Good morning. I want to talk a little bit first about translation. You know, these ancient texts like this one from Well, this is a Ming Dynasty text, no, Song Dynasty text, which is after somewhere 10th or 11th century. But the original text, you know, is 9th century, maybe. And this ancient Chinese, which is pre-Chaucer in comparison. I mean, Chaucer is hard enough for people to translate into English, I mean, to present day American.

[01:05]

And Tang Dynasty Chinese is, especially colloquial terms, Like we have colloquial terms that maybe 500 years from now will be translated and there'll be all kinds of interpretations about what our colloquial terms mean. So they often mean the opposite of what the literal meaning is. And the meaning changes through time. of words and phrases. So these texts can either be very carefully translated or not so carefully translated and nuanced. I think nuance is really an important term.

[02:09]

I've done co-translating for many, many years. And I think it's a very good way to translate because a native translator or someone who is translating, who is Japanese or Chinese, translating from their language into English may be really good, but there are things that they don't understand about our way of understanding things. So it's always nice when there's a co-translation because then I can intuit things and put them into our own words that the primary translator would never dream of to complete the understanding. So, certainly with this text, it's translated many times by different people, and every translation is different, no matter who translates.

[03:25]

Every translation is different. There's some translations of Dogen, when you read them, one translation, you look for it in another one, and you can't find it, because they're translated so differently according to the understanding of the translator. So it's important with sutras. Sutras are kind of an outline, present these understandings as a kind of outline. And when we read the sutra, the translation of the sutra, it looks like the real thing. And you can't change it. The only way you can change the literal way the sutra is expressing itself in that way is through a commentary. That's why in Asia, people don't read sutras so much, they read commentaries.

[04:28]

Because commentary conveys some understanding of the sutra which is pointing to the moon. So to be able to understand this way, a scholar and a practitioner translating together is a good combination, because the scholar can bring out certain aspects of the text which are fairly literal, and the practitioner can nuance that understanding through practice. So it's a very good combination. So commentary is very important, and different people have different commentary, different way of commentary, commenting, and so it's useful to study all those different ways of commenting because they bring out different aspects.

[05:31]

This particular sutra has sort of like the Mahayana expressed in the Hinayana way, so to speak. And most Mahayana sutras, they're very lofty ideas and a lot of imagery. And Indian way of writing is very flowery and intellectual. And in this sutra, the Sixth Ancestor takes all these lofty ideas, lofty understandings, and presents them in a very simple way. It says, these are about you. If you read Mahayana sutras, it's like looking up in the clouds, as if there's some distance between you and the characters in the sutra.

[06:44]

But the Sixth Ancestor, this sutra brings all of that stuff down to earth and says, like, the trikaya is you. These are the three bodies of you, not some lofty ideas in the sky. And the Pali sutras are about, very practical aspects mostly of how you practice. Mahayana sutras are more about lofty concepts. So he brings those lofty concepts down to the practicality of our own life. To me, that's what's so engaging about this sutra. So today, I want to talk about this chapter called Samadhi and Pragya.

[07:49]

Samadhi has various meanings. There is a sutra which lists hundreds of samadhis, and they all have names. That's significant, you know, but if you know how to understand that, there's samadhi of washing the dishes, samadhi of pooping the floor, samadhi of talking on the telephone. This is our new samadhi sutra. And also, the sutras can often give us some idea of special states of mind. And the samadhis are like some special states of mind, if you take them literally.

[08:58]

But they're not to be taken literally. They're pointing at something. Because as we know, And Samadhi of Zen is no special state of mind. Samadhi of Zazen is no special state of mind, but we still have the idea of creating some special state of mind called good. happy, enlightened. So the patriarch, on another occasion, preached to the assembly as follows. Learned audience, in my, it says system here, but,

[10:06]

I don't like that word, I don't think it's a good word. In my understanding, samadhi and prajna are fundamental, but do not be under the wrong impression that these two are independent of each other, for they are inseparably united and not two entities. Samadhi is the quintessence of Prajna, while Prajna is the activity of Samadhi. So then we talk a little bit about what that is, but not yet. At the very moment that we attain Prajna, Samadhi is there with. and vice versa. If you understand the principle, you understand the equilibrium of samadhi and prajna. A disciple should not think that there is a distinction between samadhi begets prajna and prajna begets samadhi.

[11:13]

To hold such an opinion would imply that there are two characteristics in the dharma. One is samadhi and the other is prajna. Now, if you look back in history, there's the terms Samatha and Vipassana. Samadhi and Vipassana. Vipassana and Samadhi. Samadhi is the quintessence of Vipassana, so to speak. Vipassana are just two aspects of the same thing. And these terms kind of come from Samadhi and Prajna kind of are related to Samatha and Vipassana. In the history of Buddhism, Samatha and Vipassana have often been thought of in separate ways.

