Nirvana Study Sesshin Day 2 Lecture 3

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marie
so
this morning i want to start
where we left off kind of
and
ah my suzuki roshi words

so this is the basic teaching a buddhism is the teaching of trenchant see or change everything changes is the basic
although everything changes your things change but there is something that doesn't change
but as with that which doesn't change is not a thing
so things change everything changes but that which is not a thing is not subject to change so we have to truth
in buddhism which you have to understand as well as we get mixed up
we have the truth of tragedy
the monday in truth of 'em
an ordinary what we call our ordinary
life in atomic world
and then there's the truth of the absolute truth
so we others
an ordinary truth and the absolute truth i'm not too different things
are two different things
they're not exactly the one they is lead to things but what are the absolute truth has its
is is one side of the one truth
and an ordinary a dualistic
existence has it said of the one truth
and the one truth is like it's like two sides of a coin
is the absolute truth and relative truth in the coin
is the one thing
so ah
sometimes we speak
it would in in the
i'm on the basis of absolute reality
ah
and it sounds confusing because it didn't seem to match up with
dualistic reality so yeah the book is reality you know the floor is really a real i'm real but actually it's a false reality because it's not absolutely true
it's relatively true
this is relative truth an absolute truth
and all the collins and about this
i haven't run across one cohen instead about the absolute truth and the relative truth and these are all meant to breathe to help us understand the koran or the seeming dichotomy of these two truth
so the basic teaching a buddhism is the teaching of trenches your change that's the relative truth
that everything changes is the basic truth where each existence no one can deny his truth and all the teachings of buddhism or to within it
this is the teaching for all of us wherever we go this teaching is true
this teaching is also understood as the teaching of selflessness
so selfless restless is closer to absolute truth
because relatively we have herself
but an absolute truth there's no there's no soul or self because absolute truth
there are no divisions
because each existence is in constant change there is no abiding self
or so or inherent existence
in fact the self nature in each existence is nothing but change itself
so in the relative sense third of all the resist change
there's nothing that really is a biting except in a relative sense moment to moment
so dharma we say oh it's only dharmas rolling alone there's no self in in the dharmas
there's no special separate self nature for each existence
this is also called the teaching of nirvana strangely enough
when we realize the everlasting truth of everything changes and find our composure in it we find ourselves in nirvana so how do we find our composure
in the truth of everything changes
so ah sometimes recurrent just a minute
or just a minute too bad
as the blake's as something like catch the catch the the
shit
what

can catch the something as it flies by catch the
no somebody i know
like life
yeah whatever it is that you want catch it as it flies by
so
hmm
so
everlasting
when we realize the everlasting truth of everything changes and find our composure in it we find ourselves in nirvana so how do we find our composure in the realm of everything changes
that's nirvana
i'm
you know if it's not like this is something new for us new for us because we practices every day if we are sitting doesn't that doesn't is the entrance to understanding this through our body
in mind

that's why i always say doesn't is a great teacher
doesn't we teaches us everything we have to know
and it doesn't teach us how to use a computer but
yeah
it teaches us everything that really have to know about our existence or nonexistence birth and death pleasure and pain wandering a not wanting that in gone grasping
everything it's all there
and that's why does doesn't is a wonderful because it gives the such a big problem
what you say john

used to what

hi
yeah well you know everything has its prevalent
so the problem of getting used to
yet
it doesn't
i is good problem how do you wake up
so that then it's called the practice of waking up moment by moment
but it looks like going to sleep
it does it looks like and of course it is going to sleep so at times so we have to continuously keep waking up that's why we're used to carry the stick
because when you just sitting there
you know paying attention to posture breathing letting go
it's easy to fall asleep because the minds mad attaching to anything
hopefully
so
the k the stick is is like
how'd you how'd you maintain vitality
how do you maintain a week and vitality invented that's important so that they could go on for you could practice hello

well let them let me explain it it will be pointed out like a input composure in in okay
ah
is letting everything come and go without being disturbed by anything
basically and at the same thing in your daily life
composure daily life is telling everything come and letting everything go it comes as it comes and goes as it goes and then
in in daily life you have to deal with
phenomena as it arises
it doesn't
ah you learn how to do that

