In Soto Zen, there is a thread that runs through the history of teaching concerning light. Not so many people pick up on this, but it's there and it's actually It appears and then disappears, and then comes up and disappears. But for me, it's the vital thread of Surya Zen teaching. Master Uman, from the Tang Dynasty, Uman, actually was the head of the Yanmen School was one of the schools of Zen, but it died out fairly early in China.

[01:10]

But there's a koan in the Blue Cliff Record concerning Master Yanmen saying, everyone has their own light, but when you go to look for it, it's dark and dim. put your finger on it, as far as an object. And so he said to the monks, so who can say something about this? And nobody said anything. So Hinman said, the Buddha hall, the main gate, and the kitchen pantry. in Sandokai.

[02:18]

The main essence of Sandokai is about darkness and light. Master Tozan talks about it in the Jewel Mirror Samadhi. Master Honjiru, Onishi Shogaku, coined the term Silent Illumination. So we have that term, Silent Illumination. Master Dogen wrote a commentary in Shobu Genzo called Komyo. Komyo means Radiant Light, sometimes translated as Divine Light. And then Dogen's disciple, Ko-un Ejo, not Ko-wan Ejo, Ko-kun Ejo, wrote a treatise called, the only one that we have from him, called The Treasury of Radiant Light.

[03:36]

So this thread, This Konyo is another name for Buddha nature. Buddha nature is kind of abstract in a way. But life is something experiential, more feeling experiential. and illuminating. So, today, I'm going to comment, as I have done before, on a talk by Wangchi Shogaku, And this says a lot.

[04:45]

Remember or not, I don't know. Actually, what we do in Zazen is allow Komyo to come forth. and find this expression. That's what Zazen is, basically. Sometimes people say, well, I don't experience anything like that. But we just are not aware of what our own experience is. As Dogen says, some may realize it and some may not. But it doesn't matter. Just keep doing it. Light, or illumination, is another name for enlightenment, of course.

[05:53]

Why call it enlightenment, if it's not illumination? So, Hongjie lived between 1041 and 11... 57, just before Dogen, not too many years before Dogen, and he was the abbot of Tien Tung Shan, where Ru Jing was abbot after him. So, he says, with the depths clear, utterly silent, and thoroughly illuminate the source with the depths clear, utterly silent, thoroughly illuminate the source, empty and spirited, vast and bright.

[06:58]

Even though you may have lucidly scrutinized your image and no shadow or echo reached it, searching throughout you see that you may still have distinguished between the merits of a hundred undertakings. Then we must take the backward step and directly reach the middle of the circle from where light issues forth. Outstanding and independent, still we must abandon pretext for merit. Carefully discern that naming engenders beings, and that these rise and fall with intricacy. When you can share yourself, then you may manage affairs and you have the pure seal that stands to 10,000 forms. Traveling the world, meeting conditions, you fully enter Samadhi in all delusions and accept its function, which is to empty out and so as not to be full of self.

[08:09]

The empty valley receives the clouds. The cold stream cleanses the moon. not departing and not coming. Far beyond all the changes you can make teachings. Without attainment or expectation, everything, everywhere comes back to the ancient ground. hundred uglinesses or a thousand stupidities, the upright cauldron is naturally beneficent. Zhang Zhou's answers, wash out your bowl and drink your tea, do not require making arrangements. From the beginning, they have always been perfectly apparent. Thoroughly observing each thing with the whole eye is the patchwork monk's spontaneous conduct. Now, I'm going to comment on this

[09:13]

Suzuki Roshi used to say, or once said, when we were sitting Zazen, he used to talk a lot during Zazen. Not a lot, but he did talk to us during Zazen. Like, don't chicken out. He also said, you're like loaves baking in the oven. Utterly silent and thoroughly illuminating. So depth's clear is like Zazen. In other words, there's nothing that you're taking up all the way down. There's no hindrances. You're not interacting with phenomena.

[10:26]

So the depths are clear. You have the opportunity just that something come up. I am silent and so will be illumination. That's silent illumination. The source, empty and spirited. Empty means receptive and spirited means activity. So receptive and active. vast and bright. Even though you have lucidly scrutinized your image and no shadow or echo meets it, searching throughout, you see that you still have distinguished between the merits of a hundred undertakings. You know, we say there's no shadow because there's nothing obstructing. Right? If there's an obstruction, there's a shadow.

[11:32]

So, I mean, no self, basically. There's no self that hinders anything. Even though you have lucidly spiritualized your image and no shadow or echo meets it, searching throughout, you still have something. You realize, you still have something. And you're discriminating between the merits of a hundred undertakings. You must take the backward step and directly reach the middle of the circle from where light issues forth. My favorite phrase. That's called Zazen. That's Zazen. In Zazen, we're like a glass that has no sides. It only has one side. This is how we our perception of the reality of ourself in zazen.

[12:39]

Just one side, there are no two sides, no duality. And so, radiance and flow in all directions. So we stand in the center of a circle. Each one of us is the center of a circle. And in our lives, these circles combine with each other and overlap. And this is called reading. And when our circles don't project very much, we feel lonely. When our circles project far-reachingly, we feel that we have some interaction, more interaction.

