Good morning. So this is day six of our Rahatsu Sushin. And for some of you, it is also your day six. And for some of you, it may be just day one or day two. So welcome to all of you who are new. And hello to everybody. Online, those of you who are sitting the three days together online, hi, nice to see you all waving. It's fun. So we're celebrating Buddha's enlightenment today, which is one of the big ceremonies we do in the year. And we'll do that immediately after. talk. And I think you probably all know the story by now, but I still want to tell the story.

[01:04]

Because these, you know, in many traditions there are stories associated with certain ceremonies, certain observances throughout the year, and they're told every year. and often in the same language, you know, depending on what's being quoted or whatever. So I will also tell the story in a fairly short way, because you know the story, and I'll talk a little bit about it. So the young prince, Siddhartha, lived a privileged life. At the time of his birth there had been a prediction that when he grew up he would become either a great king or a great sage.

[02:08]

And his father of course wanted to ensure that he would grow up to become king. So he did everything that he could to shield the young Siddhartha, from all suffering and pain. And when he did eventually encounter suffering in the form of an old man, a sick man, a corpse, he was profoundly unsettled, just shaken by this. And all the more so when he realized deeply to the core of his being that no one could escape old age sickness and death, that these would come to everyone. And not so long after that, he saw a mendicant, a yogi, walking through a charnel ground,

[03:20]

In the midst of death and decay, this person that he saw appeared peaceful and calm. And he saw that there was another way possible. And he set out, says in the middle of the night, left the palace, left his wife and child, to go in search of a different way, to be a different way to live. He studied with different teachers, mastering their teachings, and in some cases was invited to take over the group that the teacher was leading. But each time he knew that that wasn't, although he had attained various states of mind through different practices and concentrations, it wasn't what he was looking for.

[04:29]

It was not the peace that he sought. So with the five companions, he engaged in very severe asceticism. And... injured his body in various ways through the practices he took up, including virtually starving himself. It was said that his ribs stuck out like a row of spindles, you know, the little skinny things that you wind cotton on to make thread. And he could almost feel his spine through his stomach. And he felt that he was close to death. But he was still no closer to finding the peace that he sought, the different way of being in the world. And he realized that trying to overcome the body in the ways that he had been was not the way, was not the way he was looking for.

[05:39]

And in this state of clarity and despair, he remembered a time when he was a boy. He was pretty young, and it was a harvest festival, and his father, the king, had brought him along, and he had nothing to do, really. He just sat under a rose apple tree and looked around and watched the people and watched the proceedings. But what he got in touch with, again, was that there was this timeless period sitting under the rose apple tree

[06:45]

where he felt completely peaceful, at ease, open, clear. And he felt that that was something that he could turn toward as a way of moving forward, that that showed him something about a different way to be. And he had experienced that for himself. When he saw the mendicant, he saw the results of that person's practice and he could perceive it clearly that there was an ease in his body, an ease in his face. And he remembered a time when he'd experienced something that must have been close to that for himself. So instead of trying to overcome his body through these various asceticisms, he decided that he would work with his own nature and his own mind rather than his body to try to change it.

[08:08]

Rather than trying to purify the bodily defilements, that he would purify his mind. And he realized that there must be a middle way between asceticism and indulgence in sense pleasures. He knew he needed more strength and better health in order to continue because he was too weak in his present state. But a young girl, Sujata, came by and offered Siddhartha a bowl of rice and milk, and he ate, gratefully. Although when his companions saw him eating, they thought he had abandoned the quest, and indeed, in a sense, he had. He'd abandoned that quest, and they left.

[09:12]

And Siddhartha went on to Bodhgaya and sat beneath another tree. What we call the Bodhi tree is the sacred fig, Ficus religiosa. Truly. That's its name and it's called Ficus religiosa, sacred fig. And we have a number of them around here. You can see them on the street. and he began to meditate. He'd practiced a lot of concentration exercises, so he was well prepared for that, but he had now a sense of a different way of being that he was attuning to than what he'd been striving to do before. So as he sat,

[10:20]

the demon Mara appeared and tried to stop Sitartha's quest for enlightenment. Mara is sometimes portrayed as the lord of death or as the personification of sensual temptation or as a kind of a trickster god. So Mara brought his most beautiful daughters. to tempt Siddhartha, to seduce him. But Siddhartha said, I see you, Mara. I see you, Mara. And he sat still and untouched by this temptation. And then Mara sent his armies of terrifying demons to attack him And again, Siddhartha said, ''I see you, Mara.''

