Well, this is so far been a seminar which content at least has been like the content of a sashin. And it seems like that's been all right with you. It's been a little different in the sense that in a sashin it's just implied that you don't move. Or might be said. But certainly I don't think I've ever in a sashin gone into such detail about why don't move is the most fundamental instruction. And I wouldn't want to because I wouldn't want somebody to think there's some result not moving.

[01:03]

All of these things you have to really come to on your own whether they're spelled out or not. And the instructions I spoke about as mudras or mental postures, all seem pretty obvious. But they're actually, because you could give many kinds of instructions.

[02:06]

But literally, over the centuries, all the possible instructions have been sifted down to a few. Sifted, that's okay. She seems to be good at this. Okay. And so it's been sifted down to a few which imply and extend far into virtually the whole of Buddhism. And they create a basis for extended practice. Okay. So there's a few more, two or three more I could speak about and why not. We want to leave a few things out.

[03:42]

We don't want everything talked about this weekend. So you don't want to speak about the two or three? No, I said we might speak about them, but still we'll probably leave a few things out. But right now I want to find out what you leave in. From your discussion yesterday and or whatever you'd like to comment on from the seminar so far. Okay. Yes. First of all in our small group we spoke about the second question of what of these instructions is being integrated in everyday life.

[04:45]

And several people work with their breath. For example, just to direct attention to the breath in particular situations. or also to put attention onto breath and at the same time feel it in one's lower abdominal region. And that is being experienced as very replenishing and liberating. And that can that can be implemented intentionally. But it's also being observed that this happens all by itself.

[06:15]

And some of us also, or several people also work with turning phrases. And one person applies a practice that you've once suggested of viewing a scene in a panoramic view or something. That she feels in nature such a sense of unity, such a sense of belonging. Can you say that again at the beginning? A person feels in nature, with natural observation, a special sense of belonging, such a sense of unity. And one person experiences particularly in nature a feeling of belonging and being connected.

[07:15]

And it seems to me that all these different practices come down to something that they have in common. Because they all lead to interrupting an ordinary everyday life mind with its conceptual thinking. and leading to taking a backward step or to pausing. And therefore a lot of, very many, several people apply the teaching of the five dharmas that you've mentioned on Friday in some way.

[08:25]

Because what this is about is introducing right knowledge into the moment. And at least for a moment stopping naming and discriminating. and to take a step towards the wrong mind which is being experienced as replenishing and satisfying even if that is not conscious. Most of us also integrated zazen practice regularly into their lives. Most of us?

[09:36]

I'm kidding. And what is being experienced by all of us is that through that we feel more we experience some kind of upright steadfastness and independence. And about this other question, when does practice turn into a path? We didn't have time to discuss that, but I have my own opinion about it.

[10:43]

It seems the case that through practice you experiment with it in fragments. And over time there's some kind of need to experiment with it more and more. And you begin to notice that when you don't sit, then it seems like something is lacking, that the day is lacking something. Then you are already in some kind of way on the path. And I think you're certainly on the path when that comes in, which Christian described so wonderfully.

[11:54]

That you begin to renounce certain things that you usually experience as something that you want or that you strive for. Simply because practice is more attractive. And then you're on the path, whether you know it or not. But when you make this conscious decision, then it's actually more kind of recognizing that you're on the path. Yeah, thank you. Yes, it does.

[13:07]

about this question of being on the path. I'm not sure I could say I'm on a path because I don't exactly know what the path would be like. But within me throughout these last years there have always been decisions. It's not me having made these decisions, but they just happened. And the feeling in them was something like I don't have a choice. Of course I could make a different choice somehow but there is this feeling of that wouldn't be good for me. I have no idea where this leads, what will happen in the future.

[14:30]

And there's always been this feeling of, okay, this decision has been made somehow and I'm just going to follow it, although I don't exactly know where it leads to. And that's always a little bit of a peculiar feeling, but at the same time, yeah, that just felt right. Okay. Okay. Yeah, that's so exciting. That's interesting or exciting. Yeah, I understand. If I happen to take the year off next year, which I'm exploring, and I happen to make an exception and still come to Rostenberg, I'm not entirely in charge of my life. I sort of do what I feel like.

[15:54]

I might feel like coming to Rostenberg. Might be the best way to start a year off. In any case, maybe we could have the seminar topic be Path Mind. I'm just suggesting. And to already have a title might make it more difficult. Okay, who's next? Yes? I noticed that for me there is a difference between simply practicing and being on a path. And I also said every time I thought about it, you know, ask myself that question, am I on the path now that it really threw me off?

