Good morning. I'm going to speak this morning about the Lotus Sutra, one of the most, if not the most important, Buddhist scripture in East Asia. There are others that are important also, but the Lotus Sutra had tremendous influence on Chinese and even more in Japanese Buddhist culture. And this is partly in preparation for the talk that Gene Reeves will be doing here Monday evening, August 24, two weeks from tomorrow. He's done this really masterful new translation of the Lotus Sutra. There are numbers of good translations, but this one really is excellent. He's former a professor at UC Divinity School and now lives in Japan most of the year. What I want to talk about this morning is one of the most important teachings in the Lotus Sutra that is very relevant in various ways to our practice, and this is the teaching of skillful means, upaya in Sanskrit.

[01:18]

And this comes out of discussion in the beginning of the sutra, chapter two of the sutra, about what's sometimes called the one vehicle. So this has to do with understanding why there are so many different teachings in Buddhism. understanding why there are so many different practices, all the different scriptures and so forth. And in Chapter on Skillful Means, the Buddha, this Lotus Sutra was preached by the Buddha towards the very end of his life, and has many very interesting parts. But in the second chapter, the Buddha says to Shariputra, the meaning of the Dharma that Buddhists preach as appropriate to the occasion is difficult to understand.

[02:26]

Why? Because we use a variety of skillful means, causal explanations, and parables to teach. This Dharma cannot be well understood through calculation or analysis. Only a Buddha can really grasp it. Why is this? because it is for this great cause alone that Buddhas, the world-honored ones, appear in the world. So this idea of the single great cause for Buddhas appearing in the world is very important. What Buddha then says is, what do I mean by saying it is for this one great cause alone that Buddhas appear in the world? They appear in the world because they want living beings to open a way to the Buddha's insight and thus become pure. They appear in the world because they want to demonstrate the Buddha's insight to living beings. They appear in the world because they want living beings to apprehend things with the Buddha's insight. They appear in the world because they want living beings to enter into the way of the Buddha's insight.

[03:30]

This alone is the one great cause, Shariputra, for which Buddhas appear in the world. This idea of entering into the way or entering into the path of Buddha's insight is very important. It's not about some destination. In some sense, just the path that we are on is the purpose for Buddha's appearing, to help all of us, to help all the different kinds of beings to enter into the path, into the way of Buddha's insight. So the Buddha then goes on to say, The Buddhas only teach and transform bodhisattvas. Their one purpose is to demonstrate the Buddha's insight to all beings and have them apprehend it. This is a little tricky. What does it mean to apprehend the Buddha's insight? It's not, as he says a little before that, it's not about something that can be understood through calculation or analysis.

[04:35]

What does it mean to apprehend, to see, to express the Buddha's insight. So this teaching of the one reason, the one cause for Buddha's appearing is very much connected to another very central teaching of the Lotus Sutra, and that is called the one vehicle, ekayana. Buddha says that, Shariputra, the Buddhas teach the Dharma for the sake of living beings, only by the means of the one Buddha vehicle. They have no other vehicles, no second or third vehicle. The teachings of the Buddhas throughout the universe are all like this. And he talks, so I'll read a little bit more about this relationship between skillful means and this one Buddha vehicle. He says, Shariputra, Buddhas of the past, through an innumerable variety of skillful means, causal explanations, parables, and other kinds of expression, have preached the Dharma for the sake of living beings.

[05:40]

These teachings have all been for the sake of the one Buddha vehicle, so that all living things, having heard the Dharma from a Buddha, might finally gain complete wisdom. Buddhas who appear in this world in the future will also, through an innumerable variety of skillful means, causal explanations, parables, and other kinds of expression, expound the Dharma for the sake of living beings. These teachings are all for the sake of the one vehicle, the one Buddha vehicle, so that all living things, having heard the Dharma from a Buddha, might eventually obtain wisdom. The Buddhas, the world-honored ones in all of the billions and billions of Buddha lands throughout the universe, are giving abundant benefits and peace and happiness to all living things. to an innumerable variety of skillful means. So, he says that there, a little below that, their purpose, the Buddha's purpose is to demonstrate the Buddha's insight to living beings, to enable living beings to apprehend living things with the insight of Buddha, to enable living beings to enter into the way of the Buddha's insight.