[11:24]

And he sat still and unmoved. And finally, Mara claimed that the seat of enlightenment rightfully belonged to him and not to a mortal. And Mara's demon armies cried out together, ''We are Mara's witness.'' And Mara challenged Siddhartha, these soldiers speak for me. Who will speak for you? And Siddhartha reached out his right hand to touch the earth. And the earth shook, bearing witness to his right to awaken. And Mara and his demon armies all disappeared. As the morning star rose in the sky, Siddhartha Gautama realized enlightenment and became a Buddha.

[12:30]

When he realized awakening, the Buddha exclaimed, House builder, you're seen. You will not build a house again. All your rafters broken. The ridge pole destroyed. Gone to the unformed, the mind has come to the end of craving." At that time, he acquired the three knowledges. The first knowledge is of his past lives and the past lives of all living beings. The second knowledge was the laws of karma. And the third knowledge was that he was free of all obstacles and released from attachments. Each of those things he clearly knew was a clear and definite and unmistakable experience.

[13:43]

He knew these three things. his past lives and the past lives of all beings, the laws of karma, and that he was free from all attachments and all obstacles. After his awakening, the Buddha remained at Bodhgaya for a time and considered what to do next. He knew that his great realization was so far outside normal human understanding that no one would believe or understand him if he tried to explain it. There's a legend that says that he tried to explain what he had realized to a wandering mendicant, but the holy man laughed at him and walked away. just another crazy, you know, he probably thought.

[14:54]

And then he left Bodhgaya and found the five ascetics near Varanasi and he shared what he had realized, including the Four Noble Truths in the Eightfold Path as well as the Middle Way. So the story of the Buddha's awakening is a very specific, completely unique story. And at the same time, you could say it's the hero's journey because this kind of story occurs in so many places over so much time. that there's some disruption to whatever the usual thing is.

[16:04]

For Siddhartha, it was seeing these four sights, old man, sick man, dead man, and the yogi or mendicant at ease in the charnel ground. this unsettled everything. And he went out on a quest, encountered numerous difficulties and setbacks, and eventually realized his goal. And then he returned with gift-bestowing hands. This is kind of the classic thing, you know. But I thought it's a story that shares a lot in common, I think, with many of us.

[17:13]

I've heard a lot of way-seeking mind talks in the last, wow, 30 years. A lot of way-seeking mind talks. And there's elements of that that show up everywhere. It may be an event, but it may just be recognition of some longing or some dissatisfaction, some wanting to be more deeply at home in one's body, in the world, with others, whatever it is. And so we set out. however we do that. I think most of us, at least, maybe there are a few who were raised Buddhist, but otherwise, we all chose this path.

[18:20]

This is our chosen path and our chosen family. So this choosing And this going out has its own life, its own kind of arc. And I've met a couple of people for whom practice and meditation was sort of an enrichment to their already really pretty good life. But I think many of us come because of suffering, as the Buddha did. And we're looking for a different way of being with our minds, our bodies, our circumstances, the people around us. How can we find true freedom?

[19:21]

For whatever reasons, we all had the karmic roots Somehow, somehow things came together to bring us here, today. It's really quite amazing. So we learn bit by bit that it's not about ignoring the desire, the craving, or the stress, the anxiety, the racing thoughts, the inner turmoil, whatever is arising that we really want to be otherwise.

[20:26]

We're not ignoring it, we're not suppressing it, not pushing it away. and not letting it take over. I mean, of course, we get to watch ourselves doing that or wake up to the fact that we're doing that yet again. Eventually, eventually we keep waking up to, oh, I see. And we realize that what is needed, what we can do, is to turn fully toward exactly whatever it is that threatens to pull us off our seat, to pull us off balance, to abandon ourselves, our intentions, others, to our old and deeply conditioned habits of mind and body.

[21:37]

I think that's so fundamental to practice. The Satipatthana Sutta talks about that again and again and again, just with different things to look at while you're doing it. That's Zen practice, that's our practice here, is just fall down 99 times, get up 100. Lose the track of the breath 99 times, come back 100. Just again and again and again. And gradually, gradually our minds and bodies settle, become more calm, We train them to sit and to be.

[23:04]

And at a certain point, it starts pulling us I imagine that most or all of you have experienced some period of time during the Sashin where awakening is pulling you along. It's the wind at your back. You can feel the momentum and the struggle has, at least for the moment, subsided. may have been brief and elusive, but even to touch into that just for a moment is powerful. It gives us a taste, a sense of what is possible in this very life.