[17:18]

It's gotten a little better today. The main difference for me is that just practicing is also a little bit of fooling around. Having fun, fooling around. But for me the main difference is that simply practicing it also has this feeling of just doing something, also having fun and somehow doing something. And being on the path is different. I really have to pay attention. Okay.

[18:31]

Let me just say simply that when you start taking the fruits of zazen and the experience or instructions of zazen and so forth into your daily life, this is certainly a step onto practice as a path. And certainly if you had the feeling of the pause of what is it on each perception, you're definitely on the path. Sense of the path is you walk it. and you're on it and it may already be there or you're making it as you walk or both are true and if at every moment you're on the path let's say I sense of a path

[19:41]

Yeah. Then if you are, for instance, again asking the question, what is it, on each perception, you're sort of, it's like walking on a path. You're moving through the particulars of your activity with a sense of practice. Okay. Someone else? Yes. An additional question. Yes. Does the question, what is it, does that ask for a response, for an answer, or does that just stand there?

[20:59]

It's an attitude. It's not really a question expecting an attitude, expecting an answer. It's an attitude which, in the form of a question, which expects no answer, which expects... The answer to be no answer. In a funny way, there may be answers, but the answers may be the whole of your life feels different. In a funny way, there may be answers, but the answers may be the whole of your life feels different. For me being on the path comes from a feeling of fulfilling my deepest wish.

[22:03]

I notice that every time I pay attention to that, I'm really engaged with this. so that I don't have to think about my way or how things go, because it really often seems like things feel together in a wonderful way. then there's this feeling of my life coming together or things coalescing or something. Okay. It's the feeling that I don't have to think about things anymore because my life just comes together in some wonderful way. And my feeling is that if I can trust that completely,

[23:26]

Then I also have a feeling of always being able to engage deeply with this feeling of arriving at each moment. Good. You know, Although we can intellectually understand that the fact that everything is interdependent and conditioned by everything else, is a process. is a process. Yeah, it's a too small a word for it, but let's call it it's a process.

[24:37]

But whenever you're in a process, you have to trust the process. If you try to take hold of it in the midst, you stop the process. So being on a path or having the feeling of incubating or letting things evolve requires that you really have an initial mind that trusts. And if your initial mind is distrust, you know, everything gets stuck, you know. And if you don't trust your initial spirit, then everything stops. Since Thursday afternoon, I've tried to rearrange terms.

[25:44]

A tree and treeing bed works fine. I tried body and bodying that also works somehow. Yeah, I can feel it. But in German mind and mind is difficult. Yeah, you mind the baby but not the world. Mind means to take care of or something? Minding means to take care of, when you have energy. Yes, but mind is something different than minding.

[26:46]

When I was thinking about this question of language, does it work? So I see in German the Geistern. It sounds like ghosting. Yeah, I understand. So her question is, is it a matter of language whether it works or not? Or is it a matter of the subject that you are pointing to? Well, everything is an activity. Alles ist Aktivität. English is particularly a problem because English has a huge vocabulary, 600,000 words or something like that, but it's largely nouns. Im Englischen ist das speziell eine Schwierigkeit, weil das Englische unglaublich viele Worte hat, 600,000 oder so, aber die meisten davon sind Nomen. But in any case, you can use... Eric, is that you there hiding?

[27:54]

Yes. How did you appear? Have you been here the whole time? You've been here from the beginning? Yes. Why aren't you sitting here? Because it's not my job now. You were on a brief sabbatical. Without pay. My job is not in the lab. It doesn't make anything for me. It's not fair. So each language offers certain words which you can direct attention with. But if the words don't assist you, then you have to just do it without the words. And it's most natural, of course, to do it in your own home language.

[29:03]

But a lot of people tell me they want to practice, they practice in English because English is the Buddhist language for them. But many people tell me that they practice in English because English is their Buddhist language. No, I don't know. Do as you wish. So do it as you like. Yes? Yes, I don't know. I can't see what it means to be a Buddhist all the time. I'm also in the midst of meditating upon or thinking deeply about what this means to be on the path. And I notice that it's a very paradoxical matter. I haven't thought about whether I'm on a path or not on a path for years.

[30:22]

And that was somehow simple just to practice. That was simple and good. But then something like just flowing along or something, drifting, just drifting starts to happen. Now I could say that's easier, but actually it makes it more difficult.

[31:22]

And what comes in then is this, there's no other choice or no choice. Could you please look at the picture of a worker? I could also describe it as some kind of extended zazen to always come back, always be put into zazen posture again. And that's what it is and there's nothing but that. And often this is not so intentional, it just happens and that's how it is.

