I've been teaching a class at San Francisco Zen Center on the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Ancestor in China, Daikon Eno, or Hui Nung, or Hui Long. There are other names, but we usually say Dankan Eno, but in Chinese, Hui Long, or Hui Nung. So I wanted to talk about something that I talked about yesterday. of comment on the Sixth Ancestor's Sutra. So according to the Sutra of the Sixth Ancestor, which is his teaching, in this section on Samadhi and Prajna, Samadhi is

[01:15]

the mind that's settled on its essence, so that dualistic thinking doesn't arise. So Samadhi is the basis for the arising of Prajna, or intrinsic wisdom, which is a wisdom beyond thinking mind, or intuitive faculty of truth. So in this chapter, he says, learned audience. It has been the tradition of our school to take idealistness as our object, non-objectivity as our basis, and non-attachment as our fundamental principle.

[02:30]

So he's talking about these three things. Idealistness, non-objectivity, and non-attachment. And then he says, non-objectivity means not to be absorbed by objects when in contact with objects. Idealistness means not to be carried away by any particular idea in the exercise of the mental faculty. Non-attachment is the characteristic of our essence of mind. So I want to talk a little bit about these three. not to be absorbed by objects, not to be absorbed by or not to be carried away by some thought. We used to say you're going on a mind trip. I don't know if you remember that term. And non-attachment being the basis or the fundamental principle.

[03:44]

So when we think about non-attachment, it's a very difficult term because non-attachment seems to mean not to be involved with things, right? Seems like he's saying, don't be involved with objects or thoughts and so forth. But actually, instead of using the term non-attachment, I think it might be nice to use the term proper engagement. People sometimes carelessly translate non-attachment as detachment. But detachment means to be separated, right? Detachment means standing aside. But non-attachment He says, when involved with things, to not be attached to things.

[04:51]

When in contact with objects, not to be absorbed. Absorbed may not be the right word either, but not to be stuck with things. So, to let things come and let things go. This is non-attachment. If you are hesitant to take things up, that's non-attachment. That's also attachment. It's as much attachment to not take things up as it is to hang on to them. but we usually think of attachment as hanging on to things. So, how to meet objects, use objects, and let go of objects.

[06:05]

This is our life. We live in the world of objects. We live in the world of things. And in America, we have more things than we can possibly use. If you have a table, an empty table, it doesn't remain empty very long. you constantly have to keep brushing off the table, constantly, you know, getting, we have so much junk that we constantly have to keep moving it. When I go into my office, sometimes I take a big breath, look at all the things on the table, and I just want to go, but, you know, each one demands my attention. But if I get pushed around by the idea that I have to take care of all these things right now, then I get intimidated by objects, by things, by ideas.

[07:24]

So how to use things without being used by things, how to use ideas without being used by ideas, and how to have appropriate response to whatever comes up without sticking. Suzuki Goshi used the word, don't stick to anything. Don't stick to things. So we should be careful about having stickiness. And when we find that we're being pushed around by things or getting stuck on things, how to realize that everything is really void, which he talks about. He says, all things, good or bad, beautiful or ugly, should be treated as void.

[08:29]

Void is a funny word. It means empty. We don't usually use the word void. We usually use the word emptiness, because the word void means empty, but the word empty, the way we use it, doesn't mean empty. The term empty, the way we use it, means interdependent. When we talk about emptiness in Buddhism, it means the interdependent nature of things. Everything is empty of its own being. This is the message of the Heart Sutra. All things are empty in their own being, which means nothing has inherent existence. This altar is what we call made of wood, and the wood comes from a tree, which comes from sunshine, as Thich Nhat Hanh likes to say, comes from moisture, comes from rain, weather, earth.

[09:46]

Everything in the universe is created the tree that is used to create this, what we call this altar, beautiful piece of walnut. So, as he says, everything that's not the tree is what makes the tree. The tree is made up of all non-tree elements. So this is called emptiness. But it's not void. It has some substance, but it's transient. So if we stick to something, that's called attachment. So

[10:50]

to freely use the elements around us, all the objects around us freely, without attachment, without sticking to anything. When we have money, you know, money's very sticky. To be able to circulate the money, you know, some of us want to keep it all for ourself. But when we do that, the society becomes sick and unbalanced. When money circulates, then the society is healthy. Just like your body, you know, money is like the blood that runs through your body. To the society, money is like the blood that runs through your body. It should be shared by everyone and balanced so that society works harmoniously.

[11:57]

But, you know, it's very sticky. The more we get, the more we want. So this is attachment. And although it looks like we're getting something wonderful, we're actually getting something poisonous. So to use something, what is appropriate use? appropriate use so that things work together harmoniously with each other and ourselves without sticking. It's not attachment. So, then he says, even in times of disputes, and quarrels, we should treat our intimates and our enemies alike and never think of retaliation." This is one of the most difficult things.

