This is the third day of this July 2024 seven day sesshin. We're going to switch horses here. And from from my Yuanwu to Japanese master, who lived about roughly half an hour, an hour, who lived roughly a generation after him. And this is Mu so Kakashi that's the coke. She needs national teacher, he was the teacher of the Emperor of Japan at the time. His other name is Mu muso Soseki. I'll forego reading biographical material about him, there's not much that we have any way. But obviously, being the national teacher, he was someone of immense stature and realization. Maybe not obviously, because politics, politics figured into some of that, then, but he was according to what I've read, someone had real attainment. And this is from the book Dream conversations on Buddhism and Zen. And it's translated by Thomas Cleary. Starting right at the beginning. He says, Those who seek liberation for themselves alone cannot become fully enlightened. Though it may be said that one who is not already liberated cannot liberate others, the very process of forgetting oneself to help others is itself liberating.
I think our most recently have a situation that suddenly developed right before the sesshin, when our head cook injured her wrist. And at that time for that one day, she thought she wouldn't be able to do the job. So then, who becomes the head cook? Arguably the most difficult job and sesshin other than the head monitor. There are only two or three candidates who would be able to do it through experience and know how. And one of them was Dhara-sensei. She just said, Sure, I'll do it.
I can imagine teachers who were just yearning to have the chance to just face the wall in a sesshin and seven day sesshin rather than take on one of the two most difficult jobs of the sesshin. As it turned out, the wrist healed enough that she didn't have to step into the breach. But it's the spirit of just serving, serving, okay.
He continues, therefore, those who seek to benefit themselves alone, actually harm themselves by doing so. While those who help others also help themselves by doing so, this could be so easy to forget, in this in this session environment where Understandably, people want to just let go of everything, have no responsibilities and just apply themselves fiercely to this practice in this in this one week. And there's nothing wrong with that. That's great. That's, that's one of the great things about sesshin. No, written no real responsibilities. Most of us have a lot more weight we're carrying outside sesshin and then we get into sesshin. And we have the freedom to just keep our eyes down and just go straight ahead. But what he's saying is that sacrificing, doing doing something for the sake of the greater good is itself a way to To develop greater awakening the very process of forgetting oneself to help others is itself liberating.
That is, if you don't think about it, you know, I can imagine someone volunteering in order to feel better about themselves feel virtuous, and then possibly feeling divided about taking on that responsibility. And later, why did I do this? This is so much work, I was looking so much forward to not having any of these responsibilities, but to just cleanly. Okay, it needs to be done. Someone's got to step into it and do it. No thoughts, no after thoughts, but just making it making it your practice.
And then that the next one, he says, There are three kinds of compassion. One kind is compassion whose object is living beings as such. Another is compassion whose object is elements. The third is object plus compassion. And then it goes back to the first one, the compassion whose object is living beings as such, is the compassion of one who thinks beings are real, and their delusions are real, and who wishes to liberate these real beings from their real delusions. This is sentimental compassion, which is limited by feelings. It is still just emotion and desire, not real liberative Compassion. This, this points to the the the uncompromising purity of of Zen, Zen teaching, Buddha's teaching really, is that it's really, it's really talking about compassion. before realizing the illusory nature of beings of things. And, and it hints that the, the attachment to the idea that I'm going to save that person or help that person Roshi Kapleau used to say the difference between a Buddha and a bodhisattva is that a bodhisattva, and still some to some fate. Very, very faint degree is still slightly attached to the idea of self another, I'm helping you. For most religious people in the world, that's enough. But it's not enough seen from the purist point of view and Zen. Just to finish what, what Roshi Kapleau used to say, whereas a Buddha just helps others as naturally as breathing has no notion in the mind. I'm helping you. Poor you, you need my help. A it's not bad, it's pretty good to be able to do these things, good deeds in the world. We need those people. He's just saying that it's not the purest kind of compassion. And then he talks about the compassion of one who thinks beings are real. Excuse me, that's the same one. And he says, the compassion whose objects is elements is the compassion of one who sees all beings as conditional productions of causal relations, as compounds have elements that have no real person or thing in themselves. This is illusory compassion for illusory beings. Using illusory means to liberate illusory beings from illusory delusions. It's pretty close to the first one. Although it transcends the sticky motion of sentimental compassion. This dreamlike compassion still retains the image of illusion. So it is not yet truly liberated compassion Excuse me. And then. And then the third kind. What he said earlier his object was compassion. He doesn't really even mention that. This would be what? What just referred to a minute ago is the compassion of a Buddha. It just freely reaches out without no idea of real or illusory others to help.