[32:39]

And at the same time, like Gerhard said, at the same time it's also the greatest attraction. Okay, thank you. When I began to sit, sitting was for me like going onto an island. Like you, we have this saying of to... to run away to an island and to, I don't know... To understand. But over the years there was always the demand to take the content into life and there I had initially great difficulties because I had this island approach when meditating. But at the same time there's always been this request of taking the contents into everyday life and at first I had great difficulties here because I had this island approach.

[33:53]

The easiest thing for me to do was to take mindfulness practice into cooking. And singing. No. Because I love the way you sing. Anyway, go ahead. But then step by step I also transferred it to different aspects of my life. And what I have to work on very intensely now is to learn to make myself understandable, to express myself because I'm working with people. Because most people I work with are stuck with this feeling of to each thing there is the question why and there is a direct reason for them.

[35:19]

And they don't know how to see things as a process. And we're not exactly sure how they came together. That is, at the moment I practice most of the time to make myself understandable with my language in this area. So right now I'm practicing mostly with language and how to express myself clearly in this area. Okay, yeah, thanks. Yes? Having started late in life and recognized this kind of being, living, one of the most important feedbacks was the world around me. So that showed me I'm on a path which obviously is fruitful. And it was also like with the water. You said the water starts a little mold and then is its way.

[36:43]

Yeah. And that's how the whole thing generated. Yeah, good. Thank you. Yes, that one? Yes. Also I had this thought that it's more than just one. It's not just an individual process but more than one. I could never do this on my own. That's why I practice with you. I can't either. And in this sense, also this being carried, being in a river, more than I am making the way for me, it comes into a movement that is no longer moment by moment.

[38:13]

And along with that came the questions of what importance is the Sangha, of what importance is the teacher also. And what happens is this kind of feeling of being carried along and not just making step-by-step happen by myself, but being carried within a larger stream or something. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Like a drop that's in a stream, but it's very clear. It's not like it's a diffuse being carried along, but very clear being carried along. Okay. Thanks. Gisela? Yes. Sorry.

[39:27]

I also have this feeling of flowing along, but one thing that strikes me is that the more I engage with mindfulness practices, the more I also lose language. And there's this feeling of, although in earlier times I really liked to discuss things and, you know, be in a discussion, but now I feel more and more like a kind of animal that has lost its language and is just sentient. Yes, that's good. And yesterday in the discussion we also had the question of to what extent do you engage with the mind of others also through language.

[41:05]

And I noticed that I had a very hard time putting these things in order because language, I really miss language or I lack language. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. It was very nice in our group yesterday. The silence had a lot of space too. That was important too because there were people who have been on this path for a long time and other people who are just in the midst of experimenting and exploring this path. And in seeking a common language.

[42:11]

So that the actual encounter happened very strongly in silence. And it helped us into words. Okay. I would like to continue, but I think we also have to take a break. And I'd also like to tell you a little anecdote. And then we have to make a decision. So let me tell you the anecdote first while I think of it. But even before the anecdote, let me say something about breath and language. You know, when you get in the habit, when you have a habit, you inhabit, as I say, of mind and body being present in the breath. It's just the way it is. It's not something you have to make an effort anymore Then breath starts to be part of everything you do.

[43:40]

You can breathe into your spine, you can breathe into a wisdom phrase. You can breathe into the physical component of particular states of mind. And like that. But you can also, as my speaking right now is a form of breathing. So something is being said or communicated. And it's a combination of at least when your thinking and speaking is embodied, it's a combination of breathing and language. But you can also take that feeling of wanting to say something or communicating And breathing it and not speaking it.

[44:59]

So the same impulse that goes into turning it into words, you just feel it on your breath. And this is actually carried into Japanese way of speaking. Whether they exhale on a word or inhale on a word or inhale or exhale between words makes a difference. When you're used to doing that, you can just drop the words and breathe the way you might if you were speaking. Okay, so the anecdote is after a practice period and a seminar in Boulder And I'm thinking, I'm reminded to tell you this anecdote because of bringing practice into your daily life, as some of you have mentioned.

[46:28]

So I did a seminar in Boulder, as I do twice a year. And I can drive back to Crestone. This was shortly before I came to Europe. I can drive back to Crestone via Colorado Springs a little longer, but fairly easily instead of the other way to go. And Colorado Springs is the home, or north of Colorado Springs is the location of the United States Air Force Academy. And... And... And... Colorado Springs itself is, at least outside the South, must be the most fundamentalist Christian city in the United States.

[48:03]

The people who think Bush is too liberal... The family first group or something like that. Family first group. Yeah, there's a whole thing called family first or something. You know, life last, family first. Also a group that puts family first. Yeah. And there's been quite a crisis in the American military about Christian prejudice against all other religions. Es gab in der amerikanischen Luftwaffe eine große Krise oder Auseinandersetzung darüber, dass es christliche Vorurteile, also Vorurteile von Seiten von Christen gegenüber allen anderen Religionen gab.

