Just now the line from Walt Whitman comes to mind. Love is the keelson of creation. You know what a keelson is? Huh? You know. That's a keelson. You couldn't hear him, could you? No. Say when you build a boat, it's this main plank that the other ones feed into. The main being at the very bottom, center part of the boat. It's the main being at the very center bottom of the boat. All the other ones come into it, yeah. It's the foundation of the boat. It's, you know, the word's keelson. It's the son of a keel. The keels hang down from there, right?

[01:02]

but actually it's the foundation of the boat, the keelson, and the keel hangs down from there. So it's the son of the keel, but actually the keel is the son of the keelson. So, love is the fundamental. Compassion is the fundamental of creation. So, compassion is the fundamental guiding principle in our yogic work. And so, of course, is wisdom. So what is our bodhicitta as we do this practice, as we study this breathing body? And I talked about this yesterday in terms of, for example, the vending machine, that as soon as you put the coin in the vending machine, you act of putting the coin in. is already enlightened.

[02:08]

Just putting a coin in the machine is already enlightened. That's an example of an attitude that we should have when we put our effort into anything, into sitting, breathing, whatever. The initial contribution, the initial commitment is already the result. And so, let's read this text. This text is written again by the founder of the Lotus School, the Lotus Sutra School in China. His name is Tengyai Giri.

[03:12]

And his title is Chonshir, which means Zen Master. But literally it means Dhyana Master. Dhyana Master. In other words, he was from a lineage of Dhyana Masters, of people who were experts at Dhyana, at concentration practice. He was also a great scholar and wrote lots of books. But fundamental to these books is the practice of dhyana, which the Chinese people call chan. Now, he says, the six subtle dharma gates, these are the fundamental. These are the keelsang, the root of inner practice. They are the essential shortcut to the attainment of the way of the three vehicles. So I say three vehicles.

[04:14]

And I want to mention at this point that the Lotus Sutra presents the teaching of one vehicle. But it also says that sometimes the Buddha has resorted to three vehicles out of convenience or for the sake of beings who will not listen to the one vehicle, who will not respond. He has resorted to three. But really there are not three. There's only one. Okay? Any questions about this? So it looks in the Lotus Sutra like the Buddha teaches the Buddha vehicle but sometimes resorts to three. But really he doesn't resort to three.

[05:18]

And Dogen Zenji is saying it's one vehicle and do not resort to three vehicles. So this text says that these six ineffable diamond gates are the shortcut to the attainment of three vehicles. So we have to read this text from the point of view of one vehicle. But this is a tricky text. It's a three-vehicle text. But really it's not a three-vehicle text. It seems to be a three-vehicle test sometimes, and then other times it's a one-vehicle test. But you have to keep it on the one-vehicle road, okay? That's your job, my job. Therefore, Shakyamuni Buddha went to the Bodhi tree and sat cross-legged

[06:39]

on the grass. The grass he sat on was called Kusa grass. And strictly speaking, we should have Kusa grass match here, but we don't. I think Kusa grass is like compass grass. I'm not sure. He sat on the grass and inwardly contemplated Breathing in and breathing out. The six gates are, one, first is counting, second is following, third is stabilizing, fourth is contemplating or observing, vipassana, fifth is returning, and sixth is purifying. Stabilizing is the same as fixing.

[07:50]

Based on these, the myriad practices open up and develop. Mara is subdued and the way is attained. know that Buddha, for the sake of living beings, showed the path like this to true warriors of the three vehicles. Why not similarly wander this path? The six spoken of is a way of counting or explaining can in terms of numbers. Thus, he said six. Thus, Buddha sometimes expounds can, sometimes expounds jnana by means of the number one, calling it

[09:02]

one practice samadhi, or by means of the number two, namely one samatha, two vipasyana, calming and insight. Other times, he used the number three, namely the three samadhis, shunya samadhi, apranihita samadhi, animitta samadhi. absorption in emptiness, absorption in the wish-less, absorption in the sign-less. Or he used the number four, calling it the four rūpa-jñānas, or the number five, calling it the five gates of Chan. Of course, he also taught by means of the number six, as in the six subtle dharma gates, or the number seven, namely the seven dependent concentrations, or the number eight, calling it the eight deliverances.

