Good morning. So this is our three-day little rohatsu session celebrating the awakening and buddhahood of Shakyamuni 2,500 or so more or less years ago this week. And we've been talking about, in various ways, about Buddha nature or What is this Buddhist stuff? Anyway. And I've been talking about it in terms of two particular cases in the Book of Serenity koan collection. There happen to be numbers 31 and 37. This basic Well, this description from the Avatamsaka flower in the sutra of what it was that Buddha realized when he became Buddha, that all sentient beings, without exception, I now see everywhere, fully possess the wisdom and virtues of the awakened ones.

[01:23]

but unfortunately because of attachments and obstructions and confusion, we don't see it. But anyway, all of this buddha nature is not only the capacity of sentient beings, but as this thought developed in China, it was seen as kind of the fabric of reality itself. And Dogen plays with that more in terms of all of space awakening. Anyway, that's kind of background. So I want to get back to Yun Men's pillars in Case 31. But first, I want to talk about what we were talking about yesterday in a commentary to Case 37, which is about, in some sense, statement also from the Flower Anima Sutra that the fundamental affliction of ignorance itself is the immutable knowledge of all Buddhas, that your dharma situation, your karmic reality right now,

[02:46]

this fundamental affliction of ignorance even, our sense of separation, our sense of incompleteness, sadness and confusion about that, that we realize that right in there is our place of awakening. Right in there is the Bodhimandala. This is the knowledge of all Buddhas, who, as Dogen says in Gaccha Koan, Buddhas study delusions. Buddhas are enlightened and awaken to delusions. So, how do we see our wholeness? How do we allow the wholeness of Buddha nature to fill our bodies and minds? discussion yesterday afternoon based on a commentary to Hongzhi's verse commentary on this case.

[03:58]

The relevant part is, do you know the self or not? Vaguely, like the moon through ivy, a crescent at that. So this sense of the wholeness of the full round moon that is so much a part of East Asian art and poetry and imagery. And how do we see that? How do we allow the body and mind on your cushion right now to be Buddha's body, to express Buddha nature, to creatively share that with the world and with yourself, and with this fundamental affliction of ignorance that helped impel us to even show up today.

[05:01]

So I There's a section of this which we talked about somewhat yesterday, and I want to revisit about this question that Yang Shan, who's in this case, asked Shan Dao of the Stone Grotto, who was a great Pure Land patriarch in China. And one time, one night, they were gazing at the moon. And usually when that's said, it means they were looking up at the full moon. People in Asia, at least in Japan, still go out and sit somewhere and look up at the full moon. And Yangshan asked Shanda, when the moon is a crescent, where does the round shape go? When it's full, where does the crescent shape go? Very important question. So please enjoy sitting with this question if you feel like.

[06:09]

When the moon is a crescent, where does the round shape go? When we see only a part of wholeness, where does the round shape go? Where is that wholeness? When we're caught in a sliver of reality, when we're caught in some particular partiality, some particular. When the moon is a crescent, where does the round shape go? And when it's full, where does the crescent shape go? Wonderful question. When we feel the wholeness, can we still be open to the suffering of the world? And Shandao said, in response to Yangshan, When it's a crescent, the round shape is concealed. When it's full, the crescent shape remains. So he was sort of leaning towards the crescent. Or maybe he was being realistic and seeing how we are caught by our, his fundamental affliction of ignorance, by our human longing and confusion and frustration and sadness and so forth.

[07:26]

So when it's a crescent, the round shape is concealed, no full moon. And even when it's full, the crescent shape remains. And then we have these other comments on that. And the first is by Yun Yang, the founder of, well, the teacher of Dongshan, founder of the Sutra School in China. Dongshan, who wrote the Jewel Marrow Samadhi, we chant sometimes. His teacher, Yun Yang, said, when it's a crescent, the round shape remains. When it's full, the crescent shape does not exist. It's kind of a radical statement, and I confessed yesterday that I lean that way myself. I like to see the fullness of the round moon. I like to come sit down in Zazen and feel this wholeness that's part of our reality.

