So, this is the third talk on the five characteristics of the dharma, that's an expression or it kind of is meant to express the kind of confidence that is possible that with people, some people have in the dharma. And so, this there is the saying goes, the dharma is well spoken by the Buddha, it is visible here and now immediate, inviting us to see onward leading, and to be personally known, experienced by the wise. So, today the topic is a placebo, which is sometimes translated as inviting inspection inviting us to come and see. And it's the compound word or two words, that he e h i, is the, the kind of the instruction Come, come here. And, and persico has the word to see in it, come and see. The end, it's the same kind of route, as be pecinta, which has pasa nine at the PASA is that to see as well. And as will come and see, and buddho, when, early in his teaching career, when someone wanted to become ordained as a monastic, he would say to them, Come, Begoun, come, monastic. And that just simply that come, come here come into this was, that was the ordination ceremony, nothing more, nothing more fancy. And so, I kind of like this, because this idea of a V come and see, has this kind of association, my mind to this movement to really step into their spiritual life, the dharmic life really fully as this it, come, come bhikkhu come into this. And so the dharma beckons us to see invites us to see says, Come, look, come look. And, and it's not telling us, come learn. Come read these books. Come memorize these teachings. Come believe what I'm saying. Rather, it's saying, Come and look, come and see. And it's a beckoning us. And the question is, what is doing the calling what's inviting us to come and see. And some people have suggested it's the world, that everything that's there, there's a request that we connect with it, they we know it, they really are present for this world, because everything is important. And I've known some wonderful spiritual practitioners, you get a sense when you're with them, that everything is important to every little detail, everything we do. And the inspiring little event story that I witnessed was in many, many years ago, and in late 1970s, I was witness to get unusual gathering maybe the first time of about seven, maybe the only seven full send teachers in the United States. And most of them were Japanese who were moved to me here to teach then and they had a meeting and they asked at one evening of their kind of gathering they had they had a panel for us then students and and someone there were there said sit by the table and answering questions and things and, and some Zen student came along with glasses of water for them. And then soon just the reach reach behind them and put it on the table for them kind of kind of innocuously kind of.
But as he went down the table, he came to the last person and teacher Imaizumi Roshi, and and when he, the student left the water for the teacher, the teacher turned around, as if that person bring the water was the most important person at that moment, and bowed kind of kind of an appreciation and thanks. And the fact that none none of the other teachers had done that it really started Wow, this is important. For this teacher, this is important as anything else. And the other teachers seemed to me they were so involved in the q&a that they, you know, they didn't notice maybe. But they say everything's important. Later, I was sitting in a retreat next to it, Japanese and monk and I saw him bow to his teacup. I know, why would you bow to a teacup. So everything is important. And so you would make some what's what inviting us to see is the worlds be present for everything, everything is important. Another way of understanding what we're being invited to see is the seeing itself, that that says seeing that's important, come and see, come and be involved in the seeing that the freedom is found in how we see how we're aware how we know. And as we are tuning into how we see how we know it's fantastic thing begins to happen is we start seeing it recognizing how our awareness or seeing or knowing, gets hijacked, gets caught in, gets utilized by our attachments, our greed, our agendas, our conceits, because we feel it gets, it gets tight, it gets frozen, it gets pressure, it gets assertive, the knowing is not spacious, relaxed, open, peaceful. And, and so come and see is I think to be partly an invitation was not so much what you look at. or in addition to what you're looking at, it's the act of seeing come really see, learn about you're seeing, learn about how you're aware, learn about the the richness and the value of this present moment ability to be present and to see. And so what's been calling us to see is the seeing itself. Because the seeing itself wants to be free, wants to be open is available. And I think, you know, the analogy I have for this sometimes is you know, if you sit and meditate, like in a nice way and come out of meditation, very calm and centered and very present, then the seeing of the world around us just kind of happens naturally easily. And things begin to sparkle and stand out and highlight in a way they weren't. We're busy and stressed in everyday life. Maybe before meditation. I remember the first time I had this experience, I kind of felt everything was sparkling. And I said wow, it's a monk going around and clean that while I wasn't paying attention. And wow. Or sometimes taking a nap during the day. And I've woken up in a place where there's sunlight coming in through the window, and I can see all the dust particles playing in the sunlight. And I'm just kind of that's, that's completely interesting to see. Not because the dust particles are so interesting, perhaps. But what's so compelling, is the very relaxed, open way of seeing, that just seems to happen on its own kind of way of seeing it's free of attachments and agendas and all this stuff. So come and see the dharma is come and see. See each thing maybe as important. Come and see be in the seeing, and the freedom that's there. And, and see deeply and as we do that, there's a lot to see. And, and one of the things to see is this what we'll talk about tomorrow, a another amazing quality of the dharma is that it's onward leading. And what is that onward leading. I'm getting ahead of myself now but so that's where tomorrow kind of excited
but for now, it's our capacity to perceive our capacity to know it capacity to see is literally and in representing all the all the acts of perception. There's something that is welcoming us, inviting us to let that come to the foreground. And the idea that there's some feeling of invitation some Calling to ATT comm is, is part of the dharma that's within us. This call to be present this call to know to see is lives within us. That gets obscured gets covered over by preoccupation by strong desires, stronger versions being in a hurry. And but as we are no longer in a hurry, we live in this extended present moment with where time gets stretched out or is more open or seems timeless. I think maybe you'll feel the call, to being aware to being aware in a way, where being aware has been set free of our thoughts, preoccupations, stories. past future. We're just being alive is enough. So a persico come and see, come look, may this be the day where you explore this and consider this. It requires what I'm suggesting and giving yourself that kind of extended time of now. Because if you're in a hurry, you can't feel the call the request the invitation, but take time from time to time through the day to give yourself this extended time and see what you can discover that might be similar to this call to attention. That is free, peaceful. So thank you. And I hope you enjoy your day and you're exploring of this wonderful invitation to be present. And maybe that responding to that call can be entering into a deeper life fuller life. Thank you
