Dogen talks about rightly transmitted dharma. And Hakuin Zenji's teacher, Rojin, talks about true meditation. And every other teacher has some way they keep trying to express this practice of ours.

[01:09]

Rinzai says, in the non-differentiating instant, non-differentiating light in an instant of thought, a non-discriminating light in an instant of thought. And yet, Blake says there is no natural religion, as I always say, too. It's interesting how it seems all the Western religions have a kind of radical branch which is very similar to Buddhism.

[02:21]

But the main Western religion, the main body of Western religion is involved in externalizations, a faith in something. And only people like Blake or the far-out or mystic branches of Western religion have the same statements as the main body of Buddhism. to see something substantial outside yourself.

[03:29]

Religion, something coming from outside yourself, or something given to you, is a heretical view by Buddhist practice. There's no natural religion. You can feel that in your chanting when you aren't awake. Notice the difference between your chanting when you're attentive and awake in your chanting and when you're just being dragged along by the chanting, letting the chanting do it. A chanting really does it You are... Your attention, your concentration is in each syllable. And true meditation that Rojin is speaking about is the same.

[04:46]

Your attention is there. He says, Rojin says, At thirteen, I understood, believed in Zen teaching, had faith in Zen teaching. At sixteen, I destroyed the face my mother gave me. At nineteen, I left home and became a monk. At thirty-five, I secluded myself. hid myself, concealed, he says. At 35, I concealed myself in this temple. And at 65, now, only four or five years ago, I realized true meditation, continuously.

[05:47]

Blake, you know, again, says the Divine Body is imagination itself. And yet imagination, like artificial, means to imagine something that's not there. So as I was suggesting yesterday, your practice to open yourself to without, again, averaging your senses, averaging your imagination, opening yourself to many images. Image means also, originally, ghost, or to make a picture of oneself. So again, in this session, in your zazen practice, what within your zazen practice of just doing it, just coming here and sitting, is true meditation that Rojin discovered when he was about 60.

[07:32]

after beginning his practice at 13, and transmitting this dharma to Haku. It's the same dharma that Dogen is talking about, rightly transmitted dharma. You're transmitting it yourself, to yourself always, Rinzai says, don't stray from it or let go, let hold of it for a single instant in all the moments of your existence. But there can't be any grasping either. In the story about

[08:40]

and why didn't you complete my statement? Where is the other half of my statement? Setso's poem is Water Will Not Wet It. And Engo says, Boy, Setso, you're getting pretty far out there. No one can understand you if you say, water cannot wet it. Anyway, he says that. Water cannot wet it. Wind cannot enter it. Tigers prowl. Dragons walk around. Ghosts wail. And spirits howl, he says. That's just what I've been saying. I was happy to discover that poem.

[09:47]

That's what I was saying yesterday. And he has two more lines. His head is three feet long. I wonder who it is. That's like Jerome's stomach which escaped from his mouth. Jerome has just a three-foot-long stomach, which likes pastries and white sugar. I can't disturb him. His head is three feet long. Who is it? Oh, standing on one foot, he answers without speaking.

[11:08]

That's the whole point. His head is three feet long. I wonder who it is. Standing on one foot, he answers without speaking. This is same, you know, if water will wet it, you have something dualistic, you know. So he means, again, seamless sea. Kai in Samadhi. And he says, too, tigers prowl and dragons walk around. This means ji, ju, yu samadhi. That means samadhi of self-fulfilling activity. And Ingo comments, you know, when the wind moves, grasses bow down.

[12:16]

It means, again, when you understand this kind of activity, the other half of Joshu's statement, the instant of non-discriminating light in each thought, that's like non-doing or everything will bow down by this activity. your karma will be fulfilled. Your great debt to your parents and teachers and good friends will be repaid. This is not reasonable, but it's factual. We have this experience. Finally, we know what we were wanted to do. And we feel, we know, we are now completing it.

[13:30]

This coming from this samadhi of self-fulfilling activity. This true meditation isn't just on your cushion, but as Rinzai points out, is the light in a single instant of thought. But you can most see how off you are in zazen. Zazen is maybe the place we realize how poor our practice is. The big scale, you just sit, you know, sleepy or sick or awake, you just sit. That's most fundamental. And second, you sit with as much attention, awakeness, the effort of already, already, again and again.

[14:51]

And there's no object of your seeking, and you don't know what you're seeking. But something in you is ready, already. And you can actually get the feeling of it. You suddenly will feel pretty good. I found a little note in a book this morning which said, I am in a mountain Zion.

[15:59]

It's spelled out, M-O-U-N-T-A-I-N. I am in mountain Zion with Yvonne, Y-V-O-N, and Hillary. I guess it was a note to Sally, my daughter. I am sent to Japan by Suzuki Ishii. I am in mountain Zion. Sally with Yvonne and Hillary. It is very beautiful and calm outside. A say hello to Dick and Virginia, the A-R-G-I-N-I-A. And then it was signed Y-A-L-L-O-W Roshi, Yellow Roshi, because he was quite yellow at that time.