[08:29]

Or maybe that's all of our reality, but then what do we do with a part of our reality? So, Yunya's Dharma brother and biological brother, Dao said, when it's a crescent, yet it's not a crescent. When it's full, it's still not round. So, how do we not be caught in seeing the crescent shape, seeing the moon, obstructed seeing, only a piece of the moon. And when it's round, when we feel, when it's full, it's still not round. How do we not... Well, Duggan says, when dharma fills your body and mind, you realize something's missing. And Doug yesterday pointed out the dark side of the moon. Maybe he's been listening to Pink Floyd, I don't know. Even the full moon, something is hidden.

[09:30]

That's true. And yet still, we have this wholeness that we can... I don't know what to say. It's not that we can sense it or taste it or touch it exactly. It's that we can allow it to fill us. Fill our belly, and our head, and our arms, and our mudra, and our aching legs. And then the commentary quotes this poem by a great Chinese poet named Bo Bingwang, who said, since it can be round as a mirror, why would it be bent like a hook? Another important question. We know it can be round as a mirror. here, like a hook. And some people in the discussion yesterday afternoon certainly got hooked by this.

[10:33]

And maybe the point is that we need this fundamental affliction of ignorance to be hooked by the wisdom and virtue of the Buddhas. the wholeness of reality and of our life. How do we not neglect? How do we not ignore all the hooks? And we talked yesterday also about the different phases of the Crescent and different aspects of the Crescent and all the differences. Again, the point of this is Not that we, you know, it's not, it's whether, it's not asking whether, wondering whether or not Buddha nature exists or what is Buddha nature and how do we describe it and explain it.

[11:41]

Buddha nature is not a thing, first of all. But that's not the point. The point is, how do we express Buddha's body? How do we find our ability to respond, our responsibility, our way, each of us in our own way of doing Buddha's work, and then together we support each other to each in our own way do Buddha's work. So it's not what is Buddha nature or is there Buddha nature or not. Of course there's no Buddha nature. Of course there's Buddha nature. How does it play in us? What's the melody of Buddha nature? What are the forms and shapes of Buddha nature? What are its colors?

[12:43]

How do we act it out? How do we settle into this sasheen, gathering of the heart-mind that we've been at, some of us, for a couple days now. Here we are now. How do we appreciate this opportunity to allow the Buddha work to work in us. How do we find our creative energy to express this wholeness or maybe even this crescent shape? To help others. So I mentioned also the Lotus Sutra saying that Buddhists just show up in the world to help

[13:48]

Suffering beings enter into the path, the vital process of Buddha's way. So Sesshin is this wonderful opportunity to feel the richness of just being here together. Feel the richness of all of the confusion and fundamental affliction of ignorance on my cushion, each of us, how do we allow Buddhist work to unfold in our life, in our mudra, without worrying about what it is or figuring it out or some explanation of it. I mean, you may have those things, but it's not so important.

[14:49]

How does it feel? How does it grow and unfold? How does it find its way out of the mud to open as a lotus? So this idea of seeing the moon vaguely, as do ivy and crescents at that. One song, the commentator says, the Huayen school calls this the gate of secret concealment and revelation existing together. Interesting notion. The Dharma gate in which hiddenness, secret concealment, and revelation come up together. And it says in that sutra that bodhisattvas of the tenth stage see nature, see the world, like looking at the moon through a gauze

[15:57]

And Watson continues to call the vaguely seen moon a gauze moon is also all right, but a poem by Lebo says, there is the moon through the ivies crossing the mirror of morning, a wind in the pines strumming the heart strings of night. Can we hear the wind in the pines strumming the heart strings of night? Maybe it's harder during the day. This is why maybe someday we can have all night sitting sometime. Even though the pines outside are, well, I don't know if there are any pines outside or there are. Maybe we have to hear the, the strumming of the harp strings through the sirens going by. Anyway, this moon through eyes, And, you know, in Hongzhou's poem, he seems to see that as obstruction and limitation.