well then

no it's not idealized is if you just actual
that there's not some ideal although if you have a hard time being finding your budget then it becomes an idea
get better but if you to if you know you always looking for your composure
that because you lose it and then you come back to it and you lose it and you come back to it and over and over that
and that's an example of our life because life is full of distractions just like in doesn't and how do you find your composure within the distractions
huh
how did you find to composure that that's nirvana
how do we find our composure when everything's changing
how do we know
well it also as we say over and over again
everything is falling out of balance and finding this balance
moment by moment everything is fall in changing even though you have this wonderful posture and is this is a perfect posture and then the next moment changed
it doesn't say that are changes so you have to have flexibility as well as a stability
stability and flexibility at the same time
it's a it's
there's a lot to do in zazen when you're doing nothing
a lot to do it as a funny stability and your flexibility at the same time flexibility lives everything come and go and stability find it finds its position
it doesn't get moved or not depart pushed over
that's so when you're observing the people on the floor in the meal you go down on both knees or at least one day you only have you know
travel that steady up or squatting scrawny get pushed over
so you're always looking for the stable position moment by moment that
one of the fundamentals the practice always find a your stable position moment by moment and not get into some position that can turn you over

the absolute sense area

the landward
it arises
right
hi there
say

diaz said to find
a perfect composure within the imperfect
ah ah within it are imperfect composure
that finding that
ah
allowing the absolute
to support the relative

no there's not something sitting there
yes
life is a verb
yes is are doing
no don't say that
others being a doing
there is that just being and doing and that's doesn't is the doing of just being
so
i'm
ah
to actually access i guess my call it
ah the absolute being within the doing
so that to take care of every you know
check to take care
very carefully take care of and meat and appreciate every
existence actually is is too
ah that be separate from a be
so
are being reflects are doing reflects the be a big city
are doing reflects our been because they're being is the source of doing
even old enough to him and things to bring it all together
that's why sweeping the ground is great
a activity of perfection
sweeping you know it's so simple
and that's why zen practice so simple
because the simpler it is the less obscure it is
as simple doesn't necessarily mean not complex but that complicated
just l that allows us to take up the coverings so that
ah the varna the absolute if
revealed
even know it's always there there but it's not revealed so we had called i coverings or mine coverage convey cause it by uncovering
thought that are not than a recovering
ha
and the like there used to be talked about a word yesterday
diluted
the looted means light
and de looted means like covering
so we take up to like covering fill the light shines out right

yeah point

yeah

picture
oh what way we see our life in the where life is are not necessarily the same
said
yeah
right so within the picture you know when when you have play music the musical composition is perfect innocence said
you don't put mistakes into it
no and everything is it were it's a little world that
well has everything is where everything works together harmoniously so it's go harmony
but as know how do you how do you allow life itself to be like that so life is an art that we can say life is an art how you lead
how you compose
the life around you how did how do you take part in the life around you so you're actually
seeing it as a composition
a a composition of things that you can't control
and ah you find your balance in it and you find your composure in it and so in a sense where we're
walking a path is like
a composition and this just like a bunch is like a somewhat chaotic even though it has a logic because chaos has its own logic just looks like a us to us
ah
you know like really bad rinse i i was asked a question about
like and a
about control pieces i control the whole world
well what do you mean you control the whole world he says everything is going just the way i think it should
everything is code just just i accept the way everything is going basically as it is
so
oh have
john us too many questions
becomes the conversation between you and be so i'd rather
hold it
ellen

yeah let's not composure that's a kind of
you know
it's like
sometimes in order for people to feel safe they put a wall around themselves that's a picture right of safety but it doesn't work because it's look you know there's no final safety living in a gated community you keep parts of the world out right
which looks like safety
but no composure is finding your balance moment by moment
that's it's alive thing and did thing yeah
but i really just question of the picture as you very interesting i like that the that can lead nathan leads you to
think of how we actually cut
fighters find control
in and within chaos kids the lab with but with an uncontrollable conditions
livecode yeah

that

yeah

well yes but also
right through the cracks actually add something to the picture
ah the they tell a story behind just a picture and it opened up and in wider way yeah judy
yes

