good morning
well i'm
as a vm
abbot of this vincent center
my job is to repeat our packed with a the meaning of our practice over and over again
if it sorry
but
if we don't keep repeating the meaning of our practice over and over again
we forget what is about
so
sometimes i have i have a class and
ah we study something and then we come back next week and so does anybody remember what we studied last week
silence
it doesn't necessarily mean that we forget bed
ah we do
so i'm
bipap
a purpose in life is to keep you might guess what a very basic practices and if we don't keep reiterating
i'm new people will not understand
so for this eighty one person we explain the whole thing over and over again
but it's always interesting
i hope

so today i'm going to talk about ah she can tell that
she contessa is the basic term used
what the goal of our practices
there are many ways to talk about chicken does it but basically she can't either
myth
i'm
going down to the deepest part of your urine of your be
and expressing that and your daily activity

and it's characterized by thousand
virgin
yeah deep stillness
ah letting go of
discriminating mind
and a getting down to the bottom
so am
when we have meals in the zendo
for the sake of you have never had a meal in the zendo we fitted traveler like this the servers come and somebody cooks the food
the servers common and serve the food to us in very formal way
and ah
and then we eat food and very far away and then they come and give us water we wash our balls and ah everything's done finished we don't have nobody has to wash are both boys so with one complete activity is the most satisfying way to eat
i've ever eaten
so when the servers come often they have soup
so soup
usually has water the needs of basic thing about soup is water
and then there's a additional things like
ah gerritsen vegetables you know the water has a certain density and vegetables have a certain weight
so how well a what when the servers bring the food to the table
before they served in the meantime the all the heavy things like the vegetables are going down to the button
and then the waters of the top
this goes for
oatmeal
and various other foot as you can understand is very simple
the heavy stuff goes with bottom and water stays on top and they will the servers come to serve the food
to take
they take the water of the top and put it in your ball
fly i we say
stir the soup so that the vegetables in and water are equal
why do i have to say that
this is the most fundamental thing
if you understand this you understand the reasoning about our practice
that the heavy stuff goes from the bottom and the water stays on tap unless you stir it so you should always go to the bottom that's the point the point is always go to the bottom and find out what's at the bottom
what's at the bottom of pot so the the metaphor for our practice but what's the bottom of your our bodies part
and add the water stays on top of butter
you have to go down and dig deep
so does in is going down the bottom and twenty of up with their
the good either at the bottom
salad the same way
they serve the salad and then all the goodies are at the bottom
so you have to find what's at the bottom and serve from the bottom of your heart
we serve each other from the butterbur heart going down to the bottom of the part is like going down to the bottom of our heart or mind
and ah
i i'm sharing with at the bottom of your heart and your mind with everyone else
she can taza applied applied she got to have back
oh
though it buddhism is i can
and the many animals that are featured in buddhism we use animals is
each animal has wonderful qualities if we really look at the animal world an insect world and if you need if you
read national geographic you get really good picture of the animal world in the insect world and the magnified insect world every insect capri
animal has a certain quality are certain qualities which are incredible
the jones were an effect in buddhism that in buddhism buddhist time
separate sect in buddha time and they were naked aesthetics and the heather
stick with rings on it
just like the buddhist and they would go along jangling the rings so that all a little insects and animals or get under the way
well they were walking
cut they didn't want to harm anything
so
we have that kind of understanding
i so her
and buddha dharma buddhism ah
we talked about three animals that am
the elephant different animals appeared in india he an elephant
the horse and the rabbit
so the rabbit is just hopping all over the place
and ah
the horse has wonderful
noble qualities but it always running around
and the elephant
if big and heavy and takes very careful steps and their step could always bottom one step at a time when the a time so ah
basically in the olden days they said the tourism a buddhist
moves like an elephant
or sometimes they said like a rhinoceros
ah but
for the elephant is very careful very determined and very aware
but as the three animal that it's easy it's not like one is right and the others are not so good
sometimes we're like a horse and substantial like a rabbit some to that practices like a rabbit
sometimes i practice like a horse but to go to get to the bottom
we hit it
it's like an elephant taking one step at a time very carefully and knowing where their feet are placed
so that's like an elephant is used that way it's not too
the horse and rabbit i'll have great wonderful qualities as we know the rabbit's ear jack rabbit ears or is like this body
measure
that was looking in a picture with jack rabbit the other day and an intersection like islam and the bodies but whatever
so are all week we use these animals as