[13:46]

So these circles, billions and billions and billions of circles, interacting with each other constantly. And it's just the variations of this light. You know, Wonshi had a poem that's also my favorite poem. He said, when by the side of the ancient ferry, the breeze and moonlight are cool and pure, the dark vessel turns into a glowing world. Isn't that your experience in Tantra? When by the side of the ancient fairy, the ancient fairy is like, you know, I don't know, you probably know, even if you don't know.

[14:58]

The breeze and the light are cool and pure. So this is sitting in a very cool, pure... We say, we should have a cool head and warm feet. That's sadhana. Cool head and warm feet. The breeze and moonlight are cool and pure, and the dark vessel turns into a glowing world. Otherwise, why would we sit sadhana? So, outstanding and independent, still you must abandon pretexts for merit. In other words, you may feel like you really have something, and so we have to be able to hide our light in the dust, not project too much wisdom, expressing wisdom.

[16:05]

with your actions is good, but too much with your mouth is not so good. So, we still need to abandon pretexts for merit. Carefully distinguish, I'm sorry, carefully discern that meaning which is discriminating engenders gain. and that these rise and fall with intricacy. So to name something, just to give it, to set it aside, it's a discriminatory activity. But we do have to do that. We name. Everyone's got a name. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to distinguish. So that's called discrimination, which is necessary. discrimination.

[17:09]

But when we get caught by discrimination and we think that the name is the person or the name is the thing, then we get caught by discrimination. So discriminating doesn't help us to see things as they are or as it is. Only when we can let go of naming can we see things as it is. Because naming, as soon as we get the name, oh yeah, I know, I know that one, I know that one, pretty soon we form an image of who somebody is. Best way, you know, is to have no assumption. Even though I know somebody really well, I think. To have no assumption about that person means that I can meet that person where they are, instead of where my mind tells me that they are.

[18:13]

My discriminating mind tells me where they are, who they are. So if I can do that, then I'm ready to accept who that person really is, instead of being guided by who I think that person is. This is very important. When we can't let go of an idea, then it makes it harder for that person to be presentable in our eyes. So when you can share yourself, then you manage affairs. And you have the pure seal that stands the 10,000 forms. Manage affairs means that you can teach, actually, what you have when everything is clear. When you can share yourself in that way, then you can manage affairs and you have the pure seal.

[19:23]

The pure seal is like the Buddha seal, the seal of authenticity. and thus stamps the 10,000 forms. Traveling the world, meeting conditions, you joyfully enter samadhi, in all delusions, and accept its function, which is to empty out, so as not to be full of self. Samadhi is not to be full of self. When we sit dazen, we let go of self. let go of self-centeredness and enter Samadhi. It's not a big deal. Samadhi means concentration. But here in our Dzogchen it means concentration without self. So the Samadhi emerging with a universal mind, big mind.

[20:30]

Small mind is absorbed into big mind. That's samadhi. We do it whenever we sit sadhana. Unless we give up. So there are all kinds of samadhis. Samadhi has many names. The samadhi of zazen has many names. Dogen calls it shikantaza. Just this. He also calls it Jijunyu-samadhi, self-fulfilling or self-joyous samadhi. Angel calls it Kumyozo-samadhi, the samadhi of radiant light. So all these are really just names for the same samadhi, but maybe from a little different aspect.

[21:34]

So traveling the world, meeting conditions, you joyfully enter samadhi, the samadhi of conditions, the samadhi of not being caught by conditions. So we meet conditions selflessly. The empty valley receives the clouds. So the empty valley is like passive, and clouds are like drifting. Maybe the thoughts that we have in Zazen, if we don't cling to them, They fill the empty valley as ornaments. We don't try to get rid of thoughts. We appreciate the flotsam and jetsam of our mind.

[22:42]

Why should we dislike it? Why should we try to get rid of it? Our mind is empty whether it's full or not. True fullness, true emptiness is full of stuff, you know, but without being concerned about it, we can enjoy the ride, enjoy the scenery without getting involved in it, and allow the illumination to come forth. So the illumination actually illuminates the thoughts. If you work too hard trying to get rid of thoughts, that's just another thought. That's worse. Because you're working really hard trying to get rid of something that you can't get rid of.

[23:47]

The thoughts will always win. Oh yeah. No thoughts now. Great. You can't be aware very long with no thoughts before you start thinking. So far beyond all the changes you can get teachings. That's important. If you need to teach, you just teach. That's all. And you don't worry about the results, or the attainment, or whatever. You just do. So, the cold stream

[24:53]

cleanses the mind, washes over the mind, but not going and not coming, or not departing and not remaining. Far beyond all the changes. You can give teachings free from attainment or expectation. Everything everywhere comes back to the ancient ground. The ancient ground is the source, right? It all comes back to the source. Not a hair has been shifted, bent, or raised up. Despite a hundred uglinesses or a thousand stupidities, the upright cauldron is naturally beneficent." So what is the upright cauldron? It's a term that's used in I Ching. Here's a definition from the I Ching. To change things, nothing compares to the cauldron.

