It's the truth of the Tathagata's words. Good evening. Good evening. Tonight for your amusement and edification we have the Eric and Edward show. This is Eric, I'm Edward. I'm going to just to introduce Eric briefly. I feel very fortunate and happy to have Eric here again. Eric Schiffman is helping to lead the Zen and Yoga workshop. He's leading the yoga classes and I'm leading some Zen sittings.

[01:04]

It's the truth. And I feel very much a kindred spirit when I'm with Eric. And I tend to feel rather lighthearted and happy. So, thank you. And just to say briefly, I'm going to tell you about Eric, but I don't really know anything about Eric. Just because it's sort of like I don't always remember what I've heard. But I think Eric said that he talked his parents into going to a Krishnamurti high school in England. And so he spent four years or so in England going to school and somehow he ended up in India. Louder? Okay. So Eric went to a Krishnamurti high school in England.

[02:06]

And then I think there met Mr. Anger, but I'm not sure. But anyway, he spent quite a long time in India studying with Mr. Anger and others. And he decided to teach it. He just kept practicing yoga and teaching yoga. He didn't get distracted. Or maybe it's all he knew how to do. Oh, I was just saying I was afraid of getting a real job. Anyway, I still am. So I enjoy listening to Eric teaching and listening to his talk. So I hope you will as well.

[03:09]

So it's all yours, dear friend. Thank you. Can I say one other thing? So you know. Somebody down here just this weekend was telling me that, you know, we have some friends who also know Eric and their yoga teachers and their daughter, their little girl Tara. When she first met Eric, she said, it's the cowardly lion. Just to get the story straight. And she, you know, she's three. I'm six foot four.

[04:11]

She looked up at me and just. And this quizzical look for about 10 seconds, then sort of like how a puppy then turns his head the other way. And she says, you're the big lion. Big lion. Big lion. Oh, my God. So I was thinking something I want to talk about. Take a few minutes. Yoga made simple. I'm going to use yoga lingo just because that's more what I'm versed in.

[05:20]

But really. It's so awesome that we're here. That's mostly what I want to say. That's mostly what I feel. I just wanted to publicly express that. I think Tassajara is awesome place. Yay. So. Is it OK? I mean, do you. I'm going to use the whiteboard. I'm going to die. I'm going to diagram infinity. As a Zen joke. We.

[06:31]

Can you sort of see? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I think this is interesting what I'm about to say. It's helped me. I'll just go for it. I know some of you have heard this. And I must have talked about this probably 500 times. It still feels totally brand new. I'm just getting it. And it feels really good to just be getting it. Yeah. OK.

[07:42]

And keep in mind, this is I'm talking about yoga. I'm talking about mind. These are waves on the ocean. And therefore. All of this is the ocean. The blue lines are the ocean also. This wave. Wave number one. Is the specific. And unique. Self-expression of the entire ocean. That sentence alone is huge. This wave. Is the entire ocean. Being itself. As wave number one. Wave number two. Though different from wave number one.

[08:48]

Is also the specific and unique. Self-expression. Of the entire ocean. This wave. Is the entire ocean. Being itself as wave number two. And wave number three. Though different from one and two. Is also the entirety. Of infinity. Being specifically expressed. As wave number three. Now for this analogy. Everything is a wave. I'm a wave. You're a wave. The little blue felt pen is a wave. The eraser is a wave. This is the entirety of infinity. Being specifically expressed.

[09:49]

As what appears to be a little dry board eraser. Infinity. Specifically expressed. There's like nothing else it could be. And the little pen cap. Is also the entirety of infinity. Looking like this. Fulfilling specific purposes of pen cap. The problem is. And that's a joke too. Is that we feel like this. And you try to get the squeak in there. If you ever do the drawing. It could basically be. It's not verbally. Sort of what it feels like. To be thinking that you're a separate wave only.

[10:51]

Cut off and separate from the ocean. And it's like. What ocean? And it's sort of understandable how it arises. The way it pops up. Looks around. Sees other waves. Who knows potentially hostile. And if you're judging the world. As a potentially hostile place. Then it makes a sense. To contract. And protect yourself. And become self-defensive against. When you proceed to be a scary hostile world. The problem is. Is that when you contract. And protect yourself against. When you proceed to be a scary hostile world. You start feeling like that. And it starts to hurt.