[10:11]

And sometimes he used the number nine, calling it the nine successive concentrations. For the number ten, he also found use, namely the ten bases of chan, which in Theravada Buddhism are called the kasinas. which means unlimited, the unlimited. And so on up to the hundred thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, uncountable, inexpressible samadhi gates. Profound is the exposition of all the concentrations by means of numbers. Although the numbers may be great or few, investigate thoroughly all these dharma marks. All are to be mutually grasped and embraced, received and cared for.

[11:15]

Sentient beings' opportunity for awakening is not the same. At this point, I cannot resist a commentary by me about this character opportunity. Sentient beings' opportunity or potential or function for awakening is not the same. The character there is ki. In Japanese, ki and in Chinese, ji. So it means opportunity, function, working, capacity, potential, this kind of thing. My name is Ten-Shin Zen-Ki. Zen means total or complete or whole.

[12:23]

Whole function or whole opportunity or something like that. And Ten-Shin means, as Suzuki Roshi said, it means rev is rev. Okay? Grab is grab is total function. Okay? So you go up to the vending machine of Buddhism, you take your coin, you pull it in your hand, and guess what you have in your hand? What do you have in your hand? Huh? What's that? What do you have in your hand? That's not Tenjin. What do you have in your hand? Huh? What? A coin. Only the youngest, stupidest person could get it. He said, you're all too smart. Honestly, what has he got in him? OK. You were not Ten Shin. You're a kid. He got it. He's not smart enough yet to know anything better than it's a coin.

[13:27]

That is a total dynamic function. Okay? Let's think. However, sentient beings, they don't have the same opportunity, potential, because of intelligence. All right. Therefore, to benefit various beings, we discriminate the variation in number. Now we say six. This then is a way of numbering and marking the sections for organizational purposes. The word Miao, ineffable, subtle, wonderful, mysterious, has many meanings. In Chinese, Miao has many meanings.

[14:32]

And if speaking properly, the meaning is then the truth of extinction, nirvana. That is to say, extinction, stopping, subtle leaving, nirvana, is not cutting and is not eternal, avoiding annihilationism. and eternally. This is subtle. This is ineffable. This is mysterious. This is wonderful. Existing, yet difficult to merge. Not existing, yet easy to obtain. Therefore, we say, meow.

[15:39]

Earlier, I quoted Dogen's poem to you. Mind itself is Buddha. Practice is difficult. Explanation is not difficult. Not mind, not Buddha. Explanation is difficult. Practice is not difficult. This is also meow. This meow, this subtlety can act as bodhicitta in your practice. As you sit, as you breathe, this subtle principle of awakening, this Bodhi mind can guide your sitting on the right path.

[16:45]

The six dharmas can be penetrated, therefore they are called gates. This jnana teacher says you can penetrate these six gates. As you read about these gates, sometimes you may wonder if you'll be able to penetrate them, when you hear more about them. But he says you can enter these gates. Bankei said, Zen students, as a rule, may grasp seven or eight things out of ten, but are unable to get past the remaining two or three.

[18:16]

Did you hear that? Huh? Did you hear that, Juan? as a rule, able to... may be able to grasp seven or eight things out of ten, but are unable to get past the remaining two or three. I said, what is the way to get past? Banke said, there's no way to get past. I said, seeing there's no way to get past and one is unable to do so, work in the fault key. Abhankaya remained silent for some time in that reply.

[19:28]

When you come right down to it, is because the desire to realize the great truth of Buddhism is weak. Although there are six gates, understand subtly They are not different. Although there are six gates, understand subtly, narrowly, that they are not six different gates. They are just, this is me talking, they are just six aspects of perfect awareness of breathing.

[20:35]

There are just six ways to look at the breathing practice when it's mature. Or there are six ways to see life fully. Therefore, the sutra says, nirvana is the true dharma treasure. Sentient beings enter from various kinds of gates. This subtlety, this meow, pervades the explanation here, pervades the great meaning of the universally liberating six subtle gates. The great meaning of the six subtle gates is composed of ten. main meanings. So these are the ten organizing principles of this little book.

[21:51]

First, going through these six individually with its corresponding concentration. That's first. First is look at each gate each subtle gate individually with its corresponding concentration. Second is to look at these six gates in sequential mutual arising. In their sequential mutual arising. Third is to look at these gates either according to order or according to convenience.

