Good morning, everyone. Can you hear me? Am I there? We can hear you. OK. Coming in loud and clear. So this morning, I'm going to present a koan which, from the Blue Cliff Record, which I've often talked about. We can't actually discuss it too many times.

[01:02]

Often people say, what is the most important thing? And there are various responses to that question. Actually, Master Dogen, Shakyamuni Buddha, All of the notables from Zen and Buddhism say the most important thing, sometimes we say, well, the most important thing is, what is the most important thing? But the most important thing is the problem of birth and death. Birth and death is the most important thing for us to understand and we will never understand it.

[02:14]

But we make our effort because it's the most important thing. What is most important? To be born or to die? When we're being born, the most important thing is to just be born. And when it's time to die, the most important thing is just to die. We may feel that just to die is not so important because once we do it, we'll forget all about it. So there's a koan from the Rukri Pagoda.

[03:17]

I probably lost my place here. Sorry, I'm a little disconcerted this morning for some reason. Sorry.

[04:21]

Well, while I'm finding this piece, please sit zazen comfortably and think about what is the most important thing Yes. Okay. So this is case number 55.

[05:44]

Dawu's, I would not tell you. I won't tell you. I won't say it. I won't say it. I won't say it. I call this our old war horse, dragging out the old war horse and going over it again. Actually, it was very convenient for me because I only remembered that I was going to give a talk yesterday. So I dragged this out, but actually, It's probably our most important koan.

[06:45]

So Master Engo introduces the subject. He says, absolute truth, direct enlightenment, positive activity, immediate understanding, quickest sparks, enlightening, to cut through the complications. Sitting on a tiger's head and grasping its tail, that's a He is like a thousand foot cliff. Be that as it may, is there any case for giving a clue for others? So these are little hints about what's going on in this koan.

[07:54]

Master Engo gives us some clues as to what is actually being said here, henceforth. Absolute truth, direct enlightenment, positive activity, immediate understanding. So these are two propositions. Absolute truth, meaning all inclusive, direct enlightenment. Absolute truth, direct enlightenment. They belong together. Positive activity, meaning uh ordinary activity positive activity immediate understanding in other words excuse me understanding somehow i have to keep looking up

[09:02]

Sorry. I'll get it going. Thanks. Okay. Absolute truth. points to direct enlightenment. Absolute truth is direct enlightenment. Positive activity. Immediate understanding. Quickest sparks enlightening. That one cuts through the complications. sitting on a tiger's head and grasping a tiger's tail. He is still like a thousand foot cliff, still no way to approach.

[10:29]

Be it as it may, be that as it may, Is there any case for giving a clue for others' sake? So all of those elements are part of this understanding this koan. So he says, see the following. Here's the main subject, this is it. One day, Dao Wu, this is in the eighth century, by the way. One day, Dao Wu, accompanied by his disciple, Zen Yan, went to visit a family in which a funeral was to take place. In order to express sympathy,

[11:33]

In those days, Zen priests or monks did not do funeral services. So they just went to visit the family. They went to visit the family and give some recognition to the deceased. Zengyen touched the coffin. Zengyen, the disciple, touched the coffin and said, tell me please, is this life or is this death? So he brought up this question, the great question. Da Wu, his teacher, said, I won't say, I won't say.

[12:45]

Zeng Dan said, why won't you tell me? Da Wu said, I won't say, I won't say. This I won't say, I won't say is very popular. On their way home, Zengyan said, Osho, meaning priest, please be kind enough to tell me. If not, I'll slap you. Daowu said, slap me if you like, but I won't say, I won't say. Zenggen slept Daowu. Later, Daowu passed away, of course.

[13:51]

Where'd he go? Zenggen came to Sekiso. Sekiso was his brother, disciple of Daowu. So later, Daowu passed away. And Zengen came to Sekiso and told him the whole story. Sekiso said, when he was asked, Sekiso said, I won't say, I won't say. Zengen said, why don't you tell me? Sekiso said, I won't say. I won't say. Upon these words, Zengen attained sudden realization. One day, Zengen, carrying a hoe, went up and down the lecture hall as if he were searching for something.

