Good morning. This three-day sitting we're beginning today is the culmination of this spring practice period, two-month practice period, in which we've been talking about the silent illumination or serene illumination teachings of Hongzhe Zhongshui, the 12th century Chinese teacher in our Soto lineage tradition. And I want to focus this weekend on kind of three main aspects of his teaching that we've been talking about. And since really each of the practice instructions we've talked about is kind of holographic and covers and talks in some way about the whole thing, I'm going to try and do that each of the three days with different emphases. So what I'll focus on today is the first aspect

[01:04]

of the settling and inner illumination, deep settling into silence, calm, and also insight and illumination. That comes with this sustained practice. The second part of what I want to talk about this weekend has to do with the ancestors in our tradition. We've been chanting through the all-day sittings, and we will this weekend. In our midday service, the names of the Buddhism ancestors in our lineage and also the women ancestors who helped keep this practice alive. And something about this ancestral teaching

[02:06]

and our relationship to that. And then the third part is, which is also through all of it, is our response, the responsiveness, the mutual response that emerges from this settling that arises as we step out from our seat and place of settling. So I want to talk about all three of those each day to some extent. But today I'll focus on the first part, this settling. So in the very first practice instruction in cultivating the empty field, Hongzhi says, well, first he says, the field of boundless emptiness is what exists from the very beginning.

[03:11]

You must purify, cure, grind down, or brush away all the tendencies you have fabricated into apparent habits, then you can reside in the clear circle of brightness. So the starting point for all this is that what this field of openness, this field of spaciousness, this field of settledness is not something we have to invent or create or manufacture or figure out or understand even. It's the reality that is always present and that is what brought each of us here. But we do have these tendencies and apparent habits, our particular relationships to greed, anger, and confusion that get in the way that we need to deal with. And so that's, you know, an important part of our practice. But he says, the deep

[04:20]

source, transparent down to the bottom, can radiantly shine and can respond unencumbered to each speck of dust without becoming its partner. So maybe a lot of what I want to talk today is about not being caught by sense dust. But just first, this deep source, the way of talking in Zen, this deep source, this possibility, this deep source that can radiantly shine, transparent down to the bottom. It's not a source like some creator being that began everything, you know, at some point in time in history. It's this reality

[05:27]

of spiritual awareness and energy that's, again, always right here. And this settling that we can do in Sashin, this settling that we can do from, you know, it can happen in any period of Zazen, but sitting period after period, coming back to facing the wall, inhaling and exhaling, facing ourselves. Anything that anyone says about it is just a metaphor pointing to something deeper. But it's a source of energy, a source of creativity, a source of awareness that's available to you. And it's not going to appear by your looking for it.

[06:31]

But settling, breathing, inhaling, exhaling, feeling the uprightness of body and mind, it can come forth. And partly it does this through its ability to respond unencumbered to each speck of dust without becoming its partner. The subtlety of seeing and hearing transcends mere colors and sounds. The whole affair functions without leaving traces and mirrors without obscurations. Very naturally, mind and phenomena, mind and dharmas, and sense objects, we could say, emerge and harmonize. So this is a specific meditation instruction

[07:32]

that I would encourage you to try on. And I've talked about this before, but in Sashin is a good opportunity to respond unencumbered to each speck of dust without becoming its partner. The subtlety of seeing and hearing transcends mere colors and sounds. So we hear a cough. We don't have to identify the sound. There's just sound. We hear a stomach gurgling. We don't have to identify. There's a field of sound. There are colors in front of you on the wooden floor. But you can just be aware of the field of vision in front of you, on

[08:35]

the wall, on the floor. You don't have to grab a hold of some sense object, sights, sounds, smells, touches, objects of mind. So in Buddhism, we have six senses, sights, sounds, smells. I was just back near the kitchen and noticed wonderful smells. I didn't need to kind of identify them or grab hold of them. I just enjoyed it. Tastes we'll indulge in later on during lunch. Touch. Touch includes the sensation of pressure on your butt or your back as you sit, or the sensation of breeze from the fan or the air conditioning when it comes on,

[09:38]

or feeling of tension in your shoulder or wherever, pressure in your knees. So there's all these touch objects. You can identify with them and you can call them pain or call them itch or call them whatever. You don't have to scratch. You don't have to wiggle or wriggle, change your position, run away from them. Of course, you shouldn't indulge in extreme pain. That's not helpful. So get up and sit in a chair if you need to or whatever. But these are just senses. How do you enjoy the subtlety of seeing, hearing, feeling physical

[10:50]

sensations, smelling, or thinking? So thoughts in Buddhism, as you're sitting there during a period of zazen, thoughts arise. The brain continues to secrete thoughts. You don't have to attach to them either. Very naturally, mind and dharmas, mind and thoughts, eyes and colors emerge and harmonize. So this doesn't mean to suppress sense objects. You can be aware of the field of vision, sound, thoughts. Can you respond unencumbered to each speck of dust without becoming its partner? We don't have to get caught up in the sounds of the floor creaking or the

