Joshu's Four Gates

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good morning
does this one wire
that i don't know what to do with
i put it behind my ear okay
i'm learning in
this morning
i'm going to present a yeah presented with them go on from
the applicant record number nine
which is called
joe shoes
josh's gates
does we know a joshua's of the most well-known or well regarded or
the masters of the
tang dynasty in china
ah the ninth century i think and
he was very humble man
grid ah
example for us
this he didn't shout or be people
he didn't shout at them or beat them or whenever he just had a golden time so when he said something
when they show the microphone without try
have that
there is a microphone
so ah
he had a golden tongue and when he said something it was very very pithy and meaningful
i didn't go around giving explanations
ah but whatever he said hit at the heart of the matter
and then it was up to whoever he was talking to to figure it out
are not figure it out
i'm so
you lived to be according to our understanding or legend a hundred and twenty years old
no smell
it's you want but not
impossible
i'm
so
josh's forgets
here is ngos introduction
in the bright mirror on its stand
i'm gonna read and then i go back and
i am
not explain but
ah elicited in the bright mirror on it stand beauty and ugliness are revealed
with the buchu you and i oh yeah sword in hand killing
and sparing brought under control
a handsome fellow disappearing
an ugly one comes an ugly one fellow fellow disappearing and handsome one comes life has found in death and f in life if you have no i to penetrate out a bear here no freedom to turn around you'll be lost in a way
so tell me
with a what is the i the penetrates to bury her
what is the freedom to turn about
so season following left the introduction this is the main subject a monk asked josh you what is josh you
oh she said eastgate westgate northgate southgate
an assetto the commentator has versed in says it's intention concealed the question came
the diamond kings i was as clear as a jaw
there's to the gates north south east and west but the heaviest hammer blow can not open them
so i'm back to the introduction
in a bright mirror and it stand beauty and ugliness are revealed so mirror if we know we are elicits distorted in some way a clear mirror
just as it is
our mind sometimes ah ah
seen as a mirror
ah
in in our
our then practice a mirror mind is very desirable because if these things are by and see things without bias
without duality without a compromise without distortion
just as it is which is very
rare because our consciousness was to know something and then art a dualistic thinking which is normal
we fall into one side or another to what is called discrimination discrimination minced
to this criminal to a divide
there were always living in the inner world of division
ah then i if the i am
well none division to see the whole the whole
which you couldn't both sides
but not to fall into one side of the other
not to have a prejudgment
a pretty do dish
so damn
ah this this is the m
i called the great mirror mind
so in a bright mirror and had stand beauty and ugliness are revealed just as they are but beauty and ugliness are still judgments
but we used this kind of language anyway
because as that's the language interested but language necessarily is derivative i said
so then he says with the buck you sword in hand
but korea third in hell killing and and sparing i brought under control
so this is a kind of language had fused the knife in the ninth century tang dynasty a swords were everywhere
i'm on juicery the bodhisattva of wisdom has a sword
which cut through
the nonsense he's the sort of cutting through the nonsense cutting through the the s
i'm bringing it's called killing him bringing to life
so a munchies resort is not one sided
because when much issues using the sword to kill
ah that would have killed comes to life for the first time
ah
you know magistrates so what does manjushri sort kill munchies resort kills her ego
and the life because what keeps us from totally living can completely is our ego
our ego is a is called are limitation
so in the eagles are killed there's no limitation
that's called perfect freedom
so much issues resort is not something bad
it's something i would say it's good either
it's just reality
ah so a handsome fellow appearing and ugly when come locally when a fellow disappearing and handsome one can things come and go in front of the mirror
well usually when we see
our eyes are open
worth naming things and judging things but the mirror mine doesn't judge things it's simply sees everything as it is without bias
so actually there's nobody there
when we do it will be practices in
i just see ears just here knows just smells can't just tastes really just feels
but that you can say i feel i think a that that that the activity of the eagle
but i just sees everything completely without bias even know there may be by us
oh
so i'm
so life is found in death and death in life as we know
if you have no i to penetrate the barrier
no freedom to turn about you will be lost on the way
so tell me
what is the eyes it penetrates to bury her well first of all what is the barrier

