Practice of No Self

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well we've come to the
the end of the first week of our spring practice period
not all of are in the branches period
and this morning i would like to
ah
have a discussion with you
about if you have any questions about practice period oh how you doing or
i am
to your impressions or questions but you can also questions
any kind of question is fine it doesn't have to be better but i sometimes we give talks but we don't always cover everything that
may seem relevant to you
so if you have something that you'd like
some question something that you'd like to discuss of please
raise your hand
ah
i was talking with little out there were
kitting out on book on high secret and he asked me what didn't mean my feelings in number is secure and i started to and fuel
yeah well
good question
a the five sky does basic buddhism what is the human being you pay is composed of five
ah streams
sometimes they called heat because of the language but ah
ah
form
feelings perceptions
and mental formations which means thoughts and consciousness
so
feelings
are both i'm emotional psychic and physical
and the the term freely covers all kinds of feeling
you're basically really is one of the five components that create what we call the person and ah
instead of talking about a substantial
thing called a person we use the five scandals as a
ah ah to indicate what what we mean by the person

yeah hi
thank you for talking about
no separate saw yesterday yes
how does one practice most a bit so the minute to minute
moment to moment yeah
well festival
yesterday
that the reference here is to yesterday i we had afternoon tea and a talk with which we do during practice period
and this gentleman brought up what do we mean by
yourself
ah now is asking how do we practice nor self follow up thank you
so and then i explained the polska the five scatters and the first question is leading to the second question
which was discussed yesterday but i'm going to discuss it here today
so
and this is a saying
the fool sees himself as other the wise person says others as himself

i'm

so
meaning here
is

of all all those things which are not ourself or actually ourself
all the objective the objective and subjective world
that ah
all objects
i would create ourself
and the extensions are called form feelings perceptions mental formations and consciousness
this is the these are are ah
the doorways to the world
and we don't exist
a separate from the world we are part of the dynamic living
an act
ah
the ever changing
dynamic of
the universe
ah
so instead of but when we get down to what is the person
the person is simply as these dreams of
ah in combination with each other
which are continually changing
there is a person
each one of us as a person
an entity
but
each one of us is continuously continuously to a changing and transforming
and actually we say
ah there's no substantial ended he called the person
when you peel it all away but if
a
early buddhism describes it as like a certain kind of tree plantation where you strip away all the the outer barks better for me the tree and there's really nothing in the middle
because there's nothing in the middle
we can't say that there is an entity called herself
the self is a combination
of form feelings perceptions mental formations and consciousness
which is
made up of all
the of stardust
basically start as
know this body actually start us
so
but there's motivation and and we feel like a person
but
the person that was born so to speak
ah so many years ago
is not the same person that is just now but at the same time is
it isn't is not so the secret is is it is not
there is a cell but the self if you say there is no self
that's not exactly right
it's not untrue but it's not exactly right you see that it is a self that's not untrue but it's not exactly right
because the self is a self it's not a self and what is not itself is the self all those elements that are not a self or what the selfies and itself is
simply all those elements which we feel
isn't that ourself
so is sometimes described as like a table
we we look at the table and
what there's no such thing as a table except in our mind to the and it's
some kind of huge structure ah
that damn
there's some sugar on top maybe you will make an effort to climate
but
ah
so given that
there is a self that it's not a style
fixed entity i think fixed is the is the key word
the self is not fixed it's always in transformation for everything isn't transformation so the self is part of a universal transformation
if you know when we identify with the universe as a self
we don't have such a problem
and we identify with to with ourself as isolated from the universe than we have a problem
so as long as we identify with the universe
we're a cosmic being
that's myself
so we say the whole universe is to self which is so cosmic the cosmos is that yourself
a people that they are astronomers who want to find
beeps from outer space from people like us
i don't think that will happen good anything can happen
the strangest things can happen
and they do other time so maybe there are people like that out there but
what is important is for us to understand our unit our world and our universe and how we fit into this universe as part of the at the universe
so
how do we actually practice non-self right that's your question
well and selfishly
the key to practicing
none no self is none no selfishness
that's really the kid and my teacher talked about at all time is a you don't know herself as you are
and i said oh you mean selfless don't you mean there's no selfish

we always want something else book when push comes to shove will do anything we can get it
so practice goes against it
practices is is the anti selfishness practice
and so that's why it's so boring