[11:54]

And you say wow. You know being in the body sucks. Can't wait till I get out of here. Can't wait till the ride is over. Now what yoga and meditation is about. Is the wave. Relaxing into itself. Just becoming still. Relaxing into itself. And as the wave relaxes into itself. And stays with its actual now experience. Then inevitably. Because of what it is. The little wave. Will begin to experience. The depths of the ocean. As being the truest thing about what it specifically is. And as you sink in there. And begin to experience the depths of who you are.

[12:56]

Then this line. This conviction that you are a separate wave only. Somehow. The conviction that you are a separate wave only. Gets a little crack in it. More ocean awareness. Seeps into your conscious awareness. This line is what I call the ego. It's the. Inaccurate sense. That who you are is a separate wave only. But it's like. If there's a wave. If there's a wave. There's got to be an ocean around here somewhere. And as you relax. And settle into your actual now experience. More and more little cracks.

[13:58]

Begin to happen. When this little line gets thinner. And more malleable. Your conviction that who you are is a separate wave only. Begins to be less convinced. Now when I first started. I started hearing about. The ego going away. Getting rid of the ego saying. I thought. This line would go away. But so would that. Where's better with a drag word. Than the flip chart. And you would succeed by becoming a non presence. But the ocean. Mind.

[15:01]

Mind. Is expressing itself. As waves. Infinitely individuated. Not separate from infinity. But specific individuations. And when the limited sense of who you are goes away. You won't go away. The real you that you've always really been. Instead of getting smaller and smaller. And then finally poof. Starts getting bigger and bigger. And bigger. Until you're consciously. Feeling the infinity of things. As being the truest thing about who you are. And who everyone else is. So if you imagine. Imagine this wave over here feeling like this. An egotistical idiot. Feeling crummy.

[16:06]

Hurting. Confused. Suffering. Because they don't know who they are. The more you meditate. The more you do yoga. The more you sink in here. And feel the truth of who you. Spontaneously are. The clearer you get. The more familiar you get with this. Then when you look out at other waves. You'll begin to recognize the very same ocean. As being the truest thing about you. As being the truest thing about who. What they are. The biggest blessing you can do for somebody else. Is to look through the appearance. Of what they appear to be being. Look through the appearance.

[17:08]

To the reality that you begin to suspect. Has got to be there. If there's anybody there at all. If there's anybody there at all. The only thing there really could be. Is the infinity of mind being specifically expressed. If they don't know that. They'll start experiencing this. And if you're confused about it. You won't be able to see through it. The more you sink in here however. And it's interesting to watch this happen. It just starts happening spontaneously. The more familiar you get with the feeling. Of who you are. Then naturally when you look out at other waves. Even if they're looking like this. You start to recognize. The very same ocean. As being the truest thing about them. It's fun to watch this happen.

[18:11]

You'll look at somebody. And you'll begin to recognize them. Or something about them will look familiar. And the tendency is to think. Oh you know like we met before. Maybe I knew you in a past life. And maybe you did. But really what's happening. Is you're beginning to see the very same. One and only self. That you are. As being the very same thing that's popping up over here. I think I'm saying it clearly. And then. Whereas before it made sense to contract. And defend yourself against what you perceived to be a scary hostile world. The more you begin to see yourself. In others. Thank fucking God. They don't look so scary anymore.

[19:15]

It begins to make sense to relax. That's the gist of what I wanted to say. The idea therefore is. Like Buddha for example. Before he was the Buddha. It feels odd talking. I'm not a scholarly Buddhist. But before the Buddha was the Buddha. He was still who he was. He became the Buddha. The awakened one when he woke up from the dream. Of thinking that he was something other than the infinite being specifically expressed. He didn't become different. He became what he always was. And in becoming what he always was.

[20:23]

He became radically different. There's a book I have. I've never read the book. But I liked the title. I bought it for the title. I've looked at it. I've got it on my bookshelf. And I leave my room. And I see it on my bookshelf. The doctrine of recognition. And I thought yeah. Yeah. And it's just so. Like for me it's been so interesting to be here with. Aspiring Buddhas. You know we're all like working to. Realize our inherent Buddha nature.