[17:05]

Anyway, you will feel quite everything is quite calm and beautiful. Or how can I express it? you will find you're using your old karma, just according to circumstances as they are. Grasses bow down as the wind moves, Ingo says. This is our treasure, true meditation rightly transmitted. And it's so easy to get it confused.

[18:14]

So many powerful things will happen if you practice this way and you may be confused by the abundance and confuse others by the abundance, you know, some luxurious living. Or we have some danger here, you know, of these three temples, because we have been so fortunate in our geography becoming the style of teaching. But there is no danger in this if you find this treasure of true meditation.

[19:27]

which you are, can find out how to transmit to yourself. Transmit. Rinzai says, in the eye it is called seeing. In the ear it is called hearing. In the mouth it is called speaking. In the hands it is called seizing. In the feet, it is called running or carrying. In this way, you are always saying goodbye. Everything you meet, you say goodbye. When you say hello, you should actually be saying goodbye. You should say hello knowing it's goodbye.

[20:42]

and hello to everything at the same time. Everything which always encompasses everything. It means you don't stray from true meditation. you have a chance here to realize this true meditation. Approach and finally realize this true meditation, which doesn't need form anymore. and takes any form according to circumstances, and hence can empower your karma.

[21:55]

If you're here seeking after something, enlightenment or fame, or to improve yourself, You may improve yourself, but you won't get this true meditation, which will actually enlighten your whole karma, realize your whole karma. And you'll feel it. You'll know, I'm doing completely what I should be doing. And you won't fall into what Hakuin Zenji calls you know, the hell pit of wondering, what should I do? Sometimes I feel sorry for you who don't want to become priests or monks, because you will misunderstand

[23:12]

this teaching, thinking it's only for monks or priests. And sometimes I feel sorry for you who want to be monks or priests, because you think that by being a monk or a priest you will realize this teaching. The monk I'm talking about And Dogen Zenji has always been talking about is the monk which transcends a layman or a priest or a monk. It's the person of pure poverty who never strays from right meditation. who doesn't need anything. This is the monk that Dogon means.

[24:24]

This monk is true meditation and rightly transmitted dharma. and can be transmitted by you to yourself and to everyone in any circumstance. Water does not wet it. I cannot enter it. Tigers prowl, dragons walk around. Ghosts howl and spirits wail.

[25:30]

His head is three feet long. I wonder who it is. I wonder who it can be. standing on one foot, he answers without speaking. Who is such a person? What is such a teaching? How can we ever explain to anyone what we're doing here? Water does not wet. But you know, You can't explain it to yourself either. You know because you finally feel you're doing what is exactly right or coming close to it.

[26:52]

You feel good about what you're doing without reservation. And yet you stray and come back. And the whole question is whether you have the courage to come back, really come back, not just for one more try, but with the knowledge that you will always come back. This is the method of our practice which you can find out how far off you are in Sashin and Zazen and can make the clearest effort to come back to just sitting.

[28:10]

Just allowing your breath to speak for itself. Just allow everything to speak for itself. By your... It seems contradictory, but it's by your attention that allows everything to speak for itself. You're chanting to chant for itself. As I said yesterday, Blake says something like, the sun's light, when he unfolds it, needs the eye to behold it. that everything is realized in itself when you realize.

[29:29]

Language isn't exactly right here. If I say, first step is attention, your awareness But this awareness I'm talking about, when there's no effort anymore, is water does not wet it. Wind cannot enter it. It means no externalization. no subject, object. This is right meditation, rightly transmitted. This is your job, right meditation, expression and re-enactment.

[30:57]

I don't like to put pressure on you, but the responsibility for Buddhism is completely yours. There's no Buddhism without your responsibility. Without right meditation, rightly transmitted, there's no Buddhism. So when you see this, you feel your responsibility, your job here, your job that somehow you got yourself into. But recognizing this responsibility, you know, I must say it, but you feel, finally, when you recognize that responsibility, all your burdens, all your suitcases are taken away.

[32:13]

Because you find out exactly how to fulfill your karma, how to use your old karma, according to each circumstance as it is. And your parents and friends and everybody is similarly relieved. It's clear now to you what they were asking you to do. And what you, even as a home leader, will always feel uneasy until you fulfill. So we're each here on top of a mountain. each year, the end of Buddha's lineage or the beginning of Buddha's lineage.

[33:29]

It's very clear. Much space. Tremendous freedom. It only depends on your awareness to realize this lineage and continue this lineage, this meditation rightly transmitted. Quit fooling around. for the yeller Roshi and for yourself.

[34:41]

Quit fooling around. How undisguised do you want what you think you're here for. this blessing.

[36:11]

how seldom we come even close to acknowledging it. It's too raw. But if you can acknowledge your responsibility, it won't escape you in any circumstance. It will be the other half of Joshu's statement.

[37:45]

and you will find your true contact with others and with everything and your true identity in this right meditation, rightly transmitted. I don't know how I got to this point here with you, but I'm very grateful for you.

[39:32]

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