[15:06]

Seki-san said, What are you doing? Zengyan said, I'm searching for the spiritual remains of our dead teacher. Sekisawa said, limitless expanse of mighty roaring waves. Foaming waves wash the sky. What relic of a deceased teacher do you seek? Zengyan said, it is a way of acquiring strength. Taigen Fu said, the deceased teacher's spiritual remains still exist. Now here is Secho.

[16:07]

Secho is a compiler of the record. His verse is, hares and horses have horns. Cows and goats don't have any. It is quite infinitesimal. It piles up mountain high. The golden relic exists. It is still, it still exists now. Foaming waves wash the sky. Where can you put it? No, nowhere. A single sandal returned to India and is lost forever. Enigmatic, enigmatic. So,

[17:10]

Why would Dao refuse to say anything about it? Is there any part of this presentation that you would like to know a little more about? Sojin Roshi. Yes. When you spoke of ordinary activity in the beginning of your talk, I didn't hear it referred to later, but

[18:26]

I would like to ask about ordinary activity, and it was connected with, I think, Absolute Being? Well, Absolute Activity and Provisional Activity, those two, yes, in contrast. So my question about then arising in action, the dharma appears perfectly normal, otherwise it's out of place, is what I understand from that. No. It doesn't look special. Well, that's ordinary activity. Ah, yes. The samadhi of ordinary activity and the samadhi of oneness. The samadhi of oneness, which is called zazen, and then samadhi of daily activity.

[19:34]

Those are the two. I see. So would you say that we have ordinary activity, even if it's extremely special, just because it's arising from this moment only? It's unplanned activity, is that what you're saying? I guess I'm trying to get... It's not about plans. It's about the way we live our life moment by moment, right? So it's momentary samadhi, whereas it's the samadhi of ordinary activity. The other is the samadhi of that we experience in zazen. The samadhi of stillness and the samadhi of activity. Those two. So he says absolute truth, direct enlightenment, zazen.

[20:45]

Positive activity, immediate understanding. the samadhi of positive activity is momentary. And this is arising, if we can call it positive, it seems like a good vote, it's arising out of raw mind? Positive means, it's just a way of speaking to delineate the two. Positive samadhi is the samadhi of momentary activity. The samadhi, when you go to work after zazen, hopefully you have a positive samadhi after absolute samadhi of zazen. Could I have delusional activity?

[21:48]

Let's leave delusional out of this, right? It's not in that category. Okay, thank you. Excuse me, Sojin, would you like to open it up for questions in general at this point? Yeah, that's okay. Okay, before Hozon speaks, because he has his hand up, just a couple of general comments. If you'd like to ask a question, you can either raise your virtual hand in participants at the bottom of your screen, or you can enter a question in the chat box. And like Blake suggests, it helps us if you put question in bold, so we know it's a question. And finally, you can also raise your real hand, but I might have a hard time seeing you. So, and finally, please keep your questions brief with no more than one follow-up question. And we'd like to hear from as many people as possible. So if you don't ask questions typically, please do today.

[22:53]

So thank you. Okay. Close on. This is a hard question for me to ask. I was thinking of this. This koan has been with me for more than 30 years. And I was thinking of it last night as I was writing something. And when I look at the very interested in the last part of the koan. First of all, we can't go to the Dharma hall with our whole now. You know, we we can't go from east to west, you know, in a in a literal way. That's that's one point. We have to do it in our minds. Talking about the virus or what? Yeah, we can't go to the drama hall.

[23:54]

OK, OK. But that's not my point. My point is. The sensitive point is this question about, you know, what are you doing? I'm looking for my old master's relics. Well, my old master doesn't have relics yet. And I would ask you, What should we be doing? Yeah. The Dharma Hall is not out there. The Dharma Hall is here. I know. I was being literal. Yes. So am I. So the Dharma Hall is wherever we are.

[25:02]

Yeah. Dharma is our thing. Right. And it's also in that building, which is quite nice. Someday we'll be back there. But Zingen was looking in the wrong place. No. What relic of the deceased teacher do you seek? And that question. And then Setshu says, alas, alas, he's finally getting the right, going the right way. And Zen Gen said, it's a way of acquiring strength. So I acquire strength by saying good morning to my teacher every day.