[21:24]

And having glimpses of it where you're. Certain that yeah wow this really is true. And then you flip back to this mindset. But when you flip back. You're not quite as dense as you were. Because you had a real insight. And the moment you have a real insight. Then your practices become more meaningful. Because you know you're practicing for clarity. Clarity. This is Buddha Brown. This is Buddha Garrett. It's sort of fun to walk around. The grounds. Wow Buddha. There's nothing else anyone could really be.

[22:37]

Except in your imagination. And you can have an imagination. And be confused. But you can't really be. Other than what's really going on. The living event is. Being you. You didn't make yourself. You are. The infinity being specifically expressed. So what I've been doing this weekend while I'm walking around. You know if you look at somebody and you kind of think. Oh that's what's his name. I've seen her. And maybe you have. But you know. And you're not doing them a favor by singing the truth.

[23:49]

You're just like. Cleaning up your own mess. And doing the best favor you could for somebody else. This person doesn't need more convincing that they're an egotistical idiot. They're convinced. They need somebody who can. Look at them without buying into the presentation. That they're presenting themselves as. So the practice becomes. Let go of what you think you know. Look through the appearance. Have the growing suspicion that if there's anyone anything there. The only thing they could be is Buddha express Buddha mind. Infinite mind.

[24:51]

Christ my whatever the word is. Something's happening. And be interested to see it. At least be interested to see you. You know. What is the truth here. Thank you. Thank you. I find it really difficult to you know.

[25:54]

Rather difficult to speak after Eric's talk. But I will you know say a few things. I didn't mean to hog the whole. It's. One of the things that you know Eric's talk reminded me of. Something true pharmacists say is that ego is the paranoid suspicion that you actually do exist. Rather than starting to suspect that maybe you are the infinite ocean. One of my favorite expressions in Zen is. In Dogen's Genjokan. He says when you get in a boat and you go out. On the ocean until no land is sight in sight. And you look around the ocean looks circular. It doesn't look any other way. So you might think that the ocean is circular. And he says Dogen says you see as far as your eye of practice can see.

[26:56]

But the ocean isn't square or circular. In addition to the appearance of things. You should always remind yourself that the ocean has infinite characteristics. And boundless virtue. That you're not seeing right now. In addition to the appearance of things. And he says this is true not only of the ocean but of you yourself. So however you see or characterize yourself. You can remind yourself that you also have infinite characteristics. And boundless virtue. I'm also remembering I was reading a book recently. Which from a different point of view. Someone was writing about healing beyond the body. And how the possibility of prayer actually works. And it's good to pray may the best results occur. And not just try to save people who don't want to be saved. But anyway. Larry Dawsey who writes a number of these books. At one time they prayed for a friend of his.

[27:58]

And he had a heart attack and then he got well. And he lived another 8 or 10 years and then he died. And after he died the man came to Larry Dawsey in a dream and said. I finally got away from you. And your prayers. But in that book. He says that many scientists are now beginning to suspect. That the total number of minds in the universe is one. Because nobody has ever shown how. Great matter inside a skull. Could possibly produce consciousness. That matter would produce consciousness. And so it seems actually that matter is. A brain would be something more like a receiver and transmitter of the one consciousness. Rather than its own individual consciousness. Pretty nice. And I was also reminded you know. One of the really treats for me is. In this vein is that when I come down here.

[29:00]

And we have this really sweet practice of bowing to each other. As we pass. And especially when I first got here. It was so touching because when I walk around Fairfax. Or even when I'm walking around Deer Park. And up into the marine watershed. Nobody stops. Nobody bows. Most people more than half the people will not say hello. Even if I say hello to them. I say good afternoon. Because you don't exist. Or it's dangerous to admit that anybody else out there exists. So it's really sweet being here. And meeting people and bowing and greeting. I don't bow to everybody. But I tend to say good afternoon or good morning or hello. It's really nice. It's a different world than the world we usually live in. Out there.