yeah

oh i'm sorry
russian
hmm
yeah

desperate
hi
that guy
well as my
net smile
yeah your vision yeah
but to everything is campus
the have the whole thing is composed
i used to love making compost
when we are a way the a huge yard
i would just click on compost from all over the place
caddy in garbage and everyone had a guy break and garbage over from zen center
to put in my compost pile and then realized that take you know she's equally she had this talk where he talks about taking care of the ground as been more important even than what's growing in the ground
and that's zen practice
not so interested that so interested in the result but how you make the soil
and ah
cultivating the soil and heavy a good grown for the soil
and then whatever grows is wonderful but take to taking care of the soil is that our practice basically
ah
which you know it's also how we think about person death
the death of one thing is the birth of another
ah and i also think about cocoons
good that really interesting
every really butterflies or what
a recurrence and i worked ah
it's it's a great down mystery
ah how something looks
like it's it's dead but it's actually a transformative being
and so
life is transformation
compost cocoons human beings dogs cats
plants
so
fortunately everything changes
and how we find our composure and those changes
i think faces and really important factor
because what is there to trust
dinner in the end when everything is changing and we feel like a human cases and we have our a breath and our thoughts and our movements in our desires
which are always changing and the is so called final change
ah
and when it would comes out of that where does the outcome
what is the result
so
so he says without accepting the fact that everything changes we can't find her perfect composure
but unfortunately
although this is just this is true it is difficult for us to accept it
because we can't accept the truth and where we have a hard time accepting the truth of trenches see we suffered so the cause of suffering is are not acceptance of this truth i was a one cause the teaching of the cause of suffering and the teaching that everything changes
i just two sides of one coin
might i talked about
subjectively transparency is the cause of are suffering
objectively is teaching you simply the basic basic truth of everything changes so in other words whether we like it or not
this is what happens
so in a world of like it or not
i'm being able to flow with the waves
and i'll be
victimized
to flow with the wages as at a to action did not go along because you're you're pulled along but to go along to drive the way as well as to right away
so the ocean you know is the ocean is the absolute truth and the wave is the expression of the ocean
i'm so to find a pleasure in change resident are suffering and change
but pleasure and suffering
this is are still tooth two sides to go beyond pleasure and suffering
is nirvana

yes yeah face is being open to whatever is going on
he's simply being open to whatever is happening if it's not like faith in some that something's going to to save you or
a in some even in some deity
but just openness
ha
two what
that
ah
if you live your life
in a way that flows with life
that you have flying with everything everything going together with you everything right here in this world at this moment is going together with you and are part of that going
and we have to be able to feel that's okay
it's gotta be okay
if it's not okay then that's the cause of suffering
so how we allow ourselves to be open to that it doesn't mean that you don't have choice of whether you do after you have a choice to either go along or not
but it that you no matter what's happening thinks you know
ah
ah
i don't know what else it is a place where you just can't explain
but
ah
everything is going the same way i don't know about the same way the same way but it may be in different directions but everything is meeting in the same place at the end
it's like the waterfall
looks the it's one body but out the the all the drops are separating and then they are me down the bottom
so everything has this an adventure of seeming individuality
but it all comes together at the end
i lead that best for me that everything comes together the end and we all have worked adventures
yeah in the meantime and then
so it's nice when we cannot shed our life together
because we're on the same i set up and think about this everybody in the world is living in the same time continuum did i am living again and so at some point
when you meet people that are born in the same year that you're born into some connection you feel
the same day as the same to you feel this kind of connection
and so there's a familiarity
have everybody everything going
what the regarded six it's existence at this particular time and space
am
ah so
and it is our compost
oh all the beautiful flowers or will five end up in the campus and and that will all be some a fight or something some other than you but we won't remember

so

two different page
so the teaching of cause you to the of them
objectively this teaching is simple simply the basic truths and everything changes so dig dug and genji says teaching which is that sound as if it is forcing something i knew is not to teaching
yeah help with we didn't saying a buddha is an obstacle
who is an obstacle
because buddha always challenges our ego
flap a good buddhism as an obstacle to our ego
the dharma is an obstacle to earn to a ego so we come up against it boom you know slouches in the face
that's a tough teacher is very good for people but you know not too tough
knowing how to be tough and knowing how to be served nevertheless
teacher is an obstacle and the diamond is an obstacle
if it's not that there's no such thing as the dharma or buddhism because all the buddhism or the diamond is teaching us is how to let go of self-centeredness
and that hurts it's painful
the the problem was painful about doesn't is not a pain in your legs
it's a pain in you
ah self-centeredness is the pain of our ego
the suffering of our ego says
well
so
if the
the if that doesn't feel like it's forcing something on you
yes
saga
anything is an obstacle which challenges your ego
yes everything everything that challenges your ego know when you say and how yes
yes
so
so she like is forcing simply god you have it
if if it
you know
a
teaching which does not sound as if it's forcing simply going to do is not true teaching
so that's why if you go to japan
you say i said in the all very difficult
so
the teaching itself is truth
and in it so does not force anything upon you but because of our human tendency will be seen for teaching as if simply were being forced on us
yeah teaching isn't it is just the teaching
you know
a desires just desire
everything is just what it is just neutral is
as long as you start play me anything outside of ourselves we should pause and think what what am i contributing to this problem
what am i contributing to this bill so that instead of changing your surroundings you change yourself you work on yourself does how you can actually deal with your own disposition
what is it had had it so that's why we welcome a problem because the problem is teaching us something or at least the problem is setting up the conditions for us to learn something