cherry
one suggestion
a couple of years ago
obama came out and talked about how his own practice
and supplies every
he encountered just said this yeah
this reminded himself used as
well that's right yes
oh
ha
i was
dr me about my what was what was so relevant about suzuki roshi practice and why he was his practice was so attractive to people because he saw everyone is buddha nature he saw every month
putin eight which compresses
very similar so yes ah
the sage
see that jesus himself
yeah
costas
your practice
really express our
effort our ceo
yeah also
and this opportunity
the time
profits
let's talk about
poinsettias
found
yeah
yes
so we didn't know practice
structure is very important
structures are very important point of our practice
there are some practices which
because people feel that they want to be free have freedom
ah and so instead of having structure they'll do away with structure and older than feel that that's where you have freedom but in our practice freedom is found within structure
so there's a superficial freedom in which you feel that you would have no
the no restrictions
but our practice is found in the midst of restrictions
that's called true freedom
and that freedom is
epitomised in says it
because in in you are finding your freedom in the midst of the most restricted posture
this is
what next practice kind of difficult
to find it to find your freedom within a restriction
when you have restriction then you're forced to find a way
without escaping

the is a monastic practice is like this
at a monastic practice you just do the same thing everyday more or less within reason of these parameters of restricted activity
and so practice it is actually renunciation
if it's ridiculous used to talk about know gaining idea of the time
the sit as long as you want something you restrict yourself
which seems the opposite of the way our life usually unfolds
oh so as buddha said in the second noble truth
the problem that the the cause of our problems a biggest cause of problems is wanting something too much attachment to wanting desmond to desire
and we're all cut by it everybody's cut by this
but it doesn't mean the desires wrong
is the attachments is the problem
desire is important
without desire it's it's really hard to ah
exist
but and so attachment is the problem attachment to our liking disliking wanting not wanting or
so desire chris the dualistic environment for suffering
the having and not having to have and have not great movie
so
practice is designed around
restriction
i'm
i've read you something

this is
from suzuki roshi
and he's talking about them no duality
so as we say i practice should be without gaining ideas
without any expectations even of enlightenment
this does not mean however justice it without any purpose
this practice free from gaining ideas is based on the prague a power meter sutra however if you're not careful the situate itself will give you a gaining idea
it's on
it says form is emptiness emptiness is form but if you attached to that statement you are liable to be involved in dualistic ideas here is you form and here is emptiness which you are trying to realize through form
so form is emptiness and emptiness is form is still dualistic
unfortunately a teaching goes on to say form as form an emptiness emptiness in here there is no do that this a little bit
you know intellectual i don't wedding to get you into that but
ah
but what is getting at is
ah
how did be one with their activity
without depending on the past or the future
how did just be completely present in the present this is how will practice within restriction when we can practice that way there is no restriction that's perfect freedom
to stop your mind does not mean to stab the activities of your mind
we don't i stop the activities of our mind but even so we say
stop the mind doesn't mean it means to stop discriminating of thinking
so it does not mean to start the activities if your mind it means that your mind pervades your whole body

your mind follows you breathing with your full mind you form the murderer in your hands with your whole mind you sit with painful legs without being disturbed by them
just a this is to sit without any gaining idea as you feel some restriction in your posture at first you feel some restriction in your posture but when you were not disturbed by the restriction you have found the meaning of emptiness emptiness inform as form
everything is just what it is
so to find your own way under some restriction is the way of practice
practice does not mean that whatever you do even lying down his doesn't when the restrictions you have do not limit you
this is what we mean by practice
when you say whatever i do is buddha nature so it doesn't matter what i do and there's no need to practice as in that's already a dualistic understanding of everyday life
it is really if it really does not matter that there's no need to say so
as long as you are concerned about what you do that is dualistic another of self concern as long as you have self concern that's dualistic
if you are not concerned about you what you will do you will not say so when you said you will sit when you eat you will eat that's all if you say it doesn't matter means you're making some excuse to do something in your own way
way with your own small mind
mean you were attached to some particular thing or way
when you said you should just sit without being disturbed by your painful legs or sleepiness that is him but at first it's very difficult to accept things as they are you will be annoyed by the feeling you have a new practice
when you can do anything everything when when you can do everything whether it is good or bad without disturbance or without being annoyed by the feeling that is actually what you mean by form as form an emptiness emptiness
when you're not disturbed by
discomfort or comfort or grasping a rejecting
just this is the hardest practice just to be present in that way is the heart of that's what makes practice difficult because we always want what's next
you know that cartoon
where to month
are sitting fortnight since the other what's next and in the other ones is nothing is next

