Eight Aspects of Enlightened Activity

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thank you for coming in the rain
it's a nice and refreshing that we have all this rain
oh yeah was the ladder
how's that
better up
and away
had no no no that get printed i think that's good
maybe a little answer
the teeny bit
ah thank you
so this is the first dharma talk of the year
and so i want to use this talk to encourage our practice for the year to set up a tone for
practice
so i'm going to comment on
master dough games
hace dine-in i
ah
key
how'd you dine in
eight aspects of a night person
ah i
this is an interesting title
so i re-titled him
and then a lot of different ways to re-titled is that are interesting
the eight qualities that allow the dharma to flow is easily and freely through our life i like that as a title
ah
read and then the eight aspects of enlightened person
that's okay too but ah this is kind of boiling freeing ourselves up to allow the diamond flow
as light
so used the term enlightened
i should enlightened
it's okay but
it means letting the light flow rather than i am enlightened it's allowing light to flow through
myself as a vehicle or light that's the enlightenment
and so on this
cuckoo hike
ah
gauguin this is apparently duggan's last
writing and he claims that it was also shaky mooney's last word
so be it happens it may we won't argue
the eight aspects
oh
having fewer desires
knowing how to be satisfied
enjoying serenity and tranquility
exerting diligent effort
not forgetting right thought
sync samadi
cultivating wisdom and avoiding idle talk
so the first one
ah desire having few desires
but we tend to think your desire in buddhism desire it seems it is sometimes thought of as something undesirable
my desire to be undesirable so
ah
but desire you know this is not any specific doesn't have any if a specific i'm right or wrong
isn't desire is like fire
fires not right or wrong but used in one way and destroys everything and used it another way it helps everything
so how do we use desire
i'm ah
an in an enlightened away because fire is light
as the security used to talk about
you know tassajara when we first came to tassajara will never need electricity really had a kerosene lamps
and answer
we had to learn how to use kerosene lamp and if you turn it too high a chimney flames out and gets on black
and if you turn it too low it doesn't work were very well so you have to adjust the flame so that you get the maximum amount of light
using the least means
he's called the conservation of energy which is called zen practice
so we learn how to do then practice within those knob
how you do something
precisely and carefully so that you a level
the light to come forth without them forcing it and without
ah
a creating a problem
and so desire is like this
a desire can either bind us are free us
it's a wonderful thing actually
it's called lifeforce
oh
ah so there's correct desire right desire wrong desire and neither right nor wrong desire
neither right nor wrong desire is the non-duality of desire
it's ah so it's something that we're always working with it's like gravity
gravity it controls your life
toaster experience everything we do
as a gravitational component
standing up sitting down eating talking thinking thinking a little bit
little fluffy but it's still controlled by equity we talk about some gravity
when for time but something really serious
grab a calamity
ah but it can also be like this
heavy and light are also how do we balance every enlight huh
light in the sense of lightness how do we balance darkness and lightness so basically having a few desires is like allowing
you know it's a step back and
when we step back and against something like
we allow than ten thousand and dharmas to come to us when we step forward we're forcing ourselves and the ten thousand dharmas but nevertheless we have to balance stepping back and going forward
so whenever we talk about something the opposite is also true
this is where we step in we step into the
the poop when look whenever we get attached to one side
very slippery
ah we always have to balance one fed with another if someone is talking and saying
telling a story about somebody else it sounds so logical and right and then he started thinking what that person really terrible and what they did and then you hear the other side
and then you that so believable the other person so you always have we always have to balance two sides
ah or more sides
just calm down dual thinking or acting by
merging or not not actually taking sides
but allowing sides to work themselves out sometimes we are to make judgements based on which side and so forth but basically
how do we use desire
so that if beneficial to everyone
and
ah doesn't cause problems
so let me tell you about self control
so self control is important
an important aspect in practice
ah i'm a kind of
green type in our desire is associated with agreed
so i have a hard time with with ah but greed and desire and so do you well
one way or another where they were caught by it
and it it's natural for us to be competent so this is what i desire comes first and duggan's or in buddhism actually the second noble truth is the problem that we have is caused by desire
so that's what we're always working with so a person with i desire should study buddhism and practice buddhism
a personal the desire type hate type and delusion time
desire type should practice the dharma because of there and be helpful for the dharma
and hiker type should practice the dharma because ah
it goes against their desire
and delusion time doesn't know enough to practice the darwin a been sure
so this is a little bit about them
why can't go to fall into this each one of these because they won't have time
but the next one is knowing how to be satisfied