[13:03]

The Sixth Ancestor is always talking about this. He talks about this a lot, you know, not blaming others. And when we blame others, it's really us that's having a problem, not that others don't cause problems. but we should be free of fault-finding because fault-finding creates attachment. It creates attachment to ego and self, which is the most harmful thing that we can do to ourselves and to others. So he says, we should treat our enemies, it sounds very Christian actually. What's wrong with that? Very good. So and then he says, but this is very important, in the exercise of our thinking faculty, let the past be dead.

[14:09]

if we allow our thoughts, past, present, and future, to link up in a series, we put ourselves under restraint. This is a very interesting passage. If we link up our thoughts, past, present, and future, we put ourselves under restraint. So, what does he mean by this? When we practice Zazen meditation, we're sitting in the present moment. There's no past and there's no future. If you bring up the past or conjure up a future, then you're no longer presently in the present.

[15:15]

But we think, well, you know, we have to think about the past, and we have to think about the future. It's true. We do have to think about the past, and we do have to think about the future. The past, of course, there's nothing we can do about. That's totally gone. Although, the present is conditioned by past events. And the future will be conditioned by present events. But all that really exists is the present. It's only the present. So the past exists in the present. And the future is just an idea. There's no such thing, really, no tangible thing as the future. But we speak about a future because we expect something to happen. that hasn't happened yet.

[16:20]

And we project into this future, which is simply an idea. And say, well, this is going to happen, and five years down the road, you know, and so forth. And those things do come to pass, but not as we predict them. Because our prediction is all in our head. So, to be totally in the present, which includes the past and the idea or the fantasy of the future, is to be totally free. Totally free of karma. karmic consequences, karmic retribution. When we sit in zazen, we say there's no karma, we're not creating karma. Karma means volitional action.

[17:26]

And when we have a thought about something, that creates a volitional thought, it creates mental karma. And when we act out of a thought, that's karmic action. So each one creates its own consequence, sequence of events. So if we link up past, present and future, this is creating karma. creating karma which has a karmic effect. So we continue our story, so to speak. Each one of us has a story. We each have a drama that's called our life.

[18:31]

But when there's only the present, the drama is not there. there's only the reality, just the reality of this present moment with no conditioning. So the past conditions the present, the present conditions the future. And when there is no when you're not linking them up, there's simply the present moment totally without conditioning. So then you can see clearly without bias or without partiality. And this is what Zazen is, to see clearly things as it is without partiality or bias or dualistic thinking.

[19:37]

So this is, you know, the practice of the monk to not be creating karma, karmic activity, simply responding to conditions out of that pure space and allowing prajna to arise to give him or her direction. This is why he says don't be attached to, don't get carried away by thoughts. by thinking, let the essence of mind supply the thinking. So this person is called a bodhisattva and responds to whatever need in the world there is because this person has no personal need, no personal agenda.

[20:56]

The only reason for this person being alive is out of compassion for people, simply responding to the needs that arise around that person. When I gave my talk yesterday, someone said, as usual, How come you never talk about compassion? This is totally compassionate action, because there's no self-interest in it at all. One simply lives for the Dharma, which means to take care of whatever arises. So we have two aspects of practice. One aspect is our own self-development, so to speak.

[22:00]

And the other is helping others. So there are various ways to help others. There's working in a hospital, taking care of the poor and needy. being in politics or, you know, many ways to help other people. But to help people to discover their own essence of mind is very compassionate action. If, you know, if people actually, to lead people to practice, to make that available to people so that they can reduce their own suffering, I think is a very worthwhile, compassionate thing to do.

[23:14]

I don't want to say the most compassionate thing to do, because I don't want to compare it to something else. But I do think that. At the risk of comparative values, I would say it's right up there. And then somebody said, well, where are those people like that? I don't see any of them around here. Which is very good, very good, even though someone like that was sitting right next to him. So, yes, who are these people that act like that? Well, I think that there are a lot of Zen students that act that way.

[24:29]

You may not recognize them right away. They have automobiles and they live in houses, they go to work, but in their innermost being, this is what they're doing. the person may not stand out in some way, you know, that you can say, oh, that person is like that. But Suzuki Roshi used to say, you should be like a white bird in the snow, meaning instead of standing out in some way, to blend in, you know, wherever you are, to simply blend in with your surroundings and to act in accord with the Dharma.

[25:32]

And that way the Dharma actualizes itself through you and helps people. It's one thing to kind of be an isolated person, you know, that people look up to, like me. Say, well, you know, he must be blah, blah, blah. But to actually be with people, you know, without standing out in some way or being a focus. Like in the place where you work, in the place where you live. where you study to bring forth the Dharma through yourself. This is called the Samadhi of self-fulfillment and being passed on to others.

