Blue Cliff Record Case 9: Joshu's Four Gates

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BZ-02594

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morning

for this morning
i'm going to present the her a go on from the booklet record case number nine
i may have talked about this recently
present just recently
this is about jewish you mister joshua who was one of the great
ah teachers from teachers and the tang dynasty
ah
and he came from the town of
jojo that's chinese species and japanese pronunciations
both or something like that it's a little confusing but we used to always use the japanese pronunciation because our study with from the japanese and then we started using the chinese pronunciation because joshua because the other at the ancestors are from china or chinese
so sometimes we say when we answered them together
joshua really really said zhao shu people is oh yeah josue we think joe joe the who
so can you hear me okay

just
it would say that
i can think of all kinds of houston
the
hmm
so ah
the i so a jojo
joseph came from the town of josh you he tried he will he lived to be a barely hundred and twenty
some people say one hundred and nineteen but
ah
and so he stayed with nonsense his teacher
i have for a forty fifty years
and then he went out on his own
to teach and ah
he said
and he went visiting other teachers
and he said
if i run into a little girl nine years old who has the dharma the l listen to her and look and learn from her and if i'm if i really into an old man don't know what he's talking about
just dismiss it
he was very open a broad minded and of course she was probably the most famous zen master in the tang dynasty
i'm
so
i he went back to live in the town of joshua
ah ah he can retire there i guess and is objective another forty years
never mind a numbers but there's a long time and ah
so
it's theory often traveling monks who had come and
ask him
questions to see if they could trick him into stumbling
course joshua famous for never stumbling but always being able to to turn himself in a way that ah ah
raised the question to a different level
so thumbs
the two coins number nine hundred number fifty three
the deal with a monk asking him a question about himself maybe an ambiguous question
so and
when a story
the mug came to joshua and he said out but our explained to her before that there was a famous bridge in a town of joshua
but it was then was not an ordinary bridge it was the bunch of stepping stones
you know not an obvious ah humanly built
a bridge but a natural bridge
and it was very famous because of very beautiful because you couldn't build a bridge is as beautiful as the natural bridge that already existed
so
alms the monk said to joshua i've i've arrived here and josh you
and to see the bridge the famous bridge of joshi you
but all i see is a bunch of stepping stones
and joshi said it's true you only see a bunch of stepping stones but you don't see the the to bridge i'm josh you
moto
where is the to bridge what is the true bridge of joshua
and joshi said
horses cross donkeys cross
that's go on
so is he talking about the bridge were just talking about joshua
so joshua has a way of it not denying what to what a what the market say but you see got them are insane
to raise it to to raise it to a different level you may not understand the coin it but that's not a coin and can talk about
don't recall and i'm gonna talk about is a different
monk who cares josh you
and
there's an introduction to this go on
the intellect ngos introduction this is a booklet record pieces in the bright mirror in a bright mirror on its stand
beauty and ugliness are revealed
with the buck korea sword in hand killing and it's bearing are brought under control
a handsome fellow appearing
an ugly one comes and locally fellow disappearing a handsome one comes life is found in death guess it found in life if you have no i penetrate the barrier no freedom to turn around you will be launched on the way
so tell me what is the eyes of penetrates the barrier what is the freedom to turn about
so that's the introduction
i see the following the here's the main subject a monk as joshua what is chose you
joshi she said eastgate the westgate the south gate the north gate
and then feature the compiler of booklet record has a verse he says it's intention concealed the question came
the diamond kings i was as clear as a jewel
there's to the gates north south east and west but the heaviest hammer blow could not open them
so i'm going to go back to the introduction
then goethe introduction in a bright mirror on its stand beauty and ugliness are revealed
ah a mirror of course
reveal things as they really are the mirror
doesn't distort unless you have a distortion mirror which we used to have with the fun house
when we had fun houses
the beach ah a america it simply
see things as it is
so a mirror
i remember when
at one point when used to go to security temple the original a zen temple in san francisco
at one point suzuki roshi put up a mirror
at the entrance to the zendo and so when you pass by the mirror you will see yourself
before you made a comment
before you changed the idea of your appearance
you saw your appearance like it's like when you're walking down the street
downtown and you pass a window and you see your
reflection in the mirror and you say that looks familiar oh yeah let me oh my god
that's what i like
so you see is everything as it is the mirrors is just as it is without distortion without your opinion or
ah wishful thinking
so ah beauty and ugliness every wheel and
there's a reference to this
the there to check were to chinese towns and one chinese town everybody with beautiful and the other town everybody was ugly so
i don't know if that's really true but
that's legendary right
so beauty and ugliness are revealed
so and the with a back who you sword in hand killing and sparing are brought under control
this is like
the famous this is very famous and chinese literature
ah the sort that killed in the sort of brings to life
and sometimes episode that kills his the some sort the brings to life
so it in in then parlance refused to mean
the destroy the cuts out the sword that cuts off your ego kills you means killing or ah ah
ah
kill your ego
and it brings you to life
so this is actually what zen practice is about you edges then practice in order to commit suicide

