Good morning. So it's the first morning of our three-day sitting, and we're also closing this weekend the practice commitment period we've been doing for a couple of months, studying this song of the Precious Mara Samadhi. And I wanted to talk this morning And actually, a few of you were here when I spoke about these lines Monday evening, but I want to talk about them some more. So if you can look on page 10, I believe, of your chant book at the Psalms of Precious Mother Samadhi, if you'd like to. Wondrously embraced within the real, drumming and singing begin together. Penetrate the source and travel the pathways. Embrace the territory and treasure the roads.

[01:02]

You would do well to respect this. Do not neglect it. So this whole long teaching poem, attributed to our founder, founder of the Caodong or Shoto teaching line in China in the 9th century, Dongshan, concerns this dharma or teaching or practice of thusness or suchness, which he says in the first line is intimately transmitted by Buddhas and ancestors. This is what is intimately transmitted. So the question is how we engage in this reality of suchness. that is always here. Suchness is that reality that faces us when we face the wall.

[02:06]

Suchness is not a thing, but it's how the world, within us and without us, interacts. The second line, he says, now you have it. Preserve it well. And this goes back to Dongshan's experience with his own teacher, Yongyang. But I want to focus this morning on these few lines. And maybe I'll reference some others. But wondrously embraced within the real, within the true. So there are different aspects of the true that are talked about here. And there's the true that is the ultimate reality in the background, this universal reality.

[03:14]

And there's the true that is the particular situation we're in right now, particular causal situation. particular time and season we're in, a particular juncture that each of us is in in our life, this morning and this week and this month. Within all of that, wondrously embrace. Drumming and singing begin together. This has to do with the immediacy of our experience as we sit facing the wall, facing ourselves, allowing the wall to face us. Something arises. The whole universe arises.

[04:16]

Our true self arises beyond our ideas of ourself. So drumming and singing, Also here means inquiry and response. Our question includes our answer. Or maybe it includes some response that brings forth further questions. But it comes together. It's like... The sound happens immediately. Call and response. The strumming and singing could be translated in various ways. this reality of suchness is created immediately. So, in Buddhism, creation is arising in each moment. And circumstances, of course, change.

[05:20]

Situations are constantly changing. New stuff arises. And things happen. But it's always happening in the context of this fundamental universal reality in which all of us are reflections. Perfect reflections. Each in our own particular imperfect way. So how do we wondrously embrace that? How do we fully appreciate this reality? This reality in which

[06:23]

You know, our question is also its own response. That which you are searching for, that which you are seeking, is itself the point. So again, there's that T.S. Eliot line, the end of all your seeking will be to return to where you started and know it for the first time. The point isn't some outcome. We don't know the outcome of some search, some journey.

[07:31]

Each step in the stream is completely it. And yet there is this questioning, this drumming that calls forth its own singing. So how do we engage this immediacy? So it says penetrate the source, travel the pathways, embrace the territory, treasure the roads. I was recently looking for a Chinese character for the word process, and there really isn't. That's a kind of modern idea. There are lots, there are ways to invoke that flow or the stream, but anyway. penetrate the source and travel the pathways. So what is the source?

[08:43]

What is the starting point? Some perspectives, you know, some historical perspectives see the source as something that happened sometime in the past and, you know, and then things unfold in some maybe mechanical way after that. There's a cause and then there's various sequence of effects. But I think in this context, penetrate the source is happening right now with each inhale. Each new thought arising is a source. Each new feeling arising is a source. How do we return to the source? How do we just be present enough to see how we are creating our universe here now?

[09:46]

How do we appreciate that? How do we embrace the Source and travel the pathways? The Source arises and flows out. And each of us has traveled many pathways to end up sitting here on a Friday morning in the Chicago spring. So we actually take on the pathways. Bill again talks about abiding in your dharma position.

[10:59]

But the dharma position is also moving. It's dynamic. So how do we embrace the territory? How do we treasure the roads? How do we get to know our own territory? How do we walk around in the space we inhabit? How do we abide in our dharma position? What is our territory? What's it like? So, when we do walking meditation and we feel our... Inhale as we lift our feet and we...

[12:05]

As we exhale, we feel the sole of our foot settling down on the floor, and we trust that the floor will be there to meet it. We feel the physicality of our walking. As we walk, as we do our walking meditation, we can also Embrace the territory. We walk around in the space we're in. Sometimes we bike around in the space we're in, or take the L in the space we're in, or drive around in the space we're in, but we occupy this room walking around in it. What does it mean to embrace this territory? How do we get to know the space we live in?

