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Evolving Dharma: Inner and Outer Paths
Zen-Riffs
The talk discusses the dual role of individuals as "outer monks" participating in monastic activities and "inner monks" engaged in personal spiritual inquiry. It emphasizes the importance of developing deeper, evolving questions as part of one's inner practice, which is integral to cultivating the identity and responsibility of a Dharma ancestor. The concept of a Dharma ancestor is explored as a timeless role, wherein individuals contribute to the continuity and evolution of the Dharma across past, present, and future.
- "Dharma Ancestor": Discussed in relation to personal responsibility in spiritual practice, emphasizing the role of practitioners in continuing and evolving the Dharma tradition for future generations.
- Practice of Inner and Outer Monks: Highlights the duality of engaging in communal monastic life and individual spiritual exploration, portraying the inner monk's role as one of deep personal inquiry and growth.
AI Suggested Title: Evolving Dharma: Inner and Outer Paths
We are outer monks and inner monks, even if you're just a lay person, if you're living here, not just a lay person, a lay person lives here. This life defines you as a monk, an outer monk at least, and maybe, I hope, awakens your, initiates an inner monk, your inner monk. The other monk follows the schedule and joins in the life of the monastery with each other. But the inner monk, each of us as an inner monk has our own practice, our own questions.
[01:14]
And the vitality of the inner monk is often the seriousness or profundity or intentionality arising. in your questions. What's going on? What's happening? What are the many what's in my life? And you need to develop the skills to stay with those questions and let them evolve into second, third, fourth generation questions. Each level, usually being deeper or more inclusive, or already halfway or toward resolution. So as outer monks, we can support each of us in our inner monk practice.
[02:27]
in our inner monk explorations while we join our outer monk life. And then too, we're already a Dharma ancestor. I mean, you don't have to perish to be a Dharma ancestor. You recognize somehow Yeah, time-free Dharma ancestor. You recognize somehow that you are actually, as an inner monk and an outer monk, participating in what it means to be a Dharma ancestor as we chant in the morning. And that you will be, for others in the future, a Dharma ancestor. So there's a certain responsibility in recognizing, hey, I might be a dharma ancestor, or I am or I could be a dharma ancestor.
[03:36]
What does it mean? Is this something I can, as an inner monk, explore my dharma ancestry? Recognizing how this thread, sutra, suture, sewing past, present, and future together is a way of deeply joining this world and this life. At least this is how I feel. My responsibilities as a Dharma ancestor started decades ago. Even if I'm kind of old now, I'm not. I felt the responsibility of being a Dharma ancestor, the possibility of being a Dharma ancestor, the excitement and adventure of being a Dharma ancestor.
[04:52]
Anyway, this is how I practice. And I hope we can join each other in this kind of practice.
[05:03]
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