this is a lot of some aspect of desire so to are really related but then treated separately
so how to be satisfied you know in our life in our culture
where
continually being coerced and seduced into
thinking that we need more than we need so what do we really need when we are in a monk's eating bowls
oh yeah okay needs toward our yogi which is the name of the of means something like just enough
just enough
how do we know when enough is just enough
it's to it really hard because
i'm
ah
material materiality and desire is always being thrust on us
so he's being trusted there's so much and art particular society that the the problem with a many societies as they don't have enough
the proud of wax three are too much that's big problem for us
so that's our main problem actually is because in order for the economy to continue if we withdrew all of our desire of are needy but because neediness needs
that it
society would collapse
because i can pull out collapse into something wonderful but it really will collapse something
so we're caught in a recording the web of a not knowing how much is enough because we don't have a standard
we we don't have a standard for how much is enough because our
standard of living means to cab more and more and the newest thing and the latest thing and some war
ah you know the computer is a great example after five years of computers no good anymore not good enough or too
and whatever it is and so you have to hit by new ones and then more information and then all the technology becomes more and more complicated and complex so those
labour saving devices make us work harder
so we live in a kind of crazy society and we don't know how to deal with it actually
so and we're all caught in it
our our at it and you look in everybody's garage
people don't park the cars anymore and garages mostly because the curve for a jog
anyway
so this is knowing how to knowing how to cook have enough knowing what knowing how to be satisfied
so what do we really need
so
amongst life is to be a poor person but the poor person who is a monk
ah is actually wealthy whereas a wealthy person that has so much burden is burdened with all that stuff and burdened with the with the i did they have to work harder and harder to get more and more
so they actually poor
but
you may or may not agree but then students pretty much agree with it
if you don't agree with that you have to work harder to be as instrument
so we're really seduced by and we work at seducing each other's called advertising
everything's advertising itself by me get me
you're fired

ah
so the third one
third aspect is called
enjoying serenity and tranquility
if we actually can enjoy serenity and tranquility we actually are wealthy
we have everything that we need
serenity is like into sometimes described serenity is like a beautiful sunset the the the sun is going down the birds are returning to the trees
ah that's a beautiful light
and everything is in act is serene and so our mind is like that that a certain kind of serenity tranquility is like a pond for the other the ocean when it's
ah the no wind
and it can glass-like and calmness is
course some people can't take it you know because we're still left up that we have to keep moving all the time
if we stop
ah i remember one time i'm told in his before i was doing when i do wedding eight ah we do five millicent thousand
people sitting in chairs
but we asked to stop before during the ceremony
andrew r one woman after the ceremony she said that is the the most still i've ever been in my life
five minutes
i start moving
so
ah
serenity and tranquility but within serenity and tranquility his dynamism
when you see the sunset is very calm and beautiful but it's very dynamic
and when you see the ocean placid ocean peaceful placid ocean it's also very dynamic you know it's not moving it's like when you spin a top
or a dreidel stuff when you spin into the top looks like it standing still
but all that energy is contained within the movement
so this doesn't exactly what this is
we talk about you know we don't sit that isn't noted be serene and and am a tranquil but serenity and tranquility are the characteristics of doesn't
we just serve as into citizen but not to get some special feeling
but nevertheless
it's there
so ah
true tranquility and true
serenity is like a top stillness with adequate head with a great dynamic activity the great dynamic activity as total stillness

so this is often called nirvana right new gunner
sometimes in their various ways of expressing it not explain to him are expressing it is
the coal spent the cool place
the cook cooling off
sometimes people think of it because of the words that are using like annihilation or something like that it simply means cool
what we say one feed and cool head
what is it doesn't the warm tree cool him
so from here hup it's cool and premier and it's form
ah