[49:15]

It's not exactly so much prejudice against other religions as that other religions are just delusion. And that religious freedom in the United States is not even in the Constitution, it's an amendment. And the freedom of religion in the United States is not even in the Constitution, but is an addition to the Constitution. That's right, it is an addition to the Constitution. So when this was more explicit, they really said America has to be a Christian country, the army has to be a Christian army, and the Christian army has to be a God-driven army, and they have to destroy everything else. Really. So there's a lot of somehow stories about it in the front page of the New York Times and things.

[50:18]

And there was... Anyway, I'm sorry, this anecdote's getting rather long. Anyway, so I hope your legs can stand it. Okay, so now it's gone underground. They have secret meetings about it within the military. And the way that this world works is very strange. There was a completely inflated nutty guy who was known as Zen Master Ram or something like that. big advertisements in the New York Times for him and stuff like that.

[51:46]

And he started a lot of companies and made a lot of money. And he was, I don't know, it was really inflation at an extreme level. And finally, in what's called Conscience Bay, where my mother happens to live, did live, she's dead now, this guy finally committed suicide, full of pills, died dumping himself into the Conscience Bay. Anyway, he made a lot of money, and this money is now part of a foundation. And so the Air Force Academy had to be open to having a Jewish chapel and a Buddhist chapel and things like that. So they funded the building of a quite beautiful Buddhist meditation hall in the Air Force Academy to sort of respond to the political nonsense, right?

[53:15]

The political criticism. And there's a Rinzai woman teacher who's head of the Colorado Springs Buddhist group who practices with us sometimes. And she invited me to give a talk at the Colorado Springs Zendo. So I said, I don't know, with all this complication of the politics and all, and the commander of the Air Force Academy being sacked, sacked means fired,

[54:18]

Why shouldn't I participate? So I went to the, I said, okay, I'll give a talk, why not? So you get there, you know, I'm used to university campuses having quotes from Aristotle and Goethe carved in marble. But here there's none of that. There's bombs. And fighter planes. And there's no statues, there's these amazing weapons everywhere on the campus. As soon as you go through the gate and all the checks and everything, it's clear this is about killing.

[55:23]

I was a little surprised because the students aren't wearing uniforms. And I think in the West Point, the military academy, I think the students wear uniforms. And West Point is the American Military Academy, not Air Force. So they're just really college students, and they're men and women. So I gave this talk.

[56:34]

There were about 15 cadets and two or three flight instructors. And maybe there were 15 or so practitioners from Colorado Springs. And I spoke in effect about situated immediacy and things like that. And this flight instructor came up to me afterwards. He said, I try to teach the pilots something like you're talking about, and we call it situational awareness. He says, because if you're flying and there's enemy planes around you and they may be going over you and under you, you can't be looking at your altimeter.

[57:36]

Altimeter is what tells you the altitude. You have to have an awareness that is able to tell what's on the dials but is completely aware of what's going on around you. And we had a kind of interesting conversation. Yeah, we both understand this, you know, blah, blah, blah. But sitting right in front of me was a very handsome young man, sort of all-American male. Jack Armstrong, Jack Armstrong. Built sort of like mountain climbers are often built, short and strong. And afterwards, Sarah, the Rinzai Zen teacher, said this young man is really practicing and he's quite a fine person and he happens to be an extremely good shot with a rifle and a gun like those snipers who took out the pirates on that

[59:08]

Now, why the Air Force needs a sniper, I don't understand. But anyway, because he's such a good shot, naturally they are training him to be a sniper. But there's also been studies which show that if you're trained, if you're a sniper and you're really killing people face to face, not at a distance, it kind of destroys your life. Anyway, he was at some other Air Force facility. I think in southern New Mexico near the Texas border, near the Mexico border. He said that meditation had made him a much better shot.

[60:31]

He was already a good shot, but meditation had made him a better shot. So he and a friend were at this other air base and late in the evening for some reason they decided they wanted to go to Walmart. So they're driving, looking on these back roads behind the air base, trying to drive and find a Walmart somewhere. And if you've seen... Kaufhof. If you've seen that movie, something blood in New Mexico, what is it called?

[61:43]

It's sort of like that. Anyway, so he's driving along with his friend and suddenly they drive through a group of cars which seem to have been some sort of drug exchange, something going on. And he suddenly found himself surrounded by people in all windows with guns. And he told Sarah that my training, without any thinking, I had a gun out right in front of everybody. And I said to my friend get us out of here. And somehow they all parted and they drove out. And then he told Sarah I realized when I had the gun out I couldn't kill anyone. So if there's too many stories like this, I think they'll close the Buddhist chapel.

[63:05]

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