Sokukoji Buddhist Temple Monastery

The hidden aspect of consciousness that does not want to be discovered is called the ego, or narcissism. It’s the self that has no particular credentials except the ones it can forge. The self centeredness can thrive and get some kind of fuel or relative complement to the mind stream or the credibility of the self by pushing, pulling or shutting down. It tries to fool you, swindle you, and take away your wisdom mind. Trungpa Rinpoche once gave a talk called “Buddha-dharma Without Credentials.” If there’s proof then it’s not Buddha-dharma. What is Buddha-dharma awake to? There isn’t anything else. You have to see it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjU_8jUiLps&t

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We try to find ways to get things done that we want to accomplish. In our situation it’s the motivation to do the sitting practice of meditation as it’s taught here, called shikantaza. This is probably the most radical, minimalist form of meditation. How do we get ourselves to to do something that doesn’t always really show any kind of immediate results? Return to the original inspiration that got you to practice in the first place. It’s important to have some kind of form set up to remind you of that, such as the four reminders, especially the first one: “First contemplate the preciousness of being free and well favored. Difficult to gain, easy to lose. Now I must do something meaningful.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz63UPSOIkk

What is the dynamic that causes our whole emotional structure to get all tightened up so that we want to destroy something? It happens on all kinds of levels from tiny irritations with others, to something being not quite right with ourselves. The imaginary self gets some kind of nourishment out of rage and anger that comes from the fear of all the versions of being nobody; that people won’t like who you are or that you’ll look foolish. Don’t try to get rid of your anger – feed the demons. You have to meet dependent origination face to face. It might still be there for the next 30 years, but by seeing it, you disempower the energy it has to block your view of what is occurring in any situation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaRdUTDbYaE

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Whatever is arising in the mind stream, don’t argue. Even though it’s difficult, just look at it. It will never show up the same way twice. You might consider seeing what it actually is. In order to fundamentally relate to anything that arises in the mind stream, you may have to be at the mercy of the emotion; in other words, receive that. The so called object is the subject. You can’t think your way into that, but you can train your mind to see what this is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZUWktvK9Ss

See how these two show up for you. Is someone trying to control you? Someone who is afraid may have some kind of nondescript paranoia or anxiety. Someone who is covering up fear may not know they are afraid at all. They might just think they are angry about something, some other situation that needs to be controlled or governed. I am recommending that you train your mind so there will be less projection and more receiving what’s there. It will feel like you don’t know what’s happening. And it takes awhile. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUVt-S6XGVU&t=317s

Anytime you’re trying, “efforting” you might as well be looking for one thing and going towards something else. Don’t do that. Wherever you are is where you’re at; just hang out there, whether it’s at the top of the hill or the bottom. If we push too much we stop the very investigation we are trying to do. The clarity IS the confusion; this will not show up as a relative understanding. Just look at the confusion. If there’s no one there, the confusion is just dependent origination. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv-fdcvUqeA&t=1s

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Is feeling like you’re misunderstood a form of blame? There are times when it might not be all that definite. It could relatively be true, but if you’re making some kind of attribution based on how you feel, then you are shifting things around to lighten the cause and effect situation. Thinking that there is someone who could be understood is a way of validating your identity. Just observe, so you can see what it is fundamentally, rather than concluding what it’s about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSzj6-TPiN4

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This vow of the bodhisattva is otherwise known as the vow to save all beings. Another way of saying it is, “Put everyone before yourself.” You have to start somewhere; you might as well be with the stuff that’s arising in your mind stream. We get triggered. Instead of staying with the texture of that disturbance, we call it something, like depression. The spiritual path is seeing deeply for yourself what is fundamentally true. It’s not easy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua3vUe44AT8&t=49s

The relationship between the student and the teacher is very unique and different for each person. It’s up to you. The teachings are handed down from warm hand to warm hand. If you’re a monk, the relationship to your teacher needs to come first. Of course, that doesn’t mean getting rid of your partner or children, so it’s a little different. Give the teacher the benefit of the doubt and include the teacher in everything. When you sit down, hold still and go into the mind, you might feel agoraphobic. Use the attention strengthening practice called meditation to see the mind is fathomless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Slt2_ZAp5pI

You can’t avoid relationships; even if you go to a mountaintop, you’re in relationship with your own mind. The way the Vidyadhara Trungpa Rinpoche talked about this was to say said that the best relationship is no relationship. He talked about relationships in terms of a mandala, a sacred circle. The secret mandala, or inner mandala is your own personal circle. Work with your own mind steam by observing it without fiddling with it. The incredible illusion is otherness and the fundamental issue is mistaken identity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reElUdwe3Pc

When something is moving we cover it up, either literally or by interpreting it. Any kind of commentary or movement is a coverup. Don’t interfere with it. Take a radical, minimalist attitude. Whatever is showing up, train yourself to be on receive. Meditate a lot. Sitting has to be done for a few years, maybe more, before you can see the cover up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmSNVeutwH8&t=14s

I move my hand as an expression of my mind. Although the frequencies are different, it is the same kind of movement. Mind and body are the same thing. We pull on the separation to try to control our mind, but we can’t do it. The conceptual mind is like shrink wrap, trying to hold on to things. The area of the mind that’s respectful of the space in which things occur is the mind space or mind stream where thoughts come and go. This area can be observed in sitting meditation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q1TFLWfnQQ&t=1s

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What is immediate light? Immediate light means light that’s very quick, that’s already here. Light is a metaphor for realization or understanding. Everything is already brilliant; there are no shadows. Immediacy is a commentary on our fascination with time. Sokuzan responds to this and other questions about confusion, dependent origination, form and content in this open question format. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=padJt-lZl4A