I'm going to put this in the oven for about 20 minutes at 180 degrees. I'm going to put this in the oven for about 20 minutes at 180 degrees. I'm going to put this in the oven for about 20 minutes at 180 degrees.

[01:29]

A few moments ago I was standing right here, looking over in the direction of that wooden board, and I read it, and it says, carefully listen everyone, great is the matter of birth and death. Time passes quickly, opportunity is lost. Awake, awake, don't waste time. And I forgot which way the characters are written in Chinese, but even so, I was thinking, one way to read it is that, is that birth and death is a great matter. But another way to read it is, the great matter of birth and death,

[02:47]

what is the great matter, or great meaning, or great thing, of birth and death? And you could say, well, the great matter is that birth and death is painful. Or you could also say, the great matter, or the great meaning of birth and death is that Buddhas appear in birth and death. This is not to minimize the suffering of birth and death,

[03:54]

but just to say that the meaning of it could be said to be that Buddhas appear within it. And in the Lotus Sutra, it mentions that there is one, it says, one great set of causes and conditions for the appearance of Buddhas in the world. It uses that same expression, great matter, or great meaning. And the cause and condition of Buddhas appearing in the world is that they desire to open beings to Buddha's wisdom and knowledge. And that they desire to demonstrate Buddha's wisdom and knowledge.

[05:02]

And that they desire to awaken beings to Buddha's wisdom and knowledge. And they desire to assist beings to enter Buddha's wisdom and knowledge. That desire, which has these four aspects, is the one great set of conditions for the appearance of Buddhas. And what we just recited from Chapter 16 of the Lotus Sutra, it says, Buddha says, I'm always thinking, I'm always thinking, how can I cause living beings to enter the unsurpassed way and quickly perfect the body of Buddha?

[06:05]

I'm always thinking, how can I cause beings to enter the unsurpassed way? So, one thing I can say is that we're asked to carefully listen, and then we're asked to be awake and not waste time. One thing we could be awake to is be awake to Buddha always thinking, how can I help beings enter the unsurpassed way? We could join Buddha's thinking and always think of that, along with Buddha.

[07:12]

We could join Buddha. Another placement of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha says, I'm always thinking of how to help beings walk together with me on the same path that I walk. So, if Buddha wants me to walk together on the same path with all Buddhas, I kind of feel like, okay, I'll walk on the same path, which is the path together with the Buddhas, and the path of thinking about how to help others enter the same path. And time is fleeting, so let's not miss this moment, because here we have a moment to think about what Buddhas think about. And now we have another moment.

[08:14]

So, in one sense, you can say human life is precious and short, but all life is precious and short. But it isn't just that we only have two more days, or three more weeks, or one more year. It's that we just have this moment. We always have this moment. Let's not waste this moment. Even if we have innumerable lives to live, still, they are lived in this moment. So, let's not miss this moment. Let's not waste this moment. This moment, and think like Buddha. How does Buddha think? Well, first of all, I'm mentioning Buddha thinks, how can I help all beings enter the unsurpassed way? How about thinking that way, and then how about remembering

[09:18]

that the time of thinking it is fleeting, so don't wait for later, because this is the time to do it. Always now. And then, the Diamond Sutra, in short, the Diamond Sutra, has this disciple of Buddha coming to the Buddha and saying, how do Bodhisattvas stand in the way, in the Buddha way,

[10:24]

and how do they, sometimes they say, subdue the mind, or master the mind, or sometimes they say, control the mind. How can you care for the mind in such a way that you can walk the path of the Bodhisattva? And the Buddha says, give birth to this thought, or think like this. So the way to train your mind, or subdue your mind, into being a servant of the Bodhisattva way, is to think like this. Make your thinking like this. As many beings as there are, in any way you can think of them, any way that they can be,

[11:26]

all the innumerable kinds of beings, I vow to lead them to nirvana, complete nirvana, and so they can be liberated. I vow to lead them to nirvana, and in nirvana, liberate them all. That's kind of the same vow we just said before, right? The Buddha is always thinking, how can I help people enter the supreme path of nirvana and freedom? Here's another way to say the same kind of thinking. Does that make sense? This time, it's the Buddha telling the Bodhisattva to think that way. So, this works for me. Buddhas think like this, I want to think like Buddha. If I want to know how to practice the Buddha way, the Buddha tells me, think like me, think like this.