[22:55]

Many times in Buddhism we have lists of practices, but sometimes you don't go straight down the list. sometimes you start at the end or in the middle, according to the circumstances. Because most lists, in India when you make a list, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, usually it's a circle. 10, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1, 2, 3, 4. Okay? So it's a circle, so you can jump on the circle, any place could be significantly where you start. Just like the six parameters. First is giving, last is wisdom. But you must have wisdom in order to give. So it's six, one, two, three, four, five, six. Same with Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. It seems to be one, two, three. But it's also three, one, two, three, and so on.

[24:08]

Two, three, one, two, three. In actual living practice, It's always going around. We're always doing the whole list is functioning. So we can go through these gates in order or according to convenience. Fourth is the six subtle gates according to specific cure or antidote. Fifth is mutual inclusion. mutual inclusion of the six subtle gates. Sixth is the general and specific six subtle gates. Seventh is the revolving six subtle gates. Eighth is the observing, observing or contemplating mind, six subtle gates.

[25:09]

Ninth is the perfect observing of six subtle gates. And tenth is the realization of the marks by the six subtle gates. That's pretty complicated, but can you see what they're doing here? What he's doing? Six gates are not different. And now, to look at these six gates in ten ways. Yes? Usually, including one, that's where each one can hold the other, that kind of thing. Yeah, that kind of thing, plus this ten ways of looking at six, which mutually produce each other, mutually include each other, and are not different. in which you can approach sequentially or according to convenience. So, this starts to create an image not so much of the Lotus Sutra but more of the Avatamsaka Sutra.

[26:18]

What are the antidotes for? Well, antidotes for whatever seems to be going on. Antidotes for different kinds of coverings. Okay? By the way, How are your karma avaramis today? Better. Dropping away? Looks like it. That often happens during sessions. Like it burned off. By the end, you're so clean you can't stand it. You search for something to involve you again and produce more Karma Aparams. Okay, so these are the ten main ideas, the ten great meanings of these six. Now the first one is... What's it? What's the first one?

[27:20]

Do you remember? No? I mean, yes, but... The first of the ten ways of studying these six. What? Concentration? In order. Sequentially, individually, and with their concentration. Okay. Eliminating the six... What time is it, by the way? I forgot my watch. Ten o'clock. Ten o'clock. Eliminating the six subtle gates by going through and individually considering all of them, considering all the samadhis that attend them. So this is the first of the ten. And under the first of the ten, of course, there are six sub-heavens.

[28:26]

Now, this way of six down the gates, ten ways of studying, and then six sub-headings under the ten, under the first of the ten, this reminds me of Tibetan Buddhism. You've seen that kind of thing? They do that? They have, for example, studying the six paramitas. Then under the first paramita, you have, like, eleven headings. And under the first heading, you have five headings. This kind of thing. This is a similarity between the Tantai Buddhism and Vajrayana Buddhism. Tantai Buddhism presents an articulated teaching in Chinese Buddhism, similar to what was done in Tibet. So when we study Zen and we read books about Tibetan Buddhism, it's so articulated we may feel, where is the articulation in our practice? And in a way, it's not done that way.

[29:32]

But there is a school of Chinese Buddhism which did do that. It's the Tendai school. OK. First, depending on counting as a subtle gait, the practitioner, by counting breaths, is therefore able to produce the four rupa jhanas, the four boundless minds, the four formless concentrations. This has always surprised me. But in fact, it's standard early Buddhism that just by following your breathing, you can attain full jhāna of the four jhānas. You can obtain the four boundless minds. And you can obtain the four rūpa-jhānas, the four ārūpa-jhānas. In other words, you can attain the full range of concentrations, just staying with the breathing.

[30:33]

That's always surprised me, that such a simple practice could go so far. Now, at the top of the formless trances, There is another trance, almost another trance, which is called, by various names it's called sometimes, the concentration of neither perception nor not-perception. In that state the mind is so calm, so concentrated, that you... You really can't even say that there's any idea or perception or conception going on. But you also can't say that there isn't. It's too subtle to conclude that there isn't or that there is.

[31:45]

This, as you say, this is the top of the line. of mundane existence. This is the most subtle state of consciousness. Now, if the yogi gets up to this final state of not perception nor non-perception concentration and is able to awaken the knowledge that this is not nirvana, Such a person will surely obtain the way of the three vehicles.

[32:30]

@Text_v004
@Score_JJ