[12:21]

There are people who practice Samadhi and there are people who practice Vipassana. Vipassana is like understanding, and Samatha is quiet, is peacefulness, peaceful mind. These are often like the practitioners of samadhi who are only always sitting dazen. The practitioners of vipassana who are investigating, mentally investigating. But these are not two practices. They're one practice. When there's one, there's the other. And one is the basis for the other. And for the Mahayana, there's Samadhi and Prajna.

[13:30]

Prajna is not quite, it's not the same as Samatha. I mean, it's Vipassana, but it's the Mahayana equivalent. Samadhi is more in, I mean, a prajna is intuitive understanding. It's not knowledge. whereas vipassana is more knowledge, prajna. So prajna is our intuitive understanding before thinking. And samadhi is, I like to think of samadhi as the intersection between heaven and earth. In other words, Samadhi, I think, we can look at it this way.

[14:40]

If you think about Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, and Nirmanakaya, I don't want to confuse us, but Dharmakaya is our essence of mind, which has no boundary and no special characteristics. This is why when we sit in zazen, we say, no special state of mind. We're sitting in realization of dharmakaya. Nirmanakaya is our transformation body. Everything changes. Our body, mind, which is continually changing. That's the earth body. Sambhogakaya is our wisdom body. So when our Dharmakaya and our Manakaya meet, that's Sambhogakaya, and that's Samadhi.

[15:50]

So we're actually sitting in Samadhi, because in Zazen, heaven and earth meet and disappear as separate entities. So sambhogakaya is the expression of that, is the expression of prajna as consciousness. So when we say, like when Suzuki wrote, she says, always act in big mind. that's through the Sambhogakaya. So Sambhogakaya, when we sit in Zazen, Sambhogakaya is facing emptiness and when we get off the cushion to go out in the world, Sambhogakaya is facing form.

[16:57]

not that they're two different things, but the transformation activity in the world. So this Sambhogakaya is our samadhi, our oneness with the universal mind. which has no special characteristics. So when you step out the door, we expect something, but if you don't have any expectation, you just meet things as they are. So Samadhi is open mind, open mind which is big mind, being expressed. And you are the Sambhogakaya Buddha. So when we say you are Buddha, you have the potential to express, to allow dharmakaya to be expressed in your nirmanakaya body, mind, world.

[18:13]

So that's called inner peace, calming, harmonious activity. So a disciple should not think that there is a distinction between samadhi begets prajna and prajna begets samadhi. Samadhi is the ground from which prajna arises. So he says, for one whose tongue is ready with good words but whose heart is impure, samadhi and prajna are useless because they do not balance each other. On the other hand, when you are good in, I don't know this language, good in mind as well as in words, and when our outward appearance and our inner feelings harmonize with each other, then it is a case of equilibrium samadhi and prajna. In other words, you shouldn't just talk about it all the time.

[19:19]

Your actions and your understanding should balance each other. In other words, put your, body, mind, where your mouth is, what he's saying. Argument is unnecessary for an enlightened disciple. To argue whether prajna or samadhi comes first will put one in the same position as those who are under delusion. This is Dogen's practice and enlightenment are one. When Dogen talks about practice is enlightenment, enlightenment is practice, he's saying the same thing. Argument implies a desire to win, strengthens egotism, and ties us in the belief in the idea of a self, a being, a living being, and a person. Argument brings up ego, because we have a desire to win, and then self arises. and strengthens egotism and ties us to the belief of a self, being, a living being and a person.

[20:26]

So a learned audience, to what are Samadhi and Pragya analogous? So he gives us an analogy. They're analogous to a lamp and its light. With the lamp, there is light, and without it, it would be dark. The lamp is the quintessence of the light, and the light is the expression of the lamp. So in name, they are two things, but in substance, they are one and the same. It is the same with samadhi and prajna. So samadhi is like the basis. So when we sit, we sit in samadhi, and then prajna arises. But they're not two different things. And prajna is what leads us to sit in samadhi. Sudden enlightenment and gradual practice is actually what we do.

[21:35]

Alan? I can imagine that one. Well, we let prajna arise so that when we have a discourse, this is Nagarjuna, the person trips up themselves without you trying to trip them.

[23:34]

In other words, he presents his argument in such a way that the person that, I don't say argument, but discourse in such a way that the person that he's discoursing with discovers themselves what's right and wrong. Argument means, in this case, means sticking to your idea and trying to prove something and trying to be right. So this argument is a lower form of discovery, although nothing is fixed, so an argument can also be beneficial. But this is not a law, it's an attitude. If you have the attitude, if you stick to the attitude of argument, nobody will want to talk to you.

[24:38]

you just drive people away, even if you're righteous. The argument often brings up righteousness. So the attitude is, instead of arguing, to help the person find, it forces, in other words, instead of beating your kid, how do you get them to mind? It's more difficult. because you have to go deeper than argument from what I hear you saying is like meaning, you know, who's going to win? No, that's not what I was saying. You're responding to what I was asking. I'm not valuing argument, but I'm just about something else. I'm just talking about Oh, that's a different meaning of the word argument, I guess.