This is like in there's a koan in the Blue Cliff Record. Where are they? The question the Mark asks, what is the bodhisattva of compassion make of all those hands and eyes? For those of you who don't know, sometimes in bodhisattva, figures, especially bodhisattva, of compassion, you see, lots of eyes, in the in the figure in the statue, and also hands, their their their bodhisattvas figures in Japan I saw that have hundreds of arms and hands. And the master has answers. He says it's like, one in the middle of the night reaching out with reaching back with outstretched hand for the pillow. It's like one reaching out with outstretched hand for a pillow in the middle of the night
is that conscious, helping, unconscious helping, the most natural kind of responsiveness with no notion of self.
The next little segment he says, There is ultimately no means of safeguarding anything in this world. Anything you gain can be lost or destroyed or taken away. For this reason, if you make the acquisition and retention of goods, or status, your aim in life, this is a way to anxiety and sorrow.
It seems so self evident. Logical even that anything we acquire can be lost. It's in the nature of coming and going worldly things and people.
Milarepa was is my most highly esteemed masters in the Tibetan tradition. And I always loved the way he put it. All worldly pursuits have bought one unavoidable and inevitable end, which is sorrow acquisitions and in dispersion, buildings in destruction, meetings in separation births in depth. Knowing this one should from the very first renounce acquisition and heaping up and building and meeting and faithful to an eminent teacher set about realizing the truth which has no birth or death.
You don't have to be some someone of immense Spiritual stature to work this out we meet someone we love maybe we marry or maintain a partnership have children it's all going to end in separation
that man or woman we love so deeply just a matter of time
k free if if if the two of the partners meet with a fatal accident together the same plane have the same car, okay. But otherwise one is going to go before the other and it's going to hurt
buildings end and destruction
when we were setting about to design the Chapin Mill retreat center the architects asked well for how long? What is your timescale? How How long do you want this to last? And we've looked at each other said 500 years why not? But is it is it gonna last 500 years we don't know
it's your insurer doing well now being restored, maintained. And it's just such a joy to come here after a year and see the condition of both of these facilities out here and the various houses and I don't know park it's wonderful, but it's not gonna last forever. Maybe 500 years, maybe 300, maybe less. But then again, it can be rebuilt. This has happened over and over again to the great monasteries and temples and in Japan, China and no doubt in other other religions too. But first comes the destruction the deterioration
so he we hear hear Milarepa is urging the monastic path of of which is more completely than any other vocation, let's call it is avoids attachments. And monasticism hasn't gotten much traction in the West United States or Europe or other Western countries. But the least we can do those of us with friends and family and houses and cars and all the rest of it is to be aware that we're on thin ice we just don't know doesn't mean not to buy houses not to get married? Not to have children. But know what is inevitable?
I would imagine that everyone here sitting so Shane, both in the Zendo here and at home. Online has more has more than most people more awareness of this impermanence of everything than most people. It's a way of all we're doing is the most we can in a way to contend with to be able in the future to contend with loss.
And to probably many of us, it's quite amazing. saying that most people don't face face the inevitable of what's sure to come not facing it really face it means doing something about it as Milarepa says, Set about realizing the truth that is beyond impermanence the changelessness within change
and then when we lose people, it still hurts, but it's a different it's different
who would not want to prepare for that? Through daily sitting and sesshin when we can
and then, sand master Dogan to me is even even puts it even more succinctly. Those who would practice the Dharma must deeply, deeply feel the passing nature of things and have faith in karma.
There probably is no, it seems to me and no more powerful, deeper fuel for practice than this sensitivity. It's awareness of impermanence of all of us in everything.
Next, he says, It is a characteristic tendency of human beings to indulge in emotions such as happiness, grief, or anger, in response to present conditions. It is we react, failing to balance these feelings with the awareness that present conditions are results of past causes. So just a little reflection, okay. Reacting to circumstances or conditions, but, but then, maybe momentarily, reflecting that this is the effect of previous causes. He goes on, it is illogical to face the present only as an object of enjoyment or tolerance, neglecting to use it as the opportunity to create the future.
