Good morning. And New Year's greeting. We've said it many times, so. I don't always say happy, but I want to greet you for the New Year. It may be a disaster. It could well be a calamity. So, vote for the right people. That's all I have to say. So, today, this morning, just now, we had our bodhisattva ceremony, where we acknowledge our karma, what we sometimes call evil karma. I don't know if all of our karma is evil. I think our karma is what it is. Some of it's good, some of it's bad, depending on our intentions.

[01:11]

So we are self-creating beings and we create our soul through our actions and our thoughts. And this is called karmic action and the result is karmic result. Good or bad. It's called the law of the universe. It's not determination. It's not determined. It's simply that we do something and it has a result. because it has a result. And the result, if we continue doing what we do, the results fall. So we should be careful. And so in this ceremony that we just did, we acknowledge our karma from beginningless beginning.

[02:18]

So we don't say, oh, I did this and that, but we simply acknowledge that we're here, we have what we have, we suffer what we suffer, we enjoy what we enjoy because of our past actions. So in this ceremony, at the beginning of the year, this is the first week of the new year, and so It's a very wonderful way to enter our new year and to think about what we'll do now. So, oh my ancient tangled karma, we should say twisted. But I think it's tangled. It's all tangled up. It's all interwoven with our destiny. All interwoven with our environment and our actions and the people that we're surrounded by and how we interact.

[03:31]

So, I think tangled is good. And sometimes it's hard to get out of our entanglements. Twisted has more of an evil feeling. I don't think all of our karma is evil. But there is an evil aspect, possibly. I think some people say, well, Buddhism doesn't talk about evil. But actually, Buddhism does. And evil has the feeling of, for me, what it means is enjoying the suffering of others. Our actions which cause the suffering of others and gives us enjoyment. So it's perverse. It's a kind of perversity. I feel that there are certain dominant forces that are just in the world and each one of us is a kind of a radio, a kind of transmitter.

[04:53]

These forces, we tune in to these forces, turn on the switch and tune on to the station that delusion station, anger station, greed station. And then we transmit these broadcasts. We broadcast what we hear and what we feel and what we induce into our receptacle brain. So we are always receiving these forces and transmitting them. And they're called war, epidemic, and ill will, greed, whatever you want. And we get caught by them. So there are people who tune into the peace station, and then we transmit peace. And there's the harmony station, we transmit harmony. Then there's the evil station where we transmit evil, and the hate station where we transmit hate.

[05:59]

And so, it's not like we are like that, we are that, but we are simply transmitting these forces that are always present in the world. And they're always there. You see, someday we want everything to be peaceful. But that will never happen because all the forces are continually whirling around. So, I think Buddhists make an effort to create peace in the world. And many religious practices make an effort to create peace in the world. And so we have these communities which are dedicated to creating peace in the world. And throughout the history of Buddhism, this is why we have monastic practices, communities which are divorced from, pretty much avoid the evil forces so that we don't create evil in the world, which is wonderful.

[07:16]

In the lay community, we're more subject to dealing with the evil forces in the world. But even in the monastic community, those are still there. They're very hard to avoid. They're born through greed and delusion. So when we We acknowledge our ancient tangled karma and acknowledge that this includes our evil desires and it includes our innocent desires and it includes our delusive desires. And then we restate or take the precepts again. in order to re-enter our dharmic path.

[08:20]

So we take refuge in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Those are the first of the sixteen precepts. But they're called three indivisible precepts. In other words, they're one precept. They cannot be divided. Although, even though we say Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, those are three, but the three are really one. So, Buddha is Buddha is the first precept, of course. And the other two precepts are expressions of how to be Buddha. Dharma is one aspect of Buddha. Sangha is another aspect of Buddha. So these are the three legs of Buddha. The three legs of the cauldron of Buddha practice.

[09:27]

So, you can say that Buddha is like Dharmakaya, Vairajana. Sangha is Sambhogakaya, Lakshana Buddha. And Sangha is Shakyamuni Nirmanakaya. So, what does that mean? means that Buddha, Vairojana, is the source. Dharmakaya is the source. Vairojana is the expression of the source. The source of light, actually. The Lamp Buddha is called. He, she, is called Lamp Buddha. The Buddha which personifies stillness and radiance within us, actually.

[10:43]

Each one of us is actually Varajana Buddha, our true nature. When we manifest light, it's Varajana manifesting light. Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, is the expression of Dharma, or the expression of how Dharmakaya Buddha is expressed through Sambhogakaya, which is Buddha's teaching. Our wisdom is called Sambhogakaya, our wisdom mind, which is an expression, how we express the Dharma in a true sense. And Sangha is manifestation.