[25:48]

I think that's what you see in the Hasidic table, right? No. No. I see in the Hasidic tables how to reduce ego. How to get rid of, what the appropriate place for ego is. That's what I see in the Hasidic tales. That to me was so wonderful. And bringing heaven down to earth. So, Tibetans argue points of doctrine, but in Zen we don't argue points of doctrine, because we're not attached to doctrine.

[27:01]

Doctrine is not our thing. So that's a kind of exercise, and it's understood that it's an exercise. And it's good for the mind. So yes, certain kinds of argument I think are valuable and have a place. But to have the attitude of argument can work, but I don't think it should be a mode. Yeah, I guess I think of argument as confrontation in some way to win.

[28:26]

But anyway, I appreciate what you're bringing up. The debate might be a little unusual. It might be, yeah. I'm happy to let it go. Me too. I don't want to argue with you. There's something that's called a lamp when it's not lit. but it's not really a lamp until it's lit. Just like Dogen talks about, when you step into a boat, it's called a boat, but it's not really a boat until we pull the sail, take hold of the tiller and shove off.

[29:42]

Does the lamp have a dimmer switch? Well, we hope not. Well, no, our emotions have a dimmer switch, should have a dimmer switch. But, okay, Nancy. Just call it something by different names. Well, I have shoes that are waterproof. Anyway, you know, this is a big ship here.

[30:46]

This is called the big ship of Dharma. Some people call it Zendo. What is it? It's a potential. It has potency, but it hasn't been released to its true nature. It's a vehicle, but it hasn't been completed. Just like someone who goes to college and they've completed all their studies, but they haven't been launched out into the world yet.

[31:55]

It's potentially a piano. But when it's played, then you and the piano and the music are one. And then the piano is a piano, and you are you, and the music is the music. And that all makes for one act. Right. Yeah, yeah. Well, kinhin is the vehicle, just like sitting is the vehicle.

[33:21]

And the vehicle is the seat, or the container, which allows for samadhi. which is like, it's the backward step that creates the light, or that turns the light inward, and then prajna arises. So it's the same with kinhin. Kinhin is the vehicle, the container, and the samadhi of kinhin. And then we're totally walking, just walking, and then prajna rises. I say it rises, but it's there. But substance and function is,

[34:23]

It's like samadhi is, you could say, is the substance, substance, and then samadhi is the function. Prajna, I mean, prajna is the function, the activity of samadhi. Meet circumstances, yeah. Oh yes. Yeah, and so I was attempting to meet the whatever there. I can't wait to see exactly Okay, well, that's an interesting question.

[35:42]

We hold stuff in our body in various places. Like anger, we hold up in our, usually in our upper back. So this is where we hold it, and frustration, and resentments, and so forth. I don't know what you, I can't say what's held here, but, When we can't, we need to hold on to something. In this world, this unstable world, we need to hold on to something. So when we have something that we can't, that we take in and can't release, it has to be held somewhere. So we displace it in various parts of our body, and we hold it in our stomach. If you ever go around and adjust posture, some people's posture is like an iron bar. you just cannot move that person. And they're holding a lot of tenseness in their body.

[36:49]

So how do you open yourself so that you're free of tenseness, whether it's here or here or whatever? And this is, in Zazen, this is what we're doing, is like letting go of all that stuff. basically letting go, so that we're just returning to our natural state, free of acquired stuff. That's what we're doing, nothing else. And then, that allows the Dharmakaya to flow freely through us. So, when we're sitting, we should think about, well, you know, you can take, put your mind there and think, open up, [...] and say with your back or whatever, you know, and especially with your legs, open up. because when we find some difficulty, we want to, our natural tendency is to push away or to enclose, and then we limit ourself.

[37:59]

So you have to go counterintuitively and let the difficulty be there without attaching to it. And you can actually release a lot of tenseness in your body. And hopefully, you know, no matter what's going on, you can just be loose. So I think it's being loose. Even though you have strict posture, it's all loose. There's no tenseness in your body. That's what you should be practicing with. How do I let go of this tenseness? Even though I have perfect, you know, really strict posture, What do I need? What can I let go of that I don't need? So you keep going over your body and letting go of all that. You can't. Well, kind of like location, maybe.

[39:32]

Yes. Locating something if you need to, yeah. That's not what I would say, but I can, might try that. Right, that's right. We fixed their identity. That's right, yeah.

[40:33]

I used to, when I was a little kid, I used to put boxes together, and that was my boat, you know. We played fishermen. You just make it into anything you want. That's actually, that's the freedom of prajna, is that you can make anything into anything else. Nothing has a fixed identity. Although we do fix our identities. Huh? We do it. That's right. That's why we say it's a construction of our mind. I don't know. Oh, my goodness. Well, it's good not to get too far.

[41:25]

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