass through. When it's pleasure, we open ourself and let it pass through. As soon as you grab anything, it's called suffering. So, the only way to do that is to let go of what we call our ego. Our ego is like a fixed form. And if we have a fixed form, then anything that doesn't fit that form will cause us a lot of pain. So, if we have a fixed form, fixed form is ego. If we have a flexible, open form of no form, then we can conform.

[21:47]

We don't like to conform. We're non-conformists. But when we're open and flexible, we can take any shape. This is the secret of Avalokitesvara's being able to save all beings. Avalokitesvara doesn't have any special form. It takes the form of whatever it meets, whatever she meets, whatever he meets. No fixed form. Zazen is the most immovable position. It's the most fixed form you can get into. But yet, it's the most open. How do we sit in this fixed form without moving? Still. Being very still. Just becoming more and more still.

[22:52]

More and more still. Quieting the mind. And the breath changes from rough to smooth. Following the breath. It's not necessary to follow the breath all the time. We come in and out, right? First we have maybe counting a few breaths to get excess, and then following the breath, and then just sitting still, not even aware of breath, but just harmonizing the breath, the body, and the mind. And just letting everything come and go. When there's a big wave, we just rise with the big wave. When the sea is calm, we just float on the sea.

[24:03]

The secret is to be aware. When you sit down for Zazen, to be aware of the feelings in the feelings, right away. And then on each moment, to be aware of the feelings, the next feeling, this moment's feeling, and then this moment's feeling, and to be totally open. And if you're totally open from the beginning, then you won't have any surprises in the middle. And you're not escaping. You're not rejecting. You're totally encompassing whatever's there from moment to moment. And then when the sea gets big waves, you just open to those waves.

[25:08]

But it takes attentiveness. And then you can accept everything. And then you have, actually, joy and pleasure, even though there's some painfulness. Your form is flexible enough to contain it. And then you keep coming back to the breath. Keep coming back to following the breath. And then you can actually enjoy whatever feeling is there. And, you know, you can, when you exhale, you can breathe into your legs and feel them expanding.

[26:36]

Feel that they're not a limited form. The feeling that you have with the breath opens everything up. So rather than closing down, you feel more expanded. So the more you can open up, the more expanded you feel. So you can enjoy this balance of staying on the edge between these feelings.

[27:38]

Rather than dropping off into this side or dropping off into that side. Stay right in the middle. And do you have any questions? Yes. Yesterday you were talking about zazen in relation to the breath, to all of this. Is there any equation between zazen and samatha and shikantaza and vipassana in terms of practice? Well, as I said, samatha and vipassana is the basis of meditation practices in Buddhism. And it's like the root.

[28:54]

And shikantaza means just doing without anything extra. So shikantaza is related to vipassana and samatha as non-interference. But it also, you know, we talk about shikantaza as zazen. Shikantaza is zazen. But it's also your attitude in daily life.

[29:58]

Of non-attachment within activity. There's a big difference between detachment and non-attachment. Detachment is seeing things as objects, as objectifying, separating yourself, detaching. Whereas non-attachment is to actually be one with everything. That's non-attachment. Non-attachment is to be one with everything, so that there's no separation and there's nothing to be either attached or non-attached to. Because when you're one with something, there's no attachment. This is why when you become one with the pain, there's nothing outside of the pain.

[31:12]

So there's nothing to compare it with. It's only when you compare that you have a problem. It's only when you say, I would rather have it this way than that way, that you have a problem. That's called choice and preference. So when you were talking yesterday about the link, is that the ignorance? The link? The twelve links? That was Alan. We all sound alike anyway. But what about it? Is that the ignorance, that duality that starts the chain? Yes. I just remember several years ago, somebody asked you the difference between the pasta and Zen.

[32:16]

And you said, well, the pasta is probably some benefit. Zen doesn't do anybody any good at all. I still stand by that. Harold? So yesterday, I was very happy when you started reading some of the Sutra folders, because I thought it would be very helpful. But you kind of lost me. You lost me right around the point where you started to, I think it was in that step four or five, or number four or five, where breathing in, and I think you mentioned this as an anecdote to anger. Maybe I factored that into my head. But I was thinking, you said breathing in deep breath, I'm aware of bringing joy into my mind. So that's where you lost me. It's a little good in two shoes in my mind.

[33:20]

I would prefer something that goes like, breathing in a deep breath, I'm fully aware that I'm pissed off as hell. Yes, that's true too. But you don't see that in the Sutra. Well, let me think about that a minute. Well, that's frightful. I think it is in the Sutra. It's just the steps that you get to. Yeah, it's true that the Sutra is on the optimistic, on the goody-two-shoes side. It's bringing you to, well actually, it's expressing that if you do this, this will happen. So it's saying, if you do this, this will happen. But it's also true that one should observe the feelings in the feelings, right?

[34:22]

So that means when there is an angry feeling, I am really pissed off, right? That's observing the feelings in the feelings. That's right away. That's the second. I'll start there. Yeah, it's right there. Right now I am pissed off. Right now I'm really pissed off. Right now I can't understand why I'm so pissed off. That's observing the feelings in the feelings. Alan? I'm a little confused about, there's something about the syntax of that. Feelings in the feelings, body in the body, mind in the mind, mind object in the mind object. I'm not sure exactly. Well it sounds a little funny, because it's not our usual way of speaking. What does it mean, mind in the mind? It means... To be aware of mind in the mind. Mind is aware of mind...