[13:16]

And it can be very wide. So some of you came from other states to be here this morning. I mean, political states as opposed to mental states. With those funny arbitrary state borders. Embrace the territory, treasure the roads. So, you know, as we look at the pathways we've come to be here, to be this whatever is sitting on your cushion or chair right now, can we appreciate that? Can we treasure the pathways and roads by which we now Can we penetrate the source and see the source arising again and again?

[14:17]

Can we appreciate all of the weird, strange paths we've been on? Can we appreciate that which we regret? Can we treasure that? Can we treasure all of the different twists and turns. Here we are, somehow. So we can call things a mistake, or we can say, oh, that was wonderful. We make those evaluations. But anyway, here we are. How do we abide? How do we embrace the real as it embraces us? How do we allow suchness to embrace us as we embrace it?

[15:25]

How do we meet with the reality of our lives? Whatever that is. So, you know, each of us has many stories about who we are. Those are just the stories. The various, you know, causes and conditions, times and seasons and so forth, in which Seshnas and this Dharma of Seshnas has allowed us to be here. It seems like some people have a tendency to remember the good stuff.

[16:30]

Other people have a tendency to remember all the terrible things. I don't know. And there's a continuum between that. But, you know, whichever tendency you have, can we just say, oh, okay, here I am, this territory, this place. How do I? Embrace this. How do I abide? How do I treasure the roads that brought me here? How do I, you know, settle in and not try and get rid of the sadness, not try and grab a hold of the joy, not think I should have more joy or less sadness, but just to actually be here. this territory, these pathways. And of course, whatever pathways and territory, however you describe the pathways and territory on your cushion or chair right now, that's just one story about it.

[17:47]

Tomorrow, whether you're sitting here again tomorrow or not, You know, we could tell different stories. Next period, you may have different stories. And you can let go of the stories, too. You can just face the wall. Let the wall tell you stories. Drumming and singing begin together. It's all arising right now. So again, this questioning is the point. Sometimes this is called bodhicitta, the mind that searches for the way, or the mind of the way. That's what ultimately brought you here,

[18:57]

this territory of bodhisattva practice, the practice of enlightening beings. That's what we're doing here, friends, whether or not you've ever heard of that term. We're here for each other and for all the other folks in your life and for all the other folks in your life that you never even thought about or ever heard of. And that, of course, includes you. It's not about not taking care of yourself. So this first thought of the way, of the pathways and the roads, and the search and the traveling. Wondering, what should I do with my life?

[20:04]

How can I bear the sadness? How can I find the joy? All those questions. This is bodhicitta, the mind of the way. And in some ways, this contains or includes or is deeply related to the whole of enlightenment So, penetrate the source and travel the pathways, embrace the territory and treasure the roads. How do we do that? Paul says, you would do well to respect this, do not neglect it. Respectfulness.

[21:08]

Can you respect yourself with all the difficulties you know you've been through on your various pathways? Can you respect yourself with all the weirdnesses of your own territory? So I, you know, sometimes think that the heart of all the bodhisattva precepts is just respectfulness.

[22:16]

How do we respect each other? How do we respect all the beings in the world, even those who are doing horrible things and causing great harm in the world? How do we respect the possibility that they might wake up and see the ignorance that's allowing them to create terrible things in the world? How do we respect the possibility for healing in the world? How do we respect, again, ourselves and each other? So, one way to read this line is, respectfulness is auspicious or fortunate. Don't offend it. Don't violate it. Don't neglect it.

[23:20]

So, if you feel sad, respect that. When you're having a hard time, when things aren't going well, okay, respect that. And how do you do that? How do you respect the difficulties? It's a strange character. It means respectfulness. It means reverence. It also means devotion. It means to be immersed in. How do you immerse yourself in the situation you're in? How do you say yes? Okay. I will embrace this territory. I will treasure these pathways. And strangely enough, this character that with the, there's an adjective title character after it that means together respectfulness, but the first character also means to miss it, along with meaning respect.

[24:52]

So this is the Chinese character, and it's strange that it has these different meanings. It also means to make mistakes. So there's another translation from a Chinese teacher that says, to be wrong is auspicious. Do not oppose it. So part of respectfulness is to be willing to make mistakes. Respectfulness doesn't mean, and we're saying self-respect and respecting others, doesn't mean to be perfect. Respect means respecting this situation, this territory and these pathways just as they are. One of the biggest obstacles to practice is some idea of perfection or some idea of who you think you should be or what you think you should be doing.