[26:04]

I don't do that literally, but You know, like these foaming waves and all that stuff. That's like the turbulence of your mind. Foaming waves. One day, Zengian, carrying a hoe, went up and down the lecture hall as if he were searching for something. Well, you know that nobody would do that. You wouldn't do that, would you? Take a hoe and walk. Oh, maybe it's here. Well, okay, go ahead. you embody, the whole is like your ever-searching mind. And then Sekiso said, what are you doing?

[27:12]

And Zengen said, I'm searching for the spiritual remains of our dead teacher. And Sekiso said, limitless expanse of mighty roaring waves. In other words, your mind is just churning up stuff, right? This is just one of those things that you're churning up and carrying the whole looking for your teacher's relics. Actually, you are the relic of your teacher. I take it a slightly different way that has always this flooding waves and unbounded white billows. What I've always taken that to mean, I mean, I really do see what what you're saying. And at the same time, I feel like he's saying your master's relics are everywhere.

[28:15]

Well, sure. Everywhere in your mind. Yeah. Yes. You don't have to look far because the teacher's relics are everywhere. Right. And that is directly related to this case. Yes. And that is, you should excuse me, directly related to many of our relationships. So please, excuse me for stepping into that territory. Okay, we have a question from Jeanette or Janae. I'm sorry, I didn't get it right the first time and please unmute yourself and ask your question. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, hold on one second. I can't get back to the video. I wanted to see her.

[29:15]

Unmute. Yes, I don't know what I did accidentally. Let's see if I can get back. Maybe go to someone else first while I try to get back. OK, we'll do. Oh, now we can see. Yeah, we can see fine. There you are. I can't see. Sojin, no, I can't see anything. I'm just learning how to work this, but everything's been OK until this moment when it's my turn to speak. So please go to someone else, and then I'll try to get my video back, OK? OK, sounds good. Alex, please unmute yourself and ask your question. Thank you. Hi, Sojin. Can you hear me all right? Yeah. It strikes me that Zengen only achieves enlightenment by asking a question again and again, to which he receives no answer.

[30:31]

This is not unlike what you said about the matter of birth and death. the most important issue that we should always ask questions about, but which we'll never understand. I wonder what you think it means to ask questions that our teachers will never answer for us, and how we practice in this way. Because the question bounces off the teacher. Back to you. It's your question. You ask the question and it's your turn to answer the question at the same time. The teacher only gives you certain hints or keys because you're the person who's supposed to answer the question.

[31:37]

may not be the right word, but answer somehow. The question's for you. The question's not for me to tell you what the answer is. I would be doing you a great disservice by depriving you of working on your koan. Oh, he said, oh, I see, now I know what the answer is. It's not about the answer. It's about your understanding. So I just want to say one thing. The key thing is, why won't he say? Why won't the teacher say? Why won't the teacher tell me? What is he withholding? Why are you withholding? Tell me. Why don't you tell me? The teacher is saying, it's your problem.

[32:43]

Each one of us has to deal with this problem by ourself. Otherwise, it's not our true understanding. So I just want to say something about birth and death. I don't use the term life and death. I use the term birth and death because birth is the dynamic of life and death is also the dynamic of life. Life itself is still. Life itself is still, always still. It doesn't move around. Life is the fundamental.

[33:46]

The fundamental doesn't move around. It just is. So when we think about our life, our birth and death, those births and deaths are two sides of the coin of life. Within birth, there is death. Within death, there is birth. It can't be just one way. So every moment is a moment of birth. Every moment is a moment of death. Birth and death are the two dynamics of life. Because if life changed, life doesn't change. This is, life is vairagyana, the emanation of the dynamics of life.

[35:03]

Thank you. Okay, just a comment for Jenea and for the group with Zoom. If you're speaking, you'll fill up the screen, and then if Sojin's speaking, he'll fill up the screen. So, Jenea, I saw you there, so if you'd like to unmute yourself, if you're ready to ask your question, please do. I'm ready. I'm ready. Thank you. Liz? Hi. Hi. How are you? Welcome back. How am I? Who knows? The who knows? Thank you for entertaining these questions. And that's a very hard, what you just said is very hard to follow because of the gravity of it. This is not what I wanted to say, but just a brief comment on, perhaps the teacher continued to say, I won't say, because he wasn't willing to participate in duality on the subject.

