Good morning. The look on your faces and bodies tells me that it's late morning on the second day of Sashi. One of Dogen's main teachings, his understanding which is kind of the underlying basis for his understanding of practice and enlightenment are one, that all things are equal.

[01:34]

In one sense, all things are equal, and in another sense, all things are separate. Maybe separate but equal. But equal in the sense of the true nature of everything is Buddha nature. Fundamentally, everything is buddha-nature. But in the realm of phenomena, buddha-nature is expressed as all things, and each thing has its own unique characteristics. And when each thing is itself completely, each phenomenon covers the whole universe.

[02:49]

So this is the basic understanding of why sitting is just sitting. This is the meaning of shikantaza. Sitting is just sitting. It's not a means to something else. It's not a way to get enlightened. It means that everything as it is, when it truly is as it is, expresses enlightenment. So when you are you completely, you cover the whole universe and you are expressing enlightenment.

[04:01]

Enlightenment is being expressed as you. So, zazen is the expression of enlightenment. It's not a means to enlightenment. It's not that you are now deluded and someday if you sit zazen long enough you will be enlightened. People still think that that's true. This causes a lot of controversy between various schools of Buddhism, of Zen. Delusion and enlightenment are equal.

[05:08]

They're not the same. So you can say, I am sitting here in the midst of enlightenment. Or you can say, I'm sitting here in the midst of delusion. Either one is OK. Zazen is actually above enlightenment or delusion. Enlightenment swallows delusion and delusion swallows enlightenment. So we say that big mind is expressed through small mind.

[06:13]

Big mind is the mind of non-duality, of non-discrimination, of Buddha. Small mind is the mind of discrimination, preference, judgment, comparison. But small mind is necessary and important. But when small mind is directed by big mind, then small mind works. Small mind is an expression of enlightenment. So small mind is turned over to big mind when we sit.

[07:30]

We just give up small mind and sit. But small mind is still there. And as I said yesterday, Suzuki Roshi said, Small mind will not make itself a seat beside big mind, but big mind will let small mind make a seat. Big mind will make a seat for small mind next to it. So small mind is always critical. Critical mind. And big mind accepts small mind. Like a little brother.

[08:37]

You don't have to go away. Sometimes big brother doesn't like little brother hanging around. That's because big brother has small mind. But big mind accepts little brother, you know. Even though you're not so well developed yet, you can hang around. I won't chase you away. So small mind and big mind are both part of our life, but our activity should be based on big mind. So the characteristics of big mind are

[09:42]

One, like a mirror, which reflects everything as it is. In Zazen, the mind becomes like a mirror, reflecting everything just as it is, without judging, without flavoring or coloring. or trying to change anything. The big mind sees delusion as delusion, sees enlightenment as enlightenment, sees pain as pain and pleasure as pleasure. But it doesn't try to change anything because it's only pure cognition.

[11:00]

It's like the moment before you start to think about what you see, think, and feel. It's just feeling. It's just seeing. It's just hearing. If you can stay with the mirror mind in Zazen, you won't have much problem. Just seeing. Just hearing. Just feeling. Just this feeling. Just this sound. just this wall. You may see things in the wall, but you should know this is just seeing things in a wall. If you start believing in what you see in the wall and making a story, then you could have a problem.

[12:15]

So what you see, what you hear, what you think, what you feel doesn't give rise to anything. Doesn't give rise to any kind of judgmental thoughts. So big mind sees everything just as it is. Mirror mind reflects everything just as it is. This is maybe the hardest thing for us because our mind is always falling into conditioning, judgment, preference, making up a story. If you can go around all day with the mirror mind, Zazen will not be so difficult.

[13:33]

Your activity will not be so difficult. You may bump into things. Sometimes after Sashin, you know, you walk out into the street because your mind is so non-judgmental and you have to be careful because if a car is coming you may just You have to switch gears. Well, the other part, the other aspect of Big Mind is seeing everything as it is. Nothing is big. Big is just big, small is just small. This one is tall, this one is short, but doesn't matter.