[12:26]

Give rise to this kind of thinking. Make mind like this. Always, ever, don't waste a moment. Dhammasutra, however, takes another step at this point and says, though I lead all beings to liberation in nirvana, there's not a single being that is led to nirvana. At this point in the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha doesn't mention that. But other places he does. That the beings that you're always thinking about how to help enter the Buddha way,

[13:30]

you also contemplate these beings. You're vowing to help each being, each being, each being, each human being, each non-human being. And non-human beings act like the feelings of non-human beings are not human beings. Does that make sense? Human emotions are not human beings. Does that make sense? Human emotions don't have, for example, human chromosomes. Does that make sense? But they're beings to take care of. All beings, all emotions, all animals, all plants, all beings, I vow to lead them all to nirvana, and yet there's not one single one that is led to nirvana.

[14:35]

And I know this because the beings who I am trying to remember, to think about like a Buddha thinks about them, and the way the Buddha thinks about beings is, I want to help them in a supreme way. And I also don't think about them. I just know them as they really are. They're not my thinking about them, they're the way they really are. So, I just thought I'd mention that to you, that here's the Buddha's great vow, which we are, even before we're invited, we could say, I'd like to join that vow. If we ask the Buddha how to walk, how to be a bodhisattva, the Buddha says, if you want to be a bodhisattva, a mahasattva, then you should think like this. And again, at this point he doesn't say, think like this every moment.

[15:38]

But I suggest the other places he does tell us to think like this every moment. If you want to be a bodhisattva, and also, if you want to be a bodhisattva, you should realize that the beings you're devoted to saving, that not a single being is saved. In other words, you should contemplate these beings that you're devoted to, to see them as they really are. If you don't, if you just are devoted, if you are able, which would be wonderful, to every moment, think about, everybody you meet, think about, how can I help them? Imagine, never missing a beat, always thinking, how can I help this being? How can I help this feeling? How can I help this emotion? How can I help this pain? How can I help this pleasure? No matter what comes, how can I help this blade of grass? That would be wonderful, powerful bodhisattva vow.

[16:48]

And bodhisattvas must do that. But if a bodhisattva doesn't do the meditation on the beings that they're devoted to, and then think, oh, there is a being that I saved, then they're not a bodhisattva. They're a great compassionate being. To be able to meditate like that, to think like that all the time, that's super great, just almost like a Buddha. It's the same as a Buddha thinks. So they have the Buddha's thinking, but they don't have the Buddha's wisdom. They have karma, just like a Buddha in a way, but they don't have the Buddha's wisdom, which is born of contemplating all these beings who we are devoted to. So that's a bodhisattva vow, Buddha's vow, same vow. Bodhisattva's meditation. Bodhisattva practice

[17:50]

is the contemplation of the beings that bodhisattvas are devoted to. So the vow and the practice, that's what makes a bodhisattva. Those two together. So bodhisattvas have great vows, and they also meditate on emptiness. They also meditate on the way things are. And then they're a bodhisattva. That's how to be a bodhisattva. So I'll stop there for now. Any response to that? Yes? Of the diamond, I thought before, everyone is born and grows and matures. Yeah, that's the list. And as we speak and think of each person that we talk to,

[18:52]

how can we facilitate their maturation, get their needs met, so they can grow healthily and happily. So they in turn can turn and help the next person. And so when I think of a self-image sort of thing, it could be a diamond. Each of us has a diamond above our head someplace. So there is an ideal world that that diamond is fed somehow for the Buddhas and all beings and all the plants and all of creation share. Are you telling us how you think? This is how I think, yes. Okay, thank you. This is my ideal world where there is... So you're a little bit different. You're imagining ideal worlds. That's not what the Buddha instructed you to do. The Buddha instructed you to think of all the suffering beings and then think of how you can help them enter the Buddha way.