[36:21]

Yes, that's right. So what I wanted to bring up is this morning, I didn't look at the news or listen to it until a couple of minutes, until I turned on my device to join this endo. And so I said, OK, let me just take a peek two minutes before sitting. And I saw what was happening. And I got my rush from that. And then they said, and now let's go to campaign headquarters. And part of me said, oh, I want to hear that. But then I sat. And when I assume the posture and settled, I said, what will I do with all this energy? And I heard the phrase, contain yourself. And it really sunk in and I immediately thought, that's what Zazen is, that's what it does. It contains us and it allows us to contain ourselves.

[37:24]

And I wondered if you would comment on that. Totally, yeah. self-containment called patience, not waiting for anything. Patience, in my understanding, means not waiting for anything, just being where you are totally, still, unless you have to move. The sense, though, of, you know, it's like the large pasture, which contains the ox, but I'm thinking of Zazen. I'm feeling Zazen being that, giving us that large pasture to contain that cloud that's sort of raging. Yeah. So... The large pasture is one side, the small container is the other side.

[38:32]

So readers get stuck often on Suzuki Yoshi's comment, give your cow or horse or whatever a large meadow and just watch, just be attentive. If you see him straying away, you know, say, come on back, [...] come on back. That's, learning practice is always, is to be aware of where the horse is going. And I said, come on back, come on, come on, come on. It's called training. That's what Zen training is. Don't stray away too far.

[39:34]

Curiosity is okay. All of our faculties are there for some reason. The practice is to keep coming back. Because the world is so wide, it's okay to let your horse experience some of the world and all that, but not get caught up in it because it's very seductive. Right, right. Thank you. Sojin, we now have a question from, let's see, Patricia. She says, thank you, Sojin. When one asks their teacher a question, then one should expect not to receive an answer, but have a question deflected back. I won't say, but student may get a clue or not. Is there someone there?

[40:40]

I think someone, yeah, Patricia in the audience had that question. Patricia who? I'm not sure, but would you like me to repeat the question? Well, I don't know what I'm supposed to say. Okay, well, I'll go on to the next question then in the chat box. Okay. Let's see. GM asks, Then the most important thing is to make oneself ready for birth. So, is the most important, because Jian is asking, is the most important thing to make oneself ready for birth? The most important thing is to make oneself ready for anything. Right on. That's our practice, to be, not to anticipate, but be ready for anything.

[41:44]

Okay, thank you. Next, Ben, could you please unmute yourself? Oh, thank you. Hi, Ben. Good morning, Sojin. Thank you for your talk. I'm curious about the tiger in the preceding verse. Yes. And the person who holds the head and the tail, and I wanted to see if you had some comment on that for us. Yes. The tiger is an ancient symbol for, like the bull later in China, to be in control of yourself. Not to control everything, but to be in control of yourself. Because you cannot control the world as we know it. as we live in it.

[42:53]

So, to sit on the tiger holding the tail with one hand because the tail goes... Very powerful. And the mane. So, you're... To be in... control of the back and the front, which includes the whole circle called Tiger. Thank you, Sochin. You're welcome. Kekau, would you please unmute yourself? Wait just a minute. I just want to add to that a little bit. Okay. you know, there's a saying, if you want the tiger's cub, you have to go into the tiger's cave. So it means if you want the real thing, you have to confront whatever faces you.

[44:02]

Go ahead. I'm ready for the next one. I forget. I don't know. Tom, did you say Kika? Yes, Kika, you're on. Thank you. Thank you. I kind of understand and have observed you to not answer questions like this as well. You know, often in shosan or in public dokusan, someone may ask you a question that is begging you to choose one or the other side and I've observed that you don't do that. I appreciate that and so with this colon and this way I feel like reading the colon more and thinking about it more helps me in my daily activity not to bounce from right and wrong, but just to stay central.