this you know via
story of where i can tell you the whole story i get to start someplace to on but
where are
da schon and shouldn't china the tang dynasty a master ducharme
it was
like a scholar of the diamond sutra went to visit time andes mountain
ah
and a vaccine was
very skeptical of them
so he wanted to find out what isn't master had so he visited long time on his mountain and they had a very nice talk
and
ah when it was time to go to bed
longtime little lantern a paper lantern for
dasha
the aprilia to go outside and find his way in the dark to little hut
and am
oh
longtime hex
added the lantern the
dash and when duchesne reached out for the lantern long time when
dude out and it was everything with total darkness
and ah gotcha mocha
ah
this is enjoying
serenity and tranquility
there was nothing left
there was nothing left in fashion

and the next one is called
the m
attached is translated here is exerting meticulous effort but meticulous is little to special
specialized meticulous is it's not necessarily
particular meticulous is okay but it doesn't cover everything
it's more like exerting continuous effort or diligent effort is good enough
a continuous effort er det earth
right effort but that's another
ah i think diligent effort or pure effort
i like pure effort because pure effort means just effort without any special a desire
an attachment don't need any special attachment to anything just to that's pure pure effort and just do
so suzuki roshi used to talking about washing the windows you don't we don't watch the windows to get them clean because they already clean
that's why you wash them
you can't wrap your head around that which is really good because that's pure effort
it's the nice try to understand it i understand it you know you don't even though you don't understand it you understand it
so few effort ah
if not be a test result
the there's a result okay and diversionary so high but the effort is not attached to a result
of course we want to see them we'll have to window to be clean the windows are any clean water is already pure you know
it's gotten into your toilet right but the water's always pure no matter who has if were who elegance
going down the toilet or cold enough
we we have pure vacation we computer by water
by taking us to the a pure elements but the letters always been pure

so
you know effort
good effort
is a induces energy
human
pure ever induces energy so even little we work very hard and and ah
ah contribute a whole body mind to what we're doing
the effort keep big renewing itself when we start complaining about of this is too much over this is hired or
the effort we don't do a
the renewal of energy slows down
when i was at tassajara i took to people are
you know every day i got to hit the mountain of the trail to exercise
and sometimes it's the little you know
art
i think do i really want to go up there just think that her whole hill
when i think like that i can't do it
but if i just do it no problem
if i'm thinking about something else
i just do it
but without even thinking about it but if i look at and started thinking about it
and the guy that's gonna be hired and gonna get tired
so i create problems for myself