ah
ah for buddhist
the barrier is ourself of course
there are no other better here
there are obstacles and so forth but they actually no other barrier than himself
but we're always looking at aside for the poor and somebody complained about
so that's the way the world goes around
we're always looking out there for the problem
they did this to me this is the oldest buddhist book the damn pardon the opening statement is
ah
he hit me he reviled me he did estimated at me and ah as long as we thinks this way
we do it we limit our understanding
oh so
what is the either penetrates the barrier whose i that
what does the freedom to turn about to joshua was made our
well known for his ability to turn to wiggle out of any situation
and come out on top
so this is a coin about just use ability to
ah
the rise to the occasion of a misunderstanding of this question
and
if he does it so beautifully
so the question is
the monarch as shows you what is josh you
joshi said east westgate park gate kid so we have to understand a little bit about the the to double meaning of this question
cause joe's you came from the town of joshua
you know zen masters
yeah we were very familiar with their names but really their names are art
i'm derivatives of the mountain or the town or the place where they came from a like
tarzan is famous for his mountain mount right
that's what that means mount dough but it's not his real name so
if you weren't talking about me a hundred years from now he'll say
berkeley surgeon
so
the town of joe's you there's another go on about ten joshua and or metallic erosion similar islam but i can go there yet
so much as joshua what is josh you you didn't say who is joe issue he said what is joshua
so ah that's ambiguous
for the other ambiguity is when my guess what is joshua is he talking about the town of joe's you are talking about the person in front of him
it can be either one to that's ambiguity here for joshua has to decide how he's going to answer this question
if he said well i am george you can make would say well i'm talking about the town
and so there was a time it is during the tang dynasty when mom to go around questioning teachers to see if they could trip them up
so that's why in the the the verse of such as with he says it's intention concealed the question came
he tried to trip up to teacher
and if it if the the joshua that well you're talking about the town you should know about you so
it's a kind of childish game but nevertheless that's to go on
so
if he's talking about when we talk about at the town of josh you for josh you came from a towns have and in those days and a not so much today but the old seas were built with a wall usually outside to pay
protect city or delineate its dimensions
and have four gates east west last saw it
north and south so
so far joshua's okay
he says north is thought that can reply either to the gate or to the city or to himself
well for we actually we have five gates but for in here for will do
ears eyes nose tongue mouth
the gates which are the the gateways to r a
consciousness
so
inside the gate make it is it was usually a smaller square which is called the town square
and square is like stability
when you have as a square that's the most stable
i'm kind of it
i guess equation you could call it
actually that the triangle would be when we sit like this we have a triangular base which is really very stable that's one reason why we fit this way but am
an inside of the the vocal or that the small square towns were usually the church and for the church is the spiritual center of
the town
nowadays it doesn't matter if we have a churches have done but it mostly his love with important part it or a temple of some kind some kind of spiritual center
or
ah
that was really am
symbol or the
ah get them
this spiritual base which in
was the main part of the the city
and the merchants were all centered around that are surrounding that folks
the center was always well the the regard i are the dharma i
ah
resided
so
josh you
i'm is sitting in his residing in the center of his own city
so his body is the outer walls
and his
a
ah
on
essence is
the as a dharma i which is fitting in the center of the of his own cities microcosm he said he
the person is a microcosm of the city the city is a microcosm of the person
we just like computers are a model of our own mind so he projecting our own various
ideas and ah
a into this machine
creating our own role
a synthetic world and of our own that
be so
so josh you
so escape southgate he's not saying he's not referring to herself
he's referring to his at the activity of his dharma hi
so
and in a
according to our understanding
we have four
gates of with them
for wisdom gates
the mirror the mirror gate
the equality gate
a differentiation gate and perfecting and action game
these are joshua for dates you can have the
you can put up by other meanings to those gates but this is my understanding
and it it
is perfect
so the marriage that as as talked about the mirror the mirror
yeah when when joe should address is somebody
he has nothing at all and his mind his mind totally clear
he sees everything he hears everything he tastes everything he touches everything but tesla josh you
because there's no ego
that differentiates so vicious is how his mind is expressive equality everything is equal everything is totally equal
even though we see everything is different
but does not complete
in order to complete the equality we have to have to see everything it according to its differentiation
so this is called horizontal and vertical
horizontally we're all equal
i'm
vertically it's called hierarchy i'm talking about this before hierarchy means it's a place of everything each thing has in relation to everything else
usually we see the world vertically
these people are less than up user the bottom
and we think of hierarchy as a taking advantage
which it does
but hierarchy is absolutely necessary we can operate without hierarchy something as small something his large we say tall bamboo is tall
short bamboo was shirt
and as called equality

a mouse is really like this and an elephant is huge and we call that equality
the equal because of their difference