It's that phrase, though, living living for the moment. This would be what Roshi Kapleau realized when he found Zen that he was fed up with the joyless pursuit of pleasure Zen where we are training to live in the moment, but not for the moment just for immediate gratification, pleasure and happiness. That was widen the timeframe have some awareness of something beyond just the present awareness of causation
and that's what he that segues into his next one, he says causes are complex and have different timescales. The efforts of the individual are not the sole determining factor in the individual's condition in life, because everyone is part of the nexus of society and nature and the continuum of time. It is common for people to attribute causes wrongly because of misperceptions of real relationships. That is, it's a kind of a narrow pinch to notion that something that befalls me now is what I set in motion some other time it's not just that simplistic. Me Me I did that I'm I'm suffering now because I did it must have done that then it's much more complex as he says than that and then I and then also with respect to time we see people terrible people in the world doing terrible things to others who sometimes we see no no consequences they're able to get away
but that's where people who who don't believe in rebirth have a real problem on their hands Wait a minute, all of those terrible things he did. And he still was slipping through every legal net that he's ever faced. Wait right right but yeah, who's who's to say that it's just this lifetime
he continues every cause is the effect of something else and every effect is the cause of something else. What may seem a curse may be a blessing and what may seem a blessing may be a curse hardship is a blessing when it spurs effort and development ease is a curse when it when it increases complacency and self indulgence.
I once heard that the the, the girl GF girl Jeff, the teacher from Middle East came in widely known in some circles in the 20th century. Anyone said every young man should get very sick once
maybe he made it if that's true if he actually said that then maybe he was just singling out men because of our I don't know some deficit in our I don't know. But I would say every young person should get very sick once. It really really wakes you up. I may have heard it when I was in bed for two months with a severe case of hepatitis while I was here and then on staff which take so much for granted only. We're going to live okay, we're not going to live with forever we know that but surely will live till we're 80 or 90. Isn't that kind of within the the bell curve the middle of the bell curve more or less?
I think he's used the word Young was just the arrogance of youth. Or what Andy Andy Rooney said to the young death is just a distant rumor
and then as the years the decades pass isn't so distant anymore
there's so many inspiring stories of the great masters being falling, falling ill to some terrible tuberculosis or some other illness and and then fighting their way through it and but But in the midst of it, soberly recognizing that we don't, we don't get many chances to come in contact with the Dharma we need to make it count.
In astrology, there are there are harmonious aspects among the planets in the birth chart, there are harmonious aspects and there are difficult aspects. And for anyone who might study it, you, you realize that to have a a chart with major squares, let's say if squares are difficult or they chafe they grind. And the personality to have a chart with major squares isn't just good karma, because I mean isn't just bad karma, because they can that very chafing, that discontent can inspire one to try to transcend it to find some spiritual path to lead lead us out of difficulty. And Gandhi Gandhi's chart was birth chart was loaded with squares. And then you have people with the other trines or sextiles, these are the the basically triangles, which are harmonious and favorable and suggest ease. And such people if you have too many of them without the other difficult ones, too, with some balance, then you can just lead a dissolute life, everything comes easily. And you never really use this human life for its best best potential. So just how the the interchangeability of what we've what we call good karma, bad karma, ease, difficulty.
The many of you, I think enough of you have heard the story of a lost horse. enough that I won't repeat that. But it's a it's a timeless story of how misfortune turns out in the long run to be a positive, a good thing, and good fortune turns out to be the opposite. And it goes back and forth. Good thing to bear in mind to help us lighten up just a little bit with the approach of the general election in November, just help us lighten up a little bit, that we don't know. How can we know what will happen as a result of the election and in what will happen in 10 years, or 20 or 50 or 100 years, we tend to see things as such a narrow, narrow vision, narrow timescale. We don't know how things will turn out.
And then he says more in a way he says more about this in his next segment, if you forget your feelings about things of the world, they become enlightening teachings. So we're not attached to what you like or dislike about things that happen. They can become enlightening teachings if you and then he says if you get emotional about enlightening teachings, it becomes a worldly thing. attachment.
So again, to see things that strike us as awful, tragic, disastrous, whether in electoral politics or anything else, to have some have some distance from it, and recognize that that we don't know. And this starts with sitting. It is sitting by detaching from thoughts. That's a phrase that you've heard at least two or three times in this session, detaching from thoughts which really means detaching from the world of objects, things supposedly out there. We are developing detachment through daily sitting in an even more so in such sheen. And that is immensely helpful in weathering adversity
He goes on. Doing good seeking rewards is contaminated virtue. Doing good without thought of reward, dedicating it to enlightenment is uncontaminated virtue. Like volunteering to be head cook, contamination and non contamination refer to the state of mind of the doer, not to the good deed itself.