hmm
so to do something wholeheartedly has com
exerting continuous effort to be wholeheartedly about what you do
then
you know what i'm going with but
and the six one is not forgetting right thought this appears in the eightfold path another
ah
ah not getting right side means bergen says this is called maintaining right side protecting the dharma and not losing it that's basically right
not that this means right side or not forgetting right it
maintaining the three treasures mysql called right thought so you're always coming back to what you're doing what am i doing cleaner and maintaining done
that should be on constant thought what am i doing what have been doing that's a bear basic on what am i doing
i think the current and korea they use that go on a lot what is it or what am i doing
make a caught well what am i doing what should i be doing
well i should be doing
is maintaining the dominant and protecting it
so what i shouldn't be doing it what what i should be doing what i want to be doing and when i am doing all the same thing
that's called maintaining right that
the zero difference between making beginners
and and
in my for by teaching
well it means whatever whatever it means
it doesn't mean at one specific thing it means all the things that you can think of that are protecting the dome
if it's beginner's mind
that's good if it's something else that's going to
i'm actually
i'm practicing somebody is the next one and that's where i was going to talk a little bit about the years mind
but it comes
what we say protecting practicing in protecting the dharma that means whatever you're doing big it it's also called beginner's mind
bell is called many other things as well
so somebody
has various meanings
and are various somebody's there are many different kinds
summary
this samadi which is
it means single mindedness
but it also means inverter mobility basically
ah single mindedness doesn't necessarily mean only thinking in one thing
but when you're thinking you one thing are doing one thing to do it thoroughly
ah that self without subset of this so there
many kinds of concentration
samadi his concentration there's the concentration which is
ah called the concentration in the midst of desire
and it's a kind of samadhi but it's a self centered somebody so we don't really counted as true samadi but it did them has characteristics of samadhi
and it is the ah
samadi and in the realm of form which is
ah
i have more of the characteristics of selflessness but not completely it's a kind of mixed
wow desire and and self and our selfishness
but the most fundamental somebody is the no form samadi which is
let me practice in southern
and hopefully in daily life but our daily life is so mixed with a desire that it's more of the real reform
but the realm of know form somebody is the somebody that will
ah
it is somebody who doesn't wear with the there's no desire in is it all
except the desire to to sit without desire
so
so the red concentration as in the a tool path
so we have various somebody's you know ah
some of the most important ones like eg gill it she killed them i for my estimate ichigo somebody is the concentration of doing one thing at a time
doing what would it when concentrated on one thing you to that one thing thoroughly
and then there is good you you semi which is the self fulfilling samadi which is offered to others
ah
if ginger use of my is samadi which is
i kind of the result of your activity but it's also the oneness of ah ah
the non duality of your activity but it's not just for yourself and saw a towards you you as as mean
are offering to others but ginger you includes touch you it's like you're you're an ah
your practice the bent the result of your practice which is offered to others
it's not some selfish
activity
you say offered to others you mean you to be yourself and they're making it like a son and amazon or something
actually interacting or guy from you what you offer you know you can do when you come to the zendo as example you come to descend on he said
but the your activity inspires others or it encourages others
so sometimes just being yourself
when when you are a totally realized person just being yourself as enough
but we do everything you know we we teach and this this is called tight jeans and local gg is a mighty what we're doing here is offering the dharma that weeks our experience and our understanding of the dharma to others
yeah
and then there's com result semi columbia means radiant light como the really light so the radiant light which is not visible as of idea
ah is what animates everything
and that are rarely like is what creates
ah
ah
a sustains everything it is this the sustaining light which is offering is like enlightenment
it's just some idea of enlightenment
so those are some examples of summary
and we say samadi and pregnant project is an excellent product is cursed his wisdom
samadi and with them or not too different things so samadi insight the lamp and ah
pregnant is the light of the lamp
according to this success sister so
there are four kinds of wisdom
a to explain the whole thing is is too much but are you ever talked about the for kinds of wisdom
elizabeth
there is called the great perfect mirror wisdom which means that our attention of our consciousness is free of discrimination
consciousness is free and self centered discrimination
and so the a storehouse consciousness
ah
i see is like great mirror which
reflects everything just as it is without any bias or distortion
and then the wisdom of inequality which is when
our our ego consciousness is transformed because the wisdom of equality where we realize everything that the the
the oneness of all phenomena
and then the marvelous observing wisdom is when
our sixth consciousness just ah
it's transformed
and ah
we see
it up
this discriminating consciousness doesn't lose its discriminating consciousness but
it seems the reality of each individual entity
there's no distortion
and then in perfecting of action with them
is also a out
mean it when the perfecting of action was remains that the six senses the five senses
our
act appropriately or
don't allow themselves to get confused and deluded and seduced
and so this is like
creating proper or
free activity in the world
so the mirror wisdom and the mirror and the wisdom of the abbey holiday
r m
ah
without discrimination
whereas the marvelous observing wisdom and the perfecting of action wisdom
are correct discrimination
discrimination is necessary yet this means that we discrimination
mr divide
and to sit under separate
so the first to wisdoms no separation
the second to wisdoms are appropriate separation
we can't play ball
unless we have some distance
so everything interacts with each other because of distance without distance it's no interaction
and distance means discrimination
don district non discrimination means no separation
so there's no separation and proper separation
that as much as i can explain right now
we sometimes think non-discrimination me it's not to discriminate doesn't itself non discrimination
true discrimination based on and with means proper discrimination
to act the right way with our surroundings that
instead of getting in trouble
hmm
and then the last one i can see where squirming
but
the last one is called avoiding idle talk or like this sometimes we say giving a talk is idle time but it's okay because we make mistakes on purpose
so right speech are basically there and precepts there are many precepts that are about right speech like for instance
i don't lie don't discuss the faults of others don't pray self and bad mouth others don't despair the three treasures of the ten
clear my precepts those for
so there's are those are all about read speech
the idle talk minutes
ah right speech basically
and oh foolish babble
comes from babylon
probably
ah so i'm every kind of getting a promotion used to say a living not and should let mosque or over your mouth i just shut your mouth and sit down
ever sit down and shut your mouth
ah so there you know
here
i'm just gonna talk to them some ah
something some useful useful way of using words helpful words useful words gentle words harmonious words careful words compassionate words penetrating words and truthful words if we can
i think about that when we open our math when we take the boss of robot of us
thin air
very good for everybody
yeah
you know it it's a skillful speech actually
ah
the speech without the doesn't fall into i in mind
so we say
don't
i'm
don't talk in order to be the center and of attention or to show others how smart you are is this is idle talk example for idle talk