metaphors for various qualities that they have that match our own
american indians are very good at that
ah the appreciated all the animals
but anyway point is foolish
she cantata is like ah
the elephant
very careful and very single minded
so ah and virgin is ah
ah kip to the as as an end it
letting go
a discriminating mind
is a
get the essential practice he goes
discriminating mind

suzuki roshi
said it's like
a baby's practice
the babies practice
the baby doesn't discriminate between to wherever the baby touches or uses
or is interested in is equal everything is equal there's no discrimination until the baby constructs discriminating through
a trial and error
so that there is like going back to being that too big a baby because you can't do that
but the quality of that effort and the babies but it's really young child's the quality of that life is like she got data
i'm assuming mind
the mine even though we assume
you're like this i know what you your the i know who you are and so forth this is an assumption based on experience the bad assumption nevertheless
though the baby doesn't assume anything but just simply experiences everything exactly as it is or exactly as an experience it without preconceptions
delicious cold greek freedom
she can data is great freedom
freedom from
ah
the freedom from the duality that creates karma

so the baby
has care kids about itself in some way it is not too worried about itself
but
realizes or lives in the space
live in the space
where everything is real
baby live in the space that is real
and what real means is not a substantial
just think about it
what we call real is substantial
we look at a rock and
that's really substantial we look at mount temple pilots who if that's really substantial
but actually it's not
there is certain reality to substantial but we call substantial things substance right
but stuck substance is a just malleable
there is no substance is not malleable including steel and iron man whenever
so
everything is real because it's reality is it's not substantially
to the baby doesn't really get attached to things
because you slept there is no correspondence between desire and substantially
so this is malleable world of one thing after another just once a after another
when when there's something for the baby to laugh at the baby left when there's something to cry about the baby cries
but the baby doesn't hold on to decry
the baby doesn't hold onto the laughing is just one thing after another
one moment at the time
when we should evolve in is just one moment at a time
well being attached anything no attachment to a thought no attachment to a feeling
just simply experiencing one thing after another
the great freedom
i didn't be able to move
you know
a sitting still sitting very still
is great dynamic movement
because a great dynamic activity
because of the energy is contained in one movement called stillbirth
it's like a top
you spin the top
and the floor
and it was blue banana stops and then it doesn't look like it's moving
but it contains all the energy of movement
within the stillness
so that if you
ah kick it you can spinning across the floor because of its dynamism
so sitting still it doesn't is great dynamic activity
just like the top all that energy is contained in weren't activity
so he extension or she can't either
is to have to be totally focused and one with each moments activity
very yard
that's the easy cause we're always being distracted by owed a desire his mind
so i just want a real little bit to you about from suzuki roshi
when he's talking about enjoy your life
how do enjoy your life this will he gave his he gave his talk
the day that
so of the moon landing
the apollo landing in the nineteen
sixty nine
so you probably remember that
did a great event but he say l o it's a great event
if it's not the greatest event
ah so this is in meditation
we sometimes
practice counting her breath
you may think it's silly to count your breath from one to ten
losing track of account and starting over
i remember when i started to sit thousand and nineteen sixty four
and security recommended that we count our breath
your hand
people say i came from the world egg i come from the world of numbers to practice meditation and here i am six thirty in the world invalidation counting my breath
what does that have to do with numbers well it really has nothing to do with numbers at all
you can just keep saying one when when or move
the windsor school chef mo mo mo
which is the same as one two three four up to ten you think about mu is that it's easier because they don't have to keep track
hit as the same sound over and over again so it's very difficult to get to ten and then you realize how your mind works and how you might wanders and how your mind is gets distracted
so it met a ferocious if you are i
so you may think it's silly to account your breath from one to ten losing track of the count and starting over when you get to ten and start again with one if you're lucky enough to get to ten
if you are computer if you use a computer they won't be any mistake right shit you can decide you want without making a mistake but doesn't have to point the point is not to get somewhere is simply to have something
a a a limitation
to give you perspective
if i if i
ah
light a match
in in a closet it lights up the whole closet
but if i light a match outside didn't make any difference i mean hardly any difference at all
so you have some
ah ah
something to compare
our to a limitation to give you perspective
so
the underlying spirit is quite important while we are county each number we find that our life is limitless a deep