[19:57]

That's the way the Buddha recommended to the Bodhisattva. Not to imagine, be imagining ideal worlds, but imagine all different beings in all worlds and then imagine wanting to help them all enter nirvana. That's the path of the Bodhisattva. Vow. Can you tell me if each person has a gift? What? If each of these suffering beings has a gift? Each suffering being has a gift, yes, definitely. And if they hold on to it, it's suffering. If they give it, it's not. Pardon me? If they hold on to it, it's suffering, and if they give it, it's not. That's right, that's right. That's right. So the generosity is the Bodhisattva's practice too. Generosity is a way to contemplate all things

[21:01]

the way they really are. Yes? How can we help all beings? Yes? Yes? So somebody says, I don't want you to help me, they think they don't want you to help them, and you're wondering how to help them enter the supreme way? Okay, so we got that part. What's your question? Yes, when they're doing harm to themselves, all the beings who are doing harm to themselves, the Buddha is wondering... Well, if you want to be a Bodhisattva,

[22:05]

the way you practice, he's saying, is to give rise to a thought. I vow to help all these beings, in particular, all these beings who are harming themselves, I vow to lead them to nirvana and liberation. We're being encouraged to think that way about all the beings who are harming themselves. That's number one, that's the vow. Okay? Number two is the practice. Realize that all these beings who I'm vowing to lead to nirvana, including those who are harming themselves, who I vow to lead to nirvana, and those who are harming themselves, who I am leading to nirvana, there's not a single being who's harming herself that is thus led to nirvana. So, if they don't want to be helped

[23:11]

and they're not hurting themselves much, or they do want to be helped and they are hurting themselves, or if they don't want to be helped and aren't hurting themselves, or if they don't want to be helped and are hurting themselves, all these different possible beings, I must vow as a Bodhisattva to help them all, and, if I'm going to pull this off with them, if we're going to do this, then I also have to see that there's not a single being who is thus led. Otherwise, I will be caught on, for example, that they're harming themselves, because there's a single being there who's harming himself, and that's the way I see it, so that's going to hinder me from actually being a Bodhisattva. I still may wish to help them, but because I'm not contemplating and realizing the way they are, I'm hindered from doing the very thing I want to do with this person who is this type of person

[24:13]

that says he's a harming himself person. That's the kind of person they are. That's their karma. But if I'm going to save them, I've got to do more than just want to save them. I also have to contemplate how they are and realize how they are. In realizing that there's not a single person, then you do save the people. I mean, then that understanding is what liberates people, and that's what you're going to teach them, because you want to. That's your vow. But you need a practice to go with that, which is the practice of not being caught by harming themselves and not harming themselves, or whatever. Okay? That's the Bodhisattva's practice of meditation, which goes with the Great Vow. So I feel you and many people have this vow quite strong and quite steady, which is great. Now we need to join it with the practice. And some people are pretty good at meditating

[25:15]

on the way things are, but they need to strengthen their vow. They need to widen it or deepen it or make it more regular, make it more moment by moment. We need the combination of the two, of being with the vow and being with the meditation. The two together. Going back to what you were just saying, is it the wish that saves them, if I follow you? Is it the wish that saves them? Well, you can't... Of course, there wouldn't be any saving if there was no wish to save. So the wish to save, if it's going to function, it needs to be joined to the wisdom. So the Buddhas appear in the world by the wish, Wisdom bodies appear in the world by the wish to save beings. So the wish is inseparable from the meditation, I should say, in the saving process. But there could be the wish without the wisdom,

[26:17]

and then there would not be saving. The wish together with the wisdom, the wish together with the practice, is what does the saving. But if there was wisdom without the wish, there would not be Buddhas in the world. So there can be, according to this then, the wisdom body of Buddha, which is not appearing in a world of suffering. Buddhas can appear in the vast openness of space. The understanding, the realization, and the wisdom, which knows that there's not a single being in the universe, this can appear in space. But the thing is that when there's a vow together with that wisdom, I'm always thinking of how I can help beings enter the supreme way. When that vow is in this wisdom body,

[27:17]

then the wisdom body manifests in a world of birth and death. And then it works there. The wisdom body without the vow doesn't save the beings in those worlds. It has to. The vow brings it into the world. And the vow is there. In this wisdom, there is a vow in the middle of it. There is a love in the middle of this vast, space-like understanding that there's not a single being, that there's no separate entities, that there's nothing independent. That wisdom, there is a vow. And because of that vow, that wisdom body manifests in the world and teaches others how to have the vow. So people come to the Buddha and say, how can I be a Bodhisattva? Well, have the vow and practice wisdom. Bodhisattvas are not just compassionate.