you don't know it
but
the purpose of than practice is to not be dominated by ego
so this is own judiciary his sword
thought of wisdom
that's used by the
a grandmaster to help
student
two am
i get beyond the egotistical activity
be controlled by self-centeredness basically
oh so handsome fellow disappear a disappearing and anyone comes an ugly fellow disappearing a handsome and comes so life is found in death and death is found in life
so how do we deal with that is that true
we have life and we have death actually az is towards birth and death in life and death because
our life
in our understanding a coup most birth and death

and
if we filled life and death
ah
ah they are not really opposites birth is the opposite death
so if you don't have the i to penetrate the here
no freedom to turn about you will be lost on the way
oh
if you have no i to penetrate prepare here well what is to bury her
he buried her is our self-centeredness ego are
ah
the root of our desire to be attached to either birth or death
so you know it's a very interesting we don't think of attachment to death or attachment we think of attachment to like but we don't usually think about attachment to death
it's the same with pain and pleasure
we don't realize
we think bob where we it's easy to be attached to pleasure but actually
we're also attached pain
and this is what we find out in doesn't
this is about we discover hope at some point
there were really attached to pain or attached to difficulties
our are
discomfort
cause you are not attached to discomfort it wouldn't bother us
hmm
ah
so if you have no i to penetrate the barrier which is are subsidized our ego or false sense of self
you don't have any freedom to turn around
so you will be lost on the way
so tell me
what is the i that penetrates this barrier
what is the freedom to turn about
ah

so here's the case
a mug as shows you what is just you and joshi said east gate the westgate to northgate the south southgate so
joe you responding
ah from the the deepest place
ah
the monk is tried to catch him and which is you know
what is josh you if joshua says well
joshua's me he can say well i'm just talking about the city of jos you and if joseph says was just for city smoke would say and i'm really talking about is you
so joe shoe users
the city
to incorporates one to express himself at any other side
so he says eastgate southgate north great whisky or however it so a city has forget
and each one of us is like a city
we have forget escaped westgate southgate north
inside the city is i am
ah the old cities in a horse had a square
and when you go to a city the city had a wall and inside the wall was a square and inside the square was a ah the heart of the city which was usually a temple or church

so ah the outer wall
and the inner wall and the holy of holies
in the old temple solomon's temple
they had a holy of holies which the head priest would enter once a year
and it was nothing in it totally an empty room
interesting
so
ah
joshua was speaking from their place