[06:50]

Most of the Buddha Sutras, there's this repetition built in, so we're kind of trying to instill this into the reader, into the listener. But this idea of one vehicle has a lot of implications for us, and that there are these variety of parables, expressions, skillful teachings to help us enter into this way. This means that, you know, Buddha says in the future, it means that we are free to not take a kind of fundamentalist attitude towards Buddha's scriptures, but that actually we need to find skillful means to express this here for ourselves. Chicago 2009, whatever this is. in the summertime. Here we are. And this skillful means is about finding whatever works to help beings, to help relieve suffering, to help all beings apprehend Buddha's insight.

[08:09]

Buddha's insight, again, is not about some formula or understanding, but a way of seeing. So this is a path or a way of entering into Buddha's insight. And I want to say more about this, but to talk about this one vehicle, part of what's important about this teaching for us is that it's very relevant to a kind of pluralistic world where there are many paths, so-called, how do we see the many different ways of apprehending Buddha's insight? So, in that section, there's a section of verses where Buddha talks about this idea of skillful means and

[09:13]

You know, this idea of the single great cause is, I think, very useful as a kind of criterion for dharma. In other words, what helps? What helps ourselves and others, and in terms of our expressing zazen in the world, how do we help beings entering into this path to seeing the world? informed by Buddha's insight. So I'll just read a little bit of the verses that there are several numbers of pages of, but Buddha, in talking about this, he says, people who have heard this Dharma from one of the Buddhas of the past, while they were in the world or after their extinction, have all fulfilled the Buddha way. All the world-honored ones of the future, uncountable in number, these Tathagatas or another name for Buddha, those who come and go in suchness.

[10:17]

These Tathagatas will use skillful means to teach this Dharma. All of the Tathagatas, by using innumerable skillful means, save living beings so that they enter the Buddha's flawless wisdom. Of all those who hear the Dharma, none will fail to become a Buddha. So this idea of skillful teachings is actually carried out in the Lotus Sutra. The Lotus Sutra, in some sense, is a kind of embodiment or epitome of skillful means. How do we help ourselves and others to, how do we hear the Buddhas? How do we express the Buddhas? Skillful means that allows beings some relief from their suffering and some entry into this path of seeing Buddha's insight.

[11:17]

Buddha's way of seeing the world has, in some sense, already awakened that there is this Buddha nature in all beings. The Lotus Sutra particularly has many, many stories or parables about skillful means. So I'll just talk about three of them this morning. Probably the best known is the story of the burning house. And it's, I won't read it all, because it's kind of lengthy in the, in the sutra, but basically a man comes home, a wealthy man, and his large house is burning. you know, seriously burning, it's all in flames.

[12:25]

So he goes in to bring his children out, and his children don't want to come out, they're too busy playing with their toys and having a good time. So this is, of course, represents the world we live in with all of its suffering, and people not wanting to, or willing to, leave the distractions and entertainments that keep them from seeing that the house is burning, that the world is burning up. So the man tries to get them to come out and they won't and finally he tells them that he has for them outside various kinds of wonderful vehicles. BMWs and Mercedes and Hummers. No, he talks about the goat vehicle and the deer vehicle and the ox vehicle, which represent the Shravaka or Hero's Way and the Arhat Path and various different pet traditions of teaching in Buddhism.