[45:09]

Not to choose into duality of one way or another, but to ride in the neutral. And that's as much as I'm getting from it now. Of course, I did have that reaction, like, why won't you stay? There is an answer. But I'm trying to understand there is no answer. There is an answer. OK, what's the answer? You tell me. A lifelong practice is the answer. Also, I did give an answer or a response. response was, this was a few questions ago, within birth is death and within death is birth.

[46:13]

You cannot have one without the other. So we're always looking for the right answer. Birth, is it birth or is it death? Birth is birth and death is death. It's true. Birth is just birth. Death is just death. but within death is birth, and within birth is death. Death makes birth, and birth makes death. They make each other. So we should be able to appreciate the realities that we have aversion to. We don't want to have a death wish yet. and we want to live for the sake of life. Our task is that we have to be able to accept both sides equally, because they are equal, even though they are totally different.

[47:27]

Equality is within differentiation. And differentiation is within equality. You can't have it any other way. So the main thing is to try to understand that. The reality is, and I won't say it. Well, I understand your, I mean, I think one of your main teachings is to look at the other side. So when we find ourselves falling into duality, to remind ourselves to look at the other side, so it's all one thing. I kind of was thinking of it as an avenue between the two things, but in fact, it's the whole thing. And so, differentiation is important.

[48:29]

Unity is important. But it's the unity of a differentiation, and the differentiation of unity, which is what life is about. It's not just about what we want. It's not just about what we like. And it's not just about our fantasies. God, our fantasies, are turning our world upside down. The new paradigm is lies are truth. Lies are truth, and half of the country believes it. And our practice is to stabilize our mind and not let it get turned over.

[49:35]

Thank you, Roshi. You're welcome. Hey, Ragnar, could you please unmute yourself? Sergeant Roshi. Hi. Where? Can I see your picture? Raghav, if you speak, you'll be eliminated. I see you not. See, Raghav, if you try saying something, you should come up on Sojin's screen. Sojin. There you are. Yet. Yet. Oh, yeah. Okay. All right. Thank you, Tom. Um, now I need to see you.

[50:49]

I see. Good morning. The teacher is within the student. The student is within the teacher. but the student still has to polish the teacher's relics. That's an interesting statement. Is that a statement or a question? I don't know. That's my understanding. Okay. Whatever that means. You say that the student is within the teacher and the teacher is within the student, if they have a real relationship.

[51:49]

Yes, and the teacher is always the teacher and the student is always the student. So tell me, what do you think the relic of the teacher in the student is? Six parameters. Yeah. Fundamentally? Nothing. No difference. Okay, well, I would say, I'll give you an answer. There is a difference. And there is no difference. Just say, no difference eliminates, is a dualistic statement. So, yes, there's no difference.

[52:57]

And yes, there are many differences. So those two together make a complete statement of truth. You and I, you and I, you hear me? All right. You and I are one. And you and I are many. Maybe this is too much. Because we are both cosmic beings. And our true relationship is with the cosmos. As well as our earthly... I'm not trying to sound mysterious. This is the way it is.

[53:59]

We both belong to the cosmos. Now, when the sixth ancestor, I don't want to go too far into history, but was being chased in order for, when he left the fifth ancestor, he was being chased so that, because people wanted the robe and the bowl. And when he confronted his, adversary, so to speak. He said, you call me, now I'm your teacher, but actually we are both students of the fifth ancestor. So our teacher is Shakyamuni Buddha.

[55:00]

And our provisional teacher is, I'm your provisional teacher. And Stephanie Winning is your honshi. We always have to remember that. So you point to me. And I point to Shakyamuni. Excuse me, Sojin, just a time check. It's about 11.15. We have five more people's questions. Do you want to keep going? Sure, why not? What else have I got to do? Okay, great. So next up is Joel. Hi, Sajan Roshi.

[56:04]

Hi. Thank you for the talk. I was very struck by one thing Hosan said in his first question, which was, we're in your mind and we are in your mind. And that just struck me because I thought maybe Hosan meant the opposite. You're in our minds. And that just seemed very powerful, you and us, you know, especially at this time that, like, well, the teacher's relics, I mean, you're in our mind, will always be. You know, it's like in the kitchen in North Carolina, they said, what would Mel do? And I say that all the time. and kind of wish I would listen to myself more to the answer inside me.