[11:55]

particular thought pattern about what you're going to do tonight or what someone said to you yesterday or what you have to do on Monday or whatever. It just comes, and there it is, and okay, bye-bye. Something else will come in the next breath. Can we just be present and aware? Very naturally, mind and dharmas emerge and harmonize. In this situation, the deep source transparent to the bottom can radiantly shine and can respond unencumbered to each speck of dust without becoming its partner. Sometimes there's some way that, you know, something that calls for a response. So there's some pain in your shoulder that your left hand wants to reach over and, you

[12:59]

know, rub a little bit because, you know, maybe that would help. Or you push your knees up or whatever, you know. It's not about, you know, we do respond to these dharmas, but can you respond unencumbered without becoming caught up in the conditions of these dharmas, these sense objects? So throughout, Hongshu talks about conditions and conditioning and not being caught by conditions. This is the subtlety of settling into this serene, deep, silent space in which there is also

[14:00]

illumination. So we've been chanting sometimes the Guideposts for Silent Illumination, where he talks about the necessary balance between silence and illumination. So there's the settling and then there's the insight, the awareness. So both are needed. If illumination neglects serenity, then aggressiveness appears. If serenity neglects illumination, murkiness leads to wasted dharma. So there's the settleness and then there's the insight or illumination. Awareness, Hongshu talks about romping and playing in samadhi. Settle and also allow this illumination. Allow your mind and

[15:15]

your awareness to roam free throughout the Zen dome without grabbing on to any conditions or any sense objects. Let your awareness be free. This is not about being tightly controlled. This is about breathing freely. The subtlety of seeing and hearing transcends mere colors and sounds. The whole affair functions without leaving traces and mirrors without obscurations. Very naturally, mind and dharmas emerge and harmonize. So I'm going to focus on the third day on this practice instruction about graciously sharing yourself in terms of responding with the hundred grass tips in the busy marketplace. Graciously share yourself. This is the purpose of this practice.

[16:21]

The meaning of this practice is not just to become a virtuoso meditator, but to actually respond to the world, to actually share our awareness with the world. It needs it. This is obvious now, more than ever. But then he says, with the hundred grass tips in the busy marketplace, graciously share yourself wide open and accessible, walking along, casually mount the sounds and straddle the colors while you transcend listening and surpass watching. So this may sound in some ways the opposite of the first instruction, but I don't know. Maybe just the first one says, the subtlety of seeing and hearing transcends mere colors and sounds, but you could turn it around. Just mount the sounds and straddle the colors and let go of seeing and listening. Either way,

[17:24]

don't get caught up in objects, or maybe just be with the object and don't worry about seeing and hearing. How do you, as you're sitting, notice when you get encumbered by some speck of dust, some thought or feeling or sensation, some ache in your shoulders, some thought that is bothersome? Don't push it away. Let it go. Let it go. How can you be present with it without being caught? So, again, Hongzhe talks about the practice of true reality is simply to sit serenely in silent introspection. When you have fathomed this, you cannot be turned around by external

[18:26]

causes and conditions. This empty, wide-open mind is subtly and correctly illuminating, spacious and content without confusion from inner thoughts of grasping, effectively overcome habitual behavior and realize the self that's not possessed by emotions. You don't need to be possessed by the color of the floor, or the sound of a truck driving past, or some thought or feeling that arises secreted by your brain. Don't suppress it. You can just see it. Oh, you may feel bad about something that happened yesterday or ten years ago. It's okay. It's possible not to be possessed by emotions. It's possible to just be present and take another breath. Simply sit serenely in

[19:41]

silent introspection. It doesn't mean getting rid of seeing or hearing or smelling or tasting or feeling physical sensations or thinking. It's just don't get caught. Let them go. So, Hongzhi also says, contemplating your own authentic form is how to contemplate Buddha. If you can experience yourself without distractions, simply surpass partiality or dependency and go beyond conceptualizing. You really don't need to experience yourself without distractions. Simply

[20:48]

surpass partiality or dependency. Go beyond conceptualizing. You don't have to think about things and figure out something and deliberate. Contemplating your own authentic form accords with contemplating Buddha. So, that's what we're doing here. We're sitting like Buddha. If you sit like Buddha long enough, Buddha might show up right on your seat. Imagine that. I mean, really, imagine that. Buddha's right there. Very close. So, there's this wonderful dense practice instruction that I talked about that I'll read through and try again. In daytime the sun, at night the moon, each in

[21:52]

turn does not blind the other. This is how a Zen practitioner steadily practices, naturally, without edges or seams. Well, you know, we all might feel our edges. We all might feel our seams. We all might feel those places. But to gain such steadiness, you must completely withdraw from the invisible pounding and weaving of your ingrained ideas. Well, firstly, maybe you have to notice them. But, you know, if you sit around for 30 or 40 minutes, you might start to notice them. And you don't have to kind of take a hammer to them. Just, you know, withdraw. Let go. He says, if you want to be rid of this invisible turmoil, you must just sit through it and let go of everything. This is really subtle. This is like the heart of our practice. Let go. Doesn't mean to get rid of it. Doesn't mean to beat it up. Doesn't mean to beat yourself up. Just let go. Just

