It seems kind of quiet in here now, doesn't it? My spouse, companion Patricia, helped Elise make the puppets, and so I've actually lived for a number of years with Shariputra and the goddess. And I see that since the goddess has left our house, she's gotten a new outfit, which is nice. Her old outfit had gotten kind of faded. Anyway, they're kind of fun to have around. I'm rather touched, once again, to see the puppet show.

[01:35]

I've seen it a number of times, and so it keeps changing a bit. To me, it's wonderful that people I know can create a performance like this, and create puppets, and create dialogue, and story, and song, and music, and all of that. And, of course, this is actually what we're doing in our daily life. Each one of us, we're creating our story. In this case, Vimalakirti created his story. The Buddha creates his story. Each of the characters create their own story. We each create our life. And so part of what's inspiring is to see that the kind of creation we make can be beyond

[02:44]

what we've previously imagined possible for our story. In other words, that we could create a different story. We could awaken in a different life, and not just be stuck in the same old story. And, you know, one of the main teachings, of course, of this sutra, and this story, is that it's not to stick to any particular story.

[03:47]

You might think the thing to do is to be a good Buddhist, and to practice the Dharma, and do lots of seshins. You might have any number of ideas about what would be the story you should create, or the best one for you. And we can see what happens to Shariputra. He tries, he wants to have his story be in a monk. This sutra is part of a kind of Buddhist reformation, you know, and a kind of expression of the Mahayana. In contrast to someone who, like Shariputra, might think that the path of practicing meditation and Dharma is the true way. I should stick to it, you know. This sutra is saying, you know, this is to limit yourself.

[04:50]

This is to, even if you were to succeed, you would become excessively proud. That would be your success. So this is similar to the Zen teacher who said, don't be so arrogant as to search for enlightenment. Enlightenment can't be seen. Don't be so arrogant to think that you could get rid of affliction. Affliction has no front or back. So, you know, this is to say that before any change in our life, before any improvement, you know, we're already magnificent, incredible creatures, beings. When we settle into our life and into our being, you know, we realize something about

[05:59]

the truth of our life, which is beyond success or failure, good or bad, improvement, whatever we might think about ourself, we're boundless, vast, luminous creatures. And when we stop now and again to reflect, to settle into our being, we come into that kind of space. And then, you know, a bit later, we resume our story. I better fix this. I better take care of that. Then I would get someplace. So we chase after one thing or another, which will get us somewhere and be a sign or indication

[07:03]

that we could be, you know, we could have approval or recognition or support or appreciation, when all along it's not something that can be taken or given. As Vimalakirti says, the universe, you know, is love. So I brought along a little reading. I have it up my sleeve. These monks' robes. This is from the Teachings of Zen. It's a collection of sayings or quotes from various Zen teachers over about a thousand years, translated by Tom Cleary, Thomas Cleary.

[08:07]

This one's called True Mind. There are not many arts to Zen study. It just requires knowing your own true mind. Now observe that within this body, the physical elements combine temporarily, daily heading for extinction. Where is the true mind? The flurry of ideas and thoughts that arise and pass away without constancy is not the true mind. That which shifts and changes, unstably, sometimes good, sometimes bad, is not the true mind. That which wholly depends on external things to manifest and is not apparent when nothing is there is not the true mind.

[09:10]

The heart inside the body cannot see itself. Blind to the internal, it's not the true mind. What is unaffected by feelings outside the body, cut off from the external, this is not the true mind. Suppose you turn the light of awareness around to look within and you sense a deep tranquility and a calm oneness. Do you consider this the true mind? You still do not realize that this deep tranquility and calm oneness are due to perception of the false mind. There is the subjective mind perceiving and the object perceived. So this deep tranquility and calm oneness totally belong to the realm of inner states.

[10:16]

This is not the true mind. Inwardly keeping to deep tranquility is a reflection still of the discrimination of objects. How could it be the true mind? So if these are not the true mind, what is the true mind? Try to see what your true mind is. Twenty-four hours a day, don't try to figure it out, don't try to interpret it intellectually, don't try to get someone to explain it, don't seek some other technique, don't calculate

[11:19]

how long it will take, don't calculate the degree of your own strength, just silently pursue this inner investigation on your own. Ultimately, what is my own true mind? Thank you.

[11:52]

@Text_v004
@Score_JJ