if we count our breath in the ordinary way as we would count the distance from here to the moon
i practice doesn't mean anything
so the purpose of the count is to ah
make you aware to keep your awareness focused is not to add up numbers
it can be anything
if you count cheap you go to sleep that's the purpose of counting sheep
but it's not like counting sheep is like each number is the whole universe
we count each breath
to be cut out we count each breath to count each breath is a breathe our whole mind and body
your whole mind and body is involved in this in one
or two
we count each number with the power the whole universe
so when you really experienced county your breath you will have deep gratitude more than if you arrived on the moon
you will not be so interested in something just because it is considered great
our and interested in it because it is usually considered to be small
so this is elephant practice soak up
each each breath contains the whole universe know when you're sitting sajjan
at some point you feel some discomfort
sometimes we call it pain
oh desserts
because the whole universe is pressing down on your body
and if you are attached to that feeling
the whole universe is pressing down at your body and you can
leave and you can stay
so all you can do it
let go
except
but let it go means freedom
to find your freedom total freedom
by let it go
but you can only find that through your own experience
i can tell you that but it's not your experience
that's why we have to sit over and over again every day
sora
so pieces still you may have very interesting you may be very interested in having new experiences
the way a baby does a baby i started as well read it again a baby has the same basic attitude of interest towards it all things if you watch her she will always be enjoying her life
we adults mostly are caught by a preconceived ideas and we're not completely free from the objective world because we are not one will he objective world
usually we think the other way around
to be
separated because we're separated we have been
pain is separation
because if they not what we want
instead is is it's
as soon as just know you want we have pain and suffering
buddha says i only teach freedom from booted from pain and suffering
i didn't he didn't teach freedom from pain but he does three
teach freedom from suffering which means separation
when you want with things there's nothing to be separate from
this is the core of dharma
when you separate from
yeah you have pain and suffering
so there's the you know ah
silk
you know that dark joke
ah make me want with everything
well it's true

that's a great sentence
we're not completely free from the objective world
because we are not one with the objective world
so the thing about pain and suffering
is that instead of
esh trying to extricate herself
you become one with
it's a a
ah
when we have when we receive something that we don't like or don't want
ah we usually set up a barrier
i'll push it away difficult and version
a version
and clinging on the two sources of
summary
clinging is the source of suffering because whatever it is that we cling to will come apart
and
if we cling to our discomfort
we suffer
so where do we do
we have to let go what do we let go up we like go of our
self-centeredness
figures are called it's selfishness
i as a it's selfishness
he added to the mean selfishness i thought well self-centeredness right some silliness is more objective
selfishness is more subjective
you can say well you know your self centered but that's where objected that appear but selfishness is more here
if someone says just self centered like way i gave up whenever can fit your selfish than oh yeah me that it hits you in the emotions
and the feelings
but if trump were selfish
ah and net the cards of are suffering
that's because i'm i am
clinging and aversion
what is it it feels what is the fields of version and clinging
if thyself
self is
self centered i like a is worth something because it's
but it really means if you think about it we want or don't want don't want
is just it just the other side of wanting
so wanting and i kidding
are not want again kidding
just the same thing
the two sides of the coin
so
how did they go of ego
you can you can think about it but the dharma is how you brexit
if you don't practice it is just an idea
and are suffering how do we get rid of most every we go to various places that to do that
there is altered
altering substances
the that ah make us feel good for a while but then everything that we use
to divert
our suffering
for the to ease it that is not substantial
it's just creating more karma
so as a know this country isn't that terrible streets of addiction
in order to practice
practice is not easy
cult so ah and there are many ways many practices today
that people shop around for you know he got to his wine and and you got that one maybe this will help me but it's like shopping you know for our spiritual medications
what we think i'm a spiritual medications is
practices that her well elbaz right
but and i i can't say that the they're good or bad
this practice is not easy
and it's not so easy to maintain its that's so hard to to enter the practice and to have some benefit if that's what you want we don't claim benefits you know visited this this this is the cure that this secure
that has no benefits
so that if you want to have this practice it you have to be there and you'll have to do it and it's it's nice to start but as difficult to continue
because you don't understand or don't you don't necessarily feel the benefits
for a long time
so but if you're looking for benefit you'll be discouraged