[13:43]

and they're all enticed to come out, so they get free from the house, and they come out and they find there's just one vehicle, this great ox vehicle, which represents this one vehicle of the Buddha way. The sutra makes a point, and this is a little controversial in Lotus Sutra studies, so I want to talk about this aspect of it too, that Buddha says to Shariputra, The elder at first attracted his children with the three carriages, and afterwards gave them just one carriage, decorated with jewels, which was the safest and most comfortable carriage. Yet the man is not guilty of lying. The Buddha does the same. There is no falsehood in teaching three vehicles first to attract living beings, and afterwards using just the great vehicle to save them. The Tathagata has Dharma storehouses of immeasurable wisdom, power, and freedom from fear. It can give all living beings the great vehicle, Dharma, but not all are able to receive it. For this reason, Shariputra, you should understand that the Buddhas use the power of skillful means, thus making distinctions within the one Buddha vehicle and teaching all three.

[14:51]

So there are people who question, well, he is deceiving the children, and if there's really one vehicle, what are we doing teaching so-called lesser teachings? The whole idea of skillful means is tricky, and in some ways, in the Lotus Sutra, the skillful means is presented as what the Buddha does, who sees all of the different ways of teaching and all of the different practices and uses them very skillfully. later in other presentations of this teaching, particularly in the Flower Ornament Sutra, the skillful means is one of ten practices that all bodhisattvas can do. So I feel like skillful means is something that is helpful for all of us to think about. And it's a way of, I think, being more tolerant of the range of different teachings.

[15:57]

For some people, So just in terms of thinking of meditation practices, for some people breathing practices are helpful, for some people other kinds of concentration practices are helpful. We could also think of you know, chanting practices or the different forms of Buddhism. We can think of Buddhist expressions like through calligraphy or martial arts or various other ways as part of all equally part of the one vehicle. I'll come back to that but I'll just a couple more stories that are used in the Lotus Sutra about this idea of skillful means as part of the one vehicle, one of the famous stories in the Lotus Sutra has to do with a prodigal son. And it's different from, there's a prodigal son story in the Gospels, too. This one's different, I'll read some of it.

[16:58]

And actually, this is not spoken, this one, by the Buddha, I think, but by some of his major disciples. So they say, World Honored One, we would now like to use a parable to clarify what we mean. Suppose a still young man left his father, ran away, and lived in some other land for a long time, for 10, 20, or even 50 years. The older he became, the poorer and more needy he became. He wandered around in every direction looking for clothing and food until, Finally, by chance, he was heading toward his homeland. Meanwhile, the father had searched for this son unsuccessfully and now lived in another city. His households become very wealthy, his goods and treasures incalculable." And it goes on to list gold, silver, lapis lazuli, coral, countless elephants, horses, carriages, and so forth. The poor son, wandering through village after village and passing through various lands and cities, at last reached the city where his father was living.

[18:08]

Although his son had been away for more than 50 years, the father always thought about him, but he had never spoken of the matter to anyone, only pondering it to himself, his heart full of remorse and regret. Meanwhile, the poor son, drifting from one job to another, accidentally arrived at his father's house. Standing by the gate, he saw his father from a distance, seated on a lion's seat. And it goes on to talk about the resplendence of the father and his situation. The poor son, seeing his father with such great power, was seized with fear and regret that he had come to this place. He thought, this must be a king or something like a king. This is no place for me to try to earn a living. I better go to some poor town where I can be paid for my labor and where food and clothing will be easier to get. If I stay here long, I may be captured and forced to work." And then he ran away quickly. Meanwhile, the elderly gentleman on his lion's seat recognized his son at first sight.

[19:10]

Filled with joy, he thought, alas, I have the one to whom my stores of wealth are to be entrusted. I've always been thinking of my son, but had no way to see him. Now suddenly he's come by himself. My hope is completely fulfilled, old and worn out. I yearned for an heir, and he sent messengers to run after the son and bring him back. But when they grabbed him, the poor son, surprised and afraid, loudly cried out in anger, I've done nothing against you. Why am I being seized? The messengers held on to him even more firmly and forced him to go back with them. But the father, seeing this from a distance, told the messengers, there's no need for this man. Don't force him to come. Sprinkle some cold water on his face to wake him up and say nothing more to him. And I'm skipping ahead, but the rich man, wanting to entice his son back, decided to use skillful means. Secretly, he sent two men of miserable and undignified appearance after the son, saying, go there and visit. And gently tell the poor man that there is a place for him to work where he will be given double the normal wage.