[30:01]

I feel very blessed to meet people here. I was going to tell you one story. That I was thinking about for tonight. And I think I'll go ahead and tell you. In the 60s when I was here. And one time we were having tea with Suzuki. Why haven't you enlightened me yet? And I thought. How rude. It didn't seem very polite. And it seemed kind of attacking him. Accusing him of somehow being withholding. Or not very skillful. Or not very competent. Like he should be able to. And why didn't he? And she really deserved to be enlightened. But he wasn't coming through. Anyway he said. I'm making my best effort. That was quite nice.

[31:08]

And I was sort of thinking he might add after that. And how about you? But he wasn't gracious enough. Not to do that. He must have been seeing more of the ocean. Rather than the presentation. And I thought about that story a lot over the years. Because I think we often do this also with ourselves. We say to our own body and mind. Why aren't you giving me better experiences? Why haven't you come up with something more enlightening? Something better. Than what you've been offering me. Something beyond. It should be better than this. Something more magnificent. Awesome. Where is that special experience that I've been seeking all my life? As we hear. And I sometimes think at that point. Maybe if you were listening carefully.

[32:10]

You could hear Suzuki Rishi. Your body and mind saying. I'm making my best effort. I'm making my best effort. I give you things to see. I give you things to hear. I give you things to smell. To taste. To touch. I give you thoughts to think. Feelings to have. I'm doing pretty good here. But you don't always seem to appreciate it. So we have. It really is nice. You know we forget how. Just in a very basic way. The goodness or the blessedness of our life. And the. You know another Zen teacher said.

[33:12]

See with your eyes. Smell with your nose. Taste with your tongue. Nothing in the universe is hidden. What else would you have me say. And I sometimes think that you'd have them say. You know how do I get things to do what I want them to. And. But the Zen teacher isn't telling you how to get things to do what you want them to. No. See with your eyes. Smell with your nose. Taste with your tongue. Think your thoughts. Feel your feelings. And what would you. You know what would you have me say. What would you. There's nothing hidden here. So this is also like. You know the story. Is that one day a monk asked the Zen master Jojo. How do I get to the summit of the mystic peak. And Jojo said I won't tell you.

[34:14]

Jojo was a very famous well known Zen master. Even in his day and he was considered that. When he spoke golden light came out of his mouth. So why didn't he answer the monk. The monk said. Why won't you tell me how to get to the summit of the mystic peak. And Jojo said. If I told you you'd go right on thinking that you were on level ground. So this is. You know the kind of. Question we all have. You know where are we. What life is this. Is it level ground. Is it the summit of the mystic peak. Is it the way. Is it the ocean. And is there some way just to trust. More the support of the ocean. And the.

[35:20]

The way in which. We all appear in this world. Seeing smelling tasting touching. Many a few years ago. Actually it's been about 10 years now. I'm surprised the years go by. But after 31 years of Zen practice they had Dharma transmission. Or as Mel calls it Dharma and trust. I thought I'd better go ahead and do it because people were asking me. Why haven't you. I thought I'd better go ahead and do it because people were asking me. Like. What's wrong with you. That you don't have this recognition. And then people ask me you know like well what is that all about. And I say. That's a recognition that you know that's people thanking me for being me. And you finally. Thank you for being you and who you are. And not trying to be somebody else any longer.

[36:23]

And not trying to be somebody better than you or more special. Or you know more perfect. And you know. That you could just be you. And you could have the confidence to be you and. Realize that fundamentally your. Infinite characteristics and boundless virtue. And it doesn't solve all the problems of the world. It doesn't solve all the problems you know that we are. Or that we have with other people but it's pretty sweet. Even though. Even our good heartedness doesn't fix everything. We have misunderstandings and confusions and difficulties. And we go on. Acknowledging and. Manifesting our good heartedness. The best we can. Thank you for being here this evening. It's kind of one. It's wonderful to be with all of you and to be here.

[37:25]

And. We do try to stop by about 920 so that we can. Get a good night's sleep and get up early in the morning. Thank you very much. Listen. And people stay there. And also it's the area right outside here. We try to keep quiet. So if you're going to be talking, you could move away from here. So in a few minutes, people upstairs will be trying to sleep.

[38:01]

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