because we think in comparative values
compare according to compare the values everything is different
but according to the virtue each thing has
as an expression of buddha-nature were all the same
for all the same am or aren't completely different and where sameness and difference meat is called big mind
so when we operate when we
i'm
live our life in the world in relation to our surroundings
when we understand the nature of equality and the nature of differentiation and we have a mirror mind can our activity is gone
wonderful enlightened activity
that's the fourth kid
that's the nature and basis
enlightened activity
to have a mere mind which sees things as it is really are she used to talk about this our time but he didn't explain it
a
if let all the time
president we have if we don't things as it is we should be able to see things as it has been didn't tell us how to convert because he was a good zen master
you have to figure it out
you know
we have a
in our system for gold
even know our system is not systematic
a teacher teachers have a interviews with students students as for teachers questions or whatever called docusign the teacher our practice instruction
sometimes
i'm and then we have a question and we come to the teach school with the question
the question is okay
it's not necessary to have a question
that you develop in your mind it's okay
ah but the purpose of that kind of interview is not to answer somebody's question
we make a big mistake where we see what people as the the asked questions and that kind of fitted
ah
helpful but it's not
our sent practice
zen practice for the teacher it was to bring the teacher the question that's good because the question gives some substance to them to the meeting
but to get beyond question
like josh you
get beyond the question
because he lets go of everything he has no ego and trying to help stood it to find the the no nine egoistic self
so just simply as answer questions it's not what just about
it's about how to teacher gets and allows for student to drop everything and be in the same place for teacher
so if you're not there
the student can only go as far as where you are or maybe beyond
that will be good too
but known about answering questions and here is what show shoe is not answering questions is expressing his understanding to the still
i don't know what happened after this it doesn't say what have we have to this was over but i'm hopeful i still got it
so ah we don't have a system for answer questions
are dealing with people is no system inside the teacher has been know what their bottom line is that's the main thing
and what is the bottom line
not knowing anything is the bottom line
that's hard because we scramble to know things the information age is upon us
it's okay to have information but that's not what it's about
it's about letting go of self
centredness
joshua who takes it out of the realm of self centeredness and centers on and a centers on buddha
and when he said as and buddha that's what his
yeah
response comes from his response come from his buddhist center and said it his self center if it's just self centered stop ducking going out doesn't mean anything in this realm
so people that were how did we do you know a purpose or many women have could good question but for the people who do branches obstruction server well how do you do this where he just be perfectly human person
one
which means you like of everything and just beside in that space
but it doesn't always work that way that's ideal and wonderful
are you allowed students to to drop the their ego
question is simply a device
mostly if not information you not giving the student information
not about information
so
i'm
the for gates or the kid off for
ah vast openness
who are
bringing everything into the realm of oneness
without losing
the duality
and how do you do that well you see everything as equal and
at the same time you realize everything is separate the indifferent
edward us to me
horizontal and vertical is where were we actually live
that's the vitality of my life
you know
we see it all around us but also we see how
how so many of us are really caught even though it may be talented and intelligent and a creative
i'm

fundamentally can really fight is always a problem so what does that problem what does that barrier that the question here what is the freedom to turn around what does the that penetration barrier he i is not decide is the wisdom i
boot as i
so when we let go of are discriminating mind the buddha i appeared because you're still he's been there
just that we cover it up with our self-centeredness
but if you know it's not to blame because a pretty hard to get there
pretty her to get there ah because we're always thinking in terms of be at mine
will i go i me and my the three am little devils through our three
a tripartite personality
me myself and i
we can use those terms
freely if we don't believe in them
both problem is that we believe in them
so when we are free of them oh we can play with him without getting caught but be careful that easy to get caught
and so we are all addicts
addiction is not just something that happens with don't ban liquor and stuff
we are addicted to life itself
and that's not to blame issues way things are so how did we free ourselves from our addiction
well i read addicted i looked smoke and the but look deeper we have to like much deeper
we addicted to our desires
didn't take long the first time you do something it's an it's an experience
the second time
ha
you have a choice cyclists get or not
not a third time he hooked
mostly because then all
well i stood again through it again again
that's called addiction
and will happen where
the human condition
so how do we free ourselves
ah
if we have awareness
firstly is awareness
then and without awareness
can help it though as the third ancestor
then said
be aware
be aware
ah
if you don't try to find something
jeff
yeah
i'll do it right
don't like
do it right
so in such as verse he says it's intention conceal the question came and joshua handled the pretty well
a diamond kings i was as clear as a jewel
for the diamond that you're talking about joshua the diamond came to get the
guy who can't be
destroyed
as i was as clear as a job this is their liam
buddha i he has the buddha the buddha i is the i can see things just as it is
the marvelous observing wisdom
and there stood the gates north south east and west but the heaviest hamper blow could not open them
so this is a heaviest admirable i cannot open them you know it's like gum
the gates only open
if you have the key
he can open the gate without key
so a key
well kids to gauge is always open
but the barrier to walking through it is ourselves we think it's closed but if not
it's closed because were close
it's open because we're open
is that it's a l m to f
hmm
the
there's much more to the for
williams because they did
associated with consciousness level of consciousness
when the level of consciousness you know if it's also discrimination
that's package to is how is discrimination
our choosing one thing over another
so with them is
not being controlled by consciousness
but being able to use consciousness rosa being i used by are divisive mind
to operate out of loop the wisdom of ah
non attachment and
ah