josh you could
the before thinking or thinking and speaking were not separate
josh you
i made this statement which is beyond thinking and and include thinking
you let know he didn't think about what to say he just said what he had to say which was the most accurate thing because show she was speaking from the center of that place
when here at the center of that place
whatever you say is meaningful
if beyond thinking actually
but the statement is accurate and includes everything
so
ah
you know
a statement gives us a lot of
interesting play
it opens up a lot of them are teaching
and learn
zen practice we have what's called for wisdom
forget you could say
the mirror with them which the introduction has been talking about
the equality with them
kid
subtle observing wisdom and a perfected perfection of action with them
so this is a gates
of joshi decent joshua for kids
the mirror wisdom is a a
the gate of
accurate perception
what our entry as i explained
ah
the gate of equality is to see everything
f equal
everything had everything has the same nature every
at am
a
every dharma of every entity
help as the same nature which is buddha nature as we say
so says the gate of equality
we're all the same
that is the gate of federal observation which is
the see each entity separately
everyone has a different face everything has a different function and the shape and form and to understand or to see what that what each entity is in it's true sense is the gained a federal observation
and then the gate of appropriate action
if the result
appropriate action
is the
the activity
i informed by the three
wilson's
so on we can see everything as it is without distortion and when we can realize the equality of everything to fundamental equality
and a subtle observation which is
i'm
the hierarchy of each thing
compared to other things
then we know how to act
according to wisdom and set of according to self-centeredness or partiality
because instead of ah ah
using herself as a measuring stick
we measured everything according to reality or the way it really is really hard because our up were so prone to
ah seeing everything the eyes of partiality
so this is the thought that cut through
and cuts off
or a partiality and reveals or wisdom
a fish called wholeness and fit of partiality
so
sergio has verse
and then verse he says it's intention concealed the question came in other words he's talking about the monk
he had it he had his intention wasn't revealed until he opened his mouth
and then joshua
perceived as attention right
so it's attention can feel the question came
the diamond king who is josh you
if i was as clear as a jewel
furnish the observing with them
he could see right through the monk he can see how he was
when you have this
this what kind of with them you can see who people are you can see into the heart of people just by the way somebody holds himself talks
i'm a act and so forth
our roy when the teacher has taco fun dog fan cause most of you nose
is are a teacher student dialogue
for the teacher know something about the student
if the teacher is has no idea about what it's gonna happen and no preconceptions
should have no preconceptions just a student watching the door and when the teacher hears to knock on door he knows something about student
is this i think they are just a bam bam or what
that the narc itself it is how the student presents himself and that's a clue or a key for the teacher and understanding where that student is at the time so the teacher know something about student just
you're in luck
tell the student opened the door and watch him
sometimes students are talking before they sit down
or while they're sitting down then cats another cool about thing into the heart of was going on with a student fundamentally
the teacher is not so much interested in the particulars of the students
no question although that's important but where the student is fundamentally
so then this didn't sit down
ah and then the the teacher desert how the student hold themselves when they're sitting down
and then still maybe speaks it felt something in it of the teachers and simply it's what they have a dialogue or that are they don't do anything at all
sometimes just didn't just sit down and doesn't say anything
and then after five minutes i get up walk out
that that also happens that's okay
but
so the teacher because the teacher has no preconception
there's nothing in their mind at all
they can see right through the student
before the student opens her mouth even but then when they shouldn't open their mouth
and that's another level
and then
whatever happens happens but the students not trying to help trying to
the teacher is not trying to answer the students' questions like he would answer what are we having for dinner
it's
helping the student to bring their question up to
ah
a level that meets the teachers inquiry even on the teachers not answer the question
the teacher is not asking the question sometimes to teach a death after question
you don't bring something out of the student
but for this killed she was like this dialogue is like that
joshua is getting is helping that the student which is a good student actually
how to open their mind up
to the empty room
this i ran across an interesting poem
i don't know who wrote it exactly but
it's as through the east gate you'll find a desert
through the westgate there is a field of wheat
through the northgate right jagged mountains
through the south gate like a deep blue sea who knows for sure where chose has gone
in the abandoned courtyard hence and chicken scratch the earth
the abandoned courtyard chickens hands and chicken scratch here
maybe it should be held and roosters editor
you want me to read that again
through the east gate you'll find a desert
through the westgate is to feel that wheat
through the north gate was jagged mountains and through the south gate like the deep blue sea
so listen to this is the world right
who knows for sure or joshua has gone
in the abandoned courtyard henson chicken scratch the earth
so i'm
the teacher should be helping students to find the abandoned courtyard
what a chicken heads tickets and scratching the earth
where's josh you

and it's a wonderful picture of the m the world surrounding the courtyard
where's josh you
and chickens and scratching the earth
but
ah

so joe show at
yeah it's a wonderful teacher he's not trying to do anything but people come to see him
and he addresses them he responds to them you just respond to them
but it it's where he respond from is remarkable
in our daily life
ah
when trying to figure out how to how to live our life
well but moment
are given all the circumstances
that appear before us
so where is the place that we come from to do that how do we figure out what to do

so there's a big question her about
but birth and death
why acsm
life is found in death and death in life if you have no i to penetrate the barrier no freedom to turn about you'll be lost in the way
so why would we be lost on the way you know everybody everybody has to deal with this question
ah
ah
so this is definitely the deep question and i zen practice
the question of is called the fundamental thing
the question of birth and death how you handle this
where will you find the place to turn
where are you find a place to am
ah see the reality
an act according to what's really happening

i'm
ah
underlying the sentiments and affairs and the anxieties
where where is that place where the comfortable place it's like in southern
where do you find a comfortable place
certain when you sit for sheen
others it's always a place where you don't want to stay and you can't leave
and that's that's the question of birth and death
you want stay or wanna stay but yet to leave
if it's the opposite you want to say but you have to live and is as in it
you want to leave but you have to stay
but it's the same thing
ah so that's the place that's the go on that's the am
so
joshua's coming from that place
he's coming from that place of ah everything is the way it's supposed to be
everyday is just as it's supposed to be
it's beyond liking and disliking
beyond wanting a not wanting
beyond i wish or don't wish it's like this is the place to be right now you know a snappy if if i had nothing to do with wanting a not wanting liking a lot like it then
you can't leave and you can't stay you have to leave
i bet you want to stay
it's called acceptance
people don't like it
contact we talk about acceptance and people over about you know this what about when sorry
ah so we have to be able to once we can accept that
i think you know when we talk about how to a hospice
how to deal with people that are dying in hospice and remember chino since i saying
when a when someone is dying
and you know that that path
you help them to do that relevant trying to pull them back you helped him to go and but you can only helped him to go when you feel that you can also do that
that's that comfort yes it is it is the to go with what's going on i asked the a hurry to when time i said no we don't have much of a written down clue as to how
you deal with people that are dying and help them
and i should all well when you
talk to people that are day you can say don't worry everything in the world is going along with you
the whole world is going right along with you you not leaving something behind because everything that is present is going with you which is thought
thought you allow yourself to be carried along into the great mysterious
think of death which is nothing opposite of life
opposite birth but birth and death are the same thing
oh
i'm so
if
ah escape southgate north cape
ah
they really are no kids
when they're to the open the gates are closed
when we are closed and they gave their open when we are open
so joe shoe is that the center of light if you want to call it that
and he simply really a slight
and people are attracted to that light because if their own life they're attracted to something in joshi which matches their own life
so when joshua is like and the students like i one like that's called transmission
transmitting the dharma is nothing to transmit to simply
one thing
and one thing is the mother of all things