sometimes when i when somebody's always complaining about
and when i've kept somebody comes from me always complained about other people all the time not all people also consider whether they didn't they do that ever see this please give me some teaching as a yes thank everybody for what you tell you
thank you very much
that very many people can continue it
third practice
and so
but whether we feel good about or bad about it the truth exists if nothing exists history does not exist but buddhism exists because each particular existence
we should find perfect existence through imperfect existence
we should find perfection and imperfection for us complete perfection is not different from imperfection the eternal exists because of none eternal existence
in buddhism is heretical the hard work
to view to or to expect it's something outside of this world we don't seek resenting outside of myself we should find the truth in this world through ourselves our difficulties third through are suffering so this is the basic teaching a buddhism
pleasure is not different from difficulty
good is no difficult from a bad good as bad and bad as good you know right is wrong wrong is right everything is changing it's all relative all those things are relative good and bad right and round like and dislike
when i was your kid
ah
my parents went to the while it may be borscht with sour cream and as a that is the most awful thing i can possibly think have to eat
but now i think it's great
back then it was terrible and now it's wonderful that's life it always changes to it's all comparative values so
for the time being
that's a good for the time being is is a good
thank you think about for the time being i hated for the time bidding i love this for the time being this is right for the time being this is wrong
yeah that's that's an eternal truth for the time being

probably the times on boast
never questioned yes

since fit said what
ah yes the whales and yeah the practice of as of the ocean it's good

yeah

yes

but

yes yeah

yeah
riding the wave and driving the way that's really a wonderful metaphor for our practice
if not if you simply going if you're simply
riding a wave that's passivity and if you simply driving away that's activity
so riding the wave and driving away with the same time it's like when you do the mercutio don't turn down that if if you're not listening to everybody and you just wanting get on your horse should go for the them in average i don't want to do that
only a anyone go your face you have to listen and feel what what the body he wants to do
and if you're just pet passively doing this it's just dragging along and get slower and slower and slower than the other way you faster faster faster so how do you find that me in which is
i'm going along with and and pushing not pushing exactly but
and added the energy so the it doesn't bog down
so
that applies to everything in our practice
the all he thinks that we do in the in the like the bell microglia and
and chanting the suture
the that great practice for how you actually get along the world
it's not just keeping time to the chanting
the the way you express your understanding when you sell the bill the way you express your understanding when you
meta book of them are career that fish
and how you express your understanding when you're leading the chanting
i could say more about that but
i know i will
there's one bell that's the most important bill when you're doing a service
and i talk about it off a time
and yet
everybody forget
and so how do i keep my composure
oh
ah
this bell is the bell
when the coke yellow were wet when
ah we're doing that the heart sutra
now when when when the cut when the tokyo announces the heart sutra
that's a solo
and then there's a bell and then there's the to t the two d means everybody
right
and that bells the most the bell between that that the end of the of the announcement of the my god yeah because you know bomb test the most important bell in the whole series
because that bell
matches the energy of the person is introducing the future
and then if that bell it is not and attuned to the co-ceo is just dung
the and was the hit the bell it's not like that anticipate i'm driving to suture
this is the same mr mukul view that bells both driving and n n a
riding the sutra and then everyone comes in according to the sound of that bell
so is a burger thing richard wagner readers you dear reader can't they
for the bell has to be born and maybe cause is i was a year
it's not dinner three solos
not the bell solo the usual of a tokyo xolo it's all three or one piece and each one is responding to each other
and and then the to saga is is the whole that and author responding to it so it's all and peace but we the
phone thing
and i keep saying that's the most part well do that okay the think

so anyway that's my
this compose your
that's my picture of our liturgy

that's true yes say if it is

yes yes and when you're not try your best
that is that's deserve my mind
and i never give up
i never give up
and i don't carry it around with me
that's what's really important is now carry it around
tense composure
sometimes i carry it around i get run for a few minutes and then
go about my business yeah
add try very hard not to blame
music teachers you know or terrible
and i understand why
and you understand why
there can be really awful
but you know if the
the picture of the music teacher with a stick in were hitting the piano piano student over the over the fingers with their stick
i would never do that
i would hit him over there with their pursuit
so that probably good for now
i also have to remember my own mistakes
which i make a lot of actually
so
well the same boat
in many ways in my ways than one
yeah