[11:44]

my body, my persona, not persona, but person. My person is Nirmanakaya, the Buddha as expressed as a person. And it's called Sangha. So I am Vairagyana, I am Sambhogakaya, I am Nirmanakaya. I am Shakyamuni Buddha. You are Shakyamuni Buddha. You are the person who expresses the Dharma kaya through the Sambhogakaya. Do you understand? Is there a Buddha which is a personification in a meal chat, right?

[12:49]

It's all there in a meal chat. Lochana is like Amida, Buddha. It's the same. Yeah. The Buddha, the Pure Land Buddha, the sixth ancestor says, the Pure Land is our own mind. When our own mind is purified, that's called the Pure Land in the West. In the western region. Yeah. We have it a little louder back here. OK. Next up, you need louder record. OK. With the deeper electronics or something. Oh, it's a bit louder. Yeah. So. Purity means non-duality in the Dharma.

[13:51]

We have something called pure and impure. Our pure actions and our impure actions. But actually, when we transcend both pure and impure, we have purity. When we transcend both good and bad, we have good. we have, because purity is non-duality. So that's hard for us to get, but we get it through practice. So it's hard to stay above getting caught by one side or the other. So, I want to talk today about... I'm going to make a commentary on the Sixth Ancestor's verse from the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Ancestor on the High Seat of the Law.

[15:05]

Sixth Ancestor, as most of you know, we say, Daikon Eno, in our lineage. Daikan Eino, Dai Osho, the six Chinese ancestors. Sometimes called in Chinese, Wei Long, or Hui Neng, or So Pei. There are many different names actually in Chinese, but in Japanese we say Daikan Eino. and I've commented on this before and some of you may remember but it's always good to keep going over it because I keep going over it over and over it myself there's some texts that I just go over and over just study over and over and this is one of the things that I like so much

[16:06]

It's a kind of a poetic katha. And so the sixth ancestor is talking to his assembly of monks, both men and women, and lay people, both men and women. And he's saying, if you just put this into practice, you don't have to go to a monastery. Just practice this in your daily life and you'll be one with the Dharma. So he says, one who is a master of the Buddha Dharma and has realized their essence of mind may be likened to the bright sun in an empty sky. One who is a master, whether a man or a woman, who is a master of the Buddha dharma and has realized the essence of mind may be likened to the bright sun in an empty sky.

[17:20]

Essence of mind here means dharmakaya, means the source of our life. Can you read the whole thing? Okay, I'll read the whole thing first. It's a little long, but I'll read it first. One who is a master of the Buddha Dharma and has realized their essence of mind may be likened to the bright sun in an empty sky. Satchitananda teaches nothing but the Dharma for realizing our self-nature, which is their purpose for being in the world and to make people aware of erroneous views. We can hardly classify realization of the Dharma into sudden and gradual. Some will attain realization more quickly than others. The way of realizing the essence of mind is above the comprehension of one who is ignorant. We may explain it in 10,000 ways, but all those explanations may be traced back to one principle.

[18:26]

In order to illuminate the dark place of the afflictions, we should constantly set out the light of wisdom. Erroneous views keep us in defilement, while right views remove us from it. But when we are in a position to let go of both of them, both right and wrong, our mind is then pure. Bodhi, which means enlightenment, is imminent in our essence of mind, and to attempt to look for it elsewhere is erroneous. Within our impure mind, the pure mind is to be found. And once our mind is set right, we are free from defilements, evil karma, and karmic retribution. If we are treading the path of enlightenment, we need not worry about stumbling blocks. Provided that we keep a constant eye on our own faults, we will not go astray from the right path.

[19:28]

Since every species of life has its own way of salvation, they will not interfere with or be antagonistic to one another. Therefore, if we leave our own path and seek some other way of salvation, we will not find it. And if we plot on until death overtakes us, we shall find only regret in the end. If you wish to find the true way, right action will lead you to it directly. But if you do not make effort in the way, you will grope in the dark and never find it. One who treads the path in earnest sees not the faults of the world. If we find fault with others, we ourselves are in the wrong. When others are in the wrong, we should ignore it. For it is wrong for us to find fault. By letting go of the habit of fault-finding, we cut off a source of defilement. When neither hatred nor love disturb our mind, serenely we sleep.

[20:41]

Those who intend to be the teachers of others should themselves be skilled in the various expedients which lead others to enlightenment. When the disciple is free from all doubts, it indicates that their presence of mind, essence of mind has been found. The pure land of Buddha is in this world within which enlightenment is to be sought. To seek enlightenment by separating from this world is as absurd as to search for the horns of a rabbit. Right views are called transcendental. Erroneous views are called worldly. When all views, right or erroneous, are let go of, then the essence of Bodhi appears. This stanza is for the southern school. It is also called the big ship of Dharma for sailing across the ocean of existence. Kalpa after kalpa, that means long, long time. That person may be under delusion.