we know we can't cut off ego
ego is useful
so much is so it is the cut off evil but it doesn't mean cut off it means to
transform the at the the energy of ah you go into the energy of a
buddha mind
so unconsciousness has transformed the wisdom arise
but that's a whole other than talk so this is the end of my talk
and if you haven't question
a quick breakdown

two questions know

if
apple
something why
why
yes
ah but now if i see just as
and into play
ah
it's just
now is that
well first is
seeing as it is is before judgment
if before
division
division comes next so bear attention it has seen something as it is the airplane flies over right larger cities thousand and it's just a sound
so
ha
just bear attention here's a sound here at here's and then after hearing here is there's a judgment which is not judgment baddeck identification oh that's an airplane then that's already falling into discrimination
because actually even though we know it's an airplane that is a third level is literally a four engine data lebih but bear attention in seeing things as it is without
and he interference in division so
but all three are necessary but if really have yet if we only have a discriminative understanding then we're missing the essence of what something actually is so it miss the essence and because it's or my jumps to the identification
naming things is great but it's
it keeps us further from say something as it is that this is an altar justice my idea that discrimination but just as
but c c
and then you do something on the altar
ah but your one with activity there's no separation between you and the activity so that's the mirror fees and does as well as see without discrimination without separation
below there is separation
so
if called the discrimination of non-discrimination were discriminating all the time
everything we do is discriminating
but if we do if we discriminate within their understanding of non-discrimination
then is
duality within oneness and we see the essence as well as the
ah a function
so this essence and function
the mirror is see things
clearly ah
realize this is the essence
as well as the function
when we don't realize the essence than all we see is the function and we get caught up in the function
without seeing the essence of our mind
you noticed there is like
ah

the mirror wisdom
and the equality with them are essence
the mere existence equality is essence an essentially where all the same but functionally were all different
so
the saddle observation which is discrimination are seeing everything is separate
and and the perfecting of action wisdom that function
so
mostly we live in the in the realm of function and it's hard to exist in the realm of essence so that and is it is mostly essence and then when you walk outside and do something as function
so function when when function is based on essence
that's called practice
does that make sense know kind of the tough
everyone's be here to learn
okay alexandra
with about what
well desire is a wonderful
desire has no desire is ah
our
ah
to a sedative desire is a
activity flat and ah
it's the patience of creating life
so but ah
this to people in buddhism talks about desire as being not a good because we get caught by it right but actually desire is just a neutral
instead of it is neutral if not good or bad is how we direct desire to get makes a difference so when we direct desire
play for practice that's good
desire to a self
our interest in the sense of selfishness deathbed to so
but desired neither good nor bad with necessary you can't cut off desire when when the buddhist i cut up desire they don't be corrupt desire the but i do basically put
but basically in your life
don't be controlled by desire to do something that is not beneficial
because he be easily get to this is what this is how we get caught by
ah being
add this is the basis of addiction desires the basis of addiction but it's also the basis of freedom
depending on how you directed so when you direct when with
a wasted when we say way seeking mind which is entering into practice
the changes we don't say desire anymore we say we're seeking mind instead of desire and when we to dope and stuff like that called
desire
but desire is both of my desire but they're called by different names
for desired neutral it it just a abraham can't live without it
so
it's the impetus to do something
and put some people think that we should just sit thousand another time so we don't have desire
if you desire to do that in
so desire it
we use it or it uses us that's the whole that's the difference if we let it use us than that can quote unquote desire but when we used their instead of be used by it than is called were thinking mind or something whatever
am
the we are our own
you know where self creating and we are our own worst enemy
and our best friend
and and how we
direct attire
you still there

so

no went up in

yes
yes
yes but are you know
like
get this is another coach for the del powder
the first buddhist book
just like on
ah the what something following something
like yes just like the cart follows the horse
our act on our life and anxious follow our mind
to tell you think
everything violence from how you think

so
the buddhists did pretty good thinking
and to the point where they ah didn't think too much of thinking
don't overthink
the think correctly but don't overthink
that that's that's where the buddhists can tamp down to
i think you know think good think think about thinking
that's where dog and came down think not thinking
i'll leave you with that one that's a testicle on our practice think that thinking
better