[28:21]

They're also wise. But they're tremendously compassionate and they'll do anything for people that's helpful. And they're not afraid to. They're fearless bodhisattvas and they practice wisdom. This strange wisdom of not a single being in this world. Wisdom. Yes? Everything that exists is in cause and effect. So what expedient means is not everything that has an effect, it's the things that have skillful effects, good effects. We usually use expedient means, expedient in the sense of expediting good. So the first part

[29:23]

that we talked about is the conditions for the appearing of Buddhas in the world, that's expedient means. That's the main point of expedient means, is that Buddhas appear in a world in such a way as to help beings. That's expedient means. The next part of the Lotus Sutra, which I just parenthetically mentioned, is what you just chanted, the sixteenth chapter. That's about the way things really are. So the first, chapter two, it talks about what makes Buddhas appear in the world. It's when wisdom has this desire that makes it appear in a world. Chapter sixteen tells you about the way things actually are, which the Buddhas who appear in the world tell us about. But we'll get to that later, even though you already chanted it. So yes, skillful means. I told you about skillful means, yes? Buddhas can know that?

[30:29]

Yes, Buddhas can do that, and we don't do that. We give that up for Lent, and in future Lents too. We give it up all the time. We do not get into knowing what a skillful means. We practice the vow, and we practice, what do you call it? What do you call it? What? Wisdom. Wisdom, yes. We practice the vow and the wisdom, and then the expedient means comes. So you can say, well then you know what to do. Yes, you do, but you don't go around thinking you know what to do. Like somebody says, Shoho, and you say yes, you knew what to do. But you didn't think, okay, I know what to do, I say yes. Or yes is the right answer, you don't do that, you just give the right answer. How come you give the right answer? Because you got this great vow and this great wisdom together, so then the expedient means comes out. There's no room for, I know this is the right answer to the question,

[31:31]

or this is what helps people. I want to help people, but there's no people to help. Then the vow gets realized. But if I want to help people, and I know how to help them, and I know how not to help them, but I forget that there's no beings to help, then that's not expedient means. Because the Buddhas who want to come and help all the beings know that there's not a single being that they're going to come and help. That's how the Buddhas are, with regard to worlds. There's all these worlds and there's not a single world to help. There's all these beings in these worlds and not a single, and I want to come and help all these individual beings, none of which are a single being. None of which are a single being. Because there's also no indicator about the acting effective person. There's no indicator about...

[32:34]

That active person, for example, thinking that thought, there's no indicator about what this person would be looking like or acting like and doing and feeling like. It's just like... Yeah, basically yes. In other words, any indicators are donated to the cause. Just give all the indicators, throw them all into the furnace of the Buddha way. So, you know, one thing I mentioned before, which is in chapter 14 of the Lotus Sutra, is that the Bodhisattva sphere of action is that with regard to beings, with regard to phenomena, like with regard to humans and animals and plants and feelings, with regard to any phenomena, Bodhisattvas take no action. They just contemplate the way the phenomena is.

[33:37]

But another translation is, with regard to phenomena, Bodhisattvas have no rules about how to relate to phenomena. I can see how they're both reasonable translations of the same original. One is you don't take any action with regard to the being. You just contemplate them. The other is, you have no way or method by which you take action. You just contemplate. So, no indicator. You just meet them and contemplate them. Meet them and contemplate them. But of course, the Bodhisattvas in the background have this vow. So in chapter 13, when it talks about it, it doesn't mention the Bodhisattvas' vows because they've already done tons of that. They've told us all their vows before. Now they're telling us the sphere in which their vow lives.

[34:40]

So the sphere where they act is a place where they don't take any action. They just contemplate the way things are. And the skillful means, the appropriate action, comes out of the contemplation which is born together with the vow. So there is action. Yeah. And the Bodhisattvas' action come from not taking action. Whereas most people, their action seems to be mixed up with their taking action. Rather than before they take an action, they see the way things are. And from seeing the way things are together with the vow, that's where their action comes, that's where their action lives. So Bodhisattvas are very active and their action has this seal of approval called not taking action with regard to things. They have great ways of relating to people and the way they do

[35:41]

is they have no way of relating to people. That's the way they relate. So then their way of relating doesn't hinder their vow. Now if you had different vows, like you want to help people stay trapped in misery, then you should have a lot of policies about how to do that. Then you'll be successful. Yes? Excuse me, I just want to say, what is it? The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Same thing. But the road to nirvana is paved with contemplation of the way things are, including all intentions. They're phenomena too. We don't pave it with our stories about what to do. We pave it with meditation of all of our stories about what to do. And we realize there's not one single story.