[57:06]

Anyway, I say that all the time. And that seems, well, the relic of your teaching is way beyond that. What's that question in our mind, but it certainly includes that. And that's maybe the, you're what you say in our mind that is maybe the most palpable aspect of you know what we might say the relics so I mean it can go on and I don't know if there's a question in all this but I think there's any all your response to me and it's like the whole thing relative you and me and all that stuff gets in here so There you go. From time to time, when Suzuki Roshi would give a talk, at the end of the talk, he would say, there's no need to remember what I said.

[58:15]

But we have plenty of rope. But you remembered a hell of a lot of stuff that Suzuki Roshi said. Yes, yes, even though he said that we didn't have to remember. Yeah, well, he was trying to prevent maybe a guilt trip. What I, the meaning I gleaned from that is that, he said, what really counts is where you are and who you are on this moment. Which is why he couldn't answer the question. or wouldn't? No, no. I mean, not that he never answered, but why a teacher? You're talking about Dawu. Really, I am. You have to be careful who you're talking about. Right. OK. So let me go back.

[59:22]

I went ahead. I'm just saying, don't just throw names around. because that's what he said. Ah, OK. Yeah, that was just mind stuff. Mind stuff. Well, that was a kind of, you know how you say how I rush when we're playing music, and you're sort of super on the case. And so you were saying this, like Suzuki Roshi would say, uh, that there's no need to remember. And that my mind, as it's so often does rushes to some saying that makes sense or doesn't make sense, but it's not staying, uh, with the thing itself and just being there.

[60:28]

somehow, and I do that a lot. And that's what you got me on the case about, you know, noticing how much I do that. Yeah. What's that? And you do that too? I would do that. Could you say that again? The sound was sort of weird. I was, too. Oh, yeah, sure. Well, that's true. And so we're in this... You're much kinder about reminding me than I am about reminding you. You're very kind. I know. You're very kind. Yes.

[61:33]

Here, Dao Wu is being very kind to Zheng Jian. Absolutely. By not revealing the secret. Yes. And it's just what you say, that he would be depriving his student of what's so important, what's the important thing, to use that expression, of the student finding, inside the student, what is birth and what is death. Only what comes forth from you is your teacher's relics. Yes. Yeah. And that's like the oneness of me and you. It's the oneness and differentiation. You can't say oneness without saying differentiation.

[62:38]

Just like you can't say birth without death. Yes. But that is... This is why it's a koan. Yeah, it's great. It's yeah, it's great. It's what it is. Right. It's somehow like the true relic would be what we kind of make our own. Like make our own. Yeah. That's is our, yes. And And that we can communicate, maybe, to others. Because... You're understanding yourself. Totally. Totally.

[63:40]

But if we don't understand it ourselves, then it's not going to work. Helping others, maybe. I'm lost, but we are done. Love you, man. Love you. Thank you. Okay, next up is Ross. Ross, could you please unmute yourself? Good day, Sojin Roshi. I am here speaking. Maybe you'll see me on your screen. My question is that you said earlier this morning that life is still, completely still. And I inferred from that that birth and death are activity. The activity is stillness. Activities of stillness. So the first precept says do not kill.

[64:45]

That seems like killing activity or ceasing or stopping activity or restricting activity. Could you say a little bit about killing? Don't kill life. Don't kill life. When you say don't kill, that's not pointing to anything. Do not kill what? Something has to be the subject. Yes. So that's why killing is a koan. That's why the first precept, all the precepts are koans. They all add up to the impossible. There's no way that we can kill anything, and we're killing everything all the time.

[65:50]

is eating everything. The big fish eat the little fish, eat the little fish, eat the little fish, eat the little fish. Whales take an enormous amount of coal in their tummy. The reason that do not kill, it's a koan, is because you can't not kill. And at the same time, you can't kill anything. You cannot kill, you can kill, we transform life. Life is always transforming life. And life transforms life in various ways. And one of the ways life transforms life is through fires and through freezes and through meltdowns. Without all this change, which we may or may not accept or like or want, is reality.