[14:44]

This one is noisy, this one is quiet, doesn't matter. This one is doing things I like, this one is doing things I don't like, doesn't matter. This food, the beans are good, the beans are not good, the beans are neutral, it doesn't matter. No preferences. But the other aspect of the mind is, this is noisy. This is quiet. This isn't so good. This isn't so bad. Everything stands out in its individuality in comparison to everything else.

[15:53]

We can't leave that aspect out. It's true that all is one, but it's also true that one is all. emptiness is form. And we have to recognize and honor all the forms as they are. So, even though I see all of you as the same, I see all of you as totally and completely So we have to recognize the differences. But if we only see the differences, then we lose the reality that it's all the same.

[17:00]

And if we only see that it's all the same, we lose the reality that everything is totally different and unique and has to be addressed in its own way. And the other aspect of Big Mind is that how do we act out, to act out our life in this reality through the understanding of this reality. So acting out means that we can express or reach fundamental reality through any activity.

[18:13]

Drinking a cup of tea is the expression of enlightened activity, or it's not. Bowing to someone is the expression of ultimate reality, or it's not. Every activity, moment by moment, is an opportunity to enter the gate, the gateless gate. This is why the koan, a genjo koan, arises on each moment. On each moment's activity, we enter the koan. How do you express ultimate reality in each moment's activity?

[19:29]

That's our practice. That's the practice of Big Mind. So, Santo Zen practice is a practice of being very attentive to the details of your life. Sometimes it gets very kind of prissy and formal. So the danger of Soto Zen practice is that you can slip off of actually being present and just fall into empty formality. So we have to be very careful. and not be attached, actually, to formality. But the formalities of the practice brings that attentiveness to your life.

[20:41]

So doing something over and over, like zazen, or bowing, or chanting, or... In order to make that practice vital, one has to be attentive to each moment, because nothing is repeated. Even though you repeat something over and over, there's no such thing as repeating. Every time you bow, you should be totally bowing. When we serve the food in the pots, we should be aware of how our feet are touching the floor and aware of the space around us and how we enter into that space. And with what attitudes we serve each other.

[21:55]

How do we bow? How long should we bow? Do we really meet that other person? Or are we just perfunctorily like little birds? Cuckoo clocks. Be careful not to become a cuckoo clock. There has to be some expression, not over-expression, but just attention, attentiveness, and meeting. Everything that you meet is yourself. How do you express that everything you meet is yourself? When Tozan was crossing the stream, after he left Ungan, he saw his reflection in the water.

[23:07]

How do you see your reflection in the water? You may think that he saw it a picture of his face. Maybe. But a picture of your face is not you. Or is it? What you're looking at, when you see a mirror, is a picture of your face. But actually, you're seeing a piece of glass. The mirror itself is your face. So, as we practice today, I would like us to pay attention to how we relate to what we're doing.

[24:48]

I want to say a few things about In some sense, when you bow, it's an expression of yourself. So it doesn't matter how you do it. But in another sense, there's a way to bow that is a way to think about when you bow, to put your fingers together and your thumbs together and your tips of your fingers, not higher than the bottom of your nose, and out like this. So, when we bow, when we all bow this way, it looks like we're attentive to making this effort to do that.

[26:03]

And then we feel something, that attentiveness or that effort, to do something in a certain way. And when we carry the pots, you know, sometimes they're heavy, so you have to carry them down here. But when you carry something, to carry it at eye level, and then when you bow with the pot, just to bow your head or your body without bowing the whole pot. You know what I mean? You don't have to bow the whole pot. Just keep things at eye level, or if it's too heavy, down here, and just bow. If we pay attention to doing that, then we all do things in the same way. It's not that this is the best way, or the right way or the wrong way. It's just that we're all doing something in the same way, and we all try to make our efforts to do something in the same way.

[27:10]

And when we make our efforts to do something in the same way, we can look at our character. I don't mean judge it, but we can that there's a certain familiarity or we're all giving up our own way of doing things and throwing a lot in together, saying, this is the way we do it. So it's like giving up your own way, your individual way, which may be good or bad. I don't know. Not a matter of that's good or bad. But when we give up our own individual way and throw our lot in with each other and take up the way to do something all in the same way, then we can practice together with each other very easily.