[20:13]

If he agrees, bring him back here and put him to work. If he asks what kind of work you want him to do, tell him that we are hiring him to remove dung and that you will work along with him." So they enticed the son to come back. At one point, the father sees the son working in the field shoveling piles of dung, dirt, and filth. And taking off his necklace, the father, and taking off his necklace, soft clothing, and ornaments, he put on a coarse torn and dirty clothes, smeared his body with dirt, took a pan for dung in his right hand, and in a rough manner said to the workers, get to work, don't be so lazy. Through such filthful means, he could get near his son and see him. After some time, he says to his son, young man, now you should stay and work here and not go anywhere else again. I will increase your wages. And you won't have to worry about needing bowls, utensils, rice flour, and so forth.

[21:25]

So, again, I'm skipping ahead. Thus, for 20 years, the son continued to be employed at removing dung. After that, the son and father gained confidence in each other, and the son felt he could come and go easily. Yet he continued to live in the same place as before. Then the old man became ill, knowing that he would die soon, he said to the poor son, I now have abundant gold, silver, and rare treasures, filling my storehouses to overflowing. I want you to understand the quantities involved and what should be received and paid out. So he gets into a kind of middle management position or something in his business. Finally, as his life is ending, he assembles all of his relatives The king, the minister, nobles, and ordinary citizens, and the old man says, gentlemen, I should tell you that this is my son, my natural-born son. In another city, he left me and ran away for over 50 years, enduring loneliness and suffering.

[22:31]

His original name was so-and-so, and it goes on. This is really my son. I'm really his father. And now all of my wealth belongs entirely to my son. All my earlier disbursements and receipts are known by this son. So they say to the Buddha, this very ritual man is like the Buddha, and we are all like the Buddha's children. The Tathagata has always taught that we are his children. Because of the three kinds of suffering, world, honor, and want, in the midst of birth and death, we have borne all kinds of passionate worries. Being confused and ignorant, we enjoy attachment to lesser teachings. So the idea is that for the Buddha, to give us all the difficulties of our life to help us gain confidence in being closer to Buddha. And for most of us, we have to go through difficult practices just to gain confidence that we actually are the children of Buddha.

[23:35]

So it's a kind of sweet story and... a way of seeing what the point of all these skillful means are, and maybe even a way of seeing how the challenges to our practice, the challenges of our own life, are part of what we can face to give us confidence in starting to believe, actually, yes, we are children of Buddha. We are in Buddha's family. We're not separate from Buddha. We are the natural successors to Buddha. We are the ones keeping Buddha alive. One more parable, and then I want to talk a little more about some of the aspects of this skillful means teaching. Again, there are numbers of parables about the various kinds of skillful means

[24:38]

One of them, I'll just say briefly, is about the Dharma rain, that the Buddha's teaching is like Dharma rain and it falls everywhere and each of the different kinds of plants receive the rain and the nourishment of the water and grow in their own way. So that's a kind of very universal way of seeing the ranges of Buddha's teaching as all beneficial to the different kinds of plants. There's another story, though, the parable of, as Gene translates it, the fantastic castle city. This is actually towards the end of chapter six. Suppose there was a bad road 500 leagues long, which was steep, wild, difficult, deserted, far from where anyone lived, a truly frightening place. And a large group of people wanted to go along that road to a place where there were rare treasures. There was a leader, a teacher, a guide, who was knowing and wise, knew the difficult road well, where it was open and where it closed, and was experienced in leading groups that wanted to pass over along the road.