[21:44]

But once enlightened, it takes but a moment to realize Buddhahood. So, I'm going to start beginning. I may not get all the way through. One who is a master of the Buddhadharma and has realized their essence of mind may be likened to the bright sun in an empty sky. So, usually we talk about enlightenment as moonlight. The moon is usually the usual metaphor for enlightenment. But here he said the sun. The sun is, it could be the moon or the sun, so I'm not going to quibble with it. So one who is the master, I would say, one who is the master of the Buddhadharma and has realized that essence of mind is the vehicle for light, which is Vairajana Buddha, to allow the light of Vairajana to express itself in the world.

[23:02]

That's how we save sentient beings. This is called saving sentient beings. allow people to experience their own light, which is covered by greed, ill will and delusion. So Vairochana is always like the sun, expressing light. But when the clouds move by, we call it the easy way of enlightenment. It's a phrase, the hazy moon of enlightenment, which you know it's there, but it's intangible, a little bit hidden. You see it, but it's intangible. When the clouds are there, though, it's wonderful to see the outline of the light behind the clouds, the edges of the clouds.

[24:05]

An empty sky means empty mind. When the mind is empty, the light has an opportunity to shine through. So empty means not getting caught by the loop of worries and obsessions. So such a one teaches nothing but the Dharma for realizing our self-nature, which is the purpose for being in this world and to make people aware of erroneous views. So that the purpose of a Bodhisattva is only this. That's their only purpose. Otherwise there's no reason for them to be in the world. So when a person takes a vow to be ordained, that's their purpose in life, should be their purpose in life.

[25:15]

Their only purpose in life is to teach the Dharma for realizing our self-nature. So it is called compassionate action. The Bodhisattva vows to save all beings. From what? From suffering and delusion. So there's nothing else to do. We're always looking around for something to make us happy. That's why I don't say happy New Year. We're always looking for something to make us happy. But this is what makes us happy. What makes us happy is teaching the Dharma and saving sentient beings from suffering and delusion. That's the happiest thing you can do. So, we can hardly classify realization of the Dharma into something gradual.

[26:22]

Some will attain enlightenment more quickly than others. In this time, back in the 6th century, 7th century, early Chinese Buddhism, sudden enlightenment and gradual enlightenment were competing and promised. So gradual enlightenment is like step by step. You learn this, then you learn this, then you learn this. Sudden enlightenment is in a moment, everything opens up all at once. and it's all one piece. So, sudden enlightenment is usually more attributed to Zen, right? That's why in Zen we don't start by learning something. We just push you off into the ocean and you start swimming, even if you don't know how. That's why I remember

[27:26]

Green people make them feel welcome. They have to fight their way in. Not fight, but find their way in. And that finding their way in stimulates the seeking mind. But we don't do that. We used to do that. But now we have more students because we don't do that. But in a way, you know, It's not kindness. It looks like kindness, and it is, but it's really kind for... to not be so welcoming, and to... One who has a strongly seeking mind will find their way in, even with resistance. And this is very typical, traditional Zen. In America, it doesn't work that way so well. You know, the way Master Uman got enlightened, he was sure that he wanted to see this master.

[28:42]

And so he kept knocking on the door of the master's hut. And the master said, go away. Go away. And two or three times, go away. Get out of here. He said, I'm not going to let him do that. So he knocked on the door of the master's hut. And he woke up. He's got enlightenment. So they were very rough in those days. So we say, you know, we hardly classify the realization of the norm as sudden enlightenment and gradual. It doesn't matter. You know, sudden enlightenment, is the result of gradual practice. And gradual practice is the basis of sudden enlightenment.

[29:46]

So, to say which is which is not a good argument. That's what he's saying. Even though people always attribute to him that he's the master of sudden enlightenment. So this way of realizing the essence of mind is above the comprehension of the ignorant. And we may explain it in 10,000 ways, but all those explanations may be traced back to one principle. What's the one principle? The way of realizing the essence of mind is above comprehension of the ignorant. Even though we explain it, but all those explanations may be selflessness. Of course, selflessness is the basis of enlightenment. That's why practice is difficult, not because your legs hurt,

[30:52]

And that's what all the teaching is about, is being selfless. In order to illuminate the dark dwelling place of the afflictions, we should constantly set up the light of wisdom. The light of wisdom. He talks about light, illumination, all the time it's light, illumination, and you find that all throughout this. In order to eliminate the dark, the only place that the afflictions are, the afflictions of suffering, the elements of our suffering, which we cause through our own greed, our own ill will, and our own delusions, there is suffering that is caused the self-inflicted suffering.