so
i'll be honest capabilities

first you will have some various problems when he's talking about when you begin to practice and it's necessary for you to make some effort to continue your practice for the beginner practice without effort is not true practice for the beginner the practice needs great f
hurt especially for young people it is necessary to try it necessary to try very hard to achieve something you must stretch out your arms and legs as well as they will go that is form is form you must be true to your own way until at last you actually come to the point where you see it is necessary
forget all about yourself
that's why we have such great patience and not force people gap to when you come to practice it's very difficult and to actually get the the true tone of practice is not easy
everything
but until you get to that point you have to stay with where you are
so
kitchen has great patients with the students because it takes so much time even though that student will get to a certain place
that little tale it's hard to get through the window
it's really true
so long suffering
patients
i don't know about suffering know
the teacher steppers with the students
balance okay
because it's a joyful suffering

so until we get it until you come to this point it is completely mistaken to think that whatever you do as them or that it doesn't matter whether you practice or not but if you make your best effort just to continue your practice with your whole body and mind without gaining ideas that whatever you do will be true per
does just to continue should be your purpose
without wanting anything
or expecting anything
as long as you're expecting something
yeah that's the barrier
the barrier is expectation and it's everything is proven to us in zazen thousand is the great proof of life that's why we said as long as you expect something your suffer
just give up and then the very comfortable happy and pre
this just basic buddhism
then it's just basic buddhism if nothing else but basic buddhism it just buddhist practice
and we have the intellectual practice you know which because we have a thinking mind and we need to have the intellectual predictions as well but a basic practice is justice
so when you do something just do it just to do it should be your purpose so when i was practicing with suzuki roshi we will wash the windows he would say you're not washing the windows because they're dirty you just
washing the windows
when you're sweeping the floor you don't sleep it because it's dirty you just sweeping it and when you what brushing your teeth you don't pressure to is just to get them clean is just brushing your teeth
you just do everything totally wholeheartedly without any purpose other than
doing and then the whole body and mind is one piece without
before and after you just living each moment
as it is incomplete
i'm completely one with universal activity
and it's not you doing it so this is no self
it's just the universal activity breathing
it's the same thing
the one good reason for following a breath is that the breath is just universal activity
if not be i do read
i can't stop it i can't stop it but i don't want to do you know nobody wants to stop breathing
because you can't if you are being breathed by the universe the blood runs through the body not your fault
the arms and legs move
the baby gets a baby's you know start to stand up and more of another the baby is cooperating the baby's got five scatters are cooperating with the universe
cooperating so well as a self
we have that although is there is no permit itself there is a sense of self
and a sense of ego so that's important
but the ego than this the sense of self cooperates with the universe
this is called harmony
so how we practice selflessness
is to harmonize with our surroundings in that way so
i don't exist by myself i only exist in cooperation with everything else around me
the food that day is given to us god look at the and would pay for it you know who the paper money you know gray card but basically it's are given to us
and then we devour the food we eat the food so to speak and then we group
and then that everything is recycled if it's done properly it's really great you know we can say we can continue the earth for a while
so we cooperate with the earth we cooperate with the cosmos
so we're cosmic beings and so a
mission to be in order to be happy which is not our goal on goal is to just be present
ah
happiness is that a result of something it's not a pursuit of some he can't pursue happiness
happiness arises and asked for
the only true administers arises and as for editor you can arise in our tribulations and they can arise in a is
and i think it's a
ah
as long as you're pursuing happiness your hand right you're barking up the wrong tree
the squirrel of the in that tree