[25:50]

The group he was leading became tired along the way and said to the guide, we are utterly exhausted and afraid as well. We can't go any further. Since the road before us goes on and on, now we want to turn back. The guide, a person of many skillful means, thought, what a shame that these people want to give up on the great and rare treasures and turn back. Having thought about it in this way, he used his powers and skillful means to conjure up a castle city, which appeared about 300 leagues down the difficult road, and he said to the Don't be afraid. You must not turn back. Look, see that great city ahead? There you can stop and rest and do whatever you want. Enter this city and you will soon be completely at ease. Later, when you are able to go toward the place of treasures, you can leave this castle city." And the hearts of the exhausted group were filled with great joy and they exclaimed about such an unprecedented thing. Now we can surely escape from this dreadful road and find some peace and comfort.

[26:53]

So the group went into the fantastic castle city. Thinking they had been rescued from their difficulties, they were soon calm and comfortable. Then the guide, seeing that the group was rested and no longer weary, made the fantastic city disappear. He said to the group, we have to go now. The place of the treasure is close. I created this large fantastic city a little while ago just for you to rest in. And then it goes on as how this is like the Tathagata and the Buddha's teaching. The Buddha, knowing that this frame of mind of those on the path is timid and weak, uses the power of skillful means, teaching two kinds of nirvana in order to provide a resting place along the way. So this parable of this magical, conjured, fantastic city represents, in the context of the Lotus Sutra, the earlier Buddhist idea of nirvana.

[27:55]

If I can just purify myself, I can become like the arhats and be free from all my greed, hate, and delusion. This idea of nirvana as cessation of all troubles is kind of a halfway house to the true Buddha way. It's part of the spillful means of Buddhas. So, you know, applying that to our context to show people how there is peace and comfort on the path, to provide peace and comfort, that actually it's true that in our practice of Zazen there is a calming and settling. There is kind of inner peace that we can find, a kind of settledness. And yet, from the point of view of the one vehicle, the one Buddha vehicle in the Lotus Sutra, this is, you know, part of the way.

[28:57]

It's not the true, full treasure of the Buddha way, which is to see that all beings are Buddhas and that all that this possibility of awakening is ever-present for all of us. So these are various different ideas and models of skillful means. How do we take care of this path, even as the work leader leads to get ready for temple cleaning? How do we see the skillful means So I want to have some discussion about this, but I want to say a little more about the edges of this way of thinking of Buddhist teaching. One way to see this kind of teaching of skillful means, again, is

[30:09]

very appropriate to a kind of religious tolerance, pluralistic world like we live in now, that is very inclusive, appreciating very much the diversity of different approaches, that there are many different ways that people find to open their hearts and enter into this path of awakening, this Buddha path, this one vehicle. So seeing different practices that way provides a kind of radical, non-dualistic openness to different beings, to different kinds of people, different kinds of beings, to different practices. That it's not that there's one right method of entering into Buddha's way. And skillful means has to do, in some sense, with learning how to encourage people to use different ways of studying, of creative expression, of being helpful in different contexts.

[31:33]

All the things that everyone in our Sangha does, actually. A very fine Buddhist scholar named William Ford translates skillful means as modes. These are just different modes of practice. That's a very kind of non-dualistic translation. Sometimes some of the translations of skillful means are like expedient devices. which sounds like tricky techniques of ways to get people into the Buddha way. How do we have enticements to entice people to enter into the path? So there is an edge to This teaching of skillful means is in the Lotus Sutra itself and it's in some of the schools that very closely follow the Lotus Sutra like the Tendai and Nichiren. Dogen quotes the Lotus Sutra quite a lot himself.

[32:36]

So I would say that the Lotus Sutra is important in Zen too. Sometimes that's not so clear in Zen teachings or writings about Zen. But part of the problem of this is that it's possible to see skillful means in a kind of patronizing way, in a kind of hierarchical way, like, oh, we have the best teaching. The Lotus Sutra is the best sutra. We'll include all these other lesser sutras. And there is that, so again, it's part of the history of Buddhism, and it's even, you know, within the different discussions of skillful means in the Lotus Sutra, there are more inclusive and less inclusive kinds, or more or less patronizing kinds. But, you know, in some sense, when we find our own way are our practice in the path. When we appreciate Zazen, for example, we might feel like, oh, you know, people who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, that's lesser, you know, they're not as good.