[17:08]

Maybe he sees more than that, but anyway, one can read it that way. And yet, I think it's wonderful to see the moon through ivy or through a gauze net. Can we see the fullness of the moon and maybe the crescent-shaped moon? in the gauzy, haziness of our life, in the ivy growing in front of our eyes. So this meeting wholeness, meeting the crescent-shaped moon, is kind of the background now. I want to go back to what I talked about the first day. Having talked about this wholeness of the full moon, I want to talk about Yun-Men and his pillage. Or, I don't know, if I'll talk about it, or, I don't know, if I'll be able to say anything, but I'll at least read you the case.

[18:13]

So to me, this is a story about the Buddha work and how it works. This is a story about Se-Shin. and what happens in Sichuan. This is a story about the richness of our life. So, the great master Yunmen, who was kind of a funny character. Anyway, I can talk about Yunmen. He said one time to the assembly that the ancient Buddhas are merged with or joined together with the open pillars holding up the Dorma Hall. The ancient Buddhas are merged with the open pillars. What level or what type of activity is this? What level of functioning or workings is this? The ancient Buddhas are merged together with the open pillars. And this Zen dojo is too small to have pillars in the middle of it.

[19:20]

The big, huge temples that we've seen in Japan have big pillars in the middle of it. Maybe he would have said the ancient Buddhas are joined together with the altar and the chairs and the cushions and the grain of wood and the floor. What level of working is this? What's the mental activity? Here, when ancient Buddhas are joined together with the pillars sitting on your cushions. And as now, the assembly was speechless. And Yun Med himself said on their behalf, on South Mountain rising clouds, on North Mountain falling rain. And maybe it's too much to take it out into the mountains, or even out over to the lake shore.

[20:34]

What level of working is this? Dawn thinks of a joke, and Eric smiles. I say it's before your home begins. And Nancy's stomach gurgles. Yes. How do we support all beings, without hesitation, in the Holy Universe? In each thing. In the stirring of the soup. In the way we get up when the bell rings for Kinyan. In the way we sit down afterwards. The ancient Buddhas are joined with the open pillars.

[21:43]

What level of workings is this? And the other responses? Bodhisattvas? I think it's the preaching of the Dharma, the incensions. Okay, yes, yes, all things, even so-called insentient things, even those we denigrate and are prejudiced against because they're not only not, you know, white Americans, but they're not even human beings. They're not even sentient beings. It's like dumb floorboards. Take the grain. And Shandao or the sangrara would say, okay, you think there's fullness here.

[22:44]

What about the crescents? How do we hear all the lonely people, all the lonely floorboards? Where do they all come from? How do we give ourself to ourself as all sentient beings, as well as giving all sentient beings to all sentient beings. Yes, so this is the point. Good, good. And so now I'll go back to Hongjo's verse comment on this. once one path of spiritual light has never been concealed from the first. And as I said a couple of days ago, rising clouds on South Mountain, falling rain on North Mountain.

[23:50]

The teacher babbles in the south of the Zen Do, and the Tenzo gets up to prepare lunch in the north of the Zen Do. One path is spiritual light, never concealed from the first. Transcending perception and objects, it's so, yet nothing's so. Going beyond emotional assessments, it's me, yet nothing's me. It's appropriate, yet nothing's appropriate. Nothing fits, and yet it's fit. The scattered flowers on the crag, in the bee's house they make honey. The richness of the wild grasses, the richness and thickness and nutrition of the wild grasses, in the musk deer they make perfume. According to kind, three feet or ten and six. Clearly, wherever you contact it, it is abundantly evident.

[24:55]

So, this is the situation. The unique dynamic of transcendence, a crane soars into the sky, the unique road of direct confrontation with reality, a falcon passes the next country. Even if your eyes are like comets, shining bright, still you don't avoid your mouth being bent down like a carrying ball. enough of texts, how do we find our life in our life? How do we give Buddha to our life? So this practice of Sashin, sitting all day, or two days or three days, aches and pains, sore back, sore knees, tight shoulders,

[26:00]