[28:19]

And we know what it is we're practicing. You don't have to talk about it all the time. And it creates a very harmonious feeling. Because we're all trying to do something in the same way. And we can recognize something in each other because we see this effort in each other to do something that we all agree on. So you may say, The Indians put their hands up here when they bow, or somebody else puts their hands here when they bow. That's fine. No problem. But our agreement in practice is to do something in the same way with each other. It creates a harmonious feeling, but it also

[29:27]

encourages the practice, because we can see that we're all trying, making the same effort. So when you actually serve, and then, you know, we get into the wanting to complete something, wanting to get something done. When we work, We have a goal to get something done. But in practice, we also want to get something done, but we also want to pay attention to how we're doing something. Not only to the active aspect, but to the stillness within the activity. And the stillness within the activity means that you're always aware of where you're moving from.

[30:40]

And to give each moment its moment. To give each increment of your activity its full expression. So when we serve, You should not be ostentatious. You should not be too slow. Mindfulness doesn't mean to go slow. It means within the right pace to find your balance. There should always be balance. When you serve on the floor, you should go down on your knees. hunched down on your feet or on, you know, like this. But get your knees on the floor because it's stable. You should always be looking for the most stable position in all, throughout your life, moment to moment.

[31:50]

This is Zen practice, to never find yourself in an unstable position to where you can be pushed over. There are good teachers who, when they see their students in an unstable position, come and push them over. I never catch anything like that. No, you're just too kind. I'm just too kind. And then, when you pick up the pot and bow, just meet. It doesn't have to be long. Just stop. The moment when you stop is when you meet, and then continue. So when we practice that kind of activity over and over again, it becomes a part of you.

[32:54]

And you can see a well-trained student. the way they naturally relate to their surroundings and to each other. Because what you're doing in that activity is moment by moment you're giving up yourself, dropping body and mind. Sanzen is dropping body and mind. So practice is also dropping body and mind, moment by moment, giving up your small self, and just entering into the activity totally. So each moment's activity doesn't matter what you're doing, and the most seemingly insignificant

[33:58]

act of whatever. His act can't be expressing ultimate reality. When you drink your tea to be one with the act of drinking tea, Just drinking tea. Just serving. Just bowing. So when we do our bows during service, the Doan should be very careful not to rush it. Because when we bow, we put our hands down and we lift our hands and put them up, down.

[35:19]

Sometimes we get this. This is just going through the motions. Better not to go through the motions if you're not there. It doesn't mean you have to raise your hands a long time, but it means that when you raise your hands, You actually raise your hand, and when you put them down, you actually put them down. It's not... It's just... Because I have to do this, I'll do it. You know, when you come in for dok-san, it's not... I'm going to go over... Let's meet. Wake me up. And then sit down, turn around, sit down, and then start to talk.

[36:36]

Don't start to talk while you're still sitting down. Just do this, and then do this, and then do this. Don't do two things at once, or three things. Don't carry a whole bunch of things. It's okay when you're taking things back to the kitchen from the Zen Dojo. It's okay to just take one or two things. and then come back and take one or two more things. It's better to make a lot of trips than to try and carry everything at once. When you try to carry everything at once, it's just a bunch of stuff. Everything's reduced to just a bunch of stuff. Whereas if you carry a few things, there's this pot, these bowls, and this consciousness, awareness, and some care.

[37:45]

So we should treat our bowls like our own head. The Buddha bowl that you eat with is called Buddha's head. So be careful. It's your own head. In most large Zen centers, where people are residents, when they meet, they bow to each other all the time, whenever they meet up.

[38:59]

It doesn't matter how many times a day, they always bow to each other. Sometimes we do that here, but not always. But it's a good practice, because you don't always have to say something. Sometimes you pass people, and you feel like you need to say something, but there's nothing to say. But there is acknowledgment. There is meaning. So when we meet, it's good to just bow to each other, and you're not saying anything. But there's an acknowledgment and a meaning. revive that practice. Yeah, so I was going to say that when I talk about bowing, that the Doan, please give us, leave us enough time to bow, so that we don't, when you're Doan,

[40:14]

And in doing the bows, give us enough time to bow so that we have space to actually bow. If it gets going too fast, it just doesn't feel right. Sometimes, you know, and as Shasheen progresses, we get more and more pressure, you know, and we build up a lot of pressure. And, of course, Zazen is the place to express that pressure just by sitting. We don't express it by talking, we don't express it by dancing or, you know, various other means.