[36:42]

Yes, excuse me. The loss is pretty certain with attachment. Loss is certain with attachment, right. In other words, loss is delusion. And then suffering is optional with non-attachment. It's not really optional. You can't find it. With non-attachment, you can't find a single being. So then suffering is also... A single being you can't find. You can't find the suffering. Usually we don't say I vow to save suffering. I vow to lead suffering to nirvana. But suffering is also led to nirvana. I vow to lead all suffering beings and I vow to lead all sufferings to nirvana and release all sufferings. Kind of a suffering releasing ceremony, right. Release all the sufferings and all the beings with them. So, with attachment you have suffering.

[37:45]

With attachment you have loss. With wisdom and non-attachment, you have giving, not loss. And no single beings including no single suffering. And this is the vow of the Bodhisattva. No, that's the practice of the Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva could parenthetically mention I vow to save all beings and I also vow... I shouldn't say parenthetically. I also vow to learn all these contemplations. The main thing is to liberate beings, but along with that, all these different dharma practices I also will learn. And now what are they? Well, they're basically wisdom or basically giving. Rather than holding, give. And so if you meet suffering, don't hold it, give it. And then when you really get into the giving, you can't find any suffering. You see, there's not a single suffering to be found.

[38:48]

And I vow to liberate all the sufferings. Just the fact that I can't find... I'm not saying they don't exist. I'm saying you can't find them. I'm not saying there isn't any suffering. I'm just saying there's not a single suffering. And I vow to lead all the sufferings to nirvana. This is the Bodhisattva way, right? Did you hear about that? Is that clear? There's no original form? You can't find anything including original form, that's right. Nobody can find anything if they look carefully. Yes? All I can say is when I am... Would you speak louder, please? All you can say... And express is when I am, nothing exists.

[39:51]

When I am, nothing exists, including you? Including I am? Including... Including I am? There is an I am. Yeah. Uh-oh. There is an I am. I can say that is. Yeah, okay. Well, that's... And right there we have a paving stone on the path to hell. It's okay to be that. Okay, great. I'm glad you feel that way. But then when I'm not that... Then I go to this... This stuff. Why don't you be a Bodhisattva? I don't... I cannot find a definition for Bodhisattva. Okay. Can you find a definition for... That stuff? Yeah.

[40:55]

That stuff is kind of rotating. It's kind of spinning. Okay. It spins. Alright. Yeah. Alright. And are you contemplating that stuff? Is there contemplation of that stuff? I don't want to, but it keeps coming. Is there contemplation of that stuff? I want to say no, but if it's coming, I guess there must be some contemplation somewhere. Yeah, well... I don't know. I don't... I don't... I don't see myself specifically contemplating on it. I can definitely see myself specifically contemplating on what I'm not and I am. So, you're not sure about whether you are or are you... I didn't even hear that you were clear that you want to contemplate all this stuff that's coming.

[41:56]

As I speak it, everything is kind of coming together. Everything is aligning. Everything is kind of... I don't know. There is what? Okay, that's what you believe. And did you want that to be contemplated? That being? That somewhere?

[42:58]

Somewhere? Do you want to help that being? I just... I just want to be... I just want to be nothing. I just... You want to be nothing? Yeah. Do you want to help that being who wants to be nothing? Stop... Stop this... Yeah, yeah. We want to help that being. Carolyn wants to help that being who wants to be nothing. Is there the wish to help that being who wants to be nothing? Can you see it? That wish? That desire to help that being who wants to be nothing? And if there is a desire to help that being who wants to be nothing,

[44:03]

or that being who wants to hurt herself, or that being who wants to do whatever, whatever being it is, whatever being you can imagine, if you want to help that being, okay, good, we got that down. Now, the next step is, let us observe how that being is. How that being is. How that being really is. And again, I am emphasizing the wisdom, and the vow, but in more detail, as a warm-up to the wisdom practice. Once you feel this vow, as a warm-up to the wisdom practice, the Buddha also recommends to be whatever being you are taking care of, like we have this being who just wants to be nothing, so taking care of this being, we need to be gentle, and patient, and not nasty or overbearing,

[45:06]

and deeply calm with this being. And then, how is this being really? This is a wonderful opportunity of the Bodhisattva way. Moment by moment. If you miss a moment, here is another one. If you miss a moment, How is it possible to miss a moment? By dreaming that you missed a moment. We can't escape it. You can't escape it, but you can dream that you missed it. You can dream you are someplace besides being right where you are. You can dream that, and you can believe the dream,

[46:08]

and that is the way we miss it. By dreaming of missing it. And that is the world of suffering. And we have a mind which is very good at dreaming that we are missing the moment. So, we have plenty to confess and repent. What did you mean, you can't find anything? I mean that if you look carefully for anything, I'm telling you, you won't be able to find it. That's what I mean. But that's different than saying it doesn't exist. Yeah, that's right. Yeah. Like, I don't say you don't exist. But your nature, the way you exist, is that you are not findable.