[26:39]

It's called Ji Ju Yu Zamai. It's the joy and fulfillment of your own practice which radiates out to others and uplifts them. They maybe don't even know what's happening. And it's simply existing in the present, moment by moment, without creating bad karma, letting go of greed, ill will and delusion. And then he says, on the other hand, if we never let our mind attach to anything, we shall gain emancipation.

[28:02]

For this reason, we take non-attachment as our fundamental principle. So, non-attachment meaning appropriate Then he says, He says, in the essence of mind, there is intrinsically nothing to be attained. To say that there is attainment and to talk thoughtlessly on merits or demerits are erroneous views and defilements.

[29:09]

For this reason, we take idealistness as the object of our school. Basically, idealistness means non-dualistic thinking. He says, a learned audience, in idealistness, what should we get rid of and what should we fix our mind on? He says we should get rid of the pairs of opposites and all defiling conceptions. When he says, get rid of the pairs of opposites, it's a funny way to state that, but he says, when someone brings up one side of a discussion or an argument, you should bring up the other side.

[30:13]

If someone talks about the void, you should bring up form. so that we don't fall into one side or another. You know, most arguments are based on dualistic thinking, falling into one side or another. How do you keep from falling into one side or another? We always maybe take some position, right? But our position always has to include the other side. If our position doesn't include the other side, then there can never be any conclusiveness. Good has to include evil, and evil has to include good. Otherwise, there's never any reconciliation.

[31:18]

He says, he talks about 19 pairs of opposites. Long and short, good and evil, infatuated and enlightened, ignorant and wise, perturbed and calm, merciful and wicked, abstinent and indulgent, straight and crooked, full and empty, steep and level, klesha, which means defilement, and bodhi, permanent and transient, compassionate and cruel, happy and angry, generous and mean, forward and backward, existent and non-existent, dharmakaya and physical body, Sambhogakaya and Nirmanakaya, and he says, one who knows how to use these 36 pairs realizes the all-pervading principle which goes through the teaching of all sutras.

[32:36]

Whether one is coming in or going out, one is able to avoid the two extremes. Coming in and going out are also two pairs. Coming and going are two pairs. We say, I'm going to the store and then I'm coming back. Those are two opposites, right? Going and coming. But actually, we never come back. In reality, we're only going. And in reality, we're not doing either one. We use that term conveniently, I'm going to the store and then I'm coming back. But actually, I'm going to the store and then from the store I'm going home or going to where I came from.

[33:39]

But coming back is just a convenient term. But there's no backward, even walking backward is going forward. So dealing with the pairs of opposites without falling into duality, that's very important. And we do have our prejudices, and we have our preferences, and so forth. But, you know, It's so important to get beyond our dualistic thinking. A monk asked Master Joshu, does the dog have Buddha nature? Joshu said, mu. Actually he said, woo, because he was Chinese.

[34:43]

Which means no. But no is not just no. We know that the dog, we want to have faith that the dog also has buddha nature. It's not about buddha nature, it's about don't fall into duality. Another time, the monk asked Joshua, Jow Jow, does the dog have buddha nature? He said, yes. It doesn't matter whether he said yes or no. Because he's not attached to yes or no. He's not caught by yes or no. This is a very important understanding. So this is appropriate action.

[35:54]

To one monk he said no, to the other monk he said yes, depending on the circumstances. Without being attached to what he said the first time, he could freely use yes the second time. But you can only do that if you have the right understanding. Do you have any questions? Yesterday I had a very interesting conversation with a man in which he told me that when his wife brings something up, he would always bring up the opposite view. Yeah, I understand that very well. So I don't need to say anything more?

[36:57]

Well, there are two things to say about that. One is, if the person brings up the opposite view just to be obstinate, That's one. That's not the same. But if one brings up the other view in order to be balanced, that's different. So one is the counterfeit of the other. To always just say the opposite, or just to be, ornery, you know, but the person who is receiving that should also be able to deal with it. May I say something?

[38:01]

Yes, you may. Also, the consequence for this man of taking the whole and nice. Maybe whole, I don't know if they're nice. Was that his wife felt isolated. Yes. That is that he actually created a problem, a kind of division in his idealistic notion of creating wholeness, a complete view. It actually had the opposite effect. Yeah. Created division with his wife. He was actually leaving, he was isolating himself from his wife. And that was unfortunate because of course what she needed was to feel his connection with him.

[39:06]

So there's a, somehow there's a really important matter of skill here. Oh there is. Yeah, it's an important matter of skill. So what you're doing is to not create argument, not create schism, but everything has two sides. So you can use the same procedure to create a schism. by simply doing this rather than this. Yeah, that's called, that kind of thing is called the near enemy. It looks the same, but it's not the same. Yeah, drama, meaning the drama of our life, right?