Soreness in our hearts. The misunderstandings of many lifetimes. How do we meet this most wonderful wholeness? How do we allow it to express itself? Here, this body-mind, Can we not waste time wishing there was some other mind or body on our cushion? Can we just enjoy and appreciate this situation? So, I just happen to know that each of the people in this room now, and even the Tenzo who's gone to the kitchen, are all, in various particular ways, highly accomplished

[27:05]

dedicated, I'll even add, very intelligent people. Intelligence or lack of it doesn't matter, should I say, but each of you has extraordinary gifts. It's true, this is a remarkable song. So even though I lean towards Jungian's way of seeing it, with that, when the moon is round, no crescent shape remains when the moon is full. When the crescent shape is there, the moon is still full. So it's true when you see, as I said yesterday, when you see the crescent moon, you can see the shadow of the rest of it. But you can't see the other side. So in the various unfoldings and shiftings and changes of your body and mind and your life this weekend, this year, this decade,

[28:28]

How will you express Buddha for yourself and for all the beings throughout the whole universe? What will you cook to help us be nourished? So actually, I know that all of you are already doing this. Dig it. Appreciate it. Really enjoy the Buddha body in your body. Amidst the confusion, amidst the frustrations, amidst the tensions and challenges and difficulties and problems of this particular Dharma situation that's on your cushion.

[29:36]

It's raining in South Chicago. Do you feel the clouds? Can you see how connected we are? So again, there's a mystery here, this miraculous activity of clouds on South Mountain, rain on North Mountain. But it's also the may be mysterious to our limited cognition and intelligence, even those of you who are extremely bright.

[30:44]

Those of us who are extremely bright. Still, how can we inhale the mystery? How can we exhale the mystery? How can we give ourselves to remembering Buddha? So, I've said this before, but while you're sitting zazen, it's okay to chant silently to yourself. Please don't disturb the people around you, but you can chant Namo Amida Buddha, or Namo Shakyamuni Buddha, or Namo Yoho Renge Kyo, or you can do Nembutsu practice to recall, oh yeah, Buddha. But even if you don't do that particular silent chanting practice, this practice is about recollecting Buddha. So she means to gather together the hard mind.

[31:48]

And someone noted the other day that remembering is the opposite of dismembering. So we also have to confess that each of us in our own way in some part is dismembered. We're, you know, the world is just a mess. There's corruption and wars, and the climate's being destroyed, and the environment... You know, really, it is a terrible mess out there, and in here. And there are all these resources, and there are all these good people, all of us and many others, inhaling and exhaling, and re-membering wholeness, re-remembering Buddha. So how... Are you going to use your special gifts to help healing the world? There's an old Jewish spiritual teaching about Tikkun Olam, to heal the world or to mend, bless you, the world.

[33:07]

I think that's also part of what we need to do on our own cushions. We each have various slivers of the moon, and sometimes we do feel dismembered. This is the fundamental affliction of ignorance. Right in that situation is our wonderful opportunity to practice, to remember Buddha's body in your body, to recollect. this possibility of wholeness not separate from the crescent moons. Inhale. Exhale. or actually less than that in each single moment of thought.

[34:18]

But let's say in each inhale there are 3,000 words. So, you know, this isn't something that we're here to figure out or explain or understand. That's kind of trivial. What are we going to do? being willing to stop, go up to Irving Park for a day, sit down. Each of you has many other wonderful things you could be doing right now. Sorry to remind you. But here we are. How, what, what is this? How, how, not what, how, how are you going to enjoy your breath? How are you going to heal the world in each inhale and exhale?

[35:25]

This is the work of Sangha that happens over many, many, not even centuries, millennia. How is the Sangha of the sons and daughters of Buddha going to heal this world? Of course, there are many other planets we have to heal to, but we'll try to take care of this one first. It's inconceivable. We can't get our head around it completely. Even Einstein couldn't. But can we enjoy each breath? Can we feel and nourish ourselves in each, in this creative energy that arises? when we stop and sit down and breathe and just face the wall and just face our shelves and allow our shelves to be our shelves. Give your shelf to Buddha.

[36:26]

Give Buddha to your shelf. Give your shelf to your shelf. Give Buddha to Buddha.

[36:32]

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