[24:17]

So we have a little time before we'll do the ceremony. And if anyone has any questions, you can ask them now. Gunsan. So the Buddha left in the middle of the night abandoning his wife and child. Why do we consider his life to be aspirational? Because of what he did with his life after that. I can only imagine...

[25:52]

You can literally only imagine what state of mind he might have been in to do that, to leave everything that he'd grown up with and expected to do, to take over as king one day, all of that. And, of course, he lived 2,500 years ago in another country, It's hard to judge. Everyone in every time has limitations to what they can see. And later, I think pretty much his entire family came with him. His son Rahula. Rahula means fetter.

[26:57]

Yeah. So, clearly I don't know exactly how old Rahula was when he left, but clearly he was having some feelings at the time of his birth. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I can project lots of things just thinking about that, but I think they would all fall short of the mark. But yeah, pretty much his whole family went along. Not all of them were great. There was his cousin David Adda, but... But I think afterward, and maybe we could say that... I was going to say, before his awakening, that he was fully human. with all the complexities that entails.

[28:01]

But he was clearly human to the very end of his life, including having bad back pain. Thank you. Anyone else? Kabir. Dean. I heard while you were talking, you said something along the lines of we're looking for a better way to deal with our minds and our bodies. And what I realized when I heard that is I started with a study I've particular study I've been doing, I realize if I'm looking for something, it's freedom from my mind.

[29:08]

And I'm wondering if freedom from one's mind, what the connection is with regard to what you said. Our minds are still going to be our minds, and our bodies are still going to be our bodies. Our bodies have needs for air and food, and they have all kinds of feelings, including pain. And the Buddha said many times, I teach suffering and the end of suffering, and suffering is what we do with our minds, with whatever is happening. The suffering is the second arrow. The first arrow is like the physical arrow, and the second one is like, who shot me? What family were they from?

[30:08]

You know, everything but just removing the arrow. You know, this shouldn't be happening to me. But we have so many ideas about whatever it is. And that is what can quiet. not to get rid of the body, not to get rid of the mind. It's not about becoming a zombie. It's not about refining observation, refining awareness so that we can see the complete interplay, the interbeing of everything. And when we see through it, then it's not about me anymore. There is no me anymore. in the sense that we had understood it. Kabir. Hi, Linda. Thank you so much. So when Mara's were attacking Buddha, he would say, I see you, Mara.

[31:14]

Can we use the same thing in our mind, and those thoughts arises, whatever happens, and can we just say... I see you or I hear you, and we just come back to the breath, or we just leave it alone? I think there's all different ways that you can work with it. There are times when I have actually said, I see you, Mara. Mara being like the delusion, the confusion, my stuff. Oh, I see these patterns. of body and mind, these habits that end me up in familiar places because I'm trying to make it better, but it makes it worse. Or it makes it better in the short term and then it has other consequences. So it's like, oh, I see you, Mara. I see the self. that's trying to protect this body-mind and make everything okay and comfortable and smooth everywhere.

[32:23]

It's like, I see you. You're trying to help. My grandfather used to say, you want to help, kid? Don't help. So there was not much difference between his dad and Amara because his dad was also trying to make smooth things and keep everything in, right? So I think we kind of have those, the dad and Amara within our psyche. For me, anytime I try to make something special, it's, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's my Amara. Ah, yeah. And I think... In this day and age, many of us may have had families like the Buddha's family, like his dad, you know, trying to make it, you know, it's like, oh, it's post-war, the economy's doing well, and, you know, I want you to have everything I didn't have.

[33:28]

Right. We do that with our kids every day. Thank you so much. Thank you. Maybe one more. Dan. I wonder if you could explain something that Hozan said once a couple of years ago. He said there's the gradual school of enlightenment and the sudden school. But don't worry, we're in the sudden school. But this process seems pretty gradual to me. Can you explain what he meant by that? It looks gradual and interminable until suddenly it's not. go have a ceremony.

[34:35]

Things are numberless. I vow to awaken with them. Delusions are inexhaustible. I vow to end them. And so that's a problem.

[35:41]

I don't want to be coming. I don't want to make my best. [...] I don't know how to speak about Japan. I don't know how to speak about it. Amen.