so this is like the opposite of right view
right i'm hour activity
don't work that do not lead to furthering during the dharma is idle talk basically dogan says having realization and being free from discrimination is what is called and wagging idle talk to totally know the true form of all things is the same as being without
idle talk
so you know gossip is idle talk
rumors
spreading rumors and island islander
ah talking about things you don't really know about best of luck

so
the i think it's time for one or question or two vs i was just thinking for me this was that oh
the songs to share with me
okay
i received the difference between
taking an action you can save what am i doing but really why is it is a good question and we'll talk about as much as yes that's that's correct
wise is the difference between doing something i'm saying something
the same thing
you could say the same thing wouldn't take the same action and that is that action was not good or bad but the lie makes it possible well the prompt in this is on purpose yeah
according to then and but it present understanding is according to
tradition
how is it like why takes you out of the present
it's okay i'm not saying not okay why is okay i admit but the important question for us is how
another words on this moment where do i do
how
how do i respond to this moment
like and an example this given his from buddha time when the arrow goes in
the questioner the the recipient the arrow so what is this why did this happen what does it matter
and so far down the line was
ah
design student pulled out the arrow
is it the important thing is what it was
no it's not that why isn't an important but the important thing according in the the
the specific momentous thing is how do i deal with is how do i deal with you and this moment how do i deal with what i'm doing at this moment how by connected with what i'm doing at this moment
so that's the emphasis
the emphasis is to get out of why because if you look at why
yeah it's endless why is actually endless because one thing has led to another has led to another that's as karmic activity whereas how brings us in this moment and this moments activity
right so it's not a matter either or it's a matter of what the emphasises at the time
and what we're dealing with that i was thinking of this kind of from kind of the conditions that resulted in an action because sometimes yes it's it's important to realize that action didn't turn out so well yes i won't do that again somebody's feelings
you don't even know why me
looks like some from that careless remark with that
yes yes so so one doesn't negate the other
yes that's how
but
what what are zen practice is amy at is to be present in this moment without text and with our future
lori
i hear a special special
where am i coming off
in this moment coming to this mall yeah yeah
but but but what my intentions are a column i responded for were lucky
where am i coming from is okay but it also means where am i coming from means what am i doing now
i mean
i'm
i mean what am i
a bell
deadlines
just weren't
yes
that's it
well would you say that it doesn't matter why really because the hallways oh my god here i am i had to get out in the whole exactly yes the beautiful place after the in a beautiful face yes yes it's just
emphasizing the present moment
cause it
so where am i coming from yes you know that's important
but am
right after financial
well as the that if i might actually
your something responses situation but the italian
yes
yeah impulsively of the president
president that is not the right action but
i'm
ah you know the the present moment
is the result of the past moment
that is to present moment is
ah
conditioned by the past moment
but that doesn't necessarily mean that what you're doing in the present moment
i'm is
an impulsive
doesn't necessarily mean that you can have an impulsive
but that's not work but that's not what we're talking about we're not talking about impulsiveness we're talking about appropriateness
so when
because you already know
what intuitively you already know what to do when you let go of why
but
if
if your home
if you let your intuition deep intuition and inform the present moment
it's a lie discussion
the her