[22:53]

let go. And, you know, it may come back again, the next breath. That's okay. Let go. It's just like an exhale. Let go. Let go of everything. Attain fulfillment and illuminate thoroughly. Light and shadow altogether forgotten. Inhale and exhale altogether forgotten. Day and night. Passing of time altogether forgotten. Just sit. Don't worry about when the bell's going to ring. Yes, I'll hit it on time. Don't worry. Yeah, he'll do it. He'll do it. And he says, drop off your own skin and the sense dust will be fully purified. The eye readily discerning the brightness. Drop off your own skin. This is, as I've said, a precursor to Dogen shinjin tatsuraka, drop off body and mind. Drop off your own skin. These skin bags here and now. Let go of your sense of separation. Just let it go. Doesn't mean, you

[24:01]

know, do damage to yourself. Just let go. Drop off your own skin. And he says, accept your function and be wholly satisfied. So I talked about this a lot during the practice period. Accept your function means to just be in your seat. Occupy your situation. Accept your function. Your place in session today. Your place in the world this week, this month, this lifetime. Accept your situation. Whatever role, whatever position, whatever ancient twisted karma has brought you to the place you are today. Your function's an active dynamic thing, you know. It's not static. But accept your

[25:02]

function. Accept is also not passive. Take it on. Occupy. Inhabit. Your situation. Your life. Your potential. Your capacity. Your interests. Your problems. Your limitations. Accept your function. All of it. Accept your function and be wholly satisfied. It's okay to be the person on your seat. It has to be. With all of the difficulties that are involved in that. Those are gifts. Accept your function and be wholly satisfied. Your function. Your situation. Your capacities. Limitations. Interests. Enjoyments. Frustrations. All of

[26:07]

it. Are where you practice from. How you practice. How you can be helpful and of service to the world. Accept your function and be wholly satisfied. In the entire place, you are not restricted. The whole time you still mutually respond. So this, again, this mutual response. It's not just that you have to fix everything in your life. There's a mutuality to this response. Everything about your situation, your function, is a product of this deep source transparent to the bottom. Everything in the universe brought you to this situation. And everything in the universe responds to your response. You do have the ability to respond. To accept your function. Be wholly satisfied and

[27:23]

respond. So how do we respond to the situations of your situation in the world? In your life? You each have various ways to respond. And sometimes it takes a while to just sit quietly, serenely, with awareness, romping and playing in samadhi to see how to respond. Or to see how the universe is mutually responding to you, showing you how you can respond. So he says, if you want to be rid of this invisible turmoil, you must just sit through it and let go of everything. Attain fulfillment. Illuminate thoroughly. Light and shadow altogether forgotten. Just let go. Drop off your own skin and the sense dust will be

[28:25]

fully purified. You don't have to be encumbered by them. You don't have to be caught up in the colors and sounds and thoughts. But be aware. Be present. Drop off your own skin and the sense dust will be fully purified. The eye readily discerning the brightness. Each thing, each sense dust has its own brightness. There's a crack in everything. That's how the light comes in. Accept your function and be wholly satisfied. In the entire place you are not restricted. The whole time you still mutually respond. Actually, you're always mutually responding. Ah! Well, there wasn't so many vivid responses except Matt looked over at me strangely. But there was some response on your seat to that sound.

[29:36]

The whole time you still mutually respond. And then Aung San has this little poetic little thing. A solitary boat carries the moon at night. It lodges amid the reed flowers. A solitary boat carries the moon at night. It lodges amid the reed flowers gently swaying in total brilliance. So your solitary boat carries the moon. The whole thing. At night it lodges amid the reed flowers gently swaying in total brilliance. So at the end of the Dharma talk we'll turn down the lights and it'll be not quite night, but you know, how do you find your own gentle swaying? So this, this, this settling, this settling into presence and awareness, this is a practice you can actually engage in during this day of Sesshin.

[30:51]

Seeing how colors, sounds, thoughts, tastes, touches, smells, and so forth arise around you, not being caught or encumbered by them. Inhaling, exhaling. Allowing your mind to romp and play in samadhi. This is the teaching of all the ancestors. And as I'll talk about more tomorrow, all beings are your ancestors and our practice is to serve the ancestors. Not just the ancestors whose names we'll chant in the midday service from going back to Shakyamuni, but the ancestors around us, all the beings, spiritual and cultural ancestors, all the ancestors we hope in the future who are looking for us to try and protect our climate and our environment.

[32:03]

So please enjoy your practice. Enjoy your inhale and exhale. So we'll have time for discussion over tea this afternoon, but we have a little bit of time now. If anybody has a comment, question, response, or an utterance, please feel free. Thank you. Nicholas.

[33:09]

In this universe, I don't really want to feel like I'm in this huge vast universe, so I don't enjoy things. I guess, you know, in some ways this planet is overpopulated from some perspectives and maybe, you know, maybe somewhat likely that there are other aware beings on other planets or in other dimensions, maybe even in this room that we can't see and maybe they can't see us or maybe, I don't know. I'm not sure that that's true that there's a few of us, but maybe on some other level there's just very few of us.

[34:44]

So either way, we should enjoy ourselves and each other. Yeah. Thank you.

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