[35:24]

It means that the object of awareness is a part of the mind. The object of the mind is as much the mind as the observer. So this post is being observed by this mind, but this post is as much a part of the mind as the observer. In other words, this is the mind looking at itself. So you do that at each level? Body, feelings... Yeah, that's right. It's slippery. I find it... I suppose you don't have to do it, but it's slippery to me. There's something about it.

[36:31]

I think that's because the habit is to make a separation. Yeah, the habit is to make a separation. That's right. Mark? I'm not sure that this exactly applies to your talk, but the differentiation between Theravada and Mahayana, maybe that applied more back when those schools were differentiating. Like today, there's teachers, recent teachers like Buddhadasa, and Hachincha, and Maha... Gosananda? Yeah, Gosananda. They all seem to be... Their motivation seems to be to save all beings, because they have a lot of students and they seem to like a lot of people. You know what I'm saying.

[37:32]

I think that was more true at the time when it arose, when those differentiations arose. And a lot of those teachers that you mentioned were actually very appreciative of the Zen school, actually. And it influenced more by Mahayana, so there's not so much difference. I think those Mahayana and Theravada schools are just not... There are differences still. There are differences, but it's more moving together, I think. Yes? You were speaking earlier about getting out of the pain in your legs.

[38:35]

If you think, I don't want to be here, I want to be someplace else, there's a separation, and then it hurts more. Well, no, that's the suffering. That's the suffering. So going into that pain is liberation, or nirvana. So if we can apply this cross-legged posture to our mundane life, like at work, we have a boss that tells us, do this, do that. We have resistance, and then it causes suffering. And if there's some way of turning to say, okay, I'll do that, there's no suffering. It's a very easy sort of thing to go along with, or in our interpersonal relationships, make the bed or cook dinner or something. Okay. It seems like a really idyllic kind of way of being. But the thing is, did you talk a moment about where the self comes up? Where the issue of integrity, or what's in my best interest, or our collective best interest, the boss, the employee, the partner?

[39:48]

Well, as soon as preference and self-centeredness arises, self arises. When preference and self-centeredness is not present, self doesn't arise. But that doesn't necessarily mean you do everything that anybody has. No, it doesn't. It means also that sometimes you have to suffer for your integrity. In the world, we have to do a little suffering in order to contain our integrity. And to contain the relationship. We have to suffer, it seems, in order to contain the relationship. If we're in a relationship to our employer, he or she is asking us to do something. We don't want to do it. We feel that our integrity is being sort of compromised. So we speak up, and there's going to be some friction, and there's going to be some suffering. That's okay too. Because we should accept the suffering that accompanies our integrity.

[40:59]

It doesn't mean that you have to give in to everything. Everyone has a different threshold about how much they can give in to. Well, you see, the thing about it is that in Zazen, you make a decision that you're going to sit still for 40 minutes. And then you take the consequences of that, right? And the only way that you can really deal with that is to accept everything. So that's that situation. In daily life, you have different kinds of situations coming up. So if you just kind of allow yourself to be pushed around, there is a way to say yes to everything. And no self arises, but you can be pushed into a certain situation where it's not a desirable situation, right? That's just being a kind of rag doll. But that's like going to a certain kind of extreme. It's not taking into consideration that there's a certain kind of integrity to uphold in how you live.

[42:11]

So you have to stand up for yourself, which doesn't mean ego. It means being true to your identity or true to your ethics. Yeah. Integrity is to both. You can't ignore small self. Small self does get in the way when it gets in the way. But small self is an expression of big self. So you can't just take small self out of the way. Big self is funneled into small self, so to speak. So without the small self, there's no big self doing any acting.

[43:17]

You might as well be dead. So naturally, the small self is the form for the big self. It's the puppet for big self, right? Always tuning in to big self for the answer. Because each one of us is a transmitter. We're all radio transmitters. And we're tuning in to big self. That's the station that we tune into. We don't tune into other stations. Big mind station. And that's where we get our information. And so we act through that information. But small self has to do the acting. And the integrity. Say again, how big self, small self, and integrity. So, maintaining integrity.

[44:18]

You can't just let yourself be pushed around by anybody's whim. You have to stand up for yourself. And sometimes that means that you have to suffer. In order to stand up for what you believe. But then you accept the suffering. And when you're one with your suffering, you have your freedom. It's not like you never suffer. This is the world of suffering, where we suffer. A lot of you are suffering right now. But just like being one with your pain, you just become one with the suffering. Because you accept your suffering. Because you've accepted your integrity. And your integrity may be in conflict with some other person's integrity. And so you accept that. You say, well, I'll accept my suffering in order to maintain my integrity.

[45:19]

And then you have your freedom. But it's when you run away from your suffering that you suffer. But when you're one with your suffering, it's not called suffering anymore. It's called nirvana. So... This is the last... That was the last question.

[45:46]

@Text_v004
@Score_JJ