so i know there's time to stop
but if somebody has a question
a charlie

oh
yes yeah
well
that's true but at the same time were alive at the same time with dead and alive at the same time so of you can fall into one side of the other
you have a long way to go
within birth his death and within death his birth each moment is a person in the moment of birth and death
that's why we understand
but
it kills the the i'm not talking about killing you so killing in a career throat i'm talking this is about letting go of ego
that's that's
ah a a coin of joshua's called
death is a one who was tied to great desk come back to life again
so the two extremes of death and life or extremes
and if you
are attached to one of the other
i'm you make a big mistake
should the
click it it
two and tube totally live your life
when you're alive i'm using it to the totally be dead when you did
but what is it that is alive and dead
it's the ego
so killing the ego doesn't kill the person
it brings the person to life
john

of course of course yeah that's also barrier but it's natural normal
the thermo
don't be afraid and to earn it you know it's like
sometimes
you feel underwater people can feel underwater because we're afraid to take a breath of fresh air
for freshers is like when you release from something you take a breath of fresh air road but that can be
the breath of fresh air can be scary
so oh offer we live in a kind of hayes
you know and it's comfortable the hayes is comfortable so smug that will it's comfortable
he's yeah he's totally clear
there is no chose you
there's no you
clear air yes
yeah just forgets
when you the chickens are picking
the
the when you get when you get and inside this the center of the circle
there's no chose you
joshua is everywhere everywhere who chose you
does not elliot yoshio was a specific person but josh is true body is the whole universe
that's called fresh air
linda
ah that's enough to get in the chickens
yeah yeah yeah
oh
okay okay
please continue
yes i understand

oh my gosh
he said what about it but about it
he mean that his molesting her
wanting a boy when he said if if i if
okay thank you yeah
yes

but what was your question can be

yes

but about and but when

yeah that's what i felt from your question
distract me in a way that
attack
yeah well i apologize
because my mind because i was had a preconceived notion about what you're gonna say
yeah which was contrary to what i was teaching
the
yeah yeah
i can
i'm alex

swim is a modern world
yes
sure yes yes
yeah

yes
it
or
engaging with
you some way but without
yes how do i do that
the heroin how do i present myself in the world which is full of compromise right in a way that's uncompromising
i can't answer for him
but as great goal and we all have it how do i you know how how do i approach every every everything i meet in a way that it would be compromising without compromising
the great on that the god we all have all the time
you apply for a job you want wanted and you hope for the job and you gotta expectations and but obama and then boom you know how do you deal with that how did you a disappointment you deal with frustrations
that's her life
yeah but that's your goal critical on this is all enthralled just lady who i don't know
you
speak up

rebecca
your name or hi rebecca

yes
yeah in
yeah it's yeah so and then parlance ego means a false sense of self
it's a confection we build up through experience and desire a false sense of self and act out through the false sense of self which is not complete it it's a were acting from a and incidence a falsehood
so it's not the ego is is not based on
a essence of mind
it's based on ideas impartiality
and as the construction so that's what we mean by you go
and a psychology has different you know and i will myself i think of i don't think of killing ego
because i think we need some you go
so instead of killing it we traded
because it has a function and so we trained and ego
so let him a it it's not it's not the boss
and so we can it's like you know you train a dog or horse
and when the train the horse you can teach you to do wonderful things rather than just letting it you know
that living in a runs through town with the card and turning over but examples
something like that is the big that it's a but that basically
that's it
it's always fun to talk about this when you get deep into it so i'll read the story this little palm what's more
through the east gate you'll find a desert through the westgate there's a field of wheat through the north gate
rice jagged mountains and through the south caitlin
the deep blue sea
who knows for sure where josh who has gone
in the abandoned courtyard
that means no ego
hens and chicken scratch the earth that if
to explain it would be terrible