[39:58]

Oh, sorry. That which is formed is emptiness. That which is formed is emptiness. That which is emptiness formed. The same is true appealing perception for a ship's consciousness. Although other groups of all apartments are marked with emptiness, they do not appear nor disappear. I am not tainted nor pure. Do not increase nor decrease. Therefore, in emptiness, no bonds, no feelings, no perceptions, no operations, no consciousness, no eyes, no ears, no notes, no talk.

[41:04]

No body, no mind, no power, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch, no object of mind, no realm of mind, until no realm of mind, unconsciousness, no ignorance, and also no extinction of it, until no old age and death, and also no extinction of it, no suffering, no origination, no stopping, no path. No rock is in it all, so no tea thing. There's nothing to take off, or you suck, but you and be gone. My job, I like that. And mine is no interest without any interest, so there's success. Far away from every birthday you want, but I'll sit here by now. It's not free for all of them all, because it's great for me. Rajya. Rajya.

[42:05]

Rajya. [...] Which is able to make him all suffering and his hero not false. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, [...] no. ... [...]

[43:20]

That, which is empty as one, let's say it's true of hearing procession, formation, consciousness. Oh, try it with trouble. All our problematics are not independent. It's creating new happening to our distribution. I'm not saying to ignore your decline, increase or decrease. care for ineptiness, no form, no theories, no perceptions, no formations, no consciousness, no lines, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind, no color, no sound, no sound, no taste, no touch, no logic, no mind, no brown eyes, no children. Also, no extinction of it, until no old age and death. Also, no extinction of it, no suffering, no intimation, no stopping, no path, no cognition.

[44:25]

Also, no attainment, with nothing to attain a body, some of it ends up. Roshnah, Arnita, and find is no interest. Without any interest, no fear to exist. Far, far from every hurt if you want to dwell in your life. It must be for all God to get down. Roshnah, Arnita, and the day not to survive something or anything like your name. Therefore, no blood. Right now, all are evil. It's the great transcendent mantra. It's the great bright mantra. It's the utmost mantra. It's the supreme mantra. It's able to be in all suffering. And it's through the dark walls. I love you.

[45:26]

Thank you. I'm practicing deeply across the country. [...] ... ... ... ... ...

[46:31]

Therefore, if you have no perception, no formation, no consciousness. No eyes, no ears, no ghosts, no tongue, no body, no mind, no color, no sound, no sound, no stages, no touch, no object to the mind, no eyes, and no mind, no consciousness, no impression, also no decision of it, and also no decision of it. No suffering, no reasonation, no stopping, no power, no audition, also without a statement. With nothing to listen, I will stop on. Depends on. Roshy-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.

[47:33]

It's the great transcendent mantra. It's the great right mantra. It's the utmost mantra. It's the supreme mantra. Which is able to redeem all suffering. And it's through mouthfuls. So who played the rap's young? It beats a mantra. You're playing the mantra. That says, I'm naked. [...] Celebrate the enlightenment of our great teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha. In gratitude, we have offered light flowers, cakes, water, and sweet tea. And have chanted the great wisdom beyond wisdom, Sutra.

[48:42]

Just as a furnace is needed to melt jars, bowls, hairpins, bracelets, and other objects into one mass of metal. So the fire of the Buddha's wisdom is needed to bring together the people of the world to the path of enlightenment. For we are of various colors, understanding, and position. It takes a master of tonal appreciation to combine musical instruments in harmony in such a way that they produce the six tones of the sun and the six tones of shadow. In the same way, a master like Shakyamuni, still in producing harmony among people, is needed to produce the magnificent sound of the Dharma. Although all possess wisdom as great as that of Buddha and are of the same Dharma body, our progress is obstructed by greed, hate, and delusion. After attaining enlightenment, Shakyamuni said, I was, am, and will be enlightened simultaneously with the universe.

[49:50]

And now, as we hear these words, we are assured anew of our own Buddha nature and our ability to enter the path of truth. The light of Shachamani and those who followed has shone through many centuries and has been transmitted to countless people. We follow in their footsteps so that our own light may shine in the same way and shine brightly in countless worlds and for lives to come. May all be enlightened as Buddha. And may we continue this enlightened path throughout our lives. For the benefit of all beings. All the others, ten directions, three times. All the universe, Sattva. ... [...]

[51:06]

Let's just pause for a moment. And bring our sense awareness and our mind back in. And just feel the energy in the body. Enjoy your heart. Maybe settle back into lunch and sushi.

[53:19]

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