[32:07]

We are always subject to outside influences that press in upon us. But our response to these outside influences is what we do have control over. So we always have to look at our own responses. What is our response? Each one of us is born into a different circumstance. People in Somalia have one circumstance. People in New York have different circumstances. Some people are born wealthy. Some people are born poor. Some people are born under certain restrictions. And other people are born without them. But yet everyone has problems. problems and say, well, I wish I had this problem instead of that problem.

[33:18]

But a problem is a problem. And how we relate to what our hand, the hand that's given to us. So you shuffle the cards and go, this is yours, this is yours, this is mine. Oh no, that's not the one I wanted. Let's trade. No trading cards. You've just got to deal with what you've got. Sometimes it's easy and sometimes it's hard. But the way you deal with it is through selfless practice. That's when, you know, practice is to not escape. but to be one with the problem. How to be one with the problem? If you have pain in your legs, it could be a problem or not, depending on our attitude.

[34:24]

It's all about our attitude. If we want to escape, it's called suffering. As soon as you want to escape, you set up the conditions for suffering. when you simply let things be as they are without judgment you can find your freedom and your comfort it's as simple as that which is not so simple simple to say is most difficult so he says Erroneous views keep us in defilement, while right views remove us from it. You know, we talk about the perverted views, which are also called inverted views. Topsy-turvy, actually, is what it means. Upside-down views. Like believing in a self.

[35:28]

which is topsy-turvy view, because there is no essential self, there is no inherent self. And believing that in permanence, which is, well, there is no permanence, believing that what causes us pleasure, what we think is pleasure is actually suffering. What we think is suffering is actually pleasure. And freedom from bondage. We bind ourselves through our attachments. So, my view would be not to mistake one thing for another. Not to mistake suffering for pleasure.

[36:33]

But when we are in a position to let go of both of them, our mind is then pure. So that's non-duality. Purity is the non-duality of letting go of all views and simply experiencing everything just as it is. It's not good or bad or right or wrong. Even though there is good and bad and right and wrong. There is good and bad, and right and wrong. But wisdom arises when there's no duality between good and bad, and right and wrong. And then we can deal with right and wrong, and good and wrong. So Bodhi is imitated in our essence of mind, and to attempt to look for it elsewhere is erroneous. Of course, we know this. bodhi or enlightenment is intrinsic. And we simply need to remove the hindrances and the obstacles.

[37:39]

So within our impure mind, the pure mind is to be found. And once our mind is set right, we are free from defilements, evil karma, and karmic retribution. So within our pure mind, the pure mind is to be found. This is a very important point. Impure mind is the mind of attachment. Discriminating mind. We need discrimination, of course. We have to discriminate between things. But if we're caught by discrimination, that's called impurity. So our essence of mind, of course, the parent of our discriminating mind. If we try to eliminate our impure mind in order to find our pure mind, it doesn't work.

[38:52]

This is why we have to find nirvana in our everyday activity. Nirvana is letting go of self-centeredness and letting go of self-centeredness in all of our activity so that Bodhi or enlightenment can direct our life. It's hard to explain. how we find release at every moment given our suffering and our difficult habits.

[40:35]

Within our suffering we find nirvana. So, renunciation doesn't mean to take all of your worldly goods and throw them in the ocean. The ocean will spit them back at you. But simply let go, moment by moment. When anger arises, let go. When greed arises, let go. Even though you can't let go. Even though we're stuck in our habits, when we actually make the effort, or have awareness, we find some release without finding fault. To just be, just allow ourselves to see ourselves as we are.

[41:44]

The easiest way actually to change is not to criticize ourselves, but simply to see ourselves as we are. Just to notice ourselves as we are. To really look and see. And even though we can't change, we can see without judging. And that's a kind of release. Because what we're caught by, mostly, is our judgments. Oh, I'm so bad. Oh, I'm so bad. Oh, I'm so bad. How many of us think, oh, I'm so bad. Oh, I'm so bad. And then we just keep doing this thing. Forget good and bad. Just look at what's happening. Just see it. And then change happens.

[42:54]

Change happens by itself. It's time to stop. I'm really going to talk about not finding fault. That's the essence of this whole thing. Not finding fault. Which is the most difficult thing in your life. Not finding fault with others or yourself. even though we do have faults. People have faults, I have faults, but not getting caught up in that. Someone said to me, when I was at Tassajara, he said, you know, this kind of guy was always finding fault. He said, I looked at that guy, and I said,

[43:56]

I don't like him. And then I looked at that guy, and I said, I don't like him either. And then he said, what am I doing? I looked at that guy again, and I said, I like him. And I looked at the other guy and said, I like him. Everything was OK. What was I doing? It's all arbitrary. We think it's not, but it is. Anyway.

[44:24]

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