[33:43]

Well, when we see the whole thing very widely as Buddha's one vehicle, then whatever helps is part of is something that we can encourage and we can see as part of the One Vehicle. We don't have to make distinctions. One of the things that happened in China and it got carried over into Japan is that a lot of the schools organized had had systems of organizing, of dividing the teachings, dividing the different sutras, Punjab, Chinese, to classify the different sutras. So in the Tendai school that followed the Lotus Sutra most, they had this classification of teachings with the Lotus Sutra as the highest. And others were included, but as kind of provisional, lesser teachings. Dogen was originally from the Tendai school, so he treasured the Lotus Sutra.

[34:49]

That's one way we can do it. We can also just see that all of the different teachings, all of the different practices, all of the different ways to spiritual awakening are like the Dharma ring, falling and helping different beings in different ways. So how do we appreciate the range of practices, and then actually try and take on these range of practices. So when we want to talk about Buddhism to others, it helps if we have some experience of the range of ways. And so for those of you who sometimes do Zazen instruction here, the range of ways in which we can use various practices as part of our Zazen. not lesser practices than some idea of pure Shikantaza, how do we see the range of modes of practices helping beings to, again, enter into the way, into the path of the one Buddha vehicle, helping, you know, this criterion of relieving suffering and helping foster awakening in ourselves, in our friends, in the world?

[36:07]

So just last thing, before we have some discussion of this idea of skillful means, so important in the Lotus Sutra, and in all of Mahayana Buddhism, really. There's a chapter, I'll be talking, I'm gonna be talking about the Lotus Sutra a few times more before Gene leaves Tums. There's a way in which the, The first half and the second half of the sutra are kind of divided. The first half is kind of the practice side, building up how to practice. The second half is the reward of that practice. And in the second half, one of the chapters is about the universal gateway to Anjanam Bodhisattva, the provider of the prize of the world. We chant that sometimes here on Monday nights. So we chant the verse conclusion. And this is the bodhisattva of compassion whose image we have in the zendo and with Tara in the front hall as a version of this bodhisattva.

[37:15]

And this is the bodhisattva of compassion and who in some ways represents skillful means. So skillful means, this idea of skillful means, or different modes of practice. is in some ways the definition of compassion in Mahayana Buddhism, in the bodhisattva way, that we are willing to honor the diversity of different people and different beings and different teachings and different approaches to spirituality. So this bodhisattva of compassion in this chapter that we sometimes chant part of, It says that she will come and help in all kinds of various difficult situations. If you're being attacked by muggers, if there's an earthquake, if there are wild animals attacking you, if you're being attacked by lawyers in courts, even, or by armies, or torturers, just call on this woman.

[38:25]

be mindful of the power of this bodhisattva of compassion. So this is, in some ways, a kind of encouragement to using the thought of compassion as a skillful means in all kinds of situations. And yet again, this idea of skillful modes, of different skillful modes, is the heart of compassion for us. So again, the Lotus Sutra, I would say, now challenges all of us in our time and place to be respectful of different modes. We can also look at the different modes and see, well, is this encouraging Buddha's insight? Is this encouraging entry into the path towards Buddha's insight to apprehend things from the perspective of this reality of universal awakening? And then how do we apply that to you know, difficulties in our life. Difficulties with family, friends, co-workers.

[39:30]

Difficulties with how we respond to the troubles of the world. This idea of skillful modes is a resource for us and a challenge to us also. A challenge to try to see from others' perspective how things are. instead of just criticizing others, feel where their fear is coming from, where their frustrations are, what their needs are. And then as we become more and more familiar with what is helpful to us, how do we find our way to share that skillfully? So, It's a complicated teaching. There are other parables in the Lotus Sutra that kind of help illustrate it. But maybe from these three that I've read a little bit of or talked about and the idea of the universal dharma ring, we can think about how can we be more skillful and available and helpful.