like i knew i could trust my teacher because he never promise anything
ever
is it if you wanted if if you want to do this practice you just do the practice
ah when you sit that then you just sit father
period
it's not like it will make you better are you change er bla bla bla nothing if you sit there then you will sit today if you eat you will eat if you walk your luck that's all there's nothing next
he contagion is there's nothing next
there's no best and there's no future
you want a practice test the practice if she can't either
doesn't mean it is no past the future
there is no future
anyway
we just think of a future is an idea futures and idea
we plan for it
and you know the past has given rise to the present and the present will give rise to the future but actually there's no best and then no future ventures our idea of the past your idea of the future and idea of the present
but even so
we have to our life with takes place right in the present
one quick were easy short question
i i didn't say there's no benefit i said we don't sit doesn't for a benefit
that i guess i'm asking about
visit your name
and is sitting with the pain
a benefit
you know whatever happens whatever happens to you
this benefit
if you're happy that's beneficial if you're not happy that's beneficial
if you feel terrible that's great benefit
everything
is it freely given to you according to the way you approach everything
if you approach
pain with a version then you will help you will benefit from that
bye bye bye feeling awful
you understand
because he dividing you keep divided into benefit not benefit
since you start dividing that's called discrimination
painted just paid just to feel it
like the genuine feeling is just feeling that genuine if it's not i don't like it she soon as you start dividing discriminating consuming nation is to divide and you been to actually
is to let go of discriminating mind
then everything falls into place as one
the to r one the one is too
but if you don't understand if you don't experience the wonders of duality you just painted somebody you don't like so as soon as you don't like it if discriminated
that's what makes difficult to sell says and difficult
i'm
the sale is very simple
this is may so simple but the simplest thing is the hardest thing
so
ah the easiest thing is information
we all have these little computers right and for information is the way to go
but that's not have that just going further further away that is forget information
forget what you know
and just be
if i'd just be if you can accept the sensations in your body that you call pain and any open to them instead of closing down his anti
like of
yeah counterintuitive
and is counterintuitive
cost when something enters it becomes a
invasion however intrusion in your body
so you can think of it as an intrusion you open to it instead of closing down but and want to close down
and it's very subtle extremely subtle
just
you're be sitting pretty comfortably and anything
this is the petition the more you want to escape the harder to mark difficult it becomes
soon as you start to escape
you can't because he get caught by you're discriminating mind
ginger let go of your discovery might then everything's ok
that's just the way it is but we get caught all the time
so a practices to like of it's not that we like that there's no discrimination because you're discriminating all the time
but it's discrimination
the basis of like and dislike good and bad right run
can be caught by that
so so then we concentrate on that
because it teaches us everything we need to know certain and teachers as a it doesn't lie
it does not lie it's just as this is the way it is when you when you to start discriminating you create problems for yourself
and as soon as you want to escape it makes it worse
so
we county in breath
one breath at a time
justice breath in his breath covers the whole world the whole universe covers everything then there's no discrimination
the breath except ah
these sensations in our body which we call good or bad
we just call him that
the breath except for that because the breath includes everything
and that's called one
so the oneness accepts the duality but doesn't get caught by it

so he says we're not completely free from the objective world object the world means in this case
a discriminating bite
because we are that one with the objective world
so it's not that this not rejected the the the objective world is been one with it so we say i practice a she katusha to be one with your activity
just be one with your activity whatever it is whatever it is
it's not easy
so we're not free from discovered because we're not one with discomfort
and that's the hardest thing to realize
no matter you may realize that number to relax but as artist thing to realize that because we always discriminating and think that we get out of stuff by getting out of it we can free yourself from stuff because we will want a free ourselves
filthiest one a free yourself you create get a or
duality and that's what causes the pain
at are too hard to accept and it has to be moment to moment
but am i know it's like walking the tightrope and not falling into one side of the other but when you have when he practiced over and over and the have that experience than the tight rope becomes more like a highway
and you don't forget even if you fall into one side the other you know where to get up
so
continuous practice
don't she contains a continuous practice in all activity
shut sitting in thousand is one side and ever
don't discriminate activity and then
daily life is the same thing it just all one piece
is called continuous practice
i can go to learn but