[47:10]

But that's the way you exist. Is that you exist not as a separate being. That's the way you exist. But since you exist not as a separate being, I can't find you. And you hear me say this, but if you actually look carefully, you will realize you cannot find you. But that isn't the same as not existing. However, in the situation of not being able to find somebody, they aren't there. So, that's what the Heart Sutra says. In emptiness, there's no form, there's no feeling. It doesn't mean that there isn't form. It just means you can't, in the realm of emptiness, you can't find anything. It doesn't mean that things don't exist. They do exist, not by themselves. That's the way you exist. You really do exist, not by yourself. That's the way you really exist. And that also means that you can't be found. Because you're dependent on everything else.

[48:14]

Yes. All I can get when it comes to Rachel is everything that isn't Rachel. Which is all the causes and conditions from you. Are all you are. But none of the causes and conditions are you. That's why I can't find you. And I can't find the causes and conditions, because they're the same for them. However, I can meet the causes and conditions, which are you. And, etc., when I meet you, I can practice with you. But I can't find you. And if I think I find you, then I confess and repent. Oops, I think I found Rachel. I confess. And I feel kind of bad about that. I reduced Rachel to a findable thing.

[49:15]

So reducing someone to a findable thing would be like believing your story about them? Yes, right. Previous Rachels are among the causes and conditions for the Rachel you can't find. The previous actual Rachels, which couldn't be found, are conditions for the present Rachel, which can't be found. And also my previous stories of Rachel are causes and conditions for my present story of Rachel. And my previous stories of Rachel are also causes and conditions for the present actual Rachel and my stories about Rachel. That's why we can't find anything. But we can contemplate this. And in the contemplation, the vow is realized. And you said the warm-up to contemplating this... The warm-up in the surround of contemplation is that when you meet a being, be gentle and patient, and not nasty or overbearing in the way you're meditating on them.

[50:16]

And be very deeply calm. And then you can stand, hopefully, to actually look at how they actually are rather than how you can use them or whatever. And the stories too, right? Well, stories are another thing to contemplate. Stories are beings too. Another thing you can't find. Another thing you can't find, right. So, you can... We're actually vowing to liberate stories too. Liberate beings, liberate stories, liberate all types of phenomena. It actually says... The word it uses is Dharma. That's the word. Liberate all... If you want to liberate all beings, if you want to liberate all beings in meeting Dharma, in meeting phenomena, which is all kinds of being, you don't take action with regard to phenomena.

[51:21]

You contemplate them. You meet a stick. You don't take action with the stick. You contemplate the stick. And then action comes from that. Contemplate a stick. Action comes from that. Contemplate a stick. Action comes from that. Contemplate some person. Action comes from that. Bodhisattva action comes from meet a phenomena, contemplate it. That's the Bodhisattva's sphere of action. All the Bodhisattva's actions come from that place. And if you're gentle with all phenomena and so on, then you're much more able to like, okay, now what is this? But just what is this without these warm-up exercises or surrounding exercises might not be viable, might lose the connection with the vow. Does that make sense? Got this really great compassionate vow and you're going to practice this meditation. But this

[52:24]

meditation is for the sake of realizing the vow. So then when you turn to phenomena, being gentle with them helps you meditate on what is it. And being patient with them as they constantly change helps you meditate on what is it. Because otherwise you might think, okay, now I'm going to meditate on this phenomena, stay the same for a little while so it makes it easier for me, please. Don't change while I'm watching you. But they do change. They make it very dynamic, so you have to be patient with the situation. So patience helps you do this meditation on this constantly changing field of meditation topics, all of which you're devoted to, equally, without limit. So the other thing which I wanted to bring up now is what we just chanted. This amazing world that the Buddha is proposing to us,