[26:11]

This is the vessel used to refine the wise, forge sages, cook Buddhas, and purify adepts. How could it not be very auspicious and developmental? So it's associated with cooking, right? And so, you know, Figaro said, you're like loaves. of Brent cooking in the oven, in the cauldron. So something is like, you know, an oven. You sit here for seven days, just cooking. And slowly, slowly cooking. illuminating, getting brighter and brighter. On the last day of Sashim, we all sit around facing each other at the last period of Sashim, and the whole room is illuminated, and we all experience that illumination, that great power.

[27:26]

So, Zhaozhou, Zhaozhou, Master Zhaozhou, answers Wash out your bowl and drink your tea. Those expressions did not require making arrangements. From the very beginning, they have always been perfectly apparent. Thoroughly observing each thing with the whole eye is a patchwork of monks' spontaneous conduct. Joshu's drink your tea. You all know that story. Joshu is in his monastery. and with his attendant. And a young monk comes and says, well, two monks arrive. And Joshi says to the first one, have you been here before? And this monk says, yes. Well, have a cup of tea. And then he says to the other monk, have you been here before?

[28:30]

He says, no. Have a cup of tea. Attendant says, Joshua, this one said he hadn't been here and you said give him a cup of tea. This one said he had been here, give him a cup of tea. And then Joshua turned to him and he said, Attendant, have a cup of tea. And then one day a monk came to the monastery and had an interview with Josu. And Josu said, have you had your meal? And the monk said, yes. Josu said, well, go wash your bowl. This is not ordinary talk. In ordinary talk he said, so what?

[29:32]

Dharma talk. In those days, this is the way they used to interact. So, Josu is asking him if he's had any realization. Have you digested your meal? Have you had your meal? And the monk says, yes. And Josu sees that he hasn't, because he knows, he can tell. So he says, if so, go wash your bowl. In other words, Let go of your attainment. Let go of your attainment. This is like most abandoned pretexts for merit. I'm going to read you a little bit of Master Ajo.

[30:42]

I've always been reluctant to read from this, because he has a lot of mysterious things going on. But there are some parts that... He talks about Master Uma. various koans that point to this subject. So he quotes a lot from the Lotus Sutra, which Dogen was very interested in. For instance, the knowledge of the enlightenment is light. A concentration of the light of immutable knowledge beyond the two extremes of ordinary and holy, or absolute and conventional.

[31:45]

It is the light of the non-conceptual knowledge of Manjushri, who represents great wisdom. This becomes manifest in the effortlessness of simply sitting, saten." And then he says, So we should know that the light is the universal illumination of matchless, peerless, great light, completely filled with infinite meaning. The great being, Monjushri, was at that time called, he's talking about the sutra, at that time called the enlightening being, sublime light, and was the eighth son of the Buddha, called illumination like a lamp, made of the sun and the moon. who enabled him to stabilize unsurpassed enlightenment. The last one to attain Buddhahood was called Burning Lamp Buddha, hence one of the seven Buddhas before Buddha. Hence we know that the sitting meditation of our school is absorption in the treasury of light inherited directly from Burning Lamp and Shakyamuni.

[32:54]

Master Yunlin, the last generation from the Buddha, said to a group in a lecture, all people have a light. This is a story I told you before. But when they look at it, they do not see it. So it is obscure. What is everyone's light? No one replied. So the master himself said in their behalf, the communal hall, the Buddhist shrine, the kitchen pantry, the mountain gate, He does not say it is to appear later on, or that it existed in the past, or that it becomes apparent to a few from the side, a view from the side. He is stating that everyone has a light. This is exactly what is meant in the overall sense by the light of great wisdom. It should be heard and attained, enjoyed and applied in the skin, flesh, bones, and marrow. The light is everyone. Shakyamuni and Maitreya are its servants.

[34:05]

That's another koan in the Bhagavad-gita. What does not mourn Buddha or less in ordinary beings is the spiritual light. So it is existent in all. It is the whole earth in a single mass of fire. So the master said, what is everyone's light? At that time, the assembly made no reply. Even if there had been a hundred thousand apt statements, there still would have You even answered himself in their behalf. The communal hall, the Buddhist shrine, the kitchen pantry, the mountain gate. Thus, this answering himself in their behalf is answering himself in everyone's behalf. Answering himself in behalf of the light. Answering himself in behalf of obscurity. answering himself in behalf of the assembly's lack of response. It is absorption in the treasury of light, awakening and bringing forth radiant light.

[35:11]

This being so, it does not question whether you are ordinary people or Buddhas. It does not discriminate between sentient and inanimate beings. Having always been shining everywhere, the light has no beginning, no location. That is why it is obscure. It is what? It is traveling at night. It is impossible to conceive of, even in a billion, billion, million aeons. Also, along as Jungman, the light silently shines throughout countless worlds. Before he had ever even finished posing his question, Jungman quickly asked Beck, are these not the words of a famous poet? The monk said, they are. Jungman said, you are trapped in words. Matter of fact, all of them come off, too.

[36:18]

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