I'm going to skip a few, I think good good thing is to get to a topic of, of Mako and sesshin. The name he gives it his demons. There are various mental phenomena and mental postures that obstruct the potential for true understanding. Because of their harmful and destructive nature, they are called demons or devils. So that's, you know, this is 13th century language, demons or devils. These demons include greed, hatred, conceit, opinionated views. Addiction to meditation states, pride in knowledge, desire for personal liberation from one's own sake alone. Sentimental compassion, anxious haste to attain enlightenment. idolizing teachers rejecting the teaching because of finding fault with teachers external behavior, indulging in passions and fearing passion some, some here that can just comment on Well, greed, hatred conceit can see as probably most of you notice and see this in Buddhism doesn't just mean thinking you're better than other people, you're superior. It also works is when you think you're somehow worse than others. You're inferior. That's that's that's just egoism. I'm different from other people. I have a harder time. I'm less than other people. It's just an inverted sense of what we usually think of as egotism. But it's still egotism, thinking one is somehow separate. Pride in knowledge, we know there are people who are smug about how much they know how much they've read, how brainy they are and and their studies and so forth. Anxious haste to attain enlightenment
and so forth. And then he says, These demons, these obstructive mind states, these demons may arise because of incorrect application of mind. They may also flare up in a correctly applied mind in which they are about to die out, just as a candle flame will flare up just before it goes out. There's a wonderful analogy because what has happened to many people, especially late in sesshin, is just hitting a brick wall are tumbling down a hole into some obstructive awful memory, or
some other obstruction and it becomes so powerful. It's It's shocking it's it's so distressing when your mind for five or six days has gotten more and more clear. You're feel like you're really getting airborne and beyond thoughts and then Power, something, you dig up something without even wanting to something comes to the surface, that it just up ends you for a while. For an hour or a day, I've heard many of these stories in the axon and I went through them myself. And I and I remind people that that this this is you can say is confirmation that you're getting so deep that you're getting into those deeper character stains those deeper afflictions that you normally aren't in touch with. And suddenly here they are. Just as a candle flame will flare up just before it goes out
it was really helpful when I realized that this is how the mind can work. I would more than a few times latency machine I would slip into discouragement until I had the presence of mind to realize okay, this is this is just a mind throwing everything at has that made us get me to stop. So this is this discouragement I'm feeling it's actually should be encouraging. I've got the ego on the ropes. That's the way I used to put it to myself. And a device like that a little mental gymnastics like that. If it gets you out of the hole, why not use it, because it works. It's just a way of turning the tables on this delusive self. It's and and, and seeing that it's just temporary. That's the key thing. Seeing it as temporary. It's not your nature to be inadequate. It's just some misperception that's arisen because of losing, losing your armor, having that armor dissolve and then suddenly running into this heavy weather and, but not to be deceived by it.
And then he says more about this, about these demons in in. In Japanese use the term Mockito. Usually marchio, strictly speaking means hallucinations. And these come become more common as sesshin goes on. But we can use them more broadly to mean these kinds of obstructive states of mind. And then he relates, he says, a simple method of quelling demons, that is to get free of these states of mind is to refrain from clinging to anything mentally. This is illustrated by an ancient story in which a strange person used to roam around the grounds of a hermitage of a certain meditation master. Sometimes he would appear as a Buddhist saint, sometimes as a celestial King, sometimes radiating extraordinary light, sometimes uttering strange sayings. This continued for 10 years, and then it stopped. The meditation master told his disciples, a celestial demon had been coming here to bother me. But no matter what appearance it created, I dealt with it by not looking or listening. The demons manifestation had an end, but my not looking and not listening, have no end. Here we are. Centuries, advice centuries back, that still work today. The key thing is not to, not to dwell in whatever phenomenon come to mind. Whether it's hallucinations or or psychological states of anxiety, fear, pride, all of these potential obstructions to not attach to them. Not let them grab your attention to keep the attention on the practice. And then it's they still may persist these days. Doesn't matter. Just keep the attention on the practice. Back to the breath. Keep the breath in mind. Keep koan in mind, don't be diverted, don't be lured into seeing these things. That seems so, so humiliating about yourself, or just plain old Mockito florid Mockito even that can be actually quite entertaining, don't go there. We're not trying to suppress them. None of this at won't work to try to suppress them. Just keep your attention off them keep the attention directed, aimed at the practice and not at any of that stuff, then then they'll fade away sooner or later. They need they need our attention to survive the states. They need our attention like, like we need oxygen. We can dispense with that oxygen as we choose. Keeping it on what matters. The practice we're working on. Our time is up we'll stop now and recite the Four Vows