so
this is when you do something just do it just to do it should be a purpose for him as form and you are you and true emptiness will be realized by your practice
so yes
oh no instructions or is out of them
he says that when
should not rise to sudden
yes
since
transition
one activity from zaza
very from them shocking i lose my balance
so
what would you suggest
practice practice continues through changes and often radio row yeah that were good question
but there are various reasons why with his he may get up slowly and you didn't want to fall down you know you your legs and may be asleep you know or
but also the transition you know into the woods to to go carefully mindfully into the world because the first
the three stages one is the stage and letting go of everything
yeah
and then the second stage his birth
standing up his birth when you said that
death
but death is is his life
and you realize the death is like
life is death
it it's the same thing even though they seem different their manifestations are different
and then is
i
ah decision making and movement in the world and then there's
but there are other
manifestations but the first one is arising from zero to one two three four five six seven eight nine ten
so you want to be careful wow are you how you proceed because you're a newborn
that should that's that's a should be or attitude when we get up from doesn't the whole world is there for us to decide what to do because someone who
even know
it's all
and we can do anything you know i have a obligations
so
to to actually be centered in each moments activity is how we proceed producers and has called can go go on
and every activity becomes part of the score
oh how do we maintain our
ah
oh
mind or attitude of emptiness within an form of activity so within the activity is there is a stillness and within stillness is the activity that's not duality
and members circulation talking about the full lotus when you sit in the full lotus
don't know which is which leg is which
and it's all one piece
so to proceed carefully
that's why we say when you leave the zendo don't start talking on the porch
wait till everybody's alexander before you say anything
so it is
you're not
you're aware of the stillness that still there when you get up
from the cushion and i just write although rinzai practice little different
ruins i practice the jump up on the cushion and started running around
you know
i have no criticism but it's just an interesting difference but i can't like this
because we don't
in our practice doesn't it is itself is the practice
cohen study is okay but it's not the main practice main practicing thousand
so if you do collins said he was use it exists in doesn't just becomes a
i'm elena
i'm
container or kothari but corn that is the main subject i mean virgin is the main subject for us so we carry
the stillness within our activity over time that's why we always be centered
and where's my breath to always be aware of her breath all time
so that when you're aware of breath all the time i'm in all the time
when you're walking eating standing sitting through every activity where where where breath and working with her breath and then our body is in harmony with cosmos
that's how we stay in harmony
and
and with herself
when you get old is still feel good
no
body parts the working
the version
replace lot of emphasis on doing and in the body the their speech and mind that i'm wondering about with the proper place of mine
with regard to our intention around practice period or people who are not attractive greatest in one's life well know speech expresses it's very important and it expresses our mind measures that it and thoughts
and
ah you know there's a time to be quiet and there's a time to speak well as time to speak you should speak when it's time required to she'd be quiet but when it's time to be quiet we shouldn't speak
and vice versa
so
there are times in our zendo practice and in sassine and so forth where we we don't speak i remember there was somebody who everybody knows very well david chadwick with my gisha and tassajara way back there when it was the
the director of the seven early seventies and he took a vow not speaking
but he would write everything down
and he was speaking so loud but not speaking
the greatest disturbance at all
suzuki never suzuki roshi didn't know submission just be quiet
he didn't say that is edition talking is fine you should be talking you know except when it's time to be quiet be quiet
well there's nothing wrong with talking that's how we communicate you know
so we'd better be mean we should think we should be careful about what we do but not think that we shouldn't be talking when it's time to talk
would it say your talk is cheap and work no walk the walk us talk is cheap death rate so be careful what you say
take great care in how you express your your because you know it's nice to hear the birds
and let's hear the choir a but because we have this
ability to speak we overuse it we really over use it
and so it becomes chatter
and ah
small talk to small talk it's okay you know but
i'm
i can go for a long time without saying anything
but there are some of us can go for any length of time at all worth it
so it's know people different but
ah
i remember one time emma had a cancel experience
managed to go chinos sensei up to
a place called potter valley where a house where we used to use the scenes for people
and i was
serving the food
the tens or something i was directing it and so bizarre wasn't eating but everybody else was eating and when they're eating there was just a cabbage or or some chris vegetable and those as crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch
crunch that the civil scrunching and i just had the big awakening you know
what when they turn up the volume insects eating leaves you ever heard that
anyway be careful when it comes out of your mouth
i agree with you
i know that it's time to go and and the a lot of quest unanswered question
but as you get dist

so one of the problems i just wanna say one of the problems that that we have is that
i can modeled our practice and a quiz a monastic model
which means we have every day's as and and sushi and and so forth but it's really a lay practice basically
so it's kind of combination you know and
ah
so
ah
but we do have the parameters of formality and then formality is the kind of rig in the kind of can be a kind of restriction but we should find our freedom within the formality
formality does not actually restrict us
everything we do as a form and my wii fit to form we appoint our freedom
a it's called conforming
we can form to
the rhythm of our life if we don't conform to the rhythm of our life than we
think about this restriction
but when we can find a rhythm and that's why practice period should help us find a rhythm for our practice and we find their rhythm the rhythm allows us to move easily within the forms
then the forms are not restrictions they just seemed like restrictions because but
but just like a riverbank is a restriction for the river
when the river overflows it's banks have freedom but it's no longer river