[41:26]

It's also possible, you have to also include the drama of your life. It's not like you eliminate the drama of your life. But there are two things that are going on at once. One is, what seems like movement, the movie of our life. And at the same time, each, in a movie, It's just a series of stills moving quickly at just the right speed so that it looks like a drama, looks like everything moving like usual. But actually it's discrete moments of stills. And so our life is also discrete moments of stills even though it looks like one moment flows into the next, which it does. So it's both things at once. And to be in the drama, in the movement, in the undulation, which is called samsara, that's a kind of, the undulation of life is samsaric life, the movie.

[42:51]

At the same time, to be in the total stillness of the present now, which doesn't go or come, doesn't come anywhere or go anywhere. It's just always now. And that's the moment which is independent of past and future. What's the implication for us having to do psychological work? If you have a problem, see a therapist. I don't know what you mean by that. Yeah, I think, you know, when we get stuck, our mind gets stuck on the loop, which we do. Our mind gets stuck in a loop, and then we can't get out of the loop.

[43:55]

you can work on that as practice. But if you can't do that, if it's not, if your practice is not strong enough, then you should seek help somewhere. Well, opposites, it's not that you give up opposites. It's that you don't get attached to opposites. Because you don't fall into one side or another, even though you may have a strong leaning for one side or the other. You always have to include the other side anyway. Otherwise, there's no way to move. beyond that. And to stay with one side is to divide our mind.

[45:04]

That's the biggest problem, is that our mind remains in a dualistic state, or a state of partiality, right? Partiality is, that's called restraint. when Alan said, well what about restraint? Restraint is putting yourself under restraint so that your mind is not working completely, your understanding is not complete. Does that answer your question? Or some other part? focus on being in the present. And how does not being restrained, how does that show up in an attempt to be present?

[46:06]

Well it means that our mind is always so busy that we never experience the present moment and so we miss our life. A lot of people are missing their life. because they're so busy trying to make it happy that they can't get happy. Yeah. How do you help people if you're not fully enlightened? I mean, you know, it seems like, you know, there are two problems you can fall into. One is being arrogant, thinking you know what's right for other people. but maybe you don't need to help them, they don't need your help. Another would be to fall into the trap of people not being able to take advantage of you because you're too nice to them and not taking care of yourself enough or something.

[47:10]

Right. Well, nobody can take advantage of you. You only allow that to happen. And the other side is you help people to the extent that you can. don't go over your boundary. You should know, if you can, what you can do to help people, and then you help them according to your ability. So if you wait until you're enlightened to help people, too late. But helping people is an aspect of enlightenment. So just do what you can. small things, you know, small, help people in very small ways. It's really good. We want to do something big and helpful and so forth, but just to help people in small ways. So, you know, to just light up your corner of the world, that's really important.

[48:13]

You wanted to say something? Yes, I wanted to ask of you, in the skillful means reality of stepping out of the space in relationship with another when there is a reaction either on oneself's part or the other person's part, a strong reaction rather than response, that an appropriate way in terms of these opposites of taking the opposite just in behavior or action would be to find stillness and not react to reaction. I presume, actually from my experience I find this is so. Yes, yes. And to step out of this drama of the samsara, this movement, into the bank by the river and find stillness and step out of it. Well I think that's well said because, you know, someone has to stop the argument. Someone has to stop the momentum of this and then just stop.

[49:22]

It looks like you're giving up or something, but actually it's like stopping the world and getting off. Someone said, let's stop the world, I don't wanna get off, but to just stop and then let everything fall into the hole. and then start from zero. That's very good. That's to reconcile the opposites. It's like neither one of these is going to win. So, I mean, if you look at the Middle East, neither one of these is going to win. They have to just dig a big hole in the ground and dump it all in and start from zero. they can't start from where they are. So that's very good. One question.

[50:24]

If there's no substance in Buddhism, is it contradictory to search for the essence of the mind? You don't search for it, it's already there. It's simply letting go of greed, hate and delusion, and then the essence of mind is our natural endowment. You don't have to search for it. There's nothing to search for. But even without searching for it, to say there is an essence of mind, does it contradict this view that there is no substance? Oh, no it doesn't. Because essence of mind is not a substance. It's not something tangible. Although, everything tangible is its expression. And also, we reserve the right to contradict ourselves.

[51:27]

because language is necessarily contradictory. You can't express these kind of concepts without contradicting yourself. So we say we make a mistake on purpose. So if you attach to the words and the concepts, then you have a big problem. You should see beyond that. It's simply pointing to something.

[52:08]

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