[53:25]

where the Buddha is always here teaching us, and also where the Buddha is in a peaceful, harmonious land, right here with us, and yet we don't see it. So this afternoon I want to talk about that. So the second talk is about what about the way things really are, which the Buddha tells us about in Chapter 16. So now we're talking about the Buddha's instruction to us, and then the Buddha's teaching about the way things actually are this afternoon. Would you pass those sutras in, please? I feel supreme gratitude to spend a day a month with you. This is a great place to spend

[54:36]

the day together. I'm so happy we have it. Well, you just said that you felt gratitude, right? And then you said you don't have to hear it much, right? Did I just say gratitude, or did I just say you said it? I think I said it, didn't I? Just a second. I think you need to spend more time with me. Only one day a month you don't get all the gratitude. Have other people heard

[55:42]

me talk about gratitude? I don't give lectures about it, I just say I'm grateful. I just demonstrate it. So that's the way I teach it, is the way I teach it. And you're grateful for it. You're grateful for that way, right? But you're just wondering why there isn't more of it. Why there aren't words in sutras that say it. That's what I'm wondering. I experience it. I do experience it. I've just been curious, because it seems like in Christianity and other religions it's just all about gratitude, and I just noticed I don't ever hear about that here. I experience it myself. I think it would be nice to do a search and see on the Buddhist scriptures, does the word gratitude appear as often as it does in, for example, the Lotus Sutra? I wouldn't be surprised if it occurs approximately the same amount of time. So, the Lotus Sutra is brimming over with these bodhisattvas saying, we are so

[56:51]

happy, we have heard something we never heard before. They're so grateful, they're full of joy over receiving this teaching. Every chapter practically has that in it, in the Lotus Sutra. But you missed that, huh? I missed the word. You missed the word. Not the experience. Not the content. I missed the word. And I didn't know if that was some secret. No, it's just that they have a different way of saying it, but you can see they're totally grateful to the Buddha, and they tell the Buddha, they say, we are so, I don't know, we are so overjoyed with the gift you just gave us, you know. So, I don't know if there's no problem with saying the word grateful, it's just that maybe the translator didn't want to say gratitude. But they are expressing, thank you very much, Buddha, for giving this teaching. And thank you very much, very Buddha, for having a place where we can come and meet you, and walk around you, and bow to you, and ask you a question. They seem to be saying

[57:52]

that with their body, speech, and mind, but maybe the word gratitude doesn't appear very much, but I think it's just, what do you call it, diction or something, the dictionary, or diction? What's the word? Maybe it's idiom. Buddhist idiom is not to say grateful so much, but I don't know. The feeling of Zen is sometimes said to be, one of the main feelings of Zen is said to be, arigatai, the feeling of thank you. But thank you isn't exactly the same word as grateful. But thank you is a big word in Buddhism. That's one of the main things Suzuki Roshi would say to people is, thank you very much. That was one of his main teachings that he gave by doing that. He would say, thank you very much. He didn't give a lecture about thank you very much, he just said, thank you very much. I learned that from him. He didn't say thank you, I almost never heard him say thank you. Arigato gozaimashita. He would say that in English and in Japanese. But maybe

[59:03]

the word grateful or gratitude, maybe it doesn't appear so much, but thank you is a very big word in our tradition. At the end of our ordination ceremonies, after it's all over, the ordnance, we learned that ordnance means somebody who just... When the ordnance are finally ordnees, at the end of the ceremony when they become ordnees, then they, thank you very much by the way, I'm so grateful to you for that. They do three bows to the thank you very much and do a fourth bow, but they almost never remember to say thank you very much at the end of the ceremony. It's because they're so full of gratitude

[60:07]

they're totally disoriented. It's like they're full of joy, but they can't remember the ceremony anymore. We're so full of joy we can't remember the word gratitude, but with your help we can get it in there somehow. You can become a translator and change all the sutras, just go through all the sutras and put gratitude for when they say thank you. They were filled with gratitude instead of thank you very much or filled with joy. I feel complete with this conversation. Okay, great. Thank you very much. I'm very grateful that we had it. And I'm grateful you brought it up, actually. I'd like to do a memorial service now. Two of our community members, two priests, just last week their mothers died, so I'd like to do a little service now, a memorial service

[61:11]

for their mothers, if that's okay, and then we can have lunch. So if you'd set the room up. I'm going to move your cushions back to where they were before.

[61:22]

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