[25:55]

Can you actually abide in the territory on your kushina chair? Respect it and be kind to it. and be kind to the people on the cushions or chairs around you. That does not mean being perfect, whatever being perfect means. But we do have ideas of perfection or ideals of what we think enlightenment is, who we think a perfect master is, or a perfect Zen student is, or whoever you think you are, the perfect version of yourself. Forget about it. That's not it. Really penetrating the Source and traveling the pathways of your own body and heart is to actually just respect

[27:05]

and abide in how it is that you're there. Now, that doesn't mean going around harming yourself or others. We have precepts about how to act in a way that's helpful and beneficial. But that doesn't mean that you know how to do that. So this doesn't mean being indulgent and just going around. Again, it's important to understand that. This is based on bodhisattva precepts of not harming, of being truthful, of not taking what's not given, of not misusing sexuality, of not harboring ill will, of not falling into patterns of addiction or trying to run away from yourself, but respect what's going on.

[28:13]

And be willing to make mistakes, but then study those mistakes. So this respectfulness is, maybe it's a little complicated. It's worthy of study. How do we respect, really respect, this whole process of the particular reality of this person, this limited person, and the ultimate wholeness, universal reality, that we each are a particular reflection of? And this is a lifetime study. This isn't something we can figure out. And that's part of what this whole Precious Mary Samadhi talks about.

[29:15]

How we do that. How we study that. It says in the next line, it's not a matter of delusion or enlightenment. And we have to do this within causes and conditions, time and season. So, things change. If at some point you have it all figured out, I don't think you do, the season's gonna change, the situation's gonna change. How do you meet the new situation with respect for yourself and the others around you? And keep traveling the pathways and penetrating the source and embracing that and abiding. So wondrously embraced within the real, how do we give ourselves to this process of reality, this flow of reality, this questioning?

[30:26]

And take another inhale. And then exhale. And just be kind to yourself and others. So all of this is about how we take care of this situation of the practice and reality of suchness as such. So we'll have time during tea this afternoon for some discussion. But if anybody has a comment now, I'll take one or two comments, questions, or responses. so so This singing and dancing, rising together, is interesting to me, because it's completely illogical in my mind.

[32:21]

There's a call, and then there's a response. And one calls the other. But I actually got to hear a demonstration of love. And the drummer definitely began. So the drummer called, the singer answered. But then, as it went on, it was clear to me that the singer was sometimes calling the drummer, and the drummer was responding. So then it seemed to shift. But then, as it went on even more, I couldn't tell in the middle of it who was doing the calling and who was doing the responding. and they were not the slightest bit confused, but I was getting disoriented and kind of dizzy, China. Good.

[33:23]

So, but they weren't. I mean, it was clear. So, it was, if experience, they arise together. Still, I have this linear mind. that just so enjoys sorting it out. You know, oh gosh, I want to chill. But then finally in the middle of it, I just had to, because I was getting dizzy, so I just give up. And then I did enjoy it. And it did all, it was, it was coming together. So I learned something. It is only in thinking about it that the drumming and singing are separate. Right. So yeah, in terms of our linear mind, there's cause, and then later there's effect. But actually, we don't know which is effect and which is cause.

[34:27]

And effect, they cause cause, or they're not separate. I just brought to mind, I was thinking about how they've done these neurological studies that now have shown that in some instances our mind is actually already responding before something happens. We're already reaching to catch the ball before the ball has even been thrown. And I was at a party once in college People were sitting on the floor, and there was some kind of rubber ball, and people were just throwing it around. And I was kind of sitting on the edge. I wasn't, I don't know, I wasn't connecting with anybody, but somebody just threw a ball really hard, and I just reached up and I caught it.

[35:32]

I didn't look. I wasn't even aware. I mean, the whole thing just happened so unconsciously. I wasn't aware of the ball being thrown. I wasn't aware. I looked over and was like, wow. The whole party stopped. Everybody just stared. Because somebody had thrown it really hard. And I don't know how that happened. I don't know how the ball got caught. I don't know who threw the ball. Yes, it doesn't happen consciously, but it is not reached by feelings or consciousness that should involve deliberation. So yes, there are things that happen that way. And part of our practice, it's not the goal of our practice, but part of what happens when we're willing to just stop.

[36:33]

Stand and be upright is that we start to access suchness in such a way that that realm, that territory can become more accessible and we see that reality is not just what we think it is.

[36:57]

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