[40:41]

So comments or questions or responses about any of this. This seems all very fundamental to me. Basic Buddhist teaching. Basic teaching about what bodhisattvas are about, what this bodhisattva way is about. And I've talked about skillful means before, but in the context of the Lotus Sutra and this opportunity we have from Gene Cumming in a couple of weeks, and to consider this fundamental scripture. Of course, there's the perfection of wisdom sutras, like the Heart Sutra and the Flowering Sutra.

[41:45]

There are many, many, many. In fact, part of the point of this is that there are many, many teachings and practices and scriptures, and we can find them in our world, too. We don't have to only rely on orthodox Buddhist so-called scriptures. Part of what the scriptures teach is that there are gateways and entryways to awakening everywhere in our world. How do we find them? How do we use them? How do we use the resources? So this idea of skillful means is a counter to kind of fundamentalist literal. It's fundamental, but it's a counter to kind of a literalist fundamentalist reading of, you know, you have to follow the Gospels in a certain way and take it literally and because it says such and such, you know. It's about skillfully reading also, skillfully studying, skillfully reflecting, skillfully using

[42:48]

the practice resources in our meditation and in our everyday life. That's it. I think about this a lot. in trying to work with people. It seems like there's an infinite variety of skillful means. And two that I think, you didn't really mention, but that come up for me are patience and not attaching to the outcome. Because it seems like when you want to offer something to someone, you have to accept that They may not want it, or they may want it but not be able to process it even in school.

[43:51]

There are people who may be motivated to believe that they are not afraid or not frustrated. And so, well, maybe faith. Faith might be another step in that situation. So faith to sort of persevere in what you're doing without forcing it on someone. Very good. Yes, patience is so important, and tolerance. Part of the idea of skillful means is to be patient with the range of different kinds of practices and teachings that may be helpful to some people, maybe not to me or to you. So how do we develop a kind of tolerance, a kind of patience about this diversity of means? But also, the problem even saying skillful means, which is why I like this translation of skillful modes or just modes, that when we find something that works for us, we kind of want, sometimes instead of seeing it as an entryway into the path of Buddha's insight, it's, oh, you have to follow this technique.

[45:06]

And So that's another kind of attachment. And then, as you say, the attachment to outcome, if we feel like so-and-so has to change in such-and-such a way, it's not going to happen exactly like that. And part of this idea of the one vehicle in the Lotus Sutra is very much that some beings are ready to hear some of this and some aren't, so how do we find, you know, like this prodigal son, how do you find a way for them to gain faith, confidence, maybe shuffling shit for years and years? How do you, how do you, how do we all do this? So, yeah, for a number of people on our song, there are counselors like you, and how do you help people not to not through some particular technique and not through some expectation, but just for them to find their way.

[46:09]

It's kind of a funny thing. There's this idea of this one vehicle, and yet each one of us in some sense has our own particular entryway or path that's part of this one vehicle. How do we study resources towards that? Yes, go ahead, Susan. So I've been thinking of it in the scope of me saying, without that kind of arrogance of thinking that I know for somebody what they, what's helpful, or that my idea about it, and think a lot more about what is someone requesting? Yeah. You know, what's, you know, and like, what I might think might look like a good path for somebody, is it just my idea of it? You know, so I think there's this kind of idea that you thought this would be helpful. But, you know, what's that all about? And how, you know, you could say sometimes things might look like they're a disaster.

[47:14]

You know, so this life might look like a train wreck. But actually there's probably a whole other side. Yeah, I think part of being open to skillful means is, as you say, being open to things aren't just how they look to us. So there are lots of examples of what looks like bad, you know, ill fortune or difficulties that are actually wonderful opportunities, or we don't know how things will turn out. Kind of openness to possibilities. Kind of creativity about how we express kindness in our own lives. To be willing to try things and not to be flexible. So that's along with patience and not attaching to a result.

[48:19]

Being flexible about trying different things. allowing the time for ourselves and for others to see how things unfold.

[48:33]

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