[41:18]

So the pressure is important to keep. That's why we don't talk a lot. So, sometimes we You know, as the pressure builds up, we become more sensitive. We become very sensitive. And we become sensitive to each other. And when you see we're doing the same person sitting across from you every day, same person sitting next to you, people sitting next to you, more or less. And we're all in this room together. And pretty soon, your mind starts to get judgmental. And somebody will go, and you'll say, I think I did that every time.

[42:19]

And so on. So you have to remember that this is not serious. You may take it very seriously, but these things are not serious. So you should realize that. mind is getting judgmental, and you're getting fussy. Make some effort to just let go of that judgmental mind. Keep returning to something, and you're creating your mind. It should be an indication to you that you're strained, that your mind is strained, and that people are not doing anything wrong, really, but your mind is just strained.

[43:24]

So, just come back. Also, in your mind you can bow to your neighbor or you can do it this way if you want but just acknowledge that your neighbor is Bodhisattva And even if your neighbor is doing something that you feel is annoying, your neighbor is an annoying bodhisattva, but a bodhisattva nevertheless.

[44:35]

And exercise a little compassion. for your neighbor and yourself. I know I haven't asked for any questions, but if you have one... Quite often you say when you're really being the cook, being cooked, being cooking. are manifesting reality. Ultimate reality is manifesting enlightenment, often. And you don't say so much that you're manifesting delusion, but you could say today that it's enlightenment. You could also say it's delusion.

[45:37]

Oftentimes I'm self-conscious when I'm of practicing enlightenment, is that like practicing delusion within enlightenment? Well, there are two kinds of self-consciousness. One kind of self-consciousness is being conscious because of a small self, right? So when I kind of self-consciousness is when you're isolated. You feel isolated. The consciousness that makes you feel isolated. And when you feel isolated, then you feel small self, conscious.

[46:42]

When you feel that everything is a part of yourself, then you feel self-conscious in the sense that everything is myself. And then you're not falling back on small self. So when you're falling back on small self, you feel self-conscious. I don't know if that's delusion, but it's not helpful. When you let go of small self, you're relating to everything, and everything is working with you, and you're working together with everything, and there's no self. There's no self-consciousness. So, you feel sometimes self-consciousness when you lose the sense of wholeness, and then you feel isolated, and you have to make a new relationship with everything. It's like walking on a tightrope

[47:45]

And suddenly you say, I'm walking on a tightrope. But if you're a tightrope walker, you know that you just do that. If you start getting self-conscious. So whether it's enlightenment or delusion, It's a kind of delusion to fall back on small self. It's no longer in the realm of enlightenment. And what is that expression, delusion within enlightenment? Within enlightenment, delusion is duality. So, no matter how deluded you are, it's still within the realm of Buddha nature.

[48:47]

We don't have time for a lot of questions. This will be the last one. Maria. You know, I struggle a lot with the definition of emptiness. Yes. And it seems to me that as you were answering Ross's question, you were just giving what begins to me to feel like a definition between emptiness or a distinction between emptiness and void. When we were talking about self-consciousness in the little sense, in the sense of being isolated, that we feel empty, but it's actually void. Whereas, when we are, we're feeling related to the whole thing. Emptiness of non-separateness. No. It's called interdependence. Oh, interdependence. Would that begin to approximate? Well, I agree with your second one, but I don't agree with your first one.

[49:57]

That void. Oh, I see what you mean. Empty. Like, I don't know what to do. Empty, meaning lonely. Yeah, the sense of void. Void, yeah. I don't see that. That word doesn't jive with me, but... Maybe lack. Lack, yeah. Sense of lack. The hungry ghost. Yeah, sense of lack. Lack, I think. That's the difference, yeah. One is the feeling of lack, and the other is that sense of emptiness. And the other is emptiness which is fullness. So, dualistic emptiness would be lack of something, but non-dualistic emptiness would be fullness.

[51:07]

Because there's no one to feel the lack. One feels lack when we're not connected. The less connected you are, the more empty, so to speak, that chance to feel.

[51:31]

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