[67:03]

It sounds like the whale cannot kill krill. That's right, the whale cannot kill krill. Even though it can transform it. Because nothing dies. That's a thrill. That's a thrill of the grill. Nothing dies. It's only transformations. That's why Daowu said, I won't say. I won't say. So I'm giving away the case. Thank you for saying, I won't say. Okay, next we have Kabir. Can you please unmute yourself? Soja Roshi, thank you for the talk. Um, so listening to this great talk and all the questions and comments, where does not one, not two, and also where does not one, not two, where

[68:21]

Does not one, not two fit in this? You can't see me? No, no, no. The first word I do not get. Start your sentence again. Okay. Not one, not two. Okay. And also, what are we paying attention to? Isn't that the key? But again, let's go back to not one, not two. How is that like this? Not one. Not two. You're asking what does not one, not two mean? And no, what, what, where does that fit in into this, this koan? I think it does. Okay. So, um, not one, not two. means don't get hung up on oneness and don't get hung up on duality.

[69:32]

Not two, duality is not two. Duality is two, but don't get hung up on it. Non-duality is neither one nor two. We're always falling into one side or the other. We live in the world of duality, but we also live in the world of oneness, of duality. There's the oneness of duality and the duality of oneness. The duality has to be of something. Duality is the duality of the singularity of oneness. The singularity of oneness is good, it's true. And the one of duality is also true, but don't get hung up on it. We're all one, and we're all two.

[70:39]

But we're neither just all one, and we're neither just all two. That means not one, not two. You know, Eastern languages, which I know nothing about, often leave out the qualifiers that we depend on in our language. So we get hung up on that one. We're all one, we're all one. That's simplistic, but Eastern language understands that without having to express it. So they did not want to It's a way of expressing that truth without making it complex in the most way possible. Discursive language, not one, not two.

[71:42]

It resonates in your brain or whatever. Yes. You know, startling statements, but best remembered. It's an abrupt way of expressing something without explaining it. It's not just one, and just is left out. Ah, the justness or the absolute of just is left out. It kind of swings in both ways, but it doesn't really stop in one side or the other, nor the middle, right? It sort of floats in some way, doesn't it? You know, you can use that metaphor, float. But the expression is meant to be very positive.

[72:46]

Right. Not one, not two. Sort of like the gloom of death, right? Because you just said that there's no death, it's just a transformation, right? Nothing dies, it's all transformation. So it's just a continuum. In some sort, right? Continuum of change. A what? Continuum of change. Continuum of change. Yes. You said something earlier, but I didn't catch the last part. You said, if you want the real thing, you have to confront yourself. Was it? dangers of getting it. You have to confront the dangers associated with it.

[73:48]

If you want the tiger's cub, you have to enter the tiger's cave. Your hands in your pockets. Walk the talk, right? Walk the walk. Walk the walk. Thank you. Thank you, Sojin. Thank you. It's good to see you. Thank you. I just got it. OK. OK. And finally, we have a question from Ed Herzog. Dear Sojin, it's good to see you again. I want to say, first of all, I was surprised that the student slapped his teacher. Yes. That's part of the equation. I know, because I'm afraid that I'm going to get whacked by my teacher. I know.

[74:51]

The student turned the tables on that to me. He slapped his teacher. Yes. And I don't know if you could want to comment on that, but my question is, is there life before birth? Every moment is a moment of birth and death. Every single moment. You're living in history. Yes. That's why we live in history, because the next moment, there is no next moment. There's only this moment, even though it doesn't seem like it, because our minds work very slowly, and our minds never catch up with what's actually going on, except occasionally.

[76:11]

So the past is history. The past meaning everything before this particular moment. The past means everything that's ever happened before this moment that we're experiencing now, which we're no longer experiencing. We're no longer experiencing this moment, because this moment is history. So where do past and future meet? Where's the dividing line between past and future? It's called here and now. But here and now is already history. So think more about your question. And next time, give me an answer.

[77:16]

Thank you so much.

[77:19]

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